ACMS 10

Chapter 10 — I’m Not Like Those People!

This was the third time Qiao Le had run into Shen Hechuan.

Only three days had passed since their last encounter, and each time had been while Qiao Le was working. Once again, he couldn’t help but marvel at how strange fate could be.

The last two times they’d met, Shen Hechuan had helped him. Under other circumstances, Qiao Le would’ve greeted him, but seeing he was with other friends now, he let it slide.

The booths at the bar were tiered in height, and the service style varied between bending down and crouching depending on the seating. Coincidentally, Section A had all sofa booths.

Qiao Le grabbed a drink menu from the side, placed it in front of Shen Hechuan, and crouched down on one knee beside him.

When he did, Shen Hechuan’s eyes inadvertently swept over the way Qiao Le’s slim waist was cinched by his tailored slacks.

Something in his chest seemed to twitch at the sight.

Qiao Le’s waist was very slender.

He’d held it with his own hands just a few days ago.

The first time they met, Qiao Le had also been wearing a dress shirt and slacks—narrow waist, long legs.

“Sir?”

Qiao Le called out to him.

Shen Hechuan glanced at the menu and casually ordered a bottle of wine.

Before his shift, Qiao Le had already memorized the drink menu’s prices. When taking orders, he’d observe the guest’s demeanor and recommend more expensive options—after all, the pricier the drink, the more commission he earned.

But that list of big spenders didn’t include Shen Hechuan.

After hearing the name of the bottle Shen Hechuan ordered, Qiao Le looked around. Seeing that no other staff were nearby, he leaned in slightly and asked quietly, “Mr. Shen, are you sure about this one?”

Amid the upbeat jazz music, Shen Hechuan heard him say “Mr. Shen.”

Much nicer than that half-hearted “sir” from earlier.

“What’s wrong?” he asked Qiao Le.

“It’s too expensive.”

Eighty thousand yuan for one bottle—that’s enough to buy nine pairs of teddy bear slippers and still have money left.

Qiao Le knew that anyone drinking here could probably afford it. But this was Shen Hechuan, and he still couldn’t help reminding him.

The price was right there on the menu—Shen Hechuan had seen it too.

It didn’t bother him, but Qiao Le’s words reminded him of the 88 yuan he’d transferred to him. He turned to glance at Qiao Le.

Was he trying to save him money?

Qiao Le, seeing that he didn’t respond, called out again in a low voice, “Mr. Shen.”

Before Shen Hechuan could reply, the man who had stopped Qiao Le earlier spoke up: “You guys done ordering yet? What’re you whispering about? Don’t tell me you’re out of stock? Isn’t this place brand new?”

Qiao Le was about to answer when Shen Hechuan said, “We’ll go with this one. He’s paying.”

Huh?

Qiao Le looked at Pei Wenjing. Pei was seated across from them and had no idea which bottle they’d picked—but even if he did, he wouldn’t have cared. He just casually went along with it: “Sure, I’ll pay. Order whatever.”

You said it—don’t blame me for taking you up on it.

That eighty-thousand-yuan bottle? The commission alone was worth a small fortune.

As they say: the customer is always right—especially the ones willing to spend money.

Qiao Le flashed Pei Wenjing a genuine smile. “Alright, sir. Just a heads-up, the bottle isn’t very big. With four people, it might not be enough to go around.”

The implication? How about ordering another one?

From Shen Hechuan’s angle, he could only see half of Qiao Le’s profile—and the way his throat bobbed as he tilted his head slightly to address Pei Wenjing.

So happy over that?

Shen Hechuan said, “Two bottles.”

Pei Wenjing chimed in casually, “Yeah, let’s make it two.”

Suckers—no, I mean, patrons of fortune!

Qiao Le stood up and gave a polite half-bow. His voice lifted slightly with cheer. “Certainly, gentlemen. Thank you for supporting our establishment. Please wait a moment.”

After Qiao Le left, Pei Wenjing clicked his tongue. “He’s even better looking up close. If I didn’t like girls—”

“You bring any cash?” Shen Hechuan suddenly asked.

Pei Wenjing pulled out his wallet and fanned out the bills inside. “A little. Why?”

The other two friends at the table also took out their wallets. In this era of card swipes and mobile payments, no one really carried much cash—but between them, they managed to gather just over three thousand yuan.

Shen Hechuan pushed the pile of cash toward Pei Wenjing. “Give it to him later.”

“Give who?” Pei Wenjing didn’t catch on at first. He glanced in the direction Qiao Le had gone. “Him?”

Shen Hechuan: “Mm.”

Everyone quickly understood—this was meant to be a tip for Qiao Le.

“Why don’t you give it to him yourself?” one of the friends asked. “You could ask for his contact info while you’re at it.”

Why didn’t Shen Hechuan give it himself?

Maybe because of their previous encounters—if he handed over cash to Qiao Le in a place like this, it would feel no different than all those people shoving business cards or room keys into his hands with ulterior motives.

He didn’t want Qiao Le to see him that way.

He didn’t know how many jobs Qiao Le was working, or how badly he needed the money. As things stood, they hadn’t even added each other on WeChat. Asking anything now would feel presumptuous.

“I told you to give it, so just give it,” Shen Hechuan said. “Don’t ask so many questions.”

That sentence—“don’t ask so many questions”—had two meanings: don’t ask him too much, and don’t ask Qiao Le too much either.

Pei Wenjing had known Shen Hechuan for years. He understood his meaning in an instant, stifled his curiosity, and shrugged. “Alright, alright.”

When Qiao Le returned to pour the drinks, Pei Wenjing casually placed the 3,000 yuan in cash on Qiao Le’s tray and said generously, “Thanks for your hard work. Go buy yourself some candy.”

Qiao Le: “!!”

Sure enough—a god of wealth!

After earning a handsome tip from this generous patron, Qiao Le practically floated away as he returned to his busy shift.

Pei Wenjing took a sip of the wine. “Not bad.”

“I think the owner of this place is actually a liquor distributor,” one of the others said, turning to Shen Hechuan. “Want to try?”

Shen Hechuan raised the glass Qiao Le had poured for him and clinked it with the others.

By around midnight, the wine was nearly finished, and so was the conversation.

Pei Wenjing waved someone over to settle the bill but noticed it wasn’t Qiao Le. He joked, “Where’s that good-looking guy of yours? Wasn’t he in charge of this section?”

“You mean Qiao Le?” the server replied. “I think he wasn’t feeling well and went to the back to rest.”

Pei Wenjing had only asked casually. He gave a simple “Oh” and didn’t press further. After paying the bill, he stood up. “Let’s go.”

As the group made their way outside, Shen Hechuan suddenly stopped. “You guys head back first. I need to grab a bottle of wine.”

The others didn’t think much of it and each called for a designated driver.

Shen Hechuan returned to Area A and found the server who had helped them earlier. “Where’s Qiao Le?”

“In the back.”

“Where exactly?” Shen Hechuan’s tone sharpened. “I’m a friend of his. It’s urgent. Please take me to him.”

About half an hour ago, Shen Hechuan had seen Qiao Le working like normal, darting between booths with no sign of discomfort.

So how did he suddenly become unwell? Unless something happened.

In a bar like this, someone like Qiao Le—with that face and that figure—was vulnerable to all kinds of “accidents.”

He couldn’t even refuse when customers insisted on him drinking. And if someone with ill intent tampered with his drink…

Shen Hechuan’s expression instantly darkened. “Where is he?”

Their group had spent nearly 300,000 yuan that night. Not a single person had blinked at the price. They clearly weren’t ordinary guests.

Seeing Shen Hechuan’s face turn grim, the server didn’t dare argue. He led him toward the staff rest area.

The lounge was connected to the bar counter and strictly off-limits to customers.

The server stopped Shen Hechuan and asked the bartender, “Is Qiao Le in the back?”

“Qiao Le? He—”

Just then, the rest area door burst open, and all eyes turned.

Qiao Le stumbled out.

He was still in his work uniform, but the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing pale skin at the collar. His face was flushed an abnormal red.

Seeing him like this, Shen Hechuan instantly understood.

He rushed forward, brushing past the server, and caught Qiao Le in his arms. “Qiao Le?”

Qiao Le was dizzy, his body burning. His mind wasn’t clear. Hearing a familiar voice, he instinctively grabbed the man’s arm. “Mr. Shen?”

“It’s me.” Shen Hechuan could feel the heat radiating from Qiao Le’s body. “Are you alright?”

Qiao Le was slightly gasping. “…Not really.”

“I’ll take you to the hospital.”

With one arm around his shoulder, Shen Hechuan began to lead him out.

Even the short distance from the lounge to the entrance felt like floating for Qiao Le. His head was a haze, but the coolness of Shen Hechuan’s skin brought him comfort, and he leaned in closer.

Shen Hechuan had been drinking and couldn’t drive, but there were plenty of designated drivers outside. He flagged one down, tossed him the car keys, and had the man bring the car over.

Qiao Le practically melted against him, unconsciously nuzzling his shirt.

“Qiao Le?” Shen Hechuan gave him a light pat. “Stay with me.”

Qiao Le clung to his clothes, visibly suffering, and weakly shook his head. “I… can’t…”

He grabbed Shen Hechuan’s hand like he was seeking rescue. “Mr. Shen, help me…”

Shen Hechuan: “…”

Help how?!