In late October, the weather turned cold.
Song Xi carefully put on a jacket. She felt she was a determined soul in a broken body, venturing out despite her injury. Thankfully, Lou Yuming wasn't around today.
Half an hour later, Song Xi arrived at the Wei Yin bar.
She wore a hat, a basic professional courtesy for an artist.
Sister Li had made arrangements in advance, and as soon as she entered, a waiter led her to the dressing room.
"Wait here for a moment. Sister Li will be here soon."
Song Xi nodded, looking at the familiar surroundings and clothes, feeling a sense of warmth.
After waiting for a while, she grew bored and started scrolling through Weibo.
She accidentally stumbled upon Qin Feng’s post. Ten minutes ago, he had posted a photo of himself drinking, the lighting hazy, the background appearing to be a private room.
But her fans’ comments were all focused on: "My brother is so handsome," "Why is my brother staying up late again?" "Brother, take care of yourself," and so on.
Song Xi let out a cold scoff, finding it absurd.
If it were a top-tier celebrity, they would have been bombarded with criticism. Indeed, being obscure was the best form of protection.
"Bang—"
The door was suddenly kicked open.
Song Xi was sitting in a corner. In front of her was a row of garment racks, piled high with clothes, which perfectly concealed her.
"I'm not going! I told you, I'm not going!"
A woman’s voice of resistance rang out.
Someone retorted, "Enough! Do you know what you're doing? So many people are watching, and you just ran out without a word. Have you thought about the consequences!"
The woman sobbed, her voice trembling with a hint of panic. "They're forcing me…"
"Who hasn't gone through this! You're not a newbie anymore. Don't you even understand this simple logic? What's wrong with cooperating a little? It's not like they're asking for your life. Look how generous that gentleman is with his money…"
"But he can't insult me! Making me blow him without my clothes on, absolutely not!"
"Ungrateful!"
"Sister Li said we can't… be forced."
"Ha!" The man sneered. "What does she, a woman, know? Look at how little you've been earning every day recently. Don't you want to earn money for your mother's medical expenses anymore? It's just taking off your clothes; you've done it before. Come on!"
"I'm not going!"
As they struggled, the garment racks were knocked over, making a loud noise.
The man’s eyes widened. He immediately pulled his hand back, stammering, "You, you, you…"
Song Xi’s eyes curved upwards, and she gave a faint, calm smile. "Hi, long time no see."
The man’s face turned pale, as if he was terrified of Song Xi. "What are you doing here! You don't work here anymore, who let you in!"
Song Xi took off her hat and tossed her hair, her features bright and her tone languid, "Sister Li, of course."
"Leave now, or I'll..."
"What do you want to do?"
Song Xi walked over and casually picked up a jacket from the floor, draping it over the woman's torn dress.
The woman's body stiffened, unsure of what to do.
Song Xi put her hands in her pockets, her eyes like shards of ice. "It's been a year, and you're still so uninspired, only thinking of playing these tricks to skim off the top. If you want to make money, go accompany him yourself."
"You!"
"Aren't you leaving?" Song Xi suddenly grabbed a stool from the floor.
The man was startled and fled in disarray, nearly falling flat on his face.
He didn't forget to issue a parting threat, "Song Xi, you just wait!"
Song Xi hooked her foot, and with a "bang," she slammed the door shut.
"Scum!"
Her sleeve was tugged. Song Xi turned around.
The woman had wiped away her tears and handed the clothes back to her. "Thank you."
Song Xi raised an eyebrow, surprised by her quick recovery from distress. However, she knew that one had to be tough in this line of work.
"My name is Ding Li."
She walked to the side and, as if no one else was there, took off her dress.
Song Xi was taken aback and quickly turned away. In a fleeting glance, she thought she saw numerous scars on the woman's back.
"Song Xi."
"I know."
Ding Li smiled at Song Xi's reaction. "We all used to change clothes like this before, what are you shy about?"
Song Xi pulled at the corner of her mouth. "I suppose so."
Ding Li appraised her from head to toe, her gaze somewhat yearning, before letting out a bitter laugh. "I used to work under Sister Lan, and we must have crossed paths a few times. You probably don't remember me, but you were the most outstanding one at Wei Yin."
"I heard you found a rich patron. How is it? Looking at your face, it's pampered like a peeled egg. And look at your outfit, it's high-end, not cheap, right?"
She spoke a lot, a complete contrast to her helpless and pitiful demeanor just moments before.
There was a hint of longing, a touch of jealousy, and a trace of bitterness and desolation, as if she could never become like Song Xi in this lifetime.
Song Xi felt a pang in her heart. She was doing this for her brother, while Ding Li was doing it for her mother. Both were driven by circumstances beyond their control.
As if to comfort her, Song Xi took off her jacket.
"Not much better."
Ding Li looked at the bandage on her hand, her chattering voice abruptly ceasing.
Her eyes instantly dimmed, and she said with a sense of loss, "...It seems we can never escape."
"Why did you come back?" After a while, her tone returned to normal.
Song Xi stated directly, "I heard you can play the flute. Can you teach me?"
She added, "I can pay you."
She couldn't just take advantage of someone.
Unexpectedly, Ding Li burst into laughter upon hearing this. "How much can you pay?"
"I can pay according to market prices. I saw online just now, a lesson costs 200-500…"
"No need," Ding Li interrupted her. "I can teach you for free."
Song Xi's eyes lit up.
The next second, Ding Li said, "But I have a condition."
"Give me your current position."