Chapter Ninety-Two: Old Stories Are Often the Most Moving

Dragonfly ended up not going to any hotel, nor did he take Dream Spirit back to where he lived. Instead, he simply strolled along with her at an easy pace.

When they passed a coffee shop, he went in with her. Although he did not care much for coffee, he still generously ordered two cups of Nanshan coffee for the beauty at his side. What annoyed him a little was that even though he was about to spend a thousand yuan on those two cups, he still never got to taste authentic Nanshan coffee. Then again, he reminded himself that in a small place like this, authentic Nanshan coffee was never easy to find. Thinking of that, he felt at ease. In any case, a five-hundred-yuan cup of coffee, even if it was only blended coffee, was still far better than the usual kind. By that measure, it was well worth the price. You get what you pay for.

Dream Spirit probably did not know that the cup of coffee she barely cared for would cost Dragonfly five hundred yuan. Perhaps even if she had known, she would not have minded. In her eyes, anyone who could drink and laugh with people like Chen Xin and the others was certainly no ordinary person, and a mere cup of coffee would never be worth thinking about.

So Dream Spirit remained dispirited the whole time. Ever since she left Heaven on Earth with Dragonfly, her brows had not once relaxed. Her melancholy had nearly caught up to Willow Ruyi, and Dragonfly did, in fact, see a little of Willow Ruyi in her. That was why he had brought her out in the first place, though even he himself may not have noticed that subtle thought.

"What is it? Worried that you can't go back to Heaven on Earth?" Dragonfly smiled faintly, making it impossible to tell what he truly meant.

Dream Spirit instinctively nodded, then immediately shook her head. Seeing Dragonfly stare fixedly into her eyes, she sighed inwardly and said, "Whatever happens, I still have to thank you for your kindness. It's just that... sooner or later, I still have to go back to Heaven on Earth."

Dragonfly frowned. "Is that so? Then you can go back in a bit. Don't worry, I believe Chen Xin and the others wouldn't dare lay a hand on you. Let's just pretend nothing happened tonight."

He took a sip of coffee. The already bitter taste seemed even more bitter now. Dragonfly sighed inwardly. He was beginning to regret rescuing Dream Spirit. It seemed that the affairs of this world were not quite as he had imagined. Even if she had her difficulties, if she was willing to go back on her own, there was nothing he could do. Or rather, he might be able to solve some of her problems, but there were countless people in this world with troubles and unspeakable hardships. How many could he possibly save?

Dragonfly had never seen himself as a savior. On the contrary, he thought of himself as a villain, a villain rotten to the core. He had no habit of saving people; killing, however, was something he often did. But if death truly counted as a release, then Dragonfly would indeed have accumulated great merit.

Some people said that killing one person is a crime, while killing a hundred makes you a hero. By that logic, Dragonfly was already a hero to the power of n. Yet no one had ever treated him like one. Everyone who knew him regarded him as a bloodthirsty demon. A killer, after all, if not a demon, then what? In the eyes of the world, killers were nothing but killing machines, machines without feeling. Little did they know that killers had their own bottom line too.

And so Dragonfly no longer cared to be a hero. If he could not be a hero, then damn it, he would be a villain. A complete and utter villain. He had sworn that many years ago.

Seeing Dragonfly frown, Dream Spirit's face turned red. She said carefully, "Do you think I'm one of those bad girls?"

"Which kind?" Dragonfly could not help but laugh. By ordinary, normal logic, a girl who worked at Heaven on Earth did rather count as a bad girl. So her question did seem a little unnecessary. Fortunately, Dragonfly's views were not quite the same as those of ordinary people. To him, there was no distinction of noble or lowly in any kind of work. All labor was done for one purpose: money. And because each person began from a different point, there was naturally no right or wrong in it. Since there was no right or wrong, where would good or bad come from?

Dragonfly could refuse many people, but he would not therefore deny them. That would be unfair. With Dream Spirit, for instance, he was exactly like that. He had never thought of finding a girl like her to be his woman. The reason was simple: she worked at Heaven on Earth. Even if she were still a virgin, he still could not accept it, unless she had some unavoidable hardship of her own. That would depend on what kind of hardship it was. But he would not look down on her for it. She had the right to choose her own work and life, and Dragonfly felt he had no right to take that away.

Taken together, it sounded contradictory. But then, Dragonfly himself was sometimes contradictory. Still, there were contradictions everywhere in this world, and not only in him.

In truth, life is full of contradictions. Because they exist, we are changed. Those willing to change serve life and may even earn a decent wage. Those unwilling to change are sacrificed to life, and for some, that sacrifice may be their very lives.

Dream Spirit glanced at Dragonfly with a trace of grievance and sighed. "I know. You must think I'm a bad girl. Actually, well... never mind. Let's not talk about it."

"Why not?" Dragonfly said with a smile.

Dream Spirit brushed a few strands of hair beside her ear, and that small gesture made Dragonfly momentarily dazed.

"Would it help if I said it? Besides, even if I did, you might not believe me. It's too clichéd." She took a light sip of coffee, her brow furrowing even tighter.

Dragonfly smiled indifferently. "Then it's your choice. But I can remind you of this: instead of selling your body at Heaven on Earth, you might as well first find someone to confide in about your misery. Even if no one can help you, or even if no one wants to help you, I doubt that would affect your time at Heaven on Earth, would it? I think you're still a virgin, aren't you? Before becoming a woman, a beautiful girl like you can actually fetch quite a price."

Dream Spirit's face turned deathly pale. Dragonfly's words were indeed vicious enough to make her nearly break into tears. Yet she held it in. In her eyes, perhaps it was true, as Dragonfly had said: she was bartering her looks and her purity for money. But why wouldn't he ask why she had to do this? No, in fact, he had asked her to speak. So why did she not want to say it? Perhaps he really could help her after all.

"I know, that hurt you, didn't it?" Dragonfly's amused gaze swept over her chest. Not bad. At least a D cup, probably 34D. Not too big, not too small.

Dream Spirit said nothing, only lowered her head.

"All right, I'll give you another chance. You can still tell me your story now. Of course, you can also make up a beautiful and tragic tale to win my sympathy, if you think you can fool me." Dragonfly pulled out a cigarette, then looked at Dream Spirit and put it back.

She pressed her lips tightly together and still said nothing.

"Of course, if your story can truly move me, I think I can certainly satisfy you. Rather than selling yourself to a man you don't know, you might as well sell yourself to me. I can definitely afford the money, and I'd pay far more than anyone else." At last, Dragonfly relented.

Dream Spirit hesitated. She felt there was some truth in what he said. Thinking that sooner or later she would become a man's plaything anyway, perhaps entrusting herself to the bad-tempered man before her would be better. At least Dragonfly looked agreeable enough, and he had just saved her again at Heaven on Earth. Besides, anyone who could drink with Chen Xin and the others must have considerable background.

So Dream Spirit began to tell her story. In truth, it was very simple, and the plot was indeed rather old-fashioned.

Dream Spirit had just graduated from Fudan University and had found a decent job, earning about three thousand yuan a month. In a city like Tianhai, where talent was worth less than illiteracy, that was not bad at all. Unfortunately, heaven was not kind to her. Her once decent family was shattered in an instant when the father who held everything up suddenly fell ill.

Dream Spirit was an only child, with no brothers or sisters to rely on. Her father had been the one to shoulder the entire family's burdens, and now that he had fallen ill, everything came down on her shoulders. Her boyfriend left her because of it. His illness was no ordinary one; to cure it would cost at least three hundred thousand yuan. That was no small sum, and it was the fundamental reason she had entered Heaven on Earth.

She had only found Ding Lifeng through someone yesterday. Seeing that she was rather attractive, he had originally intended to enjoy her himself, but in the end, because of Chen Xin, he gave up the idea. So today he brought her before Heavenly Tyrant Yang for Dragonfly and the others to choose from. In truth, Chen Xin had never cared for beauty itself. He liked to use beauty in exchange for power and connections, which was precisely the most fortunate thing for Dream Spirit. Otherwise, she might have already been forced down by that perverted Ding Lifeng last night.

As for whether Chen Xin had been moved by her story, Dream Spirit did not know. But he had truly promised that if she worked at Heaven on Earth, he would give her one hundred thousand yuan, to be slowly deducted from her wages later. Though that money could not save her father's life, one hundred thousand yuan was not a small amount. It was certainly better than not raising a single cent, so she agreed.

"That's how it is. A little clichéd, isn't it?" After finishing with some bitterness, Dream Spirit finally let a few tears fall, making her look pitiful and helpless.

Dragonfly frowned and said nothing for a long time. After a while, he finally said, "It is a little clichéd."

"I knew you wouldn't believe me." For some reason, Dream Spirit felt a little disappointed. She could not help wondering: did she really want to be kept by this man, or sell her first time to him?

"Clichéd stories often move people. All right, I admit it. You moved me." Dragonfly smiled slightly.

"Really?" Dream Spirit could hardly believe her ears.