Chapter 19

The school had poured all its energy into organizing this year’s basketball league league, yet Xie Jinxing himself still didn’t show up in the end.
Still, he had given his word before. If he didn’t make an appearance in some form, it would seem like breaking a promise. So, Xie Jinxing donated funds under the Xie Corporation’s name as the league’s official sponsor and sent his assistant, Li Te, to represent him at the venue, to oversee the games and present the final awards to the winning team.
The principal was satisfied with that outcome, even if Xie Jinxing never personally showed up.
In the adult world, things aren’t black or white, promises aren’t always about strict literal fulfillment. What matters isn’t how the process goes, but whether the final result is what you wanted. The principal got what he wanted, and Xie Jinxing had delivered. That was enough.
The old man called Gu An’an to his office again, grinning as he stuffed a handful of sesame brittle into her hands.
Gu An’an almost broke down. She’d told him countless times, she didn’t like sesame candy!
But manners are manners, especially with elders. “Thank you, Principal~”
“Summer break’s here. Go home early.”
“Got it!”
Leaving his office, Gu An’an peeled one open expressionlessly and popped it into her mouth. The candy was the old-fashioned kind, basically pure sugar. It was so sweet she felt like an old lady missing her dentures, lips puckered tight.
The sesame bits stuck to her gums; she licked her teeth and glanced back at the half-open office door.
Inside, the principal’s off-key humming drifted out as he happily watered his two nearly dead potted vines.
Gu An’an smacked her lips and made a silent vow:
One day, she was going to make Xie Jinxing eat this stuff.
Xie Corporation really was planning to branch into the sports industry, they’d already started investing in a few sports projects, mainly diving and table tennis. Basketball was next on the list, but truth be told, there weren’t many outstanding domestic teams. The Xies were businesspeople, not philanthropists. Having passion was nice, but business was business. If the return on investment was too low, every decision had to be made carefully.
Besides, Xie Jinxing already owned a foreign basketball team, one that played in international leagues. The principal of Jingchuan University had wanted to secure opportunities for promising students at the Sports Institute, and Xie Jinxing had agreed.
Assistant Li personally picked out three male players with solid skills and arranged for them to train with Xie’s overseas team.
Whether they could stay there or not depended entirely on their own abilities.
Apart from that, Xie Jinxing hadn’t been back to Jingchuan since. It was as if the place were cursed, no matter how important his business at nearby Q University, his car never once stopped at Jingchuan’s gates.
But those details didn’t matter to Gu An’an. After exhausting herself through the entire tournament, she could finally enjoy her summer break.
Grandpa Xie wanted her to move back into the family estate for the holidays, but Gu An’an wanted to take on a summer job, so she refused.
The Xie residence was comfortable, there were guards, a chef, a chauffeur, a maid, but it was far from the city. A round trip took three hours. Too inconvenient. Still, she knew the old man lived there alone and must get lonely.
So she promised him, smiling, that she’d visit at least once a week to have dinner with him.
The old man patted her head without saying the usual “you don’t need to work, the Xies can provide for you.” Just like when nineteen-year-old Gu An’an had first moved out, he hadn’t stopped her then, either.
He respected that she had pride.
“If you ever get tired out there, come home. No matter what happens, don’t be afraid. Grandpa will always keep a room for you. You’ll always have a home here, An’an.”
Gu An’an didn’t know if he had realized she wasn’t quite the same person inside anymore, not the same An’an as before. But having lived on her own for so long, receiving that kind of affection and care from Grandpa Xie still warmed her heart.
She lingered beside him for an afternoon, reading aloud until the family doctor reminded her the old man needed to rest.
Beijing was a bustling international city, crowded, prosperous, full of job opportunities. With booming service, entertainment, and food industries, finding a part-time job for a Jingchuan University girl wasn’t hard. Especially not one who looked like Gu An’an.
Sure, beauty couldn’t feed you, but it sure helped you get hired.
She didn’t even have to look herself; once word got out that she was job hunting, someone reached out to her first:
[New bar “Nightfall” hiring host girls. Need a few stunners to help set the mood. 8 PM–2 AM, ¥500 per night. Tips are yours. Just serving drinks and basic chores. Interested?]
Six hours. Five hundred yuan. No wonder Su Ruan loved doing nightclub gigs, this was insanely profitable!
Still, out of caution, Gu An’an double-checked:
[Just serving and assisting, right? Nothing else?]
[What else?]
[You know… that kind of “something else” that involves… sacrificing dignity?]
The other side paused for a good ten minutes before replying:
[If you want to “expand your business,” that’s your own thing. But the bar’s off-limits for that. We’re a legitimate place, no special services allowed.]
Gu An’an: “……” Damn it, that’s not what she meant!
Still, relieved, she typed:
[Is Su Ruan going too?]
[Huh? Su Ruan? Who’s that?]
[No one. Forget it.]
[Oh, you mean the literature department’s beauty, Su Ruan?]
Gu An’an: “……” Wow, she even had an official title now?
[Yeah.]
[Nah. She’s too short.]
The guy’s mouth was foul, crude, and completely lacking manners, but his words made Gu An’an’s mood soar. Her anxious little heart instantly settled back into her chest.
Perfect. The fact that Su Ruan wasn’t going meant her risk level had just dropped dramatically.
Suddenly, she was filled with boundless enthusiasm for summer work.
[Alright, send me the address.]
He sent it right away, adding a reminder that newcomers had to arrive half an hour early for brief training.
Gu An’an asked for the job details, studied them carefully, then promised to be early.
Once everything was confirmed, she grabbed her things and headed out.
This was the downside of a big city: even though the shift started at eight and she needed to be there by seven-thirty, the fastest route still took an hour and a half. She had to rush through dinner.
She left at 4:30 and still arrived a minute late.
Luckily, the supervisor was understanding, first day, getting lost was normal.
The bar uniform turned out decent enough, more “spicy schoolgirl” than sleazy. A fitted white blouse, good quality fabric, and a super-short plaid skirt that ended about ten centimeters above the knee.
All the girls working that night were gorgeous, with great figures.
They eyed each other up and down in the dressing room, trading teasing looks like cheeky delinquents.
Gu An’an’s figure was the best of the bunch, curves in all the right places, a slim waist, and an absurdly good waist-to-hip ratio. The uniform skirts were one-size-fits-all, but on her, the fabric hugged perfectly, shaping a curve that looked practically custom-made.
As she passed by, a bold girl with smoky makeup gave her a playful smack on the butt and whistled.
By that point, it was already the second time someone had groped her since she arrived.
“Hahaha, stick with me tonight,” the girl said, flashing a grin full of white teeth. “I’m a ninth-degree black belt in taekwondo.”
Gu An’an immediately straightened up, bowed, and declared loudly, “Thank you, Sis!”
The dressing room erupted in laughter.
Training was simple enough, keep your eyes open for table or room orders, deliver quickly, and maintain a neat appearance. Each table had a bell under it for service calls; when it rang, they went to take orders in person.
The job wasn’t hard, just long hours in heels, and makeup had to stay perfect. The supervisor emphasized that Nightfall was a premium venue; the clientele paid top dollar, so the service had to match.
“Remember,” she said, “under the lights, your makeup should sparkle. When the lights go out, you should still look elegant.”
Gu An’an wasn’t quite sure how elegance fit with a JK uniform, but a girl beside her summed it up nicely: “Just keep reapplying lipstick.”
“Ah. Got it.”
They were also told to stay calm if any customers got handsy, don’t cause a scene, but don’t tolerate it either. Report it immediately, and management would step in.
That was reassuring, this place sounded way more civilized than most.
After the briefing, she got her badge and went to work.
Because of her looks, she stood out, so the supervisor assigned her to the VIP floor. Her “big-sister” protector from earlier was placed one level below.
Before leaving, the girl made sure to add Gu An’an on WeChat.
“If some creep tries to drag you into a private room, call me.” She flexed her biceps.
Gu An’an respectfully added her as “Taekwondo Queen.”
What she didn’t expect, was to run into Lu Xingyu, Shen Shan, and their whole crowd here.
These rich kids were everywhere. The bar had only opened that night, and they were already throwing a birthday party in the biggest VIP suite.
The birthday boy was a sports major named Yang Yue, a friend of both Lu Xingyu and Shen Shan. His family was in real estate, one of the wealthiest in Beijing, owning multiple high-end malls.
He was the youngest in the family, spoiled by his grandparents, and as long as he didn’t commit arson or murder, the family didn’t care what he did. Naturally, instead of business or law like his brothers, he’d gone into sports.
Now he was a sophomore and the main spiker for the city’s volleyball team.
He, Lu Xingyu, and Shen Shan had known each other since childhood, a classic trio of rich brats who grew up together.
Don’t be fooled by Lu Xingyu’s current himbo energy under Su Ruan’s influence. He used to be the “golden boy” of their social circle, while Yang Yue was the opposite, brawny, loud, and a notorious campus troublemaker.
The two had been rivals since they could walk.
They didn’t exactly hate each other, but “strained” would be putting it mildly. Their parents forced the friendship for appearance’s sake.
So, of course, Gu An’an’s very first task of the night had to be delivering drinks to their table.
Although she’d never really counted herself as one of the second-generation elites, she had followed Lu Xingyu around for years, posing as one of those “fake socialites.” Knowing Yang Yue’s mouth, he’d definitely roast her alive.
But the intercom kept urging her to hurry, so she took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and went in.
The music was deafening, lasers flashing wildly. Boys and girls sprawled across the couches, shouting, laughing, and half-dancing.
A few of the guys were yelling for “hotter girls,” while the girls in their group threw handbags at them, telling them to at least keep their pants on.
Chaos everywhere.
Gu An’an peeked inside, no one seemed to notice her.
Good. She wheeled in the cart and began unloading bottles with lightning speed.
Her plan: get in, get out, and pray no one got hit by a laser and went feral.
She was almost at the door again when some idiot stuck a leg out and blocked her path.
She dodged instinctively, tried to go around, but the guy reached out and grabbed her arm.
His eyes roamed down her legs, a smirk forming. “Nice skirt. Fancy seeing you again~”
Oh, great. Of course it had to be Zhou Jiayu. How could this idiot recognize her in this lighting?!
And why did he always have to mess with her every time they met?
“One word, one hundred bucks,” she snapped. “Look below my waist, one thousand.”
Everyone turned at the sound of her voice. The music didn’t even drown it out.
The wandering eyes hesitated then looked up. Then, realizing how ridiculous it was to obey a waitress, they looked down again.
“Second look doubles,” she added.
“Are you made of gold or something?” one of them shouted. “Even Wang Jingyi doesn’t charge that much for an appearance!”
Wang Jingyi, a rising web-drama actress, gorgeous and obedient. Some of these spoiled brats had “connections” with girls like her.
“Sorry,” Gu An’an said blandly. “I just came back from a temple after gilding my statue. Looking at me counts as receiving a blessing.”
“Ha! You’ll say anything, wait, what the, Gu An’an?! What the hell are you doing here?”
Finally someone wasn’t blind. As the colored lights flashed, his grin vanished. “Don’t tell me the Xies kicked you out, you’re waiting tables now?”
“You’re the one who got kicked out!” she shot back, glaring. “What’s it to you?”
“Hey, I’m just”
She yanked her arm free and didn’t let him finish.
Plenty of familiar faces were there, Lu Xingyu’s and Shen Shan’s mutual friends, people she’d known since they were kids.
The rich circles in Beijing always overlapped; if you weren’t in one, you were in another. Everyone knew everyone.
When they saw the long-legged waitress was Gu An’an, some of the flirty guys immediately backed off.
Not that she was powerful herself, but because Grandpa Xie had publicly acknowledged her. The Xie heir’s debut banquet had even included her introduction. That put her higher than many “unfavored” rich heirs.
Grandpa Xie was no small figure, he practically led Beijing’s Chamber of Commerce.
Behind her back, people joked about how she was just pretending to fit in. But to her face, no one dared insult her lineage. The only thing they’d ever mocked openly was how she used to chase after Lu Xingyu.
Except Zhou Jiayu, he never held back.
His grip was strong, fingers locked around her wrist like iron. His thumb brushed over the inside of her arm, and he couldn’t help noticing how soft her skin was, smooth and delicate, like a petal that would bruise at a touch.
When she winced, he loosened slightly, but still didn’t let go.
“Wearing your skirt this short? Lu Xingyu doesn’t care?”
That did it.
“Are you a special breed of moron?” she snapped. “If you can’t talk like a normal human, just shut up. Did you not drain all that water from your brain last time?”
Gu An’an had spent years wondering why she’d never be the “female lead.” She’d reflected deeply, twice.
The conclusion? She wasn’t unstable. She was just uncivilized.
When heroines cried softly, she swung punches.
When heroines endured humiliation with tears, she cursed out people’s ancestors.
When heroines got bullied into despair, she kicked people where it hurt.
She couldn’t break free, so she went straight for it, kicked him right between the legs.
Crunch.
Zhou Jiayu went white, gasping, his hand flying off her wrist. “You!”
“Yup, me.”
“You’re insane! No manners at all!”
“Correct. I’ve got no manners. And you’ve got no brain.” She tossed the line over her shoulder and bolted.
Silence fell.
For a long time, five minutes, maybe more, no one spoke.
Finally, the door opened again. A pair of clear, innocent eyes peeked inside, and the birthday boy, Yang Yue, stood to greet them. The party resumed, noise swelling once more.
“Hey, do you think Gu An’an’s changed?” someone asked.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Her hairstyle changed, from seductive vixen to storm-cloud warrior.”
“You idiot, I mean emotionally. Haven’t you noticed? She hasn’t been hanging around Lu Xingyu lately. Even tonight, she’s not with him.”
The guy thought for a second. “Maybe she came tonight to chase him?”
“…You’re hopeless.”
“Shh, Su Ruan’s here.”
Everyone fell silent immediately. Everyone knew she and Gu An’an didn’t get along.
“Come sit here, come on, sister-in-law!” someone called cheerfully, pulling out the seat next to Yang Yue.
In the corner, Zhou Jiayu’s brow twitched at the word sister-in-law.
Before he could speak, Su Ruan, cheeks flushed pink, waved her hands anxiously. “Oh my gosh, what are you talking about? Don’t joke like that! Yang Yue and I are just friends!”
Her soft, trembling voice only made the teasing worse.
“Hah, come on, he already admitted it! Don’t be shy, sister-in-law”
“No, no, no!” Su Ruan’s little face grew redder and redder as she tried to explain, her anxious eyes glistening with tears. Her cheeks were the color of a fully ripe berry, as if one bite would make juice burst out. “If you keep doing this, I’ll leave!” She grabbed Yang Yue’s arm and shook it instinctively. “Yang Yue, tell them to stop saying nonsense, okay?”
Yang Yue felt a sweet warmth in his chest from her shaking him and called out the boy’s name in warning.
The boy grinned and made a zipper motion with his hand, muting himself.
Even muted, his eyes still danced with mischief. The others, bored, exchanged glances, wink here, nod there. Eyes or no eyes, everyone could clearly see what they were teasing about.
Zhou Jiayu, sitting on the corner sofa, flicked a lighter repeatedly, suddenly feeling bored.
It was Yang Yue’s birthday today, and Zhou Jiayu had come to show face at his brother’s request. His rowdy friends hadn’t come along. He had planned to sit for a while and leave, but hearing that Su Ruan would also be there made him stay.
Glancing at Su Ruan, surrounded by Yang Yue’s friends, looking helpless yet not entirely rejecting the teasing, Zhou Jiayu lowered his eyelids. He lit a cigarette, tilting his head as he inhaled.
Smoke rings drifted from the corner of his mouth as he thought, I’ve already done what my brother asked, might as well leave now.
Then he noticed the door opening again, Shen Shan was dragging Lu Xingyu inside.
Lu Xingyu had sent a gift and hadn’t wanted to come, but Shen Shan had rallied a crowd and forced him along. His face dark as he entered, he didn’t even glance at Zhou Jiayu before kicking him aside to make room.
Zhou Jiayu shot him a sideways glance. Rarely did he not retort; he actually moved aside.
Unlike Lu Xingyu, who would pick fights with Yang Yue at every encounter, Yang Yue had always been Shen Shan’s sidekick before he liked Su Ruan. He followed her everywhere and got whatever she wanted. At the time, the families even joked that Shen Shan should just get engaged to Yang Yue instead of liking that Lu boy.
But after Su Ruan appeared, Yang Yue slowly stopped following Shen Shan; all his attention shifted to Su Ruan.
Even so, Shen Shan and Yang Yue had a cold war for a while, then reconciled. Their relationship was still very close.
Knowing Yang Yue liked a certain volleyball superstar, Shen Shan flew to that city personally and got the champion’s game uniform as a birthday gift.
Yang Yue was naturally happy to see Shen Shan, but Shen Shan was less thrilled seeing Su Ruan there.
Whenever the two met, sparks flew. In the VIP room, a fight was inevitable. Gu An’an hid in the staff rest area, back to the emergency exit, headache mounting as she reported to the supervisor.
This couldn’t be ignored. If someone got seriously hurt, whose responsibility would it be?
The supervisor stayed calm. “Don’t worry. Don’t go in yet. I’ll take people upstairs.”
While waiting for the supervisor, Gu An’an paced the corridor.
She hadn’t expected the world to be so small. At the end of the hallway, VIP room 003 was in chaos, while she bumped into Xie Jinxing smoking by the emergency exit.
Gu An’an froze.
She couldn’t go up, couldn’t go down. Isn’t this supposed to be triggered by the heroine? When did it become her turn?
Just as she thought that, she decided to turn and leave. If she stepped lightly, the person upstairs wouldn’t notice. She gingerly stepped on the wooden railing with one foot, when a deep, pleasant male voice came from above: “Come up.”
Gu An’an pretended not to hear, stepping out her other foot.
Having just dealt with a group of scheming wolves, Xie Jinxing, annoyed, stubbed out his cigarette in the holder.
He stood against the light on the upper floor landing, the huge window behind him. Neon lights outside cast a faint fluorescent blue over his silhouette. His eyes narrowed slightly, a trace of a smile on his lips.
“Gu An’an.”
He watched the sneaky person below trying to slip away and called her name openly.
Gu An’an froze, looking up.
Her expression went from deadpan to blooming in a single second.
She tilted her head back, grinning brightly. “Uncle, what are you doing here~?”
Since that day in the small grove, she hadn’t seen him for over half a month.
He seemed a bit slimmer, his eye sockets deeper. Fair skin, faint shadows under dense lashes. A slightly weary look.
In the past two weeks, Gu An’an had visited the Xie family mansion multiple times, keeping company with Grandpa Xie at least twice a week. She’d seen Madam Xie and other family members, but not Xie Jinxing, who was reportedly busy flying all over, both domestically and abroad, and apparently investigating something.
Technically, what Xie Jinxing was investigating was none of her business, but it seemed to involve her a little. His secretary had asked her questions, as had Assistant Li.
“Come up and talk.”
“Oh.” Gu An’an paused her smile, moving up slowly.
“Afraid of me?”
Xie Jinxing suddenly spoke.
“Huh?” Realizing what he meant, Gu An’an shook her head. “No, no, I’m not afraid. I’m just showing respect.”
Xie Jinxing snorted, saying nothing further.
He tapped his own mouth with a finger, expression enigmatic.
Gu An’an glanced around, puzzled. She focused on his lips instead.
Tall and untouchable, yet with lips perfect for kissing, lips that could make someone dizzy just from a kiss.
Seeing her confusion, he tapped his lip corners again. “You’ve got chocolate here.”
“Ah? Ah!” Gu An’an immediately pulled out a small mirror and checked. Damn, hiding outside the VIP room eating chocolate cake, she got it all over her lips.
She hurried for a wet wipe. Today, work required makeup, and she didn’t want to lose pay!
After wiping endlessly, the chocolate still stayed as if part of her lips. Couldn’t get it off.
Just as she was about to use it as an excuse to slip to the restroom, a neatly folded handkerchief was passed down from the steps above.
Xie Jinxing, somehow, had come down, standing three steps above her.
The wooden fragrance of his cologne wafted over her, enveloping her completely. Cold and refined, yet exuding undeniable dominance.
He slowly crouched, looking into her eyes. “Uncle doesn’t eat people. What are you afraid of?”