Diary of Getting Rich Quick in the South

Those words made me so angry I almost got into an argument with her on the spot.

But then I thought, arguing with her would be a complete waste of time.

She already disliked me, and saying these things was deliberately trying to hit a nerve. When I lost my temper, it just did her a favor.

I forced down my anger and said in a low voice, "Su Wan isn't that kind of person."

Zhang Qiang's godmother gave me a once-over and sneered, "No way? She's already in a private room entertaining the boss, and you're still here protecting her. The day she hooks up with a rich boss and dumps you, you'll realize how ridiculous you are. Sister-in-law? More like mistress!"

After saying that, she shook off my arm and led the group of girls toward the staff rest room.

The clattering of those high heels on the floor only annoyed me more.

People were coming and going in the corridor, and the sounds of my colleagues laughing and joking were piercing my ears, but I couldn't hear a thing. My mind was filled with the image of Su Wan in the private room earlier.

I refuse to believe the nonsense this old woman is spouting.

A few days ago, Su Wan clearly assured me that she had completely resigned and was focusing on live streaming from home, and I genuinely believed her at the time.

Two thoughts popped into my head.

Either she doesn't earn enough from live streaming to cover her daily expenses, forcing her to come and socialize.

Either she still remembers the debt from before and secretly came here to make quick money to pay it off.

The thought of the second possibility made my heart ache and feel heavy.

Zhao Hongqi had long ago written off the money we owed him, but I never dared to tell Su Wan the truth.

Instead, she had to shoulder the pressure alone and plunge back into this chaotic place.

Ultimately, it's my fault.

"Chen An, what are you standing there daydreaming about? The kitchen has prepared some late-night snacks, let's go grab some."

Ma Wencai walked over and patted me on the shoulder.

Seeing my grim expression, she glanced at her godmother who had walked away and asked in a low voice, "Did you have a fight with her just now? Why do you look so upset?"

I forced a smile and shook my head, not wanting to gossip about Su Wan's private affairs, so I casually replied, "It's nothing, just a small personal matter."

Ma Wencai was sensible and didn't press the matter further. He took out a cigarette and handed it to me, saying, "Don't take it to heart. That old woman has a sharp tongue and can't stand seeing others have any ideas. You can't take half of what she says seriously."

I lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, but the smoke couldn't dispel the gloom in my heart.

"By the way, you know that woman in V806, right? I glanced at her from outside and noticed you seemed off when you saw her. Your relationship seems more than just friendship!"

Ma Wencai suddenly remembered Su Wan in the private room and asked in a low voice.

I paused for a moment, then replied in a low voice, "They're family."

I didn't dare say it was Su Wan. Although I had never met Ma Wencai, I knew he was my cousin-in-law just by hearing his name.

"No wonder Brother Qiang and that godmother were staring at you earlier, turns out they're acquaintances."

Ma Wencai suddenly realized, sighed, and advised me: "This kind of place is a mixed bag. Don't let her come here as often as possible. Today, this Mr. Liu was relatively well-behaved. If it were an unreasonable customer, she would have been bullied. Don't think that rich people are cultured. They are just good at hiding it."

I nodded, determined to catch Su Wan and get to the bottom of things once I was done here.

I only came to my senses when the cigarette burned so badly that the filter was hot enough to burn my fingertips, and then I prepared to go back to check on the private room.

After walking a few steps, I bumped into Zhang Qiang walking towards me from the V806 direction.

Half of his hair was still stained with alcohol, and the water stains on his face hadn't been wiped off. He looked extremely disheveled.

When he saw me, his expression was complicated, and the enthusiasm he had shown in trying to please me earlier had faded considerably.

I guess he was humiliated by being splashed with wine in public by General Manager Liu, and he's holding a grudge.

As they passed each other, he stopped and hesitated for a long time before speaking: "I'm sorry about what happened in the private room earlier. I wanted to stay and help you find out about Su Wan, but President Liu has powerful connections, and he wouldn't let me stay. I didn't dare to offend him."

When he said that to me, it was clear that he really wouldn't make things difficult for me anymore, or at least he considered me someone he couldn't afford to offend.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have specifically said that to me.

He gave me face, so naturally I will give him face in return.

I said gratefully, "Thanks, Brother Qiang!"

Zhang Qiang rubbed the remaining alcohol off his face, then hesitated before speaking: "By the way, Su Wan isn't here to work. Don't overthink it. Although I didn't hear much, I did catch a few words. She and President Liu already know each other."

Hearing this made me feel a great sense of relief.

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. If she were to start working, she would definitely come with Zhang Qiang's godmother. Today, she was clearly a last-minute visitor.

But the thought of Mr. Liu's greasy and disgusting appearance made me uneasy.

I looked up at Zhang Qiang and said, "Brother Qiang, can I not go check on the work in the private rooms for now?"

Zhang Qiang raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

A few seconds later he realized: "Are you afraid that Su Wan will see you working here? Doesn't she know you work here?"

I nodded, unsure how to explain.

It wouldn't be appropriate to tell him directly that Su Wan dislikes people who frequent nightclubs; saying that in front of Zhang Qiang would be inappropriate.

It's even more inappropriate to say that she disapproves of me associating with these people while she herself comes to drink and socialize with them; saying that would make her seem hypocritical.

Having spent so much time in this kind of place, Zhang Qiang is quick-witted and immediately saw through my predicament. He patted my shoulder and said, "Okay, I'll remember that. It won't count as you being absent from work."

I thanked him, turned around and went to the lounge to change out of my waiter uniform and into my own casual clothes.

I didn't leave immediately; I stayed at the door of VIP room V806, feeling uneasy.

Mr. Liu and his friends didn't look like nice guys. There was only Su Wan in the private room, and I was afraid they would take the opportunity to make things difficult for her.

Many of my colleagues at the store saw me change into casual clothes and loitering around the entrance to the private room. They were all a little confused, but didn't dare to go up and talk to me.

From the way they looked at me, I could tell they were probably thinking that I had just received a tip of over a thousand yuan, and now they were deliberately waiting at the door to curry favor with customers and make more money.

I couldn't be bothered to explain to them, so I just pretended I didn't see it.

Every now and then, he would peek through the crack in the door to see what was happening inside the private room, not daring to go far for even a moment.

Even in the dim light, the scene inside was clearly visible.

Su Wan was seated in the center of the private room, holding a glass of red wine. She sat upright, exuding a sense of restraint.

Mr. Liu and his three friends sat down close to her on either side, the four big men surrounding her.

Especially General Manager Liu, whose arm was almost constantly pressed against Su Wan's body, creating a strong sense of pressure.

The group kept telling dirty jokes, their eyes lingering on Su Wan, blatantly scrutinizing her.

I suppressed the urge to push the door open and rush in, and patiently watched the movements inside.

"Mr. Liu, could you please show some respect? I'm here to discuss business, not to play along with your nonsense."

Su Wan sat there awkwardly, trying to keep a safe distance from President Liu and the others as much as possible.

The next second, Mr. Liu's arrogant laughter rang out.

"Respect? Su Wan, you're talking to me about respect? Do you think your husband Wang Long is still alive?"

"Yes, when Wang Long was around, I didn't dare do anything to you, but now that he's gone!"

"When you were desperate and borrowing money everywhere to make ends meet, why didn't you talk to me about respect?"

"I'm offering you two drinks and a song with me, and you're talking to me about respect?"

"If I don't respect you, I'll give you a good beating, you believe me?"