She looked at me for a long time, and then whispered to me, "

What you said really hit home... I'm trapped in a life crisis right now, unable to escape... I'm feeling really depressed!

“We’re strangers and don’t know anything about each other. Just say what you want to say… you’ll feel much better if you do.”

"It's too embarrassing to talk about!"

As she spoke, she picked up her glass and took another sip... while I, out of curiosity, began to speculate about her experiences.

Actually, there's no need to guess; she would definitely talk about it because there's no one more reliable than a stranger. I'm just a listener, and I don't have any circle of friends to share her life experiences with... I can sense that she must be feeling terrible right now, otherwise she wouldn't be out drinking alone at this time. What she needs is to vent and complain.

Finally, she lowered her head and spoke to me in a very frank tone: "Two years ago, I was a student at a film academy. Once, a producer took me out to dinner with a client, and I met a boss... This boss really liked me, and that very night he took me away... I know it's wrong, but that's how this industry is... If you're not willing to make some sacrifices, you won't get the resources you want... But this boss was genuinely interested in me, and after that night, he wouldn't let me have any more contact with this circle... He gave me money and gave me all sorts of jewelry to maintain our relationship... I think I got what I wanted from him... I think I liked him too, because he had the charm of a successful man, which gave me a great sense of security... So, after graduation, I listened to him and came to Dali..."

She paused briefly, then held her forehead in her hand and said to me with a pained expression, "But he's so famous in Dali, he can't give me a proper status... To avoid affecting his reputation and his family, I have to live this clandestine life... I'm really grateful to you, but I can't join the residents' group you gave me, and I dare not participate in their activities... Because everyone in this community is a prominent local, and his friends are bound to be among them. If I have too much contact with them, our relationship might be exposed one day... He'll be unhappy..."

At that moment, all I could see was her long hair; I couldn't make out her face...

She finally raised her head, tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear, and then, with tears in her eyes but a smile on her face, said to me, "You would look down on someone like me, wouldn't you?"

Whether I respect you or not is not important at all. What matters is whether you feel any better after you said it.

"Much better..."

“That’s right… I won’t say more… Let’s finish the last bottle of wine and then go our separate ways… You need to rest early and get some rest so you can be in the mood to have fun… Actually, Dali is really nice; it’s a great place to entertain yourself.”

After saying that, I finished the wine in my glass and then poured a full glass for both of us.

About ten minutes later, all the wine was cleaned up.

.

Without any hesitation, we went our separate ways.

...

I don't know if this woman named An'an was able to get a good night's sleep after she went back... but I'm growing to love this job more and more, because I see all walks of life, and the more I see, the more I feel a sense of control over my life.

(End of this chapter)