TLLKTBD CH 3

Chapter 3: How About a Loyal Dog Gong for You?

In the end, Lu Qian returned home alone.

He stood in front of the mirror by the entrance, staring blankly. The reflection showed a gentle yet melancholic man gazing back at him.

He truly felt like a failure.

At twenty-eight years old, his love life was still an empty slate.

Looking at his reflection, he saw a pale face, weary eyes, and thin lips with only the faintest hint of color. He ran his tongue over his slightly dry lips, still tasting the lingering sweetness of apples.

A stranger’s kindness had brought him a bit of warmth on this cold, quiet night.

He thought, he really didn’t ask for much.

A cup of hot tea, a bit of warmth.

A single light, a single person.

…Was that still too much to hope for?

Lu Qian was exhausted. He took a quick shower—more like a battle rinse—then collapsed onto his familiar bed. The moment his head hit the pillow, he was out cold.

He slept straight through to Sunday afternoon at two o’clock.

What finally woke him was the cheerful ringing of his phone.

Half-asleep, he glared at the device, silently hoping the ringtone would stop so he could keep lazing in bed. Unfortunately, the caller was not someone who gave up halfway. When the phone rang for the third time, Lu Qian reluctantly picked up.

“Hello, Jin Dabai^[1], what do you want?” His voice was thick with sleep.

“You’re still in bed? Are you a pig?” came Jin Xiaomi’s exaggerated voice.

“Don’t insult pigs,” Lu Qian muttered in resignation. “Even pigs aren’t as dumb as me, willingly being friends with you.”

“Screw you.”

“What do you want?” Lu Qian turned over weakly. “If it’s nothing important, I’m hanging up.”

“Wait, wait, don’t hang up! This time I actually have serious business!” She hurriedly stopped him, afraid he would really cut the call and go back to sleep.

“I ran into Teacher Chen the other day,” Jin Xiaomi said hesitantly.

“Teacher  Chen?” Lu Qian was stunned for a moment, his memories instantly pulling him back to childhood.

Teacher Chen was one of the few teaching assistants who had stayed long-term at the orphanage to care for the children. She was a genuinely kind person who loved kids. After the old director stepped down, Teacher Chen took over as the head of the orphanage. But even now, they were still used to calling her “Teacher Chen.”

“How is she?” Lu Qian asked.

“Not too well. And the orphanage isn’t doing great either.” Hearing the concern in Lu Qian’s voice, Jin Xiaomi felt a little relieved. She sighed and said, “Actually, the reason I called you today was to talk about this. I was hoping we could figure out a way to help. Come over, okay?”

“…Alright, let me sleep for a little longer, then I’ll head over,” Lu Qian mumbled before hanging up—and immediately dozing off again.

By 8 p.m., Lu Qian arrived at You Mu.

A strange name for a place—he guessed it was taken from the phrase You Mu Feng Lai Qi (where there’s wood, the phoenix will perch).

On the surface, it was a bar. But anyone in the know understood that You Mu was actually a host club—one that catered exclusively to male clients.

Lu Qian never quite understood Jin Xiaomi. Why would a perfectly normal woman take the clean, respectable bar her ex left her and turn it into… this chaotic mess?

No matter how many times he came, he could never get used to the atmosphere in this place. It was just… too bizarre.

Like right now.

“Brother Qian, have a seat! Sister Xiaomi will be here soon,” a lively young host, Sam, greeted him warmly, practically escorting him to a table. He even winked. “Do you want me to keep you company while you wait?”

“No, no, don’t worry about me. Go do your job.” Lu Qian waved him off. “If your boss sees you, she’ll just blame me for distracting you from making money.”

“I wouldn’t mind being distracted by you,” Sam leaned on the table, lowering his voice as he breathed against Lu Qian’s ear. He even reached up, trying to touch Lu Qian’s face—only for Lu Qian to tilt his head away just in time.

The atmosphere turned awkward.

Then, Jin Xiaomi’s voice rang out, loud and clear.

“Sam, harassing Brother Qian again? How many times do I have to tell you—he’s not into your type. You two are completely incompatible, so stop dreaming.” She shooed him away with a wave.

“I can change for him!” Sam pouted, biting his lower lip in exaggerated frustration. “Ge, give me a chance?” He even bounced his hips twice for effect.

Lu Qian groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead in embarrassment.

The last time Sam had flirted with him, he had panicked and blurted out the excuse that their “models weren’t compatible.” He never expected Jin Xiaomi, that lunatic, to latch onto it and announce it at every opportunity—almost as if she were afraid people wouldn’t know. He shot her a glare.

“Oh, change my ass. Look at you, all flirty and ridiculous,” Jin Xiaomi rolled her eyes in disdain and smacked Sam’s perky butt. “Quit shaking that thing. Boss Li just walked in—hurry up and go greet him.”

Sam pouted but instantly perked up as he turned away, wiggling his hips even more exaggeratedly as he welcomed the newcomer.

“Ah, Boss Li! It’s been so long…!” he cooed as he led the man into a private room.

“Tsk,” Jin Xiaomi clicked her tongue in disapproval. “The way they’re calling out in here, you’d think this was Yi Hong Yuan^[2].”

“Tsk,” Lu Qian mimicked her. “And you’re acting like it isn’t.”

Jin Xiaomi was speechless. She glared at him. “What? You took a nap and only showed up now? Were you kidnapped by the god of sleep?”

“I was away on a business trip for nearly a week and barely got any rest. I’m exhausted.”

Jin Xiaomi sneered. “A small, crappy company like yours even sends people on business trips? Didn’t that Xu Yang book you a decent hotel? How could he bear to let you suffer?”

“It wouldn’t matter how good the hotel was. You know I can’t sleep in unfamiliar places. Anyway, let’s get to the point.” Lu Qian couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. “You said something about Teacher Chen? And the orphanage?”

Jin Xiaomi’s face fell at his question. “I ran into Teacher Chen the other day. She’s lost a lot of weight and looked really worn out. She was carrying a bag of medicine. I asked her what was wrong, but she just brushed it off, saying she’s getting old and has some chronic issues like high blood pressure. Then, when I asked about the orphanage, I found out that our area has been rezoned for commercial use. Apparently, they’re planning to build office buildings there. In short, the orphanage has been ordered to relocate within six months.”

“What?! The orphanage is being relocated? Where to? What about the kids?” Lu Qian was stunned.

“Teacher Chen is so worried she’s lost her appetite. She’s been running around trying to find a solution and has become even thinner.”

Lu Qian and Jin Xiaomi had both grown up in that orphanage. It had always struggled to stay afloat—there weren’t many children, but donations were scarce, so life there was tough. If not for the assistant caregivers, who couldn’t bear to see the orphans displaced again, desperately holding on and seeking donations, the orphanage would have shut down long ago.

The children called the caregivers “teachers,” and these teachers did their best to look after them. Life in the orphanage was hard, but at least it provided the kids with a roof over their heads. Every child who grew up there had a deep attachment to it. Even after entering society, most would frequently return as volunteers—some helped with repairs and maintenance, others tutored the younger kids, and some donated money regularly. The amount didn’t matter. Everyone who had left the orphanage understood that giving back was not just an act of gratitude but also a way to ensure the younger kids had food to eat and access to education. It was a cycle of kindness, passed down through generations.

“The most urgent issue now is finding a place for the children,” Lu Qian murmured after thinking for a moment. In reality, the orphanage had been struggling financially for years. The living conditions were poor, and the facilities were outdated. They had stopped accepting new children one or two years ago, but there were still seven or eight kids, all of elementary school age. Finding a suitable place to relocate them to wouldn’t be easy.

“The teachers at the orphanage are actively looking for a new location, but considering the number of children and staff, they need a place that can accommodate at least a dozen people, with space for the kids to run around. The neighbors also need to be friendly. Most importantly, there’s the issue of rent.” Jin Xiaomi frowned deeply.

“If only we had money,” Lu Qian sighed. “If we were rich, we could buy land and build a small house. Then the kids wouldn’t have to keep getting pushed around.”

“No kidding. But we don’t have money!” Jin Xiaomi said, frustrated. “I contacted a few others yesterday, but you know how it is. None of us who grew up in the orphanage ended up wealthy. We’re lucky if we can even feed ourselves.” Then, her tone shifted. “You’re the only one who made it to grad school. You’re the smart one. Think of something!”

Lu Qian sighed helplessly. “What can I do? Want to sell your shop and see how much it goes for?”

“…I’ve actually thought about it.” Jin Xiaomi muttered.

“What?” Lu Qian was shocked. This shop was practically Jin Xiaomi’s lifeline. It wasn’t exactly a respectable business, but it was something that man had left her. She always said she hated him, yet she still held onto the shop.

“Yeah, I’ve thought about it. If there’s really no other way, I’ll sell it,” Jin Xiaomi said flatly.

“But… what about Brother Wang? Didn’t you keep this shop just in case he came looking for you?”

“If that bastard wanted to come back, he would’ve come back by now. You think someone as capable as him wouldn’t be able to find me?” Or maybe… he was already gone.

Neither of them spoke after that. Everyone had their own struggles.

Sometimes, you just wanted to sit and do nothing.

Lu Qian silently ate his food and drank his beer, while Jin Xiaomi lit a cigarette. Through the swirling smoke, he suddenly noticed a familiar figure. Lu Qian tilted his head and squinted, trying to get a clearer look.

Following his gaze, Jin Xiaomi saw who he was looking at—a waiter standing at a table, bending down to serve drinks. The waiter was stiff, clearly uncomfortable as a customer flirted with him.

“Bastard,” Jin Xiaomi muttered, narrowing her eyes. “There are proper hosts available for the private rooms, yet they always insist on harassing the servers at the open tables. Trying to save money, huh? Not like that.” She glanced toward the bar. The bartender nodded slightly, then discreetly signaled another host to bring a fruit platter over to that table.

Proper hosts? Lu Qian really wanted to ask what part of “proper” Jin Xiaomi misunderstood.

“Are you interested in him?” Jin Xiaomi smirked. “Want me to introduce you? But just so you know, he’s a waiter, not a host.”

Lu Qian frowned at her in confusion. He knocked on the table with his fingers, pulling his thoughts together. “That guy looks really familiar. I feel like I’ve seen him before.” He ran through his memories quickly. “Ah! I remember now!” He slapped his thigh. “I saw him just last night at ‘Jazz,’ the café near my place!”

It took him this long to recall someone he saw just yesterday? Jin Xiaomi rolled her eyes before turning back to look at the waiter. “He had the night off yesterday? Went to ‘Jazz’ for coffee?” That pretentious artisan coffee shop ^[3]near Lu Qian’s home charged at least 300 yuan for a basic black coffee. Jin Lang wouldn’t even spend 30 yuan on a bowl of plain noodles—he often just ate plain bread with water before starting work. How could he afford a 300-yuan cup of fancy coffee?

“No, he was working there,” Lu Qian said. That made much more sense. He quickly told Jin Xiaomi about what had happened the night before.

“Oh! I heard he had another part-time job during the day. Turns out it was at Jazz.” Jin Xiaomi nodded, then shook her head. “This new guy sure works hard. Yesterday was his day off, and he still took the night shift at the café? Is he trying to kill himself? Not afraid of working himself to death?”

Lu Qian was puzzled. “He’s so young—I thought he was a student. Why is he working two jobs?”

“He needs money. What else?” Jin Xiaomi scoffed. “Do you think he just has a passion for the service industry? That he wakes up every day excited to serve tea, wipe tables, and let people grope him?”

Just then, a host boldly wedged himself between Jin Lang and the drunk customer, cheerfully placing the fruit platter on the table. With a bright smile, he said it was a complimentary treat from the club while subtly forcing the drunk customer aside. Jin Lang finally managed to escape the indecent hand that had been groping his backside.

When he turned around, his embarrassed and uneasy smile hadn’t even faded from his face yet when his eyes met Lu Qian’s.

Flustered by his earlier humiliation, Jin Lang lowered his gaze and quickly walked away with his tray.

“That kid… he got stuck with an irresponsible mother. Such a shame,” Jin Xiaomi sighed.

Lu Qian also shook his head. He looked like he was still of school age, yet his eyes were already filled with weariness.

A child with no mother versus a child with an irresponsible mother—who was worse off?

“How have things been lately?” Jin Xiaomi fell silent for two minutes before launching into gossip. “That Xu Yang of yours is still chasing after you? When are you finally going to say yes?”

“I was planning to say yes yesterday,” Lu Qian said casually.

“What? You agreed? No, wait—what do you mean by ‘was planning to’?” Jin Xiaomi got excited. “Did you back out at the last minute?”

“He already has someone else,” Lu Qian said with a bitter smile.

“Huh?” She stared at him, wide-eyed. “What do you mean, he already has someone else?”

“Life’s a bastard,” Lu Qian shrugged and briefly explained the situation.

“HAHAHAHA! How could someone be this unlucky?” Jin Xiaomi laughed mercilessly. “He chased after you for three years, only to be defeated by his own damn hormones. Men, seriously… HAHAHA…”

She wasn’t sure whether she should be mad at Xu Yang for basically cheating on Lu Qian or if she should feel sorry for him instead.

“Hey, be honest—are you mad?” Jin Xiaomi wiped the tears from her eyes after laughing so hard.

Lu Qian chuckled. “Mad? What right do I have to be mad? Besides, I honestly think this is for the best. Yesterday, I was too impulsive.” He shook his head. “If I had really accepted him yesterday, it would’ve hurt him even more in the end.”

“What do you mean?” Jin Xiaomi asked, confused.

“Nothing. Anyway, it’s over between us, and you’d better not meddle,” Lu Qian warned her. “It’s time for him to move on.”

“And what about you?” Jin Xiaomi suddenly turned serious.

Lu Qian was startled by her abrupt change in expression and was just about to defend himself when she added, “When are you going to start your sex life?”

Damn it! Lu Qian felt like an idiot. He decided that from now on, he would never ask Jin Xiaomi why she had given up on treatment—it was as if she actually had a chance of being cured.

He rolled his eyes and ignored her.

Seeing that he wasn’t responding, Jin Xiaomi continued pressing him. “I’m being serious. What exactly are you holding out for?” She waggled her eyebrows. “A man holding it in for too long isn’t good for him! Come on, don’t say I never look out for you. At You Mu, you can take your pick—whatever type you like, I’ve got it. Just tell me, what’s your preference? Someone strong? Someone innocent? How about a loyal dog-type gong? That would go perfectly with you, my pure little Bambi—”

With a sly smile, she lifted her long, delicate finger, looking as though she was about to hook it under Lu Qian’s chin like a sleazy thug harassing an innocent young man.

“You really take yourself seriously as the brothel madam just because people call you Jin Dabai?” Lu Qian slapped her hand away without mercy.

“…Uh, but I am,” Jin Xiaomi blinked innocently.

“And what’s with all that talk about ‘loyal dog gong’s and ‘little Bambi’? Where do you even get this nonsense?” Lu Qian rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming on.

Jin Xiaomi didn’t give up. “Satisfaction guaranteed!”

Lu Qian sighed helplessly. “You’re a woman. Can you at least act a little reserved?”

He got up to leave, but before he could take a step, Jin Xiaomi suddenly called out to him in an exaggeratedly sorrowful voice, “Xiao Qian…”

Seeing her abruptly switch on the dramatics, Lu Qian sighed internally.

“What now? Just because I won’t take the bait doesn’t mean you have to put on the puppy eyes,” he said, waving her off. “Enough already! I have work tomorrow—I’m heading out.”

Without waiting for her response, he strode toward the door, nearly bumping into a waiter who was coming in.

(To be continued…)