ASSHKHME Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Dull Pain

In that instant, Xie Yu felt like he had truly been hit.

His brain went blank for a moment, a ringing filling his ears, and his vision was filled only with Chen Zhuo’s mischievous, successful grin.

The safety officer hurriedly took the gun from Chen Zhuo’s hand, scolding him sternly, “What’s wrong with you, young man? Didn’t we tell you not to point the gun around?! What if there’s still a bullet in there and it goes off?!”

Chen Zhuo, of course, knew he’d emptied the magazine and it wouldn’t fire. He shrugged. “What else can happen? As the safety officer, you’re primarily responsible for poor supervision, right? Shall we be cellmates?”

The safety officer’s face turned black with anger, and he glared fiercely at Chen Zhuo, but his professionalism forced him to hold back his rage.

Xie Yu thought: Chen Zhuo, this kid is just too much of a brat, there’s no one more bratty than him.

Ultimately, Xie Yu was implicated by Chen Zhuo, and both of them were asked to leave the shooting range for endangering safety. To prevent them from causing trouble, they even refunded the full fee.

Chen Zhuo, with his hands in his pockets, said leisurely, “Aren’t you going to thank me? I saved you money.”

Xie Yu chuckled twice. “You pointed a gun at me, and I’m supposed to thank you? You have a really thick skin.”

Chen Zhuo glanced at him sideways. “Only an idiot wouldn’t know if they’d used up all the bullets in their gun. Didn’t you hear the range staff calling out the scores? Five shots at ten rings, three at nine, two at seven. Let me test you, how many bullets are left in the gun?”

Xie Yu was speechless. “…Don’t talk like a dad.”

The weather in the mountains changed quickly. When they arrived, the sun was shining brightly, but now mist was rising, and the sky was gray, as if it was about to rain.

Chen Zhuo looked up at the dark clouds rolling in from over the continuous mountain range, his face not looking too good, but he didn’t show it.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from behind, “Handsome! Wait, wait!”

Xie Yu and Chen Zhuo turned their heads to look back at the same time.

They saw a girl wearing a denim overall dress, about their age, running towards them.

She was both brave and shy, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Xie Yu. “Hello, I was watching you shoot just now. I really don’t want to have to search the entire internet after I get back, so do you have a girlfriend? If not, can I add your contact information?”

Before Xie Yu could refuse, Chen Zhuo whispered like a devil, “He’s gay.”

The girl’s eyes widened, her gaze jumping back and forth between Xie Yu and Chen Zhuo. After a moment of realization, her face instantly flushed. “I’m sorry, I was being reckless! I wish you two a hundred years of happiness and eternal unity!”

The girl slipped away like the wind, even doing a sudden brake to turn back and give them a “go for it” gesture. “You’re a great match! Love knows no gender! Be brave and love!”

Xie Yu’s face was livid as he looked at Chen Zhuo beside him, who was trying to hold back his laughter, his shoulders shaking. Annoyed, he grabbed Chen Zhuo’s collar and pulled him behind a tree. “Chen Zhuo! Are you asking for a beating! Ruining my reputation! When did I become gay?!”

His collar twisted and deformed in Xie Yu’s grip, Chen Zhuo remained calm and unhurried, not even trying to struggle. He slowly plucked a petal that had fallen into Xie Yu’s hair, raised his eyes to look at him. “What? Is that your type?”

A gust of wind blew past, Chen Zhuo’s curled hair ends swaying slightly, reflected in Xie Yu’s pupils.

Xie Yu frowned. “That’s not it.”

Chen Zhuo leaned his back against the rugged tree trunk, his eyes bright with a shallow smile, as if filled with a thousand emotions. “Then what type of girl do you like?”

When asked, Xie Yu subconsciously searched for an answer in his mind, but he didn’t see a clear image of his so-called ideal type, only vague and general preferences.

She had to be good-looking, with fair skin, and preferably a bit tall…

Just as Xie Yu was lost in thought, Chen Zhuo suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Chen Zhuo’s palm was warm. Xie Yu was shocked, thinking he was going to bite him again. His hand still seemed to feel the pain from last time, but to save face, he stubbornly didn’t move.

But Chen Zhuo did something even more shocking than biting him. He actually lowered his head and pecked the tip of Xie Yu’s finger.

Xie Yu’s pupils shook, and he suddenly let go of Chen Zhuo, stepping back, looking at his hand in disbelief, as if there was still a warm touch lingering on it.

After a long while, Xie Yu finally spoke, “Are you crazy? What’s wrong with you?”

Chen Zhuo noticed that Xie Yu’s vocabulary of insults was quite poor. He stared at him unblinkingly, deliberately licking his lips as if savoring the taste.

He sighed. “It’s a pity I’m not your type. How great would it be if you liked me?”

Xie Yu’s face turned green and then white, white and then red, red and then black.

Even though he understood that Chen Zhuo was deliberately disgusting him, his emotions couldn’t help but change because of it. He threatened him in a low voice, “If you keep talking nonsense like this, I’ll really beat you until you’re crawling on the ground looking for your teeth!”

After saying those harsh words, Xie Yu walked away angrily, clearly in a very bad mood.

Seeing him walk away, Chen Zhuo disgustedly “pui pui pui” wiped his mouth. He didn’t even know if this kid had washed his hands after going to the toilet.

A sudden gust of wind rose in the mountains, the branches swaying incessantly, and their clothes were puffed up by the wind.

Chen Zhuo took out his phone and looked at the weather forecast. The meteorological station had already issued a yellow thunderstorm warning, and the northern suburbs would be hit by a heavy rain tonight.

A humid atmosphere filled the air. Chen Zhuo strode towards the hotel, his phone held tightly in his hand, his knuckles white with force.

The terrain of the resort wasn’t too high, but looking out, the mountains stretched undulatingly. On a sunny day, the blue sky and white clouds made for beautiful scenery, but now, shrouded in dark clouds, it was somewhat frightening.

The shooting range was a short distance from the accommodation. By the time Chen Zhuo returned to the hotel lobby, it had already begun to drizzle, the blackness making the 3:00 PM hour feel like evening.

Chen Zhuo’s heart was pounding. He took a cup of hot coffee, held it, and took a sip, unable to resist walking to the front desk.

The front desk staff recognized him and smiled. “Mr. Chen, how can I help you?”

Chen Zhuo pursed his lips, fidgeting. “Do you…have landslides here?”

“Please rest assured, the vegetation here is lush, and the surrounding rocks were reinforced during the construction of the resort. Furthermore, all employees have received training, and there are a series of measures in place to ensure the safety of our guests.”

The staff member said with concern, “You don’t look too well, would you like me to call a doctor for you?”

“No, I’m fine, thank you.”

Chen Zhuo nodded his thanks and walked towards the elevator hall, returning directly to his guest room on the third floor. After drawing the heavy blackout curtains, he turned on all the lights.

His phone rang. Chen Zhuo looked at the caller ID. It was Xu Qingyou.

A familiar voice came through. “Xiao Zhuo, I saw there will be thunderstorms at the resort tonight. Are you okay?”

Chen Zhuo laughed easily. “Qingyou-ge, you don’t still think I’m as timid as I used to be, do you? What’s there to be afraid of about thunder?”

Xu Qingyou rubbed his brow, regretting. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left you alone in an unfamiliar place. I should have brought you back, I’m sorry.”

Chen Zhuo had witnessed his parents’ death with his own eyes.

During the rainy season ten years ago, in an unknown mountain village.

A landslide had washed away the road, and falling rocks had almost flattened the van, killing the driver instantly.

His family of three had been squeezed into the narrow metal space.

His brain, in extreme grief, had blurred the memories to protect itself, but Chen Zhuo still remembered his parents’ blood soaking his clothes.

It was warm, viscous.

He could still hear his mother enduring the excruciating pain, gently coaxing him, “Xiao Zhuo, don’t be afraid, someone will come to save us.”