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

The next morning, Xiaoqin arrived at work on time.

She was wearing a tight-fitting cheongsam with a very low neckline, revealing half of her white breasts.

As soon as she entered, she greeted several regular customers with a sweet smile.

Meiling leaned against the counter, a cigarette dangling from her lips, squinting at her.

"Good morning, Meiling." Xiaoqin walked over, put her bag behind the counter, and asked, "Any plans for today?"

"No, just do as usual." Meiling exhaled a puff of smoke. "Did that boss contact you again yesterday?"

Xiaoqin paused for a moment, her expression shifting, but she quickly regained her smile: "Ah, him? He just plays cards, nothing else."

Meiling smiled but didn't reply.

Throughout the day, Xiaoqin behaved normally.

She played cards, poured drinks, and chatted with the guests in the private room, occasionally letting them touch her hands, which made the men laugh out loud.

When business is good, I can collect nearly two hundred yuan in tips in one afternoon.

Meiling observed the situation from the doorway several times, but couldn't see anything wrong with it.

"How was it?" Sun Xiaoyan asked as the store closed for the night.

"I can't tell anything." Meiling shook her head. "This girl has two faces, one on stage and one off stage. She's quite good at pretending."

"So, should we go with it or not?"

"Follow her." Meiling stubbed out her cigarette. "We'll act tonight. I want to see what she's up to."

After getting off work, Xiaoqin carried her bag and walked towards the alley entrance.

Meiling told Xiaoyan to stay in the shop and watch the store, while she called two bodyguards and quietly followed them.

Xiaoqin walked out of the alley, took out her phone to check it, and then turned into the street next to it.

Meiling followed at a distance, keeping a block's distance.

Xiaoqin stopped after walking a short distance.

A black van was parked on the side of the road. The building materials boss leaned out of the window and waved to Xiaoqin.

Xiaoqin looked around, opened the car door, and got in.

The bread truck started and turned into a narrower alley.

Meiling waved for her bodyguards to follow. The three of them quickly caught up, and the bread truck stopped in the middle of the alley.

Xiaoqin and the building materials shop owner got out of the car and walked towards a three-story old building at the end of the alley.

It was a very old residential building; the cement on the exterior walls had crumbled, revealing the red bricks underneath.

The two entered the building, their footsteps echoing in the stairwell.

Meiling had one bodyguard stay downstairs while she and another person quietly followed them upstairs.

The footsteps stopped on the second floor. Meiling peeked out and saw Xiaoqin and the building materials store owner enter a room on the left. The door was ajar.

Meiling waved for her bodyguards to crouch down, and the two hid at the corner of the stairs, holding their breath to listen.

There was a noise inside, followed by a man's voice: "How much has your gambling husband lost this time?"

"Don't even mention it," Xiaoqin said in a low voice. "She's always yelling at people at home, complaining that I don't earn enough."

"You think you earn little? His tips alone are enough to keep him drinking for half a month," the building materials store owner said. "What have you thought about what I told you?"

"What is it?"

"Come with me. I'll rent you a place, and you can spend ten or fifteen days a month with me. I'll support you. Isn't that better than now?"

There was a moment of silence in the room, then Xiaoqin's voice came through, tinged with tears: "No, my daughter is still in his hands."

"That good-for-nothing is threatening you with your daughter?"

"He said that if I dared to run away, he would give my daughter to his mother and I would never see her again." Xiaoqin's voice grew softer and softer. "There's nothing I can do, there's really nothing I can do."

"So you plan to live like this for the rest of your life?"

"I'll just take it one day at a time."

The building materials store owner sighed, "Your life is fucking miserable."

"Hurry up," Xiaoqin suddenly said, "He'll come back soon and beat me again if he finds out."

The sound of creaking bed boards and suppressed breathing came from inside the room.

Meiling and her bodyguard exchanged a glance, neither of them speaking, and quietly squatted in the stairwell.

About half an hour later, there was a commotion inside the house.

The creaking of the bed stopped, followed by the sounds of zippers being pulled and clothes being straightened.

"Here you go." came the voice of the building materials shop owner.

Thanks.

Then came footsteps, the door opened, and the building materials shop owner came out.

He straightened his shirt collar, took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and walked downstairs without looking back.

Meiling and her bodyguard hid in the corner and only peeked out after he had gone far away.

Xiaoqin remained in the house.

Meiling thought about it and decided to continue waiting.

About ten minutes later, heavy footsteps came from the stairwell again, drunken and accompanied by cursing.

"Damn it, I'm having such bad luck today, I haven't won a single game." A man's voice came, rough and loud, with a strong smell of alcohol.

Meiling peeked out and saw a tall, thin man staggering upstairs.

He was wearing a dirty white tank top, had a tattoo on his arm, was carrying a bottle of liquor, and kept swearing.

This man is named Li Dafu, and he is Xiaoqin's husband.

Meiling pulled her head back, signaling the bodyguard to be quiet.

Li Dafu walked to the door and kicked it open: "Xiaoqin, I'm back!"

From inside came Xiaoqin's panicked voice: "Why did you drink so much?"

"None of your business! Where's the money? How much did you earn today?"

"Not many, business isn't good at the store."

"Bullshit!" Li Dafu's voice suddenly rose. "Do you think I'm stupid? Were you out soliciting customers again?"

"I don't!"

"No?" Li Dafu's voice became even more violent. "Then how much did you earn today? Show it to me!"

The sound of things being rummaged through came from inside the house, followed by the sound of things being smashed.

"Why are you going through my bag!" Xiaoqin screamed.

"Damn it, that's all?" Li Dafu's voice was full of anger. "Only eight hundred? Who the hell are you trying to fool!"

"That's really all!"

"Bullshit!" Li Dafu roared, followed by a crisp sound, which must have been a slap.

Xiaoqin started crying.

"Stop crying! Cry your mother's tears!" Li Dafu's voice was fierce. "What a bad day! I lost over three thousand, and you only gave me eight hundred. What can that do?"

"I...I've given you the whole tip."

"Tips?" Li Dafu sneered. "Eight hundred just for tips? You think I'm stupid? There's definitely more!"

There was another sound of things being rummaged through, then Li Dafu's voice rang out again: "Where did this five hundred come from? Tell me! Did you earn it by prostituting yourself?"

Xiaoqin didn't say anything, she just cried.

"Damn it, I'm asking you a question!" Another slap.

"It's...it's money I earned from prostitution," Xiaoqin finally admitted, her voice soft and filled with fear.

"That's more like it." Li Dafu's voice calmed down. "I like you this way, so obedient. From now on, you'd better give me at least a thousand every day. If you give me even a penny less, I'll break your legs."

"But the boss only gave me five hundred..."

"That's the price you negotiated with him!" Li Dafu's voice turned fierce again. "You're only worth five hundred? Won't you raise the price? Tell him eight hundred tomorrow, and if he doesn't agree, then don't serve him anymore!"

Xiaoqin cried even harder.

Meiling listened through gritted teeth in the stairwell, while her two bodyguards also frowned deeply.

"Um...where's our daughter?" Xiaoqin asked softly. "Where did you take her?"

"I gave it to my mom."

"What will happen to her schooling?"

"Don't worry about any of that, just focus on making money," Li Dafu said impatiently. "My mom will take care of her, why are you so concerned?"

"I want to see her..."

"Want to see her? Fine, give me twenty thousand yuan, and I'll let you see her." Li Dafu sneered. "Want to see your daughter without money? Dream on!"

Xiaoqin didn't say anything, she just cried.

"Alright, alright, stop crying. You're driving me crazy." Li Dafu's voice turned fierce again. "I'm going out to play cards. You should go to sleep early; you have to go to work tomorrow."

Footsteps sounded, and Li Dafu staggered out the door, knocking a wine bottle against the wall.

Meiling hid in the corner, watching Li Dafu stagger downstairs, muttering curses under his breath.

Once he was out of sight, Meiling straightened up and gave the bodyguard a wink.

The two arrived at Xiaoqin's house. The door was ajar, and suppressed sobbing could be heard from inside.

Meiling pushed open the door.

The room was dark, with only a dim yellow light.

Xiaoqin slumped to the ground, half her face swollen, her hair disheveled, and she was crying while covering her face.

When she saw Meiling come in, she suddenly looked up, her face full of shock and fear.

"Sister Mei... Sister Meiling?"

Meiling didn't say anything, but went into the house and looked around. The house was dilapidated, with peeling paint, old furniture, and empty bottles and cigarette butts piled up on the floor.

The bodyguards stood at the door, blocking the way out.

"You..." Xiaoqin stood up, her lips trembling, "Why are you here?"

Meiling looked at her, her voice cold: "I know everything about your affair with that building materials boss."

Xiaoqin's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"I...I didn't mean to." She took two steps back. "Sister Meiling, please let me explain..."

"Explain what?" Meiling interrupted her. "Showing off customers privately, and letting them take you to this awful place—what are you trying to do? Make the shop suffer because of you?"

"I didn't mean to," Xiaoqin said, her voice trembling with tears. "He insisted on picking me up after get off work today, and I had no choice."

"No way?" Meiling sneered. "What about yesterday? The day before? You go down that alley every day, do you think I don't know?"

Xiaoqin opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.