CH 64.3

When the two people holding their hands with the brilliant mood of the People’s Peaceful Empire in their minds arrive at the familiar restaurant, Murong Jihua can just feel it – the familiarity of home.

The usual big grey tent, usual desertedness, usual looking-empty-but-is-actually-throwing-a-riot-inside, one of the main bases of the Jünle Gang.

(Please refer to Chapter 45)

… Some suddenly ‘previously on’ just popped up in his mind, which makes Murong Jihua shudder uncontrollably.

Murong Jihua asks with his eyes, “can I go in?”

He Jünle raises his brow to answer, “what do you think?”

Thus, Murong Jihua, pulling He Jünle tight with one hand, lifts the heavy curtains at the entrance open with the other.

“Excuse us everyone, I came back with your bos­──”

“Come come come! Bet on one or the other, no stakes barred! Come place your bets, don’t miss this round!”

“Our topic this round──Does ge-fu and boss have a top-reversal waiting down the line? Here, here, yeses over here, noes over here!”

“Yes, obviously! How could our high and mighty boss ever stay on the bottom forever? Five thousand!”

“I disagree. That Murong boy is definitely not a force to be trifled with. He must have something to him that makes even boss acknowledge and submit. I’ll bet no, ten thousand!”

“Yes! Twenty thousand!”

“No! Four Thousand!”

“…”

Murong Jihua lets the curtains back down.

“He Jünle, let’s go elsewhere instead.”

Of course, Murong Jihua knows the weight of the phrase ‘a man in Jianghu has things he always has to do.’

They’re in.

A second later, Murong Jihua and He Jünle, the two who captures everyone’s gaze everywhere, have been welcomed and shoved along all the way to the gambling table by the overly passionate Jünle Gang members.

Along the way, Murong Jihua ended back up as the way he was the first day he came to the Gang –

Lacy bunny ears, flower crown, finger-thick gold chain, high-class powdery tattoo sticker, and a golden leopard patterned coat.

Murong Jihua “…

… Exquisite, as expected of presents from my man’s bros.”

Xüeru looks hardly able to contain her excitement, hopping over to wrap herself tightly around He Jünle’s arms, acting cute to say,

“I knew it~ Gege is the best~ You came when I asked! Now gege, come tell us the results of the bet, please? The bros all bet a lot of money and are looking forward to them winning.”

He Jünle rubs the head of Xüeru with a warm gaze, saying, “alright.”

?!?!

You smell like her perfume~

To embarrass yourself for her and be intoxicated for her~ (TL: Lyrics from the song ‘Toxic Perfume‘ by Hu Yanglin)

This gamble is practically a public execution by shame, my Le-gege!

He Jünle turns to smile at Murong Jihua, asking, “Murong, what’s wrong? You look pale.”

Murong Jihua answers, “I’m fine. I’m honoured to be of entertainment services to boss He’s brothers.”

Table one – Do you think it was boss who led their first time?

Ratio of Yes/No – 8:2

Murong Jihua “…”

Murong Jihua comments, “I really want to know what kind of typical weak Top impression they currently have of me…?”

He Jünle just sits high on top of his desk, sipping his coffee, keeping all the glittering gazes in front of the gambling desk at least five metres away from him.

He uses his finger to toy with the waft of smoke rising from the cup, nonchalantly saying,

“Murong, the answer. Let’s not starve the brats.”

Murong Jihua’s gaze keeps spinning about the gambling table, before honestly replying, “no.”

… The first time it was──No, it should have been──no, it was,

Was the shaoye leading him the whole way!

──The shaoye was the one to lunge at him and also refuse the young man being the top and──

Basically, it was this shaoye who made the first and all the moves after that.

Murong Jihua gives himself as many as 10086 likes inside.

Murong Jihua, what a real man.

・

“The… the fuck?! My thirty-thousand dollars have gone to waste?!”

“For real?!”

“Hahaha I placed my bet in the wrong place and now I got free money!”

“Damn, ge-fu was the one who led the act?!”

Everyone casts their desperate gazes at their last hope.

He Jünle then glances to the side, where Murong Jihua has a look that just screams ‘praise me.’

“…”

He brushes the mess of hair on his forehead away, and says in agreement, “… your ge-fu was right.”

All present are tearing up, alongside a few sly chuckles from those whose misfortune turned into big money.

Table two – Do you think ge-fu’s technique is good?

…

What a good question! What a terribly depressing question!

They say it is tainted because it ascends through the dirt, especially suggestive after washing in clean water (TL: A twisted version of a sentence from ‘Treatise on My Love of Lotuses’ penned by author Zhou Dunyi).

Which silly sausage suggested this gamble? Come get your deserved beating!

Murong Jihua is almost too shy to check out He Jünle’s looks right now.

He still has preservation instincts for his pride as a man, you see.

What is more disheartening, is that… the ratio of the yeses and noes is at 50:50?!

Oh man, you guys really did have such high expectations for him, huh?! Oh, how it must hurt to reveal the truth now!

Murong Jihua is wallowing in regret as he comes to a profound realisation –

Never commit to any important decisions at night.

­──Xüeru, my girl, the shaoye should never have accepted to come, and you should’ve mentioned how colourful the questions were!

(TL: The author numbered wrong, not me)

This round is much quieter as everyone is just pointing their widened eyes right at the ge-fu, i.e. Murong Jihua, whose hair is standing on end already. His lips tremble for minutes on end without being able to produce a ‘no.’

He Jünle really is such a sweetheart.

While Murong Jihua is still mulling over it, you will see his lips perk up slightly, revealing a teasing smile,

Then, one, word, each, loudly.

“He? Ho.”

Two characters, so simple, but enough to destroy the whole world.

His slightly upraised intonation, a very generously round and bulbous question mark, and a simple, decisive period, all are powerful signs of the domineeringness in the response unlike that of a bottom.

Murong Jihua really feels like singing a verse from ‘Four Corners of the Nation’ – ‘You are mine, a companion in love and hate solely belonging to me.’

──Lele, why are you so direct?!

For three seconds, the crowd is silent.

Then, a very mystifying scene plays out –

No matter whether they won or lost the bet, they won or lost money,

They are all holding in an almost distorted laughter in their strained necks.

This Operation ‘out-the-Closet,’

Thinks Murong Jihua, keeping his hand close to his chest, resembling a suffocating person,

‘Really is too tiring, you know?!’

Though when He Jünle puts his hand on Murong Jihua’s head, besides feeling frustrated, he is also quickly overwhelmed by other emotions.

“Quiet, you all,”

Is the domineering and frankly rude order coming forth.

Everyone falls silent with slightly stupid expressions.

“It is true that his technique is nothing worthy of praise, but I will teach him well,” He Jünle pauses, before tilting his head to add, “jokes aside, if anyone dares to talk shit about your ge-fu’s technique, do not blame your big brother here for punishing his own family.”

Oh fuck me, he’s exuding such a top aura!

? No, I mean, stop smiling yourself if you don’t want your bros to laugh at the shaoye?!

Do you know how much it hurts, Le-gege?

No please, like, don’t go spray your top-dog alpha hormones everywhere whenever, ok? It’s really tough pressure when he’s unable to act more toppish!

He Jünle, standing besides Murong Jihua, winks his left eye at him, asking, “wanna keep going?”

“…”

“Ho, hahaha…”

Murong Jihua also stands up, stuffing his tall glass into He Jünle’s hand, and pours a waterfall of alcohol into his cup until it overflows.

“Of course we keep going, why not?”

He then raises the glass to literally smack into He Jünle’s glass, shaking them both, asking, “time to cross our drinks first?” (TL: In Chinese culture, newly wed couples would pour beer and drink them while crossing each other’s arms as part of the ceremony)

They did.

The mood fires up again.