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

"Hey beautiful," the man called again, taking two steps forward but keeping his distance, "I've seen you loitering around this alley for ages. Making those calls, are you looking for a place to rent?"

Sun Xiaoyan didn't say anything, but subconsciously moved closer to Liu Meiling.

This man looks... a little different from the others.

His gaze wasn't so intense, and he wasn't staring directly at their chests or buttocks.

Liu Meiling sized him up and said, "Yes, I'm looking for a place. Who are you? Do you have a place to rent?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The man nodded hurriedly, his tone a little anxious. "I happen to have an apartment to rent around here. I've seen you've been looking around for a long time, you must not have found anything suitable, right? My apartment is nice, and the price is negotiable."

"How much is it per month?" Liu Meiling asked directly.

"Well... let's go take a look at the house first, then we'll talk. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!" The man rubbed his hands together. "Come on, come on, I'll take you there. It's not far, just that building up ahead."

Sun Xiaoyan tugged at Liu Meiling's sleeve and whispered, "Meiling, be careful."

Liu Meiling glanced at her, then at the man.

The man's eyes looked quite sincere, and... he seemed genuinely only concerned about whether the house could be rented out.

"Okay, let's go take a look." Liu Meiling made her decision.

The man happily led the way.

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling followed behind, keeping a distance of two or three meters.

After crossing two streets, the man stopped in front of a fairly new-looking high-rise residential building.

"Right here, on the top floor," the man pointed upwards.

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling looked up.

This building is much more impressive than the old residential buildings they had seen before.

After taking the elevator to the top floor, the man took out his key and opened the door of an apartment.

When the door opened, Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling were both stunned.

It's very big and very bright inside.

The floor-to-ceiling windows let in direct sunlight, making the floor so shiny it reflects light like a mirror.

The living room is spacious enough to run in, and the furniture looks new, simple and elegant.

This was not the kind of shared single room they had inquired about on the phone, nor even a regular two-bedroom apartment.

"This...this is your house?" Liu Meiling stammered.

"Yes," the man nodded, "How is it? Not bad, right? A spacious 200-square-meter apartment."

Sun Xiaoyan's throat was dry. She tugged at Liu Meiling: "Meiling, this...this is too expensive for us. Let's go."

"Yes, yes, yes," Liu Meiling also realized, and pulled Sun Xiaoyan to leave, "Big brother, this house is too nice, we can't afford it, you should find someone else."

"Hey, hey, don't rush off!" The man quickly stopped them, a troubled look on his face. "Well... to tell you the truth..."

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling stopped and looked at him.

The man sighed, "This house is mine. I... I'm divorced and live alone. I also have a younger brother who's in high school. I'm all alone, working and taking care of the family, I just can't manage it all."

He looked at Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling: "I see that you two... don't seem to be having an easy time either. Let me be frank, I'm not really looking to rent a place, I'm looking for someone to help take care of the house, cook, and clean. My younger brother also needs someone to get him some food."

"A nanny?" Liu Meiling asked.

"Yes, yes, that's right, a nanny/housekeeper." The man nodded. "Room and board included, you'll live here. Salary... I'll give you eight thousand a month, how about that? I can get an advance on the first month's payment."

As he spoke, he actually pulled out a wad of cash from his bag.

The banknotes were brand new, bound with the kind of white paper strips used by banks.

Sun Xiaoyan's eyes widened instantly.

Eight thousand? An advance?

Liu Meiling was also stunned.

These conditions... are too good to be true.

"Why are you looking for us?" Liu Meiling stared at him. "There are so many people on the street."

The man gave a wry smile: "I've been observing you for a while. You genuinely want to find a place to settle down, you're not the kind of... shady characters. And you don't seem very old, you should get along with my brother. My brother's a bit introverted, doesn't talk much, but he's a good person. What do you think? Consider it?"

He took out two printed, simple contracts and pointed to a door next to the living room: "That's your room, with a private bathroom. You can take a look."

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling exchanged a glance.

Liu Meiling walked over and pushed open the door.

Inside was a spacious bedroom with two single beds, the sheets and duvet covers of which were clean and plain.

There is also a fairly large bathroom with shiny tiles, and it has a water heater, toilet, and shower.

It's so much better than Sister Hong's hair salon back room, the driver's hard bed, and the dilapidated room in the farm... It's countless times better.

Sun Xiaoyan's heart was pounding.

A clean, bright, and private space. And there's money to be made.

Liu Meiling walked back, looked at Sun Xiaoyan, and asked her with her eyes: Do you want to do it?

Sun Xiaoyan bit her lip, looked at the stack of money, then at the bright, large house, and finally nodded.

"Let's do it," Liu Meiling said to the man.

"Great!" The man breathed a sigh of relief, handing over the contract and pen. "Sign here. You can keep the money for now."

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling took the pen and signed their names on the contract.

The handwriting is crooked and messy, but each stroke is written with great care.

The man put away one contract and handed them the other along with the eight thousand yuan: "From today onwards, you'll be living here. There's plenty of food and meat in the fridge, help yourselves. My brother is coming home tonight, so please cook dinner for him. My surname is Chen, you can just call me Brother Chen."

"Brother Chen," Liu Meiling called out.

"Hey." Brother Chen smiled. "Then you guys pack up first and get familiar with things. I have some errands to run, I'll be back for dinner tonight."

Brother Chen is gone.

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling stood in the spacious and bright living room, clutching the eight thousand yuan in their hands, feeling like they were dreaming.

"Xiaoyan, we...we've hit the jackpot?" Liu Meiling whispered.

"I don't know..." Sun Xiaoyan looked at the money in her hand, "but... it's better than having nowhere to live."

The two put their luggage in the bedroom and then walked around the house.

The kitchen is large, and the refrigerator is full of all kinds of ingredients.

When Sun Xiaoyan opened the refrigerator, her eyes glazed over again.

There's so much food, use it as you like.

"What should we do tonight?" Liu Meiling asked.

"Let's cook a few simple home-style dishes," Sun Xiaoyan said. "Braised pork? Scrambled eggs with tomatoes? And a vegetable soup?"

"OK."

In the evening, Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling were busy in the kitchen.

The pots, pans, and utensils are all new and easy to use.

Around six o'clock, the door opened.

Brother Chen is back, followed by a tall, thin boy with a backpack, head down, who looks about sixteen or seventeen years old.

"Xiao Hui, call her 'sister'," Brother Chen said to the boy.

The boy looked up, glanced quickly at Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling, then lowered his head and whispered, "Hello, sisters."

"Hello." Sun Xiaoyan wiped her hands somewhat awkwardly.

"Dinner's almost ready, wash your hands and eat," Liu Meiling called out.

The food is served.

Braised pork belly, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried bok choy, and a seaweed and egg drop soup.

They were all home-style dishes, but they were steaming hot and had a wonderful aroma.

Brother Chen and his younger brother Xiao Hui sat down.

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling stood to the side, without moving.

"Why are you standing? Sit down and eat with us," Brother Chen invited them.

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling exchanged a glance, then slowly pulled out chairs and sat down.

Four people were eating around a table.

Brother Chen picked up a piece of braised pork, took a bite, and nodded: "Hmm, it tastes good. Xiao Hui, eat more."

Xiao Hui ate in silence, but he picked up food quickly.

Liu Meiling also tasted the dish she had cooked and breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, it wasn't a complete disaster.

The dining table was quiet, with only the clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

But this quiet was different from the oppressive quiet I had experienced in the hair salon, at the driver's house, and at the farm.

It's a kind of... reassuring quiet.

Sun Xiaoyan ate her meal in small bites, her eyes feeling a little hot.

It had been a long time since she had sat at a clean table and enjoyed a hot meal that she had prepared herself with her "family."

Although Brother Chen and Xiao Hui are not her real family.

But at this moment, her heart was filled with something long forgotten, something called "hope".

After finishing the meal, Liu Meiling insisted on washing the dishes.

Sun Xiaoyan helped tidy up the table.

Chen Ge and Xiao Hui were watching TV on the living room sofa.

The sound of news reports echoed in the room.

That night, Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling lay on their clean, soft single beds.

The city lights outside the window were bright, and the sound of traffic could be faintly heard.

"Meiling," Sun Xiaoyan whispered in the darkness, "can we...start over?"

Liu Meiling was silent for a moment, then said, "Maybe. Let's get this job done first."

Neither of them spoke again.

Night was falling.