Yan's mother heaved a long sigh and didn't press any further. She wasn't entirely clueless about the "professions" her daughter was involved in—wine conning, tea conning, marriage conning... As long as it wasn't illegal, Xixi would do whatever made money.
After a long pause, she spoke slowly, "Xixi, I can't help you. Instead, I've become a burden to you. This is the most shameful thing for a parent, but I have no other choice. You can only rely on yourself; you have to take care of yourself."
Three years ago, Yan's mother had to take medicine every day just to maintain her already decaying body. Though not yet fifty, she looked more like a woman in her seventies or eighties. Her gaunt face was ashen, etched with a numb, lifeless despair.
If she hadn't fallen ill, if it weren't for the crushing medical expenses, Xixi could have been like other girls. She could have had a regular job, spent her salary mainly on clothes and entertainment, and then found a good boyfriend... But now, what chance did she have?
She avoided eye contact with her daughter, simply serving the sweet fermented rice porridge from the electric rice cooker. "Eat," she said. "Rest properly after eating." The electricity had been cut long ago, so the bowl, which should have been steaming hot, was already cold.
Yan Xixi took the bowl. The chill seeped from her hand to her heart. She glanced at the only window in the room. By then, the sky had completely brightened. The sleet had long since stopped, and it looked to be a rare, long-awaited sunny day.
Yan Xixi sat alone in a corner of the teahouse, holding a cup of tea. The poor-quality flower tea, once brewed, emitted a strong aroma of artificial additives. But the scalding hot water brought an immense warmth.
"Miss Yan, let me guess what you're thinking, alright?"
Yan Xixi almost bolted as if she'd seen a ghost, but Wan Donglin quickly grabbed her arm, grinning. "Xixi, you're rather forgetful. Don't you recognize me already?"
Yan Xixi violently shook off his hand. He took the hint, sat down properly opposite her, and unabashedly studied her. In the bright daylight, her coarse, fake designer clothes were plain to see.
"What's this? Back to tea conning again, girlie?" he sneered. "The fools you've lined up won't be coming..." He snapped his fingers. Yan Xixi turned abruptly to find the entire teahouse suddenly empty.
"I've booked the entire teahouse. It makes it easier to talk."
She rose to leave again, but he quickly blocked her, looking relaxed. "Yan Xixi, your mother is seriously ill and constantly needs medication. You have no fixed abode. You survive by tea conning, wine conning, and even marriage conning, don't you?"
"You investigated me?"
"Of course! You carry a forged AIDS patient record. Any man with ill intentions gets scared off. Your tactics are clever. Who knows how many men you've deceived..."
"You attended one of the city's top universities for over two years but had to drop out and work because you couldn't afford tuition or living expenses..."
"I also know that five years ago, your father caused a car accident that killed two people. As a result, your family became destitute. Three years ago, your father died, sick and impoverished. That same year, you dropped out of school. Your mother has a chronic disease. It's actually not difficult to cure, but it requires a significant sum for surgery. Otherwise, she can only suffer through these years. At most, she has another two or three years before she will undoubtedly die..."
She cut him off, her voice sharp, "Yes, I desperately need money, but the money I earned was 'hard-earned money,' not from selling myself!!!"