Translator: Helliot
Editor: Isalee
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Meng Fu rubbed the sweat off his forehead and raised the corners of his lips into a faint smile.
This was their new home, a simple two-room apartment. He had already spent more than half of the money he had saved in prison. After a week of searching, he finally found himself a job as a restaurant waiter.
He was glad that his supervisor at the time did not look through his file.
After all, his background as an ex-convict caused many to wave him off.
“Meng Fu, business has been improving since you came!” A part-time college student, Jiang Hui, patted Meng Fu on the shoulder and laughed. Clicking his tongue, he shook his head, “How come nobody appreciates a handsome guy like me?”
He smiled as he wiped the cup in his hands with a towel.
“But you’re seriously slow. All those girls wanted to ask for your phone number!”
“No need, I don’t own a phone.”
He finished wiping one cup and grabbed another one, wiping it carefully. He was afraid that he might risk losing his job if he didn’t do well.
“No way. No phone in this day and age?” Jiang Hui stared in amazement at him, clearly refusing to believe it. He thought that this was just Meng Fu’s excuse for rejecting those women.
“Since there’s no one I need to contact anyway,” he muttered under his breath.
Jiang Hui only smiled at him and watched Meng Fu’s profile as if he understood. When he looked at Meng Fu’s delicate and pretty side profile, he suddenly understood why all those women were so attracted to Meng Fu. It was true—he really was handsome.
At night, someone was sitting in front of the piano in the restaurant, playing an elegant tune that echoed melodiously through every corner of the restaurant. Meng Fu had no idea how Meng Yi was able to come out of the staff lounge without permission, but he didn’t get to stop him in time before he rushed to the piano.
“Big Sister, let me play,” he said to the woman playing the piano.
Looking at the handsome 19-year-old in front of her, the woman didn’t notice anything off about Meng Yi, so she got up.
The moment the boy’s fingers touched the piano, it was as if a sleeping soul had suddenly awakened. His fingers were nimble like swimming snakes, flowing over the black and white keys.
Meng Fu tried to rush over to him, but he stopped when he heard the sound of the piano.
He knew many people who stopped what they were doing just like him to listen to Xiao Yi play. He wanted to interrupt him, but when he saw the smile on Xiao Yi’s face, he changed his mind.
“Wow, Meng Fu. Your little brother’s really good at the piano.” The restaurant supervisor called him over and praised Meng Yi. “Why don’t you let your little brother play the piano here? We’ll pay him the usual salary.” Seeing the worry in Meng Fu’s eyes, he said, “Don’t worry, I’m sure your little brother will have no problems.”
“Alright.”
He was grateful to the supervisor for giving him and his brother a stable job so he wouldn’t have to rack his mind over how he was going to settle Meng Yi while he was busy working. That way, they will also have an extra salary to live on.
It felt like God was looking out for him.
As if God had given him a breath of fresh air when his breathing was growing heavy and he was about to suffocate, giving him new strength to live.
If, that is, he did not encounter him again a month later.
He watched Gu Ze enter the restaurant, snapping his fingers for a waiter. Everyone was busy and he should have gone, but he hesitated subconsciously.
It was as if his feet were glued to the floor. They wouldn’t move.
He had been suffering silently from Gu Ze’s reprimands this whole time, but not today, not here. He was afraid that Gu Ze would call him a murderer with that scorn in his voice, afraid that everyone would hear it, then he would lose his job, and afraid that his dignity would be crushed in front of everyone.
Someone suddenly nudged his shoulder. Startled, he turned around.
“A ghost got into you or something? Hurry over there! That customer wants to order,” Jiang Hui urged him.
“You go, I’ll wait your table,” he said.
“Alright, alright.” Jiang Hui handed the plate he was holding to Meng Fu without the slightest doubt. “Remember, it’s table 24.”
“Yeah.”
“Tell Meng Fu to come over.” Gu Ze swept a glance at Jiang Hui without even lifting his head as he continued to fiddle with the menu in his hands.
Jiang Hui looked oddly at Gu Ze. It was understandable if a woman was asking for Meng Fu, but why are even men getting picky with how their water looks? “Sir, Meng Fu is currently busy. I can recommend you are signature dishes, such as…”
Before he could finish, Gu Ze interrupted him. “Cut the nonsense and tell him to come over.”
“Yes.”
Jiang Hui withdrew politely but muttered in his heart, do these people think they can be pompous if they’re rich? Picking looks even while ordering food. What, is the food going to taste better if Meng Fu is the one serving it?
“Mr. Gu, why are you so insistent on calling that waiter?” Chief Liang who was sitting across from him was quite confused with the situation.
“Just want to see how he’s doing.”
“Oh.” Chief Liang smiled and nodded, seemingly being able to see through everything. “Is he your lover?”
As he was asking the question, Meng Fu was already standing beside him. “Mr. Gu.” He bowed slightly with great politeness. Then, he nodded to Chief Liang. “What would the two of you like to order?”
Gu Ze stared at his slightly drooping chin and lightly spat out two words. “My enemy.”
In just an instant, the atmosphere froze up. Even his heart had frozen over completely. He was able to say out the word “enemy” so bluntly and cruelly, yet he was unable to refute him.
He took a light breath and tried to calm himself as much as possible. “What would the two of you like to order? Our restaurant is famous for our ‘First Love,’ prepared mainly with shrimp…”
“Why are the names of the dishes here all so artistic?” Chief Liang was puzzled.
“The names of the dishes are all based on the novel titles of Su Yu’s works.”
Chief Liang understood now. No wonder the names were all so artistic. Mr. Su was a writer of young romance novels and he remembered that pretty face of his. Looking at Meng Fu beside him, he thought that Meng Fu didn’t lose to Su Yu in terms of looks at all.
Most importantly, Su Yu favored men and was said to be in a relationship with Qin Enterprise’s Qin Mo.
Then, Meng Fu…
The ordering process lasted for a long time. Gu Ze would point to each dish and have Meng Fu introduce them one by one while Chief Liang would stare at his profile from the side.
Once Gu Ze and Chief Liang ordered their food, Meng Fu turned around and had just left when a wicked smile turned up Chief Liang’s lips. “This Meng Fu’s looks are not bad.”
When he saw Gu Ze looking at him indifferently, Chief Liang stroked his chin and had an idea. “Since he’s your enemy, what about this, then. Pass him to me, I’ll get revenge for you.”
“And how are you going to do that?”
“Have you played with men before? You know, there’s no worse feeling for a straight man than getting done by another man.” Chief Liang grinned as if he understood the feeling well. Since Gu Ze did not speak, he figured he must be intrigued, so he went on, “Su Yu, that writer. He was also toyed with by a man. You know who? Qin Mo. I heard that the reason why he got into that car accident three years ago is all because of Su Yu. You can probably see from that how much he hated it.”
“You want to play with Meng Fu?”
Gu Ze suddenly felt a tinge of disgust when he looked at Chief Liang’s wrinkled face. But then, he thought of Meng Fu’s body stripped naked and being done by himself, which made him even more disgusted.
“I don’t think his looks are any worse than Su Yu’s.”
“But,” a playful smile appeared on Gu Ze’s face, “it’s my revenge and I’ll take it myself. No need for you to interfere.”
“Of course, it only makes sense.” Even though he was smiling, Chief Liang was secretly loathing him in his heart. He doesn’t even know how he wants to take his revenge yet!
After Meng Fu was done carrying their dishes to their table, he said politely, “Please enjoy.”
Gu Ze did not even look at him, he was almost acting as if he didn’t exist. On the contrary, Chief Liang was constantly eyeing his legs. Uneased, he quickly hurried off.
“Wait a moment.”
When he heard Gu Ze call out to him, he quickly stopped and subconsciously took a step back.
“What time do you get off tonight?”
He frowned in confusion, not understanding what Gu Ze meant by the question. So, he told him honestly, “9, if it’s not busy.”
“Alright, go.”
From the beginning to end, Gu Ze had only raised his head slightly to look at him once. A question that was extremely normal between friends, “what time do you get off?” sounded extremely off when it came from Gu Ze.
Meng Fu’s right eyelid began to twitch with unease.
“What’s wrong? What’re you staring at?” Jiang Hui nudged him gently. “Man it was really busy just now, at least we finally get some rest.”
“Yeah, rest,” he mumbled, repeating what he said. But his mind was clearly still stuck somewhere.
“What’s up with you?”
“It’s nothing,” he told him. Putting his thoughts away, he went to clear the tables.
Jiang Hui did not relent, however. his intense curiosity led him to pester Meng Fu on why the man at table 47 insisted on calling for him.
Annoyed by his pestering, Meng Fu could only answer, “I owe him some money.”
He lied.
He didn’t owe him money—he owed him two lives.