"Making money is a job requirement. He still trusts me."
"So you trust him?"
"Look at you, so petty. We trust each other. Besides, even if he plays around with a prostitute or two, that's just consuming a product, not involving feelings, two different things... In this day and age, do you really expect any man to remain chaste for you? That's too naive... Besides, neither of us loses out!" Xiaoyan said with a smile, tugging at the boy's ear and blowing a breath into it, a very flirtatious gesture. The boy considerately put his arm around her waist. He seemed to know a lot about romance.
"I can't stand you!" Hu Ni turned her gaze over.
"Look at you! How many times have I told you not to restrict yourself like that, not to set such high standards, you'll be much happier."
Hu Ni smiled faintly and didn't say anything.
"Oh, I forgot, he already has a lover."
Hu Ni picked up her Corola beer bottle, tilted her head back, and took a large gulp. On stage, a man played the piano, while another sang in a slightly hoarse voice: "What kind of deep affection makes two people pledge their lives..." In the dance floor below, several couples danced gracefully. The women were mostly middle-aged, plump and well-endowed. The men were all young and handsome. Their faces wore expressions of intoxication, lost in the intoxication of cigarettes, alcohol, money, and desire. Most of the men's bodies had already been eroded. Xiao Yan said they could only do it for three to five years. After three to five years, even the best bodies would be drained, and that would truly be "withered flowers and fallen willows." It was said that many in this line of work developed frigidity after "reforming," and some, often encountering female clients with sadistic tendencies, simply could no longer have sex after a few years. The price was heavy, but the allure of money was enough to make them cling to a gamble, continuing to struggle in the vortex of money and lust. Every corner, every inch of floor, even the air here is filled with the allure of materialism. It's a place where one cannot show their true self, or perhaps, it is the perfect place for people to reveal their true nature.
At 11:30, Qiu Ping called; he had already arrived downstairs.
Hu Ni put away her phone, picked up her bag, and said, "I'm going back now. I'll call you another day."
"Hey! You can't be that realistic! You just dumped me like that." Xiaoyan slapped away the hand wrapped around her waist.
"No, it's already very late." Hu Ni sat down again, feeling somewhat guilty.
"Can't you just let him come up and sit down? He won't even see me! I let you see Gu Peng right away!"
Hu Ni hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's the weekend anyway, so let him come up and sit for a while longer."
Xiao Yan stopped Hu Ni from making the call: "Forget it, don't you like him a lot? It's better not to let him know you're having fun here."
Upon hearing this, Hu Ni insisted on letting Qiu Ping come up.
"Why are you so stubborn? Let's go, let's go." Xiaoyan took Huni's phone, put her arm around Huni, and walked outside. "When are we going to extort him? It's too easy for him. He just tricked our beautiful girl away like that." Xiaoyan said ingratiatingly. Huni laughed, and the two of them jokingly pushed and shoved each other into the elevator.
Stepping out of the hall, I saw Qiu Ping standing outside. I hadn't seen him for almost two weeks, but he was still the same as before, with short, clean hair and a smooth, flowing face. His gaze softened and became more attentive when he looked at Hu Ni.
Saying goodbye to Xiaoyan, I suddenly realized that this city has become very welcoming. There was Xiaoyan, and now there's Qiuping, and then there's my mischievous cousin at home.
The Shennan Avenue was brightly lit at night, and the streets were still bustling with traffic, never quiet. Who could believe that such a beautiful and modern city was a backward little fishing village just twenty or thirty years ago?
Hu Ni had no energy to marvel at the tremendous changes in Shenzhen; her heart was completely focused on Qiu Ping beside her. He was holding her hand, and she could feel his tender, attentive gaze from time to time—a feeling of being cared for and valued. At that moment, Hu Ni's IQ was absolutely morbid.
There wasn't anything specific to talk about, we just chatted and walked along slowly.
"Are you tired?" Qiu Ping asked.
"Not tired."
"Do you remember the day of the 'return'? We walked a long way, and it was raining."
Hu Ni smiled.
Have you been angry with me lately?
Hu Ni shook her head.
"I've been quite busy lately, but things will be a bit easier once I finish today."
"..."
"I want to take you to see two things tomorrow."
What is it?
"You'll see when you see it. I'll pick you up tomorrow."
"Qiuping".
"What?"
"...You still haven't told me about your past. Didn't you have a girlfriend before?" Hu Ni asked. A question lingered in her mind.
"It has happened before."
"What kind of girl?" Hu Ni asked, feeling a pang of sadness.
"The first one was my college classmate. We went abroad to study together, and then he never came back."
"So, you didn't try?"
"Everyone has their own choices, and there's no need to force them. We're not from the same world. She likes to wander, climbing one peak after another, and she may not want to stop for a long time."
Why don't you consider staying with her?
“She and I are different people. I have my own life path, and she has hers. After we get to know each other, neither of us will stay for the other. Besides, I will definitely come back. I am the only son in my family.” Qiu Ping smiled, looking very relieved. “I can’t let my parents give birth to me and raise me, only to find that they are old and still have no children by their side.”
"Is she very outstanding?"
"I'd say it's excellent."
Hu Ni felt a pang of sadness and disheartened: "Do you... still think about her?"
“Hu Ni, that was a long time ago.”
Hu Ni lowered her head, knowing that it was her own inferiority complex that was causing the problem.
"And the second one?"
“Okay, I’ll tell you everything today. The second one is someone I met in Shenzhen; she’s my colleague.” Qiu Ping thought of that very young woman, his subordinate, not particularly beautiful, but very enthusiastic. Meng Qiu Ping, who once thought he had found his soulmate, was finally awakened completely. “Girls in Shenzhen are terrifying!” Qiu Ping still felt lingering fear when he thought about it.
"What's wrong?"
"Let's not talk about the past, okay? It's all in the past anyway, and I promise, it won't affect our lives today at all." Qiu Ping thought of the woman who left in the Mercedes, but that was all.
"Is there anything else?" Hu Ni asked, her heart aching with growing stronger.
“There’s one more, the earliest one, and also the last one, and that’s you, Mei Huni!” Qiu Ping said in a low voice.
The Angels of Matter (Part 8)
gold
It was almost one o'clock, and Lianqing still hadn't returned. Hu Ni paced anxiously around the room, then sat down and dialed Lianqing's number again—still the phone was off. Many possible scenarios flashed through her mind, intensifying her fear and unease. She kept calling, repeatedly hearing the message: "The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later." Hu Ni sat down, her hands and feet clenched with worry, her eyes glued to the television, her ears straining to hear every sound in the hallway. Please, please, nothing bad has happened.
A moment later, there was a rustling sound at the door. Lianqing had returned and quietly opened the door, trying to slip into the bedroom.
"Lianqing!" Hu Ni called out authoritatively, even she herself was tired of her parental tone: "Why are you so late?"
Lian Qing breathed a sigh of relief like a deflated balloon, straightened her back from tiptoeing, and comfortably placed her entire foot on the ground, saying nonchalantly, "It's only one o'clock."
"It's only a little past one o'clock? You've only been in Shenzhen for a few days! And you're already home so late? Who were you with? And that client? What kind of business were you discussing? Let me tell you, I'm your cousin. Your aunt told me to keep an eye on you. Tell me, if something happens to you tonight, how am I supposed to explain it to your family?"
"It's nothing, just going out to dinner with clients and then going to a bar to discuss business," Lian Qing said hesitantly, her voice low and unconvincing.
"Talking for so long?"
“It wasn’t just the two of us, there were many of us,” Lianqing replied, seemingly unrelated to the question. She felt guilty; otherwise, she wouldn’t have answered so many of her cousin’s questions. Realizing this, she feigned concern and exclaimed, “What did I do wrong? It was just hanging out at a bar with a few people. How old am I? It’s not like I did anything wrong!”
Hu Ni realized that she had distrusted her cousin too much. She was silent for a long time before saying, "I was just worried about you."
Lianqing immediately gave a fawning smile. She was a clever girl; she knew how to take advantage of an opportunity and how to gracefully back down when given a way out. At that moment, she smiled ingratiatingly at Hu Ni and said, "Since it was the weekend, we all stayed a little longer. I won't do it again next time, ah, I won't do it again next time."
"Okay, hurry up and take a shower, then go to bed early." Hu Ni turned off the TV, stood up, and walked towards the bedroom. She was really sleepy.
"Yes!" Lianqing replied loudly and ingratiatingly.
Lying in bed, she could hear the sound of water pouring from the bathroom shower, especially clear in the quiet night. Hu Ni turned over; through the gap in the curtains, lamplight and moonlight stubbornly pierced through—the night was endlessly dark.
In the restroom, Lianqing was still washing herself. Her body was captivating, sexy and wild. A bronze complexion was rare among girls, yet she possessed such healthy, fashionable skin, smooth and delicate like silk. Her augmented breasts were unrealistically perky and unusually full. She recalled the expression on Boss Li's face when he saw her figure—a blank stare, then a youthful, passionate, and flustered reaction. Lianqing couldn't help but smile with pride. She had conquered Boss Li with her body. Lianqing remembered a saying, though she forgot who said it: "Men conquer the world to conquer women, women conquer men to conquer the world." She felt this was so true. Today, she had put it into practice. By conquering Boss Li, she had won a considerable deal—her first order.
Lianqing finally took a bold step today, and now, she is shedding tears.
Originally, she hadn't planned to do this. Her purpose in coming to Shenzhen was clear: to find a wealthy boyfriend, so she wouldn't end up like her mother, struggling for days to buy a dress that cost only a few dozen yuan. She knew that only a rich husband could bring her a comfortable and stable life; striving for it herself seemed too hopeless, especially after seeing her cousin, which strengthened her resolve. Her cousin was also a beautiful woman, but she hadn't made good use of her looks. Now at twenty-eight, she was still homeless, without even a place to call her own, and looking increasingly haggard. She couldn't compare to the delicate beauty of a girl not even twenty. In Lianqing's eyes, Hu Ni was pitiful. She had nothing left to offer, and now she had a boyfriend without a house or a car, meaning she had no hope left; her life was ruined. She wanted to use her cousin as a negative example to motivate her to strive for her goals.
Lianqing also thought of her boyfriend in Shanghai, a wandering singer from the north, a boy with a subversive and destructive sexual ability towards girls. A boy who made her feel like she was floating on air, his rebelliousness, his poverty, and the uncertainty of when he would leave all attracted Lianqing like a drug.
After seeing the boy off on the train to Xinjiang, Lianqing decided to leave as well. The boy wouldn't go back; he said he just wanted to travel around with a guitar. That was the last time Lianqing cried for him, her face bruised and swollen from crying.
Lianqing had already tasted the sweetness of love, but something else was attracting her—something completely different from her previous life experiences. She wanted to get rid of the poverty that had always been with her. This was a society where beauty reigned supreme, and that beauty had been commercialized; perhaps that was a good thing.
Today's incident was really just a minor episode. The deal was just too tempting; if Lianqing signed it, she could get over ten thousand yuan in commission. Ten thousand yuan! Lianqing had never seen so much money before; it must be a huge sum. After some hesitation, Lianqing agreed to Mr. Li's terms. It was just once; she could treat it like being bitten by a snake. She wouldn't tell anyone, and no one would know. That money was real; it could buy anything. If she kept getting deals like this, Lianqing would be a small-time millionaire in no time. She remembered the teacher's highly persuasive words in the training course. Besides, Lianqing wasn't a naive girl. She cried because it was the first time she had used something like this as a bargaining chip. The only regret was that Mr. Li hadn't brought his official seal today. Lianqing had brought the contract, but Mr. Li promised to sign it for her on Monday and even arranged to meet her at his company to sign it.
Lianqing didn't sleep well that night. No one would feel at ease until the signing was actually completed. If she didn't sign in, she would suffer a huge loss. The thought of Boss Li's withered, rough, and aged body made Lianqing nauseous. Her previous "partners" were all young, energetic, and handsome men. Wealth was a key factor in her choice of husband, but equally important was that he be young and handsome so she could love him and fall in love with him. Her standards were high; he had to love her, and she had to love him—it wasn't something money could buy. She thought with a touch of pride. There were so many rich people these days, so many wealthy young men. Surely one of them would be hers, Lianqing thought, falling asleep contentedly, full of hope for the future.
In the next room, Hu Ni was also asleep, clutching a small picture frame in her hand. Inside, there was a faded sunlight from thirty years ago, and in the sunlight, her mother smiled serenely, beautiful and peaceful.
The Angel of Matter (Part 9)
gold
When Qiu Ping came to pick up Hu Ni, Hu Ni was just washing her face. She looked somewhat dejected, and Qiu Ping saw her disheveled appearance.
Qiu Ping placed the breakfast she had brought on the dining table and went to the kitchen to get bowls and chopsticks, a very warm and gentle feeling. Hu Ni quickly went into the bathroom and used a damp towel to apply a cold compress to her slightly swollen eyes.
From the living room came Lianqing's still dazed voice: "Brother Qiuping, so early? Are you going out to play?"
"Yeah, I'm envious again."
"I want to go!"
"Go to sleep. Look at you, you can't even open your eyes yet."
"No, I want to go. How am I supposed to have fun if you leave me at home alone!"
"No way! We have important business to attend to today, not going out to play."
"What important business do you have? You're lying to me."
"No. We really have important business to attend to today."
Lian Qing grinned mischievously: "Alright, I won't bother you."
Hu Ni hurriedly checked her eyes; they still seemed a little swollen, and she didn't have time to apply anything more. While frantically applying something to her face, she heard Qiu Ping outside say, "Go wash your face. Look at you, you look like a little slob."
"I'm not washing! You're not taking me out anyway, and I want to sleep." With that, she shuffled into the bathroom in her slippers. She closed the door and sat on the toilet, urinating softly. Hu Ni, used to her carefree and unpretentious nature, went about her business as usual. Lian Qing tilted her head, half-closing her eyes, and shakily pulled up her pants. She nudged Hu Ni to wash her hands, saying as she did so, "Someone's going to propose to you, hurry up!" Then she swayed out, still wearing her oversized pajamas.
Hu Ni glared at her retreating figure. She could talk about anything with such a nonsensical air. Besides, how could Qiu Ping propose to her so soon? Hu Ni never entertained any grand fantasies.
Wearing jeans and a checkered casual shirt, her hair was naturally loose. Her face was lightly made up, but it couldn't hide her haggardness. Hu Ni felt a little regretful that she hadn't let Qiu Ping see the pure and beautiful woman she had been a few years ago.
"Hu Ni, the steamed buns are getting cold!" Qiu Ping called from outside.
Hu Ni lowered her head, her hand, which had been resting on the hem of her clothes, stopped moving. The words, "The buns are all cold," warmed her heart comfortably. She opened the door and went out. She saw Qiu Ping, dressed in coarse cloth casual pants and a white T-shirt, sitting on the sofa, leisurely flipping through yesterday's newspaper, like the man of the house. When he saw her, his eyes lit up; she knew it was because of her.
The two sat down at the dining table. "What kind of filling do you like for your buns?" Qiu Ping asked.
"Any filling is fine."
"You can choose one. I bought minced meat, red bean paste, and vegetable fillings."