"Why don't we just…"
He hadn't even finished before Li Yan slapped a hand over his mouth.
"Idiot, I'm your big sis. Stop thinking dirty!"
"I was saying I'm hungry. How about we go downstairs for something to eat?!"
Li Yan's face flushed.
So she was the one who misunderstood.
She snapped in embarrassment, "Eat, eat, eat! That's all you know! Just starve. When we find jobs tomorrow, we'll eat staff meals. Save whenever you can!"
"...Sigh."
Everyone in the village said Li Yan was doing great in the city, making good money, which was why they recommended he follow her.
If he had known it was like this, he wouldn't have come even if they beat him.
He'd been here a few days and already skipped more meals than he could count.
Caoyang eventually fell asleep on an empty stomach. He'd gone to bed fully clothed, but it was so hot that he stripped down to just his underwear without waking up.
Li Yan, on the other hand, couldn't sleep at all.
A barely dressed young man bursting with hormones lay beside her—how was she supposed to keep her mind pure?
When she saw him take off his clothes, her heart started pounding like crazy.
"Don't do anything stupid, I'm your sis…"
But the only reply she got was silence.
Turns out, the little brat was already asleep.
Propping up her cheek with a hand, she studied him carefully.
The boy she'd watched grow up… actually turned out pretty handsome.
Her gaze drifted from his face down to his neck—Adam's apple sharp and masculine.
Then to his chest—lean, solid, strong but not exaggerated.
Just the right kind of masculine.
"Heh…"
"Heh!"
After two little chuckles with zero reaction from him, she finally fell asleep.
When Caoyang woke up, the sky was bright—and Li Yan was asleep in his arms.
He jolted, quickly loosening his hold.
So much for "strict boundaries."
If she found out he'd hugged her all night, she'd scold him to death.
He slipped into the bathroom quietly.
While showering, he recited Amitabha under his breath.
He hadn't touched her last night…
But in his dreams?
Let's just say Dream Li Yan had a pretty rough night.
Nightingale Club
At the entrance hung a long recruitment banner—male hosts, female hosts, waiters, cooks, floor managers… enough jobs to attract a crowd.
Li Yan skimmed it for two seconds before striding in confidently.
Caoyang grabbed her arm.
"What are you doing?"
"What are you doing?!"
"I'm going in to get a job!"
"You really have to work in a place like this?"
"Stop being dirty-minded. I'm applying as a waitress."
She shook off his hand and marched in.
He followed reluctantly.
Inside, the club was extravagant—black and red everywhere.
Since it wasn't open during the day, the whole place was dark, moody, and full of nightclub ambiance.
"Hello, we're here to apply for waitress jobs," Li Yan told the front desk girl.
The girl took one look at them, spoke briefly into a walkie-talkie, and said:
"Go to Room 202 on the second floor. The manager's interviewing right now."
Upstairs, they passed two girls who'd just come out of 202.
Li Yan knocked.
"Come in," a woman's voice called.
The manager was a woman in her thirties—fitted blazer, tight skirt, legs crossed on the edge of a bed.
Caoyang glanced around.
This wasn't an office—it was a bedroom.
There was a bed, a bathtub, colorful lights overhead, and wall art of nude women.
He couldn't tell if it was supposed to be "artistic" or just straight-up pornographic.
"Hello, Manager. We're here to apply as waitstaff."
"Oh? Worked before?" the manager asked, giving the two of them an approving look.
Li Yan nodded quickly and explained her experience.
"Good, good." The manager smiled.
"You can start tonight or tomorrow. Base salary is 800, plus attendance bonuses and tips. Minimum two thousand a month."
She paused, lowering her voice.
"You've got the looks. If you want to earn even more, you could… switch roles."
"No, no, I'll stick with being a waitress."
Li Yan understood perfectly and gave a firm refusal.
The manager didn't push. She had plenty of time to "convince" her later.
Her gaze shifted to Caoyang.
"And you? What position are you applying for?"
Caoyang stood there like a block of wood, not reacting even when she spoke to him.
"This is my little brother," Li Yan quickly explained. "He's from the countryside and not very talkative."
"He wants to apply as a waiter too."
The manager laughed.
"Sweetie, we don't hire male waiters. But we are short on male hosts."
Caoyang asked, "What's a male host? And how much does it pay?"
"A male host accompanies female clients—eat with them, drink with them, fulfill some… needs. Salary is eight thousand a month minimum. If you make less, I'll cover the difference."
"Eight… thousand?!"
Caoyang's eyes popped open.
Factory work paid a few hundred a month.
Eight thousand was a whole year's salary!
"I don't have experience. Is that okay?" he asked, scratching his head.
Li Yan was frantically giving him signals with her eyes.
He completely missed all of them.
The manager's smile widened.
"No experience needed. As long as you've got the right… qualities. I can teach you everything."