Tonight, the Athena club was unusually quiet, with few patrons, as the Lunar New Year was fast approaching. It seemed the customers preferred to stay home.
The bartenders and waiters were gathered, chatting about the year's performance. Mo Qingyun, who was cleaning nearby, listened in intermittently.
She realized it had been two months since she started working at the club. Over this time, she felt she had developed a clearer understanding of the waitstaff.
Perhaps they had no choice but to take up this profession, but money truly corrupted the will. Many young people had abandoned their vows to leave once they earned enough, instead succumbing daily to unchecked indulgence.
Bartender A: "Let me tell you, I heard that rich fat lady really went all out that night!"
Bartender B: "No kidding. If it were me, I'd probably have been beaten to death by that customer already..."
At some point, the conversation shifted to discussing the night Ou Yunchen was severely beaten by Fang Qingyin.
Everyone secretly felt fortunate to have avoided such a fate, but few seemed to care about Ou Yunchen's injuries...
However, like everyone else, Mo Qingyun inwardly despised Ou Yunchen. What was there to care about someone who sold their body for money?
Bartender A: "But speaking of which, why did Yunchen-ge make the drink for that fat woman for you that day?"
Bartender B: "How should I know? As long as it wasn't me, I didn't care who went!"
Bartender C: "Sister Hong arranged it. Even if Yunchen-ge didn't want to, he had to go, right?"
Bartender A: "Sister Hong knew anyone who went would get hurt, right? I thought she doted on Yunchen-ge the most and would definitely not arrange for him to go!"
Bartender B: "Hmph! I usually can't stand Yunchen-ge's arrogant attitude. Just because a few VIP customers spoil him, what's so great about that! Maybe this time, Sister Hong wanted to curb his arrogance, let him get beaten up, and make him more obedient!"
Bartender C: "But even though the fat rich lady would torment us whenever she came, she was always generous with money. That night, she didn't bring anything, and Sister Hong didn't even ask any questions when she knew Yunchen-ge was beaten."
This made everyone start to wonder. Had they all misunderstood Ou Yunchen?
As his colleagues knew, according to the bar's rules, only super VIPs received special treatment. The fat rich lady was at most an ordinary customer. Logically, there was no reason to deliberately assign Ou Yunchen to her that night.
Bartender D: "I think Yunchen-ge is quite good to us. He even shares his commission with newcomers for the drinks his customers order. When I first started, it was Yunchen-ge who helped me reach the performance target line..."
Suddenly, the group of men fell silent. They seemed to recall the times they had been helped by Ou Yunchen over the years. Hadn't everyone started as a newcomer?
Mo Qingyun secretly overheard these conversations. She could see through the other bartenders, but she couldn't see through this man named Ou Yunchen. So, was he good or bad? Greedy or generous?
She couldn't guess any aspect of this man's true nature, as if he had never shown his true face to outsiders.
After listening for a while, Mo Qingyun left.
Sister Hong wasn't here tonight, and neither was Ou Yunchen. But if the other bartenders weren't here, she wouldn't have noticed...
Yet, Ou Yunchen's absence seemed to be easily detected by her.
After hearing about his good deeds, the malice in her heart turned into slander. At this moment, she didn't know if her unconscious attention was out of curiosity or some other complex emotion.
Knock, knock, knock—
Mo Qingyun knocked on the door of Ou Yunchen's lounge. It was strange; he clearly wasn't here.
Mo Qingyun turned, wanting to leave, but her feet felt rooted to the spot.
After much thought, she decided to turn back, pressed the doorknob, and with a "click," the door opened. The motion-sensor lights on either side illuminated the room.
Was it colder inside because no one was present?
A suit jacket was casually draped over a chair in front of the dressing table. Beside the sofa, there was an ashtray that hadn't been cleaned, and half a pack of cigarettes lay on the floor. A plush cushion lay to the left of the cigarette box.
Mo Qingyun quickly placed the wound disinfectant she was holding on the dressing table. She recalled the scratches she had seen on his neck and the bartenders' mention of a violent female customer. She guessed Ou Yunchen must have taken quite a beating that night...
As she walked to the door, about to close it, she paused. She walked to the sofa, bent down, and tidied the messy floor. She re-cleaned the ashtray, arranged the cushion, and took away the trash from the room.