The Quagmire of Desire: From Gambling Addict and Village Flower to Movie Queen

Liu Yue seems like a completely different person lately.

Every day after school, she would come to Xiaohui's house on time, throw her schoolbag on the sofa, take out her homework and start writing.

She was no longer sarcastic or eccentric; instead, she proactively brought milk tea for Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling, calling them "sister" affectionately.

"Xiaoyan, this is your favorite bubble tea, half sugar and no ice."

"Sister Meiling, I brought you lemon tea to quench your thirst."

Sun Xiaoyan was a little stunned when she took the milk tea.

Liu Yue smiled at her, a smile that was both ingratiating and smug.

Xiao Hui sat next to me doing his homework without even looking up.

But the walls in his room were empty; all the photos had been put away in cardboard boxes under the bed.

One night, Sun Xiaoyan accidentally glimpsed Xiao Hui squatting by the bed, pushing the box all the way to the bottom and covering it with old clothes.

The three of them worked together seamlessly.

They look just like cousins.

Once, Liu Yue's classmate came to visit and saw Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling, asking who they were.

Liu Yue quickly said that she was Xiao Hui's cousin and was staying here temporarily because she was busy with work.

The two female classmates didn't ask any more questions, but they stared at Sun Xiaoyan's chest for several moments.

Sun Xiaoyan was wearing loose pajamas, but her curves still couldn't be hidden.

Liu Yue noticed it, her eyes flickered, but she didn't say anything.

But from then on, she came even more frequently.

Sometimes she would stay at Xiaohui's house for dinner, and she could eat two bowls of the braised pork that Sun Xiaoyan made.

She even washed the dishes after eating, a stark contrast to her previous spoiled manner.

"Sister, is it hard working at the chess and card shop?" Liu Yue asked while wiping the bowls.

Sun Xiaoyan was cutting fruit and casually said it was alright.

"What time will you be back tonight?"

"Nine or ten points, depending on the situation."

Liu Yue said "oh" and didn't ask any more questions.

But Sun Xiaoyan knew what she meant; the girl was afraid that they would be alone with Xiaohui at night.

What she didn't know was that Meiling and Xiaoyan had long since given up on those feelings.

Liu Yue is here every day, the photos on the wall are gone, and Xiao Hui is very well-behaved.

He does his homework every day after school, occasionally plays games with his classmates, and goes to bed on time.

Sun Xiaoyan and Meiling could only lock their doors late at night, lie on their respective beds, and whisper to each other through the wall.

"I'm so suffocated," Liu Meiling's voice came from next door, sounding a little annoyed.

Sun Xiaoyan turned over and whispered, "Just bear with it."

"I'm so envious of that kid's physique."

"Keep your voice down."

Liu Meiling chuckled twice and then fell silent.

But there are exceptions.

For example, when Liu Yue goes home on weekends, or when she goes out with her classmates.

That afternoon, Liu Yue said she was going to see a movie with her classmates and wouldn't be coming back for dinner.

Xiao Hui was home alone.

Meiling and Xiaoyan sneaked back from the chess and card shop.

The two had been holding back for several days, and as soon as they entered the door, they cornered Xiaohui in the room.

Xiao Hui was a little flustered, saying that some classmates would be coming to see him later.

"Which classmate?" Meiling asked.

"Well... Liu Yue went to see a movie, right? Her classmate might come to pick up her notes."

Meiling pouted and climbed onto him.

Sun Xiaoyan leaned against the doorway, watching Meiling's actions become increasingly provocative, and then she walked over herself.

The three of them spent more than an hour fussing over it.

When it was over, Meiling collapsed on the bed, sweat beading on her forehead. Sun Xiaoyan was also limp, panting beside her.

Xiao Hui sat up, looked at his phone, and said that a message had indeed come in; his classmate would be there in ten minutes.

Meiling rolled her eyes and cursed, "What a spoilsport!"

Sun Xiaoyan helped her get dressed, and the two of them hurriedly put on their dresses. Just as they stepped out of the room, the doorbell rang.

When the door opened, a boy wearing glasses was there, carrying a stack of notes. He said Liu Yue had sent him to pick them up.

Xiao Hui took the notebook and thanked him.

After the boy left, Meiling and Xiaoyan exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh.

"I almost got caught," Meiling said in a low voice.

Sun Xiaoyan rolled her eyes at her: "Who told you to be in such a hurry?"

Aren't you in a hurry too?

The two laughed and joked as they went into the kitchen.

But such opportunities are becoming increasingly rare.

Liu Yue comes almost every day, sometimes bringing two or three female classmates with her.

They sat in the living room doing their homework, chatting, and occasionally playing cards.

When Sun Xiaoyan and Meiling returned, Liu Yue would greet them warmly, but her eyes would always linger on them.

It looks like they're checking something.

Xiao Hui kept the photos very well, and Liu Yue never discovered what was hidden in the box.

But Sun Xiaoyan always felt that this girl knew exactly what was going on.

One month later, in the evening, Li Yan called Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling into her office.

"You'll take over Erhu's card and mahjong parlor." Li Yan said, smoking a cigarette and tossing the keys on the table. "The name has been changed, and the staff has been replaced. You'll be the managers."

Sun Xiaoyan was stunned: "Us?"

"What, you don't dare?" Li Yan raised an eyebrow.

Meiling grabbed the keys: "What's there to be afraid of? It's just managing a shop, how difficult can it be?"

Li Yan smiled: "Okay, that's bold. Report for duty tomorrow. There are six people in the store, you can arrange things yourselves."

When Sun Xiaoyan walked out of the office, her palms were a little sweaty.

Meiling was incredibly excited, talking all the way about how to renovate and how to organize events.

"We need to wear cheongsams and stand at the door to attract all the guests," Meiling said.

Sun Xiaoyan shook her head: "That would be too flashy."

"What's wrong with being flashy? Making money is the only truth. Look at Erhu's girls, aren't they all got great figures?"

"Aren't we a legitimate card and board game shop?"

"You can be serious even if you want to," Meiling laughed. "We're not doing anything else, just playing cards, pouring drinks, and chatting."

The next day, the two went to Erhu's shop.

The shop is small, with two storefronts combined to accommodate eight mahjong tables.

The renovation is alright, but there's a lot of dust.

Erhu left long ago, following Li Chun to develop in another place, supposedly to work on a big project.

Six beautiful women in cheongsams were already waiting in the shop.

Li Yan helped me choose them all; they're all incredibly beautiful.

The youngest is only nineteen years old, and the oldest is no more than twenty-five.

They come in all shapes and sizes, but they all share one thing in common: a slim waist and a pert bottom. When they wear a cheongsam, they are absolutely captivating.

Sun Xiaoyan looked around and got a sense of what was going on.

Meiling walked directly behind the counter, clapped her hands, and said, "Sisters, I'm your new manager. Our store is reopening today, and the rules are simple: play cards with the customers, pour drinks, chat, and make them happy. But don't cross the line. If anyone tries to solicit customers privately, don't blame me for being rude."

The six girls nodded in unison.

Then came the part about choosing a cheongsam.

Meiling took out her phone and showed several pictures: "I ordered it from a store; it was specially made."

Sun Xiaoyan leaned over to take a look and almost fainted.

Those cheongsams are way too over-the-top.

The neckline is so low it reaches the chest and the slit extends to the upper thigh; it's extremely tight, so much so that you could probably see the shape of the buttocks and crotch area if you wore it.

"Is this...is this wearable?" Sun Xiaoyan asked.

"Why can't you wear it? The more you wear it like this, the more customers will be willing to tip," Meiling said. "Don't worry, I've tried it. When you wear it, your breasts are fully exposed, and you can see your thighs directly. It's curvy and attractive, and it's pleasing to the eye."

Sun Xiaoyan remained silent for a few seconds before finally nodding.

The day the cheongsams arrived, the six girls put them on.

The effect was truly amazing.

The neckline was low, revealing her cleavage, and her waist was extremely slender, with her hips tightly wrapped.

When she stood at the door to greet guests, the men passing by stared in disbelief.

Mei-ling personally teaches how to get customers to give more tips.

"Your eyes should be alluring, but not too direct; they should have a touch of shyness," Meiling demonstrated, her eyes slightly narrowed and a smile playing on her lips. "Your movements should be bold, but also subtle. When pouring wine, bend down, and your collar will naturally loosen. When handing over the card, let your fingers brush against the guest unintentionally."

The six girls' eyes lit up as they studied diligently.

"It's okay for them to touch you," Meiling continued. "They can touch your breasts and legs all they want. If they try anything inappropriate, just call for help. We have bodyguards in our shop."

The four male bodyguards were brought in by Li Yan. They were all burly and imposing, and their presence at the door was quite intimidating.

Meiling nodded in satisfaction as she looked at the scene.

In the first few days after the new store opened, business was booming.

Erhu's shop used to be very popular, but now that it has changed its name and has a whole new group of beautiful female greeters, it has even more customers.

Sometimes there aren't enough mahjong tables, so guests would rather stand and wait.

Sun Xiaoyan's hands were sore from doing accounting every day.

Just from tea and tips, they can earn several thousand a day.

Meiling is very generous; she takes her employees out for hot pot and barbecue every few days.

The six girls ate happily and worked hard.

Li Yan came to visit a few times and patted Sun Xiaoyan on the shoulder: "Not bad, I thought you couldn't control yourself."

Sun Xiaoyan smiled but didn't say anything.

She knew it was all thanks to Meiling. Meiling was good at handling things, dealing with customers, and winning people over.

Within half a month, the shop became the most popular card and board game shop in the area.

With guests coming and going, Sun Xiaoyan got to know several regulars.

There was a building materials store owner who always asked Xiaoqin to play cards with him whenever he came.

Xiaoqin was the prettiest girl in the shop, with a large bust and wide hips; her breasts could barely be contained when she wore a cheongsam.

Her eyes were alluring, and her smile was enough to make anyone's legs go weak.

The boss would always call until late at night, and before leaving, he would slip Xiaoqin a few red bills.

Sun Xiaoyan saw it all but didn't think much of it.

That's normal. They work as companions; they only make money when someone pampers them.

But after she got off work that day, she noticed something was wrong.

It was already dark, the card and mahjong parlor was closing, and the six girls changed their clothes and went home.

Sun Xiaoyan locked the door and prepared to go to the convenience store across the street to buy a pack of cigarettes.

Just as I reached the alley entrance, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of my eye.

Xiaoqin, wearing a tight-fitting dress, linked arms with a man and slipped into the dark alley next door.

Sun Xiaoyan recognized the man; he was the owner of the building materials store.

She instinctively stopped and stood at the alley entrance, looking inside.

The alley was long and dark, with only a faint light at the end.

The two figures disappeared into the darkness.

Sun Xiaoyan frowned.

She stood there for a few seconds, feeling a little uncomfortable.

She wasn't sure if Xiaoqin was soliciting clients privately, but the time and place seemed very unusual.

She lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall to wait.

About twenty minutes later, there was movement in the alley.

Xiaoqin came out, her hair a little messy and the hem of her skirt a little wrinkled.

She appeared very composed, even taking out her phone to glance at it before walking away in her high heels.

Sun Xiaoyan stubbed out her cigarette and stared at her receding figure.

She was about to leave when she heard footsteps behind her.

Looking back, I saw Liu Meiling leaning against the door frame of the chess and card shop, smoking a cigarette, her eyes fixed on the alley.

The two women exchanged a glance in the darkness.

No one spoke.