After Breaking Up, I Shared an Apartment With My Best Friend and Her Boyfriend (H) - Chapter 22: Bringing a Woman Back to Spend the Night

Chapter 22: Bringing a Woman Back to Spend the Night

That night, Chen Qiao merely curved her lips slightly at Xu Yanqi. Then she closed the door and left without answering his question.

Chen Qiao took the elevator downstairs. After leaving the complex, she deliberately took a shortcut through a small alley. She wound her way to the entrance of the university she once attended, passed it, and headed straight for the small bar behind it.

This little bar belonged to the ex-boyfriend of a popular senior Chen Qiao knew from school. The story behind it was quite messy.

When Chen Qiao started her freshman year at Jiang University, she received help from Chu Yusi right away. Chu Yusi was kind, gentle, considerate, and generous. She even introduced Chen Qiao to her secret boyfriend at the time, Xu Jiaming, the most talented musician in Jiang City.

The small bar behind Jiang University was Xu Jiaming’s. With Chu Yusi’s help, Chen Qiao managed to snag a summer job at that once-famous bar. She went there hoping to witness Xu Jiaming’s talent firsthand.

But she worked there for less than a week before Xu Yanqi snuffed out her chance. His single complaint cost her a summer job that others would’ve begged for.

That same summer, Xu Jiaming got tangled in a scandal that blew up online. He went from being a hot commodity to a pariah. In the end, he retreated to his neglected little bar to scrape by, his immense talent left unfulfilled.

The one who wrecked his thriving career was Chu Yusi’s new boyfriend, a rising star in the entertainment industry she hooked up with right after dumping Xu Jiaming.

After graduating, Chen Qiao didn’t have the resources that Wen Sui and others had. Nor did her family have connections lined up at the city theater. For art students like them, studying art wasn’t just expensive—it also meant finding work afterward relied on networks and influence.

Chen Qiao had nothing. Now, like Xu Jiaming, she clung to the art she studied just to make a basic living.

So after graduation, when she saw Xu Jiaming hiring, she joined him. To cut costs, the bar now only had Xu Jiaming as the singer and Chen Qiao playing the violin far behind him as a backdrop, accompanying his performance.

Thanks to Chen Qiao’s arrival, the bar slowly gained some popularity. Many listeners spontaneously filmed videos of the bar and posted them online, sparking quite a stir.

Of course, this buzz brought both good and bad. Some praised them, while others mocked them. After all, a beautiful violinist and a disgraced musical genius made for plenty of gossip.

Xu Jiaming worried that this affected Chen Qiao negatively. He suggested she leave his bar to find a better way to make a living. But Chen Qiao said his pay was the highest she could get.

Xu Jiaming, like Chu Yusi, was kindhearted. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken in Chen Qiao, a former friend of Chu Yusi’s, and given her treatment no one else could offer.

The evening performance began. The audience below listened to Xu Jiaming sing his original songs. Looking past him, they saw the stage lights dim suddenly. A violinist in high heels stepped out.

Her figure was graceful. People couldn’t quite make out her face, only vaguely recognizing her as a young woman.

She wore a fitted black gown that outlined her perfect curves, exuding an indescribable gentle charm.

Then, in the silence, she turned her face slightly. Her hand drew the violin bow, her angelic fingertips lighting up the empty hearts of the audience like poetry and art.

When the bar closed late at night, the listeners dispersed. Chen Qiao packed up too. She shed her gown, changed back into her arrival clothes, and took a cab to her next gig.

Her second job took place in a man’s home.

His name was Li Zhen, a top-notch stock trader. Chen Qiao met Li Zhen through Wen Sui. Near graduation, when Chen Qiao still hadn’t found work, Wen Sui told her about a job that was not only easy but paid well.

A wealthy businessman was looking for a violinist—female only. The job required playing the violin in his room every night. He needed to hear a live performance to fall asleep.

It could be called a quirk.

But Chen Qiao knew Wen Sui wouldn’t suggest it if it meant harm. The businessman might have a quirk, but that didn’t necessarily make him a creep.

After meeting Li Zhen, she found him exceptionally refined and well-mannered, with good upbringing and taste.

Especially after learning about his career and background, she understood why. He suffered from severe insomnia, so this quirk made sense.

Chen Qiao interned for a month, then worked for half a year. Almost every night, she played the violin for Li Zhen until he fell asleep and woke up again before she could leave.

Sometimes, when he brought a woman back to spend the night, Chen Qiao was even instructed to play outside his room. Li Zhen had to ensure he heard her violin.