Chen Yi raised his brow: "Where else but the bathhouse? Ever seen a gangster's lackey driving a BBA to get massages and pick up girls?" He pressed his tongue against his palate, revealing an ambiguous smile. "Back then, I was just a parking attendant, dozing off at the bathhouse entrance at three in the morning, dreaming of owning this car."
The Cadillac was parked right beneath the billiards hall sign. A staircase descending below was adorned with colorful neon lights. The hall itself was in the basement, equipped with eight tables—one Joss steel-frame tournament table serving as the competition platform, while the rest were mid-to-low-range Xingpai and Jianying models. It also featured a bar serving drinks and snacks, a mahjong room, dart boards, and claw machines.
The pool hall mostly attracted male patrons. Chen Yi had hired two attractive female part-timers as playing companions. He himself often played too, either in matches or teaching admiring young girls. With good-looking staff and affordable leisure activities, the billiards hall had always done brisk business.
Miao Jing returned home later that evening to find the house dark and empty. The previously problematic window latch had been repaired, but cigarette butts and ashes piled up in one corner of the coffee table, and Chen Yi's discarded dirty clothes lay draped over the sofa.
The black quick-dry T-shirt, made of cheap fabric with mediocre tailoring, was stretched taut over his muscular frame, carrying strong scents of tobacco and sweat. Miao Jing showered first, then mixed her outerwear with his clothes. She pre-treated collars and cuffs with detergent before tossing everything into the washing machine for a thorough clean. After spin-drying, she shook out the garments—both his and hers—hanging them together on the balcony where they swayed, emitting the fresh scent of laundry detergent.
The following evening, Chen Yi emerged from the billiards hall after splashing water on his face, heading to a residential area where he found an open-air fast-food stall for dinner. He then sat on a red plastic stool, smoking while waiting for someone.
Zhou Kang'an, having changed out of his uniform after work, stopped by a street-side shop to buy marinated dishes to accompany his noodles. He noticed a young man in black sitting nearby, hunched forward with elbows on knees, his buzz cut revealing striking eyebrows beneath.
"Back already?"
"Back already." Chen Yi offered him a cigarette and patted a plastic bag beside him. "Thanks for your help with the pass."
Inside were two cartons of foreign cigarettes Chen Yi had brought back from Yunnan.
Zhou Kang'an, a veteran smoker himself—common among the overworked narcotics squad who relied on cigarettes or Red Bull—took one and raised his brows after the first puff. "Hey now, you little rascal. Smuggling contraband's not allowed. Where'd you get these? How much did you bring back?"
Chen Yi flashed a bright, toothy grin. "Captain Zhou, illegal business requires transactions over fifty thousand yuan. This doesn't even qualify. Just bought a few cartons from banana plantations—for personal use and sharing with friends. No need for the interrogation."
Given their personal rapport, Zhou Kang'an didn't refuse. "Stay out of trouble."
"I've been clean for years now. What trouble could I possibly stir up?" Chen Yi replied with a half-smile. "My billiards hall owes much to your consideration."
"Cut the crap." Zhou Kang'an chuckled. "If there's another gambling complaint, you'd better turn yourself in at the station."
"Those were just tournaments. I know my limits." Chen Yi rubbed his chin with his thumb. "Besides, with my sister back now, I wouldn't dare—she'd be the first to come after me."
"Oh? Miao Jing's back?" Zhou Kang'an recalled past events with amusement. "She's graduated from university, right?"
A hint of pride flickered in the young man's eyes. "Graduated ages ago. Landed a decent job at a good company."
"Glad to hear it. You two... should just focus on living properly now."The two exchanged a few words in the night before Chen Yi, with his long strides, turned and walked away. He paused at the intersection, thought for a moment, and decided to head home.
The house was pitch dark, and Miao Jing was nowhere to be seen. Flipping on the light, the space remained tidy and clean, with the coffee table gleaming spotlessly. In the bathroom, his socks and underwear were tossed into two separate basins—an old rule: Miao Jing wouldn’t wash his intimate garments, nor would she let him toss them into the washing machine; they had to be hand-washed.
At half past eight in the evening, his phone rang.
A soft, gentle voice came through: "Brother, do you have time to pick me up?"
Chen Yi glanced at the clock on the wall, frowning. "Where are you?"
"I had dinner with colleagues and had a bit to drink. We’re about to wrap up." Miao Jing gave an address—a Hunan restaurant in the new development zone, quite far from the city center. At this hour, buses had stopped running, and taxis were scarce in the area.
Miao Jing had recently started at her new company.
Outwardly cool and delicate, Miao Jing lacked any trace of sentimental artistic temperament deep down; instead, she had an incongruous metallic edge. As an engineering graduate from the School of Mechanical Engineering, she could wield a wrench on the shop floor or handle CAD modeling with ease. Her outstanding performance during four years of university led to a campus recruitment offer from an automotive company, where she became a automotive engineer, navigating production workshops and data testing facilities.
Though Tengcheng was a small city, its economy was fairly robust, with a local lithium battery industry. In recent years, as automakers shifted focus to New Energy, several had set up operations in Tengcheng, including a brand’s vehicle manufacturing plant and testing center where production lines were already operational. After seeing the news, Miao Jing leveraged connections to discuss salary and position with HR, smoothly transitioning back to Tengcheng.
The factory was located in a remote area, but shuttle buses provided transport to the city. Miao Jing completed her onboarding, handled procedures, and integrated into her department. The automotive industry was male-dominated, and as one of the few female engineers, she swapped flowing dresses for a loose blue-and-white work uniform, her hair tied high in a ponytail, exuding a rare blend of elegance and efficiency.
The first week involved new employee training and team-building activities. The new plant had many recent hires, including a number of fresh graduates. Though two years older, Miao Jing didn’t appear more mature, standing out noticeably among the male colleagues while receiving extra attention. After work, everyone gathered for meals to build camaraderie, and Miao Jing joined in, blending seamlessly with her peers.
The dinner table was mostly men, with just a few women. Everyone was around the same age, chatting animatedly. Most weren’t locals, and when someone asked Miao Jing in the corner, all eyes turned to her. Softly, she mentioned she was from Z Province and had studied in Tengcheng for a few years, seizing the chance to return for work. Discussing departments, Miao Jing was in Structural Engineering, and several juniors from the same major were in the private room. One earnest young man, also from Z Province, introduced himself as Lu Zhengsi and was the first to get Miao Jing’s WeChat.
New colleagues initially stayed in company dormitories, but Miao Jing lived in the city. As the gathering wound down, companions offered to see her home, but she waved them off politely, saying a friend was coming to pick her up.
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