The J is the biggest den of debauchery in F City.
I was dazzled by the opulent decor, while the man beside me deftly pocketed the money the manager handed over and then pushed me forward.
"Manager, please teach my daughter well."
He left the club humming a tune, money in hand.
Manager Wang led me to the dressing room. "Rose will teach you the rules. Tonight, follow her and learn the ropes. Your outfit won't do. Go pick something nice to wear."
He handed me over to a woman with an exquisite makeup job before hurrying off again.
I heard him pull out his walkie-talkie and say, "Where is Mr. Lozano?"
Rose came over in her high heels and lifted my chin.
"You look so innocent. What's your name?"
"Ashtyn."
"Aster?" "Aster?" She smiled. "Alright, your stage name will be Aster."
"Come on, let's go change your clothes."
She picked out a tight white dress for me and personally applied a light makeup.
With a few strokes, my innocent face took on a touch of seductiveness, making me more alluring.
Rose was pleased with her work and introduced me to the other staff members.
I followed behind her, politely greeting everyone.
In reality, I didn't remember any of their names, nor did I need to, since I wouldn't be staying at the J Club for long.
On the way, we encountered several patrons who chatted warmly with Rose, but their eyes lingered on me.
They looked me over boldly and without restraint.
Rose was going to take me to the fourth floor, but when we reached the stairs, we saw a bodyguard in a black suit coming down.
The bodyguard waved at her, and she immediately turned around. "There are important guests on the fourth floor tonight. We won't go up there."
I understood.
It was likely that my target, Romeo, was upstairs.
I glanced up the stairs inconspicuously before following Rose away.
Rose had to attend to customers and couldn't stay with me.
She left me in the lounge to read the employee guidelines and familiarize myself with the surroundings.
I sat on the sofa bored, and about an hour later, the system notification sounded.
"Romeo is in the restroom on the fourth floor. Go up through the fire escape now, the bodyguards have just left."
Without wasting a second, I left the lounge and slipped into the fire escape.
When I came out of the restroom after washing my hands, I bumped into a man coming out from the opposite direction.
The dark blue handkerchief in his hand fell to the ground, and he stopped.
"Sorry," I apologized, picking up the handkerchief and looking up at him. "Sir, your handkerchief."
Romeo looked down at me, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Keep it."
He walked past me and went outside.
"Sir."
I chased after him. "Can I replace it with a new one?"
Romeo paused, tilting his head slightly, his voice tinged with amusement.
"What will you use to pay for it?"
I slowed down, walking slowly to his side, folding the handkerchief and gently placing it in his jacket pocket.
"What do you see in me, Mr. Lozano?"
[BEEP! Host, please note: the Unforgettable First Encounter effect has been triggered, countdown is ten seconds.]
[Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven...]
When the countdown reached five, I broke eye contact and turned to leave.
The corridor was silent, and the sound of my high heels on the tiles echoed like drumbeats, as if urging something along.
As the countdown ended, Romeo spoke.
"What's your name?"
I didn't turn back, only letting out a soft laugh. "Leaves." "Aster."
