Thirteen pieces of jade can also be used as compensation.

Seeing my lecherous gaze, Sister Ye's brows furrowed slightly. If I hadn't just risked my life to save her, I have no doubt she would have left in disgust. Her cheeks flushed, and she instinctively turned away, avoiding my burning eyes. I swallowed greedily; truly, after my time in prison, I had gained new insights. One meets every kind of person in there, some even worthy of being called talents. As the saying goes, those who dwell near ink become stained; after prolonged exposure to such people, I, too, had grown cynical and irreverent.

Sister Ye spoke with a hint of surprise, "Xiaofeng, do you live here? Do you have any family?" I replied offhandedly, "I used to live here as a child, relying on an old woman. After she passed away, I left for the county, rented a room, and worked." With that, I walked to the doorway, fetching water to boil.

Having come to repair the house a few days prior, there were some rudimentary household items inside.

I lit the fire—using an aluminum pot to boil water and to warm ourselves. Sitting beside the flames, I called out, "Sister Ye, are you cold? Come over and warm yourself!"

She seemed reluctant, clearly recognizing I was no gentleman. She feared I might not restrain myself, which would be troublesome. My heart soured; I had risked my life for her, but from her expression, she found me repulsive, unwilling even to let me steal a glance. Truly, what harm was there in being looked at a few times? Such pretensions of purity. But then, I reminded myself—society is ruthlessly pragmatic. It's not unusual for some to burn bridges after crossing them. Fine. If she dislikes me, there's no need to force sentiment.

I focused on boiling water, ignoring her. Sister Ye seemed to sense my displeasure and said, "Xiaofeng, thank you for saving me. Do you want compensation?"

I tossed more firewood into the flames and replied, "If you're willing to compensate with money, I'd gladly accept." After all, she drove a Mercedes SUV—surely she was well-off.

She answered awkwardly, "Most of my things were in the car, which sank in the reservoir. I don't have any money on me now. Perhaps later..."

I stared brazenly at her alluring figure and said, bluntly and shamelessly, "If you have no money, you could pay in kind. There's no need to wait."

She was stunned that I would utter such shameless words. At first, she thought I was a country boy, but now my tone was that of a little rascal.

She stared at me, incredulous. "You want to sleep with me? We've only just met, haven't even built any feelings."

I shrugged, indifferent. "Nowadays, everything's a one-off deal. I don't believe in promises, much less in love. If you're willing to pay in kind, let's undress and get on with it. If not, that's fine—I won't force you."

She held my gaze. "Xiaofeng, is that truly what you want?"

I laughed. "You're beautiful and alluring, and I'm a young man in my prime. Isn't it normal to have such thoughts?"

At this, Sister Ye seemed to shed her shyness. She came over and sat beside me. "I, Ye Jiangxue, have never owed anyone a favor. Now I owe you my life. If you truly want this, I'll oblige you."

So her name was Ye Jiangxue. I hadn't expected her to sit so willingly at my side.

Looking at the faint outline of her curves, desire stirred within me. Yet this would be my first time—and with a woman I'd only just met. If I went through with it, wouldn't it be no different from hiring a prostitute?

In appearance and figure, Sister Ye was first rate. If I slept with her, I certainly wouldn't regret it. But this was my first time—originally meant for Jinyu Lian. I'd restrained myself for years; was I really to give it up so easily?

Seeing my hesitation, Ye Jiangxue smiled, "What's wrong? Changed your mind? If you want me to pay in kind, I can agree. But once we've slept together, we're even—I won't owe you anything. If you refuse, I'll remember your kindness."

In truth, I was all bluster, my words fierce but my heart uncertain. I hurriedly said, "The water's boiling—let's eat some instant noodles first." Nervously, I took out two tubs of noodles and poured in the hot water.

When the noodles were ready, I looked up and saw Sister Ye watching me intently. Suddenly, I felt the urge to assert myself—why should a man be cowed by a woman's gaze? So I let my eyes linger boldly on her cleavage.

She said, quite openly, "Xiaofeng, is it your first time seeing a woman's body? Your gaze is so greedy."

Truthfully, I'd never seen a woman's body in real life. Even with Jinyu Lian, I'd only glimpsed her chest. Of course, I'd seen pictures and watched adult films, but to admit I'd never seen a woman naked would be embarrassing.

So I lied, "Of course I've seen women—I've played around with several."

Sister Ye seemed surprised. "Really? So you have a girlfriend?"

I grinned, "With looks like mine, how could I not?"

She was intrigued. "Xiaofeng, since you have a girlfriend, why do you want me to pay in kind?"

I retorted, "What's so strange about that? Just because there's meat in the bowl doesn't mean you can't eat fish."

Sister Ye laughed, "I thought you'd never seen a woman's body. I was going to undress and let you admire it. But since you're so experienced, there's no need for me to be presumptuous."

I silently cursed myself for my foolish boasting. Feeling a bit dejected, I asked, "So what about the matter of payment in kind?"