Diary of Getting Rich Quick in the South

I was completely stunned when I heard that.

I knew Ruan Dong was bold, but I didn't expect her to be this bold, to say something like that.

"Don't joke around, I'm not interested in that."

Ruan Dong laughed even harder, holding me tightly with her arm, and slowly moved forward.

"What are you joking about? My roommate is very easy to talk to. If you really ask her to come and keep you company, you won't lose out. Besides, don't you want to see how I'm different from her?"

I quickly waved my hand: "Forget it, I can't stand that scene, don't bother me."

"Shall we go to your place?" She turned her head and stared at me intently.

I turned my head away, not daring to look at her, and stammered, "My room is too messy, there's nowhere to sit."

Ruan Dong raised an eyebrow and hugged my arm even tighter: "So what if it's a bit messy? I don't care. It's just for one night anyway."

I didn't want to refuse again, so I lowered my head, hummed in agreement, and walked towards my rented room following the streetlights.

She held my arm the whole way, occasionally nuzzling my arm with hers, and kept teasing me with her words.

"When you were dealing with Liu Ming in the alley earlier, you were so steady and ruthless. Why do you chicken out when it comes to personal matters?"

I had nothing to say, so I just walked on in silence.

When I got to the building entrance downstairs, most of the hallway lights were broken, and it was pitch black.

I went inside and turned on the light. Ruan Dong sat down on the edge of the bed and took out the bag from the convenience store and threw it on the bedside table. I didn't dare to look in that direction.

She patted the empty seat next to her and gestured with her chin towards me: "Come sit down. Why are you hiding so far away? Do you think I'm going to eat you?"

I steeled myself and walked over. As soon as I sat down on the edge of the bed, she leaned against me, half of her body pressing against me.

I turned my head to look at her; the dim light from the streetlamp shone through the window and fell directly on her face.

"Can we get to work now?"

My Adam's apple bobbed, and for a moment I didn't know how to respond.

Seeing that I remained silent, she reached out and pinched my chin, turning my face to face her.

"Stop acting like a blockhead. You've already bought everything from the convenience store. Don't you know what you're going to do?"

My ears burned, so I quickly changed the subject: "Aren't you afraid your roommate will message you?"

"I told her a long time ago that I wouldn't be going back tonight, and she knows her place and won't ask around."

Ruan Dong's hand moved up my arm and onto my shoulder: "Don't think about anything else. It's just the two of us tonight, no one will bother us."

As soon as she finished speaking, she leaned in and rubbed her nose against my cheek.

I froze, made stiff by her close proximity, and instinctively moved to the side.

Seeing this, Ruan Dong didn't press me. She withdrew her hand and leaned against the headboard, the smile in her eyes fading slightly.

"Just kidding. You're so nervous, I wouldn't really mess with you."

As she spoke, she reached out and picked up the bag on the bedside table, then casually stuffed it into the back of the drawer, out of sight, out of mind.

I breathed a sigh of relief, forced a smile, and said, "You have no sense of propriety when it comes to jokes; you almost made me lose my temper."

"Who told you to be so wooden, with absolutely no sense of fun?"

Ruan Dong pouted, patted his bottom, got up, and started tidying up my room.

I leaned against the wall watching her busy herself. The evening breeze drifted in through the window, washing away the smell of smoke and alcohol that clung to me.

A thought inexplicably popped into my mind.

If only she weren't a PR person.

After clearing away the takeout boxes on the table, Ruan Dong wiped her hands and came back to sit down next to me.

"What are you looking at? Have you suddenly realized I'm quite the ideal wife and mother? Are you starting to feel something for me?"

I remained silent for a few seconds, then couldn't help but ask her, "Ruan Dong, why did you choose this profession in the first place?"

The joking on her face faded, and she didn't seem sad at all. Her tone was light and casual, as if she were talking about someone else.

"What else could it be? We're short of money. An elderly person in our family is sick, and we're burdened with medical expenses. We've tried to borrow money everywhere, but no one is willing to help."

"Later, I met someone who said he could help me make quick money. I was foolish enough to believe him and got tricked into signing a bunch of bad contracts. In the end, I had no choice but to stay and work at the venue."

"After being around for a while, you'll see things in a different light. You've seen a lot, and you've met all sorts of hypocritical men. You can only rely on yourself in everything. If you have something to hold over your hands, you won't be easily manipulated by others."

She spoke casually, but listening to her made me feel inexplicably choked up.

Just as I was about to say something, my phone in my pocket suddenly started buzzing incessantly.

I glanced down at the caller ID and saw it was Su Wan.

Why would she suddenly call me in the middle of the night?

Ruan Dong immediately sensed something was wrong and turned to look at me: "What happened? Who called?"

I forced a smile and hid my phone behind my back: "It's nothing, just a small matter."

She could easily tell that I was deliberately hiding something, but she didn't press me. She got up and picked up the plastic bag containing the trash from the table.

"It seems you have some personal matters to attend to, so I won't stay here and bother you any longer. I'll head back now."

Feeling a little guilty, I quickly stood up and said, "I'll walk you downstairs. There aren't many people on this road at night; it's not safe."

I walked silently to the side of the street and quickly hailed a ride-hailing car.

"Then I'll head back first. You should get some rest!" Ruan Dong looked at me with some reluctance.

"Yeah, you too. Be careful on the road, and let me know when you get home safely," I whispered to her.

Ruan Dong nodded, bent down and got into the car, and slid the window down halfway.

She waved gently at me, the car slowly started moving, and soon turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

To be honest, Ruan Dong is a really good girl. She's resourceful and straightforward.

But we are ultimately from two different worlds.

She has been involved with all sorts of men for years, and is outgoing and bold. I, on the other hand, have always been conservative at heart, and there are certain boundaries that I can never cross.

I turned around and walked back to the rented room, sat on the bed, and called Su Wan back.

As soon as the call connected, Su Wan's suppressed sobs came through the receiver, her voice trembling with sobs.

My heart tightened, and I quickly asked her, "Sister Wan, what's wrong? Why are you calling so late? What happened?"

Su Wan spoke, her voice choked with emotion.

"The police station just called me and said they can pick up your cousin's body tomorrow. Wang Long... he can be taken home for burial."

Can we take the body home now?

I stood up excitedly: "Really? That's wonderful! That's fantastic!"

If my aunt and uncle knew, they would be so happy.

"Sister Wan, don't cry. I'll go to the police station with you tomorrow and we'll handle all the procedures together."

Su Wan choked back a sob and hummed in agreement.

I thought for a moment, changed my coat, picked up my keys, and said, "You wait at home. I'll come over and keep you company for a while. We'll deal with the aftermath together when it's light."

After hanging up the phone, I quickly went downstairs and hailed a taxi on the street.

Twenty minutes later, I knocked on Su Wan's door.

As soon as the door opened, she could only see herself behind the door, her eyes red and swollen, her face covered in tears.

He was still wearing a men's jacket that his cousin used to wear, and he looked so thin that he looked like he could be pushed over at any moment.

Seeing her wearing my cousin's clothes made my throat tighten.

Even after all this time, she still can't let go of her cousin.