Chapter 4

Thinking that I still owed Wang Li three thousand yuan, I was even more afraid to spend money in the hospital.

The silly girl tried to persuade me for a long time but found it was useless, so she didn't persist. Sister Ling had already helped us ask for leave, and the silly girl wanted to treat me to a meal to thank me.

I didn't really want to agree to eat, but thinking about it, it was better to settle things clearly. So, I'll take it as a thank-you gift, and after that, I didn't want to have any more interactions with her.

Through our conversation, I learned that this silly girl was named Su Xueyan and was actually a student, but she was already an adult, otherwise, Sister Ling probably wouldn't have dared to take her in. Her family conditions weren't very good, so she would work part-time during her free time. It was mainly because the wages at the KTV were relatively high and there were tips. What she didn't expect was that the waters at the KTV were sometimes very deep, especially in our small place, where the heavens were high and the emperor was far away.

However, I heard Su Xueyan say that Sister Ling was quite strict about this matter and didn't allow guests or others to bully people in her shop. It was precisely because of Sister Ling's existence that Su Xueyan dared to work part-time at this KTV.

"What are your plans for the future?" We sat opposite each other in a restaurant, and I spoke first.

"What plans could I have? You already know about my family. I really need this job, and my sister's grades are also very good now. If I went to other places, I wouldn't be able to earn this much money at all!" Su Xueyan said helplessly.

"But with what happened with Wang Li today, I'm afraid it won't be easy in the future!" I was a bit worried in my heart. Honestly, I even had the thought of running away directly, but Wang Li could find where I lived, so even if I ran, I had no way. But this silly girl was different.

"It's fine, I have Sister Ling to protect me, and I have you!" When Su Xueyan mentioned me, her face flushed slightly. She looked at me and then hurriedly lowered her head.

Because we were sitting directly opposite each other, it was convenient for me to look at Su Xueyan. Only then did I discover that Su Xueyan was actually quite pretty. Although she didn't have the temperament of Sister Ling, she was also very pure and cute. Comparing the two, I felt even more inferior.

"Me? Protect you? You're overthinking it. It's good enough if I don't cause trouble. I'm just a useless piece of trash!" I mocked myself. Thinking of Wang Li's matter, I felt very desperate. I couldn't imagine that the days ahead would probably be even more miserable.

"That's not true, I believe in you, you definitely can!" Su Xueyan gave me confidence, looking at me firmly, while reaching out to grab my hand.

I suddenly subconsciously pulled away from Su Xueyan's hand as if electrocuted. My face felt hot, and my heart was even more cowardly. I gritted my teeth and shouted, "I don't believe it. In the future, you should just pray for your own luck and don't come to bother me again!"

After saying that, I didn't pay any attention to Su Xueyan's reaction and hurriedly ran out.

I returned to where I lived. This place was left behind by Sister Shuang years ago. The house wasn't big, only two rooms, very narrow. But now, only I was left. After Sister Shuang left, she had never returned. During this time, I occasionally sent text messages and called, but no one replied. Sister Shuang had disappeared as if she had evaporated from the human world.

As usual, I took out the Nokia I had been using for many years and sent a text message to Sister Shuang, asking when she would be back.

However, unlike usual, this time I actually received a reply. Seeing the reply, I was extremely excited and pleasantly surprised. I stared at the phone carefully for a long time before clicking on it.

But seeing the content of the message, my heart was even more pleasantly surprised. Sister Shuang said she would be back in a while and told me to take good care of myself and study hard.

Seeing "study," I felt very panicked. Originally, I should have been in my third year of high school like Su Xueyan, but the tuition and living expenses Sister Shuang gave me had long been squandered by me. Now, I was not a student at all.

I stared at the message for a long time, not daring to reply. I didn't know how to speak to Sister Shuang.

After thinking for a whole night, I decided to make something of myself. Since I couldn't go to school, if I continued to be an ordinary bottom-of-the-social-ladder hoodlum, I would definitely be looked down upon by Sister Shuang. I decided to become strong, to stand out, and to make Sister Shuang look at me with admiration when she returned.

The next morning, as if I had been injected with adrenaline, I arrived at the KTV early. Because it was the weekend, there would be more guests, so the shop opened relatively early. Just as I arrived at the entrance, I saw Su Xueyan. Su Xueyan was dressed the same as before today. Logically speaking, the hostesses at the KTV should dress a bit sexier and more alluring, but Sister Ling didn't think so. Sister Ling indicated that some pure ones were also quite good, and some people just liked this type.

Su Xueyan felt a bit nervous when she saw me, but I took the initiative to greet her, and Su Xueyan responded happily.

If it were in the past, after what happened yesterday, I definitely would have ignored Su Xueyan today, but I was in a good mood today, and with the previous confidence, I took the initiative to greet her.

"Yesterday, I'm sorry, I was too abrupt!" Su Xueyan took the initiative to apologize for yesterday's matter.

"It's not your problem, you don't need to apologize. It was my fault. As compensation, let me treat you to a meal after work today!" I smiled and said to Su Xueyan.

Su Xueyan was clearly not used to my sudden change. She looked at me and said, "I find that you've become a bit different today compared to yesterday?"

"Oh? Is that so? Have I become uglier?" I asked jokingly.

"No, you've become more charming!" Su Xueyan smiled slightly.

I chatted with Su Xueyan for a few words and then went back. Although Sister Ling wasn't particularly strict with our management, I was afraid that because of me, Wang Li and the others would hold an even greater grudge against Su Xueyan, which wouldn't be good.

Returning to our base, I found that Wang Li and the others didn't have much of a reaction to my arrival. I had been prepared to welcome a storm, but in the end, there wasn't even a breeze. This made me very strange.

However, I could see the obvious hatred in Wang Li's eyes when he looked at me, but he hadn't made a move yet. I guessed there might be some reason, or he was planning something else.

The few of them, as usual, asked me to go out and buy cigarettes and food. Of course, the money was the same as before, making me pay a portion.

"The money isn't enough. Zhonghua cigarettes, even hard-pack Zhonghua, cost forty-five a pack!" My sudden, blunt sentence shocked all of them.

"Damn it!" Wang Li was so angry he slapped the table and was about to make a move, clearly full of fire in his belly.

"Brother Li, don't, don't, have you forgotten Brother Tao's words?" San Mao on the side hurriedly stopped him.