Chapter 24 Let’s Hit the Nightclub

Chapter 24: Let's Hit the Club

This was the second time Yuan Che had ridden in Lin Wenjun's car, and it wasn't much better than the first.

As soon as he got in, the thick, cloying smell of perfume hit him. Yuan Che subtly leaned back, trying to breathe as shallowly as possible. Lin Wenjun, still flamboyantly dressed, sat in the passenger seat, holding a small mirror and humming a tune, occasionally flicking his hair. When Yuan Che got in, he glanced at him through the mirror and said with a teasing grin: "Why are you sitting in the back again? Are you really treating me like your driver?"

"I'm fine in the back," Yuan Che dodged the question, staring out the window.

Lin Wenjun frowned at him but said nothing more, starting the car and heading to the mahjong parlor.

Yes, the mahjong parlor.

Although his aunt had stressed over the phone to take Yuan Che somewhere wholesome to meet new friends, Lin Wenjun had never been to any "wholesome" place in his life except school. He couldn't very well take him to the library—he didn't even know where the entrance was.

But he didn't hesitate either. Lin Yajun was technically his aunt, but strictly speaking, she was practically his second mother. She'd cleaned up his messes countless times since he was a kid, and since she rarely asked for anything, he had to step up this time.

As for how he'd do it, that was his business. Making friends could happen anywhere, right? What his aunt really wanted was for Yuan Che to get out and see the world. "Seeing the world" was something he excelled at, and to be honest, he thought his brother's brother-in-law (Yuan Che) really needed it—the guy not only had no clue but also kept a completely blank face all the time—so weird!

So Lin Wenjun readily agreed out loud, but in his head, he'd already made up his mind.

But plans were plans—once he started playing mahjong, he got completely lost in it.

At first, he tried to invite Yuan Che to join the game. He and his friends were quite enthusiastic, offering him a seat and a drink. But this guy didn't know a good thing when he saw it—not only did he refuse to play, but he also put on a cold, standoffish face in front of everyone. Lin Wenjun also noticed that Yuan Che seemed particularly averse to being touched. When someone patted his shoulder, his whole body stiffened, and he flinched back like he'd been shocked.

Well, Lin Wenjun couldn't stand people who acted that superior.

He's just some rich country bumpkin, isn't he? What's there to be so stuck-up about? Fine, if he didn't want to play, so be it. Lin Wenjun gave his friends a look and left Yuan Che on his own, jumping into an intense game of mahjong with his buddies.

Hours passed.

During that time, apart from asking for a pen and a piece of paper, Yuan Che made no other requests. He didn't even urge Lin Wenjun to leave, just sat there quietly. Lin Wenjun had started out deliberately ignoring him, but after a few rounds, he started feeling a little guilty.

He kept glancing over at the guy in the corner.

Every time, he saw that guy sitting at the edge of the sofa, just sitting there, doing nothing. His back was perfectly straight, and occasionally he took a small sip of water, barely a mouthful. When someone walked past, he'd automatically scoot over to make room, then scoot back after they'd gone, maintaining the same posture and expression.

The more Lin Wenjun watched, the more he felt something was off about him.

Was this guy... not putting on a cold face on purpose? Was he really like this?

Just then, Lin Wenjun was worn out from playing. He pushed the mahjong tiles and said, "I'm done," standing up. A girl nearby whispered, asking who the guy on the sofa was. Lin Wenjun glanced at Yuan Che and casually replied, "That's my brother's brother-in-law."

To his surprise, that got the others excited.

"No way! Your brother's brother-in-law looks like that? Then his sister must be drop-dead gorgeous!"

"Yeah, seriously, those genes are insane. Have you seen his sister?"

Lin Wenjun loved to show off. He always liked to use Lin Zaishan to one-up his friends. Lin Zaishan was a big shot in their group—every parent's "perfect child," every classmate's "super hot big brother." As they grew up, even some gay guys tried to get close to Lin Wenjun just to get Lin Zaishan's contact info. Lin Wenjun would wave them off with "Get lost, my brother's totally straight," but secretly he loved the bragging rights.

So now, there was no way he was going to admit he'd never even met his own sister-in-law—that would make him look like an outsider in the Lin family.

Lin Wenjun had a sudden bright idea. Using his brother-in-law's looks, he started making things up on the spot: fair skin, beautiful face, tall figure—he gave the sister-in-law every good attribute. Finally, he added mysteriously, "My sister-in-law is studying abroad. Don't any of you dare breathe a word until she comes back."

The group exclaimed in awe, and Lin Wenjun, basking in the envious looks, put on his sunglasses and made a cool exit.

He was so full of himself that he almost forgot his brother-in-law as he walked past the sofa. It was only when Yuan Che called out from behind that he slapped his forehead, remembered his mission, and hurried back to get him.

But now there was a new problem.

It was already dark, and the brother-in-law still hadn't made a single friend. How was he going to explain this to his aunt?

Sitting in the car, Lin Wenjun looked in the rearview mirror at the still expressionless guy staring blankly out the window and started worrying again.

"Hey," he said to his brother-in-law, "are you hungry?"

His brother-in-law shook his head.

"Thirsty?"

Another head shake.

"Is there anyone you want to see right now?"

At this, Yuan Che finally lazily lifted his eyes to look at him. The look wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm either—just a look of faint confusion, like "Why are you asking?"

"I want to see my brother-in-law," he said after thinking for a moment.

Lin Wenjun laughed. This was the first time he'd seen a brother-in-law so clingy.

"Our mission for today isn't done yet, so I can't let you see my brother," Lin Wenjun refused slowly. "If we go back like this, I can't face my aunt. At least do me a favor—can't you just hang out with some people and chat a bit?"

Yuan Che blinked and fell silent again.

Lin Wenjun clicked his tongue and played his trump card: "If you do this, Auntie won't be happy."

As expected, that worked like a charm.

His brother-in-law sighed, then looked up in surrender: "Then where are we going? I want to go home."

Seeing this, Lin Wenjun was thrilled and jumped at the chance: "It's no use going home now. My brother is working late tonight and won't be home for a while."

He wasn't lying—Lin Yajun had told him that on the phone.

"So," he continued earnestly, "just relax and hang out with me!"

Yuan Che glanced at him, dropped his eyes, thought seriously for a moment, then nodded slightly: "Okay."

That's more like it!

Lin Wenjun shot him an approving look, turned the wheel without another word and headed straight to his usual nightclub.

—

As soon as they walked in, Yuan Che knew something was off.

Although he'd never been to a place like this, he could tell it was... different from the places he usually went to with his mom.

What was different about it?

Yuan Che sat down in a booth and began quietly observing his surroundings—

It was loud, dark, with lights flashing so much it made him dizzy. Music pounded in waves, making his chest feel tight. The air was hot and humid, sticky even with the AC going full blast.

And most importantly—

Why were there so many men here?!

He frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the figures wrapped in an embrace nearby, two people whispering cheek-to-cheek on the opposite sofa, and a pair of legs tangled together in the corner.

Guys, all guys.

"Hey, are you alone?"

A boy suddenly sat down beside him.

Before Yuan Che could react, the guy had already naturally taken his arm, his eyes shimmering under the colorful lights, looking up at him with a coquettish, flirtatious smile.

Yuan Che looked down at his own arm being held, then raised his eyes to the face that was very close.

"Do you know me?" he asked.

"No," the boy replied matter-of-factly.

"Then why are you touching me?"

Yuan Che quickly withdrew his arm without missing a beat. He leaned back, putting some distance between them, and looked at him calmly.

His gaze wasn't fierce, even gentle, with a hint of wariness and undisguised appraisal.

The boy was taken aback.

Then, as if amused by his reaction, he covered his mouth and laughed so hard he doubled over, unable to speak.

Lin Wenjun, who had just sat down nearby and was already in a drinking game with someone, saw this and was alarmed. He quickly came over to smooth things over.

"An'an," he said, bending over to the boy and patting his shoulder with a smile while secretly observing Yuan Che's expression, "You didn't do anything to my brother-in-law, did you?"

Oh no, this guy's expression really turned sour.

Lin Wenjun's heart sank. He somewhat regretted bringing him here. But where else could they go?

He actually had his own agenda. As a seasoned bottom, he had plenty of female friends, but bringing Yuan Che to meet them? That was too dangerous!

This kid Yuan Che, with that face and that stern demeanor, wasn't he exactly the type of 'cold-faced puppy' that older women liked? If he took him to meet girls, it would be like throwing a lamb to the wolves. If any of those sisters got serious, and if a child ended up being conceived, would the old lady let him off the hook?

So, it was safest to bring him to meet men. A touch here, a pat there wouldn't lead to emotional entanglements.

"What could I possibly do to him?" An'an only answered when he was done laughing, waving a hand in front of Yuan Che. "He's upset just because I held his arm? Don't tell me he's still a virgin?"

The music in the nightclub was deafening, but An'an's voice was sharp and high-pitched, and the crude joke every word reached Yuan Che's ears loud and clear.

The two regulars of the scene exchanged a knowing smile, neither taking it seriously. An'an even leaned closer to Yuan Che, wanting to see what other reaction he might have.

Meanwhile, Yuan Che sat there, feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

He frowned and glanced at the two flamboyant little queens in front of him—one laughing hysterically, the other reveling in the spectacle. A vague irritation welled up inside him.

It wasn't anger, it was... discomfort.

He wasn't used to being teased like this, let alone being touched. Since childhood, the people who could get close to him could be counted on one hand. Now, out of nowhere, some guy had grabbed his arm and called him a 'virgin'—

"Can you not talk like that?"

He spoke, his voice not loud but with a seriousness that was impossible to ignore. It was more a warning than an outburst—a warning that said, 'I'm not happy, you'd better know when to stop.'

An'an was stunned.

He had seen people get angry after being teased, seen them shy away, seen them pretend to be angry while secretly enjoying it, but he had never seen anyone like this. This little puppy stood there, back straight, eyes clear, with no trace of embarrassment on his face—only a faint, condescending irritation.

It was as if... he was looking down on you.

An'an laughed even more, but this time he was laughing at having been intimidated by a 'virgin's' stare.

Lin Wenjun watched on the sidelines, his heart pounding. He knew An'an too well—once that guy started laughing, he wouldn't stop. If he really pissed off the brother-in-law, and he went back to complain to his aunt, he would be in deep trouble.

He wiped the smile off his face in a flash and shot a glance at An'an.

At first, An'an didn't react, but then he looked at the moral crusader with a sour expression, and then at Lin Wenjun whose eyes were practically bulging, and his smile slowly froze on his face.

"Well... I'll go over there then, you guys talk," he said with an awkward laugh, and then quickly made himself scarce.

Lin Wenjun breathed a sigh of relief. He sat down beside Yuan Che, in the same spot An'an had just occupied, but deliberately kept a bit of a safe distance.

"My friend is like that," he said earnestly, his tone implying 'please understand.' "Don't you dare complain when you get back, okay?"

"Complain to whom?" Yuan Che asked seriously.

"My aunt," Lin Wenjun said, looking at him with a helpless look. "To be honest, it was my aunt who told me to take you out today to have some fun and meet more friends. But with you being so uncooperative, you're making this really hard for me, you understand?"

Yuan Che looked at him, not taking the bait. "I told you, I don't want to play. I just want to go home to my brother-in-law."

"I also told you, your brother-in-law isn't home."

Yuan Che fell silent.

Just then, a DJ set ended, and the deafening music finally stopped for a few seconds, leaving only the sounds of people talking and laughing and the clink of glasses.

Seeing this, Yuan Che took out a neatly folded envelope from his pocket and held it out to Lin Wenjun.

Lin Wenjun glanced down at it and took it hesitantly. "What's this?"

"A letter," Yuan Che replied bluntly. "Can you help me send this letter? The address is on the envelope."

Upon hearing this, Lin Wenjun lowered his head, squinting to look closely. The lights in the nightclub flickered on and off; he could barely make it out even leaning in—there was indeed a neatly written local address on the envelope.

"Yu Er... Zhou?" he read haltingly under the flickering lights, with some effort.

"It's Yu Yizhou," Yuan Che corrected, his tone calm. "That's an ink smudge below."