Nightclub 2

"Oh, aren't you going to bring him over for Mom to meet?"

"We're not dating, so what's there to see..."

"Mom's lived more than twenty years longer than you. I can tell whether someone's character is good or bad just by looking into his eyes," He Limei said confidently.

Xie Yibai laughed twice but didn't answer. He knew his mom too well. She was obsessed with good looks and only cared about faces, or she wouldn't still be thinking about Xing Zhanyun.

He Limei asked, "What about that former roommate of yours? Have you completely cut contact?"

There it was. "Yeah, we've cut contact," Xie Yibai said firmly.

"You've been in show business for so many years, and you still haven't made many friends."

"They're all petty people who put profit before loyalty. They're not worth befriending."

With him saying that, his mom couldn't do anything about it and let him be.

He Limei had brought Little Biscuit a few little outfits as gifts: princess dresses with lace trim. Xie Yibai wanted to say that Little Biscuit was a male dog and didn't wear princess dresses, but when the words reached his lips, he couldn't be bothered. He handed the clothes to the auntie and said they could put them on Little Biscuit for a walk another day.

"Son," He Limei said, stopping him, "I'm meeting an old classmate tomorrow night. She married and moved far away, and we haven't seen each other since, so you don't need to worry about me tomorrow night."

Xie Yibai said, "Who?"

"Just an old friend. We were really close when we were in school. After graduation, she married a man from out of town. He got promoted later, and she moved away with him. We got back in touch a few days ago, and when she heard I was coming to visit family, she wanted to treat me."

"I've never heard you mention a classmate like that."

"Who doesn't have a few old acquaintances?" He Limei said. "Anyway, that's how it is. Your mom is free to visit relatives and friends, and you don't need to drive me there or pick me up tomorrow night. I'll take a taxi."

Xie Yibai held a battered stuffed toy and played tug-of-war with Little Biscuit. The short-legged dog was surprisingly strong, eyes bulging fiercely as he clamped down on the toy, determined to see which of them would win.

He answered vaguely, "Then remember to send me your location."

"All right. I'm going to change my dress. This one makes my skin look dark." He Limei dragged her suitcase into the guest room.

After playing for a while, Xie Yibai got bored and left the dog alone. He sat on the couch, scrolling through his phone as he waited for her.

Little Biscuit hadn't had enough. He lifted his front legs off the floor and clung to the edge of the couch, resting his paws on Xie Yibai's knee and whimpering.

With a pair of misty puppy eyes gazing at him, Xie Yibai gave in. "Okay, okay, okay. I'll play with you."

How did this not count as having an elder above him and a little one below him?

Xie Yibai wanted to resume playing tug-of-war with Little Biscuit, but the toy was nowhere to be found. He patted the dog's head and said, "Go bring me your little dinosaur."

At the command, Little Biscuit raced off like a little train jumping its tracks.

Xie Yibai was about to get up when he saw the phone screen on the coffee table light up. His own phone was on the couch, and the auntie didn't use that model.

Acting on instinct, Xie Yibai picked up his mom's phone.

He Limei's lock screen password was a combination of the last two digits of each family member's birth year. Xie Yibai unlocked it with no effort at all.

And the newly received text message truly made his eyes widen in shock.

[[Blaze Era Club] Reservation confirmed! Get ready to party tonight!

Dear Ms. He,

Your reservation for dance floor booth "VIP-08" at 8:00 p.m. on October 23 has been secured!

Please arrive before 10:00 p.m. that day (your reservation will be canceled automatically if you are late).

For any changes, please call: +86(010)5280 xxxx]

Wasn't the twenty-third tomorrow? Club, a booth by the dance floor... a nightclub?

I've been lied to! Xie Yibai forgot all about the dog, picked up his own phone, and searched for [Blaze Era Club] across various platforms. Several highly liked promotional posts caught his eye, with videos and pictures showing sexy, muscular men dancing onstage beneath neon and fluorescent lights.

What the fu*k!

His mother had arranged to go to a nightclub with her good friend to watch men do provocative dances?

Xie Yibai's head was about to explode!

He forced himself to calm down and realized that what his mom had said earlier was full of holes. He'd known it was impossible for an old classmate he'd never heard of to suddenly appear!

An even more terrifying thought took shape in Xie Yibai's mind. He wanted to drag his mom out of the room and demand an explanation, but his experiences over the past few years had taught him not to rely on emotion to solve problems.

So he sat back down on the couch and slowly digested the matter.

After much deliberation, He Limei changed into a black, stand-collar, double-breasted trench coat and a pair of flats. She touched up her makeup, picked up her bag, and came out of the room. "Let's go," she said to her son in the living room. "I'm ready."

Xie Yibai didn't move. He looked at her and asked, "What's your old classmate's name? What does her husband do? What residential complex does she live in?"

He Limei panicked. "You're asking so many questions. How am I supposed to answer them all? Are you checking her household registration? We haven't seen each other in more than ten years. How would I know all those details..."

"I looked at your phone," Xie Yibai said, laying his cards on the table. "I know that's a nightclub."

He Limei was speechless. Her lips moved, but she had nothing to say.

"Mom..." Xie Yibai felt like crying, but had no tears. "What are you doing? How old are you? Going to bars and picking male models-that's something young girls spend money on for fun. Is it appropriate for you to go? How am I supposed to explain this to my dad?"

From what he knew of his mom, she didn't have the nerve to cheat. The medical aesthetics clinic had probably hired some new employees. Young, pretty girls all loved chasing trends and enjoying the company of handsome men, whether it was having them drink, hang out, or go hiking with them. After paying for those services, the girls chatted about them at work, and his mom had taken it to heart.

"I'm just going to look!" He Limei said. She lacked confidence herself, and her voice grew quieter. "Can't people spend money once they're old? I can't even look? We didn't have these kinds of fun when I was young..."

"I really don't know what to say to you!" After saying that, Xie Yibai felt it was only natural for his mom to be drawn to new and trendy things.

She had always possessed a young girl's boldness and enthusiasm, as well as an undying curiosity. Otherwise, she couldn't have been so accepting of her son's sexual orientation or taken such care to protect what made him different.

But understanding was one thing; respect and support were another.

There wasn't a son in the world who could stand by and let his mother go to a nightclub to play with men.

Xie Yibai regretted taking time off. He should have gone to his meeting and attended his scheduled appearances-see! This was what happened when he neglected his proper work!

"You can't go," he said decisively.

Seeing that her secret was out, He Limei knew she had acted absurdly and was an improper mother. Dejected, she said, "Then I won't go... I'll just look at them on my phone."

But once the stubbornness in her bones surfaced, she couldn't stop talking. "I haven't told your dad about your business either. Didn't we agree to respect each other? If I'd known, I would have aborted you and had a daughter instead! If I had a daughter, she'd definitely understand me and be considerate of me... You only look like me on the outside. Your nature is no different from your dad's. Old-fashioned! I'm very disappointed in you!"

Xie Yibai's mouth twitched. He actually thought his mom had a point and that he was in the wrong.

Mom just wants to look at handsome men. What's wrong with that?

After marrying his dad, a dull, traditional straight man, and putting up with it all these years, she had finally gained financial freedom. Why couldn't she try some of the things young people did for fun?

Faced with his mom's accusations, Xie Yibai wrestled with himself before conceding, "If you absolutely have to go, it's not impossible, but only if I go with you."

His mom was beautiful and generous with her money. In the eyes of young men looking for a shortcut, she was the ultimate target who could save them twenty years of hard work.

He had to stay by her side and make sure those scheming men couldn't lay a finger on her!

Chapter 25: Nightclub 2

The craziest thing Xie Yibai had ever done wasn't coming out to his family. It was disguising himself at the age of twenty-six and accompanying his mom to a nightclub to watch internet-famous male models strip.

On the night he agreed to He Limei's request, he tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, pondering ethics and morality, family bonds and the family... Well, none of that mattered. What mattered was that his mother controlled the family finances and had a stable source of income. She could do as she pleased. Even if he stopped her this time, she would still keep thinking about it and find another chance to sneak off.

Curiosity, like sexual orientation, was part of one's nature. It couldn't be stifled or suppressed. He had to satisfy her curiosity and dispel the allure of that dazzling world for her.

What was so good about male models? They were either heavily edited and caked in makeup or had faces altered by cosmetic surgery. While you stared at his abs, he stared at your wallet.

It was a straightforward exchange of money for sex appeal, with nothing romantic about it.

Xie Yibai made up his mind: Go! If Mom wants to go, I'll go with her!

He'd show her they weren't even fit to compare to a single strand of her son's hair!

He Limei got her wish. After a night's sleep, she woke up beaming and felt five years younger. Following Xie Yibai's advice not to flaunt her wealth at a place of entertainment, she wore nothing designer. Instead, she put on low-rise jeans and a short-sleeved T-shirt borrowed from A Chu, a lined knit sweater over them, and a pair of platform sneakers.

Her elegant, permed waves were tied into a high ponytail, revealing her full forehead. Her skin was firm and smooth, with no blemishes visible to the naked eye. At first glance, she looked like a city office worker just getting off work, in her early thirties and full of energy.

Xie Yibai looked over his mom's new outfit and nodded. "Close enough... Add a canvas tote, or one of those basic bags you see everywhere."

"Other people hope their moms look as beautiful and elegant as possible, but look at you, dressing me up like I'm dirt-poor," He Limei complained.

"Not only do I have to dress you up like you're dirt-poor, I also have to confiscate your phone so they can't add you on WeChat," Xie Yibai said. "You have no idea how many tricks young guys have these days. They call you 'big sister' this and 'big sister' that all day long. If you can't resist them, won't I go down in history as a sinner?"

He Limei poked him in the forehead. "All you do is make fun of your mom. At my age, would I still fall into such a low-level trap?"

"You would." Xie Yibai didn't banter with her. He simply laid down his conditions. "Let's set three ground rules first. One: no exchanging contact information. Two: no tipping them individually. Three: no drinking."

He Limei reluctantly agreed, then looked at him and said, "What about you? Are you going with me dressed like that? Aren't you afraid someone will recognize you?"