No matter who they were or how they arrived, as long as they could make it here, the club would do business with them, regardless of what they wanted to trade. That was one of the club's most basic rules.
Tu Jiaqing's appearance surprised Luo Qiu somewhat, though not excessively.
When he had seen her during the day, Luo Qiu had felt that they might meet again—but he had not expected it to happen that same day.
She had probably been guided by the expectations in her heart and come here of her own accord, fitting the profile of the club's wealthy patrons. Thus, when she pushed open the club's door, her face was filled with unease.
He had deliberately put on the Clown Mask precisely to deal with situations like this.
"Sir, please, how may I help you?"
That was Boss Luo's unchanging opening line.
"What is this place... Why am I here? I was clearly just walking down the street..."
Tu Jiaqing took a step back, seemingly planning to flee through the door. After all, anyone who inexplicably found themselves in such a strange place and came face-to-face with a creepy fellow wearing a Clown Mask would naturally become guarded.
Moreover, standing beside this fellow was a woman in a maid uniform, beautiful beyond human limits. Combined with the food and drink, it easily made the place feel extremely bizarre.
"You probably came here because you wanted to," Luo Qiu said, waving his hand like a butler waiting for his master's orders. "Please, sit."
The chair beside the small round table, which had been motionless, suddenly slid out on its own. Its legs scraped against the wooden floor with a dull, abrupt sound.
Tu Jiaqing jumped.
She instinctively wanted to push open the door and leave, yet for some reason, a powerful curiosity made her feel as though the chair possessed a strange magic. By the time she came to her senses, she was already seated.
"Is this... a magic shop?"
Looking at the decor, the fellow who seemed to be the owner, and the trick that had made the chair move on its own, Tu Jiaqing easily arrived at that conclusion.
Luo Qiu said nothing. He merely swept his hand across the tabletop in front of Tu Jiaqing, and a stack of Black Cards appeared. There were five cards at the bottom and one at the top, arranged in a triangle.
Seeing this magical scene, Tu Jiaqing became even more certain of her guess.
She had been somewhat irritable today and was in a bad mood. Although this place was strange, the scene before her aroused her curiosity even more. Tu Jiaqing asked doubtfully, "What are these? Fortune-telling cards? They don't look like Tarot cards."
"Sir, please choose one." Luo Qiu made an inviting gesture.
Tu Jiaqing hesitated for a moment before extending a finger and tapping the Black Card in the middle of the third row—the center of the entire card pyramid.
"What now?" Tu Jiaqing had already made her choice, but when she saw that the other party gave no response, she suddenly felt uncomfortable.
Luo Qiu shook his head. "You're not ready yet."
Tu Jiaqing froze, only to see the man wearing the Clown Mask rise to his feet. "You can buy anything here. Whatever you want, no matter what it is, can be bought. Come back when you're ready."
"Wait..."
Tu Jiaqing hurriedly stood as well, but the moment she rose, everything before her suddenly blurred. She saw towering buildings, dazzling lights, and streams of traffic... She was back on the street.
Tu Jiaqing instinctively looked at the crowds and the noisy city around her, and suddenly felt afraid.
Yet the Black Card still clutched in her hand made her even more terrified.
She shuddered violently. Her arm jerked as if she had been shocked, and she flung the Black Card onto the ground before hurrying away through the crowd.
Luo Qiu had not paid attention to what happened to Tu Jiaqing after she was sent away, because the moment this customer left, someone else pushed open the club's door.
Luo Qiu had the illusion that business had suddenly become popular—but in fact, it was merely the chain reaction caused by something he had done earlier.
"I want to see San Niang! I'll pay any price! As long as you can let me see San Niang, I don't care if it means I'll never be reincarnated!"
Luo Qiu had not even had the chance to deliver his opening line when the customer who had suddenly barged in directly stated his purpose.
It was Su Houde, the infatuated man who had wandered the human world for five hundred years.
"I ran into Yang Taizi! He told me that if I came here, I might be able to find San Niang! I recognize the woman beside you, so there's no need to hide anything! Just tell me what I need to pay to find San Niang!"
The man's haggard complexion was even worse than before. His hair was disheveled, and his body carried the stench of having gone many days without washing. Only his eyes remained exceptionally resolute from beginning to end.
Luo Qiu pondered for a moment. "Are you merely planning to find Yu Sanniang?"
"Yes!"
"Are you sure you don't need to appraise yourself?" Luo Qiu suddenly asked.
"Go ahead!"
Luo Qiu nodded. "In your previous life, you were a jade craftsman from five hundred years ago, but you met a tragic death because of a woman. After you died, your feelings for Yu Sanniang transformed into an obsession, which was why you were able to linger for five hundred years. And now, even knowing that what happened back then was merely a deception, you still intend to find Yu Sanniang. Am I right?"
Su Houde slowly nodded.
Luo Qiu said, "I understand. In the end, you still can't let go of that romantic encounter... If you want to find Yu Sanniang, you'll need to pay with all the beautiful memories that belong to you. Are you willing?"
Su Houde froze. "What beautiful memories do I have left? Those memories brought me nothing but pain! If you want them, take them! As long as I can find San Niang and ask her why she treated me that way back then!"
"Let's sign the contract."
Luo Qiu waved his hand, and an ancient parchment scroll slowly unfurled before Su Houde. After Su Houde pressed his handprint onto the parchment without hesitation, Luo Qiu finally said slowly, "Then follow me."
The interesting thing was... Yu Sanniang was actually in this very city.
- Successfully purchased Yu Sanniang's location. Ten days of lifespan deducted.
Tu Jiaqing had originally planned to return to the apartment she rented, but for some reason, she ultimately went back to Tu Jiaya's studio.
Encountering that strange place had made her hair stand on end, but what truly irritated her was something else entirely—the reason she had been wandering aimlessly through the streets in such a foul mood.
"Jiaya... We listened to the demo you sent over. Unfortunately, it doesn't really meet our requirements... In fact, you didn't need to look for us separately. After all, your older sister is... Wouldn't it be better to ask her?"
"Producer, listen to it again, please? I spent a lot of time recording this song. I'm confident it's no worse than the hits currently playing on the radio..."
"I'm sorry, but I have something to do... How about this? Take it back and revise it some more. Maybe it'll meet our requirements then. Oh, and give my regards to your older sister."
Why had this happened?
Tu Jiaqing returned to the studio in a daze, only to see that someone was still there at this hour... Was it her sister?
Tu Jiaqing looked at the light spilling through the half-closed door. After hesitating, she still walked over.
Then she heard Tu Jiaya's voice. She seemed to be talking to someone... After hesitating briefly, Tu Jiaqing peered inside through the crack in the door.
Who was that... the producer?
Tu Jiaya looked apologetic. "Harry, sorry to trouble you again this time."
Harry smiled. "It's nothing. We reject plenty of demos every day. I'm used to it. But that was your younger sister. Is it really okay?"
Tu Jiaya shook her head. "It's fine. Just reject Jiaya's demo like I told you."
Harry shrugged. "But Jiaya really is talented... It's such a shame."
Tu Jiaya shook her head and said indifferently, "One Tu Jiaya is enough for the company."
Harry suddenly smiled. "It's been a while since we had dinner together, hasn't it? Would you do me the honor?"
"Sorry, I spent the whole day shooting on location, and I'm tired. Another day..."
Harry waved and walked toward the door, tactfully saying, "Okay, okay. Relax, I don't mean anything by it, and I won't. I don't want to get fired... Mm, don't worry about your younger sister. I have plenty of excuses for turning her down... Hmm?"
"What is it?"
"Nothing. It might be a cleaner or a security guard." Harry said casually, "Give Mr. Lin my regards, will you?"
Tu Jiaya took a deep breath and slowly nodded.
Tu Jiaqing crouched beside the stairs outside the building, her face pale. Her sister's conversation with the producer had cut like a blade.
"Why did you reject your younger sister's demo?"
"One Tu Jiaya is enough for the company."
Had all her repeated failures been caused by her sister manipulating things behind the scenes?
For the first time in her life, she felt that the older sister she had always been proud of was actually terrifying.
Tu Jiaqing hugged herself and curled up, feeling waves of cold seep from her heart. A tear slid down her vacant face.
And at that moment, a Black Card lay quietly on the ground before her...
PS1: It's time for the much-loved reward list again. Thanks to 'Mengmengda Shushu,' 'Tyrant Xiaodubi,' 'Little Wolf 118,' and 'xpc000000' for the rewards.
PS2: Mm! The goalkeeper position is secure this round... Although it's only a category ranking and it suffered a major weakening buff after the site's revamp, I'm still immensely grateful!
PS3: Could that strange thread in the reviews section please stop derailing or sink down... I'm actually a very serious person!
PS4: So, where are the votes?
Before you continue