LBOT-22

“Wow. Fuck. It’s so big even when I look at it again.”

Wang Haoxuan looked at the swimming pool from the living room on the second floor and said something whether it was an insult or admiration.

In the yard, the staff was filling the finished swimming pool with water. The color of the tile was also cobalt blue, so just looking at it made his eyes feel refreshed.

Haoxuan turned around and approached Zhan. He was dressed in a neat black suit today and his hair was also waxed and pushed back.

Zhan hates to say this, but he looked more like Wang Yibo when he dressed up like this.

“Hurry up and get dressed. Let’s go together.”

Haoxuan asked to go to the funeral together.

Wen Chao’s factory exploded a few days ago, killing his subordinates, including his younger brother, and causing an uproar.

It appeared on TV news once, but when asked if he had seen it, Zhan simply shook his head.

Even though people died in this way, it was not widely reported in newspapers or on tv news.

Due to the investigation, the body could not be collected for a few days, so the funeral was only held today.

The investigation was also just a talk that was used to cover up before moving on.

“How can one person beat them up like that? The dead had all had their heads blown off and their brains spilled out.”

Zhan, who was listening, frowned and expressed disgust.

“That’s terrible…”

“They said it was a one-shot, one-kill.”

Haoxuan pretended to shoot a gun in the air. Paang, paang, paang, then aim it at Zhan.

Look at his shooting form. Go to the army, you bastard.

“Raise your hand.”

“It’s not funny… stop it.”

Haoxuan straightened his posture and chuckled.

“I’d never do it. Getting shot with a gun like an idiot. Isn’t that pathetic?”

Just looking at Haoxuan’s expression, he looked like someone going to a celebration party, not a funeral.

Unsurprisingly, Zhan discovered Wen Chao had a hostile relationship with his younger brother. There was a reason he was saved as a bastard rather than a name on his dead younger brother’s phone.

“Maybe after the funeral, Wen Chao will have a party right away?”

“Isn’t his brother just dead?”

“I know. I’ll do the same thing when Director Wang dies.”

Haoxuan gritted his teeth.

There must be a lot of things piled up. The scar on his temple was much lighter than when he first saw it. Zhan heard Wang Yibo stab it with an awl. Yibo felt much intention to kill, but he didn’t kill him.

“I’m just saying, just in case… You aren’t going to tell this to Director Wang, right?”

Even after insulting Wang Yibo, he was scared and made sure to check.

“I will not… We’re not that close.”

“Right? You two have completely different personalities, and you can’t get to know each other.”

Still, Haoxuan was proud of the fact that he thought Zhan was closer to him than Wang Yibo. He wanted to tell him that his mental distance might be closer to him, but not physically.

Zhan said that he and Wang Yibo had already eaten together once. Of course, he wanted to add that it was absolutely not because he liked it.

===

Zhan thought it would be a hospital because it was said to be a funeral, but it was a fairly large temple.

There were black cars outside the temple, and people in black clothes were crowded inside. Hundreds of people seemed to have gathered. Most of the incoming cars moved together.

People who got out of the car climbed the stairs and moved to the top where the incense burner was prepared.

There were people pretending to know each other as he walked with Haoxuan. Most people usually asked about their father’s well-being.

He could smell the incense as he got closer to the incense burner. Wen Chao was greeting people in the hall while wearing a chief mourner armband.

Zhan followed Haoxuan inside after taking off his shoes.

The man in the photo, surrounded by white chrysanthemums, is the man Zhan shot a few days ago.

Following the stone pillars, he made incense and bowed, praying that he should not go to a good place.

They say that bastards like him should not be born and should spend the rest of their lives in hell in order for the world to be at peace.

“Thank you. for coming all the way here.”

Wen Chao held out his hand to Zhan. There was no trace of sadness on his face.

Zhan took his hand and expressed his condolences.

“You must be sad…”

Wen Chao smiled and lowered his voice.

“No. Not really.”

This guy was also pretty shitty. He tried to smile, but the entrance was getting noisy.

Zhan thought there was commotion because someone had arrived, but it was Wang Yibo. Next to him was Li Bowen.

People’s attention was immediately drawn to him when he appeared.

People who had been eating here and there put down their spoons and went to greet him, bowing their backs and pretending to know each other.

Even the elderly bowed in front of Wang Yibo. Even though he was among many people, his presence was clear.

Xiao Zhan seemed to understand why Wang ShenHai was afraid of his son.

Wang Yibo smiled kindly. Seeing this, Haoxuan quietly cursed from the side.

“Fuck… Even from a distance, he looks disgusting…”

Wen Chao also helped.

“Hey. Don’t let him come. I’m trying to focus on eating.”

A man then approached Wang Yibo. The white-haired man was wearing the same armband as Wen Chao.

Because he saw him from behind, Zhan couldn’t see his face very well. Zhan kept a close eye on the man.

Yibo was comforting him by holding his hand. He had a sad expression on his face as well. His acting skills were amazing. He was better than him.

Wang Yibo approached after the conversation.

When the middle-aged man who was holding hands turned around and revealed his face, Zhan’s eyes widened.

That’s him.

The man who gave his parents drugs.

The man who came to his house frequently and played with his mother.

The man came wielding a golf stick, claiming that his father stole drugs.

And the man who tried to kill the young Xiao Zhan.

His gray hair was sparse after 15 years, but his face hadn’t changed much. The man went around the table again, greeting everyone.

Haoxuan was taken aback and reached out to touch Zhan, who was standing blankly.

“Xuanyu, let’s go.”

But Haoxuan was one step late. Wang Yibo was right in front of him before he even put on his shoes.

Wang Yibo put his hands in his pants pockets, raised his chin slightly, and looked dissatisfiedly at the two.

Zhan became aware of the stinging gaze just eventually. Haoxuan’s fear seemed to be noticeable all the way here.

Wang Yibo hasn’t even given him permission to go out for the first time since the shooting accident.

“Why did our two young masters come here?”

“Brother. I… I’m trying to comfort Wen,Wen Chao…”

Yibo’s gaze shifted from Haoxuan to Zhan.

“What about Xuanyu?”

Zhan looked at Haoxuan. He came because Wang Haoxuan asked him to go together, but his purpose for coming here was to check Wen Chao’s face and his family.

“Me too… I, I want to comfort him too…”

“Who?”

Yibo asked, and Zhan quickly turned his head to look at Wen Chao.

Wen Chao was welcoming other mourners who had just entered the hall.

“There… It’s him…”

Wang Yibo’s eyes became cold.

“Were you that close?”

“I’m not close… When a person is sad… We have to share the pain together… That’s how I learned…”

One of Wang Yibo’s eyebrows rises crookedly.

Then Zhan noticed a small scratch on the top of Yibo eyebrow. He couldn’t see his face in the house for two days, so it seemed he went somewhere and had a fight.

“Who is this? It’s Haoxuan.”

Wen Chao’s father, whom he had seen a while ago, appeared unexpectedly. He appeared tired up close.

His face was shadowed, his eyes were deep, and on the other hand, Zhan was angry.

Wang Yibo entered the hall after looking at Zhan. He intended to escape during this time, but Wen Chao’s father called to him.

“Who is this friend…?”

“My name is Mo Xuanyu… I’m from Singapore.”

“Oh, I see. Thank you for coming.”

The man held out his hand. It was the hand that rubbed his mother’s breasts and slapped his cheeks when he was young. If possible, Zhan wanted to cut it right off the spot.

But he politely reached out and grabbed his hand.

“You must be sad… I hope your son goes to a good place.”

He patted Zhan’s hand.

“Thank you. Your little friend is considerate.”

Zhan lowered his gaze, hoping that his anger at the man would not be revealed.

The man who let go of his hand then tilted his head and stared at Zhan.

“We… Have we ever met?”

“It’s my first time to meet you…”

The man laughed.

“Right. You’re so handsome, and I wouldn’t forget you if I have meet you.”

The mean appearance he had in the past was nowhere to be seen, and now he was just a father who lost his child and fell into a sense of loss.

Since the man came, he told him to eat and go, and then went into the hall.

Zhan and Haoxuan quickly went down before Yibo came out. Haoxuan lowered his voice and leaned closer to Zhan.

“Let’s eat somewhere else. I’m going to have an upset stomach if I eat here.”

Zhan agreed. As he hurried his steps, he heard Wang Yibo’s voice from behind.

“Xuanyu.”

Haoxuan stopped, closed his eyes tightly, and cursed quietly.

Zhan turned around and Wang Yibo approached them.

“If you’re on your way home, take my car.”

He spoke politely, but his eyes were fierce.

“I can go with Haoxuan… ”

His gaze shifted to the side and focused on Haoxuan. “Right?”

Haoxuan, unsurprisingly, has already taken a step back. He said he had forgotten about an appointment and worried Wang Yibo would become angry, so he bid him farewell with a bent waist and then jumped out.

Zhan sighed quietly. Ha, that bastard…

===

The night sky was covered with dark clouds as if it were about to rain, and the wind was quite chilly.

Zhan took a look at the alcohol and snacks that had been left on the table by the staff.

The sweet peach-scented cocktail probably belonged to Zhan. And the strong liquor must be Wang Yibo.

While looking out at the pool, he took a piece of ice from the ice bucket and placed it on the palm of his hand.

The color of the pool’s water has changed in many ways because of the lighting coming up from the floor. And soft music was playing from the speaker next to it.

Throwing ice into the pool produces a fondant-like sound. It was fun, so he threw a few more and stood up.

He put his hand in the water and it was still cold. He pulled out his hands and walked around the pool.

Wang Yibo suggested that they go home and have dinner and then play in the pool.

Xiao Zhan refused, saying he didn’t like it, but Yibo didn’t even pretend to listen. He had found the USB anyway, there was no reason to stick around him on purpose.

However, Zhan thought that if he refused more, Yibo would be teased, so he decided to come out and pretend to be sitting.

Zhan took a seat on the sunbeds and took a sip of the cocktails brought by the staff. It tasted like a non-alcoholic drink. He didn’t like sweet things, but the taste was just okay.

After emptying about half a cup, he picked up the snacks that were served.

A mosquito flew in and landed on his arm while he was eating snacks. He slapped it and made a loud sound. He brushed it off with a frown.

He had seen the repellent work a few days before, but because the area was surrounded by a forest, it was always infested with moths and insects.

“You don’t swim?”

A man in a dark blue robe approached, but he didn’t recognize him at first.

Wang Yibo came out from the shower with his hair down and covering his brow.

It was the first time Zhan had seen him like this since he arrived, and he appeared much younger. He didn’t appear to be under 30 though…

“How was the cocktail? The bartender made it himself.”

He hired a bartender today to eat this.

“If there’s anything you want, he’ll make it for you.”

Zhan didn’t drink much anyway, so two or three glasses were the limit.

While savoring the taste, Wang Yibo turned and took off his gown.

While picking up cherries from the cocktail glass, Zhan’s gaze reached his back and stared at him. A truly flawless body.

There was no fat and the muscle was dense. The shoulders were broad, and the proportions were amazing.

It was quite surprising that Yibo didn’t have a tattoo on his back. Zhan thought he was going to have at least one dragon tattoo.

Zhan put the cherry in his mouth, and Yibo turned around.

Zhan’s eyes widened. He almost spits the cherry in his mouth. He wanted to ask him what he put in his underwear.

Wang Yibo walked over and grabbed a glass of wine.

“Cheers.”

Standing close and holding out a glass, the front of his triangular swimsuit underwear was quite bulging.

Zhan wondered if it was an erection or if it was always like that even when he wasn’t erect. It was difficult to keep a straight face.

Zhan’s upper body slowly receded back without realizing it.

“Would you like some?”

Yibo grabbed the cherry from his glass and held it out to Zhan, who looked up in surprise.

“You seemed to like it.”

Fuck… Yibo spoke to him while Zhan was looking down.

He wished he could go swimming or sit down for a while. He was confused as to why this man was doing this right in front of his face.

Turning his back made him look conscious, and remaining in this position annoyed him.

“Why do you keep stealing a glance at my dick?”

It was both shocking and embarrassing.

When Zhan looked at him, Yibo smiled and picked up a glass.

“I didn’t glance at it… Because it’s sticking out like that in front of me… ”

“It must be an optical illusion. It looks like it’s been sticking out even though it’s not. Because it’s so big.”

“…”

Actually, when Zhan went to bed last night, he was thinking about Wang Yibo.

Zhan felt a bit sorry for Yibo because he had lost his mother when he was young and had to be killed by his father as he grew older.

However, this human snout has the talent to blow it away. Even if he died, he was a scumbag.

Yibo turned around, set down his glass, and went to the pool.

The combination of the trickling water and crying bugs was pleasing.

Zhan sat on the sunbed and stared at Yibo. His soaked muscles shimmered even more in the light.

He felt like a different person today with his hair down. He jumped right into the water. When he swam to the end of the pool, he looked more like a dolphin than a human.

He wasn’t joking when he said he was good at swimming. He made a powerful turn in front of the wall and didn’t come out of the water until he was back in the first place.

Yibo soared out of the water and wiped his wet hair, then smiled brightly at Zhan.

Zhan couldn’t even blink and was stunned for a moment at the sight. Handsome. So fucking handsome.

Zhan belatedly came to his senses and looked away.

Wang Yibo walked out of the pool, grabbed a gown, and put it on. He opened his mouth and cursed while biting his lower lip.

“Fuck. It’s so cold.”

Zhan, who was drinking the cocktail, was having difficulty suppressing his laughter.

Yibo wondered when Zhan would take off his clothes.

Zhan sat there with a cold expression on his face even after Yibo went into the cold water.

Yibo smiled and turned his head to the side before coming to the front and sitting.

“Is it funny?”

Zhan shook his head. But the laughter didn’t stop once it started. He didn’t laugh out loud, but Wang Yibo’s appearance a while ago was too human.

Zhan bit his lower lip, but his cheeks continued to twitch. He couldn’t help himself, so he buried his face between his legs.

“You’re laughing.”

Zhan, who had his face buried between his legs, slowly lifted his head.

“You really laughed for the first time.”

Zhan felt as if he had been struck. Wang Yibo held a glass of wine in his hand as he gazed at the calm pool.

The sound of insects was especially loud because they both remained silent.

Yibo called the staff after finishing the cocktail. The staff brought the next cocktail. It was as if the universe was contained within the glass.

Zhan shook the glass and looked inside amazedly.

“Don’t you miss your Mom?”

Yibo sounded like he was asking a child a question.

Zhan shook his head at the sudden question about his mother.

“We talked on the phone every day, so it’s okay…”

“How does it feel?”

“What?”

“Having a mother.”

Zhan didn’t answer. How does it feel?

“It’s good…”

He was confused as to why Wang Yibo was asking such a question. Zhan was aware of Yibo’s mother’s death. She hung herself from the second-floor balcony railing.

Zhan pondered why she would kill herself. He didn’t think a wealthy wife would have any problems.

The pleasant sound of grasshoppers had become pathetic.

Wang Yibo, who was staring indifferently at the calm surface of the swimming pool, spoke up.

“When I look at the pool, I think of my deceased mother.”

Wang Yibo first time brings up the story of his mother.

“You must have swam with your mother when you were young…”

“No. She tried to kill me by drowning me in the pool.”

“…”

“And after a while, she hanged herself and died.”

“…”

Yibo frowned as he drank the rest of his drink. He then returned his gaze to Zhan.

“I understand. It must have been terrifying to live with a man you don’t like and have a child like me.”

For a moment, Zhan didn’t know what to say.

After a long silence, Wang Yibo looked up at the sky and muttered. “Oh, I miss my mom.”

What’s the matter with him… In the sudden serious atmosphere, Zhan was at a loss for words.

Wang Yibo turned his head and looked at Zhan.

“I wish someone comforted me.”

He looked at Zhan intently, but there was not a trace of sadness in his eyes.

“I want to be comforted, Xuanyu.”

He held out his hand with a gloomy expression, like a dog in the rain, which didn’t suit him. He didn’t even look pitiful, but rather frightening.