TLCBITAR Chapter 116

Chapter 116: Accept it early and enjoy it sooner

The banquet was well into its second half before Zhou Zhou managed to escape Pei Yanlie’s clutches, dashing towards the restroom with lightning speed.

“Damn it, my lip is even broken! Is Pei Yanlie a dog?” Zhou Zhou grimaced at his reflection in the mirror, scratching his head in annoyance.

Catching sight of Li Yu entering, Zhou Zhou casually asked, “Are you close with Pei Yanlie?”

Li Yu took off his glasses and splashed water on his face at the sink. Zhou Zhou grabbed a couple of paper towels and handed them to him.

“Thanks,” Li Yu said, accepting the towels and carefully dabbing the water from his face. He continued, “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that question? Are you gay?”

Zhou Zhou was left speechless. Could he deny it? Could he explain? But no amount of words seemed adequate; he had entered the banquet hall with Pei Yanlie’s arm around him – anyone could tell they were close.

Li Yu slowly put his glasses back on, his water-dampened eyes unusually bright as he looked directly at Zhou Zhou and said, “My brother-in-law wants me to seduce President Pei.”

Zhou Zhou was stunned for a second, then simply responded with an “Oh,” offering no further emotional reaction.

Li Yu smiled, the corners of his lips curving upwards, and asked, “Aren’t you angry?”

Zhou Zhou turned on the faucet and washed his face like Li Yu had done, answering with his face still dripping wet, “If you can seduce him, that’s your skill. Why should I be angry?”

Li Yu was intrigued and pressed on, “Are you and President Pei in a romantic relationship, or is it a sugar daddy situation?”

Zhou Zhou sighed, a bitter smile playing on his lips. “Can I say it’s neither?”

“Oh? Forced love? You don’t seem like you’re gay, so you must be forced.” Li Yu raised a hand to his chin, speculating.

“Yeah, it’s definitely forced love,” Zhou Zhou readily admitted, radiating a gloomy aura.

Li Yu continued, “Never thought about running away?”

Zhou Zhou slowly dried his face, replying in a low voice, “Tsk, how can I escape from a big shot like President Pei?”

He crumpled the paper towels and threw them forcefully into the trash can, then turned to leave.

Li Yu raised an eyebrow, saying bluntly, “Actually, there is a way to escape, but it depends on whether you’re willing to abandon your family.”

“Forget it, I wouldn’t do something that endangers others just for my own selfish desires.” Zhou Zhou answered honestly. He at least had an older brother who treated him well, and he wouldn’t behave like a traitorous bastard.

Pei Yanlie was a ruthless man who meant what he said and wouldn’t be swayed by sentimentality.

Li Yu smoothed his bangs, teasing, “Then there’s no helping it. Accept your fate. Accept it early and enjoy it sooner.”

Zhou Zhou gave a sarcastic smile. “Heh, you want this kind of enjoyment? Be my guest.”

“I have no interest in being bottomed by a man.”

“And I do?”

“That’s why I said, prepare yourself mentally as soon as possible.”

“Damn…”

Zhou Zhou only felt an intense headache. He spotted A’Hu standing at the restroom door, narrowed his eyes slightly, walked over and asked speechlessly, “Are you filming a short video?”

A’Hu calmly put away his phone, his face solemn and upright as he replied in a measured tone, “Official business. This is President Pei’s request.”

Zhou Zhou’s lips twitched. “How much does Pei Yanlie pay you a month?”

A’Hu hesitated for a moment, then answered truthfully, “One hundred thousand.”

Zhou Zhou patted him on the shoulder, lowering his voice enticingly, “Oh, one hundred thousand? I’ll give you two hundred thousand, just don’t follow me.”

A’Hu’s face remained taut, his expression serious. “Sorry, my entire family is in President Pei’s hands. Don’t joke with me, Zhou Shao.”

“Is he a gangster? Is he threatening you?” Zhou Zhou snatched a lighter from A’Hu’s pocket and flicked it open with a “click,” the orange-red flame flickering in the air conditioning.

“It’s not a threat. My father suffers from a serious illness, and President Pei was kind enough to pay for his treatment, finding him the best hospital. My mother has severe depression, and President Pei found a renowned psychologist abroad to treat her. My older brother had a high-level amputation by accident last year, and President Pei spent a fortune helping him create two highly realistic prosthetics. My younger sister is congenitally deaf, and President Pei…”

Zhou Zhou listened intently. When the flame touched his fingertip, he hissed softly, stuffed the lighter back into A’Hu’s pocket, and said with a complicated expression, “A’Hu, your life is so miserable?”

A’Hu nodded, his eyes filled with gratitude. He murmured, “President Pei is my savior. Even if he wanted my life, I wouldn’t hesitate!”

Zhou Zhou sighed deeply. A man with such a hard life indeed couldn’t be swayed by money. He patted A’Hu’s shoulder again, saying earnestly, “It must be hard for you. I never imagined Pei Yanlie could be so kind.”

With that, he walked into the banquet hall in his leather shoes, not noticing the strange expression on A’Hu’s face behind him.

Having grown up in an orphanage, A’Hu looked at Zhou Zhou’s slender back and muttered, “Looks like President Pei telling me to watch more melodramatic dramas was quite useful. At least I can come up with this kind of sob story on the spot.”

He turned back to look at Li Yu in the restroom, who seemed to be lost in thought, and warned, “Please stay away from people you shouldn’t be interested in. Unfortunately, you’re already on President Pei’s blacklist. If there’s a next time, we will take punitive measures.”

Li Yu: …

MMP! When did I become interested in idiot Zhou! Don’t make baseless accusations!

Meanwhile, as Zhou Zhou stepped back into the banquet hall, he was immediately locked onto by an intensely possessive gaze, sending a chill down his spine.

He looked up and met Pei Yanlie’s dark, heavy eyes, and couldn’t help but swallow hard. What was with that look?

Don’t make it seem like I cheated on you!

Zhou Zhou snorted, and when he saw Pei Yanlie walking towards him, his heart instantly raced wildly – purely out of panic.

Damn it, Zhou Zhou, stay calm! You didn’t do anything wrong! Don’t be afraid of him!

His eyes darted from side to side, and he dashed towards the refreshment area, grabbing a glass of pale pink juice and gulping it down, pretending not to see Pei Yanlie.

The cool liquid flowed down his throat, and his rapidly beating heart gradually calmed. When Pei Yanlie finally stood in front of him, he finally looked up and said slowly, “President Pei, a bunch of people are eyeing you like hungry wolves. Can you not come over here and make me a target?”

Pei Yanlie took the glass from his hand, saying in a deep voice, “It seems you’re quite familiar with the Li family’s youngest son.”

As expected, A’Hu was a mobile surveillance device!

Zhou Zhou pouted, disgruntled. “What, I’m not even allowed to have friends?”

Pei Yanlie reached out and ruffled his hair. “It’s not that you’re not allowed, it’s that he has feelings for you.”

“Which eye of yours saw that he likes me?” Zhou Zhou was speechless at the jealousy-tinged words.

Pei Yanlie’s gaze darkened, and he tilted his head back slightly to sip the pink liquid. “Both eyes saw it, including my heart.”

Zhou Zhou snatched back his glass, downing it in one gulp, his voice softening a little. “Your delusions are quite severe.”

“Don’t drink too much. This is alcohol. It has a strong aftereffect.”

Zhou Zhou: …

Alcohol? Not juice?

He lowered his head to sniff it, and the sweet and sour fruity aroma hit his nose. He said uncertainly, “It doesn’t smell like alcohol at all.”

Pei Yanlie reached out and encircled his waist, whispering, “From my observation, you’ve already had two glasses. You’re a little dizzy now, aren’t you?”

Zhou Zhou frowned, not feeling dizzy, but seeing multiple Pei Yanlie’s.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you back to the hotel.”

Zhou Zhou blinked, starting to count. “1-2-3…9”

Pei Yanlie chuckled softly, leading him towards the villa entrance.

“Can we not go back? You’re a little scary.” Zhou Zhou stopped in his tracks, staring intently at the nine heads of Pei Yanlie, his voice trembling.