Volume One, Chapter Nine: Sister Wants You to Help Me Scrub My Back

Zhang Han took out his phone and showed Zhao Rui the balance. She was thoroughly convinced.

"Zh-Zhang Han, the balance on your phone is more than the amount of 'Happy Beans' I have in my landlord card game."

"Let's head back; it's too hot." Zhang Han was drenched in sweat. He began thinking about getting his driver's license; he didn't need anything too fancy—a commuter car worth two or three hundred thousand would suffice.

"Zhang Han, I still want to..."

Zhang Han helped Zhao Rui up and interrupted her, "Don't worry, I have my own plans. If I lose money, that's on me."

He smiled. Zhao Rui was a decent person, and he figured he would help where he could. He said casually, "Sister Rui, why don't you buy a unit yourself and play around with it?"

"No, no, no." Zhao Rui waved her hands repeatedly, smiling bitterly. "I can barely afford to eat right now, don't tease me."

Zhang Han asked what was going on. Perhaps viewing him as a savior, Zhao Rui briefly explained her situation.

Zhao Rui was thirty years old, married for five years, with a child being raised by her in-laws in the countryside. If only her husband had lived an honest life and worked hard in the city, they wouldn't be rolling in money, but they could have lived a comfortable life.

Instead, her husband became obsessed with gambling, dreaming only of making quick riches. Not only did he rack up a mountain of debt at a young age, but he also forced Zhao Rui to take out a three-hundred-thousand-yuan loan to feed his addiction. Once that was gone, he beat and cursed her, demanding she sell herself to pay off the debts. Zhao Rui would never do such a thing; she fled alone from Jiangnan to Jiangbei, rented a room, and started working.

Speaking of her good-for-nothing husband, Zhao Rui’s eyes welled with tears. "Xiao Han, you know? I never imagined my life would turn out like this."

Zhang Han patted her back gently. "Sister Rui, it's okay. Work hard, and life will get better."

Zhao Rui took a deep breath and smiled. "My biggest wish now is to pay off the loan, bring my little girl to live with me, and never have anything to do with him again."

"Oh! Xiao Han, the road ahead is too bumpy, hold me tight."

"Yes, wrap your arms around me."

Zhao Rui had a good personality and quickly pulled herself out of her sorrow. Furthermore, knowing that Zhang Han was going to spend eighteen million here on property, her attitude became even more gentle and ingratiating.

The commission alone was two hundred and seventy thousand!

After the agency's cut, she could pay off a large portion of her loan; the pressure was suddenly lifted.

Back in the city, both were soaked in sweat. Zhang Han wanted to go home, shower, and turn on the AC, but Zhao Rui stopped him. "Xiao Han, I... I haven't added you on WeChat yet."

Zhang Han slapped his forehead, having forgotten. He took out his phone and added her. Zhao Rui wiped the sweat from her forehead, her white blouse still unbuttoned. "Xiao Han, are... are you busy for a while?"

Zhang Han looked at his WeChat—ninety-nine-plus messages, including some from Liu Xin, Yang Song, Xia Shuang, Bai Bing, and several classmates. He laughed, "Not at all, Sister Rui, if you have something to say, just say it."

Zhao Rui lowered her head, her ears turning bright red. "I'm too hot and soaked through. I want to go home, take a shower, and then go to work."

"But... but there's no one to scrub my back. I saw you're six feet tall, sturdy, and strong. I was wondering if you could help me scrub my back."

After saying this, she looked up, her eyes soft and watery, gazing at him pitifully. "It really is just for the back. I haven't had a proper scrub in a long time. Don't think too much of it."

Zhang Han smiled meaningfully. They were both adults; this was the equivalent of saying "my cat can do backflips" or "I'm bringing my ID to the movie theater." Besides, Zhao Rui was beautiful with a great figure—a quintessential young matron.

"I have a condition, then," Zhang Han said with a grin.

"What is it?" Zhao Rui bit her lower lip, her hesitation adding a seductive charm.

"After I scrub your back, don't forget to scrub mine, too. I like a firm touch."

Zhao Rui blushed and pinched his waist. "You rascal."

They should have gone their separate ways, but because of the sweltering heat and the sweat, they ended up going to Zhao Rui’s rented room to scrub each other's backs.

Her workplace was close to the agency, only five minutes away by electric scooter, located in a typical urban village—a place where all sorts of people mingled.

To maximize profit, the landlord had partitioned the space into many small rooms. There were no private bathrooms, and one had to run to the public toilet outside. As for bathing, you had to boil water and use a bucket, which was incredibly inconvenient.

Zhang Han followed Zhao Rui through winding paths, the narrow alleyways packed with clutter. It seemed Zhao Rui really was destitute, a beauty like her living in such a squalid urban village.

Halfway there, Zhang Han stared at a palm-sized plaque on the wall for a long time.

Zhao Rui turned back and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Zhang Han smiled. "Nothing, let's go."

It was no wonder this urban village felt familiar. According to information from his roommate, the demolition—led by a super real estate tycoon named Yun Da—had gone bust halfway through. Those who invested here had lost everything, leading to cries of despair everywhere.

Many people had lost their entire fortunes. Every night, a line of people could be seen on the bridge spanning the Jiangnan and Jiangbei districts of Ancheng.

Zhao Rui's room was on the first floor, very small—barely enough space for a bed and a vanity. There was almost no room left. Zhao Rui smiled awkwardly, "It's a bit small, don't mind it."

"The person is big enough," Zhang Han hinted.

"I'll boil the water first." Zhao Rui turned on the electric fan, gave Zhang Han a stool to sit on, and busied herself.

Once the warm water was ready, Zhao Rui grew shy. She turned her back to him. "Don't peek, you hear me?"

Zhang Han sat straight, his eyes wide. "I won't look, I won't look."

Zhao Rui pinned up her long hair and took off her clothes. Zhang Han was surprised; she didn't look like a mother at all, her skin tight and supple.

"Xi-Xiao Han, help me with my back." Her voice was very soft.

Zhang Han understood and began to scrub her back, cleaning her thoroughly.

After she finished, she waited for him on the bed. Zhang Han, of course, didn't ask her to scrub his back—he was joking, at this point, who cared about scrubbing backs?

An hour later, the room fell quiet. Zhao Rui lay limply on Zhang Han, weak and breathless. "Zhang Han, you're just too amazing."

Zhang Han silently lit a cigarette, the unspoken arrogance being the most lethal.

To serve Zhang Han better, Zhao Rui took the rest of the day off. During the time, they went at it again. By seven in the evening, they went to a nearby shopping mall for dinner. Zhang Han took her to a high-end restaurant and bought her two dresses worth over two thousand yuan each. Zhao Rui clung to his arm, smiling sweetly.

When they left the mall, it was very late. Zhang Han reminded her to expedite the property purchase, ideally finishing within a month.

Zhao Rui dared not slack off, patting her chest and telling him not to worry. While waiting for a car, Zhang Han transferred ten thousand yuan to her, telling her to rent a better place—that area was too chaotic and unsafe.

Zhao Rui’s eyes turned red, and she couldn't speak for a long time.

Zhang Han curled his lips. "What, have you fallen for a brother ten years your junior?"