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

Sun Xiaoyan held the few dozen yuan in her hand and stood for a while in the cold wind in the back alley of the fast food restaurant.

The sweat in my palms dampened the banknotes.

She took a breath and walked towards the street.

I need to find a place, a proper job, I can't keep washing dishes forever.

Washing dishes only earns a few dozen yuan a day, which is not enough, far from enough.

She walked along the street, her eyes scanning the shop signs on both sides.

The requirement for hiring waitresses was "good appearance," but after looking at her shabby clothes, she decided against it.

The job posting for a shop assistant required "local residency," which she did not have.

The requirement for hiring female factory workers was "a medical check-up," and she felt uneasy thinking about what had happened on the farm.

She walked and walked until she came to a crossroads, where she saw a rather large poster on the wall of an old building.

"High-paying job opening! Daily pay 300-800 RMB! No educational requirements! Room and board provided!"

Below that is smaller print: "Easy work, elegant environment, start working immediately after passing the interview."

Sun Xiaoyan's heart started beating a little faster.

Three hundred a day? Even three hundred is much better than washing dishes.

Room and board included... that's exactly what she needs right now.

She looked closer and saw an arrow at the bottom of the poster that read, "For the interview, please go to the second floor, room 202."

She hesitated for a moment, but still followed the arrow and walked into the old building.

The stairwell was dark and the paint was peeling off the walls.

She found room 202; the door was ajar, and she could hear someone making a phone call inside.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Wang, we'll arrange everything for you right away. Don't worry, they're all fresh off the press..."

Sun Xiaoyan knocked on the door.

"Come in!" a man's voice said.

She pushed the door open and went in.

The room wasn't big, with just a desk. A man in his thirties sat behind it, wearing a suit, but the fabric looked cheap.

The man's eyes lit up when he saw Sun Xiaoyan, but he quickly suppressed them.

"Applying for a job?" the man asked, looking her up and down.

"Hmm... I saw the posters outside..." Sun Xiaoyan said softly.

"Sit down, sit down." The man was very enthusiastic, gesturing to the chair opposite him. "We're short-staffed! The work is super simple—just serving dishes and drinks in a high-class club. You keep all the tips the customers give you. If you're lucky, you can easily make eight hundred or a thousand a day!"

Sun Xiaoyan was a little confused: "Waiting for dishes...can you earn that much?"

"Hey, girl, you don't understand," the man lowered his voice, "Our club is frequented by big bosses! Even a tiny bit of profit from them is enough for you to make. Plus, we provide room and board; the dorms are upstairs, and they're super clean!"

Sun Xiaoyan was tempted.

"So... what can I do?"

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!" The man slammed his hand on the table. "You have a good foundation, but your current outfit... needs a change. But it's okay, company policy dictates that new employees have to pay a 500 yuan deposit before starting work."

"A deposit?" Sun Xiaoyan was taken aback.

"Yeah, I'm afraid you'll run away after a couple of days, or damage the club's stuff," the man said matter-of-factly. "This money will be fully refunded after you've worked a full month! It's just a formality."

Sun Xiaoyan touched her chest; there were sixty-two in total.

"I...I don't have that much money," she said.

The man frowned. "Not even a little? Then this...this is a difficult situation for us."

Sun Xiaoyan panicked: "Brother, I really need a job. Can I take it for now and have it deducted from my salary?"

The man shook his head: "No, no, it's company policy, I can't do anything about it." He thought for a moment, "How about this, seeing that you're really struggling, you can pay whatever you can first, and I'll cover the rest for you. You can pay me back when you get your salary. How about that?"

Sun Xiaoyan looked at him and thought that this older brother was a really good person.

"I...I only have sixty-two pieces."

"Sixty-two it is!" The man waved his hand dismissively. "Here you go, I'll give you a receipt. Tomorrow, you'll come to work tomorrow, go straight to the club, I'll have someone show you around."

Sun Xiaoyan quickly took out all the crumpled sixty-two yuan in her hand and handed it over.

The man took the money without counting it, opened a drawer and stuffed it in, then casually tore off a piece of paper, wrote a few words, stamped it with a blurry red seal, and handed it to Sun Xiaoyan.

"Here you go, receipt. Come back here tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, and I'll take you to the club."

"Thank you, brother! Thank you!" Sun Xiaoyan clutched the paper tightly, as if it were a lifeline.

She walked out of the old building; it was already getting dark.

I felt a little uneasy, but also a little hopeful.

Tomorrow, I'll have a new job, and it even includes room and board.

She found a sheltered corner, squatted down, and decided to get through the night.

The next morning, before nine o'clock, Sun Xiaoyan was already waiting downstairs at the old building.

Nine o'clock, no one is here.

It's 9:30, and there's still no one there.

At 10 o'clock, the door to room 202 was locked.

Sun Xiaoyan's heart skipped a beat.

She knocked on the door hard, but no one answered.

An elderly woman from next door opened her door and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"Auntie, where's the person in room 202?"

"202? Is anyone here? This room has been empty for more than half a year!" After the old lady finished speaking, she slammed the door shut.

Sun Xiaoyan's legs went weak and she almost sat down on the ground.

She took out the "receipt" and examined it closely.

The paper had "Received 62 yuan" written crookedly, and the red stamp below it was completely illegible.

She was scammed.

The last bit of money I had was gone.

She stood in the cold wind, shivering, whether from the cold or from anger, it was hard to tell.

I've lost my job, I've lost all my money, where am I going to stay tonight? What am I going to eat?

Her mind went blank.

As she walked, she came to her senses and found herself back in that place.

That alley, those little "beauty and hair" shops with pink and red lights.

The air still smelled of that cheap perfume.

She stood at the entrance of the alley, too afraid to go in.

But if she doesn't go in, where can she go?

She thought of Meiling.

Mei-ling is in here.

She gritted her teeth, lowered her head, and walked into the alley.

She remembered the shop; it was called "Rongfa".

She walked to the entrance of "Rongfa" and looked inside through the glass door.

The room was dimly lit, and several women sat on the sofa, wearing very short skirts that exposed their thighs.

Then she saw Meiling.

Meiling sat near the door, wearing a black halter dress with a neckline so low that most of her breasts were visible.

She was wearing makeup, with bright red lips, and was tilting her head, talking to a man standing at the door smoking. She was laughing as she spoke and gently nudged him.

The man smiled and reached out to touch Meiling's leg.

Meiling didn't dodge; instead, she laughed even harder.

As Sun Xiaoyan watched, her heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by something.

She turned to leave.

"Xiaoyan?"

A voice came from behind.

Sun Xiaoyan froze.

Liu Meiling ran out of the hair salon and grabbed her: "It really is you! How did you find your way here?"

Sun Xiaoyan looked at Meiling, whose makeup was heavy, but whose eyes showed concern.

"I...I have nowhere to go." Tears streamed down Sun Xiaoyan's face as she spoke. "I've been swindled out of all my money..."

"Don't cry, don't cry, come in first!" Liu Meiling pulled her into the hair salon without saying a word.

The women in the hair salon all looked over.

A slightly plump woman in her forties sat behind the counter, sizing up Sun Xiaoyan.

"Sister Hong, this is my sister, Sun Xiaoyan," Liu Meiling said to the woman. "She has nowhere to go either, you see..."

Hongjie didn't say anything, but stood up, walked to Sun Xiaoyan, circled around her, and lingered on her chest and buttocks for a moment.

"Her basic features are alright," Sister Hong said, her voice a little hoarse, "but this outfit makes her look like a refugee."

"Sister Hong, she's capable, really!" Liu Meiling quickly said.

"Alright." Sister Hong nodded. "Meiling has already told you the rules, right? Room and board included, commission included. If you're willing, you can stay and give it a try."

Sun Xiaoyan opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Liu Meiling tugged at her and whispered, "Xiaoyan, there's no other way. Survive first."

Sun Xiaoyan looked at Meiling, then at the dimly lit room, and remembered the cold wind and hunger from last night.

She nodded.

"Ah, that's right!" Liu Meiling was delighted and pulled Sun Xiaoyan to the back. "Go wash up first, I'll find you some clothes."

There was a small shower room in the back. Liu Meiling brought out a sundress similar to the one she was wearing, made of very thin material.

"Put this on."

Sun Xiaoyan took a shower and changed into that dress.

The skirt was so tight it made it hard for her to breathe, and the bottom was so short she dared not bend over.

She came out, and Liu Meiling pulled her in front of the mirror.

"Come on, let me do your makeup."

Liu Meiling took out powder and lipstick and applied them to Sun Xiaoyan's face.

Sun Xiaoyan looked at herself in the mirror.

Her face was painted snow-white, her lips were blood-red, and the area around her eyes was also dark.

The woman in the mirror is a stranger.

"Alright!" Liu Meiling clapped her hands. "Look how beautiful it is!"

Sun Xiaoyan did not speak.

As darkness fell, the lights in the alley became even brighter.

Sun Xiaoyan was seated next to Liu Meiling.

She sat stiffly, unsure of what to do with her hands.

A man was peering out the door, his gaze sweeping back and forth between her and Liu Meiling.

"Sister Hong, is this the new one? What's the price?" a man asked, pointing at Sun Xiaoyan.

Sister Hong gave a number.

The man grinned, then pointed at Sun Xiaoyan: "She's the one, she looks new."

Sister Hong walked over and said to Sun Xiaoyan, "Get up and go to the back with him."

Sun Xiaoyan was trembling all over and didn't move.

Liu Meiling gently kicked her from below and whispered, "Xiaoyan, go ahead. It's always like this the first time, just bear with it. Think about it, you get paid and you have a place to stay."

Sun Xiaoyan slowly stood up.

Sister Hong led her and the man up to the attic and pushed open the door to a small cubicle.

There was only a narrow bed and a bedside lamp inside.

"Hurry up," Sister Hong said, then closed the door.

Only Sun Xiaoyan and the man reeking of alcohol remained in the cubicle.

The man pounced on him eagerly.

Sun Xiaoyan closed her eyes, her body stiff as a piece of wood.

She heard the sound of fabric tearing and felt unfamiliar, rough hands roaming over her body.

I have a lot of experience, but it still hurts.

The creaking of a wooden bed came from next door, along with a woman's exaggerated moans—it was Meiling.

Meiling's voice was so skilled, so...smooth.

Sun Xiaoyan's tears flowed down from her tightly closed eyes.

The man was moving on top of her, breathing heavily.

She bit her lip hard, trying not to make a sound.

After an unknown amount of time, the man stopped, pulled up his pants, and threw a few banknotes on the bed.

"Alright," the man said, then opened the door and left.

Sun Xiaoyan lay paralyzed on the bed, feeling sticky and uncomfortable all over.

She lay there for a while before slowly sitting up and picking up the banknotes.

One hundred yuan, two twenty yuan.

She put on the slightly torn and deformed sundress, clutched the money, and walked out of the cubicle.

Downstairs, Liu Meiling had just come out of another cubicle and was fixing her hair.

Liu Meiling saw her, walked over, looked at the money in her hand, and smiled: "Look, you've got money now."

Sun Xiaoyan raised her head and looked at Liu Meiling.

Liu Meiling's makeup was a little smudged, but her eyes were bright.

Sun Xiaoyan's tears welled up again.

Liu Meiling looked at her, and the smile on her face slowly disappeared.

The two stood there in the dimly lit hair salon, clutching the banknotes they had just earned, looking at each other.

No one spoke.

Tears welled up in their eyes.