By the time Hua Jian drove to the Qi Family villa, it was almost one in the morning.
The man in the back seat was sound asleep. Hua Jian turned off the music and the engine, but Bo Lin still didn't wake up.
He pushed the door open and got out, leaving it open as the warm summer night breeze dispersed the chill inside the car.
Hua Jian took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, a tiny red ember flaring to life.
Bo Lin had always been a light sleeper. He had woken up the moment Hua Jian opened the door.
Darkness always bred needless fantasies. With his eyes half closed, Bo Lin watched through the rear window as the cigarette between Hua Jian's fingers burned shorter and shorter.
He didn't actually like the smell of cigarettes. At most, he would light one when he was under a lot of pressure.
But now, white smoke drifted into the car on the breeze and curled into Bo Lin's nose.
Half drunk and half awake, Bo Lin suddenly wanted a taste.
He wanted to know how the cigarette outside the car differed from the ones he usually smoked.
"Fuck, no taxis come out here in the middle of the night."
Leaving this deserted villa district on foot in the dark would be like walking into a horror movie.
As he fretted, Hua Jian suddenly felt the car shift.
He turned to look. Bo Lin was awake.
"President Bo, we're here. You were asleep, so I didn't wake you."
Hua Jian opened the door for Bo Lin, who said quietly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome. If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
Hua Jian was very polite. Bo Lin rolled the words on the tip of his tongue around in his mouth, and by the time they emerged, they had become something entirely different.
"There's no subway or taxi service here. Stay the night, and I'll have the family driver take you to school tomorrow morning."
Hua Jian paused, then looked down at his phone. The nearest taxi was still ten kilometers away.
He didn't make a fuss. "Thank you, Mr. Bo."
"Mm." Bo Lin was still a little dizzy. As he got out and closed the door, he swayed involuntarily. Startled, Hua Jian caught him in his arms.
"Careful, Mr. Bo."
Bo Lin shuddered. The man's distinctive scent enveloped him without a sound.
That scent, mixed with the smell of liquor and smoke from the bar, left Bo Lin's legs so weak he could barely stand.
The hand at his waist radiated heat. Even through his summer suit, it burned hot enough to make Bo Lin tremble.
It was strong, too, gripping him as though it might crush him.
Bo Lin gritted his teeth and finally straightened up. He let out a faint breath. "Thank you."
Hua Jian pressed his lips together and glanced down at him. "Don't mention it. I haven't rung the bell yet. Should we have someone inside open the gate so I can drive in?"
Walking with him held up like this was seriously awkward.
Bo Lin seemed not to have heard him clearly. He gave an absent hum. "9396."
Supporting him with one side of his body, Hua Jian reached up and entered the code.
Instead of the main gate opening, a small side gate clicked open with a ding.
Hua Jian sighed and half carried, half dragged Bo Lin into the villa.
Bo Lin seemed utterly boneless, his entire body plastered against Hua Jian.
Who would've thought someone this cold would have such a soft waist?
But how did he get this drunk? He seemed perfectly normal when I ran into him in the UP restroom. Did he go back to a private room and drink more while I was gone?
Fuck, he's putting all his weight on me. It'd be easier to just pick him up.
"Sorry about this, Mr. Bo." Acting on the thought, Hua Jian scooped him up into his arms.
That was much faster.
He just didn't notice that the drunk resting against his chest had gone bright red, from his face to his ears.
The walk was only a few hundred meters, but Hua Jian worked up a sweat.
When he finally neared the living room entrance, Housekeeper Chen woke up, and Hua Jian breathed a sigh of relief.
"President Bo, what happened? And you are?"
"Questions later, Housekeeper Chen. President Bo drank too much. Which room is his? I'll take him upstairs."
"Oh, the second floor. Come with me."
Hua Jian set Bo Lin on the bed and let out a breath.
Housekeeper Chen thought Hua Jian's build looked familiar, but she didn't recognize him.
"May I ask who you are?"
"I work at President Lu's bar. Sorry for the trouble, Housekeeper Chen, but could you arrange a room for me? President Bo said I could stay here tonight. I'll also need a driver to take me to school at seven tomorrow morning."
"Of course. Please follow me."
The room was pitch-black. Hua Jian's and Housekeeper Chen's voices gradually faded away.
Much later, when everything had fallen silent, the bed suddenly shifted, then went still again.
The next few days passed uneventfully.
Hua Jian attended classes during the day, worked part-time at UP in the evenings, tutored Qi Fanling on weekends, and occasionally streamed for the three to five fans in his livestream.
The protagonist shou and his suitors seemed to have vanished overnight.
Even Xue Pan was nowhere to be seen.
"I'm so bored."
"Oh, our heavenly beauty is bored? Well, of course. With no man spending a fortune on you, it must be pretty boring."
Ever since Andy had gone upstairs in Hua Jian's place that last time, he had been acting this snide.
Hua Jian had no idea where the "heavenly beauty" nickname had come from, either.
He was working out the proportions for a new cocktail and said lazily, "Cut the crap."
Standing on the other side, Andy glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, his gaze full of jealousy.
He'd had plenty of regular customers at UP, but ever since Hua Jian arrived, they had all become Hua Jian's customers.
Andy hadn't sold a single bottle in the past two weeks.
If he couldn't earn tips or commissions on bottles, why would Andy waste his time at UP?
He looked away and wiped a glass, muttering maliciously, "Little slut. Heavenly beauty or not, you're still just waiting for some man to fuck you... ah!"
Andy cried out in pain. A sharp pain shot through his thigh, and he crashed to the floor.
"You little slut! Are you crazy? How dare you kick me?"
Andy shrieked. Looking up at the tall figure approaching him, broad enough to block the light, he couldn't help feeling afraid.
"Stay away! Brother Shen! Brother Shen! Xiao Jian's hitting me!"
He shouted toward the bar, putting on a fierce front despite his fear, his shrill voice ringing out.
Hua Jian kicked Andy again without hesitation, this time in the calf.
Andy immediately clutched his leg and howled.
It was Monday, and the bar had only just opened. None of the guests who had reserved tables downstairs had arrived yet, so Brother Shen in the kitchen was the only one who heard his cries.
"What happened? Xiao Jian, stop!"
Hua Jian crouched down. Frightened, Andy said shakily, "This is UP. There are cameras everywhere. If you hit me again, I'll call the police and have you arrested."
Hua Jian gave a cold scoff and lifted his eyes to stare at him indifferently. His fingers, still cool from wiping glasses, pressed hard against the artery in Andy's neck.
"I couldn't be bothered with your little tricks before, but if you keep spewing shit, I'll cut your tongue out before you can call the police."
Brother Shen came behind the bar and shuddered at the sight. He immediately pulled Hua Jian away.
"Brother Shen, he hit me! I'm going to call-"
Hua Jian had let Brother Shen pull him to his feet, but at Andy's words, he immediately frowned and looked down at him. "Call who?"
Terrified, Andy abruptly lowered his head and trembled.
Naturally, he no longer dared say anything about calling the police.
Andy felt desperately wronged. He had always thought Hua Jian was a pushover, never imagining he would lash out without hesitation.
Hua Jian shook off Brother Shen's hand and told Andy coldly, "Watch your fucking mouth. Run it again, and you'll get more than a couple of kicks."
"Xiao Jian, enough. Stop talking!" Brother Shen said coldly.
"Oh, our heavenly beauty knows how to throw punches, too."
A teasing voice suddenly came from behind him. Hua Jian turned around and froze.
You really couldn't go running your mouth. He had only just said he was bored, and now there were customers.
A whole crowd of them.
At least a dozen grown men seemed to have dropped out of the sky.
"Not bad, Young Master Lu. You've got a guy this hot working here? You should've said so. I'd have come to support your business sooner."
"You're the heavenly beauty Young Master Shen mentioned, right? You really are handsome. Come on, mix me a drink."
Hua Jian was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered. "What would you gentlemen like?"
"Hey, handsome. Can I add you on WeChat?" A dark-skinned man came over, flashing bright white teeth.
"Fuck, Liu Chun, you animal. Already asking for his WeChat?"
"Fuck off! Don't get in my way."
Bo Lin's gaze shifted slightly and settled on Hua Jian.
Hua Jian smiled. "Sorry, bar policy says we can't use our phones during working hours."
Liu Chun? I think I've heard that name. An expert at hooking up with guys, and a masochist who likes getting hit. He looks perfectly respectable, so what's with these freaky kinks?
Lu Zexi immediately snorted.
"Haha! Hear that, Liu Chun, you animal? He doesn't want to add you."
"Fuck off!"
Several men, drawn in by his looks, gathered around to flirt with Hua Jian.
Gossip was always fun when it was about someone else. Lu Zexi perked up too, sitting at the bar and listening to the men tease Hua Jian while Hua Jian cursed them out in his head.
Tsk, he could barely look at those guys anymore.
He'd thought he was adventurous, but they were even worse.
"Hey, Bo Lin, you..."
Lu Zexi turned around eagerly, only to find that Bo Lin was nowhere behind him.
Hearing Bo Lin's name, Hua Jian looked up and clicked his tongue inwardly. Don't make me take him home again tonight. With his tolerance, he'll get too drunk to walk, and I'll have to carry him back.
"Pfft!" Poor Lu Zexi choked on the gossip.
Liu Chun, sitting beside him, was trying to wink at Hua Jian in what he thought was a handsome pose when a mouthful of liquor rained down on him.
It happened in an instant. The entire bar counter fell silent.
Seeing brown foundation streak down the dark-skinned man's face with the liquor, Hua Jian pressed his lips together and grabbed a towel for him.
"Here, wipe your face."
Liu Chun's hands shook as though he had Parkinson's.
"Hahahaha! Holy shit, Liu Chun, that's not a tan-it's fucking makeup?"
"Hahaha! Quick, take a picture! Holy shit!"
"Fuck off, all of you!"
Before you continue