The Foolish Gong was Reborn

Episode Ten: The “Bromances” of Life (6)

—

“Are you alright?”

Ye Qia very considerably did not go to work. In fact, there wasn’t any work as he had put everything on hold until the whole affair with Bai Min blew over. Yet Xia Zhi still had the mentality of an ostrich and Ye Qia could only console him. “Don’t be so depressed. Your mom might not even see it.”

Xia Zhi looked over from where his face met the table. With a red mark on his face, he said pitifully, “It’s not that I’m afraid of my mom seeing, it’s that I look way too ugly on tv!” He sat up animatedly and pointed indignantly at the video on the computer screen. “Look, it’s as if I’m having a seizure! You don’t know, but at the time my vision really was completely white. I was so scared, I thought I went blind!”

“There’s nothing we can do about it.” Ye Qia smiled for a moment before it disappeared. “Who told you to come back? I thought you would go traveling. Aren’t you always complaining about wanting to go out and have fun? I gave you 500,000 so why didn’t you go have fun?”

Dumbfounded, Xia Zhi rubbed his eyes and stammered: “You gave me 500,000 so that I could…go have fun?”

“Yes. Aren’t you always making a fuss about going to Italy and finding yourself a hot guy?”

“…”

Xia Zhi felt like he could cry. He was tongue-tied for a long while before bitterly squeezing out a response, “How could I possibly go have fun? How could I not be by your side when you’re in such a bind? I’m your boyfriend!”

Ye Qia watched Xia Zhi utter the word “boyfriend” as if he would feel uncomfortable if he didn’t bring it up. On the surface, he showed no reaction but on the inside, he was slightly moved. Xia Zhi’s clinginess brought about a sense of satisfaction. Indeed he was more sensitive and delicate in comparison. Perhaps it was because Ye Qia had been an S for so long that he liked the feeling of being needed.

Seeing the person in the video who had been blinded into dancing and shouting, Ye Qia couldn’t help a snort in amusement. “Fine, fine, I get it. The 500,000 is meant as a consolation then.”

Unexpectedly things had become a big deal this time. Not even money could lift Xia Zhi’s spirits. He dropped his chin back on the table and resumed his disheartened expression. Ye Qia had nothing else to do so he brought a chair over and laid on the table with him. They were on the balcony with a little round table and two chairs which is where they usually rested. There was a broad view of the trees that provided shade. Whenever a gentle blew in, it was quite pleasant, making the steep rent worth it.

“Ye Qia.”

“Hm?”

“Were you always an S or did you become one after teaching in this profession?”

Ye Qia gave him a side look and saw the other party’s unperturbed look, feeling this was perhaps the question that had always been in the back of his mind and he was now using this opportunity to bring it up. He considered it for a moment and said, “Probably not a natural S. At least I don’t feel any S tendencies when I sleep with others.”

Xia Zhi pressed his lips together and hesitated for a long time before asking, “Then do you have to be in this line of work?”

Was this the question he had wanted to ask all along?

Ye Qia looked back at the picturesque scenery and said after a bout of silence, “I promised you before that if I were to quit one day, you’d be the first person I tell.”

Xia Zhi instantly perked up and asked nervously, “Then what are you thinking right now?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?” Xia Zhi looked gloomy. “You’re already so rich.”

“No, I just…” Ye Qia searched for the right way to phrase it. “I just don’t know what else I can do.”

Xia Zhi knew it made no sense. He could only hold his tongue resentfully. Then he asked abruptly, “Have you dated women before?”

“I have, but I haven’t slept with them just because I dated them.” Ye Qia smiled as if he thought of something and leaned over mysteriously, “Actually, I can’t get hard with women.”

Xia Zhi’s eyes went wide, then he slowly squinted, “You’re lying to me, aren’t you?”

Ye Qia replied seriously, “It’s true.”

Xia Zhi still looked doubtful, “Really?”

“Really.”

“Really really?”

“Really a hundred times over, okay?”

Xia Zhi was extremely curious, “Didn’t you say you’ve had female clients before?”

“I don’t sleep with them.”

“What about when you do?”

“I take meds.”

“No way.” Xia Zhi was shocked. “You have to rely on meds?”

“Yeah, and I have to pretend they’re Daniel Wu.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Wu

Xia Zhi slapped the table and yelled: “You like the Daniel Wu type?”

“Yes.”

His face twisted in disdain, “I don’t, too sissy!”

“Mhm, I know. You like my type.”

Xia Zhi reddened and was silent for a moment, then exclaimed as if he had discovered the New World, “Hey, does that mean you think I look like Daniel Wu?”

“Relax.” The other person’s spirits had improved and Ye Qia was relaxed. He stood up and walked out as he said, “You and Daniel Wu have absolutely nothing in common.”

“…”

Xia Zhi was still downcast but at least he was no longer in despair. For Xia Zhi, it didn’t matter what was going on in the world, as long as he had his favorite Ye Qia beside him.

Of course, even though he was at home, he was unable to escape the harassment of the outside world. By afternoon, he could not resist turning on his phone and indeed there was a whole list of missed calls of all sorts. He picked a few important ones and called back.

“Hahaha, Xia Zhi, you’ve been exposed? I saw the video. Your posture is really great! The posture of you waving to block the light, lively and serious, hahahaha!” Jia Jia laughed uncontrollably at him over the phone. “How does it feel to come out of the closet?”

Xia Zhi hung up without a word.

“Xiao Xia, what’s going on with the news? Is it really you? You youngsters need to be more cautious in your private lives. How are you going to face your girlfriend?” The director said earnestly, “Don’t be so fickle in your youth. As you man, you still need to take care of your family. You’ll regret it when you get older.”

He wanted to say something but in the end he didn’t know how to respond so he hung up.

“Rapid Shot King, you haven’t come out of the closet yet?” Magician taunted him as usual. “Does it feel good to come out to the whole world?”

This was the only call he received that made him want to throw out his phone. He had 500,000 now anyway, it was no problem to buy and throw out a phone. However, seeing Ye Qia passing by with a pile of clothes, he quietly hung up and blacklisted Magician.

The rest were tabloids, entertainment publications, and various other websites. His phone rang nonstop. As he was about to hit his limit and power off the phone, a familiar number appeared. He looked and it was as if he had been struck by lightning. He ran around the room frantically with the phone clutched in his hand.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Qia asked, about to head to the laundry room with a dirty sheet in hand, “Why are you prancing about?”

“M-mo-mom…”

“Shouldn’t you at least call me daddy?”

“My mom’s calling!”