CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 38: TOP COURTESAN

Anya looked up at Xu Xiaoyou.

She had never seen such an expression on the other’s face.

So sorrowful, yet this was just another simple scene in Nest City.

"Anya, keep walking."

The alley was filled with the breath of life, clothes hung by residents everywhere, and the scent of cooking drifted from inside houses.

It was as if she had stepped into the entrance of a time tunnel, and in a daze, Xu Xiaoyou felt like she had returned to the days of old, treading on the soil of her hometown.

The conditions here weren’t much better than those in Nest City, located in the largest slum of the city. Aside from the illegally piled-up buildings, almost all the water and electricity facilities were privately connected.

Filth and chaos were synonymous with this place, yet the residents’ spirits here weren’t as bad as those in other slum areas. Frequently, after just a few steps, you could see two households greeting each other, chatting about family matters, their dirty faces bearing simple smiles.

Xu Xiaoyou fixated on the figure of the Deerman at the end of her gaze.

She couldn’t understand why Mr. Hao would come to such a place.

She had followed him for three whole days and had witnessed the everyday life of an underworld boss, which was busier than she had imagined.

All day long, if it wasn’t something happening in the territory here, it was someone causing trouble over there, requiring him to step in and settle it.

Today there seemed to be something different.

From the moment he stepped out, she noticed that Mr. Hao was wearing an expensive suit from a luxury brand today, his leather shoes polished to a shine, his fur meticulously groomed, and he was wearing sandalwood-scented cologne.

What intrigued her the most was that he even stopped by a flower shop to buy a bouquet of roses, which he now held in his arms.

He sent away all the subordinates following him with a certain air of importance. She had thought that this older gentleman would have a day of love budding and would head out to meet a young lady in the finest restaurant.

But instead, he wove through twists and turns and finally arrived at the slum.

A little further ahead and it would be the Red Light District.

Xu Xiaoyou was almost unable to contain her laughter.

So, an old man like you went to all this trouble to dress up just to come out and find a lady?

Following the Deerman all the way forward, figures kept flashing by in her sight.

Mr. Hao stopped in front of a terrace, overlooking from the terrace with more than a dozen stories below, the buildings filled with various signboards. Underneath the tightly packed pipes were passing shadows, coyly dressed girls standing in front of storefronts welcoming guests, and a bustling and lively flea market.

Mr. Hao stood before that terrace for a long time, as if about to head to battle, finally making up his mind before heading down the rusty ladder.

Just going out to find a lady, what’s there to be so nervous about? Could it be that at such an age, it’s still his first time?

Xu Xiaoyou couldn’t understand.

That’d be too sad.

She silently followed, curious about what he was really up to.

After descending several floors, Mr. Hao stopped in front of a floor, observing his surroundings before turning and walking into the interior of that floor.

This floor was a residential building with mostly cheap rented apartments, providing countless down-and-outs struggling in the city a place to rest.

The rooms here were cramped and small. Through the doors and windows, she could see the yellowing walls with peeling paint and only a few torn and tattered quilts left. Flies and mosquitoes buzzed everywhere, and the entire floor had only one place that barely qualified as a restroom. Xu Xiaoyou could even imagine the scene of the entire floor scrambling for that one restroom every morning.

Of course, people here preferred to just find a secluded spot to relieve themselves.

Starting from this floor, the number of Moon Stores noticeably increased. As the first floor of the Red Light District, most women here were older and less attractive, having mostly been phased out from the lower floors.

Frequent visitors knew that the lower the floor, the better the quality of goods in the Moon Store, with appearances younger, and skills more refined. Some Moon Stores even created personas and gimmicks for their top queens. The most famous top queen of the year would be the princess of the entire slum, a dazzling gem among a heap of inferior stones, making countless people go mad with desire, and often fetching tens of thousands of credits in a single night.

To become a top queen, beauty alone was not enough; one must be skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Most importantly, they must know how to grasp the heart of others, how to wrap themselves in mystery, appeasing others’ hearts while maintaining a sense of distance.

Only what you can’t have is the best, and a more adept top queen can make those big bosses squander their fortunes with just a smile or a frown.

Yes, even the top queens unreachable in the eyes of innumerable people do not have their own freedom.

Every top queen is a cash cow, the value they bring to a Moon Store during their youthful bloom is unimaginable to ordinary people.

Even if those bosses spend a fortune, they cannot redeem a top queen from a Moon Store.

From the moment they became a top queen, these girls are doomed to spend their lives in this sunless place.

Mr. Hao finally stopped in front of a room, looking up at the sign of the room.

’Zhangyue Store.’

Compared to the artsy and fancy names of those big Moon Stores, it seemed a bit too simple.

This time he didn’t hesitate, but held his head high, carrying a bouquet of roses, and walked in.

Xu Xiaoyou thought, at your status, coming to such an unranked Moon Store doesn’t feel like it’s beneath you?

Though she had heard of the saying "the older, the better," none of this made Mr. Hao seem like one with such heavy tastes.

Amazing how you can never truly know someone; in private, you’re playing this big.

This Moon Store was rented on the second floor, with the first floor being a snack bar.

The oil-splattered foods on the snack stand sizzled, rustic-looking customers played dice, erupting in clamorous laughter.

Xu Xiaoyou tried to avoid the splattering oil stains. Cleaning her clothes wouldn’t be easy if they got dirty.

Walking through a dim corridor, she saw several Ghouls with pale skin and blood-red eyes caged at the end of the first floor. They hunched, glaring at Xu Xiaoyou with bloodthirsty eyes.

People in the slums liked keeping Ghouls as guard dogs.

Anya bared her teeth back at those Ghouls, scaring them away.

After climbing to the second floor, lifting the plastic curtain, she entered a series of small rooms bathed in pink-purple light. Entrancing voices filled the air, along with deep breaths, all of which Xu Xiaoyou chose to ignore.

Anya didn’t understand, but Anya was amazed.

Under the light of desire, everyone here became primitive beasts.

Xu Xiaoyou saw with her own eyes as Mr. Hao entered a small room in the farthest corner. To avoid drawing attention, she entered the room opposite, randomly spending three credit points on a girl.

Soon a girl entered. She looked rather young, her face dotted with freckles, appearing both innocent and naïve.

Xu Xiaoyou was surprised, this kind of girl working in a Moon Store?

Seeing Xu Xiaoyou inside, the girl’s face turned slightly red, shyly fiddling awkwardly.

Xu Xiaoyou leaned against the door, sitting down on a chair, when the girl leaned in.

"Wait, wait, wait! What are you doing?"

The girl covered her face bashfully: "I haven’t done this kind of thing before...but I will try my best."

"No need, just sit over there by the bed." Xu Xiaoyou said, rubbing her forehead.

"I’m clean! And I’m an adult, just that my family has no money, and I coincidentally need to earn some money to join a company’s recruitment exam."

The girl’s face flashed a hint of disappointment, but she couldn’t refuse a guest’s request, so she meekly sat on the bed, sneaking a look at the blonde girl through her fingers.

The other looked quite pretty, it didn’t seem so bad for her first time after all.

Her heart was afraid yet expectant, hearing that these types of guests usually played wild, she wondered what would happen next?

A while later, two coins were tossed in front of her.

Xu Xiaoyou, expressionless: "Alright, you can leave now."

Girl: "?"