Chapter 42: The Shower

Upon arriving at the hotel door, they got out of the car and entered the lobby. Without wasting any time, they headed towards the stairs to go up to their rooms. The atmosphere was calm, only interrupted by the echo of their steps on the marble stairs.

As they ascended, the butler, with a worried expression, broke the silence. "Young Master, won't you need women's clothes for her?" he asked, his voice resonating softly in the hallway.

Xue Sha, without stopping, responded calmly, "No need, I'll give her my old clothes."

Bao Qing, always alert, suggested, "Young Master, I should stay at the door so that if she tries to leave, I can catch her."

Xue Sha frowned, initially shaking his head. "It's not necessary, I'll be meditating all night," he said firmly. However, after a few seconds of reflection, his expression softened, and he nodded slowly. "Alright, stay at the door," he added finally, with a tone of decision.

Upon reaching their floor, which was divided by the staircase into two halves, with a hallway to the right and another to the left, they paused for a moment.

"Good night, Young Master," said the butler, bowing slightly before heading to the left.

"Good night," Xue Sha responded with a slight nod. Bao Qing also bowed his head and added, "See you tomorrow."

Xue Sha, Bao Qing, and the slave girl took the hallway to the right. They walked to a door with a sign indicating the number 57. Xue Sha took a key from his ring, which also had a rectangular metal piece engraved with the number 57. With a precise movement, he opened the door and, looking at the girl, said, "Enter."

The girl obeyed and entered first. Xue Sha turned to Bao Qing and said, "Good night, Bao Qing."

"Good night, Young Master," Bao Qing replied with a slight bow of his head.

Xue Sha entered the room and closed the door behind him, never letting go of the chain connected to the girl.

Xue Sha put the key back into his ring with a precise movement. He pulled the chain and led the girl to the dining room. "Don't move," he ordered firmly.

The girl, though her eyes reflected fear, tried to remain still. Xue Sha approached and, with one hand, held her long hair while looking for a place on the collar where he could open it. He noticed there was only one screw. He carefully unscrewed it, and the collar loosened. He gently removed it from the girl's neck.

As he worked, Xue Sha thought, "Who designed this rudimentary mechanism? It's almost insulting. It would be a hundred times safer to add a key. With this mechanism, if the slaves escape and find someone kind-hearted, they can easily remove the cuffs and collar."

Then, he observed the cuffs on her wrists and saw that there was a hole the size of the screw. "Maybe, if I insert the screw and turn it, I can open them," Xue Sha thought. He picked up the screw that had fallen to the floor and inserted it into the cuffs. He turned it slowly to one side but noticed they tightened more. Then, he turned it the other way, and the cuffs loosened. After a while, the cuffs came off on their own.

Xue Sha stored the collar and cuffs in his ring. Meanwhile, the barefoot girl curled her toes inward and rubbed her wrists, relieved by the release.

After storing everything, Xue Sha directed a cold, penetrating look at the girl. "What's your name?" he asked firmly.

The girl, uneasy and with fear reflected in her eyes, whispered, "072."

Xue Sha nodded slightly, understanding. "I suppose it's because you were the 72nd to be auctioned today."

072 nodded several times, timidly, not daring to look him in the eyes.

Xue Sha rubbed his chin, thoughtful. "Well, it will be very inconvenient to call you by a number. You need a name." He paused, evaluating his options, and then added, "From now on, you will be called Bai Hu."

The girl looked up, surprised and a bit relieved, but Xue Sha continued with an authoritative tone, "Remember that you are now my slave, so call me Master."

Though Bai Hu felt a spark of joy at receiving a name, her tone was sad as she responded, nodding, "Yes, Master."

Xue Sha looked at the girl and, with a firm voice, said, "Follow me."

The girl, now known as Bai Hu, followed him silently as they headed to the bathroom. Upon entering, Xue Sha closed the door behind them and turned to her.

"Take off all your clothes. We're going to shower," Xue Sha ordered bluntly.

Bai Hu, with trembling hands, began to undress. Meanwhile, Xue Sha removed his earrings and necklaces, carefully storing them in his ring. Then, he took off his clothes, remaining only in his underwear, and also stored them in the ring.

Bai Hu remained in her underwear, feeling vulnerable and exposed. Xue Sha, showing no emotion, entered the bathtub and gestured for her to follow.

"Get in," he said.

Bai Hu, timid and nervous, first put one leg in and then the other until she was completely inside the bathtub. Xue Sha turned on the faucet and touched the water, waiting for it to reach the right temperature. When it was warm, he took the handheld shower and began to pour water over Bai Hu.

The warm water ran over Bai Hu's body, who closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. After a while, Xue Sha handed her the handheld shower and said, "Hold this over your head."

Bai Hu obeyed, holding the shower over her head while Xue Sha began to rub her hair. The warm water and Xue Sha's firm hands provided her with a strange sense of comfort and security.

"Now, hold it over your chest," Xue Sha instructed.

Bai Hu moved the shower to her chest, letting the water run over her body. Xue Sha took a bar of soap and rubbed it vigorously in Bai Hu's hair, creating a rich lather. As he did so, Bai Hu squeezed her eyes shut to avoid getting soap in them.

Despite her efforts, some soap slid into her eyes, causing a burning sensation. Bai Hu squeezed her eyelids shut and let out a small whimper of pain.

"Relax," said Xue Sha, noticing her discomfort. "I'm almost done."

After ensuring there was enough soap, Xue Sha put the bar back in its place and began to rub Bai Hu's hair carefully but firmly. Then, he took the handheld shower again and rinsed her hair, making sure to remove all traces of soap.

Bai Hu, with her eyes still closed, felt the warm water wash away the soap, and the burning in her eyes began to subside. Finally, Xue Sha turned off the faucet and set the handheld shower aside.

"Done," said Xue Sha, in a tone that brooked no argument. "Now take the bar of soap and clean your body."

Bai Hu nodded timidly, slowly opening her eyes and blinking to clear any remaining soap.