Volume 1, Chapter 38: Absolutely No Divorce

"Stop selling liquor, and there is no need for you to work part-time as a cleaner anymore. I want..."

Han Feng paused.

Fu Xiaoya’s expression tightened. She clenched her small fists and gritted her teeth, saying, "I understand. I’ll get out of here right away."

I felt deeply disappointed in Han Feng as well, and I lowered my head in gloom. I never imagined that the first thing he would do after taking over the KTV was to fire Fu Xiaoya, robbing her of her job. Is this how a so-called "good brother" acts?

"Haha!" Han Feng suddenly burst into laughter. "Xiaoya, who said I wanted you to leave?"

"Then...?"

"You and that temper of yours," Han Feng said, shaking his head with a smile. "I want you to be the lobby manager. As for the monthly salary, let’s start at three thousand. There will be bonuses if you do well."

Fu Xiaoya stood frozen on the spot. The sudden stroke of good fortune was so unbelievable that it took her a long moment to ask, excitedly, "Brother Feng, with my level of experience, can I really do it?"

"You absolutely can!" Han Feng continued, encouraging her with a smile. "Xiaoya, you know this place better than I do. Put some heart into the management, and we’ll all make money together."

Han Feng cupped his hands in a gesture of sincerity. "I'm counting on you."

"No, no!" Fu Xiaoya was overwhelmed by the gesture. She waved her small hands in a panic, then stated emotionally, "I will definitely not let you down, Brother Feng!"

Her voice choked, and her eyes grew moist. She had been suppressed for far too long. Today, she finally saw a glimmer of hope for her life.

I was happy for her, yet I couldn't help but feel anxious. Chu Hailong had cleared out all the liquid assets of the KTV. With only half a year left on the lease and Han Feng starting with empty hands, would he be able to guarantee Fu Xiaoya’s salary? But given the current situation, Fu Xiaoya and I had no other path to take but to rely on him.

I suppose we’ll just have to take it one step at a time.

Han Feng was in high spirits that evening. He invited us to sit around his desk, handed Fu Xiaoya a cigarette, and asked for detailed information about the inner workings of the Night Beauty KTV. Fu Xiaoya told him everything she knew, and Han Feng took diligent notes. It was clear that he was determined to run the KTV well and earn his first sum of money since getting out of prison. His mother, who suffered from mental illness, required ten thousand a month in hospital fees—a burden Han Feng was determined to shoulder.

Once he had a general understanding of things, Han Feng had Fu Xiaoya call in all the permanent staff. Six women and two men stood in two neat rows in the office. Han Feng smoked, his expression cold. He began by announcing that the Night Beauty KTV had changed ownership, with himself as the legal representative and general manager. Anyone who wanted to leave could do so now; he wouldn't stop them.

Jobs were hard to come by, and to the staff, it made no difference who the boss was. Everyone expressed their desire to stay. Han Feng then announced my position as assistant to the general manager, though he didn't specify my duties. He then declared Fu Xiaoya the lobby manager in charge of full management. Anyone who didn't listen to Manager Fu would be fired immediately.

At that moment, Fu Xiaoya was full of confidence. Her back was straight, and her face beamed with an irrepressible joy that made her look radiant.

It was night, the peak time for KTV customers. The staff went back to their posts, and Fu Xiaoya took the lead, patrolling the floor with her hands behind her back. I accompanied Han Feng out of the office and into a private room. We drank, chatted, and sang, momentarily forgetting all the worries of the world.

In the middle of the night, Han Feng and I left the KTV and headed to our respective homes. Facing my cold, quiet house, my heart grew heavy, and the smile vanished from my face. My father was hospitalized after a car accident; his condition was serious, and the medical expenses were a bottomless pit. I didn't know when Xu Li might sell this house. When that happened, I would truly have no home left and would have to sleep on the sofa in the KTV.

Just as I was about to head upstairs, Xu Li opened the door and walked in. She looked haggard, and her gaze toward me was indifferent, as if I were a stranger she had encountered on the street.

"How is my father?" I asked.

"He won't die!" Xu Li huffed impatiently, then frowned as she warned me, "Xiao Yan, you’re grown up now. With things the way they are, I’m afraid I won't be able to look after you anymore. Start thinking about how to fend for yourself!"

"Don't worry," I replied. "Even if you all die, I will definitely find a way to survive."

I went upstairs without looking back.

"Is that any way to talk!" Xu Li shouted in frustration.

I ignored her and slammed the door shut. Xu Li was truly a cold-hearted woman. It was clear she detested my father and no longer held a shred of affection for him. It was simply because my father had become a burden confined to a wheelchair, no longer able to provide her with a comfortable life. But who could she blame? My father had brought this upon himself; it was retribution for betraying his marriage.

The next day, I went to the hospital to see my father. He had been moved to a private room. With an oxygen tube in his nose and having lost so much blood, his face was deathly pale. Hearing my footsteps, he struggled to open his eyes just a crack, his lips trembling as he said weakly, "Xiao Yan, you're here."

In that moment, I didn't know what to say to him. I just uttered a single word: "Dad..."

My father tremblingly raised a hand, and tears began to fall uncontrollably. I hesitated, then reached out and took his hand. He could never hit me again; his life from here on out was destined to be dismal, filled only with the pitying gazes of others.

"Son," my father choked out, using a more intimate term. "Go... go find your mother."

"I’m not going!" I shook my head firmly. Ever since my parents divorced, my mother rarely contacted me, and my younger sister rarely called either. Although they didn't say it, I could guess that their lives weren't easy either. My mother had remarried, and my stepfather had never spoken a word to me; he wouldn't welcome me. I was grown up now; I wouldn't jump from one fire pit into another.

"Sigh! With me like this, what are you going to do?"

It was rare for my father to show genuine concern for me. My nose stung, and I muttered, "Dad, don't worry. I can take care of myself."

"She was here earlier," my father said, sighing deeply. "She asked for a divorce and even had the papers ready." He was talking about Xu Li.

Xu Li was hard-hearted; she didn't even bother to put on an act. My father wasn't even out of the hospital yet, and she was already impatient to cast off her burden and regain her freedom.

"That's your business," I replied coldly. My father hadn't asked for my opinion when he divorced my mother, either.

"I won't sign them. I will never divorce her." My father's tone was resolute, a cold smile curling his lips. "As long as I'm alive, I will cling to her. I will make her take care of me. That is what she owes me."

I suddenly felt like laughing. The calculating Xu Li was about to lose her gamble. She probably hadn't expected my father to be so stubborn and difficult, ensuring she would be trapped in an endless cycle of misery. And for my father, the days of suffering were only just beginning.

Leaving the ward, I unexpectedly ran into Qin Shaohu in the hallway on the same floor. He hadn't been discharged yet; he was wearing loose hospital pajamas, walking with a shaky, labored gait, as if he had lost his heels. Seeing me, Qin Shaohu immediately flew into a rage, pointing at me and cursing, "Zhou Yan, you bastard, you were too ruthless! You tried to kill me! When I get out of here, I’m going to find people to finish you off!"

"Qin Shaohu, stop spouting your damn lies. I didn't touch you. You should spend more time repenting for whoever you’ve offended in your daily life!" I gave a dismissive, mocking laugh. In his half-dead state, he could be knocked over by a breeze and sent right back to his hospital bed. I certainly wouldn't touch him; I’d be framed in a heartbeat.

Just as I was about to walk away, I saw Chief Qin from the local police station walking toward us, carrying a lunchbox.