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

Two days later, Liu Meiling's buttock injury had almost healed; the redness and swelling had subsided, and she was able to sit and lie down again.

Sun Xiaoyan has received quite a few customers these past few days.

She's stopped counting them now; there are always some, sometimes three or four, sometimes five or six.

She found herself feeling nothing.

It still hurts a little, but it's not that bad.

The customer pays, she collects the money, and hands it over to Sister Hong, who keeps the accounts and distributes the money.

It's similar to eating and drinking.

She really did become a prostitute. She knew it in her heart.

Late that night, the hair salon closed.

On the hard bed in the back room, Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling squeezed together.

There was only one small yellow light bulb in the room, making the light dim.

Liu Meiling was holding a wad of cash in her hand, counting it with her head down, spitting out a few coins with her fingers.

"One hundred, two hundred, three hundred... two thousand eight, two thousand nine, three thousand five!" Liu Meiling looked up, her eyes shining like light bulbs. "Xiaoyan, three thousand five! A full three thousand five!"

Sun Xiaoyan leaned against the wall and hummed in agreement.

Most of the 3,500 yuan was what Liu Meiling earned after being beaten that day; the rest was what the two of them had saved up from working as prostitutes over the past few days.

Sister Hong said that the money belonged to them.

"With this money, we can move out!" Liu Meiling sat up excitedly, the thin blanket slipped down, revealing half of her breast, but she didn't pull it back up. "This place is so cramped and damp, let's rent a place and go solo! I've heard that going solo earns more money, Sister Hong takes too much of the cut."

Sun Xiaoyan remained silent, her eyes fixed on the dark outside the window.

"Hey, did you hear me?" Liu Meiling nudged her.

"I heard you," Sun Xiaoyan said.

"You're unhappy because I heard that?" Liu Meiling leaned closer. "Three thousand five hundred! That's enough for us to live it up for a while! Or..." she lowered her voice, her eyes gleaming, "Let's use this money as capital to find a bigger place and gamble! If we win, it won't be three thousand anymore, it'll be thirty thousand, three hundred thousand!"

Sun Xiaoyan's heart skipped a beat.

Gambling? She thought of the village, of Guo Daqiang, of all the money she had lost, and of what happened afterward.

"Meiling, let's forget about it." Her voice was a little dry. "Gambling... never ends well."

"Oh dear, why are you still such a coward!" Liu Meiling pouted. "Before, we didn't have any capital, but now we do! Three thousand five hundred is enough for a few big games! Win and leave, know when to quit while you're ahead!"

Sun Xiaoyan opened her mouth, as if to say something.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Knock knock knock".

The sound wasn't loud, but it was quite clear in the quiet night.

Liu Meiling quickly pulled the blanket up to cover her body, and Sun Xiaoyan also sat up straight.

"Who is it?" Liu Meiling asked.

"It's me, Sister Hong." Sister Hong's slightly hoarse voice came from outside the door.

Liu Meiling got out of bed, put on her slippers, and went to open the door.

Sister Hong stood at the door, not coming in, with a cigarette between her fingers.

"Still not asleep?" Sister Hong exhaled a puff of smoke, her eyes scanning the room before settling on the money in Liu Meiling's hand.

"I was just getting ready to sleep, Sister Hong," Liu Meiling said with a smile.

"There's work to be done," Sister Hong said bluntly. "That customer from last time, the one who made you rest for several days, he's back again."

Liu Meiling's eyes lit up: "He's looking for me again?"

"Yes, he specifically asked for you," Sister Hong said. "But this time, he wants two people."

"Two people?" Liu Meiling was taken aback.

"Yes, for two." Sister Hong flicked her cigarette ash. "He offered five thousand. The requirements are: two people, both must be wearing skirts, and underneath..." Sister Hong paused, "nothing underneath. The game is a bit more perverted than last time."

Five thousand.

Liu Meiling's breathing became heavy.

Sun Xiaoyan sat on the bed, her fingers gripping the blanket tightly.

"Sister Hong, I..." Sun Xiaoyan wanted to refuse.

"Xiaoyan is coming too." Without looking at her, Sister Hong said directly to Liu Meiling, "The customer specifically asked for both of you. Five thousand, cash payment. Are you going or not? If not, I'll find someone else."

"Go! Of course I'll go!" Liu Meiling answered eagerly, then turned to Sun Xiaoyan, "Xiaoyan, five thousand! We can each get more than two thousand! We've been working here for so long!"

Sun Xiaoyan looked at her excited face, then at Sister Hong at the door with a blank expression.

She knew she had no choice.

"Mmm." She lowered her head, her voice very soft.

"Okay, it's settled then." Sister Hong threw her cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out. "Hurry up and get ready, put on some makeup, and change your dress. The guests' driver will be here soon and will be waiting for you at the door."

After saying that, Sister Hong turned and left.

The door closed.

Liu Meiling turned around, her face beaming with barely suppressed laughter: "Xiaoyan, did you hear that? Five thousand! Five thousand!"

Sun Xiaoyan didn't laugh. She slowly raised her head and looked out the window.

Outside the window was a dark street, several streetlights were broken, and there was only a little light at the far end of the alley.

Just before Sister Hong knocked on the door, she seemed to see that figure again.

It flashed past the street across the street outside the window and disappeared into the dark alley.

The way he walked, his short and stocky build...

"Meiling," Sun Xiaoyan's voice trembled slightly, "I think I just... saw that person again."

"Who is it?" Liu Meiling was rummaging through her skirt without turning her head.

"It's... the one I saw by the window a couple of nights ago." Sun Xiaoyan swallowed. "I think... I think he looks like the farm owner, Old Ma."

Liu Meiling paused her rummaging.

She turned around and looked at Sun Xiaoyan: "You must be mistaken. The provincial capital is so big, how could he possibly have found this place?"

"But it really looks like it..." Sun Xiaoyan hugged her knees tightly.

"So what if it looks like him?" Liu Meiling walked over and patted her on the shoulder. "Even if it really is him, what can he do? This is the provincial capital, not his run-down farm. If he dares to do anything reckless, we'll call for help and the police."

She spoke casually, but Sun Xiaoyan noticed a flicker in her eyes.

"Hurry up, stop dawdling." Liu Meiling pulled her up. "Put on your makeup, change your clothes. Five thousand yuan is waiting for you, don't overthink it."

The two began applying makeup.

Pressed powder, lipstick, eyeliner.

The face in the mirror grew paler and paler, while the lips grew redder and redder.

Liu Meiling found two skirts, both short and made of very thin material.

She handed Sun Xiaoyan a black one, and kept a red one for herself.

"Put it on," she said.

Sun Xiaoyan took the dress, her fingers touching the cold fabric.

She took off her old T-shirt and shorts and put on the black dress.

The skirt was so short it reached the top of her thighs, and the neckline was so low that you could see her cleavage.

The material is thin and clings to the body, making it clear that nothing is being worn underneath.

Liu Meiling had also changed into her red dress, and wiggled her hips in front of the mirror: "Not bad. Let's go."

The two walked out of the back room, through the quiet hair salon, and arrived at the door.

A black sedan was parked outside; it didn't look new, but it was cleaner than the taxi.

The driver's side window rolled down, and a man in his forties leaned out, glanced at them, and his eyes swept over them, lingering particularly on their chests and legs for a long time.

"Did Sister Hong call him?" the man asked, his voice a little rough.

"Okay." Liu Meiling stepped forward, opened the car door, and got in first.

Sun Xiaoyan then sat in the back row.

There was a faint smell of smoke and perfume in the car.

The driver started the car and drove onto the road.

He glanced at them several times in the rearview mirror, then grinned and said, "You two beauties, aren't you cold dressed so lightly?"

"It's cold," Liu Meiling replied with a laugh. "Is it warm in your car, brother?"

"Hehe, it's quite warm." The driver glanced at the rearview mirror again. "Where are you guys... going to work?"

"The hotel," Liu Meiling said naturally. "Brother, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time picking us up?"

"Yes, the boss called it at the last minute," the driver said. "Do you...take these kinds of jobs often?"

"That depends on how much money you have." Liu Meiling leaned forward, resting her hand on the back of the passenger seat. "For something like today, if the money's too much, we'll take it. Big brother, if you want to hang out with us next time, you can just go to 'Rongfa' and find Sister Hong. Just tell her my name, Meiling, and I'll give you a discount."

The driver laughed heartily: "Alright, Meiling, right? I'll remember that."

"This is my sister, Xiaoyan," Liu Meiling said, pointing to Sun Xiaoyan.

The driver glanced at Sun Xiaoyan again in the rearview mirror: "Xiaoyan, you don't talk much, do you?"

Sun Xiaoyan lowered her head and remained silent.

"She's shy," Liu Meiling said, trying to smooth things over. "Big brother, please take good care of her."

"Sure, sure." The driver joked with Liu Meiling as he drove, and his words became more and more explicit and vulgar.

Liu Meiling didn't mind at all; on the contrary, she would chime in and sometimes even flirt with him.

Sun Xiaoyan listened, watching the streets and neon lights rushing past the window.

Her mind was in turmoil.

Old Ma's figure, five thousand yuan, Liu Meiling chatting and laughing beside him, and this lecherous driver.

It all felt like an absurd dream.

The car drove for more than twenty minutes before stopping in front of a hotel.

The hotel wasn't large; a neon sign flashed the words "Yuelai Hotel," and a yawning doorman stood at the entrance.

"We're here." The driver stopped the car. "The boss is in room 308. Just go up there."

"Thank you, brother." Liu Meiling opened the car door and got out first.

Sun Xiaoyan also got off the bus.

A night breeze blew, and she shivered.

The skirt was too thin; the wind blew directly onto my legs, making me feel chilly.

She looked up at the hotel entrance, then looked back in the direction she had come from.

The streets were dimly lit, with the streetlights flickering on and off.

Suddenly, she thought she saw a person standing in the shadows on the opposite street corner.

He wasn't very tall, but he was a bit stocky, and he was looking this way.

Sun Xiaoyan's heart clenched suddenly.

"Meiling..." she called softly.

"What's wrong?" Liu Meiling was adjusting her skirt.

"There seems to be someone over there," Sun Xiaoyan said, pointing to the opposite street corner.

Liu Meiling looked in the direction she was pointing.

The shadows were empty; there was no one there.

"You must have seen wrong." Liu Meiling tugged at her. "Hurry up, don't keep the guests waiting."

Sun Xiaoyan was pulled by her and walked towards the hotel entrance.

After taking a couple of steps, she couldn't help but look back again.

The street corner was still empty.

Could it be that she really misread it?

The two walked under the neon lights at the hotel entrance. The red light shone on them, making their dresses appear even thinner and revealing their body curves.

The doorman glanced at them with a strange look in his eyes, but didn't say anything.

Liu Meiling took a deep breath and lifted her foot to walk into the revolving door.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

"Feed".

The sound wasn't loud, but it was quite clear in the quiet night.

It was a man's voice.

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling both froze.

The two slowly turned around.