Gentlemen's Friends

Chapter 28 Part 3: Eight ([-])
Looking at the weak man who knew the danger but was still struggling in vain between temptation and fear, Zhuang Wei said again with a slight sense of meanness: "I'm just being a classmate."

Zhuang Wei pushed open the door and brought in some rain.The sound was very slight, but the man who was lying on the bed facing the inside still moved. He stood up under the quilt, turned his head, his face was still burning red, and his eyes had a faint brightness in the dimness.

The breathless anticipation made Zhuang Wei pause before speaking.

"He didn't say yes."

After a while, the man let out a clear "ah", and after a while, he said in a low voice, "Thank you for your hard work..."

"Don't be discouraged. It's okay, you can still fight for it."

"..."

It's just that everyone understands that things are much more complicated and ups and downs in court, and there is no way to prevent Qu Ke from facing the real world of adults, and she is still just a child after all.

"But there is one more thing, you should think it's a good thing," Zhuang Wei went to the bed and sat down, "He wants Qu Ke to come and see you. How about it?"

The man opened his eyes wide and opened his mouth to breathe, but there was no sound.

Zhuang Wei was a little surprised: "You don't want to see him? Think about it slowly, if you don't want me to reject him tomorrow."

Qu Tongqiu let out a vague "grunt" from his throat, his face was flushed, and he was slightly distorted.

He couldn't answer.

There are many other emotions besides the joy of reunion.He didn't know if he could control it yet.

Restoring sanity is not a cure, but only the most difficult beginning. He is still suffering from those wounds, and he only relies on the slim hope described by Zhuang Wei to relieve the pain.He didn't even dare to look back.

Pushing Qu Ke in front of him, he didn't know what kind of expression he could use to face it.

The youngest daughter is his most cherished and only wealth.It is also the most vivid evidence of his humiliated and damaged life.

He can't help but squat down and hug her tightly, but at that time his chest will also be pierced by the sharp knife in his arms.That little bit of father's happiness is also sandwiched with great pain.

And no one knows.

After taking a shower, he threw the sweaty clothes that the man had changed into the laundry basket along with his own. Zhuang Wei took the pillow and blanket and slept on the sofa.

To Qu Tongqiu, this was a thoughtful and generous gesture worthy of gratitude, and he couldn't help but thank him repeatedly.

"Because you are a patient, you will go to sleep in the bathtub when you are well."

"thanks……"

In the middle of the night, Zhuang Wei looked at the pointer position on the luminous wall clock, turned over irritably on the sofa, and called him: "Qu Tongqiu."

"Um……"

"Can't you sleep yet?"

"Um……"

"Just go to sleep, I won't do anything to you, just rest at ease."

The man was silent for a while, then whispered, "Thank you..."

Zhuang Wei looked at the ceiling, and after a long time, he could still hear the soft sound of the man suffering from insomnia.

"Qu Tongqiu."

"Ah."

"Do you think I'm a bad person?"

"..."

"Maybe I'm not what you think."

"..."

"Among the DVDs you lent me that time, there was an adult disc, not the one for men and women, you understand? I don't know why you lent it to me."

"..."

"Since you didn't want to that time, I'm sorry for misunderstanding you. Maybe you are not what I thought."

The man didn't make a sound anymore, and it seemed that he didn't even breathe. Zhuang Wei finally fell asleep gradually in the silence of waiting for a response.

When he woke up for some reason, it was only about an hour later, and it was still dark in the middle of the night. Zhuang Wei turned his gaze, and the big bed opposite seemed empty, with only slightly messy bedding left on it.

"Qu Tongqiu, Qu Tongqiu?!"

There was no one in the bathroom, living room, or kitchen, and his coat and shoes were taken away. Zhuang Wei cursed "FUCK", put on his clothes, took an umbrella, and opened the door to go out.

When he arrived at the elevator door, he saw that the number was showing that he had reached the first floor. Zhuang Wei cursed and punched the down button on the wall, while the elevator continued to run slowly as usual.

During the time when the elevator went up and down more than [-] floors, the man might have gone far away. Thinking of Zhuang Wei, he became very irritable.

As soon as he reached the hall on the first floor, he rushed out, but saw a thin black figure sitting on the steps of the door.

Zhuang Wei gritted his teeth: "Qu Tongqiu!"

The man stepped on the rainy ground. Even though he was sitting under the eaves, half of his body was wet. Seeing his useless appearance, Zhuang Wei became angry and scolded: "Why are you crazy? You came here to get a shower." Rain? How old do you think you are? How old are you, and you're still hypocritical!"

The man was stunned by the scolding, and after a while he said: "I, I can't sleep...I want to come out for a walk..."

"What are you going to do in the middle of the night? If you can't sleep, just take sleeping pills. Who are you trying to scare if you make trouble at such a late hour?" Zhuang Wei tugged at him angrily. no?"

"I...I feel better like this..."

"It's so good to be in the rain! Are you a teenager?! Still like to play this?"

The man stooped patiently as if his stomach was aching in the tugging to vent his anger, pulled his hair, and whispered, "Zhuang Wei...I feel bad."

"..."

"I can't sleep...I want to come out for a walk...I can't...I..."

Zhuang Wei couldn't see the man's face buried between his knees, he could only see the curved back and trembling thin hands with bulging veins.

"Qu Tongqiu..."

In the middle of speaking, Zhuang Wei suddenly shut up.Suddenly he realized that he thought he understood the man's pain, but he didn't.

Other people's pain is like a small puddle. He sees it and knows what it is, but he doesn't know how deep it is.He couldn't understand the suffering of the people in it.

In the eyes of onlookers, any accident is insignificant. Even in sympathy, he despises men. He feels that he should recover after being sad, and he is so fragile that he can't think about it.

Just being raped by a friend, just being cheated by a friend, just being cuckolded, just raising someone else's daughter.

It's just that these "just" add up to a man's whole world.The man has nothing left.

Zhuang Wei stood for a while, sat down on the steps, and said in an unbearable silence: "Let me accompany you."

"..."

"I brought an umbrella, shall I go for a walk on the grass?"

The back of the man's head was touched, and finally he raised his head reluctantly, not daring to look at Zhuang Wei because of the tears in his eyes.

"If you feel uncomfortable, just cry, it's nothing."

It's not that he shed tears is a coward, it's that he endured too much.

"Will it be cold?"

Zhuang Wei also gave him his coat and held up his umbrella.

"If you want to talk to someone, I can listen to you. It's all right."

The man was grabbed by the palm of his hand in trembling, but he couldn't pull it back after all.

He was in too much pain now, a little tenderness would be extra comforting, this was the only coolness his wound got.

Zhuang Wei came back from going out and brought some hot dishes for takeaway.The house has been cleaned and tidied up, and the clothes that have been piled up in the laundry basket for the past few days are gone. The washing machine hums and vibrates softly. Qu Tongqiu sits with his head bowed in front of the table, with a newspaper spread out in front of him.

Zhuang Wei put the carton on the table: "Looking for a job?"

The man gave a low "hmm": "I want to...do a part-time job..."

"You're just fine, don't force yourself."

"...should... have some income..."

The man is still timid, his voice is low, and his speech speed is much slower. He talked all night in the rain that night, and it was the same, intermittently, struggling to find words one by one to express himself.

Even if he is not in a good state of mind, he will quietly get out of bed to do housework, struggling to cheer up, which makes Zhuang Wei very cute.

"By the way, let me help you think about it. How about meeting your daughter tomorrow morning?"

Qu Tongqiu responded, looking a little flustered, picked up things randomly with his chopsticks, and still fell into the plate before reaching his mouth.

Zhuang Wei looked at him: "Hey, don't be nervous from now on."

"..."

"You have to face it. Take it easy. Also, you should tidy up yourself. It's the Chinese New Year, so don't be so unlucky. Wait until you get a haircut and buy new clothes."

"..."

"Besides, you have to look good tomorrow. You don't want to be rejected by your daughter, do you?"

Qu Tongqiu was a little shaken: "What should I wear..."

After dinner, Zhuang Wei took him out, not only had his hair cut, but also exfoliated his whole body, massaged and oiled, and tossed from head to toe, the pain caused him to hold back his voice and moan.

Qu Tongqiu whispered "Forget it", and Zhuang Wei scolded him, "Do you still want to clean it up?"

After being rubbed and steamed, the man will be as red as cooked and edible, with a little aroma.

"It's much more comfortable. Do you feel that your head has become lighter?"

"thanks……"

"There are only clothes left, you should leave the old and welcome the new." Zhuang Wei patted the back of his head, "Hey, follow me closely, don't get lost."

It didn't take much time to choose a suit of clothes and shoes. The man came out of the fitting room a little unconfident.Zhuang Wei glanced at him, coughed twice, and looked at him again: "This is pretty. Just dress like this."

"thanks……"

"Don't be beautiful, remember I picked this one."

The man nodded hurriedly: "I will...pay back the money..."

Zhuang Wei scolded him again: "Forget it, what kind of bad luck have you encountered in the New Year's Eve."

After buying good things, Zhuang Wei took him around again. The "new year flavor" in this city is at its strongest, and there are beaming red everywhere, which can make even the most depressed people feel happy.

"By the way, let's go to the bar to celebrate the New Year tomorrow night. It's boring to stay at home. You don't know how lively the bar is on New Year's Eve."

Qu Tongqiu looked at him hesitantly: "The bar..."

"It's because your circle is too small that it's easy to get into a dead end. You should get to know more people. The New Year atmosphere in the bar is very good, you should try it."

"I...don't like men."

Zhuang Wei glanced at him: "How do you know you don't like it?"

"I didn't like..."

Zhuang Wei said lazily: "Many people think they don't like it until they try it."

"I'm really not that kind of person..."

"Do you dare to say that you have only touched women?"

"..."

In the awkward silence, Zhuang Wei apologized: "I'm sorry."

The man looked at his shoes: "No, it's okay..."

"However, don't be too stubborn. To be honest, I think if you weren't so stubborn, maybe life would be easier."

"Don't, don't talk about this..."

Qu Tongqiu hadn't gone out for a long time, and he felt a little uncomfortable walking on the road, shrugging his shoulders, but he didn't intend to go back in a hurry, he was still looking around.

"what happened?"

"I want to borrow some money?"

"Ok?"

Qu Tongqiu felt embarrassed: "Here, for Xiaoke...buy a gift."

Zhuang Wei looked at him with a smile: "Let's go."

The two picked out a scarf in the store. The pattern of peach pink on a white background is very cute, and it feels soft and thick.After the packaging was completed, Qu Tongqiu put it in his arms, obviously feeling a little happy.

After taking a break, Zhuang Wei bought two caramel macchiatos on the side of the road. Qu Tongqiu drank carefully and stretched his neck.

"Why is it so hard?"

"Clothes... afraid of getting dirty..."

"Don't be overly nervous. The only thing you want to see is your daughter, and it's not a big shot." Zhuang Wei took the empty cup and rubbed it into the trash can. "Go to dinner, I've made a reservation."

The restaurant was already busy at this time, except for the reserved seats, the upstairs was full.The two of them sat leaning on the railing on the half-floored upper floor. This angle is the best for enjoying the upcoming band performance, regardless of whether Qu Tongqiu can appreciate it or not.

The dishes ordered were delivered one after another, and the wine was ready, but Qu Tongqiu only lowered his head to cut the steak on the plate: "I...can't drink well..."

"A little red wine won't do much."

"But..." The man's voice and hands stopped suddenly, and the knife slipped and cut right on the plate.

The tall man came in through the door with a little girl, and took a seat at an empty table downstairs.

From Qu Tongqiu's perspective, it can be clearly seen that the little girl's hair looks longer, and it is shiny like satin. With big black eyes, her skin is getting whiter and whiter. Delicate cashmere skirt, just like a little princess.Much prettier than when she was with him.

Zhuang Wei looked at him: "Do you want to go over and talk to them?"

The man was so nervous that sweat broke out on his forehead, as if he was frozen, his eyes only looked at them, he couldn't move, his hands were clenched tightly.

Ren Ningyuan read the menu and ordered.Qu Ke looked up at him, she didn't know what she was talking about, her smile was very cute, it should be a very happy topic, Ren Ningyuan also showed a little smile.

The little girl then took a scarf out of the bag.Qu Tongqiu remembered that, her daughter was impatient with handwork, she acted like a baby and said that she would weave it as a Father's Day gift for him, and after a year of weaving, it was only half the length of an arm, and she kept it away.

And now it's actually finished.

Qu Tongqiu watched eagerly, and then the little girl stood up, crossed the table, and wrapped it around Ren Ningyuan's neck.

……

After a while, Qu Tongqiu turned his eyes back, put his hands on his lap, looked at the plate, but didn't eat any more, and said in a low voice after a long time: "I, I want to go back..."

Zhuang Wei looked at him: "Qu Tongqiu..."

"My...clothes...can I return it?"

"..."

"You, you give them the gift... I won't go..."

Zhuang Wei recited Qu Tongqiu back.The man who drank a lot of alcohol even though he knew he had a poor capacity for alcohol obviously gave up completely.Because he couldn't see any hope, he didn't intend to struggle any more, as if he had accepted his fate, as if everything would be fine for him.

All the way, he lay on Zhuang Wei's back in a daze, writhing uncomfortably because of discomfort, and gradually felt the cold touch of his cheeks and neck comfortable, so he put his face against it and dawdled back and forth.

Zhuang Wei freed one hand to look for the key at the door, but couldn't align the keyhole several times, and gave a warning "Hello", while the man was still rubbing against him in a daze.

"You're such a nuisance."

Finally through the door, Zhuang Wei asked him to get off his back, tore off his shoes, helped him to the bathroom, and wiped his face and hands with a wet towel.The action can't be called gentle, it's almost like wiping glass.

"Your mouth stinks, open your mouth." Zhuang Wei poured him a mouthful of mouthwash, and then quickly squeezed his chin, "Hey, I didn't let you drink it, so don't swallow it!"

Qu Tongqiu is also at his mercy, probably because he knows that there is only Zhuang Wei left in this world who can be close to and trust him, so he is extraordinarily humble and docile.

"Rinse again, hurry up."

The smell of mouthwash obviously made the man uncomfortable. After filling it for the second time, more than just water was spit out.

After vomiting for a while and coughing for a long time, the man seemed to realize something, and struggled in a daze, "Don't... get your clothes dirty..." Then he fumbled to unbutton his expensive new clothes before he felt relieved. Knelt down on the edge of the toilet and vomited.

Zhuang Wei felt upset again in pity, and after he finished vomiting, he went to get a nightgown to wrap him up, washed him hastily, and carried him back to the bedroom.

The man feels lonely even when he is drunk, attracted by the body temperature and breath of the people around him, he can't help but stick to it.

Zhuang Wei watched him slowly get into his arms: "Are you harassing me like this?"

However, the man found a comfortable and stable posture, and stopped moving.

Zhuang Wei stared at him: "Don't bother others."

The man was dull, and wanted to find a warm place because of the discomfort, so he only pressed his head against his chest.

Zhuang Wei pushed him away a little irritably: "You don't think I'll let you sleep in your arms, do you?"

Being pushed away rudely, the man didn't dare to lean in any more, he flinched a little, and curled up in a corner in a daze.

Zhuang Wei became more impetuous in the silence, turned his head to look at Qu Tongqiu's weak and drunken face, couldn't help but put his hand on his cheek, the man felt comfortable touching him, and once he took it away , the man was a little at a loss.Like teasing a puppy.

Zhuang Wei teased him several times back and forth, and finally held him in his arms: "Do you really like it so much?"

"..."

"If you want me to comfort you, there is a price."

The man was still lying on his chest, half asleep and half awake, completely unaware of the situation.

"You don't hate me, do you?"

Zhuang Wei began to let go of his temper, and kissed him, bit him, and pinched him with a little malice to test the bottom line, which made the man struggle uncomfortably.

"Don't worry, I want you."

The man finally calmed down.With a kind of sincere meekness.Someone who wants him is better than nothing.

(End of this chapter)