Chapter Sixty-Two [Can We Just Consider It a Misunderstanding?]
Chen Nuo was unaware of the conversation between Jiang Yingzi and her daughter.
However, he had, in fact, already roughly guessed the woman’s intentions; if not spot on, then not far off.
Deep down, he felt a degree of repulsion towards such actions.
These thoughts embodied the basest aspects of human nature.
He had personally witnessed this "request," so heavily tinged with the color of a transaction.
He had watched a mother offer up her own daughter like a commodity, in exchange for something...
Chen Nuo’s feelings were complex.
After leaving the restaurant, he saw Jiang Yingzi’s secretary waiting respectfully outside.
When Chen Nuo declined the offer of a car ride, the secretary carefully wheeled Chen Nuo’s bicycle over, handed it to him with utmost respect, and then bowed deeply as he departed.
The secretary didn’t dare straighten his back until Chen Nuo was completely out of sight.
Sometimes, the class hierarchy in South Korea was just that rigid.
Zhang Linsheng was picking his mother up from work. His father, who did odd jobs at a car repair shop, had a major customization project that night and had to work the late shift. His mother worked as a cleaner at a farmers’ market during the day and had a part-time job cleaning a nightclub at night. Since his father wasn’t available that evening, Zhang Linsheng went to pick up his mother as usual.
This was a KTV nightclub. Wandering the opulent lobby, gazing at the lavish decorations, his feet treading on the smooth marble floor, beneath crystal chandeliers that screamed expense, Zhang Linsheng felt somewhat dazed. The adolescent even felt a twinge of fear, a sense of not belonging. In his world, places were playgrounds for the real Brother Haonans from the movies, men who had the right to roam such realms. Someone like him, a mere Brother Haonan from No. 8 Middle School, wasn’t worthy.
The security guard in the lobby didn’t give the boy any trouble; they recognized him from picking up his mother several times before. They simply told him to sit on the sofa in the corner and wait, and not to wander off.
At one point, he went to the restroom.
He ran into a few girls who worked there.
Dressed in cheap gowns with plunging necklines, some even revealing their bare backs, they made the virile young teenager unable to resist sneaking a few extra glances. The potent mix of perfume and powder was almost enough to turn his head.
A few of the girls clearly recognized Zhang Linsheng, and some even came over to tease him. One of them, in a red dress—he thought her name was Xiaoxia or something similar—giggled as she came over and pinched him.
The girl smelled fragrant. Her deep V-neckline revealed two pale mounds, squeezed together to form a deep cleavage. The scent of alcohol and cigarettes mingled with her perfume, sending an unfamiliar thrill through Zhang Linsheng.
He even blushed a little.
"Isn’t this Aunt Luo’s son? Haha, he’s grown up quite handsome."
"You’ve taken a fancy to him, huh?" one girl teased another. "If you like him, go lure him home! He’s way better than that boy toy you were with before."
"What are you talking about? Look, he’s blushing!"
Xiaoxia walked over, pinched Zhang Linsheng’s arm, and said with a tipsy giggle, "Stop teasing him. Look, he doesn’t even dare to look over here."
Turning to the boy’s face, she smiled. "Such a dutiful son. Don’t run around, now. Go wait obediently in the lobby for Aunt Luo to finish her shift. And keep your eyes to yourself! You’re still young; don’t learn the ways of those lecherous old men."
With that, two slender fingers gently pinched Zhang Linsheng’s cheek. Laughing, she turned and left with a group of hostesses.
Zhang Linsheng stared blankly at the girl’s retreating figure. The tight dress, the daringly open back, cinched deliberately at the waist, clung to her torso. Her tightly wrapped hips created a curve that made the young boy’s face burn. Her calves, showcased in high heels, were full yet slender.
The boy’s breathing grew unsteady, and he quickly looked away.
After quietly using the restroom, he washed his hands, then splashed handfuls of cold water on his face, frantically drying it with paper towels.
The boy didn’t quite know what he was thinking. He returned to the lobby and sat in the corner. He couldn’t stop his eyes from scanning the room, though he didn’t know what he was looking for. But in his heart, he vaguely hoped to catch another glimpse of the girl in the red dress. Even just one glance would be nice.
The doors to the private rooms were shut tight, but they couldn’t muffle the sounds of revelry, singing, and intoxicated euphoria spilling from within. Servers occasionally bustled by, pushing carts laden with bottles of alcohol and food whose names and brands he didn’t recognize. Those things must have been very, very expensive.
He’d overheard his parents talking; the minimum charge for a room here for one night was far more than his mother’s entire monthly salary.
He didn’t know how long he sat there before his neck began to stiffen. He stood up to stretch just as he saw his mother, in her cleaner’s uniform, emerge from an inner corridor, walking along the wall.
"You head home first," his mother said, her rough face etched with a hint of heartache mixed with tenderness as she touched her son’s cheek. "The boss has some guests who’ve booked a room for an all-nighter. He asked if anyone was willing to stay late to clean up afterward for an extra fifty yuan. Two others and I are staying. The guests might party till dawn. I’ll rest in the staff room after I’m done cleaning. Hurry home and get some sleep; you have school tomorrow."
Before she could say more, a colleague called her away.
Zhang Linsheng, with no particular thoughts, turned to leave. But as he did, he couldn’t help but look back longingly at the lobby.
After nodding a greeting to the security guard at the door, the young man walked out of the KTV.
The parking lot outside was crammed with luxury cars.
Zhang Linsheng paused at the edge of the lot, pulled out a six-yuan pack of Hilton cigarettes, and lit one. He took a few silent drags, gazing at the KTV’s brightly lit entrance in the distance, faintly hearing the singing from inside. He didn’t know what he was waiting for. After finishing one cigarette, he couldn’t resist lighting another.
Just as Zhang Linsheng sighed deeply and was preparing to leave, CLICK-CLACK, CLICK-CLACK, the sound of high heels striking the ground echoed.
A girl stumbled out of the lobby. Beneath a trench coat, her alluring figure was partially visible,