All Those Years - Chapter 2
Chapter 2: My Girlfriend Owed Money to a Loan Shark
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The room was in a mess. Lin Xiaoya did not plan to clean it up and just lay on the big, soft bed.
“If you don’t know how to give a massage, you should have kneaded dough before, right? Just put the essential oil on my back and massage it just like kneading dough!” Lin Xiaoya said as she threw a bottle of essential oil over to me.
I held the essential oil in my hand. The more I looked at it, the more it looked like lubricating oil. However, since Lin Xiaoya wanted to use it, I did not say anything.
As long as I gave her a massage, she would let me off the hook for spying on her just now. It was not a loss at all. On the contrary, it was a great deal.
“I accompanied two groups of customers to drink in one night. Then, I met that boor again. I feel like my entire body is about to fall apart!” Lin Xiaoya felt a little tired.
“In your line of work, How’s your income?” I asked out of curiosity. Although this was my first time peeping, I had often heard Lin Xiaoya talking to customers about the price. Some were 300-500 yuan, some were 1,000 yuan, and some were even generous. Some customers even gave Lin Xiaoya some extra tips.
“It’s only twenty to thirty thousand yuan a month because a portion of it was taken by the club!” Lin Xiaoya turned her head and looked at me with her seductive eyes.
“Zhang Lu, I know that you college students are arrogant, but once you enter society, you will understand that you will eventually be defeated by reality.”
“Take the best undergraduate university in our province as an example. I have a cousin who graduated from there. It’s been several years, but he’s still just a small employee in a company. He can only earn up to 4,000 to 5,000 yuan a month. Don’t even mention cars and houses, he can’t even find a girlfriend. What kind of future can he have!”
I laughed dryly. I did not deny the truth of what Lin Xiaoya had said. However, I would not give up on my ambition just based on what she said.
Besides, I also did not understand why Lin Xiaoya was suddenly telling me this. Looking at her, why did I feel like I was becoming her prey?
“Our club doesn’t only have female hosts, we also have male hosts. Why don’t you follow me? Don’t go to this lousy university. It’s useless. With your good looks and your abs, you might even become a top star. You wouldn’t have a problem pulling in tens of thousands of yuan a month.”
“If you catch the eye of some rich woman and become a sugar baby, you’ll be even more successful,” Lin Xiaoya said.
I accidentally used too much strength on my hands and hurt Lin Xiaoya, so I quickly apologized.
Male host?
I was extremely poor, but I was a college student with higher education. This stinky woman actually wanted to drag me into the sea and make me a prostitute. What was she thinking?
If it was not for the fact that I was in the wrong, I would have spat at her and disdainfully scolded her, telling her that I was not as cheap as she was. Then, I would have raised my head and left arrogantly.
“You’re pretending to be noble!” Lin Xiaoya saw that I did not answer and understood my thoughts. She pursed her lips and fell asleep after a few minutes under my massage.
Seeing that Lin Xiaoya had fallen asleep, I felt relieved. I quickly jumped off the bed and returned to my room.
All my life, I never laughed at the poor. However, even if I died of poverty in this life, I would not fall to the same level as Lin Xiaoya.
The next morning, I was in a daze when I received a call from my girlfriend, Liang Xue.
“Zhang Lu, come over quickly!”
Liang Xue’s tone was very urgent, and I immediately lost all drowsiness. I had a vague feeling that she must have encountered some trouble.
As expected, under my questioning, Liang Xue told me the truth.
Last year, on the 11th day of the Lunar New Year, Liang Xue bought a lot of things online, including some expensive branded goods.
I remember asking her at that time where the money came from. I knew her family background, and although they were a little better than my rural background, they were not much better off.
However, Liang Xue did not answer me.
Only now did she tell me that she obtained a campus loan. Campus loans were a form of peer-to-peer loans from informal institutions or organizations. The interest rate of campus loans was very high. Liang Xue did not pay down the loan in time, and the interest rate rolled from 10,000 yuan to 50,000 yuan.
50,000 yuan?!
Hearing this number, I was so scared that I jumped out of bed. Whether it was for me, for her, or for our family, 50,000 yuan was definitely a big amount of money.
What was more troublesome was that in order to get the loan approved smoothly, she had even taken nude photos by the loansharks. Now, those people were threatening Liang Xue. If she still could not pay up, they would spread her nude photos on the internet.
I felt my face go numb. However, she was still my girlfriend. Although I was unable to help her pay up, I still rushed over.
The office of the campus loan group was in a three-story old building near our school.
When I rushed over, Liang Xue and another girl were crying under the supervision of some aggressive-looking people.
I had seen the other girl before. Her name was Zhou Yingying, and she was from Liang Xue’s dorm.
They got into so much trouble just for the sake of vanity. If you did not have money, then don’t buy it. Why did you resort to campus loans?
Now, the initial 10,000 yuan interest had increased to 50,000 yuan. It was not a joke.
“Zhang Lu, sob sob sob, did you bring the money?” The moment Liang Xue saw me, she threw herself into my arms.
I smiled bitterly. All I had was a few hundred yuan. How could I help you repay 50,000 yuan?
When Liang Xue saw me shaking my head and she was immediately unhappy. She pushed me away, she said, “Zhang Lu, don’t forget. I didn’t just buy things for myself with borrowed money. I even bought a pair of shoes for you. No matter what, you have to help me get me out of this situation!”
As soon as Liang Xue finished speaking, a boy rushed over. Zhou Yingying also pounced into his arms, just like how Liang Xue pounced into mine. This was Zhou Yingying’s boyfriend, Zhang Han. Looking at his branded clothes, he should be a little better than someone from the countryside like me.
“15,000 yuan, is it? The money is here. Delete my girlfriend’s nude photo right now!” Zhang Han was very confident as he slapped an envelope of money on the table.
The amount of Zhou Yingying’s loan was small and the time was short, so it was only 15,000.
Those people from the school loan had their ways. After taking the money, they immediately deleted Zhou Yingying’s nude photo. Then, Zhang Han left with Zhou Yingying.
“Look at her boyfriend. Look at you. You’re so useless. I really don’t understand how I was so blind to get a boyfriend like you. I don’t care. If you don’t help me return the money, I’ll break up with you!”
Liang Xue was so angry that she punched me in the chest. Then, she signed a letter of guarantee with those people from the school loan. She had a one-week deadline to repay the money.
After that, she left the building. Just like that, she left me standing there alone.. I felt as if my heart had been knocked over by a bottle of mixed emotions.
