In some major cities, this is how a bunch of extraordinary women make a living - they are regarded as mistresses, also known as secondary wives. They aren't those who part ways after spending a single night with a man, but rather, they maintain a long-term clandestine relationship, earning more and having more fun compared to so-called side-chicks.

This profession is also known as the professional mistress, which is not easily accessible. It requires depth in one's skill, significant experience, and shrewdness.

But our occupation isn't as glamorous as outsiders imagine. Some women have been played to the point of uselessness by their men without making much profit, while others have been subjected to such horrific sexual abuse for a simple downtown apartment, rendering them infertile for life.

In our circle, there's a woman named Qingjie who entered the game quite early. She's already left this line of work in her 30s and now manages hostesses at a nightclub. It is said that Qingjie made quite a fortune while accompanying a high-ranking official. After the official's fall from power, she started dating his driver.

To whitewash her identity, the driver has run off to Singapore to avoid the heat of their past. In private moments, Qingjie even plans that once the driver's name has been cleaned, she'll openly announce her engagement to a wealthy man in Singapore and live a comfortable life.

Someone asked once: "Are you always living a carefree life in your line of work?"

To that, I can only respond that what you see is just the surface because there are always unending requests from a man to his mistress.

When we gather, one of us may say, "That old disgusting man showed up with a tool as long as his arm yesterday and thrust it all in at once. The pain made my legs tremble!"

Another would reply, "Count yourself lucky. Last night, Director Zhang had too much to drink and invited a few business partners over to my place. I was taken by four or five men for over six hours, and one of them didn't even pull out!"

As for me, I'm a bit better off. My man is Chen Wei Qi, the chief executive of a listed company, and the man I serve with my body. On the outside, I'm a 21-year-old design student, but in reality, I'm a woman immersed in the world of sex trade. I've been with Chen Wei Qi for three years now.

Chen Wei Qi appears humble and gentle, radiating an aristocratic grace with every move. He rarely shows any repulsive behaviors in front of me. People don't even know about my existence, and I never mention him in front of my peers.

Only in bed does Chen Wei Qi let go of his humility and reveal his animalistic drive. He always pleases me until I'm screaming out loud for him to finish in me, desiring to bear his child. But I know that no matter how much he likes me, he would never divorce his wife or make me his bride. The idea of having his child is even more absurd.

I received a call from Chen Wei Qi a moment ago. He said he'd come to see me and I quickly returned home, took a bath, and put on my lingerie for him. When he arrived, it seemed he had been drinking. He was quiet, fervidly undressing me and taking me on the edge of the bed. His constant thrusting made me feel hot all over...

"Gu Yushang, give it to me. Give it to me quickly!" He roared maniacally as he pounded on ahead, I just let him continue, biting my finger and covering my face with blush in embarrassment.

Half an hour later, I lay nude on the bed, exposing my long, lean legs for him. Chen Wei Qi was resting against the headboard, silently smoking a cigarette. After putting out the cigarette in the ashtray, he reached out for his clothes.

I wrapped my arms around his waist, whispering softly, "Are you leaving tonight?"

Chen Weiqi deeply inhaled, exhaling rings of blue smoke that brushed warmly against my face. A smile spread across his lips. "Today is her birthday. I need to go home and spend it with her."

A sharp pang went through my heart, and I subconsciously clenched my fist.

The 'her' Chen Weiqi spoke of was his lawfully wedded wife. What existed between them was a marriage in name only. And me, I was nothing more than his secret mistress, infringing upon a taboo in this illicit line of work.

I had fallen in love with my sugar daddy, the one person I should never love.

Developing feelings for a sugar daddy was an absolute no-no in this game, because the very term 'mistress' was representative of wealth and desire. Men provide the money, and we provide them with pleasure; it's a simple transaction.

Over the past three years, I've witnessed countless mistresses fall in love with their sugar daddies, devoting all their emotions to these men, caring not about the wealth, but only wanting to keep them close. But what do men cherish? Novelty. They grow tired of the old, leaving women drained and dead in the end.

But people tend to romanticize their own predicaments, believing they can miraculously side-step such tragedies. When I finally accepted that I could only ever be a mistress to him, I wracked my brain for ways to ensnare Chen Weiqi, and this time, I wanted to hold on to him too.

The fact that Chen Weiqi came to see me even on his wife's birthday implied her insignificance to him.

I lunged forward, hugging Chen Weiqi's waist and lavishly kissing his broad back, begging him in a soft, coquettish voice, "Stay with me."

I thought Chen Weiqi would console me but instead, he pried open my fingers, turned around to tower over me, peering at me with a far-reaching look in his eyes: "Do you know why you're the only one by my side after these three years?"

My heart clenched, feeling as if it was being squeezed in a firm grasp. Any moment now, a slight press could end my life.

What Chen Weiqi wanted was a plaything for his amusement, a toy he could use and discard at will, a pet that never caused any trouble. He especially loathed self-conceited clever tricks. The very thing he appreciated about me was my innocence, my clumsy devotion to him that never invited any problems.

Chen Weiqi gripped my chin, bent his head lower to draw near. His lips grazed my cheek, stopping near my ear.

A soft chuckle seeped into my ears, the heat of his breath tickling my ear drum sent a paralyzing thrill through my body. His latent threat made goosebumps rise all over my skin, "As long as you're obedient, I will give you everything you want."

I swallowed hard, barely nodding. It wasn’t until my jaw was released that I realized the back of my shirt was soaked with cold sweat.

Chen Weiqi's words shook me to my senses. The tenderness and doting he bestowed on me could be withdrawn at any moment, and he would just as swiftly kick me down to hell.

I came perilously close to ruining three years of fortune with my own hands…

Only after Chen Weiqi left did I allow myself to burst into tears, tears that fell on the shards of glass, reflecting a face twisted with grief, shattered into countless pieces.

"Being with him is like living with a tiger." That saying is an immutable truth for us, mistresses through the ages.

The next day, someone sent me a Fendi bag - latest model, a gift from Chen Weiqi: “I'm sorry for treating you like that last night."

This was the "sugar" that Chen Weiqi gave me after his "hit".

I pressed my lower lip, adopting a submissive pose: "I was wrong, I disappointed you. I learned a new dish, when will you come over for me to cook for you?”

"My wife suspects that I'm cheating on her and wants to investigate me. I won’t be coming over for a while," Chen Weiqi's tone was indifferent as he ended the call.

Panic stirred in my heart; I feared that Chen Weiqi would gradually forget me.

But I couldn't make that follow-up call, couldn't confront him, nor apologize again. I knew Chen Weiqi was intentionally giving me the cold shoulder; any further entanglement would only annoy him.

My eyes landed on the new bag, glaringly expensive. I couldn't help myself; I threw it on the ground.

What I wanted was more than just this Fendi bag!

I quickly wiped away the tears that were spilling from my eyes, deciding to get a new hairstyle. I had to maintain a sense of novelty in front of Chen Weiqi. The moment I become old news to him, I won’t have any capital to stay by his side.

As I was leaving, however, I still picked up the bag. After all, it was a gift from him.

I made a call to Qing Jie, asking her to join me for a shopping tour.

Among the circle of mistresses wrapped up in this dizzying world of wealth and glamour, Qing Jie is my best companion, so much so that even she doesn't know that Chen Wei Qi is my benefactor. She always scolds me for not having the knack to coax money out of men's pockets and has introduced me to many rich and influential people with the intention of recommending me to more high-quality benefactors.

Previously at a party, someone openly criticized my shabby appearance and implicitly mocked me for not finding a reliable benefactor. In response, Qing Jie slapped the person and, with a smile, invited the Deputy Bureau Chief to my side, stating that I was under his care, which substantially boosted my standing.

Just as we were about to have dinner after getting our nails done, I immediately noticed a man and a woman inside the restaurant through its glass window.

Chen Wei Qi's handsome face is always conspicuous, especially when he is smiling subtly. He is exceptionally charming. However, now he is indulging the woman sitting across him, even helping her with her food and kissing the back of her hand.

I stood there, stunned. It felt as if the blood throughout my body had frozen, turning cold as it passed through my veins and chilling my entire being, causing a stinging pain.

Who was that woman? Could she be another mistress? Wasn't his wife keeping a check on him?

A multitude of questions swelled in my chest, leaving me feeling suffocated.

"Could he be the benefactor you've always kept secret?" Qing Jie, who was excellent at reading people's expressions, guessed in an instant. "This does not seem like you are his only mistress, tsk tsk."

Qing Jie's words made my face even more sullen. Was this a punishment from Chen Wei Qi towards me, or had he found another more suitable plaything?

My mind was in turmoil and just as I was about to flee, I happened to catch sight of Chen Wei Qi who had also just looked up. Our eyes met in a flash. I had no time to decipher the meaning in his eyes before he looked away, as if I was just a stranger to him.

How could I forget? The relationship between Chen Wei Qi and me was always an underground secret and my status was barely fit to walk by his side.

Qing Jie draped her arm over my shoulder and gently opened her red lips, "If I were you, I would casually sit next to him for dinner. A woman needs to have her unique mettle to better capture a man's heart."

I glanced at Qing Jie and nodded.

I took a seat at the table next to Chen Wei Qi, carrying a conversation with Qing Jie as if nothing had happened. Occasionally, I would glance at the woman at the next table, as if by accident.

The woman's features were striking; her round, large eyes were particularly endearing due to the distinctive presence of her lower eyelashes. Regarding physique, I was confident I lost to nobody. My eyes were long and narrow, their ends naturally flicking upwards that many people labelled me wily and seductive. Chen WeiQi initially took to my look and figure. Could it be that his taste has changed now?

My heart was stifling inside but my face showed nothing except an increasingly gentle smile. I squinted my eyes and grinned as I put the vegetables into my mouth.

"Sister Qing, I need to touch-up my makeup." I wiped my mouth, picked up my bag, and headed for the restroom.

As soon as I pushed open the restroom stall, a force shoved me into it.

The man behind me pushed me against the wall, biting my earlobe and whispered, "Jealous?"

His rough hand had already extended its reach to my smooth thigh, meandering upwards.