Chuyu Bar
Jiang Yu leaned back against the chair, his ankle resting on his knee as he rocked his leg slightly. He was lost in thought, frowning. After a moment, he raised his hand and pinched the back of it—the spot that was still throbbing with pain.
According to the severity of the impact earlier, a dark bruise should have appeared there by now. Yet, it remained fair and clean, without a single trace of discoloration.
Why did it still hurt? Was he being haunted?
Lin Jingyao had just returned with a bottle of strawberry milk for Jiang Yu. Seeing Jiang Yu’s hand suspended in mid-air for so long, he scratched his chin, glanced around, and tentatively stepped forward. He reached out and interlocked his fingers with Jiang Yu’s.
“Is it like this, Bro?”
“Lin Jingyao, is your brain literally smooth?” Jiang Yu yanked his hand away, his face twisted in pure disgust. He grabbed the strawberry milk and gave Lin Jingyao a kick, still looking revolted. “Get me a wet wipe.”
Lin Jingyao remained silent.
“Bro, I washed my hands. They are not dirty.”
“You are a man.”
Lin Jingyao’s mouth moved faster than his brain. “Well, it is not like I have ever seen you hold hands with a girl either.”
“What is that supposed to mean? Are you fucking calling me gay?”
“I did not use that word. Why are you so sensitive about it? Don’t tell me”
“I loathe gays more than anything in this life.”
“Homophobic?”
Jiang Yu replied, “You could say that.”
“But people always say that homophobia is just, cough, never mind. Just drink your milk; it will help you sober up.” Lin Jingyao shut his mouth just in time to avoid another kick.
“Is just what?”
“Nothing,” Lin Jingyao shook his head.
Instinct told Jiang Yu it was not something he would want to hear. He let out a “tsk,” lifted his eyelids, and fixed a cold stare on Lin Jingyao with his dark eyes. He lightly tossed the milk bottle in his hand; the meaning was clear: tell him, or he would pelt him with it.
Lin Jingyao rubbed his nose and mumbled, “Deep closet.”
“Mountain ghost?”
“Deep closet.”
“If you cannot speak clearly, then get the hell out.”
“Deep! Closet!”
“What does that mean?”
“Bro, just check your phone. I do not really understand it either.”
“I am not checking. Give me a wet wipe.” Jiang Yu was reaching his limit with Lin Jingyao.
Lin Jingyao said, “I do not have any.”
“You do not carry them when you go out?”
“Carry what? Wet wipes? I never carry them.”
Jiang Yu was silent for two seconds before saying, “Chen Zhiyan carries them every day.”
Because of that, he could always borrow some.
“You people really have no regard for hygiene.”
Jiang Yu got up to head out. Lin Jingyao craned his neck to watch him. “Bro, where are you going?”
“The restroom.”
“Then leave the milk here.”
“You touched it. I think it is gross now.”
Lin Jingyao gritted his teeth. Once Jiang Yu was out the door, he whispered, “Stinking germaphobe.”
Jiang Yu pumped a generous amount of hand soap and scrubbed his hands. The mere thought of Lin Jingyao interlocking fingers with him made his skin crawl with revulsion.
Four years ago, a boy had confessed to Jiang Yu. Initially, he found it novel because it was always girls who said they liked him, so he just stood there and listened.
The boy said he loved Jiang Yu’s arrogant and defiant blue hair, his broad shoulders and narrow waist, and how his smile was as bright as sunlight. He said the two canine teeth that showed when he laughed were especially cute. He praised Jiang Yu until he was feeling great, floating on cloud nine, and completely oblivious to his surroundings.
Then, the boy leaned closer, his eyes growing more obsessed and his words more explicit. He talked about how thin and narrow Jiang Yu’s waist was, mentioned his abs, and said he would be great at “making cream puffs.” He even said the canine teeth were fine because Jiang Yu could just “tuck them away” so they would not scrape him.
No matter how slow Jiang Yu was, he understood the gist of those final words. He sent the boy flying with a single kick and beat him until his face was black and blue. He knocked out two of the boy’s teeth and broke his arm. Later, Jiang Yu was whipped with a belt for an entire day by Jiang Yunting, but he did not breathe a word of the reason. He stubbornly dyed his hair back to black while leaning on a crutch and spent a week in bed recovering.
That incident was a massive humiliation to him. Since then, he avoided men. If it were not for the fact that Chen Zhiyan was obsessed with cleanliness and hated him, he would have kept his distance from him too. However, things were much better now because he believed there were not actually that many outliers in the world. Men liking men? That was ridiculous.
The veins on the back of Jiang Yu’s hands protruded, and the muscle lines on both arms were sleek. He splashed water on his face and walked out with his milk without drying off. Droplets of water hung from his sharp brows. When someone blocked him at the corner, he almost did not hold back his fist.
“Brother Jiang, I am pregnant. Let us get back together.”
After Fang Li finished speaking, she reached for Jiang Yu’s wrist. Jiang Yu’s eyelids twitched, and he stepped back two paces. “Get back together with your mother.”
“Is it possible you really do like boys?”
Fuck. Where did he ever look like he liked boys? Why did everyone think that?
Jiang Yu’s expression darkened, his eyes cold as if coated in a thin layer of ice. He sneered, “It is only when I leave the house that I realize how hard it is to encounter a normal person. If you are sick, go get treated. I do not have a fetish for taking over someone else’s mess.”
“Why?” Fang Li asked. “Even if we get back together, you can go out and find a second, third, or fourth mistress. I will not say anything. I just want to find a father for my son.”
Impressive. The pregnancy is so early, yet she already knows it is a son.
“Brother Jiang, you do not like me, and I do not like you. We are practically a match made in heaven.”
“I must be sick too, standing here talking to you for so long.” Jiang Yu pulled a recording pen from his pocket, wound it back to the right time, and played back Fang Li’s morally bankrupt words in full.
Fang Li was shocked. “You tricked me!”
“It is called foresight. It is to protect myself from people like you. If you dare take another step closer, I promise I will ruin your reputation. As for your son’s father, I will drag him out and hang him from a tree when the time comes to see which of you two is the bigger idiot. Now, get lost.”
Jiang Yu did not dare push her; it would be a disaster if she had a miscarriage. After returning to the private booth, his mood was so foul he did not even want the milk. He poured one drink after another.
Lin Jingyao asked, “Bro, was there no water in the restroom?”
“There was.”
“Did you wash your hands?”
“Yes.”
“Then why do you look so terrible?”
“I ran into Fang Li. She wanted me to be her son’s father. She is a complete moron. And you are a fucking moron too. She said she wanted to see me and you actually messaged her. If you are so soft-hearted, why do you not go be the father yourself?”
By his fourth glass, Jiang Yu could not sit still. Though his head was buzzed, he was still rational; in fact, he felt more clear-headed than before.
Lin Jingyao moved the glass away from Jiang Yu to stop him from drinking. “Bro, where do you live? I will take you back.”
Back? Could he go back smelling like a brewery? He would be whipped by Jiang Yunting’s belt.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yu sent a message to Chen Zhiyan.
J: Chuyu Bar. Come pick me up. J: Do not you dare tell my mom or godmom, or I will tell everyone you are wearing slutty lace underwear today.
CZY: ? CZY: I am not wearing any.
Jiang Yu thought for two seconds. Then, like he was watching a comedy, he raised an eyebrow and grinned, his canine teeth peeking out.
J: I told you that you were slutty. You are actually going commando.