“Still not getting lost? Planning to watch me get busy?”
Three or five breaths passed after the words fell. The man standing in the shadows reached out and switched on the lights. Such glaring white illumination was rare in a private club; now, tangled with the swaying colored lights, it gave the room an inexplicably eerie air.
Without the cover of shadow, the severity on Zhang Chi’s face became unmistakably clear. When he did not smile, he actually had an extremely aggressive-looking face. Even with his eyes lowered, it was hard not to imagine just how sharp the gaze hidden beneath them might be.
He strode over to the liquor table, sat down in Huang Song’s former seat, and pulled a cigarette from the pack lying on the tabletop.
Xue Bao Tian had never seen Zhang Chi smoke. He always smelled clean, faintly of soap. Back when Zhang Chi had flipped him over and over in bed like a fish in a frying pan, Xue Bao Tian would occasionally drift into a daze and comfort himself inwardly: At least this bastard smells decent… just grit your teeth and endure it.
Now that same bastard held a cigarette between his lips and lifted his eyes toward him. “Xue Bao Tian, sometimes you need to think about the consequences before you do something.”
Zhang Chi had never once called him by his full name. It was always Two Hundred or Master Xue. Now those three syllables—Xue Bao Tian—passed through Zhang Chi’s teeth as though coated in frost before sliding into his ears, inexplicably sending a chill through his whole body.
With the entire room flooded in harsh white light, Xue Bao Tian’s gaze had nowhere to settle. He stared at the corner of the wall and sneered. “You little bastard probably haven’t seen a live sex show before, huh? Today Master Xue will broaden your horizons.”
Dragging out the end of his sentence lazily, Xue Bao Tian instructed the woman in his arms, “You… start taking your clothes off.”
The woman glanced at Zhang Chi and giggled. “Brother, what kind of act are we putting on here?”
Xue Bao Tian tossed his wallet into her lap. “Whatever act it is, you won’t be shortchanged.”
She unzipped it and sneaked a look inside, then arched her thin brows. “I take money to do my job, but don’t drag me into your grudges.”
“You talk too much.”
The moment Xue Bao Tian’s fingers touched the buttons of the woman’s coat, he caught movement from the corner of his eye. Zhang Chi shifted slightly, sinking deeper into the sofa and propping one foot on the liquor table.
Xue Bao Tian’s fingers trembled. He stared at him in disbelief. “You’re trying to threaten me too? Like Huang Song did?”
Zhang Chi picked up the lighter and turned it idly between his fingers. “Huang Song stopped before going too far because the conflict between you two wasn’t that serious. We’re different. If I cripple you, I can afford to take care of you.”
“What happened to the law?”
“You can try testing it.”
Xue Bao Tian’s Adam’s apple bobbed, but he remained silent for a long moment. After draining the last of the liquor in his glass, he grabbed his wallet, casually pulled out a stack of cash, and stuffed it into the woman’s hand. “Go, go, go. I’ve got serious business to discuss.”
The woman happily thanked him after taking the money and left the private room in high spirits. Before going, she thoughtfully switched off the glaring white light. Her gaze traveled meaningfully between the two men before she slowly pulled the heavy door shut behind her.
Xue Bao Tian lowered his head and drank another glass. After staring at Zhang Chi across from him for a while, he patted the empty spot beside him.
Unless things had truly reached the point of drawn swords and bent bows, Zhang Chi never embarrassed Xue Bao Tian in public. He got up and sat beside him, leaving about a fist’s width between them.
Xue Bao Tian plucked the cigarette from between Zhang Chi’s lips and skillfully put it into his own mouth, then lifted his chin at him.
Zhang Chi flicked the lighter and lit it for him. Only after thin smoke had begun to envelop them did he hear Xue Bao Tian speak.
“Zhang Chi, are those little skills of yours only ever useful against me?” Unlike the sharp anger from earlier, Xue Bao Tian’s complaint now carried a trace of self-mocking bitterness.
He cut Zhang Chi off before he could explain. “Don’t start telling me Huang Song isn’t someone I can afford to provoke. If you hadn’t been here tonight, do you really think I would’ve gone after him?” He flicked ash from the cigarette. “My temper’s bad, sure, but I still know how to stay alive.”
Zhang Chi fell silent. He poured himself a drink, the reddish-brown liquor sliding slowly down the side of the glass. Amid the soft sound of flowing alcohol, he said, “Two Hundred, I can’t protect you forever.”
“That’s true enough.” Xue Bao Tian laughed softly and exhaled a mouthful of smoke, his words drifting out as lightly as the haze. “Zhang Chi, let’s end this between us.”
Zhang Chi abruptly raised his head and saw the mockery on Xue Bao Tian’s face. “How exactly are we supposed to define this relationship? Employer and employee? What kind of boss can’t even hold a woman without constantly watching his bodyguard’s mood? Or are we fuck buddies? That’s even more impossible. I’m a fucking straight man.”
He grabbed the drink Zhang Chi had poured and emptied it in one swallow. “Ending this is good for you too. We only met because of one ridiculous accident in the first place. You’d never had sex before, so you’ve always had a bit of an imprinting thing with me… but life is long. Haven’t you ever thought about the future?”
Xue Bao Tian looked at Zhang Chi calmly. “Zhang Chi, have you ever thought about the future?”
The young man froze for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
“Even if we take ten thousand steps back—even if I weren’t fucking straight—would you really want to stay with me for the rest of your life?”
Zhang Chi filled the glass again. This time he thought for much longer before finally saying through the scent of liquor, “Two Hundred, you’re too troublesome.”
“Fuck.” Xue Bao Tian waved a hand. “See? You never planned on staying with me forever either. Let’s split up. No point holding each other back. You’ve slept with me plenty of times already anyway—consider it Master Xue doing charity work and giving one of the motherland’s flowers a little sex education. I won’t hold it against you anymore.”
Getting up to fetch his wallet, Xue Bao Tian spoke around the cigarette hanging from his lips. “Even though you only worked one day as my bodyguard, Master Xue still won’t treat you badly. Take this money. If you run into trouble later and need cash or anything, come find me. No matter what, we’ve rolled around in bed together before. If you need help, Master Xue will still look after you.”
“I don’t want money.” Zhang Chi rubbed the top of Xue Bao Tian’s head, then let his hand slide down over his shoulder until he closed his fingers around the pendant resting against his chest. “Give me this instead.”
Xue Bao Tian lowered his eyes to look at it and smiled helplessly. “Fuck, you really know what to ask for. My mom got this blessed for me at a temple.” He looked at Zhang Chi with some hesitation. “You really want it?”
“Mm.”
Xue Bao Tian considered it for a moment. “Will you treasure it?”
“I will.”
With a sigh, Xue Bao Tian began unclasping the necklace. “Fine, take it. Who told you you’re the only man Master Xue has ever slept with? And I even took your virginity. Thinking about it, that’s pretty fucking impressive.”
The jet-black wushi pendant was held out in front of Zhang Chi, but the young man merely leaned forward slightly, making his meaning obvious without a word.
Elio’s Notes: A wushi pendant (无事牌) is a traditionally plain plaque-shaped pendant associated with the auspicious wish that its wearer remain safe and free from misfortune.
Xue Bao Tian bit down on his cigarette and laughed as he cursed, “You’ve seriously been spoiled.”
He looped both arms around Zhang Chi’s neck and narrowed his eyes through the slowly rising smoke as he fastened the clasp.
The motion resembled an embrace, leaving the two of them extremely close. The skin along their cheeks almost touched, their body heat mingling until it was impossible to tell whose warmth belonged to whom.
“Two Hundred,” Zhang Chi called softly.
“Mm?” The warm breath at his ear sent a tingling sensation through him. Xue Bao Tian wanted to rub at it with his shoulder, but their almost-snuggling posture made that impossible.
“I’m glad my first partner was you.” The gentle whisper slid into Xue Bao Tian’s ear from the closest possible distance. “Even though you’re troublesome sometimes, once in a while you’re pretty cute too.”
“You motherf—”
The furious curse was swallowed by a kiss. Zhang Chi lightly pressed his lips beside Xue Bao Tian’s ear. “Cause less trouble from now on. Protect yourself. And if you really can’t stop yourself from cursing someone out, send me messages instead. Curse however you want. I won’t talk back.”
Xue Bao Tian stayed silent for a while before finally fastening the clasp and pushing Zhang Chi away. He crushed out the cigarette and scoffed. “Worry about yourself instead. You’re already in your twenties and still scraping by on construction sites.”
He stood and headed toward the door. “Don’t come see me again unless there’s something important. You’re annoying as hell.”
Zhang Chi stood too. “Two Hundred.”
Xue Bao Tian turned back impatiently.
“My luggage is still in your car.”
The man clicked his tongue and waved helplessly. “Come on, then. Go get your stuff.”
After the car door shut, Zhang Chi slung the woven sack over his shoulder and reached out to rub Xue Bao Tian’s cheek once. “I’m leaving.”
Xue Bao Tian turned his face aside, though he did not get angry. He only gave a low “Mm.”
Zhang Chi withdrew his hand. In the enormous parking garage, he paused to get his bearings, adjusted the woven sack higher on his shoulder, and started toward the exit.
He had taken only two steps when his brows suddenly drew together. His gaze flashed upward, instantly turning razor-sharp. Spinning around, he thrust out one hand and shouted, “Two Hundred!”
Author’s Notes:
Yes, Zhang Chi still hasn’t fallen in love with our Bao Tian yet. Right now, it’s only imprinting.