Futile Devices Scans

Xue Bao Tian was drunk for an entire day. According to what he heard, Yan Ye had carried him on his back from the inn back to the guesthouse that day.

He vaguely remembered some of it. That night, however, Yan Ye remained neither warm nor cold. A man who usually lost control at the slightest provocation had instead become like an old monk deep in meditation. Kiss him once, and he would reply with an “Amitabha.”

Xue Bao Tian teased and provoked him three separate times before Yan Ye reluctantly agreed.

Yet Yan Ye completely abandoned all the techniques Xue Bao Tian had taught him over the past while, reverting once more to the reckless, headlong style of his illiterate days.

Pressing a hand against the back of Xue Bao Tian’s head, Yan Ye forced his lips against the burn scar and ordered, “Kiss it.”

Xue Bao Tian was drunk out of his mind and already in high spirits. He used Yan Ye’s sharp collarbone as a chew toy. It was not until deep into the night that he finally collapsed into drunken sleep, spending half the night dreaming he was fighting a dog over food and bones.

When Xue Bao Tian woke up, neither of them ever mentioned that day again. Yan Ye stopped pressing the issue, while Xue Bao Tian buried his resentment and anger.

The gentle Yan Ye returned once more. He still let Xue Bao Tian curse him and hit him however he pleased while continuing to care for him attentively. Yet Xue Bao Tian always felt that something was missing. Was it the way Yan Ye no longer looked at him as though he were the only person in the world? Was it the warm embrace that no longer wrapped around him from behind at dawn and dusk? Or was it the clinginess in bed and the sweet words that could rot a person’s teeth? In any case, Xue Bao Tian was quite pleased. Brotherhood in the spirit of socialism ought to be this clean and refreshing.

Only…

Xue Bao Tian slapped himself across the mouth.

There was no “only.”

As the saying went, money could make even ghosts turn millstones. Since signing the contract with Zhao Xiao Quan, more than ten unfamiliar faces had appeared in this border town. More than a dozen pairs of eyes watched the “brokers” who brought business to the snakeheads every day, yet they never caught sight of Wei Hua again. It was as though he had vanished into the sea like a clay ox, disappearing without a trace.

Tonight, Zhao Xiao Quan was hosting. They had not gone to the village this time but to a luxurious nightclub in the city.

Having lived simply in the small mountain town for so many days, Xue Bao Tian found himself feeling oddly displaced upon suddenly seeing all this dazzling splendor and brilliant lighting, as though he had been transported into another lifetime.

Perhaps because of an instinct ingrained in security professionals, Yan Ye always walked behind Xue Bao Tian. After entering the private room, Xue Bao Tian casually handed over his coat for Yan Ye to put away, just as he always did. Yet when he withdrew his hand, he hesitated before quietly muttering a thank-you.

Yan Ye seemed not to hear him. After hanging up the coat, he took the only single-seat sofa in the entire private room.

Xue Bao Tian smacked his lips thoughtfully and chose the sofa farthest away from him.

Places like this had always mixed alcohol and lust together.

Zhao Xiao Quan was built like a beast from the pages of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, but he had a fondness for slender, pale women. With one wrapped in his thick arm, he looked like a mountain bandit chief taking a delicate white chicken as a concubine.

Still wary of Yan Ye’s lingering influence, Xue Bao Tian found a flimsy excuse to refuse Zhao Xiao Quan’s enthusiastic arrangements. He did not dare keep anyone beside him.

Zhao Xiao Quan did not mind. He simply assumed that the massive debt weighing on Xue Bao Tian’s shoulders had left him too depressed to think about such things.

Instead, his attention was focused entirely on Yan Ye. Apparently, he had learned of Yan Ye’s preference for men from Sheng Yu and had arranged for a fair-skinned, attractive young man to keep him company.

Yan Ye surprisingly did not object. He merely smiled gently and said, “There’s nowhere to sit.”

He was sitting on a single-seat sofa with broad armrests. The young man immediately sat on one of the armrests, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Yan Ye.

So he had caught his eye.

Xue Bao Tian lifted his glass and watched the pair opposite him with a bright smile.

At that exact moment, Yan Ye looked over as well. Their eyes met silently. The lights in the private room changed too quickly, and amid the alternating shadows and colors, neither could clearly see the emotions hidden in the other’s gaze.

After that, while listening to Zhao Xiao Quan spin endless stories, Xue Bao Tian kept stealing glances toward that corner. The young man seemed very skilled at making witty remarks, drawing several silent smiles from Yan Ye.

The way he poured wine was also pleasing to watch. His wrist turned elegantly, the stream of liquor flowing smoothly as he crouched slightly and offered the glass to Yan Ye. There was submission in the gesture, but also a touch of coquettish charm. He clearly knew how to coax people.

Several rounds of drinking later, everyone was showing signs of intoxication. The young man straightened slightly and whispered something into Yan Ye’s ear. Yan Ye lowered his eyes and studied him for a long moment before draining the wine in his glass and rising from the sofa.

The young man quickly moved aside to clear the path, then stood and followed closely behind Yan Ye, looking adorably shy.

Zhao Xiao Quan immediately began egging them on, shouting, “Where are you two going?” Then he pulled a wad of cash from his bag and stuffed it into the young man’s hands. “Serve him well. If you do a good job, there’ll be more where that came from.”

The young man accepted it openly, thanked him, and hurried after Yan Ye.

Amid the deafening cheers and whistles, Xue Bao Tian laughed along with everyone else, but he kept his eyes lowered the entire time and never once looked at Yan Ye or the young man as they passed by him.

After three or five drags on a cigarette, he heard someone calling his name. Looking over, he realized it was Zhao Xiao Quan.

“What are you thinking about, Vice President Xue? Did you hear what I just said?”

“Mm. Go ahead.”

“I said that in a little over half a month it’ll be New Year’s. According to the usual rules, the smuggling trade shuts down for a while after the holiday. In other words, if we can’t catch Wei Hua before the New Year, we won’t be able to start again until after the first month of the lunar calendar.”

Xue Bao Tian remained silent for a moment. He stubbed out his cigarette and skillfully lit another. Just when Zhao Xiao Quan thought he was finally about to respond, Xue Bao Tian suddenly grabbed the glass ashtray from the table. With a cigarette dangling from his lips and a sinister expression on his face, he said, “General Manager Zhao, let’s talk in a bit. I need to go take care of something first.”

Carrying the ashtray, he rose to his feet and strode out of the private room. Zhao Xiao Quan only managed to catch a single curse before the door closed behind him.

“Fuck. Do they think Master Xue is dead or something?”

Xue Bao Tian knew perfectly well that he had no right to catch someone cheating after being the one who had gone looking for a hookup first. But Yan Ye carrying on right in front of him was no different from slapping him across the face.

Hooking a finger through the ashtray, Xue Bao Tian checked several nearby private rooms but found no sign of them. He then searched the restrooms, only to come up empty-handed again.

Finally, he stopped the manager on duty in the hallway and asked where the escort named Meng Meng had gone.

“He was taken out. He reported it to me a little while ago.”

Xue Bao Tian lowered his eyes and took a drag of his cigarette. After the nicotine completed its circuit through his body and drifted back out as smoke, he put on a smile.

“Got it, brother. Thanks.”

At the end of the hallway, with a cold expression on his face, Xue Bao Tian dialed Yan Ye’s number. It rang several times before the call was rejected.

Xue Bao Tian stared at the screen as it gradually went dark. The anger in his chest felt ready to burst through his ribs. “Fuck. If I don’t teach you a lesson today, I don’t deserve to celebrate Father’s Day.”

“Who is Master Xue planning to teach a lesson to? Who are you trying to be the father of?” A steady voice came from behind him. Xue Bao Tian spun around and saw Yan Ye slowly approaching.

“Weren’t you… taking that boy out?”

“Something came up at his home tonight. His supervisor forced him to work anyway, so he asked me to buy out his shift for the evening so he could go home and deal with it.”

The bit of anger in Xue Bao Tian’s heart instantly dissipated. He bit down on his cigarette and cursed, “Fuck, you really are an idiot. That’s one of the oldest tricks used by escorts and hostesses in nightclubs. When they see a passing customer, they make up all kinds of reasons and get you to buy out their shift so they can supposedly handle some emergency. In reality, they just want to make money and take a break at the same time.”

Xue Bao Tian let out a scornful laugh. “But that trick only works on clueless soft-hearted newcomers.” He looked at Yan Ye mockingly. “People like General Manager Yan here—a kind-hearted little idiot.”

Confusion flashed briefly across Yan Ye’s face before quickly fading. He stepped closer and shortened the distance between them. “Then what exactly are you angry about? Why are you talking about Father’s Day?”

Xue Bao Tian choked on his words. He wanted to avoid Yan Ye’s gaze but felt that would be too cowardly. Taking a slow drag from his cigarette, he answered, “The debt collectors from Yancheng have been pushing hard these past few days. I got another call just now.”

The statement was half true and half false. With the New Year approaching, the debt collection efforts from Yancheng had indeed become increasingly frequent, and the threats and intimidation had grown more severe. Xue Bao Tian was genuinely worried about the safety of his sister and his father.

No change appeared on Yan Ye’s face. He merely straightened his back and put a little more distance between himself and Xue Bao Tian.

“The money I gave you before is almost gone, isn’t it?” he asked.

“More or less.”

“A trust fund payment just came through. It’s part of the assets my father left me. I only get the full inheritance if I marry and have children, but a portion is distributed to me every year. This year’s payment just arrived. I’ll transfer it to you.”

“Yan Ye.” Xue Bao Tian pressed down on his hand. “This is a bottomless pit. You really don’t have to do this.”

Yan Ye did not stop what he was doing. Only after completing the transfer did he look up at Xue Bao Tian. Reaching out, he ruffled his soft hair, his thumb lightly stroking his temple. “Just think of me as a kind-hearted little idiot.”

“Zhang Chi…”

“Ah, so this is where you two are.” Xue Bao Tian’s words were interrupted by a booming voice. Having just come out of the restroom, Zhao Xiao Quan spotted them from the corner of his eye and walked over while fastening his belt. Teasing Yan Ye, he said, “General Manager Yan, that was fast. You ought to take some supplements.”

When Yan Ye only smiled without responding, Zhao Xiao Quan continued, “What are you two talking about out here? Something I’m not allowed to hear?”

Smiling, Xue Bao Tian removed the cigarette from his lips. “General Manager Yan is young. He hasn’t quite mastered the proper pace yet. Finishing quickly is understandable. He was asking me for some experience.”

Zhao Xiao Quan burst out laughing and threw an arm around Yan Ye’s shoulders as he led him back toward the private room. “General Manager Yan, that’s something you should ask me about. Your big brother here has plenty of experience.”

Amid the laughter and joking, Xue Bao Tian saw Yan Ye glance back at him. Holding up his cigarette, he waved dismissively. “You two go back first. I’ll come after I finish this one.”

As Zhao Xiao Quan’s voice gradually faded away, Xue Bao Tian paced back and forth at the end of the hallway with his hands clasped behind his back. His steps alternated between quick and slow, completely irregular. Only when the cigarette burned his fingers did he stub it out. Then, after hesitating for a long while, he finally dialed a number.

“Crown Prince? Why are you calling me? I heard your family wasn’t… Ah, damn, listen to me. My stupid mouth. Always bringing up the wrong thing at the wrong time. Crown Prince… please don’t take offense.”

“I’m not offended. Stop stammering and spit it out.”

The person he had called was an MB he had met during his nightclub-going days—specifically the same one he had introduced to Yan Ye as a potential boyfriend.

“I have a friend. A guy.” This time it was Xue Bao Tian who started stumbling over his words. “There’s someone who treats him really well. Also a guy. What do you think my friend should do to repay him?”

“Are they bros?”

“Tch…”

“Got it. There’s a little something ambiguous going on, right? Otherwise, Crown Prince wouldn’t be asking me.”

“I guess.”

“Then give himself to him.”

Xue Bao Tian’s old face turned a little red. “They’ve already slept together.”

“Then what’s so hard about repaying him? Put in a little more effort in bed. What does he like? What kind of preferences does he have? What is he interested in? Tailor the treatment to the patient. Guaranteed success.”

“Ah…”

Night had fallen. Scattered lights illuminated the border town. A gentle breeze brushed against his face, and the rustling of bamboo leaves filled the air. The mountain shadows grew darker and darker until the landscape itself could no longer be clearly seen. Behind him, a nearby shop stirred with activity as the owner shut the windows, pulled down the metal shutter, and prepared to close for the night. Just as he was climbing onto his scooter, someone called out to him.

Xue Bao Tian said, “Um… I want to buy something.”

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