TLLKTBD CH 10

Chapter 10: Don’t Be Angry, Dad.

Jin Lang slept until the sun was high in the sky. He blinked drowsily, momentarily unsure of where he was. Sunlight filtered through the white gauze curtains, brightening the room without being harsh. The air was warm and dry—completely different from his own dark, damp room that carried a faint moldy smell. He squinted and took a deep breath of the fresh air tinged with a subtle woody fragrance. It had been a long time since he had woken up feeling so comfortable.

Lazily, he remained in bed, unwilling to get up. He rolled over twice before his brain suddenly sounded an alarm.

Oh no!

He had actually allowed himself to sleep so soundly! Frantically, he grabbed his phone and checked the time—10:30 AM. Yesterday had been exhausting—so much so that he had forgotten to set an alarm. He had no idea if his sponsor would be angry.

Without bothering to brush his teeth or wash his face, he rushed out of the room, shouting, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I overslept!”

The only response was silence.

There was no one outside the room. Jin Lang scratched his messy bedhead, only then remembering—his sponsor still had work to do. He had probably left early in the morning.

His gaze swept across the dining table, where he saw that Lu Qian had even left a sandwich for him.

This is only my second day here, and the sponsor has already taken care of me twice. Jin Lang felt a little embarrassed.

He shuffled back to his room, taking his time to wash up and get dressed while mentally planning out his day.

First, he needed to take care of his mother’s situation.

When it came to Su Lin, he felt nothing but anger and helplessness. Every time she got into trouble, she swore it would be the last time. And every time, he swore it would be the last time he helped her. Yet, time and time again, his life was thrown into chaos, while she sank deeper and deeper.

Like before, he told himself that this would truly be the last time.

After all, he had already sold himself.

If there was a next time, the only thing left to give would be his life.

Jin Lang picked up his phone, made a call, and arranged a time and place. Then, sandwich in hand, he headed out.

As usual, he had agreed to meet Brother Qiang at their usual spot—an abandoned work shed in a remote area. Inside the shed, there was a broken table, a few battered chairs, and a filthy, tattered spring bed. According to past experience, his mother was most likely tied up on that dirty bed.

His mother had once been a beautiful woman. Back then, the three of them—his father, his mother, and him—had lived together happily.

But everything changed when he was in his second year of middle school. His father died in a car accident while on a business trip.

His mother had been devastated, almost driven insane by grief.

Later, he found out that at first, she had mourned because of his father’s death.

But what had truly shattered her was the truth she discovered afterward—his father hadn’t died on a work trip.

He had taken a few days off from work and gone on a getaway with his mistress.

That was when the accident happened.

Because it wasn’t a work-related death, there was no compensation money. And the truck driver responsible simply shrugged and claimed he had no money, washing his hands of the matter.

His mother had been left to deal with the betrayal of her husband and the crushing weight of financial burden all on her own.

Eventually, she broke.

She drowned herself in alcohol to numb the pain. Then she began to sleep around, taking money from different men.

It would be more accurate to say she was punishing his dead father rather than trying to support her child.

Su Lin indulged in debauchery night after night, waking up in the arms of a different man every day. At first, she at least went out to book a hotel room. But soon, she didn’t even bother anymore—she started bringing men home.

Jin Lang, a teenager in the middle of puberty, had to listen to his own mother moaning under different men every night.

At first, he didn’t understand what was happening.

He thought his mother was being hurt.

He had kicked down her bedroom door in a frenzy—

Only to be greeted by the sight of two naked, entwined bodies, moving in sync.

He stood frozen in the doorway.

No one stopped.

No one felt ashamed.

No one—except him.

He remained rooted in place until they finished.

The man turned to look at him, spat on the floor beside his feet, muttered something crude, and left.

And his mother?

She didn’t even spare him a glance. She simply draped a bathrobe over herself and walked past him into the bathroom to wash up.

Disgusting.

This was his very first impression of what happened between men and women.

Absolutely disgusting.

Not long after that, he moved out.

Lying about his age, he worked wherever he could and supported himself.

Just as he was beginning to forget the painful past, just as he thought his life was finally looking up—

That woman appeared again.

She was haggard, hunched over, looking ten years older than she actually was.

He almost didn’t recognize her.

But she was there.

She told him she was in debt, that she had nowhere else to go. She begged for his help.

Jin Lang was furious at her shamelessness.

But he still couldn’t bring himself to abandon her.

And so, he fell into an unending nightmare—she racked up debt, and he paid it off.

There was no waking up from it.

Jin Lang stood outside the work shed, forcing himself to stop thinking about the past. He took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and stepped inside.

Compared to the bright sun outside, the interior of the shed was dim. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust before he finally saw his mother lying on the ground, covered in bruises.

He resisted the urge to check her injuries. He knew she was still alive—these people wouldn’t kill her so quickly.

A dark thought whispered in his mind—if she really did die, would he finally be free?

Every time he saw her so badly beaten, he didn’t know whether to feel relieved or regretful.

He hated himself for having such an unfilial thought.

Yet, deep down, he couldn’t stop longing for an end.

To her suffering.

Or to his own.

Inside the shed, several vulgar men were either sitting or standing, waiting for him.

The moment he arrived, Wang Shiqiang spoke up.

“Where’s the money? Did you bring it?”

Jin Lang nodded and handed over a check.

Wang Shiqiang took it, examined it closely, and grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth.

“Not bad! You’re really capable, huh? As expected of a gigolo. Handsome guys like you sure have it easy—get to sleep with women and make money off of it. So? How many women did you sleep with this time?” He chuckled before adding, “Oh wait, I should say—how many women slept with you?”

Another thug snickered. “Boss, his club specializes in male clients.”

Wang Shiqiang raised a brow. “Oh? Men? Then how about you serve me sometime too? Let’s see how good your skills really are.”

The group erupted into laughter, spewing vulgar jokes one after another.

Jin Lang kept his head down, silent. His fists clenched and relaxed at his sides.

He let them humiliate him.

Wang Shiqiang had seen this boy come to pay his mother’s debts many times before.

He knew Jin Lang wouldn’t react, no matter how much they provoked him.

At first, he found it amusing to taunt him, but after a few times, it got boring.

Still, one day, he thought, he’d make this boy moan and beg under him.

Then he’d see if Jin Lang could still act so indifferent.

For now, though—getting the money was the priority.

Qiang-ge’s face was dark, his lips curled into a cold sneer. A filthy yet intensely erotic scene from his memories refused to fade. How thrilling! More than ten years had passed, yet instead of forgetting, his obsession had only deepened. And after meeting Jin Lang again, his desire to dominate grew even stronger.

One day, I’ll make him mine. I wonder how that quiet, restrained boy would sound when moaning.

Wang Shiqiang waved his hand, signaling his men to quiet down. Then, he said cheerfully, “Thanks for your two million. You can take your mother and go now. See you next time.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the group burst into laughter, repeatedly bidding Jin Lang farewell as if they had just closed a big business deal.

Hearing how readily Qiang-ge agreed to release them this time, Jin Lang couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly helped the woman on the ground to her feet and left the shack.

As soon as they stepped outside, the harsh sunlight made Jin Lang squint, but the brightness seemed to rouse the woman from her daze. The mother and son stood in silence. Jin Lang stiffly offered to take her to the hospital, but she refused just as firmly, insisting on going on her own. He didn’t stop her. It was always like this anyway—they were used to it.

But this time, something felt different.

Watching the woman’s retreating figure, Jin Lang couldn’t hold back and spoke up, “This is really the last time. I won’t be able to give you any more money. Please take care of yourself. If this happens again, I’ll go straight to the police.”

The woman paused for a moment but, in the end, left without looking back.

By the time Jin Lang returned to the city, it was already close to four in the afternoon. It was Friday, which meant he would be spending the next two days with his financial backer. The thought made him uneasy.

Well, whatever. First, he needed to buy groceries so he could properly serve his benefactor.

Jin Lang entered the supermarket, recalling that Jin Xiaomi had mentioned Lu Qian’s weak stomach. Spicy food was out of the question for now. He’d ask Lu Qian about his dietary preferences later—right now, he’d just decide on his own.

Flipping through recipes on his phone, he roughly planned out the dishes for tonight and the upcoming weekend. Then, he swiftly gathered everything he needed and headed to the checkout counter.

When he pulled out the card Lu Qian had given him, he felt a bit awkward, as if someone might notice he was using another person’s money. Keeping his head down, he nervously waited. Only when the cashier returned the card with a polite smile did he finally exhale in relief.

I’m not greedy for his money. I’m buying groceries to cook for him.

He kept repeating those words in his heart.

Once home, Jin Lang followed Lu Qian’s instructions and took a quick shower before diving straight into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

For tonight’s menu, he decided on sweet and sour pork ribs with a tangy kick, silky fish-flavored tofu, a simple stir-fried vegetable dish, and a nourishing yam and chicken soup. It was more than enough for a two-person meal.

That morning, before heading out, he had checked Lu Qian’s kitchen. To his surprise, it was fully stocked with pots, pans, and seasonings—everything a home cook could need. It seemed Lu Qian wasn’t completely unfamiliar with cooking.

But then… why was the fridge practically empty?

As he massaged the marinade into the ribs with his slender fingers, Jin Lang found himself wondering about Lu Qian’s past. His thoughts drifted until they strayed further than intended.

He remembered his old home. Back then, his mother was gentle and often cooked for them. She always said that cooking for someone you loved was a source of happiness. When his father returned from work, his eyes would light up as he shouted about how good the food smelled and praised his wife’s cooking.

His father used to follow his mother around the kitchen, sneaking bites here and there, sometimes stealing a kiss. His mother would blush and scold him softly.

Back then, their home was filled with happiness.

But later, his mother never blushed while cooking again.

He had gotten used to eating takeout alone.

And later still, he moved out and started working. His first job was as a dishwasher. There was an opportunity to work as a kitchen assistant, and the head chef, seeing how quick and diligent he was, took him under his wing and taught him many recipes.

Unfortunately, he never got the chance to cook for his father again.

That car accident had taken everything away.

He never believed his father had cheated.

His father, who always smiled and shone so brightly, could never have had room in his heart for another.

If Dad knew how much Mom had changed, would he be sad?

If Dad knew that the person I’m cooking for now isn’t someone I love, but… would he be angry?

Please don’t be angry, Dad.

A dull ache spread through Jin Lang’s chest.

He missed his father.

(To be continued…)