Chapter 46: The Incompetent and Malicious Ex-Boyfriend (46)
He gave Jiang Ningyuan a polite nod. “A-Ci is going home. I have to see him off. Let’s catch up another time.”
With that, he followed Shen Ci out of the restroom, leaving Jiang Ningyuan standing there in a state of confusion.
By the time Jiang Ningyuan snapped out of it and chased them to the door, the two had already disappeared.
After taking care of his physiological needs, Jiang Ningyuan leaned against the sink and smoked a cigarette before returning to the private booth.
He was still trying to figure out how to tell Ming Yanzhou that Shen Ci was actually with Wu Mu.
As soon as he entered, he saw Zhou Geng grinning widely, talking about something with great excitement.
“What are you guys talking about?”
Seeing him enter, Zhou Geng spoke with a face full of gossip. “A-Yuan, I just ran into Brother Wu while I was outside taking a call. He was here for dinner with his boyfriend.”
Zhou Geng’s eyes brightened. “Holy crap, I never realized he was gay. But his boyfriend is really quite good-looking…”
Although Zhou Geng knew Wu Mu owned a gay bar, he had always assumed his sexual orientation was normal, though he had never seen him with a girlfriend.
Suddenly seeing Wu Mu with a boyfriend today was like discovering a new continent.
Jiang Ningyuan pulled out a chair and sat down, his face looking rather grim.
“What’s wrong?”
Ming Yanzhou leaned back in his chair, his expression indifferent.
“Do you know who Wu Mu’s boyfriend is?”
Ming Yanzhou lifted his eyelids and gave him a glance. “Not interested.”
Jiang Ningyuan let out a snicker but didn’t speak immediately.
Instead, he lit a cigarette and began to smoke.
Zhou Geng leaned in curiously. “Who is it? Someone you know?”
Jiang Ningyuan took a deep drag and slowly exhaled the smoke.
“Not just I know him. Zhou-zai knows him too.”
“If you both know him, how could I not know him?” Zhou Geng was confused.
The three of them had grown up together, and they knew virtually everyone in their social circle.
It made no sense that both of them knew the guy and he didn’t.
Could he have met him and forgotten?
That didn’t seem right either.
With a face like Shen Ci’s, if he had ever seen it, there was no way he would forget.
“Aiy, stop being mysterious. Who is it exactly?”
Jiang Ningyuan looked at Ming Yanzhou and spoke word by word. “It’s Shen Ci.”
Ming Yanzhou snapped his head up. “Who did you say?”
“I said, it’s Shen Ci! Did you hear me clearly?”
Zhou Geng’s brow furrowed. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place where he had heard it before.
“Impossible. How could Shen Ci be with Wu Mu? Isn’t he madly in love with Ye Qi?” Ming Yanzhou refuted him immediately.
But looking at Jiang Ningyuan’s certain expression, he began to waver.
“Really?”
Jiang Ningyuan flicked the ash from his cigarette. “Do I have a reason to lie to you? Brother Shen admitted it himself.”
Jiang Ningyuan then added in a sarcastic tone, “Brother Wu even called Brother Shen ‘Baby.’ I’m truly [Censored]. In what way are we inferior to Brother Wu? Or does Brother Shen just like older men?”
Ming Yanzhou’s brow furrowed so tightly it could have crushed a mosquito. “Did Brother Shen break up with Ye Qi?”
“I don’t know. He left before I could say more than two words to him.” Jiang Ningyuan ruthlessly stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.
Ming Yanzhou fell silent for a moment, took out his phone, and dialed Shen Ci’s number.
The result—
He was blocked.
His already dark face turned as black as ink.
Jiang Ningyuan blinked. “Blocked?”
Ming Yanzhou shot him a look.
Jiang Ningyuan shrank his neck and stopped talking.
Beside them, Zhou Geng finally caught on to the underlying meaning.
“Is Wu Mu’s boyfriend that person you guys failed to chase because he already had a partner?”
He was a picture of pure curiosity.
Ming Yanzhou gave him a cold look.
Jiang Ningyuan leaned back and let out a sigh. “Loneliness!”
Zhou Geng picked up a bowl of Cordyceps soup and took a sip.
“Tsk. Even though you guys failed, your taste is certainly good.”
He set the bowl down. “This soup is quite well-simmered. You two should have more of it; it’s good for vitality.”
After speaking, he couldn’t resist singing a line: “Finally, you became someone else’s mistress~ I know it’s all because of love~”
“Zhou Geng, do you want to die?” Jiang Ningyuan spat.
Zhou Geng let out a few “tsk” sounds. “I just sang a couple of lines. Why are you getting so angry and resorting to insults~?”
“Wait, sorry, I sang the wrong line. You guys wanted to be someone’s mistress, but the person didn’t want you… Hahaha~ You guys are so pathetic!”
Jiang Ningyuan: …
I really want to beat this idiot to death!
Ming Yanzhou narrowed his eyes at Zhou Geng. “Do you see that braised meatball [Lion’s Head] in front of you?”
Zhou Geng froze, pulling back his mocking grin. “What?”
“Use it to plug your mouth, okay?”
Zhou Geng: …
———
On the other side.
Wu Mu was driving Shen Ci home.
Shen Ci had drunk some floral wine. Since Wu Mu had planned to drive Shen Ci home from the start, he hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol.
The temperature in the car was perfectly comfortable.
Shen Ci leaned against the passenger seat and fell asleep at some point.
It was Ye Qi’s phone call that woke him up.
Seeing Ye Qi’s caller ID, he felt a sudden surge of guilt.
He took a deep breath before answering.
“Husband, when are you coming home?” Ye Qi’s voice was soft, radiating a sense of dependence on Shen Ci.
Shen Ci: …
He glanced at a road sign. “Almost home.”
“Alright. Be safe on the road, Husband.”
…
Hanging up the phone,
Wu Mu glanced at Shen Ci. “Baby, when are you going to break up with Ye Qi?”
Shen Ci: …
Here he goes again!
“Wu Mu, Ye Qi has no family besides me… give me some more time. I’ll look for a suitable opportunity to tell him.”
Wu Mu’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. During a red light, he looked at Shen Ci.
“Baby, I don’t want to be a third party. I only accept this grievance because I like you so much. You can’t lie to me…”
Shen Ci felt like he might have developed some masochistic tendencies; he could actually remain unfazed now even when Wu Mu called him “Baby.”
Even though he knew he would leave as soon as the mission was complete, he still had to offer some comfort for now.
Shen Ci reached out and grabbed Wu Mu’s arm. “How could I lie to you…?”
This was the first time Shen Ci had ever been “affectionate” toward him.
Wu Mu felt like a small flower had bloomed in his heart.
He was incredibly happy.
He suppressed the corners of his mouth that wanted to curl up and let out a light cough. “I believe you.”
…
Meanwhile, after Ye Qi hung up the phone, he stared with a sinister expression at the small red dot on his screen as it moved closer and closer to home.
Where was the tenderness he had shown while on the phone with Shen Ci?
A moment later,
He stood up.
They were out of vinegar at home. He had to go downstairs and buy a bottle.
…
The car soon stopped at the entrance of the residential complex.
Shen Ci unbuckled his seatbelt and looked at Wu Mu. “Thanks for today. Be safe driving back.”
With that, he opened the door and got out.
He hadn’t walked more than two steps when
Wu Mu got out of the car as well. “Baby.”
Shen Ci twitched the corners of his mouth awkwardly and turned back. “What is it?”
“Aren’t you going to give me a hug before you go?”
Shen Ci: …
———
Translator’s Note: “Buying vinegar” (買醋) is a pun in Chinese. Being jealous is called “eating vinegar” (吃醋). Ye Qi saying he needs to go buy vinegar because the house is out is a metaphorical way of saying he’s going out to confront the source of his jealousy. Things are getting tense! Also, the “Lion’s Head” (獅子頭) is a large, round braised pork meatball—Ming Yanzhou is literally telling Zhou Geng to stuff a giant meatball in his mouth to shut him up.
Thanks for reading! See you in the next chapter!
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