Qin Qinxi had already finished her bath in the bathroom, but she hadn’t turned off the water.

The sound of rushing water drowned out the pounding of her heart.

She stood by the sink, staring at that red box as if it were a ticking time bomb.

She had no idea why the man wanted her to wear this.

Was he so perverse that he expected her to sleep on the floor like this?

At first, Qin Qinxi thought, “Fine, I’ll just wear it—throw a bathrobe over it.”

But she searched the entire bathroom and couldn’t find even a trace of a bathrobe.

All that was left was that box.

She stared at it for a long time, unable to bring herself to open it.

How sickening. Mr. Mansero seemed perfectly normal, yet he turned out to be a pervert too.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared on the bathroom door.

Qin Qinxi jumped in fright and quickly grabbed a large towel to cover herself.

There were two knocks on the door.

“Are you going to wash yourself to death in there?” the man’s voice came through the door, laced with impatience. “It’s been an hour. Your master needs to use the restroom.”

Qin Qinxi hurriedly replied, “Yes, yes, yes! I’m coming right away! Right away!”

Only then did the shadow disappear.

Qin Qinxi slowly turned her head and looked at the red box again.

Vio’s glass was empty.

It was his habit to have a glass of whisky before bed.

A few ice cubes remained at the bottom of the glass; he popped two into his mouth and chewed them, crunching softly.

No sooner had he set the empty glass back on the coffee table than the bathroom door behind him finally stirred.

With the ice still crunching in his mouth, the man slowly turned around and glanced over his shoulder.

And then he saw the woman.

Although she was wrapped in a large towel, it was easy to tell that she really was wearing that outfit.

The towel was wrapped tightly around her chest, pressed down by her arms.

The top consisted of a halter strap, like a collar, which couldn’t hide anything.

She covered the middle section, but not her legs.

Qin Qinxi clutched her chest, feeling extremely awkward, like a cat whose scruff has been grabbed.

She forced herself to walk past the man.

Vio’s eyes darkened slightly. At the same time, he couldn’t help but chuckle at her appearance.

“You didn’t bother to cover up on the ship either,” he said.

He had no idea about the procedures or training on the ship.

All Vio knew was that the person had been bought; as for how they were trained on board or what exactly they were taught, he never bothered to ask.

He wasn’t interested in such details and didn’t care to know much about them.

But when Qin Qinxi heard these words, it felt as though something had pierced her heart.

He brought up that day on the ship again. He had insulted her.

She was a respectable young lady, raised under strict parental supervision and brought up to be modest and reserved.

It wasn’t until she went to college that her parents eased up a bit.

Then she could wear spaghetti straps and short skirts.

But clothes like this…

No wonder it was red and made of lace.

He’d done it on purpose.

Did he think that since she’d been touched by that old man, he should make her sleep on the floor in this outfit to reawaken the humiliation she’d felt that day?

Qin Qinxi bit her lower lip, her heart sinking with sorrow.

She didn’t dare argue with him; all she could do was tell herself to endure a little longer.

“Mr. Mansero,” she said.

Her voice no longer softened; instead, she changed the subject, speaking seriously. “Am I supposed to sleep on the floor in this room?”

Vio raised an eyebrow, studied her for a few seconds, then nodded slightly. “You can.”

He had assumed this woman wouldn’t really sleep on the floor. She’d surely sweet-talk him again, begging him to let her sleep in a bed.

He thought she was playing a game of feigned reluctance, trying to lure him into giving in.

Women’s tricks were always the same—he’d seen plenty of them and didn’t like them one bit.

He’d met many women, and their tactics were always the same.

End of Chapter 40: Chapter 40