The next morning, at the crack of dawn, Jiang Ye, sporting two dark circles under his eyes, left his home.
Instead of biking to the station, he headed straight into the subway, his destination clear—Wanda Apartments.
After a night of tossing and turning, deep in thought, he had made a significant decision!
To apologize to that girl from yesterday!
Of course, the apology was just a pretext; the real aim was to smooth things over.
As the only confirmed high-quality "cashback target" with a charm score definitely over 80, he had to make an effort.
He wasn't expecting to reach the sky in one step; as long as he could ease the relationship, add her on WeChat, chat flirtatiously, play games together, exchange skins, or have her "voluntarily" buy him a cup of tea with milk while shopping...
Tenfold cashback! Isn't that like having a stable job?
This freeloading life, it smells sweet!
An hour later, Jiang Ye stood once more in front of that familiar apartment building, at the door of Room 1703.
Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his collar, which didn't really need adjusting, and tried to put on what he thought was a sincere yet apologetic smile, then knocked on the door.
"Knock, knock, knock—"
Soon, the door opened with a click, leaving a small gap.
Jiang Ye's smile was just about to bloom when it froze.
The person who opened the door wasn't the stunning girl with the impressive figure from yesterday, but a stranger.
This woman looked to be in her thirties, with a head of wavy curls. Her looks were average, barely standing out among passersby, though her figure was decent.
She peered through the gap, sizing him up, and frowned, "A friend introduced you?"
Jiang Ye was taken aback, "Ah? No, I came yesterday, looking for that..."
"Oh~~"
The woman seemed to understand something, her frown slowly easing.
She poked her head out to look around, then opened the door wider and pulled the still-confused Jiang Ye inside:
"Come in, come in, don't just stand at the door. Lili isn't here today, I'm Yangyang, it's all the same, come in first."
"Ah? All the same?"
Jiang Ye was bewildered by this sudden warmth, a string of question marks floating above his head, "What do you mean, all the same?"
Yangyang shut the door behind them, rolling her eyes at him, "Everywhere's the same!"
Jiang Ye was even more confused, scratching his head as he instinctively glanced around the room.
The living room wasn't large and had no real decor. Several stacks of disposable bath towels were piled messily on the floor, with boxes of wet wipes and tissues scattered nearby, and a cheap fragrance lingered in the air.
"Change your shoes! Why are you standing there?" Yangyang pointed at a few pairs of plastic slippers by the door.
"Oh, okay."
Despite his confusion, Jiang Ye thought Lili's roommate was quite hospitable, though the room's setup was a bit odd.
He changed into slippers and walked over to the sofa, sitting down somewhat awkwardly.
The sofa was a common fabric type, covered with a rather tacky lace throw.
"So, Sister Yangyang, when will Lili be back? I came with full sincerity today, specifically to apologize to her."
Yangyang paused at his words, then laughed as if she'd heard a joke, her laughter making her body shake, her eyes scanning him:
"Oh, didn't perform well yesterday? And you came all the way to apologize? You're quite the responsible little brother!"
"Perform? Uh... I guess..."
Jiang Ye was baffled, following her lead to explain, "I should have clarified yesterday, but I was in a rush, I..."
"I get it, I get it, too cold, didn't eat, busy with work, didn't sleep well..."
Yangyang waved her hand, wearing an expression of "I understand everything," cutting him off, "Which one are you?"
"...Busy with work."
"No worries, no worries, it doesn't matter which one. Just perform well later, and when Lili comes back, I'll pass on your 'full sincerity' to her, okay?"
"Uh... thank you, Sister Yangyang, you're really nice."
Yangyang saw his dumbfounded look, smiled, and didn't say more, picking up her phone to display a payment code:
"Come on, little brother, scan it. 400 or 600? Your choice. After you scan, hurry to the bathroom over there for a shower. You came without an appointment, it's easy to clash with other clients' times, such a hassle!"
???
Scan?
400? 600?
Shower? Clients? Clash?
Jiang Ye's mind buzzed, the keywords instantly connecting, all previous doubts and incongruities cleaved open like a bolt of lightning!
What the hell!
It all makes sense now!
No wonder the woman was so secretive! No wonder the online dating was only voice chats! No wonder there were so many disposable bath towels and tissues in this room!
So... this is what they do?!
Damn it!
A woman that stunning... really?
Even if she didn't want to work hard, couldn't she find a rich guy or be a high-end escort instead of doing 400, 600 in a place like this?
Jiang Ye looked at the "XX Seafood" payment code in front of him, then glanced at the very "hospitable" Yangyang, incredulously asking:
"Is Lili also 400, 600?"
At these words, Yangyang's previously smiling face changed instantly, quickly retracting her phone, her eyes scrutinizing him warily:
"What are you doing? Not here for fun?"
She recalled what she'd said earlier, realizing nothing sensitive had been mentioned, and exhaled slightly, too lazy to ask more, directly starting to chase him out:
"Get out! I don't care what you're doing, just leave! Don't make trouble!"
Seeing her suddenly agitated, Jiang Ye guessed she might have mistaken him for an undercover investigator, quickly standing to explain:
"Sister Yangyang, don't get excited, I'm not..."
"Get lost! Who's your sister! Just go!"
Yangyang wouldn't listen, pushing and shoving Jiang Ye towards the door.
"It's not what you think! I just wanted to confirm... damn it! Don't push! I'll go myself! Ow... I said don't push, don't push!"
"Bang!"
With a loud slam, the door shut behind him, shaking the hallway slightly.
Jiang Ye stood at the door of Room 1703, still holding his pair of worn-out sneakers.
He looked at the tightly closed door, then down at yesterday's delivery record, confirming the address was correct, and sighed speechlessly.
Sigh!
This damned system has pushed me to this point, and I haven't even decided to dive in yet, and such a beautiful girl has already... started her business in this lousy place?
Could it be that my thinking is too conservative, unable to keep up with the times?
Putting on his shoes, Jiang Ye shook his head, lamenting the decline of society as he walked heavily towards the elevator.
It seemed the line with Lili was completely cut. Even if it wasn't, he wouldn't dare have any more ideas.
If he caught some strange disease, it would be a case of earning money but not living to spend it.
Forget it, forget it.
Just as Jiang Ye dejectedly pressed the elevator down button, the door of Room 1705 opposite suddenly clicked open.
A pretty girl with a high ponytail, wearing casual sportswear, came out carrying a small bag of trash. She was about to place it by the door when she looked up and caught a glimpse of Jiang Ye's profile as he turned into the elevator.
The girl paused, her expression changing dramatically. She quickly walked to her door, nervously checking the lock to ensure it wasn't glued shut, then breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest.
But then, as if suddenly recalling something, she cautiously approached the door of Room 1703, carefully inspecting the lock there as well.
After confirming both locks were fine, she frowned, glanced once more at the closed elevator door, pursed her lips with a hint of confusion on her face, and turned back into her apartment.