A super-rich tycoon? No, just call me the gentlemanly gigolo.

After finishing his lavish breakfast, Jiang Ye got dressed and headed straight to the bathhouse for a shower.

In Shengtian, if you ask ten men about their leisure activities, the answer will inevitably be six to bathhouses, three to karaoke bars, and one to internet cafes.

The bathhouse here is no longer just a simple place to take a bath; it has become a multifunctional venue that integrates bathing, dining, entertainment, and leisure.

It's safe to say that as long as you have enough money, you can find almost anything you want to eat, play, or experience in a bathhouse.

Jiang Ye is going to "Bubble Forest" today, which is considered a mid-to-high-end bath center in Shengtian, with an average cost of two to three hundred yuan per person.

He used to pass by often when delivering food, but he never went in.

Today...

On the one hand, I now have some spare money, so I really should take a good shower and relax;

On the other hand, it was also a preparation for the "special operation" that night—he planned to go to that private cinema.

Although we now have Yao Yao as a long-term cashback target, there is still one thing that must be put on the agenda as soon as possible: completing the gentleman's task of "obtaining three goddess-level intimate garments with a score of 85 or above".

If he remained penniless, he might consider tricking Ye Cheng into letting him stroll around the girls' dormitory building.

But that method is too risky and too underhanded; it should only be used as a last resort.

Now that they have money, they can naturally take a more "high-end" and "compliant" route to see what the legendary "private cinema" is all about.

It broadens your horizons, allows you to complete tasks, and incidentally...

Well, he wasn't sure what the "accompaniment" process actually entailed, and felt he should still get a proper bath to avoid any awkwardness later.

Having made up his mind, Jiang Ye went out, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for Bubble Forest.

As soon as you enter, the warm air, mixed with the scents of shower gel and aromatherapy, hits you, instantly dispelling the chill outside.

The staff at the front desk, dressed in uniform, were very friendly and handed me my name tag with a smile.

After taking off his shoes and entering the men's area, Jiang Ye took a shower and then found a pool with a suitable temperature to soak in.

The warm water enveloped my entire body, my pores opened, and the fatigue of the past few days seemed to dissipate with the steam.

After soaking until his body felt completely relaxed, he got up and went to find a bathhouse attendant.

The true essence of Northeastern bathhouses lies in the act of scrubbing the body!

Lying on a bed covered with a disposable bath sheet, an experienced masseur uses a scrubbing towel to scrub away dirt and grime. The feeling is like a spiritual cleansing—the southerners scrubbed without making a sound.

After scrubbing yourself in the bath, rinsing yourself clean, and changing into a clean bathrobe, you can then relax.

The upper floors housed various leisure and entertainment halls. Jiang Ye found a corner sofa bed on the second floor, ordered a pot of tea, and went to the self-service fruit area to get watermelon and cherry tomatoes. He ate while browsing his phone, feeling incredibly comfortable.

Time seems to lose its meaning here.

When he felt completely comfortable and refreshed and was ready to leave, he checked the time and found it was already past 5 p.m.

He stayed there for nearly six hours.

Indeed, a man's happiness is sometimes that simple and mundane.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When we stepped out of Bubble Forest, it was already completely dark outside.

Jiang Ye added the WeChat account of the private cinema called "Lianlian ST" in advance, and took a taxi directly to Tai'an Building in Shenbei according to the location sent by the other party.

Half an hour later, the taxi stopped downstairs at the Taian Building.

Jiang Ye paid the fare and got out of the car, looking up at the twenty-plus-story building in front of him.

The building's exterior is ordinary, not much different from other office buildings around it. There are a few convenience stores and small restaurants on the first floor, and the people coming and going all look like ordinary office workers.

He scratched his head, then suddenly remembered something.

This place...

Isn't this where Ye Cheng hangs out?

Damn, I never thought of this before. Ye Cheng is clearly still a student, so why does he always run to this place 20 kilometers away?

It can't be that kind of thing, right?

Holy crap?

Will we run into Ye Cheng when we're choosing people later?

Can't you?

Jiang Ye clicked his tongue, thinking the idea was a bit outrageous, but not entirely impossible.

Even Yao Yao, who scored 91 points, has gone into the adult entertainment industry, while Ye Cheng, who scored 87 points, has taken on the job of "accompanying viewers during movie screenings"...

It's actually quite reasonable.

He shook his head, dismissing the strange thought, and followed the instructions on WeChat to take the elevator to the 12th floor.

"bite--"

As soon as Jiang Ye stepped out of the elevator, he saw a girl with blonde hair, wearing a tight sweater and a short skirt, standing at the elevator entrance, as if she was waiting for someone.

When she saw Jiang Ye, she looked him up and down without any hesitation, her eyes filled with scrutiny.

"A reservation?" the girl asked, her tone indifferent and lacking enthusiasm.

Jiang Ye nodded: "Yes, we just contacted each other on WeChat."

"Let's go."

Without saying much, the girl turned around and led the way in her high heels.

This private cinema called "Love Love ST" is quite large; rooms 1207 to 1214 belong to them.

The girl led Jiang Ye into room 1207.

Upon entering, there is a small hall with warm-toned lighting, several beanbag chairs, and dark wallpaper on the walls. The soundproofing seems to be quite good, as you can hardly hear any noise from the other rooms.

Jiang Ye looked around and felt a little disappointed.

The environment here... is just so-so.

It was nothing like the "high-end private club" I had imagined; it was more like a nicely decorated hotel.

"This way, I'll take you to the private room."

The blonde girl didn't linger in the reception area; instead, she led Jiang Ye through a small passageway and pushed open the door to a private room.

The private room is small and dimly lit, with the main focus on a sense of "privacy".

The most eye-catching feature is a huge sofa bed that almost fills half the room, covered with a dark blanket.

A projection screen hung on the opposite wall, with a low coffee table in the middle and several half-dead green plants around it. A faint, hotel-room-like fragrance filled the air.

"Brother, wait a moment, I'll go get the companion."

After the blonde girl finished speaking, she turned and left without waiting for Jiang Ye's response, closing the door behind her.

Jiang Ye looked around, sat down on the sofa bed, and tested its elasticity—cough, it was quite soft.

He casually took off his down jacket and put it aside, silently looking forward to it.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and the blonde girl walked in again, followed by five young girls who stood in a row in front of Jiang Ye.

He took a deep breath and scanned the items one by one.

"..."

Well...

To be fair, these girls are all fairly good-looking, not ugly, their makeup skills are good, and they're dressed in cool and comfortable clothes.

But the key point is...

Even the most basic job costs a whopping 800 an hour!

I'll sue you at the Consumer Association, believe me or not.

Not a single person can score over 80, yet they have the nerve to charge 800 per hour?

How about I continue squatting at the school gate?

What a waste of all the time I spent taking that special shower!

Jiang Ye was internally ranting, but his face remained expressionless.

The blonde girl glanced at him: "Brother, these are all our 'companion's' here. See if there's anyone you like?"

"..."

Jiang Ye was silent for a few seconds, then coughed lightly: "Change to another batch."

As soon as he said that, the five girls rolled their eyes almost simultaneously, their faces showing an expression of "another troublemaker," and they turned around and left.

The blonde girl didn't seem surprised and simply said, "Wait a moment."

Two or three minutes later, the door opened again, and this time only three girls came in.

Jiang Ye looked up and sighed inwardly.

This batch... is slightly better than the last batch, but only by a tiny bit.

The first girl had long, slightly wavy hair, wore a beige knit sweater and jeans, and had a decent air about her.

The second girl had long, straight black hair, wore a white shirt and a black mini skirt, a typical office lady style.

The third girl was quite pretty, with an oval face, big eyes, a high ponytail, and wearing a loose sweatshirt and shorts. She had long legs.

Based on the system's rating standard of 87 for Ye Cheng, the highest score is probably the one on the right wearing a hoodie, but even that doesn't seem to reach 80.

Jiang Ye smacked his lips, feeling a bit conflicted.

Since we're already here, how about... we just take this opportunity to see what it's like?

At least experience what this "companionship" costing 800 yuan per hour is all about...

He casually pointed to the girl in the hoodie on his right: "You."

The other two girls glanced at him, turned around and left without expression, while the girl who was singled out smiled and walked over to sit down next to Jiang Ye.

"Brother, my name is Didi."

Her voice was sweet, but sounded a little strained: "What kind of package do you want? We have a promotion right now, new members get 500 free if they deposit 5,000, it's a great deal, want to sign up?"

Jiang Ye's lips twitched.

Good grief, they're trying to sell you a membership card right off the bat?

"No need, I just want to try it out. Don't you guys have one that's 800 a hour? I'll start with this one."

Upon hearing this, Dian Dian's smile faded considerably, and she gave a lazy "Oh" with a slight smirk.

She got up and walked to the projector, fiddling with it as she asked without turning around, "What movie do you want to watch?"

Seeing her perfunctory attitude, Jiang Ye's curiosity and anticipation vanished instantly.

Forget it, forget it. Who can stand it if they immediately turn their back on you if you don't sign up for a membership?

He didn't bother with any more words, grabbed the down jacket next to him and put it on: "No need, I'm leaving."

After saying that, he turned around and left the private room.

Dian Dian scoffed from behind, but didn't try to stop him.

Jiang Ye came out, and the blonde girl was carrying water inside. She was surprised to see him and asked, "Brother, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's just not quite appropriate."

Jiang Ye waved his hand and walked straight towards the elevator.

The blonde girl followed for two steps, but seeing that he didn't intend to turn around, she stopped and sighed softly.

Standing at the elevator entrance, Jiang Ye felt a surge of anger and frustration.

I came here with high expectations, but the sensual and exciting "private photography" I imagined turned out to be just a place where they cater to different people and it's all about tricks!

It seems that my roommate's WeChat notes on "Shengtian's Guide to Fun (Collector's Edition)" are mostly fake.

Claims of "high-end private clubs," "top-notch quality," and "you won't regret going"...

That's all utter bullshit!

The most, most, most infuriating thing is—

He even took a shower!