BFILWY CH 1

Chapter 1: Scumbag

“Hey, Ye Qinghe, is your little white rabbit coming or not?” A frivolous voice called out, as someone paused outside the ornately carved wooden door, their hand resting on the door handle.

“He’s coming, definitely coming. He’s so smitten with me that he’s completely lost his head. How could he not come?” Ye Qinghe’s lazy voice slipped through the crack of the door.

“I’m actually looking forward to this one. I heard he’s not bad-looking? That blind one from last time was just painfully dull. Maybe he went blind from looking at his own reflection—so hideous! Hahaha. Honestly, though, props to you for going all out for that bet,” another voice chimed in. “How did you even stomach someone like that?”

“Who cares? He can’t see anyway, and I’m not exactly looking at him while I do it. It’s not like he’d know.” The dim lighting in the private room cast a hazy glow, with smoke curling through the air. Even seated directly beneath the light, Ye Qinghe’s expression appeared languid and blurred. He held a half-smoked Davidoff cigarette between his index and middle fingers, while his remaining fingers grasped a glass of whiskey. With a casual wave, as though toasting someone, he didn’t bother looking in anyone’s direction.

“He wasn’t much to look at, sure,” he continued, “but damn, that waist was flexible, and he was so tight down there. And that voice—ah, a good voice really makes all the difference. Hearing him scream was pure bliss. I even had to keep up the act for two whole months because of that. Almost couldn’t shake him off—it scared the hell out of me. I heard he made a huge scene after I left, crying and shouting non-stop. So annoying.” He took a sip of the amber-colored liquor, a faint smirk tugging at his lips, his tone a mix of smugness and feigned disdain.

“You think he was that tight because he was a v*rgin?” someone asked teasingly.

“Of course! Do you know how much of a bumpkin ^[1]that blind guy was? Who else would want to touch him?” someone else answered.

“You’re making him sound so tempting, I almost want to give it a try,” the first person said again, “but it’s a shame he’s no longer a virgin. I only go for v*rgins.”

“You’re way too narrow-minded,” Ye Qinghe said, exhaling smoke. The cigarette someone had handed him was a stronger blend than he was used to, making his head spin slightly. He stubbed it out in a green porcelain ashtray, a lazy yet intrigued glint flashing in his eyes. “You should be more like me—try different flavors. Look, I’ve already completed my collection of the twelve zodiac signs, and now we’ve got this new bet to collect disabled people. Isn’t it fun? So far, I’ve got a blind guy and now this cripple—he’s my second. Xiao Fang told me he recently found a mute guy, though he’s straight. Straight ones take more time, but they’re more thrilling to conquer. Just wait and watch—I, Ye Ge, will show you what I’m made of.”

The group burst into cheers, their laughter echoing in the room.

Qi Shaobai stood silently outside the private room, his head lowered. He was the so-called “little white rabbit,” the cripple, the second disabled person in their collection. He didn’t understand—what had he done to deserve this? Why was it that all the people around him turned out to be these kinds of bastards?

Just as a chill crept through his heart, someone approached him from behind, their rough voice cutting through the air. “Don’t listen to him. Let’s go home.”

Qi Shaobai didn’t respond. His body remained stiff, his face pale, and his hand gripped the door handle tightly, refusing to move.

Inside the private room, the conversation continued.

“Ye Qinghe, is your limp little bunny a v*rgin?” The one who asked about the blind guy earlier was now curious about the disabled one.

“Probably. So innocent it’s almost painful. I can’t tell if he’s pretending or just plain stupid.” Ye Qinghe shrugged nonchalantly. “But this lame one really matches your taste. His skin’s so white, soft, and smooth. Last time, I stroked his cheek—God, the texture was amazing. But then his face turned red immediately. I don’t know what he was so shy about, which made me hesitate to keep touching. Xiao Si, don’t say Ye-ge doesn’t treat you well. When he comes later, if you’re interested, I’ll let you go first. I don’t care whether he’s a v*rgin or not. You can break him in, and I’ll go next. No problem.”

The group erupted into laughter once again.

“Break your mother—break her—^[2]” Before Qi Shaobai could react, the man behind him, Xu Yang, had already lost his temper. He yanked Qi Shaobai’s hand off the door handle, kicked the door open, and stormed into the room. He grabbed Ye Qinghe by the collar and started punching him.

Xu Yang was tall and broad-shouldered, while Ye Qinghe and his friends were nothing more than pampered rich boys. They were so frightened that they froze, forgetting even to intervene.

Xu Yang cursed as he hit him. “B*stard! Collecting what? You’re the real cripple! Do you even know you’re mentally deficient? There’s no cure for your idiocy, you hear me? Damn it! Last time, you almost ruined that guy’s life, and you don’t feel even a shred of guilt?”

With another punch, Ye Qinghe was sent rolling off the couch. Xu Yang raised his leg and kicked him. “Who the h*ll were you calling a cripple just now? I’ll break your damn legs right now and see who ends up limping worse!”

Qi Shaobai finally snapped out of it and rushed forward to pull Xu Yang back. At first, he couldn’t hold him off and had to yell, “Director Xu, stop! Please, stop!”

Xu Yang showed no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile, the others finally snapped out of their shock and hesitated, unsure whether to step in and intervene.

Fearing that if a brawl broke out, Xu Yang would get the worst of it, Qi Shaobai grabbed a wine bottle from the table and smashed it hard against the glass tabletop. The bottle shattered, and the table’s glass surface splintered into pieces, the loud crash silencing everyone in the room.

“Xu Yang, stop!” Qi Shaobai shouted.

Xu Yang finally halted his assault. The room fell silent except for Xu Yang’s heavy breathing and Ye Qinghe’s pitiful groaning from the floor.

“You’re bleeding,” Xu Yang said as he took two steps forward, frowning as he inspected the wound on Qi Shaobai’s forehead.

Qi Shaobai shook off the broken bottle in his hand, pushed Xu Yang aside, and carelessly wiped at the blood on his forehead. Without a care, he stepped in front of Ye Qinghe, glaring down at him.

“I came today to answer the question you asked me two weeks ago—whether I’d be willing to date you. My answer is no. I don’t want anything to do with someone with your… peculiar hobbies. And I don’t collect scum.”

Qi Shaobai held up a small bag. “This is the stuff you gave me. I’m returning it.”

He tossed the gift bag containing perfume onto Ye Qinghe’s chest. With a sigh, he shook his head. “Your attempts at baiting people are honestly so low. I’m a bit disappointed in you.”

With a sneer, he turned and left without looking back.

Xu Yang pointed at Ye Qinghe, his voice filled with anger. “I’ll have someone keep an eye on you. If you dare to pull this crap again, don’t blame me for being ruthless. In this world, you reap what you sow.”

He made an obscene gesture before turning to chase after Qi Shaobai.

The group inside the private room was still in shock, and no one spoke for a while. It wasn’t until a painful groan came from the corner that someone remembered Ye Qinghe was still lying on the floor.

Ye Qinghe’s face was battered and bruised, though his legs weren’t broken, three of his ribs were fractured. He spent two weeks in the hospital and then continued recovering at home for quite some time. His originally planned trip with his parents to inspect the family’s southern factory had to be canceled.

Ye Qinghe’s parents were deeply troubled by him. The Ye family had two sons. The eldest, Ye Qingyi, was outstanding in both character and studies, never giving his parents a single worry. Perhaps because of this, the parents’ attention shifted entirely to the younger son. Ye Qinghe, the second son, was a source of constant worry, and not just in terms of his grades. Although he was a smart kid, he wasted his days indulging in food, drink, and play, completely neglecting the family business. He left everything to his older brother. He always had the mindset that if the sky fell, his parents would protect him, or at worst, his brother would take care of things. He never showed any ambition or desire to improve.

It was only after much persuasion that they finally got him to agree to visit the southern factory, the one he was supposed to manage in the future. But then, unexpectedly, this fool got beaten up so badly that he couldn’t even get out of bed. Ye Qinghe’s parents had no choice but to go with Ye Qingyi instead, using the trip as an opportunity to clear their minds.

Who would have thought that this trip would shatter Ye Qinghe’s naive world?

The small plane crashed. The Ye family of three went on the trip and never returned.

Ye Qinghe, in an ironic twist of fate, survived the accident. But in that moment, he would have rather not survived.

He would have rather, it was him who had died.

(To be continued…)