Yama Reborn

All women in the world tend to feel great happiness during certain moments.

One of those moments is right after a beauty treatment.

After a beauty treatment, feeling one's face soft and supple, which woman wouldn't be happy?

At this moment, Lu Xixi's mood was particularly beautiful.

Even though one package after another took up all morning, and it was approaching noon by the time she finished.

But looking at her radiant self in the mirror, Lu Xixi was still delighted.

Plus, the two beauticians in the beauty salon were especially good at flattering. Lu Xixi's looks were originally of a level that could bring disaster to a country and its people.

The two beauticians from the beauty salon went all out with their praise, saying bucket loads of nice things and still seeming to have excess to spare.

When Chen Nuo rushed back, Lu Xixi was looking at herself in the mirror, while the cashier's young assistant was still trying to sell Lu Xixi more recharge services.

Lu Xixi was clearly tempted.

But as soon as she saw Chen Nuo return, she went over, grabbed his arm, and pulled him toward the exit.

"Eh? I thought you were persuaded by the salesgirl's words."

Lu Xixi first nodded, then shook her head. "I was tempted, dear. But it's just not possible."

She glanced at Chen Nuo, lowering her voice. "I remember what you said, dear. We don't have much money. We should come to places like this less often."

Uh... Empress Lu, if you knew about the several million US dollars in the Octopus Monster's website account, and the fact that I've hidden a few gold bars in our cabinet, would you feel like hitting someone?

Chen Nuo took Lu Xixi all the way back home.

After entering the house and putting a bag of vegetables on the kitchen table, he saw Lu Xixi go into the bedroom and start looking at herself in the mirror from all angles...

"Dear~ I feel like something's off."

Chen Nuo coughed. "Hmm, what's off?"

"The clothes." Lu Xixi frowned. "The past two days you've been dressing me in T-shirts, all baggy and loose. The people at the beauty salon said they don't suit me at all."

Chen Nuo, smiling, confidently walked over to the wardrobe and pulled the door open. "You were sick before, and I just grabbed anything to dress you. Here, pick your own clothes."

Half of the wardrobe was neatly filled with ladies' clothes.

Lu Xixi walked over and carefully inspected them. There were spring and autumn coats and trousers, summer dresses, shorts, and mini-skirts; everything was there.

Women are always sensitive to clothes, and Lu Xixi immediately focused on these outfits.

After looking through them carefully several times and trying on a few in front of the mirror, she became increasingly puzzled.

"Dear~ Are these all my clothes?"

"Yes, they are."

Lu Xixi couldn't help frowning.

Though she had lost her memory, she felt these clothes seemed a bit gaudy, the styles too revealing, or the colors too bright. After some thought, although somewhat displeased, who in the world would criticize their own taste in clothes?

Feeling somewhat depressed, Lu Xixi suddenly remembered the bottles and jars from the beauty salon.

"Then, there must be some skincare and makeup that belong to me at home, right?"

"We have everything." Chen Nuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief, went to the corner to pick up a bag, and deliberately sighed. "You were throwing things around when you were sick, and I was afraid these bottles and jars wouldn't survive if smashed, so I bagged and stored them all."

Lu Xixi took it and initially felt happy, but after looking closely for a while, she felt a bit depressed again.

Lipsticks with overly bright shades, perfumes with too frivolous a scent... Was this really her aesthetic before? Looking around at the room full of clothes and makeup, although they all seemed to be used or worn by herself at home... Not a single item was actually to her liking, leaving a somewhat indescribable depression in her heart.

After thinking it over, Lu Xixi whispered, "Then... can you step out for a moment? I want to change out of these clothes. Wearing your T-shirts all the time isn't quite right."

Chen Nuo breathed a sigh of relief, turned, and went to the kitchen to start chopping vegetables and cooking.

Lu Xixi rustled about the room, changing clothes and redoing her makeup.

Time passed without knowing how long, and Chen Nuo's sweet and sour pork ribs were already out of the pot by the time Lu Xixi tentatively peeked out halfway from her room.

"Dinner's ready." Chen Nuo appeared to be busy nonchalantly, but in fact, he was listening carefully to any noise from the room.

Lu Xixi was silent for a while without responding.

After a moment: "Dear... these clothes of mine are just too strange."

"What's strange about them? They're what you usually wear," Chen Nuo replied composedly.

"..." Lu Xixi was silent, but finally walked out of the room.

When the Star Sky Empress stood before Chen Yanluo again, he almost dropped the knife he was holding, nearly cutting his own finger.

He sized up Lu Xixi from top to bottom. "Uh..." Chen Nuo took a deep breath, expressionless. "It looks pretty good."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it looks quite good." Chen Nuo averted his gaze.

Lu Xixi frowned, looking at herself.

Well, the current Star Sky Empress was dressed like this from head to toe:

Maybelline's bright red lipstick, exaggerated round large earrings.

The upper half was a tight, narrow short-sleeved T-shirt... and it was backless, with a blood-red skull pattern on the chest. From the shoulder down to the waist, the T-shirt even came with a glaring metallic chain!

Below was a leather skirt, very short, just covering the buttocks.

Then there were black fishnet stockings.

On her feet were a pair of platform shoes that had become quite popular in the past two years... The soles were as thick as two Xinhua dictionaries.

Let me put it this way.

With such an outfit, if she put on a little more makeup and added a wig... then Lu Xixi could've just changed her name.

Burial Love Family · Starry Sky · Fine.

It's just that Lu Xixi's figure was really too good, and her face value indeed enduring.

This outfit on her, contrarily endowed her with a kind of charisma that, after reaching the extreme of garishness, transcended into something uniquely meaningful...

"Dear~" Lu Xixi looked at Chen Nuo with a doubtful expression. "Are you sure I used to normally dress like this?"

"Yes, you did."

Lu Xixi was dumbfounded! What a shameful feeling! What to do!

At lunchtime, Lu Xixi ate dispiritedly, obviously in a very low mood. She felt even the sweet and sour ribs lost their flavor, and she was in a terrible mood.

Several times, she looked at Chen Nuo as if wanting to say something but then forcefully suppressed it.

On the contrary, Chen Nuo seemed quite excited! The famous Star Sky Empress from a previous life, transformed into a Shamate punk sitting next to him. Burial Love Family · Starry Sky · Fine! If he took a couple of photos and sold them on Octopus Monster's website, how much money could he make? Oh, speaking of Octopus Monster's website, Chen Nuo suddenly remembered that there was still something he hadn't taken care of.

Hurriedly finishing his meal, and while Lu Xixi was busily washing dishes and tidying up the kitchen, Chen Nuo sneaked into the room, took out his laptop, plugged in the USB, and logged into Octopus Monster's website.

First, he anonymously transferred the rest of the payment to Comrade Jiang Fusheng...

Although strictly speaking, Jiang Fusheng's mission was considered a failure... he was beaten half to death by Burial Love Family · Starry Sky · Fine and did not perform his role as a bodyguard at all. But hadn't Chen Nuo said he wouldn't screw over Old Jiang again? So, he still made the payment.

Just after completing the transaction, suddenly Lu Xixi's voice came from behind him.

"Dear, what are you looking at?"

Fuck! Chen Nuo's heart skipped a beat instantly! His fingers also froze on the keyboard! After taking a deep breath, he turned his head, only to find Lu Xixi had somehow quietly appeared behind him! Damn, the Controller is really something, moving without a sound! Even if Chen Yanluo's cultivation was impressive, he had not noticed Lu Xixi approaching from behind.

At that moment, Lu Xixi's face held a curious gaze fixed on the computer screen, and Chen Nuo broke into a sweat!

In the upper left corner of the screen, the login name stood out:

ID: Arsonist of Love!

"What are you looking at?"

"Uh... just browsing some forums on the internet."

"Oh. Hey... Is this your online nickname? Arsonist... of Love?"

"Er..." Chen Nuo did not dare to answer; he instinctively held his breath and watched Lu Xixi closely.

A flicker of confusion seemed to pass through Lu Xixi's eyes, as she frowned and looked at Chen Nuo. "You... "

"... "

"Why aren't you speaking? Is this your ID?"

No, first tell me if this name rings any bell for you! So I can know if your question is actually a death sentence for me!

"Um... what do you think?"

Lu Xixi paused briefly, then burst into a laugh. "Dear~ Why the guess, it's your computer, so of course it's your account."

"Um... What do you think of this name?"

"Arsonist of Love..." Lu Xixi tilted her head in thought, frowned, and shook her head. "I don't like it. I always feel there's something annoying about this name."

"... "

Lu Xixi continued to stare at the screen for another moment. "Dear, move over and let me play for a while. I'm so bored after washing the dishes. What forum are you looking at? Let me have a look."

"Don't!"

Chen Nuo swiftly closed the laptop and yanked out the USB drive, pocketing it. He then pulled Lu Xixi out of the room into the living room and sat her down on the couch.

"It's boring online; the forums are full of trolls and strange comments. Let's watch TV instead."

He said, picking up the remote control and turning on the TV.

As the screen lit up, Chen Nuo almost spat out a mouthful of blood!

On the TV screen, it was still Louis Koo with his pale face, gazing affectionately at Li Ruotong, dressed in white!

Damn! Just as Louis Koo was about to open his mouth and call out...

Chen Nuo's fingers moved like lightning to change the channel!

The image flashed, and the screen switched to a man with braids and big nostrils, spreading his fingers with a look of deep affection and anticipation, as if he was in urgent need to pee: "Ziwei~~~"

That was close! Guo'er was just about to shout 'Auntie.'

"Watch this one, watch this one! This is interesting."

"But the guy just now was pretty handsome..."

"What's the use of being handsome? A man needs to have big nostrils to be charismatic!"

Lu Xixi looked at Chen Nuo: ???

Lu Xixi watched the man with the big nostrils in silence, then seemingly remembered something. "Dear, do I use the internet often? What's my online alias?"

Your online alias is Star Sky Empress—like I dare say that?

"Hmm... Yes, you have one."

"Then what's my alias? Tell me, talk more about my past, maybe I'll remember something?"

Hmm... if I tell her now that her online alias is Burial Love Family·Starry Sky·Yi... would that be a bit too mean? No, no, being human... at least shouldn't...

After thinking it over, Chen Nuo looked at the Star Sky Empress. "Your online alias is... 'Sorcerer of Boundless Magic by the Nile.'"

"What???" Lu Xixi's eyes widened.

"Sorcerer of Boundless Magic by the Nile!"

Take the cheaper version. I didn't call you 'Fat Wang Jianguo,' which means Chen Yanluo has some conscience.

"No, I want to go online, the TV is not interesting... and I don't like this alias, I need to go change it!"

Lu Xixi stood up from the sofa.

"Don't!" Chen Nuo certainly didn't dare let this woman touch his computer. Even though there was no USB drive, it was impossible to find or log into the Octopus Monster's website. But what if she randomly browses and finds something like The Return of the Condor Heroes? Whose fault would that be if things go south?

"Let's... not go online. How about we go out for a bit?"

"Go out? What for?"

Chen Nuo said calmly, "Didn't we break the bed when we were fighting? We need to buy a new bed and mattress. The lamp and wardrobe door are also broken; we need to replace the whole set."

Lu Xixi blushed, remembering how they had hugged each other and slept on the sofa all night. If they don't buy a bed... It wouldn't be nice to hug and sleep on the sofa again tonight. But if they buy a bed... does that mean she'll have to share it with this man tonight...?

After lowering her head and thinking for a while, Lu Xixi whispered softly, "Well, the bed, the bed does need to be bought."

Looking up, Empress Lu's eyes carried a trace of shyness. "Then... let's go."

Before leaving, while Lu Xixi went to the restroom, Chen Nuo rushed to the TV and snipped the cable wire with scissors!

Hmph, goodbye TVB's Bai Gu and Li Ruotong!

After Lu Xixi came out, they left the house together, went downstairs, and arrived at the roadside.

They hailed a taxi, and the driver asked, "Where to?"

Before Chen Nuo could speak, Lu Xixi was already asking the driver, "Do you know where they sell used furniture?"

"Used furniture?"

"Yes, like beds and wardrobes and such."

The driver nodded. "I know."

Chen Nuo frowned. "Why buy used ones?"

Lu Xixi gently nudged Chen Nuo and whispered, "Dear, I've thought it over. We don't have much money at home. We can buy a used bed as long as it's usable. Just get a new mattress. That should... save quite a bit of money, right?"

Chen Yanluo, worth tens of millions, nodded. "You're right."

The driver immediately said, "Second-hand market, right? Then we're heading to Tangzi Street!"

"Ah?"

Zhang Linsheng's mood today was like riding a roller coaster. Ups and downs!

When he went to school in the morning, he thought it would be an ordinary day.

But then he was outright called out by Chen Nuo first thing in the morning to verify his identity as the seer.

After that, this junior brother dragged him to meet Li Qingshan, a top figure in Jinling City, and he had to show his powers publicly.

The young man actually felt both scared and a bit secretly thrilled.

After the show-off session, Chen Nuo left him with so much money that Zhang Linsheng found himself in a moral dilemma.

Money, no one dislikes it.

Moreover, Zhang Linsheng was also short of money. His family wasn't wealthy, and he lived a tight life on a daily basis.

Even buying a mobile phone to show off in front of Qu Xiaoling was a struggle; he had to grit his teeth and work for a whole month just to afford a second-hand one.

Ever since he met Qu Xiaoling, they occasionally met up to eat together or go shopping.

In fact, Zhang Linsheng hadn't yet clarified their relationship with Qu Xiaoling.

Their relationship was like that of friends... but far more ambiguous than that of friends.

They had kissed, embraced; the only thing that hadn't happened between them was that particular act.

But to say they were boyfriend and girlfriend was not something definitively stated.

Zhang Linsheng had been impulsive a few times, but he was a bit timid and hesitant.

Qu Xiaoling seemed to have intentionally given him a couple of chances, but due to unfortunate timing, they had been missed.

Although they hadn't taken that final step in their relationship, after all the time they had known each other, when a boy and a girl met frequently, there were always expenses.

In this world, the so-called romantic dates under the moon and in the flower gardens actually equaled spending money on dates.

When you go out shopping with a girl, not to mention much.

Watching a movie together, you're going to spend at least a hundred or a hundred and eighty, right?

Interestingly, in the year 2001, movie tickets were actually more expensive than twenty years later.

At that time, there were no online booking channels for mobile phones... Smartphones weren't even widely used yet.

Without those various ticketing apps, there were no massive ticket subsidies from the big tech giants.

In Jinling City during this era, a movie ticket would cost between forty to sixty yuan without any discount!

After watching a movie, you've got to eat out, right?

Even if it's not dining in a fancy restaurant, eating a meal at KFC or McDonald's would cost a considerable amount.

Every time the two met up, it would always end up costing at least a hundred or two hundred yuan.

Where did Zhang Linsheng get that money?

He was still in the phase of getting pocket money from his parents.

He had already retired from the underworld life before, and those days of extorting pocket money from classmates or stealing game coins from kids in the arcade, or demanding a protection fee of a few yuan from stallholders at the school gate, were far behind him.

The truth is, Zhang Linsheng hadn't really taken the last step with Qu Xiaoling over these days... A big reason was that he felt somewhat inferior. Most of the time when they met, it was Qu Xiaoling who paid for their meals and movies. This truly bothered Zhang Linsheng. He was a man after all. Being with a woman he liked, he couldn't always use her money for meals and movies during their dates. And then to sleep with her without any shame... Wouldn't that turn him into a gigolo living off a woman? Brother Haonan would never do something so spineless!

So, today when Chen Nuo gave him that money, although Brother Haonan felt it was hot to handle... He was truly tempted!

After Chen Nuo left the teahouse, Brother Haonan actually stayed in the private room for a long time.

Looking at the stack of cash, he scratched his head and his ears in agitation.

Later, he made up his mind and drafted a text message to send to Chen Nuo, intending to return the money.

Chen Nuo merely replied with a message, "If I gave it to you, just take it. I'll have other things for you to do for me in the future."

When Brother Haonan tried to text again, Chen Nuo simply didn't reply.

His phone was off.

That meant... The money was really for him?

After being conflicted for another hour, Zhang Linsheng finally made up his mind and steeled himself.

He decided to keep it!

Worst case scenario... he would just become Chen Nuo's hired muscle from now on. Hadn't he said there would be uses for him in the future? He could consider himself to have acknowledged a boss. Mixing with a boss, he would just work hard for Chen Nuo in the future. With this line of reasoning, there were no longer issues.

Having worked through this thought process and thus completing his mental preparations, Zhang Linsheng breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, he couldn't help but become excited.

After all, an eighteen-year-old in the year 2001 suddenly coming into an unexpected windfall of nearly ninety thousand yuan, who could contain their excitement and agitation?

He first made a trip to the bank, deposited eighty thousand even, got a passbook, and carefully tucked it into his backpack.

The remaining eight thousand eight hundred in cash, a thick stack, he kept on him.

Brother Haonan was a dutiful child.

He had decided that there was no way to explain to his parents where the money came from—it was indefensible. So, he simply had to keep it to himself for now, and later on, make up an excuse that he had been working and then gradually give some to his parents each month. He didn't want to squander it either. Things like a big gold chain, a small gold watch, recklessly splurging on whatever... he hadn't even thought about it. What he really wanted to spend money on were just three things. First, he wanted to buy his mother a new pair of leather shoes. Second, he wanted to change his mobile phone, as the buttons on his second-hand one were unresponsive and it was very inconvenient to use. Third, he wanted to boldly and confidently invite Qu Xiaoling out for a meal.

Xinjiekou in Jinling City was the largest commercial district in the city.

Zhang Linsheng strolled around there for half the afternoon. He bought a pair of leather shoes for his mother that cost over a hundred yuan, and also bought a bottle of hand cream. Then he couldn't resist buying a leather belt for his dear old dad.

Altogether, he spent three hundred yuan.

It wasn't that he was reluctant to spend more, but that he didn't dare buy anything too expensive or too much... it would be hard to explain when he got back.

On that note, Zhang Linsheng had no intention of revealing the real price to his parents—he planned to lie to them that the shoes were discount goods purchased for just a few dozen yuan.

He then found a mobile shop and bought a Nokia 3210 phone—this model would later be hailed as a legendary device, but in fact, it was Nokia's cheapest entry-level phone. Its main feature was: durability!

This phone became popular in China starting in the year 2000, priced at 1,300 when it first came out.

By 2001, the price had plummeted to an official price of 750 for a new device.

Buy one, and the mobile carrier would even throw in fifty yuan worth of phone credit.

Brother Haonan immediately bought one.

Carrying a paper bag from the mobile carrier with the Nokia phone box inside, along with shopping bags from the department store containing his mother's leather shoes, his father's belt, and the hand cream...

For the first time in his life, Zhang Linsheng experienced a strange sensation of pleasure. This pleasure was called: spending money! In that era, for a high school student who usually didn't spend more than a hundred yuan a month on pocket money, spending over a thousand yuan in one afternoon was an exhilaratingly fresh and thrilling experience!

After shopping, with a thick wad of bills still in his pocket, Zhang Linsheng couldn't help but walk into a Jeanswest franchised store.

He was tempted by a T-shirt and a jacket.

But after some thought, he finally didn't indulge and left, resisting the impulse.

Only fifty meters away from the Jeanswest store was a Pizza Hut.

In 2001, Pizza Hut was considered a relatively luxurious indulgence in Jinling City.

In fact, Zhang Linsheng and Qu Xiaoling had passed by Pizza Hut twice before, and once Qu Xiaoling had pulled Zhang Linsheng inside for a meal, paid for by Qu Xiaoling. A meal that cost over two hundred yuan, Zhang Linsheng truly felt heartache for Qu Xiaoling and was also deeply ashamed. But today, passing by the entrance of Pizza Hut, he suddenly remembered that Qu Xiaoling seemed to like it quite a bit... So he simply stopped.

He glanced at the time—it was past four in the afternoon, almost dinner time.

By then, Qu Xiaoling should have already woken up.

Zhang Linsheng walked into Pizza Hut, first inquired whether takeout was possible, and upon receiving an affirmative answer, he picked up the menu and considered it for a long time.

The young man didn't know how to order this stuff... He had only been here once before with Qu Xiaoling, and it was Qu Xiaoling who ordered the food. While recalling what they ate last time, and what Qu Xiaoling liked, he scrutinized the menu.

A moment later, Zhang Linsheng ordered a "Super Supreme" pizza, and after some thought, he added two pairs of chicken wings too—he remembered that during their last meal, Qu Xiaoling had said that she liked the chicken wings from this place, claiming they were tastier than KFC's.

After purchasing the food and waiting for a while, the shop assistant packaged the prepared food and handed it to Zhang Linsheng, who walked out of the store happily.

The young man's mood was a mix of excitement and elation!

Picking up his newly bought phone, he dialed Qu Xiaoling's number.

The phone rang for a good seven or eight times before Qu Xiaoling answered.

Upon connecting, Zhang Linsheng found it a bit odd.

Qu Xiaoling's voice didn't sound like it was indoors but rather outside, and the background was quite noisy.

"Hey, Brother Haonan!"

"Yeah, Xiaoling." Zhang Linsheng was a little nervous. "Uh... Are you not at home?"

"Ah, I got up early today and went to have dinner with friends, then I'll go to work after that," Qu Xiaoling asked. "Brother Haonan, do you need something?"

"Uh..." Zhang Linsheng glanced down at the pizza box he was carrying, hesitating for a moment before he sighed. "Oh. Nothing much. I just thought you would be up by now, so I wanted to chat casually. No particular reason."

The signal on the other end seemed a bit poor, and the noise increased. Qu Xiaoling's voice came through: "Oh, then I'll go eat with my friends first... Are you picking up your mom from work tonight? Will you go to the company? How about we have a late-night meal together after my shift?"

"Uh..." Zhang Linsheng hesitated for a moment but finally nodded. "Okay, I'll pick you up after work."

Qu Xiaoling seemed very happy. "That's great! Then I'll try to get off work early today. See you tonight."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Linsheng looked at the pizza box in his hand somewhat speechlessly.

Suddenly, he felt a bit depressed. Going to work... Zhang Linsheng couldn't help but clench his fists. Going to work. Although he had heard Qu Xiaoling mention it countless times when they were together, each time, Zhang Linsheng actually found it very jarring! His heart felt heavy, as if there was a stone pressing down on it. He knew from the start that the woman did this kind of work. And from those Young and Dangerous movies he had seen before, it seemed that those from the underworld didn't really care about such things... The underworld abides by its own rules, after all... But... Zhang Linsheng actually did care!

The novelty and excitement of shopping in the afternoon, as well as the thrill of buying pizza and wanting to see the woman... At this moment, these emotions trickled away, one by one, from the young man's body.

He walked on the pedestrian plaza of the Xinjiekou business district, unknowingly reaching the vicinity of the Cultural Palace behind it.

Here was a newly opened Hangzhou cuisine restaurant called Zhang Shengji. Having just entered Jinling City, it had been very popular over the past few months.

The parking lot was packed full, and the business was booming.

Zhang Linsheng strolled by slowly, intending to cross through to the bus stop on the roadside.

Suddenly, the young man stopped in his tracks!

He widened his eyes, staring intently at the entrance of "Zhang Shengji"!

Qu Xiaoling, dressed to the nines in a miniskirt and high heels, was walking from the parking lot arm in arm with a middle-aged man!

The middle-aged man Qu Xiaoling was linking arms with was fatheaded and paunchy, dressed in a suit, with a small leather bag under his arm, yet he strode with head held high.

Zhang Linsheng stopped!

His eyes were fixed on Qu Xiaoling.

Qu Xiaoling, with the man's arm in hers, was all smiles as she followed him, about to enter "Zhang Shengji" when she suddenly looked up and saw Brother Haonan not far away.

Qu Xiaoling seemed to shudder, pausing for a moment, her face instantly turning stiff.

Their eyes met briefly. Qu Xiaoling's face turned pale, but she quickly lowered her head and followed the man into the restaurant.

Zhang Linsheng stood there, dazed.

The young man's mind went blank. It seemed to him that he should go forward. But what for? What to say? What to ask? And what right did he have? Standing there dazed, Zhang Linsheng felt like a robot, numbly taking step by step to the side, until he reached the flowerbed, where he finally ran out of strength and sat down on the cement edge. His breathing became hurried. The things in his hands were placed on the ground. After pinching his thigh hard, Zhang Linsheng took out a pack of cigarettes, trying three or four times before he managed to light one. He didn't know what to do. Should he leave? Or stay here? But if he stayed, what would he do? What to wait for? What was there to wait for? For a moment, the young man's spirit seemed to have departed.

He took a couple of drags of the cigarette.

Suddenly, Zhang Linsheng heard the rapid sound of footsteps in front of him, looked up, and saw Qu Xiaoling running out of the restaurant, scanning the area with her eyes before running towards him.

But Qu Xiaoling seemed to realize something too. She ran up to Zhang Linsheng and then stopped, eventually just standing in front of him, her face somewhat pale, and for a while, she said nothing.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment, as the two of them just looked at each other, silently.

After what felt like a long time, Qu Xiaoling, being a few years older than Zhang Linsheng and more worldly, spoke first.

The woman took a deep breath. "Brother Haonan..."

"Hmm."

"Don't misunderstand, that man is a client of mine. He booked a private room for tonight. He's having dinner with his friends this evening and asked me to accompany them. After dinner, they're going to a club to drink and sing."

"Hmm."

"Linsheng, you know I work in a club, and it's common for me to join clients for a meal when they've booked a room... I have nothing with him, I've never gone out with him, please don't think otherwise, okay?"

"Hmm."

Actually, Zhang Linsheng heard everything, understood everything, and... he didn't doubt what Qu Xiaoling said. But he simply didn't know how to react or what to reply to these words. Working as a hostess in a nightclub... Such things were common. Regular customers booking private rooms... for the hostesses, it was all about performance. Whichever hostess the customer had booked the room through would get a commission from the customer's spending in that particular room that night. Moreover, every hostess had KPIs each month, including room booking targets, and failing to meet them meant getting their pay docked. Because of these rules, the hostesses had no choice but to go all out in pleasing their clients, especially the regulars with spending power. Accompanying someone for a meal was considered normal. Others, to get customers to book more rooms, would even go out with them to spend the night. Zhang Linsheng actually understood most of these rules pretty well. He also vaguely knew that Qu Xiaoling occasionally accompanied clients to meals. But knowing was one thing. Seeing it firsthand was something else entirely.

Gangsters in the jianghu, unconcerned with trifles? That's in the movies!

Zhang Linsheng had a very childish, very childish, very childish idea. He actually wanted to confront Qu Xiaoling: Why, when you're accompanying someone to a meal, must you hang onto a man's arm and walk so close, laughing and joking together? But he knew that this question was too childish to actually ask.

After taking a few deep breaths, Zhang Linsheng suppressed the emotions in his heart and managed to squeeze out a stiff smile. "I understand, you... you have to work, right?"

He waved his hand. "I'm not misunderstanding."

Qu Xiaoling looked back at the restaurant anxiously and said in a low voice, "Brother Haonan, I snuck out under the pretense of going to the bathroom to find you. I can't stay long; I have to go back. Please... please don't get the wrong idea, and don't be upset, alright?"

Zhang Linsheng opened his mouth but didn't answer, instead pointing down at the Pizza Hut box on the ground. "This... I bought this just now. I was going to take it to your place for you. You... you take it."

Qu Xiaoling looked down at the Pizza Hut box. The woman's eyes became complicated. Looking at Zhang Linsheng, she bit her lip hard and said softly, "Brother Haonan, I'm... I'm dining with a client. It's not convenient for me to bring the pizza up there... Thank you, really, thank you! I... I understand the thought you have for me; I get it all... but it's not convenient for me to take it up now... How about this, you keep it, and after I finish work, I'll eat it with you, okay?"

Zhang Linsheng was crestfallen, speaking in a slow, hoarse voice, "Oh, right... not convenient, you can't take it in, then, then let it be..."

The young man took a deep breath, lifted his head, and looked at Qu Xiaoling with what he thought was a calm expression, but was actually still quite agitated. "It's fine, I understand. You're going to work. I really am okay. You should go back. I'm heading back myself."

Qu Xiaoling must have really been in a hurry, glancing back at the restaurant again, and said through gritted teeth, "Brother Haonan, let's talk tonight after I finish work. We'll talk then, alright?"

After that, she grabbed Zhang Linsheng's hand and gave it a firm squeeze before turning around and heading back inside the restaurant.

Actually, in Zhang Linsheng's heart at that moment, there was only one sentence. He struggled with it for a while but in the end, didn't voice it out. The sentence was: Can you not work that job? But that sentence, ultimately, remained unasked.

Zhang Linsheng didn't know when he got up and staggered to the road.

Standing by the roadside, he looked down and saw that everything he had bought for his mother and father was there; the only thing missing was the pizza box.

——And he didn't want to go back to pick it up!

Standing by the road, Zhang Linsheng took out his phone almost as if compelled by some force, and began to scroll aimlessly through his contact list. He felt a blockage in his heart and wanted to talk to someone.

Then, he dialed the number of the person he was most familiar with, other than his parents and Qu Xiaoling.

The phone rang a few times.

Huh? It's actually turned on?

And then it connected.

"Hello? Senior Brother?" On the other end of the line, Chen Nuo's voice seemed to carry a hint of laughter.

All of a sudden Zhang Linsheng was at a loss for words, remaining silent.

Chen Nuo kept laughing on the other end. "What's the matter? Still worried about that money issue? Really, stop worrying about it. It's given, it's yours, and the payment you deserve for the work you did for me. It's only fair, and besides, I have other tasks for you in the future..."

Zhang Linsheng opened his mouth and when he spoke, his voice was so hoarse that even he was surprised.

"Uh... Junior Brother..."

"?" On the other end, Chen Nuo seemed taken aback, then his tone became more serious. "Your voice doesn't sound right... What's happened to you?"

"I... I've run into some trouble. I can't figure it out; my mind is a little chaotic."

On the other end, Chen Nuo went silent for a few seconds.

"There's a Luo's Pan-fried Buns shop on Tangzi Street. Take a cab over; I'll wait for you here."

Tangzi Street, Luo's Pan-fried Buns shop.

The business was average at night... The shop's busiest times were breakfast and lunch. The tables inside were barely full, but the tables placed outside on the roadside were still empty.

The taxi stopped. Zhang Linsheng paid the fare, got out, and walked into the shop, where he saw Chen Nuo sitting at a table facing the entrance.

Across from Chen Nuo, a woman was sitting with him.

Zhang Linsheng could only see her back, not clear on what the woman looked like... but judging from her figure, she was very attractive.

Chen Nuo waved at Zhang Linsheng, then whispered a couple of words to the woman sitting with him and stood up, walking over.

Reaching the entrance, Chen Nuo pulled Zhang Linsheng to a table on the roadside, and they sat down.

"You don't look so well, Senior Brother," Chen Nuo frowned. "Did something happen?"

Zhang Linsheng's lips moved a few times, but he seemed to be at a loss for words.

Chen Nuo wasn't in a hurry, passing him a cigarette and lighting it for him, patting Zhang Linsheng's shoulder:

"Broadly speaking, you know some of my secrets. More personally, through Old Jiang, you're still my Senior Brother. So, we're not outsiders to each other. Whatever it is, whatever difficulties you've encountered, you can talk to me."

Zhang Linsheng felt the sincerity in Chen Nuo's eyes. After a couple of drags of his cigarette, he finally began to speak.

"Well, I... I've fallen for a woman."

"...Hmm." Chen Nuo didn't show any surprise and simply nodded. "Go on."

Young men of his age often face troubles related to women, so Chen Nuo wasn't surprised.

"Do you remember the nightclub you took me to on your motorcycle before? The one where my mother works as a janitor."

"Hmm, I remember," Chen Nuo nodded.

Zhang Linsheng, with some trepidation, said in a low voice, "The woman I like... works at that place."

"..."

Chen Nuo frowned and looked at Zhang Linsheng. He didn't rush to ask but thought for a moment before slowly saying, "Hmm, go on."

A few minutes later.

Zhang Linsheng finished telling everything that happened between him and Qu Xiaoling from when they first met to today.

Chen Nuo couldn't help but feel a little sentimental. To say that Zhang Linsheng's entanglement with that woman was somewhat related to himself was true. If it hadn't been for Zhang Linsheng taking the blame inadvertently several times and scaring away Xiao Guohua and Li Qingshan's men... that woman wouldn't have taken a second look at a high school student, right...?

"So, are you upset now?... But what I want to ask you is, what exactly are you upset about?"

Zhang Linsheng's face was a bit red, and he looked very uneasy.

Finally, the young man clenched his teeth. "She, she works there, and I've never said anything... She, she entertains clients, gets them to book rooms for a commission, I've never commented... But, but... Does she need to be arm in arm, laughing and chatting so intimately? I, I, I…"

Chen Nuo appeared to have smiled a little and nodded, then suddenly made a light gesture with his hand.

Chen Yanluo's face was very calm, so calm that it was almost indifferent.

He waved his hand to stop Zhang Linsheng's childish and emotional words.

Then, Chen Nuo threw out a cold sentence.

"So? What did you think? How do you think she works there every day, in those private rooms?"

"..." Zhang Linsheng was at a loss for words.

Chen Nuo coldly continued, "Being arm in arm with a man, hmm, so what if she was? Laughing and being intimate, you think that's too much, right? Then! What! Does! It! Matter!"

Saying this, Chen Nuo's look was sharp as lightning, striking Brother Haonan's face!

With a cold laugh, Chen Nuo spoke in a tone of disbelief:

"What did you think, Brother Haonan! You're not that naive, are you? Do you really believe that when she's entertaining in those private rooms, she's just sitting politely on the sofa with clients, all behaving courteously, keeping a proper distance, everyone sitting half a meter apart, then drinking in turns, singing a couple of songs in a lackluster manner... Is that how she works? I think, even if you're naive, you can't be naïve to that extent, right? Walking down the street arm in arm, and that's what triggers you? What do you think she's working as!"

These words, like nails, were fiercely hammered into Haonan's heart! All of a sudden, Brother Haonan felt like he could hardly breathe! And Chen Nuo, just like that, didn't say anything, just coldly looked at him!