The driver placed both hands on the steering wheel, ready to pull away at any mont.
Yet, a resentful voice ca from the back seat.
"An Ying, I will make sure you won’t have it easy!" she spoke with hatred in her eyes, as if harboring a deep grudge against the other party!
"Old Hu, find soone to keep an eye on things here, and inform of her every move promptly," Madam Su said harshly.
"Yes, Madam."
"Let’s go ho."
Under the night sky, the black car roared past, disappearing quickly along the roadside.
***
When An Yin rushed back to school, it was dinner ti.
The lunch that Ms. An prepared was too sumptuous, An Yin had eaten quite a lot, and upon returning to the dorm, she didn’t feel hungry, so she decided to skip dinner.
Thinking about going to her part-ti job soon, she went to the bathroom, splashed her face with cold water, and felt a little more awake, during which she also sent a WeChat ssage to Ms. An to assure her she was safe, as instructed by Ms. An.
After a few minutes of rest, An Yin set out for "Night Charm."
As she left the dorm, she glanced at the brand-new down jacket on the bed, feeling a slight pang of sourness in her heart.
Over the years, Ms. An had lived very frugally, largely for her sake, and An Yin fully understood this; when she was a child, the bookstore’s revenue might have been alright, but with the changing tis, as everyone now has a smartphone, fewer people frequent the bookstore.
During sumr and winter breaks from school, An Yin would help her mom run the store and had noted that the bookstore didn’t earn much in a day; sotis, because of the weather, no one would co by, leading to losses, having to cover site rental and utility bills out of pocket...
The mories flooded in, making An Yin feel more somber.
She, too, was a part of this family and should put in effort for it!
She walked out of the school gate with her head down, not noticing Shi Qing behind her.
The two of them got on the bus one after the other, riding a long way before disembarking.
Seeing An Yin lost in thought, Shi Qing quickened his pace to walk alongside her.
The streetlights had unknowingly lit up, casting long shadows on the sidewalk.
An Yin slightly lowered her head, her gaze falling on the shadow before her.
One, two... Watching the shadow on the ground change from one to two, An Yin suddenly turned her head to see Shi Qing.
"What a coincidence, eting you here!" An Yin greeted.
Shi Qing didn’t ntion having seen her at the school gate; he simply nodded, neither warmly nor coldly, but when his gaze landed on An Yin’s forehead, he lingered for a few seconds but didn’t ask what happened to it. Shi Qing had never liked ddling in others’ affairs.
Until they reached "Night Charm," neither spoke a word, yet they didn’t find it awkward; rather, they found this way of interacting quite nice!
The two entered the changing room and changed into their work uniforms.
Shi Qing noticed a red string on An Yin’s fair neck, from which a piece of jade hung, resting at the collar; under the light, the jade seed to glow, sparkling and particularly eye-catching.
"An Yin, we need to be mindful of our dress and personal accessories," Shi Qing reminded her.
"What do you an?" An Yin looked puzzled.
"Look here." Shi Qing pointed to the jade hanging outside, "Tuck it inside your shirt."
"Oh." An Yin lowered her head, recalling the jade her mother had given her, and was montarily dazed. She quickly tucked the jade inside her shirt, explaining, "My mom said wearing it keeps safe."
Hearing An Yin ntion her "mom" with such a blissful expression, Shi Qing felt a deepening sense of heartache, "It’s quite pretty."
"Thank you." Hearing Shi Qing’s complint, An Yin continued, "Do you want to buy one? Next ti I go back, I can bring one for you; it shouldn’t be expensive." An Yin guessed that Ms. An might have bought it on a whim at a temple, estimating it to be a few dozen yuan.
"No need," Shi Qing declined politely.
An Yin said nothing more.
When they reached the VIP private room area, they saw a few waitstaff carrying elaborate fruit platters and snacks towards the room at the end; Wen i stood at the door giving instructions, and upon spotting Shi Qing and An Yin, she waved them over.
An Yin walked forward with a face full of confusion and greeted, "Sister i!"
"It’s perfect timing that you’re here, I have a task for you," Wen i’s usually lazy deanor was now replaced with caution, "A wealthy young man’s birthday is today, and he’s coming here to have so fun. His friends are all affluent and powerful, not people we can afford to offend, so you two must stay alert tonight and avoid making any mistakes."
"Okay."
"Okay."
Shi Qing and An Yin spoke simultaneously.
Wen i looked at the two girls as pretty as flowers in front of her. Her eyes fell on Shi Qing’s black-frad glasses and then shifted to An Yin’s face, where the bump on her forehead was quite noticeable. Alas, Wen i let out a long breath and left helplessly.
Next, Shi Qing and An Yin stood at both sides of the main entrance, watching as waitstaff with alcohol headed towards the private room.
The guests hadn’t arrived yet, but everything for their drinking and entertainnt was prepared. A few attendants were left in the room, while the others retreated.
Shi Qing stood straight without looking around.
An Yin turned her head and mumbled, "Shi Qing, why do I feel a bit anxious?" An Yin had been nervous since Wen i specifically reminded them, even though she didn’t know why.
The colorful lights in the hallway cast lively, vibrant branches and leaves on the carpet, seemingly ready to leap out, incredibly lifelike.
Shi Qing’s eyes, through the lenses, landed on An Yin’s face, her bright and clear pupils flickering with confusion, much like a little rabbit moving through the fog, adorable and endearing.
"Just stand here, there’s nothing to be afraid of; it’s not like they are mad dogs that bite at sight," Shi Qing lowered his voice, trying to sound soothing.
"Pfft..."
An Yin couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Seeing her laugh, Shi Qing felt his words may have been a bit too candid, yet seeing An Yin’s infectious smile, his own lips slightly curled, a detail even he hadn’t noticed.
Ti slipped by quietly as guests passed through the hallway, but not to their room.
Just as An Yin lowered her head to brush away the hair on her forehead, a burst of chatter ca from afar.
An Yin looked in the direction of the noise and saw about a dozen n and won approaching their area, led by an Attendant guiding them to the private room where she and Shi Qing stood, and with a glance from the Attendant at the front, An Yin and Shi Qing simultaneously opened the private room door.
"Welco to ’Night Charm,’" the two said in unison, the level of coordination a result of their many days on the job.
An Yin anxiously lowered her head; petite as she was, as the group passed by, they only glimpsed her dark hair, their attention not lingering long.
As for Shi Qing, the oversized black-frad glasses she wore effectively discouraged any attempts at curiosity.
Entering the room, a provocatively dressed woman clung intimately to a man’s chest, cooing, "How can ugly ducklings work as wait staff? It’s such a turn-off!" The woman spared Shi Qing only a single glance before contempt was evident upon seeing her eyewear.
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