AM Chapter 30

30. Poor Child

“You’re back, perfect timing. This guest is all yours to entertain. I’m going out for a drink of water and some fresh air.”

Little Zhuang headed straight for the steel pipe where the man was tied. Mister Yu patted him on the shoulder, left those words, and walked out of the private room as carefree as if nothing had happened.

“That pervert! You cheap bastard!” Chen Mo roared at the closing door of the private room. Little Zhuang silently tore at the yellow tape binding Chen Mo’s wrists to the steel pipe.

“Chen Mo, what are you doing here? What happened?”

“Damn it! You perverted bastard, come back here if you have the guts! I’ll kill you! You cheap piece of trash! Your whole family is dead! You psycho!”

With the tape finally removed, Chen Mo was still furious and didn’t listen to a word Little Zhuang said. He rubbed his reddened wrists forcefully while cursing at the air.

If Little Zhuang hadn’t been blocking him, Chen Mo would have charged out as soon as he was untied.

As for Little Zhuang, who was blocking his path, Chen Mo didn’t spare him either. Even though Little Zhuang had helped him, even saved him, he still cursed, “Are you crazy? Why are you defending him! Disgusting!”

“…” Little Zhuang lowered his head, not saying a word.

Chen Mo shoved past his shoulder and ran out of the private room. Little Zhuang immediately turned and hurried after him.

He didn’t dare to pull or tug on Chen Mo. Chen Mo knew that he wouldn’t dare, so whenever he was blocked or bumped into by passersby, Chen Mo would turn around and roar at him without any mercy: “Idiot!” “Leave me alone!” “Are you annoying me on purpose!” He vented all his anger on him.

Fortunately, Chen Mo couldn’t find the person he was mentally cursing through their entire family tree in the crowded bar lobby. Seeing Chen Mo gradually moving towards the exit, Little Zhuang slowly stopped.

He took out his cell phone and made a call, then turned around in the midst of the colorful, noisy bar and returned the way he came.

He pushed open the door to the private room and saw yellow tape torn into strips scattered on the floor.

Little Zhuang raised his head, his gaze landing on another corner of the private room. The person who had said he was going out for a drink of water and some fresh air seemed to have had enough water and air, and was now bending over the song selection machine, scrolling through the screen, indecisive about what to sing.

“Bro…”

“You’re here, let’s sing a couple songs together~”

As soon as he finished speaking, the microphone was spun in the air and hastily grabbed by Little Zhuang.

Little Zhuang held the microphone tightly in both hands and slowly walked towards the person who had chosen their songs and was now sitting on the sofa.

He stood in front of the sofa, pursed his lips, gripped the microphone tightly, and then pursed his lips again.

“You’re blocking the screen.”

“Bro, what were you doing with Chen Mo in the room just now?”

“Hmm?” The person on the sofa blinked and then smiled at him. “Playing S★M.”

Little Zhuang didn’t say anything, didn’t ask any other questions, just held the microphone, lowered his head, and pursed his lips.

Gradually, the person on the sofa stopped smiling. He reached out and supported one of Little Zhuang’s arms holding the microphone—he felt like Little Zhuang was about to cry.

“I’m just kidding…” he said.

“Can’t you play with me…” Little Zhuang said, looking at him.

The person on the sofa was stunned.

Late at night, a single young man living alone in a high-rise apartment was furiously slamming the keycaps of his computer, his fingers, the backs of his hands, and his wrists as red as if they had been branded.

He vowed that if he ever encountered that braided, smiling-lipped pervert again, he would pull out his hair as fiercely as he pulled out the keycaps! Surely Liang Jingren wouldn’t keep a bald guy with a shiny head as his lover!

The apartment complex was quiet and silent in the early hours of the morning. The hallway lights remained dimly lit after the delivery person left. Occasionally, the faint rustling of leaves could be heard from the garden below.

Little Zhuang sat up in bed. He lowered his head and looked at the person sleeping soundly next to him—it turned out that the smiling lips weren’t smiling when they were closed during sleep. Perhaps it was just a personal habit, but they were slightly pouting.

Little Zhuang carefully brushed away the strands of long hair that were scattered across the pillow and then quietly left the room using the light of his cell phone screen.

Because the person he liked didn’t like him smoking, he could only stand on the balcony blowing in the wind and spacing out.

After a while, he opened his phone again and scrolled to the contact card labeled [Ren Bro] in his address book.

Little Zhuang felt that he needed to report to Ren Bro about the situation today… no, last night. Although he still hadn’t solved the riddle of the initial conflict between Ren Bro and Chen Mo, and he had heard that the two of them had grown distant and knew that Chen Mo had already moved out of the villa, he still felt that things related to Chen Mo had to be discussed with Ren Bro—and only Ren Bro could discuss them.

But, it was already late at night, wouldn’t calling be considered harassment in the middle of the night? That wouldn’t be appropriate. Little Zhuang scratched his head and hung around on the balcony with his phone for a while longer.

Finally, he composed a message and sent it: “Ren Bro, there’s something I want to talk to you about Chen Mo. Can we meet tomorrow afternoon?”

The next morning, Little Zhuang received a call from Liang Jingren while he was making breakfast.

In the afternoon, the two of them arrived on time, both early, at a tea shop that was dimly lit, decorated in a low-key style, and had a quiet atmosphere.

Little Zhuang thought that Liang Jingren had agreed to come so decisively because he had seen that he had mentioned Chen Mo’s name. Seeing Liang Jingren pull out a chair and sit down, he wanted to say something nice about Chen Mo during the small talk. He didn’t expect that as soon as Liang Jingren sat down, he looked at him directly and said, “Take out your ID card, let me take a look.”

“Ah, ah?” Little Zhuang was dumbfounded.

Liang Jingren stared unblinkingly at him and said, “Little Zhuang, take out your ID card, I need it.”

“Oh, okay…” Little Zhuang obediently took out his ID card and placed it on the table.

He believed that Liang Jingren wouldn’t use his ID card to do anything bad. He thought that maybe there was a problem with a business license or a link in the purchasing and sales process, and that was why he needed his documents for information. In short, he believed even more that Liang Jingren was the kind of person who would handle things officially with his ID card.

However, Liang Jingren just picked up his ID card, looked at it, and then handed it back to him.

Little Zhuang watched as Liang Jingren’s expression became serious. He took the ID card, feeling very uneasy inside. “…What’s wrong, Ren Bro?”

Liang Jingren clasped his hands together, made a fist, and then stared at him intently as he asked, “Little Zhuang, you… slept with Liang Jingyu?”

Little Zhuang’s fingers suddenly tightened, almost breaking off a corner of the ID card. Little Zhuang’s face, usually filled with simplicity and honesty, turned “boom” red like a strawberry milkshake that had been waiting for someone to pick it up at the counter of the milk tea shop.

His reaction gave Liang Jingren an accurate answer. Now Liang Jingren was certain that the strange noises he had heard when he had gotten up in the middle of the night to pee and passed by Liang Jingyu’s room—he had heard Liang Jingyu calling out “A Nian” over and over again. It turned out that “A Nian” was Little Zhuang’s name.

He had been called “Ren Bro” for so many years, but he hadn’t even remembered the name of his own subordinate. Liang Jingren himself felt a little rude. Originally, he had wanted to ask Little Zhuang directly for his full name, but that was too embarrassing. Fortunately, he had learned the trick of looking at ID cards from Chen Mo. Although it was abrupt, it was really effective.

Before Little Zhuang’s red head could cool down, Liang Jingren continued to press him, “When did it start? Did he seduce you? Or did he force you?! If he bullied you, just tell me directly…”

“No!” Little Zhuang suddenly raised his head and looked directly at him, his tone urgent. “Liang Bro didn’t force me, I did it willingly!”

“…”

Liang Jingren opened his mouth and asked, “Do you like him?”

The glittering things in Little Zhuang’s eyes were pressed down hard by his eyelashes. His eyes darted around, his lips pursed, and then he nodded lightly.

Ah… so this is what a teenager in love looks like, what a cute reaction. Liang Jingren supported his head with one hand, thinking randomly.

“What a poor child.” The words that came out of his mouth at this moment were also chaotic.

“Huh?”

Liang Jingren smiled, saying in a slightly sympathetic tone, “Liking a bastard like Liang Jingyu, life won’t be easy.”

Little Zhuang was silent.

Liang Jingren was also silent, and the curve of his mouth quickly flattened.

He thought: Liang Jingyu is a bastard, and Chen Mo is also a bastard. His life had been surrounded by two bastards, he couldn’t help but lament for himself in his heart.

Little Zhuang opened his mouth, “Liang Bro is very good to me.” He spoke up for Liang Jingyu.

Liang Jingren remained silent.

He was thinking, maybe what Little Zhuang said was true, maybe Liang Jingyu was really good to Little Zhuang… then…

Little Zhuang was a lucky child.

What about me? I was teased, bullied, and suppressed by Liang Jingyu for so many years, and then I received so many “gifts” from him. Am I lucky?

Even if I am, can I still be if Chen Mo likes me? After all, Chen Mo did that beastly thing to him. If Chen Mo…

Liang Jingren suddenly froze. He felt that he was thinking in the wrong direction, and that he was going way too far—he was actually fantasizing about what would happen if Chen Mo hadn’t forced him, but had instead been direct with him and actively pursued him.

Thinking about it that way, he felt that Chen Mo was also a poor child.

Because Chen Mo wouldn’t get anything, he still wouldn’t accept Chen Mo.

Thinking of Chen Mo, Liang Jingren finally recalled that Little Zhuang’s message about meeting him seemed to mention Chen Mo. Afraid that he would forget about it again in a moment, Liang Jingren quickly asked, “Oh right, Little Zhuang, what were you originally going to complain to me about Chen Mo?”

He had heard the word “complain” the most during Chen Mo’s school days, especially when he was still in middle school, when the teacher would call him or Chen Daxiang and say: Chen Mo was complained about by so-and-so, blah blah blah… Later, Chen Daxiang passed away, and Chen Mo matured a lot in high school. Gradually, Liang Jingren never received any more calls complaining about Chen Mo.

Hearing Liang Jingren’s words, Little Zhuang also realized that he had mainly come today to talk about Chen Mo’s affairs.

However, where should he start with what happened last night… Last night, he had spent half the time outside arguing with cunning beverage merchants about invoices, and when he came back, he asked someone where Liang Bro had gone. That person said that Liang Bro had taken a young man to a private room, and that was why he had rushed in so hastily. He didn’t know exactly what Chen Mo and Liang Bro had done in the room.

In short, let him first talk about the fact that Chen Mo had been to the store. “Chen Mo went to our second branch yesterday.”

“Did he go to cause trouble?” Liang Jingren asked.

“No.” Little Zhuang shook his head.

“Then what did he go there for? To pick up a sugar daddy?” As he spoke, Liang Jingren laughed for no reason.

Little Zhuang hesitated for a moment and said, “He went into a private room with Liang Bro.”

“…Oh?”

“I don’t know what the two of them did.” Little Zhuang pursed his lips and then said, “Liang Bro said that the two of them were playing S★M.”

“S…M?”

“I only saw Liang Bro tie Chen Mo to a pillar…”

“Really?” Liang Jingren widened his eyes.

“Yeah…” Little Zhuang’s tone seemed a little downcast.

But Liang Jingren didn’t have time to comfort him. “Pfft!” Liang Jingren couldn’t hold back anymore. He had already imagined that scene in his mind. “Hahahaha!” He laughed heartily, laughing so hard that he was pounding on the table.

Laughing aside, he still had to think about his real loved ones. Liang Jingren reminded Little Zhuang, “That Little Zhuang, haha, recently tell your Liang Bro to first haha, first avoid the spotlight, that is, usually go less to places with few people, and also try to stay in lively places in the store, otherwise I can’t guarantee what will happen to him hahahaha…”

With Chen Mo’s petty nature, Liang Jingren was sure that he would find an opportunity to retaliate against Liang Jingyu, but he didn’t know when this revenge would come.

Hahaha hehe… Although he didn’t know how Chen Mo had gotten into it with Liang Jingyu, watching the two bastards torment each other was really a good show.

After getting off work on Monday, Chen Mo put on his gloves to hide the marks on his wrists before going to eat with Liang Jingren.

For some reason, Liang Jingren immediately noticed his gloves, and every time he saw them, he would laugh out loud.

Chen Mo was extremely surprised. He had originally planned to wait for Liang Jingren to ask before pretending to be weak and pitiful, taking off his gloves, pointing to the red marks, and acting miserable to gain sympathy.

But now, looking at Liang Jingren, who was secretly looking at him from time to time, barely holding back his laughter, as if he was about to knock over the dinner plate at any moment, Chen Mo felt that if he took off his gloves, Liang Jingren might faint from laughter.

It wasn’t that Chen Mo hadn’t noticed that Liang Jingren’s sense of humor was very strange, but this time he hadn’t said or done anything strange, it was too strange! It was simply strangely bizarre!

And—damn it! Why was he smiling so seductively! He’s never like this usually!

“Ren Bro… did you earn money from some big project?” Chen Mo forced a smile and made up a reason for Liang Jingren’s good mood.

Liang Jingren’s response was very quick, so quick that it was perfunctory. “Ah, that’s right, I’ve earned millions recently!” And he changed the topic, suddenly asking, “By the way, did you buy our company’s stock?”

Chen Mo was stunned and honestly replied, “Uh, I didn’t buy it.”

Liang Jingren waved his hand, and with a very perfunctory, indifferent attitude, he smiled and said, “Forget it, you better not buy it. You don’t have much money anyway, so don’t try to play the stock market.”

“…”

Chen Mo: Damn it, why do I suddenly feel humiliated?!