A part-time job at the bar

8

At nine that evening, UP began to bustle.

Usually, the customers who arrived at this hour stayed in their booths.

Tonight, however, every booth was empty. A glance to one side revealed that everyone had gathered in one spot.

"Haven't you seen him? There's a new bartender. He's this." The man speaking gave a thumbs-up.

The man beside him scoffed. "Oh, please. In heat again? You say that about every man you see."

"Tch. Clearly, you haven't seen him yet. Go take a look yourself. I don't dare look again. One more look and I'm afraid I won't be able to stop myself from stripping his pants off."

"Pfft! Young Master Sun, if you want to strip him, go ahead. He's just a bartender."

"Exactly. Just a little plaything. Why else would he come bartend at UP if not to hook himself a man like us?"

Young Master Sun gave a cold laugh. "That's because you haven't seen him. Once you do, you'll know that whoever he wants to hook will happily let him."

The others exchanged glances, their interest in the new bartender piqued.

Meanwhile, Hua Jian's first day at UP was going fairly smoothly.

Mixing drinks was much the same as it had been in his previous life.

Only back then, the people crowding around him had been girls, chattering and squealing.

The bold ones asked for his WeChat. The bolder ones ambushed him when he wasn't paying attention, occasionally managing to sneak a touch of his arm.

But before he could lose his temper, they would apologize timidly.

This book, however, was truly ridiculous.

Those sweet, adorable girls had become men of every height.

The looks in their eyes made Hua Jian deeply uncomfortable.

"See him? That one. Fuck, I've never seen anyone that hot. Look at his hands. Fuck."

Young Master Sun took a long drag on his cigarette, then slowly blew out a smoke ring. Seeing the other rich wastrels beside him staring blankly at the man behind the bar, he couldn't help scoffing.

The trends in the Imperial Capital had grown strange over the years. Every young man had slicked-down hair and a powdered face.

Someone as masculine as this new bartender was a rare sight.

Yes, masculine.

Behind gold-rimmed glasses, his narrow eyes looked utterly aloof. His nose was straight and high, his jaw sharp, and his lips pressed tightly together as he mixed drinks.

His muscles weren't particularly bulging, yet he simply looked manly, with even a hint of restrained desire.

With a clink, the freshly mixed drink poured into a glass full of ice, and a faint, satisfied smile instantly appeared on Hua Jian's face.

"Just watch. This guy has stirred up UP's whole nest of horny bottoms. I'm waiting to see what tricks these young masters pull."

With that, Young Master Sun turned and left.

It was no secret in their circles that UP's owner, Lu Zexi, liked men.

But Young Master Lu ran an entertainment company, with more artists under him than anyone could count.

What exactly was the background of a bartender who clearly preferred the same role as Lu Zexi?

Better to let those idiots test the waters.

Lu Zexi had money, influence, and a reputation as a playboy. By all rights, he should have had plenty of entertainment, but he was actually a very lazy man.

Too lazy to attend parties, too lazy to listen to those minor celebrities flatter him.

He spent most of his time at UP.

"What's going on tonight?" The moment he stepped through the entrance, Lu Zexi sensed something was off.

There was a peculiar quiet in the bar.

He smiled at Manager Liu and joked, "Is UP going out of business?"

Manager Liu glanced inside and hurriedly explained, "We have a new bartender. All those young masters have gone over to order drinks."

Lu Zexi grew a little interested. He changed direction and headed inside. "Oh? All our little young masters in the Imperial Capital like him? He must be a real beauty."

Despite his words, he wasn't expecting much.

As he rounded a pillar, Hua Jian came into view, and his eyebrows immediately rose in surprise.

He stopped where he stood, watched for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled. "Not bad."

Seeing his reaction, Manager Liu immediately said, "This young man is a sophomore at Imperial University. You know President Xie, Xie Zhiwei from Minghua? His younger brother came here last night and casually asked whether he could refer a friend for a part-time job."

"Xie Zhiwei's younger brother?" Lu Zexi immediately thought of Xie Zhiyan. "He has a good eye."

"All right, keep an eye on things. I'm going upstairs to rest."

Hua Jian was good-looking, but he wasn't Lu Zexi's type. He preferred soft, sweet young men.

This one was too hard.

Time passed quickly. Ever since Hua Jian had taken his place mixing drinks at nine, he hadn't stopped, even by eleven.

At last, some important guest arrived, drawing away most of the men around him. He immediately stepped out from behind the bar.

Although mixing drinks was work he had done countless times in his previous life, this body wasn't used to it.

The shift supervisor told him to take a break. Rolling his neck and loosening his shoulders, he reached a corner and collided head-on with someone before he noticed.

"Sorry, sorry!"

It was a man, not particularly tall, who looked tiny against Hua Jian's chest.

Hua Jian frowned and immediately stepped aside. When the other man lifted his face, a name instantly surfaced in his mind.

Shu Yao.

Shu Yao's face was flushed, his expression panicked, and two buttons of his white shirt had been pulled open. Paired with the pounding music outside, nothing about the scene looked innocent.

Shu Yao was utterly rattled. He raised his eyes apologetically toward Hua Jian. "I'm terribly sorry, sir. I'm a little drunk and didn't see you here."

"It's fine."

In a place like a bar, where suggestive encounters so easily led to trouble, Hua Jian only wanted to keep his distance from the main cast.

He strode away. At the next corner, he glanced back out of the corner of his eye and saw a tall man scoop Shu Yao up in his arms and carry him off.

The corner of Hua Jian's eye twitched.

Carrying a man bridal-style? Ha.

He had barely looked away when he heard, "Fuck! Are you fucking blind? How dare you run into me?"

Great. Hua Jian had collided with another man.

"Sorry." Remembering that he was an employee, Hua Jian kept his tone polite. "Are you all right, sir?"

The man before him was not all right. Half-soaked gauze covered his forehead, and he looked as though someone had just thrown a drink over him.

Red liquid dripped down his face. With one hand pressed to his head and the other clutching his shoulder, he looked both miserable and ridiculous.

Wow!

Gu Xilin, whose head Xie Zhiyan had split open.

During that brief delay, Shu Yao had already vanished who knew where!

Gu Xilin pointed at him and snarled through gritted teeth, "Just you wait!"

Then he shoved Hua Jian hard in the shoulder.

Hua Jian didn't budge.

"You..."

Just as Gu Xilin was about to explode, Hua Jian immediately stepped aside. "After you, sir."

Gu Xilin pointed viciously at Hua Jian's nose. "I'll remember you, brat."

After running into all those lovesick, lovelorn men along the way, Hua Jian finally managed to reach the restroom.

As he washed his hands, Hua Jian looked at the man in the mirror.

To make working easier, he had slicked his slightly long hair back with gel, exposing his entire face and making him look both sharp and manly.

Still as handsome as ever.

Lu Zexi opened the stall door and heard a smug voice.

When he looked over, an odd expression crossed his face. Wasn't this the new bartender?

Hua Jian hadn't noticed him. He gave the man a casual glance, then looked away and dried his hands.

This guy's pretty good-looking. His muscles are a little small, though.

Lu Zexi frowned. Turning to look, he saw that the bartender's mouth hadn't moved, yet a voice was coming from him.

Wait, why's this guy staring at me? Another gay guy? Unbelievable. I've fucking stumbled into a whole nest of gay men!!

Watching him retreat as though fleeing the plague, Lu Zexi laughed in exasperation.

Very good, man. You've successfully caught my attention.