The Boy Who Recited the Tao Te Ching

Although Ye Nuan wasn’t very familiar with Mengdao Donkey, the nearly sixty-proof liquor that most inland people could hardly handle,

basic common sense still existed.

Aside from places like Ludong, where people’s alcohol tolerance was impossible to predict,

the grasslands were known for having some of the strongest drinkers around.

Drink an entire family under the table?

What kind of joke was that?

Ye Nuan gave Xia Chen a fake smile as he said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Couldn’t tell.

You’re pretty good at bluffing.”

Xia Chen couldn’t be bothered arguing over something like this.

A man who had once drunk a grasslands warrior in his prime into swearing never to touch alcohol again had no need to prove the truth with words.

He just couldn’t remember which lifetime it had happened in.

Though, thinking about it, his drinking capacity had always been good in every life.

Of course, Xia Chen probably didn’t realize how unbelievable this sounded to ordinary people.

All around the lounge, the brightly dressed young men—even wearing light makeup—began to snicker.

Not awkward at all.

Look how harmonious everything was.

“Alright, forget that.

So your point is that you can drink, right?

Now let me explain the basic rules for working here.

First, you absolutely cannot insult customers, hit customers, or show any disrespect toward customers.

Can you understand that?”

“I understand.”

But not necessarily accept it.

Xia Chen, no fool, understood one principle deeply: never argue logic with women.

It was a painful lesson learned through countless historical incidents.

The key issue was… those historical incidents felt like things he had personally experienced.

Still, it was better to go along with this woman who looked like she had very little patience.

A rich man is a hero, a poor man suffers… Xia Chen thought helplessly.

“Good.

Then next—”

“Sister Ye! Sister Ye!”

Just as Ye Nuan was about to continue explaining the club’s rules, a young man sitting on the sofa stood up.

He was fairly tall, around six feet, even a little taller than Xia Chen.

Fair-skinned and clean-looking, he gave off the image of a recent graduate still full of hope for a bright future.

Among everyone there, he was one of the least flashy.

“Asu, can’t you see I’m training the new guy?

What’s so urgent?”

The young man called Asu walked over holding his phone, looking excited.

“Sister Ye, Miss Sun said she’s bringing friends over!”

Ye Nuan nodded.

“So let her come.

If she booked through you, the commission’s yours.

What’s the problem?”

“It’s just… she said she’s bringing friends, and wants us to prepare more handsome guys so her friends can choose.

And right now, look…”

Ye Nuan glanced around and finally noticed there were only five or six men left in the lounge.

That meant the standby staff was nowhere near enough for someone of Miss Sun’s status.

If anything, it looked embarrassingly cheap.

“Where is everyone?

Why are there so few people on shift today?!”

Asu sighed helplessly.

“Business is good today.

They’re all in rooms right now.

Then Xiao Wang quit too…

At the very least, we need one or two more people to hold the scene together.”

Ye Nuan felt a headache coming on.

In a place like this, the worst thing possible was guests arriving to choose companions while there weren’t enough people available.

But they also couldn’t pull PR staff out of rooms where they were already accompanying customers—that was another major taboo.

So where was she supposed to find people now?

For the first time, Ye Nuan was suffering from the problem of business being too good.

Then she noticed the carefree boy behind her.

Hands in his pockets, lazily muttering something under his breath.

She turned around.

“What are you reciting?”

Xia Chen glanced at her.

“The Tao Te Ching.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Xia Chen shook his head.

“Nothing.

I recite it when I’m bored.

It reminds me of a cute but stubborn old man.”

…

Ye Nuan no longer had the energy to argue with this boy.

At this point, she had no choice but to force a duck onto the rack—he’d have to be a temporary worker and fill the numbers.

So she said directly,

“Stop reciting.

Asu, keep an eye on Xiao Chen once you go in.

If he gets picked, help him out.

Forget it, you don’t even need makeup.

Just go in like this.

You’re young, and your skin’s pretty good anyway.”

“Go in?

Go where?”

Xia Chen looked at Ye Nuan.

Ye Nuan snapped irritably,

“Didn’t you hear what we were just talking about?”

“No.”

“I…”

Forget it. Don’t get angry. Don’t get angry.

Ye Nuan comforted herself before finally saying helplessly,

“We’re short on people right now.

Important guests are here.

Go inside and try the selection round.

That’s it.

Today counts as your first shift.

No training.

If you get picked, you still get commission.

Any questions?!”