Xu Xuan was visibly wary, eliciting a smirk from Lu Qing.

He hooked a finger and beckoned at her. “Come here.”

“I beg your pardon, but I am a server,” Xu Xuansaid firmly. “I’m only here to deliver your food. Now that my job is done, I should take my leave.”

“Leave?” Lu Qingechoed in a mocking tone. “Tell me, how much do you earn at this place? It’s all about money with your lot, isn’t it? Name your price and stop wasting my time. Let’s see how much you think you’re worth.”

His cohorts grunted in agreement and rubbed their hands together, eager to watch the show.

“That’s right, tell the young master how much you want!”

“In the end, it all boils down to her rate, haha! Why is she making such a huge fuss about it?”

“Maybe she likes acting like a pure and innocent girl. But we all know it would only take a wad of cash before she obeys Young Master Lu’s commands, don’t we?”

“Who is she trying to fool? Did she really take a job in a nightclub expecting to just be a waiter? How naive!”

Still, Xu Xuanheld her ground. “Please let me go,” she said, her voice ringing with resolve. “I still have work to do. Other guests are waiting for me to serve their food.”

She took a step back, keeping a safe distance from the men surrounding her.

Her wide, vigilant eyes darted around. She had to be ready to escape when the opportunity presented itself.

Meanwhile, Lu Qing’s scowl had deepened.

He had never encountered such a foolish girl before. He had already promised her monetary compensation, yet she still stubbornly refused him.

Clearly, this chit didn’t know what was good for her.

Without warning, he swept everything off the table and sent them crashing on the tiled floor.

Food was flying everywhere as the dishes shattered into pieces.

All eyes turned to Young Master Lu. A tense silence fell in the room.

Lu Qing’s lips curled into an ugly smile, and his eyes flashed dangerously. “Well? Aren’t you a waitress? Since you adore your job so much, then get over here and clean up this mess!”

“Yes,” Xu Xuannodded. “I’ll go get the cleaning supplies.”

She made for the door again, thinking that she finally had an excuse to leave.

But the three men didn’t budge. If anything, their glares turned even more menacing.

They wouldn’t let her out of the room at all.

“What kind of waitress are you? Surely, you’re able to clean up without any tools. Don’t tell me you’re scared of cutting yourself on some broken glass. Your body is of no use to me, anyway, so you might as well do some rough work!”

Lu Qing got up from his seat and sauntered over to the sofa.

He picked up a strand of french fry that has somehow made it there and popped it into his mouth.

Xu Xuan gritted her teeth as she watched the wretched man chew slowly. Her gaze fell on the broken pieces of porcelain scattered around her. She didn’t think twice. She squatted on the floor and picked them up with her bare hands.

There were too many, however, and all of them had sharp, rough edges.

As expected, Xu Xuancut herself several times. Blood began dripping from her hands, but she paid it no mind.

She placed the shards on the cart and proceeded to clean up the food next.

She was just about to scoop up a large clump of bread and pasta when a foot suddenly came down on her hand, hard.

The weight bore down on Xu Xuan’s fingers, almost crushing them. She tried to pull away, but to no avail.

She was no match against her assailant in terms of strength, and could do nothing more than whimper in pain.

For the first time that night, panic washed over Xu Xuan. “Please, I’m begging you! Let go of my hand!”

She wouldn’t have minded getting injured anywhere else but her hand…

The man looming over her snorted and teased, “Lick my shoe first. If you do a good job and lick it clean, I’ll consider letting you go.”

…

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Lin Xincouldn’t help but ask as a new waitress walked in with the rest of their order.

The girl placed the dishes on their table and smiled brightly. “Hello. My name is Xiao Qing. If you need anything, feel free to call for me.”

“Uh huh, but what I want to know is…” Lin Xinpaused and hesitated for a few seconds before clearing her throat. “Where is the other waitress who brought our food a while ago?”