Gu Zheng froze. "Find... find what clothes?"
Jiang Muyan pointed to the side, his face expressionless. "The kind they're wearing."
Gu Zheng's eyes instantly widened. It took him a long while to find his voice. "You... don't tell me you're planning to..."
"Why let rich waters flow into someone else's field? If she's going to spend money on entertainment, I might as well earn it myself."
He could keep watch at the same time. He absolutely couldn't let those shady men lay a single finger on Song Yutang.
Gu Zheng stared at him for a full ten seconds, then burst into earth-shattering laughter. "All right... dude, you're fucking something else... In my twenty-odd years, I've seen domineering CEOs fight over projects, buy islands, go mad for love and bang their heads against walls for love... but this is the first time I've seen one personally enter the trade to compete with male hosts."
Jiang Muyan remained expressionless. "That's why I'm not a domineering CEO. I'm a normal person."
Inside the private room, Song Yutang sat on a soft velvet sofa, looking around curiously.
Warm yellow light spilled from the crystal chandelier, and a delicate sandalwood fragrance drifted through the air.
Abstract oil paintings hung on the walls, and a gramophone in the corner played languid music.
This modern den for burning through gold was far more refined than the pleasure houses of her previous life, with understated luxury everywhere.
Wen Jingyan pushed a gorgeously colored cocktail toward her. "Tonight's on me. Whoever catches your eye, have him stay and drink with you."
Song Yutang took the glass and nodded, her eyes sparkling. "Okay."
Wen Jingyan looked a little surprised. "I thought... you wouldn't like places like this."
This sister-in-law was always going on about legitimate and concubine-born children, rank and hierarchy at home. She had always assumed she was deeply feudal-minded.
Song Yutang sipped her drink, looking perfectly at ease. "Being a woman who observes the three obediences and four virtues doesn't stop me from seeking out male hosts."
Wen Jingyan: "...???"
Song Yutang added leisurely, "I'm just old-fashioned, not sick in the head. Why wouldn't I like things that bring pleasure?"
Wen Jingyan froze for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed. "You're pretty interesting. Marrying my eldest brother... really was unfair to you."
Song Yutang shook her head, looking at Wen Jingyan with genuine sympathy. "It wasn't unfair to me. You're the one who's been wronged."
Wen Jingyan's smile faded.
In the end, she said nothing else and simply raised her glass. "Since we're both suffering, let's have some fun. We've married into the richest family, after all. We can't come away with absolutely nothing."
The two glasses clinked softly, their contents rippling.
Just then, someone knocked on the private room's door.
The manager pushed the door open and entered, followed by eight young male hosts filing in.
All wore white shirts and black dress pants, with tall frames, long legs, and handsome faces.
Under the lights, they looked like painstakingly polished works of art, every inch giving off an enticing sheen.
Wen Jingyan set down her glass and looked at Song Yutang. "You're the guest. You pick first."
Song Yutang's gaze swept across the row of handsome faces and soon settled on the third man.
He was a boy with a gentle, clean-cut air, eyes as clear as a fawn's, and a shy smile on his lips.
Tsk. A genuine fresh-faced college boy.
"This one..."
"Ahem, ahem, ahem..." Before Song Yutang could finish, several muffled coughs suddenly sounded from the side.
She instinctively turned toward the man at the very end of the line.
He, too, wore a white shirt and black dress pants. His proportions were excellent-broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. Even standing among a group of male hosts, he stood out exceptionally.
Except...
He wore thin silver-rimmed glasses and a large black face mask that covered his face completely.
A little strange.
Song Yutang gave him another couple of looks, but ultimately pointed at the college boy she had chosen earlier. "Him."
The college boy immediately broke into a delighted smile and was just about to step forward-
Jiang Muyan's eyelid twitched. He made another noise, attempting to draw her attention. "Ahem... ahem, ahem..."
Song Yutang looked at the masked man again. "Is... your throat bothering you?"
Jiang Muyan met her eyes through his lenses, his voice slightly hoarse. "Yes. If... you don't mind, could you buy me a drink to soothe my throat?"
Song Yutang's expression turned odd.
[Covered up that tightly... don't tell me he's hideous? I'm here for emotional value, not to do charity. If he isn't good-looking, even a lovely voice won't cut it.]
Jiang Muyan, who had heard her thoughts: "..."
He really wanted to tear off his mask right then and let her see whether his face was ugly.
She had called him handsome before.
Hah. Women.
Just as the atmosphere grew subtle, the private room's door suddenly opened again.
Gu Zheng swept in like a gust of wind, an exaggeratedly brilliant smile plastered across his face as he pushed Jiang Muyan forward. "Oh, you two beautiful ladies, sorry, sorry, pardon the interruption... This is our top host. It's just... he recently got back from Thailand and hasn't quite recovered yet, so he's covered up a little tightly."
"Thailand?" Song Yutang and Wen Jingyan spoke in unison, their eyes full of shock and... something subtle.
The manager hurriedly leaned toward Gu Zheng's ear to remind him, "Boss... Thailand is for gender reassignment. South Korea is for plastic surgery..."
Gu Zheng fell speechless for a second, then hurriedly corrected himself. "Ah, no, no, South Korea. South Korea. He just got back from having plastic surgery there, and his stitches haven't been removed yet. The young man cares about his looks and doesn't want to frighten the guests, so he's covered up tightly. Don't worry. His service is absolutely first-rate, and his skills are top-notch."
As he spoke, he frantically signaled to the manager with his eyes.
The manager hurriedly chimed in. "Yes, yes, yes. This young man is a recent college graduate. He only joined us last month, but he's exceptionally gifted. He's served several distinguished guests already, and their feedback has been excellent."
Song Yutang looked Jiang Muyan up and down in puzzlement. "He got plastic surgery right after graduating?"
Gu Zheng hurriedly picked up the thread. "Mainly because our top host here has always dreamed of bringing warmth to all the sisters in the world. To serve them better, he entered the trade at such a young age... er... no, joined our company. To improve the quality of his service, he even took out online loans specifically to get plastic surgery in South Korea... Aaah..."
Before he could finish, he suddenly let out a shriek.
Song Yutang jumped. "What's wrong?"
With a pained expression, Gu Zheng forced out a smile. "Nothing... As fellow souls adrift in the same trade, I'm just expressing a little... yes, yes, yes... admiration and reverence for our top seller."
Understanding dawned on Song Yutang. "The top seller? Then he should be pretty good. How about... giving him a try?"
Wen Jingyan also found it rather interesting. "Being covered up like that actually makes you curious... It could be some kind of sophisticated marketing tactic."
Song Yutang nodded in complete agreement, then asked the most crucial question. "This... won't be very expensive, will it?"