A Romantic Affair

No matter who it is, or how they arrive, as long as they can get here, and no matter what business they want to conduct, it will be done. This is one of the most basic rules of the Club.

Luo Qiu was a little surprised by Tu Jiaya's appearance, but not overly so.

When he saw her during the day, Luo Qiu had a feeling they might meet again—he just hadn't expected it to be that same day.

She must have been guided by her inner desires, spontaneously becoming the type of patron the Club attracted. So, when she pushed open the Club's door, her face was captured in a close-up shot of anxiety.

The mask was intentionally worn to deal with situations like this.

"Guest, is there anything I can help you with?"

Boss Luo's opening line was always the same.

"What is this place... Why did I come here? I was just on the street..."

Tu Jiaya took a step back, seemingly intending to bolt. Naturally, anyone who inexplicably found themselves in such a strange place, facing a creepy figure wearing a clown mask, would become defensive.

Furthermore, with a woman as beautiful as a non-human standing beside such a figure, dressed in a maid outfit, it was easy to get the impression that this place was quite bizarre.

"It must be because you wished to come here, that you have arrived," Luo Qiu said, waving his hand like a butler awaiting his master's instructions. "Please, have a seat."

The chair by the small, stationary table suddenly moved on its own. The legs of the stool made a dull, short scraping sound against the wooden floor.

Tu Jiaya jumped in surprise.

Instinctively, she wanted to push the door open and leave, but for some reason, a strong curiosity made her feel as if 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 person who seemed to be the owner, and the trick of the chair moving on its own, Tu Jiaya's mind easily led her to this conclusion.

Luo Qiu remained silent. He simply swept his hand across the table in front of Tu Jiaya, and a pile of black cards appeared. The lowest row had five cards, and the top had one... arranged in a triangle.

Seeing this magical display, Tu Jiaya became even more convinced of her initial thought.

She was feeling rather agitated and in a bad mood today. Although this place was strange, this scene piqued her curiosity even more. Tu Jiaya asked doubtfully, "What is this? Fortune-telling cards? But they don't look like Tarot cards."

"Guest, please choose one," Luo Qiu said, making an inviting gesture.

Tu Jiaya hesitated for a moment, then finally extended her finger and pointed at the black card in the middle of the third row—the center point of the entire card pyramid.

"And then?" Tu Jiaya had already made her choice, but when she found that there was no response from the other party, she felt a bit uncomfortable.

Luo Qiu shook his head. "You are not ready yet."

Tu Jiaya blinked, then saw the person wearing the clown mask stand up. "I can buy anything here. Whatever you desire, I can buy it for you. Come back when you are ready."

"Wait..."

Tu Jiaya quickly stood up as well, but the moment she did, everything in front of her suddenly blurred. She saw skyscrapers, she saw dazzling night lights, she saw bustling traffic... she was back on the street.

Tu Jiaya instinctively looked at the people coming and going around her, the noisy city, and suddenly felt a sense of dread.

But the black card still clutched in her hand made Tu Jiaya even more terrified.

She shivered violently, her arm feeling as if it had been electrocuted. She immediately threw the black card onto the ground and hurried away into the crowd.

Luo Qiu didn't pay attention to what would happen to Tu Jiaya after she was sent away, because just as this guest was leaving, someone else pushed open the Club's door.

Luo Qiu had the illusion that business had suddenly boomed—but in reality, it was just a chain reaction from something he had done previously.

"I want to see San Niang! No matter what I have to pay! As long as you can let me see San Niang, I'll even accept eternal damnation!"

Before Luo Qiu could even utter his opening line, this customer who had just barged in had already stated his purpose directly.

It was Su Houde, the devoted man who had lingered in the mortal world for five hundred years.

"I met Yang Taizi! He told me that if I came here, I might be able to find San Niang! I recognize the woman next to you, so there's no need to hide anything! Just tell me, what do I need to pay to find San Niang?"

The man's face was even more haggard than before, his hair disheveled, and he carried the odor of not having washed for many days. Only his eyes remained exceptionally determined from beginning to end.

Luo Qiu pondered for a moment and asked, "Are you only planning to find Yu Sanniang?"

"Yes!"

"Are you sure you don't need to appraise it yourself?" Luo Qiu suddenly asked.

"You tell me!"

Luo Qiu nodded. "In your past life, you were a jade craftsman five hundred years ago, but you died tragically because of a woman. After your death, your feelings for Yu Sanniang transformed into an obsession, which is why you have lingered for five hundred years. And now, even though you know it was all a deception back then, you still intend to find Yu Sanniang, correct?"

Su Houde slowly nodded.

Luo Qiu said, "I understand. In the end, you are still clinging to that fleeting romance... If you want to find Yu Sanniang, you need to pay with all your beautiful memories. Are you willing or not?"

Su Houde was stunned. "What beautiful memories do I have left? Those memories only bring me pain! Take them if you want them! As long as I can find San Niang and understand why she treated me that way back then!"

"Sign the contract."

Luo Qiu waved his hand, and an ancient sheepskin scroll slowly unfurled before Su Houde. After Su Houde unhesitatingly pressed his handprint onto the parchment, Luo Qiu slowly said, "Then follow me."

Interestingly enough... Yu Sanniang was actually in this very city.

"Successfully purchased Yu Sanniang's location. Deducted ten days of lifespan."

Tu Jiaqing had originally planned to return to the apartment she rented, but for some reason, she ended up back at Tu Jiaya's studio.

The strange feeling there gave her chills, but what bothered her even more was something else entirely – the reason she had been walking aimlessly through the streets, feeling so agitated.

"Jiaqing... we've listened to the demo you sent. However, it doesn't quite meet our requirements... In fact, you didn't need to look for us separately. After all, your sister is... wouldn't it be better if you went to her?"

"Producer, please listen again? I spent a lot of time recording this song, and I'm confident it's no worse than the current hit songs on the radio..."

"I'm sorry, I have other matters to attend to... How about this, why don't you take it back and improve it, perhaps it will meet the requirements. Oh, and please send my regards to your sister."

Why was it like this?

Tu Jiaqing returned to the studio in a daze and saw that there was still someone there... was it her sister?

Tu Jiaqing looked at the light from the slightly ajar door and hesitated before walking in.

She then heard Tu Jiaya's voice, seemingly talking to someone... Tu Jiaqing hesitated and peeked through the gap in the door.

Who is... the producer?

Tu Jiaya said with a apologetic expression, "Harry, I'm troubling you again this time."

Harry smiled and said, "It's nothing, I discard quite a few demos every day, I'm used to it. It's just, that's your sister, is that okay?"

Tu Jiaya shook her head, "It's nothing, as long as you do as I say and discard Jiaqing's demo."

Harry shrugged, "But actually, Jiaqing is quite talented... it's a real shame."

Tu Jiaya shook her head and said calmly, "One Tu Jiaya is enough for the company."

Harry suddenly laughed, "Haven't we had dinner together in a while? Would you do me the honor?"

"I'm sorry, I filmed outdoors all day today and I'm a bit tired. Maybe another time..."

Harry waved his hand and walked towards the door, saying tactfully, "OK, OK, relax, I don't mean anything else, and I won't. I don't want to get fired... Hmm, don't worry about your sister, there are plenty of excuses to turn her down... Hmm?"

"What is it?"

"Nothing, maybe it's the cleaning staff or security," Harry said casually. "Please send my regards to Mr. Lin, okay?"

Tu Jiaya took a deep breath and slowly nodded.

Tu Jiaqing squatted by the stairs outside the building, her face pale. The conversation between her sister and the producer was incredibly sharp.

"Why did you discard your sister's demo?"

"One Tu Jiaya is enough for the company."

Has all her failure been driven by her sister from behind?

For the first time in her life, she felt that the sister she had always been proud of was so terrifying.

Tu Jiaqing hugged herself, curled up, feeling a chill emanating from her heart, and a tear slid down her lost expression.

At this moment, a black card appeared and lay quietly on the ground in front of her