95: Skin Thirst Actor 5

He turned around and scrutinized her, then suddenly a look of realization dawned on him: "Lin Wan, who sat in the second to last row by the window and always liked to draw during Chinese class?"

He actually remembered!

Lin Wan's heart warmed, but then a pang of sadness followed.

After meeting Shen Ji in her previous life, she didn't even have the freedom to contact old classmates. That madman would check every phone call she made, delete all male contacts from her address book, making it impossible for her to contact the person she liked in high school.

She never expected to meet him in this kind of place in this life.

The boy she once had a crush on was now doing such a lowly job?

"I didn't expect to see you here." Zhou Zhuo's smile faded a bit, and he subconsciously tugged at his overly revealing top. "I'm... a bit busy right now."

The rich woman next to him impatiently tugged his arm: "What are you dawdling for? I'm paying you by the minute."

Lin Wan watched her former crush being bossed around like this, and her chest felt like it was stuffed with cotton. She suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for him.

This was her crush, how could these women treat him so disrespectfully, ordering him around?

She felt so uncomfortable, as if she herself had been insulted.

Although Zhou Zhuo, both in appearance and work, was clearly inferior to Shen Ji, her heart was more moved and pained for Zhou Zhuo.

Recalling how Shen Ji would always lock himself in his room in a state of disarray whenever his skin hunger flared up in her previous life, she thought he was simply a sick monster and felt no pity for him, nor would she ever get him medicine.

But at this moment, seeing Zhou Zhuo show even a slight expression of embarrassment, she felt so distressed.

Just as the rich woman was about to pull Zhou Zhuo away, Lin Wan suddenly pulled a stack of cash from her bag and slapped it on the table: "I'll book him for tonight, is this enough?"

The rich woman's eyes widened, and Zhou Zhuo's expression was even more complex, with shock, shame, and embarrassment flashing across his face in quick succession.

The manager rushed over when he heard, counted the stack of bills, and immediately beamed: "Zhou Zhuo, this lady has booked you for tonight."

As they walked out of the bar, the night breeze brushed against Lin Wan's flushed cheeks.

Zhou Zhuo silently followed behind her, wearing a jacket that covered his embarrassing work uniform.

"Why did you help me?" He suddenly spoke, his voice low. "Seeing an old classmate fall so low, it's pretty laughable, isn't it?"

Lin Wan turned around and looked at him under the streetlight.

At 22, Zhou Zhuo's features were more defined than in high school, but the dark circles under his eyes and slightly sunken cheeks showed that he wasn't doing well, and under the bar's lights earlier, he had looked much handsomer than he did now.

Now that they were out of the bar, the pockmarks on his face and the yellow teeth he revealed when he spoke were surprisingly obvious.

A strange feeling arose in Lin Wan's heart, but she quickly suppressed it.

She was about to ask Zhou Zhuo what had happened, but he spoke first.

"My family's company went bankrupt." Before she could ask, Zhou Zhuo gave a self-deprecating laugh. "My father jumped from a building, my mother is seriously ill, and I dropped out to work... It's an old story, right, but it really happened to me."

Lin Wan's heart trembled.

In her previous life, trapped in Shen Ji's cage, she knew nothing of these things. If she could have contacted her old classmate then... no matter how much money it cost, she would have helped Zhou Zhuo, even if it meant tricking Shen Ji out of all his money to give it to Zhou Zhuo.

She really couldn't bear to see him like this; her heart ached so much, she felt so much pity.

"Want to grab a drink?" she asked softly. "Just... for old classmates to catch up."

Zhou Zhuo looked at her deeply and nodded.

They found a quiet bar.

After three whiskeys, Zhou Zhuo gradually became more talkative.

He talked about his high school crush on the class beauty, about the glory of the university basketball team, about being downstairs when his father jumped from the 32nd floor... Lin Wan listened quietly, refilling his drink occasionally.

"What about you?" Zhou Zhuo asked, his eyes hazy with drink. "How are you doing now?"

Lin Wan swirled her glass, the ice clinking crisply, and her voice suddenly dropped. "I just escaped a cage."

"Boyfriend?"

"Much scarier than that." She chuckled. "He was a control freak, with no good qualities except giving money, he wanted to control everything."

Zhou Zhuo's eyes lit up, but quickly settled. He looked at Lin Wan deeply for a long time, taking in her clothes, her phone brand, everything about her. Finally, he actively reached out and held her hand:

"Then now... you're free. Congratulations on escaping that cage."

His palm was warm, and his fingertips had a slight callus. This sensation reminded Lin Wan of her high school days; this crush, once unattainable, was now actively holding her hand.

Her heart began to pound rapidly.

"Yes, free." She squeezed his hand back, feeling the long-lost acceleration of her heartbeat. "Completely free."

She didn't know who leaned in first, but when Lin Wan came to her senses, they were already passionately kissing in the hotel elevator.

Zhou Zhuo pressed her against the mirrored wall, his fingers tangled in her hair, his breath filled with the scent of whiskey and strong cigarette smoke.

It was actually very different from what she imagined, and she really hated the smell of smoke; Shen Ji never smoked in her previous life.

And there was an indescribable taste in Zhou Zhuo's mouth, besides smoke and alcohol, there seemed to be something else that made her a bit unbearable, but she still brainwashed herself, telling herself this was her former crush.

She should be happy.

Moreover, in her previous life, she had never been intimate with any man, and Shen Ji never touched her.

"Are you sure?" Zhou Zhuo pulled back a little and asked, panting, into her ear.

Lin Wan kept her mouth shut and didn't answer, instead directly swiping the room card to open the door.

The entanglement in the room was intense, almost like an outlet.

Zhou Zhuo's kisses trailed from her collarbone downwards, leaving dark red marks on her chest. Lin Wan tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling, wondering why she was a little distracted.

It seemed, it really wasn't what she had imagined.

"Focus." Zhou Zhuo noticed her distraction and bit her earlobe punitively.

The room was filled with intimacy.

Soon, it was over.

"Again." Zhou Zhuo panted, pulling her back to reality.

Lin Wan pursed her lips and didn't say much, but she still wanted to ask, with him like this, could he even be a male model?

It seemed quite short.

They didn't sleep all night, talking about who knows what, and in the middle, Zhou Zhuo kept checking his phone and chatting with people.

As if many people were looking for him.

Lin Wan didn't say much either, but her heart suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.

In the early hours of the morning, she took a shower, and when she came out of the bathroom, she saw Zhou Zhuo standing by the window smoking. The thick smell of smoke instantly filled the entire room, very choking.

"Are you leaving?" she asked.

Zhou Zhuo turned, looking at her with complex eyes: "Overnight is until six in the morning, there's still half an hour."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over her.

Lin Wan then realized that their relationship had been a transaction from beginning to end.

She gave a bitter smile, pulled another stack of money from her wallet, and placed it on the bedside table: "Add another day."

Zhou Zhuo's expression instantly darkened. He stubbed out his cigarette and strode over, grabbing her wrist: "What do you take me for?"

"Then what do you take me for?" Lin Wan retorted. "An old classmate? A one-night stand? Or... a client?"

The air fell silent, and soon, Zhou Zhuo glanced at his phone.

"I should go." Zhou Zhuo suddenly started putting on his clothes, his voice somewhat sad and fragile. "I have to check in at the bar before six... I really need money."

Lin Wan's discomfort instantly vanished, and hearing his words, she immediately felt pity again, so she transferred all her savings to him.

Zhou Zhuo was clearly a bit shocked. He looked at the 30,000 yuan transfer, then at her looking at him, "You..."

"Isn't your mother going to have dialysis?" Lin Wan said softly. "Just consider it... an old classmate helping out."

Zhou Zhuo stared at the transfer for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

He leaned down and pinched Lin Wan's chin, his thumb caressing her swollen lips: "Old classmate, you really are a good person."

Before Lin Wan could react, Zhou Zhuo had already neatly accepted the transfer. He finished dressing and walked to the door, then turned back and gave her a sunny smile from her memory: "Oh, by the way, old classmates get half price. You can come find me again next time, and thank you for your generous tip."

He blew her a kiss, then left without looking back.

The moment the door closed, Lin Wan belatedly felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

She mechanically looked at her wallet, which was now empty.

She didn't expect Zhou Zhuo to accept it so readily, not to mention that he didn't even show more intimacy or the gratitude he should have, just a light remark and he took 30,000 yuan from her?

That was money she had saved with great difficulty.

At that moment, Zhou Zhuo also sent a message on her phone: [Thanks for the hospitality, little rich woman, see you next time.]

Lin Wan quickly shook her head. It's okay, after this, Zhou Zhuo's feelings for her must be different, he must like her very much too.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have done it so many times last night.

And she could go find him again.

Lin Wan began to comfort herself, but she still felt waves of panic.

It seemed, even breakfast might be a struggle now.

She looked at the chat history, suddenly wanting to get some money back, but she was too embarrassed. She could only brainwash herself, it's okay, it's okay, she would definitely be able to earn money quickly.

Then she could go find Zhou Zhuo again.

He would definitely be very happy to see her.