The woman in the red dress was in her thirties, well-maintained and quite beautiful. Her phoenix eyes appraised Ethan with clear satisfaction.
"Perfect." Serena grabbed Ethan's wrist and pulled him towards the room across the hall.
"What's going on?" Ethan whispered.
"Major client!" Serena explained hurriedly. "There's a lady here for the first time. She just wants a handsome guy to chat with. She didn't like any of our regular male models; she wants someone... genuine. But where do you find 'genuine' in a place like this? I thought about it, and you're the only one."
"You want me to be a male escort?" Ethan's eyes widened. "Are you crazy? I'm still a virgin!"
"Really?" Serena's eyes widened too, then she quickly recovered. "It's not like that! She's just not into the usual scene. You just chat with her, have a few drinks. That's it. She's not looking for anything else. And let me tell you, this woman is stunning. Beautiful, classy, and loaded. You won't be losing out here!"
"Plus, she's a seriously big client. The Boss personally sent the invitation. We absolutely cannot mess this up!"
As she spoke, the flirty woman in the red dress came over and immediately linked her arm with Ethan's, pressing it against her chest. Her other hand wandered, exploring his torso.
"Ooh, abs. And pecs. Nice and toned, not one of those gross, over-pumped bodybuilders. Just my type." She pouted playfully. "If my girlfriend and I weren't so close, I'd definitely keep you for myself. Have to reluctantly give you up tonight. But I'll be back for you, handsome."
She even licked her lips, her gaze full of promise. Ethan felt like a piece of prey being sized up.
They arrived at the casino's VIP lounge.
The lounge was spacious and opulently decorated. It held a gaming table, a couple of machines, a large sectional sofa, a bar, and even a dedicated dining area. You could sing, drink, eat, and gamble all in one place.
Several women sat at the gaming table, each accompanied by a male model from the establishment.
On the large sofa sat a woman wearing a cream-colored blouse and fitted trousers. Her hair was elegantly pinned up, revealing a face of exquisite beauty. She exuded the unique charm of a mature woman, though she looked no older than twenty-five or twenty-six.
The woman in red dragged Ethan straight to the sofa. "Mulan, what about this one? One hundred percent genuine, pure high school senior! I found him doing his homework!"
Mulan sighed softly. "You all have fun. I'm fine just sitting here."
"No way!" The red-dressed woman sat down beside Mulan. "When you're out, the most important thing is to have fun! And why should your fiancé get to fool around all the time while you can't? What are we lacking? Looks? Figure? Movie stars can't compare to you! We're not short on money either! The point is to be happy!"
The woman in red finished her speech and shot Ethan a series of meaningful looks. Serena was also poking him in the back with her finger.
Ethan could tell this 'Mulan' woman was very uncomfortable in this environment. But he was equally uncomfortable with the idea of being a paid companion!
He tried to act natural. "Hello, my name is—"
Mulan suddenly spoke, cutting him off. "In a large tomb, rich burial objects were discovered, including complete sets of ritual vessels made of stone and pottery. From which era does this tomb originate?"
Her question left both the woman in red and Serena utterly bewildered.
What was she talking about?
Mulan offered a faint smile and waved her hand, preparing to dismiss him.
"The late Neolithic period," Ethan answered with a smile.
"Oh?" Mulan showed a flicker of interest. "Based on what?"
"You mentioned ritual vessels among the burial objects," Ethan explained. "Ritual vessels are characteristic of the Yangshao Culture, which belongs to the Neolithic period."
Mulan pressed further. "And what makes you say it's the late Neolithic? Ritual vessels existed in the early Neolithic as well."
"The answer is in your own question," Ethan replied, his smile unwavering. "You said the burial objects were 'rich.' Where there is 'rich,' there is 'poor.' The phenomenon of social stratification and wealth disparity emerged in the late Neolithic period. It didn't exist in the early stages."
The woman in red looked completely lost. "What are you two even talking about?"
"A question from last year's Academic Bowl history section," Mulan said, a real smile finally touching her lips. She gestured to the space beside her. "Sit."
The woman in red let out a sigh of relief. So did Serena, who was also getting an education—she'd never seen a client test a male model with a pop quiz before.
"Well, Mulan, you two chat," the woman in red said, giving Ethan one last significant look before getting up and leaving.
Serena had already made herself scarce.
Mulan picked up her glass and looked at Ethan. "My apologies for interrupting your introduction earlier."
Ethan quickly took the hint, raising his own glass. "Ethan Chen."
"Mulan. As in the warrior."
"It's a beautiful name," Ethan said, clinking his glass against hers.
Mulan took a small sip. "Beautiful in what way?"
With just that one question, Ethan sensed this woman would be challenging. 'Beautiful name' was a common compliment; most people would just smile and move on. Few asked how it was beautiful.
Ethan finished the drink in his glass. "'Lan' signifies large waves on water, as opposed to small ripples. It carries a meaning of both gentle beauty and magnificent, sweeping power."
"You're quite the smooth talker," Mulan remarked with a light laugh. "You must be popular with women."
"I wish that were the case," Ethan shook his head. "Unfortunately, I'm not really the popular type."
He refilled Mulan's glass.
They continued talking, though each topic was exhausted fairly quickly before moving to the next.
"You don't seem very talkative," Mulan observed, curious. "Shouldn't someone in your... role be more glib?"
Ethan offered a wry smile. "To be honest, this is the first time I've ever sat on this couch. I'm told it's very expensive."
Mulan studied him for a moment, then nodded. "I believe you."
Ethan was surprised. "I'm that credible?"
Mulan was blunt. "You have an air of... not having much money about you."
Ethan was taken aback. "How can you tell?"
"You're too cautious," Mulan said, swirling her wine. "You act like you're afraid of offending me."
Ethan just smiled, picked up his glass, and gently clinked it against Mulan's.
Loud laughter erupted from nearby. The woman in red and the others were enjoying themselves, drinking merrily. Two of the male models had ripped off their shirts, revealing their abs, causing the other women to squeal.
"Mulan!" The woman in red stumbled over, practically falling onto Mulan and accidentally spilling red wine all over Mulan's cream-colored blouse.
The stain stood out starkly against the light fabric.
"Oops! Quick, let's get that washed out!" The woman in red tried to pull Mulan towards the restroom inside the VIP lounge, but before they reached the door, the sound of retching could be heard from within. Someone had already had too much to drink.
"Let's use the one outside." The woman in red tried to lead Mulan out.
"Hey, where are you going? Trying to skip out on your round?" Another woman grabbed the one in red, preventing her from leaving.
The woman in red looked torn.
"I can take her," Ethan offered, stepping forward.
"Thanks, handsome! Take good care of our Mulan!" The woman in red winked exaggeratedly at Ethan.