When Zong Yan returned to the dormitory, exhausted, the room was as noisy as ever.
With finals approaching, the academic pressure in their major was immense. In between her part-time jobs, Zong Yan tried her best to find time for revision. When the stress became too much, her roommates would break out into curses and rants.
Because of this, Zong Yan never studied in the dorm. Once, before an exam, she had sat at her desk to read for a while, only to be met with snide remarks and passive-aggressive sarcasm. It seemed there was always a certain type of person who could not tolerate seeing others work hard in their presence.
Lately, however, her roommates had found a new way to vent.
Zong Yan stood on the balcony and looked down. Her books had been thrown into a bucket of foul, stagnant water. There was no telling how long they had been soaking.
Expressionless, she lifted the bucket, picked the items out one by one, and spread them across the sink.
An old photograph had been tucked inside one of her notebooks; now, it was stuck to the sodden paper. It was a yellowed photo of a woman and a child, though it had been well-preserved until now. After this, whether it would warp or lose its original clarity was anyone's guess.
The roommates pretended not to care, yet they cast furtive glances her way, watching for a reaction.
Seeing Zong Yan spreading her books out to dry, one of them finally couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh. "Sorry, I accidentally dropped your books in there. But hey, for a top student like you, you probably don't even need these books to take first place, right?"
She had disliked Zong Yan since the start of the semester.
In her high school, she had always been the center of attention—excellent grades, good looks, a respectable family background, and no shortage of suitors or friends. Naturally, she assumed she would maintain that halo at this university.
The prestigious school hadn't disappointed her, especially when she saw that Si Jiang, a top-tier "rich second generation" heir, was in her class. It was a future worth looking forward to, wasn't it?
She had once approached Si Jiang nervously, wanting to introduce herself. But Si Jiang’s gaze never landed on her; his focused eyes were always directed toward a corner of the room.
At the end of that gaze sat Zong Yan.
Later, when they discussed their college entrance exam scores, she discovered that Zong Yan had been admitted with the highest score in the entire major. Before the cold-shouldering and bullying began, Zong Yan had actually been the focus of everyone’s attention.
After all, who doesn't admire the strong?
But she couldn't accept it. She couldn't accept being second to anyone, and she certainly couldn't stand losing to someone who looked like they came from the bottom of society—someone strange and shabby.
So what if her grades were good?
Her father had always said that no matter how well some people did in school, they would eventually just end up working for those who had poor grades. This was especially true for someone like Zong Yan, who practically reeked of poverty. Once she entered the real world, wouldn't she still have to crawl up from the very bottom?
Meanwhile, she herself had been born in Rome.
Leaning back in her chair with a bottle of nail polish in hand, she propped her long legs on the desk and slowly applied layer after layer to her toenails.
"Is this fun?"
Zong Yan, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
"What?"
The roommate was momentarily stunned. Zong Yan had never reacted to their bullying before. She had always been like a lifeless puppet, numbly accepting every injury.
"I asked, is this fun? Targeting someone, bullying someone."
Zong Yan turned around, clutching the bucket as she stared at her.
For some reason, the roommate felt a flicker of unease. Zong Yan’s eyes had always been dead and dull, but the way she was staring now made her skin crawl.
"What are you talking about? I already said it was an accident. We're roommates, why would we bully you?"
"Oh."
Zong Yan gave a short response. Then, step by step, she walked toward her.
"What... what do you think you're doing?" the girl asked nervously.
Zong Yan thought to herself: *So, even these high-and-mighty people can show signs of cowardice and fear?*
"Hey, at most... at most I'll just buy you some new books to pay you back..."
Zong Yan’s pace didn't falter. She came to a halt, her back ramrod straight, standing before the roommate who had been so keen on leading the others to bully her since the first day of school.
"Then I guess this is also just an accident. My hand slipped."
She raised the bucket high. Under the dormitory lights, even the sewage seemed to glint.
With a flick of her wrist, Zong Yan tilted the bucket without a moment's hesitation. With a loud *splash*, the filthy water doused the girl instantly.
The white nightgown was stained with grime, her permed long hair hung limp against her face, and the bottle of nail polish fell to the floor, splattering everywhere.
"..."
The other two roommates nearly fell off their chairs in shock. They looked at the drenched girl in horror, thinking: *It’s over. With this princess's pride and her obsession with cleanliness, she’s going to lose it.*
Sure enough, a moment later, a scream pierced the night sky.
The girl frantically wiped the sewage from her face, her eyes turning bloodshot with rage. "How dare you! How dare you do this to me!"
Zong Yan set the bucket down and replied flatly, "I told you, my hand slipped. Since your family is so well-off, this dress is just a loss; you can just buy a new one."
"You're not going to make me pay for it, are you? I'm sure you're not that petty."
Having said her piece, she left the bucket there and walked past the roommate, who was shaking with fury.
"Stop right fucking there!"
The arrogant girl had snapped. She kicked the bucket aside and lunged forward, reaching to grab Zong Yan’s hair and slap her.
Zong Yan simply shifted her body to the side. As the girl stumbled past her, Zong Yan reached out and gripped her wrist tightly.
"Ow! Let go!" the roommate shrieked in pain.
Zong Yan tightened her grip, her knuckles nearly sinking into the girl's blanching skin.
"I simply chose not to fight back. That doesn't mean I can't. Do you understand?"
"In the future, stay out of my way."
The roommate truly didn't know where the malnourished-looking Zong Yan got such strength; her wrist felt like it was about to snap. She could only concede for the moment. "I get it! Let go of me!"
Zong Yan looked at her coldly, staring until the girl was forced to avert her eyes, before abruptly releasing her.
The other two roommates rushed over to offer comfort, their voices condemning Zong Yan sounding small and weak. Zong Yan didn't bother with them and went straight into the bathroom to shower.
Tonight was a rare moment of peace.
Knowing her roommate's temperament, Zong Yan knew the girl would never swallow this insult. Thus, the next morning, Zong Yan pulled out a duffel bag, packed her clothes and important belongings, and left the dormitory.
She would apply for off-campus status starting next semester. As an orphan, she had a certain degree of autonomy. Unless absolutely necessary, she would not return here.
Naturally, she received a call from her counselor.
Facing the counselor's questioning, Zong Yan replied softly, "It was just roommates playing around. How could I have bullied her on purpose?"
"Our school doesn't have a bullying problem, does it? Teacher."
As night fell, Zong Yan arrived at the bar to clock in for work.
The bar was exceptionally lively tonight, and everyone seemed unusually excited. Zong Yan changed into her uniform and asked Xiao Qing in confusion, "Is there an event today?"
"Yeah, the boss is doing a 'Theme Night.' He spent a lot on promotion, so there are tons of customers today."
"Oh." Zong Yan nodded, signaling her understanding.
"By the way, don't wear that. Here, today's outfit is this."
"?"
"You didn't think only the customers had to dress up, did you? We servers have to match the theme too. Hurry up, the pre-event warm-up is starting soon. We're on a clock."
Xiao Qing babbled on with instructions. She was a veteran at the bar and knew all the details.
Zong Yan took the clothes, falling silent. It was a dress. She almost never wore dresses. Most importantly, it was a leather dress—rust red and very short, barely covering the tops of her thighs. The only consolation was that it wasn't off-the-shoulder—even if half the back was cut out.
Zong Yan asked, "Are you sure this bar doesn't do... 'shady' business?"
Xiao Qing was surprised. "What are you saying? Of course not." Seeing Zong Yan’s resistance, she laughed. "You think this is too revealing? It's fine, it just shows some back. You're not losing anything."
Zong Yan had no choice but to follow Xiao Qing’s instructions. She put on pasties and squeezed into the incredibly tight leather dress.
"Black stockings. Put them on. It appeals to the male customers' tastes."
"..."
For the sake of the money, she endured it.
After pulling on the slippery stockings, Zong Yan felt unnatural all over.
"I didn't expect that even though you look thin, your figure isn't bad at all. Hmm, let me see, something's still missing..."
Xiao Qing studied her face, picked up a bottle of hairspray from the table, and gave her hair a few spritzes. She quickly worked her hands, slicking the bangs that usually covered Zong Yan’s forehead straight back.
"Give her some lipstick. Use the gold liquid eyeshadow to outline the birthmark."
The manager, whose neck was covered in tattoos, appeared at the door at some point. He flicked his lighter, lit a cigarette, and spoke with a casual air.
Xiao Qing followed the instructions, though she looked skeptical.
"Done. Let me see... Holy crap." She gave the manager a thumbs-up. "Manager, I've got to hand it to you. You've got a sharp eye."
Zong Yan stood up blankly. Under their satisfied gazes, she walked to the full-length mirror.
The person in the mirror looked like someone else entirely. But what drew her attention most was the birthmark. It turned out that her birthmark was shaped like that.
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Open for business!"
Cheerful music erupted as the DJ on stage fired up the atmosphere. Zong Yan was responsible for greeting the incoming guests and escorting them to their respective areas. The speakers were loud and piercing; several times, guests spoke to her, but she couldn't hear a word they said.
After seating a group, she returned to the entrance.
Just then, there was a commotion at the door. A bar manager appeared out of nowhere to welcome someone who had just stepped out of a supercar.
The newcomer was dressed quite elaborately, wearing a white suit with a dusty pink shirt unbuttoned to the fourth hole. His leather shoes gleamed with a rich luster even in the night. He wore a half-mask on his face, making it impossible to tell who he was or what he looked like.
Very mysterious.
Accompanied by the manager, the man stepped through the bar doors and brushed past Zong Yan.
She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but Zong Yan felt as though the man had cast a glance her way.
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
小清 | Xiao Qing | Zong Yan's colleague at the bar.
走读 | Off-campus status | A student who lives outside the university dormitory and commutes to classes.
铁锈红 | Rust red | The color of the leather dress Zong Yan wears for the theme night.
胸贴 | Pasties / Nipple covers | Used by Zong Yan under the revealing leather dress.
