(Intro and Chapters 1 - 10 can be found here: Sissy (娘娘腔))
Chapter 11
When Li Chengxiu came to school early that morning, before he even entered the school gate, Shao Qun suddenly jumped in front of him out of nowhere, blocking his path and staring at him with burning anger in his eyes.
Li Chengxiu was startled: "Wha… what's wrong?"
Shao Qun grabbed his arm and furiously said, "Why didn't you come to the apartment that day?"
Li Chengxiu didn't understand: "Which day?"
"Saturday! On Friday after school, I clearly told you to come “tomorrow”! Why didn't you come?"
"Ah... It was the weekend, and I didn't go to school..."
"Even if there’s no school, if I tell you to come to the apartment, you have to show up. I waited for you the entire Saturday! Damn, I have no idea how to find you, you don't even have a mobile phone... What do you need your ears for if you can’t understand the human language properly?"
Subconsciously Li Chengxiu took a step back, fearful of Shao Qun’s temper. At the same time he felt very guilty about the missed appointment. He had assumed that the "tomorrow" that Shao Qun was referring to was obviously Monday. But now that he thought that Shao Qun had waited for him for an entire day, he couldn't help but feel warm inside his heart. The feeling of being valued was nice.
Li Chengxiu shrank his shoulders, timidly looked at Shao Qun with his bright eyes and sincerely apologized to him: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Shao Qun was still boiling with anger, but seeing this expression of a frightened little animal in front of him, he couldn’t let it out.
It was only after he came back home that day that he realized that the next day was Saturday, and they didn’t have school. But after struggling with it for the whole night, he decided to go to the apartment the next day and wait for Li Chengxiu to show up. He thought he had made it clear that Li Chengxiu had to come to the apartment “tomorrow”. He could come, even if it was the weekend. And since Shao Qun had thought of it like that, why couldn’t Li Chengxiu have made the same conclusion?
But unexpectedly, Li Chengxiu didn’t show up. Shao Qun waited for him like an idiot in that small dilapidated apartment until the sun went down. He was so angry he wanted to smash every single thing inside.
If he knew where Li Chengxiu lived, he would have definitely gone to his house and killed him without another word.
He took something out of his pocket and stuffed it into Li Chengxiu's hand: “Take it. Carry it with you in the future at any time. So I can find you at any time I want.”' His tone was unassailable, and he repeatedly emphasized the words "any time."
Li Chengxiu looked down and saw that he was holding a heavy little black box with rows of number keys on it.
In the 1990s, mobile phones were still a novelty. Although they were thick and heavy like bricks, they still cost a lot of money, and regular people couldn’t afford them at all. Li Chengxiu was too scared to even touch it, so he quickly pushed the phone back to Shao Qun: "This is too expensive. I don't want it."
Shao Qun shoved the phone into Li Chengxiu’s pocket: "If I ask you to take it, you take it. It doesn't cost me any money. My dad has received a dozen of those. My family can't use all of them."
"But...I… I don't know how to use it."
"It's very simple. Anyway, go to class first and during lunch break we’ll go to the apartment, and I’ll teach you."
"I don't need it."
Shao Qun glared at him: "Who told you that you don't need it? Do you want me to wait for you again in the future? Let me tell you something, young master! I haven't waited for anyone for such a long time in my life. In order to avoid that kind of thing from happening again, you must take the phone."
"But……"
"Stop talking nonsense! Go to class quickly. I'll find you after school."
Li Chengxiu first put the mobile phone in his school bag, thinking how to ensure its safety. Finally, he wrapped it in a handkerchief and stuffed it into one of the pockets. But then he thought about it for a while and realized that this wasn’t such a good idea. Last time he took out his handkerchief, Shao Qun laughed at him, saying that only girls would use that kind of thing. In the end, he had no other choice but to cover the phone in some scraps of paper and hide it between his pile of books.
He thought that if he lost that kind of expensive thing, he wouldn’t be able to pay for it, even if he sold himself. Besides, the school rules didn’t permit bringing mobile phones and pagers. It didn’t matter to Shao Qun and his shameless gang, of course. But if Li Chengxiu was caught, he didn’t know what he would do.
He kept his school bag on his lap for the whole morning, never letting it out of his sight. He was nervous, and he looked forward to the end of classes.
Shao Qun really came to pick him up after class, but to his disappointment, he was not alone. His three friends were right behind him.
Shao Qun pointed at them: "They want to look at the apartment."
Li Chengxiu nodded with an "oh" but felt uncomfortable. He regarded the apartment to be a secret place for him and Shao Qun, just like the rooftop. He only wanted to share it with Shao Qun and nobody else. But he didn't have the right to say "no".
Li Wenxun and Shao Qun walked together, with their arms on each other’s shoulders.
Li Chengxiu walked behind them with his school bag on his back.
After entering the house, Big Li immediately complained: "Couldn’t you have rented a bigger place?" He then slumped onto the sofa and groaned comfortably.
Li Wenxun winked and smiled: “You have no idea what you’re talking about! This place is a so called “golden cage”[1], so it can’t be too big.”
Shao Qun cursed: "Fuck you guys, you can now entertain yourselves." Then he went over to Li Chengxiu, whose face was flushed, and dragged him towards the bedroom: "Come here, I'll teach you to use your mobile phone."
Big Li and Li Wenxun booed: “Hey, hey, why are you entering the bridal chamber so soon? Don’t be so shameless!"
Li Chengxiu looked back at them awkwardly, and then looked at Shao Qun with embarrassment.
"Never mind them, they suck! Just ignore them," Shao Qun kicked the door as he spoke, and the voices outside the bedroom became even louder.
Shao Qun dragged him onto the bed. The two of them were lying very close to each other, almost head to head, as their eyes were focused on the small black box in question.
"Look, it's very simple. In fact, you only need to use two functions - making calls and sending text messages."
Shao Qun fiddled with the buttons: "If you press this green button, you will be able to call the last number that was dialed on this phone, which in this case is mine. You actually only need to have my number. In order to call me, you just press this green button twice. Remember this key."
Li Chengxiu nodded seriously.
"The next step is sending text messages. For that you need to click here, and then type... as long as you know pinyin[2], it won’t be an issue." Shao Qun demonstrated how to type the message by entering "Shao Qun is the most handsome in the whole world" on the small green screen. These words made Li Chengxiu laugh.
After a while, Shao Qun's cell phone rang, and he demonstrated the message he received to Li Chengxiu: "Here is a text message that you sent me."
Li Chengxiu looked at the screen, and saw that the sender was saved in Shao Qun’s phone under "Xiu"[3]. For some reason, his face became very hot. He lowered his head slightly to hide his face behind his long bangs and muttered, "It was clearly written by you."
"Well then, now you write something and send it to me." Shao Qun handed him the phone, "Go on."
Li Chengxiu held the phone in his trembling hands but even after thinking for a long time, he didn't know what to write.
"You won't or you can’t? Are you stupid?"
Li Chengxiu glanced at him shyly: "I can do it, it's pretty simple." After that he slowly pressed the keys with his thin white fingertips until the words "Shao Qun" appeared on the screen.
Shao Qun suddenly felt that he was short of breath, and at the same time he didn't even dare to breathe. He was unconsciously really excited to see what Li Chengxiu would write to him.
But Li Chengxiu suddenly turned the phone away from him and smiled at Shao Qun, showing his little white teeth: "I'll send it over, and then you can look."
That slightly shy smile was youthful and beautiful, which made Li Chengxiu's already pleasant facial features even more soft and amiable. Shao Qun felt his heart beating like a drum.
While he was still in a daze, his phone rang. He hurriedly picked it up and took a look. The message was just one short line: "Shao Qun is a bad guy". He saw Li Chengxiu looking at him with a smile.
"Bastard, you dare call me names?" Shao Qun squinted his eyes, faking anger. He got up, threw himself onto Li Chengxiu and began to tickle him.
"Ahaha, ha, don't! Stop making trouble, haha, it’s uncomfortable! Stop, Shao Qun..."
Shao Qun pressed his thin body under him, not so much tickling him anymore, but rather patting him down. Li Chengxiu was already out of breath.
Shao Qun was also tired of playing, but he couldn't get down yet. He pretended to be furious and said, "Who are you calling a bad guy, huh? Say that I’m a good person! Am I not good to you?"
Li Chengxiu who had to beg for mercy again and again, finally gave up and quickly said, "Good, good person."
"Am I nice to you?"
"Yes……"
Shao Qun looked at Li Chengxiu’s blushing little face, which was so soft and tender, that it seemed one could squeeze water out of it. He couldn't help but pinch it. Then he turned over, satisfied, and threw the phone at Li Chengxiu: " Send another message."
Under Shao Qun’s supervision, Li Chengxiu sent him a lot of nice words. The two of them played with their mobile phones for more than half an hour and had a lot of fun.
When they were tired from playing, and the noon fatigue gradually hit them, they realized that they hadn’t even eaten yet.
Only then did Shao Qun remember that his friends were still outside. He decided to go out and discuss what to eat for lunch with them.
Before, both of them had completely ignored anything that happened outside the bedroom but now that they were paying attention, certain sounds suddenly became audible. Shao Qun and Li Chengxiu were stunned for a moment. They heard a strange moaning sound, and it seemed to be coming from the TV.
Shao Qun reacted at once - his face changed slightly, he pouted, and a trace of embarrassment appeared on his face.
Li Chengxiu stared at him suspiciously: "They’re just watching TV?"
Shao Qun glanced back at him, and suddenly got into a teasing mood. He dragged Li Chengxiu out of bed: "Come here, I’ll show you something fun."
"What do you mean?"
Shao Qun pulled Li Chengxiu out of the room against his will. As soon as the two of them entered the living room, Li Chengxiu saw two white naked bodies entangled on the TV screen. He screamed in fright.
The three boys in the living room were startled by Li Chengxiu's voice.
Big Li glared at him: "Fuck, you scared me to death! It felt as if my mother just walked in." He then continued to stare at the screen, "Damn, it's amazing! This woman's butt is really big."
Li Chengxiu blushed like a cooked shrimp and quickly turned away. His lips were trembling, and he looked at Shao Qun in panic.
Shao Qun grinned and forcibly pulled him onto the sofa: "What are you afraid of? How could a man not want to watch this?"
Li Wenxun stared at the screen while stuffing peanuts into his mouth: "That's right. It wasn’t easy to get my hands on it. I stole it from my brother. So it's a rare opportunity. If you don't watch it today, you won't be able to watch it ever again."
Shao Qun watched the wonderful scenes on TV with interest, exclaiming “wow” once in a while. "A-wen, you’re really capable. The last one we borrowed was censored. But this one doesn’t have any of those black bars. This is too good, why didn’t you call me when you decided to watch it?”
"Call you? You and your little daughter-in-law were having some kind of heated fight over there. How dare I disturb you?"
"Fuck you." Shao Qun grabbed Li Chengxiu's hand and pulled it away from his face. "Why are you covering your face? What are you afraid of? This TV won’t eat you."
Li Chengxiu was so frightened that he cried: "This… this is porn. We can't watch it..." He couldn't understand why they were watching such disgusting things, while still in junior high school. If somebody found out, he really didn’t know what would happen to them. Shao Qun’s image of a “good person” that Li Chengxiu had promoted him to recently was now suddenly a little shaken.
Big Li gave him a disdainful look: "Idiot, you can watch whatever you want, if you’re not scared. If you don’t tell and I don’t tell, who would ever find out? Maybe rather take a good look and learn something. Or if you ever have a girlfriend in the future, you won’t be able to do it."
Li Wenxun sneered: "Big Li, you’re thinking about girls too much. Considering that they don’t even produce condoms in your size yet, once you learn how to “do it”, you’ll just change your fucking left hand to your right.”
Big Li was so angry that he shouted “ahhhh", jumped at Li Wenxun and started fighting with him.
Shao Qun didn’t pay any attention to those two. His eyes never left the screen.
He had seen this kind of pornographic movies two or three times before, and although the scenes would make him a little dizzy every time, but now it was somehow different. When he saw the snow-white skin and the thin waist of the Japanese woman on TV, he unconsciously thought of Li Chengxiu, who was shrinking into a ball right next to him.
When compared to the woman on TV, Li Chengxiu's skin was whiter, his waist was thinner, his legs were much longer, and his face was more delicate. If it was him right now who was spreading his legs, blushing all over his body and moaning with his eyes closed...
Shao Qun suddenly stood up, startling the guys around him.
When Li Chengxiu looked up at him in surprise, he happened to see Shao Qun looking down at him disdainfully. From this angle, his straight nose bridge looked as sharp as a knife, and his eyes were unbelievably fierce. Li Chengxiu had no idea how he had provoked him.
Shao Qun turned his head and walked towards the door: "I'll go downstairs to buy something to eat." He then slammed the door behind him and leaned against the wall in the corridor, gasping for breath.
He was not normal, he was really not normal. What the hell was going on?
He looked at the small tent that appeared in his crotch area, and a feeling of shame and fear filled his chest.
Why was he thinking of Li Chengxiu while watching porn? How could he think of him? He is a man. A man!
Shao Qun still didn’t want to admit that he got hard because of Li Chengxiu. He justified himself by thinking that this was just a normal male reaction when watching such a movie
He originally dragged Li Chengxiu to watch porn in order to tease him. Now, he wasn’t sure which one of them actually ended up teased.
Resisting the desire to reach inside his pants and touch himself, he leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. He waited until his hard-on disappeared and then dejectedly went downstairs to buy food.
While eating, nobody bothered with the movie anymore. The novelty had faded, everyone was tired of the repeating aesthetics, not to mention the general fatigue had settled in.
The uninvited guests had a playful conversation, while both Shao Qun and Li Chengxiu had a lot on their minds and seemed very silent.
After the meal, the boys leaned against the sofa to rest, smacking their lips joyfully.
Shao Qun looked at his watch. There was still more than an hour left before school was back in session. As he eyed the messy smokey room, he suddenly felt really annoyed.
He shouldn’t have allowed the guys to come over here. This place should have just been his and Li Chengxiu's. He had originally planned to nap next to Li Chengxiu during the break, but now it was all ruined for them.
Irritated and angry, he got up and kicked Li Wenxun, who was sitting closest to him.
Li Wenxun cursed at him but didn’t pay him any mind and continued chatting with Big Li about the movie they had just watched, using a lot of foul language, which made Li Chengxiu pray for a hole to burrow into.
Shao Qun pulled at Li Chengxiu’s arm: "Let's go back to the rooftop for a while. The guys are so noisy, and I can't sleep."
Li Chengxiu frowned, looked at the smoke in the room and nodded.
The two of them left the apartment ahead of schedule and ran to the same rooftop where Li Chengxiu usually spent his lunch breaks.
Chapter 12
They sat side by side, while the midday sun was still shining so brightly it made one dizzy. Especially now that both of them were not only feeling hot on the outside, but their hearts were also beating so fast, making them burn from the inside out.
Li Chengxiu suddenly turned around and asked in a low voice, "Do you have a girlfriend too?"
This question was thoughtless. In terms of grammar it was a little ambiguous, so it wasn’t really clear how to answer it. But Shao Qun felt that he understood what Li Chengxiu meant.
He shrugged lightly. For some reason he wanted to avoid the key issue, so he replied with a simple: ”There is currently no girl that I like, anyway.”
Li Chengxiu said "oh" and looked down on the ground.
Shao Qun suddenly bumped into his shoulder.Li Chengxiu looked up and met his slightly playful eyes.
"Hey, did you think that woman right now looked pretty?"
Li Chengxiu's face turned red.
Shao Qun pinched him: "Why do you blush so easily? You blush whenever I say anything. Your skin is thinner than a dumpling wrapper."
Li Chengxiu said: "Watching…watching that kind of thing is not good."
"Which guy our age hasn't watched it? Do you live under a rock?"
Li Chengxiu pursed his lips, not knowing how to react.
"So do you think she was attractive?"
Li Chengxiu felt dizzy when he recalled the obscene images on TV. He didn’t dare to look at Shao Qun.
Shao Qun suddenly put his hand on his thigh, and asked with some hesitation, "Right here. Did you feel anything here?"
Li Chengxiu's brain was buzzing. He immediately pushed Shao Qun’s hand and moved his body away in panic.
Stunned, Shao Qun stared at his hand. Then he immediately became angry: "What is this pretend-modesty? If you didn’t react, then you’re a eunuch!"
Aggrieved, Li Chengxiu said: "I'm not a eunuch."
Shao Qun reached out to him, "Come here!"
Li Chengxiu glanced at him hesitantly, but still moved closer.
Shao Qun stuck his chin out and continued messing with Li Chengxiu: "Even if you are not a eunuch, then you’re too much of a sissy to even watch porn!."
Li Chengxiu felt so anxious that even the tip of his nose became red. Being called a sissy hurt him the most. He hadn’t even had enough time yet to learn how to behave like a man but he was already labeled with this shameful word.
He had spent so much time around Shao Qun that he had forgotten how much he looked down on him, so Li Chengxiu didn’t bother to conceal his innermost self in front of him anymore and had revealed his most embarrassing sides. Now, this made Li Chengxiu feel ashamed and angry: "Don’t… don't say that to me."
Shao Qun shook his head and pretended to be casual, "Am I wrong? Are you even a man? You’re more beautiful than that woman on TV!"
As soon as these words came out, both of them were stunned.
Shao Qun's head was buzzing with chaotic thoughts, and he didn’t know how to sort them all out. Was it him or Li Chengxiu who was supposed to be ashamed right now?
Li Chengxiu was both angry and sad. His face blushed, as he fiercely stared at Shao Qun and shouted on top of his lungs: “You bastard! You…you…Bastard!”
Shao Qun quickly withdrew his hand, looking at Li Chengxiu's red angry eyes, and felt a little regretful. He touched his soft hair and smoothed it out for him: "Okay, okay. I'm just talking out of my ass. You don't have to be so mad."
Li Chengxiu tried to avoid his hand by turning away from him. He sulked, his lips tightly pressed together.
Shao Qun continued petting his hair, as he softly said, "Don't be angry. I didn’t mean anything bad by it. I just said it as it is - you’re indeed prettier than that woman."
Li Chengxiu turned around to give Shao Qun a vicious look.
Shao Qun looked at his pitiful appearance with his small nose and small eyes and couldn't help laughing. He pinched his smooth and silky face, as he sneered: "Just look at you! You’re pouting so much, one could hang two pounds of pork on your lips!”
Li Chengxiu slapped Shao Qun’s fingers away while staring at him.
Shao Qun grabbed his hand in response and looked deeply into his bright and clear eyes.
Li Chengxiu suddenly held his breath. He quietly looked right back at him.
The two of them stared at each other for a long time - they didn't even dare to breathe, as if even a little sound could ruin this delicate atmosphere.
It was really hot outside. So hot in fact that both of them were really dizzy. Many years later, when they recalled this moment, they were still not quite certain who made the first move.
When the two pairs of trembling lips finally came together, both of them were instantly overwhelmed by this forbidden sweetness that left their minds completely blank.
The soft, warm touch was really beautiful, intoxicating, and unforgettable. Neither of them dared to make any rash moves, for fear that it was just an illusion that would shatter the moment it was touched. Gently and cautiously, with their eyes closed, they were absorbing each other’s warmth through this small connection point.
Both of them were focused on that feeling of being intoxicated just by this light touch, by this kind of satisfactory sweetness. At that moment, they didn’t realize that they would eventually have to wake up from that sweet but fleeting dream.
The door to the rooftop flew open but the two boys were too distracted to notice it. None of them heard anything until loud cursing tore them out of their little world.
They turned around and saw the three boys - Li Wenxun was standing in the door in total confusion, the cigarettes in Big Li's hands fell to the ground, as he looked at the scene in front of him with a startled expression.
Shao Qun felt his blood rushing in his ears, as he quickly pushed Li Chengxiu away and jumped up from the ground.
Li Chengxiu stabilized his body with his elbows and looked up. He would never forget the expression on Shao Qun's face at that time.
It was like he had just woken up from a dream and was looking at an enemy.
"Fuck... this…what are you doing… what the fuck..." The three boys were shocked and incoherent.
Shao Qun's face was pale, and his legs were weak, barely holding him up. When he realized what he had just done, he broke out in a cold sweat.
Li Wenxun stepped forward and fiercely grabbed his arm: "What the fuck is wrong with you? Shao Qun, what the hell are you doing?"
Shao Qun turned around to look at Li Chengxiu, who also looked whiter than a sheet of paper. At that moment, he felt that Li Chengxiu’s usual weak appearance was no longer pitiful but rather dazzling: "I… I don't know, I… I am not…not gay...I'm not."
Xiao Sheng, who rarely even said anything, suddenly rushed over, picked Li Chengxiu up by his collar and slammed him against the wall, saying coldly: "Of course you are not. This sissy is, though. Admit it, did you seduce Shao Qun??"
Seduce……
Li Chnegxiu’s simple mind couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of that word.
Big Li cursed: "It’s exactly as I told you before - this sissy really is gay! It's fucking disgusting! A-wen, you were right! People like him are only thinking about hooking up with men all day long. Shao Qun was just being nice to him, and he used this opportunity...Damn, I'll fucking kill him today." Big Li ran up to him and kicked Li Chengxiu to the ground.
Xiao Sheng also gave him a slap: "Bah, what's the difference between hitting him and hitting a woman? But we can't go easy on this sissy."
Li Chengxiu covered his burning cheeks and looked at Shao Qun with his clear eyes without blinking. Shao Qun guiltily turned away.
Li Wenxun kicked Li Chengxiu’s shoulder and scolded him: "You damn sissy, you stinky shemale! Give you an inch, and you take a mile! How dare you seduce my bro? How shameless are you?"
Big Li echoed his sentiment: "This creature is just too disgusting! He may look like a man but do you think he actually has a dick?"
Li Wenxun smiled maliciously: "How can we be sure without checking?"
Li Chengxiu looked at them in horror: "You..."
Big Li leaped towards him and started taking off his pants.
Li Chengxiu screamed in fright, pressing himself into the wall. He couldn't help calling out: "Shao Qun, Shao..."
Xiao Sheng frowned and slapped him on the mouth before he could say another word. "Don't call him by his name again! Shao Qun is different from you, and you don't deserve to say his name." he warned.
Shao Qun looked conflicted. His eyes were red, and he seemed to be frozen in place, as he just stared at Li Chengxiu.
Seeing Shao Qun's indifference, Li Chengxiu's heart instantly dropped, and he started crying. He shrunk helplessly in the corner, looking at the four boys in front of him in shock and fear. All of them were taller and stronger than him. They all looked at him with expressions of disgust and hatred, as if they wished they could swallow him alive.
He didn’t understand what he did wrong. Everything was fine just moments ago - why did all of this happen in a blink of an eye?
He didn’t seduce Shao Qun. What did that even mean?
He wasn’t gay. He didn’t know what these boys were talking about.
Shao Qun finally pulled Big Li and Xiao Sheng away from Li Chengxiu and whispered: "Let's go. It’s enough. Let's just go."
Li Wenxun gave Shao Qun a complicated look, put his clothes back in order and straightened out.
Shao Qun lowered his head and moved towards the door without turning around. He didn’t dare to look at Li Chengxiu, as he desperately tried to ignore his shrill cries.
Big Li spat at Li Chengxiu, gave him a contemptuous look and turned to follow Shao Qun.
Xiao Sheng pointed at the tip of Li Chengxiu's nose and warned him, "If you dare tell anybody about what happened today, or if you dare implicate Shao Qun in any way, you will be in serious shit."
Li Chengxiu trembled all over, tears streaming down his face, as he watched the boys leave. Finally, he hesitantly whispered: "I didn't seduce him. I'm not gay."
Shao Qun couldn’t endure it any longer - he turned around and glanced at Li Chengxiu’s tear-stained face. His heart suddenly tightened, and he almost fled away from this small rooftop, leaving many of his memories behind.
After their figures disappeared into the stairwell, Li Chengxiu cried for a while holding his head.
Punches and kicks that the boys had delivered to Li Chengxiu didn’t seem to bring them any relief.
Since that day, Shao Qun had been absent from school, and he refused to appear in front of anybody.
Li Wenxun and Big Li were not happy about it, so they instructed Li Chengxiu's classmates to make things difficult for him. Li Chengxiu’s school life became an absolute hell.
His desk, textbooks, and workbooks were covered in insults. During class, someone openly threw chalk at him, while the teacher was completely indifferent.
Ugly rumors quickly spread throughout the campus. He was no longer just a weak sissy but rather a shameless, disgusting, and scary homosexual. Although at the time, very few people actually understood what homosexuality even meant, it was still enough of a reason to bully Li Chengxiu. Going to school every day became a torture for him. Even if he kept next to the wall and avoided everyone, he would still often be humiliated for no reason. This made it actually impossible to study productively.
Just three or four days seemed like a year.
One afternoon, after classes were over, he received a note from his classmate.
He opened it and saw a message written in Shao Qun’s handwriting, asking him to come meet him at the teaching building after school that day.
Li Chengxiu gritted his teeth and crumpled the note, hesitating in his heart.
He didn’t know when exactly he started to rely on Shao Qun so much that he actually hoped for him to show up and save him. But Shao Qun's indifference that day really chilled his heart. He wasn’t sure whether he should meet Shao Qun or not.
After thinking about it, he stayed in the classroom, watching the sky slowly turn dark.
It was a secret hope that forced him to stay. Sitting in a dark and empty classroom, he fantasized that Shao Qun would give him an explanation or even a little comfort.
He had been so exhausted the past few days that he fell asleep on his desk while waiting for Shao Qun to show up. When he woke up from the cold and looked out the window, it was already dark outside.
The empty classroom with swaying ceiling fans and gloomy blackboards seemed so terrifying in the dark.
Li Chengxiu shuddered. He wanted to turn on the lights and look at the clock that was hanging on the wall.
However, after school was out, the power to the entire teaching building had been cut. It was pitch dark and deadly quiet. Only the dim moonlight entered through the windows.
Li Chengxiu opened the classroom door in a hurry. He looked at the empty corridor. It was an endless path of darkness that extended into nowhere. His legs felt weak, and he could only manage to walk towards the stairs while heavily leaning against the wall.
There was no moonlight in the stairwell, so it was even darker than the classroom. Li Chengxiu could only take blind steps, while holding onto the handrail.
Usually it took him less than a minute to leave the small four-story building but right now, it seemed to be the longest road he ever had to walk in his life.
He felt trapped in the darkness with four white walls surrounding him. It seemed there was an unknown beast hidden in the dark that was about to swallow him at any moment. He didn’t know what was behind him and what was in front of him. His hand fumbled around with the handrail, not sure what he’ll touch the next second. His imagination ran wild, and he managed to scare himself silly.
Li Chengxiu knew that he had been tricked. He was angry, hateful, and sad in his heart. Now that he was completely alone in a huge teaching building, all his feelings of helplessness, fear, and grief were infinitely magnified. When he finally reached the first floor, his legs were shaking, his eyes felt blurred, and he was sweating profusely.
The exit on the first floor was indeed already locked, but fortunately it was an iron gate, not a solid door. Li Chengxiu grabbed the bars and shouted loudly, sticking his face into the gap: "Is anybody here? Anyone at all?"
His loud shouts echoed eerily in the empty campus, which made Li Chengxiu even more afraid.
After a full ten minutes of shouting, a ray of light finally appeared from the direction of the school gate. A man with a flashlight was trotting over towards him.
Li Chengxiu cried, "Campus police shūshu[4], hurry up and let me out of here!"
The campus policeman shouted at him from a distance, "Student, did something happen? Why are you still here? Why didn’t you go home after school?"
Li Chengxiu didn't know how to explain his situation, so he just waited quietly for the man to come over and open the door for him.
The campus policeman shone a flashlight in Li Chengxiu’s face and smiled strangely: "Oh, it's you."
Could be that because the word "homosexual" was so new and unheard of in this closed social environment, it was all everyone could talk about at that time. Thus, Li Chengxiu was a well-known topic of conversation in school.
Li Chengxiu felt ashamed. He wiped his tears and whispered, "Thank you, campus police shūshu."
The man raised his hand and looked at his watch: "It's past ten pm. What are you doing here so late?"
"It's already past ten o'clock?" Li Chengxiu choked, "I… I fell asleep."
Of course, the man didn't believe him. After giving it some thought, he had an idea what had happened. He turned around, opened the gate and asked, "How are you going to get home?"
Li Chengxiu was stunned: "I don't know… There are no more buses at this time."
The campus policeman shook his head: "That’s right. Where do you live?"
Li Chengxiu answered, and the man’s eyes widened in shock, "That far? If you walk, you’d only be home at dawn."
Li Chengxiu sniffed and nodded, feeling sad and wanting to cry again.
The policeman waved his hand: "Forget it! I'll be a good person and take you back on a bicycle. That’ll be faster, eh?"
Li Chengxiu raised his head gratefully: "Really… really? Thank you, campus police shūshu!"
The campus policeman looked at Li Chengxiu’s fair little face and raised the corners of his mouth in a crooked smile.
I will not be sober while translating the next chapter, k?
Chapter 13
Content warning: violence against a minor, suicidal ideation
"Hey, hold on to my waist!" The campus policeman turned his head to Li Chengxiu while pedaling the bike.
"Ah?" Li Chengxiu was taken aback.
"I asked you to hold on to my waist. I’m a little tipsy right now, so the bike might be a bit unstable. You don’t want to fall down, right?"
Li Chengxiu hesitated, and his hand that was holding onto the bicycle frame before grabbed the man’s clothes.
"It’s fine," the campus policeman said with emphasis, "Hold on tighter. I don't mind if you get closer."
As Li Chengxiu moved towards the man, he could smell the alcohol on him, mixed with the stench of sweat. It was really pungent. Li Chengxiu frowned but obediently put his arms around his waist.
The policeman let out a laugh, and suddenly patted the back of Li Chengxiu’s hand: "Good, now I won’t have to worry that you’ll fall. Such a good boy."
Li Chengxiu shivered, feeling a little weird.
On the way the man tried to find something to talk about, while Li Chengxiu just nodded without saying a word.
After riding for half an hour, the policeman exclaimed that he was too tired, and they got off the bike to walk for a bit. As they were walking into the old part of town in the middle of the night, less and less people passed them by. The street lights were very dim, so one couldn’t see anything farther than ten meters. The atmosphere was eerie and daunting.
The policeman put his hand on Li Chengxiu's shoulder, lowered his head towards him and told him all about his experiences working on campus. As his face was getting closer, so was his body.
Li Chengxiu felt more and more uneasy. He didn't know if he was just thinking too much into it but it seemed that the school policeman’s attitude towards him was a little strange. Also, he smelled of alcohol, so Li Chengxiu really didn’t want to get any closer to him.
Just as he was contemplating all of this, the man’s hand suddenly slipped from his shoulder down to his waist and gave him a light hug.
Li Chengxiu was startled and wanted to jump away.
But the man didn't let go. He moved even closer to him and smiled:"They say, you’re a homosexual. Is that true? Don’t worry, you can tell me. I won’t tell anybody else."
Li Chengxiu's face was pale. He fiercely pushed the man away: "Wha… what are you doing?"
The school policeman suddenly let go of the bike and grabbed Li Chengxiu with both of his arms. With a hint of ferocity on his face he said: "I'm being so kind as to take you home at night, and you're not even willing to chat with me? Can't you talk to me?" With these words his hand slipped onto Li Chengxiu's buttocks and rubbed over them a few times. "Actually, men like you are a rarity..." he smiled lewdly.
Li Chengxiu let out a scream. He could have never imagined that he would run into such a depraved situation.
He struggled desperately in the arms of the school policeman, shouting, "Help!"
Seeing that the lights of several nearby houses were still on, the man got anxious, raised his hand and slapped Li Chengxiu with all his force.
Li Chengxiu’s ears started tingling, and then all he could hear was a non-stop beeping sound. But he had no time to care about this. While crying "Help" on top of his lungs, Li Chengxiu tried his best to beat and kick the man anywhere he could reach him.
In all this chaos, curses and punches rained down on him. Li Chengxiu endured the pain, as he tried to crawl away.
After a short time, the beating finally stopped. Finally, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps and a bicycle speeding away.
Li Chengxiu hugged his head and curled up into a ball, as he lay on the cold and wet ground, like a corpse, without moving for a long time.
In the silence of the night, his shrill cries were particularly miserable. His crying got louder and louder, until it abruptly stopped and turned into choked sobbing. His tears gathered into a small pool under his head. The uncomfortable feeling of moisture was filled with sorrow, as it penetrated through his dream.
End of Flashback
Li Chengxiu woke up from his nightmare still crying. He felt that his face was wet, and the pillow towel under his head was soaked through, making it extremely uncomfortable to lie on.
Li Chengxiu wiped his tears and realized that he hadn’t even turned off the lights, before he accidentally fell asleep. He dreamed a lot about the events of the past that he didn't want to recall anymore.
After finally regaining his senses, Li Chengxiu staggered up from the bed and went to pour himself a glass of water.
He wasn’t sure how long he had been crying but his throat was really dry.
He first turned off the lights, changed his clothes and stared at the moon outside in a daze, while holding his water glass.
Back then he was fourteen, and that night was probably the longest night of his life.
Crying the whole way, he walked home for more than two hours. When he was finally back, he found his mother foaming at the mouth, as she lay unconscious on the ground.
With the help from a neighbor he took her to the hospital. The doctors fought for her life the whole night. Li Chengxiu waited in the hospital, unable to sleep. The next day, the doctor told him that his mother had been completely paralyzed due to a stroke caused by excessive drinking.
He sat in the hospital for a long time, crying as he held onto his mother’s test results. He cried so much that he ended up fainting. Li Chengxiu remembered that in the past, no matter how difficult things got for him, he always knew deep in his heart that the Heavens would reward him in the future, if he gained independence, improved himself and worked really hard. But at that moment, he was thinking about the 843 RMB that he had left in savings, the looks of his classmates that treated him like he was a rodent or a parasyte, the awful laughter of the school policeman… and all he wanted to do was to die.
He was too young at the time, so he couldn't figure out why his life was so difficult. He didn’t understand why nobody liked him, even though he never hurt others or did anything bad to them. Most of all, he didn’t understand why his life was the way it was.
There were too many things he didn’t understand back then… And the harsh reality didn’t give him any time to ponder on it.
When he came back to his senses, within a week he sold his family's old house at a low price to be able to take care of his sick mother. His right ear ended up badly damaged by the beating he got from the school policeman but it was the last thing on his mind.
From that day on, he never returned to school.
His mother had become a complete waste. She spent her days in a perpetual state of confusion - she didn’t even recognize anyone anymore and couldn’t take care of herself at all. Li Chengxiu ended up going back to his hometown and borrowing a lot of money from his relatives and neighbors.
Li Chengxiu still remembered those hardest days of his life when he worked three jobs and was constantly burdened by the high hospital bills.
But even living like that, after one year, he could no longer afford to keep his mother in the hospital. The relatives in his hometown would immediately slam the door in his face when they saw him. He was running around 24 hours a day, but the pay he got for one day of work couldn’t cover one day of hospital stay for his mother.
There was no other way but to bring his mother to the house he had rented and take care of her himself.
Not long after that, his mother passed away.
He was left penniless and alone - with nothing left but despair.
At that time, there was a chef in the restaurant he was working at who was very kind to him.The man took pity on Li Chengxiu and gave him some money to be able to start an apprenticeship in the chef school. After a few years, the chef introduced him to a work opportunity in Shenzhen. He had been living in the city ever since.
Li Chengxiu really hadn't been thinking about the past for many years. If it wasn't for Shao Qun's reappearance, he would have been able to completely push it out of his mind.
It was hard to say whether what happened to him was a blessing or a curse. Li Chengxiu was quite content with his current life - he had almost paid off his debt to his relatives, and things were generally going well.
But when Shao Qun appeared in his life again, he instinctively felt uneasy. He had once been bitten by that snake, and he was afraid that that person was about to make another big wave in his life. However, just like in the past, Shao Qun didn’t give him an opportunity to resist.
Li Chengxiu was still holding his water cup in a daze. Outside the window there was only a mottled wall of the opposite building. There was nothing exciting about it, yet Li Chengxiu couldn’t take his eyes off it.
When he returned home today, he was physically and mentally exhausted. But now, he couldn’t sleep.
Saturday came quickly. Li Chengxiu thought about it for a while, but still decided to go to work, in spite of Shao Qun’s request.
He felt that he shouldn't let Shao Qun boss him around. Besides, he hadn’t actually promised him to ask for a leave that day.
Unexpectedly, in the middle of the work day, Shao Qun appeared in the hotel yet again. It's just that this time he didn't look for Li Chengxiu but went directly to his manager.
When Li Chengxiu entered the office, he saw President Chen and Shao Qun having a lively chat with each other, while Manager Zhang was standing on the side with a flattering smile on his face.
As soon as Li Chengxiu walked through the door, Manager Zhang quickly and affectionately pulled him over: "Oh, Chef Li, you are here! Mr. Shao came over especially for you."
Li Chengxiu lowered his head and said, "Hello, Mr. Chen. Mr. Shao."
President Chen laughed: "Xiao Li, Brother Shao said that you didn’t want to skip even one day of work, since things are so busy around here. As a boss, I’m very happy to have an employee like you. Haha."
Li Chengxiu glanced at Shao Qun, wondering what his intentions were.
President Chen sighed heavily, patted Shao Qun's shoulder and said, "Brother Shao, I'm telling you the truth! Whether it’s you or anybody else, I can’t lend my chef for such a long time! This location has just opened - it’s really busy around here."
Shao Qun smiled and nodded, "Brother Chen, you are so mean to me."
"All the chefs here have been transferred from other branches. We don’t have enough staff, as we’re still in the middle of hiring new chefs. It’s difficult to find the right chef nowadays, don't you think?"
"Right. Not only do you have to look for someone who knows their craft but also make sure they don’t jump ship."
"Yes, exactly! Just look at our Chef Li. In terms of qualifications, he is still a junior. But, amongst the younger generation, I still value him the most. Brother Shao, do you know why?"
Shao Qun looked at Li Chengxiu and smiled without saying a word.
"Xiao Li is not only good at his craft but he is also very reliable. You can’t use this word easily anymore. I wouldn’t describe anybody else like that but, let me tell you, Chef Li is not somebody who wouldn’t come back to the hotel, if I lended him to you. Xiao Li, what do you say?" President Chen looked at him with a smile.
Li Chengxiu was a little stiff at first, but Manager Zhang secretly gave him a little push, so he quickly nodded.
Manager Zhang said: "Mr. Shao, we are actually very reluctant to give him to you. After you called yesterday, Mr. Chen and I discussed it for a while. He asked what impact it would have, if we lent Chef Li out for two weeks. I didn't know it was a request from you, so I immediately said that it was absolutely impossible. Without Xiao Li, we’ll have to delay a lot of daily work in this hotel. Who would do it instead of him? Something like this is normally completely out of the question! President Chen was also very hesitant. But finally, we decided that since it was Mr.Shao’s special request, we didn’t mind taking a loss for our business. After all, it’s important that your sea party is perfect, since it is an announcement of your business presence in the Pearl River Delta[5]."
Shao Qun laughed: "Brother Chen, just look at your people! They really know how to talk well. I’m really grateful to Brother Chen for being so generous. After the two weeks are up, I promise I will definitely return Chef Xiao Li back to you.”
President Chen repeatedly said that Shao Qun was very welcome and then hurriedly pulled him aside to discuss his non-performing asset in Panyu, Guangzhou[6], leaving Manager Zhang and Li Chengxiu behind.
Li Chengxiu was shocked after the conversation he had just witnessed. They laughed and chatted so openly about renting him out like some kind of commodity. And no one even asked what he thought about the whole thing.
Manager Zhang took him outside and asked him to wait for Shao Qun in the corridor.
Li Chengxiu pulled at Manager Zhang’s clothes and anxiously asked, "Manager Zhang, what is going on?"
The kindness Manager Zhang had just displayed in the office had all but evaporated. The man raised his eyebrows, "What is it that you don't understand? Mr. Shao called yesterday to request a full-time chef for his party, since he’s on a tight schedule. I hope you can provide him with the service he needs. For the next two weeks you are temporarily off work."
Li Chengxiu's face was pale. He opened his mouth several times but did not speak.
Manager Zhang patted him on the shoulder: "Xiao Li, you’ve worked hard. This is basically a paid holiday for you. Isn’t that a good thing? Remember, if you serve Mr. Shao well, you will be rewarded. On the other hand, if you offend him... Well, our boss needs something from him right now, so you better not offend him. Is that clear?"
Li Chengxiu nodded stiffly.
"That's it. You wait here. When they’re done talking, Mr. Shao will directly take you away with him."
Li Chengxiu stood outside the office for more than half an hour, before Shao Qun finally came out. Mr. Chen brought them all the way down to the parking lot and even considerately closed the car door for Shao Qun. He then waved him goodbye with a smile.
Being alone with Shao Qun in an enclosed space made Li Chengxiu really nervous for an unclear reason. His every pore screamed for an escape.
Shao Qun turned his head, smiled at him and then looked ahead: "Chengxiu, you’re really a busy man. Your phone was turned off when I called you today."
"It’s off during working hours."
Shao Qun let out an "oh" and suddenly said, "Put on your seat belt."
Li Chengxiu was confused for a moment, but then turned to look for the seat belt. He didn’t know whether it was because he was too nervous but he couldn’t pull it out, even after trying several times.
Shao Qun chuckled lightly, parked the car on the side of the road and then leaned forward, his arms crossing Li Chengxiu's body, as he grabbed his seat belt.
Li Chengxiu was so nervous that he didn't dare to breathe. He leaned away as far as possible, pressing his back into the seat. If it was possible, he would have jumped to the back of the car just to keep his distance from Shao Qun.
When he was a child, Shao Qun was already pretty tall. Now, he was even taller. His broad shoulders hidden under a casual shirt and his sturdy and slender arms bursting with strength were no more than an inch away from Li Chengxiu. The smell of his refreshing aftershave entered his nostrils.
The time seemed to freeze in an instant. Shao Qun slowly pulled out the seat belt, tilted his head and looked straight into Li Chengxiu's eyes. Shao Qun’s look was deep and seemed to contain countless emotions. Li Chengxiu’s heartstrings tightened and he closed his eyes on an impulse.
Li Chengxiu felt that this small action took far too long, and he was relieved when his seat belt was finally buckled in with a “click”, and Shao Qun’s invisible pressure was lifted off him.
However, Shao Qun suddenly leaned over again. He put his elbows on the armrest, smiled and whispered right into Li Chengxiu’s ear: "Why are you so nervous every time we are alone?"
Li Chengxiu stretched out his neck, fixing his eyes on the view in front of him, as he didn’t dare to look back at Shao Qun. “That’s not true,” he insisted.
Shao Qun chuckled softly, got back into his seat and took the car back to the driveway.
Both of them were quiet.
Basically this entire chapter
Just as an afterthought…
Chapter 14
The car quickly reached a high office building in the city center.
Shao Qun's company branch in Shenzhen was renting floors ten to twelve in it. Both of them went upstairs, and as soon as they entered the offices, the lady at the front desk quickly got up, stepped outside and greeted Shao Qun with a sweet smile: “Hello, Mr.Shao.”
Shao Qun nodded with a smile and asked, "Is anybody still here?" He looked at his watch and clicked his tongue, "I'm more than an hour late."
"They’re waiting for you in the conference room, sir. Over here, please."
"All right." Shao Qun quietly put his hand on Li Chengxiu's back, "Chengxiu, come with me."
Li Chengxiu followed Shao Qun into the conference room.
The two people sitting inside immediately got up and said with a smile: "Mr. Shao… Mr. Shao! Hello, hello."
Shao Qun smiled and shook their hands: "I'm really sorry that you had to wait for so long. There were traffic jams on the road."
"Of course, of course! Mr. Shao is a busy man. Besides, the traffic situation in Shenzhen is unfortunately nothing new."
Shao Qun laughed and said, "Yes, when I was in Beijing, I had to pass through the 3rd Ring Road[7] every day to go to work. I thought it would be better here, but I guess I was wrong, hehe."
They exchanged a couple more polite words, and then finally they asked “Who is this?” as if they had just discovered that Li Chengxiu was also in the room.
"Oh." Shao Qun quickly put his hand on Li Chengxiu's back in an almost intimate gesture and pushed him to the front, "This is the chef from Futong Grand Hotel[8] whom I specifically hired to prepare Chinese food. Besides, he is also my junior high school classmate. Just call him Chef Li. Chengxiu, these are the people from an event planning company in Hong Kong. They are here to help me organize the party."
The two guys quickly shook hands with Li Chengxiu: "Chef Li is so young."
Li Chengxiu returned their handshakes and stiffly smiled in response.
These kinds of occasions where he had to take part in social interactions scared him the most. The more enthusiastic the other party, the more uncomfortable it made him.
After some more polite small talk, the two began to discuss business affairs with Shao Qun.
Li Chengxiu watched them show a PowerPoint presentation, which offered several party design options for Shao Qun to choose from.
Shao Qun smiled without saying a word, and when the presentation was over, he turned his head towards Li Chengxiu and asked, "Chengxiu, what do you think?"
"Ah? Very… very good."
"Which option is better?"
Li Chengxiu glanced at the two men from the planning company who were looking at him with expectant eyes and suddenly felt guilty for not listening carefully enough.
Shao Qun said: "Ok, how about you show the key points to Chef Li again?"
The event planners quickly clicked over to the key point slide and presented it to Li Chengxiu again with pictures and text explanations.
Li Chengxiu was confused by all of this. He didn’t understand what they meant by baroque style or by Caribbean style…Moreover, he felt it was ridiculous to use three characters to spell just one English word[9].”
Shao Qun approached him and put his hand on his shoulder, "So? Chengxiu, what do you think?"
Li Chengxiu moved his body away uncomfortably and whispered, "It's all good. You decide."
Shao Qun smiled, "But I want to hear your opinion." He squeezed his shoulder gently and said in a soft voice, "Your opinion is very important to me."
This time even the two Hongkongers felt that the atmosphere was not quite right, but they didn’t let it show.
Li Chengxiu felt his heart beating like a drum. He hurriedly said, "I…I really don't know. You choose."
Shao Qun laughed, then turned his head and said, "To be honest, I'm not very satisfied with either of the options. I’d rather not have something that is not quite in the western style but also not quite in the Chinese style. I want the style of this venue to be worthy of chef Xiao Li’s cooking skills.” He winked at Li Chengxiu.
One of the guys quickly responded: "I understand, Mr. Shao. How about we keep the venue in modern Chinese style but at the same time incorporate some classical details, like wooden utensils and ceramic plates. Only this way can it be fully worthy of Chef Li's gourmet delicacies."
Shao Qun laughed and said, "That's not bad, really not bad. You guys go back to your drawing board and revise the design. We don’t have a lot of time left, so let’s decide on this as soon as possible. Now, let's put this aside for a while, and discuss the dishes with Chef Li."
Shao Qun's hand was still on Li Chengxiu's shoulder, but when he noticed his tense face and stiff body, he put it away."
Li Chengxiu immediately relaxed, nodded and proceeded to seriously discuss the dishes with the event planners.
Since this was his area of expertise, the conversation ran much smoother.
Shao Qun didn't participate very much. He occasionally dropped a few comments but most of the time he just sat there with a propped up chin, tilted head and confident smile on his face. He was looking at Li Chengxiu with deep and cunning eyes, just like a wolf who was stalking his prey.
They talked for more than two hours before they managed to finalize the menu.
Shao Qun looked out the window - the sky was already dark.
He stood up and stretched. His movements revealed his toned and sturdy body, making the two thin southern men really envious.
Shao Qun patted Li Chengxiu on the back: "Chengxiu, I'll take you out to eat something nice." Then he raised his head, "You two can join us, if you want. You've worked hard today."
The men waved their hands repeatedly: "Thank you for your kind invitation, Mr. Shao. But we still have something to do after this, so no need!"
Shao Qun smiled, showing his white teeth, very satisfied with their answer.
He seemed to be in a good mood, as he led Li Chengxiu to his car, throwing his car keys up and down.
"Chengxiu, what do you want to eat?"
"I want to go home."
Shao Qun was stunned for a moment, then he frowned, "Why?"
"I have things to do. At home."
"What kind of things would you need to do at home?"
Li Chengxiu answered honestly: "Wash clothes, clean my room."
"You can do this after dinner. Don't you want to eat?"
"I can cook for myself."
A bit of displeasure flashed in Shao Qun's eyes. He didn’t expect Li Chengxiu to have so little respect for him that he didn’t even bother to think of a decent excuse for refusing his invitation.
He laughed dryly and mocked him: "Chengxiu, you are really something. Do you know how many people need to make an appointment in advance in order to have a meal with me? Can't you treat me a bit better?"
Li Chengxiu silently looked down at his feet.
Shao Qun unlocked the car, got into the driver's seat and slammed the door behind him with a bang.
Li Chengxiu stood outside at a loss. He knew that Shao Qun must be angry, but now he didn't know whether he was supposed to get into the car or not.
Shao Qun rolled the car window down and said impatiently, "Get inside."
Li Chengxiu hesitated: "Or I can also go back by myself?"
Shao Qun rolled his eyes, opened the door and got out of the car. He stood very close to Li Chengxiu, as he gave him a condescending look and jokingly threatened him: "Xiao Chengxiu, get in the car. Or would you rather I carry you inside?"
Frightened, Li Chengxiu took a big step back. He turned around and obediently got into the car.
Shao Qun showed a sarcastic smile and also got in.
The two of them drove out of the parking lot in silence. Li Chengxiu looked outside the window and anxiously asked, "Can I go home?"
Shao Qun glanced at him, suddenly made a sharp turn and parked the car on the curb.
Li Chengxiu was taken aback by this sudden action and looked at Shao Qun in horror.
He vaguely felt that Shao Qun hadn’t changed at all. His temper was still so irritable and unpredictable. As an adult, he probably learned to hide it well behind his manners but actually deep down his temper never improved.
Shao Qun took a deep breath, then put on his friendly smile again and turned to look at Li Chengxiu: "I'll take you home now."
Li Chengxiu was a bit suspicious, “All right..."
"But..." Shao Qun grinned, "I'm also going to your house."
Li Chengxiu was startled and blurted out, "Why?"
"We haven't seen each other for many years, and we haven't even had a good conversation yet. Is it asking too much of you to invite your old classmate to dinner?"
Li Chengxiu thought about it for a long time before saying, "My house is messy."
Shao Qun laughed out loud: "It doesn't matter. I don't care."
Li Chengxiu gritted his teeth: "I…don’t think…it’s a good idea."
"Oh, why not?"
"I think... my house…is not good. You won't be comfortable."
Shao Qun touched his head: "How can I not be comfortable, if you’re there?"
Both his tone and his words sounded extremely ambiguous. No matter how dense Li Chengxiu was, he could still feel that something was off.
Shao Qun didn't give him a chance to react. He pulled at his arm and begged in a coquettish tone: "Chengxiu, invite me over! I want to eat a meal cooked by you."
Li Chengxiu was speechless.
"Chengxiu, is it because you still hate me? Do you really still hate me? I was such a jerk back then. If you still hate me, you can hit me. I won’t fight back."
"No..." Li Chengxiu didn't want to hear anything about the past, especially from Shao Qun's mouth. There was just too much irony in it.
Shao Qun quickly said: "Since you don’t hate me, what's wrong with inviting an old classmate to your home? Are you afraid that I will eat all the food you have at home? Or are you afraid that I will eat you?"
Li Chengxiu felt his ears become inexplicably hot, and he really couldn't think of a suitable reason for refusing Shao Qun. In the end he said: "Let's… let's just eat somewhere else."
"No, I don't want to eat anywhere else. I want to go to your house."
Li Chengxiu was at a loss for words..
Still flabbergasted, Li Chengxiu took Shao Qun to his house.
The place where he lived was a residential block of flats. The house was already old, and the outer walls had lost all the remnants of the original color. The building was seven stories high, but there was no elevator. Li Chengxiu lived, of course, on the top floor.
The apartment on the top floor was the cheapest place he could rent at the time. Not only was it inconvenient to go up and down, but in the summer, he was directly under the sun-heated roof which made his room feel almost like an oven.
Although the sun had already set and by the time Shao Qun had arrived at the apartment, the noon heat had long passed, it was still very hot inside. He parked the car in an open space more than 200 meters away from the house. After walking all that distance and then climbing up to the seventh floor, Shao Qun was sweating profusely, and the last thing he expected was a wave of heat rushing toward him and almost knocking him out when he entered Li Chengxiu’s place.
Shao Qun didn’t like the heat, and he hardly ever stayed in places without air conditioning in the summer. At this moment, he felt like he was really suffering too much.
He couldn't help complaining irritably: "Why is it so hot here? Turn on the air conditioner, hurry up!"
Li Chengxiu turned on the lights and shook his head:"There is no air conditioner."
"No air conditioner?" Shao Qun repeated in disbelief. In the summer, Shenzhen was like an oven - the heat in this place could drive people insane. Especially during the tropical typhoons that came several times a year, the whole city would basically turn into a big sauna. Shao Qun couldn't figure out how Li Chengxiu survived here without air conditioning.
He looked around the place. The interior structure was extremely simple. It was a 30 square meter apartment. Except for the bathroom, all the other rooms - kitchen, bedroom and dining room - were connected to each other.Just a piece of glass was dividing the kitchen away from other spaces. A single bed was standing directly opposite a simple table and a chair. There was almost nothing else in the apartment. And, of course, not a trace of air conditioning.
Li Chengxiu pointed to the chair: "You sit down here." He went to the bedside, dragged the stool with the fan over to Shao Qun and switched it on.
Shao Qun was already covered in sweat and was extremely disgusted with this sticky feeling. He irritably sat on the chair, letting the fan blow all over him, and said to Li Chengxiu, "Bring me a piece of tissue."
Li Chengxiu took the roll of toilet paper standing by the bed and handed it to him. There were no extra chairs in the room, so he sat down on the bed and watched the fan blow at Shao Qun. He adjusted his breathing and hoped to cool himself down like that.
Shao Qun's irritability and visible disdain for this room made him somewhat uncomfortable. For him, living in such a house was actually a luxury. He could have rented a cheaper single room which he would have had to share with other people, but his personality was not suitable for living with strangers at all. When he thought about living under the same roof with people he didn’t know, it scared him to the bottom of his heart. No matter how much he cared about saving money, he still couldn’t force himself to accept roommates. He had no choice but to spend an extra 300 RMB a month to rent a small single apartment just for himself.
No matter whether it was good or not, he was satisfied with his own place. Besides, he didn’t want to invite Shao Qun here at all. It was his choice to insist on coming over.
Although Li Chengxiu was annoyed, he didn't know how to express it, and he was too hot. Shao Qun was occupying his fan now, so Li Chengxiu got up and said, "I'm going to take a shower. You just sit here for a while."
Shao Qun's body had cooled down a little, and his tone became better.
"By the way, can you pour me a glass of water?" he asked.
Li Chengxiu gave him some water, then took his pajamas and went in to take a bath.
When he came out after a quick shower, he saw Shao Qun flipping through an accounting book on his desk with great interest.
Shao Qun immediately noticed Li Chengxiu standing in front of him, looking fresh and tender, with his wet hair and in his white freshly washed cotton pajamas.
Li Chengxiu's fair face was slightly red, his soft hair was clinging to his cheeks, and water droplets trickled down his slender neck into the collar, leaving a few water stains on his beautiful collarbone.
Shao Qun swallowed unconsciously.
This man in his late twenties looked like a young and pure student, exuding unadorned temptation. Even though Shao Qun had just cooled down, now he seemed to feel slightly hot again. He had been imagining this body for more than ten years.
Shao Qun was looking at Li Chengxiu with the eyes of a hungry wolf but the other party didn't realize it. He was actually focused on the book Shao Qun was holding in his hands.
Shao Qun came back to his senses and held up the accounting book: "What is this? Are you studying?"
Li Chengxiu nodded.
"Night school?"
He shook his head: "Now, just self study."
When he first arrived in Shenzhen, he was not only poor but also deep in debt. At that time, he was still young and energetic, capable of working day and night. So apart from making money, he didn’t really think about anything else.
It was not until a few years ago that his income actually allowed him to save some extra money in addition to paying his living expenses and settling his debts. At that time, the thirst for knowledge buried deep in his heart gradually awakened again.
So he bought some high school textbooks and squeezed some time away from work to study by himself.
After dropping out of school for several years, even if he had once been a top student, he had almost forgotten everything. When he picked up studying again, he didn’t realize how difficult it would be at first. But with a bit of tenacity, he still managed to pass the exams to get his high school diploma.
In the past two years, he began to teach himself some accounting. He didn't have time to go to night school, so he could only buy books and study what he could.
He thought about it a lot and felt that accounting was a profession that demanded the least face-to-face contact with anybody. Besides, the entry threshold was relatively low, so it seemed to be the most suitable choice for him.
Being a chef was not his dream job. He still remembered how when he was a child he hoped to become a doctor or a scientist. But those dreams were annihilated a long time ago, in the summer of the third year of junior high school.
Shao Qun handed him the book: "Chengxiu, if you want to learn, I can ask a professional accountant to give you private lessons."
Li Chengxiu was stunned for a moment, but then shook his head: "No, thank you."
Shao Qun smiled: "Chengxiu, you don't have to be polite with me." He then stood up, grabbed the towel on Li Chengxiu’s shoulders and was about to wipe his hair.
Li Chengxiu quickly turned his head away to avoid Shao Qun’s touch.
A flash of embarrassment flashed across Shao Qun's face. He still stubbornly put the towel over Li Chengxiu’s head and rubbed it with his hands: "You should wipe it dry, otherwise you can easily catch a cold."
Li Chengxiu simply took a step back, looking at Shao Qun with vigilance.
Shao Qun reluctantly threw the towel on the table. When he saw this deliciously juicy fat sheep in front of him which he couldn't eat yet, he felt really hungry.
"Chengxiu, cook something for us. I'm starving."
Chapter 15
Li Chengxiu nodded and quickly turned around to go to the kitchen, as Shao Qun watched his every move.
Li Chengxiu half-squatted in front of the refrigerator, looking for ingredients. At the same time, Shao Qun was sitting under a cool breeze, admiring Li Chengxiu’s half-exposed snow-white waist, fantasizing about hugging him from behind, taking off those baggy knee-length shorts and leaving a row of teeth marks on his protruding spine.
Li Chengxiu got up as soon as he found what he was looking for, interrupting Shao Qun's obscene thoughts.
He quickly put on his apron, washed the vegetables, cut up the meat and sautéed it all in a hot pan. The house was soon filled with a tempting aroma.
Shao Qun’s eyes followed Li Chengxiu around, examining his back.
His soft messy hair, his white and slender neck, his thin shoulders, his slender waist, and his straight and beautiful calves made Shao Qun want to hold him in his arms and play with him to his heart’s content.
When he smelled the fragrance of cooked vegetables and saw all the food, Shao Qun felt so hungry that he could not wait to start eating.
In a short while, Li Chengxiu served him four main dishes - a cold-cut spicy pork heart and a plate of mixed snacks, of which two were vegetarian (kale in garlic sauce and Chinese cabbage in a broth) and one contained meat (sweet and sour pork ribs). Additionally, there was also a spinach tofu soup.
Cold-cut spicy pork heart Kale in garlic sauce
Sweet and sour pork ribs Chinese cabbage in a broth
The dishes were quite homely, but they looked very particular - one didn’t even need to taste them to know that they were delicious.
Shao Qun sat at the small round table and looked at the dishes in front of him with slight concern.
He was very picky about his meals. He didn’t eat organ meat, and he hated coriander. The kale looked good, but he didn't like onion, ginger, and garlic. Apart from the condiments, all he could eat were pork ribs, cabbage, and the tofu soup. Although Shao Qun was not happy about the selection, he didn't say anything. Now was obviously not the time. When he gets this chef here to be docile, he’d be able to order whatever he wants.
Even though Shao Qun didn’t complain and just avoided the pig heart and kale, Li Chengxiu quickly noticed the pattern. He was a cook after all, and it was his job to pay attention to different people’s preferences.
He was indifferent, thinking that even if he knew that Shao Qun didn’t like it, he would have still put garlic and coriander into every dish.
Shao Qun took a piece of spareribs. The color of the spareribs was red and bright, the meat was fresh and tender, and the crust was crispy and sweet. This dish really appealed to him. Then he added a piece of cabbage to his bowl. The Chinese cabbage in the broth was actually his favorite dish. It seemed very simple, but preparing it right was the ultimate test for the skill. This cabbage was fragrant and delicious, cooked exactly right. It left a juicy and sweet aftertaste. Shao Qun took a couple more pieces and couldn’t stop praising: "Chengxiu, your cooking is delicious."
Li Chengxiu smiled shyly: "Thank you."
When Shao Qun saw him smiling, his mood also improved. Although there was only one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and one soup for him to choose from, this food was tastier than all the dishes served at Manchu–Han Imperial Feast[10].
Li Chengxiu ate in a similar way he did when he was a child. He shrank his shoulders, held the bowl delicately in his hands, and quickly stuffed the food into his mouth. Although his movements were careful and neat, it was not very pleasing to the eye. Rather, one would think how can this man eat like a total sissy? Maybe being full of delicious food put Shao Qun in an agreeable mood but when he was looking at Li Chengxiu, instead of thinking how awkward he was, he felt that the man was “pretty cute”.
Li Chengxiu got up to clean up the dishes. Shao Qun leaned back and offered: “Let me help you.”
But this was obviously just lip service - Shao Qun was not going to lift a finger.
Li Chengxiu turned his back to him and replied, "No need."
Shao Qun took out a cigarette from his trouser pocket. As soon as he lit it up, Li Chengxiu frowned and turned towards him: "No… no smoking."
Shao Qun spread his hands: "Just one."
Li Chengxiu still glared at him: "No.Smoking."
"Okay, okay." Shao Qun took a deep breath, before he unwillingly put out his cigarette and threw it into the trash can.
Li Chengxiu then turned around and continued washing the dishes. Shao Qun pouted angrily, as he was sitting back in front of the round table. He drummed his slender fingers on the table and rolled his eyes.
Li Chengxiu deliberately dragged the time, hoping that Shao Qun would be bored and leave quickly. He didn't expect that Shao Qun wouldn’t want to leave even after all the dishes were clean.
He had no choice but to wipe his hands and ask, "Do you want tea?"
Shao Qun raised his eyebrows: "I've been sitting here for so long without you saying a word to me. I'm really not very thirsty."
Li Chengxiu groaned quietly, not knowing how to react.
"However, if we’re going to drink tea, how about we also talk a bit?"
Li Chengxiu looked at his watch - it was eight pm already, and this guy still wouldn’t leave...
Both of them sat at the small round table in front of the teapot that Li Chengxiu had prepared. They were in a reaching distance from each other.
Li Chengxiu was not afraid of silence at all. He could last days without saying a word to anybody. Just sitting and drinking tea quietly didn’t make him feel embarrassed one bit.
Shao Qun waited for a long time for Li Chengxiu to look at him, before he deliberately sighed: "Chengxiu, do you hate me that much?"
Li Chengxiu looked at him in surprise, then shook his head: "No."
"Then why don't you even want to talk to me?"
"...Can't speak."
"You were not like this before. Why do you seem to be struggling to speak now?"
Li Chengxiu looked at the tea leaves floating in his cup and silently lowered his head.
Shao Qun lightly put his hand on top of his head and said softly, "Is it because of me?"
Li Chengxiu shuddered and turned his head away to avoid his hand.
Shao Qun took a hold of Li Chengxiu’s hand, but this time he secretly exerted enough strength to prevent him from breaking away: "Chengxiu, tell me about what happened back then. After I left, why did you drop out of school? Was it because of me?"
Li Chengxiu glared at him angrily and used his other hand to get rid of Shao Qun’s grip.
"Chengxiu, Chengxiu." Shao Qun grabbed his arm with both his hands instead of letting go, "Don't be afraid. If you still blame me, just say so. I'm willing to compensate you."
"No...no...no need to say anything."
"Then why did you drop out?"
"Had nothing to do with you."
A trace of displeasure flashed in Shao Qun's eyes, but it was fleeting. He stared in Li Chengxiu's eyes and said reluctantly: "If you don't want to tell, I won't force you. I just want you to know that over the years I have never forgotten you."
Li Chengxiu looked at Shao Qun at a loss.
"You haven't forgotten me either, right? How good it was between us back then… I'm sorry, it was my fault at the time. I was young, and I was so scared. I..."
"Don't say it!" Li Chengxiu shouted out suddenly, looking flustered, "Don't say it. I don't want to hear it."
Shao Qun tightly held Li Chengxiu’s hands in his palms and looked at him affectionately: "I must say these words to you. I should have said them back then." He shook Li Chengxiu's hand, smiled, and said: " You were my first love."
That was indeed the truth. When he first started having wet dreams, the object of his lust was always Li Chengxiu. The first time he hid under a quilt and touched himself, he was also thinking about Li Chengxiu. His fantasies were full of lingering images of having sex with him. Who knows how many unspeakable nights Shao Qun had spent with Li Chengxiu in his imagination. No matter how many good-looking men and women he had afterwards, he could never forget the original impulse that opened the door for him to this whole new world.
The main issue was that he didn’t have a taste at the time.
He had been thinking about it for so many years. Since he never actually got what he wanted, there was still this lingering obsession.
Shao Qun observed Li Chengxiu's bewildered expression and leaned halfway across the table, almost pressing his lips against Li Chengxiu's face.
"Chengxiu, it can’t be that you didn’t know that, right?"
Li Chengxiu couldn't help recalling some scenes from the past. It was a long time ago, so his memory was blurry, and many details were already unclear and half-forgotten. He only remembered that even though in the end Shao Qun left without looking back, before that he seemed to be very fond of Li Chengxiu.
And that uncontrollable kiss… Maybe what Shao Qun was saying was true.
Shao Qun lightly caressed his face and whispered softly: “Believe me, I really liked you at that time. But I didn't even realize it myself. I was only twelve years old back then, and liking someone of the same sex was a big issue for me. It was too difficult for me to accept, so I ran away like a coward. I left you to deal with the fallout and left. My family arranged for me to go to the UK. But I really regret it. I’ve been regretting it for many years. I looked for you after I returned to China, but I couldn't find you. Chengxiu..." Shao Qun gently rubbed his cheek with a sincere expression, "I’ve missed you."
It took Li Chengxiu a long time to recover from shock. His first reaction was to bury his head in his chest.
Shao Qun pressed his fingers against his chin, raised his face, looked into his eyes and said, "I'm so happy to see you again."
The fingertips that touched his cheek seemed to be on fire, making Li Chengxiu’s entire face burn bright red. He nodded stiffly, held his breath for a long time and finally let out just an: "Oh..."
Shao Qun kept leaning closer and closer towards him. Li Chengxiu could feel the heat of his breath on his face. Shao Qun’s eyes were full of affection, so much so that Li Chengxiu felt like he could drown in them: "Chengxiu, I want to take care of you. Just like before..." Shao Qun’s lips slowly met his.
Li Chengxiu immediately woke up from the daze and jumped up from the chair.
Shao Qun's eyes suddenly also regained clarity. He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and smiled reassuringly: "Sorry, Chengxiu, I'm moving too fast."
Li Chengxiu was a complete mess. In a trembling voice he tried to articulate himself, "You…You want…"
Shao Qun stood up. His hands were still up in the air, as he approached Li Chengxiu.
"You know, I still feel very much the same when I see you. I'm single now, and I believe you are too. Why not give each other a chance then? I want to make up for the mistakes I made when I was young. And yes, I want to be with you."
Shao Qun's words were straightforward and candid, and there was a confident smile on his face. His gestures were firm and unrestrained. Even if one ignored his appearance, just his forceful charisma alone was already very attractive.
Li Chengxiu was flabbergasted by his words. He didn't expect that Shao Qun would suddenly show affection to him. The two of them had only met two or three times so far, but he was already confessing to him.
While Li Chengxiu was still stupefied, Shao Qun took a big step forward, stretched out his long arms and hugged his waist, pressing him tightly into his arms.
Li Chengxiu cried out, but before he could escape, Shao Qun grabbed his arm and whispered into his ear: "Don't be afraid, Chengxiu. Don't be afraid, let me hug you for a bit. You know what? Back then, I liked holding you the most. I still don't know why. Maybe you can explain it to me?"
Li Chengxiu's body trembled uncontrollably.
Shao Qun's pure male presence, Shao Qun's strong arms, Shao Qun's broad chest, Shao Qun's magnetic voice. Shao Qun...
Fourteen years have passed like a dream. In a trance, Li Chengxiu remembered a beautiful young boy with a sour face. He would fiercely tell him that he wanted to do this and not that…He would rush to hug him whenever he could - without a reason, just like that. Was that Shao Qun the same person as this one? Then why did he seem stranger than some strangers?
It's been too long. Although he still remembered the Shao Qun from school, this Shao Qun was still somebody he didn’t even know. He didn’t hate him but he didn’t like him much either. However, if a person he’d never even met was suddenly so nice to him, Li Chengxiu wouldn’t be able to stay indifferent. After all, nobody had treated him this way before.
Seeing that he didn't answer, Shao Qun continued to push: "Of course, it's because I like you. And now, I'm also holding you because I like you."
Shao Qun likes him? Li Chengxiu looked at him in confusion, wondering if he had suffered a heat stroke today that made him imagine all these unbelievable things.
Shao Qun looked at his unfocused eyes, confused expression, and slightly parted pale pink lips. He really wanted to press him against the wall right now and have a taste. He regretted that when he was a child other than hugging him he didn't do more stuff that he could cherish in his memories.
Shao Qun knew very well that in the game of conquering people's hearts one had to be patient and relaxed. Impulsivity could easily negate all the efforts. After he had reliably conveyed what he wanted to say, he should just let the seeds slowly sprout in the heart of the other party and wait till they bloomed. Shao Qun had full confidence in himself in all aspects of life, and his love life was no exception. He didn’t believe that Li Chengxiu could stay indifferent.
He leaned over and quickly pecked Li Chengxiu’s cheek. Then he immediately let him go, took a big step back, spread his hands, and gave him a mischievous smile.
Li Chengxiu's face was blushing from embarrassment. He didn’t know whether to be angry or not. Such intense emotions were rare for him. He thought about it for a long time, and felt that he really didn’t understand anything, so he asked, "Wh… why?"
Shao Qun laughed when he heard the question: "I just like you. What do you mean with “why”?"
Li Chengxiu thought for a while and sternly said, "We are both men."
Shao Qun smiled and slowly blinked: "Xiao Chengxiu, you are not being honest. Ask yourself, whether you like men or women. And if you like women, why are you still not married at this age?"
Li Chengxiu felt that Shao Qun had seen right through him and felt ashamed.
He knew that he had no interest in girls since he was a kid but he also didn't have the courage to show interest in boys. He had no relatives around, no friends, and no one actually to talk to. He lived a solitary and lonely life. His loneliness was like a beast that terrified him but wouldn’t let him go. He really wanted to have someone to accompany him, but he didn't dare to approach anyone. Does he like men or women? That question was so far beyond the point. As long as someone was willing to stay with him and live a good life together, he would accept both men and women, both young and old. However, he couldn’t accept Shao Qun. One look at him was enough to know that he wasn’t someone who wanted to live an honest life.
Shao Qun observed his face and suddenly showed a surprised expression: "Chengxiu, in all these years, have you never been in love?"
Li Chengxiu lowered his head, neither confirming nor denying.
Shao Qun was suddenly inexplicably excited. He was now more eager than ever to have a piece of this virgin ass as soon as possible.
He let out a laugh: "Chengxiu, don't be nervous. We are both adults here, so there is nothing inherently wrong about this. You see, I’m the same as you.I’m not breaking any laws by liking you. And since you’re also single, why don’t you think about it and let me take care of you?"
Li Chengxiu was distraught for a while, then he slowly shook his head: "I don't know."
Shao Qun's tone was doting and gentle: "I'm not in a hurry. You don’t have to agree now. We still have a lot of time ahead of us to get along. You will gradually find out that I’m a good person. Don't be too quick to reject me, okay?"
Shao Qun's attitude was so sincere that it was impossible to refuse. Li Chengxiu was still in a state of shock. He couldn't get back to his senses for a while, so all he could say was a stiff "um".
Shao Qun smiled slightly and touched his soft hair: "Thank you for your hospitality today. I’ll be going now. I still have some things to do tomorrow, so I'll come pick you up at ten o'clock in the morning, okay?"
"Okay……"
"Have a good rest. See you tomorrow."
"Okay……"
After sending Shao Qun away, Li Chengxiu took out a rag and started cleaning up the house, wiping everything he could see in front of him. He stopped only after he was soaked in sweat and completely exhausted. He then sat on the bed in a daze, holding his knees in his arms.
He thought that the emptiness of the room was unpleasant.
If he didn’t speak and didn’t move, everything was completely silent. Shao Qun came, and Shao Qun left - suddenly the apartment went from lively to deadly quiet. The difference was now very obvious, which made Li Chengxiu’s loneliness feel several times worse than usual.
When Shao Qun said he was a good person
Chapter 16
Li Chengxiu was used to getting up early. Although, thanks to Shao Qun, he didn't have to go to work, he still woke up at six o'clock in the morning.
After washing up and having breakfast, he sat down at the table to study. The time passed by very quickly. When his phone rang, he realized it was almost ten o’clock already.
On the phone, Shao Qun said that he was going to be there soon and asked Li Chengxiu to meet him at the same place where he parked yesterday.
Li Chengxiu was ready, so he immediately left. In front of a row of small shops he saw a silver-white off-road vehicle parked with its back to him. The window of the driver's seat was open, and although Li Chengxiu couldn’t see the face of the driver, he recognized Shao Qun at a glance - his slender fingers were flicking ashes, while the jet-black diamond watch was visible on his wrist.
Shao Qun saw him coming from the rearview mirror and opened the door to get out of the car.
Li Chengxiu nodded to him as a greeting.
Shao Qun threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped on it with some resentment: "Fuck, somebody scratched the car I parked here yesterday."
"Oh? Is it serious?" Li Chengxiu remembered Shao Qun’s car that looked very high-end at first sight and wondered how much money it would cost him to repair the scratch. However, he kind of felt that the car Shao Qun drove was really flashy - a bit like the one you could see on the “Transformers” movie poster. This neighborhood had all kinds of people, so he could consider himself lucky that the car wasn’t stolen.”
"Those fuckers circled the whole car. It's a damn shame. The paint has to be shipped from Europe now. And I've only had it for less than a month."
Li Chengxiu glanced at Shao Qun’s off-roader: "In the future… don't… stop here."
Shao Qun pouted, stretched out his hand and squeezed Li Chengxiu’s face: "Didn't I have to take you home?"
Li Chengxiu took a step back, ignoring Shao Qun’s naughty hands: "In the future… you don't need to take me."
"That won't work. I'm afraid you'd get lost."
Li Chengxiu blinked: "Then… just don't park..."
Shao Qun crossed his arms on his chest and squinted at Li Chengxiu: "You mean, I have to drive you home, yet I can’t even go up to your house for a cup of tea?"
Li Chengxiu stopped saying anything.
Shao Qun shook his head: "Chengxiu, you really have no conscience."
"... or don't drive me home..."
"No, of course I have to drive you. I have a better solution to this problem."
"What?"
Shao Qun nonchalantly took him by the hand and even personally opened the door for him: "Come on, get in the car. I’ll tell you in a while."
After Li Chengxiu got inside, he asked, "What are we doing today?"
Shao Qun blinked and smiled: "Today, you are going on a date with me."
Shao Qun led him into a fancy styling studio. Li Chengxiu was stunned as soon as he entered. The three people in front of him were holding scissors, and their movements were so rhythmical, as if they were working to the beat of the music. They were surprisingly coordinated, as they circled around a fake model, neatly cutting its hair. Li Chengxiu had never seen such a “dancing-haircut” technique before, and it really amazed him.
A particularly beautiful man approached them. He had delicate makeup on his face, and his nose was slightly highlighted, making it brighter than the rest of his face. He had a tiny waist which he was twisting around as if it was a water snake. As soon as he saw them, he revealed a soft and charming smile.
"Young Master Shao, long time no see."
Shao Qun also greeted him with a smile: "Adrian."
When he got closer, Shao Qun said "huh" and sneered. "You fixed your nose again? Was there something wrong with the way it looked before?"[11]
Adrian didn't care at all about his remark. With a careless smile he responded, "I'm a perfectionist." As he said that, his tiny arm was about to pull at Shao Qun's sleeve.
Shao Qun coughed and frowned at him.
Adrian glanced at Li Chengxiu, who had almost zero presence next to Shao Qun, raised his eyebrows and then threw Shao Qun a questioning look. Finally, he shrugged, pursed his lips and greeted Li Chengxiu with a smile: " Hi, my name is Adrian. You can also call me Adi."
Li Chengxiu said "oh" and nodded properly: "Hello, my name is Li Chengxiu."
Adrian blinked, as he looked him up and down, frowning at his loose old T-shirt, washed-out jeans and sneakers with broken shoelaces.
Li Chengxiu awkwardly lowered his head.
Shao Qun patted Adrian on the shoulder: "What are you staring at? Give him a more refreshing hairstyle."
Adrian rolled his eyes at Shao Qun and smiled at Li Chengxiu, "Come with me, please."
Li Chengxiu looked at Shao Qun in surprise: "We came here... You took me to cut my hair?"
Shao Qun nodded.
"My hair isn’t long."
Adrian pouted and shook his head: "Your hair isn’t long, but it has no shape at all."
Li Chengxiu was unconvinced: "I can cut it myself. Why did you take me to cut my hair?"
Adrian chuckled: "Oh, so you cut it yourself. No wonder it's so ugly."
Li Chengxiu's face turned red: "Today…it's not work… I'm going home."
Shao Qun glared at Adrian and quickly grabbed Li Chengxiu by the hand: "Cutting your hair is also part of your job. You are my Chinese food chef, and your image also represents my image."
"I'm only in the kitchen."
"That doesn't matter. Chengxiu, you are working for me now, and you have to meet your employer's requirements, right?"
Li Chengxiu thought about it, and realized it was not a big deal to have a haircut. But he just felt so out of place here. Adrian was obviously even less manly than him but at the same time he was so dazzling. It seemed, the people here respected him very much, and he walked around like a proud and confident peacock without flinching. In fact, Li Chengxiu was very envious of him. This kind of confidence was something he could never achieve in his life.
A young girl approached Li Chengxiu and was about to take him to wash his hair.
Adrian waved her away, "I'll wash him."
The little girl looked surprised: "Master, you want to wash his hair?"
"Yes. You go get my things ready."
Li Chengxiu lay down on the reclining chair, and Adrian gently massaged his scalp while rinsing him. Li Chengxiu had never been treated like this before, so he nervously straightened out his neck, for fear that his head was too heavy and would press too much against this person’s hands.
Adrian smiled and said, "Don't be nervous. Relax your neck, yes, relax. It's alright. Put the weight of your head on my hands. It's alright."
Adrian's voice was soft like water, and it made Li Chengxiu feel warm in his heart, so he couldn't help but slowly relax.
Adrian whispered over his head, "Your hair is so soft and nice to the touch."
Li Chengxiu didn't know how to answer that, so he just said "um".
"Can I call you Chengxiu?"
"Okay……"
"Chengxiu, how do you and Young Master Shao know each other?"
"He hired me. To cook."
Adrian laughed and said, "I don't think it's that simple."
Li Chengxiu thought about it and added, "We went to the same…junior high school."
"Oh, you’re old classmates." Adrian paused, "Chengxiu, there are some things I shouldn't say, but I think you're an honest person, so... ah, I just can't keep quiet. I don't want you to panic, I just want to warn you. Shao Qun is quite a bastard, so you have to be careful."
"Huh……?"
"Just keep it in mind. I don't know, maybe I’m thinking too much. And it’s really not my place to say more. If he finds out that I even said anything, I’ll be in serious trouble. You don't seem to be in the circle, so you have to be careful with him. Take everything he says with a grain of salt, don’t trust him too much. Do you understand what I’m saying?"
Li Chengxiu nodded and glanced at Adrian gratefully: "Thank you."
In fact, without being reminded, Li Chengxiu also felt that Shao Qun was too arrogant and unreliable. Although he was fine when they were one-on-one, he felt inexplicably nervous and scared after hearing what Adrian had to say. Subconsciously he wanted to distance himself from Shao Qun as much as possible.
Adrian squinted his eyes and gave him a charming smile: "Okay, you can get up. I'm going to give you a makeover."
When Adrian started cutting Li Chengxiu’s hair, Shao Qun sat next to them for a while, but then his phone rang and he went out to answer it.
When he came back, Li Chengxiu was already standing in front of him with clean and refreshing haircut
His facial features were delicate, his skin was fair, and his hair was straight and soft which made him look a little shy. There was a gentle glow in his eyes, and he looked just like a young naive college student. Nobody would be able to tell that he was nearly thirty years old.
Li Chengxiu was not traditionally handsome, but he was really good-looking. Whether it was his appearance or temperament, he was exuding purity. One couldn’t help but give him a second glance, and one couldn’t help but feel that his look was neat and nice.
Shao Qun put his hands in his trouser pockets, tilted his head and looked at him for a while, smiling ambiguously: "Chengxiu, you’re so beautiful."
Li Chengxiu shyly touched his hair.
Adrian clapped his hands beside him and giggled, "Just as I thought, I'm a genius. Shao Qun, now it’s time to change his outfit."
Shao Qun nodded: "Yes, I have to get him a new wardrobe."
Adrian blinked: "Do you want me to recommend a brand that suits him?"
Shao Qun waved his hand: "You gotta be kidding me. Considering you’re from the post-1990 generation[12], how would you be able to pick anything that actually suits him?”
Adrian pouted and stretched out his thin hand: "Pay and fuck off."
Shao Qun pulled Li Chengxiu over to his side and said: "Contact Xiao Zhou. We’re leaving."
Li Chengxiu quickly took his hand out of Shao Qun's grip and looked back at Adrian.
Adrian gave him a gentle smile and waved at him.
Li Chengxiu also smiled and gave Adrian an envious look before turning his head.
Adrian watched them leave and sighed heavily.
"I’m not going to buy clothes," Li Chengxiu said seriously to Shao Qun, as they left.
Shao Qun was stunned for a moment.
"I don't need to change… my clothes."
Shao Qun frowned and looked at what he was wearing. Just as he was about to open his mouth, Li Chengxiu interrupted him first and said firmly, "I'm just in the kitchen."
Li Chengxiu was not an idiot. He knew that the reason Shao Qun wanted to improve his look was because he considered Li Chengxiu’s appearance lacking and was unwilling to stand next to him, if he didn’t look a certain way. If Li Chengxiu could speak properly, he would tell Shao Qun that he was not willing to stand next to him at all. Besides, his clothes were not stolen, and even if they didn't look good, Li Chengxiu was not ashamed to wear them.
He didn't need Shao Qun to give him anything.
Shao Qun patiently coaxed him: "Xiao Chengxiu, if you look more attractive, won’t you feel better?"
Li Chengxiu was a little annoyed: "I'm not… A decoration."
A hint of anger flashed across Shao Qun's face.
He originally had a bad temper, and his current patience with Li Chengxiu was unprecedented. If someone else would unhappily talk back to him like this over and over again, he would have already flipped the table a long time ago.
Shao Qun tried his best to suppress his anger and invited Li Chengxiu to get inside the car: "Okay, if you don't want to buy clothes, then we won’t buy any."
Li Chengxiu hesitantly held onto the car door hesitantly and asked, "Today… no work?"
"I told you, you are going on a date with me today."
Li Chengxiu was about to open his mouth to say something, but Shao Qun quickly interrupted him: "Hey, don’t say that you want to go home! I won't let you go home. You are mine for the next two weeks."
Li Chengxiu remembered how fawningly President Chen was treating Shao Qun, and felt like his boss basically sold him. He had no choice but to get in the car.
Shao Qun drove him to a property with a sea view. Li Chengxiu knew this place. He passed by it on the bus every day on his way to work. It was not far from the hotel - only ten minutes of walking distance.
After they drove into the courtyard of the property, Shao Qun looked a little excited.
Li Chengxiu doubtfully looked at the new high-rise building in front of him through the car window.
He had no concept of housing prices, because with his salary, if he ever wanted to buy a house in Shenzhen, he would have to stop eating and drinking for the rest of his life. So he never paid any attention to the housing market. However, even he knew that the house near the sea must be exceedingly expensive. Li Chengxiu looked enviously at the snow-white stone walls, the balconies with exquisitely fashioned iron decorations, and the bright floor-to-ceiling windows.
Shao Qun parked the car in the underground parking lot and took Li Chengxiu to the 23rd floor in an elevator.
Li Chengxiu looked at the shiny metallic elevator doors and asked, "What are we doing here?"
Shao Qun smiled mysteriously: "You'll find out in a while."
Shao Qun opened an apartment door in front of him, and Li Chengxiu immediately felt a cool breeze coming his way, which was really refreshing on this hot summer day.
Li Chengxiu looked inside and saw an empty room. It was large, and the floor-to-ceiling windows on the opposite side of the wall were wide open. At a glance, one could see the unobstructed view at the vast sea. The scenery was intoxicating.
Shao Qun pulled Li Chengxiu inside and took him around the premises: "How is it? Do you like it?"
Li Chengxiu gave him a suspicious look.
Shao Qun smiled: "In the future, you can live here. Within three days, I will have people complete all the necessary preparations."
"What?" Li Chengxiu said in surprise.
"How can you continue living in that place of yours? It’s just a matter of time till you die of heatstroke! You shouldn’t stay there anymore. It will also be more convenient for me to come visit you here." The more Shao Qun talked, the darker Li Chengxiu’s face got.
"Why would I want to live here? I already have a home."
Shao Qun frowned and then said softly: "I care about you. Living in that apartment is not good for your health. I can’t help but feel bad."
Li Chengxiu was someone who was easily swayed by kindness[13], so when he heard Shao Qun say that, he softened: "Thank you. I don't think it's too hot. I can't… live. In your house."
Shao Qun sighed, grabbed Li Chengxiu's shoulder and pressed him against the wall, pushing himself against him.
Now that there was no one around them, if Shao Qun didn’t try at least something, he would really feel sorry for himself.
Li Chengxiu nervously widened his eyes: "You..."
Shao Qun pressed his struggling arms and whispered into his ear, "Chengxiu, why do you always reject my kindness? I just want to be nice to you. Can't you give me a chance to be nice to you?"
"First, let me go."
"I won’t let you go, Chengxiu." Shao Qun slightly bent down, pressing his nose against his face, as he squinted : "I want to kiss you."
Li Chengxiu was shocked. He was just about to open his mouth to say something, when Shao Qun suddenly blocked his lips.
Shao Qun was an expert in flirting and seduction, and he knew exactly what to do. He pressed Li Chengxiu's waist tightly against his abdomen, gently rubbing it, while the other hand was firmly placed on the back of Li Chengxiu's head, as he sucked on his soft lips. .
Li Chengxiu was completely immobilized. He opened his eyes in horror, and even his neck turned red in an instant.
Shao Qun took advantage of his state to stick his tongue into his mouth, churning it around there and entangling the tip of Li Chengxiu’s tongue.
Li Chengxiu couldn’t avoid it. His legs went weak, and his mind went blank from the kiss. He had to rely on Shao Qun to avoid collapsing to the ground.
Shao Qun kissed him until he was almost deprived of oxygen before finally letting go.
Li Chengxiu's whole body was soft in his arms, and his fingers trembled as he grabbed the front of Shao Qun’s shirt.
Shao Qun exhaled softly into his ear: "Chengxiu, how was that? You also have feelings for me, don't you?"
Li Chengxiu trembled, "Let go..."
Shao Qun didn't hear clearly: "What?"
"Let go." Li Chengxiu suddenly opened his mouth and fiercely bit Shao Qun’s arm.
Shao Qun hissed in pain and retracted his hand.
Li Chengxiu took advantage of the situation, pushed Shao Qun away and rushed out the door without looking back.
A nice illustration of Adrian (also known as Adi, real name: Wen Xiaohui) from Weibo.
Hands down the best character in the entire 188 universe. I think I could write essays about his superiority. He will appear in the future some more.
Chapter 17
The elevator took too long, so Li Chengxiu ran down the stairs. But how could he outrun Shao Qun who was taller and had longer legs? Li Chengxiu was caught before he could even go down a few floors.
He nervously glared at Shao Qun.
Shao Qun gave him a reassuring smile: "Chengxiu, I'm sorry. It was too soon."
Li Chengxiu pointed at him with a trembling finger: "Asshole."
Shao Qun used the opportunity to grab his hand: "Yes, I'm an asshole. I'm sorry, Chengxiu. I just like you too much. I can't help it."
Step by step, Li Chengxiu retreated to the wall: "I want to go home."
"Don't worry, I'll take you home. But you have to forgive me first."
"You..." Li Chengxiu was angry.
Shao Qun leaned over Li Chengxiu, trapping him between the corner of the wall and his body. He clasped his wrists lightly, but still firmly enough to prevent him from breaking free. He then gently touched his face: "Chengxiu, do you remember that first kiss?"
Li Chengxiu was shocked.
"Our first kiss. I don't believe you've forgotten it. I still remember the mood at that time. I've never felt so good or content before, I was on top of the world. Tell me, did I kiss you first, or did you kiss me?"
Li Chengxiu looked at him in confusion. Unconsciously, Shao Qun’s words brought back the memories: "I…I don't know."
"I don't know either. But I know for sure that you felt the same as I did at that moment."
Li Chengxiu was not good at lying, so he could only stay silent.
"Chengxiu, look me in the eye and tell me honestly - at that time, you also liked me, right?"
Li Chengxiu looked at him in amazement.
Like... Did he like Shao Qun back then? He wasn’t sure. And before he could confirm his feelings at the time, it was already too late anyway, and he was afraid to admit anything even to himself.
"Chengxiu, you liked me, I could feel it. I liked you too, and I believe you know it. Can you try to recall how you felt at the time? I'm still the same Shao Qun, I still like you. It’s just that I’m a grown up now. Now that I'm older, I won’t act like a coward. I'll treat you better than I did back then. Can you try to like me again, please?"
Li Chengxiu's heart tightened, and his nose felt sour.
Seeing that Li Chengxiu’s expression had softened, Shao Qun secretly rejoiced in his heart and gently pulled him closer. Seeing that Li Chengxiu didn’t refuse, he boldly hugged him.
"Chengxiu, we can get our feelings from the past back. Remember how that kiss felt? We just lightly pressed our lips together, but I still remember how soft it was, how beautiful." In the past ten years, Shao Qun had coaxed many men and women into sleeping with him. When he used his sweet words, it was difficult even for the most hard-hearted to remain unmoved. His voice was low and gentle, and he was very persuasive. While Li Chengxiu was still in a trance, Shao Qun lightly lifted his chin and gently kissed his lips.
This kiss was not as impatient and violent as the one before. It was rather soft and light as a feather - just a touch, nothing else.
It was as if both of them had returned to that time fourteen years ago and relived the same kiss. That first youthful chaste kiss was worth all the riches in the world, and the excitement of forbidden pleasure seemed to burst out from their chests.
It wasn’t just Li Chengxiu who was caught up in the whirlpool of memories, even Shao Qun temporarily lost his cool. The same feeling he had first experienced so many years ago made his heart beat faster and warmed his body.
When their lips parted, neither of them said a word. They just quietly looked at each other. In the dim stairwell, Shao Qun's eyes were particularly bright, and Li Chengxiu had the illusion of being burned by them.
Suddenly Li Chengxiu said, "Shao Qun, we have grown up."
Shao Qun was stunned - it seemed to be the first time that Li Chengxiu called him by his name. Only now there was an actual feeling of reunion after a long separation, as if Li Chengxiu had finally admitted that he indeed was his former classmate Shao Qun,
With a subtle melancholy in his heart, Shao Qun unconsciously copied Li Chengxiu's tone and said, "Yes, we have grown up."
Li Chengxiu freed his hand from Shao Qun’s grip and looked down at the toes of his shoe in silence.
Shao Qun looked at Li Chengxiu’s red ears and white neck, and he felt unbearable longing in his heart.
He knew that it was not the right time yet, so all he could do now was suppress his desire. Softly he said, "Chengxiu, even though I’ve grown up, my feelings for you have not changed. Let’s give each other a chance, okay?"
Li Chengxiu shook his head: "I don't know."
"You don't have to know now. Take your time. But don't reject my kindness any more."
Li Chengxiu still stubbornly shook his head: "I will not live…in your house."
"Okay, I won’t force you. I just want to make your life a little better. I have no ill intentions."
Li Chengxiu finally raised his head and gave him a relieved smile: "Thank you."
Shao Qun also smiled and rubbed his face: "You are so stubborn. Come, let's go downstairs. It's almost noon - I'll take you out to dinner."
While the two were eating, they chatted a little more. Li Chengxiu even explained to Shao Qun why the lark mushrooms in abalone sauce that they had ordered were not authentic enough. Shao Qun could feel that Li Chengxiu's defenses that had been set in place since they met were obviously melting away.
Shao Qun had never worked so hard to seduce someone before, but he didn't feel bored at all. As a man, he naturally loved the feeling of conquest. And now he seemed to be marching onto the city, attacking it again and again, as he slowly destroyed its defense systems. The spoils of victory seemed to be within reach. But they were still a bit too far away, making Shao Qun feel excited and unable to stop.
After the two of them finished eating, Shao Qun planned to take Li Chengxiu out to play. However, an unexpected phone call came through - there was an urgent matter that required his immediate presence. So Shao Qun had no choice but to take Li Chengxiu home.
Before leaving, Shao Qun said, "Tomorrow I’ll take you to purchase the ingredients. You’ll have to do some tasting.."
Li Chengxiu nodded.
"And the day after tomorrow, we’ll have another date.”
"What?"
Shao Qun blinked slyly: "One day I’m taking you out for work, and one day I’m taking you out for a date."
Li Chengxiu slightly blushed: "Don't you… don't you need to work?"
Shao Qun smiled ambiguously: "How can work be more important than being with you?"
Li Chengxiu gave him an embarrassed look.
Shao Qun whispered in his ear: "Chengxiu, can you kiss me?"
Li Chengxiu was so frightened that he quickly stepped back. Then he remembered the kiss in the stairwell, and his face turned red.
Shao Qun laughed, "Why do you get embarrassed so easily?"
Li Chengxiu said: "This… this is not good."
Shao Qun sighed, pouting slightly, and showed a disappointed expression. Now he was looking at Li Chengxiu like a pitiful child who was asking for pocket money.
Li Chengxiu felt a little relieved and smiled as he told him "Goodbye."
In the next few days, Li Chengxiu and Shao Qun met almost every day, and Shao Qun took him out to eat, drink and have fun. All this time he was caring, gentle and considerate to Li Chengxiu.
It was no exaggeration to say that Li Chengxiu hadn’t experienced such an easy life in the least twenty years.
He didn’t need to work, but his salary was still paid in full.
For the first time in his life, he was pursued and felt valued. Having somebody to spend time with was also a beautiful feeling. Moreover, Shao Qun was very knowledgeable, and he took him to see a lot of new things around town, which broadened Li Chengxiu’s horizons. He had never suspected that there were so many interesting and exciting things in this city, even though he had stayed here for several years.
Although he reminded himself every day not to get carried away, subconsciously he started looking forward to seeing Shao Qun.
It was very similar to the time when they had just started to hang out as kids.
Originally, school was just Li Chengxiu’s escape from his gloomy life at home. But gradually it evolved into actually looking forward to having a quiet lunch break with Shao Qun on the rooftop at noon.
Just like then, Shao Qun seemed to have opened a door to a new world for him. The same door that isolated Li Chengxiu from everybody else and made him feel sad, frustrated, inferior, and exhausted.
In this new world there was no trouble, no problems, no reality - he was no longer discriminated against, ignored, or living a humble and bitter life. On the contrary, somebody cared for him and treated him better than anybody else. When he was with Shao Qun, even those who ignored him before would treat him with respect. He felt like such an important person now - someone appreciated him, liked him, and was willing to accompany him so that he no longer needed to be lonely.
Step by step, Shao Qun had turned his fantasies that would only appear secretly in his dreams into reality. Li Chengxiu had never dared to seek life's pleasures before, but he found himself unable to resist these things he had always longed for.
What’s more, these days, Shao Qun hadn’t crossed any lines again. And Li Chengxiu was actually already accustomed and too lazy to react to the occasional gestures of intimacy here or there.
The sea party was coming closer - more than half of the allotted 2 weeks had passed by, and Li Chengxiu felt a weird sense of loss.
No matter how good the dream was, eventually it was time to wake up.
On this day, he stayed home alone, staring at the wall in a daze.
Shao Qun had been very busy these last few days. Although the preparations for the party were basically done, there were still some important details that had to be worked out.
Li Chengxiu’s live had been so full of action every day, and all of a sudden it felt empty - he really wasn’t used to it anymore.
He took a sip of water and flipped through the recipes he had prepared to see what else could be improved.
Suddenly his phone rang.
He quickly picked it up, but when he saw the caller ID on the screen, he was a little disappointed.
"Hello, Manager Zhang."
"Hey, Xiao Li. What are you doing now?"
"I’m at home."
"Oh, that's great. Get ready, you're gonna be busy today."
"Oh? Why?"
"Mr. Chen has arranged a dormitory for you."
"A dormitory?"
"Yes, previously the staff dormitory wasn’t quite ready yet. But now all the work has been completed. President Chen is very fond of you, so he has chosen a very good place for you. You’re really lucky. Anyway, if you’re free today, you can move in."
"Ah?" Li Chengxiu was frightened. Having a place in a dormitory was indeed a good thing. He could save on rent but there was no reason to move in so quickly.
"What do you mean “ah”? Give me your address, I'm free today, so I can come and help you move."
Manager Zhang had never been so friendly to Li Chengxiu that he would suddenly sacrifice his holiday just to come help him move. This made Li Chengxiu really suspicious.
He explained with some difficulty: "Too soon. I have to…cancel. The apartment."
"Just give your landlord a call. It's almost the end of the month anyway. Move in first, and let your lease run out."
"I need to cancel two months in advance. Or I lose the deposit."
"Oh, the hotel will be responsible for your deposit. We can’t leave that nice place standing empty after all. Don't offend Mr. Chen - hurry up and tell me your address."
"Manager Zhang… but it's too sudden..."
The voice on the other side finally revealed some impatience: "Why are you still haggling like a woman on the marketplace? If you don't move into such a good house quickly, somebody else will snatch it away in a few days. This house is just for you alone, no roommates. How many people in our hotel get such good treatment? Why are you still hesitating?"
Li Chengxiu was a little afraid of offending his manager. Thinking about what he just said, it really did make sense. Since the hotel was going to reimburse his deposit, he had nothing to worry about. As soon as Li Chengxiu had made up his mind, he gave Manager Zhang his address.
Only then did Manager Zhang sound happy again: "There's a traffic jam now. I'll be there in a bit more than an hour. So you should hurry up and pack up already."
Li Chengxiu put down his phone and froze for a while.
Urging him to move immediately as if it was the question of life and death was really weird. Besides, Manager Zhang usually ignored him, so why would he make a special trip now just to help him move? There were many doubts in Li Chengxiu’s heart, and no matter how he thought about it, he felt that something was wrong.
He hurriedly called his landlord. At first, his landlord was really angry at him for moving out so suddenly and being unable to quite explain the reason. He told Li Chengxiu off on the phone for a long time, until he was reassured that there will be compensation for breaching the contract.
After calling the landlord, Li Chengxiu called Shao Qun.
He didn't expect that one day he'd actually have someone in his life whom he could notify about moving.
It was a pity though that Shao Qun didn’t pick up, so Li Chengxiu had to drop the call.
Although his speech wasn’t very fluent, Li Chengxiu’s actions were usually very quick. In recent years, he had moved many times. He only had a few things that were easy to pack. He took out the big woven bags and cardboard boxes he used in the past, and quickly began to fill them up.
By the time Manager Zhang arrived with the moving company, Li Chengxiu had basically finished packing up and was already dismantling his wardrobe with some tools.
Manager Zhang stepped forward to stop him: "You don't have to bring any furniture. Everything you need is already there. Whatever you think you might require, has been provided."
Li Chengxiu frowned: "But..." He had bought this furniture with his own money. If one day he had to move out from that place, would he need to buy new furniture again?
"Don’t worry about it. Leave it here. There’s no place for it there anyway."
"No. In the future. If I move..."
"Let's talk about it later. There’s really no place for all this junk there. Are you going to fill the house rented by President Chen with this old stuff? If the landlord finds out, wouldn’t it cause trouble for our boss?"
Li Chengxiu thought about what he said, but he was really reluctant to throw anything away. He could, of course, move in first and figure out what to do later. There were still a few days left until the end of the month. When he is free tomorrow and the day after that, he could come here and take the furniture to sell at the second-hand market. Or maybe negotiate with the landlord to sell it to the next tenant.
Everything happened very fast - in the afternoon, Li Chengxiu was already sitting in the moving van which drove in the direction of the hotel.
When the moving van entered a familiar neighborhood, Li Chengxiu was dumbfounded.
Chapter 18
This was the same neighborhood where Shao Qun brought him a few days ago.
He had a bad premonition in his heart, and sure enough, Manager Zhang led him into the same building and took him to the same floor.
Li Chengxiu was panicking. He pulled Manager Zhang's sleeve to prevent him from opening the door of the apartment.
"Manager… Manager Zhang."
"What's up?"
"Here……"
"Oh, it’s not a bad place, right? This apartment even has a sea view." Manager Zhang's tone was obviously envious when he said it. Taking advantage of the dimness of the corridor, he couldn't help but glance at Li Chengxiu. He wondered what was so special about him. Was it just because he was Shao’s former classmate that he would get such preferential treatment? The rent for this house was 81,000 RMB[14] a month. Why did Li Chengxiu get something like that? President Chen had also specifically requested that he had to bring Li Chengxiu here on his rest day.
"Manager Zhang, is this Mr. Chen's arrangement?"
"Yeah, Mr. Chen takes special care of you." Manager Zhang opened the door and held his breath in amazement.
Li Chengxiu looked inside and was also very surprised.
A few days ago, it was still empty, but now it was a well-decorated house. It had an elegant and warm design, and it seemed ready for the new owner to move in at any time.
Manager Zhang couldn't help but glance at Li Chengxiu again. His expression was full of doubt. He opened his mouth, but didn't ask any questions.
He greeted the people from the moving company: "Come, you can bring everything up."
"No, no." Li Chengxiu hurriedly blocked the door. He anxiously asked Manager Zhang again, "This… is really Mr. Chen’s… arrangement?"
"Tsk, Mr. Li, you’re so annoying. I've told you everything clearly enough already. You see that everything is here, and your stuff is ready to be moved. What else is there to talk about?"
Li Chengxiu didn’t want to say anything anymore. This was obviously a good thing done by Shao Qun. But he was not sure whether Manager Zhang knew about it. If it was President Chen who asked him to arrange everything, there was no use to even start this discussion with Manager Zhang?
"Manager Zhang, I…I'll make a call, okay?"
Manager Zhang waved his hand impatiently: "Hurry up."
Li Chengxiu quickly hid in the stairwell and started to dial Shao Qun's number, but even after several rings no one answered.
When he went back to the apartment, he saw that the moving company had put all his luggage in the living room.
Manager Zhang left the key on the shoe cabinet: "Well, everything has been moved. This key here is for you."
"Manager Zhang, how can I... I can't… live here."
"Can’t live here? What's the matter with you? You don’t want to live in such a nice house for free?"
Li Chengxiu was anxiously sweating, but didn't know how to explain what he meant: "I… I can't. Manager Zhang, tell President Chen that… I can't live here."
"Go and tell it to President Chen yourself." Manager Zhang gave him a strange look, "Boss Chen takes such good care of you, yet you don't appreciate it. Aren't you being disrespectful towards him? I already told you that our boss values his reputation the most. To tell you the truth, if you weren’t such good friends with Mr. Shao, Mr. Chen would not treat you this way. Our boss is trying to curry favor with Mr. Shao right now. If things go well, then President Chen can get his hands on a profitable piece of land through him. Once that happens, he’ll have no problem paying your rent."
"I'm not… friends with Mr.Shao."
Manager Zhang frowned and glared at him: "I don't care about any of that. I just care about what Mr. Chen tells me. Xiao Li, I don’t get you. Mr. Chen treats you so well, he gives you a big apartment, gives you an opportunity to earn extra money, pays for your five insurances and even finances your housing costs. And all of this for free. Completely free! Why would you turn this down? To negate all his hard work for you?”
Li Chengxiu was speechless.
When Manager Zhang left, he was overwhelmed by all his stuff on the ground. He just stood there motionless for several minutes.
What was he going to do now? Move all his luggage back? Or actually stay and live here?
If he stayed, his relationship with Shao Qun would be weird. If he didn’t stay, he would offend his boss. Li Chengxiu couldn't make up his mind for a while, so he just sat there on the floor and stared at his luggage in a daze.
The sun went down, and the room was getting darker and darker. Then, with a sudden "snap" the huge living room was instantly illuminated by all the overhead lights.
Li Chengxiu was startled. When he turned around, he saw that Shao Qun was standing behind him and smiling.
"Chengxiu, why didn’t you close the door? Aren't you afraid of bad people?"
Li Chengxiu got up from the ground and glared at him: "Shao Qun, you..."
"I know what you're going to say. Don't be angry. Come on, it’s been a long day, and you're tired of moving. It's getting dark, and you're still sitting here in a daze. Have you even eaten yet? I brought you your favorite rice noodles." Shao Qun raised his hand and put the lunch box he was holding on the table, inviting Li Chengxiu for a meal.
"Shao Qun, what are you doing?"
Shao Qun calmly shrugged: "What do you mean?"
"Here… I said before… I don't want to stay."
"This is a long story. When I had breakfast with your boss one day, I mentioned that your living environment is not very good. Your boss felt very sorry about that. If it weren't for his lack of funds, he would have arranged dormitories for you a long time ago. Now that he has more income, he decided to solve this housing problem at least for some of the employees who have contributed to the hotel the most. He thinks that you have worked for the chain for a long time now and you have done a good job, so he wanted to arrange a nice single apartment for you. But he couldn’t find a good place for a while. So I recommended this place that I had just bought. This apartment is standing empty anyway, and I have to pay the property fee every month. It’s just not worth it. It’s better for me to rent it out. And it’s even better to rent it out to an acquaintance." Shao Qun spread his hands innocently, "Come on, Chengxiu, let's eat."
Li Chengxiu was speechless for a long time, and his eyes were about to fall out from shock.
Shao Qun came up to hold his hand and led him to the dining table: "What are you doing standing there? Just eat."
Li Chengxiu waved his hand away, blushing with anger: "You… On purpose..."
"Yes, I did it on purpose. But it also makes sense. I didn't just give you this house, it is being rented by your boss and used as a staff dormitory for you."
"You!"
"Chengxiu." Shao Qun held his hand again and looked into his eyes with a smile, "Chengxiu, don't be angry. I know I didn't tell you beforehand, and it wasn’t so good from my side. But you reacted so badly to this before, that I was afraid you’d refuse to move, if you knew about the arrangement. After all, I just feel sorry for your living conditions."
Li Chengxiu really couldn’t deal with this soft approach, and his harsh expression was a little shaken.
"I want to be nice to you, but you always reject my kindness. Thinking of you living in that place makes me sad. It's so hot in the summer, and the traffic is not convenient. The security is also not good. Chengxiu, I care about you and I worry about you. Don't you understand that?"
"I… I understand, but I can't live in your house."
"Chengxiu." Shao Qun touched his face lightly and emphasized: "I rented this house to your boss. And then your boss made this your dormitory. You don't owe me anything, because you got it by working at the hotel."
Li Chengxiu opened his mouth to say something, but didn't know how to refute Shao Qun’s words.
"Chengxiu, do you remember the time when we were young?" Shao Qun pulled Li Chengxiu to the dining table and sat him down, pushing the lunch box in front of him, "I used to bring you delicious food back then. And later, I rented a house just for you. We went there during lunch break, do you remember?
Li Chengxiu thought about these moments in the past and felt a little touched. His shoulders finally relaxed, and he nodded.
"At that time, you also didn't want to eat my food or live in my house. But when I was a child, I always used my fists to scare people. You were afraid of me, so you had to accept it." Shao Qun laughed out loud, "I just wanted to treat you nicely at that time. And if you refused, I got angry. Same now, I just want to be nice to you. But I’m not going to threaten you anymore, if you refuse. I'll just be very sad."
Li Chengxiu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and his heart softened when he heard those words.
Shao Qun continued: "Isn’t this house designed to feel like home? When I saw it, I thought of the small place we rented outside the school at that time. It made me recall all of our good memories. Don't you miss it at all?"
Li Chengxiu hesitated: "I..."
Shao Qun took advantage of the situation to slowly approach him and gently kiss his cheek.
Li Chengxiu's eyes were as bright as stars - clear and innocent. Still a little nervous, he looked at Shao Qun hesitantly.
How could Shao Qun let him hesitate? He bit his lower lip and slowly sucked at it, while tightly holding Li Chengxiu’s arms with both of his hands.
Li Chengxiu's upper body kept shaking. He rigidly accepted Shao Qun's kiss, but he was still struggling a lot in his heart.
Shao Qun kissed him for a while, and before Li Chengxiu tried to push him away, he moved away and looked at him with a smile.
Li Chengxiu felt guilty and hurriedly lowered her head.
How could Shao Qun miss such a great opportunity? He held Li Chengxiu’s face and said, "Xiao Chengxiu, you didn't refuse this time. So have I succeeded?"
"What…what?"
"Do you like me?"
"I… no...I don't know..."
Shao Qun raised the corners of his mouth, showing a complacent smile, then kissed his forehead and laughed loudly: "Okay, I won't force you. Sooner or later you will have to admit it yourself. Come on, eat now, I can’t let my darling[15] starve."
"Why did you bring these things here? All the kitchen utensils are provided, so you can throw your stuff away." After the two of them finished eating, Shao Qun insisted on staying to help Li Chengxiu with unpacking. But he didn’t even lift a finger - just stood there and gave commands.
Li Chengxiu ignored him and moved all the pots and pans he brought with him to the kitchen.
Even if he decided to stay here for the time being, he didn’t dare to mess with the things in the apartment. Everything around looked very expensive. What if he breaks something and needs to pay for it?
"This pot has loose screws. If it falls apart while you’re cooking in it, won't you get burnt?"
Li Chengxiu took the pot from him: "It’s still fine."
Shao Qun frowned as he watched Li Chengxiu rush in and out of the room. After a while, the pile of stuff on the floor disappeared, and the house was spotless and orderly again.
When Li Chengxiu was done, Shao Qun made a pot of tea and invited him to rest on the balcony.
There was a set of cream white rattan coffee table and rattan chairs on the balcony. When one looked outside, one could see a seascape in the distance - the silvery moonlight was reflecting from the water, while the moist sea breeze blew gently, creating small waves. This night was dazzling, quiet, and cool. In this noisy and busy city, it was undoubtedly a rare treat to experience such serenity.
Li Chengxiu held a small tea bowl, as he faced the sea and enjoyed the sea breeze, while squinting comfortably.
Shao Qun also squinted, but he was looking at Li Chengxiu's slightly raised pointed chin, delicate upturned nose, and long slightly trembling eyelashes.
This moment was very quiet. Li Chengxiu's beautiful profile seemed like a still painting, which made Shao Qun feel calm when he looked at him.
Li Chengxiu noticed his glance and shyly turned his face away: "This… natural wind. Be… better than air conditioning."
Shao Qun smiled: "The ventilation here is good. Even during the day, it won't get too hot. If you live here in the future, I wouldn’t have to worry about you getting a heat stroke."
Li Chengxiu nodded slightly and continued to squint at the dark sea.
Shao Qun’s heart skipped a beat, and he moved his rattan chair towards Li Chengxiu.
Li Chengxiu looked at him nervously.
Shao Qun's hand wrapped around the back of his head and gently touched his soft hair: "The day after tomorrow you will have to work a lot, and you will be busy all day long. Are you prepared?"
Li Chengxiu smiled and said, "That's what I usually do."
"That's good. But when it’s all over, we won’t be able to meet every day. That makes me really reluctant."
Li Chengxiu lowered his eyes in embarrassment.
"Chengxiu." Shao Qun gently touched his eyes with his fingertips: "Be mine."
Li Chengxiu narrowed his eyes and looked at the buttons on Shao Qun's shirt.
Shao Qun raised his chin: "I'll treat you well. Just be mine, okay?"
"I……"
"Do you still want to say that you don't know? Chengxiu, you’re an adult. Don't you even know what you want? Since you don't know, don't you want to find out? Look at me and ask yourself - do you hate me?"
Li Chengxiu shook his head in a daze.
"Then are you happy when you’re with me?"
Li Chengxiu paused for a while, then nodded.
"In that case, why can't you be with me? I can give you an astonishing life."
"We…we…are not suitable."
"Why do you think so? How are we not suitable?"
Li Chengxiu was silent. Where should he even begin? He felt that they were unsuitable in all aspects.
Shao Qun was so outstanding, so dazzling, and he has always been like this, ever since he was a child. While Li Chengxiu hasn't made any progress in life at all. He was suddenly almost 30, yet he still felt at a loss about his future. He couldn't figure out why Shao Qun even liked him. And because he couldn't figure it out, he was afraid that everything was just a dream. If he took a step forward, he might accidentally walk out of this dream.
It was unclear when Shao Qun got so close to him that he was almost holding him in his arms: "Chengxiu, I like you. I don’t care about being suitable. You just need to let it go and be with me. No need to think about all these useless things."
Li Chengxiu hesitated: "Let me…think… think about it more."
Shao Qun looked at his weak expression and let out a long sigh: "Okay, I'll give you some more time, but..."
A phone call suddenly interrupted them. Shao Qun lowered his head and took out his mobile phone. He looked at the caller ID and said: "I have to take this." He got up and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Li Chengxiu was still dazed, as he hadn’t recovered from the warm atmosphere that surrounded him just now.
"Hey, A-wen."
"Right. I haven't been around recently. I’m all right."
"What? You’re all coming? Okay, let me tell you, Shenzhen's service industry is very developed! Let's have a good time with all the bros reunited again."
"Fuck! So you’re not rushing here for me? Once Li Chengxiu is mentioned, you’re all running over, but when I invited you, you were all sooo busy!"
"Well, I'm chasing him. Actually I'm with him right now."
"I don’t fucking want to do it now. Not to that extent."
"Tonight? Forget it, I’m a civilized person. Why would I go so far as rape? If I touch him now, he’ll bite me."
"Nonsense, of course there's no problem. Is my name even Shao Qun, if I can’t deal with that little sissy?"
"Forget it. In front of him I have to be a perfect gentleman. I’m warning you, you can come, but don’t you dare ruin my little play."
"Okay, okay, just act polite with him. If you fucking cause me any trouble, I’ll beat the shit out of all of you."
"Okay, I’m hanging up. See you the day after tomorrow."
When Shao Qun returned, he saw that Li Chengxiu was still sitting crookedly in the chair. His head was leaned against the iron railing of the balcony.
He walked over and saw that his eyes were closed, and he was breathing evenly, as if in a deep sleep.
Li Chengxiu's face looked a bit tired. In his sleep he looked innocent and defenseless. Seeing that, Shao Qun involuntarily smiled, stepped forward and picked him up.
Li Chengxiu woke up as soon as he felt some movement. When he opened his eyes, he was startled to see himself hanging in the air.
"Shao Qun, I dozed off for a while. Put me down."
Shao Qun pretended to take his hands away in order to frighten him. "Don't move, or I'll throw you off the balcony, hehe." He laughed.
Li Chengxiu also giggled: "You dare… kill me!”
Shao Qun lowered his head and kissed Li Chengxiu on the hair: "I'm carrying my wife into the bridal chamber."
Li Chengxiu blushed: "I'll go by myself."
"What's the matter? Are you so impatient? Are you afraid it’ll take too long for me to carry you?"
"No……"
Shao Qun hugged him closer and suddenly ran a few steps, frightening Li Chengxiu so much that he quickly grabbed his arm.
Shao Qun rushed into the bedroom and threw Li Chengxiu onto the double bed. He then pressed his whole body onto him.
Li Chengxiu let out a low cry, as he panicked and struggled with the weight of another person on top of him.
The relationship between him and Shao Qun was that Shao Qun kept approaching while Li Chengxiu kept retreating. Shao Qun's initiative made him scared, yet also tempted. As he couldn't make up his mind about the situation, he could only keep retreating, but Shao Qun slowly pushed him into a dead end. And now there was nowhere to retreat. There were only two paths in front of him - either push Shao Qun away and leave, or he could...
Shao Qun hushed him and chuckled: "Are you nervous that I’ll force you?"
"Then… what do you… want to do?"
"I want to hug you." Shao Qun took Li Chengxiu into his arms, buried his head in his neck and said in a muffled voice, "I want to hug you just like I did when I was a child."
Li Chengxiu's rapid breathing gradually calmed down, and his heart was beating softly.
Shao Qun's soft kisses lingered on his neck and cheeks and finally stopped on his lips. Shao Qun pecked and kissed them carefully.
The alluring moonlight was peaking through the window into the pitch dark room, and the surroundings were so quiet that one would be able to hear a needle falling on the ground.
Li Chengxiu heard Shao Qun's heartbeat.
Heartbeat can't be faked, he thought.
They say that when you like someone your heart beats faster. He felt that his heart was about to jump out of his throat. He could feel that Shao Qun's heart was also beating really fast. Does this mean that...
His body slowly relaxed, and he tremblingly accepted Shao Qun's kiss.
Me googling the term “love bombing”
Chapter 19
That day, Shao Qun didn't stay for a long time. He hugged Li Chengxiu for a bit, they talked for a while, and then he finally left. Li Chengxiu felt relieved.
In a blink of an eye, the day of the party had arrived.
Li Chengxiu had to get up at four in the morning. Shao Qun wasn’t up that early, so he sent a driver to take him to Shenzhen Bay. The plan was to sail from Shenzhen Bay to Hong Kong.
It was already past six am when Li Chengxiu arrived in Shenzhen Bay. It was dawning.
The car stopped at a yacht marina, and someone came down to pick him up with a boat. Besides Li Chengxiu, other staff members also started arriving one after another.
Dozens of snow-white yachts were neatly parked on the dock, and it looked spectacular at first glance.
The person in charge took them for a walk along the pier. In front of them they saw a three-storey luxury yacht which was more than 30 meters in length. Li Chengxiu stared blankly at this snow-white and elegant vehicle.
The person in charge was pretty smug about it: "This yacht can accommodate fifty or even sixty people! There are only a few yachts in China that can hold so many guests."
Everyone around sighed.
Li Chengxiu boarded the yacht after everybody else.
Shao Qun told him that all the guests were pretty distinguished. Not many people were invited, but everything had to be up to the highest standard.
In order to prepare perfect dishes for 40 people, Li Chengxiu had to start out early in the morning. He didn't have time to look around the yacht, as he hurried into the kitchen to begin the preparations.
When one is busy, time flies quickly. So in a blink of an eye, it was already afternoon. Li Chengxiu also had no idea at what moment the yacht left the pier.
Except for a quick lunch at noon, he didn't take any breaks at all. After finally preparing everything that should have been prepared, Li Chengxiu waited for the time to start cooking. That was when he finally could take a breather on top of the deck.
After a while, someone came up to him and said: "Chef Li, are you free now? Go to the second floor when you're ready. The boss is waiting for you.”
"Okay."
Li Chengxiu went upstairs and saw Shao Qun standing in the shade of the cabin, leaning against the railing to catch some wind.
"Shao Qun."
Shao Qun turned towards him and smiled: "Chengxiu, come here."
Li Chengxiu walked over, and as soon as he approached him, Shao Qun naturally took him into his arms. He leaned on the railing with his elbows and trapped Li Chengxiu between his body and the railing.
Li Chengxiu was a little uncomfortable. He looked left and right and wanted to push him away.
"It's okay, there’s no one here. And even if there were people around, what of it? This yacht is my private property." Shao Qun grinned ambiguously, "You’re also my private property."
Li Chengxiu turned away in embarrassment. He still had some doubts in his heart, but Shao Qun seemed to think that they should get along in this way. Were they really in love now? Why did Li Chengxiu feel then that they hadn't reached this level yet? Shao Qun behaved so naturally that he wondered whether they had already established their relationship that night in the new apartment.
But then again, he had already kissed and hugged Shao Qun. If he didn't admit it, it would make him a hypocrite.
Li Chengxiu hesitated for a while, and although he was uncomfortable, he still quietly shrank into Shao Qun's arms and didn’t move anymore.
Seeing his reaction, Shao Qun was very happy. His lips were close to his ear, as he spoke intimately.
"Chengxiu, are you tired? You got up early in the morning, and I only just got onto the boat."
"Not tired… had to do early preparations."
"You should take a good rest for a few days after this event is over."
"The day after tomorrow…I have to return to work."
"I’m calling the shots here. Take a few more days off. Your boss won’t mind."
Li Chengxiu nodded, thinking that it would be good to have a few more days of rest. The essential thing was to get paid, of course, but he also wanted to laze around a bit.
"Chengxiu, is this yacht beautiful?"
"Very beautiful."
"During the financial crisis, I bought it from a very unlucky Indian[16] guy. Hey, this Indian was close to tears when I negotiated the price down."
Li Chengxiu just smiled and nodded.
"But yachts are nothing special! Wait until I earn some more money to actually buy a cruise ship." Shao Qun was only turning twenty-six this year. Usually he would present a mature and reserved front to the outsiders. But in front of his fresh little squeeze who has never seen much of the world, Shao Qun inevitably wanted to show off, and he didn’t conceal the flashy arrogance of his words.
Li Chengxiu smiled and nodded yet again, feeling that Shao Qun was really a high-powered person. He couldn't help but wonder how someone like that could notice someone like him.
Shao Qun looked at the admiration in Li Chengxiu's eyes and felt the calming comfort of his body. This made him happier than any flattering words he had ever heard from anyone else before.
Shao Qun's heart was full of anticipation, and he pulled Li Chengxiu into the inner cabin: "Come in! Come and sit here for a while. It's windy outside, you can't stay on the deck for too long."
The two entered the cabin, which was basically a luxuriously furnished room. Although it was not large in size, it had everything one would need.
Shao Qun closed the door with a "bang", then pressed Li Chengxiu against the wall and impatiently lowered his head to cover his lips.
Li Chengxiu was startled and kissed him back with his eyes wide open.
Shao Qun pulled Li Chengxiu’s waist close to his abdomen and held the back of his head with his other hand, while he sucked at his lips so passionately as if he was going to swallow Li Chengxiu whole. He kept pressing down on his lips, kissing him harder and harder. Shao Qun’s dexterous tongue took advantage of Li Chengxiu's mouth, stirring inside, licking his gums and finally chasing and entangling his slippery tongue.
Li Chengxiu's brain was deprived of oxygen by the violent kiss, his limbs went soft, and his whole body was almost hanging off Shao Qun. Transparent fluid slowly leaked out of the corner of his mouth.
He felt that he was about to suffocate, so he used all his strength to push against Shao Qun's chest.
At that moment, Shao Qun was oblivious of anything else, as he was entirely addicted to this amazing feeling rising up inside him. It was not until Li Chengxiu pushed him that he came back to his senses and let go of him.
Both of them were panting heavily, nose to nose, staring at each other.
Shao Qun waited for Li Chengxiu to catch his breath, then he leaned over and kissed him again. But this time he was no longer so impatient, and there was no lack of tenderness in his enthusiasm. He was slowly mobilizing Li Chengxiu's erotic desire. Shao Qun’s hand quietly slid underneath his clothes, sensually stroking his smooth and slender waist.
Li Chengxiu was immersed in this warm atmosphere and didn't even realize what was happening. Although he only passively accepted Shao Qun's kisses and didn't know how to respond, this sweet feeling made him lose his senses.
It wasn't until Shao Qun's palm was already rubbing all over his chest that he suddenly woke up. He curled up like a frightened rabbit and stared at Shao Qun with wide eyes.
Shao Qun patiently reassured him: "Don't be afraid, Chengxiu. We’re both men. Don't you have needs? Just leave it to me, okay?" As he spoke, he started taking off his clothes.
Li Chengxiu was still curled up, too stiff to straighten out: "Shao ... Qun, I'm scared."
If currently his face wasn't right in front of Li Chengxiu, Shao Qun would have rolled his eyes. He could have never imagined that one day there would be a guy in his bed who would hunch over like a total sissy and tell him he was "scared".
He didn't understand that Li Chengxiu was really scared.
He didn't know that at that moment, his eyes were full of naked lust. He didn’t know that he looked fierce and impatient like a beast, eager to swallow his prey in one bite.
His dick was already hard, so no wonder that Shao Qun could no longer pretend to be a gentleman. He spent more than a month of his time on Li Chengxiu, and now he was finally so close that he couldn’t wait to taste the spoils of victory. Just for this, he had pretended to be so fucking noble. Seeing the fresh meat in front of him, how could he hold back?
But looking at Li Chengxiu's teary eyes, he knew this was it for today.
He was so annoyed that he wanted to flip a table, but he tried his best to endure it.
Patting Li Chengxiu's face, he pulled him up. He hugged him and coaxed him softly: "Okay, don't be scared. If you don't want it, I won't force you. I will respect your boundaries." In his experience, or in any man's experience, nine times out of ten, these were the words one would say to a woman. Although he didn't really think of Li Chengxiu as a man in his heart, he did have a penis after all, so Shao Qun felt a little ridiculous having to say all of this stuff to him.
The more uncomfortable and awkward Li Chengxiu looked, the more unpleasant he seemed to Shao Qun.
With the bowstring already stretched, he had to forcibly withdraw his troops. No one had ever let Young Master Shao suffer like this. Today was the first time he had experienced such a thing, and it felt terrible. Moreover, he had to coax and calm down the person who made him uncomfortable in the first place. This whole situation really set his heart on fire.
The two of them parted ways.
Li Chengxiu ran back to the kitchen under the pretext of work.
Shao Qun angrily sat in the bedroom all alone with all kinds of immoral ideas circulating inside his head.
The sun was about to go down, and the kitchen was at its busiest.
The kitchen on the yacht was not very big. But there were more than ten people working there at the same time. Li Chengxiu was so hot that he was sweating profusely, and his white chef clothes were soaked with sweat and were sticking to his back.
Fortunately, he had prepared well, and everything went smoothly. Every time someone opened the door, he could hear the sounds of music leaking in, and he didn't need to look to know that it was very lively outside.
After all the work was done, Li Chengxiu took off his hat and ran to the deck to stand in the wind for a while.
It didn’t take a long time for the person in charge to come up to him: "Chef Xiao Li, the boss is waiting for you on the second floor. You can go up."
Li Chengxiu nodded, remembering the embarrassing afternoon, but he bit the bullet.
Shao Qun was wearing a milky white thin cashmere sweater with a round neck and dark linen slacks. The width of his collar showed off his slender neck and beautiful collarbone. He was tall, his legs were long, he had a strong physique and a very handsome face. He looked like a calm, yet energetic and elegant gentleman. At that moment, he had one hand in his pocket and was holding a wine glass in the other. When he saw Li Chengxiu coming up, he raised the glass to him with a smile.
Li Chengxiu’s face felt hot. He thought that Shao Qun was better-looking than the stars on TV. No matter what clothes he was wearing, he looked like a model.
He remembered that he often looked at Shao Qun's face in a daze when he was a child. He was not interested when he heard his male classmates discussing pretty and cute girls, but every time his female classmates would talk about how handsome Shao Qun was, he would prick up his ears to listen. He really was gay. People were not wrong about him at the time.
Shao Qun smiled and said, "Are you done? You've worked hard today. You look tired."
Li Chengxiu straightened out the hair that was deformed by his chef's hat: "It's okay."
Shao Qun approached him and wrinkled his nose, "You smell of burnt oil. Hurry up and take a bath. I have prepared other clothes for you."
"Oh? Why?"
"So you can join the party."
Li Chengxiu looked at him in surprise: "Me? I can't..."
"Don't be nervous, it's not a formal party. It’s just an ordinary social event. What are you afraid of?"
Li Chengxiu waved his hands again and again: "No, I’m not good…at speaking."
No matter how Li Chengxiu tried to get out of this, Shao Qun insisted on letting him participate. He coaxed him into the bathroom: "I'll come back for you in twenty minutes. Hurry up and wash yourself."
Li Chengxiu had no choice but to take a quick shower and then change into the clothes prepared on the bed for him.
When Shao Qun came in, wet-haired Li Chengxiu was turning the wall-mounted hair dryer left and right, trying to find the switch.
Shao Qun laughed: "The switch is on the wall." He pressed the button, took the hair dryer from Li Chengxiu, and stood behind him to dry his hair.
It's true what they say - you are what you wear.
Li Chengxiu was wearing a polo shirt with a blue starched collar. The soft colors made him look extraordinarily fair and delicate, and he immediately seemed more lively.
Li Chengxiu shyly dodged Shao Qun's scorching gaze in the mirror, not knowing where to put his eyes.
Shao Qun put down the dryer and smeared some wax into his hair. Then he grabbed Li Chengxiu by the back of his head and smiled ambiguously: "My darling looks so good, that I'm not willing to take you out in front of people anymore."
Li Chengxiu blushed slightly and gave him a shy smile.
This shy and timid smile was more provocative for Shao Qun than anything else. He felt that his body was getting hot. He lowered his head and licked Li Chengxiu's earlobe, still staring at the mirror, meeting Li Chengxiu's eyes.
Li Chengxiu turned his head away in embarrassment and wanted to hide.
Shao Qun hugged him from behind, licking all the way along the contour of his ear.
"It tickles……"
Shao Qun chuckled into his ear and kissed his cheek before letting him go.
"Come on, let's go out. There will be a surprise for you later."
"What surprise?"
Shao Qun blinked: "You'll find out in a while."
Li Chengxiu followed him a little nervously. He listened to the people in the kitchen chatting today. Most of the guests were young upstarts from the Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong's political and business circles.
Shao Qun took him down to the first floor, and a wave of heat mixed with loud music hit him directly in the face.
Li Chengxiu looked at the group of people in the hall and was immediately stunned.
He originally thought that since they were all distinguished people, they would all be very decent. So he didn't expect such a chaotic scene.
Shao Qun glanced at him and whispered into his ear, "This is a closed party. All the people here know each other. So everyone can relax. You can also relax. Don't be nervous."
Li Chengxiu pointed at the two large tables in the middle surrounded by a bunch of people: "What are they doing?"
"Ah, let's play too." Shao Qun led him closer, and only then did Li Chengxiu see that it was an American-style roulette table, and there were quite a few pretty girls standing around there, holding trays with wine glasses for the guests. "This...is…" Li Chengxiu whispered, "gambling?"
Shao Qun laughed: "You know, this is not as bad as it looks. Don't worry, we’re on the high seas. We wouldn’t be able to play otherwise.[17]"
With satisfaction, Shao Qun looked at the people in front of him who were gradually losing all inhibitions. These people were usually so virtuous, and all of them pretended to be fierce. Today, under the stimulation of alcohol and other pleasures, some of them might still be able to pretend but they will all show their true colors sooner or later. And that was exactly what Shao Qun wanted. When they wake up tomorrow, they will regret today's drunken decisions, but it would invisibly end up making their relationship much tighter. Thus, they will continue having good times with him in the future.
Li Chengxiu didn't understand Shao Qun's world, so he didn’t want to say anything. But all of this once again hinted at how big of a gap there was between them.
A few people saw Shao Qun and rushed over to greet him. Shao Qun responded to them one by one. When they asked about Li Chengxiu next to him, Shao Qun suddenly dropped his usual intimate act and just said he was some friend of his. But he didn't mean to introduce Li Chengxiu to them at all.
Seeing this, the guests naturally assumed that Li Chengxiu was no one important. Li Chengxiu didn't feel there was anything wrong about that, so he just politely greeted everyone.
Several people were chatting around them, when suddenly someone called loudly: "Shao Qun!"
Shao Qun and Li Chengxiu both turned around and saw three men coming down the stairs - all outstanding in terms of clothes and appearance.
Shao Qun greeted them with a smile: "I was looking around for you. Where did you disappear to?"
Li Chengxiu's face instantly turned pale.
"Yo, this really is Li Chengxiu!"
The man in the lead of the trio came over and hooked Shao Qun's shoulders. He then bent down and turned his face towards Li Chengxiu, looking at him with a smile: "Hey, do you remember me?"
He didn’t forget Shao Qun, and naturally he would never forget these three people. In front of him was Zhou Li[18], a delinquent who dyed his hair red when he was a child and always had two buttons undone on his shirt. Behind him was Li Wenxun, who looked like a young elite in his metal-framed glasses, and next to him was Ke Yisheng[19] with his dull face.
He didn't expect to see them here. He remembered that Shao Qun clearly promised that if he didn't want to see them, he wouldn't have to see them.
Li Chengxiu instantly paled and looked at Shao Qun.
Chapter 20
Content warning: rape (I marked the part that can be skipped just in case)
Shao Qun spread his hands and said apologetically: "Chengxiu, they wanted to come, and I can't control their legs." He patted Zhou Li's head, "Don't scare him."
"Oh, Shao Qun, isn’t it too soon to start protecting the weak? I just leaned a little closer to him, and you’re already so concerned."
Li Wenxun folded his arms and smiled politely: "Li Chengxiu, we haven't seen each other for a long time. It's been more than ten years. Hey, in a blink of an eye, we’re all now pushing 30. It was really fate for Shao Qun to run into you again. We were all surprised when he told us."
Li Chengxiu was surrounded by the three of them and felt more and more invisible pressure on himself.
Even after more than ten years, he was still so weak and useless, while they were still just as condescending as before. He had an indescribable disgust and fear towards these guys - just like he did in the past.
He didn’t even want to say a word to them now. All he wanted was to turn around and run.
However, Shao Qun seemed to be unaware of his frightened state. Instead, he handed him a tall glass of wine: "Chengxiu, this is basically an impromptu alumni gathering. It's a rare occasion. So no matter what, we have to have a drink together."
Li Wenxun raised his glass in front of him with a sincere face: "Li Chengxiu, we were ignorant when we were young. Now that I think about it, it was really naive and ridiculous what we did. I see that you look uncomfortable. If you are still angry about what happened back when we were young, then how about you just punish me and my brothers by making us drink an apology cup[20], okay?"
He deliberately emphasized "when we were young" repeatedly, and after he finished speaking, he emptied his glass without waiting for Li Chengxiu's reaction.
Zhou Li laughed: "A-wen is really something! Okay, in that case, I will also drink. Speaking of which, I remember I beat you up at the time. Well, oops, it's been so long, who still remembers these things? Anyway, it was something we did as kids. It’s fate for us to meet again, I guess. I have finished my cup. Xiao Sheng, it’s your turn now."
Li Chengxiu was at a loss as he watched these guys arrogantly drain the wine in their glasses.
In their view, it was just something unimportant that happened during "childhood", but for Li Chengxiu this was what ruined his life and his future.
If it weren't for them, he wouldn't have encountered such nasty things on his last night at school. If he came home earlier that day, he might have been able to take his mother to the hospital in time, and she wouldn't have become paralyzed. His relatives advised him to continue his studies back then, but he did not have the courage to go back to school after everything they did to him.
Man's fate is determined by the Heavens. Sometimes when Li Chengxiu pondered about the events in his life he came to the conclusion that everything might have been destined, and he wouldn’t have been able to escape his fate anyway. Shao Qun's gang only played a role in fueling the flames. But even if that was the case, Li Chengxiu still couldn’t let go of resentment.
At least when he didn’t have to see these guys, he could forget that they existed. But now that they were in front of him, he really couldn’t control his hateful thoughts about the things in the past, even if they were just something from his "childhood".
Seeing that he didn't respond, Shao Qun lightly tapped his wine glass to get his attention: "Chengxiu, don’t ignore them. Aren’t they all willing to compensate you?."
Li Chengxiu glanced at Shao Qun and felt a little cold. He lowered his eyes and took a sip of his wine.
Shao Qun smiled and said, "All right then! Chengxiu, you are good at drinking, haha."
Li Wenxun pursed his lips and took another glass of wine: "Come on, how about another toast. I heard that you were responsible for preparing the main meal today. You are really talented! In the whole world this was the best meal I‘ve tried. Really amazing! Let’s drink to that."
Li Chengxiu didn't know how to deal with these guys. And as he didn't want to talk to them, he had to drink.
Li Wenxun looked at Li Chengxiu's evasive posture and winked proudly at Shao Qun.
Seeing that the wine in his glass was coming to an end, Shao Qun hurriedly stuffed him a new glass. Then they all took turns toasting again.
Li Chengxiu was in a bad mood today and was currently surrounded by the people who scared him to death when he was a child. He has never been a big drinker, but today he was consuming one glass after the other, hoping it would help him temporarily escape this reality.
He also felt that this wine tasted like juice, so it wouldn’t make him drunk easily.
He didn't know that what Shao Qun gave him was Sprite mixed with Tequila. The lemon masked the strong smell of alcohol, and it tasted sweet and slightly pungent. He didn't realize that this kind of mixture was really strong - it was actually 43% alcohol[21]. It seemed completely innocuous when he just started drinking it.
Before he could feel the effects, Shao Qun coaxed him to have another two glasses. Li Chengxiu hadn’t consumed any alcohol in a year, and had no tolerance. But now he had quickly downed a lot of high-concentration tequila, so very soon he felt dizzy and couldn’t stand straight anymore.
He was completely out of it, when Shao Qun helped him into the cabin.
Shao Qun looked at Li Chengxiu lying on the bed, so drunk that he couldn't even open his eyes, and chuckled with ridicule.
He regarded Li Chengxiu as a novelty snack that he wanted to eat back when he was a child but did not dare to open his mouth at the time.
Back then, this snack had an alluring aroma, but Shao Qun was still young, inexperienced, and ignorant, so he didn't dare to eat it and only managed to get it closer to his nose to sniff. Later, when he grew up, he wanted to finally eat it but couldn't find the snack anymore. Which was a pity.
Who knew he’d be so lucky to bump into him by chance? Although this snack has long since passed its expiration date, and could be considered discounted goods when compared to the time when it was still young and fresh, it still had some purchasing value. Even now, it was appetizing enough to make Shao Qun drool.
Right now there were no reasons to postpone what he had coveted for a long time and hadn’t dared to try back then.
Shao Qun put his knee on the bed and took off Li Chengxiu's clothes.
Li Chengxiu was considerably under the influence. He had blushed from the top of his head to his toes, and his fair skin was touched by gentle pink hues. This made him look delicate, tender and alluring. Just like when he was a child, he still had little body hair. At that moment he looked like an exquisite piece of jade[22] - so beautiful that Shao Qun couldn’t take his eyes off him.
Immediately, a wave of heat rose up in Shao Qun’s chest. His desire was so prevalent that it was almost flowing out of his throat.
He leaned over and pressed Li Chengxiu under his body, then lowered his head and kissed his lips heavily.
Li Chengxiu's eyes were barely open, and there was only confusion in his unfocused pupils. He was staring at the ceiling without seeing anything, and did not react at all to the violent kiss.
Shao Qun's hands stroked his smooth skin inch by inch, setting him on fire.
Li Chengxiu was like a fish thrown to the shore. He was tossing and turning uncomfortably under Shao Qun, a low moan escaping his throat from time to time…
—----------------rapey smut warning, can be skipped without losing too much context—--------------
Shao Qun turned him over, took out the lubricant and squeezed it directly onto his hole.
He knew that he was being a little impatient - instead of doing some foreplay to prepare his partner, he went straight to business. This was a bit uninspiring, since it made him look like a young boy who just couldn’t wait. But today he really couldn't control it. He felt that he had been thinking about this fresh piece of meat for far too long. If he didn't swallow it quickly, he was afraid it would be too late.
Shao Qun distributed the lubricant all over the crevice and slowly massaged the opening with his thumb to loosen it up.
Li Chengxiu's body froze, and he seemed to be jolted awake. He turned his head to look at Shao Qun in confusion, "You..."
Shao Qun leaned down and gagged his mouth with a kiss.
He slowly inserted his fingers into the gradually expanding and softening back hole, turning them around there and stirring the lubrication inside. Li Chengxiu fluttered uncomfortably, but was suppressed by Shao Qun with a little force.
Shao Qun put on the condom and lifted Li Chengxiu's waist and hips. He then pushed his thighs apart and exposed his soft and gaping hole to the view. The flesh was weakly pulsating, opening and then closing, as if begging him to enter.
Shao Qun was so hard it was almost painful. He held his own dick, aimed it at the narrow entrance and squeezed in mercilessly.
When he pushed in, Li Chengxiu's body’s struggle became bigger. Although his eyes were still closed, his brows were tightly knit together, and there was a constant whisper of pain coming out of his throat.
Shao Qun was experienced enough to know what to do. His hand went down and touched Li Chengxiu’s soft genitals. Li Chengxiu let out a low cry, and his body completely softened. He buried his head in the quilt with a low humming sound.
Shao Qun grabbed his buttocks, sinking all of his five fingers into the flesh. He then adjusted Li Chengxiu’s waist to a suitable position for him and proceeded to insert himself inch by inch.
The previously untouched hole was tight to the point of toothache - not only was Li Chengxiu gasping for breath in his half-conscious state, but Shao Qun was also uncomfortable.
He rubbed at the wet and soft opening in an attempt to make Li Chengxiu relax and tried to push in some more. When Shao Qun was almost all the way inside, Li Chengxiu was covered in sweat.
Shao Qun spread Li Chengxiu’s legs as much as he could, so that they were almost touching his hips. He then rapidly straightened out, breaking through the narrow path that kept pushing against him and refusing his invasion.
Li Chengxiu shed tears in his sleep, his expression pained and struggling.
Shao Qun raised his neck and let out a comfortable moan. The psychological feeling of complete possession and conquest surpassed any kind of physical pleasure. He felt so good that he almost came right at that moment.
He grabbed Li Chengxiu's thigh and slowly started moving. His movements were shallow at first, as he forced the scorching corridor to open up for him, making it soft and easy to slide in and out. Afterwards he slowly increased the speed, holding on to Li Chengxiu’s waist.
Shao Qun had a lot of alcohol today, and his long-cherished wish was finally fulfilled. Thus, his psychological excitement was exponentially increasing. Normally he would take care of his partner’s needs during sex, but this time it was less important.
Li Chengxiu's body quickly gave up the resistance, and Shao Qun was vigorously plowing the passage he had just opened up.
Shao Qun was indiscriminately stroking Li Chengxiu's body, looking at the red marks that he left on the snow-white skin with every touch. This doubled his desire.
He moved his waist fiercely, and the rapid sound of their flesh colliding made even him blush. The transparent lubricant was whipped into white foam under the impact, and was sparsely flowing down Li Chengxiu's legs, smearing the place where the two of them were connected.
Shao Qun frowned tightly, closed his eyes, and a heavy gasp came out of his throat. He firmly fixed Li Chengxiu's body in place, preventing it from constantly moving forward and continued to vigorously stab at his soft hole.
Li Chengxiu's waist was so thin that Shao Qun could wrap around it with one arm. Now it was forced to bear this violent impact, and every time Shao Qun pushed himself until the end, it seemed it was so fragile it would break at any moment.
After a while of doing it from behind, Shao Qun turned Li Chengxiu over, put his thighs on his shoulders and slammed his dick in again.
Li Chengxiu's painfully distorted face was right in front of him. Shao Qun had never actually had any interest in SM before, but at that moment, this expression made his blood boil, and his movements became more fierce.
The wet and hot hole was fucked completely open, as it was powerless to hinder the increasingly fierce ravaging. When Shao Qun lowered his head, he could see the place where the two of them connected - the pink and moist opening was swallowing his genitals again and again.
The swaying hull of the ship, this secret cabin, this body that he could play with unobstructed - everything was so perfect. Shao Qun hadn’t experienced such indulgent sex in a long time.
At this point he didn’t care about Li Chengxiu. It was all about enjoying himself.
After he came, Shao Qun was sweating profusely. He lay on Li Chengxiu's body, licking the wet tears off his blushing cheeks and feeling the soft skin under his body. He was extremely satisfied, both physically and psychologically.
------------end of rapey smut (kinda) but the following part is important for some context-----------
Although it was a bit boring not to have any response, Li Chengxiu’s body was still quite acceptable, even if he had no experience before. He didn’t know how to actively please Shao Qun yet, but he could be trained to Shao Qun’s liking.
Shenzhen was going to be his long-term base in the future, so he naturally needed a nice knowledgeable little lover in these parts of the woods to accompany him.
Shao Qun was a little hesitant about Li Chengxiu in this regard. He was the kind of person he could use privately but he really couldn’t bring him out in public. He couldn't dress up decently or even speak like a normal person. Bringing him somewhere with him would be a joke.
Shao Qun didn’t want him as an official lover but he was also a bit reluctant to give him up. Li Chengxiu was a sissy, yet he was also very comfortable to be around, his tenderness emanating from his bones. It was also an advantage that he was quiet and didn’t make a lot of noise. Shao Qun had even already begun considering living with him.
After holding Li Chengxiu and resting for a while, Shao Qun was hard again. He propped up Li Chengxiu’s legs and lifted them almost to his chest, completely exposing his still gaping hole. Shao Qun inserted his stiff penis in again and went for the second round.
Compared with the urgency of the first time, this time Shao Qun was calmer. As if savoring the food on his plate, he alternated deep and shallow thrusts, enjoying the thrill of being squeezed tightly by the hot walls.
[1] In the original it says “Golden House of Cang Jiao” (金屋藏娇). It refers to a golden house that an emperor promised to build for his wife/concubine. It symbolizes the depth of his love for her.
[2] Romanized spelling for transliterating Chinese (just in case somebody didn’t know that already)
[3] “Xiu” from the name “ChengXiu” - a very informal way to address our Li Chengxiu.
[4] Uncle (in this case used as an address form towards an older male)
[5] Pearl River Delta Economic Zone consists of several Chinese cities on the southeastern coast (Shenzhen amongst them). It’s a center of advanced manufacturing and modern service industries, as well as a center for international shipping, logistics, trade, conferences and tourism. Read “Additional Inheritance” to know more about Shao Qun’s business dealings in the region.
[6] A city in China, in approx. 2 hour driving distance from Shenzhen
[7] The 3rd Ring Road is notorious for its traffic jams. The eastern segment, which runs through Beijing's central business district, is regularly gridlocked during rush hour.
[8] The hotel with that name actually exists but not in Shenzhen ;)
[9] I think what he means here is that they spelled e.g.“Baroque” out in Chinese using 巴(ba)洛(luo)克(ke), instead of just leaving it in English. Not sure why that is so bad, though. Maybe it was just confusing.
[10] It refers to a style of cooking and a type of grand banquet that combined elements of Manchu and Han's Chinese cuisine developed in the Qing dynasty of China. But it is actually used more as an idiomatic expression to represent any feast of significant proportions
[11] Adrian is the main character from the novel “Additional Inheritance”. This dialogue here makes him seem somewhat shallow but it’s really not the case. The story behind the nose job is tragic, and Shao Qun is being an asshole here. Read “Additional Inheritance”, you’ll fall in love with Adrian.
[12] The funny thing is that Shao Qun was born in 1987, while Adrian is from 1990. These 3 years, I guess, make a big generational difference.
[13] In the original the author uses the idiom “He ate soft, not hard”. It refers to people who are easier convinced when one uses a soft approach with them, rather than brute force. As they say in English, one catches more flies with honey.
[14] It’s 12.756 USD. That this kind of housing prices even exist, makes me irrationally angry but okay.
[15] In the original he uses “baobei” (*wink, wink*) which is also often translated as “baby”. Literal translation would be something like “treasure”.
[16] Shao Qun is using here a pejorative term to refer to Indian people – “Asan”( 阿三). The origin of the term has some racist connotations but mostly it stems from the hate towards the British military presence in China during the foreign concession time. There are also other theories about the origins of this term. In any case, just another tiny clue that Shao Qun is a bit of an asshole.
[17] Gambling is illegal in China (except for Macau)
[18] Known as Big Li in school
[19] That’s the “invisible” friend Xiao Sheng
[20] An extra portion of alcohol that has to be consumed as a punishment for something. Usually for coming late to the party or skipping your turn in karaoke. Definitely not a common punishment for severe bullying.
[21] 86-proof
[22] He didn’t look green XD “Looking like jade” is basically calling someone very beautiful. In xianxia novels one can often come across the term “jade beauty” when ethereally beautiful women are described.