Category: Surrender 3

       “Not bad at massaging. I didn’t know you had the talent to serve others.” The man retracted his legs and teased.

       Chu Yunhan’s body was cold after being recognised, and his brain slowly came back to consciousness from a blank state. He tried to stand up but was held down by someone pressing on his shoulder.

       “Young Master Yun, don’t move.” Bai Xiao, who appeared behind him at some point, whispered with a smile, “If you move around, you may have multiple holes in your body.” It seemed like a joke, but it carried an undertone of coldness.

       Only then did he feel the gun pressed against his back shoulder, and the hairs all over his body stood up. He looked at Chu Yichen. The man resembled a deity with lowered eyes amidst swirling incense. His expression extremely unreadable, as if it could change at any moment, with his mood unpredictable.

       Chu Yunhan didn’t dare to move.

       At Hei Yu’s signal, all the ‘outsiders’ including Cao Kun withdrew. Only Chu Yichen, who was sitting and half-kneeling, Hei Yu, Bai Xiao and four bodyguards were standing in the room.

       Was this a family secret not meant to be exposed? He sneered inwardly, thinking that Chu Yichen was truly just saving his own reputation.

       The lights gradually turned on.

       “The hair is so ugly.” Chu Yichen’s voice floated down from the top of his head.

       The burgundy wig was pulled off by Bai Xiao, revealing the short brown hair underneath. Hei Yu took a disposable comb from the cabinet beside the bed and combed his hair neatly.

       “Much better.” The man finished the wine in the glass and shook it at him, “Come here and pour some wine.”

       Chu Yunhan maintained his one-knee kneeling position and did not move. After a moment of silence, he said, “I thought you didn’t let me move? You can pour it yourself.” When he was hiding before, he was constantly on edge, nearly driving himself crazy. But when the situation reached the point of being exposed, he became calm again. He knew very well that there was no way out once he fell into Chu Yichen’s hands, and there was no point in struggling. It was more satisfying to just break a jar and throw it. However, the unconscious gesture of clasping his fingers still betrayed his inner tension.

       The man raised his eyebrows. Chu Yunhan only felt numbness in his shoulders and arms, and then a layer of burning pain slowly emerged, and a warm and sticky feeling seeped out. Bai Xiao’s bullet accurately passed over his left arm, scratching his sleeve and leaving a deep blood mark on his skin.

       “The next shot won’t be that far off, Young Master Yun.” Bai Xiao’s voice was cold.

       Chu Yunhan’s face turned pale, and he stood up numbly. His legs were a little weak, and he staggered before he stood up. He walked slowly to the man’s side and poured wine for Chu Yichen.

       “It’s too boring to drink like this, sit down and play dice with me.” The man said, “Guess the number, the loser drinks.”

       Can I even say no? Chu Yunhan smiled bitterly in his heart and sat down on the single sofa next to him.

       In front of both of them sat identical empty goblets. Hei Yu knelt on one knee before the coffee table, then placed two dice into a black dice cup. He shook it vigorously a few times, stopped, and moved his hand away from the table.

       “You first.” Chu Yichen said.

       Anyway, it was a matter of a blind cat hitting a mouse. Chu Yunhan guessed randomly, “Big.”

       The dice cup was opened—ten points. He had actually guessed it right.

       Bai Xiao poured a thin layer of red wine into Chu Yichen’s glass. The man shook it and drank it in one gulp.

       Round two. The other party still asked him to guess first. Chu Yunhan chose ‘small’, but it was nine points, he lost. Bai Xiao walked up to him, lowered the mouth of the bottle, and the red wine continued to flow out until the entire glass was filled.

       “What’s this?” He frowned, “It’s not fair at all.”

       “It’s indeed unfair.” Chu Yichen looked at him calmly, “I never said this was a fair game from the beginning.”

       “You…” He wanted to stand up but was pushed down on the sofa. Bai Xiao had a usual smile on his face, “Don’t move.”

       “If you have the guts, shoot me dead,” Chu Yunhan gritted through his teeth.

       “If the young master gives an order, I will be happy to carry it out.”

       Chu Yunhan felt a chill run down his spine as the hidden murderous intent in that smile sent goosebumps all over his body. He sat stiffly and said to Chu Yichen, “You want me to drink all this glass?”

       “Latour, 1989, Bordeaux red wine. It’s your favourite flavour, if I remember correctly.” The man leaned on the sofa and looked at him lazily.

       Chu Yunhan pressed his lips together, picked up the glass filled with deep ruby-red wine, and tilted his head back, closing his eyes as he drank it down. The sour taste flooded his mouth, gradually turning numb with each swallow. No matter how fine the wine, drinking it this way would only make it hard to stomach. After finishing the glass, he placed the empty cup back on the coffee table.

       Hei Yu continued shaking the dice cup. Five points—small. He guessed right again and exhaled slightly in relief. However, the game continued. After Chu Yichen drank the sip of wine in his glass, the dice began rattling inside the cup once more. Now Chu Yunhan understood why the man had so generously let him guess first—because under these rules, no matter how long the game went on, he would always be the loser. He could only pin all his hopes on luck, wishing he could keep guessing right. Unfortunately, good luck always slips away too easily.

       After guessing wrong four times in a row, he felt nauseated and dizzy as he looked at the wine. He picked up the cup and put it down again, saying, “I can’t drink any more.”

       Chu Yichen put his hands on the back of the sofa and looked at him. Seeing that he still didn’t move, he said, “Bai Xiao, help him.”

       “Young Master Yun, I’m sorry.” Bai Xiao neatly lifted Chu Yunhan’s chin with his hand, forced him to open his teeth, and then poured the wine in the glass into his mouth.

       Chu Yunhan’s eyes widened, and he struggled desperately. However, his body was pinned firmly to the sofa by the bodyguard, leaving him no room to move. The wine he drank choked into his trachea, and he instinctively began to cough. At the same time, he was forced to swallow the liquid that made him breathless, making a whimpering sound. After the glass was poured out, the bodyguards let go. He arched his back and coughed violently. In addition to his face, his white shirt and uniform were also stained with red wine, making him look miserable. Chu Yunhan coughed for a long time before he calmed down. He stared at the person opposite him with red eyes, “Have you had enough?”

       “Go on.” Chu Yichen said nonchalantly, “Guess, big or small?”

       Clearly, the game would continue, never ending until the one in control decided to call it off. Chu Yunhan knew that he was now like prey trapped by a pack of wolves with no chance of escape, left to be toyed with and tormented at the whim of his captor. A wave of despair surged in his heart.

       There was no way out.

       He pursed his lips and gritted his teeth, and said, “Let’s change the game. The outcome will be decided in one round. If I guess right, you let me go. If I guess wrong, you kill me.”

       The man looked at him, the amusement in his eyes growing stronger and stronger. His brows stretched, his thin lips raised, and he said lightly, “Okay.”

       He actually…agreed.

       Chu Yunhan was a little stunned for a moment. He stared at the other person for a moment but could not see any other emotions from that face, as if the bet that decided his life and death just now was just an ordinary entertainment game and a pastime.

       It was an expression of indifference.

       The man did not care whether he lives or dies.

       He had anticipated that falling into Chu Yichen’s hands this time would mean a beating, torture, or even being shot—pain so intense it would make him wish for death. But he was certain that, no matter what, the man wouldn’t let him die; that was why he had strategically suggested this wager. Now, this certainty wavered. He began to doubt that his assumption was fundamentally wrong—that Chu Yichen truly intended to take his life. In trying to be clever, he had only given the other man a reason to act, pushing himself to the edge of a cliff.

       “Guess, big or small.”

       Chu Yunhan trembled, looking at the dice cup that had stopped in Hei Yu’s hand in despair, and then turned his gaze back to Chu Yichen. His eye circles were a little red, and after a long time, he said dejectedly, “Big.”

       “You sure?” The man looked at him with a half-smile, “You can think about it for a while, I have time tonight.”

       There was a fine line of sweat on his forehead, mixed with the still wine, making it very sticky. There was a scale inside his head, with two weights, ‘big’ and ‘small’ placed on it, swinging left and right. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. He raised his forehead and changed his words, “Small… I choose small.”

       The dice cup was opened.

       Chu Yunhan stared rigidly at the two dice, motionless as if frozen in place. It wasn’t until Hei Yu softly said, “Young Master Yun, you lost,” that he dazedly lifted his head, his eyes clouded with a mist, his voice hoarse, “So, you’re going to kill me, is that it?”

       “These are the rules of the game you set.” Chu Yichen leaned on the sofa and tilted his head slightly, and Bai Xiao pulled out the gun again.

       “You can’t kill me…” He stood up suddenly and was immediately pushed back into the single sofa by two men in black. Bai Xiao’s gun was pressed against the back of his head. Chu Yunhan’s face turned pale, and he spoke tremblingly, “Chu Yichen, if you kill me, Uncle Yu and Uncle Xu will never forgive you, as well as Min Ran and Jiahui… “

       “As the head of the family, it is my duty to clean up the traitors.” The man glanced at his frightened face and said, “Don’t worry, I will still allow you to be buried in the family cemetery as the eldest young master of the Chu family so you can properly keep the old man company.”

       “No, it can’t be like this…” He was already in a state of confusion and only wanted to survive. He shouted, “Yichen, I was wrong. I only agreed to them in a fit of enthusiasm… I didn’t know how things would turn out. In this way, I really don’t know… Yichen, I—”

       “That’s enough! Don’t call me that.” A cold voice interrupted him. The man’s black pupils seemed to be burning with two jet-black flames, melting heat and coldness into one place. Every word he uttered seemed to be frozen, “Every time you call me that, it reminds me of the act you put on over the phone. Your voice trembling, saying you were scared, asking me to save you, crying and calling my name. Tell me, what was your expression at that time?”

       “I was wrong…” Chu Yunhan felt Chu Yichen’s undisguised anger for the first time. This anger made him tremble with fear, and he kept begging for mercy softly with red eyes, “It was because of my obsession that I did those things…I don’t dare to do it anymore, please…”

       The whole room was so quiet that the only thing left was his cry for mercy.

       After a long time, the man’s cold voice sounded.

       “I can give you two choices. The first is to die with everything. The second is to live without everything.”

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       Run.

       This was the only thought left in his mind, but his legs were as heavy as lead, and he couldn’t move. His whole body was stiff, and his heart was beating fast in his chest as if it was about to explode.

       He had envisioned countless reunions and thought he could behave calmly enough, but when it happened, all the hard-earned psychological preparation collapsed instantly. The world seemed to have turned into a thick paste, wrapping him in it and making him breathless.

       One second, two seconds. Time was distorted, stretched into slow frames.

       One step, two steps. The shiny handmade leather shoes stepped on the thick carpet, coming towards him, getting closer and closer.

       Five meters, three meters, one meter…

       Every pore seemed to be shouting to escape, and the stiff body lost the ability to react. Like a person about to drown, his mouth and nose were blocked by the water pouring in, and he was suffocated until he almost lost consciousness.

       And then… passed by.

       All the senses seemed to return at once, and after a moment of disorientation, the brain regained its ability to think.

       He was not recognised.

       Ah Zhou clenched his uncontrollably trembling hands into fists and placed them against his sides, lowered his head and let his burgundy bangs cover his eyes.

       That’s right. He was just the most ordinary waiter in Lihao, and he would not get any special attention from the guests. As long as he did his job in an orderly manner, he would not attract attention. Besides, with so many people offering their services to him when he came here, he would have many opportunities to slip away.

       Sure enough, as soon as a group of six people stepped into the private room door, Deputy General Manager Cao Kun hurried over with a group of supervisors, bowed and said, “Young Master Chen, I didn’t know you were coming, and I didn’t go downstairs to greet you. I apologise for the oversight.”

       “It’s alright, it’s rare that I’m temporarily free today, so I came here to have some fun” The young man sat down in the middle of the cowhide sofa, crossed his legs, and casually flipped through the wine list in his hand. The few people who followed him in stood quietly behind him. The whole room was so quiet that one could hear a needle drop. Seeing such a scene, a thin layer of sweat broke out on Cao Kun’s forehead. He stood obediently and secretly observed the people sitting at close range.

       With black hair and eyes and features outlined like ink on paper, dressed in a plain, traditional Chinese Tang suit¹, he exuded the scholarly air of a cultured scholar. His thin lips seemed to hold a faint, almost imperceptible smile, yet his gaze was cold, like a star with a chilling glow on a winter night, looking down on the world from above. It was also like a legendary weapon from the martial world, so sharp it could easily pierce the heart. He sat there calmly and unruffled, yet he effortlessly commanded the entire room. The chilling aura of his unspoken authority made everyone involuntarily straighten their backs.

       The adopted son of Chu Yu, the former president of the Golden Eagle Group, the newly succeeded head of the Chu family, and the new leader who holds the financial resources of the Golden Eagle Group and the authority of the Black Eagle Society–Chu Yichen.

       The sudden arrival of the big boss made Cao Kun very panicked. He quickly wondered in his mind whether he had made any mistakes in Lihao’s management and that the boss had come to him in person to trouble him. After all, the new head of the family was not someone so free that he would go to a nightclub. Although he had only seen Chu Yichen a few times while following Yang Lin, from these encounters, he understood that, just as the rumours outside suggested, Chu Yichen was even more formidable than his father, Chu Yu, and was even more difficult to deal with. To make matters worse, General Manager Yang Lin was not present today…

       “General Yang might have already gone to sleep, and I can’t reach him. Here are the company accounts for the past few months. Please take a look.” Cao Kun handed over the account details, and the man in the black suit standing next to the sofa reached out to take them. After that, he turned them over carefully before handing them to Chu Yichen.

       “No need. I told you, I’m just here to have fun.” He tapped the red wine on the list with his slender fingers, “Have a bottle of wine, and Hei Yu will arrange the rest.”

       “Understood.” the man in the black suit replied, giving a few instructions to Cao Kun. Soon, both the wine and snacks were served. Cao Kun personally uncorked the bottle, and the liquid poured into the crystal decanter showed a deep red hue. The lights were dimmed, and a few people entered with musical instruments, playing and singing tranquil tunes.

       Sure enough, he still didn’t like the hustle and bustle.

       Ah Zhou in the corner looked at the man leaning on the sofa silently. The panic just now had finally calmed down. The darkness was a natural protective colour, allowing him to peek in the dark. At present, it seemed that his disguise was successful, at least the other party did not recognise him. What would Chu Yichen’s face look like if he knew the person he’d been looking for was right next to him? He wanted to laugh but couldn’t.

       “I’m going to the bathroom.” He whispered to Da Hua, and then slowly walked to the door. As soon as he opened it a crack and saw the person standing outside clearly, he immediately lowered his head and shrank back.

       Shit. He couldn’t help but curse inwardly. Just now, he was thinking about why Chu Yichen only had Hei Yu with him, but it turned out that Bai Xiao was guarding the door outside. Both of them were Chu Yichen’s deputies and two of the Black Eagle Society’s key officials—one in charge of people and the other of money. Known in the underworld as the ‘Black and White Duo’²the name Hei Yu is black feather and Bai Xiao is white daybreak, one was ruthless and the other shrewd, both being formidable characters. Compared to the always icy Hei Yu, the smiling Bai Xiao was even more difficult to handle and would surely expose him.

       It seemed that there was no way to escape, so for now, he could only stay where he was.

       “Aren’t you going to the toilet? Why didn’t you go?” Da Hua asked when he saw him coming back.

       “It’s not that urgent…” He smiled bitterly.

       Over there, Cao Kun carefully poured the wine into the cup. He didn’t do this kind of thing very often, and now he looked even more clumsy, and some of the wine spilt out.

       “You don’t need to do it yourself. Let the waiter come over.” Chu Yichen said.

       “Ah, okay.” Cao Kun felt relieved and said to the two of them, “Come here.”

       Ah Zhou felt his mind tremble, and his whole body felt stiff. Da Hua beside him saw that he was not moving and pulled him. He had no choice but to lower his head and step forward, bending down to wipe the wine on the table.

       “Young Master Chen, do you want to call some girls to help with the fun?” Cao Kun asked.

       “No need. I’ve been busy and tired recently and want to relax a bit. Having too many people around would just be a hassle.”

       “Then should I ask the massage therapist to come and give you a massage?”

       “Just him. Have him give my legs a massage.” Chu Yichen put his long legs on the coffee table.

       Ah Zhou, who had his head lowered constantly, was still worried about who this ‘he’ was referring to when he heard Cao Kun calling his name. Suddenly, his heart sank.

       In this case, he had no way out. The more unnatural it was, the easier it was to get through, so he could only bite the bullet. Although the light was dim, the distance was too close. He did not dare to risk looking at each other, so he could only lower his body as low as possible. The only available positions were squatting or kneeling. He lowered his head and knelt down on one knee. When his hands touched the other party’s pants, he felt a little trembling.

       Ah Zhou massaged again and again. His back and forehead were covered with sweat, but his palms were cold. He felt like he was being fried in a big pot, and every minute was excruciatingly long. In addition to praying, ‘Don’t recognise me’, his mind also cursed Chu Yichen a hundred and eighty times: You bastard, you actually asked me to kneel down and massage your legs.

       After about three songs, the man spoke again, “Why did you choose this name?”

       He trembled, and the movements of his hands paused.

       Is this a normal pick-up line, or…has he been recognised? He forced himself to calm down quickly, and deliberately lowered his voice and said, “Random.”

       “Ah Zhou.” The man took a sip of wine and said, “Very good.”

       “…Thank you, boss.” As soon as he said these words dryly, he heard the other party slowly adding the second half of the sentence.

       “It sounds much more pleasant than Chu Yunhan.”

       His pupils shrank suddenly, and he froze in place.

       The world was turned upside down.

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       The music was switched off, and the only sound in the room was the fat man’s rough snoring. The changing images of the MTV on the screen reflected on Ah Zhou’s face, blurring his expression. He held a cheap mobile phone and typed a series of familiar numbers on the keypad, but his finger hesitated over the dial button. After a while, there was a knock on the door. He quickly put his phone into his pants pocket and stood up.

       It was the room attendant who came to pick up Fatty Zhang. Ah Jie, who happened to take over, also arrived, so he returned to the staff dormitory.

       Though it was called a dormitory, it was actually just a low building next to Lihao’s, only about five hundred meters away. Each small compartment was packed with three sets of bunk beds, accommodating six people in total. Each floor shared a restroom at the end of the corridor. Since it was free, the accommodation was always full. Young boys gathered here, playing cards, smoking, and making noise. The cramped rooms were cluttered with shoes, socks, and clothes thrown about, and even with the windows open, the air was still filled with a strong smell of sweat.

       At this time, except for the two people on the night shift, the other three were already asleep, snoring slightly. Ah Zhou went in quietly, knocking over something in the darkness and making a soft sound. He casually wiped his face with the towel hanging by the bed and fell on his own bed. He couldn’t sleep for a long time and couldn’t help but take out his mobile phone. He looked at the numbers for a long time. Finally, he pressed ‘Cancel’ and threw it aside.

       Nothing could be done.

       A surge of powerlessness completely surrounded him.

       Mother, Jiahui, Minran… The longing grew crazily in his heart, yet he didn’t even dare to reach out. He felt like a rat hiding in a hole, struggling to survive.

       As the night grew darker, everything became quiet. He lay in a daze as if he hadn’t had a good sleep for a long time, and he was living the life of a walking zombie every day without end.

       He dreamt again of the past. In midsummer, after the rain, the sky was clear, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and wet soil. The old man napped in a reclining chair under the eaves while the big dog lay obediently by his side. His father and three uncles chatted in the garden, laughing heartily at some joke someone had told. His mother chatted with an aunt while handing him a peeled apple. Jiahui, wearing a white dress and a small crown, tiptoed over, covering his eyes from behind with her little chubby hands, asking him to guess who she was. Minran, with a slingshot in hand, called out his name and ran over, insisting on pulling him to play. And then there was that person…

       “Yichen, do you want to eat the apple?” He heard his own young voice.

       A slightly young and handsome face turned to him, with a smile in his bright eyes, as gentle and soft as moonlight.

       “I’ll share half with you.” He handed it over.

       Suddenly, the person’s brows furrowed, shifting from surprise to coldness. There were no words, no movement; those black eyes were as cold as ice, sharp enough to seem as if they could see through everything.

       But the apple in his hand had somehow turned into a gun—cold and heavy. “No, this isn’t right…” In his panic, he tried to throw it away, but it wouldn’t come off. He looked up in terror, only to see numerous black gun barrels pointed directly at him.

       His heart trembled suddenly, and he woke up, sitting up from the bed and gasping for air.

       It turned out to be a dream.

       The cold sweat on his body almost soaked his clothes. Fear followed him from nightmare to reality.

       How much longer would he have to endure? How much longer could he hide? What would happen if he was caught?

       He didn’t dare to think about it.

       How on earth did it get to this point? He curled up on his side. The name tag with ‘Ah Zhou’ written on his chest glowed light green in the dark.

       He gave a bitter smile. The name was truly fitting—he now felt like a small boat lost at sea, fearful of the tumultuous waves that might come at any moment and hoping for a safe harbour that might never appear.

       The old man was right. He really was no match for that man, and he had never been better than him since he was a child. Just because of his stupid dissatisfaction, he was instigated and flattered with ulterior motives, and he became arrogant enough to want to replace him. In the end, in just three months, he was forced into a desperate situation where he was betrayed by his family and had to hide out and work as an inconspicuous waiter in Lihao.

       Yang Lin arranged this for him. His father’s former subordinates were his last resort, and he promised to send him abroad secretly. However, ten days had passed since the last contact, and the person Yang Lin sent to pick him up still did not show up. Every day was like torture, and there was nothing to do but wait. He felt that if he continued like this, he might go crazy.

       After spending the night in a daze, he ordered some takeout to fill his stomach. Ah Zhou stayed in the dormitory all day and started the night shift at ten o’clock in the evening. As soon as he arrived at the private room he was responsible for, he heard Ning ge’s call in his headset.

       Luo Ning was the human resources manager. He always had a serious look and was very strict with Lihao’s employees. He had fired many people because of their shortcomings. Ah Zhou thought that the whole Fatty Zhang incident had happened yesterday, and he was mentally preparing himself for the consequences. However, what he received instead was a notice of his own transfer to a higher floor.

       “Why?” He was very surprised.

       “Someone on the tenth floor has resigned, and now we are short of people.”

       “I mean… why me? My ability to work is not outstanding, and I heard that waiters above the fifth floor must undergo professional training.”

       “You follow Da Hua, he will lead you.”

       “But…”

       “What, you don’t want to?” Luo Ning looked up at him, “Not many people refuse a salary increase.”

       At Lihao, the servers received a basic salary in addition to commissions based on the amount spent in the private rooms. Ah Zhou, who was currently working on the third floor, was responsible for four smaller rooms, where the service revenue for a single night amounted to only a few thousand yuan. In contrast, if he were transferred to the tenth floor, he would be assigned to a luxury room with two to three colleagues, where the spending could reach ten thousand yuan or more per night, naturally doubling his income. Lower-level servers would do anything to move up, often flattering Luo Ning. Xiao Ding had even tried to bribe him, but Luo Ning refused. It was a pity that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was not good for Ah Zhou. He lowered his eyebrows and said, “I am too timid. I am afraid I will make mistakes and make the guests unhappy.”

       Luo Ning’s lips curled up, “Really? I think people who dare to charge extra money to their guests must be brave.”

       His heart skipped a beat, and his face turned a little pale. As expected, this matter had indeed not gone unnoticed.

       “If this kind of incident—adding orders secretly while the guests are drunk—gets exposed, not only will you be fired, but you’ll also have to pay for all the ordered items. Whether I expose it or not depends on your attitude. Think carefully.”

       With that being said, there was no way out for him. He pursed his lips and said, “Which room on the tenth floor am I in charge of?”

       “1003.”

       “I’ll go over now. Thank you for the promotion Ning ge.”

       The elevator stopped on the tenth floor, and as the doors opened, the surroundings brightened. The hallway was lined with golden silk carpets, and the electronic wall displayed blue wave-like light patterns guiding the way to various private rooms. The guests for Room 3 had not yet arrived, so Da Hua, who was in charge of this area alongside him, led him around the room. Akin to a presidential suite, the room was equipped with all the necessary facilities. There was a small stage for entertainment performances with a space reserved for live music, and a silver pole stood tall. The room’s open-concept design allowed for an unobstructed view of the inner bed and the bathtub positioned by the window. The luxury of the space carried a subtle air of sensuality, making it convenient for guests to enjoy a variety of intimate services.

       “How about it? It’s much better than the third floor, isn’t it?” Da Hua glanced at him, “Working on this floor is no different than working downstairs. You need to have sharp eyes, quick hands and feet, and you have to keep your mouth shut no matter what. Whatever you do inside has nothing to do with us, so don’t make a fuss and don’t act around, do you understand?”

       “Yes.”

       “The guests are scheduled to arrive at eleven. You should prepare yourself first, cheer up, and fix your hair—it looks messy.”

       “Oh.” Ah Zhou responded but didn’t actually move. While Da Hua stepped out to get the fruit tray, Ah Zhou sat down in the middle of the circular sofa, looking at the empty little stage. A faint, self-mocking smile appeared on his lips.

       He was no stranger to this place. There was a time when he loved to hang out here, getting drunk with his buddies, drinking a lot of wine and hugging a lot of women. One time, he drank too much and was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. When he woke up, he saw Jiahui’s crying face, and he never came here again after that.

       He didn’t want her to cry.

       But he knew she would definitely cry if he left without saying goodbye.

       Ah Zhou frowned a little irritably. Seeing Da Hua come in, he immediately stood up and pretended to wipe the clean coffee table.

       “Someone is looking for you outside.” Da Hua said, “Please deal with it as soon as possible. It will be bad when the guests come.”

       He responded, not surprised to see Tang Shaocheng standing outside the door, and greeted him politely.

       “I heard you were transferred here. I wanted this room, but it’s a pity it’s been booked today.”

       “Yeah.”

       “Then I can see you on this floor more often from now on, which is good.” The man smiled.

       “The guests will be coming soon.” It was a clear hint for him to leave.

       “Why don’t you go to East Lake with me tomorrow? You’ll be bored if you stay in the dormitory all the time.”

       Ah Zhou initially didn’t want to agree, but fearing that the man would keep pestering him and draw unwanted attention, he reluctantly complied. He knew that moving to this floor increased the chances of running into someone from his past, so he had to be extra cautious. After sending off Tang Shaochen, he immediately lowered his head and returned to his post outside room 1003, waiting to greet the guests.

       Around eleven o’clock, the buzzer vibrated, indicating that the guests had arrived. The sound of staggered footsteps came from the direction of the elevator, getting closer and closer.

       Ah Zhou raised his head slightly and saw the person clearly from under the burgundy bangs. He suddenly stiffened and even stopped breathing.

Notes:
His name the Zhou in Ah Zhou (阿舟) means boat

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       On a summer night, after a few muffled thunders, it began to rain heavily. The city was drenched with rain in a matter of seconds, even washing out the neon sign that read ‘The Beauty Welcomes the Noble Guests, Indulging Them in a Dreamlike Gentleness’.

       This was a signboard from Lihao. As the largest nightclub in K City, the sudden heavy rain did not have much impact on its business. It was like a demon squatting in the city, exuding a seductive aura that attracted people who were greedy for pleasure, fabricating ambiguous and erotic nights and greedily sucking up the money in their pockets.

       A window in the third-floor corridor was open, and the bright yellow light outlined a dark shadow beside the window. It was of a young man, about twenty-seven or seventy-eight years old, with particularly conspicuous burgundy hair. The bangs were very long and hung low, almost covering his eyes. He was resting his elbows on the window frame, quietly looking at the rain outside.

       He took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a drag. The overly strong nicotine breath rushed into the lungs and irritated his throat, making him cough uncontrollably.

       They said that alcohol relieved worries and smoke dissipated sorrow. As for this cigarette, he still couldn’t get used to it.

       The cigarette burned inch by inch between his fingers. His fingers were long and slender, with distinct joints, and clean without any traces of labour. His tall and upright figure, dressed in the standard white shirt and black vest of a waiter, looked somewhat handsome, but unfortunately, the bright red, punk-style hair on his head completely ruined the effect. On his chest, he crookedly wore a gold nameplate with a golden eagle emblem on the front and the words ‘Lihao 3rd Floor Waiter—Ah Zhou’ on the back.

       The cigarette was left behind by a guest, quite strong and not from a high-quality brand. The third floor where he worked catered to ordinary customers with modest spending and even more modest tips, unlike the higher floors. The structure of Lihao was very clear: the higher the floor, the more upscale the service, and the more extravagant the customers, leading to higher tips. However, serving those high rollers required more careful attention, and since he had only been there for three months, he hadn’t had a chance for a promotion yet.

       “Tsk, Ah Zhou.” A similarly dressed waiter came out of the private room, leaned over, and grabbed the cigarette in his hand. The waiter took two puffs, then stuffed it back into his hand, grinning, “You’re quite good at slacking off.”

       He frowned slightly, almost unnoticeably, and turned sideways to avoid the man’s approach. He threw the cigarette butt on the ground and said, “Are you saying I should just stand there and be a spectator while they’re doing that kind of thing inside?”

       The waiter with the name tag ‘Xiao Ding’ on his chest knew what he meant. He smiled, tilted his head and said, “Have you heard that there is a new nightclub in the south of the city, and it is quite big? Ah Qing’s brother works there, and I heard the pay is not bad.”

       “You want to change jobs?”

       “No.” Xiao Ding pointed to the eagle on the name tag on his chest and said with some pride, “K City is Golden Eagle’s territory, and Lihao is Golden Eagle’s industry. We are all Golden Eagle people and anyone daring to compete with us for business is just seeking their own demise.”

       Ah Zhou looked at him noncommittally, “You certainly have a strong sense of belonging.”

       “Of course, the first rule of the employee code is to be loyal to the group.” As he was talking, the buzzer in his hand buzzed. He frowned and said, “This guy keeps asking for drinks, then calls for a girl but complains about the prices, always picking the cheapest options. What a cheapskate… Anyway, stop talking and get in there quickly. It would be a disaster if Ning ge caught you slacking off.” He hurried back to the private room to serve the guests.

       The rain was still falling, washing over the entire city, and the cool and moist wind came with it, blowing away his burgundy hair, which was hanging on his forehead, exposing his entire face.

       It was a very fair face, without any impetuous air. The eyes exposed from under the exaggerated bangs had a distant and lonely look, indifferent to a bit of cold, which was incompatible with this luxurious occasion.

       The buzzer in his pocket vibrated, making a monotonous electronic sound. A trace of exhaustion and boredom flashed across his eyes. He wiped his burgundy hair carelessly, turned around and walked towards the private room he was responsible for. His eyes accidentally caught a glimpse of the person looking at him not far away, and his steps stopped. After a moment of astonishment, he quickly lowered his gaze and even deliberately lowered his head to let the bangs on his forehead fall down to cover his eyes and said in a formulaic and plain voice, “Good evening, General Tang, and welcome to Lihao.”

       The man who stopped in the corridor curved his lips and smiled. He walked to him and stood in front of him. He said, “It’s almost the end of your shift. Let’s go out for a snack together?”

       “Thank you. I’m not hungry.” Ah Zhou lowered his gaze and said, “I have to go to work. I wish you a good time at Lihao tonight.” After saying that, he was about to go around the other party but was caught. he was taken aback and instinctively shook his hand to break away, but unexpectedly the other side squeezed it very tightly and didn’t shake it off. He raised his eyebrows at the other party with anger.

       Tang Shaocheng, who had been rejected, initially intended to lose his temper, but the sight of the other party’s cold, stern expression stirred something in his heart. His anger immediately dissipated, and he slowly let go.

       After all, there were so many beautiful young men. He had lowered his pride and persisted for so long just for this rare, distinctive cold demeanour, hadn’t he?

       Tang Shaocheng, who prided himself on his refined taste, always looked down on the women with a whiff of the underworld in the soul-selling cave. One night three months ago, as he was going downstairs, he happened to see a waiter entering the VIP elevator. When their eyes met, the waiter immediately realised and stepped back.

       Just this look was enough to make him stunned. He thought he had it within his grasp, but three months had passed, and he had used every trick in the book without getting him into bed. The fact that he was occasionally willing to have a meal with him alone was a great honour. However, he did not intend to give up.

       This Ah Zhou really made him curious.

       Despite being someone struggling on the lower rungs of society, he never showed any eagerness to please. Even when he was being humble and compliant, there was an indescribable aloofness about him. Though he had an exceptionally handsome face, with eyes as clear as a tranquil pool that could captivate anyone, he stubbornly refused to cut his bright red punk hair. Despite the opportunity to use his connections to advance by associating with influential people, he refused to attend any gatherings or accept any gifts from him. Even though financially strained, he maintained impeccable dining etiquette in upscale venues, exuding a remarkable composure. On one occasion, he inadvertently saw Ah Zhou showing a mocking expression when a waiter said the wrong name of a wine.

       The more he came into contact with him, the more he felt that there was an elegant and calm demeanour in Ah Zhou’s movements. This magnanimity seemed to be innate, and deeply ingrained, and even someone who had been raised in luxury like him might not measure up. For this reason, he had even gone so far as to have someone investigate Ah Zhou’s background, but so far, he had found nothing.

       Beautiful, cold, defensive, and rebellious.

       Like a leopard dormant in the mountains and forests—it was difficult to approach and could not be caught. He was also like a flower on a high mountain, standing proudly on a cliff, tempting people to flock to it.

       Difficult puzzles always sparked a deeper curiosity, making him, as a puzzle-solver, eager to delve into them endlessly.

       “Are you free tomorrow afternoon? I asked someone to bring some beef over from Japan. Let’s try it together.” Tang Shaocheng sometimes felt that Ah Zhou was the true nobleman who would disregard a fortune, while he himself had become the one fawning over a wealthy patron. From the initial novelty to later exerting all his effort to discover who had the upper hand, he found that he only grew more determined in this dynamic, and he even admired his own patience.

       “I have a night shift tomorrow, and I have to sleep in the afternoon.”

       Tang Shaocheng was not surprised at all by his rejection and continued, “Then I will come to your private room tomorrow night.”

       “If General Tang is not afraid of losing reputation by coming to this floor, I don’t mind.”

       “Reputation is nothing compared to you.” Tang Shaocheng smiled, “See you tomorrow night.”

       Ah Zhou looked at him, said, “I’m leaving,” and turned back to room 364. The guests inside were already very drunk. Their bloated bodies were leaning against the almost naked escort Lan Xin, and they kept shouting, “One more round.” Lan Xin threw the dice on the table and said with a sweet smile, “Boss Zhang, you haven’t drunk this plate of fine wine yet. You are a grown man; you can’t play tricks with a little girl like me.” After saying this, he drank heavily from the wine glass in his hand. The fat man drank it all down, muttered noisily for a short while, and was completely drunk.

       Seeing that he didn’t respond, Lan Xin stopped smiling, pushed him aside hard, and said in a cold voice, “Touching and kissing and still not giving a tip. Does he think five hundred yuan is enough to get me to perform? Bah!” After saying that, she neatly picked up a cigarette and put it in her mouth, but the lighter could not be lit. She cursed irritably and turned around to see Ah Zhou standing by the door. She curled her red lips, crossed her legs and hooked her fingers, “Here, light a cigarette for me.”

       Ah Zhou didn’t say anything. He bent down to pick up the red coat that had been thrown on the ground. He walked over and put it on her body. He then took out a lighter from his vest pocket with the words ‘Lihao welcomes you’ printed on it, lit it for her, and then sat down next to her.

       Lan Xin looked at him for a while and then said, “Why? Isn’t this sister good-looking?”

       “Tired of seeing it.”

       Hearing his answer, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter, “You’re something else… There are plenty of people who want a taste of me, and you’re not interested. Could it be that you’re actually into guys? That Boss Tang seems quite taken with you.”

       “That’s his business.” Ah Zhou said very coldly.

       Lan Xin smiled, hooked his shoulder, and brought the half-smoked cigarette to his mouth, “Take a puff.” Seeing him frown, she stopped her hand and said, “Okay, I won’t play with you anymore. What about this fat guy? I don’t want to stay here with him; it’s greasy and disgusting.”

       A Zhou fiddled with the glowing order device in his hand and said, “Send him to the panoramic suite upstairs.”

       “He is so stingy how can he order that…” Lan Xin paused at this point as if she suddenly came to her senses, her red lips curled up, “You are a bad boy. But, if he gets into trouble…”

       “He is not Lihao’s VIP, no one will care.”

       “That’s right.” She pinched the fat man’s face with her bright red nails and said with a smile, “I’ve let you take advantage of me; this time, I’ll make sure to drain you properly.”

       The top three floors of Lihau featured various high-end rooms, offering the most ‘comprehensive’ services to satisfy those wealthy patrons who were reluctant to wake from their indulgent dreams, with prices often exceeding tens of thousands. Zhang Pangzi, being just a small-time individual boss, usually only sneaked out some private money to indulge himself in secret, liked to get hands-on but was very stingy, even reluctant to leave a tip. He would never have dared to book such an expensive room. When he was drunk, Ah Zhou took the liberty of booking it for him. When Zhang Pangzi woke up and caused a scene, Ah Zhou and Lan Xin both insisted that it was Zhang Pangzi’s own choice. The fat man had no choice but to swallow this silent loss. As a result, he probably wouldn’t have had the money to come back for a long time.

       “The person who is waiting for the guest room will come to pick him up. You can get off work.” Ah Zhou said.

       “Mm. Yuanyuan is still waiting for me at home.” Lan Xin put on her clothes, took out a small mirror from her handbag, and quickly used a wet wipe to remove her lipstick and eyeshadow. Her face, now bare, showed a clean and gentle appearance, lacking the sharp allure of smoky makeup and revealing a softer, more subdued warmth. Compared to other hostesses, at thirty-eight, she was no longer young. There were fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and her skin looked somewhat dull from the frequent use of poor-quality cosmetics. Before leaving, she waved her hand and said, “Thank you.”

       Ah Zhou replied, ‘En’. He was indifferent to everyone except Lan Xin because Lan Xin helped him. He was a person who remembered favours.

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