REN
My eyes kept flitting to the main entrance, eagerly expecting a certain D-Gen Alpha to walk through. The time was 10:30 p.m., and I was taking a not-so-calming break in the companions' lounge, having just finished with my second client for the night—a B-Gen Alpha with irrelevant credentials.
Today would be a terrible day for him to decide to give up. I groaned in irritation when, once again, another person—who wasn't who I was hoping for—strutted in.
"Baby boy!"
I jumped at the sudden closeness of Miss Jia Li's voice, turning to blink at her in surprise.
"Jie. Why are you so close to my ear?" I questioned, shifting in my seat to put some
distance between us.
She scoffed. "Why am I so close to your ear? You're lucky I hadn't already called an ambulance." My brows furrowed. "I've been calling your name for the past hour."
'Past hour' was a stretch.
"Okay, that's a fucking exaggeration," I replied, only to be rewarded with a light
smack on my lips.
"Ouch!" I pouted as I rubbed the area to soothe the minor tingle that resulted. It didn't
hurt nearly as much as I'd expect from such contact. Was this what Mr. Lu meant
earlier?
"That dirty, nasty mouth of yours…" Miss Jia Li's voice interrupted my thoughts, drawing my attention back to her. "Tell me, what's got you looking like a lost puppy?"
I pursed my lips as I contemplated whether or not to tell her. Guess it wouldn't hurt. She's definitely more familiar with his routine than I am, anyway. But what if she asked too many questions? Miss Jia Li could be very nosy sometimes.
After giving her a long, meaningful look, I made my decision, turning to fully face her.
"Jie, what time does Mr. Zhen usually come looking for me?"
Her brows ascended to the top of her head in surprise. I saw her visibly trying to figure out why I asked the question. Then her expression turned serious, as if she'd decided on what to say.
"What's going on between you and that man?"
There it was. What I was hoping to avoid.
"Nothing, Jie," I coughed out. "I just want to know when to make myself disappear." Smooth. Collected. I shrugged nonchalantly to seal the deal.
Slowly, her expression softened. She believed me. I subtly dragged out a breath.
"Be careful of Mr. Zhen. He can be very dangerous when crossed. If you want a peaceful life, avoid him at all costs where work is not involved."
A sharp chill latched onto the very core of my ribs at her words.
Not to mention the wariness in her eyes, the slight wriggle in her voice, even the way she looked directly into my eyes as she spoke.
I was well aware of the risks involved in what I was about to undertake—if Mr. Lu's constant drumming wasn't enough—but there was something about hearing it from an outsider that added another layer of reality.
I was really doing this…
If it were anyone else, I'm sure this warning would've been enough to deter them. But
unfortunately, I didn't have the privilege of being someone else. Danger was just a necessary evil for my survival.
Was I ready for this?
I noticed how my legs were not-so-gracefully swaying from left to right. If Miss Jia Li saw it too, she didn't show it. I quickly clenched my hands firmly over my knees to admonish them before I started to draw any attention. Rubbing my hands on my knees, I decided to pry more to build a better portfolio on my
target—even though my initial question was not exactly answered.
"S-s-so—" My voice faltered, and I twisted my face in caution. Fear? That was understandable, but not excusable. I cleared my throat and tried again, my words coming out better this time. "So…." Miss Jia Li blinked at me. "Apart from his job—Mr. Zhen, I mean—what else do you know about him?"
She stretched a meaningful look at me. One that made my lips curl into a sneer. "Ren, what really is the story between you two?" This again? I dropped an exasperated breath.
"I said it's nothing! I just want to know about the person who seems to be after me. What's
the big deal?"
"THAT is the big deal!" I groaned. Why did she have to make everything so complicated? "Since when have you cared about any of your clients? I don't think you even remember any of their faces. So why are you interested now?" I looked away in
annoyance. "You gave me your why-is-this-bitch-even-talking-to-me look when I mentioned him the last time."
Hell, she was right! Why didn't I listen to her that day? Then this tedious conversation wouldn't have had to happen.
"So, are you telling me or not?" Already on my last strand of patience for the night. She stared at me for a while, and when it looked like she wasn't going to say anything, I pushed myself off the seat with a huff, walking out of the room. If I wanted an interrogation, I'd have spoken to a detective.
"Ren! Hold on!" She called after me, but I only rolled my eyes, completely ignoring her. I didn't have time for another round of back and forth.
I checked the time when I got to the main lounge. 10:48 p.m. This was around the time he came the last time. I held my breath as I did a scan of the people in the lounge. He wasn't here. My chest deflated.
With irritation coursing through my veins, I randomly pointed at one of the alphas wearing a purple tag, beckoning with my finger. It was a slightly overweight, middle-aged A-Gen M-Alpha who looked a mixture of shocked and ecstatic at my choice.
"M-m-me?" he stuttered out, and I smirked, nodding innocently. With that, I gracefully twirled, strutting to one of the pleasure rooms, the eager Alpha stumbling after me.