Chapter 5 – The Gay Bar

The moment the word left Qi Yanze’s lips, the two women beside him let out collective gasps of surprise, drawing the curious stares of everyone at the neighboring workstations. Only Chen Xinyu stood there with the wide-eyed, stunned expression of a typical straight man, appearing utterly shocked by such an evaluation.

Xie Chengyun tightened his grip on the documents in his hand. He turned away quickly, retreating into his office while feigning as though he had heard absolutely nothing.

That evening, Xie Chengyun had a dinner engagement. His best friend from high school, Li Yuanzhe, was getting married soon and had invited him out to meet his fiancée.

By the time he finished his work and arrived, he was a little late. The lights in the Western restaurant were dimmed low; the only illumination came from a single, flickering candle on the table while the melodic strains of a piano drifted from the central hall. His friend and his fiancée were already seated, waving him over.

"My apologies, I am a bit late." Xie Chengyun draped his suit jacket over the back of his chair.

"It is fine, Vincent. This is my wife-to-be, Bai Yun."

The woman before him was elegant and beautiful, exuding a profound scholarly air.

"Hello." Xie Chengyun smiled and extended his hand. "Yuanzhe has mentioned you several times. Meeting you for the first time, I see you are indeed radiant."

"Thank you," Bai Yun replied with a gentle smile, returning the handshake. "Yuanzhe speaks of you often as well. He says you are knowledgeable, witty, and handsome… and that you've already made partner at Hengli at such a young age."

"Oh? Does Yuanzhe really praise me like that behind my back? I had no idea. I usually never hear him say such nice things to my face," Xie Chengyun joked before taking his seat. "So, when do the two of you plan to wed?"

"The middle of the month after next. A lucky day chosen by his mother."

"Then I suppose you'll be heading back to Canada right after the wedding?"

"Yes. Since Yuanzhe’s work is centered there, I plan to move back with him."

"I originally wanted to settle down here, but in this industry, the work-life balance is easier and the salary is higher over there," Li Yuanzhe added. "Bai Yun went to school in Vancouver before, so there’s no worry about her adjusting. For now, we've decided to stay for a while after the wedding and then head back."

Xie Chengyun felt a pang of regret. "I thought you were coming back to settle down last year. I didn't expect you’d be spiriting away such a beautiful woman."

Bai Yun chuckled softly at that. Li Yuanzhe looked at her with a tender gaze, gently squeezing her hand before turning back to Xie Chengyun. "By the way, Vincent, is there still no one by your side?"

Xie Chengyun shook his head with a smile. "It is not that easy to find someone."

"With someone of Lawyer Xie’s caliber, it should be very easy. Perhaps you simply haven't found anyone who meets your standards."

"It is truly not like that." Xie Chengyun guessed that Li Yuanzhe must have mentioned his sexual orientation to her. "My social circle seems wide, but it is actually quite narrow. You know the types of clients I deal with. During my time off, I rarely get the chance to meet anyone new."

"I seem to recall the night I came back last year, when everyone took me to that bar… didn't you meet someone you were interested in? A stylist, I think?" Li Yuanzhe had a vague memory. "You told me you were in contact with him. I haven't asked in a while; whatever happened with that?"

"He has someone else he likes. Timing is everything, and true love is hard to come by." Xie Chengyun steered the topic back. "So, the two of you must truly cherish what you have."

Bai Yun nodded with a smile. "I have a cousin, a PhD who returned from abroad. He also likes men. Would you like to meet him?"

"Are you starting to set me up on blind dates already?"

As Bai Yun spoke, she pulled up a photo. It was a face typical of someone in the sciences… features were honest and upright, and he looked even taller and more robust than Xie Chengyun himself. From the look of it, he was undoubtedly a '1.'

"A northerner, just recently returned. He’s remained unmarried specifically because of his orientation. He’s thirty-two. His looks might be a bit below yours, Lawyer Xie, but he is very excellent."

Xie Chengyun narrowed his eyes slightly, speaking with some reserve. "He seems very nice, but… you know, we have designated roles."

Bai Yun quickly covered her mouth. "Oh, I didn't ask about that. It's a bit awkward for me to ask such things."

"It is quite alright." As he spoke, Xie Chengyun stood up. "Excuse me for a moment; I need to use the restroom."

…

When he emerged from the restroom, Li Yuanzhe seemed to have just returned to the table after settling the bill. He was laughing with Bai Yun, and the love shining in their eyes was so transparent it made him feel a sense of both warmth and a flicker of loneliness.

The very first time he had realized his orientation was because of Li Yuanzhe. In high school, because of the other’s kindness and care, he had discovered his feelings for men for the first time. Back then, he had kept his heart buried deep, never daring to confess for fear of destroying their friendship. Consequently, they had gone their separate ways for university, and even now, Li Yuanzhe remained unaware of that story.

To call him a 'White Moonlight' didn't feel quite right; his crush back then had been less about bitterness and more about the hazy exploration of his sexuality during adolescence. Even now, seeing his friend holding his fiancée’s hand, he felt nothing but sincere well-wishes… yet he couldn't help but wonder when he would finally find a stable partner of his own.

Watching himself reach this turning point in life, he saw those around him who used to claim they’d never marry one by one entering the hall of matrimony at the age of thirty. It was impossible for Xie Chengyun, having attended so many weddings, to be entirely without his own thoughts on the matter.

"Oh, you're back?" Li Yuanzhe looked up and saw Xie Chengyun standing by the table, picking up his jacket. "Do you want to take a walk with us?"

Looking at Bai Yun leaning on Li Yuanzhe’s arm, Xie Chengyun shook his head. "I think I’ll head back first. You two should spend some time together. I won't disturb you."

"There is nothing to disturb between us."

"Exactly. We could talk more; I still want to hear stories about Yuanzhe back in high school."

The invitation was so open and sincere that Xie Chengyun found it difficult to refuse.

The weekend weather was quite pleasant, with the sun shining brightly. Last night, Xie Chengyun had walked along the river with them until around 8:30 before heading home. Now, early in the morning, he was accompanying a client at the golf course. The client had invited him several times, and they played until late in the afternoon.

He had originally planned to drive home and cook for himself, but Lucas called him, asking if he wanted to come out for a drink. Thinking it had been too long since he’d allowed himself to relax, Xie Chengyun changed his clothes, dressed up a bit, and went to meet him.

Speaking of which, he had been a gay man for a long time but wasn't exactly a 'qualified' one. Aside from his ex-partners, he knew almost no one in the community. It was only because he met An Di last year and attended a few gatherings that he had made some friends in the circle. Actually, it wasn't so much a 'gay circle' as it was just the fashion world having so many gay men. Lucas was An Di’s former colleague at Sensual; he was naturally familiar and spoke a mile a minute, but he was quite adorable.

When Xie Chengyun arrived at the location and saw the crowd of men inside, he finally realized this was a gay bar.

Lucas picked a seat in the lounge area and waved him over. "Lawyer Xie!"

"How is this a gay bar?"

"Did you think it was a lounge?" Lucas blinked, then patted Xie Chengyun’s shoulder and burst into laughter. "Please, Lawyer Xie. We're all gay; where else would we go if not a gay bar?"

Xie Chengyun arched a brow with indifference. "I thought you said you were going through a breakup and would want somewhere quiet."

"Then you are mistaken. The first thing you do after a breakup is find a place to hunt." Lucas’s small face was meticulously made up. "Aren't you going to ask me why we broke up?"

"Why?"

"He took photos and videos of me in bed and secretly posted them on Bluebird behind my back. My girl friends told me," Lucas rolled his eyes. "The bastard even paired them with all these disgusting captions. I nearly died of anger looking at his account. That piece of trash even told me it was 'roleplay' and that we Mainlanders just don't understand."

Xie Chengyun frowned. "Did you tell him to delete them?"

"I threatened him with a kitchen knife and he still wouldn't do it. Later, Andy found out and helped me call the police." Lucas slammed the table in frustration. "My ass has been seen by so many people; it makes me so mad."

Xie Chengyun chuckled softly at his indignant expression. "In the future, be more careful about cameras."

"I was too busy enjoying myself; who knew?" As Lucas spoke, his phone pinged. He glanced at it. "Oh, my girl friends are here."

"Did you invite other people? Is An Di coming?"

Lucas pouted. "I invited him, but that guy surnamed Jiang heard we were at a gay bar and that you were here, and he started losing it on the other end of the phone, saying I had bad intentions."

The word "losing it" made Xie Chengyun burst into laughter. It seemed the younger ones really held a grudge; Jiang Yu still couldn't stand the sight of him.

As they chatted, three or four people walked toward their table. Some were quite handsome, while others were a bit more effeminate, but they were all dressed very trendily. One of the handsome ones looked familiar, perhaps an influencer.

"Well now, Lucas. You just broke up and you’ve already found your next 'Daddy'?" A young man sat down next to Lucas, his fingers poised elegantly, but his eyes were glued to Xie Chengyun as he threw a wink. "What kind of luck do you have?"

"I’d love to find a Daddy like this, but unfortunately, Lawyer Xie and I are strictly platonic." Lucas knew he wasn't at the level to catch Xie Chengyun’s eye.

"Hello."

Xie Chengyun offered a slight nod of greeting. The group collectively clutched their hearts and began interrogating him about his background.

"Can I sit next to you?"

A clear male voice sounded from beside him. Xie Chengyun turned his head toward the speaker… the very handsome young man. He nodded. "Of course."

While the others across from them were asking Lucas about the scandal, the man beside him introduced himself. "I'm Alex. I met Lucas at the LV fashion show after-party. Are you a friend of his?"

"Vincent." Xie Chengyun had learned to use his English name with the fashion crowd. "I also met him at a gathering previously."

"You don't look like you belong in this circle. I take it you aren't a designer, stylist, or influencer brand owner."

"A lawyer."

Alex seemed surprised. "Lucas actually has a lawyer friend? That profession feels quite far removed from us."

Xie Chengyun smiled and nodded. "Indeed. But life has a way of requiring the law in every corner."

Though he said this with a smile, Alex suddenly leaned in close. The distance they had established upon meeting vanished from his eyes. "Are you a '1'?"

Xie Chengyun was momentarily stunned by the young man’s directness, but a reflexive "Yes" slipped out first.

The heavy beats in the bar were deafening. The young man’s fingers gradually climbed up his arm, and warm, suggestive breath fanned against his ear. "Then, Vincent… are you single?"

Xie Chengyun’s brow furrowed slightly. He looked up, only to see a familiar figure in a booth across from them. Specifically, he saw that handsome, pure, and attention-grabbing face… one that was impossible to miss even if he tried to play blind. The young man seemed somewhat surprised to see him as well, but his gaze quickly shifted into something playful. The moment he stood up, his tall frame and long legs instantly drew the eyes of the crowd on the dance floor.

Yet, the man beside Xie Chengyun continued to grip his arm, his lips almost brushing against his ear.

"It doesn't matter even if you aren't. If you don't mind, we can play together tonight."