70 – Kissing in the Pub

Chapter 70: Kissing in a Bar

A cinema in Huzhou.

The grand sound effects signaling the start of the movie echoed through the room.

Click.

As the film reel spun, the screen brightened, and the prologue of the story unfolded before the audience’s eyes.

During the period when winter break overlapped with the New Year, the lineup of screening movies was incredibly lavish. This film, too, was a visual feast, filled with flashy special effects and rich cinematography. A famous production company, a star-studded cast, and even a well-known exposure scene. One could practically smell the production budget burning through the screen.

Though the plot was so absurd it made one’s head spin.

At first, He Yu watched the movie with considerable seriousness. However, his concentration plummeted during a scene where the female lead abruptly killed her adoptive parents for the sake of the male lead.

And He Yu wasn’t the only one losing focus.

The couple sitting to his left had begun an affectionate display. Regardless of whether blood was splattering across the screen, the two were preoccupied with pressing their lips together and whispering to one another. They seemed to think they were lowering their voices, but from the seat right next to them, every single word was crystal clear.

“Honey, kiss me again.”

“Mmm!”

“One more time.”

“Oh, seriously.”

“Again, one more time.”

“No. Focus on the movie.”

“Quickly. Just once more. If you don’t, I’ll be the one kissing you.”

If it weren’t for the couple engaging in such antics next to him, He Yu would have likely committed acts less than beastly upon Xie Qingcheng.

But seeing this happen right beside him made his interest vanish instantly.

Despite the damn couple’s sickening display, He Yu remained expressionless, holding his cola and sipping it coldly through the straw.

However, as their affection grew more intense, he began to feel genuinely disgusted. After enduring it as long as he could, He Yu finally glanced at the couple, using the flickering light of the screen as cover.

In that brief moment, he felt half-blinded.

The two people in a frenzy of hugging and kissing were not a man and a woman. Although one had a higher voice and a more androgynous appearance, both had prominent Adam’s apples. In other words, this was a gay couple.

He Yu, a homophobe who lived by the mantra of “it’s romance when I do it, but an affair when others do,” choked on a sip of cola and nearly suffocated.

Xie Qingcheng, who had been resting his chin on his hand while watching the absurd drama, was startled by He Yu’s violent coughing.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ahem… it’s nothing…”

Trailing off, He Yu bit his lower lip awkwardly and whispered quietly.

“There’s a gay couple sitting next to me.”

Xie Qingcheng glanced to He Yu’s left. The wild mandarin duck couple was still treating the cinema like a love hotel, continuing their horrific display of affection.

Xie Qingcheng was speechless.

“…”

The movie was a mess, and the audience next to them was broadcasting porn live; it was a total disaster. He wanted to leave the cinema immediately so as not to waste another precious minute of [visit our site]the remaining one hundred and twenty. Just as Xie Qingcheng was about to tell He Yu to leave, the taller man of the couple unauthorized copypulled the smaller one toward [visit our site]him and stood up awkwardly. It seemed their sexual desire had been ignited by their antics.

“Excuse us. We’re passing through.”

It was obvious where the two, who had been kissing so intensely, were heading after leaving their seats so early.

After a moment of silence, He Yu spoke.

“…Do you want to keep watching the movie?”

Xie Qingcheng spoke as he tossed a tissue into the trash bag.

“I had no intention of watching it from the start. I only came because of you.”

“Then let’s just go.”

Both of them leaned over and stood up simultaneously, speaking to the audience member next to them.

“Excuse us, we’ll just pass through for a moment.”

An elderly couple was sitting in the next seat. The sharp-eared couple knew exactly what the gay couple who had been kissing violently had left to do.

When the gay couple exited, a shower scene featuring a popular actor was in full [Read on Read BL Novels]swing on the screen. The elderly woman, a fan of visit our sitethat visit our siteactor, was already fuming because the gay couple had caused her to miss that scene.

And now, just as the actor was exposing his chest and wrapping a bandage, He Yu and Xie Qingcheng stood up. Even leaning over, their tall frames only served to obstruct her view of the chest muscles.

The elderly woman lost her composure. She had endured the garbage plot for the sake of the exposure scenes, only to miss important moments twice. The eccentric old woman screamed in a voice that echoed throughout the entire cinema.

“Do your homosexual acts out of sight, you brats! It’s irritating as hell to see this one and that one, both with things hanging between their legs, heading off to a motel!”

In an instant, the air in the cinema fell silent.

Then, a few seconds later, bursts of laughter erupted.

Neither He Yu nor Xie Qingcheng had expected this. Amidst the chaos, Xie Qingcheng spoke coldly.

“I think you’re mistaken. We’re passing through.”

“Oh, so you’re not the ones?”

Believing she had wasted her ticket money by missing the precious exposure scene, the old woman pointedly gestured between Xie Qingcheng and He Yu standing behind him, shouting at Xie Qingcheng.

“You were kissing so passionately right there a moment ago! Do you think I didn’t hear it?”

“If there’s a problem stolen contentwith your hearing, you should visit a hospital. stolen contentThat was [stolen content]the seat next to us. The people who left earlier.”

When Xie Qingcheng retorted, the old woman put her hands on her hips and pressed further.

“Where do you think you’re playing innocent? You do all those disgusting things and then can’t admit it? It’s too shameful to even put into words! You perverted homosexuals. Absolutely disgusting!”

The audience in the cinema were engrossed in the spectacle. This live play was more exciting than the absurd movie.

Xie Qingcheng was normally indifferent to such things. It wouldn’t have bothered him if someone called him gay.

However, unlike before, he was now in an improper relationship with He Yu.

Having his sore spot unintentionally poked, Xie Qingcheng’s face turned pale. With a stern expression, he spoke gloomily.

“I told you, we aren’t that kind of relationship.”

Things tend to get complicated when words drag on. He Yu poked Xie Qingcheng’s waist and whispered.

“Forget it. Let’s just go.”

Xie Qingcheng’s reaction was utterly cold.

“Why are you poking me? I’m saying we aren’t.”

“My goodness, you do homosexual things with such a thick skin, yet you can’t admit it? I’m disgusted just looking at men like you. Homosexuals should just go die.”

Normally, Xie Qingcheng would have handled the situation calmly, but the anger he had suppressed over the past few days suddenly surged to his head. He finally raised his voice.

“How can you say such things!”

He Yu grabbed him and stopped him with a rare seriousness.

“Enough!”

The stubborn old woman flinched slightly when Xie Qingcheng actually got angry. Then, seeing He Yu stopping him, she gained courage and shouted loudly again.

“What! You going to hit me? You homosexuals are the ones disturbing the movie-watching of us normal people! How disgusting! I can’t believe they let perverts like this into a cinema! I wonder if this seat was even disinfected? Innocent people like us will end up contracting AIDS!”

“Xie Qingcheng, let’s go.”

“Let go of me!”

As his sleeve was grabbed, Xie Qingcheng turned to He Yu with fire in his eyes.

“Stop pulling me!”

“…”

A sigh escaped He Yu’s lips.

Let’s just leave him and go first.

That’s what he wanted to do.

However, he spotted a male student in the back row quietly holding up a phone to record a video. Frowning deeply, he almost instinctively took off his coat and draped it over Xie Qingcheng’s head.

It was an action he couldn’t even understand himself. It’s not like I’m some angel. If someone is secretly filming to post on social media, shouldn’t I cover my own face first?

Why was he worrying about someone else’s situation?

“He Yu, what are you doing!”

Xie Qingcheng growled lowly, not knowing what was happening.

He Yu pushed him down and said,

“Stay still. I think someone is filming.”

Meanwhile, the old woman rolled her eyes and sneered cuttingly.

“Acting this clingy and still claiming you’re not homosexual? You should at least be a decent liar. You men-lovers.”

As Xie Qingcheng tried to remove He Yu’s coat, He Yu firmly grabbed his wrist and led him out of the scene.

From the dark theater to the front entrance of the cinema, and until they sat down in a 24-hour karaoke bar on the lower floor, Xie Qingcheng could not calm his agitation.

“Why did you interfere unnecessarily?”

Sitting opposite him, He Yu ordered two drinks and replied with his arms crossed.

“Because that argument was the only thing that was unnecessary. Once we’re outside, it’s someone we won’t even recognize.”

“…”

“There was also someone filming with a phone in the back. There’s no need to make a scene, is there?”

Xie Qingcheng remained silent for a moment before irritably taking out a cigarette. As he put the cigarette in his pale lips and lit it, He Yu’s hand took the cigarette and crushed it out in the ashtray.

“Don’t smoke. I absolutely hate second-hand smoke.”

Xie Qingcheng, who had been tapping the lighter on the table, messily ruffled his hair and said irritably with a tilt of his head,

“I’ve seen it all in my life. Why am I wasting my time with you here? Fuck, did you come because you were bored? Do you really have no one else to meet at a time like this?”

Silence followed.

Only after a long while did He Yu speak.

“Yes.”

“…”

“There’s no one else. You’re the only person I can meet comfortably without wearing a fake mask. Did you only just realize that?”

At those words, Xie Qingcheng looked away. The two were sitting by the window of the bar. Perhaps because it had been cloudy all day, the winter night in Huzhou, piled with heavy dark clouds, began to sprinkle sleet.

The raindrops hitting the window glass wiped the neon signs outside into a blurry, iridescent glow. The brilliant yet damp colors were captured in every drop of rain, freezing into tears.

The bartender brought the drinks they had ordered.

Xie Qingcheng took a sip of the alcohol, clenched his teeth, and [stolen content]revealed [visit our site]the emotions he had suppressed for a long time.

“What on earth do you want? Aren’t you tired of this? It’s a boring, abnormal relationship that shouldn’t exist. When exactly do you plan to end this?”

“…I don’t know either.”

Anger filled Xie Qingcheng’s voice.

“Are you still not satisfied?”

He Yu also took a sip of his drink.

The moment he set the glass down, a question that had been circling in his mind for days, for which he had found no answer, split open like a wound.

“Xie Qingcheng, if you’re going to act like this, there’s something I want to ask. If you tell me the truth, I’ll answer you honestly too.”

Xie Qingcheng’s attitude was straightforward.

“Ask away.”

“Why did you suddenly resign and quit being a doctor back then?”

“…”

Xie Qingcheng, who was rational in all things and had no feelings for He Yu, could not contain his anger in this moment. He snapped his eyes up and glared at He Yu with a fierce gaze.

“Fuck, how many times are you going to ask that!”

“No,” He Yu countered. “Hasn’t anyone yet heard a complete and truthful answer from your mouth? Xie Qingcheng. I want to know what truth you are hiding.”

“He Yu… just because you’ve slept with me a few times, you seem to think you’ve become something. Fine, let’s say the physical relationship is one thing. It’s true I can’t beat you in that regard. But my personal circumstances are none of your business. You have no right to tell me whether to answer or not!”

It was exactly the reaction he had expected. If Xie Qingcheng truly opened up his heart, that day would probably be the end of the world.

So, without getting angry, He Yu lowered his eyes and scanned Xie Qingcheng’s lips with his gaze.

“I guess those lips only soften when they’re being kissed in bed.”

At those words, Xie Qingcheng snatched up his glass. He intended to pour the alcohol over He Yu’s face.

He Yu instantly gripped his wrist.

“Don’t use the same trick too often. It won’t work later.”

Xie Qingcheng yanked his wrist out of He Yu’s grip. The lettering tattoo, thin visit our sitevisit our siteas visit our sitesmoke, disappeared under his sleeve in the blink of an eye.

“I’m leaving. If you want to drink, drink alone.”

“I don’t want to.”

He Yu blocked his path.

“What more do you want? I even watched a movie with you. I don’t know what you’re curious about, but I have nothing to tell you.”

Xie Qingcheng added one more thing.

“If I say it’s the truth, then it’s the truth. Move.”

In He Yu’s eyes, only Xie Qingcheng was reflected. Conversely, in the man’s eyes, the lamps, the snowstorm, and the noisy people coming and going from the bar were reflected.

Only he was conspicuously absent.

He Yu suddenly felt a surge of anger. The things he had kept secret from Xie Qingcheng rose hotly up to his throat.

“Can you guarantee that what you told me was the truth?”

“…”

“Doesn’t your conscience prick you at all?”

Xie Qingcheng’s attitude was very firm.

“I have no conscience to be pricked by a beast like you.”

He Yu pushed Xie Qingcheng against the bar table. No matter how sturdy Xie Qingcheng was, he seemed like someone He Yu could easily trap. He Yu lowered his voice.

“Then let me ask you just one thing. How many years did you initially contract with my father?”

The light reflected in Xie Qingcheng’s eyes wavered quietly.

He Yu did not miss that agitation.

“Do you know what you told me back then? You said exactly seven years. That the contract period was over, so you planned to leave without extending it. You told me not to be too upset because it was the end of a perfectly normal and human relationship.”

He Yu’s eyelashes trembled slightly under the bar lights and shadows. His voice was dropped infinitely low.

“If I’m a beast, then what are you? A damn fraud?”

Choosing the most cutting words to pierce Xie Qingcheng’s body, he watched Xie unauthorized copyQingcheng’s expression without unauthorized copyblinking. Read on Read BL NovelsXie Qingcheng, flustered at being caught in a lie, returned to a cold and rigid face in just one second.

Xie Qingcheng was too cold. He didn’t even offer an excuse.

“You know everything, then.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Did you hear it from your father?”

“I found out on my own,” He Yu said. “In case you still don’t know, Mr. Xie, I’m no longer that pitiful little kid who tried to hold onto you with pocket money, only to be told to use that money to buy a cake instead.”

“…”

“I learned a lot thanks to you. If I want to investigate the past, I have my own means.”

Finally, Xie Qingcheng’s gaze returned and landed on He Yu’s face.

He Yu’s shadow was reflected in those two pupils.

This fact strangely excited He Yu.

“Fine.”

Xie Qingcheng finally spoke.

“I did lie back then. The contract period wasn’t seven years, it was ten. But so what? What kind of society is this? It’s not like I’m your family’s slave; can’t I quit early if I want to?”

“How can you say that? Whether you could or couldn’t, you quit exactly as you wanted anyway.”

“Then what do you want to do about it now?”

“As expected, you’re smart. I wouldn’t have brought up the past for no reason.”

“Let’s hear what kind of bullshit you’re going to say.”

As the bar’s psychedelic lights rotated, a brilliant light flashed before Xie Qingcheng’s eyes.

Looking at this noble flower he once couldn’t afford because his wallet was thin, the ‘rice cake in a picture’ he couldn’t keep, He Yu quietly uttered two words.

“Three years.”

“…”

“Just stay with me for three more years. Like before.”

Xie Qingcheng looked at He Yu as if he had gone insane.

“You want me to go back to your house and be your private physician again?”

“Yes.”

“…What time is it? I think it’s time for you to wash up and go to sleep.”

“Xie Qingcheng, I can give you everything my father gave you back then now. I’ve made a lot of money.”

He Yu steadfastly pushed his opinion.

However, his expression completely crumbled at Xie Qingcheng’s following words.

“Save it for when you get married.”

Save it and buy a cake.

Save it for when you get married.

Four years ago and four years later. Whether it was pocket money or money Read on Read BL Novelsearned personally, Xie Qingcheng treated He Yu with [unauthorized copy]the attitude of an adult visit our sitewho was extremely rational and even satirical.

This one sentence twisted He Yu’s mood.

“I have no intention of getting married.”

“Then what? You just want to keep having sex with me? For how long? One year won’t be enough, three years? Five?”

Xie Qingcheng’s gaze was utterly ruthless.

“Aren’t you tired of this? You shameless gay bastard.”

A low voice scratched out of He Yu’s throat.

“Stop saying that kind of thing! I told you I’m not gay!”

“Sure, I hope you aren’t. It would be embarrassing for gays if a beast like you represented them.”

A cold face that knew exactly how to grate on a person’s nerves. It was completely different from the agitated state he was in when he was mistaken for being gay at the cinema.

Has something happened to his brain? For a moment, a thought bordering on madness circled in He Yu’s head. He ignored Xie Qingcheng’s harsh insults and asked again.

“So, will you do it or not?”

“Do what?”

“Be my physician.”

“Wake up from your dream.”

Having run out of patience, Xie Qingcheng stood up, his eyes wide with disbelief.

In response, He Yu shoved him against the black marble bar table. A rough, hazy light flickered in the eyes of He Yu, who had been behaving himself ever since they had slept together.

“Fine… I get it. Then you can be the first to feel what it’s actually like to be humiliated, Teacher.”

Tension flickered across Xie Qingcheng’s face. As the scuffle broke out, the gazes of the people around them began to converge. He tensed his body and asked in a low voice.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

How could someone like He Yu possibly embarrass him now?

How could he possibly affect a man who had brushed off the backlash from the control tower incident so lightly—?

It was before his thought could even finish.

A tattooed wrist grabbed hold of him. Under the dazzling, rotating strobe lights, He Yu pressed Xie Qingcheng against the bar table and leaned down in front of the massive crowd that had come to enjoy the nightlife.

Then, he kissed Xie Qingcheng, heavy and rough.