TSIBAMS Chapter 68

Chapter 68

“Where are you going?” Ye Xing followed him out.

“The police station.” Qi Guang’s voice was decisive as he straddled the motorcycle. “You stay here.”

At this moment, Bai Shu also walked out from behind the door. “Brother Xu said we don’t need to follow. That policeman is acquainted with him, it’ll be fine.”

He tried his best to remain calm as he finished speaking, but couldn’t help but sigh.

“I want to figure out something else.” Qi Guang put on his helmet. “If someone publishes defamatory information online, how does that get handled?”

Ye Xing grabbed his sleeve and finally, pressing on the Buddhist beads on his wrist, he spoke, “Since that policeman is acquainted with Brother Xu, be polite when you go. Don’t start a fight, okay?”

These words coming from the impulsive Ye Xing were quite out of character. Qi Guang was a little amused listening to him.

“Don’t worry.” Qi Guang covered his hand with his own, squeezing it in his grasp. Turning to say something to Bai Shu, he noticed that Bai Shu was looking away.

Qi Guang cleared his throat. “Brother Bai, could you find out if any new bars or other entertainment venues have opened in Chen Town recently?”

“Okay,” Bai Shu responded.

“Also, ask if any of the resident bands are being poached.” Qi Guang continued, “Oh, and I wasn’t around last weekend, was there anything unusual at 1984?”

“No,” Bai Shu shook his head, thinking for a moment before adding, “It was just that you suddenly left on jazz night, which made us wonder a bit…”

Qi Guang was stunned.

Ye Xing, realizing what was being implied, was also taken aback. A sense of unseemly ambiguity and satisfaction secretly surged in his heart.

Though heeded Ye Xing’s words not to fight, on the way, Qi Guang had considered many contingency plans in case Brother Xu was arrested. But these plans were nipped in the bud. When he arrived at the police station, he saw Brother Xu unharmed, talking on the phone at the door.

He was kicking small stones every now and then, looking no different than usual.

“Brother Xu! Are you okay?” Qi Guang stopped his bike, one foot on the ground.

Brother Xu was surprised to see him and hung up the phone, walking over. “I’m fine. Why are you here? I told Bai Shu…”

“What did the police ask you? Was it about that post?” Qi Guang interrupted him, taking off his helmet and getting off the bike.

“You saw it?” Brother Xu asked.

“Yeah,” Qi Guang responded.

Brother Xu pulled out a pack of cigarettes, shaking two out. He offered one to Qi Guang, who shook his head. Brother Xu frowned slightly, “Really quit smoking?”

Qi Guang smiled. “I’m not addicted.”

Brother Xu laughed, wanting to say something but stopping himself. He lit a cigarette, taking a drag and exhaling.

After a while he spoke, “Be careful lately, someone is trying to mess with us.”

“I asked Bai Shu to find out about the new bars that recently opened,” Qi Guang said.

Brother Xu glanced at him. “Looks like you and I had the same thought.”

After all, that post had too many loopholes. There wasn’t any solid evidence, yet it was very targeted. Many comments from seemingly random accounts were adding fuel to the fire. Everyone was parroting as if they had all personally witnessed the bar owner seducing female patrons.

Rumors were terrifying.

Bringing down an entertainment venue wasn’t too difficult, but bringing down Brother Xu’s two clean venues that were neither gambling dens nor drug dens wasn’t easy. Using public opinion was undoubtedly the simplest method.

In the short term, it was also the most effective method.

But it was also very easy to refute. If it was a rumor, it would eventually be proven false.

“Brother Xu, have you offended anyone in the past?” Qi Guang asked.

Brother Xu pretended to think for a while, then pretended to look troubled, before laughing. “That should be quite a lot.”

“…”

One had to admit, Brother Xu’s mindset was something ordinary people couldn’t possibly match. His business was being targeted like this, and he still had no idea who was trying to sabotage him, yet he was still in the mood to joke?

And, unbelievably, he was smiling so happily!

“It’s better to offend a gentleman than to offend a petty person.” Compared to Qi Guang’s silence, Brother Xu’s expression and tone were very relaxed. “Those who would resort to such low tactics may not be the people I’ve offended. I’ve already asked the police to investigate the ID. It won’t be that easy to cause trouble at my place.”

Qi Guang leaned against the motorcycle, looking at him with a sense of respect. “Brother Xu is indeed my Brother Xu.”

“Huh?” Brother Xu, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, forced a question mark onto his face.

“Everyone was worried about you. Who would have thought you didn’t even need to handle the post yourself? You went straight on the offensive, getting the police to help you track the ID?” Finishing, Qi Guang gave him a thumbs up. “Awesome!”

“You’re overthinking it! What can they do to me with no proof?” Brother Xu, with one hand holding the cigarette, patted his shoulder. “They’re just making a show of it, called me over for tea, that’s all.”

Qi Guang laughed, shrugging off his hand. “I heard that policeman is acquainted with you?”

“Yeah, when his family couldn’t pay the rent and were kicked out by the landlord, I let them stay at my brother’s place for a while,” Brother Xu said, putting the cigarette butt out in a tree hollow. “He can be considered one of the people I took care of. Who knew that kid would end up becoming a policeman?”

“Brother Xu, you’re such a philanthropist,” Qi Guang shook his head, smiling ambiguously. “A gangster who’s like you is truly very unique.”

“Get lost, you little brat. Show some respect in front of your Brother Xu!” Brother Xu slapped him on the head.

“Okay, I’ll take you back to the bar.” Qi Guang straddled the motorcycle. “How are you planning to handle this? Are you going to wait for the ID results?”

Brother Xu sat behind him, his hands on his waist. “We’ll close down for the next two days to rest, but we can’t just sit here and wait to be ambushed. I need to come up with a temporary solution. If you have any ideas, tell me.”

“Okay.”

Besides Ye Xing, his motorcycle probably hadn’t carried another guy. When he realized that it wasn’t Ye Xing behind him but Brother Xu, he felt a bit at a loss.

He wasn’t sure what was wrong, only feeling a stiffness in his waist area. Then he moved Brother Xu’s hands to his shoulders and started the motorcycle.

He drove slower than usual. Not long after he pulled away, Qi Guang suddenly spoke as if he remembered something. “This noon…”

“It’s okay, Xiaoyun explained it to me,” Brother Xu interrupted. “I just wanted everyone to gather for fun, I didn’t say the main focus was on you. Don’t be so conceited, okay?”

Qi Guang was stunned for a moment, then cleared his throat. “Um, Brother Xu, that’s not what I wanted to say.”

Brother Xu was also stunned, then slapped his thigh, finally understanding. “Oh! I was too embarrassed to bring it up. You had to say it.”

“Huh?”

“Qi Guang, I’ve watched you grow up. Although there were a few years when I wasn’t around, I’ve still seen you go from a little kid to this…” Brother Xu sighed, “I really didn’t expect that you, of all people, would actually like men.”

Qi Guang was stunned for a long while before coming back to his senses. Not only was it questionable whether he had grown that tall, but Brother Xu’s way of expressing things was questionable.

Although he knew the answer would be negative, he still couldn’t help but ask, “You’re not homophobic, are you, bro?”

“Pah!” The person behind him exploded. “If I were homophobic, would I even be hanging out with Bai Shu?”

Qi Guang smiled.

He hadn’t even brought it up! This guy had already taken the initiative?

In that case…

“Brother Xu, I have something to say, but I’m not sure if I should.”

“Then keep it to yourself!” he replied, still furious.

“Well, I’m going to say it anyway.” Qi Guang ignored him. “I really didn’t see it before, including when you told me about Bai Shu’s orientation. I was pretty surprised. But ever since…”

He suddenly paused.

Ever since I became gay too?

This way of expression was probably something he learned from Brother Xu.

“Just now,” Qi Guang cleared his throat again, “Now I understand. Bai Shu’s feelings for you aren’t just those of a normal friend.”

“I knew it a long time ago.” Brother Xu’s tone suddenly cooled.

“Damn!” Qi Guang nudged him with an elbow. “Then what kind of ‘push-and-pull’ game are you playing? You’re a scumbag!”

“Pah! I’m straight! I see him the same way I see you. I used to treat you like a younger brother. It’s the same for him. Can you say that this kind of affection can just turn into something different? When he came out before, I sensed that something wasn’t right. But he didn’t make it clear, so I couldn’t reject him. He’s an orphan. I pay for him to go to school, I can’t just cut him off because he likes me, right? If I did, I’d really be a scumbag!”

Qi Guang was silent. He had never imagined that there were so many undercurrents below the seemingly calm surface of Brother Xu and Bai Shu’s relationship.

“But later I thought, maybe I was wrong to play dumb. If I hadn’t tolerated him so much, he wouldn’t be so stubborn.” Brother Xu sighed, not for the first time. “Before the college entrance exam, he told me he didn’t want to go to university, didn’t want to leave. I got into a fight with him. That was our first fight. And it was the first time I knew he was so unwilling to let others change his mind about things he insisted on. Later, he didn’t even go to the exam, insisting on following me. Even though I was angry, I couldn’t do anything about it.”

The motorcycle was going so slow that Qi Guang was nearly distracted. What Brother Xu was saying surprised him. He also felt that he and Ye Xing were extremely lucky.

There was no cliché of ‘one’s poison is another’s honey’, nor was there any suspicious speculation or hopeless waiting. When they cried, they cried, when they loved, they loved. It was so fortunate to be on the same frequency with the person he loved.

After a while he hesitated before asking Brother Xu, “Have you ever considered trying to accept him?”

“Actually, I’ve always been very afraid.”

To hear the words like ‘afraid’ from Brother Xu was more bizarre than Ye Xing telling him not to fight. Was today some kind of ‘everyone’s persona is collapsing’ kind of day?

When they were little, Brother Xu was, in his eyes, a reckless guy with not much brains but loved to fight. Now, though he had matured, he had become a happy-go-lucky busybody.

It was impossible to link that persona to the words he had just said.

Afraid?

Very afraid?

Had always been very afraid?

“Afraid of what?” Qi Guang asked directly.

“Afraid that he was straight, and I made him gay. Afraid that I gave him signals that he misinterpreted. Afraid that he confused my financial and life support with romantic feelings.” Finishing, he sighed again.