Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Trampling the Rich Underfoot

After dinner, Lin Wanyu suddenly got a call from her parents, telling her to come home.

Home, of course, didn’t mean Jianglan Bay, but the place where her parents lived.

Once Gao Yuan had changed, the four of them went downstairs together. Gao Yuan headed to the gym, while the three women left directly.

This was the fifth day since Gao Yuan started his fitness routine.

In these five days, he had run 55 kilometers during his workouts and walked another 15 kilometers in his daily life. The progress for his Charming Uncle mission had reached 0.56%.

However, when Wang Lin was helping him with his post-workout recovery today, she was clearly distracted. The pressure of her leg massage was much lighter than usual.

Gao Yuan wanted to ask if something was wrong, but he ultimately remained silent.

’The less trouble, the better,’ he thought. ’I’m still just a wannabe uncle. What power do I have to meddle in other people’s affairs?’

The only thing that mattered was completing his pending missions and achieving initial financial freedom as quickly as possible.

Leaving the gym, Gao Yuan felt unsatisfied. That feeling of a half-hearted massage was the most frustrating thing.

He decided to just contact Qin Yichuan and Zheng Zhi and go out to relax for the night.

The two had vanished after they last met at IN11, but finding them was actually quite simple. All it took were three words: "The usual spot."

Half an hour later, Gao Yuan arrived at the entrance of his residential complex and got into Qin Yichuan’s G-Wagon.

As expected, Zheng Zhi was also in the car. He might drag his feet and make excuses for other things, but when it came to "the usual spot," he was more eager than anyone.

"Yuanzi, is your confidante there tonight?" Zheng Zhi said, throwing an arm around Gao Yuan’s shoulders.

"Didn’t ask."

Gao Yuan had nothing to hide regarding this "confidante."

Ever since the Platinum Palace opened, the three of them had been coming here for foot rubs and massages every now and then. The masseuses here being attractive was just a given; their excellent technique and attentive service were what really set the place apart.

To his two best friends, Gao Yuan was completely obsessed with looks. After just a few visits, he’d gotten to know one of the masseuses here quite well.

Every time he came, Gao Yuan would request technician number 8.

With all the troubles on his mind this month, Gao Yuan had only come once, at the beginning of the month.

The trio walked into the lobby, which was rumored to have won a Muse International Design Award. A man in a suit with a large belly came rushing over to greet them. This was Old Si, the front desk manager of the Platinum Palace.

All three of them were regulars, especially Qin Yichuan and Zheng Zhi, who were SVIP clients.

Although Gao Yuan was also an SVIP client, he only ever spent his money on technician number 8.

Qin Yichuan and Zheng Zhi had asked him about this several times. Technician number 8 clearly wasn’t the top girl at the Platinum Palace, so why was he so captivated by her?

Every time, Gao Yuan would just smile and change the subject.

"President Gao, long time no see!"

Gao Yuan smiled and nodded. "Long time no see."

Qin Yichuan asked, "Is that technician number 8 in today?"

Old Si looked at Gao Yuan and laughed. "Now that President Gao is here, she has to be, even if she isn’t! Xiaoyan just finished a session. She should be resting in the back right now."

Gao Yuan smiled and nodded.

Old Si knew how to handle things. He had a very high EQ, and every time the three of them came, he would arrange everything perfectly and appropriately.

The three of them went to their respective rooms. Gao Yuan lay down on the bed without even taking off his shoes.

Before long, the door opened.

Gao Yuan turned his head to look. It was none other than Xiaoyan.

Today, she was dressed in her usual outfit: a white camisole and a pair of silk shorts. She always changed into this whenever Gao Yuan came.

It was a good thing the temperature inside the Platinum Palace was high enough. Otherwise, she would definitely catch a cold and run a fever wearing something so revealing in this weather.

Xiaoyan tucked her long, straight black hair behind her ear, revealing a plum blossom pattern on her shoulder.

She originally had a birthmark there, but she later had a plum blossom tattooed over it to make it look better. It had to be said, it was quite charming.

Seeing Gao Yuan looking over from the bed, she smiled. "Gao Yuan, you came without saying anything in advance."

As she spoke, Xiaoyan walked slowly to the bedside and naturally helped Gao Yuan take off his shoes.

"I was a bit tired from my workout today and realized I hadn’t seen you in a while, so I came to see you."

Gao Yuan sat up and handed his clothes to Xiaoyan after taking them off.

"Let me know before you come next time, and I won’t take any other clients. I’ll wait just for you."

Xiaoyan didn’t mind whatever excuse Gao Yuan came up with, a gentle smile always on her face.

This was what Gao Yuan liked about Xiaoyan.

She didn’t care how long it had been since his last visit; all that mattered was that he was here now.

However, that didn’t stop him from teasing his old classmate. "I was just afraid of getting in the way of you trampling the rich under your feet!"

"You still remember that!"

Xiaoyan pursed her lips into a smile and playfully slapped Gao Yuan.

Others might think their relationship was just that of a client and a masseuse, or at best, a familiar one with a few more feelings involved. Only the two of them knew their connection was more complicated.

Xiaoyan was Gao Yuan’s high school classmate. She wasn’t just beautiful but also an excellent student—the very image of an idealized first love.

Back then, the school strictly forbade dating, and they were always cracking down on it. Gao Yuan could only take a number, so to speak, and pine for her from afar.

But before he ever had the chance to confess his feelings openly...

In their final year of high school, Xiaoyan dropped out. The two never saw each other again after that.

He never imagined that after he entered the workforce and achieved some success, they would reunite in a place like this.

Within two sessions, Gao Yuan and his idealized first love had rekindled their old bond.

From then on, Gao Yuan only came to the Platinum Palace for massages. His two best friends thought he had fallen for technician number 8, but they didn’t know he was simply nostalgic for the beautiful past.

Gao Yuan had once tried to persuade Xiaoyan to get out of the business, but she always said she needed to work for a few more years because her family still needed her.

After that, Gao Yuan never brought it up again.

’I haven’t walked in her shoes, so I can’t tell her to quit.’ From then on, Gao Yuan would come to see her every month.

Because of their relationship, Xiaoyan never brought up things like topping up his membership card during the massage. She would just focus on giving Gao Yuan a thorough and comfortable service.

During the massages, they would not only talk about funny stories from their school days but also about Gao Yuan’s current work and life.

Gao Yuan discovered that becoming a masseuse hadn’t cut Xiaoyan off from society. She could chat with him about everything from daily life to literature. She could even discuss his e-commerce business with him for a bit.

He jokingly called Xiaoyan a masseuse with depth who had her own ideas, and for that, Gao Yuan respected her from the bottom of his heart.

But respect didn’t mean there was no flirting. It was just that the flirting between them was a natural thing, as subtle as a spring rain falling silently in the night.

As he recalled all this, Gao Yuan suddenly thought that maybe one day, she would leave this life and get married...

’The Platinum Palace wouldn’t hold any appeal for me then. Coming back here would probably just feel a little sad.’

"When you decide to get out of this line of work, remember to tell me in advance so I don’t make a wasted trip."

After Gao Yuan said this, he clearly felt Xiaoyan’s hands on his back suddenly freeze.

Xiaoyan hadn’t expected Gao Yuan to say something like this after not seeing him for so long.

In her heart, Gao Yuan was more than just a client; he was a source of emotional support.

She remembered the first time she gave him a massage. The two were reminiscing about old times, and she ended up massaging him right to sleep.

Unexpectedly, the next day, the manager told her that yesterday’s client had left a one-thousand-yuan tip.

This immediately filled Xiaoyan with gratitude toward Gao Yuan. She knew he was trying to help her.

Meeting an old friend so far from home... the second time Xiaoyan massaged him, she couldn’t help but want to get to know her old classmate better, and from there, it was a slippery slope.

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