Yan Junye had been too worried about the awkwardness to go into a gay bar alone and see what it was like.
Now that such a perfect opportunity lay before him, he had to seize it!
Chang Yu stood in the doorway, at something of a loss for words.
This dog wanted both to sleep in and to find handsome guys. Those two things really were hard to have at once.
Still, there was no harm in taking him along. He would not be ordering any handsome male models anyway.
Mostly because he minded that other people had touched them.
A germaphobe was a germaphobe in every respect.
To avoid being recognized, Chang Yu went back inside for a mask and sunglasses.
He kept watch the whole way but saw no sign of Ke Yichun.
He arrived at the bar at eight that evening.
He had barely sat down when he spotted the group of big shots from various industries whom he had seen at the villa that afternoon.
Ke Yichun, meanwhile, was tied up entertaining them.
"..."
At their age, they certainly all had refined tastes.
He asked for a private room, then began choosing a male model.
Yan Junye studied the photos with keen interest, while Chang Yu did not so much as glance at them. He pointed at someone at random. "Him."
Yan Junye seriously suspected that Chang Yu was blind.
That male model had no muscles whatsoever, and his face was not particularly pretty either. No matter how he looked at him, he was not even as good-looking as Yan Junye himself.
But judging by Ke Yichun, it was clear that Chang Yu's eye for men really was not up to much.
He curled his tail and was just about to lie down on the sofa when a hand with well-defined knuckles stopped him.
Only after laying down tissues did Chang Yu withdraw his hand. "Lie down."
Yan Junye: "..." If you're so disgusted, why come to a bar at all? Wouldn't sleeping at home be better?
Once he had settled down, the door opened from outside. In the dim lighting, Chang Yu did not even look up to examine the man. He simply asked:
"The owner here is called Ke Yichun, right?"
That question was actually meant for Xiaotu to hear.
The male model nodded somewhat blankly in response.
Chang Yu continued asking, "Are there any dogs in the bar?"
The male model froze for a second, then glanced at the golden retriever lying on the sofa.
He came here to have fun, and his dog needs the same treatment?
Still, from what he had seen online lately, rich people's dogs really did enjoy better treatment than humans.
Since the client had made a request, he would just carry it out. "A male or a female?"
"A male," Chang Yu answered very quickly.
The male model nodded, at a loss for words, thinking, Like owner, like dog. Both gay.
Before the male model left, Chang Yu added, "Don't let anyone else know."
"Rest assured." The male model patted his chest. "Just for being the first person to pick me, I'll complete whatever task you give me!"
Yan Junye: "..."
-"Sure enough, Chang Yu has terrible taste."
-"But why order a male dog for me? I'm not interested in dog romance."
-"If that male dog dares mount me later, I'll kick him straight down to meet the King of Hell."
Chang Yu smiled without saying anything.
Of course he had not ordered a male dog to watch two dogs do anything in front of him. He wanted to see whether he could get any information out of a dog in the bar.
Questioning people was too risky and not worth the money. He could use what he saved to treat Xiaotu to hot pot instead.
The male model soon returned. Not daring to let anyone see him stealing the dog, he only opened his jacket after entering the private room.
A yellow-and-white native dog that looked only four months old appeared before them.
The male model even crouched down and earnestly addressed the golden retriever. "He's still little, so you must be gentle with him, or you'll kill the puppy!"
Yan Junye: "..." He slapped a paw over the male model's mouth.
If the male model said one more word, he might leave that mouth covered in claw marks.
The male model stood up, covering his mouth. The atmosphere in the private room felt strange. The obviously wealthy big shot had not uttered a word and was leaning back against the sofa, thinking who knew what.
He had also been ordered not to come any closer and to stay where he was.
Looking back at the two dogs on the floor, he saw their heads pressed together as they barked about who knew what.
His gaze drifted uncontrollably toward the man on the sofa. Could this man have a fetish for watching animals do that?
Rich people these days had such strange tastes, and their ways of relieving stress were every bit as bizarre. It was unwatchable. A real assault on the eyes.
Yan Junye was having a friendly conversation with the puppy.
"Have you seen Ke Yichun?"
Xiaobai was still a little frightened and trembled all over. "Yes. He's different from the other people I've seen. He's very strange. Sometimes he even walks like I do."
Yan Junye: "!!!"
-"It's come to life! It's really come to life!"
He was so excited that he failed to control his volume and raised his voice. "Have you seen which room he comes out of?"
Xiaobai answered timidly, "The room farthest inside on the first basement level."
Yan Junye: "Thank you for the important information! I'll have my owner feed you canned food later!"
Wagging his tail cheerfully, Yan Junye went to tug on Chang Yu's trouser leg with his teeth.
Only after barking a few times did he remember that Chang Yu could not understand him.
He anxiously turned in circles, trying to think of a solution, but Chang Yu stood up and stroked his head.
"Do you want to take me somewhere? Lead the way."
"If there's a major discovery, I'll treat you to hot pot tonight."
Yan Junye nodded his doggy head furiously, brimming with drive. It seemed that living under the same roof every day had given the two of them some understanding of each other after all.
The male model silently opened the private room door to let the two of them out.
At the same time, he thought that not only did this dog take after his owner, but they could even understand each other's hearts. The world truly was full of wonders.
Meanwhile, after leaving the private room, Chang Yu did not head straight for the first basement level. Instead, he knocked on the door of the innermost private room on the second floor.
The big shots were all there, including Ke Yichun.
When he entered, he saw Ke Yichun standing onstage with a raised glass, his face flushed from drinking as he gave a speech.
"Thank you all for being willing to trust my character. Eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves tonight. Everything is on me!"
With that, he drained all the baijiu in his glass.
His head swam afterward, but as long as he could fool these big shots, it was worth it no matter what.
Smiling, he swayed his way down from the stage and spotted Chang Yu standing at the door. "You came too. I-"
"Aren't you going to show me around?" Chang Yu interrupted him with an utterly harmless smile.
"I happen to be interested in investing in a bar myself. Why not give me a detailed introduction to the layout?"
The real estate big shot was the first to stand. "Exactly. Show all of us around the bar."
The other big shots had also had plenty to drink and came over, agreeing one after another.
Before Ke Yichun could even agree, they had already walked out.
"Huh?" Ke Yichun rubbed his fingers together in a panic. Why did they suddenly want to look around his bar?
He had only dared invite these big shots because they believed he was innocent.
He did not dare get physical with them, either, and could only keep trying to dissuade them from behind.
When he looked again, Chang Yu was already leading the way toward the first basement level.
He hurried ahead and pulled Chang Yu aside. "There's nothing on the first basement level. Why go there? Let's go back to the private room. I'll open some '82 Lafite for everyone!"
Chang Yu had not been particularly interested in Ke Yichun's unsavory little hobby to begin with.
He had only wanted to scare Ke Yichun enough that he would not dare harass him again.
But the big shots behind him showed commendable enthusiasm for spectating. They had already followed Xiaotu and were standing outside the innermost room, where Xiaotu had stopped.
He also heard Xiaotu praising the next owner he had already picked out.
-"The real estate big shot really is exceptionally wise. He knew to follow me. My newly chosen owner definitely won't be bad!"
-"Let me wag my tail and butter up my future owner. I hope you're clever enough to understand what I want, then take me home so I can start my life as a salted fish, lying flat and slacking off!"
Unfortunately, the real estate big shot paid no attention to the golden retriever and was instead studying the lock intently.
The big shots crowded together, with their strong, sturdy bodyguards mixed in among them. A kick from each, and the door flew open.
Since no daylight reached the basement, the red lighting inside looked particularly harsh, and it also gave people the feeling of having instantly arrived at a certain kind of place.
Ke Yichun felt as though time had stopped at that moment, and his breathing stopped with it.