Working as a waiter has always been like this: extremely busy when it’s busy, extremely idle when it’s not. Different positions also vary in how hectic they are.

Shen Hao was stationed at the bar here, which was considered a pretty good post. After a certain period of time, there would be plenty of free time—you could sit and rest, and even play on your phone.

As for playing on your phone without getting caught, that required keen hearing. The entire second floor was carpeted with thick rugs, so footsteps made almost no sound.

Guests weren’t much of a concern, though. When guests came upstairs, they usually came in groups, chatting and laughing together. Even without footsteps, it was easy to notice them.

The second floor had no windows. As long as the private room doors stayed closed, the corridor would be extremely quiet.

Just as Shen Hao was completely absorbed in reading a novel, he suddenly felt a shadow looming over his head. He quickly slipped his phone into a hidden compartment under the bar, looked up, and saw a woman standing outside the bar counter, leaning in to see what he was doing.

“Xiao Hao, what are you looking at?” The woman chuckled lightly when she realized she’d been noticed, asking with some curiosity.

“Sister Hong, I was reading a novel,” Shen Hao said awkwardly as he stood up, having been caught red-handed.

“Reading a novel? Young people really like that kind of thing… I used to like reading novels too, those romance ones—I’d get completely hooked.”
This woman was called Zhu Honghong. Everyone in the bar, from waiters to managers, called her Sister Hong, and Shen Hao naturally followed suit.

Sister Hong looked to be in her thirties, exuding a mature charm. She usually liked wearing qipao—red, blue, black, embroidered with various patterns—making one wonder whether her wardrobe consisted of nothing but qipao and no other clothes.

Qipao are very demanding on a person’s figure. If they don’t fit well, or if there’s even a little extra flesh around the waist, the tight fabric will reveal it, turning elegance into awkwardness.

But none of that was a problem for Sister Hong. She was about 170 centimeters tall, even taller by a few centimeters in high heels. Her figure was curvy and well-proportioned, with beautiful lines; even when the dress clung tightly to her waist, it remained perfectly flat. She was also very pretty, with a beauty mark at the corner of her mouth that added a touch of allure. Her shoulder-length wavy hair perfectly showcased the charm of the qipao—and the qipao, in turn, greatly enhanced her charm.

She was a well-known beauty at Nightingale Bar. Many people knew of her.

At the bar, she was mainly responsible for managing the hostesses. As for anything else, it wasn’t very clear—after all, Shen Hao had only been working there for three days. All he knew was that Sister Hong was very free, going up and down, able to go anywhere.

Every so often, Sister Hong would come up to the second floor to do a round of inspection, walking through the corridor. She must have just come upstairs to patrol when she noticed him looking down at his phone and came over out of curiosity.

After a brief exchange, Shen Hao thought she would turn around and leave to continue her rounds. Unexpectedly, she curled her lips into a smile and asked, “Xiao Hao, I’m a bit tired from walking. Can I sit here and rest for a while?”

“Of course, of course! Sister Hong, please come in and sit!” Shen Hao didn’t dare refuse. He quickly stood up, opened the bar’s small door, and made space for her. After she came in, he closed it.

The space inside the bar was fairly large. Besides the counter, there was a display rack behind them holding various expensive red wines and spirits.

On the left side—near the exit—there were seven or eight cases of beer stacked up. There had been more earlier, but quite a bit had already been used. Usually, the first thing Shen Hao did when he came on shift was restock beer, carrying some from the warehouse to make it up to fifteen cases, ready for use at any time.

It was still early—just past seven in the evening. Peak hours were still a long way off. There had originally been another person scheduled for the evening shift, but since it wasn’t yet eight o’clock, that position was temporarily vacant.

Shen Hao let Sister Hong sit on the stool inside, while he sat on the one outside, so that it would be easier for him to come and go if any private room needed something.

After sitting down, Sister Hong somehow produced a pack of cigarettes, took one out, and lit it with the lighter on the bar.

She took a puff, and the smoke she exhaled carried a faint fragrance.

Although Shen Hao didn’t smoke, he could tell that Sister Hong was smoking a ladies’ cigarette—longer than regular ones, and scented.

He hadn’t been working here long and didn’t know many people. Apart from another night-shift waiter named Li Cheng, whom he was fairly familiar with, he could only say he knew Sister Hong, not that they were close. Sitting together like this made him feel a little uneasy. He wanted to start a conversation but didn’t know what to talk about.

Fortunately, just then, Zhu Honghong turned her head to look at him and asked, “Xiao Hao, have you gotten used to working here these past few days?”

“It’s fine. I’ve already gotten used to it,” Shen Hao replied.

“Mm. You’re new here, so you probably don’t know everyone yet, but that’s okay. With time, you’ll gradually get to know them all,” Zhu Honghong said as she smoked. “I heard you’re a local?”

“Yes, my home is in Baisha District,” Shen Hao said.

“Baisha District? That’s still a bit far,” Zhu Honghong remarked.

“It takes a bit over an hour by bus. If I want to go home during the day, it’s still doable,” Shen Hao said.

Once the conversation got going, the two of them sat there chatting casually. Occasionally, someone from a private room would call for service, and Shen Hao would go take care of it. When he came back, Zhu Honghong was still sitting there, looking like she didn’t plan to leave anytime soon.

After chatting for a while, Shen Hao relaxed. His first impression of Sister Hong had been very strong.

At the time, Zhu Honghong had been wearing a qipao, leaning against the bar, a ladies’ cigarette held between her fingers.

Her crimson lips exhaled smoke, her eyes slightly hazy. Her mature, curvy figure, combined with her lazy, seductive aura, was a truly lethal temptation for men—enough to make one want to possess her.

That was how most people would see it. But aside from that possessive impulse, Shen Hao also felt an inexplicable sense of wariness toward her. He didn’t dare get close, as if beneath that lazy exterior lurked some unknown danger.

This contradictory feeling left him puzzled for a time, but since he couldn’t figure out why he felt wary of her, he eventually stopped thinking about it.

“Xiao Hao, do you have a girlfriend?”

Suddenly, Zhu Honghong asked a rather personal question. Shen Hao smiled and said, “I had one back in college. We broke up after graduation.”

“Oh, that’s normal,” Zhu Honghong nodded knowingly. “You haven’t found one since?”

“Not yet… I don’t really have the energy for that right now,” Shen Hao shook his head, a bitter smile rising in his heart. He had already resigned himself to being single for life.

“I think you look quite clean-cut. A lot of girls like your type. It shouldn’t be hard for you to find a girlfriend,” Zhu Honghong said. Then she suddenly leaned slightly toward Shen Hao and added, “What do you think of the hostesses here? I heard last time that several of them have a good impression of you. If you want a girlfriend, you could seize the opportunity.”

“Th-this doesn’t seem very appropriate, does it?” Shen Hao’s expression stiffened slightly. Just moments earlier, he had almost wondered whether Zhu Honghong herself might be interested in him. Even though he didn’t think he was into older women, she was beautiful and well-built—any man would have some thoughts.

But now it seemed he had overthought things. From the looks of it, she was probably asking on behalf of those hostesses.

“What? Do you look down on hostesses?” Zhu Honghong straightened up and asked.

“It’s not that I look down on them…” Shen Hao thought for a moment and was about to explain further, but Zhu Honghong interrupted him.

“Mm, no need to explain. I understand,” Zhu Honghong said with a knowing look. “Hostesses aren’t the same as prostitutes, but because of the nature of the job, they often get groped—it’s unavoidable. And if they meet a rich guy, most hostesses can’t resist the temptation and are willing to go out and get a room with him. That kind of thing happens all the time. It’s normal for you to mind… But dating is still fine. You’re not getting married anyway.”

“…” Shen Hao was speechless. He felt the topic had somehow veered off in a very strange direction, and after hearing that, he didn’t know how to respond.

“Haha, looks like you’re pretty pure-hearted! Can’t accept it?” Zhu Honghong laughed at Shen Hao’s expression, laughing so hard her body swayed, drawing attention to certain parts as they moved.

Shen Hao quickly pulled his wandering gaze back and nodded. “I just think that if you date someone, you should get married eventually. Otherwise, isn’t that just playing around?”

“Good! A good man!” Zhu Honghong raised her thumb, smiling as she praised him.

“I’m nothing special,” Shen Hao said shyly, scratching his head.

This modest, slightly smug reaction only made Zhu Honghong laugh even harder.

After she finally calmed down, she glanced at her watch and said, “Alright, it’s getting late. I should go.”

It was almost eight o’clock. The other night-shift waiter would be arriving soon, so she left a bit early.

“Okay, take care, Sister Hong,” Shen Hao quickly stood up and opened the door for her.

Zhu Honghong stood up with a smile and left, bringing with her a lingering fragrance.

Not long after she left, the waiter named Li Cheng arrived.

After greeting Shen Hao, he asked how many private rooms were open. Seeing that there wasn’t much going on, he directly took out his phone and started playing games.

As a veteran employee, Li Cheng was a bit more blatant about it—also because Shen Hao was there to help keep watch.

That was how a workday went. Apart from the unexpected chat with the stunning Zhu Honghong, nothing else out of the ordinary happened.

At midnight, Shen Hao got off work. He went to the locker room, changed out of his waiter’s uniform into his own clothes, said hello to the manager, and left.

Stepping out of the bar, he saw neon lights lining both sides of the street, illuminating it even more brightly than streetlamps. This scene would continue until three or four in the morning, before finally fading away.