"These past few days, the situation in Tianfu has been tense, so I didn't go out," Li Nianlong explained as he sipped his soup. "And my cousin is about to provide me with new intelligence soon. I need to rest up and do my best to clear out foreign influences."
Nalan Ruyue nodded understandingly, giving Li Nianlong encouragement, "Brother, keep up the good work."
He raised his hand and gently stroked Nalan Ruyue's head, saying softly, "I will."
Lifting her eyes to meet his, her cheeks blushed like blooming peach blossoms, her response to Li Nianlong was a radiant yet shy smile.
...
The atmosphere in the massage parlor today was different from usual. After the incident yesterday, Li Zao no longer followed along when Li Nianlong provided massages for female clients. Instead, he diligently assisted the old technician, fetching things and washing the feet of clients receiving foot massages. The old technician's attitude towards Li Zao also softened considerably. Such simple changes brought much more laughter and joy to the massage parlor, which was very gratifying.
But what made Li Nianlong frown was that the woman who was menstruating didn't heed his advice and came again today.
"Number 04," after finishing massaging the customer with number 03, Li Nianlong asked, "Who is number 04?"
"It's me," the young woman said with a faint smile, raising the number tag in her hand, "04" clearly visible.
Li Nianlong glanced at her. "Come in."
For female customers, especially young women, no matter how small the issue, they should enter a separate room to ensure their privacy is protected. The young woman was around thirty years old, so her privacy naturally needed better protection.
As Li Nianlong entered the room, the young woman casually locked the door behind them. Then, she slowly removed her clothes one by one until only a pair of underwear with a large adhesive patch remained, smiling at Li Nianlong.
Li Nianlong looked at her body—rounded shoulders, ample breasts, slender waist, flat abdomen with a slight bulge typical of women her age, and round, shapely hips. Her legs were not particularly long but still attractive. The only regrettable thing was the large adhesive patch on her underwear, enough to drive any man crazy.
"What's wrong with you?" Seeing that the young woman's complexion was perfectly fine, Li Nianlong was surprised by her unusual behavior.
The young woman smiled slightly, threw herself into Li Nianlong's arms, and hugged him tightly, her delicate body trembling slightly. "Little brother, sister is leaving."
"Leaving?" Li Nianlong was taken aback, lowering his head to look at the young woman in his arms. "What do you mean?"
"You have to kiss me first, then I'll tell you." The young woman raised her head, closed her eyes, and puckered her lips.
Li Nianlong, suppressing his doubts, kissed the young woman on the lips. But the young woman hugged his neck tightly, her lips coming closer, her tongue protruding, and the two engaged in an intense kiss, their lips and tongues intertwining with a moist sound.
This kiss lasted for a full five minutes. The young woman sucked Li Nianlong's saliva as if she hadn't had water for three days, making Li Nianlong's tongue feel numb.
As the kiss ended, the young woman lay on Li Nianlong's chest, breathing heavily, tears streaming down her face.
"Why are you crying?" Li Nianlong breathed heavily, feeling the young woman choking up. He cupped her face in his hands, which bore eighty percent of her beauty but were now covered in tear marks, which was heartbreaking.
Li Nianlong gently wiped her tears. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," the young woman wiped her tears, but her tear glands seemed to be out of control, and she couldn't wipe them dry. Li Nianlong gently stroked her back, comforting her softly.
After a few minutes, the young woman gradually calmed down, resting on Li Nianlong's chest, taking a few deep breaths, and whispered, "Good little brother, you know what? Sister used to be a singer."
Li Nianlong didn't know what to say, but instinctively praised, "It's obvious. Sister's voice is very beautiful."
"Mm," the young woman smiled, "But you don't know, people like sister, who sing, encounter all kinds of people every day—good and bad, rich and poor. When sister was young, her voice was good, and she wasn't bad looking, but she had no connections. Big companies didn't look at her, and small companies... Heh, let's not talk about them."
Seeing the bitterness on the young woman's face, Li Nianlong could guess what she had experienced in the past. In short, the entertainment industry was a big dye vat, with no personal feelings or connections. It was difficult to make a breakthrough. The young woman must have been like a grain of sand unable to break through the big waves.
"At that time, sister had a hard time. She lived in a small, damp basement, ate steamed buns and pickles, and her daily living expenses were less than ten yuan. At the most difficult times, sister even had to go to the streets to sing and make money. But even then, earning tens of yuan a day was considered good, and sometimes she couldn't even earn a penny."
"In a strange city, all alone, it was difficult to take every step. Sister often thought about climbing to the top floor and jumping down, but then she felt that dying like that wasn't worth it. Finally, during a stint singing at a bar, a wealthy man took a fancy to sister and offered to support her with ten thousand yuan per month. He even said that after ten years, he would give sister an apartment of no less than a hundred square meters and a car worth no less than five hundred thousand."
Speaking of this, the young woman smiled self-deprecatingly, "Little brother, if it were you, would you agree?"
After a moment of silence, Li Nianlong nodded, "Yes."
"Really straightforward," the young woman smiled slightly, kissed Li Nianlong on the cheek, "Sister just likes your directness."
Li Nianlong said helplessly, "You should put on your clothes. It's cold outside. Don't catch a cold."
The young woman giggled, "Thank you for your concern, little brother, but being held by you, sister doesn't feel cold at all."
"Put them on!" Li Nianlong said softly.
The young woman looked at him for a moment, then smiled faintly, "Okay."
Watching the young woman put on her clothes was also a kind of enjoyment, especially when she put on black stockings, which tightly wrapped her buttocks and beautiful legs, making her figure more beautiful and full of temptation.
Seeing Li Nianlong's approving gaze, the young woman laughed lightly, "Little brother, do I look good?"
"Very good," Li Nianlong nodded, "Wearing black stockings, sister's charm increases by at least thirty-six percent."
"Giggle, looks like Sister still hasn't aged, still able to attract the gaze of young men." The woman seemed quite pleased.
"Sister is just joking." Leaning against the wall, Li Nianlong crossed his arms, admiring the woman's body with appreciative eyes. "Sister looks like she's only twenty-seven or twenty-eight, in the prime of her life. Any young man wouldn't be able to resist Sister's charm."
The woman laughed happily. "Even though I know these words are just to comfort me, Sister is still very happy."
"I'm not just comforting you. Those who know me know I'm honest, I always speak the truth." Li Nianlong defended himself.
The woman giggled and didn't say much. She put on her bra, then picked up her pink autumn coat and draped it over herself. "Little Brother, you said earlier that you would compromise in Sister's situation, and indeed Sister did compromise, which has led to Sister's current life."
Sitting on the massage bed, Li Nianlong lifted the woman onto his lap, caressing her thighs through her clothes and fondling her breasts. He whispered, "Is Sister still with him now?"
"What else can I do?" Under Li Nianlong's touch, the woman closed her eyes comfortably and sighed softly. "Although this man already has a wife and children, Sister doesn't seek fame or profit. She just wants to make life a little better. He and his wife are both satisfied with my attitude..."
"His wife also knows about you?" Li Nianlong was astonished.
"Of course she knows." The woman smiled faintly. "His wife understands men very well. Sometimes, to please him, she even willingly lets me join them. Of course, she's also threatened me, telling me not to have any delusions and just be content being his mistress. Otherwise, who knows, my body might end up downstream in the river one day."
"What a ruthless woman." Li Nianlong took in a sharp breath. It was the first time he had heard of such a vicious woman.
"It's not so much ruthless, she's just protecting her family." The woman sighed lightly. "I don't want to fight for anything. My relationship with her is still good. Over the years, Sister has gotten used to it."
"Have you ever thought about leaving him and finding someone to marry?" Li Nianlong asked.
"I have! Sister is also a normal woman, how could she not want to end this kind of relationship and marry a good man?" The woman's lips curled with a hint of bitterness. "But women like Sister, good men won't want, and Sister can't reconcile with bad men. Besides, who knows what it'll be like after getting married? What if I get beaten every day? In that case, Sister might as well just be a mistress for life. After all, there's also a famous mistress in Hong Kong who runs a huge TV station! Being a mistress can also have a future."
Li Nianlong was startled by such words, but he understood that the woman was only comforting herself. If being a mistress were really that promising, there wouldn't be so many divorces and crimes of passion in the world.
"As long as Sister is okay with it." What else could Li Nianlong say?
"I've long been okay with it." The woman chuckled softly, her soft, fair hand caressing Li Nianlong's cheek, her eyes carrying a hint of infatuation. "Little Brother, whether you believe it or not, you're the first man Sister has loved since she was little."
"Don't say that, it puts a lot of pressure on me." Li Nianlong laughed.
"Coward." The woman rolled her eyes, feeling a bit annoyed, but then giggled again. "But forget it, after all, a woman like Sister, past her prime, is not worthy of you. Sister is already very content to have had this kind of contact with you."
At this point, the woman looked at him, speaking earnestly. "Really, Sister is truly content. These past few days, Sister will never forget for the rest of her life."
Seeing the sincerity in the woman's eyes, Li Nianlong pinched her chest and whispered, "For your own good, try to forget about me as soon as possible! You know I won't have real feelings for you."
"It's okay, whether you have real feelings for Sister is your business, but whether Sister has real feelings for you, that's Sister's business." The woman was very open-minded, smiling gently. "You don't love me, but I love you, and that's enough."