Chapter 3 – Beast in Human Form? A Man of Virtue and Vice?

Today, Ye Zhou had more customers than usual at noon, and once he got busy, he forgot about his worries. But when things quieted down after lunch, he couldn’t help but recall the scene from that morning.

He considered himself someone who didn’t pry into others’ private lives, but what happened that morning was impossible to ignore. He was dying with curiosity. Yet, he couldn’t understand… what was there to be afraid of about someone like Guan Heng? Could it be that his judgment was off, and Guan Heng, despite appearing upright, was actually a beast in human form?

No way, that was too…

“Boss, boss!” The restaurant staff called out to Ye Zhou several times, but received no response, so they raised their voice and tried again.

Ye Zhou snapped back to reality. “What’s up?”

“There’s someone looking for you.”

“Oh, coming.” Ye Zhou glanced toward the door; the person looking for him was a regular supplier for the restaurant. They would bring new ingredients for Ye Zhou to see sometimes, in addition to their usual deliveries. Ye Zhou was strict about ingredient control; before each batch came in, he personally inspected them and wouldn’t use anything with an unclear origin. Although he was picky, he was also generous. For instance, organic vegetables were difficult to grow, took longer to mature, and didn’t look as appealing, yet he wouldn’t deliberately lower the price. As a result, many farmers were willing to work with him.

Ye Zhou spent another busy afternoon, and by evening, it was another peak dining time.

After the restaurant’s sign went dark, the neon lights of the bar illuminated.

Ye Zhou finished work at eight o’clock sharp and walked home as usual. During the day, when he was busy, he didn’t have time to think about anything else, but now that he was relaxed, he couldn’t help but remember what he saw that morning. In truth, if he hadn’t witnessed that scene, even if he later learned that Guan Heng was attracted to men, he probably wouldn’t have thought much of it. But just because he heard those words, it sparked his curiosity.

Guan Heng was terrifying? How terrifying could he be, a man of virtue and vice?

No matter how Ye Zhou looked at it, he didn’t think Guan Heng was the type to get physical. His ex-boyfriend didn’t seem like he’d been beaten either; otherwise, they would have gone to the police instead of having a peaceful breakup. Because Ye Zhou couldn’t figure it out, he inevitably began to think in less pure directions.

But he had to admit, although reality and fantasy were separate, inserting Guan Heng’s face into his thoughts… somehow it felt quite stimulating.

Shit, was he becoming a pervert? Ye Zhou was amused by the content of his own imagination.

Just as he was secretly fantasizing about a ‘man of virtue and vice,’ the actual ‘man of virtue and vice’ was walking in the opposite direction, and the two coincidentally met at the entrance.

Guan Heng wasn’t wearing a wool sweater today; instead, he wore a more casual suit, unbuttoned, revealing a comfortable cotton T-shirt underneath that hinted at his muscular chest. One hand was in his pocket, his posture relaxed, his broad shoulders and long legs making it obvious he had a good physique without needing to look closely. His high nose bridge still held a pair of thin-rimmed glasses, giving him an intellectual and abstinent appearance.

In the short span of twenty-four hours, they had already seen each other several times, but Ye Zhou couldn’t help being drawn to him. Some people were naturally endowed with a certain charm that no one could imitate. If Ye Zhou wore the same outfit, although it would look good, it definitely wouldn’t have the same effect as on Guan Heng.

Ye Zhou was visibly stunned for a moment before speaking. “Are you off work?”

Guan Heng appeared completely unaffected by the events of that morning and was natural around Ye Zhou. “Yes.”

“Have you officially moved in? Are you settling in well?”

“Yes, it’s very nice here.”

Ye Zhou was a talkative person, not shy, and jokingly mentioned his initial intention to buy Guan Heng’s house. After all, he genuinely didn’t care anymore.

Within a few sentences, the two had already opened the gate and walked into the courtyard, then bid each other farewell.

Ye Zhou’s response seemed entirely natural, a proper adult social interaction. But only he knew that he might have been feeling a bit guilty because of the nonsense he was thinking earlier.

He was always warm towards his friends and could quickly become familiar with strangers. According to his usual style, he would likely have asked about the other’s occupation, the reason for moving, or even invited the new neighbor over for a celebratory dinner. But because of something he heard, Ye Zhou was holding back with Guan Heng, subconsciously turning distant and polite, with no plans for further interaction.

Regardless, Ye Zhou wouldn’t interfere in others’ personal lives or make any judgments; it was none of his business.

From then on, Ye Zhou and his new neighbor seemed to reach an unspoken agreement. When they met, they would exchange pleasantries, but neither would ask too much about the other’s affairs, and no one brought up the incident that morning.

A month passed, and Ye Zhou remained in a lukewarm relationship with his neighbor.

One day, Zhou Jiayi visited the restaurant during lunchtime with another boy, his senior. The senior was taller than Zhou Jiayi, handsome, and looked mature and steady, giving off a reliable impression. Their actions were somewhat intimate, even revealing unintentional flirtation.

Upon seeing this, Ye Zhou first raised his eyebrows, then smiled knowingly.

Just as Ye Zhou initially thought, Zhou Jiayi gave up on pursuing him after two weeks and stopped coming to the bar. Unexpectedly, after a short period, the young boy found a new object of affection. But perhaps students were relatively reserved in their relationships, more innocent. Ye Zhou could tell they were still in the ambiguous phase, not yet confessing their feelings openly. But maybe that was how love should be for boys in their early twenties.

Ye Zhou was never the type to avoid people. Now that he saw Zhou Jiayi had moved on, he was relieved and approached the two of them generously. “Welcome. Are you here for a meal?”

“Brother Zhou,” Zhou Jiayi was still a little embarrassed seeing Ye Zhou, considering he had boasted about pursuing him not long ago and didn’t expect to give up so quickly. But perhaps that was just how young people were, easily swayed by emotions, feelings coming and going quickly. But clearly, Zhou Jiayi still liked Ye Zhou, otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought someone here. He introduced the person he brought to Ye Zhou first, then turned to Lin Jie. “…Senior, this is the boss I told you about, the one who’s really handsome, and the food in the restaurant is delicious too.”

Lin Jie looked mature, but he was still young, and there was a faint hint of hostility in his eyes as he looked at Ye Zhou. “Hello.”

“Hello.” Ye Zhou saw through it but didn’t mind at all. It was normal for couples to feel a little jealous. He smiled kindly at both of them. “Please sit down.”

After instructing the server to serve them desserts, Ye Zhou left them alone and sat behind the cash register to keep accounts.

University students had relatively free schedules. Zhou Jiayi and his friend arrived at the restaurant a bit late. The lunchtime diners had gradually left, leaving only a few tables occupied. While Zhou Jiayi and Lin Jie were chatting, the corner of Zhou Jiayi’s eye seemed to catch sight of a familiar figure outside the window, and he exclaimed, “Senior, isn’t that Professor Guan?”

Zhou Jiayi didn’t shout loudly, but Ye Zhou still heard him. After all, the surname Guan was uncommon, and it was hard for him not to associate it with his neighbor next door. Moreover, there was indeed a university nearby, in the opposite direction from his home to the restaurant, which was the route Guan Heng took when he walked home at night.

Lin Jie also glanced out the window. “Yes, it’s Professor Guan.”

Zhou Jiayi continued, “Why is he in this area? Is he here to eat?”

Unable to resist his curiosity, Ye Zhou immediately stood up and went to the window to take a look. Although he only saw a back view, it was definitely Guan Heng.

Perhaps due to Ye Zhou’s sudden behavior, when he turned around, both of them looked at him curiously. Ye Zhou sighed, satisfied his curiosity a little, but it was enough. However, he still couldn’t help asking, “I heard you mention Professor Guan just now. Do you mean Guan Heng? Does he teach at your university?”

No wonder he had so many bookshelves when he moved in; Guan Heng was originally a university professor. This surprised Ye Zhou a bit, but on second thought, it made sense.

“Yes.” Zhou Jiayi’s eyes showed evident surprise. “Brother Zhou, do you know Professor Guan?”

“Mm, we’ve bumped into each other a few times nearby.” Ye Zhou vaguely replied. Although he lived close to the restaurant, he wouldn’t casually reveal his address to customers. By the same token, Guan Heng probably wouldn’t like to be disturbed either, so he didn’t mention they were neighbors.

Ye Zhou’s explanation led Zhou Jiayi to assume they didn’t know each other well, but Ye Zhou seemed interested in their professor. He was a bit lovesick, blurting out without thinking. “Brother Zhou, you’re not falling for Professor Guan, are you?”

Ye Zhou: “…”

Lin Jie looked at Zhou Jiayi, probably finding him cute, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Zhou Jiayi kept talking. “Professor Guan is indeed very handsome and popular among students, and he has a good temper. But he’s just too perfect, making people feel a distance. But the thing is, he shouldn’t like guys, right? At least I can’t tell…”

No, he’s gay. Ye Zhou silently refuted in his heart.

But Ye Zhou didn’t expect that Guan Heng was described as perfect in the eyes of students. Wasn’t that a bit exaggerated? So did he really have another side in private?

No, he couldn’t think about it anymore.

Ye Zhou really didn’t know how to respond to Zhou Jiayi’s question. Whether to refute or not to refute, neither option seemed right. But he couldn’t suppress his curiosity. “I’m just curious, what kind of person is your professor?”