Chapter 66

Chapter 66

"066"

The sweet-and-sour taste still lingered on Xiao Lancui's tongue. His brow moved slightly, and the question slipped out.

"Do you like men?"

In the original story, gay people were everywhere—especially gay men. Xiao Lancui had long grown used to it.

"I like you, brother." Lu Ao moved back to his seat across the table and sat up straight, his expression completely open. "I like you to death."

Xiao Lancui tightened his grip on the soup spoon, then released it a moment later.

He had misread it.

Lu Ao's feelings for him went beyond gender. He was "brother" to him, but he could just as easily be "sister," "aunt," or "uncle." What Lu Ao liked and relied on was him—the person himself—and that was why he was willing to do anything for him.

Including kissing.

Lu Ao had been shut off from the world for eighteen years. He'd never had a normal chance to learn about the world, and he didn't understand the different meanings a kiss could carry.

He was overthinking it.

A calculating adult who saw the world through a cynical lens—but in Lu Ao's eyes, a kiss was merely the purest expression of fondness.

A fondness that had nothing to do with romance.

In the past, Xiao Lancui wouldn't have read everything as romantic. After all, the Lu Ao who was buried in the imperial mausoleum had also smiled and asked to kiss him.

"Ah Lan, may I kiss you?"

That was the first opportunity Lu Ao had ever been given—and it might also be where he'd die with no grave to call his own.

A rebel force had turned to banditry, led by a general who had once been undefeated in service to the imperial court. The emperor had sent troops to crush them several times, and each time, the entire force was annihilated.

Once again, the emperor asked his court who could ease his worries. The entire hall fell silent.

Not only was the rebel leader incredibly strong and a fierce warrior, but the location he had chosen was easy to defend and hard to attack—a dead-end with no way back.

Lu Ao knelt all night, got his first audience with the emperor, and finally won this chance: win or die.

The night before departure, Lu Ao finished reading his book on the art of war as usual, ate all his brown sugar rice cakes, and as he was about to leave, he tilted his head, smiled, and asked, "Ah Lan, may I kiss you?"

"If I die, thinking of Ah Lan will keep my soul from getting lost. I'll find my way home."

What the emperor refused to give, Xiao Lancui gave.

Lu Ao leaned in and kissed his forehead—so light, like a night breeze carrying the scent of brown sugar.

"Ah Lan, I will definitely come back alive."

Back then, he was Lu Ao's teacher, his only pillar, and his only family.

That kiss was one of family love and comfort.

After he'd crossed into this world, the flood of romance from the original story had invaded his mind and clouded his judgment.

Having pulled himself together, Xiao Lancui gave a slight nod. "Okay. If that day comes, I'll come find you."

The wonton wrappers were rolled paper-thin, translucent as gauze, filled with minced beef and crisp seasonal veggies—light and refreshing. Lu Ao's cooking had gotten a lot better fast. Xiao Lancui polished off the whole bowl.

It wasn't eight yet. Xiao Lancui didn't head straight back to the Xiao residence. He ordered three servings of pear soup for delivery. Lu Ao went to tidy up in the kitchen, and feeling thirsty, Xiao Lancui went to get some water.

As he reached the kettle, his eyes flicked to two mugs sitting side by side.

One black, one pink, both with hand-painted Pomeranians.

They were the mugs he'd bought on his last visit.

Xiao Lancui hadn't expected Lu Ao to wash them and set them side by side. He stared at them for a few seconds, then took the black mug, poured some warm water, and sipped it as he wandered the room to help digest.

Soon, he noticed what was different.

Very subtle differences.

For instance, a small potted asparagus fern now sat on the left side of the TV stand, and two fluffy throw pillows had appeared on the couch—

Like a treasure hunt, Xiao Lancui patiently hunted for the new additions, until he finally stopped in front of the bathroom storage rack.

A wooden floor rack with a pot of asparagus fern on the bottom shelf and four hooks on top—two holding clean towels, and two holding... headbands.

One shaped like the Book of Life and Death, the other a little pony.

They were the headbands he'd grabbed on a whim at the amusement park last time.

These little trinkets suddenly felt so alive, and Xiao Lancui felt a familiar sense of home wash over him.

Home.

For the first time, this place felt like home.

His last home had been the Dali imperial palace. Now it's a tourist attraction—60 yuan for an all-inclusive ticket, an hour and a half away on Line 8 with no transfers.

Xiao Lancui had no plans to go.

A place with family is home. Without family, it's just a building.

"What's up, brother?" A head suddenly popped in from outside the bathroom door. Lu Ao looked a little down. "Your order's here."

The order had arrived, which meant it was time for him to go.

Xiao Lancui ripped the receipt off the bag, took out one serving of the pear soup, and set it on the table. "Have a few sips before bed. It'll soothe your throat."

Lu Ao nodded, his eyes following Xiao Lancui the whole time. Xiao Lancui put on his coat and shoes at the entryway. Lu Ao suddenly asked, "When are you coming back to stay, brother?" His eyes were bright, dark, and earnest. "Forever. Live with me."

The first question was easy to answer. The second—

Xiao Lancui opened the door and gave a rough timeframe. "Soon. The stuff I need to handle will be done after the New Year."

Xiao Lancui carried his stuff downstairs and walked out of the building. The gaze on his back followed him until he was almost at the community gate, then stopped.

Lu Ao was watching him go.

Every time he left, Lu Ao saw him off like this, watching until he was out of sight.

A sudden worry crept into Xiao Lancui's mind. If the check-up after the New Year found something wrong with his stomach, he wouldn't be able to give Lu Ao that "forever" he wanted.

As he left the community, Xiao Lancui stopped and looked back. From here, he could no longer see the home he shared with Lu Ao. The lights of countless homes glowed warmly, and then a sudden chill hit. Xiao Lancui raised a hand to touch the tip of his nose—a snowflake.

It was snowing again.

Lu Ao timed it perfectly. After Xiao Lancui took off in a taxi, he suited up, put on a hat and mask, and headed out with the pear soup in hand.

The man he'd heard about at the bar during the day—the one kept by both the father and son of the Xiao family—Lu Ao knew exactly who it was.

Cheng Peng.

The private investigator had dug up the canary Xiao Jingli had taken out—a male model he'd recently started keeping. Cheng Peng bore a striking resemblance to Xiao Jingli's first love—and even to that first love's son.

Lu Ao quickly got Cheng Peng's address.

Yujing Garden, Building B, 2601.

Last time, Lu Ao had also looked up where Xiao Liqin had set up Xiao Anfeng—Yujing Garden, Building B, 2801.

Ten minutes later, the private investigator's car pulled up at the entrance of the residential complex. Lu Ao got in, and the investigator smiled and greeted him, "Mr. Lu."

Lu Ao gestured for him to drive, opened the pear soup, and sipped it while texting Xiao Lancui.

[Brother, I'm drinking the pear soup. It's sweet and super good!]

The private investigator was secretly blown away. He hadn't had much contact with Lu Ao—their interactions were simple: Lu Ao gave orders and paid, and he did the work and reported back. An extremely simple, efficient, and clean setup.

But even that brief contact didn't change the fact that Lu Ao was no simple man.

He'd been a private investigator for thirty years and had seen all kinds of people, big and small. He'd even taken cases from the most powerful figures. This Mr. Lu had serious connections—very serious connections. He had an eye for that kind of thing.

He even kind of admired Lu Ao—young, yet unfathomably deep!

So when Lu Ao lowered his head, sipping from a cup printed with a little girl with a bob cut—Chibi Maruko-chan—while tapping away at his phone, the private investigator's world came crashing down.

The investigator stayed silent, driving smoothly and swiftly to drop Lu Ao off at his destination: a bar.

Cheng Peng loved hanging out at this bar. He came several times a week—on the nights when Xiao Jingli didn't visit Yujing Garden. Tonight, Xiao Jingli had gone home, not to Yujing Garden.

Lu Ao had just sent Xiao Lancui a "goodnight, bro" and got out of the car without a word.

Lu Ao first stopped at a convenience store to buy a pack of Matcha Milk Pudding Ice Bread.

He didn't like these things. No matter how many times he ate them, he couldn't get Xiao Lancui's taste. But that didn't stop him from eating the ice bread again and again.

After finishing the bread, he still hadn't put his mask on. A group of young men walked past him, and one—gold earring in his left ear, bleached blond hair—gave him a flirtatious whistle and called out, "Handsome, wanna come hang out at Blueser with us? My treat!"

Blueser—the bar Cheng Peng loved. A gay bar.

Lu Ao turned and left. He waited until 11:30, when an Audi A8 pulled up in front of Blueser.

Cheng Peng got out, tossed his keys to the valet, and hummed a tune as he walked into the bar.

Lu Ao followed him in.

Cheng Peng had arranged to drink with friends. He'd booked the biggest private room, and they partied noisily until past 3 a.m., when Cheng Peng finally emerged.

A man was holding him up. Cheng Peng was dead drunk, practically draped over the man as they headed toward the restroom. The man's hands roamed all over him, but Cheng Peng shoved him away.

Cheng Peng laughed coldly. "Who the hell do you think you are, touching me? Do you know who I belong to?"

The man stared at Cheng Peng's face with an oily grin. "Everyone knows. You post about it on Weibo every day—your daddy. But no matter how rich a fifty- or sixty-year-old geezer is, can he fuck you better than I can? How about a quick round tonight? Your daddy won't know."

Cheng Peng leaned in close, and the man's heart skipped a beat. Then Cheng Peng kicked him square in the balls. The man doubled over in agony, clutching himself and howling. Cheng Peng chuckled. "A round? Sure. But you can't. Too small—thinner than a goddamn enoki mushroom."

The man's face went green. Cheng Peng staggered off and stumbled into the restroom. He vaguely heard the click of a lock but didn't think much of it. The stalls were all empty, so he picked one and was about to lock the door when a heavy hand shoved the door open.

Assuming it was that creep who wouldn't take no for an answer, Cheng Peng looked up and started cursing. "Look in the damn mirror, you u—hey, handsome!"

The moment he saw the face in front of him, Cheng Peng's eyes went wide. His disgusted expression instantly shifted to fawning, and his hand reached for the mask. "Even with a mask on, you're gorgeous... Wanna fuck—"

A dull thud. Cheng Peng couldn't speak anymore. He was wedged between the toilet and the trash can, his gut having taken a kick that felt like his organs had shattered. Tears burst from his eyes, and the alcohol sobered him right up. Terrified and panicked, he sobbed in broken fragments, "If you don't w-want to hook up, fine, I wasn't f-forcing you... why'd you have to h-hit me..."

A second later, he shut up.

An icy blade pressed against his throat. Cheng Peng stopped breathing entirely, terrified that even the slightest movement would slit his throat.

Lu Ao's deep voice sounded like it came straight from hell. "You get one chance to answer. Mess up—" His fingers on the knife pressed down slightly, and Cheng Peng's legs turned to jelly. "Ask! Ask me anything! I'll tell you everything!!!"

"Last year, what did Xiao Liqin hire you to do?"

Cheng Peng, realizing Lu Ao even knew about Xiao Liqin, immediately answered through tears. "He wanted me to learn Xiao Anfeng's mannerisms and tone, his way of dressing! You know Xiao Anfeng, right? Xiao as in grass radical, An as in shore, Feng as in wind. What else do you want to know?"

"What was his goal?"

Cheng Peng's tears poured down. "I didn't know at first either. I thought he wanted to sleep with me, but months passed and he never touched me. Only this year did I figure it out—he wanted me to seduce his father... You know his father, right? Also surnamed Xiao! Xiao Jingli, the big boss of the Xiao Corporation. And then—"

The blade shifted, and Cheng Peng immediately straightened up. "He told me to find opportunities to become friends with Xiao Anfeng... Ugh, boss, I've told you everything I know. I really don't know anything else."

Lu Ao asked his final question. "Have you become friends with Xiao Anfeng?"

Cheng Peng sobbed. "Yes, just this morning... I even invited him over to my place tomorrow for baking. That was also arranged by President Xiao—Xiao Liqin. Bring Xiao Anfeng to my place, get him familiar, and then have Xiao Anfeng walk in on me and Xiao Jingli... in bed."

Lu Ao withdrew the knife. Cheng Peng had just started to breathe easier when a voice dripping with cold descended from above.

"Keep doing what you're doing. If today's events leak—"

He left it hanging.

"I never saw you!" Cheng Peng wished he could raise his hand and swear an oath, but he had no strength left. He could only offer a face full of sincerity. "I have serious professional ethics, I swear. I absolutely never saw you—"

Before he could finish, the stall door swung shut before his eyes.

The man in all black was gone. No footsteps either.

All color drained from Cheng Peng's face.

Had he just run into... a ghost??

Cheng Peng's vision went black, his head lolled to the side, and he toppled into the trash can, scared unconscious.

Five minutes later, Lu Ao walked out of the bar and glanced at his watch.

Still early. Two and a half hours until Xiao Lancui woke up.

He changed direction and headed back to that 24-hour convenience store.

This time, he grabbed two packs of Matcha Milk Pudding Ice Bread.