Su Wan stood at the door, anxious. She kept thinking of that thin girl — alone with three men twice her size — and could not help worrying. Her lips pressed tight as she waited for the private room door to open.
She chastised herself for not watching Qin Shen more closely. With the Qin family's reputation, Qin Shen would have a hard life there. Qin Feng was the cruelest of them all.
At last the door opened.
What she saw made her face go pale.
A man in nothing but his underwear stepped out. Without thinking she shoved the man hard, then slammed her stiletto onto his foot. He yelped; she did not care. She spat, "Beast. You're going to jail."
Su Wan swung her bag and rushed in, fury weighing on her chest, regret at not keeping an eye on Qin Shen tearing at her. Inside, two large men in only underpants sat around a low table, smoking. Her heart dropped cold. Qin Shen — had she been harmed?
Her head buzzed. That quiet, obedient girl — was she ruined by these scum? She grabbed her bag and slammed it into one man, then smashed it into the other. When that was not enough she used her sharp heel on their feet. They howled.
"You bastards."
Tears rimmed Su Wan's eyes as she battered them with the designer bag until it was nearly ruined. She stomped and screamed, "She's only eighteen today — how could you hurt her?"
"I'll kill you!" she cried. "I'll kill you filthy men. How dare you lay a hand on someone so young."
The two men, dazed and battered, had no idea what had happened. They were small-time thugs — used to intimidation jobs, not sexual assault. They did not expect such ferocity; they hadn't intended real harm, only a scare job. Now they were the ones being beaten.
Su Wan rained a bottle of liquor across them. One of the men who had opened the door wanted to intervene but swallowed his words. He was scared. Su Wan glared at him; he flinched.
They muttered that they hadn't done anything that extreme — they were only hired. Maybe this woman was the person who'd come to rescue the girl. Pain and regret mixed in their heads; this money was not worth losing teeth and dignity. If only they'd studied harder as kids instead of sneaking into bars and online chats.
"Come here. Close the door." Su Wan glared at the man in his underwear. She hurried to the locked restroom door. The private room was small; the restroom could hold a person. She pushed; it was locked. Her voice shook. "Qin Shen?"
"Qin Shen, are you in there?"
The three beaten men sat on the floor, shoeless, nursing swollen toes and groaning. They hadn't expected the customers to be so vicious. This had gone badly wrong. If only they hadn't taken the job.
"Qin Shen."
Su Wan's color drained. She turned, glaring at the three men behind her. "You — come here."
They quietly slid their shoes on and shuffled over on shaky legs, each step thinly disguised pain. Kicking the door? They dared not. Their creditors would kill them if anything embarrassed them. They were too deep in debt to risk another error.
"If something happened to her, your lives would be finished," Su Wan snarled. "But now your lives are already ruined. I'll make you regret this day."
The men smiled weakly. Regret came too late. They swore they'd never touch such work again. From now on they'd avoid any small, quiet girls who looked like easy marks; maybe the quiet ones were traps. They had been beaten, humiliated — and they'd lost their small fee.
"Make the door open."
The men shook their heads again. They didn't dare kick it in.
Su Wan gritted her teeth and readied herself to kick the restroom door — when it opened.
Qin Shen stepped out. Su Wan nearly buckled at the sight but managed to steady herself and rushed forward. Her hands found Qin Shen's shoulders; she inspected the girl's face with fierce care.
"Qin Shen." Her voice trembled with relief and suspicion.
Qin Shen looked up. Calm. Unfazed. "Su Wan?" She was not surprised to see Su Wan, and she read the concern in her expression. "Don't worry. I'm fine."
"Really?" Su Wan did not believe it. She thought of their earlier meeting and of Qin Shen's gentle, obedient air. Was this an attempt to reassure? Su Wan checked for marks on Qin Shen's neck and arms. Nothing. The exposed skin remained pale and unmarked.
"I'm fine," Qin Shen said, smiling faintly. She had eaten a lot that afternoon and simply needed the restroom. Hearing the men's screams outside, she waited to finish before leaving. She had no idea Su Wan would come bursting in like this.
The three men, seeing Qin Shen emerge, trembled. They hastily handed over an IOU. "It's three thousand in total," one muttered.
"We'll find a way to pay you back," another stammered.
The third asked, "Can we have our clothes and phones back now?" They'd come in dressed properly; if they left in underpants they'd be blacklisted from the club. They couldn't afford that.
Su Wan blinked, stunned.
Qin Shen took the IOU and slipped it into her little bag. She went back into the restroom and returned with a plastic bag. The three men's eyes lit up—then froze.
Qin Shen set the bag before them. "Brothers," she said, smiling. "If there's such fun again, let me know. I like to play with you."
"You didn't trick me. The cards really do win money. I couldn't afford cake this afternoon — now I can buy many cakes."
The men's faces crumpled. This small girl — who'd called them brothers and smiled so sweetly — had been the better player the whole time. She'd taken their clothes as payment. She'd beaten them at their own game and now held their IOU.
They snatched up the bag with their clothes, hastily pulled themselves together, and kept glancing at Qin Shen like startled animals. Her smile was deceptively innocent. They swore never to play cards with her again.
"You left with nothing now." Qin Shen's voice was soft but flat.
"I know Qin Feng sent you," she added after a beat. "He wanted you to make me cry."
"I won't do anything to you," Qin Shen said as she sat back on the sofa with her small bag. Her smile was plain. "When Qin Feng asks if you succeeded, tell him you succeeded. Say I cried a lot. Say Su Wan was so worried she almost beat you to death and then took me home."
The men, standing there in their underpants, shivered. She had also taken pictures of them in their underwear and threatened to share them if they did anything. The shame of being exposed to wives and children would ruin them. Their fear ensured they obeyed.
They fled the room in a panic. Only after they were gone did Su Wan realize Qin Shen had not been harmed. She pointed toward the direction the men had fled. "Qin Shen, what happened?"
"I went to the restroom and met three brothers," Qin Shen replied slowly. "They were very friendly and asked me to play. I couldn't refuse. They suggested cards; I needed money so I agreed."
"So you just played cards?" Su Wan gaped, incredulous. "Nothing else?"
"Nothing else." Qin Shen's tone was light, almost pleased. "They're poor players. They lost. They used clothes and phones as collateral but still lost. They owe me thirty thousand now."
Su Wan felt a dizzy mixture of relief and amusement. OK — so the men had been hired to harass Qin Shen, perhaps by Qin Feng. They didn't expect the girl to be so dangerous at cards.
She picked up her mangled bag and patted Qin Shen's head. "If you're ever really short on money, you can come to me. I'll lend you."
Thinking of Qin Shen's upbringing, Su Wan felt a tug of sympathy. Qin Feng likely arranged the stunt out of spite. The girl deserved better.
"Be careful with men who invite you up. If they're bad, what would you do?" Su Wan fretted. She still didn't know much about Qin Shen's life in the Qin household — the girl looked far too innocent. "Let's go downstairs."
Qin Shen nodded and let Su Wan take her hand. They returned to the empty room. Su Wan's gaze lingered on Ye Xiaoge's seat for a beat. She fished out her phone — no missed calls, no messages.
A bitter smile touched her lips. She glanced at Qin Shen. "Qin Feng is your brother, right?"
"Yes."
"I'll escort you home."
"Wouldn't it trouble you? I can take a taxi."
"No. A girl alone is unsafe. I'll walk you home."
"Okay." Qin Shen smiled at Su Wan. "Su Wan, you look worried. Is someone important gone without telling you?"
Su Wan pressed her lips. "Did you notice?"
"You hesitated over that seat," Qin Shen said quietly. "You scanned everywhere else casually — only paused over that spot where Ye Xiaoge had sat. If someone leaves without telling you, it's because they don't care."
Su Wan's eyes warmed. She knew that — but she still couldn't stop caring. She kept giving, though it hurt. Maybe habit. Maybe hope.
"You haven't eaten dinner, right?"
"No."
"I'll treat you."
Su Wan breathed and glanced at Qin Shen. "You haven't eaten either?"
"No."
"What do you want?"
Su Wan said, almost shyly, "I want barbecue."
Qin Shen blinked. For a young lady of Su Wan's background to crave barbecue was surprising. She wondered if the look in Su Wan's eyes was a memory — someone she used to share barbecue with. Ye Xiaoge, perhaps.
Qin Shen thought: Ye Xiaoge was not the one to make Su Wan happy. How could she make Su Wan happy in a lifetime?
They walked to a roadside barbecue stall. While Su Wan went to order, Qin Shen's phone buzzed. A short message from Qin Feng: With Su Wan? She replied: Yes. He replied: Don't come back tonight. Handle it yourself. She answered: Understood.
She slipped the phone into her bag and watched Su Wan select skewers with bright attention. Maybe Su Wan was thinking of someone else. Qin Shen let the thought linger, curious and oddly protective. They ate under dim lights, enjoying food and quiet company.
When they finished, Su Wan refused the offer to walk her home. She'd accepted enough tonight. Qin Shen only smiled and let her go, then watched as Su Wan left with the same small ache in her eyes.
They were not the same person, but for a night, they had met by chance — and something like warmth settled between them.