Walking leisurely along Nanshan Road, Xia Yunjie soon spotted the BLUENIGHT Bar, half-hidden behind the trees. The bar's wooden exterior gave it a touch of an American Wild West cowboy vibe.
At the same time, Xia noticed Cheng Ping standing under the shade of a tree. She was dressed the same as at noon, wearing a cropped printed T-shirt and a blue denim mini-skirt. Spotting Xia from afar, Cheng Ping stood on her tiptoes and waved enthusiastically, her T-shirt lifting to reveal a swath of her slender, fair waist. Seeing her, Xia felt a rare warmth in this unfamiliar city. Yet, he couldn't help but recall the brief glimpse of her figure when he had helped her treat her injury at KFC earlier, and a faint, youthful restlessness stirred within him.
"Ah Ping, we meet again," Xia greeted her with a smile as he approached.
"Yes, we meet again! Come on, the boss is waiting in the office," Cheng Ping replied with a sweet smile, pointing toward the bar.
The bar's interior was somewhat chaotic in design and layout, unlike the orderly décor of some stores or homes. But it exuded a sense of wildness and excitement. Upon entering, one felt isolated from the outside world, as if all worries could be abandoned, leaving room for pure indulgence and freedom.
The bar had two floors, with the boss's office upstairs, along with some private rooms.
As Cheng Ping led Xia upstairs, a sultry, provocatively dressed woman descended the staircase. Her outfit was even more revealing than Cheng Ping's.
Having just graduated from technical school, Xia had seen some girls in daring outfits on campus, but none could compare to the mature allure of the woman before him. Since graduation, his life had revolved around job markets and construction sites, surrounded by sweaty men. He had never encountered someone as sensuous and striking as her. Embarrassed, Xia dared not stare directly but couldn't resist stealing a glance.
"Ah Ping, is this handsome guy new here? Not bad!" the alluring woman remarked, glancing at Xia with interest.
"Yes, he's my friend, hoping to work here. Ah Jie, this is Sister Yan, my supervisor," Cheng Ping introduced.
"Good afternoon, Sister Yan," Xia greeted with a polite smile.
"Afternoon, handsome. Once you've met the boss, be sure to find me!" Sister Yan replied flirtatiously, tossing Xia a wink before swaying her curvaceous hips down the stairs.
As she passed Xia, her fragrant rose perfume lingered in the air, leaving him momentarily mesmerized. Her swaying figure rivaled that of foreign beauties.
"Do you think Sister Yan's hips are sexy?" Cheng Ping's voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts as he found himself stealing another glance.
Unaccustomed to interacting with women and still inexperienced in romance, Xia's face turned slightly red upon being caught. He quickly turned his head, coughed awkwardly, and pretended nothing had happened, heading upstairs. Cheng Ping, however, couldn't resist pinching him playfully, whispering, "Keep pretending, you little pervert. Let me warn you, Sister Yan belongs to the boss. Don't even think about it."
Although Xia had no such intentions, he still felt a twinge of disappointment hearing that such a captivating woman was already taken.
The boss's office was at the far end of the upstairs floor. When they knocked and entered, they found a poised, stunning woman in her early thirties seated inside.
She was dressed in professional attire, wearing a white, ruffled, fitted blouse and a black pencil skirt. She lounged on the sofa, legs elegantly crossed, speaking on the phone. Her smooth, shapely legs added to her overall allure.
Seeing Cheng Ping and Xia enter, the woman gestured for them to wait, finishing her call with a few brief sentences before hanging up.
"Ah Ping, is this the friend you mentioned?" she asked, glancing at Cheng Ping before turning her gaze to Xia.
Feeling her eyes on him, Xia wanted to whisper and ask Cheng Ping if this was really the bar's boss—a woman? And what about Sister Yan and her relationship with this boss? But now wasn't the time for such questions. Instead, Xia gave a shy smile, though his mind couldn't help but conjure inappropriate images of the two women together, leaving him slightly flustered.
"Yes, boss," Cheng Ping confirmed, leaving no doubt that this charming lady was indeed the owner of the bar. Her confirmation also reassured the boss that this slightly shy yet handsome young man was Cheng Ping's friend.
"Handsome, what's your name? Where are you from? What have you done before?" the boss asked, her eyes fixed on Xia.
This was Xia's first formal interview since arriving in Jiangzhou over a month ago in search of work. Though inexperienced, he remained composed, offering a concise self-introduction.
After listening, the boss nodded and instructed Cheng Ping, "Ah Ping, take Ah Jie to register with Sister Li and get him a uniform."
The simplicity of the interview caught Xia off guard. He stood momentarily dazed until Cheng Ping nudged him. Realizing he had been hired, Xia quickly bowed slightly to the boss. "Thank you, Boss."
"Work hard. If you have any questions, ask Ah Ping or Xiao Yan," the boss replied.
Xia assumed "Xiao Yan" referred to Sister Yan, the alluring woman from earlier. The thought made him feel a bit uneasy.
After registering with Sister Li and collecting his uniform from Old Guo, the warehouse manager, Xia officially became an employee of BLUENIGHT Bar. During this time, Cheng Ping gave him a brief overview of the bar's operations and even managed to grab some snacks for him.
The bar employed two DJs, two sound engineers who doubled as lighting technicians, four security guards, a floor manager, two cashiers, two bartenders, a barback, and six servers, in addition to Sister Yan as the supervisor. Other staff included greeters, accountants, cold dish chefs, head chefs, and runners.
Hearing this, Xia realized how complex bar operations were. His role was as a server under Sister Yan's supervision. Her full name was Zhu Xiaoyan.
The male server uniform was simple—just a pair of long pants, a white shirt, a vest, and a bow tie. The female server uniform was even simpler: a black T-shirt and a white ultra-mini skirt.
When Cheng Ping emerged from the changing room, Xia Yunjie felt his heartbeat quicken for a moment. The skirt was so short that it revealed a long stretch of her fair, shapely legs, exuding an irresistible allure under the dim lighting.
"You little rascal, haven't you seen enough at noon?" Cheng Ping teased with a slightly flushed face when she caught Xia staring.
"Ahem, Ah Ping, isn't that skirt a little too short?" Xia coughed awkwardly, trying to deflect the embarrassment.
"Worried about me, are you?" Cheng Ping asked with a playful glint in her eye.
"Kind of," Xia admitted honestly. Despite knowing her for only half a day, Cheng Ping was Xia's first female friend in Jiangzhou. Her warmth, vivaciousness, and kindness left him with an inexplicable fondness for her.
"Old-fashioned! This is called sexy, understand?" Cheng Ping rolled her eyes and sashayed away.
Watching her retreating figure, Xia couldn't help but feel a mix of embarrassment and amusement.
Maybe he was old-fashioned, maybe he was out of touch.
As he pondered, Cheng Ping suddenly turned back, grabbed his arm, and playfully scolded, "Why are you just standing there? Don't worry about me. I'm clever enough; no lecher will take advantage of me!"
However, as she said this, her face flushed slightly, recalling how this young man had taken quite the liberty with her earlier in the day.
Hearing her words, Xia's heart stirred inexplicably. Smiling, he followed her to the bar counter. There, Sister Yan was perched on a high stool, her long, fair legs crossed alluringly.
"Hey, handsome, what can you do?" Sister Yan asked, turning toward Xia Yunjie with interest when she saw him approaching in his uniform with Cheng Ping.