Chapter 18
Although the mall where the Weiwei Weight Loss Training Camp was located looked deserted, there was actually a small alley not far to the east that was always bustling with people. It could practically be called the late-night canteen of the locals in Tianjin.
Every day when the sun began to set, the alley would come alive. Smoke and steam drifted through the air, the mixed aromas of countless foods intertwining together, while the endless shouts of vendors and shop owners created a uniquely lively portrait of the city.
Under Xiao Ping’s guidance, Luo Jingyao arrived there.
The two of them squeezed through the crowded street and eventually stopped in front of a roadside food stall.
The young-looking coach scratched the back of his head awkwardly and said in his deep, muffled voice, “The spicy stir-fried dishes here are actually pretty good.”
“Then this place it is!” She made the decision without hesitation.
They walked into the shop one after another and chose a relatively quiet corner at the back.
The moment they sat down, Luo Jingyao started ordering several of the restaurant’s signature dishes without even blinking.
People always said that once you accepted someone’s hospitality, you owed them a favor. The Xiao Ping sitting across from her looked even more embarrassed.
“There are only two of us. You don’t have to spend so much, Sister Luo.”
The effect of money was indeed immediate. The young coach had already upgraded the way he addressed her by a whole level.
“It’s not a waste. You’ve helped me a lot since my interview yesterday. Otherwise, how could I have adapted so quickly?” Luo Jingyao smiled sincerely.
Under the dim yellow lights, the faint dimples that appeared on her cheeks made Xiao Ping’s vision blur slightly.
A suspicious flush quickly crept onto his youthful face. Beneath his thick brows, his small eyes unconsciously drifted away as he stammered, “That’s… that’s what I should’ve done.”
The two of them continued chatting like that for a while—one saying something meaningless, the other replying with something equally meaningless—until the dishes they ordered finally began arriving.
The rich aroma of spicy, savory food rushed straight into their noses. Combined with ice-cold beer, after a few glasses Xiao Ping’s gaze gradually became hazy.
“Sister Luo, don’t worry! No matter what happens at work in the future, just come find me!”
They hadn’t even been eating for half an hour before he started pounding his chest like he was making a solemn vow.
Luo Jingyao naturally nodded along in agreement.
At the same time, she glanced uncertainly at the empty beer bottles lined up beside the table. After counting carefully and confirming there were only four, she pressed a hand to her forehead with a complicated expression.
She really hadn’t expected this kid’s alcohol tolerance to be so ridiculously low.
Seeing that the moment was about right, she casually asked, “Xiao Ping, what do you think of Sister Jiang? Is she easy to get along with?”
“Sister Jiang…”
The young coach frowned, as if seriously searching through every memory he had of her.
“Not bad, I guess. She just likes making big promises, and she’s also pretty strict about keeping an eye on people. As long as she’s at the training camp, don’t even think about slacking off.”
Is that so?
Luo Jingyao raised an eyebrow.
If what Xiao Ping had just said was true, then could it mean that Jiang the Boss’s earlier behavior wasn’t directed only at her, but that she treated everyone the same way?
“How long have you worked here?” she asked again.
The person across from her solemnly raised one finger.
“More than a year.”
Luo Jingyao silently calculated the time in her mind. Then, just to be safe, she lifted her glass again.
When the number of empty bottles by Xiao Ping’s feet had increased to six, she tentatively opened her mouth.
“I have a friend who lost weight at our training camp before. Her name was Zhuo Meiling. Do you remember her?”
“…”
This time, Xiao Ping really seemed drunk.
One elbow rested on the table while his other hand supported his head.
Several seconds passed. Just as Luo Jingyao began wondering if he had fallen asleep, he slowly shook his head.
Then, as if realizing something was wrong, he nodded again.
“I kind of remember her. Zhuo Meiling… she stayed here for almost two months. In the end, I think she left because of health reasons. She didn’t lose enough weight to reach the target weight she wanted.”
“Speaking of that, a while ago there was another trainee who left halfway through the program. She hadn’t even been here for many days.”
“Oh? Do you remember that trainee’s name?” Luo Jingyao’s instincts immediately told her something was wrong.
Unfortunately, Xiao Ping tried hard to remember for quite a while but still couldn’t come up with anything.
Finally, he waved his hand helplessly.
“I forgot a long time ago. We deal with dozens of trainees every day. Before I even got familiar with that person, she had already left.”
“I see.”
To avoid arousing suspicion, Luo Jingyao didn’t press further. She shrugged and changed the subject.
“By the way, don’t we get one day off every week? There shouldn’t be much to do at night either, right? If we wanted to take another part-time job outside, would that be allowed?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Xiao Ping replied vaguely. “After work hours, Sister Jiang doesn’t control us anymore! At the beginning of the month, when our salaries weren’t paid on time, Jiang Qi even had a few of us go out together to do part-time jobs.”
“But actually, we aren’t completely free at night.”
“Once you become a full-time employee, you’ll take shifts. Then you’ll have to check the trainees’ dorm rooms and distribute their medicine.”
There were quite a few important details hidden in those words, but Luo Jingyao could only focus on the one that interested her most.
“Distribute medicine?”
“It’s… it’s just nutritional supplements. Multivitamins.”
He mumbled the explanation sleepily.
The next second, Xiao Ping completely lost control of himself and collapsed forward onto the table.
