TLLKTBD CH 32

Chapter 32: You Used to Be a Host?

At that moment, however, he wasn’t the only one feeling upset.

Qi Shaobai and Ye Qinghe walked into Basement. Although the bar was dimly lit, their booth was close to the entrance. With just one glance, Qi Shaobai spotted two heads leaning close together—Xu Yang and Lu Qian. As they moved closer, he saw clearly that Xu Yang had his arms wrapped around Lu Qian.

Even though he had already decided to completely let go of Xu Yang, seeing him being all intimate and affectionate with Qian-ge still left a dull ache in his heart.

“Hey, where’s your friend? Did you find them?” Ye Qinghe suddenly asked. By then, they had already walked up behind the booth where Xu Yang and Lu Qian were seated. Qi Shaobai pulled himself together, gave Ye Qinghe a slight smile, and patted the back of the sofa. “They’re right here.”

Upon hearing Qi Shaobai’s voice and the patting on the seat, the two men sitting there immediately pulled apart, sitting up straight as if nothing had happened.

Ye Qinghe, unaware of the situation, assumed they were just shy. With a teasing tone, he joked, “Oh, sorry to interrupt you two! Please, carry on. Bai Bai and I don’t mind.”

“……” Bai Bai? What was he, a dog? Xu Yang withdrew his arm from around Lu Qian, straightened his clothes, and completely ignored him.

Lu Qian’s face was still a little flushed. He quickly greeted the two new arrivals, “Come on, have a seat. The menu’s here. Someone’s treating us tonight, so don’t bother saving his money.” He pointed at Xu Yang and smiled at the newcomers.

A waiter was called over, and soon, two more drinks were ordered. Only then did Qi Shaobai properly introduce his companion.

“Director, Qian-ge, this is my friend, Ye Qinghe.”

Ye Qinghe nodded politely in greeting.

“Qinghe, this is Lu Qian, Qian-ge. He’s my team leader and has taught me a lot at work. And this is my big boss, Director Xu Yang. I’m currently staying at his place because I had nowhere else to go.”

“What do you mean you had nowhere to go? I told you to stay at my place, but you wouldn’t,” Ye Qinghe murmured, lightly patting Qi Shaobai’s arm in a quiet complaint. Then, he looked up at the other two with a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you both. Just call me Qinghe. Thanks for having me tonight.”

Ye Qinghe turned to Xu Yang and said, “Thank you, Director Xu, for taking Bai Bai in these past few days. He must have caused you a lot of trouble.”

Then, he glanced disapprovingly at Qi Shaobai, though his lips curved into a fond smile. “You’re really something, huh? Instead of reaching out to me when the fire happened that night, you chose to trouble your director instead.” As he spoke, he patted Qi Shaobai’s thigh and even gave it a light squeeze.

Feeling a little awkward, Qi Shaobai instinctively grabbed Ye Qinghe’s hand. He wasn’t too fond of these casual touches every time they met. Sometimes—like now—it even felt a little annoying.

Xu Yang wasn’t sure if he was being overly sensitive, but something about this man felt off—his tone, his actions, even the way he addressed Qi Shaobai. He cast a glance at the hand resting on Qi Shaobai’s thigh, his eyes narrowing slightly as a hint of displeasure flickered in them.

“Xiao Qi isn’t a bother,” Xu Yang said. “Are you saying he causes trouble for you?”

Ye Qinghe was caught off guard and immediately denied it, shaking his head.

Xu Yang crossed his arms, resting one hand on his chin as if deep in thought. “Xiao Qi has been very well-behaved at my place. We’re good work partners, and our routine of going to and from the office together is quite convenient. If he were to stay at your place, he might actually feel uncomfortable.”

“Bai Bai is carefree and doesn’t fuss over small details. I just didn’t want him to unknowingly trouble you, Director Xu. That would make me feel bad,” Ye Qinghe explained.

“Don’t worry about that. I don’t fuss over small details either,” Xu Yang replied smoothly. “Xiao Qi has spent a lot of time with us, and we’ve all grown accustomed to each other’s habits. He’s not a bother at all. I already told him he can stay as long as he wants—there’s no rush for him to move out.”

The two men exchanged polite words on the surface, but underneath, they were subtly testing each other.

“Then, on his behalf, I’ll thank you, Director Xu,” Ye Qinghe said through gritted teeth.

“There’s no need,” Xu Yang responded with a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. No need for you to thank me.

“……?”

Lu Qian and Qi Shaobai exchanged glances, both sensing the unspoken tension between the two men. They had just met, so why did it feel like they were already at each other’s throats?

Choosing to ignore them, Qi Shaobai glanced around and asked Lu Qian, “Where’s Xiao Lang? He’s not here?”

Lu Qian also found it odd. “He said he was going to the restroom earlier. I don’t know why he’s taking so long.”

Just as he finished speaking, they saw Jin Lang striding back with a tray in one hand, carrying the three drinks they had ordered earlier. His movements were sharp and confident, exuding a commanding presence as he weaved effortlessly through the bar.

“What are you doing?” Lu Qian asked, looking at Jin Lang in confusion as he brought over the drinks.

Jin Lang crouched down at the table, smoothly placing each glass onto the surface with swift and precise motions. “The bar’s too busy tonight, and our drinks were taking forever, so I went to get them myself,” he explained casually.

“Xiao Lang, your movements are way too professional!” Qi Shaobai marveled. “You carried three drinks with one hand, walked through the dance floor, and didn’t spill a single drop or bump into anyone. Have you worked as a host before?”

His offhand remark made both Lu Qian and Jin Lang freeze on the spot.

Jin Lang slowly straightened up, his mind going blank.

(To be continued…)