Chapter 38: Guan Yaoming
After drinking so much throughout the evening, Li Dong felt his stomach bloating. He stood up and said to everyone, “Bathroom. Keep going without me.”
Before he left, he bent and kissed Guan Yaoming.
“Hahaha!” The room erupted again. “Xiao Mo is clingy, huh.” A bunch of big guys were delighted. The kid was exactly their type. He wasn’t shy at all and could really hold a conversation.
The moment Li Dong slipped out, the questions came flying. “Yao-ge, where did you find this treasure?” His looks went without saying, one in ten thousand or maybe one in a million. Everyone thought he was even more outstanding than the previous one.
Ditching the ex for this one was absolutely the right choice.
It was not just about looks. It was how Yao-ge looked with him. The man seemed lighter, smiling warmer, and happy in a way he had not been before.
“To tell the truth, he came after me,” Guan said, glancing toward the direction Li Dong had gone.
The wolf pup had been gone only a moment and he already missed him.
“Heh, so he chased you,” the brothers chuckled. Fit their impression of Li Dong perfectly: bold and proactive. Only worry was whether the boss could keep up.
“Right?” someone muttered under his breath. “This is the kind of partner you want. Easy to be around. Not like some people whose airs were bigger than the boss’s.”
“Watch it,” Liang Gou cut in. “One thing is one thing. Do not drag the past out to jab at Yao-ge.” Especially not in front of the current one. Who knew whether the current was really as carefree as he seemed.
Jin Dachuan stretched. “Man, my belly’s tight too. You guys drink. I gotta drain the tank.”
In the bathroom, he found Li Dong washing his hands. “Xiao Mo-ge,” he greeted, grinning as he lit a cigarette and took a blissful drag.
Li Dong looked up. “Chuan-ge.” He immediately waved away the offering. “No thanks, I am not smoking. Yao-ge does not let me.”
Jin Dachuan raised a brow. “Yo, Yao-ge has that quirk?” He thought to himself, not even letting him smoke? Is he even a man? Then it hit him: wait, Yao-ge doesn’t smoke either. He took the previous thought back on the spot. Their Yao-ge was definitely a real man.
“It is not just him. I wanted to quit anyway,” Li Dong said. He used to have Xi Xingling keeping him in check, so he could resist. Later, single-life sloppiness had crept back.
Jin lowered his voice and waggled his brows. “So… our Yao-ge is really good, right?” No need to spell out which department.
Li Dong snorted and nodded like a pecking hen. “Mm. Really good.” Good enough to make a guy see stars.
Jin burst out laughing. “Relax, I mean nothing by it.” He threw an arm over Li Dong’s shoulder and spoke earnestly. “Treat Yao-ge right. I can tell you have it in you. We all saw it. He is really happy tonight.”
Over the years, the older brothers around them had all gotten married and had kids. Even Jin Dachuan and Liang Gou had a son and daughter each.
Only their Yao-ge liked men, so fatherhood might never happen.
The uncles and brothers worried themselves sick over it. No children? At least go the surrogacy route and have one. But back then, the partner was still Zhao Mian. They kept their mouths shut, but everyone knew Zhao lacked largeness of spirit. As subordinates, butting into the boss’s private life could only end badly.
Finally, the boss dumped the ex and brought home this straightforward little fresh meat. One look and you knew he was easy to talk to.
“Of course I will treat him right,” Li Dong declared shamelessly. “I dare say you could not find a second person in this world who will be as loyal to Yao-ge as I am. Honest.”
“Sh*t!” Jin barked a laugh. The boss was not wrong. This kid’s mouth was direct and somehow you could not get mad about it.
At last, the listener at the door stepped in. Guan stood there with heat in his eyes. “Xiao Mo, say that to Dachuan and let it go. Do not say it before the whole crew unless you want a beating.”
“Exactly,” Jin chimed in. “You are the truest, huh? What does that make us?” The brothers were not dead yet. Where did Lin Mo get off.
“I know, Yao-ge,” Li Dong said, and slung an arm tighter around Jin. “I am only saying it because Chuan-ge is a straight shooter. I can tell him what is really in my heart.”
Jin Dachuan finally understood. This kid must have won over their boss with that smooth tongue of his.
“Alright, alright.” He flicked the cigarette butt. “Since Yao-ge is here, I will leave you to it. I really need to go take that leak now.”
“Go on,” Li Dong said, then tipped his head at Guan. “So, did you come for me or to use the bathroom?” His eyes dipped to Guan’s lower half, smile wicked.
“Both,” Guan said, cupping Li Dong’s face. “Wait for me. When I am done, I will come out and whip you into shape.”
Li Dong toed his shin. “Big talk. We will see who whips whom.”
Inside the stall, Jin shivered. Damn, two men in love flirting was terrifying.
He finished up and hurried back to the table to help the boss hold court.
Ten minutes later, the boss returned with his fresh meat in tow. The formidable little demon went right back to pounding shots with whoever challenged him, and his energy could be summed up in one word: wild.
In the end, the fresh meat was barely tipsy. The boss, however, was drunk.
All the brothers immediately cried out in their hearts: Boss!! Pull yourself together! You are the top! How can you lose to a bottom!
“tsk, tsk, tsk,” Jin eyed the fallen challengers. “No offense but getting out-drunk by a bottom is embarrassing.”
“Enough,” Liang said. “I will call the designated drivers. One by one, we will send you home.” He dialed as he grumbled. “Every time you drink, I am the one cleaning up. Annoying.”
Li Dong could have driven but he did not push it. He let Liang call a driver for them too.
“I will get Yao-ge to the car,” he said, then scooped Guan up in a princess carry, steady as you please, and strode off… and off…
Jin Dachuan, Liang Gou, and all the other brothers stared, wide-eyed. They rubbed their eyes and picked up their dropped jaws from the floor. “F*ck…”
The next day at noon, Guan’s phone got bombed by calls from his men.
“Yao-ge,” said Jin. “Do you remember Xiao Mo carrying you like a feather last night? No? Okay, let me walk you through it. So here is what happened, blah blah blah…”
Guan rubbed his temples while thinking to himself, I really don't want to fcking listen, but I cannot help continuing to fcking listen.
“Boss,” said Liang. “Being carried out in a princess hold in front of the crew. Where is your dignity? You do not think that is a big deal?”
Another brother chimed in, stifling a laugh. “Boss, I’m crazy about your boy. When are we drinking with him again? That kid is fun. Can I borrow him for a business dinner? He would scare the sh*t out of those clowns.”
Said clown managed several hundred million in business.
“Sha Qiang,” Guan snapped. “You want to borrow my boyfriend to bring to dinner? Are you out of your damn mind?” He hung up, irritated and secretly delighted.
Why did he feel so happy, like he had filed the marriage papers with his wolfdog already?
He did not remember being carried out, but he remembered the cross-arm toast vividly, along with Li Dong’s sweet, swoony line.
Was it settled, then?
With love on tap, the boss floated through the next few days.
“Good grief, the boss is dropping red envelopes again,” said Liu Hong, glued to her phone. “Hey, Xiao Mo, did you join the company group chat?”
Lots of stars never bothered, but with the boss showering money, only a fool would not.
“Nope,” said Li Dong. “The boss is making it rain?” Please. If his boyfriend was handing out envelopes, he was absolutely joining.
A wave of chime after the grab, then a new banner popped up in the feed: Lin Mo has joined the group.
Lin Mo: Hello everyone, I am Lin Mo o(￣︶￣)o. I came in specifically to snatch red envelopes. Please take care of me.
Liu Hong: Yup yup, this is my artist, Xiao Mo. His new movie is about to premiere. Please support!
Guan Yaoming: Little Wolfdog [exclusive red envelope]
Two messages, back to back. The whole chat went dead silent.
“…” Li Dong watched a herd of grass mud horses thunder through his mind, snatched the envelope in a flash, then DM’d Guan. “Yao-ge, what is wrong with you?” An “exclusive” envelope? Why not put up a billboard announcing they were sleeping together.
Guan: [Little Sun emoji]
Li Dong: The only sun I want to see is you bent over. I want to ride you.
Guan: Xiao Mo, I sent this kind of envelope to Zhao Mian too.
He did not want to hide it. It had been that envelope that told the whole company he and Zhao were together.
Li Dong: Great. Very good. See you in bed after work.
Guan: If you’ve got the guts, come now. Your Yao-ge will strip naked and wait for you.
He stared at himself texting like a maniac, half disgusted, half thrilled, and utterly unable to stop.
Barely two minutes later, Li Dong’s long-legged model frame filled the doorway of the CEO’s office as he kicked open the half-closed door.
“You liar. Not naked at all,” he said with a beautiful, ominous smile.
“Xiao Mo…” Guan’s voice went small. That look derailed his breathing. Even his toes curled in his leather shoes.
At the end of January, Guan sent every employee two tickets to Peerless Patriot and reminded them not to miss the premiere.
February first, premiere day. The theater.
Li Dong kept it low key, tugging a bundled-up Guan along as the two of them vanished into the crowd.
“Xiao Mo?” Guan squeezed his hand. He was wrapped up just as tight, only his eyes showing. “Your seat-finding is impressive.” Like he did this all the time.
“Finding a seat takes skill?” Li Dong laughed. “Everyone can do it. Silly Yao-ge.”
Guan felt self-conscious. He really was making a big deal out of nothing.
Whatever Li Dong did felt amazing to him.
“What are you daydreaming about?” Li Dong asked, leaning over as the lights dimmed to flick the tip of Guan’s ear with his tongue. “Reliving that office quickie?”
“I do not recall any office quickie,” Guan said, dead serious as he stared at the screen. The bob of his throat gave away his calm.
Li Dong let the smile curl and turned back just as his close-up hit the screen.
Li Dong smiled without saying anything. He turned his head and saw his face in close-up appear on the big screen.
The previously quiet movie theater instantly erupted, the change especially noticeable.
The magnified handsome features were like opium, making everyone feel pleased and lightheaded.
Guan Yaoming’s breathing rose and fell with the changes on the screen, his mood maintaining a high point that was difficult to calm.
Another close-up. He clamped down on Li Dong’s hand without thinking.
“Yao-ge?” Li Dong hissed. The grip actually hurt.
“The visual impact is too strong,” Guan said. “Hard to take.” Yet he could not look away.
“You look at me every day and you are not used to it?” Li Dong smothered a laugh. To be fair, even he thought the mirror was generous.
“Luckily this is a man’s movie,” Guan said. “If it were not, I could not watch it.”
“That is all you have to say about my acting?” Li Dong’s lips twitched. Was the man really a romance brain? He did not look it.
“You are good, do I need to say it?” Guan replied. “I think this should net you a Best Newcomer. What do you think?”
Ordinary citizen Mr. Li Dong suddenly felt like kneeling. He understood the implication in Guan Yaoming’s words.
Was Zhao Mian’s Best Actor also something Guan had… purchased?
It was truly horrifying to think about. Li Dong felt it was somewhat funny, but also inexplicably bittersweet.
It showed that when Guan Yaoming fell in love with someone, he really was devoted and compliant to his lover, valuing the relationship above all else.
“Prize or not, it is whatever,” Li Dong said. “I do not act for trophies.” Back then he had wanted the role just to go head-to-head with Zhao.
Now that the male lead and the scumbag had split, awards did not matter. What mattered was “Yao-ge…” He looked at the full house, then swallowed the words. Better at home.
“Hm?” Guan looked over, eyes soft.
“Nothing,” Li Dong said, pecking him. “Just that you look very handsome tonight.”
By the end of the movie, Li Dong had his speech ready. He planned to tell Guan, at home, that he had trained at the police academy.
But things were unpredictable. Before they got home, they started kissing in the car.
Once they got home and kicked off their shoes, who had time to talk about all that? Of course, they had to enjoy themselves first.
“Xiao Mo…” Guan gasped, head bumping the sofa arm, hair a mess.
“Mm-hmm. Say what you want to say. I am listening,” Li Dong teased. He knew Guan had nothing to say and no time to say it.
“Xiao Mo…”
He had to admit, pinning the boss to the couch and having his way with him was pure bliss.
Forty minutes later, Guan alone wrapped himself in a throw and went hunting for his phone.
He finally used Li Dong’s mobile to call his own and found it at the entryway.
A text came in right then, from a very familiar number. He knew at a glance who it was.
Zhao Mian: Yao-ming, sorry to bother you this late, but there is something important you may want to hear.
Guan: Do not play coy. If you have something to say, just say it.
After being with Li Dong, he had less and less patience for Zhao’s half-said schemes. Why not just explode already.
Zhao: Do not be mad. I needed to know it was you reading. It involves the police.
A photo followed.
Guan opened it and his face changed. “Lin Mo?”
Zhao: He looks exactly like Lin Mo, right? But he is not Lin Mo. If you want the details, meet me at XXXXX. Do not tell anyone. I do not want to be tied to the police.
“Motherf—!” Guan spun toward the bathroom. “Xiao Mo!” He banged on the door, phone in hand. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a cop!”
The photo was a uniform shot.
To be precise, the uniform was his father’s, and Li Dong had been wearing it for a portrait in the house.
If Zhao had his hands on that photo, it meant he already knew Li Dong’s real background.
“What are you yelling about?” Li Dong shut off the water and came out in a towel.
“What is this?” Guan thrust the screen at him. “Explain.” Why would a cop be in showbiz and in his bed?
Li Dong flinched at the picture. He had not expected that one.
“A portrait,” he said. “My dad’s uniform.” He rubbed his hair with a towel, then brushed past to pour a glass of warm water. “But I am a police academy grad. I did not make it onto the force because my psychological test did not pass.”
“Your psychological test did not pass? You?” Guan laughed at himself, tossed the phone on the bed. “How much have you kept from me? Your dad is a cop? Why never say any of this?”
“I am just from an ordinary family,” Li Dong said. “Dad is a cop, mom is a teacher. They wanted me to be a cop. I did not have it in me. That is it.” Also, “I told you Lin Mo is a stage name. My real name is Shen Shaoyi.”
“You said you were born in winter,” Guan muttered.
“Yeah. My nickname is just the character ‘Dong.’” Shen Shaoyi was born in winter too. He was not worried Guan would connect it. “Who sent you that? Came to my place to find it?”
Guan stared at him for a long, hard two minutes.
“What are you doing?” Li Dong frowned. “You suspect me?” He stared right back, two sparks lighting in his eyes. “Do you? You think I would do anything against you?”
“Do not blame me,” Guan said. “You know what I am. I cannot not be careful.” When Li Dong stepped closer, he edged back.
“F*ck,” Li Dong hissed, tossing the towel aside. “Was it Zhao Mian who sent it?” He could not think who else. If Guan had investigated on his own, he would not be exploding like this.
Fine. If Zhao pulled day one, someone else would pull day fifteen.
What burned Li Dong was this: if Zhao knew the police were involved, and still fed the photo to Guan, it meant he was fully lost to revenge. Right and wrong meant nothing to him. Lin Mo’s life meant nothing either. What a scum.
The news that his wolfdog might be a cop knocked Guan off balance. “Xiao Mo…” Saying the name felt bitterly ironic. Even the name he cherished was not real. “Let us both calm down. I am going to leave.”
“If you step out that door, do not come back,” Li Dong said, dropping onto the bed and throwing the threat after him.
Then he started hunting for his phone. He needed to call that bastard Zhao.
“What are you looking for?” Guan asked. “Your phone? Calling who?” His gaze was wary now, and he held Li Dong’s device tight.
“Calling Zhao. Why? You still protecting him?” Li Dong spotted the phone hidden behind Guan’s back. “You have my phone? Give it.”
“What will that do? We are talking about you.” Guan kept his grip and changed his mind. “You are right. I should not walk out.”
Li Dong’s brow creased. He had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, Guan dialed. “Dachuan, bring a few brothers. Not a fight. To watch someone. Yes, here is the address…”
“…” Sh*t.
Li Dong flopped back on the soft mattress, feeling dizzy.
“Lin Mo,” Guan said. “No. Shen Shaoyi.” He loomed over him. “Are you undercover?”
“Yes. I am undercover,” Li Dong said, palm to his eyes, voice hot with anger. “You are finished, Guan Yaoming. I am sending you to prison.”
Guan’s face twisted. He kicked Li Dong’s calf so hard the younger man grabbed his leg with a groan.
“Ah…” Li Dong went pale. “You f*cking hit me again… you are done!” If he forgave him easily this time, he was not Li Dong. Call him Lin Mo instead.
Out of sight, Guan’s expression contorted.
He grabbed a lamp from the nightstand and raised it, aimed right at Li Dong. “F*ck!”
The lamp never came down on Li Dong’s skull. It slammed into the floor and shattered.
The crash scared the daylights out of Li Dong.
What followed in the next ten seconds was Guan’s temper, raw and unfiltered. The room turned to rubble. Nothing remained intact.
“…,” Li Dong thought, horrified. He had pushed too hard. “Yao-ge.”
“Shut up!” Guan roared. “I will deal with you sooner or later!” Even then, everything he destroyed stayed away from the line of the bed. He was avoiding it without realizing.
“I was just talking out of anger just now,” Li Dong said. He looked at the wreckage, knelt on the bed, and tried to explain. “I am not some undercover cop. I am the same as Zhao Mian. We are both the sons of cops.”
Guan froze. “What did you say?” The smashing stopped. His stare sharpened. “Zhao is a cop’s son?”
“To be precise, his name is not Zhao Mian. It is Zhao Jun’an,” Li Dong said. Since he had started, he might as well put it all out. “Three-plus years ago, Officer Zhao died in the line of duty while investigating Guan Zhengtai. That same year, Officer Zhao’s son, Zhao Jun’an, entered Star Emperor Entertainment under the stage name Zhao Mian. He quickly became your lover.”
Under Guan’s stunned gaze, Li Dong went on. “A little over a year ago, the police realized he might want to kill you. They sent me to Xinghuang to watch Zhao Jun’an and, at the same time, keep you safe.” He changed a few details to make it easier to swallow.
“Because his father died on duty, he wants to kill me?” Guan said. “Why should I believe any of this, Lin Mo. Or Shen Shaoyi?” The gentleness was gone. His eyes were ice.
“I am telling the truth. Believe it or not,” Li Dong said, bracing for a breakup and still trying to help. “If Zhao asks you to meet somewhere, take people. He really does want you dead.”
Guan blinked. He pressed his lips together. Because Zhao had, in fact, asked him to meet alone and told him not to tell anyone.
“To be honest, I did work undercover,” Li Dong added.
That set Guan off again, blood pressure spiking. This jerk. Was anything he said true?
“Remember the first night I appeared in your room? I didn’t want to sleep with you because I was still a cop then and couldn’t let emotions get involved.” He held Guan’s eyes. “But I did sleep with you. The next day I quit. The reason was simple. I was not a good undercover.”
All of that was true. Guan could verify it.
Time to lie a little. “I never expected to get tangled up with you,” Li Dong said with a crooked smile. “Even after I resigned, I did not leave your side, because I was afraid of what Zhao would do to you.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face, then lay down again. “I have told you everything. Verify whatever you want. Do what you want with the rest.”
“I will verify it,” Guan said. He stared at him for a long time, jaw tight.
The bell rang. Jin arrived with four men.
“Yao-ge,” they greeted the moment the door opened.
“Come in,” Guan said, keeping his face flat so he would not scare anyone.
“What happened? Who crossed you?” Jin wandered through the place, then stopped at the bedroom door. “…” Sweet heaven. The boss had done a number on the place.
“Lin Mo is inside,” Guan said. “Stay and watch him. I am going out.” He ducked into the ravaged room, changed, and headed back out.
Li Dong glanced at him dressing and said nothing, rolling over to face the wall.
Boots crunched over debris. The shadow stopped at the bed.
“I will verify everything you said,” Guan told him. “If it checks out…”
“If it checks out, and I am clean,” Li Dong cut in, “and I have protected you instead of hurting you, then remove the men watching me and give me back my freedom. Also, I want to terminate my contract with Star Emperor.”
Guan said nothing. One thing he believed with iron certainty was this man’s temper.
“Well?” Li Dong asked. “Do you agree?” His calf throbbed, ugly and insistent.
“We will talk when I get back,” Guan said. “Sleep in the study. They will clean this up.”
“Hey?” Li Dong twisted around in time to see his back disappear. “F*ck…”
A few minutes later, Jin tapped the door. “Xiao Mo-ge, are you asleep?”
“No.”
“I am coming in,” he said, stepping carefully over the mess. “My God. Yao-ge, the demolition crew.”
A lovers’ spat, fine. Smash the house, fine. But what if you scared the fresh meat?
“He did not hit you, did he?” Jin asked nervously, scanning Li Dong from head to toe. Outwardly, at least, he looked intact.
“No,” Li Dong said. Only kicked his leg.
“What did you fight about?” Jin squatted and tried to play peacemaker. “He looked panicked. He called us probably because he is afraid you will do something stupid.” Or run away. Bottoms loved that move.
“It is complicated,” Li Dong said. “But however it ends, I do not think we can keep going. We are not the same kind.”
“Hey now, do not say that,” Jin urged. The boss had told him to keep the kid company and smooth things over. “You two just got together, and Yao-ge is crazy about you. Everyone can see it. Do not go making a stand over this.”
If the boss came back to find his wife gone, it would kill him.
“You have a point,” Li Dong said. “I will go next door and think.” He slid out of bed, took his pillow and comforter, and headed for the study.
“… That easy?” Jin muttered. “Is he humoring me? Definitely humoring me.”
The click of the lock told him all he needed to know. Li Dong did not want to talk about things not yet public, and he did not want to lie. Locking himself in was simpler.
Meanwhile, Guan called Liang Gou. “A Gou, run two backgrounds for me. As fast as you can.”
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