Chapter 58: Jiang Liannan
After disappearing for a whole night, even getting a good sleep was too much to ask.
He had just drifted off when his old man started a death-rattle chain of calls.
“Ah Nan, why didn’t you come home last night?” came Father Jiang’s robust voice. He was in his sixties now and currently retired at home. “Tomorrow is Wuhou’s wedding. I heard you do not want to be his groomsman?”
He and Chen Wuhou’s father were old friends, and the two families had long been close.
Only in recent years had the elder Chens moved overseas to retire, so they saw each other less.
With Chen Wuhou marrying tomorrow, even if he was marrying a girl from a small family, as peers, it would be shameful if the big brother’s wedding did not get proper face.
Being woken like that already put Jiang Liannan in a foul mood. Hearing the words “Chen Wuhou” and “wedding” soured it further. “Dad, if I go stand there as groomsman, aren’t you afraid someone will end up dead?” Honestly, it was not like the old man did not know who he liked.
“Wuhou is getting married and having a child, Ah Nan. Can you be a bit more mature?” Father Jiang had more than one son. Ah Nan was the youngest, spoiled rotten at home. Liking a man or two was nothing to him.
If his youngest had liked anyone else, Father Jiang would have dragged that person home in the middle of the night without a second word.
But of all people, he had to like the only son of their family friends, and more importantly, the other party did not like him back.
With nowhere to vent his frustrations, Jiang Liannan thought for a beat. He had just slept with Chen Wuhou’s son, after all. That made them even. “How about this. I will not be a groomsman, but I will attend the wedding.”
He regretted it the instant he said it. He really should not attend; there would be someone there he did not want to see.
“Dad…”
“Good, settled then. No matter what, you boys are brothers. You must attend.” Father Jiang felt a pang for his youngest and sighed, then added, “There is something I do not know whether I should say…”
“Then do not say it,” Jiang Liannan said, deeply aggrieved.
“I still think I should.” Father Jiang continued, “Ah Nan, you have liked Wuhou for years. When you were young, I understood. He was tall and handsome then.” A strapping lad anyone would like. “But he is pushing forty now. You still aren’t tired of him…”
“Dad!”
“Listen. If I were you, I would find someone young and good-looking. Who would not be a better pick than Chen Wuhou?” Father Jiang’s tone turned meaningful. “Once a man passes forty, he is not that useful anymore. You know what I mean?”
Jiang Liannan shifted and felt the lingering ache. He found, to his surprise, that he could not refute it. Young men did have more firepower.
“Alright, alright, I am not talking to you anymore.” Thinking of that high-firepower fresh meat made his heart sting.
He hung up and slept until noon before getting up.
He washed his face lazily, then stood before the mirror staring. “…,” he had lied last night about being twenty-five, and that pure, easy-to-fool fresh meat had not suspected a thing. “…,” tsk, too gullible.
His skin was still in good shape, just a little haggard from heartbreak, late nights, and drinking.
He sighed and got dressed.
After leaving the hotel, he went to his usual restaurant for breakfast. Every movement, whether walking or sitting, was cautious and careful. Then, carelessly, he thought of Chen Can’s tight, solid muscles and that broad, warm chest. The feeling of resting there was unforgettable.
Looking pensive, he took out the sticky note from his pocket. He knew he would not call, but still keyed the number into his phone.
Contact name: A Secret That Cannot Be Told.
While waiting for food, he logged into the gay forum he frequented to post an update.
A few days ago, when the invitation had come unexpectedly, he had written a gut-wrenching post and then vanished.
Now, seeing the thread again, it was packed with sympathy and comfort.
User A: “Oh my god, the idol you have loved for fifteen years sends you a wedding invitation. That is brutal. I am crying. This hurts so much.”
User B: “I have followed this thread for years and this is the ending? I cannot accept it either. I feel awful.”
User C: “I grew up reading your posts and always thought you were such a good person. Now I do not know if I believe in love anymore.”
User D: “Let him go and let him marry. You should let go too. One day you will meet your true fated one. Hang in there. Hug.”
User E: “I do not even know how to comfort you. It really hurts to read. We hope you can pull yourself together. Have a good cry, then set sail again. Mwah.”
“The gay circle in China is full of drifting leaves with no roots” and the thread was a reflection of that.
Most of the comforting replies were from shous. Gongs were scarce, and high-quality ones were like rare beasts.
The forum even had a “straight man strategy” section.
With so many shous, if you did not have a couple of tricks, you could not find a husband.
Getting out of singlehood was not easy. Going after straight men was one option, but it was a hard road.
The decade-old ID “If You Come Back” was a naked case of failure. He had persisted with a straight man for over ten years, only to receive a wedding invitation.
During that time, the straight man did not marry and the interaction between the two was pretty gay. Many bottoms once believed they would have a happy ending.
In the end, they still lost to a woman and a child. The OP must be shattered; he had not appeared for two days. Poor thing.
Just as the bottoms were lamenting, “If You Come Back” suddenly posted a new entry.
Title: “My feelings are a mess. I know I should not say this, but if I do not, I will suffocate to death.”
Body: Then I will get straight to the main course. The preface is that the man I have loved for more than ten years suddenly announced he is getting married and sent me an invitation. I hate him to death.
The main course might be a little sweet. I am afraid you will not be able to handle it.
Jiang Liannan knew very well the mindset of most little bottoms. They do not care about morality. As long as there is a young, handsome, tall top to lick, they will kneel and call him daddy.
The main course is that I slept with the 20-year-old, tall, handsome, very capable son of my unrequited love.
This is not showing off. I am actually panicking, you know?
I know who the kid is, but the kid does not know who I am.
Tomorrow evening I have to attend his dad’s wedding. I will definitely be at the main table. He will also be at the main table!
So what do I do when we meet? If anyone can solve this problem, I will give you a huge red envelope.
He hit post, and the replies exploded.
A forum with eight to nine hundred thousand registered users and under a hundred thousand online at once suddenly flooded the thread until it was bursting.
User A: “My god, young, handsome, strong X ability, and you say it is not showing off? Tsk. Who would believe that?”
User B: “What a spicy move. Teach us your technique, please. I also want a just-turned-twenty handsome little husband.”
User C: “Come on, bro! I was going to write a long comfort piece for your heartbreak and then you… you… you… I guess I need to comfort myself!”
User D: “It really is sweet. A little boyfriend is great too. Flirt more at the wedding. First time is awkward, second time will be easy. Sleep together enough and love will come.”
User E: “A little boyfriend… I am melting. Jealous, grr. If I were you, I would chase him. You have already slept with him. Another time will not be hard.”
If You Come Back replied to D: “Sweet with bitterness. Sugar with poison. I love the dad, and I like the kid’s body.”
Replied to E: “Chase my a**. If his dad finds out, I will die a horrible death.”
User F: “So you only like his body? Tsk, that is scummy. If I were his dad, I would not let you off.”
If You Come Back: “Thanks. You will never be his dad, and you could never give birth to such an outstanding son.”
User G: “Like a plot in a novel, but I am still sweetened. Hmph!”
User H: “I want that kind of encounter too. A 20-year-old top, why can I not meet one?”
User I: “How handsome and how tall are we talking? Not a 170 cm guy with a seven-out-of-ten face trying to force a ‘tall and handsome’ persona, right?”
If You Come Back to I: “If thinking that way makes you happier, I cannot bear to make you unhappy.”
If he said Chen Can was an eight-out-of-ten face and at least 1.85 meters, people who had never seen quality tops would doubt him.
Even if he posted a photo, they would say, “That is a stock image, right?”
After eating, he put his phone away and went for a full-body massage with the top therapist at a nearby parlor.
He did not care about the hickeys on his body. They proved nothing, except that he had been with a man with great X-ability. No big deal.
After all that, a call came from the lounge asking if he would come in tonight.
After running into that fresh meat and rolling all night, he felt like a dead dog. He had no desire to show up at the bar.
He told the floor manager, “I may not come for the next few days. Keep an eye on things.”
Then he went home, said hello to his old man, and went straight to his room to sleep.
Li Dong’s phone was quiet all day. He guessed Jiang Liannan had been frightened into submission and was now determined to let it blow over.
【Brothers Chat】WeChat group.
Chen Wuhou invited Chen Can to join the group.
Chen Can joined the group.
Chen Wuhou: “Brothers, this is my son @Chen Can. He has been studying abroad and is finally back for university. Come on, Can-can, greet your uncles.”
Chen Wuhou: “@Feng Mantang this is Uncle Mantang, @Fu Changyin this is Uncle Yin, @Jiang Liannan this is Uncle Nan.”
Chen Can: “@Feng Mantang Hello, Uncle Mantang. @Fu Changyin Hello, Uncle Yin. @Jiang Liannan Hello, Uncle Lian. I am Can-can, Can from ‘participate,’ not ginseng Can. [little sun emoji]”
This surprised Chen Wuhou. He had long wanted his son to get familiar with his brothers.
But Chen Can had never liked it. His temperament had grown into that independent, solitary style of kids raised abroad, not fond of socializing with his father’s friends.
Now that he was twenty, those little quirks seemed to have smoothed out. He had become likeable.
Feng Mantang: “Well, Can-can, Uncle Mantang can finally hang out with you. Your dad should have taken you out ages ago.”
Fu Changyin: “@Chen Can Alright. Tomorrow is your dad’s wedding, and Uncle Yin will give you a red envelope.”
Chen Wuhou: “Mantang, what do you mean ‘take him out’ like your Tianbao, that little wolf dog you raised.”
Chen Can: “Thank you, Uncle Yin. I will behave and wait for my envelope.”
Feng Mantang: “Hahaha, good boy. Uncle Mantang will give you one too.”
Chen Can: “Then thank you too, Uncle Mantang. [cheeky]”
Lying in bed, Jiang Liannan stared blankly at that cheeky emoji, emotions tangled, and backside faintly aching.
If not for last night, he would have treated Chen Can like a kid, chatted about daily life, and given him an envelope like the others.
Jiang Liannan: “Can-can… why am I ‘Uncle Lian’? Just call me ‘Uncle Nan.’ I will also give you a red envelope tomorrow.”
He polished that single line for a long time, only hitting send when there was nothing wrong left in it.
Online, no one knew who was who.
As for the wedding tomorrow, there was a saying: the boat will naturally straighten when it reaches the bridge.
Chen Can: “Thank you, Uncle Lian.”
Jiang Liannan: “…” Grinding his teeth. Truly cheeky. It reminded him of the boy’s prowess in bed.
No, stop thinking like that.
From now on they would be a harmonious, friendly uncle and nephew.
Chen Can: “Alright then, Uncle Nan.”
Jiang Liannan: “…” Actually pretty obedient. Which also reminded him of how he was in bed.
Heavens. He wanted to die.
Retreat was the better part of valor. If he kept chatting, disaster would strike.
Chen Wuhou: “Lao Si, if you do not want to be groomsman tomorrow, I will not force you, but you must attend. We are four brothers. Missing even one is wrong.”
Feng Mantang and Fu Changyin chose to lurk since matters of the heart could not be forced.
Jiang Liannan: “I won’t be a groomsman, but I will attend.”
Chen Wuhou: “Good. Now you are the only one still unmarried. I will not nag you, I just hope you live happily and do not torment yourself.”
Jiang Liannan: “You are busier than me now, with wife and child. Worry about yourself. I am one person with no one to feed. My life is freer than yours.”
The lurkers could all see that he had a thorn in his heart. His words to Wuhou were prickly.
Chen Wuhou: “Fine, freer is good. You are right, with wife and kid, my days are not what they were. Lao Si, we are old. I hope you can be understanding.”
Jiang Liannan: “Pah, you are the old one, not me. I am eighteen every year.”
Chen Can: “So full of yourself.”
Feng Mantang: “Can-can, among your uncles, your Uncle Nan is the most full of himself.”
Jiang Liannan: “@Chen Can You do not believe it?” He snorted inwardly. Little fool, you bought it last night without blinking.
Chen Can: “I do not, unless you send a photo.”
Jiang Liannan: “No. Also anyone in this group who gets itchy fingers and posts my photo, we are done.”
Chen Can: “Alright, if Uncle Nan will not send one, then forget it.”
A few people did indeed get itchy, but considering his mood these days, they decided not to provoke him.
He sighed silently. My dear Can-can, your Uncle Nan is suffering. I cannot send you a photo. You will not see me in this life. The consequences would be unthinkable.
Chen Can: “Uncles, I am going to sleep. Jet lag still has me.”
He typed a line in the edit box, then deleted it all.
Feng Mantang: “Can-can, add me as a friend. Let’s keep in touch.”
Chen Can: “Okay. I will add you all.”
Li Dong opened each uncle’s profile and sent friend requests one by one.
“…” Staring at the “Accept” button, Jiang Liannan was so torn he could feel his hair falling out. He could not press it.
His finger hovered over “Reject.” However, that was even harder.
He thought for a moment and hit “Accept,” then waited for Chen Can to message him.
Then he would reply: Did you not say jet lag was bad? Be good and go sleep.
But he ended up dozing off, and no message came.
Once everyone had added each other, the group went quiet.
It was past eleven that night when Jiang Liannan posted a Friend Circle update: “Slept too much during the day, can’t sleep at night.”
He set it to be visible to one person.
He knew he was sick and needed a little comfort from the kid to sleep.
Chen Can: “Uncle Lian, up this late?”
Jiang Liannan: “Calling me Uncle Lian again?”
Chen Can: “Uncle Nan.”
Jiang Liannan: “Good boy. Uncle Nan cannot sleep, probably because I napped too much.”
Chen Can: “I just woke from a nap and am headed downstairs for a snack.”
Jiang Liannan: “Late-night snacks make you fat.” He had long made a habit of maintaining his figure, no snacks at night.
Chen Can: “I am still growing, Uncle Nan.”
“…” The moment he saw those words, his heart rippled. The white-hot images from last night surged up, impossible to block.
A 20-year-old really was still growing. At his current height, Chen Can could probably grow another two or three centimeters.
Chen Can: “If you cannot sleep, should I read you a bedtime story?”
His fingers moved on their own. Shamelessly, he typed: “Yes.” then hit send. “!!!” His heart was filled with regret. Could he recall it?!
He absolutely did not want to hear that deep, velvety voice.
“I will find one. Please wait a bit, Uncle Nan.” From there, Li Dong switched to voice messages.
“…” Eyes wide, he felt as if his ears had been f*cked pregnant.
His heart muttered that he really did not want to hear that soft, intoxicating gong-voice, even as he climbed out of bed to fetch his high-definition headphones, eager for the bedtime story.
In a gentle, low voice, Li Dong read, “In the very, very deep sea, there stood a magnificent castle where six mermaid princesses lived. They were all very beautiful.
“The youngest princess had long golden hair, and she was even prettier than her sisters. She loved listening to her sisters tell stories about the world above, so she often dreamed that one day she could go see the surface for herself…”
Each voice message was around thirty seconds. With the first few, he already knew what it was: The Little Mermaid.
He had read it before and thought it was stupid.
Listening now, it was beautiful. This story was moving, both romantic and poignant.
The voice reading it was soaked with the taste of the sea. If you closed your eyes, you could see the picture: the cute little mermaid singing on the beach, waiting happily for her prince.
“…,” it was beautiful, but when it reached the latter half, his mood sank. It was a BE story. The other party was reading him a BE. What was that supposed to mean?
Li Dong: “The little mermaid cried out, No, no! Prince, I am the one who saved you! The prince heard the little mermaid’s voice…”
In the original, the prince never heard her and married another girl.
That ending was a gut punch. Li Dong himself did not like it, so what he read to Jiang Liannan was the HE version. In the end, the little mermaid and the prince lived happily ever after.
He was stunned. He had not expected Li Dong to alter the ending and force an HE, but it felt so good and so healing.
It felt like this was the true ending. The original must have been the knockoff.
Chen Can: “Uncle Lian, the story is over. Did you fall asleep?”
“Not Uncle Lian…” delete. “Do not call me Uncle Lian…” delete. “Mm. It was a good story. What is it called?” Send.
Chen Can: “Uncle Lian does not know? It is The Little Mermaid, by Andersen. I thought everyone knew it.”
Under the covers, he rolled his eyes. Oh please. If you knew everyone knew it, why change the ending and bluff me?
“So it is an Andersen fairy tale. I will buy a copy another day,” he typed, intending to expose the lie.
Chen Can: “Do not buy it. If you want to read it, I will give you one.”
“That works. I am afraid I will buy a knockoff.”
The BE ones were the fakes. The healing version the kid read was the real thing. He said so.
Chen Can: “Mm, I will give you the genuine one.” Then a second message. “Uncle Nan, it is late. Sleep now.”
“Good night.” My god, so gentle and so pure. Did he think Andersen was obscure?
Chen Can: “Good night, Uncle Nan.”
He could not help himself. He immediately posted a Friend Circle image of The Little Mermaid: “Turns out someone can be this gentle. Because he did not want me to see a BE ending, he stopped me from reading a certain book. The catch is… that book is everywhere, kid.”
He set it so that certain someone and that someone’s father could not see it.
0 Comments