Heaven and Earth Collapse Beginning

Half an hour later, after a few drinks, Xia Zhiyu began to open up a little more. Without waiting for Su Yang or Xia Li to prompt her, she started chatting on her own.

Alcohol isn’t always about the taste—sometimes it’s about how it loosens people up in certain situations, helping even the more reserved personalities blend into the atmosphere.

Right now, Xia Zhiyu’s cheeks were slightly flushed, making her look even more adorable under the dim lighting of the room, evoking a sense of protectiveness.

Just then, Xia Li stood up and said, “You two keep drinking. I’m going to the restroom.”

Xia Zhiyu immediately turned to her and stood as well. “Sis Xia, let me take you there.”

Xia Li waved her off. “No need. You stay and keep Yang-ge company. I know this place better than you do—I’ll go by myself.”

“Oh… alright then.”

Due to space constraints, the cabin didn’t have its own restroom, so Xia Li stepped around the metal coffee table and left.

Once she was gone, only Su Yang and Xia Zhiyu remained in the room.

Alone together, Xia Zhiyu, who had just started relaxing, tensed up again.

On the surface, the bar’s complimentary drink-accompanying service seemed harmless—many bars and KTVs offered similar services these days. But everyone knew what really went on behind the scenes.

It wasn’t uncommon for male customers to take liberties with the hostesses in private rooms. Otherwise, why would the girls be dressed like this?

Xia Zhiyu was well aware of this. Of course, she had her reasons for working here—one being the high pay, and the other… something more personal.

Otherwise, why would a beautiful young woman in the prime of her life choose to be a drink hostess?

Su Yang noticed Xia Zhiyu’s unease. He understood she was wary of him, which was only natural—they’d only just met half an hour ago.

Tilting his head, he studied her delicate profile and asked, “What’s wrong, Little Yu? Nervous again now that Sis Xia’s gone? Afraid I’ll try something?”

Xia Zhiyu shook her head, eyes downcast. “N-no, Yang-ge.”

“Relax, I’m not that kind of person. No need to be tense.”

Su Yang smiled faintly and changed the subject. “Little Yu, can I ask how much you make working here?”

“Uh… well…”

“If it’s not something you can share, don’t worry about it. Just a casual question.”

After a brief pause, Xia Zhiyu glanced up at him. “It’s not that I can’t say. We’re just not supposed to discuss salaries among ourselves, but if a guest asks, it’s fine.”

“Right, telling me doesn’t matter anyway. So, how much?”

“Ten thousand.”

“Ten thousand?” Su Yang thought to himself, No wonder so many fresh graduates work here. That’s a pretty high salary—more than double what they’d make elsewhere.

And it was true. Ten thousand a month was incredibly tempting for recent graduates still naive about the world.

Hell, even seasoned professionals didn’t always pull in that much.

Money had a way of clouding judgment. For a job that just involved drinking with customers, ten thousand a month? How many ordinary college grads could resist that?

But of course, just drinking with customers alone wouldn’t earn that kind of money.

Su Yang kept his thoughts to himself. She must have other reasons. A 20-year-old girl with no experience wouldn’t just work as a bar hostess—especially not someone with a strong-willed personality like hers. There’s more to this. I should ask.

After a sip from his glass, he continued, “Ten thousand is pretty good for a recent grad. Wait a second…”

“Little Yu, you’re 20, right?”

Xia Zhiyu nodded. “Yes, Yang-ge.”

“At your age, shouldn’t you be in college? Are you working part-time?”

The alcohol had loosened her tongue, and since she figured she’d never see Su Yang again after tonight, she didn’t hold back.

With a sigh, she said, “Yang-ge, I didn’t go to college.”

“My family… wasn’t well-off. Even though I got accepted, we couldn’t afford it.”

So it’s because of her family. No wonder a strong-willed girl like her ended up here.

Su Yang could relate more than most—he’d grown up poor himself.

If not for sheer luck and the system choosing him, he’d probably still be slaving away somewhere.

After a moment, he looked at her and said, “Sorry, that was a bit direct.”

Xia Zhiyu shook her head with a faint smile. “It’s fine, Yang-ge. I’m just grateful to have this job. The pay is good, and if I work hard, I’ll save up enough to make life better eventually.”

Su Yang thought to himself, Sure, you’ll save money over time—but working here means being called to drink with customers every night. That’s no good. Plus, the owner of this place is that idiot Zhao Rui. I should just take her with me…

Once the idea took root, he decided then and there to recruit Xia Zhiyu. Tonight would be her first and last night as a hostess.

He had a restaurant and a media company—he could place her somewhere far better than this.

With a smile, he asked, “Little Yu, so after high school, you went straight to work?”

Xia Zhiyu took a deep breath before answering. “Yes, Yang-ge. Right after graduation, I started working at a hotpot restaurant as a server.”

“But before long, the boss fired me because I was too quiet and didn’t chat enough with customers.”

Su Yang frowned. “They fired you for that? What kind of lousy hotpot place was that?”

Xia Zhiyu sighed again, lowering her gaze. “After that, I tried working at other restaurants and bubble tea shops, but without a degree, most places wouldn’t take me.”

“Then last week, I got a call from this place on a job app. I came for the interview, and they told me all I had to do was drink and chat with customers for ten thousand a month…”

“I hesitated at first. Even though I’m quiet, I’m not stupid. I knew a job like this had… implications. But I was desperate for work. After two days with no other options, I came here.”

Su Yang listened quietly, taking another sip. “Little Yu, are you from Haicheng?”

Xia Zhiyu nodded. “Yes.”

“What about your parents?”

"I... I..." Hearing this, Xia Zhiyu suddenly trembled, then turned to Su Yang with teary, glistening eyes, her voice choked up. "I don’t have parents..."

'Damn.'

"Uh, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to..." Su Yang grabbed a tissue from the table and handed it to her.

Xia Zhiyu took it and wiped the tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. "It’s fine, Brother Yang. I’ve never had parents—it’s not something I can’t talk about. I’ve gotten used to it..."

'Damn, that’s way worse than my situation. I was just poor, but at least I had both parents. Little Yu’s life started with disaster... No wonder she didn’t want to say her name earlier.'

"So how did you..."

"My grandmother raised me. When I was four or five, my parents just left me with her without a word and disappeared. I’ve never seen them since."

'Damn, I thought they died. But this is just as cruel.' Su Yang kept his thoughts to himself.

Before he could respond, Xia Zhiyu continued, her expression hardening. "Back then, I thought they’d come back. I waited and waited, year after year, but even now, I’ve never seen them again."

"So in my heart, they’re already dead. Even if they suddenly showed up one day, I wouldn’t acknowledge them!"

Hearing this, Su Yang reached out and gently patted her shoulder. "If I were in your place, I’d feel the same. Abandoning you at such a young age... Did your grandmother know why they left?"

Xia Zhiyu shook her head. "When I got older, I asked her, but she didn’t know either. Not that it matters to me anymore."

"Yeah, it doesn’t. So, Little Yu, how old would your grandmother be now?"

At this, Xia Zhiyu swallowed hard and looked up at Su Yang. "If she were still alive... she’d be 82 this year..."

"Damn..."

'Shit, my big mouth...'

Su Yang closed his eyes and took a deep breath, momentarily at a loss for words.

Xia Zhiyu’s backstory was straight out of a tragic novel—the kind that made her the protagonist.

He scratched his cheek and opened his eyes to look at her. "I’m sorry, Little Yu. I..."

"It’s okay, Brother Yang."

"Let’s not talk about this anymore."

"Alright, no more. Here, let me pour you a drink~" Xia Zhiyu wiped away her tears and stood up to refill Su Yang’s glass.

[Ding. Detected Xia Zhiyu’s favorability toward the host has increased to 20. Reward: 1 million yuan.]

......