Chapter 37 Please
On New Year's Eve, fireworks lit up the entire city. A rat died beside the sewer, its body surrounded by a carpet of red dust.
Yunji closed early today, and the staff on duty weren't really in the mood for customers; everyone was eager to get home. Those who live out of town were waiting to have a good meal after work.
The kitchen staff had already started playing cards. Huang Yin packed her bag more than an hour early, her eyes fixed on the clock in the lobby, watching the second hand tick by. At 6:30, she could leave work on time.
"Daydreaming again?" Lu Xiaoshan nudged Huang Yin's arm. "Are you seeing someone again?"
Huang Yin cautiously pursed her lips and remained silent.
Lü Xiaoshan: "Look at you, who could possibly steal you? With your taste... ugh, you've got a pretty face but no taste in men. If you picked a rich guy here, you wouldn't have to work and fawn over men anymore."
Huang Yin muttered, "Then why don't you look for one?"
Lu Xiaoshan didn't expect her to ask that, and said irritably, "Me? I'll definitely take the chance if I have the opportunity. Like you?"
"Don't you like Li Sheng anymore?" Huang Yin asked her bluntly.
Lu Xiaoshan glared at her: "Pah, mention him? He's just okay-looking, nothing special." She narrowed her eyes at Huang Yin, "Are you mocking me? What, you're always running around during your time off, are you going to see Li Sheng? You're still in contact with him?"
Huang Yin wasn't good at lying, and stammered, "No, no."
Lu Xiaoshan snorted. The last table of guests in the private room hadn't left yet, and they beckoned her over. Lu Xiaoshan's eyes darted around, and she said, "Let's go, Huang Yin, keep my brother company."
Huang Yin: "I'm not going. I'll stay here and take my shift."
"What shift? The guy sitting in here is the boss's friend, Brother Jiang. He's super rich. That sports car outside is his. Come on, let me show you around!"
Lu Xiaoshan forcibly pulled her into the private room. Inside, men and women filled the room with smoke. A middle-aged man in a suit sat at the head of the table, the buttons of his white shirt bulging out at his stomach. He said politely, "Quickly, give the young lady a seat."
A chair was immediately brought over. Huang Yin was pulled to sit down by Lü Xiaoshan. Lü Xiaoshan found herself a glass of beer and filled it: "Happy New Year, Brother Jiang, I toast you, wishing you a prosperous new year and booming business."
Brother Jiang beamed and looked Huang Yin up and down: "Xiao Shan has such a sweet tongue. Is this your little friend? I don't know her yet."
Lu Xiaoshan nudged Huang Yin. Huang Yin spoke up, her voice very soft: "Hello, Brother Jiang, my name is Huang Yin."
Brother Jiang raised his glass: "Hello, hello, it's the first time we've met, let me toast you."
Someone shoved a bottle of beer into Huang Yin's hand. She clinked glasses with Brother Jiang, frowned, and drank it down. Brother Jiang finished his, and the people at the table started cheering him on.
Huang Yinqiang swallowed hard and said, "Brother Jiang, I still have some work to do..."
“What work? Sit down and tell your boss you’re not going to work. There’s no work during the Chinese New Year,” Brother Jiang said. “Rest your legs and have some food.”
Huang Yin was forced to sit down, and Lü Xiaoshan also sat down, giving her a disdainful look. Huang Yin pursed her lips and sat there awkwardly.
One glass of wine after another was raised for no apparent reason to celebrate, and Huang Yin followed suit, taking sip after sip.
Brother Jiang said with concern, "Little beauty, don't drink too much, drink slowly."
Lü Xiaoshan: "Brother Jiang, you have more influence. Huang Yin doesn't usually drink."
Brother Jiang laughed heartily, his thick, fleshy face squeezing together.
Not long after, Wang Dapeng and his group came over to offer toasts and wish everyone a Happy New Year. After exchanging a few words of praise, Brother Jiang took out several hundred yuan and distributed it as New Year's red envelopes.
The dinner party finally came to an end amidst the smells of smoke and alcohol. It was almost time to leave work, and Brother Jiang, after saying goodbye, winked at Wang Dapeng. The people at the table gradually left. Lü Xiaoshan got up and ran out, and Huang Yin had just stood up when Brother Jiang called her back.
Brother Jiang: "How are you leaving?"
Before Huang Yin could speak, Brother Jiang grabbed her hand and made her sit down again: "Don't rush off. I'm so drunk, aren't you going to take care of me?"
Huang Yin smiled awkwardly: "I'll call someone for you."
Brother Jiang put his hand on her knee: "Who are you calling for? Aren't you right here?"
Huang Yin stood up abruptly and said apologetically, "Brother Jiang, my friend is waiting for me. I have to go now."
The house was empty, the door was closed, and when she tried to open it, it wouldn't budge. She pounded on the door: "Could someone please open the door for me?"
Brother Jiang stood up, his stomach bumping against the table, and the wine bottle fell over: "Don't shout, Huang Yin, I'm not eating people, chat with me a little longer."
Huang Yin gripped her bag tightly with both hands, turned around and leaned against the door: "Tell them to open the door!"
"..."
Outside the door, Wang Dapeng and a group of people from the kitchen lit cigarettes. Someone asked in a low voice, "Damn it, Huang Yin is in his hands. I quite like Huang Yin, she's the prettiest girl in our restaurant."
Wang Dapeng: "Pah, you think you know everything. That kid Cao Teng got there first, and no matter how he tried to win her over, it was no use. But... well, what can you do when Brother Jiang is rich?"
"So what if he's rich? He's so old, and he's not even as tall as Huang Yin. Huang Yin isn't happy about it, you can hear her yelling."
Wang Dapeng: "Don't worry about it. What business is it of ours? Look at the group of people sitting in the lobby, Brother Jiang's underlings. If you want to get involved, ask them if they agree."
Li Sheng stood in the dark alley, ready to pick up Huang Yin after get off work so they could spend the New Year together.
A few snowflakes fell under the dim yellow light at the alley entrance, and soon the sky was filled with snow. It was already past seven o'clock, and the employees of Yunji were walking out one after another, chatting and laughing.
Li Sheng took a few steps toward the alley entrance, peeked out, but didn't see Huang Yin. Li Sheng frowned.
Five minutes passed, and his lingering footprints were visible in the snow. He had arranged for Huang Yin to come out early, but it was already later than planned. Li Sheng overheard passersby whispering, "She didn't come out?" "She's off making money!"
As Yunji began to turn off the lights, Li Sheng ran to the back door and happened to run into Lü Xiaoshan walking out. Lü Xiaoshan was startled: "Li Sheng?! What are you doing here?"
Li Sheng: "I came looking for Huang Yin, where is she?"
Lu Xiaoshan paused, a fleeting hesitation crossing her face: "...I don't know."
Li Sheng stared intently at her, his dark eyes making Lü Xiaoshan feel a pang of guilt. Li Sheng: "She didn't leave work with you? She left early?"
Lü Xiaoshan: "Ah, I think so."
Li Sheng shoved her away, and Lü Xiaoshan almost stumbled. She cursed, "Damn it! Li Sheng, you pushed me!"
Li Sheng rushed in and first heard a thud, the sound of something hitting the door. He glanced in the direction of the sound and saw Wang Dapeng standing not far from the private room. While looking at the door, Wang Dapeng asked, "Where's Huang Yin?"
Wang Dapeng exclaimed "Huh?", caught off guard by Li Sheng's sudden appearance and momentarily at a loss. Li Sheng glanced at him, immediately grabbed the doorknob, and pressed down, but the door was locked.
He knocked, then pressed his ear against the door and heard a sobbing sound inside—it was Huang Yin.
In an instant, Li Sheng lost all composure and rationality, as if he had become a different person. He shouted at Wang Dapeng, "Open the door!"
Wang Dapeng was startled by his appearance and replied, "I...I don't have a key either."
The people sitting in the lobby were startled awake by the noise. In the dark, they stood up one by one, like hyenas patrolling at night, and headed towards the private rooms.
"Bang! Bang!" Li Sheng kicked the door once, then twice.
"Holy crap! Li Sheng, you..." Wang Dapeng was so frightened that he backed away.
On the third kick, the door was kicked open with a bang, and the entire door panel almost fell off. At the same time, a sharp female voice rang out from inside the private room.
A muffled scream of pain, rapid breathing, the clanging of metal against metal. Those who rushed to the scene witnessed a shocking sight—
With a cold expression, Li Sheng held a pair of blood-stained scissors. In front of him was Brother Jiang, who was slumped in a chair clutching his stomach, and behind him was Huang Yin, whose shirt was torn and who was clutching it tightly.
The floor was a mess, and people surged into the cramped private room. But the next second, everything went black for Li Sheng. He was suddenly surrounded; someone threw the first punch, landing squarely on his head, then his ribs, his thigh…
A dense, dark crowd surged towards him like a tidal wave. Li Sheng was trampled to the ground, struggling to breathe, the scissors slipping from his hand.
"Damn, this kid's quick! Let's put a few holes in him too, so we can explain ourselves when we get back." "Let's all go together."
Li Sheng was pulled up, his arms outstretched in a disheveled position, like someone choosing a spot to butcher a sheep or a cow, a sharp knife approaching his body. A heavy blow to the mouth sent ringing through Li Sheng's ears.
The pain from the skin made the person in front of him suddenly stop what he was doing and turn around to look.
Huang Yin stood at the back of the crowd, and through a glimpse of her face, Li Sheng saw that Huang Yin's expression was almost heartbreaking. She was crying and shouting something. He saw her desperately pushing forward, finally reaching him, and crying so hard that she couldn't catch her breath.
Li Sheng still couldn't hear what was said. Someone came to push Huang Yin, but Huang Yin, with her thin body, blocked his way. Suddenly, she bent down, and he looked down to see that Huang Yin had knelt down.
She clasped her hands together, kowtowed, and her lips moved in the same way as before, conveying the same words.
Li Sheng's mind was foggy, but he gradually understood. He had seen this posture before. In churches, people kneel in a row, praying to the holy image. It was a gesture of worship. Huang Yin, however, was begging the devil for her own sake.
"Please, please, don't hurt him."
"I beg you..."
…
Firecrackers set off early in the city to mark the upcoming Lunar New Year's Eve. Red lanterns hung outside Li Jiazong's window as his grandparents came from their hometown to celebrate the holiday in the city.
The atmosphere was warm. But then her grandmother asked, rather inappropriately, "Can't you contact Li Sheng?"
Li Jiacong remained silent.
Upon hearing this, Chen Wen brought over some fruit and changed the subject.
After dinner was prepared, the family sat down together. The television was on; after the Peking Opera performance, it started broadcasting social news. The news reported a major case: laid-off workers, driven by poverty, committed robbery and murder. Li Mingda glanced at the report: "There are more and more troublemakers."
Xiuying said, "Oh dear, it's all because I don't have money."
Li Mingda instructed the people at the table: "Go out less, especially at night. Dad, Mom, stay a few more days. The countryside is even less safe. Don't go out for walks at night either. Those criminals love to hide in the mountains."
Chen Wen nudged Li Jiacong: "You should also be careful. Those thugs haven't bothered you again, have they?"
Li Jiacong gave a half-smile: "No."
He had been under his parents' surveillance almost the entire time, so this question was clearly a rhetorical one, yet Li Jiacong still insisted on "cooperating with the investigation."
Seeing Li Jiacong's listless state, Chen Wen felt a pang of sympathy. After dinner, she allowed him to play on the computer for a while. However, Li Jiacong sat motionless on the bed, staring blankly out the window.
Chen Wen hesitated for a moment, then took the phone and handed it back to him: "Use it... Jia Cong, next semester will be the most stressful semester for you, study hard. In the future, whatever you want, Mom will buy it for you."
Li Jiacong raised an eyebrow: "Thank you, Mom."
Chen Wen turned and went out, then looked back at him from the doorway and said, "I believe you understand now. Talk to Li Sheng properly."
Li Jiacong watched from afar for a long time before finally getting up, picking up his phone, and charging it. The moment it turned on, dozens of notification sounds rang incessantly. They were all from Li Sheng's number.
Li Jiacong frowned and checked the records. The most recent call was just an hour ago.
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