"Okay, don't get excited. I have more important things to do than this. I'll come find you after get off work tomorrow! We'll talk then." Xiao Xiao suppressed her anger and slammed the phone down.
"You heartless bastard! You have the nerve to talk back to me? That girl in your bed is your twenty-eighth, isn't she?" Zhang Jingzhi muttered, throwing the phone back onto the table.
If you were to mention Zhang Jingzhi and Xiao Xiao, eight out of ten people wouldn't believe they could be friends! Zhang Jingzhi was the epitome of a lady at school, always quiet and reserved, a slightly shy smile appearing before she even spoke. Xiao Xiao, on the other hand, could be considered a classic "slut," changing boyfriends faster than she changed clothes. This isn't to say Zhang Jingzhi didn't like handsome guys—she did—but she was more of an intellectual, while Xiao Xiao was a complete action-taker. While Zhang Jingzhi was still secretly admiring handsome guys and drooling, Xiao Xiao was already striding towards them. Her motto was, "Handsome guy, do you like him? If you do, then go for it!" She was practically a complete hedonist.
But these two people, by sheer coincidence, became best friends! To paraphrase Xiao Xiao's insightful words—it was "lust" that brought these two women from opposite ends of the country together. The only difference is: I, Xiao Xiao, am the promiscuous type, while you, Zhang Jingzhi, are the reserved type. When Zhang Jingzhi heard her say this, she almost wanted to rush forward and tear off Xiao Xiao's cherry-like, alluring lips, but she restrained herself before she could move, only offering a gentler, purer, and more ladylike smile.
There's a cozy coffee shop on the street corner, but it wasn't crowded today. Only a few young couples were scattered around. Why did I tell they were couples and not married couples? Come on, think about it, how many married couples in China would go to a coffee shop for a date?
Zhang Jingzhi sat alone on the side, her hand supporting her chin, her other hand unconsciously stirring the coffee in her cup. After a while, she looked at her watch and couldn't help but sigh. It was already 7:15, and Xiao Xiao still hadn't arrived. Beautiful women always have the privilege of being late!
Just then, the glass door was pushed open, and a stylishly dressed young woman walked in. Her small, oval face was framed by beautiful, expressive eyes, a high and delicate nose, and slightly full lips that were a vibrant, sexy red. Her long, wavy hair added to her allure; she was truly beautiful without being vulgar, charming without being seductive. Especially striking was her tight-fitting clothes, which perfectly accentuated her tall and shapely figure, instantly drawing everyone's attention in the room.
The women looked at her with envy and jealousy, while the men's eyes revealed naked amazement and admiration. One woman secretly reached under the table and pinched her, followed by a man's hissing gasp, then he looked at his girlfriend with an innocent and helpless expression...
Xiao Xiao noticed the reactions of those around her, smiled smugly, looked around and saw Zhang Jingzhi sitting inside. She walked straight over and sat down opposite him, and a young waiter immediately came forward to greet her.
“Same as hers.” Xiao Xiao said to the waiter, then looked at Zhang Jingzhi with a big smile, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, lady, I’m late.” But there was not a trace of guilt in her tone.
Zhang Jingzhi rolled her eyes at Xiao Xiao, then looked her up and down at her flamboyant outfit and asked, "Beautiful lady, do you usually dress like this to work?"
Xiao Xiao was a little taken aback by the question. She looked down at her exquisite clothes, then looked up at Zhang Jingzhi's smiling eyes. "Isn't it already very well covered? Is there anything wrong? The parts that should be covered are definitely not exposed."
Zhang Jingzhi ignored her words, took a sip of coffee, and said slowly, "I admire your boss."
Xiao Xiao was a little confused by Zhang Jingzhi's erratic train of thought. She didn't know why Zhang Jingzhi suddenly said something like that. She looked at Zhang Jingzhi with some confusion. Zhang Jingzhi glanced at Xiao Xiao calmly, held her coffee cup with great elegance, and slowly added, "To be able to face such a beauty like you every day without pinning you down on his desk!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiao was taken aback, but then asked in a serious tone, "How do you know it hasn't happened before?"
"Pfft—" Zhang Jingzhi spat out the mouthful of coffee she had just taken a sip of. Some coffee droplets flew forcefully across the table and splashed onto Xiao Xiao, while others went into Zhang Jingzhi's trachea, causing her to cough repeatedly.
Xiao Xiao hurriedly grabbed a tissue from the table to wipe the stains off her body, scolding, "You brat, why are you so agitated? This outfit cost me over ten thousand yuan!"
Seeing the situation, the waiter rushed over and asked in a low voice if she needed any help. Xiao Xiao waved him off and looked at Zhang Jingzhi, who was still coughing, with a wry smile.
After a long while, Zhang Jingzhi finally managed to stop coughing. She secretly glanced around and asked in a low voice, "You really... really... were at the table with your boss... huh?" Her face was full of disbelief.
Xiao Xiao was completely exasperated with Zhang Jingzhi. She rolled her eyes at her helplessly and said irritably, "Little sister, are you really an idiot, or are you just pretending to be innocent?"
"Um?"
"Do you think I'm that kind of person?" Xiao Xiao said, staring at him.
"Aren't you that kind of person?" Zhang Jingzhi thought to herself, but dared not say it aloud. She just chuckled, then covered her chest with her hand and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, thank goodness." She picked up the coffee that the waiter had just brought her, about to take a sip to calm her nerves.
"You can't do it on the table, it's too uncomfortable!"
Xiao Xiao's words almost made Zhang Jingzhi spit out her drink again. Seeing Zhang Jingzhi's reaction, Xiao Xiao quickly leaned back, put her hands in front of her, and said urgently, "Don't spit it out! Otherwise, you'll have to pay for my clothes!"
Upon hearing that she would have to pay compensation, Zhang Jingzhi desperately held back, while Xiao Xiao chuckled, "Just kidding. You know my principles. When have I ever ate the grass near my own nest?"
"That's good. I was just afraid you'd forget that, so you wouldn't get yourself into trouble."
Xiao Xiao nodded solemnly, then said with a pained and reluctant expression, "Sigh, but our boss is really a top-notch man. It's such a pity. If the salary for this job wasn't so good, I would have slept with him even if I quit!"
"You monster, you really are a monster!" Zhang Jingzhi rolled her eyes at her helplessly, wondering when this lecherous woman would change her ways and stop thinking with her lower body.
Seeing Zhang Jingzhi's helpless expression, Xiao Xiao deliberately gave her a flirtatious wink.
"I can't stand you anymore!" Zhang Jingzhi complained. "You were so unfair last night, you're like a guy who forgets all humanity when it comes to women. Oh, by the way, was that the same 'engine' you were last night?"
"engine?"
Zhang Jingzhi smiled wickedly, "You mean your 'bedroom engine'?"
Xiao Xiao laughed when she heard Zhang Jingzhi describe her ex-boyfriend like that. Perhaps only she knew that Zhang Jingzhi was not a lady at all, and only she could hear Zhang Jingzhi use such provocative words.
"I changed them a long time ago!" That was ages ago, Xiao Xiao thought. It must have been more than a month since they broke up.
"Huh? It's changed again?"
"Hmm," Xiao Xiao smiled charmingly, then wiggled her hips a couple of times, deliberately making an innocent and cute expression as she said, "This one is called 'Little Electric Motor'!"
Zhang Jingzhi rubbed her forehead and rolled her eyes.
Xiao Xiao said, "Alright, stop listening to my romantic escapades. You didn't call me here for that, did you? Tell me about that handsome guy you met. Who is he? He made you call me in the middle of the night."
The moment Yang Lei was mentioned, Zhang Jingzhi perked up immediately, her eyes sparkling. "He's really handsome! A real heartthrob! Xiao Xiao, I'm totally smitten this time, I'm completely infatuated with him."
Chu Yang (revised)
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiao became excited. "Wow! Our lady can be this crazy too? I'm curious, what kind of person could be so infatuated with you? Take me to meet him!"
"No way!" Zhang Jingzhi replied curtly, her face wary. "You monster who only thinks with your lower body, if I take you to see him, wouldn't that be like inviting a wolf into the house?"
Xiao Xiao just smiled and pursed her lips, not bothering to argue with Zhang Jingzhi. "Fine, if you don't want to see me, then don't. Have you confessed your feelings? Or has she reciprocated?"
When Xiao Xiao asked this question, Zhang Jingzhi suddenly wilted. Seeing her expression, Xiao Xiao understood a bit. Zhang Jingzhi had always been like this, seemingly only capable of secretly liking others, but never willing to express anything.
Xiao Xiao sighed and asked, "Are you tired?"
"tired?"
"Yes, it's like this every day. Aren't you tired? Zhang Jingzhi, you put on a 'ladylike' coat every day. Aren't you tired? You see someone you love but don't dare to pursue them. You'd rather spend a month or two subtly hinting at your love than boldly step forward and simply say 'I love you.' You don't know how to refuse someone you don't like, afraid that your words will hurt that man's 'little heart.' Aren't you tired of this?"
Xiao Xiao's words left Zhang Jingzhi somewhat silent. Zhang Jingzhi also understood that what she said was very true, and that she was indeed that kind of person.
"Xiao Xiao, you know, I've thought about it too, but I can't do it. I can't be as bold as you, I—"
"You're hypocritical. You're just hypocritical and cowardly. You're afraid of being rejected, aren't you? You're afraid that you'll lose face if others reject you, so you'd rather hide everything than let others see how much you care. You're afraid that others will look down on you! Isn't that right?" Xiao Xiao's words were a bit too sharp, but they hit the nail on the head.
Zhang Jingzhi nodded, there was nothing to refute, this was indeed herself.
“Zhang Jingzhi, many people are gone forever once they’ve missed their chance. You’ve already missed out on quite a few. What more do you want? Do you really want to find a husband through blind dates? Be brave this time, okay? Give it a try. Maybe confessing your feelings isn’t as hard as you think. Besides, you don’t have to actually say ‘I love you’ directly. Why don’t you try to get closer to him? Men are smart. He’ll definitely realize you’re interested in him.”
Zhang Jingzhi looked at Xiao Xiao and thought to herself, "What's wrong with giving it a try? Why not be bold?"
Looking at Zhang Jingzhi in front of her, Xiao Xiao suddenly had a strange thought: Was it right for her to encourage her like this? Who could be sure that this relationship would bring her happiness? What if she got hurt? Xiao Xiao shook her head, trying to shake off these pessimistic thoughts. This wasn't Xiao Xiao's style; she always knew only how to move forward and was invincible.
Zhang Jingzhi noticed that Xiao Xiao suddenly shook her head and was curious. Just as she was about to ask something, Xiao Xiao leaned closer and whispered, "There's a handsome young man behind you who's been watching us."
Zhang Jingzhi turned around subtly and, sure enough, sat a young man in his early twenties, wearing glasses and looking rather delicate, behind her. When he saw her turn to look at him, he even smiled at Zhang Jingzhi.
Zhang Jingzhi smiled at the boy as a greeting, then turned back to Xiao Xiao and said seriously, "Don't try anything with him. He's my cousin's boyfriend. Don't ruin the future of our nation!"
Xiao Xiao pouted at Zhang Jingzhi, but still smiled charmingly at the boy. "Your cousin? The one named Feng Chen Chu Yang?" Xiao Xiao knew Chu Yang and had a deep impression of her, mainly because of her name—Feng Chen Chu Yang. When Zhang Jingzhi explained the origin of the name to her, Xiao Xiao laughed for a full half hour.
Why would a genuine Chinese person have such a four-character name? Well, it's a long story. Feng is her father's surname, and Chen is her mother's. Actually, "Feng Chen" would have been fine, but her grandmother objected.
"Why should my daughter-in-law's surname be included, but mine, as the grandmother's, can't? Add it!"
So "Feng Chen" became "Feng Chen Chu". "Feng Chen Chu" it is, it's barely a name. Unfortunately, her maternal grandmother objected again, "Oh, you, as the grandmother, have added it, so what, am I the only one with low status? Where is my surname?"
Seeing that his mother-in-law was about to get angry, Chu Yang's father gritted his teeth and said, "Add it!"
Thus, the names "Feng, Chen, Chu, Yang" came into being.
Zhang Jingzhi nodded. Her cousin, who was four years younger than her, was a junior in college. The boy behind her was Chu Yang's childhood sweetheart, and everyone could see that he cared deeply for Chu Yang. However, her very individualistic cousin probably only saw him as a friend.
Speak of the devil, and he appears! Zhang Jingzhi had just exchanged a few words with Xiao Xiao about Chu Yang when he arrived. He was also the tall, slender man inherited from their family, dressed simply in jeans, a shirt, and a V-neck sweater. His clean-cut, delicate features, coupled with short, boyish hair, made him look like a handsome young man. She had originally come in looking for He Yiyang, but unexpectedly saw Zhang Jingzhi here. She nodded to He Yiyang and then came over to greet Zhang Jingzhi and Xiao Xiao first.
Zhang Jingzhi stared in astonishment at Chu Yang's short hair, which was less than five centimeters long. Even Xiao Xiao was a little stunned. She remembered that when she last saw this girl, Chu Yang had waist-length hair just like Zhang Jingzhi. How could she have changed so much after not seeing her for a while?
"Where's your hair?" Zhang Jingzhi asked.
"I cut it!" Chu Yang replied simply.
"Why?"
"Work?"
"Work? Does working require this kind of masculine hairstyle?" Zhang Jingzhi asked, somewhat confused. "Does your aunt know you cut your hair?"
Zhang Jingzhi thought, her aunt definitely didn't know, otherwise, how could Chu Yang be standing here so perfectly fine? Chu Yang's long hair was her aunt's favorite. At first, it was just because Zhang Jingzhi also had long hair. Her aunt never wanted to lose out. When Zhang Jingzhi was little, her mother sent her to learn folk dance, so her aunt sent Chu Yang to learn ballet. Zhang Jingzhi's mother sent her to learn piano, so her aunt forced Chu Yang to learn violin. In short, the two children became tools for the aunt and sister-in-law to compete. So when she saw Zhang Jingzhi grow her hair long, her daughter's hair couldn't be shorter than others', so she forced Chu Yang to grow her hair to waist length.
As expected, Chu Yang shook his head.
"Why are you working if you're not studying hard? And you even cut your hair, do you need money?"
Chu Yang nodded.
"Your aunt won't give it to you?"
“I want to pursue a master’s degree, but my mom won’t let me. She insists on marrying me off as soon as I graduate. She’s a staunch believer in the saying ‘it’s better to marry well than to study well.’ I don’t want that. I want to support myself, so I have to earn my own tuition.”
Zhang Jingzhi knew what kind of person her aunt was, and didn't know what to say. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "If you need money, take it from me first. I won't tell your aunt."
Chu Yang smiled and shook his head, "No need, I can earn it myself."
Knowing Chu Yang's stubborn temperament, Zhang Jingzhi didn't say anything more, but asked, "How is Grandma? I haven't visited her for some time."
“Okay,” Chu Yang smiled, “I’m having a great time with my mom.”
Zhang Jingzhi smiled bitterly. Actually, neither her maternal grandmother nor her aunt were bad people, but she didn't know why the two of them had to fight each other.
"How about I ask my mom to bring my grandma over to stay with us for a while?"
"No way, Grandma and Mom can't live without each other now. If Grandma leaves, Mom will lose her imaginary enemy, and I'll be the one who suffers. Besides, Grandma won't leave. I think she and Mom are having a great time fighting. You can ask her to leave, but she won't. You can try it if you don't believe me."
Zhang Jingzhi was truly speechless. She knew that what Chu Yang said was the truth.
Xiao Xiao watched the two cousins with great interest. Their conversation didn't seem difficult to her because Zhang Jingzhi had told her about the complicated relationships in their family.
Chu Yang greeted Xiao Xiao again and then went to find He Yiyang. He had just sat down and exchanged a few words with He Yiyang when it was time to go to work. He exchanged a few more words with He Yiyang, and the two of them walked out together. When they passed Zhang Jingzhi's table, he said a few words to her and then went out with He Yiyang.
After leaving the coffee shop, He Yiyang knew that Chu Yang was working every night and wanted to take her there, but Chu Yang refused, saying, "I'll go by myself, you go home."
He Yiyang knew Chu Yang's temper; if she said no, she meant no. If he insisted, it would only upset her. So he could only stand on the street and watch Chu Yang ride away on her bicycle.
Chu Yang (revised)
Chu Yang arrived just in time. She went in through the back door, and everyone was busy with their own things, so no one paid any attention to her. She had just changed out of her underling's clothes in the changing room when Mike from the bar came over to find her. When he saw Chu Yang, he hurriedly said, "Lei, hurry up! There are a lot of people today, and we don't have enough staff at the VIP area. Sister Lily wants you to go and help out."
Chu Yang responded and hurried to the VIP area. He got the job through Lily's introduction. Lily was a girl who rented a room upstairs from him and was a well-known "public relations" person here. Once, she forgot her room key and was locked out. Chu Yang not only didn't look down on her because of her status, but also took a piece of clothing from his room and lent it to her. Lily then considered him a friend.
Chu Yang wanted to save enough money for her studies so that she wouldn't be controlled by her mother. She could do internships or tutoring, but the money came too slowly, and she couldn't afford to waste any more time. She needed to dedicate more time to preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam, so she came here as a junior employee through Lili. Her working hours were only a few hours in the evening, but the salary was good, and she often received substantial tips.
Lily helped her conceal her gender. Chu Yang was originally thin and tall, and although her chest wasn't exactly flat, it wasn't much better. Wearing this work uniform, she looked quite like a handsome young man. Fortunately, there were quite a few handsome young men here, and with Lily protecting her, she managed to fool everyone's eyes for more than a month.
Upon entering the VIP area, all the private rooms were completely covered up. When the head waiter saw Chu Yang coming over, he handed her a tray and said, "301, be quick. We have a big shot here today, so don't cause any trouble."