Neon lights swirled, casting a kaleidoscope of garish colors across the room.
The house band in the bar howled about the pains of youth and the injustices of fate. They sang until their faces were flushed crimson and the veins in their necks looked ready to burst.
As the lead singer reached the climax, he grew overwhelmed with emotion, dropping to his knees and sliding toward the edge of the stage. He flung his arms wide like a pair of wings, as if they could carry him away from this unfair world.
"Ahhh!!!"
The audience screamed in approval.
In a corner booth, surrounded by a small crowd, Si Jiang rolled his eyes. He tilted his glass, pouring the amber liquid directly into the mouth of the girl sitting beside him.
"Mmph—cough, cough!"
The hostess choked, the alcohol splashing.
Si Jiang propped his chin on his hand. "If you spit it out, this table is on your tab."
The woman’s pained expression froze. She clutched her throat, her gullet working as she forced the bitter liquid down.
"That’s a good girl. Obedient children deserve rewards. Another ten bottles of tequila!"
He watched with satisfaction as the woman’s face instantly shifted into a look of delighted fawning.
"Young Master Si, you’re so kind."
"Haha."
Si Jiang raised an eyebrow and looked to his left. "Chen Bai, I’m getting bored of this bar. Pick a new one next time."
Chen Bai looked at him, exasperated. "Old Si, you were the one who said you liked this band’s music. That’s why we come here so often. What, has your taste finally changed?"
"I just can't figure out what’s so good about all that mindless shouting."
Si Jiang pulled the woman into his arms and tilted her chin up. "Don't you think it’s interesting?"
The woman blinked, startled. "What?" As the handsome, arrogant face of the young guest drew closer, she couldn't help but blush.
This was Young Master Si; everyone in their circle knew how generous he was. If she could hook him, she could save herself years of hard work!
Chen Bai let out a soft laugh and gestured for the woman pouring drinks next to him to lean in. He asked her, "What do you think? What does Young Master Si mean?"
The woman said flatteringly, "Young Master Si must appreciate their passion for music and their pursuit of their dreams."
Before Si Jiang could respond, Chen Bai spat out a mouthful of booze, laughing uproariously. "Hahaha! Passion? Dreams? Pfft, hahaha! He doesn't have a single ounce of that crap in him."
Si Jiang shifted away in disgust. "Don't get that on me. This outfit just arrived."
"Are you short on clothes?"
"I like this one."
"And how many days will that last?"
"As long as I like it, it cannot be tainted!"
Chen Bai waved a hand dismissively. "Got it, got it. My apologies, Young Master Si. I almost defiled your precious threads."
Looking at him, Si Jiang felt a sudden urge to kick him. He thought it, and so he did it.
"Don't you think," Si Jiang said, leaning back into the sofa as he swirled the golden liquid in his glass, "that the way these poor people take things so seriously is hilarious?"
"On one hand, they complain about social injustice; on the other, they have no choice but to submit. They dream of getting rich overnight, and when they face us, they’re all fawning and flattery. The envy in their eyes is practically overflowing, yet they still have to force a smile."
"It’s a brilliant performance, isn't it?"
The arrogance and disdain in his voice made the surrounding workers struggle to maintain their expressions, but he didn't care in the slightest.
These people could work for ten years and still not earn what Si Jiang spent in a single night. Why should he care about them?
Nevertheless, Si Jiang patted the woman’s cheek. "Come home with me tonight."
A beauty with a chest like that and a waist so thin shouldn't go to waste.
Chen Bai shook his head helplessly. He was long used to his childhood friend’s temperament; it didn't stir a single ripple in his heart. After all, what Si Jiang said was simply reality, wasn't it?
"Young... Young Master Chen."
The woman accompanying him held a glass to his lips, her eyes shimmering with a watery, "no-means-yes" invitation.
Chen Bai raised an eyebrow, took a sip, then reached out to pinch her chin, transferring the wine into her mouth with a kiss.
Tongues tangled; the air grew thick with decadence.
***
As the night deepened, Si Jiang and his group eventually filtered out of the bar.
A designated driver was already standing by the car, holding the door open.
Si Jiang slid into the backseat with his "trophy" for the day. The driver started the engine, and the sports car slowly pulled away from the bustling street.
Having had a bit too much to drink, Si Jiang rolled down the window, staring out listlessly. They were heading toward the apartment he rented near the university, so the surroundings grew progressively quieter.
Suddenly, his eyes widened as if he’d seen something. "Stop the car!"
The driver looked troubled. "Sir, you can't park here."
"I told you to stop, so stop. It’s not like they’re going to dock points from *your* license."
Si Jiang leaned his head out with sudden high spirits, peering toward a corner.
Yes, he hadn't been mistaken. It was that annoying woman.
She was wearing clothes so shabby he couldn't even fathom them—it felt like he’d seen her wearing that same stuff back in high school. Like a wraith, she was crouching by the roadside with a face full of gloom.
He narrowed his eyes, observing her. What was this creature doing?
"Back the car up a bit."
The driver had no choice but to comply.
The woman seemed to be feeding a stray dog. From a distance, the dog looked like it was disabled.
"Tch."
Boring.
"Let’s go."
It was nothing more than two of a kind huddling together for warmth.
"Young Master Si, who were you looking at just now?"
After their passions had been spent, the woman curled into his arms and asked in a coy voice.
Perhaps because he had just found release, Si Jiang was in a decent mood. He toyed with her long hair, speaking lazily.
"An unpleasant classmate."
"Oh? You actually have a classmate like that, Young Master Si?"
"Like what?"
"Just... someone who looks like they aren't from the same world as you."
The woman smiled flatteringly.
Si Jiang agreed completely, nodding. "Yes, I feel the same way."
That person’s very presence in his world was a form of defilement.
***
During the first year of high school, they had the routine self-introductions on stage.
Si Jiang had walked up with one hand in his pocket. He picked up a piece of chalk and gave it a flamboyant flourish, writing his name in large letters: *Si Jiang.*
"My name is Si Jiang. *Si* as in Situ, *Jiang* as in 'expanding territory.'"
He felt that while his parents weren't great people, the name they’d given him was at least quite domineering.
Between his looks and his expensive clothes, the students below watched him with admiration. Having successfully garnered a wave of attention, he returned to his seat, satisfied.
It seemed high school life might be worth looking forward to after all.
Several more people went up. Si Jiang listened boredly, clapping along with the crowd, though not a single word actually entered his ears.
He was still thinking about the text message he’d received before leaving home.
*“Don't mess around in high school like you did before. We don't have time to negotiate with the school.”*
*“Don't embarrass the family during the first monthly exams. You must be in the top fifty of the grade, or your allowance will be halved.”*
Si Jiang sneered inwardly. Top fifty? In their dreams. He’d already forgotten everything from the summer cram sessions. Were video games not more fun than this?
The pen he was twirling slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor. As he prepared to lean down and pick it up, someone happened to walk by from behind, stopping right in front of his pen.
*They’ll probably pick it up for me,* Si Jiang thought, naturally pulling his hand back.
He was just about to say thanks when, to his surprise, the person simply stepped over the lonely pen. They gave him an indifferent glance and walked toward the podium without looking back.
The smile on Si Jiang’s face froze. The sting of being ignored for the first time was like a vial of venom, making his chest burn and turning his neck and ears red in an instant.
*Damn it.*
*Damn it.*
*What the hell... does this person think they're doing?!*
He looked up in anger at the person now standing on the podium.
The person had their back to him, writing a name on the blackboard. A hand so thin the joints were sharply defined gripped the chalk. There were scars of various sizes on her arm. Her fingers pressed the white chalk against the board: *Zong...*
*Zong? What kind of weird surname is that?*
The writing was bold and forceful, each stroke executed with extreme pressure. White dust drifted down, swirling into the beams of light streaming through the window—a memory unique to one's student days.
*Yan.*
"Zong Yan?"
He heard the students nearby start to whisper. The name was too strange. Who would name their child "Salt"?
The girl turned around. She had pale skin and dark, deep eyes, beneath which sat a sizeable birthmark. She seemed to have no intention of winning over her new classmates. She spoke coldly, "Hello everyone. My name is Zong Yan. Please look after me."
Then she walked down. As she passed Si Jiang’s desk, he somehow found himself straightening his back and staring at her.
But Zong Yan merely walked past with total indifference, as if she hadn't noticed the handsome classmate watching her at all.
"I think I know why she's called 'Salt' (Yan)."
A flame was rising in Si Jiang’s heart. In his entire life, he had never been ignored like this.
On what grounds? This person was clearly ugly and shabby, and exceptionally unpleasant. On what grounds did she dare to ignore him?
"Huh? Why?"
"Because of the 'Ugly Woman Wuyan'!"
"Hahaha, cough—you shouldn't say that."
"What was the name of the king in history who married Zhong Wuyan?"
"I know! King Xuan of Qi. His name was Bijiang."
In an instant, the discussion came to a dead stop.
Until someone whispered a question: "Jiang? Which 'Jiang'?"
"...The 'Jiang' as in 'expanding territory.'"
*BANG!*
Si Jiang’s desk was kicked over, crashing to the floor. Everyone jumped in fright.
He glared ferociously at the boy who had spoken, looking like an offended emperor who wanted nothing more than to grind the person who dared to associate him with that... that disgusting creature into ash!
The teacher coughed a few times and spoke awkwardly, "Student Si, what are you doing? Hurry and pick up your desk. We are in the middle of class."
The teacher didn't dare scold him. Before the term started, the file on the "hot potato" that was Si Jiang had already been placed on his desk. Even the principal didn't dare offend him.
***
"And then?"
The woman urged Si Jiang to continue.
But Si Jiang was already feeling sleepy. He brushed her off with a few impatient words.
"After that? After that, no one ever dared to mention her name in front of me again."
"And her? She paid the price she deserved."
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 司疆 | Si Jiang | Male lead. "Si" is a surname; "Jiang" means territory/frontier. |
| 陈柏 | Chen Bai | Si Jiang's friend. |
| 宗盐 | Zong Yan | Female lead. "Zong" is a surname; "Yan" means salt. |
| 丑女无盐 | Ugly Woman Wuyan | A reference to Zhong Wuyan, a famous "ugly" but wise queen in Chinese history. "Wuyan" (无盐) literally means "No Salt," but is also the name of her hometown. |
| 钟无艳 | Zhong Wuyan | A historical/legendary figure known for her physical ugliness and great wisdom. |
| 齐宣王 | King Xuan of Qi | A ruler of the State of Qi during the Warring States period. |
| 辟疆 | Bijiang | The personal name of King Xuan of Qi. It shares the same "Jiang" (疆) character as Si Jiang's name. |
