Chapter 8

"What are you doing?"

The tiger's mouth firmly gripped Xiang Mingqi's neck, the thumb pressed upward, and the other four fingers seemed ready to strangle him at any time - this was a threat.

Pei Huai stared at him from bottom to top, his eyes cold and chilling. With just one glance, Xiang Mingqi wanted to retreat, but the grip on his throat deepened, squeezing him until he felt like he was on the verge of death.

"Brother, I didn't mean it." He shuddered. "Can you let me go? I'll buy you a case of Coke to make amends... How about two cases? Three?"

"I'm asking you about Shan and Xidujia." His fingers dug deeper into his skin, his pulse pounding. But the strength between his fingertips was so well controlled that it only instilled a slight fear in Xiang Mingqi.

"Because these past few days, you've been...you've been closing your eyes for no reason. I don't know if you were thinking about something or if you were feeling unwell. I, I was wondering if you had a fever—plus the funeral." His eyes were horrified, and he reflexively shrank back, but the hand pressing on his throat didn't move at all. "I surrender. I really didn't mean it."

Pei Huai was silent for a moment, his fingers digging deeper into his flesh. He heard a slight gurgling sound from his trachea. He narrowed his eyes, lifted his junior's chin, twisted his waist, and threw him off the sofa. "Next time, don't get too close to me."

He then stood up, stepped over the waist of Xiang Mingqi who was coughing softly, picked up a coat from the third rack of the clothes hanger, and put it on casually.

"Brother?" Xiang Mingqi pushed the ground with his elbow, turned over, and in a panic, his knees arched up the corner of the carpet. "Just now, it was really just..."

"Accident." He wanted to say it, but he was destined not to be able to utter these two words.

"Xiang Mingqi." Pei Huai smoothed his clothes with his hands at the entrance, turned around, and his face was expressionless. "I have no prejudice against you, and please don't challenge my bottom line. Good night."

"Ah—Brother, where are you going? Brother!"

The door closed with a thud, and the shouting and footsteps stopped abruptly.

Xiang Mingqi held onto the coffee table, propped up his knees, and waited for about ten seconds before standing up. He ran his hand over the mark on the side of his neck. It wasn't deep, but he could clearly feel that Pei Huai had indeed let him go.

Looking back, that kind of strength was like killing someone.

His originally frightened expression somehow relaxed and became calm and deep.

He looked straight ahead, as if trying to see through the crack in the door and deeply imprint the receding figure into his eyes.

"How charming," he murmured to himself, "On that rainy day, you were just like this... like a wounded lone wolf."

After slamming the door in a half-escaping manner, Pei Huai went downstairs, hailed a car and headed to Xinhai Street - "Bounty Hunter".

This was a bar he frequented, located at the east and west corners of Xinhai Street. The retro sign featured a silhouette of a cowgirl, two pistols crossing at her chin.

Every evening at eight o'clock, Pei Huai's familiar bartender, a Latin man in a suit and vest, would provide attentive night service at the bar of "Bounty Hunter".

When the car arrived, the drummer left his seat and the stereo just happened to play a reggae song.

Pei Huai crossed his fingers on the high chair, lowered his eyes, put his feet on the horizontal bar, and slightly thrust his chin forward.

When I turned around, the metal tube under the seat creaked slightly.

"You look down, sweetheart. And your face, too. I've rarely seen you this down." The bartender was a close friend he'd made when he first arrived in Kensos. He had dark skin, a clean-shaven beard, and a boxer's build beneath his jacket. He placed three fingers on the shaker and swirled it. "Want a drink?"

"It's just a little trouble." He didn't refuse.

"This situation is rare for you. In my impression, you've always been a problem solver." A classic glass, a hand-cut ice cube, and a bar spoon stirred clockwise. "How about this special drink with the original flavor? Add some absinthe. I hope you'll feel better tonight."

“Low alcohol.”

"Of course. This is the rule between us." He pushed the base forward with two fingers, stopping in front of Pei Huai's right hand, very close, not even a coin away. "On the rocks, special mix. For my one and only God—so what kind of trouble are you in?"

"Personal privacy." Pei Huai took the cup and took a sip.

"How much do you think I'd offer?" The bartender waited until the wine had settled in his throat before carefully wiping his hands and leaning over to look at him. "Is it enough to buy just a few minutes of your honesty?"

The burning sensation burned all the way to my throat, a bit bitter. But it wasn't bad at all. Pei Huai put down his drink, his taste buds recovering from the alcohol. At the fifth second, he said, "Trouble at work."

"Bangkok Hotel? I can't imagine any commission in the Kensos region that would be difficult for you. You are the pride of the Bangkok Hotel. So maybe... it's your colleague?"

"A junior." He sighed and confessed, "Just graduated from college and has nowhere to go. Now he's living in my house."

"You actually agreed to such an impolite request?"

"This is a company requirement. I can't get involved." He later added, "He's a new hire assigned to me by my superiors. The company hopes I can take care of him. One week, at most, is the maximum I can let him stay."

"—because of your sudden cohabitation, you're forced to seek entertainment at the 'Bounty Hunter'?" The bartender said this with a lack of energy. "I guess he's very unpleasant."

"It's noisy."

"That's exactly why you hate him."

"besides."

"I'm all ears."

After a few seconds of waiting, her nails scraped across the rim of the cup like playing a piano, and a "ding" sound rang out: "...He likes me."

"What?" The bartender was stunned and frowned at him. "Although it's not surprising for you. But have you known each other for more than twenty-four hours since you met?"

Pei Huai raised his eyebrows to glance at the clock, then lowered his head to take his second sip of wine of the day. "Seven more minutes." That flushed face appeared in front of him again, and he tapped the table with his index finger. "The way he looked at me wasn't admiration, nor was it awe... I knew exactly what it was. But he's the same age as my brother."

"That sounds even worse." The bartender shook his head and hunched his shoulders with a hint of regret. "If you need anything, I can save you a room upstairs."

"No——" Just as he was about to say no, a tall figure stepped between them.

The man propped himself up on the table and sat down to Pei Huai's left, a mojito still clutched in his palm. The bartender was quite understanding, shrugging his shoulders, spreading his hands, and turning to serve other guests.

"Have a nice evening." He patted the back of Pei Huai's hand before leaving.

After sitting down, Pei Huai glanced at the visitor.

He was young, wearing a baseball jersey and a peaked cap, about twenty years old. Judging from his behavior, he didn't look like a regular at the bar. Besides being reserved, he was also a little impolite.

"Sorry, I want to ask..." The boy slowly approached him, his face red as if it was burning.

"I don't want to hear it." Pei Huai retracted his gaze and drank the last sip of his special drink. "But I'm free."

The purpose of the approaching person was simple: to have a conversation, get to know each other, and exchange numbers. The last one hadn't been achieved yet. But the leader was clear, which made it quite easy for Pei Huai.

When he didn't want to answer, he only had to nod twice. No one would force him to make an evaluation like Xiang Mingqi did.

This is a new intern, still in a period of uncertainty. He spends his days cleaning and running around the tea room. After work, he thinks about coming to the bar.

Whether it's a glass of wine or a punch for no reason, there must be something to help him free himself from reality.

The boys were deeply engaged in their conversation, and Pei Huai was also rhythmically poking at the table, listening patiently. By the end of their complaints, they were at a loss for words, and the young man, under the influence of alcohol, tilted his shoulder towards him.

Under Pei Huai's half-warning glance, he couldn't help but clench his fingers, and said in a subtle tone: "Um, brother...should we change places to talk?"

"I have to go." The former stood up and declined.

"Would you mind leaving me your phone number?" Seeing his attempts to persuade her to stay were fruitless, the boy accidentally knocked over a glass of wine. Without waiting for anyone to question him, he threw down a wad of bills and almost stumbled after her, "—Or, I'll take you home!"

When they reached the main intersection, Pei Huai paused, turned around and looked at him, perhaps thinking about his suggestion.

"Do you come here often? What I want to tell you is..." The boy swallowed again, standing as straight as a rifle, "Maybe next time I can listen to your story." Pei Huai reached out, straightened his face as if to interrupt his begging, and pulled him forward.

Too close, so close that their breaths began to entangle - eyes staring at each other, noses touching, and even trembling eyelashes were about to pull out thin threads.

Just like that, her lips slowly gave him a kiss, causing her fingertips to feel numb.

"This is for you." Pei Huai pushed him away and hailed a taxi.

In a mixture of surprise and joy, he was so distracted by the kiss that he missed the chance to say goodbye and could only watch the taillights disappear into the distance.

His fingers lifted in disbelief, brushing against the edge of his lips repeatedly.

He opened his eyes, then closed them again, and by the time he realized what was happening, he was already walking back the way he had come. It was truly a kiss with magical power—in this long, dark street without any streetlights, he felt his heart beating faster and faster.

"Good evening." There were footsteps stopping him two meters away.

The boy looked up blankly and found a figure standing against the wall in front of him.

The man crossed his arms, his posture was lazy, and his face could not be seen clearly in the shadows.

"Were you talking to me just now?" He pointed at himself and asked uncertainly, "Are you in trouble?"

"It's not really a problem." The man leaned forward slightly, steadied himself, and turned to face me. His voice was... indescribably suppressed. "After all, it's just you and me here. I don't think you can accomplish anything."

"…I'm sorry, what are you talking about?"

"I really can't do anything about him." He muttered to himself as he walked over, his steps steady. His wrist, hidden behind his back, swung to the right. It wasn't clear, but it felt heavy. "Brother, he's very popular. He used to be. And now... it's still like that."

"Wait a moment, do you know the gentleman just now?"

"Quiet, quiet. Just answer me—how did it feel to kiss him?"