Chapter 21: Know

Chu Qin silently sipped his drink. In the entertainment industry, a reckless youngster like Wei Yan whose hubris was innate would easily offend people. If he did not learn to be obedient, he wouldn't make it far even if his family sought for the best resources. It had to be known that in any team, even a simple handyman could also bring unexpected troubles.

"Oh, that really is stupid," Zhong Yibin glanced at Wei Yan and agreed with Wu Wan.

Wu Wan was momentarily stunned. He merely showed some self-deprecation and called his cousin stupid yet this person actually agreed. Wu Qianqian saw her brother's look of distress and grinned unkindly. She had no liking for this cousin and would not have agreed to bring him along had her brother not supported him.

Once again, Wei Yan's face flushed red. He yearned to tell his cousin to set the matter aside and stop pleading with the other party but he always swallowed the words when it was at the tip of his tongue. Prior to summer vacation, he had already bragged about his family finding a good interns.h.i.+p opportunity to his cla.s.smates. He had even promised the cla.s.s flower that he would pull her into the team after finding an opportunity.

"Even if he has pure intentions[1], he still needs to rely on Director Zhong's guidance no?" Wu Wan coughed dryly and smiled mischievously. He nudged Zhong Yibin with his elbow and gave his cousin a look, "Xiao Yan, come pour a gla.s.s of wine for your Bing-ge."

Wei Yan lifted the beer jar up and poured the drink into Zhong Yibin's gla.s.s cup.

"Hey, this is where you're wrong. You should drink three first before pouring for elder brother," Bai Cheng said with a smile.

Ji Yao scoffed. Seeing that there was nothing that concerned him there, he rose and walked to Bai Cheng's corner. Picking up the microphone, he prepared to sing a song. The model beside him had foresight and went to pick the song.

"What does Yao-ge want to sing?" The lady asked him while smiling.

"

" Ji Yao hadn't opened his mouth when Bai Cheng helped him name one. "Our Chicken Yao likes this song the most."

Cheerful music sounded. Ji Yao elbowed Bai Cheng and their eyes met in secret laughter. Bai Cheng also picked up the microphone to accompany him in singing.

……

You can only admit that you deserve bad luck

Your arrogant appearance really contains a cruel heart

……

First drink three gla.s.ses before proposing a toast. Wei Yan gripped the wine jug in his hands, this was what the juniors in his school who wanted to curry favor with him would do and now it was his turn. The music that resounded in his ears mirrored his current mood, overflowing with sadness and humiliation.

Zhong Yibin was silent. He leaned against the back of the sofa, two fingers tapping out the beat on Chu Qin's leg.

He didn't know how the past him interacted with these people. This group of childhood friends seemed to be experts in eating, drinking and playing, completely different from the group of friends his family's big brother had. It was no wonder his future prospects failed to match up to his brother's. In other people's eyes, he was only a hedonistic son of rich parents?

Wei Yan struggled for a long while before pus.h.i.+ng down three gla.s.ses of wine.

Zhong Yibin leisurely drank his gla.s.s, "We happen to be starting filming for a palace drama, let him go try it out." These words were directed at Wu Wan.

"Haha, alright," Wu Wan immediately grinned from ear to ear.

……

You're so poisonous, you're so poisonous, you're so poisonous *humming*

The more you say, the more outrageous it is

The more I listen, the more muddled I am

……

Bai Cheng held the microphone and suddenly leapt in front of them, facing Zhong Yibin and loudly clamoring for him to sing. Even after taking Zhong Yibin's kick, he didn't find it painful and still dragged Chu Qin to sing with him.

Chu Qin was also not someone who would be a wet blanket, so he took the microphone and messed around with them. A host's voice was very nice to listen to and this did not exclude singing. After finis.h.i.+ng this song, everyone urged him to sing another.

"I want to listen to

, I haven't listened to Qin-ge's singing in many years!" Wu Qianqian exclaimed loudly and went to choose the song. This song was one of the sound tracks for an old television drama. It was this piece that Chu Qin sang when he partic.i.p.ated in the national broadcasting station's host compet.i.tion. That year, he mesmerised countless boys and girls.

Cla.s.sical, soothing music sounded. Chu Qin sat on the stage, watching the lyrics on the screen as he slowly sang.

……

Time rarely reaches silence, the autumn wind drifting wearily

The sunset refuses to leave, hanging at the edge of the wall, unable to part with me

……

That year in the national broadcasting station's performance studio, Chu Qin stood under the bright light, dressed in a simple long-sleeved s.h.i.+rt, with a microphone in one hand and a sword in the other. With the mist curling around him, his tender brows seemed exactly like the ink used to draw paintings.

His clear and melodious voice carried wisps of entanglement and sighs. At that moment, he seemed to embody the knight in the song. Even his sword-waving arm appeared to be clad in wide sleeves.

……

Mocking my lack of words, the empty madness of the past and future

The knife is ready but the blade is tired, all ties broken and dreams destroyed

……

Zhong Yibin was seated at the first row, quietly gazing at the youth on stage, his heart inexplicably swayed. In that short moment, he resolved to sign that person even if he failed to win the champions.h.i.+p. Even if he couldn't be a host, he could still be a singer.

The scenes of the past coincided with those of reality. Chu Qin sat on the high seat, one leg stepping on the chair and the other naturally stretched out. The more he looked, the longer his legs were. He merely sat there casually yet it made it difficult for people to lift their gazes off him. No matter what he said or sang, they could not help listening diligently.

Zhong Yibin was not the only one affected, the others couldn't resist turning their gazes to Chu Qin as well. For a long time, they were against Chu Qin. It would be hard to accept any good buddy who suddenly started liking men. Hence, they liked to say a few phrases to incite Chu Qin. After a while, Chu Qin was also no longer willing to play with them.

After re-examining Chu Qin today, they had to admit that he was a very charismatic man.

The group of people messed around till early morning. Bai Cheng dragged the two models to the higher floor to book a room and Ji Yao refused Bai Cheng's invitation to 'go together', saying that there would be other activities in the later half of the night.

In order to make things up to Zhong Yibin, Wu Wan fought to get the bill and Zhong Yibin did not stop him either. The truth was that even if Zhong Yibin had to foot the bill, he had no money. The credit card given by his brother was still in Chu Qin's hands.

Shengs.h.i.+ Huange was under the Zhong Family. Zhong Yibin ordered, "No need to give Wu young master a discount, he doesn't lack money."

Under the wors.h.i.+pful eyes of his cousin, Wu Wan gnashed his teeth and swiped his card. This month's allowance was simultaneously emptied out. Wu Qianqian sullenly looked at her brother, "Ai brother, can you still buy the bag you promised to get for me?"

"Buy what, can't you see that your brother is at the brink of eating soil?" Wu Wan said in a bad mood.

"Then I can only let elder sister buy it for me and tell her where your allowance went!" Wu Qianqian beamed with a raised chin.

"Buy buy buy, anything my sister wants I'll get even if I have to eat soil," Wu Wan's expression immediately changed, fawningly dragging his sister into the car to go home.

Wei Yan was temporarily living at the Wu house so he also followed the brother-sister pair home. Before leaving, he looked back at Chu Qin and Zhong Yibin, unable to resist his excitement. He could be considered as stepping into the entertainment industry today, being privy to so many secrets in a night. Shengs.h.i.+'s golden microphone actually liked men and was even the boss's lover, this was very interesting.

He couldn't help raising his phone to take a picture but Wu Qianqian grabbed it first.

"Wei Yan, let me give you a word of advice. It is better to pretend not to have seen some things after seeing them. Otherwise, even you will not know how your death came about," Wu Qianqian said coldly, shaking the mobile phone in front of him.

Zhong Yibin drank a bit too much, giddily taking a bath before lying on the bed in a daze. Chu Qin came out wiping his hair and covered him with a blanket.

"Qin Qin," Zhong Yibin grabbed his hand and dragged him into his embrace. Chu Qin's drenched hair wet his silk pajamas.

"Don't mess around, I'm going to dry my hair," Chu Qin smiled and twisted in his arms, struggling to get up.

"Baby, let me ask you a question," Zong Yibin refused to let him leave, stroking his face and lifting his head up to meet him.

"En?" Chu Qin settled his chin on Zhong Yibin's palm and smiled at him. Today he was very happy, in all meanings…

"Did I treat you badly in the past?" Zhong Yibin had been in a dilemma over this question for a night. In the past, he must not have stopped that group of people from treating Chu Qin in such a manner for them to dare to do so now.

Chu Qin was stunned. He reached out and ruffled Zhong Yibin's head, "If you weren't good to me, why would you take a stick to the head for me?" The patch of hair that had been shaved off by the doctor had already grown out. The inch-length board-like hair had also become furry and soft.

"That is bravery as a man!" Zhong Yibin waved his fists around in the air. The effects of the alcohol manifested, making him more excited. In the end, he wilted, "You must tell me anything I did that let you down."

Chu Qin looked at the silly, drunk Er Bing and couldn't help wriggling up, placing a lemon-scented kiss on those cool, thin lips. The two of them had just brushed their teeth and their breaths carried similar scents.

Zhong Yibin held onto him and deepened the kiss. Fortunately, luckily, he still remembered Chu Qin. If he had remembered someone else, he would definitely receive the wrong information. How sad would Chu Qin be then.

People who drank alcohol were easily excitable. After kissing for a while, Zhong Yibin had a reaction. His breathing became heavy and the hand on Chu Qin's back started sliding down.

Seeing that the flames were about to erupt, Zhong Yibin gasped for breath and separated from him, "Who was on top in the past?"

Chu Qin's heart trembled and he looked down at Zhong Yibin, whose face was a shade of crimson and his b.u.t.tons in disarray. The devil in his heart appeared with a bang and a tiny person with red horns waved a steel fork, "Get on top of him, get on top of him!"

Another tiny person with white wings and a halo looked mournful, "How can you take advantage of him when he trusts you so much?"

"Are you still a man!" The devil villain poked his head with his fork.

Chu Qin swallowed, "Of course I'm the one on top!"

"Really?" Zhong Yibin looked at him and slowly reach out a hand, touching his face, "I will believe anything you say, I only trust you." The low-pitched voice carried the hoa.r.s.eness of emotion and sounded incomparably affectionate.

Chu Qin almost shed tears. He sniffed, "I lied, you're on top…"

Zhong Yibin flipped him around, pus.h.i.+ng the person beneath him. He bit his ear and laughed, "En, I know."

The author has something to say:

Small theater:

Er Bing: Were you top or bottom in the past

Qin Qin: Oh, this is embarra.s.sing to say

Er Bing: Then you can be the bottom

Qin Qin: ….. Do you really have amnesia?

Er Bing: I only remember the important bits, like the gong[4] and shou[5] ǎ＿→

[1] 心眼實: Honestly not sure about the meaning so I took the literal translation, comment if you have another interpretation!

[2] 你好毒: This is an actual song. It's sung by Jacky Cheung and is a relatively old song. It was one of the songs in his alb.u.m . It's old but it can be found on youtube ?

[3] 逍遙嘆: This is also an actual song. It was one of the soundtracks for a 2005 historical television series called Chinese Paladin. The series was adapted from the original version of a Chinese rpg The Legend of Sword and Fairy (taken from Wikipedia). It was sung by Hu Ge, an actor-singer who played the leading role in the television series. The song can be found on youtube if anyone wants to have a listen~

[4] Gong is the t.i.tle for seme aka the one on top and Shou is the uke aka the one at the bottom

[5] There's actually another 6 characters in the raws (洌幔淝漲眨骸) that I didn't put in because I wasn't sure what it meant or if its even relevant. The formatting for this line was kinda messed up so even the gong and shou part was deduced. This is the actual line in the raws: 比如攻受洌ǎ幔）淝漲眨骸＿→ Do let me know in the comments if you know what this means!

Translator's corner: This chapter took me so long to translate kjahfhuejshf but the relations.h.i.+p development made it all worth it :”)