The lights were hazy and blurred, the shifting beams like colored grid paper printed on the retina. If you stared closely, it would blur before your eyes and burn into a scorched patch.
The massive U-shaped sofa was a deep brown-red. It was made of thick leather and sagged slightly when you sat on it. The air was filled with the scent of cologne, leather, and high-end alcohol.
On the way over, Xin Hexue and Di Kuang had encountered a light drizzle. A few stray raindrops still clung to his coat, as the welcome attendant’s towel hadn’t fully dried him when he first entered.
Since his arrival, Di Kuang and Meng Wenzhuo had been exchanging glances with their eyes, having a silent conversation with their eyebrows. Xin Hexue pretended not to see, maintaining the demeanor of an ordinary, inexperienced student.
When someone came to strike up a conversation, he would respond with a pleasant, friendly smile.
There wasn’t much news to share among students, especially since they weren’t familiar with Xin Hexue. The topics kept circling around the college’s easy courses, assignments, and certain attention-seeking classmates from their year. If Xin Hexue hadn’t been here, he probably would have been one of those topics too.
Most of the people present were connected through Meng Wenzhuo’s intricate social network; only Xin Hexue was the exception. In other words, everyone else was a background actor deliberately invited by Meng Wenzhuo to this upscale KTV. His intentions lay elsewhere; setting up this scene was all about weaving a net for the hunt.
Throughout, many people came over to chat with Xin Hexue, their words laced with flattery. In the past, the targets of Meng Wenzhuo’s pursuits would inevitably become somewhat carried away after being coaxed and praised into becoming the center of attention.
But Meng Wenzhuo noticed that Xin Hexue remained composed and at ease. Only in his speech and mannerisms did Meng Wenzhuo finally catch a hint of restraint toward the surroundings.
Well, he was someone from a small place after all.
It wasn’t until a boy who claimed to also be from Lingzhou City sat down next to Xin Hexue and enthusiastically brought up topics from their hometown that it was as if a floodgate had opened. Meng Wenzhuo listened as they talked about everything from high school to food, seeming as if the next step would be to plan a get-together during the winter break back home.
“You live near the old power plant? I have a relative who lives there too…” the boy was saying when Di Kuang suddenly called him away, saying he wanted to ask where he bought his watch.
The boy walked over, scratched his head and said, “Brother Meng gave it to me for my birthday last time.”
At that point, his voice grew quieter, and he eventually fell silent, joining another group playing cards and board games. He seemed to have no intention of returning to continue reminiscing about their shared hometown with Xin Hexue.
A weight pressed down beside Xin Hexue, causing the previously empty spot to sink. Then, he caught the faint, alluring scent of men’s cologne from the person who had taken the seat, enveloping him like a sticky fog on a gloomy, rainy day.
“Junior, we meet again?” Meng Wenzhuo’s burgundy shirt was slightly open at the top two buttons. “It seems like we have a special fate, we always run into each other.”
Xin Hexue’s face showed just the right amount of surprise. “You are?”
Meng Wenzhuo’s posture stiffened for a moment before he quickly adjusted, jokingly saying, “Do I have such a common face? Junior, you really are forgetful.”
‘Still smiling?’
Xin Hexue added, “Well, after all, many people pass by me every day.”
And so, he saw Meng Wenzhuo’s molars clench.
“The first time we met, I even asked if you wanted to join our club,” Meng Wenzhuo reminded him. Seeing Xin Hexue still show little recollection, he simply steered the conversation in another direction.
After some casual chit-chatting about this and that, Meng Wenzhuo asked, “Do you drink?”
He fetched a bottle of imported liquor and two glasses from the central bar. As Xin Hexue waved his hand in refusal, Meng Wenzhuo sat back down, leaning closer. “A good student with strict parents? You haven’t even touched alcohol before, have you?”
His posture was very flashy. He had probably calculated the angle of his lean so that the burgundy shirt parted just enough to reveal a glimpse of defined pectoral muscles.
Meng Wenzhuo was confident in his looks: he was handsome with eyebrows that swept dramatically toward his temples. In the past, targets he found pleasing usually flocked toward him without much prompting, drawn in after just a few words.
Of course, half the factor was the Meng family name, which Meng Wenzhuo was well aware of.
He didn’t value those who came rushing over like carps swimming across the river. This was the first time he had put in this much effort. Pushing someone too hard wasn’t good, but he didn’t have much patience either.
The liquor gradually filled up, stopping just at the rim of the glass.
But then a hand intervened. Di Kuang pushed the thick song selection book in front of Xin Hexue. The dark glass tabletop reflected his smile as he diffused the situation: “It’s your turn to pick a song. Do you want to sing the whole thing alone, or with me? I also really like a few of the singers you mentioned.”
Meng Wenzhuo’s expression turned somewhat unpleasant, but Di Kuang acted as if he hadn’t noticed.
“I’m tone-deaf when I sing. I wouldn’t want to burden you, senior,” Xin Hexue said politely but still accepted the songbook.
Meng Wenzhuo watched him select a popular love song from the past two years and move to stand closer to the projection TV.
Saying he was “tone-deaf” was just a humble way of putting it.
Meng Wenzhuo leaned back against the sofa, his gaze fixed intently on the figure ahead. His eyes scrutinized every inch, the lights swirling across Xin Hexue’s face as he sang.
Meng Wenzhuo didn’t catch the lyrics. All he noticed was the especially beautiful shape of Xin Hexue’s lips as they opened and closed, the slightly lowered eyelashes like the lush feathers of a bird ready to take flight. The small mole at the corner of his eye flickered in and out of view under the hazy lights…bright like a tear about to fall, dim as if someone had casually added a stroke of ink to a portrait of a beauty.
His eyelids were white and thin. If they were to turn red, they would probably look quite beautiful.
As the song ended, Meng Wenzhuo masked the desire in his eyes as admiration, and slowly begun to applaud. “Where’s the tone-deaf part? If I ever want to attend one of your concerts in the future, would you do me the honor of saving me a VIP ticket?”
“You’re exaggerating too much.”
As soon as Xin Hexue sat down, Di Kuang pushed over the previously poured glass of liquor. “Thirsty? Try it. It’s mixed with a bit of green tea, so it’s less astringent.”
Meng Wenzhuo turned his gaze toward him.
Under the intense stares of the two people, Xin Hexue hesitated slightly, but in the end, he took a couple of small sips.
“It’s not bad, right? It’s probably not as hard to drink as you imagined,” Meng Wenzhuo said with satisfaction. “Do you know why imported liquor is called cognac? Only what’s produced in the Cognac region of France can be called that. By that logic, something like the yellow wine from your hometown should be called ‘Lingzhou District,’ shouldn’t it?”
Suddenly, the private room felt empty, because Meng Wenzhuo had taken up all the space with his presence.
Suddenly, a series of urgent ringing sounds rang out.
Xin Hexue answered what seemed to be an alarm and left the room.
Meng Wenzhuo frowned. Had he seen through it?
He looked toward the person by the door, and the boy gave a thumbs up, shrugged, and reported, “Bathroom.”
The phone screen on the table kept lighting up and buzzing. He answered it in annoyance, and Jiang Tongchen on the other end cursed his entire family, ancestors down eighteen generations, not even sparing his beloved dog.
“Are you crazy? What’s wrong with you?” Meng Wenzhuo held the phone slightly away from his ear.
Jiang Tongchen: “Call your father back! Your family called me. We’re not that close, are we? Your dad actually asked me if you were out fooling around with me? I’m reading and studying! Fuck your old man!”
Meng Wenzhou was used to his cursing. What surprised him more was, “You actually study? Reading what book? Adult magazines?”
Jiang Tongchen shoved the sports car catalog under the math test paper. “Don’t use your vulgar tastes to speculate about me, okay? Meng Er, I really don’t have time to chat nonsense with you. My brother’s got water in his brain; he told me it’s best if I fail my midterms. Don’t I know what he’s thinking? The last tutor quit, but if my report card turns out horrible, he’ll have a reason to go beg him to come back. He’s using his own brother as a tool for chasing his sister-in-law!”
“I refuse. I’m going to shove a perfect report card in his face.”
Meng Wenzhuo had no time for his ambitious declarations. He said to the boy by the door, “Go check on Xin Hexue. What’s taking him so long?”
All the background noise from the private room was transmitted through the phone and Jiang Tongchen suddenly paused. “Who did you just say?”
“What’s wrong? I’m busy chasing your sister-in-law,” Meng Wenzhuo said cheerfully. “Once I land him, I’ll invite you guys out for a meal to meet him.”
Jiang Tongchen grabbed his jacket and headed out, scattering things on the desk. “Where? Address, I said the address!”
Upon hearing the location, rage surged from his heart, and he was furious. “Meng Wenzhuo, you really are my dad.”
“Don’t move. If you dare touch him, I’ll make sure we both end up as Jiang Heguang’s sons.”
………
At first, Xin Hexue didn’t understand why a regular student gathering needed to be held in a high-end KTV’s business VIP room. The winding corridors took considerable effort to navigate. But after hearing the conversation of two or three boys at the bar counter ahead, he understood…this KTV belonged to the Meng family.
Their own place. Familiar. Secluded. Easy to make a move.
He leaned over the sink and spat out the liquor he had been hiding in his mouth, then rinsed several times, his cheeks getting splashed with water in the process.
[Twenty minutes ago, I already sent a text message imitating your tone to Lin Oufei. He should be arriving soon.] K reported. [Should I call the police?]
Xin Hexue looked at the mirror covering half the wall. The overhead light reflected the light red on his cheekbones, the corners of his eyes, and the tip of his nose. He looked down at the flickering square screen, Lin Oufei’s name darkened and lit up again. [Mm, call the police.]
Even if he wasn’t experiencing adverse effects now, he didn’t believe Meng Wenzhuo’s private room was free of prohibited substances. It’s not bad to create some trouble for this group.
When the screen lit up once more, he pressed the answer button. What came out was a warm, panting breath. “Lin Oufei…”
………
“Should we go to the hospital?”
When Lin Oufei found him, it was right at the KTV entrance. The first thing he noticed was Xin Hexue’s discomfort. When he reached out and touched him, he realized the temperature was wrong.
His tone couldn’t help but become urgent, thinking of the vague text message. “What exactly happened?”
Xin Hexue just shook his head. “Let’s go back to the dorm first.”
Catching the faint scent of alcohol on his clothes, Lin Oufei couldn’t control his expression, and his face turned cold like frost and snow had condensed. “You drank? With whom? Was the liquor clean?”
Xin Hexue grabbed the hem of his clothes. His lower eyelids had a red flush as if from a high fever. “Let’s talk back at the dorm.”
………
Headlights flashed as a taxi pulled over by the roadside. Lin Oufei opened the rear door and, in a protective embracing manner, practically shoved Xin Hexue inside.
Just as the taxi drove away, a sports car screeched to a halt at the KTV entrance. A young man with a gloomy expression got out, leaving his jacket in the car. He was wearing only a thin short-sleeve shirt in the autumn.
Bumping into someone as he passed, he muttered a curse and charged into the KTV.
Yu Zao was jostled on the shoulder and instinctively wanted to curse back. But when he caught a glimpse of the other party’s heavily pierced ear, he ultimately swallowed his words.
People in the capital really have no quality.
He thought cowardly to himself.
That wasn’t the most important thing. The most important thing was, he had originally just come out for a stroll with two roommates, planning to head back early. But as he passed by this street, he saw Xin Hexue and Lin Oufei from a distance, seemingly arguing or something.
The distance was a bit far. Yu Zao couldn’t hear or see clearly, but anyway, as they were arguing, Lin Oufei just kissed him?!
Yu Zao rubbed his eyes until they were raw.
No matter how he looked, the two people’s shadows under the streetlight were stuck together! Not even brotherly affection could whitewash that, right?
Now the two had already gotten into a taxi.
Yu Zao stood at the crossroads, the phone in his hand slick with sweat, almost slipping from his grasp.
Should he report his brother’s mistress or not?
Yu Zao dialed Lu Yang’s number. “Haha, good evening. I had scrambled eggs with chives, celery with lean pork, and cilantro dumplings tonight. Oh, and I got a free cucumber juice. I was by the roadside where a new store had a grand opening promotion and I won a hat in a lottery, it’s the signature grassland green of the season. You want it? Oh, by the way, I asked a master for you on your behalf. The divination said your lucky color today is green.”
