Love's Wild Card

It was already nine o'clock, and the club was starting to fill up. It was still early, as the DJ hadn't arrived yet, so this was just the warm-up.

Alex hadn't eaten yet, and his stomach was starting to growl. He beckoned a waiter over and ordered some food. The food here was actually quite good, especially the Italian and French dishes. It had been a long time since he'd been here, and he'd almost forgotten how lively the atmosphere could be. He also couldn't help but admire his own foresight in investing here all those years ago. If he wanted to, he was sure few could stop him from expanding his business.

While waiting for his food, Alex idly scanned the floor below. The club catered to a wide variety of people, mostly young—bored college students or office workers looking to unwind, and of course, in the more elegant areas, some wealthy patrons as well.

There was no shortage of attractive women in the club, with their chestnut curls piled on bare shoulders and carefully applied mascara under the brims of their hats. These were the kind of women easily overlooked in daylight, but here, they had a certain captivating quality.

Here, you could always easily find your other half for the night. This was different from "Suzie Wong's" luxurious intimacy, where you could still slowly savor. Here, it was all about three words—fast, accurate, and ruthless! If you were just ogling someone who caught your eye, forget it! Savoring? That wasn't forbidden, but you had to find the right place. This dance floor area was a place for madness, not for romance.

The food arrived, and Alex sat alone, savoring the French cuisine he hadn't had in a while, while looking down at the moving crowd through the railing. Peace in the midst of chaos, it was quite enjoyable!

Wait, enjoyable? It seemed that ever since that heiress moved in, he'd rarely had this feeling. This past week, besides having to endure her inexplicable "special treatment", he also had to endure her "housekeeping".

Housekeeper? More like a bodyguard! His ordinary little home had been turned into a war zone by her. He wanted to get angry, but she always had that innocent, cute look on her face, and she'd started to act spoiled all the time. And she was a beautiful woman, after all, so what could Alex do?

Even more terrifying was that Emma Winter, who lived across the courtyard, turned out to be her sister. Now that the two were together, it was going to be a disaster. He wouldn't be surprised if they turned his place upside down.

Thinking about this, Alex suddenly felt that his life was very hard. What was he going to do in the future?

Thirteen years? No way! Let her go? Impossible, she had already made herself at home here, with food, drinks, and money to spend.

"Boss, everything's taken care of upstairs!" Grant came down from upstairs and said to Alex respectfully, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh!" Alex nodded. "By the way, what do you usually do around this time? Don't tell me you're messing around with women? What you said on the phone earlier makes me suspicious." Alex took a sip of his wine.

"Boss, you misunderstand! During this time, I'm either in the office upstairs or here watching the floor. I guarantee I'm not messing around with women during work hours!" Grant hurriedly explained, looking at Alex.

"During work hours? So you do mess around at other times?" Alex asked.

"Boss, please don't misunderstand...!"

"Alright, I know you. Otherwise, Leon and I wouldn't have put you in charge here. In fact, you've done pretty well these past few years, and I'm satisfied. I don't object to you messing around with those women. We're all men, but remember, they're just trying to make a living too. Pay them when you're done, okay?"

"Hehe, I understand, boss!" Grant replied with a smile.

"In the future, you..." Alex was about to say something when a figure at the bar below caught his eye. It wasn't just his eye—it made his heart skip a beat.

That proud figure, that icy demeanor, stirred up memories deep within Alex's heart. It was as if he had returned to six years ago, to his frivolous, unruly youth. Although she was wearing heavy makeup, Alex recognized her instantly. Because this woman brought Alex more than just simple hurt.

Jing! The woman Alex would never forget. The woman Alex swore to get into bed. To this day, Alex still didn't know if he loved her or hated her. Perhaps he wasn't mature enough in high school, and maybe that's why she left such a deep impression on him.

He hadn't expected to meet David Walker, who was now kept, a few days ago, and then run into her at his own bar. Fate was playing a big joke on Alex.

"Boss, boss?" Grant called softly, seeing Alex staring at the floor below, lost in thought.

"Hmm?" Alex came back to his senses and looked at Grant. He'd dropped his fork on the plate without realizing it.

"Boss, what's wrong?" Grant asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just saw an acquaintance," Alex said faintly. "By the way, we've had a lot of new faces at the bar since the new year, haven't we?"

"Yes, boss," Grant replied.

"Is that woman one of ours?" Alex pointed at Jing below and asked Grant.

"Boss, you're interested in her?" Grant looked down and then smiled at Alex.

"Don't talk nonsense, just answer the question!" Alex said, annoyed.

"Yes, boss. She's a part-time waitress. She's here from nine in the evening until three in the morning. She's one of the 'wine girls,' promoting drinks...!"

"Promoting drinks? How's her performance?" Alex asked, surprised that she would do such a thing.

"Very cold, very arrogant woman. But in a place like this, what's the use...!"

"Stop criticizing, I'm not asking for your opinion on her character. Answer my question!"

"Yes, boss. She's only been here for two months. Her sales were pretty good, over thirty thousand in her first month. But this month hasn't been as good, it seems like she's only just passed ten thousand," Grant explained, unsure why the boss was so interested in this woman.

"Why such a big difference?" Alex asked.

"Boss, this woman is quite attractive. In the first month, when she was new, many people wanted to try something new, so business was good. But she seems to only promote drinks and nothing else. This month, many people have lost interest, so they're looking for easier targets!" Grant explained with a smile.

"Nothing else besides promoting drinks?" Alex was surprised. In a place like this, it was hard to stay clean for long.

"Not absolutely. Someone once offered her four million to go out with him, and she agreed. As long as someone can give her four million, she'll go with them."

"Four million? Does she think she's won the lottery?" Alex asked in astonishment.

"Boss, who would spend four million on her when they could get a celebrity for that price? There are plenty of actresses from the Central Academy of Drama and Beijing Film Academy waiting to be taken care of. But this four million seems to be a 'sell-your-body' price. Give her four million, and she'll be yours. But you still have to pay for her expenses in the future. Who would be so stupid? It's fine when she's young and fresh, but what happens when that's over? You still have to support her? What a joke," Grant said with a smile.

"Do you know about her family situation?" Alex asked, frowning. This was nothing like the Jing he knew. Was he wrong? But her first impression on him was definitely her. Back in high school, he remembered that Jing looked down on those who were arrogant and those who flaunted themselves, but now she had a price tag on herself. Ridiculous.

"I checked when she filled out the form. Her name is Jing, and she's actually a graduate of Peking University. But in this society, it's hard to say. Even Peking University graduates sell pork, don't they? She used to work at a small state-owned enterprise. The pay wasn't great, but she was a white-collar worker. I heard her family's circumstances aren't good. Her parents lost their jobs a few years ago and set up a street stall. Her college tuition was apparently borrowed...!"

"Isn't there financial aid for poor students? Didn't she apply?" Alex interrupted.

"Boss, you went to college too. How many of those who get financial aid are really poor? You need connections. She finished college with tens of thousands in debt. She thought she could pay it off in a few years with a monthly salary of a few thousand. But who knew her father would get uremia from exhaustion? Honestly, there's no cure for that disease except a kidney transplant."

"When did this happen?" Alex frowned and asked.

"Just a few months ago. Otherwise, why would she be working here as a 'wine girl'? But what is this place? It's a for-profit organization. No money, no one cares about your life or death. Her mother still has a street stall, and she works two jobs, it seems, besides being a 'wine girl'. And they take turns taking care of her father in the hospital!"

"Get a kidney transplant, quickly!" Alex said.

"Boss, you need a matching donor for a transplant, right? Even if there is one, the surgery costs hundreds of thousands. Her family is already in debt. This woman is really not easy, but this society is just like this."

"How do you know so much?" Alex asked.

"Boss, I have to thoroughly investigate the background of every employee here, just in case someone gets in and causes trouble. It wouldn't be good for you or Mr. Chen, right?" Grant said, smiling at Alex.

Alex nodded after hearing this. He also understood why Jing was working as a "wine girl." Back in high school, he'd heard she was filial and self-sufficient. Now, it seemed it was even more so than he'd imagined. Four million? That was probably for her parents.

"Have her come over!" Alex said to Grant.

"Huh? Boss, are you...!"

"She and I are alumni, just want to chat!" Alex said, looking at Jing, who was promoting drinks to customers downstairs. Alex smiled faintly. Perhaps... his vow was about to be fulfilled.