TLLKTBD CH 33

Chapter 33: This Person Is Definitely Not as Simple as Xiao Qi Says

“Have you worked as a host before?”

Qi Shaobai’s casual question made Jin Lang freeze in place, completely at a loss.

But Qi Shaobai had no idea what was wrong with his question. He didn’t understand the difference between a regular waiter and a shàoyé (a term that, in certain contexts, refers to male hosts in special establishments). In his mind, all male servers were called shàoyé, just like how flight attendants are called stewardesses or stewards. He was completely unaware that, in certain types of venues, the term carried a more specific and suggestive meaning.

But Jin Lang knew. And he was very sensitive to it.

He didn’t answer Qi Shaobai’s question. In fact, he was so flustered that he couldn’t say anything at all.

Lu Qian tugged at Jin Lang and pulled him to sit down beside him. Taking over the conversation, he explained, “Xiao Lang used to work at a café near my house. He makes great coffee and can even do 3D latte art—it’s really impressive. Carrying drinks without spilling them is just a basic skill. You’re overreacting.”

“Really? Xiao Lang, you know how to do latte art? I want to learn! Teach me next time,” Qi Shaobai said excitedly, grabbing onto Jin Lang to chat.

“Mm, okay.” Jin Lang nodded absentmindedly, still a little dazed.

Xu Yang glanced at Jin Lang and casually remarked, “I just thought, since Jin Lang knows so much about cocktails and carried those drinks so smoothly, he must have worked in a bar before.”

Jin Lang’s entire body tensed up again.

Noticing his reaction, Lu Qian discreetly patted Jin Lang’s back, soothing him while deliberately steering the conversation away. “What do you mean by ‘knows so much about cocktails’?” He glanced between Xu Yang and Jin Lang. The latter pressed his lips together in silence, making Lu Qian even more suspicious.

Ye Qinghe looked at the drinks Jin Lang had brought over—Gin and Tonic, a White Russian, and a B-52 Bomber. The first two were ordinary choices, but the B-52 carried a deeper meaning.

“What happened earlier? Did someone order a B-52 to ‘bomb’ someone?” Ye Qinghe asked with amusement.

“What?” Lu Qian didn’t quite understand Ye Qinghe’s meaning, and Qi Shaobai also urged him to explain more clearly.

“It’s like this,” Ye Qinghe began. “You guys know about the language of flowers, right? For example, the cosmos flower symbolizes eternal happiness, lily of the valley means ‘happiness will return,’ and roses represent ‘I love you.’” He paused for a moment, playfully winking at Qi Shaobai, which made Xu Yang roll his eyes internally before Ye Qinghe continued.

“Similarly, some cocktails also have their own ‘drink language.’ Have you ever heard that you shouldn’t casually accept a Long Island Iced Tea from a stranger at a bar? That’s because, in cocktail language, Long Island Iced Tea means ‘Tonight, I want to take you home.’ If you accept it, the other person might assume you’re accepting their invitation.”

Ye Qinghe paused again, then pointed to the drinks on the table. “And this B-52 Bomber? Its meaning is ‘Get lost, stop bothering me.’ It’s commonly known as a ‘rebuttal drink.’ If someone you don’t like offers you a drink at a bar and you want to reject them, you can send them a B-52 Bomber in return to make your refusal clear.”

His in-depth knowledge of bar culture made Xu Yang regard him with newfound scrutiny.

This guy is definitely not as simple as Xiao Qi makes him out to be.

Lu Qian, meanwhile, felt something strange stir inside him after hearing Ye Qinghe’s explanation.

So… was Xu Yang right?

Did Jin Lang really get annoyed because the waiter got too close to him? Did he intentionally order a B-52 Bomber as a warning?

Why?

Would a straight guy even have this kind of possessiveness?

Xu Yang said he’d never seen it before. Neither have I.

Lu Qian looked at Jin Lang, who still seemed dazed. The corners of his lips slowly curled upward, and a faint, uncontrollable sweetness bubbled up inside him.

“Then what about this White Russian?” He pointed to his own drink and asked Jin Lang. “Does it have a meaning?”

Jin Lang slowly shook his head. He picked up the B-52 Bomber and took a sip, trying to calm himself down.

Since Jin Lang didn’t respond, Ye Qinghe answered for him. “The White Russian doesn’t have any special drink language. Actually, the B-52 Bomber and the White Russian taste quite similar. Both are made with coffee liqueur and vodka, but the Bomber also has Irish cream, whereas the White Russian is mixed with fresh cream instead.”

Oh!

Lu Qian suddenly recalled—he had mentioned wanting to drink a B-52 Bomber earlier, but Jin Lang hadn’t agreed. Instead, he ordered a cocktail with a similar flavor for him.

Lu Qian kept replaying Jin Lang’s actions in his mind.

But Jin Lang remained silent.

He was still in a daze, worried that his past as a shàoyé in a bar would be exposed.

But his concern wasn’t for himself.

When he had chosen this way of making money back then, he had already accepted that people would talk behind his back.

What he truly worried about was Lu Qian.

He was afraid that if people found out Lu Qian was involved with someone who used to be a host, it would ruin his reputation.

Jin Lang stole a glance at Lu Qian, wondering—

Has he realized it yet?

Does he realize that I might bring him trouble?

Will he start thinking… that he should keep his distance from me?

The more Jin Lang thought about it, the worse he felt. He took another swig of his drink.

At that moment, the two drinks Ye Qinghe had ordered arrived. Qi Shaobai, full of curiosity, eagerly asked, “Do these two drinks have a meaning too?”

“I ordered a ‘Kiss of the Night’ and an ‘Angel’s Kiss.’ If someone orders one of these drinks for another person, it implies an invitation for a kiss,” Ye Qinghe explained with a smile, gazing at Qi Shaobai. “And if both drinks appear together, it means…”

“Means what?” Qi Shaobai’s eyes widened with curiosity.

“It means they’re a couple’s drink,” Ye Qinghe said, looking at Qi Shaobai with deep affection, as if no one else existed around them.

“…”

Qi Shaobai’s smile grew slightly awkward. “Oh… is that so…?” He let out a dry chuckle.

He was starting to feel more and more troubled by Ye Qinghe’s increasingly blatant advances. While he did want to take their relationship seriously, hearing Ye Qinghe constantly say things like “love” and “like” so casually made it feel cheap.

The small round table fell into silence.

In that silence, Xu Yang, without a word, picked up the Angel’s Kiss that had been placed in front of Qi Shaobai and quietly drank it.

“…”

Ye Qinghe had just finished making a bold and romantic gesture toward Qi Shaobai, and not only did he receive no response, but now his drink had been stolen by that reckless fool!

What the hell is this situation?!

“Why did you drink my drink?!” Qi Shaobai finally reacted, completely dropping his usual gentle demeanor as he shouted at Xu Yang.

“I was thirsty,” Xu Yang shrugged, looking completely nonchalant and lazy.

“If you’re thirsty, drink your own damn drink!” Qi Shaobai was utterly shocked. Xu Yang was acting so inexplicably weird!

“Just now, Mr. Jiang said that giving someone this drink is an invitation for a kiss. Since I’m the one who paid for tonight’s drinks, I was worried you’d misunderstand and think I was inviting you for a kiss, so I had no choice but to drink it myself.” Xu Yang spoke with an innocent expression, then even licked his lips with the tip of his tongue. “It had a cherry in it. I don’t really like cherries.”

After hearing Xu Yang’s ridiculous excuse, Qi Shaobai was completely speechless.

In the end, all he could do was press his fingers against his forehead in exasperation and sigh.

“His last name is Ye. Ye Qinghe.”

Ye Qinghe was fuming. He pushed the other drink in front of Lu Qian and said, “These two drinks are meant for couples. Since Director Xu drank the Angel’s Kiss, then this Kiss of the Night should go to Mr. Lu. You two are a pair, aren’t you? After all, you were hugging so tightly earlier that we were too embarrassed to come over.”

Jin Lang, who had been lost in thought the whole time, suddenly snapped back to reality when he heard Ye Qinghe say that Lu Qian and Xu Yang were a couple. Before Lu Qian could respond, Jin Lang grabbed the drink and downed it in one go.

“…”

What the hell is going on now?! Ye Qinghe was once again in shock.

“They’re not a couple.” Jin Lang, after finishing the Kiss of the Night in one gulp, coldly clarified.

“Huh?” Ye Qinghe’s expression became complicated. “Oh, my bad. So… you’re actually Director Xu’s… boyfriend?” His face showed the awkward realization of someone who just caught another’s lover cheating.

“…”

The other four people at the table were completely baffled. What even is this mess?

“I was just thirsty.” Jin Lang added another sentence.

Thirsty again?

Qi Shaobai’s friends were really strange—getting thirsty at the drop of a hat and then randomly drinking other people’s alcohol. If they tried this in another bar, wouldn’t they get beaten up for it? Then again, they were already in public, and it wasn’t like he could fight them alone.

Xu Yang was about to call a server over again. “You guys should just order two new drinks.”

“No need, I want to go home.” Qi Shaobai said weakly.

Hearing Ye Qinghe bluntly say that Xu Yang and Lu Qian were a couple made his earlier irritation resurface. The sight of them hugging at the entrance flashed through his mind again, stirring up his frustration.

Suddenly, he wasn’t in the mood to sit around anymore. One moment, people at the table were at each other’s throats; the next, they were zoning out; then there were affectionate gestures, followed by sarcastic remarks. The constant back-and-forth was exhausting.

He’d rather go home and continue searching for rental listings in peace.

“You’re leaving already? You barely sat down, and you haven’t even had a drink.” Lu Qian was caught off guard.

“I’m a bit tired.” Qi Shaobai, usually so lively, now looked truly exhausted—like a little flower on the verge of wilting.

“Alright then, let’s go together. I want to head home too.” Xu Yang stood up and called for the server to settle the bill.

“…?”

Ye Qinghe was dumbfounded—and annoyed.

As the legitimate pursuer, he felt that he should be the one taking Qi Shaobai home.

He immediately stood up and locked eyes with Xu Yang. “Director Xu, I can take Bai Bai home. I drove here, and I haven’t had a single drink.”

Realizing his advantage, he beamed with satisfaction.

“Oh? Alright then. I didn’t drive today anyway, so I’ll trouble you to give me a ride as well. Xiao Qi and I will be in your care. Thanks.” Xu Yang flashed a charming smile, effortlessly turning the rightful pursuer into a mere chauffeur with just a few words.

“You…”

Ye Qinghe was so angry that he couldn’t even speak.

Qi Shaobai let out a sigh and stood up as well. He patted Ye Qinghe’s shoulder and said tactfully, “Sorry, I really am tired today. If it’s inconvenient for you, I can just take a taxi home.”

“It’s not inconvenient at all. Let’s go.”

Ye Qinghe barely managed to maintain his composure. With what little dignity he had left, he bid farewell to Lu Qian and Jin Lang before heading toward the door.

“Qian-ge, Xiao Lang, I’m heading out first. Let’s meet up another time.”

Qi Shaobai waved at them and followed Ye Qinghe, deliberately avoiding any glance in Xu Yang’s direction.

Xu Yang, however, didn’t mind at all. He casually bid Lu Qian goodbye before leisurely strolling behind them, shamelessly hitching a ride.

At the booth, only Lu Qian and Jin Lang remained.

(To be continued…)