The club’s soundproofing was excellent.
The second floor had all sorts of rooms.
A wide corridor looked down over the first floor, where the whole scene was visible.
Xiao Muyu had come out to clear his head, and now his head was splitting worse than ever.
Ever since he’d arrived at Nanguang, not one thing had let him settle down.
Xiao Muyu leaned on the railing, gazing down blankly, aimlessly, until his gaze caught a man in a black vest and white shirt, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
The first floor.
It was divided into different areas; from the second floor, the billiards area was visible.
The customer leaned on his cue, slowly rubbing it with chalk.
“Your name is Qin Jin?”
“Yes, that’s my name.”
Qin Jin bowed slightly, smiling with an easy confidence, neither servile nor arrogant.
“You play pool well,” the customer praised.
“You flatter me. I’m still learning.”
“How about a couple of games? Don’t hold back anymore, I really want to practice properly.”
“Sure, we’ll do it your way.”
Qin Jin bent over to break.
The club had a dedicated resident billiards coaching team.
And he was nothing but a humble part-time waiter, in charge of the billiards area.
Usually, when there weren’t enough companions, the manager sent him over.
Now he could even teach the club’s member customers how to play pool.
They say a focused man is the most handsome.
Standing beside him, the customer could clearly see Qin Jin’s profile, his neck, and his slightly exposed collar as he bent to hit the ball.
“Sir, watch the ball and my hand. For a ball half-frozen to the rail like this, add right spin with the cue.”
“Oh, oh, watching your hand.”
With a “bang,” the cue ball quickly knocked another ball into the pocket.
The customer really did want to learn, but his attention wandered easily.
When the two games were over, the customer wanted to invite him clubbing nearby after work.
Of course he wouldn’t agree; after clocking off, he should go back to school.
Before leaving, the customer was reluctant to part. “Qin Jin, you’re the kind that grows on a person. The more I look at you now, the more I think you’re unbearably handsome!”
“…”
The praise was extremely blunt.
It made Qin Jin embarrassed.
Once the customer left, the manager called him over and said he’d give him a bonus.
Good news on top of good news.
He’d put a lot of effort into pool too, playing whenever he had time, until his hands grew calluses.
He accompanied several customers one after another, and it was nearly time to clock off.
Qin Jin wet a towel and wiped his face.
Today was a holiday, and the club had more people than usual. Looks played a huge part in first impressions, so to earn a bit more money he’d even put on cologne and styled his hair.
And after his unvarying routine of exercise and stretching, plus healthy meals and a regular schedule every day, even his figure had improved a lot.
Once the original host’s body became lean and strong, it was exactly like his own.
“Hey, upstairs a companion got so scared he wet his pants.”
Two coworkers were chatting in the changing room.
Qin Jin was still a waiter, really; he was only pulled in as a companion when the club was short-handed on holidays.
“They’re short a person upstairs now. The manager will definitely come get someone to fill in.”
“I heard someone got hit with a bottle. Scared him out of his wits.”
“My god, this place is members-only, how dare someone do that? Shameless…”
The two waiters’ quiet grumbling didn’t escape Qin Jin’s ears.
He had just put his vest in the cabinet.
The two suddenly yelped in fright, four eyes turning to Qin Jin with a trace of terror.
The club didn’t allow any staff to discuss customers.
Before Qin Jin could explain, a knock came at the door, and then it opened.
“Come out. The supervisor wants everyone over.”
Several people gathered in the staff room.
They were short a companion upstairs; whoever filled in now would lead the customers to the multi-purpose lounge, which was centered on a pool table.
The supervisor looked around at everyone and said loudly, “Anyone clocking off, step to the back first.”
Qin Jin was clocking off soon; he glanced at his watch and leaned against the wall.
“Anyone who can’t play pool, step back.”
“Anyone who can’t chat, step back.”
There were also purely technical companions, the kind who provided only skill, not emotional value.
The crowd rustled and murmured, and soon only a few remained.
The few left all kept their heads down, afraid of being chosen.
The supervisor was dissatisfied no matter how he looked at them.
His gaze landed on two people with slightly frightened expressions.
“What’s with you two?”
“Su-Supervisor, can we recommend someone?”
“Who?”
“Him.”
The two pointed at Qin Jin in unison.
Qin Jin paused for half a second.
“Reason.”
“He was just called over by the manager to be a pool coach. The manager said he not only plays beautifully but can chat freely with customers, and that he’s the best employee today.”
He’d even gotten a bonus.
A waiter who’d only been on the job a few days, and his daily wage was higher than the veterans’.
It was just luck that he hadn’t met any ill-tempered customer.
Remembering that Qin Jin had just eavesdropped on them, they walked over to him together and pulled him out.
They faced the supervisor’s lit-up gaze.
If he refused, his standing in the supervisor’s mind would surely plummet.
This club’s wages were high, and customers tipped generously. You can afford to offend anyone, but never money.
Qin Jin nodded. “I can work overtime.”
“Good, good, good. It’s just that your looks are a bit lacking.”
“…”
What?
Qin Jin twitched the corner of his mouth.
“But your height’s not bad. Go change your clothes.”
Companions could wear their own clothes.
But he had nothing to change into.
“Never mind, time’s tight. Go straight up.” The supervisor patted his shoulder and told him to go up and wait.
If it was really like what he’d just heard, that a companion had been scared by a customer into wetting himself, then wouldn’t going up make him the sucker?
Qin Jin had just opened the door a crack.
He heard arguing inside.
He pushed the door open and just happened to meet the eyes of the person at the door.
“…”
This person had slightly light brown hair, a spring-breeze gentleness in his brows and eyes, the corners of his mouth turned slightly down, looking not in the best spirits.
It was Xiao Muyu.
Xiao Muyu’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, then quickly returned to their original expression.
The argument in the room ended when Ri Tinglong threw someone with an over-the-shoulder throw.
Only then did the surroundings fall silent.
“Please follow me, everyone.”
The room was no longer usable, so Qin Jin, as the supervisor had instructed, led them to a new room.
It was the same multi-purpose lounge as before, just with a different layout, with a pool table placed in the center.
“Let’s play pool. Haven’t played in a long time.”
The speaker had just picked up a cue and prepared to break, but ended up poking at empty air.
But with companions around, it was impossible to let the customer feel embarrassed.
Everyone saved face for him, one after another.
Qin Jin blended in, trying to minimize his presence.
Who the hell knew that besides Liu Daqiang and that pushy rich second-generation he’d seen before, there were also two protagonists here!
When everyone cheered, he cheered along; when everyone was quiet, he stayed quiet too.
But there was always an overly direct gaze on him.
Qin Jin looked in that direction.
Damn, it was Liu Daqiang.
Liu Daqiang could only stand in a corner, without even the right to come play with them, and the look he gave Qin Jin was extremely complicated, as if he were some heartless scoundrel.