Chapter 122: Heroes and Real Men

It was another happy and lively night. It also proved that opportunities always came to those who were prepared. Those girls from the other establishment knew how to seize the moment and meet the customers’ needs, so they also earned some money that night.

The girls from the second and third floors watched with longing eyes. If things continued this way every day, when the next round of layoffs came, it would be their turn to weep and complain.

Tonight, most of the guests went to enjoy the Exotic Style. A few others left after drinking. As the night deepened, scattered guests started to arrive. Normally, many girls on the first floor stayed up late waiting for such individual customers, but today even the second-floor girls showed up. Liu Liwa didn’t bother with these matters. After all, Cuiping’s issue was settled. When doing things, one always had to leave a way out for others. So he said goodbye to Yang Xiaosi and slipped away quietly.

Returning to his small room, Liu Liwa sensed an eerie atmosphere. It was very late, almost midnight. Normally, the Little Loli would already be talking in her sleep by this time, but now she was full of energy. Qin Wan’er and Miss Liuyun were the same, both dressed neatly and wearing makeup. One looked pure and cute, the other gentle and graceful. They stood on either side of the door, their three pairs of beautiful eyes—different in size but equally dazzling—fixed on him, making him very uncomfortable. He couldn’t help but ask, “Hey, why are you all dressed up so meticulously in the middle of the night? Are you going to a matchmaking session? Or perhaps a ghost wedding?”

“Bah!” Qin Wan’er immediately put away her smile and said fiercely, “Your mouth can’t utter anything decent. Can’t you say something nice?”

“Sister Wan’er…” The Little Loli nudged the furious Qin Wan’er, then took out a paper figure from behind her back and said, “Brother Liu, this is for you.”

Liu Liwa reached out and took the paper figure. It stood with one hand on its hip and the other pointing to the sky, looking imposing and commanding. He laughed and asked, “Who is this paper figure? It looks so domineering.”

“Of course, it’s you, Brother Liu,” the Little Loli said with a giggle.

Liu Liwa also laughed. Looking at the little girl’s delighted expression, he suddenly remembered his duty to guide the younger generation. So he put on a stern face and said, “Xinying, I’m very happy that you gave me a gift. But you need to know that times are tough. Even in the Pleasure House, competition is fierce. You must study hard and learn scientific and cultural knowledge. Only then can you break free from the constraints of fate and take control of your own life. So don’t let hobbies distract you from your goals. It’s fine if you like paper folding—it can develop your hand-eye coordination—but don’t indulge in it. And don’t always make useless things like this. If you like, fold goldfish. Only goldfish are the most suitable for you!”

Liu Liwa spoke with great righteousness. Seeing the Little Loli’s confused and adorable expression, he was secretly overjoyed. A tailor who doesn’t want to be a chef is not a good driver, and a loli who doesn’t like goldfish is not a good loli!

“Stop talking so much and come inside!” Qin Wan’er was still angry. She had put on makeup and waited for his return with joy, only for him to say she was going to meet a ghost. How could she not be upset?

Surrounded by the three women, Liu Liwa felt like a single green leaf in a field of flowers. Before he even entered the room, a fragrant aroma assailed his nose. Following the scent, he saw four dishes and one soup laid out on the table, steaming hot. There was marinated beef, braised beef, stir-fried beef, dry-fried beef, and a beef and radish soup. The aroma was so enticing it made one drool.

Qin Wan’er brought him a stool. Meng Xinying pulled him to sit down. Miss Liuyun personally picked up vegetables for him with her chopsticks. The service was warm and attentive. Liu Liwa was puzzled. Was the Intoxication Pavilion going for a star rating? Why were they suddenly being so attentive to him?

Oh well, if there was food, he should eat first. Just as he was about to pick up the beef in his bowl, he suddenly remembered the lamb from yesterday and quickly put down his chopsticks to ask, “Who made these dishes?”

The two young ladies both looked at Liuyun. The Little Loli said, “Of course, it was Sister Liuyun. She’s an excellent cook—her dishes are perfect in color, aroma, and taste. But all of this was saved for you. We didn’t eat a single bite.”

Liuyun made them? Liu Liwa felt a tremor in his liver. Because this girl knew he had added something to the lamb yesterday. Would she do the same today…?

Looking at Miss Liuyun’s delicate and beautiful face, he asked subtly, “I didn’t expect Miss Liuyun to be such a skilled cook. What seasonings did you use in these dishes?”

Seeing his worried expression, Liuyun’s lovely face immediately turned red. She naturally guessed what he meant by “seasonings.” The girl snorted, turned around, and said softly, “We are all women. Where would we get such seasonings?”

“What kind of seasonings?” Liu Liwa looked at her rosy, radiant face and couldn’t resist teasing her.

At this, Miss Liuyun’s face turned even redder. Just then, Qin Wan’er walked over with heavy steps, carrying a wooden basin filled with steaming hot water. Qin Wan’er bent down and placed it by his feet, then reached out to take off his shoes and socks. The Little Loli’s delicate little hands, unnoticed until now, appeared on his shoulders and began to massage gently. Miss Liuyun, her face still flushed, scooped out a bowl of hot soup, blew on it with her red lips, and then placed it in front of Liu Liwa…

“Sisters, I, Liu Liwa, am a lowly man with little to offer. I have no money. You aren’t interested in my worthless life, are you?” Unrequested kindness often hid ill intentions. Liu Liwa felt uneasy.

“I think you’re just being difficult,” Qin Wan’er said as she crouched at his feet, finally managing to remove his shoes and socks. Immediately, a wave of sweaty odor filled the air. But the delicate young lady didn’t seem to mind at all, only scolding him, “We treat you well, and you don’t appreciate it. Would you only be satisfied if you had to serve us every day?”

“It is my pleasure to serve you ladies,” Liu Liwa said with a silly grin.

“Enough of your nonsense. Hurry up and drink some hot soup to warm yourself.” Hearing his idle talk, even the usually gentle and lovely Miss Liuyun couldn’t help but chide him. A bowl of perfectly warm meat soup was placed before him.

“Sisters, what exactly are you trying to do?” Liu Liwa looked at his reflection in the soup, his face full of bitterness. “Is there red-topped crane poison or arsenic in this soup?”

“Haha, Brother Liu, you’re overthinking it,” the Little Loli said softly as she massaged his shoulders. “We saw everything you did today. You weren’t afraid of the powerful or the pressure. You resolutely helped a poor, unfortunate woman change her fate. Amid laughter, you turned the situation around and played those wealthy masters like fiddles. You are simply the guardian deity of us women.”

“That’s right,” Miss Liuyun chimed in with admiration. “But we know that while you made it look easy, it actually required great wisdom, extraordinary courage, and daring. You are a true hero, a real man.”

“Yes, you dared to stand up for a poor woman. You have feelings, principles, and a sense of responsibility. You are a true pure man,” Qin Wan’er said excitedly.

These three girls kept calling him a true hero, a real man, a pure man. Liu Liwa felt embarrassed. He asked himself what virtues or abilities he had to deserve such titles. To be compared to Brother Chun—how shameful.

So, Liu Liwa humbly said, “The foot-washing water has cooled. Change it! There’s too little meat in the soup. Add more! The massage isn’t strong enough. Use more force…”