Chapter Thirty-Seven

The car arrived at the gay bar that You Yige had mentioned. After getting out, You Hanzhe instructed his driver and assistant not to follow him in, then walked in alone.

You Yige had already called ahead to have Xiao Zhou wait for him at the bar, so as soon as You Hanzhe stepped inside, Xiao Zhou quickly stood up from the sofa closest to the entrance, waved at You Hanzhe, and strode over.

“It was Boss You who told me to wait here for you.” Xiao Zhou discreetly sized up the impeccably dressed and serious-looking man before him, wondering when his boss had met such a person—how had he not heard? “Uh... you must be Boss You’s friend, right? This way, please.”

Electronic music thumped ceaselessly. The bar was dimly lit, colorful flashing lights dazzling to the eyes. Not far from You Hanzhe, at a table, a group of men flirted and touched each other with abandon.

Taking in the scene, You Hanzhe’s first thought was: Why am I here?

Indeed. Why had he suddenly come to such a place?

He turned to Xiao Zhou, stared at his face for three seconds, his rarely furrowed brow giving him a stern air, though his voice remained as calm as ever. “What’s your relationship with the president of the Chamber of Commerce?”

Xiao Zhou’s smile froze. “Huh? Heh heh… I don’t know any Chamber of Commerce president, really…”

Anyone could see Xiao Zhou was feigning ignorance.

You Hanzhe didn’t pursue it further. He casually sat down on a sofa to rest. Xiao Zhou wiped the cold sweat from his brow and approached with a smile. “Please enjoy a drink here, I’ll go call someone for you. By the way, I don’t know how to address you.”

Wearing black-rimmed glasses, his face expressionless, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, even the way You Hanzhe sat was disciplined, nothing like the others who lounged about. He looked nothing like someone seeking amusement—more like a businessman here for some transaction.

“My surname is You.”

“Oh, Mr. You, nice to meet you, nice to meet you.” Xiao Zhou smiled, but wondered to himself, How come he has the same surname as my boss? Could they be related?

Not daring to ask further, Xiao Zhou went to fetch someone, soon returning with a handsome young man.

Once the boy had been brought over, Xiao Zhou handed You Hanzhe the key card to a suite upstairs, then tactfully left.

The boy sat beside You Hanzhe, beaming. You Hanzhe glanced at him with a cold, almost emotionless look, which immediately made the boy withdraw the hand he’d been about to wrap around You Hanzhe’s arm.

You Hanzhe said nothing, simply picked up his glass and drank.

He hadn’t been unmoved by what his brother had said to him at the theater. He felt a certain anticipation for that pleasure born from the intertwining of desire with another person—something he’d only ever heard of, never experienced, in his thirty-odd years of life. This anticipation, however, stemmed mostly from a sense that any man with functioning biology ought to experience such things, like a duty handed down by his father, just as with work.

Sex, for him, was like a task assigned to his body—one he could choose to do or not.

Yet for over thirty years, those things others found fresh and pursued with obsession, he could understand but never truly feel. So, faced with the boy beside him, he felt not the slightest desire.

The boy was briefly embarrassed, but quickly recovered his smile and poured You Hanzhe another drink, lowering his voice, “Have another, brother.”

“I’m going to the restroom.” You Hanzhe stood and left the sofa.

He disliked forcing himself to accept anything.

Once he’d finished in the restroom, he would leave.

While washing his hands at the sink, Yi Yu strolled over, smiling slyly, and began to wash his hands as well.

He’d followed from the gym entrance to the theater, then from the theater to the gay bar.

Finally, he’d found a chance to be alone with him.

Truth be told, Yi Yu was a little surprised. He’d never imagined that this man, who looked so absolutely ascetic and out of place in such a hedonistic setting, would turn up here.

So he wasn’t such a straight-laced person after all.

Surprise gave way to a hint of delight. If the man wasn’t as proper as he seemed, there was no need for Yi Yu to keep up any innocent pretense to win him over.

They were both here hunting for fun—might as well be direct and save each other’s time.

With mischief in his eyes, Yi Yu nudged his hip against You Hanzhe’s. You Hanzhe turned to look at him, and Yi Yu gave him a quick wink, as if to say: Don’t I look delicious?

You Hanzhe clearly recognized him as the boy he’d seen outside the theater. He stared at Yi Yu’s face, his own expression inscrutable, but inwardly trying to guess at Yi Yu’s identity.

“I’m good-looking, aren’t I?” Yi Yu grinned, winking again. “Care to join me for a drink?”

“Who are you?” came the reply.

It was a question, but from You Hanzhe’s lips, the tone was utterly flat. Still, Yi Yu found the chilly, magnetic voice oddly alluring.

Yi Yu leaned closer, lips curled in a faint smile, voice low and suggestive. “I’m in charge of the overnight company.”

At once, You Hanzhe recalled the boy Xiao Zhou had brought earlier.

Yi Yu’s face was very close now, their noses nearly touching. You Hanzhe didn’t move, his eyes betraying no change at all.

Their proximity seemed to heat the air between them. Yi Yu’s warm breath brushed You Hanzhe’s cheek, and to his own surprise, You Hanzhe found it pleasant. For a fleeting moment, he wondered what the boy’s next move would be.

Seeing him so calm, Yi Yu instinctively assumed he was a seasoned player.

So, without hesitation, Yi Yu slid his hand onto You Hanzhe’s waist. Instantly, he felt the muscles beneath the suit tense sharply at his touch.

You Hanzhe’s reaction only made Yi Yu’s heart race faster.

To be honest, the moment he’d first laid eyes on this man, he’d already been imagining what it would be like to strip him of his suit.

Since You Hanzhe made no move to reject him, Yi Yu’s hand naturally slid up his back, then he pressed his chest forward until it touched You Hanzhe’s own.

“You look pretty solid in a suit,” Yi Yu chuckled, tightening his arm around him. “Didn’t expect someone your age to have such a slim waist.”

You Hanzhe fixed his gaze on Yi Yu. “I’ll book you for the night. Let’s get a room now.”

Yi Yu was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing, doubling over.

“You—ha ha—” Yi Yu pointed at You Hanzhe with one hand and clutched his stomach with the other. “You’re so impatient! Nothing like how you look… ha ha… Oh god, my stomach hurts from laughing.”

You Hanzhe’s face darkened, his voice dropping several tones. “I won’t force you.”

With that, he turned to leave, but Yi Yu grabbed his hand, chuckling softly, “Who said I was unwilling? Come on, let’s get a room right now.”

(YawnBro: Next chapter is… ahem, you know what’s coming. Really didn’t expect the first crab in ‘His Boss’ would go to the big brother. Once that’s written, the plot will speed up, so don’t worry, everyone. If I say it’ll finish next month, it’ll finish next month—no delays!)