SBS chapter 34

By the time Zheng Yang got into Bai Yue’s car, he had already mentally prepared for an unpleasant night.

But he hadn’t expected Bai Yue to be this shameless.

He brought a high schooler into a lounge bar, didn’t even plan to give him a drink, and instead placed a glass of iced Coke in front of him—granted, the ice cubes were beautifully shaped and garnished with an orange peel carved into a pinwheel.

Still, it was just Coke.

Utterly insulting.

He’d been able to outdrink his grandfather at the New Year’s table just a few years ago.

“Are you insane?” Zheng Yang glared darkly at Bai Yue, who had a glass of whiskey in front of him. “Who the hell drinks Coke at a bar?”

Bai Yue leisurely took a sip: “Minors shouldn’t drink. Unfortunately for you, you’re still a month away from being legal. And I don’t want you getting drunk and acting out—I don’t have time to babysit you.”

Zheng Yang seriously wanted to throw the Coke in Bai Yue’s face.

“And besides,” Bai Yue put down the whiskey, fingers resting lightly on the transparent glass, condensation running down the sides, “I don’t think you came here to drink with me. I thought you wanted to talk about Ye Xi.”

Ye Xi.

The name dropped like ice into boiling oil.

Zheng Yang’s expression immediately darkened.

True.

He no longer bickered about Coke versus whiskey.

It was a bit warm in the bar, so Zheng Yang shrugged off his coat and rolled up his sleeves, ready to punch Bai Yue if he said anything off.

But Bai Yue remained utterly calm, his eyes dark and still, watching him in the dim bar light.

“Go ahead and ask,” Bai Yue lit another cigarette in front of him. He’d quit for Ye Xi, living like a puritan, but tonight was a rare indulgence. And besides, Ye Xi would never know.

He smiled at Zheng Yang. “Whatever questions you have, ask them all at once.”

Zheng Yang fell silent. He’d wanted Bai Yue to confess on his own.

But now Bai Yue had flipped the script, forcing him onto the defensive.

Still, looking at that smug face, Zheng Yang knew all too well—if he didn’t ask, Bai Yue wouldn’t say a word.

He closed his eyes, fidgeting with the lighter on the table out of nervous agitation.

A thousand questions spun in his mind, slowly stringing into words.

After thinking for a long time, he finally asked the most important one: “What exactly do you feel for Ye Xi?”

His face tightened. “Don’t try to dodge it. I can see it clearly—your feelings for Ye Xi are anything but pure. What do you take him for?”

The first question.

Bai Yue thought, How boring. And childish.

“What do I take him for? My future wife,” he said calmly, looking at Zheng Yang. “Why would I lie? I like Ye Xi. That’s not illegal. Why should I hide it?”

Bang!

Zheng Yang slammed the table in fury. The metal straw clattered out of the Coke glass with a sharp sound.

“Have you no shame?” Zheng Yang was practically trembling with anger. Wife, seriously? Only Bai Yue would have the guts to say something so outrageous. “Ye Xi is just a kid! And do you have no sense of decency? You watched him grow up. If you like guys so much, go for someone else—half this bar’s probably gay. Why do you have to take advantage of Ye Xi?”

Bai Yue raised an eyebrow subtly. He wasn’t even sure whether to remind Zheng Yang—

He had just turned twenty. Not exactly ancient compared to Ye Xi.

No need to make it sound like there was a century of age difference between them.

But he couldn’t be bothered to argue. He told himself, Forget it—he’s going to be my brother-in-law anyway.

He replied coolly, “So what if I watched him grow up? That just makes us childhood friends. If I hadn’t gone to your place so often, I wouldn’t have met Ye Xi, wouldn’t have fallen in love with him.”

He smiled wickedly. “So really, I should thank you for playing matchmaker.”

Go to hell.

Zheng Yang was about to explode. He gripped the Coke glass so hard his knuckles turned white, ready to throw it at Bai Yue’s face.

But before he could move, Bai Yue saw it coming.

His hand clamped down on Zheng Yang’s wrist like iron, holding him in place.

“Save your strength. If we really start fighting, I guarantee you’ll be the one carried out,” Bai Yue said coldly. “And who taught you to just throw tantrums when something goes wrong? Does that solve anything?”

Solve what, exactly.

Zheng Yang let out a cold scoff through his nose.

Was this what Bai Yue called solving things?

He’d known Bai Yue for years—he knew what kind of person he was.

From the moment Bai Yue said he wanted to “talk,” he hadn’t planned to solve anything. He just wanted to announce it. Force him to accept it.

Zheng Yang yanked his wrist free, pain flaring where Bai Yue had held him so tightly.

What a joke.

He thought bitterly: If Ye Xi ever got with Bai Yue, he’d never escape if things went south.

He stared coldly at Bai Yue. After a long silence, he asked his second question: “When did you start having feelings for Ye Xi?”

Now that was harder to answer.

Bai Yue blinked, recalling, “Hard to say. Maybe it was that time in his first year when I took him horseback riding and he accidentally fell into my arms. Or maybe that Halloween at your place, when he wore a pumpkin mask and clung to me all night. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment. All I know is that when I realized it, I couldn’t stop looking at him.”

He remembered Ye Xi wearing a big white robe, trailing behind him, trying to be scary—but when the pumpkin mask came off, it was a flushed, sweaty, breathtakingly beautiful face underneath.

Bai Yue’s lips curled unconsciously.

“Love isn’t something you can explain too clearly. Liking Ye Xi feels as natural as breathing. He’s just… easy to love. Though…”

He sneered, not missing a chance to jab at Zheng Yang. “You, a single dog, wouldn’t get it.”

Shameless.

Zheng Yang thought darkly.

Ye Xi had only been sixteen then—fresh as a peach—and Bai Yue had already set his sights on him.

Zheng Yang took a big gulp of iced Coke to cool his rage.

“I am single, but unlike you, I don’t force things that clearly don’t fit. You pretend to tutor him just to get close, hugging him in public—” Zheng Yang sneered. “I don’t care who you like, but can you honestly say you’ve been upright? Have you never taken advantage of Ye Xi’s trust? I don’t care that you’re gay. I really don’t. If you came out, I’d be the first to wave the rainbow flag. But Ye Xi is straight, right? What gives you the right to force him?”

Bai Yue thought—he couldn’t deny the first part.

To say he never tempted Ye Xi, never subtly encouraged his reliance… would be a lie.

But that last part—now that was slander.

Bai Yue tapped the cigarette ash into the glass ashtray. The smoke was almost finished.

He took a sip of his whiskey, the ice ball inside gleaming like a massive diamond, and said coldly:

“You’re worrying too much. Ye Xi probably likes men too—no need for you to fight for his justice.”

Zheng Yang nearly spat out the Coke stuck in his throat.

He choked, coughing violently several times.

But even after he finally calmed down, it was like someone was gripping his throat—he couldn’t say a single word for a long time.

After a while, he finally found his voice. “What nonsense are you spouting? Don’t make things up just to force me to accept it…”

Bai Yue extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray.

He said coldly, “Ye Xi’s bag is full of BL comics, his phone has magazine covers aimed at gay men, and during tutoring breaks, he sneaks into male celebrities’ comment sections to post things like ‘Oppa, you’re so handsome.’”

“You tell me—what are the chances he’s straight?”

He stared directly at Zheng Yang.

He wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t go flirting without even knowing the guy’s orientation.

He had brought Ye Xi to his side under the guise of tutoring partly to create opportunities to spend time together, while also conveniently pointing out his terrible grades—and of course, to observe his orientation.

If Ye Xi really were straight, that’d be tricky. He’d have to be more patient.

But luckily, at least this time, fate was on his side.

Watching Zheng Yang slowly turn to stone, face pale, Bai Yue still couldn’t help but deliver one more jab.

“You can’t even figure out your own brother’s orientation. No wonder Ye Xi doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

He sneered.

…

Zheng Yang stared at the patterns on the table in front of him, speechless for a full ten minutes.

What the hell.

Impossible.

The sky had just collapsed.

Those words kept repeating in his mind, densely packed, weaving into a web that caused his brain to crash.

Even though he and Ye Xi weren’t exactly the closest brothers, they’d at least lived under the same roof for years.

He truly hadn’t realized Ye Xi liked men.

In every older brother’s mind, no matter how annoying the younger sibling is, whether they’re outstanding or average, once they grow up, they’d naturally hold a girl’s hand and have a youthful romance.

Maybe a classmate from college, maybe a cheerful girl from a mixer.

That’s normal.

Because that’s how he had imagined it.

Yet now, the imagined sister-in-law had suddenly turned into a tall, rugged man.

And his brother had gone from holding someone’s hand to possibly being pinned to a wall and kissed.

Just imagining it made Zheng Yang’s pupils quake.

Impossible!

This was unnatural!

“Are you making this up?” He finally snapped out of it, still in denial as he looked at Bai Yue. “You think slandering Ye Xi like this will make me…”

But Bai Yue interrupted him.

“I’m not the type to spread rumors,” Bai Yue said coolly. “You think whether Ye Xi’s straight or not would affect me? That I’d give up just because he likes girls? Don’t tell me you’re that naive?”

He couldn’t help but mock him.

…True.

This bastard’s moral bottom line wasn’t exactly high. He just pretended to be pure and noble.

Zheng Yang shut his mouth, but his face darkened even more.

He picked up his Coke and took a sip. Now he understood why Bai Yue hadn’t offered him alcohol—after all the shocks that night, he’d probably drown his sorrows if he had any.

“Pervert.”

He cursed through gritted teeth, the anger boiling inside him completely uncontainable.

Bai Yue remained unmoved, not even bothering to respond.

Zheng Yang, unwilling to let it go, stared at him for a while. “But aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Ye Xi what you’ve been doing?”

He questioned Bai Yue seriously. “You pretend to be some noble older brother, tutoring him, keeping him company. Compared to me, he probably sees you more like a real brother. If he finds out your true intentions, do you think he won’t be hurt?”

Zheng Yang’s expression grew more serious as he spoke.

He wasn’t trying to threaten Bai Yue—he truly meant it.

He wasn’t blind. Of course he saw how attached Ye Xi was to Bai Yue, how he treated Bai Yue far better than he treated him.

To discover that someone you respect like an older brother is secretly lusting after you—anyone would find that unbearable.

If it were him, he’d punch the guy straight into the wall.

Bai Yue fell silent.

Among everything Zheng Yang had said that night, this was the one point that actually hit.

But he dodged the topic, speaking coldly: “That’s none of your business. It’s between me and Ye Xi. Whether he accepts me is my problem, not yours.”

He could tell that this line made Zheng Yang perk up, like he’d finally found a weakness.

Bai Yue let out a cold laugh.

He pulled out his third cigarette of the night, took the lighter from Zheng Yang’s hand, flicked it, and a flame burst out.

The cigarette tip slowly lit up, casting a red glow in his dark eyes.

He bit down on the cigarette. If Ye Xi were sitting here, he would definitely look at him all innocent and confused, saying, “Bai-ge, you smoke too much, that’s not good.”

But opposite him was Zheng Yang.

So Bai Yue exhaled a puff of white smoke without hesitation, like the messy thoughts swirling in his mind lately.

He looked calmly at Zheng Yang, even a bit coldly.

“You better not think you’ve got something on me and can run tattling to Ye Xi. You should know very well who matters more in his heart—me or you.”

Holding the cigarette, Bai Yue stared straight at Zheng Yang. He knew his words would sting, but they were necessary.

Word by word, he said, “Ye Xi depends on me. He trusts me. If I tell him to stay away from you, not to believe a word you say—who do you think he’ll listen to?”

Zheng Yang’s face instantly became very unpleasant.

He sat there with a dark expression, glaring silently at Bai Yue.

The two of them sat on high stools at the bar. Around them was noisy and lively. The bartender, not far away, glanced over curiously but didn’t come closer.

On stage, a hot dance track was playing. But this corner of the bar felt like an ice cellar.

For years, they had sat together like this countless times—but never with such tension.

Bai Yue sighed internally. It really was a tricky situation.

Honestly, compared to Ye Xi, Zheng Yang was more like a real younger brother.

Zheng Yang had grown up under his watch. Whenever he got into trouble, Bai Yue was the one to clean it up. He’d taken Zheng Yang rock climbing, skiing—he had even taught him tennis.

He didn’t want Zheng Yang to look at him like this—so tense, so angry.

“Alright, stop looking at me like that.” Bai Yue lowered his eyes and called the bartender over. In the end, he still ordered a low-alcohol cocktail for Zheng Yang.

He pushed the drink toward him. “I don’t get why you’re reacting this strongly. I’m serious about Ye Xi. I have no intentions of fooling around. Ye Xi already likes men. What’s wrong with me? Would you rather he get tricked by some jerk outside?”

Zheng Yang twitched at the corner of his mouth.

He thought, What kind of twisted logic is that? As if all other men are dead except you? Why is it that if he doesn’t choose you, he’s automatically choosing a jerk? If anything, you’re the one who looks like a jerk!

But he stirred the drink irritably, too annoyed to argue.

The two of them sat in silence for another ten minutes.

Zheng Yang finished the cocktail in one go, leaving only a single round cherry sitting at the bottom of the glass.

He still couldn’t believe it—Bai Yue and Ye Xi. One was someone he’d admired like an older brother since childhood, the other shared half his blood.

And now these two people… were involved with each other?

But when he looked at the blood-red cherry in the glass, it didn’t seem so unexpected anymore.

He thought—he should’ve noticed it sooner. Those gifts Bai Yue deliberately gave Ye Xi, those afternoons when Bai Yue was talking to him but staring at Ye Xi from afar.

He should’ve seen it. Bai Yue wasn’t the type to be warm and attentive to just anyone. Why was he always so focused on Ye Xi’s every emotion?

After a moment, Zheng Yang pierced the blood-red cherry with a metal straw.

Sticky red juice oozed out.

He asked gloomily, “You’ve said all this, but… what if Ye Xi doesn’t like you?”

What then?

Bai Yue’s expression turned cold for a moment.

He thought, That would be a bit of a problem. But he had a private villa abroad, in a remote Italian town. It was full of greenery, scenic and romantic, with a small vineyard. In summer, you could lie by the pool and sunbathe. It was extremely private.

Maybe Ye Xi would spend a long time there… and slowly come around.

But on the surface, Bai Yue remained calm and unbothered. He said, “Why wouldn’t Ye Xi like me? I look decent, we get along well, I have a good family, excellent grades—he’s young and just starting to understand love. Isn’t choosing me the most natural thing?”

Ugh.

Zheng Yang almost vomited from hearing that.

Shameless. He cursed in his heart again.

“Cut it out,” he shot Bai Yue a cold look. “I don’t care what you think. If Ye Xi doesn’t like you, you can’t force him. And he’s still in his third year of high school. You’re an adult—you should have some self-control. Don’t lay a finger on him until he graduates.”

Bai Yue chuckled softly.

He thought, Then what exactly counts as crossing the line?

He hadn’t drugged Ye Xi or pinned him down for a kiss yet—by that standard, he was practically a gentleman.

But he understood what Zheng Yang was saying.

If Zheng Yang could say that, it meant he knew he couldn’t stop him—he could only try to limit him.

So Bai Yue curled his lips into a fleeting smile and responded politely, “That’s none of your concern.”

…..

That night ended with Bai Yue calling Zheng Yang’s family driver to pick him up.

As for himself, the bartender arranged a designated driver to take him home.

Before the driver arrived, Zheng Yang’s expression remained dark, as if someone owed him eight million yuan.

He was staring at Bai Yue.

Bai Yue’s long coat hung loosely open, revealing his pale, slender neck. He stood beneath the winter night sky, the streetlamp casting a hazy, ambiguous glow. There he was, standing tall and elegant, his features fine and jade-like — just like a scholar from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio turned upside down, seducing the demons instead.

But Bai Yue, with his pale face and slightly red lips, looked at Zheng Yang and spoke without the slightest politeness.

He said, “Do you remember what I warned you just now? Our conversation today — you’d best keep it buried in your stomach.”

In a low voice, he continued, “Until Ye Xi graduates, I truly won’t do anything, because I also want him to have a light and joyful end to high school. But if you say anything vague or suspicious, then I can’t make any promises. Got it?”

That was a threat.

A naked, blatant threat.

Zheng Yang ground his molars in anger, but he knew Bai Yue too well — this was someone who always followed through on what he said.

So he looked at Bai Yue with a heavy gaze and still managed to force out a grunt of acknowledgment: “Mm.”

A few minutes later, the Bentley from Zheng Yang’s home arrived. The driver dutifully got out and opened the door for him. Zheng Yang walked up without so much as a glance back and slammed the car door shut — to show just how pissed he was at Bai Yue.

Bai Yue chuckled lightly. He thought Zheng Yang really was a child — possibly even more childish than Ye Xi.

He pulled out his phone and checked the time. It was 11:32 p.m. He wondered whether Ye Xi had gone to bed yet.

As he was thinking that, his phone suddenly vibrated.

Bai Yue opened WeChat and saw that Ye Xi’s capybara avatar had sent two message bubbles.

[Bai-ge, I’m going to sleep now. Thank you for coming to the cultural festival today and for staying for the pep rally. Good night.]

There was a sticker of someone obediently going to bed.

In that instant, Bai Yue’s expression softened completely, a total contrast to how he’d looked while speaking to Zheng Yang earlier.

Too obedient, he thought.

He brought the phone to his lips and softly said:

“Okay. Good night.”

…..

“Ah!”

At nearly the same time, in a dormitory of a certain high school, Ye Xi suddenly kicked his leg on the bed, almost shaking Li Rui’s bunk on the opposite side.

Startled, Li Rui stuck his head out from behind his bed curtain, instantly alert. “What happened? Is it an earthquake?!”

Ye Xi looked a bit embarrassed.

He hadn’t expected Bai Yue to reply so quickly — he got so excited that he kicked out his leg.

“It’s nothing,” he said, curling back into his blanket, embarrassed by his own reaction. “Bai Yue told me good night — he said it in a voice message. I got too excited.”

“…”

Li Rui wordlessly disappeared back into his bed curtain.

Then muttered bitterly, “Showing off your relationship should be a crime.”