"It's beautiful! So beautiful!" Hu Ni said teasingly.
Lianqing grumbled in dissatisfaction, went to the restroom, and then quickly came out to hurriedly apply makeup to her already made-up face. Then she picked up her bag and walked out.
"Come back soon!" As soon as she said it, Hu Ni felt like she was a very old parent.
"I understand," Lianqing said from outside.
The Angel of Matter (Part 7)
gold
As soon as Hu Ni entered the steamy hot pot restaurant, she saw Xiao Yan sitting by the window. Xiao Yan still liked her extravagant attire: a long black dress that almost reached the floor, with her shoulders elegantly exposed. Her hair was styled in a high bun, with a few deliberately loose strands of hair, styled with gel, playfully peeking out from the bun. Her long neck gracefully supported her beautiful head. Her makeup was light, with cool tones, and a touch of shimmer around her eyes. A breathtaking beauty, captivating elegance.
At the same age, Xiaoyan looked much younger than Huni. She was a woman who knew how to cherish herself, dedicating four-fifths of her life to skincare. Facial skincare, full-body mushroom therapy, regular breast massages, various body shaping and fitness exercises, regular colon cleansing, and even regular ovarian care. Skin, breasts, and buttocks were the most important aspects of her life. No one could tell that Xiaoyan was almost thirty. But she had indeed changed a lot. Compared to the innocent and naive girl she used to be, Xiaoyan could now be described as "alluring" and "elegant." At this moment, the "alluring and elegant" Xiaoyan sat there, a slender cigarette delicately held between her fingers, the smoke swirling around her, helping her to perfectly embody "alluring and elegant." Moreover, she wouldn't take two puffs of a cigarette; she would just hold it gracefully in her mouth. If she did smoke, she would make sure the smoke didn't enter her lungs and would quickly exhale the smoke. She was a person who cherished herself.
Xiao Yan saw Hu Ni and waved at her with a smile.
Hu Ni sat down and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Gu Peng hasn't had hot pot with you in a long time."
"Him? He's away on a business trip!"
"Going on another business trip?"
"Yes, I originally planned to go to Hong Kong with him, but I have some things to take care of these past few days. What else would you like to order?" She handed over the menu as she spoke.
Hu Ni glanced at the table full of dishes, including her favorite bamboo shoots, enoki mushrooms, and kelp, and said that was fine.
The hot pot was a half-and-half pot, already boiling. The two of them were putting things in it. Xiaoyan sighed as she added food, saying, "It was so much better when we were in Chongqing. Whenever you wanted hot pot, you could just go out and find any shabby restaurant and get a really authentic one. Now, I can't even find someone to eat with once a week."
"Where's your little sweetheart? Why didn't you bring one today?" Hu Ni asked with a teasing smile.
"What, do you want someone to keep you company today?" Xiao Yan asked, reaching for her phone beside her. "Should I call one for you now? A new one, not completely 'corrupted' yet, should be quite fun."
Hu Ni waved her hands repeatedly: "No! No! Keep it for yourself!"
Xiao Yan laughed: "Look at you! It's not like you're being asked to serve others, but rather others are being served by you. If you're unhappy, hit him, scold him, don't treat him like a human being! During the time you bought him, he was a slave, and you were his master. Why are you so afraid!"
Hu Ni stirred the food in the pot and said with a smile, "You know what, I'm actually really scared of them, really. I just can't enjoy it! There's nothing I can do about it." Hu Ni remembered the time Xiao Yanqiang "arranged" a man for her, and Hu Ni was so scared that she ran away with her tail between her legs.
"You're useless! Tell me! What have you been doing all this time! Is that Meng Qiuping alright?" Xiao Yan asked, already impatiently stuffing a piece of bright red beef tripe into her mouth.
"Okay." Qiu Ping's gentle voice appeared in Hu Ni's mind.
"It really is different. Women with men look much more radiant." Xiao Yan laughed dismissively.
Hu Ni smiled dismissively: "How are you?"
"Not yet." Xiao Yan said as she ate various dishes covered in bright red chili oil, busy and happy.
"Was it really fun?" Hu Ni asked.
"What?" Xiao Yan looked up and asked in surprise.
"hot pot."
"Of course, you're not from Chongqing, you don't know how it's so hard to go a long time without hot pot." As he spoke, he fished a quail egg out of the boiling pot, blew on it, and said, "I love Chongqing, no other city has ever made me like it this much."
"Want to go back?"
Xiao Yan sneered, "Now? Let's talk about it when we're old." Suddenly, she changed her nonchalant expression and said seriously, "I will definitely go back in the future. Only there do I feel like I have roots."
Hu Ni fell silent. Where could she find a place where she could truly feel at home? Suddenly, her phone rang. Hu Ni quickly rummaged through her bag, searching for it. It must be Qiu Ping's phone; Lian Qing wouldn't call her.
"Hu Ni, where are you?"
"I'm outside!" Hu Ni dodged Xiao Yan's probing gaze and teasing smile.
"I just called home, but you weren't there."
"I'm having dinner with Xiaoyan on Badeng Street." Seeing Xiaoyan's increasingly curious expression, I stood up, went out, and asked, "Have you eaten?"
"I've eaten, and I still have some things to take care of. Then I can guarantee a complete rest on Saturday and Sunday."
"Really?" What could be more enjoyable than two people being together?
"Really! When are you going back? Or I can come pick you up later."
"No need, we'll play for a while after dinner, you go ahead and do your thing."
"Anyway, I won't be too late today, and I'm worried about you coming back alone."
Back at her seat, Xiao Yan smiled, put down her chopsticks, and said, "Your Meng Qiuping."
Hu Ni felt she had something to say to Xiao Yan, and she smiled and said, "Yes."
"Is this for real?"
Hu Ni ate the steaming bamboo shoots in her bowl without saying a word.
"Seriously, will you two get married?"
Hu Ni put a bamboo shoot in her mouth, making a crisp sound, and lowered her head, saying, "Maybe." Then she added confidently, "It will bear fruit!"
"How is he?" Xiao Yan asked with great interest. "Is he rich? You haven't told me yet if he's rich."
Looking at her excited friend, Hu Ni said, "You'll definitely get a big red flower if you work at the neighborhood committee."
"Don't interrupt, just tell me!"
"No house, no car, no money, just a wage earner," Hu Ni said irritably.
Xiao Yan was disappointed. She leaned back in her chair, picked up her chopsticks, and started scooping food from the pot again. "I'm not talking about you, Hu Ni, but you're just so unrealistic. People should prioritize material things first before they can find spiritual things. With money, you'll realize the world belongs to you, just like with male escorts in bars. You pay them, and they do whatever you want! You're like this. I'd introduce you to someone decent, someone with a good foundation, but you refuse. You go after a poor guy. Are you that casual with yourself?"
"You really... don't feel uncomfortable having sex with people you don't like?" Hu Ni asked in a low voice, her eyes smiling with curiosity.
"What are you talking about? Of course I can't have sex with someone I don't like! When have I ever had sex with someone I don't like?" Xiao Yan said, dissatisfied.
"Then...you like so many people?" Hu Ni's eyes widened in surprise.
“Is there anything wrong with that? Besides, people have many endearing qualities. For example, Zhang Yong is endearing because he's rich. There are many men who have a greater foundation for affection, like Gu Peng, who has a lot of money, so you could consider marrying him. Only some men, like the 'gigolos' in my shop, only have looks and energy, and they're still endearing! You can play around with them, it's entertainment, life should be colorful.”
Hu Ni smiled, her attitude neither agreeing nor disagreeing. It's good for friends to have some common ground.
The food on the table was completely devoured; every time I ate hot pot with Xiaoyan, my stomach felt so full. After paying the bill, the two women walked out satisfied. Xiaoyan smiled and took Hu Ni's hand to touch her lower abdomen. Hu Ni felt the bulge on Xiaoyan's stomach, and then the two women burst into unrestrained laughter. Xiaoyan then placed her hand on Hu Ni's stomach, also feeling the bulge, and another burst of laughter ensued.
Xiao Yan handed the car keys to the doorman and asked him to bring the car over.
"Look, you need material things first before you can enjoy spiritual things. You can make others do what you want because you've spent money on them and brought them profits. Most importantly, you need to own a BMW so that others will feel proud to park for you." Xiaoyan regained her elegant posture and stood proudly under the streetlights.
Hu Ni and Xiao Yan are different. Hu Ni possesses an innate scholarly air and nobility. Although she didn't finish university, she is refreshing, elegant, and carries a slight hint of melancholy and vicissitude—traces left by time and life. At this moment, she puts her hands in her skirt pockets and nods in a very good-natured manner.
"Really, I really hope you marry a rich man, so we can go shopping in Hong Kong together."
"If I can't find it, what can I do?" Hu Ni said with a quiet smile.
When women get together, they inevitably talk about men, and over time, disagreements are bound to arise.
Xiao Yan drove the BMW with practiced ease and elegance. Hu Ni sat in the passenger seat, watching the street scene under the slowly receding streetlights.
"Hey! Hey! Speak up! I'm not your personal driver!" Xiaoyan couldn't stand silence, so she protested.
"What did you say? Your Gu Peng?" Hu Ni asked with a smile as she turned around.
"Sure, Gu Peng is a good name too."
"What did he say about him?" Hu Ni asked with a teasing smile.
"Go to hell, you brat!"
Hu Ni laughed, and Xiao Yan smiled too, saying, "I've noticed you're much more cheerful than before!"
"Seriously, when are you planning to marry Gu Peng?"
"What's the point of my plans? Other people have wives and children. What's the point of my plans if I'm the only one making them?"
The two fell silent, both staring ahead at the densely packed traffic.
"Actually, it doesn't matter whether we get married or not, since his wife isn't here anyway. I feel like I'm more like his wife than she is. We lack nothing, except that piece of paper." Xiaoyan said nonchalantly, "Besides, he's really sincere towards me."
Hu Ni knew the sincerity Xiao Yan spoke of, just like the BMW Xiao Yan was driving—it couldn't deny Gu Peng's sincerity. Sometimes, the extent of material possessions can truly reflect a person's sincerity. Xiao Yan had said, "He's willing to give it to you! He's willing!"
The street was still congested, and Xiao Yan impatiently honked her horn. The cars behind her started honking too, and the cars in front started honking as well, making the street noisy and chaotic.
The elevator stopped on the eighth floor. Before even stepping out, deafeningly loud music filled the air; the disco was buzzing with energy. The sounds were coming from inside the disco. Across from the disco was a quiet bar. This was Xiaoyan's kingdom, her ever-expanding world of the night.
"Which way?" Xiao Yan asked.
"Let's go to a quiet bar instead."
Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Actually, if you go to a disco occasionally, you'll find that you feel younger."
"Forget it, it's too noisy there, I can't stand it."
After sitting down, Xiaoyan asked, "Should I order you something today?"
Hu Ni quickly waved her hand. She had never asked for it before, and she couldn't ask for it today either, since Qiu Ping was coming to pick her up.
Xiao Yan didn't insist. She called over a tall, handsome young man and had him sit down next to her. She took out a cigarette—she was bound to smoke here, and wanted to demonstrate her elegant smoking posture. She offered one to Hu Ni, then lightly took one for herself. The boy, quite perceptively, lit his lighter and eagerly held the flame towards Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan gestured, and the "sensible" boy quickly and ingratiatingly held the flame towards Hu Ni. Hu Ni lit her cigarette and said, "Thank you!"
Xiao Yan burst out laughing and said, "What do you have to thank him for!" She lit a cigarette with a smile, then leaned closer to Hu Ni and asked, "What do you think of him? He's new, and hasn't been sidelined yet."
Hu Ni glanced at the boy subconsciously. He was probably not even twenty years old, with delicate and handsome features. His body did not yet bear too many traces of smoking, drinking, and desire. His eyes were still relatively clear.
"How about I give him to you, and I'll go pick another one?" Xiaoyan said.
"No, no, I don't want to!"
"Look at you! You're the one playing him, not the other way around. You're the one who makes him do whatever you want. You can do nothing with him, and if you're unhappy, you can hit him, yell at him, pinch him, squeeze him, slap him across the face! You can even whip him! It's so much fun!" Xiao Yan revealed a mischievous grin.
You're a pervert!
"Look at what you're saying, people sometimes need to vent."
"So others just let you do this?"
"What do you think these people are? They'd risk their lives for money! Despicable! Each one more despicable than the last! But they still earn money through their own labor, so they're still worthy of respect."
Hu Ni fell silent. Xiao Yan didn't know that she had also "done" it, albeit briefly. She felt an instinctive sympathy and understanding for "these people." Driven by life's hardships, they had no choice but to do it.
"Look, my business is pretty good." Xiao Yan took a light drag on her cigarette, draped her arm over the sofa, and looked around with satisfaction, surveying her kingdom: "Some wealthy ladies from Hong Kong even come here in groups regularly."
The bar was now packed, filled with all sorts of female patrons. They were buying drinks and snacks, but the main customers were, of course, male escorts. Xiaoyan had successfully turned men into commodities, "tools" for women's amusement. In a sense, she was a practitioner of the feminist movement, even though she had never actually considered the issue of "feminism."
"Doesn't Gu Peng have any objections?" Hu Ni asked.
"What?" Xiao Yan looked away.
"You spend all your time hanging out with male prostitutes."