Translator: Helliot
Editor: P’Raikantopeni
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“No?” Chief Liang lifted the boy’s chin and scrutinized his features with narrowed eyes. “Yes, you’re right… He’s not as pretty as Meng Fu. I’m sure Meng Fu’s taste would be much more excellent too, wouldn’t you say so, Chief Gu?”
Gu Ze took a sip of his wine. “My enemy does not require your attention, Chief Liang.”
Chief Liang was amused. “The news has been blowing up, hasn’t it? About Meng Fu’s suicide. I wonder if he survived.”
Many days have passed since the incident. The suicidal Meng Fu, the convict Meng Fu, and the pretty Meng Fu, all of these were fodder for people’s idle chatter.
Chief Liang’s desires toward Meng Fu have been growing more and more, so it would be a pity if Meng Fu were to die just like that before he had gotten a taste.
“Heh.” Gu Ze sneered. “What, you weren’t actually thinking of putting a hand on him if he didn’t die, were you, Chief Liang?”
He seemed to be making an offhand remark, yet there seemed to be more beneath the surface.
“…Well.” Chief Liang sucked his teeth, though his hands grew more restless over the body of the boy sitting on his thigh. “Of course not. I couldn’t possibly afford to mess around with a murderer.”
For some reason, Chief Liang detected a trace of concern toward Meng Fu from Gu Ze’s eyes, but he might just be mistaken. Regardless, he turned his attention to the boy instead, kissing him and putting the topic of Meng Fu on hold.
All of a sudden, the thoughts of all the nights of Meng Fu burying his face into his pillow, reluctant to show his expression, came into his mind. Perhaps, it was not Meng Fu who was unwilling to show his face, but rather… was he not the one who would hate to see Meng Fu’s face?
Curiosity took hold. If Meng Fu were kissed in the same fashion, what expression would he show?
Just like a seed planted into fertile soil, it began to take root and gradually, grew uncontrollably.
Gu Ze sat on the hotel bed, matching tiles on his boring mobile game as an attempt to empty his mind and free himself of his thoughts. He tapped on the screen endlessly until his battery had been drained and the phone turned off by itself before putting it down.
Ink-black eyes blended into the darkness of the night as thoughts churned in his mind. Finally, only the two words, love and hate were left behind, but which prevailed? Love, or hate?
The next day, while he was eating at the table, Secretary Wang lowered his voice and said, “Chief Gu, yesterday, Mr. Liang went overboard with the boy, and now he’s in the hospital.”
“So what?” Gu Yan answered without any warmth in his voice.
“He looks similar to Meng Fu, so rumors about him being Meng Fu spread in the hospital, and now it’s being talked about on the internet.”
His fork fell onto the porcelain plate with a clink, then there was silence. A long pause ensued before Gu Ze asserted in a cold voice, “That’s not Meng Fu.”
He was very sure that that was not Meng Fu. No matter how the rumors spread, they will not ever reach the ears of Meng Fu, who was staying at Gu Ze’s home.
After calming down, he picked up his fork again and brought a piece of bread to his mouth. “What’s next on the itinerary?”
“To check out the new location of the restaurant that’s about to open.”
–
Inside the hospital, a man in sunglasses walked toward the boy laying on the hospital bed. “I’ll pay you 100,000 dollars. When the reporter comes later, I need you to answer several questions for me.”
100,000 dollars, that was no small number. The boy nodded. “I’ll do it.”
–
Before Gu Ze could leave, Secretary Wang returned to him with a grave expression, reporting, “Chief Gu, things have changed.” He brought out his phone and showed him the interview of the boy.
The boy blinked his teary eyes and said that he was Meng Fu, that he had sex with men, that he was willing, that he enjoyed being played with by other men, and that he was a cheap slut to top it off.
Fingers squeezed tight around the phone. Gu Ze’s dark eyes contained insurmountable anger as he handed the phone back to Secretary Wang.
Trembling, Secretary Wang accepted his phone and added in a quiet voice, “Chief Gu, everyone thinks that it was Meng Fu.”
“Fucking shit, are these people blind?! What part of him looks like Meng Fu? How dare he come out and call himself a cheap slut who likes being played with by men while using Meng Fu’s name?!” The anger practically exploded out of him.
Secretary Wang did not dare to say anything more. Back then, only half of Meng Fu’s face was shown in the photo in which he was lying in a pool of his own blood after the attempted suicide, so it was not strange that the boy was able to fool everyone with his appearance.
“Cancel the plans for this afternoon. We’re going to see Chief Liang right now.”
They rushed over in a hurry to see Chief Liang, who was currently with a client. When he saw Gu Ze, he gave him his usual business smile. “Chief Gu, fancy seeing you here at this time. You’re not here to steal my client away from me, are you?”
“Chief Liang, there’s some business that needs to be settled between us. As for your customer… I’m afraid you’ll have to reschedule another appointment with him.” Gu Ze had a stern look on his face.
Since Gu Ze was saying it this way, that had to mean that it was urgent. So, he apologized to his customer before entering a small conference room with Gu Ze.
“Mr. Gu, what is it that made you come all the way here?”
“That boy you were with the other day, do you know what he’s gone and said on the internet?”
“Oh, the interview, you mean?” Chief Liang looked unsurprised. “Yes, I saw it. I just made an offhand remark that he looked like Meng Fu, and now he really thinks he’s become him!” Seemingly unbothered by the situation, he added, “Compared to Meng Fu, he’s still lacking in many ways.”
There was poison in Gu Ze’s eyes as he spoke, “Does what he said have anything to do with you?”
Chief Liang’s smile intensified. “He’s your enemy, isn’t he? Shouldn’t you be happy now that his name is being tarnished?”
He was speechless. Enemy? Happy?
Smug, Chief Liang went on. “Besides, he’s a jailbird to begin with. He’s probably been with plenty of men. My darling hasn’t said anything wrong.”
Suddenly, what Zhou Weiguo said about Meng Fu’s life in prison came to mind.
Anger rose up in an instant. He had even forgotten that Meng Fu was handed around in prison.
His fists clenched tightly under the table, but he squeezed out a cold smile on his rigid face. “Chief Liang, I said that I will take revenge on my enemy by myself, so if anyone should tarnish Meng Fu’s name, it should be me. Watch your man. If the same happens again, then I’m afraid any chance of us collaborating in the future will be gone.”
What he said meant that business interests were going to be involved, which made Chief Liang panic. “Chief Gu, please understand. I have no intention of interfering in Meng Fu’s affairs either. Everything was said by the boy on his own volition. I had nothing to do with it. I think you should reconsider our collaborative opportunities, Chief Gu. As for the boy… I’ll teach him a lesson for running his mouth.”
“I hope you remember what you said today, Chief Liang.”
Without saying anything more, Gu Ze turned and left.
Behind him, Chief Liang watched Gu Ze leave with a look of interest. Gu Ze… this isn’t the reaction an enemy should have. Heh, I’ll have my taste of Meng Fu eventually.