75: Chapter 75 Su Xiaoxi
Jiang Chen's gaze swept lightly over the group, neither lingering intentionally nor feigning any aloof refusal.
His eyes passed over the arrogance of a cold, older sister type; the softness of a gentle lady; the intensity of a bright and flamboyant beauty; and the stability of an intellectual, elegant woman.
Finally, his gaze settled on the quietest one—a youthful lolita with the most innocent temperament and the most delicate features.
He gave a slight nod.
"Her."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was crisp and decisive.
The moment she was chosen, the young girl's heart skipped a beat.
She had been looking down, not daring to glance around, only vaguely feeling several gazes sweeping over her like she was a piece of porcelain being appraised for sale.
She subconsciously tensed her body, her fingertips turning slightly cold.
Which pot-bellied middle-aged boss would it be this time?
Or worse, some thinning-haired, alcohol-reeking veteran of the social scene?
She had already prepared herself mentally.
Accompanying him for drinks, forcing smiles, being held, being taken away, and then enduring the night in a strange hotel room.
The Madam had said that the guests who could enter Liujintai were either rich or noble, but wealth and status never equated to grace.
Last week, a girl she trained with had her arm bruised from being pinched by a guest in his fifties; she came back and cried all night, yet still had to put on makeup and work the next day.
She thought her end would be the same.
Until that voice rang out.
"Her."
Deep, clean, and without a hint of the greasiness associated with debauched men.
Su Xiaoxi looked up slightly, catching a quick glimpse out of the corner of her eye.
She froze.
Young.
Very young.
He didn't have the beer belly, double chin, or receding hairline she had expected. Instead, he was a young man with handsome features and a hint of cold detachment in his eyes.
He wore a sophisticated dark shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms, revealing a pair of well-proportioned, strong wrists.
Standing under the warm light, he lacked the gaudiness and greasiness one would expect in such a place. Instead, he seemed like a solitary animal that had wandered into a jungle—quiet, alert, yet inexplicably drawing people closer.
So handsome.
The moment this thought popped up, Su Xiaoxi's ears burned slightly, and she immediately suppressed it.
What was she thinking?
She was the product; he was the customer.
She was here to be chosen; he was here to consume.
There was no equality between them, let alone a place for a fluttering heart.
But she remembered a line from her training.
"Once a guest chooses you, you belong to him. Be proactive; don't make the guest feel like they've wasted their money."
Proactive.
She had to be proactive.
Su Wan took a deep breath, pushing all those inappropriate emotions to the bottom of her heart.
With her head slightly lowered, she walked with light steps to Jiang Chen's side and stood there, hands folded in front of her, as quiet as an adopted cat.
Her posture was submissive and her gaze respectful; no fault could be found.
But her heart was still beating faster than usual.
Seeing this, Lin Hao burst into laughter and slapped his thigh, looking very satisfied. "Good eye! This girl was handpicked from the Lanbei Academy of Fine Arts after three rounds of screening. She's the cleanest, the most pure, and she fits your temperament perfectly."
He turned to the other four girls and instructed, "You girls wait for now. We'll arrange things once the other friends arrive."
"Yes, President Lin."
The girls responded in unison, their voices soft and orderly. They continued to stand with their hands down, not daring to make any extra movements.
Su Xiaoxi glanced at the remaining sisters out of the corner of her eye.
There was no disappointment on their faces, only a professional calmness.
In this business, being chosen was a stroke of luck, while not being chosen was the norm.
She was lucky today.
But she knew exactly what this kind of 'luck' implied.
Lin Hao pulled Jiang Chen down to sit and casually opened that bottle of Balvenie 30-Year. The amber liquid poured into the crystal glass with a faint sound.
He picked up the glass and sniffed it at his nose. Instead of rushing to drink, he leaned back on the sofa, his tone casual but laced with a sense of showing off.
"No matter how many business KTVs there are in Lanbei, the truly top-tier resources are only at Liujintai. Other places are just spots where rich people go at best, but Liujintai is different. Even with money, you might not be able to get in."
"These girls are all first-timers, meticulously selected from art academies, flight attendants, and models. They have clean backgrounds, are sensible, can go out, and have passed psychological screening. Only these few were left in the end. I kept them specifically for you today; not a single one has been touched."
He looked at Jiang Chen, his tone becoming a bit more serious.
"Just relax tonight and don't think about anything else. Lanbei is a place with deep waters, but as long as you understand how to play, the deeper the water, the bigger the fish."
Jiang Chen picked up his glass. He didn't refuse, nor did he say much.
Su Xiaoxi stood by his side, watching his long fingers hold the stem of the crystal glass. His knuckles were distinct and clean, unlike anyone else in this circle.
She thought of the 'seniors' she had met during training.
They said that what was truly dirty wasn't this place, but the people in it.
Greasy, vulgar, treating girls like playthings—there were all kinds.
But the person in front of her was different.
She couldn't say exactly how he was different; perhaps it was his silence, or perhaps his gaze.
Other guests would start hugging and holding as soon as they walked in, but he didn't.
He just drank quietly, as if there was an invisible layer of glass separating him from this extravagant private room.
Su Xiaoxi suddenly felt a bit nervous.
It wasn't the kind of nervousness born of fear, but rather...
She didn't know how to be 'proactive'.
Training had taught her the posture for pouring wine, the measure of a polite smile, and what expression to show when being held.
But it hadn't taught her what to do if the guest neither hugged nor held her, and barely even looked at her.
She bit her lower lip and gave herself a pep talk.
You are the product; he is God.
The product needs to be proactive; God does not.
She took a deep breath, sat down beside Jiang Chen, and tentatively reached out to gently take his arm.
The movement was very light, as if she were afraid of disturbing something.
The moment her fingertips touched his forearm, she felt the warmth of his body through the shirt, and her heart rate quickened again.
She didn't pull back.
She couldn't.
God didn't need to be proactive, but she did.
She didn't lean in too close, nor did she stay too far away, maintaining a perfect distance.
When Jiang Chen's glass was nearly empty, she leaned over slightly and gently added another third of the drink for him.
Not too much, not too little—just enough to cover the bottom of the glass.
As she poured, her eyes were downcast and her eyelashes trembled slightly. She didn't dare look at him, but she could feel his gaze passing over the top of her head, light as a falling leaf.
He didn't speak.
She didn't dare to speak either.
But she noticed that when he took the glass, his fingers accidentally brushed against her fingertips.
It was only for an instant, and they pulled apart like they'd been shocked.
Su Xiaoxi lowered her head, the tips of her ears quietly turning red.
Lin Hao took out his phone and sent a few messages, his fingers tapping quickly across the screen. He looked up and said,
"I've called a few local friends from Lanbei. They're all part of the power elite. You should get to know them and add them on WeChat. These will be your connections in the future. In the Lanbei circle, people recognize faces, not money. Having someone lead you through the door means you've already won half the battle."