WBAI Chapter 17

Zhai Jing didn’t ask any further questions. As soon as he left, Xie An’yu rushed back to his room, pulled out his phone, and saw a question mark from Xiao Zhou.

Waves of embarrassment washed over Xie An’yu, his face burning. He felt that the other person had spent so much money, yet always maintained a sense of distance when chatting with him. This left Xie An’yu unsure how to break through this awkward half-formed relationship and act like a proper virtual boyfriend.

At least for the duration of the order, Xie An’yu wanted to see things through properly.

Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【?】

Xiao Dao: 【Don’t you have any requirements for me?】

Yu Feng seemed to understand what Xiao Dao meant.

The truth was, Yu Feng had never really seen Xiao Dao as a boyfriend. He just found the young man’s voice pleasant, his calm and sincere personality, and the sometimes his actions made Yu Feng curious about who he really was.

In short, Xiao Dao was quite interesting, and Yu Feng felt compelled to chat with him and spend money on him.

It was also possible that Yu Feng simply wanted to find a stranger, completely unrelated to his own life, to talk to as a way to release pent-up emotions that had nowhere else to go.
And he just happened to find Xiao Dao.

Yu Feng replied to Xiao Dao: 【You’re fine just as you are】

***

Ever since Xie An’yu had been ‘bought out’, Li Ying couldn’t place an order for him whenever he opened the mini-program. Xie An’yu rarely logged in to begin with, and after logging in at Xiao Zhou’s urging last time, he hadn’t logged in again. The app automatically logged users out after five hours of inactivity. During Xie An’yu’s last five hours online, Li Ying had tried desperately to place an order, nearly losing his mind in frustration.

Lying: 【Which sugar daddy bought you out?】

Lying: 【I’m sworn enemies with him】

Lying: 【Still for a whole month! I’ll be in my grave by then】

Technically, employees weren’t supposed to chat with customers privately outside of service hours, but enforcing this rule strictly was impossible. Many employees and customers who hit it off ended up interacting privately, and while the platform maintained its rule, they rarely enforced it.

However, Xie An’yu was quite earnest. If the system prohibited him from communicating with clients, he genuinely wouldn’t chat with them outside of service hours.

Thinking that he probably wouldn’t use this mini-program anymore anyway, Xie An’yu replied to Lying. His reply was simple, just these words: 【Don’t wait】

Lying: 【I’ll wait then】

Lying: 【You actually replied to me!】

Xiao Dao: 【I won’t reply anymore after this】

Lying: 【So our relationship truly can only be sustained by money】

Xiao Dao: 【It’s not what you think】

Xiao Dao: 【I probably won’t be using that mini-program anymore after this】

Lying: 【?? So sudden!】

Lying: 【Why?】

Xiao Dao: 【I just don’t really feel like using it anymore】

Lying: 【Sigh】

Lying: 【So, can we still chat together in the future?】

Actually, Xie An’yu didn’t want to chat, but he also didn’t want to be too blunt. He barely exchanged a few words online even with Ding Xiaofei, his closest friend, let alone a stranger he’d only been chatting online with for a few days.

Xiao Dao: 【I’m usually quite busy】

Lying: 【It’s fine. Just reply when you have time. I won’t bother you too much】

Xiao Dao: 【Maybe you should think about what you’re looking for first—a friend to chat with, or a boyfriend?】

Xiao Dao: 【If you’re looking for a boyfriend, I’m not really suitable】

The other party took a while to reply.

Lying: 【Okay, I understand what you mean】

Xiao Dao: 【I’m sorry】

Lying: 【There’s nothing to be sorry about. The willingness and the decision-making power are in your hands】

Lying: 【Goodbye then, Student Xiao Dao】

Xiao Dao: 【Mm, bye】

***

During his time in Beicheng, Xie An’yu’s horizons and understanding had broadened considerably. Before coming here, he’d never really considered the possibility that men could be attracted to other men. It wasn’t so much that he was unaware of it, but rather that he’d never given it much thought. So when he first discovered that some of his clients were men, he was genuinely surprised.

Back then, he’d felt somewhat forced into these conversations, like a duck being pushed into a shelf[mfn]趕鴨子上架 (gǎn yā zi shàng jià): lit. to drive ducks onto a shelf (idiom); fig. to push sb to do sth way beyond their ability; (figurative, colloquial) to make someone do something entirely beyond them; push someone into a difficult situation; drive/force a duck onto a perch—ask sb to do sth beyond his capacity; make someone do something they are not prepared for; compel someone to undertake an impossible task; force a donkey to dance.[/mfn]. He never quite got used to it.

Today, the restaurant’s head chef suddenly asked the boss for leave halfway through cooking, saying his elderly mother had suffered a stroke and been rushed to the hospital, requiring him to return home immediately. Without the head chef, the restaurant had to close early, putting up a ‘Temporarily Closed’ sign at seven o’clock.

The boss ordered everyone to do a thorough cleaning, both inside and outside the restaurant, before they could leave for the day. Xie An’yu was halfway through his cleaning duties when he noticed the other waiter had disappeared. He’d probably slipped out early—after all, he was the boss’s relative, and the boss would likely turn a blind eye to his absence.

Yue Lai was also nowhere to be seen. Xie An’yu had just seen him in the back kitchen earlier, but now he had no idea where he’d run off to.

The restaurant closed early, and people continuously walked by outside one after another, only to turn away upon seeing the sign on the door.

It was already dark. Xie An’yu went to the back door to dispose of the trash before heading upstairs to the staff room to get his bag.

Next to the staff room was an empty room where the boss usually took his lunch break. Xie An’yu’s hand rested on the doorknob, and he turned it slightly when he suddenly heard a sound from the adjacent room—a moderate thud, neither loud nor soft, as if something had fallen to the floor.

He thought the boss had already left, Xie An’yu was puzzled. Then, the noise from next door suddenly grew louder, sounding somewhat like a table being moved.

Xie An’yu’s brows furrowed deeper and deeper. He gently knocked on the door.

The room fell silent for a moment before the noise grew louder again. This time, Xie An’yu clearly heard the sound of a table corner scraping against the floor. Sensing something was wrong, he called out, “Brother Lu?”

There was no response from inside.

“Brother Lu?” Xie An’yu called again, then turned the doorknob, only to find the door locked.

Xie An’yu’s heart sank. Remembering Yue Lai’s disappearance, he inexplicably felt a growing sense of unease. Frowning, he took a step back back and raised his foot, kicking the door hard several times. The old-fashioned door, with its already loose handle, gave way after just a few kicks.

Xie An’yu froze. He saw Lu Yang pinning Yue Lai against the table, with scattered items strewn across the floor. Because Yue Lai couldn’t speak, if he hadn’t struggled desperately, Lu Yang wouldn’t even have needed to cover his mouth to easily conceal what was happening in the room.

Xie An’yu’s appearance made Yue Lai exceptionally agitated. Xie An’yu saw his neck flushed red, his mouth gaping as he tried to call for help, only able to make muffled ‘mm-mm-ah-ah’ sounds. His heart couldn’t help but clenched.

Lu Yang pinned Yue Lai’s hands. His robust physique dwarfed Yue Lai’s slender frame, making escape impossible. Lu Yang’s expression remained largely unchanged, save for a slight furrow of his brow as he said in a low voice, “This is none of your business. Get out.”

Xie An’yu felt his blood rush backward, surging to his brain. He was usually calm and wouldn’t act impulsively unless absolutely necessary. Suppressing his fury, Xie An’yu gritted his teeth and demanded, “Let him go.”

“If you can’t stand it, why don’t you switch places with him?” Lu Yang smirked. “Xie An’yu, you look so calm. What if I don’t let go? What will you do? Call the police?”

“I will call the police,” Xie An’yu said, clenching his fists.

Lu Yang’s smile widened. “Xie An’yu, you really are a fool. Do you think calling the police will help? He’s a grown man, perfectly capable. Do you think the police will care about this? How would he make a statement, sign language for them—”

Before he could finish speaking, Xie An’yu lunged forward, grabbed Lu Yang by the collar, and punched him squarely in the face.

Caught completely off guard, Lu Yang staggered sideways from the unexpected blow. Xie An’yu seized the opportunity to pull Yue Lai to his side. He pushed Yue Lai out the door, then grabbed the still-reeling Lu Yang, delivering two more brutal punches to his face.

He smelled the reek of alcohol on Lu Yang’s breath.

Though roughly the same height as Lu Yang, Xie An’yu lacked his burly build. Yet his strength was no less formidable. Each punch landed with savage force, delivered in utter silence. Blood was already gushing from Lu Yang’s mouth.

“You son of a bitch!” Lu Yang snarled, grabbing Xie An’yu’s shirt. “You have a death wish?!”

Xie An’yu’s eyes burned crimson with fury. With a surge of brute strength, he shoved Lu Yang away and kicked him hard in the stomach. Lu Yang collapsed to the ground, clutching his abdomen and coughing violently.

Yue Lai rushed forward, grabbing Xie An’yu’s arm and shaking his head frantically, urging him to run.

Panting heavily, Xie An’yu glanced at Yue Lai before dragging him down the stairs.

The two people ran and ran, the wind gradually calming Xie An’yu’s rage. His pace gradually slowed. He stopped, pulled out his phone, and tapped frantically at the screen, his movements somewhat frantic.

Xie An’yu held his phone up to Yue Lai: 【Did he do anything to you? Has he ever done this before?】

Yue Lai shook his head, the red marks of fingers still visible on his neck. He forced a smile and signed ‘Thank you’ to Xie An’yu.

Xie An’yu continued typing, his fingers still trembling slightly.

【Really? Never before today?】

Yue Lai nodded and pulled out his own phone, typing a few words before showing the screen to Xie An’yu.

【Really, never. I wouldn’t lie to you】

The weight that had been pressing on Xie An’yu’s heart finally lifted. He only now noticed the stinging pain on the back of his hand, where he had scraped it while punching Lu Yang.

Recalling the scene just moments ago, Xie An’yu lowered his head and took a deep breath.

If Lu Yang had really done something to Yue Lai, Xie An’yu feared he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from going back and killing him.

Xie An’yu glanced up at Yue Lai, his brow furrowed slightly.

Yue Lai signed something, which Xie An’yu guessed meant ‘I’m okay’.

【I’m really okay, don’t worry】—Yue Lai’s phone screen read.

Xie An’yu suddenly remembered that his backpack was still in the staff room. He typed: 【You go home first. Be careful on the way and don’t come back to the restaurant. Find a new job. I have something to do, so I can’t walk you home】

Yue Lai asked him: 【Where are you going?】

【I have an appointment with a classmate today】

【Okay, then I’ll go home first. Don’t go back there either】

Xie An’yu nodded.

Yue Lai’s retreating figure looked somewhat lonely. Xie An’yu wanted to call out his name, to say goodbye, but then remembered he couldn’t hear.

Xie An’yu glanced down at the wound on the back of his hand, clenched his fist, and turned to walk back toward the restaurant.

The restaurant’s front door was closed but unlocked, with a ‘Temporarily Closed’ wooden sign hanging on it. The lights inside were still on. Instead of entering through the front door, Xie An’yu circled around to the back entrance, slipped through the kitchen, and crouched by the entrance, listening carefully for any movement upstairs.

After confirming no one was on the second floor, Xie An’yu crept upstairs. He quickly grabbed his backpack and raced back down. Just as he rounded the corner, Xie An’yu heard a cacophony of voices coming from the front hall. He quickened his pace, the voices growing louder as he approached.

Xie An’yu simply leaped over the railing and jumped down the stairs.

“I knew you’d come back,” Lu Yang’s voice echoed eerily from above.

Xie An’yu glanced up and saw Lu Yang standing on the second floor, watching him with a sardonic smile. Lu Yang had been tending to his wounds in the restroom and had heard Xie An’yu’s movements upstairs clearly. However, since he was injured, he was too lazy to act himself and unwilling to risk alerting his prey, he had remained hidden.

He hadn’t needed to worry about alerting the prey; the idiots in the front hall had already scared the snake out of its hiding place.

Lu Yang rapped on the railing and called out to the front hall, “He’s over here!”

Sensing danger, Xie An’yu whirled around and sprinted toward the kitchen, just as Lu Yang’s lackeys swarmed in from the front hall.

“Hurry up, you useless bastards!” Lu Yang barked. “Chase him down!”

***

Yu Feng had been circling for ages before finally finding a parking spot. He wondered if it was because of the underground band performance today, but the area felt particularly crowded, with every available space packed with cars.

This place was located on the outskirts of the city, so traffic enforcement wasn’t as strict, and private vehicles just parked wherever they could find an empty spot.

There was still some time before the performance began, so Yu Feng rolled down his window, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. He looked towards the commercial building where the underground band performance was held. The entrance leading to the basement was already packed with people, and there were many small vendors hawking glow sticks and fan merchandise at the doorway. From a distance, it looked very lively.

***

Xie An’yu sprinted through the streets, his backpack bouncing against his back. Fortunately, his regular running habit gave him an edge in this desperate chase.

He ran as hard as he could, but he couldn’t shake off the people behind him. Lu Yang must have given his goons strict orders to catch him, and Xie An’yu knew he’d face dire consequences if they caught him.

He wasn’t sure why, but he felt like there were an unusual number of people and cars on the street today; everywhere was packed. He weaved around the crowded square filled with parked cars, trying to shake off those behind him, but he was outnumbered. With so many people chasing just him, no matter how he hid, they could spot him instantly.

Xie An’yu’s stamina was almost depleted, his breathing growing increasingly short and rapid. He glanced back and saw his pursuers closing in, less than ten meters away, encircling him from different directions.

He had beaten Lu Yang that badly; Lu Yang definitely wouldn’t let him off the hook.

Xie An’yu’s eyes darted around until he spotted a black SUV parked nearby. A figure sat inside, one hand resting on the window, a cigarette wedged between their fingers. In his desperation, with nowhere else to go, he instinctively ran straight for the SUV.

But unexpectedly, halfway there, the person inside the car actually stepped out. Xie An’yu immediately slowed down, but due to inertia, he couldn’t stop at once and stumbled forward several meters, nearly colliding with the figure.

He skidded to a halt a meter from the person, staring wide-eyed at the man.

***

A handsome face suddenly appeared before him, and Yu Feng paused, meeting the gaze of the young man in front of him.

Yu Feng still had a cigarette in his mouth. He took a drag, pulled it away, and stared blankly at the strangely familiar face before him.

***

Xie An’yu had initially intended to ask this big brother for help, hoping he’d let him hide in the car. But then he reconsidered, worrying that Lu Yang’s thugs might cause trouble for this person, so he abandoned the idea.

Xie An’yu murmured an ‘Excuse me’, and tried to slip past Yu Feng.

***

Familiar features, that familiar low, husky youthful voice.

Compared to the voice coming from his phone speaker, his actual voice carried an almost disorienting sense of reality.

Yu Feng glanced at the group of people chasing after Xie An’yu, frowned, and instinctively asked Xie An’yu, “What’s wrong?”

His tone was casual, as if they’d known each other for a long time.

Xie An’yu glanced at him.

“Are they chasing you?” Yu Feng asked, his eyes fixed on Xie An’yu.

Xie An’yu had no time for small talk. He simply hummed in affirmation and tried to leave, but Yu Feng grabbed his arm.

The group of pursuers was almost upon them. Yu Feng said, “Don’t run. You can’t outrun them now anyway.”

He opened the car door and told Xie An’yu, “Get in and sit down.”

Xie An’yu was still stunned when Yu Feng shoved him into the car, slammed the door shut with a ‘thud’, and locked it with the car keys.

---

The author has something to say:

The next chapter will be a VIP chapter! I’ll be taking a break tomorrow to prepare the VIP chapter. See you the day after tomorrow~

Sorry for the (kinda) cliff. The next chapter is rather long—it’s the first VIP chapter after all. But man… that LY is such a trash. Forcing himself on a deaf-mute person just because he can’t get XAY? He’s an unrecyclable trash.

[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 17″]
半生不熟 (bàn shēng bù shóu): half-cooked; underdone; underripe; not mastered; not skilled (of a technique); not well-acquainted; unskilled. Its basic meaning refers to food that is not fully mature or not cooked to an edible state. Its extended meaning refers to a lack of proficiency in knowledge and skills.

善始善終 (shàn shǐ shàn zhōng): where there’s a start, there’s a finish (idiom); to finish once one starts sth; to carry things through; I started, so I’ll finish; start well and end well; see things through; finish what you start; carry through to the end; begin and end well; see something through from start to finish. It describes handling things perfectly from beginning to end.

不共戴天 (bù gòng dài tiān): (of enemies) cannot live under the same sky; to be absolutely irreconcilable; hate to live together under the same sky; harbour an irreconcilable hatred (for); unwillingness to coexist with the enemy under the same sky, describes deep hatred; From the Book of Rites, Book 1 (《禮記·曲禮上》): 父之讎，弗與共戴天。兄弟之讎不反兵。交游之讎不同國。, With the enemy who has slain his father, one should not live under the same heaven. With the enemy who has slain his brother, one should never have his sword to seek (to deal vengeance). With the enemy who has slain his intimate friend, one should not live in the same state (without seeking to slay him).

大有人在 (dà yǒu rén zài): plenty of such people exist; there are plenty of such people; such people are by no means rare/scarce; such people are not at all rare/scare; describes a large number of people of a certain type or holding a certain view.

萬不得已 (wàn bù dé yǐ): out of absolute necessity; with no other choice; as a last resort; only when absolutely essential (idiom); in a situation where there is no alternative; when all else fails; one has no other choice but to do so.

一言不發 (yī yán bù fā): to not say a word; to be silent; remain silent; keep quiet; say nothing; to remain silent and not make any comments.

躡手躡腳 (niè shǒu niè jiǎo): to walk quietly on tiptoe (idiom); to walk on tiptoe; to creep; to walk gingerly; to do things stealthily; walk stealthily/gingerly.

七嘴八舌 (qī zuǐ bā shé): lit. seven mouths, eight tongues; a discussion with everybody talking at once; lively discussion with everybody talking at once; seven mouths and eight tongues―lively discussion with everyone trying to get a word in; talking in confusion; all talking at the same time.

皮笑肉不笑 (pí xiào ròu bù xiào): to put on a fake smile (idiom); to smile insincerely; smile hypocritically/sinisterly; force/manage a smile.

一清二楚 (yī qīng èr chǔ): to be very clear about sth (idiom); perfectly clear; as clear as daylight; as clear as moon; as plain as the nose on one’s face; beyond the shadow of a doubt; be crystal clear.

打草驚蛇 (dǎ cǎo jīng shé): lit. to beat the grass and startle the snake; beat the grass to scare the snake; to give away your position through rash actions; to alert someone of your presence unwittingly; to inadvertently alert an enemy; to punish sb as a warning to others (idiom); stir the grass and startle the snake—act rashly and alert the adversary; originally meant punishing others and also warning yourself. Later, it was a metaphor for not doing things secretly, causing the other person to be alert and on guard.

滿滿當當 (mǎn mǎn dāng dāng): full to the brim; filled to capacity; packed; describes the appearance of being very full.

慌不擇路 (huāng bù zé lù): flee along any path one stumbles upon; seize on any solution when hard pressed; one is too anxious to choose a road; feeling anxious and panic, can’t care about choosing a path. The idiom is interpreted as not having enough time to choose the right path in an emergency and panic situation.

大眼瞪小眼 (dà yǎn dèng xiǎo yǎn): lit. the big eye stares at the small eye; two people staring at each other, without knowing what to do; look at each other helplessly; look at each other in dismay; stare at each other blankly; be at a loss; describes a situation where people stare at each other in surprise, confusion or helplessness but are unable to respond.
[/dropdown]

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