HLLY Chapter 56

After relieving his ambitions, the Middle Schooler seemed to enjoy his drink even more, and the straw in the lemonade made a squeaky sound as he sipped it.

They were all wearing half-face masks, covering only the upper part of their faces. The lighting here was dim to begin with, and as long as they were careful, it was difficult for others to notice their unconventional teeth.

The CEO lived up to his title, still the richest among the mutants even if he belonged to a different race. He ordered a cocktail for Shen Shanwu, and a flamboyantly dressed bartender showed off his fancy mixing skills in front of everyone for a full five minutes before placing the vibrantly colored drink in front of Shen Shanwu. He even whispered, “I’m off at ten o’clock.”

Shen Shanwu had been living in seclusion for many years, and it had been a long time since anyone had struck up a conversation with him. After a moment’s hesitation, he shook his head slightly at the bartender, who had to leave somewhat disappointed.

“Why did he tell us his off-duty time?” the Middle Schooler was quite puzzled, “Is he telling us to leave because we’ve been sitting here too long?”

The experienced “driver” of the group, Milk Tea, immediately explained with an affectionate look, “Silly kid, that’s called making a move. The guy was hinting to the Top Student to wait for him after he finishes work.”

“And then?”

“Then they’ll go and enjoy their time together.”

“…” The Middle Schooler was puzzled for a few seconds, then suddenly exclaimed in shock, “B-But aren’t they two men?”

This familiar question brought Shen Shanwu back almost five years in time. He looked at the Middle Schooler and gave the same answer he had given in the past, “Men can love men, and women can love women too. This is called homosexuality. A man and a woman together is heterosexuality. Besides that, there’s also bisexuality, which means liking both men and women.”

“When a man has multiple women, it’s called a ‘harem.’ When a man has multiple men, it’s either ‘top’ or ‘bottom.’ When a woman has multiple men, it’s ‘Mary Sue.’ When a woman has multiple women… uh, that’s beyond my knowledge scope. I’ll need to do some extra research when I get back.” Milk Tea made an unnecessary addition.

The Middle Schooler looked utterly confused, as if his values had been completely shaken.

“Why should that be the case?” Wolf Dog exclaimed angrily, “I’ve been hanging around here for days and haven’t had any romantic encounters. How is it that someone asked you out within less than twenty minutes?”

“I heard that gay people have a radar for sensing each other. That guy probably sensed the ‘gay’ aura around the Top Student. And you, well, your heterosexuality is too overwhelming. Even if a guy were to ask you out, would you even consider it?”

“Of course, I would go. What’s there to hesitate about?” Wolf Dog slammed the table, “As long as he’s handsome enough and lives a good life, I’m fine with guys too.”

Shen Shanwu took off his mask, sipped his drink with a smile, his well-shaped lips glistening with the touch of alcohol before being concealed again by the vibrant feathered mask. “You’ve been prostituting here for several days. Why are you still so thirsty?”

“They’re all just mediocre. I don’t find them attractive,” Wolf Dog waved his hand dismissively. “If I want to get in bed with someone, the guy’s physique must match that of Top Student, and the girl’s appearance must be as appealing as Milk Tea’s.”

“Well, then,” the CEO interjected, “just stick with your left and right hands for the rest of your life.”

“Have you even looked at yourself?” Milk Tea scornfully curled her lips. “Even the CEO isn’t interested in you.”

The CEO also got angry, “Hold on a second, what do you mean by ‘isn’t interested’? How exactly do you perceive me in your mind?”

“The boundary between human and beast,” Milk Tea teased.

“…” The CEO rolled up his sleeves and was ready to confront, “Don’t stop me, today I’m going to fight a woman!”

After contemplating on his own for a while, the Middle Schooler suddenly realized and exclaimed, “Brother Top Student, you’re gay?”

Shen Shanwu glanced at him and nodded. The Middle Schooler became even more surprised and opened his mouth to ask, “Then you—”

“Liking men doesn’t mean I like every man. I don’t like you, nor do I like Wolf Dog, Executive, CEO, Manager, Hugo, Tibetan, or Prophet.” Shen Shanwu recited all the mutants’ names in one breath. The Middle Schooler listened in astonishment, then quietly retreated to his original position like a quail, indicating he understood.

Next to them, Wolf Dog immediately applauded Shen Shanwu’s fluent response. He asked curiously, “Impressive! By the way, how did you know what the Middle Schooler was going to ask?”

“When Jiang Huan was his age and found out about my sexual orientation, he asked me the exact same question. He even asked more dramatically if I liked him.” Shen Shanwu took a sip of his drink. Wolf Dog inquired, “How did you answer? Did you reply the same way: Liking men doesn’t mean liking every man?”

“Uh-huh.”

The Middle Schooler finished his glass of lemon water and asked, “Who’s Jiang Huan?”

“Your older brother’s partner,” Wolf Dog pointed at Shen Shanwu. After receiving an impatient click of the tongue from Shen Shanwu, he quickly corrected himself, “Well, prospective partner is fine, stubborn brat.”

The Middle Schooler realized, “So, there was a boy who was the same age as me and asked the same question, and back then, you, older brother, said you didn’t like him… And now he’s your partner?”

“Hiss—Middle Schooler, your approach to solving this is quite tricky…” Wolf Dog pretended to contemplate, “Something’s not right, wait, thinking about it this way, Shen Shanwu, you’re being quite suspicious. Middle Schooler, run for your life!”

Shen Shanwu playfully punched him, and in the midst of their banter, a waiter in a suit approached them. Wolf Dog immediately pursed his lips and looked at him seriously.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” the waiter said respectfully, “The three ladies over there would like to know if anyone is willing to join them for a seat?”

Following his gesture, everyone looked over and saw three beautifully dressed and elegant ladies sitting at a nearby small round table. One of them noticed their attention and warmly beckoned with her finger.

“Here’s your chance,” the CEO whispered, covering his mouth, “Go for it, Wolf Dog.”

“Forget it,” Wolf Dog waved his hand, “I’d rather go with Milk Tea. She’s better looking.”

Milk Tea chimed in, joining the banter, “Brother, I used to be a model. Not to brag, but there aren’t many who look better than me. Don’t be too picky!”

“Quality over quantity.”

“You’re so annoying.”

The CEO lifted his glass to his lips, blocking his mouth, and handed a tip to the waiter. “Please tell the three ladies that today we friends are having a small gathering and it’s not convenient for us to join them. Perhaps another time when fate allows.”

They thought that this refusal would put an end to the situation, similar to how the previous bartender responded. However, to everyone’s surprise, within just three minutes, the woman sitting in the middle, wearing high heels, confidently approached their group.

She looked around at them and positioned herself in front of Shen Shanwu, the person she found most appealing. “Sir, wouldn’t you consider getting to know each other? My surname is Wei… May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?”

The Wolf Dog angrily grabbed the arm of the Middle Schooler, quite unhappy that he had been compared unfavorably to Shen Shanwu even among women. The Middle Schooler quickly mouthed words to comfort him: “Different strokes for different folks, Wolf Bro. In my heart, you are the most beautiful. Every time you bare your teeth, it leaves me feeling drained.”

Wolf Dog: “…”

Shen Shanwu lifted his head slightly, gazing at the woman whose face was partially obscured by the mask. The ruler of Wuyou City had the surname Wei, and he had a sister. The woman before them had been rejected, yet she approached with such confidence, introducing herself with a tone that seemed assured of no rejection. It was difficult not to connect the dots.

She could almost be called… the Crown Princess of Wuyou City.

Naturally, the CEO also thought about this aspect. He clenched his wine glass slightly, feeling somewhat awkward. He contemplated whether he should sacrifice a bit of his own charm on behalf of Top Student. But whether she would even find him attractive was also a question.

“I am surnamed Gao,” Shen Shanwu smiled slightly, quickly coming up with an excuse to leave.

“Mr. Gao, nice to meet you. You don’t seem to be a local from Wuyou City,” Miss Wei listened to the magnetic tone of his voice and became even more satisfied. Just as a song ended in the dance hall’s center stage and the performers were changing, she lifted her carefully manicured hand adorned with rings and placed it before Shen Shanwu, “Mr. Gao, how about inviting me to dance?”

Faced with the woman’s enthusiastic and proactive invitation, the group of mutants felt awkward for a moment. Milk Tea couldn’t help but curl her toes and excavate a miniature Qin Shi Huang’s tomb¹“抠出了一座秦始皇陵” (kōu chūle yī zuò Qín Shǐ Huáng líng) is a humorous and exaggerated expression used to describe someone picking or scratching at something, to the point of creating a significant dent or hole. akin to how one might excavate an elaborate structure like the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang (the first emperor of China)., while the CEO covered his face, feeling a toothache coming on.

In his heart, Shen Shanwu let out a quiet sigh, “No…”

“Miss Wei.”

Suddenly, a deep male voice appeared behind the woman. Miss Wei turned around and exclaimed in surprise, “Isn’t this Captain Jiang from the Coastal Base?”

Jiang Huan, draped in a black cloak and holding a new metallic mask in one hand, shifted his gaze from Miss Wei’s face to Shen Shanwu, then slowly returned it, saying, “What a coincidence, running into you here.”

“Indeed,” Miss Wei nodded. Jiang Huan then looked at her hand that she hadn’t yet put down and asked, “And this is…?”

Miss Wei smiled charmingly and gracefully replied, “I wanted to invite this Mr. Gao to dance and was seeking his opinion.”

“Oh?” Jiang Huan’s gaze lifted, his long eyelashes fluttered along with it, and his dark pupils focused directly on the so-called ‘Mr. Gao.’

Shen Shanwu’s heart trembled as he felt the seductive pull of his hooked gaze. He cleared his throat and said, “I’m sorry, Miss Wei, but I’m afraid I might have to disappoint you.”

Miss Wei probably wasn’t used to being refused after revealing her last name, but then she realized that the man’s face wasn’t turned towards her but rather to the side, and when she turned her head to follow his gaze, she understood what was happening.

She had successfully flirted with someone who was taken.

“…Alright,” Miss Wei had to accept the situation gracefully, “I hope you all have a pleasant time.”

Once Miss Wei had left, the other mutants turned their backs to Jiang Huan and raised their glasses to toast each other, leaving the awkward atmosphere solely for Shen Shanwu. Curiously, the Middle Schooler took a look at this Captain Jiang and formed a lasting misunderstanding in his young mind: all gay people are handsome.

“Why are you here?” Jiang Huan asked, and Shen Shanwu looked up at him, smiling as he replied, “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? How could Captain Jiang Huan, who is always busy with official duties, end up in such an entertainment venue?”

With their heads tilting and eyes meeting, the two of them stared at each other for a long moment. Even though they could both roughly guess the reasons for each other’s presence here, they pretended not to.

Suddenly, Jiang Huan lifted an eyebrow and smiled, raising his right hand. “Mr. Gao, care to dance with me?”

At his words, Shen Shanwu lifted one corner of his eyebrow in mild surprise. “…But I don’t know how to dance.”

“I can teach you.”

“Alright,” Shen Shanwu stood up and took Jiang Huan’s hand, “I would be honored.”

As he rose, the person who had been blocked by Jiang Huan due to his line of sight suddenly appeared in front of him. Astonishingly, that person was also standing not far away, looking at him in shock.

Jiang Huan discreetly glanced to the side and then used his body to create a separation between Shen Shanwu and the man who had been following him for some time. He didn’t even want the other person to catch a glimpse.

“What’s going on?” Shen Shanwu whispered, and Jiang Huan led him to the dance floor. One hand held Shen Shanwu’s hand, while the other rested on his waist. Shen Shanwu’s attention shifted from the other man to their current position. “Wait, why am I doing the female steps?”

“I’m teaching you, aren’t I? Watch how I dance carefully.”

“…I feel like you’re just coaxing me.”

“In the second half, I’ll let you do the male steps.”

“…”

Ten minutes ago.

In the corridor on the second floor, Jiang Huan had already noticed the man who entered with two waiters. Even though there were numerous men and women downstairs, most of them wearing masks, he could still instantly recognize that person.

Jiang Huan saw Shen Shanwu enter the room and quickly glance around. He then dismissed the two people beside him and walked directly in a certain direction. As he entered the blind spot of Shen Shanwu’s line of sight, he turned back and went into the room, briefly telling Xu Ye, who was still socializing, that he would be leaving for a moment. He then walked downstairs at a leisurely pace.

But just then, an unexpected guest appeared in front of Jiang Huan – He Jingyang. He seemed to have been waiting for a while, and as soon as he saw Jiang Huan, he walked up to him.

He Jingyang had not been having a good time these days. He had gone to great lengths, using all means and schemes, to climb up the ranks. After a lot of effort, he finally secured the position of the team leader. The future seemed promising, but about two months ago, the suppliers of protective gear, weapons, and other equipment, who were on good terms with Bellona, began to increase their prices. Especially the suppliers of protective masks and filters from the Coastal Base, they started playing tricks and indefinitely postponed deliveries.

Bellona team’s stock of masks was running dangerously low. They were almost at the point of wearing mask helmets on missions. It would sound utterly ridiculous if this news got out, wouldn’t it?

Moreover, apart from these issues, there had been multiple incidents of team members switching to other teams recently, so many that it was hard for He Jingyang to overlook the suspicious pattern. Other teams seemed to be eyeing Bellona for recruits.

After gathering information from various sources, He Jingyang finally uncovered the mastermind behind the scenes. Originally, he was not supposed to be among the representatives from Anping North Zone this time. However, he used his connections to secure a position, all with the purpose of personally questioning Jiang Huan, the enigmatic team leader of the Shanhai Unit, who had repeatedly targeted him. He wanted to know what Jiang Huan’s intentions were.

Seeing him approach, Jiang Huan wasn’t surprised at all. In fact, he remained composed as if he had expected this encounter, “Captain He.”

“Captain Jiang, let’s be frank. What is it about Bellona that has caught your attention?” He Jingyang was fed up with being oppressed these days, “Why are you targeting us like this? I believe there must be some misunderstanding. I want to get to the bottom of this.”

“I don’t have any issues with Bellona,” Jiang Huan descended the stairs step by step, stating, “It’s you that I have an issue with.”

Walking beside Jiang Huan, He Jingyang heard this and couldn’t help but glare at the back of his head, “Why?”

Jiang Huan didn’t answer that question, for he had already seen the person he wanted to meet. He quickened his pace, leaving He Jingyang trailing behind. He Jingyang had intended to catch up, but his steps froze in place when his gaze landed on a seated figure.

It was him, it was him! He Jingyang was both shocked and delighted. After all these years, he had unexpectedly encountered Shen Shanwu once again. Even though half of his face was concealed by a mask, He Jingyang couldn’t be mistaken about that familiar jawline and physique.

But before he could come up with a way to approach, he saw Jiang Huan walking up to Shen Shanwu. A few words were exchanged, and then Jiang Huan extended his hand to Shen Shanwu, who accepted it willingly. The two of them, like an affectionate couple, proceeded to the dance floor.

In that moment, He Jingyang understood everything. Jiang Huan knew everything, and he was seeking revenge! Revenge for what He Jingyang had done to Shen Shanwu in the past.

He Jingyang finally realized the gravity of the situation. If this was the reason, then Jiang Huan would not spare him. He wouldn’t rest until he had thoroughly crushed He Jingyang into the dust.

He had to come up with a plan. He couldn’t just sit idly by. He Jingyang lifted his head, gazing at the elegant pair dancing on the floor. At that moment, Jiang Huan turned around, and his eyes met He Jingyang’s gaze fixed on Shen Shanwu’s shoulder.

Jiang Huan narrowed his eyes slightly, a proud expression in his gaze that almost made He Jingyang tremble with anger. In a brief moment, amidst the high notes of the singer on stage, Jiang Huan placed a hand on the back of Shen Shanwu’s neck, gently tilting his head to the side, and then pressed his lips against Shen Shanwu’s.

The kiss was fleeting, just a light touch. Jiang Huan pulled back after merely a second, his face reddened, and he dared only to look at Shen Shanwu’s chest.

Shen Shanwu, too, was left somewhat bewildered by this unexpected kiss. The two of them continued to dance in silence until the music ended, and it was only then that Shen Shanwu realized – he had been dancing the female steps all along.

The author has something to say:

35: The mighty Captain of the Shanhai Unit is being a little naughty!! Taking advantage of the yellow flower mutant!

Huan: I’ll give you a beating!

Support me on ko-fi ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ

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  “抠出了一座秦始皇陵” (kōu chūle yī zuò Qín Shǐ Huáng líng) is a humorous and exaggerated expression used to describe someone picking or scratching at something, to the point of creating a significant dent or hole. akin to how one might excavate an elaborate structure like the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang (the first emperor of China).