The Youngster's Demeanor

Su Ke followed closely behind the woman as she climbed the stairs. His gaze fell squarely upon her hips, which were a size larger than Li Feifei's—plump, rounded, and perfectly curved. As she walked, they swayed with a rhythmic, tantalizing motion that made his heart race wildly.

Feeling his palms grow damp, he couldn't help but think that if he were to touch those hips, the sensation would surely be far superior to Li Feifei's. Swallowing hard, Su Ke wiped the sweat from his hands onto his jeans and struggled to steady his breathing.

"Oh!" Just as Su Ke's mind was wandering, he saw the woman ahead slip. Her body tilted backward, and she looked as if she were about to fall.

Su Ke reacted with lightning speed, reaching out to steady her waist. It was slender and firm, with not an ounce of excess fat, and the soft, hollow-out silk-linen dress allowed him to clearly feel the delicate, smooth warmth of her skin through his palms.

With Su Ke's support from behind, the woman avoided a fall. She turned her head and smiled a thank you. It was truly a smile that could launch a thousand ships, rendering all others pale in comparison. Her wine-red wavy hair, the tipsy flush on her cheeks, and eyes shimmering like spring water left him feeling flustered and disoriented.

Fortunately, the shock of the near-fall seemed to sober the woman up a bit. She nodded at Su Ke and continued upward, and Su Ke followed her straight to the third floor.

The third floor was the VIP service area. The decor leaned toward a European style, with soft yellow tones that made one feel instinctively relaxed. The entire floor was divided into fifteen private beauty rooms by crystal bead curtains, where rows of treatment beds were visible. On the west side was a partitioned leisure area with circular sofas and a small bar, while in the far east corner stood an open space with a grand piano.

"The piano is over there. You don't mind if I lie down and listen, do you?" The woman gestured toward the piano, her gaze growing hazy as the alcohol seemed to surge back up, and she quickly reached up to massage her temples.

"I don't mind!" By now, Su Ke had cast aside his nervousness. After all, he had made it upstairs and the piano was right in front of him; he had to give it a try regardless. He smiled and nodded at her.

It was a grand piano with a lustrous, layered finish and elegant, noble black-and-white keys. Su Ke sat before it and took a deep breath. He struck a key, and the sound was full—the highs bright, the lows resonant—and the touch was incredibly comfortable.

Fortunately, there was a Bandari music book in front of him, otherwise, Su Ke would have had to improvise on the spot. As the first note rang out, he suddenly found his mood incredibly relaxed. Every key felt so familiar, as if he had been playing for years.

The music flowed, lingering and filled with emotion. Under Su Ke's fluid, effortless playing, his fingers danced across the black and white keys like a babbling brook or fluttering birds, shifting from joyful to sorrowful, hesitant to impassioned.

He didn't know when he had closed his eyes. With the music etched in his heart and a faint smile on his lips, he was completely immersed in the melody, losing all sense of time.

In the end, Su Ke truly began to improvise, his spirit soaring. It wasn't until the final note slowly faded away that he opened his eyes and returned to reality. The entire floor was deathly quiet, save for the lingering echoes, and the beautiful boss was nowhere to be heard.

Damn, did I scare her away with my playing? Su Ke stood up and walked in the direction the woman had gone, finally discovering her behind a bead curtain.

Gently parting the crystal-clear beads, he saw the woman lying quietly on her side on a treatment bed. Her eyes were closed, long lashes resting against her lids, her nose bridge delicate and straight, her red lips vibrant. The tipsy flush on her cheeks hadn't faded, giving her an air of lazy, languid beauty.

Her legs were curled together, and the hem of her dress had hitched up to the top of her thighs. Looking upward, through the hollow-out silk-linen, the skin of her waist and abdomen was as delicate as mutton-fat jade, and her full, upright breasts created a tantalizing cleavage.

"Gulp!" Su Ke could practically hear himself swallowing. His heart hammered against his ribs. This was the first time he had observed a woman—a sleeping beauty—at such close range. If he crouched down, would he be able to see more? Would it really be a thong? If it were, the view would be far more than just this!

His breathing grew ragged as he shifted his feet slightly.

Seeing Su Ke walk back downstairs alone, the receptionist girl greeted him with a smile. "How did it go? What did the boss say?"

"Uh! She fell asleep! I guess my playing was a bit too much like a lullaby!" Su Ke said, feeling quite helpless.

"Who says? I thought it sounded great. Why is your face so red?" The receptionist noticed the flush on Su Ke's cheeks and the faint beads of sweat on his forehead. "Were you too nervous?"

"Uh, yeah, too nervous. I was afraid I wouldn't pass!" Su Ke was never going to admit what he had just been doing upstairs. Fortunately, the girl was understanding and had already provided him with an excuse.

"The boss is probably just exhausted. She hasn't been open long and has to deal with social obligations every day—the industrial and commercial bureau, tax, police, health inspectors—they're all over her. Why don't you wait until she wakes up, and I'll ask for you again?"

"Then thank you so much, sister!" Su Ke's skin had thickened, and calling her 'sister' came naturally now. To land this part-time job, he was willing to go all out—after all, the reward was High School Mathematics Mastery (Intermediate)!

"By the way, sister, I don't know if I can work part-time. I still have classes during the day!"

"That depends on how the boss arranges it. Initially, she wanted someone for three shifts: nine to eleven in the morning, three to five in the afternoon, and seven to nine in the evening. If she agrees, you could definitely choose the evening shift. But won't that interfere with your studies? You're in your third year of high school, after all!" the girl said after some thought.

"Haha, it's fine. My grades are good, it won't affect me!" Su Ke saw there was nothing else to do, so he wasn't in a hurry to leave. If the boss woke up soon, even better—he could get his answer right away.

Another reason was that he wanted to build a rapport with the receptionist. If the boss didn't agree, he hoped she could put in a good word for him—a roundabout strategy.

"Sister, my name is Su Ke. I'm a senior at No. 17 High School!" Su Ke didn't even realize how sunny his smile was; perhaps that was part of why the receptionist was willing to help him.

"My name is Lin Xiaobai. You're right to call me sister; I'm already 22!" Lin Xiaobai said, pulling up a chair for Su Ke next to her desk. She rested her chin in her hand and looked him up and down. "I feel like your temperament changed after going upstairs and coming back down!"

"Oh? What kind of temperament do I have?" Su Ke smiled.

"A 'shota' temperament," Lin Xiaobai said, covering her mouth as she laughed.