Chapter 8
After standing there for who knew how long, Chen Ju shivered in his thin pajamas from the cold and lifted his head to look at the distant sky.
Winter days dawned late. Though it was already six, only a faint bluish glow showed along the horizon.
With no money in his pocket, Chen Ju walked all the way to the hotel. His cheeks were red from the cold, and his feet, clad only in slippers, had gone numb.
But he felt nothing. As usual, he went into the changing room alone, changed into his uniform, and began another day of work.
Chen Ju disliked interacting with people because of his stutter, but he was diligent and responsible, the sort who kept his head down and worked hard. The managers all liked him.
“Little Chen, why are you wearing a mask?” Li Qing asked. He worked as a kitchen assistant, mainly preparing ingredients for the head chef, while Chen Ju was responsible for washing dishes and vegetables. They usually chatted a little.
Chen Ju was staring blankly at the water flowing from the faucet and didn’t hear Li Qing. A pat on his shoulder snapped him out of his daze, and he turned toward Li Qing in alarm.
“I’m talking to you. What are you thinking about?” Li Qing asked.
Chen Ju shook his head, staring at the dishes in the sink. After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly asked, “Do you... know where I could find a better-paying job?”
“Ah...” Li Qing seemed about to ask something, but then he saw Chen Ju’s masked face and his hands submerged in cold water. He hesitated before saying, “There is one, but you might not be able to do it.”
“I can do it!” Chen Ju said hurriedly, looking at Li Qing nervously and anxiously.
Li Qing scratched his head and clicked his tongue. “All right, I’ll ask around for you. But I should make this clear first: it’s a service job at an entertainment venue. It definitely won’t be as peaceful or safe as it is here. Are you sure you want to do it?”
“Yes.” Chen Ju nodded urgently. “I’ve made up my mind.”
He desperately needed money now. No matter how hard or exhausting the work was, he was willing to do it. As long as he saved enough, he could bring his mother home from the hospital.
With a glimmer of hope, Chen Ju perked up again. Like a wound-up rabbit, he bustled around doing his work, growing more energetic with every task. Before he knew it, evening had come.
The hotel was busiest at night. Chen Ju had just sat down to rest and take a sip of water when someone called him over to deliver wine to a private room upstairs.
He gulped down all the water in his thermos, then hurried upstairs carrying two bottles of red wine.
Knock, knock, knock. As usual, Chen Ju knocked three times and politely called through the door, “Hello, your wine is here.”
After speaking, he opened the door and went inside. He set the red wine on the table and was about to leave when someone suddenly stopped him.
“I didn’t order this wine. Did you bring the wrong one?” The speaker was a handsome man with refined features, short gray hair, and fashionable clothes.
Chen Ju hurriedly said, “I’m sorry. I-I’ll go get you another bottle.”
As he spoke, he turned back and reached for the bottle. Liu Jingque was in a foul mood that day, and seeing this unlucky server gave him the chance to vent all his frustrations on him, as usual.
“Who says switching it out will make everything all right?” Liu Jingque pressed down on the wine and looked Chen Ju up and down, narrowing his eyes. “Do all the servers at your hotel wear masks to work? What kind of attitude is that?”
Startled, Chen Ju pulled his hand back, his face turning pale. This was the first time he’d encountered something like this. He usually helped out in the kitchen and only came out to deliver things when they were especially busy.
“I’m sorry,” he said hurriedly. “The mask is because I...”
“I don’t care why! Take it off. This is a matter of attitude! Otherwise, I’ll have your manager come over and dock your pay!” Liu Jingque tore off Chen Ju’s mask without giving him a chance to explain.
Chen Ju didn’t have time to dodge. The mask was pulled away, its straps painfully digging into his ears and revealing his badly swollen cheek.
Just then, the door to the private room clicked open, and someone came in. A woman’s voice sounded from behind him.
“Jingque, are you bullying someone again?”
At the sound of the woman’s voice, Liu Jingque immediately backed down. He returned the mask to Chen Ju and said with a beaming smile, “Sis, Brother Zhou, good evening! You’ve misunderstood. His mask fell off, and I was just picking it up for him. All right, go downstairs now, and be more careful next time.”
Clutching his mask, Chen Ju nodded respectfully and made straight for the door with his head down, wanting to get away as quickly as possible. He didn’t even look at the two people who had just arrived.
Just as he reached the doorway, someone suddenly grabbed his arm. Chen Ju trembled, thinking another customer was about to make things difficult for him, and pressed his lips together nervously.
“Your face... what happened?” A cool, clear voice sounded from above. Chen Ju froze, then looked up and met a pair of indifferent eyes. The person holding him was Jiang Zhou.