Chapter 26 – A Timely Transaction
by Salted Fish136
At noon, Zhang Wenwen called, asking He Fei to have lunch with her.
He Fei thought about it—he hadn’t been fulfilling his usual duties for a while now, like calling before bed, waiting for Zhang Wenwen outside her classroom or dorm before meals, or making time on weekends to go shopping with her. Out of a sense of guilt, He Fei suggested eating out, and Zhang Wenwen happily agreed.
The goddamn restaurant across from the school’s main gate was still playing Yang Kun’s “Whatever,” sung in that broken-clock voice trying to sound deep, even though it had been whining on for over half a year. He Fei almost turned around and left because of it, but by then, Zhang Wenwen had already nodded slightly at the bowing doorman and walked inside.
“Did Xiang Lei tell you about losing the money? Do you really think Chen Taoguang could be that kind of person?” Zhang Wenwen stirred the coffee in front of her and suddenly asked He Fei this.
“What?” He Fei thought he misheard, but his brows were already furrowed.
“He didn’t tell you?” Zhang Wenwen’s words should have been accompanied by a surprised expression, but what He Fei saw in her eyes was a faint hint of reproach.
“When did this happen?”
“The day after your little gathering at Xiang Lei’s place. He said when he passed by the bank on his way to school, he finally remembered to deposit the money, but when he checked his wallet, over a thousand was missing.”
“Fuck his mother! What the hell is this?” He Fei exploded on the spot.
By then, Zhang Wenwen’s emotions were clear on her delicate face.
He Fei not inviting her that day shouldn’t have been enough to make her angry, but she was clearly extremely displeased. He Fei had heard her say on the phone, “It’s not urgent anyway,” but the version Yang Lin casually mentioned was that He Fei “couldn’t find her.” Bringing up the topic of Xiang Lei’s lost money was originally just to let He Fei know his lie had been exposed. Unexpectedly, He Fei didn’t seem the least bit sorry about it.
He Fei couldn’t care less about Zhang Wenwen’s subtle mood at the moment. He was thinking, what the hell kind of situation was this? Remembering how Xiang Lei had been happily chopping vegetables alone in the kitchen that night—He Fei felt sick for him!
“Lower your voice, people are staring at us!” Zhang Wenwen turned her face toward the window and whispered to He Fei.
“Let them stare! What the hell happened? We were in Japanese class together last night, but that bastard didn’t say a word about it! Who told you?”
“Originally, they didn’t want me to know. At dinner the day before yesterday, Linlin, Lao Shi, and Xiang Lei mentioned it. They weren’t subtle enough, and I caught the gist, so they ended up telling me everything. Xiang Lei told Shi Zhuo he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it and didn’t want to suspect anyone, but he was so upset he couldn’t take it. After thinking it over, the most likely culprit was Taoguang.”
“Fuck his ancestors! Who else could it be but that bastard?” He Fei wanted to go find Chen Taoguang right then and there.
“How can you be so sure? Why didn’t Xiang Lei tell you about this?” Zhang Wenwen suddenly fixed her gaze on He Fei.
He Fei froze on the spot.
Was this girl implying that, deep down, Xiang Lei suspected He Fei was one of the suspects too?
The fury in He Fei’s heart was about to explode, like the brewing U.S.-Iraq war these days—ready to ignite at any moment.
He Fei took out his phone and dialed Xiang Lei’s number. Before the other party could even greet him, He Fei was already hysterical: “Get your ass out here! Now! The school’s main gate!”
Then, without waiting for a response, he hung up with a slam.
Zhang Wenwen had never seen He Fei like this before and was clearly frightened. After a long pause, she added, “Shi Zhuo absolutely refuses to believe it could be Taoguang. He kept telling Xiang Lei to think carefully about whether the money could’ve been lost somewhere else…”
“No fucking way!” He Fei snapped. “When we were buying groceries, I even said, ‘Damn, you’re loaded, carrying such a thick wad of cash—your wallet’s about to burst.’ After we got upstairs, he threw his wallet on the TV. I saw it with my own eyes!”
“What about after you left? The next day? Before Xiang Lei went to the bank?”
“No fucking way!”
In reality, the next day, they lazed in bed, waking and dozing until noon. He Fei saw Xiang Lei take the wallet from the TV and put it in his backpack. Even when they passed the bank and Xiang Lei remembered to deposit the money, He Fei was still by his side. Seeing the long line inside, He Fei went back to school alone. Xiang Lei ended up missing the first class that afternoon—now that He Fei thought about it, he must’ve gone back to search the room.
Xiang Lei called back. “What’s the matter? I’m eating right now!”
“Stop fucking around! Get your ass out here now!” He Fei barked and hung up again.
He Fei glanced at Zhang Wenwen. “You go back first.”
“No! Why are you yelling at Xiang Lei?”
“I just want to ask him what the hell he’s thinking! Go back!”
“Are you trying to make Xiang Lei think I’m the one telling you he doesn’t trust you?” Zhang Wenwen was clearly agitated.
“What are you talking about?” He Fei tried to suppress his rage. “Just go back, okay? Be good.”
“No!” Zhang Wenwen looked like she was about to cry.
He Fei was growing impatient. He frowned at her and fell silent.
Zhang Wenwen stood up, grabbed He Fei’s hand, and pulled him out of the restaurant. He Fei let her drag him across the street to the school’s main gate.
Just then, Xiang Lei walked toward them.
“What the hell’s your problem?” He Fei demanded without preamble.
Xiang Lei looked bewildered, glancing at Zhang Wenwen and then back at He Fei, completely lost.
“Don’t play dumb! Why didn’t you say a word to me about losing the money? Didn’t you mention it to that bastard Chen Taoguang either? So you think both me and that asshole were alone with you, and we’re both suspects, huh?”
Zhang Wenwen sighed softly and turned her face away. Seeing this, Xiang Lei finally understood what He Fei was talking about.
“I really can’t believe you’d think that,” Xiang Lei said.
“Fine, fine, I won’t overthink it. Let’s not waste time here. We’re going to find that bastard right now!”
“If I wanted to confront him, I would’ve done it already. Without proof, what can we do?”
“What can we do? Just watch! It’s definitely him! No doubt! If he doesn’t cough it up, I’ll fucking ruin him!”
“He Fei, you know why I didn’t tell you about this. You should also know your own temper, right? No matter how upsetting this is, we just have to let it go. Just avoid him in the future.”
“Oh, so you know me so well, huh? Fine, I’ll go by myself.”
He Fei stepped around Xiang Lei and headed for the school gate. Zhang Wenwen called out, “He Fei!” At the same time, Xiang Lei grabbed his arm.
“He Fei, if you go now, consider this the end between us,” Xiang Lei said calmly.
He Fei instantly exploded. He jerked his arm away, almost cursing, “Fuck your ancestors!” He Fei couldn’t stand these ultimatums delivered in such a threatening tone. Xiao Er had said it, the online Herbivorous Wolf had said it, and now the real-life Xiang Lei was saying it too.
He Fei truly didn’t understand—why were all the people he cared about like this?
“Have you ever thought about why he was so stupid? The wallet was still there, just missing two-thirds of the money. If the whole wallet had been gone, who would’ve suspected him?” Xiang Lei added.
“Look at that idiot when he’s drunk! Calling him stupid isn’t even a stretch!” He Fei shot back.
“Because he was drunk, he did something dumb. At least he didn’t go all the way—I don’t have to run around replacing all my cards and IDs. Honestly, I’m kind of grateful!”
“What the fuck!” He Fei exclaimed. “You’re trying to out-mercy the Buddha now, huh?”
“Do you know Shi Zhuo might cut ties with me over this? He said as long as there’s any other possibility, we shouldn’t suspect our own brother. Without solid evidence, there’s more than one explanation! Shi Zhuo even staked his reputation on it, swearing Chen Taoguang would never do something like this!” Xiang Lei was clearly getting worked up.
People passing by nearby began to stare.
“Then did you ask him how much his reputation is actually worth?” He Fei narrowed his eyes.
“What matters is that Shi Zhuo is my friend. There are tens of thousands of people at this damn school, but only a handful are my friends. Some uncertain issue isn’t worth ruining a friendship over.”
“Look at you—look at you!” He Fei thrust out his arm. “I’ve got fucking goosebumps! You’ve been watching too many dramas, haven’t you?”
“Let me ask you—do you have proof? Without catching him red-handed, I’m not going to burn bridges over this!”
“So what? You bastard! What the fuck are you keeping that face1dignity for? Are you going to eat it or fuck yourself with it?
He Fei’s reckless words instantly turned Xiang Lei’s face red. Zhang Wenwen, standing beside them, looked shocked.
In this situation, He Fei turned to leave.
“He Fei, don’t make me think less of you! Is a thousand yuan really that important?”
Hearing this, He Fei’s anger flared. After just two or three steps, he turned back.
“You motherf—” Just like when he’d finally waited for Xiang Lei to return from Xi’an, he grabbed Xiang Lei by the collar and shoved him against a pillar at the gate. Zhang Wenwen gasped and grabbed He Fei’s arm.
“He Fei, what are you doing?” Zhang Wenwen kept repeating as she tried to pull He Fei’s arm away, but He Fei ignored her, not even sparing her a glance.
People passing by stopped and stared, their eyes fixed on the trio struggling at the gate. A few even bumped into each other while gawking.
“I’m telling you, it’s fucking nothing! What the fuck are you still sulking about?” He Fei didn’t know what else to do, so he let go. “If you never mention those two thousand again, we’ll call it settled. If you keep yapping, I swear I’ll go find that bastard and call him grandpa2I’ll humiliate myself intentionally to make a point!”
Zhang Wenwen looked completely confused.
He Fei saw Xiang Lei’s furrowed brows and wide eyes. Though he was still furious, a sliver of satisfaction flickered in his heart.
This was like a transaction. Xiang Lei had to agree to He Fei’s terms to get the outcome he wanted, and He Fei had to agree to Xiang Lei’s terms for his own sake. Since neither could convince the other, this deal was the only way to settle things.
He Fei hated mixing money into relationships, but this accidental transaction happened to be the perfect way for him and Xiang Lei to mutually satisfy each other—no more trouble over those two thousand yuan.
But that bastard Chen Taoguang got off way too easy.
Xiang Lei didn’t reply. He Fei thought, This guy has no choice right now!
137
Before the Spring Festival, Xiang Lei was renting a place and paying for medical treatment, living quite frugally. Of course, he couldn’t ask his family for money, so he borrowed from all over, counting on his scholarship half a year later to ease the crisis.
He Fei knew more or less about these circumstances, which was why he’d sent money to Xiang Lei under the identity of Xu Menghu. Originally, he’d intended to help Xiang Lei plug a few financial holes, but then the money went missing.
Even if He Fei could scrape together that much money again—let alone the fact that it wasn’t easy—he knew deep down that Xiang Lei wouldn’t accept his financial help anymore. He Fei wasn’t even confident he could successfully hand over the razor he’d bought for this guy.
138
After class, He Fei called out to Xiang Lei.
“I’m coming over to your place for a bit,” He Fei said, walking ahead without waiting for a response.
“Uh… Wei Tong already said he’s coming over later,” Xiang Lei said.
“You two…” For a moment, He Fei’s expression twisted into something complicated.
“Keep your mind out of the gutter. There’s nothing between us,” Xiang Lei said.
“Fuck! You think you know what I’m thinking? Just because he’s going, I can’t?” He Fei kept walking.
He Fei knew what Xiang Lei was worried about. In front of Xiang Lei, He Fei had never been particularly warm toward Wei Tong—every time He Fei mentioned him, it was always with the term “sissy.” But deep down, He Fei knew he didn’t actually hold any prejudice against the guy. To He Fei, “sissy” was more often just a description, not a judgment. At the very least, He Fei felt that when this person stood next to Xiang Lei, you could tell at a glance that he was harmless.
When Xiang Lei introduced Wei Tong to He Fei, He Fei put on an exaggerated show of cupping his hands and saying, “Long time no see.” Xiang Lei then introduced He Fei to Wei Tong, first saying he was his roommate, then adding, “Also, he’s that Xu Menghu.” Wei Tong mimicked He Fei’s tone and also said, “Long time no see,” before staring at Xiang Lei in shock.
“You two finally met? And you’re actually roommates?” Wei Tong asked, astonished.
He Fei sat on Xiang Lei’s desk, laughing nonstop.
“I only found out after the semester started. If I hadn’t accidentally seen it, I might still be getting played,” Xiang Lei said calmly, shooting He Fei a dissatisfied look.
He Fei was still laughing.
“How could you not have noticed even the slightest clue for so long?” Wei Tong pressed, still amazed.
“I did suspect it, but I thought it was impossible, so I never confirmed it. Either I’m too stupid, or this guy played it way too sneaky!”
“Fuck!” He Fei exclaimed.
“Tsk tsk, your dorm is something else—one-third, huh?” Wei Tong mused.
Xiang Lei glanced at He Fei, who didn’t seem to find anything wrong with that statement and didn’t look like he was about to argue.
“He’s not,” Xiang Lei said flatly, pulling his wallet out of his backpack. “I’m going to buy groceries. You two can either watch TV or a movie.”
He glanced around, as if waiting for He Fei or Wei Tong to offer to go with him, but neither of them said anything.
He Fei loved pranks like this. He watched Xiang Lei walk downstairs, slightly disappointed, and secretly relished it while guessing at his thoughts. Then, He Fei turned his attention to Wei Tong. When He Fei saw that delicate, fair face, he instinctively treated him like a girl.
“Are you a girl?” The words slipped out of He Fei’s mouth.
Wei Tong was speechless, staring at He Fei in disbelief.
“Fuck… I mean, are you a zero?” He Fei corrected.
Wei Tong turned his face away, smiling without answering.
“I’m not wrong, am I?” He Fei pressed.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t one of us? How do you even know this stuff?” Wei Tong shot back.
“Can’t you figure it out? Xiang Lei’s been ‘educating’ us for ages now.That’s not the only thing I know…”
“Then what else do you know?”
“Plenty. Like 4193one night stand, 69, CC…” As He Fei listed these, Wei Tong lowered his head in embarrassment, and He Fei suddenly remembered what CC meant.
He Fei suddenly wondered, Why couldn’t Xiang Lei have turned out like this? Not just with a clean face, but even the light in his eyes was softly feminine. If you didn’t strip him naked, you’d unconsciously forget his gender.
“Why don’t you have a beard?” He Fei couldn’t help but ask.
“Dunno. Never really grew one,” Wei Tong said, blushing.
“You… have you ever thought about getting a sex change?” After a moment’s thought, He Fei just went ahead and asked.
Wei Tong looked up at him, a huge question mark on his face.
He Fei suddenly realized how dumb the question was and laughed first. Wei Tong followed suit.
When Xiang Lei pushed the door open, the scene he walked into was this: Wei Tong pressed himself as far back as possible against the wall between the bed and the desk, while He Fei had one hand braced against the wall above Wei Tong’s shoulder and the other in his pants pocket, standing mere inches from Wei Tong’s face, murmuring something.
Wei Tong gently pushed He Fei back a step, and He Fei turned his head to see Xiang Lei’s retreating back as he walked into the kitchen.
He Fei closed the bedroom door and slipped into the kitchen, asking Xiang Lei, “What’d you buy?”
Xiang Lei silently unpacked the groceries from the plastic bags, not answering.
“Want me to help?” He Fei stood behind Xiang Lei, mirroring Chen Taoguang’s behavior from that day—shuffling left and right as Xiang Lei moved around. Only now did He Fei realize this was a deliberate attempt to curry favor.
Xiang Lei still didn’t respond.
“I’ll wash them!” Just as Xiang Lei was about to put the greens in the sink, He Fei reached out to take them, but Xiang Lei pulled back.
“Stop getting in the way,” Xiang Lei said.
Xiang Lei’s voice was calm, but He Fei felt like he could hear immense grievance in it. A twinge of guilt crept into He Fei’s heart.
After realizing he didn’t mind getting close to another guy’s body, He Fei had gotten a little too excited. Add to that his mischievous impulse to tease Wei Tong, and he’d ended up pushing things just as Xiang Lei walked in.
“You mad?” He Fei smirked, leaning close to Xiang Lei’s ear.
“Stop talking nonsense! Quit making a mess here.”
Xiang Lei misjudged the distance, turning his head to reply and nearly brushing lips with He Fei’s face right next to his ear. Awkward!
“I was just messing around!” He Fei whispered.
“Yeah, yeah, go watch TV or something!” Xiang Lei outright shoved He Fei out of the kitchen.
The moment He Fei stepped back into the room, Wei Tong went into the kitchen, and He Fei vaguely overheard a similar exchange.
“You mad?”
“Nonsense! Why would I be?”
“Really, it’s nothing…”
“Come on, are you two taking turns annoying me now?”
“Didn’t you say he wasn’t one of us?”
“He said it himself…”
“Fine, I’ll help too. You two just wait to enjoy the feast!”
He Fei couldn’t help but collapse onto Xiang Lei’s bed, laughing.
After dinner, Wei Tong took a call and left for school first. Not long after, He Fei grabbed his bag and said he was leaving too. Xiang Lei just glanced at him, said a bland “Okay,” and turned his attention back to the TV.
He Fei smirked mischievously, stepping in front of the screen to block it. “You’re not gonna try to keep me this time?”
“Nope.”
“Aren’t you worried I’m going out to meet someone?”
“Why would I be?”
“Not even suspicious I’m going to find that Wei Tong?”
“Do whatever you want.” Xiang Lei flopped onto the bed.
“Then I’m off!”
“Don’t let the door hit you.”
“Seriously leaving now!”
“Hurry up!”
He Fei closed the door behind him and stood outside for two or three minutes. When no sound came from inside, he finally couldn’t resist opening the door and walking back in. Xiang Lei was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding the electric razor, about to shave, while watching news footage of anti-war protests around the world with interest.
He Fei suddenly tossed his bag onto the bed beside Xiang Lei.
“Laozi’s staying here tonight whether you like it or not!”
139
He Fei asked Xiang Lei, “Don’t tell me you’ve even got a thing for Shi Zhuo now?”
Xiang Lei replied, “Isn’t it obvious? I could fall for any man.”
“Fuck!” He Fei shouted.
This night wasn’t as pure as others. Maybe it was because the lights were turned off too early, or maybe because the noise outside the window kept interrupting, or perhaps because the two of them weren’t drunk enough to set the mood. Xiang Lei kept saying things that weren’t entirely serious, and He Fei kept lunging at him, threatening violence.
Handing over the razor went exactly as He Fei had expected—not smoothly at all. It wasn’t until He Fei opened the window and threatened to throw it out that Xiang Lei finally said, “Hey, you wasteful bastard, just toss it over here!”
As for the stolen money, He Fei seemed less able to let it go than Xiang Lei. The moment He Fei started cursing Chen Taoguang, Xiang Lei waved him off: “That’s over with! Whoever brings it up again can go fuck themselves!”
Once again, He Fei thought of his long-held belief: Most of the people around Xiang Lei will end up hurting him.
But there was no way to say that to Xiang Lei. Even if he considered Chen Taoguang a brother, that bastard had turned around and stolen from him. Even if he valued Shi Zhuo as a friend, Shi Zhuo was willing to cut ties with Xiang Lei over Chen Taoguang. These things seemed even more infuriating to He Fei than they did to Xiang Lei, who just kept swallowing it all. Watching him do that pissed He Fei off.
Interactions with Shi Zhuo and Yang Lin became more frequent. Whether it was Zhang Wenwen or Xiang Lei, they were both closely connected to this couple. Often, Zhang Wenwen and Xiang Lei would appear together in these gatherings. At first, He Fei found it indescribably awkward, but he gradually got used to it.
Thankfully, Chen Taoguang rarely showed up among them anymore.
140
Just as we were relieved that the SARS outbreak ravaging the south was still far from us, rumors began circulating that suspected cases had appeared in Beijing. The school clinic had set up a separate fever clinic, some people were wearing masks when they went out, and some women on the subway would place a tissue over the handrails before gripping them.
On the day the U.S. and Britain declared war on Iraq, Shi Zhuo announced that he was treating us to karaoke on Saturday. Coincidentally, on that very Saturday, the U.S. began bombing Baghdad.
As soon as they met up, Xiang Lei and Shi Zhuo immediately started discussing the war. The hot-blooded Xiang Lei insisted it was a war driven by self-interest, saying that many people around the world could see that—even Bush’s own countrymen were willing to expose him. Shi Zhuo, however, argued that the truth behind any war was far more complex than what outsiders, with their leisure to comment, could imagine. Bush might claim this was a war for justice as a way to justify himself, but every event had two sides, and each side was only a relative outcome. Setting aside the unknown motives in the black box, for the Iraqi people, this war might genuinely have some liberating significance.
While everyone else fought to be the “mic hog,” these two were still huddled together, exchanging views on global affairs—as if they cared more than Kofi Annan himself.
Every time He Fei finished singing a Beyond song, he hoped to hear Xiang Lei cheer, but Xiang Lei was clearly too preoccupied. Finally, He Fei couldn’t take it anymore and went over to interrupt them. He said he wanted to pick a song to sing with Xiang Lei. Xiang Lei nodded absentmindedly while continuing to toss out his next argument to Shi Zhuo.
He Fei’s knowledge of Chinese songs was pretty limited. He flipped through the duet selections page by page, asking Xiang Lei if he knew any of the ones He Fei could sing. After some deliberation, he settled on Modern Love Story4A classic and Cantonese pop duet from 1991, performed by Hong Kong singers Julian Cheung and Cally Kwong..
He Fei had always believed that music was just something that could sometimes match his mood—the idea of using songs, or even just song titles, to convey emotions was pure nonsense. So when he picked this song, he didn’t think anything of it. And since Xiang Lei was too focused on debating international politics with Shi Zhuo, he just casually said, “I know it,” without giving it much thought.
When Hiroshima Lovers5A 1997 Mandarin duet performed by singers Karen Mok and Max Chang. started playing, Yang Lin handed a mic to Shi Zhuo, finally putting an end to Xiang Lei and Shi Zhuo’s discussion. Shi Zhuo’s singing was… not great. He had admitted more than once that he was a “creative singer”—every time he sang, it was a process of reinterpreting the song. Yang Lin, who was actually quite good, ended up getting dragged into some unknown musical abyss by Shi Zhuo, completely forgetting the familiar melody.
Before the song even finished, everyone was making gagging noises. Shi Zhuo, proud of himself, stubbornly held on until the last line.
Then, Yang Lin and Zhang Wenwen took turns performing Elva Hsiao and Faye Wong songs, while the three guys shouted, “That’s the original recording!”
When Modern Love Story appeared on the screen again, Zhang Wenwen saw that it was a duet and noticed He Fei picking up a mic. Thinking He Fei had specifically chosen this song for the two of them, she immediately took the other mic from Yang Lin without hesitation. He Fei glanced at Xiang Lei, who only remembered He Fei’s earlier request when he noticed the look.
Zhang Wenwen seemed a little confused when she saw the song title, but when the intro started, she suddenly exclaimed, “Oh! I’ve heard this before—I know it!” He Fei guessed she was probably thinking of Little Tigers’6The Little Tigers were a popular Taiwanese boy band in the late 1980s and early 1990s, often considered the first of their kind in the Mandopop scene. Call You My Love.
Zhang Wenwen clearly didn’t listen to much Cantonese music. Her pronunciation was bizarre, completely off from the actual syllables. The Cantonese and Mandarin versions of the lyrics also had significant differences in word count, so Zhang Wenwen had to struggle with both the pronunciation and keeping up with the melody. He Fei gave up halfway through but didn’t want to embarrass Zhang Wenwen by stopping, so he forced himself to finish, imitating Shi Zhuo’s stubbornness.
Next up was another round of He Fei’s Beyond showcase. Shi Zhuo grabbed a mic and started yelling along. He Fei motioned for Shi Zhuo to stand up and go wild, so the two of them faced each other, screaming their lungs out. Then Shi Zhuo pulled Xiang Lei up, and the three of them shared a mic, their combined hysteria reaching deafening volumes. The two girls covered their ears in succession.
Three songs in a row—guys always reached peak excitement during these kinds of raucous performances. He Fei was seeing a side of Xiang Lei he’d never seen before—completely uninhibited, his face flushed not with shyness but pure exhilaration.
When Modern Love Story appeared on the screen again, He Fei shot Xiang Lei a look. Xiang Lei took the mic, and he and Shi Zhuo returned to their seats. He Fei subtly jerked his chin at Xiang Lei, signaling him to start from the first verse. Xiang Lei nodded in understanding. Just as they were waiting for the intro to finish, the screen and music suddenly cut off. In the silence, everyone heard Zhang Wenwen say, “Must’ve been a mistake. Why’s it playing again? I’ll skip it!”
It wasn’t her fault. She hadn’t noticed the silent exchange between He Fei and Xiang Lei, and she couldn’t have imagined that He Fei would pick a love song to sing with Xiang Lei. Plus, she was clearly dissatisfied with her earlier performance and had developed a dislike for the song.
Disappointed, He Fei set down his mic, though he had no way to explain why.
The next song was Faye Wong’s Overturn. Zhang Wenwen turned toward Xiang Lei, who handed her the mic he was holding.
Shi Zhuo stepped out to take a call and returned saying Chen Taoguang would be joining them soon.
“Fuck.” Irritation prickled in He Fei’s chest.
From the moment Chen Taoguang walked into the karaoke room, He Fei lost all interest in the gathering. He lounged between Xiang Lei and Zhang Wenwen, coldly watching Chen Taoguang’s performance.
Chen Taoguang handed a cake to Yang Lin with a “Happy Birthday,” at which point He Fei and the others realized it was Yang Lin’s birthday. Zhang Wenwen turned down the music, and the three of them scolded Yang Lin for not mentioning it earlier. Yang Lin just said, “The point of celebrating a birthday is to have fun, and it looks like we’ve already achieved that.”
He Fei tilted his head toward Chen Taoguang and sneered, “Damn, you’re really loaded, huh? Even if the three of us had known it was Yang Lin’s birthday, we probably couldn’t have afforded a cake this big.”
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. Yang Lin and Shi Zhuo shot He Fei a look, Xiang Lei elbowed him subtly, and Zhang Wenwen gave him a light push.
Chen Taoguang, opening the cake, replied, “Come on, no need for that.”
He Fei snorted dismissively and didn’t respond further.
Chen Taoguang made a show of lighting candles and urged Yang Lin to blow them all out in one breath. When Yang Lin went to cut the cake, Chen Taoguang volunteered to do it for her. After slicing it, he personally handed out pieces. He Fei couldn’t help thinking, It’s like it’s his damn birthday.
When Chen Taoguang offered a slice to He Fei, He Fei didn’t move. His lazy gaze drifted from the cake to Chen Taoguang’s face, and he said with a smirk, “Can’t afford it. Might choke.” For a moment, Chen Taoguang froze, awkward and unsure what to do. Xiang Lei reached out and took the plate instead.
Chen Taoguang sat down next to Xiang Lei and joked, “Leizi, don’t you feel jealous hanging out with two couples? Good thing I showed up—how about we pair up too?”
Only Yang Lin laughed at this. Xiang Lei forced a smile, while the other three didn’t react at all. Yang Lin’s laughter, suddenly out of place, quickly died off.
He Fei felt a wave of disgust. If Chen Taoguang actually liked men, he thought, it would be nothing short of a disgrace—both for men who liked men and for men who were liked by men.
He Fei’s Cold Rainy Night came on. Zhang Wenwen turned up the backing track. He Fei was already in no mood to sing, and when he saw Chen Taoguang grab the other mic and start mumbling along, his irritation peaked. He slammed his mic onto the coffee table with a loud thud, making everyone jump.
Chen Taoguang turned to stare at He Fei, who immediately barked, “The fuck are you looking at?”
“I really don’t get it. If you’ve got a problem with me today, just say it straight, alright?” Chen Taoguang said.
“Stop fucking calling everyone ‘bro’ like you’re tight with them!” He Fei shot back.
“Just say it, man,” Chen Taoguang pressed.
“Don’t fucking push me!” He Fei leaped to his feet. Almost simultaneously, Xiang Lei grabbed his arm, and Zhang Wenwen stood up too, calling out He Fei’s name in alarm—just like she always did in these situations. Shi Zhuo and Yang Lin walked over, and Chen Taoguang, seeing everyone else standing, rose as well.
“He Fei, give me some face here,” Shi Zhuo said.
“Your face ain’t worth shit to me,” He Fei retorted.
Shi Zhuo froze, unsure how to respond.
“He Fei, that’s too harsh,” Yang Lin said.
Shi Zhuo pulled Chen Taoguang out of the room. When he returned, he said, “I told Taoguang to leave first. I didn’t plan this well today. Xiang Lei, don’t take it to heart. He Fei, cut him some slack. I won’t hold what you said in the heat of the moment against you. We’ve been tight for a while now—even if you think I’m not worthy of calling you ‘bro,’ at least we’re friends. The guy already bought a cake—I couldn’t just not invite him.”
“Arguing about ‘the truth’ here is pointless. All I’ll say is this, Shi Zhuo—if they’re both your brothers, don’t protect one at the expense of the other.”
The gathering didn’t last much longer. The “happy” Yang Lin had mentioned earlier never reached a proper conclusion.
When the waiter returned with the change, Modern Love Story appeared on the screen again. This time, He Fei called out, “Xiang Lei!” Yang Lin handed the other mic to Xiang Lei. As the two of them sang the duet, Zhang Wenwen’s face burned, and Xiang Lei looked visibly uncomfortable. Halfway through, Xiang Lei set down the mic, suggested they leave, and was the first one out the door.
He Fei habitually waited for Zhang Wenwen, expecting her to come over and take his arm like she always did. Instead, she followed Yang Lin and Shi Zhuo, walking right past He Fei without a word.
For the first time, this little gathering where everyone carried their own unspoken emotions made He Fei feel totally fed up.
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