Conquer the other worlds with abandon, they've fallen in love with me!

Holly's shop is at the end of the commercial street, a two-story building with white exterior walls and a wooden sign hanging at the entrance that reads "Holly's Trading Company".

The moment the door was opened, a faint scent of incense wafted out.

The hall wasn't large, but it was very clean.

A row of soft stools was placed against the wall, and several young girls were sitting on them. Some were reading, some were daydreaming, and some were drinking tea and chatting.

When Holly came in, they all looked up.

"Sister Holly is back!"

The sounds rose and fell, as natural as seeing family members return.

Then they saw Lin Yu behind Holly.

There was a moment of silence.

Several girls' eyes all fell on him, scanning him from head to toe.

Some people blushed, some looked away but couldn't help turning back, and some lowered their heads to pretend to read, but held the book upside down.

"This is Mr. Lin Yu, the savior I told you about." Holly clapped her hands. "Say hello to him, everyone."

"Hello, Mr. Lin Yu!"

The voices were uneven, but every word was sweet.

Lin Yu nodded, his gaze sweeping over them.

The oldest looks to be in his early twenties, and the youngest is only eighteen.

Although his clothes were simple, they were clean and tidy, his hair was neatly combed, and his face did not show any signs of being oppressed or numb.

She certainly didn't look like a prisoner; she seemed more like a girl staying with relatives.

Holly led Lin Yu upstairs.

The second floor is where she lives and works, and it's much quieter than the first floor.

She poured Lin Yu a cup of tea, and the two sat down by the window.

"This shop originally belonged to my grandmother." Holly held her teacup, her gaze fixed on the view outside the window.

"She's old and in poor health, so she went back to her hometown to recuperate."

Before he left, he entrusted the shop to me and told me to run it well.

She turned back to look at Lin Yu.

"I know how people outside view our industry. Some colleagues are indeed inhumane, treating girls like commodities, only looking at the price and not asking where they go."

But my grandmother taught me that one should live with a clear conscience. For every girl who comes here, I ask about their background and intentions, and I also assess the character of the buyer.

If you encounter a bad person, you won't sell it for any amount of money.

However, it was precisely because of this philosophy that none of our girls were sold.

All I can do is tell them to study hard; maybe that will help me manage the business.

Lin Yu took a sip of tea but offered no comment.

Holly stared at his face for a few seconds, then suddenly spoke.

"Mr. Lin Yu, have you found anything you like? Don't worry, they're all clean."

Lin Yu put down his teacup.

"That's not what I meant," Holly quickly waved her hand. "I meant, if you have anything you like, I can give it to you."

These girls are definitely better off with you than with me. You're a good person; you'll treat them well.

I could hear the laughter of the girls downstairs from outside the window; I wondered what they were talking about that made them so happy.

"My place isn't big enough to accommodate so many people," Lin Yu said.

"Besides, I don't need maids now."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Holly's eyes, but it was quickly covered up by a smile.

"Yes, I was inconsiderate."

"However," Lin Yu stood up, "if we move to a larger place in the future, we might need to trouble you."

Holly's eyes lit up again.

"Definitely!" She stood up as well. "You can have whatever you want then, I'll find you the best."

Lin Yu smiled but didn't reply.

"I'll be going now, I have something to do."

"I'll see you out." Holly followed him downstairs.

The girls on the first floor were still sitting on the soft stools, but their positions had changed; they had all moved to the row by the window.

Seeing Lin Yu come down, they quieted down again, their eyes all following him.

Holly saw Lin Yu to the door: "Mr. Lin Yu, please take care on your way."

"Um."

Lin Yu walked back the way he came.

Holly stood at the door, clutching her coat, watching Lin Yu's figure disappear around the street corner.

Lin Yu's words echoed in his mind, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

"A bigger house..." she murmured.

......

Adventurers' Guild.

Lin Yu tied up the horse and pushed open the door to go inside.

The lobby on the first floor was more lively than usual. Several adventurers were gathered around the notice board looking at the quests, while in the corner, people were arm wrestling, with cheers coming in waves.

He didn't linger and went straight up to the second floor.

He knocked on Vera's office door, which was ajar.

"Please come in."

Pushing open the door, I saw Vera sitting behind her desk with two glasses of wine in front of her, one red and one white.

Several small dishes were also placed on the table, including smoked fish, cured meat, and cheese, arranged neatly.

Today she changed into a dark green cheongsam, with a jade brooch pinned to the collar, and her hair was styled in an updo, secured with a jade hairpin.

She wore a pair of black stockings with a special effect on her legs. The stockings were smooth with no dark patterns and shimmered softly in the morning light.

Lin Yu's gaze lingered on her legs for a moment, then he looked up and a slight smile played on his lips.

"Miss Vera is in a good mood today."

"Of course I'm in a good mood since Mr. Lin Yu is here." Vera leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs, and gently wiggled her toes.

Her ankles, encased in stockings, gleamed delicately in the sunlight. The lines of her insteps were smooth, and the tips of her high heels tapped the ground with a bouncy gait.

"Sit down." She pointed to the chair opposite her.

Lin Yu sat down.

Vera pushed the white glass towards her: "Try it, it's freshly arrived, shipped from the north."

Lin Yu picked up the wine glass and took a sip. It was smooth on the palate, with a floral aroma and the sweetness of honey, followed by a slightly spicy aftertaste.

"Good wine."

Vera smiled, picked up her red glass, and clinked it against his.

The wine glasses clinked together, and she tilted her head back and took a big gulp. Her throat bobbed, and the collar of her cheongsam opened slightly, revealing a section of her fair neck.

The two of them drank and chatted casually.

Vera chatted about guild matters, which adventurer team had completed what mission, and which newbie had made a fool of themselves in the training ground.

Lin Yu listened, occasionally offering a few words of response.

After a few rounds of drinks, Vera's face flushed.

The pink tinge spread from the cheekbones to the base of the ears, down the neck, and even tinged the fair skin below the collar.

Her voice slowed down, and the words became more connected, as if she were holding a piece of candy that wouldn't dissolve.

"Mr. Lin Yu..." She rested her chin on one hand, twirled her wine glass in the other, and looked at him with her eyes half-closed.

"Your alcohol tolerance... is pretty good..."

"good."

"I...I can't take it anymore..." Vera put down her glass, propped her head up, and swayed.

"I feel a little dizzy...let me lie down for a while..."

She stood up, her steps a little unsteady, walked to the sofa by the wall, sat down, and lay down on her side.

...

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