Translator: Helliot
Editor: P’Raikantopeni
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“I’m not.”
This man knew about the relationship he had with Xie Zhenzhen. Even after telling him to strip down so he could check his body, he still insisted on calling him a homosexual. Was that all because his body had been taken by him, because they’d had sex?
Gu Ze no longer pursued the question. In fact, he had long known the answer, but most of the time, the words just poured out of his mouth. He watched Meng Fu’s hands, the way he cleaned the same spot tirelessly without complaint. “Is that not clean enough yet?”
Hands stopping, he answered, “No, I’m done.” He seemed to have forgotten where to place the towel and turned left and right. But in the end, he just folded the towel neatly and put it on the same spot.
No longer cleaning, he began standing still in the kitchen. He thought he would have to stand for a long time, but in just a short pause, Gu Ze asked him to go outside.
Gu Ze sat down on the sofa, while he continued standing next to it. At this time, Meng Yi, who had lost several rounds of the game, was pouting and feeling frustrated, but he persistently trudged on.
Gu Ze changed the channels with the remote for a long time but still couldn’t find a program he was interested in, or perhaps, his mind was never on the TV to begin with.
“Sit down,” he said to Meng Fu while casually putting on a news channel.
“Huh?”
He blurted out the question subconsciously. He didn’t expect this man to actually take the initiative to ask him to sit down.
“What, do you like standing that much?”
Naturally, he didn’t. Every time Gu Ze visited, he would always stand until his legs were numb. Ill-at-ease, he went over to Meng Yi’s side and sat down as if he were the guest and Gu Ze the host.
“Aw, I lost again!” Meng Yi was so annoyed that he wanted to toss the phone away. But just before he could do that, Meng Fu took the phone away from him. With a stern face, he lectured, “Xiao Yi, you can’t. It’s not yours.”
“I’m sorry, Meng-Meng. Can I play one more round? Please?”
“No.” The phone was already getting hot. If it breaks, then he didn’t even dare to imagine what the consequences would be.
Meng Fu handed the phone to Gu Ze, but Gu Ze handed the phone right back to Meng Yi.
“Mr. Gu?” He couldn’t understand his actions.
“The kid likes to play. It’s normal to enjoy games.”
He had no idea why Gu Ze would change so drastically from his usual self. He was much milder, which only made him even more anxious. He figured that it was because Gu Ze was in a good mood after spreading rumors at the nightclub that he was a murderer, or happy because he was shunned by Di Jun. Regardless. These trials and tribulations he was put through were sources of comfort for Gu Ze.
It’s a murderer’s comeuppance, isn’t that right?
Holding the phone, Meng Yi squeezed over to Meng Fu’s seat and curled himself up in the corner seat, playing the game. Unconsciously, Meng Fu was pushed closer to Gu ze.
At a distance of only ten centimeters apart between their legs, the distance really made him uncomfortable.
“Go back to work at the restaurant.”
It was a meaningless sentence, but Meng Fu was so surprised that his eyes widened. “Why?”
“Didn’t you lose your job?”
“Why are you helping me?”
“Who said I’m helping you?” Gu Ze turned his head away. “I can only feel at ease when you’re right under my nose”
So that’s how it is.
Silence. Long silence.
By the time Gu Ze’s phone automatically shut itself off while Meng Yi was playing, it was already midnight. Meng Yi hadn’t had his fill yet, but his eyes were already getting sore from looking at the screen, so he very consciously left to take a shower and go to bed.
While closing the door, he peeked his head out and said sweetly, “Meng-Meng, Big Brother, good night! Don’t play until it’s too late!”
They were mindless words, but as for what they could play this late at night, with how late this man lingered here without leaving, the answer was already clear.
“Go shower.”
“Yes.”
He answered in a soft voice. He had even stopped his pleading and resistant words. What’s the use of saying them anyway? He couldn’t sue this man for raping him. What’s more, the only crime a man could be charged for doing this in China was indecency.
The same old posture, same old shame.
Gu Ze asked him, “Meng Fu, does it feel bad?”
Even after loosening himself, it still hurt a lot.
Gritting his teeth in pain and swallowing all the pain into his stomach, he didn’t want to answer for fear that his voice would leak out if he did.
“Meng Fu, does it hurt?”
Just like a raging beast.
“Meng Fu, does it hurt? Hm?”
“It hurts. It hurts…” In the end, he couldn’t bear the pain and answered softly.
Perhaps he was satisfied with his answer, or perhaps it was the pity that briefly flashed in his eyes, but Gu Ze’s fingers moved on their own, brushing over Meng Fu’s shoulder blades.
Beautiful arcs, like the wings of a butterfly getting ready to fly.
Unlike how he always shut the door and left in such a hurry, Gu Ze sat at the edge of the bed. Looking at Meng Fu who was lying motionless on the bed, suspicion urged him to ask a question masked in sarcasm, “Have you gotten used to it?”
He did, and his body stopped bleeding like the first two times.
Meng Fu had no idea how he should answer him. He was facing the closet the whole time, fingers scraping against his pillow.
“Hmph.” There was a cold grunt, followed by the familiar sound of the door closing.
Gu Ze exhaled a puff of smoke in his car, the taste of Meng Fu seemingly still lingering on his body. He suddenly realized a serious problem. That hint of remorse he had at the beginning had now morphed into an addiction to Meng Fu’s body.
He liked hearing him say “it hurt”, liked seeing his toes curl up when he got nervous, liked seeing his back.
Leaning back against the seat, Gu Ze laughed at himself. Gu Ze, oh Gu Ze. Taking an interest in the body of your enemy…Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Meng Fu rejoined the restaurant the next day. Someone seemed to have spread the rumor that Meng Fu had relied on his relationship with the boss to score this job, and that he was only gaining experience in the lower levels and about to be transferring up soon.
Everyone seemed to treat him with a layer of curiosity and respect, or perhaps inexplicable hostility.
He was aware of it. Meng Fu had no idea why everyone’s attitude would change so much, so he just worked silently. Jiang Hui used to be particularly fond of chatting with him. He was especially cold to him now, but also a little sad.
“Jiang Hui, why is everybody…?” He asked during break time.
“Everyone guessed you were related to the boss last time. Then when you got laid off, everyone had their suspicions still. But now that you’re back, and by the boss’s direct orders, even…”
“Oh, so that’s how it is. Well, there’s actually nothing much between us,” he answered in a low voice.
There was, but it wasn’t a relationship they could air out in the open.
“Meng Fu, I’ve been holding back for a long time, but I just can’t help myself.” The anger that had been building up for a long time couldn’t help but burst out at this moment. “Xie Zhenzhen used to visit here often. The others may not realize it, but I know she was waiting for you. I’m a little jealous at how much she likes you. I can tell she’s not into her fiancé at all.”
“We broke up seven years ago. Even if she did, she and I can’t possibly be together.”
“Why?”
“I can’t tell you why.”
It was because he was a murderer, because he had sex with Gu Ze, because starting from seven years ago, he and Xie Zhenzhen have become parallel lines that could never possibly intersect .