Breakup Kitchen - Chapter 3

Wang Hao's work schedule aligned with Gao Huimei's, so the two of them went to the company together. After clocking in and heading to the break room, their shared client arrived. They quickly changed into their uniforms and got to work. During the session, the client noticed the bandages on Wang Hao's hands and asked about them. Wang Hao brushed it off with a laugh, saying it was just from overworking lately.

Two hours flew by in a flash. The two of them worked together, with the masseuse on the later shift responsible for tidying up the room, while the one on the earlier shift took the bill to the front desk and saw the client off.

This time, it was Gao Huimei's turn to clean the room. She gathered the non-woven fabric from the massage bed, the used towels, and the client's drink, then washed her hands and prepared to return to the break room.

Earlier, she had heard the receptionist announce over the intercom that Wang Hao was needed at the front desk, likely because a client had requested her specifically.

She saw Wang Hao carrying a hot towel and a drink, heading toward a nearby room. Wang Hao opened the door and said, "Hello, I'm masseuse number 3. Today I..." Her voice abruptly stopped, and then she quickly stepped back out of the room and slammed the door shut.

Gao Huimei was speechless. "...What are you doing?"

Wang Hao, expressionless, picked up the phone in the hallway. "I'm refusing the client."

§

You Sheng had been working at Mossage's front desk for three years. Before that, all the receptionists had been women. Three years ago, Mossage struggled to hire female receptionists for the overnight shift, and those who did take the job didn't last long. To reduce turnover, management considered hiring men for the position.

Although it was awkward at first—working in an environment where most colleagues were women, with only a handful of men, and dealing with the mixed bag of clients that came in during the night shift—he eventually adapted and even found a sense of accomplishment in the job.

──Except for certain situations.

The intercom buzzed twice.

You Sheng, the receptionist at Mossage, picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"It's Wang Hao. I'm refusing the client."

"Oh, Wang Hao... What?" You Sheng glanced at the monitor, which showed Wang Hao standing in the hallway making the call. "You're refusing a client? Are you sure? That's a regular!"

Generally, masseuses refused clients who were difficult or unfamiliar. For example, a client might request a beautiful masseuse, and if the masseuse didn't like that, they could refuse such clients. The company allowed masseuses to refuse up to two difficult clients per month. However, refusing a regular client—someone who specifically requested a particular masseuse—was rare, as it affected the masseuse's monthly performance and bonuses.

"I'm sure," Wang Hao said firmly. "I don't care if the company deducts my pay. I just don't want to serve this client."

"Refusing a regular..." You Sheng paused. "Wang Hao, is the client being inappropriate or disrespectful?"

Wang Hao hesitated for a moment. "Well, sort of."

What did "sort of" mean? You Sheng nearly lost his temper. Seeing two new clients walk in, he hurriedly ended the call. "Wang Hao, stay there. I'll handle these clients and then come over to you."

§

Wang Hao hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment.

Gao Huimei waved her hand in front of Wang Hao's face. "What did You Sheng say?"

Wang Hao blinked, coming back to reality. "He said he'll come over in a bit." She walked to the tea room and tossed the towel into the laundry basket.

Gao Huimei was curious about what kind of client would make Wang Hao refuse service. She tiptoed closer to the room and peeked through the glass panel on the door.

Huh? He looks decent. Wait, no—these days, too many people are wolves in sheep's clothing. Judging by appearances can lead to disaster. But...

"He looks kind of familiar..." Gao Huimei muttered.

The man inside the room was wearing the massage parlor's kimono, sitting on the massage bed with his back to the door, scrolling through his phone. Sensing someone watching him, he turned around.

"Shen Xin, aren't you supposed to be resting in the break room after your shift? What are you doing here?"

When You Sheng arrived, he saw Gao Huimei staring into the room with a look of surprise, while Wang Hao was nowhere to be found.

His mouth twitched. The person involved wasn't here, and the one who was here didn't seem to be helping much.

You Sheng: "...Shen Xin, what are you doing?"

Gao Huimei glanced at him, then picked up the phone with a blank expression. "Calling the police."

"Wait!" You Sheng quickly snatched the phone from Gao Huimei. Seeing her dark expression, he cautiously asked, "Can I ask why?"

Gao Huimei gritted her teeth and whispered, "That client is Wang Hao's ex."

"Her ex?" You Sheng repeated, confused.

Hearing their voices, the man in the room opened the door. His shoes appeared at the doorway as Gao Huimei raised her voice. "Yeah, the bastard who abused Wang Hao!"

You Sheng followed her gaze to the doorway. The man, about to step out, noticed their stares and quickly retreated back into the room.

You Sheng: "..." What kind of drama is this?

You Sheng coughed. "Are you talking about the jerk we've trapped in the room?"

Gao Huimei: "..." She hadn't called him a jerk.

For a moment, Gao Huimei, You Sheng, and the ex-boyfriend were at a standoff, staring at each other. Finally, they all let out awkward laughs and looked away—some at the ceiling, others at the floor.

§

"Sir, since number 3 is feeling unwell, we'll arrange another skilled masseuse for you, okay?"

When Wang Hao came out of the bathroom, she heard You Sheng talking to the client she had refused.

The boss had called earlier, scolding Gao Huimei and You Sheng for their behavior in the hallway, saying it was unprofessional and disrespectful to the clients. Both of them listened in silence and were fined 500 yuan each.

You Sheng reluctantly brought up the issue of refusing the regular client, and the boss simply said, "Follow company policy. She can refuse, but it will be recorded as a 'loss' for Wang Hao. Then ask the client if he still wants a massage and arrange someone else." After a pause, she added, "Tell Wang Hao to handle this properly. Don't bring personal issues into the workplace."

So, You Sheng returned to the room to negotiate with the client, which led to the scene Wang Hao now witnessed.

"No, I don't want that," the man said, then realizing his tone was too harsh, he softened his voice. "Sorry, I still want Wang Hao to serve me. Can I talk to her?"

"This..."

"A-Sheng, I'll talk to him," Wang Hao took over. "Can I use room 201? I'll clean room 302 later."

You Sheng led the two to room 201, which was more soundproof and not adjacent to other rooms. "The boss said to handle this properly. I'll go back to the front desk. Call me if you need anything." He patted Wang Hao's shoulder, glanced at her ex-boyfriend, then closed the door and left.

§

Once the door closed, the room was silent except for the two of them, separated by the massage bed. Wang Hao stood near the door.

The man nervously rubbed his hands together, the words he had prepared seemingly stuck in his throat.

"What do you want to say?" Wang Hao asked coldly.

"I..." The man looked at Wang Hao's face and the bandages on her hands, shrinking back.

"Why did you come to my workplace? And what's with this act? Who are you trying to impress?" Wang Hao asked bluntly. She was already upset about the penalty for refusing a regular client, and now this unwanted visitor had shown up, making things worse.

"Zhiyan, can we get back together?" The man reached for Wang Hao's hand, but she dodged. "I was wrong. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you when I lost my temper. I won't do it again. Come home with me, okay?"

"Go back to you playing video games all day and flirting with other girls while I act like an idiot, cleaning up after you, doing the laundry, washing the dishes?" Wang Hao—Xu Zhiyan—wasn't having it. She sneered, "Oh, I forgot. I also have the added function of being your punching bag. Tell me, where else can you find such a good deal?"

The words tasted bitter, but if she didn't say them, the suffocating anger and sadness would have nowhere to go.

"What are you talking about?" the man exclaimed, panicked. "Do you have to be so harsh? I help with the chores too! And you're always nagging me..."

Xu Zhiyan couldn't listen anymore and cut him off. "Then I'm curious—when do you do the chores, and what exactly do you do? Because I haven't seen it." She feigned confusion, then waved her hand dismissively as the man tried to argue. "Let's not even talk about that. What about the money you borrowed from me? Did you think if I went back to you, that debt would just disappear? Wang Yaozong, you've got some nerve."

Wang Yaozong retorted, "Didn't you say that was my allowance? You told me not to worry about it!"

Xu Zhiyan stared at him, dumbfounded. "When did I say it was your allowance? You said you were tight on money and asked to borrow some. You borrowed over 200,000 yuan from me in total." The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. "You better figure out a way to pay me back!"

"Fine, you say I owe you money. Do you have proof? Or a loan agreement?" Wang Yaozong sneered. "Without that, how can you just claim I owe you money? Are you trying to scam me?"

Xu Zhiyan was speechless. She hadn't thought of that. Finally, she managed to say, "There are messages on Line where you asked to borrow money." She remembered a few times when Wang Yaozong had borrowed money through Line.

──But the larger amounts were borrowed in person. Damn it.

Wang Yaozong's heart tightened. He quickly softened his tone. "Zhiyan, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I was wrong. I'll pay you back when I get home. We'll settle it properly." He reached for Xu Zhiyan's hand again, and this time she didn't pull away. He felt a glimmer of hope.

Xu Zhiyan knew exactly what he was thinking. In the past, she might have found his scheming cute, but now it just made her feel nauseated and exhausted. This disgust was her own fault—she had spoiled him, let him take and take, and now it had become a double-edged sword.

What hurt the most, what chilled her to the core, was that from beginning to end, this man had never tried to explain the infidelity.

"Wang Yaozong, stop it," Xu Zhiyan said, deflated like a balloon whose beautiful illusion had been popped. She pushed his hand away and whispered, "From the moment you betrayed our relationship, there was no going back." She couldn't bear the thorns and rubble of this relationship anymore.

──This was truly the end.

She lowered her head, blinking back the tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't look at his expression—she didn't need to. She continued, "You don't have to pay me back. Consider it a gift. Please don't come looking for me again. I went to get a medical report yesterday and filed for a restraining order."

She turned and opened the door, not looking back, facing forward.

She said, "I'm sorry. I'm tired."

§

Later, Gao Huimei heard from Wang Hao that the bastard had left the shop with his tail between his legs after failing to make a scene.

"Do you regret it?" Gao Huimei sat by the balcony door, staring at the wooden floor, counting the lines in the grain.

Wang Hao smoked, her elbow resting on the balcony railing. "That's too broad a question. Regret what?"

"Regret meeting that mama's boy, regret having such a tumultuous relationship." It always ended up like a soap opera.

Wang Hao chuckled, flicking the ash off her cigarette. "Right now, I can't really answer. I still feel too confused. Ever since my first love left me with credit card debt, forcing me to work tirelessly to pay it off, my love life has been nothing but bad luck. Do I regret it? Yes, I do..."

Gao Huimei quipped: Not just bad luck—more like cursed to the depths of hell.

"But..."

"But?"

Wang Hao looked up at the dark, light-polluted sky.

"The very things I loved about them ended up hurting me the most."

§

The dim orange-yellow light filled the room, smoke swirling and blurring the outlines of people. The clinking of glasses and plates mixed with shouts and the smell of alcohol filled the air. She didn't like these kinds of gatherings, but because he was here, she couldn't help but follow.

He sat across from her, his face blurred, but she knew it was "him."

The man had a cigarette dangling from his lips, playing drinking games with the people around him, his face red as he shouted, "Fifteen! I win, pay up!"

His opponent reluctantly handed over the money. He called for more food, and soon the table was filled with plates of stir-fried dishes. He went to get more beer, filling his own glass first before pouring for others.

Noticing her gaze, he smiled like a child, his mouth moving, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. The noise of the restaurant created a vacuum around him, as if he were in his own world, enjoying himself.

Soon, he and she walked to the counter, and that sense of isolation disappeared. Their world pressed play, and she could hear him again.

He put his arm around her, saying how happy he was to drink and play with his friends today. He whispered sweet nothings in her ear, and amidst the noise, he finally said, "Honey, I forgot my wallet today. Can you cover this for me?"

She didn't suspect a thing, patting his head with a mix of exasperation and amusement, saying okay and taking the bill to pay.

Back at home, he was at his computer, wearing headphones, impatiently responding to her requests.

She picked up one, two, three pieces of clothing... tossing them into the washing machine, then turned on the vacuum cleaner to clean their shared space.

The vacuum had only been running for a short while when he yelled, without even turning around, "The vacuum's too loud! Do it later! I can't hear my teammates!"

She lowered her eyes, turned off the vacuum, and touched the vanity, picking up her phone. She opened the messages—there was one from him: "Honey, I'm a bit short on cash lately. Can you lend me some? Not much, just 50,000..."

She blinked.

The phone in her hand became his. She stared at the screen, where messages kept popping up—sharp blades of blame, slaps of accusation, and love potions from other girls, prescriptions not meant for her. She could only watch as these pink rivers connected, flowing from nothingness into the present.

The cold light of the phone screen stung her eyes. Maybe to hide her tears, she crouched down, burying her head in her arms. Her whole body ached, her cheeks swollen and hot. She could taste blood in her mouth—probably from biting her cheek. Then she heard him outside the door, panicked, knocking. "Tell me it's not true! How could it be? Honey, think about it again, okay? My mom said we're not ready to raise a child yet. Come out, let's talk, okay? We'll go to the hospital later..."

It was too suffocating. She took a deep breath, stood up, and went to open the door. Her foot went numb, and she stumbled, crashing into the corner of the cabinet.

§

Her calf suddenly cramped, and Wang Hao opened her eyes, her head feeling heavy, as if filled with water, unable to think. She turned her head—the person beside her was still mumbling in their sleep.

Once the numbness in her leg subsided, she got up, feeling along the wall for the bathroom light switch.

Soon, a faint light seeped through the bathroom door, followed by the sound of running water.

§

When the bell rang, Gao Huimei woke up with a start.

Her rented apartment was near an elementary school, and during the day, she could always hear the school bells. Sometimes, when her sleep was light, the sudden noise would startle her.

She fumbled around the bed for a moment, found her phone, and checked the time, then let out a sigh of relief.

"...You're up too early, Wang Hao," she said, seeing Wang Hao applying sunscreen in front of the mirror.

Wang Hao glanced at her sideways. "It's not early. It's almost noon."

"..." Gao Huimei lay on her side, hugging the blanket. "Did you have a nightmare last night?"

Wang Hao looked in the mirror, applying lipstick. "Yeah, my head still hurts."

"I had a nightmare too, but I can't remember what it was about," Gao Huimei propped her head up. "I just know the plot was absurd, and the scenes kept shifting."

She guessed it was probably because Wang Hao's situation had reminded her of her own past. It brought back memories of sweet times that now felt like poison. Her experience wasn't exactly the same as Wang Hao's, but she knew that Li Shanbai's badness was different from Wang Yaozong's, just as their goodness was different too.

But every time Gao Huimei heard Wang Hao share the joys of her relationship, she saw herself before the fallout with Li Shanbai.

"...Aren't dreams always like that?" Wang Hao was silent for a moment, then put down her lipstick. "But I remember some details, though they're not exactly happy."

Gao Huimei hesitated, then asked, "Can I ask what they were?"

Wang Hao smiled, a red line forming in the mirror. "A man's smile can be really deadly, don't you think?"

She remembered the first time she met him. In that noisy environment, he had been a bit shy, but when he smiled—whether it was a shy smile or a hearty laugh—he lit up the room, and she was drawn to that charm.

Especially since—at the beginning—he had been so gentle, considerate, and generous to his friends.

"What? That's so random."

"I found a place. I'm signing the lease tomorrow and should be settled by the end of the month..." Wang Hao said as she put on her earrings.

"Wang Hao."

"What?"

"I don't want to interrupt you, but your phone has been ringing non-stop," Gao Huimei's mouth twitched. The vibrating sound had been a constant background noise, and seeing Wang Hao ignore it, she couldn't help but remind her.

It had been ringing since morning. If she didn't know better, she'd think it was an alarm clock.

The phone on the vanity buzzed again. After a moment of silence, it buzzed once more.

Wang Hao declined the call.

She continued, "Thanks for putting up with me these past few days. Let me treat you to lunch..."

The phone rang again.

Wang Hao turned it off and sighed. "I'll block him later."

§

During lunch, Wang Hao mentioned the aftermath with her ex-boyfriend, including the incessant phone calls.

"He's still not giving up?" Gao Huimei was surprised. It had been days.

"I didn't expect it either. I blocked him, but when he couldn't get through, he'd get his mom to call me," Wang Hao sighed. "I can't just not answer my phone all day. Clients sometimes contact me to book appointments."

Gao Huimei: "Why not block his mom too?"

Wang Hao pursed her lips. "I did that before..."

"You actually did?"

"...Then he started using other people's numbers to call me."

Gao Huimei was stunned. "Why not just change your number?"

"I'll talk to him first," Wang Hao said, seeing Gao Huimei's worried expression. "Don't worry, I won't meet him in person. If it doesn't work out, I'll change my number."

§

In the end, Wang Hao changed her phone number. It took a lot of effort to let her clients know about the new number. Later, when her colleagues in the break room found out she had changed both her number and her address, they teased her, asking why she was acting like she was dodging debt collectors.

Wang Hao, sitting in the break room, had no choice but to beg them to stop mocking her.

"Just consider it as if I ran into a ghost," she said.

──A smiling ghost, at that.