Is my roommate a caged bird? I'm stealing her away.

In Liu Weiwei's apartment, the lights are a warm yellow.

Zhou Suisui stood barefoot in the center of the living room, clutching her small handbag. Her black velvet dress looked somewhat out of place under the bright lights, like a costume that shouldn't be there.

"Sit down." Liu Weiwei leaned back on the sofa, holding a glass of red wine, and looked her up and down. "Your outfit... okay, you've finally figured it out."

Zhou Suisui didn't move.

The sensation of the car still lingered on her fingertips, the coolness of Chen Boxu's fingers brushing against her palm, and the heavy weight of his gaze on her face.

"Weiwei," she said, her voice a little hoarse, "can I... take a shower first?"

Liu Weiwei raised an eyebrow: "There are clean towels in the guest room bathroom. There are pajamas in the closet, help yourself."

Zhou Suisui practically fled into the bathroom.

Only when the hot water was running down did she finally dare to loosen her clenched fist. Her fingertips were slightly white from the force, and her palms were marked with deep red welts from her fingernails.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

Her makeup was smudged; her eyeliner had smudged a little, and her lipstick was patchy from biting it. She rubbed it off forcefully, her skin turning red from the effort.

Then, her gaze fell on her chest.

There was a faint red mark there—from the edge of the business card.

She reached out and touched it, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Just now in the car, she told Chen Boxu, "I'm not usually that kind of person."

So stupid.

What's the point of saying that? Will he believe it? Or will he just think she's faking it?

Zhou Suisui closed her eyes, letting the hot water wash over her face.

When she came out after taking a shower and changing into her pajamas, Liu Weiwei had already poured two glasses of hot milk and placed them on the coffee table.

"Sit down." Liu Weiwei patted the seat next to her. "Tell me, what exactly happened tonight?"

Zhou Suisui sat down next to her, holding the warm cup in both hands.

"The party... started out pretty normal," she said softly. "Wang introduced me to a few people, all of whom were his company's clients or partners. Then... people started hitting on me."

"several?"

"Four or five, I guess," Zhou Suisui said. "There's a Mr. Wang who works in real estate, and a Mr. Li who works in finance... They both gave me their business cards."

Liu Weiwei nodded: "And then?"

"Then..." Zhou Suisui paused, "Then, for some reason, they all left one by one. President Wang was called away, Mr. Li received a phone call, and later, anyone else who wanted to come over was turned away by various things."

Liu Weiwei took a sip of milk: "Has someone cleared the area?"

"I...I don't know," Zhou Suisui said, "but I felt something was wrong. Later I saw Chen Boxu, my roommate's sugar daddy. He was standing on the other side of the banquet hall, and it looked like he was looking at me."

"Chen Boxu?" Liu Weiwei repeated the name, her brows furrowing. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Zhou Suisui nodded. "I saw him once before at the apartment."

Liu Weiwei paused for a few seconds, then said, "Go on."

"Later, when the party was almost over, he came over." Zhou Suisui's voice was even lower. "He gave me a business card... but he didn't hand it to me."

She paused for a long time before continuing:

"He put his business card... inside my clothes. Right here." She pointed to her chest. "Just shoved it in."

Liu Weiwei's pupils contracted slightly.

"Damn," she confirmed, "put it in your cleavage?"

Zhou Suisui nodded, her cheeks starting to burn again.

"And then? What did he say?"

"He said it would be eight o'clock tonight, and the address was above," Zhou Suisui said. "Then he was about to leave. I... I grabbed him."

Her voice trailed off at this point:

"I told him... my price was higher than Lin Xiao's, who is my roommate."

Liu Weiwei remained silent.

"I also said... I'm younger than Lin Xiao, prettier than her, and have a better figure than her. I said I can learn anything..." Zhou Suisui closed her eyes, "I also said... I'm clean."

The last three words were as soft as a sigh.

The living room remained quiet for a long time.

Liu Weiwei put down her milk glass, took a tissue to wipe her hands, and did so slowly and carefully.

"Okay," she finally said, "Zhou Suisui, you're amazing."

Zhou Suisui looked up, her eyes a little red: "Weiwei, I don't know what's wrong with me... I... those words just seemed to come out of my mouth on their own. I'm not usually like that..."

"What's the point of saying this now?" Liu Weiwei interrupted her. "I've already said what I needed to say, accepted the business card, and even come to your door. Now you're telling me you're not usually like that?"

Zhou Suisui bit her lip.

"He asked you out tomorrow?" Liu Weiwei asked.

"Okay." Zhou Suisui nodded. "Tomorrow night at eight. The address is on the business card."

"Do you know who he is?" Liu Weiwei looked at her. "Do you know what level Chen Boxu is?"

Zhou Suisui shook her head.

"Let me put it this way," Liu Weiwei leaned forward, "Wang Xue-chang is like a small business owner. Those so-called general managers and directors you met tonight are at most middle class. Chen Boxu... he's at the top."

She paused, then added:

"What the top management means is that with a single word, someone like Senior Wang can lose his job tomorrow. They can shut down the companies of those so-called CEOs and directors. Understand?"

Zhou Suisui's fingers tightened, and the milk cup trembled slightly in her hand.

"Besides," Liu Weiwei continued, "he's your roommate's sugar daddy. Everything your roommate eats, wears, and uses is provided by him. Are you going to steal your roommate's sugar daddy?"

"Lin Xiao doesn't care," Zhou Suisui said softly. "I don't think she's a particularly materialistic person."

"Does it matter whether she cares or not?" Liu Weiwei retorted. "What matters is why Chen Boxu chose you? Why would he turn down a ready-made solution and hire a novice like you?"

Zhou Suisui couldn't answer.

"Because he wants a change of pace," Liu Weiwei answered for her. "He's tired of the kind of guys your roommate is into and wants to try someone like you... someone younger. But you have to understand, for this kind of person, changing tastes is like changing clothes. When they get tired of this, they switch to that. And when they get tired of that, they switch back."

She looked at Zhou Suisui:

"Are you really sure you want to jump into this pit?"

Zhou Suisui remained silent for a long time.

Then she looked up at Liu Weiwei: "Weiwei, my monthly salary is 7,200 yuan, and my rent is 3,600 yuan. I spent 3,200 yuan on this dress, and these shoes cost me half a month's worth of food. Lin Xiao's loungewear starts at 60,000 yuan, and one jar of face cream is worth three months of my salary."

She paused for a moment, her voice soft but clear:

"I don't want to live like this anymore."

Liu Weiwei remained silent.

"Weiwei," Zhou Suisui asked, "what do you think... he'll do to me tomorrow night?"

Liu Weiwei stared at her for a long time.

Then she sighed: "What do you think? A guy like him wouldn't spend time asking you out just to have tea and chat."

"I..." Zhou Suisui's voice trembled slightly, "This is my first time. I'm a little scared."

"If you're worried, turn back now," Liu Weiwei said. "Throw away the business card, and when you go back to your apartment tomorrow, tell Lin Xiao you're not feeling well and won't be going out for the next few days. Chen Boxu isn't going to waste much time on you. If you avoid him a few times, he'll naturally find someone else."

Zhou Suisui didn't say anything.

She looked down at her hands, her fingertips white from the force she was applying.

After a long silence, she whispered, "I want to try."

Liu Weiwei glanced at her and didn't try to persuade her further.

"Whatever you want," she said, "but there are a few things you need to remember."

Zhou Suisui raised her head.

"First, don't get emotionally involved." Liu Weiwei held up one finger. "A man like him has no heart. If you fall for him, you're finished."

"Second, don't be greedy." She held up another finger. "Take whatever he gives you, don't ask for it, and don't try to be clever."

"Third," Liu Weiwei held up her third finger, "protect yourself. Take all necessary precautions and preserve all necessary evidence. Just in case... you'll need something to protect yourself."

Zhou Suisui nodded: "I've got it."

Liu Weiwei stood up: "The bed in the guest room is made up, go to sleep. Tomorrow... think it over yourself."

Zhou Suisui also stood up: "Thank you, Weiwei."

She walked to the guest room door, then stopped and turned around:

"Weiwei, tell me...am I particularly despicable?"

Liu Weiwei stared at her for a long time.

Then she said, "In this world, who's cleaner than whom? Go to sleep."

The guest room door closed gently.

Zhou Suisui leaned against the door, listening to Liu Weiwei clearing away the cups in the living room, and the faint sounds of the city noise in the distance.

She walked to the bedside and took out the pure white business card from her handbag.

The edges of the paper still carried the warmth of her body.

Tomorrow night at 8 PM.

She placed the business card on the bedside table, turned off the light, and got into bed.

In the darkness, she stared at the ceiling with her eyes open.

The red mark on my chest was still faintly burning.

Chen Boxu's fingers, the cool fragrance emanating from him, the way he looked at her...

And tomorrow night too.

Zhou Suisui turned over and buried her face in the pillow.

The pillow was soft and had an unfamiliar scent of laundry detergent.

She remembered her pillow in the apartment, Lin Xiao sitting in the living room looking at picture books, and the jar of face cream in the bathroom that she had secretly used most of.

Then she remembered Chen Boxu.

I recall the chilling, snowy scent emanating from him as he bent down.

She pressed her hand to her chest, where the lingering sensation of the business card still remained.

"Don't regret it," she told herself.

Then she closed her eyes.