Volume One: High School Days Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Pain Like Death

After receiving Xiaoya’s message, Liu Sheng hurried toward Nightfall KTV, dialing Xiaoya’s phone as he went. Anxious and on edge, he kept repeating to himself, “Please, let nothing have happened, please.” A taxi screeched to a stop at the entrance of Nightfall, and two people leapt out—Liu Sheng and Ren Xiadong.

As they entered the lobby, a woman in professional attire approached them, walkie-talkie in hand. “I told you, if I caught you two here again, I’d rip your teeth out! But tonight, you’re just guests.”

Recognizing the woman, Liu Sheng called out, “Sister Ya? Sister Ya! I’m looking for someone!”

“Everyone who comes here is looking for someone. Tell me, which beauty are you after? I’ll arrange it.”

Liu Sheng glanced around anxiously. “Where’s room 808?”

Seeing his panic, Sister Ya quickly grabbed his arm. “What do you want in 808? There are guests singing inside. Are you friends with Young Master Wan Jiangfei from the Wan family?”

The mention of Wan Jiangfei’s name made Liu Sheng’s blood boil.

“I’ll ask you one more time! Where is 808?!”

Sister Ya sensed something was wrong, intimidated by Liu Sheng’s tone. She pointed at the elevator. “There’s another floor upstairs.”

Liu Sheng stormed up to room 808 and kicked the door open. The scene inside froze his heart—Xiaoya was pinned to a table by two men, empty liquor bottles scattered everywhere, clear signs of a recent scuffle. Her clothes were torn, and three other women, clearly hostesses, cowered on the floor. Upon hearing the door crash open, Wan Jiangfei climbed off Xiaoya, pulling up his pants as he eyed Liu Sheng.

Liu Sheng looked at Xiaoya—she was biting her lip to keep from making a sound, tears streaming down her cheeks as she pleaded with her eyes for help.

Wan Jiangfei, now dressed, sneered at Liu Sheng, “Why are you always meddling? You want to concern yourself with every woman here? I’ve had my fun. If you want her, she’s yours.”

Liu Sheng had seen enough. Fury overtook him; he lost all sense of reason. Ren Xiadong, following close behind, charged in and began pummeling Wan Jiangfei.

The two men who had been restraining Xiaoya, along with another man watching the other women, now three in total, turned on Ren Xiadong. They were all burly and strong—Ren was no match for them.

Liu Sheng grabbed a bottle from the floor and rushed to help, but the opposition was too formidable. The two of them simply couldn’t win.

“Damn it! Are you set on opposing me? Do you have to interfere in all my business?” Wan Jiangfei roared, then smashed a bottle over Liu Sheng’s head. The three women on the floor seized the opportunity to flee.

Dazed and barely able to stand, Liu Sheng was struck again by Wan Jiangfei, collapsing against the wall as blood streamed down his face. Ren Xiadong, overpowered by the three men, was beaten unconscious. Sister Ya, alerted by the fleeing women, rushed in.

“Please, Young Master Wan, calm your anger! Tonight, everything is on the house,” she said hastily.

“Hell, I just fancied one of your girls—what’s wrong with sleeping with her? And I get jumped by some random punk!”

Wan Jiangfei crouched before Liu Sheng. “I don’t care why you came looking for me. Let me tell you—even if the Wan family falls, you’re still no match for me!”

He was here for a good time, unaware that Xiaoya was Liu Sheng’s girlfriend.

Sister Ya quickly escorted Wan Jiangfei out, flattering him as they went. To Nightfall, Wan Jiangfei was a godsend—generous, with the Wan family wielding considerable influence in the city. No one dared offend him.

After Wan Jiangfei left, Xiaoya sat up, using her coat to cover herself. Sitting on the table, she looked at Liu Sheng and broke down in tears, overwhelmed by injustice. Liu Sheng, twice struck on the head, was too weak to stand, his blood still flowing. All he could do was watch Xiaoya sob, his heart shredded with pain.

Suddenly, Xiaoya dressed hurriedly, snatched her phone, and fled, crying as she ran. Liu Sheng tried to follow but couldn't move.

“Hurry, someone’s hurt inside!” Sister Ya rushed in with two medics.

“Do you need an ambulance?” she asked, kneeling before Liu Sheng.

“No,” he managed weakly.

After his wounds were bandaged, Liu Sheng regained some strength, and Ren Xiadong slowly regained consciousness. Liu Sheng pulled out his phone to call Xiaoya, but her phone was switched off.

He struggled to his feet but was overcome by dizziness and collapsed back onto the chair. Sister Ya quickly steadied him.

“Sister Ya, you know Xiaoya, don’t you?” Liu Sheng asked in a feeble voice.

“She works here. Seems you know her too—are you her boyfriend?”

“If she’s one of yours, why didn’t you stop what just happened?” Liu Sheng demanded, agitated.

Sister Ya sighed. “I can stop anyone else, but not Wan Jiangfei. And no one told me what was happening—I didn’t know.”

Liu Sheng’s headache worsened. “Where did Xiaoya go? And can you tell me about her time here?”

Sister Ya spoke into her walkie-talkie. A short while later, the three women from earlier returned.

Under Sister Ya’s questioning, Liu Sheng learned that Wan Jiangfei had chosen the three of them and Xiaoya to accompany him. During the drinking and singing, he began to grope Xiaoya. Though she earned her living this way, Xiaoya had her principles and always avoided troublesome clients. Wan Jiangfei, angered by her resistance, had exclaimed, “Is it that I’m not paying you?” Xiaoya hadn’t dared speak. Seeing her as an easy target, Wan Jiangfei slapped her, making her cry, which only further provoked him. He’d then pinned her to the table.

“That’s enough!” Liu Sheng shouted.

He’d seen the rest himself. He hated himself for not arriving sooner, for not understanding Xiaoya’s life, for letting her work here at all. If he’d known more, she wouldn’t have been here tonight. He could have given her a life where she’d never want for anything.

Tears poured down Liu Sheng’s face, wrenching sobs racking his body like a hungry, helpless child. He felt useless, unable to protect the woman he loved from such humiliation. If he’d given her more, perhaps she wouldn’t have stayed, and none of this would have happened.

Seeing Liu Sheng in tears, Sister Ya was moved as well. She hugged him. “Every woman working here has a story. Xiaoya’s been with us three years and has never done anything improper. She’s a good girl, but life gives her little choice.”

She comforted Liu Sheng like an elder sister. Suddenly a voice came over her walkie-talkie, “Sister Ya, Xiaoya isn’t in the club. I searched everywhere—she must have gone home.”

Liu Sheng, heart pounding, dialed Xiaoya’s number again—still switched off. Overwhelmed, he stood to leave.

Sister Ya caught his arm. “Xiaoya and I were university classmates. I know her—when she’s troubled, she disappears. She’ll come back when she’s ready. If she doesn’t want to be found, no one can find her.”

“You were classmates? Then why does she work here? Did you lure her into this?” Liu Sheng demanded, voice tight with emotion.

Sister Ya wasn’t angry at the accusation—only full of pity for both Liu Sheng and Xiaoya. Xiaoya was her closest friend since university. In the past, Sister Ya had dated Liu Po, but broke up with him after he made advances toward Xiaoya. It was because of Liu Po that Liu Sheng had met Xiaoya.

Slowly, Sister Ya explained, “I knew Xiaoya had a boyfriend, but didn’t know it was you. Listen—back in university, Xiaoya dated a music student. She dreamed of composing and singing her own songs. Because of this, she soon fell for that boy. After graduation, he became obsessed with gambling and racked up debts. Xiaoya cared for him but had no money, so she came to me and started working here in secret to pay off his debts.”

Liu Sheng’s tears flowed harder, this time for Xiaoya’s suffering.

Sister Ya patted his shoulder. “It took her almost a year to pay off everything working here. Just when she thought things would get better, the boy started gambling again and spent her hard-earned money on other women. In the end, Xiaoya couldn’t take it anymore and broke up with him. She didn’t want to work here anymore, but then she met you.”

Seeing Liu Sheng’s trembling, Sister Ya offered him a cigarette. He stared at it, unmoving. Ren Xiadong took one, lit it, and coughed violently after a drag. At last, Liu Sheng accepted one and smoked in silence.

Sister Ya lit her own. “After meeting you, Xiaoya chose to keep working here. She told me, ‘I paid off my man’s debts before—now I want to pay off my own man’s debts. You gave her family money, and she wanted to save enough to pay you back. She said you’re a student, and no matter how wealthy, it’s your family’s money. She wanted to save enough for a down payment on a house before you graduated, to ease the burden on your future together.’”

Liu Sheng threw his half-smoked cigarette on the floor, dragged his battered body outside, and Ren Xiadong hurried after him. No matter how Sister Ya pleaded, Liu Sheng was determined to find Xiaoya.

They first went to Xiaoya’s home. She wasn’t there. Her family told them they knew about her work as a hostess and had tried countless times to persuade her to quit, but she never listened. Later, her brother accrued debts too, and the whole family began to rely on Xiaoya, as she was their breadwinner. Even after Liu Sheng helped pay off her brother’s debts, Xiaoya still refused to leave her job, for reasons her family couldn’t understand.

But Liu Sheng knew—she wanted to be with him forever, and feared he’d leave if he knew the truth, so she continued to lie about her work.

Afterward, Liu Sheng wandered the city, searching for Xiaoya everywhere.

Eventually, he found himself by the river, sitting motionless on a stone, tears streaming down his face as his heart ached with regret and self-loathing.

Suddenly, he shouted into the night. When he finally calmed down, he turned to Ren Xiadong and said with grim determination, “I’ll make Wan Jiangfei wish he were dead.”