PD Chapter 3: The Real Scumbag Diaries

As dusk settled in, the dilapidated old neighborhood was unusually quiet in the twilight.

Only a few street lamps lined the path beside the residential building, their light dimly struggling through the thick, dusty lampshades, casting a faint yellow glow. The rumbling sound of a suitcase being dragged on the uneven cement ground was especially jarring in this silent setting. The sound came closer and closer until a stretched shadow emerged on the path by the building—a tall, slender boy slowly pulling a heavy suitcase.

A man stood by a car, his tall figure shrouded in the hazy night. With one leg casually crossed over the other, he watched the boy approach, raising a cigarette to his lips, the ember glowing softly in the dark.

The boy stopped, standing just a few meters away from the man, eyeing this figure who had parked himself right below his building.

Smoke lingered in the air as the man straightened up, snuffing out the half-smoked cigarette on the trash can beside him. He turned, facing the boy from a distance. “Back already?”

The boy squinted, unsure of the man in front of him. “…And you are?”

A low chuckle came from the shadows.

The man stepped forward, the warm glow of the streetlight falling on his face, his voice laced with a feigned confusion. “Don’t recognize me? Then why’re you using my picture to con people?”

“Chuan—Brother Chuan?” The boy’s body froze, and he instinctively took a small step back, clearly flustered. He stammered, “What nonsense are you talking about? Who’d I scam?”

Wen Xunchuan stopped in front of the boy, looking down at him with a sharp glint in his usually gentle eyes, his lips pressed into a line. His voice turned colder. “Need me to spell it out?”

The boy wavered, feeling exposed under his stare. “How… how did you know?”

“Hah…” Wen Xunchuan lowered his head, letting out a cold laugh as if the question was too absurd to answer.

“Bet you enjoyed those vacations paid with someone else’s money, huh? With the way you blasted it all over your socials, it’d be hard not to notice.” He looked the boy over with a sneer. “Next time you scam someone, try to be more professional.”

The boy looked away, obviously guilty, his neck stiffening as he spoke in a defensive tone. “He owed me that! He Linzhou slept with me for over three months, tried every position in the book, then pulled up his pants and tossed some crap about ‘three in one poison’ and just wanted to leave? When we were together, he didn’t say a damn thing about any ‘virgin complex,’ right? Spending twenty grand of his money, big deal. Even hiring a duck costs more than that! Damn bastard!”

Wen Xunchuan, who had been keeping a straight face, suddenly let out a laugh. It was hard to tell if he was amused by He Linzhou’s ridiculous excuse or by this boy’s “diamond-studded” antics.

He took a small step back, putting some distance between himself and the “diamond-studded” boy, clearing his throat into his fist before he responded, “I’m not interested in your lovers’ drama.”

He eyed the boy, his tone edged with mockery. “But if you want your…compensation, ask for it yourself. I didn’t sell myself.”

“You!” The boy’s face flushed with anger as he glared at him, fuming. “And what, you think you’re some saint?”

Wen Xunchuan shrugged, responding calmly, “Of course not.”

“I must’ve committed some terrible sins in a past life to keep meeting scumbags one after the other.”

The boy gritted his teeth in frustration. “I must’ve been blind to ever go out with someone like you!”

The flick of Wen Xunchuan’s lighter stilled. He paused, confused. “When did we go out?”

The boy looked a bit dazed, clearly not expecting that response. “Didn’t you say you liked me back when I confessed to you…”

Wen Xunchuan lowered his head, laughing quietly.

Realizing something, the boy’s voice turned shrill, “Wen Xunchuan! What’s that supposed to mean?”

Wen Xunchuan looked up at him, his eyes glinting with a smile. “Exactly what you think.”

He took a few steps forward, reaching out to ruffle the boy’s hair with a sigh, sounding both resigned and exasperated, his tone strangely tender. “Baby,” he murmured, “liking someone doesn’t mean you have to be together. We’re adults; you should understand that.”

Wen Xunchuan’s slender fingers tousled the boy’s hair, his warm palm resting gently on his head. The boy’s heartbeat stuttered, his gaze caught by Wen Xunchuan’s, and he whispered, “You…”

Wen Xunchuan brushed aside the hair on the boy’s forehead, leaned down, and planted a light kiss on his forehead. His voice, softened as if speaking to a lover, coaxed him, “Remember to pay the money back soon, don’t cause me trouble. Be good.”

The boy stood frozen for a moment, snapping out of the haze of gentle affection just as Wen Xunchuan walked a good three meters away.

The boy stomped his foot, shouting angrily at his retreating figure, “Fuck you, Wen Xunchuan! You and He Linzhou, you’re both pieces of trash! Go to hell, both of you!”

Wen Xunchuan waved a hand dismissively without looking back. He opened the driver’s door, sat down, and just as he did, a loud bang sounded against the rear windshield. He glanced into the rearview mirror.

Time to replace that glass.

He sighed, started the engine, and drove off, the faint crackling sound of the shattered windshield trailing behind.

–

The bathroom at the bar was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood.

He Linzhou looked down at the person kneeling in front of him.

The boy seemed to be mixed-race, with slightly curly hair falling over his forehead, his long lashes tinted a light brown under the light, his large eyes and doll-like face making him irresistibly cute.

He was definitely He Linzhou’s favorite encounter this week. If this didn’t work out…

The boy looked up, squinting slightly from the harsh white lights overhead. His gaze, directed at He Linzhou, held a complex look. “Young Master He, you…”

He Linzhou, feeling frustrated, shoved the boy’s shoulders aside, reaching up to zip up with an attempt to keep his face neutral, trying to mask his embarrassment. “Guess I’m not in the mood tonight. Forget it.”

The boy’s stare made him feel flushed. He lowered his head to fasten his belt, deliberately avoiding eye contact, his tone casual. “Leave me your WeChat, yeah? I’ll show you a real good time next time.”

The boy dusted off his knees, looking up at He Linzhou with a smirk. His soft, sweet voice dripped with sarcasm, the faint teasing at the end of his words unmistakable. “No thanks, buddy.”

After the boy left, He Linzhou leaned against the wall, staring blankly at the tiles. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and just as he took a drag, a light knock came from the wall behind him, followed by a playful voice from the adjacent stall. “Bro, didn’t think you’d be on your post-hookup smoke so soon?”

Damn it.

He Linzhou clenched the half-empty pack of cigarettes in his hand, stood up, and kicked the wall hard. The other side immediately fell silent. He pulled the barely-lit cigarette from his mouth, threw it into the toilet along with the crushed cigarette pack and lighter, flushed, and stormed out in one swift move.