During the time Li Xue was smoking her cigar, the two began a brief conversation.
“What’s your name?”
“Jiang Xiaoman.”
“You’re not from Vietnam, are you?”
“I’m from China.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re arrogant?”
“Many have, which is why I ended up in a foreign land…”
Rose revealed a bitter smile, clearly unwilling to say more, yet the hatred in her eyes remained undiminished.
“Let’s begin.”
Li Xue didn’t press further, extinguishing the expensive cigar in her hand as she spoke.
“Let me start by massaging your scalp and temples. If it doesn’t work, we can try other methods. May I get on the bed?”
Rose asked.
Unlike Li Yuan, Li Xue didn’t look down on her, instead nodding with a smile.
After getting on the bed, Rose had her lie on her lap and began relaxing her forehead, temples, and other areas.
The perfect pressure, combined with the faint rose scent on her body, quickly made Li Xue relax.
“People speculate that my insomnia is due to too many guilty deeds, that my two former men dancing at my bedside at night is what keeps me awake. What do you think?”
“They died because they weren’t fortunate enough to enjoy your grace. What does that have to do with you? My view of you isn’t like others’. Men aren’t fools—if you weren’t sincere, they would have seen through it.”
Rose shared her perspective.
Li Xue suddenly opened her eyes, looking at her with surprise. She didn’t say a word, but her eyes reddened slightly.
“They say performers are heartless and prostitutes are emotionless. Everyone thinks I’m only after money, always denying my feelings. But everyone has emotions…”
She neither admitted nor denied whether she had disposed of her two former men, but for the first time, she honestly admitted that, regardless of the outcome, she had genuinely given her heart.
Only… perhaps that so-called sincerity couldn’t compare to the temptation of power.
“If I were half as smart as you, I wouldn’t have ended up like this. They say those who fawn over others end up having everything, but how many truly succeed?”
“That’s why women must never let love cloud their judgment—it only destroys them. Even adults can’t have their cake and eat it too, right?”
Their exchange was ambiguous, yet both understood what the other meant.
“I didn’t understand this before, but I do now. If heaven gave me another chance, I’d tell that man: ‘Drop dead, idiot. The past me you ignored, the present me is beyond your reach.'”
Rose narrowed her eyes and said this with a light laugh.
“If you successfully cure my insomnia, will you use this opportunity to climb higher?”
Li Xue, whose consciousness was beginning to blur, asked again.
“Why would I let go of such a hard-won opportunity? I can’t struggle in the mud forever.”
“You really remind me of my former self…”
After saying this, Li Xue fell into a long-awaited deep sleep.
“Sweet dreams, little darling.”
Rose chuckled softly, leaning down to place a light kiss on her forehead.
If Jiang Xiaoman were as clear-headed as Li Xue, she wouldn’t have fallen to the point of making deals with demons.
But… there’s no such thing as regret medicine in this world. Once a soul is within her grasp, she would never let it go!
In less than half an hour, Brother Bao, who was guarding the door, saw Jiang Xiaoman walk out.
“Failed?”
He asked dejectedly.
It went without saying that things wouldn’t be that easy. Jiang Xiaoman wasn’t some miracle cure—she couldn’t possibly be more effective than sleeping pills.
“Sister Xue fell asleep, so I came out first. Let’s go back,” Rose said indifferently.
What?
“Are you stupid? Why didn’t you wait there for her to wake up!”
Brother Bao was furious. This idiot had no foresight at all. And he had placed such high hopes on her.
“Wait for her to wake up, and then what? You don’t actually think that just one massage would make her take me seriously, do you? If I can’t prove my continued usefulness, someone like her won’t bother with a prostitute from the lower city.”
Rose sneered. No wonder he was still stuck in the lower city—empty-headed, how could he ever catch Li Xue’s eye?
What did she mean?
Brother Bao didn’t understand.
“Go back and wait. Prey will come to us on its own soon.”
She couldn’t be bothered to explain. Even if she did, he probably wouldn’t get it. Rose urged him to leave quickly—she was in a hurry to get back to the casino and win a few rounds.
“Damn it, you’re just having gambling withdrawals again, you worthless bitch…”
Brother Bao cursed incessantly as he sent her back, dropping her off right at the casino entrance.
Useless trash. At least she could contribute a little to his casino’s economy.
Knowing the casino would rig the games, Rose showed no concern on the surface. She eagerly entered the smoke-filled, stinking underground casino, ready to clean house.
In half an hour, the 10 million VND she had worked herself to the bone to earn was completely lost.
“Xiaoman, want to borrow a usurious loan? If you can’t pay with money, you can use your body…”
A regular at the casino—a fat, greasy man—came up to talk to her.
“Pah, in your dreams! I’d rather starve than have anything to do with a bloated pig like you.”
Rose spat in his face without hesitation and cursed angrily.
“Damn, even your spit is sweet, you little slut. One day, I’ll make you die under me…”
The fat pig greedily wiped the spit from his face and tasted it, his lecherous eyes fixed on her alluring figure as he cursed.
Three days passed in a flash.
Whenever Rose managed to earn a little money, she would head to the casino, behaving like hopeless trash.
If she won, she’d take a break. If she lost, she’d go back to work.
And so, once again, she lost everything and even ended up owing a usurious loan. She had no choice but to take on the fat casino regular as a client.
As soon as she entered the rented room, the man rushed at her, drooling, and grabbed her.
In the struggle, they fell onto the sofa bed. The man, his breath foul, tried to kiss her face.
Bang—
The weight on top of her suddenly vanished. Rose stared in shock as the fat pig’s body traced a parabola through the air before crashing heavily into the corner of the shipping container, denting it and knocking him out cold.
Li Yuan stood there, his expression cold and detached, dark circles still prominent under his eyes.
Though his face showed no emotion, Rose could tell he was furious—furious enough to kill her.
“You ruined my business again… Are you insane?”
She rolled her eyes in annoyance, sat up, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag.
“This? You should aim higher, sister. Aren’t you afraid you’ll rot?”
Li Yan barely restrained the urge to strangle her, his stomach churning.
The thought that this filthy woman had touched him made him want to scrub his skin raw.
He wished Jiang Xiaoman dead, yet only she could ease his sleep disorder.
Damn, how frustrating!