Don’t Be a Kept Man

Chapter 31: The Climactic Scene Where Enemies Finally Face Off

This makes the people who hear it both happy and miffed.

Huo Ming Chen let go of his shirt collar and said as he pouted, 

“It’s not that I never gave you money, you just didn’t want it yourself.
Don’t always try to put the blame on me.
And…… you’ve slept with me so many times, did I ask you for a single penny?”

The ending words suddenly lowered in volume, and adding in his smiling eyes, the atmosphere slowly started to get heated up.

Lu Qi reached out, wanting to cover his mouth but he was too slow.
Instead, Huo Ming Chen was faster and grabbed him by the wrist to pull him up, 

“Let’s go.
There’s too many people here.
I’ll take you for a drive.”

Lu Qi felt like he was somehow the weaker one today.
This entire time he was being led around by the nose by Huo Ming Chen.
He tried to fight the hold off but found that the other’s strength was too strong and could only give up.

As soon as he sat in the car, he was undoubtedly met with Huo Ming Chen’s mocking laughter, 

“As if your itsy bitsy tiny body could fight me.”

Hearing this, Lu Qi smiled fakely at Huo Ming Chen’s clear eyes that could only see a line between good and evil in the world, as if to laugh at his childish ignorance.
He took a look at his phone, asking offhandedly, 

“Do you want to try what it feels like to not get out of bed for three days?”

Huo Ming Chen:”……” 

He fucking wants to but is also fucking scared.

Lu Qi’s fighting skills were terrible, but that does not mean that his skills in bed were.
Huo Ming Chen could only win over with words, but when Lu Qi is ruthless enough, he could roll them around the bed sheets until Huo Ming Chen is crying for his father and his mother, or even his ancestors.

Seeing the arrogant one suddenly not uttering a sound, the corners of his mouth tugged up imperceptibly.
He rolled down the car window a little bit, letting the slight breeze mess up his hair as he leaned back with a carefree expression.

Huo Ming Chen glanced at him from the side, while paying attention to the road up front as well as the setting sun.
He spoke up randomly and said, 

“You like wearing light colored clothes, like places that are quiet, like watching movies especially comedies, like to eat your favorite foods which are food made with glutinous rice, like to listen to songs, your favorite being classical, for weather you love light rain, and your favourite thing is money……”

Hearing this spiel, Lu Qi suddenly opened his eyes with surprise flashing in them.
He could only hear the person beside him continue to ask, 

“Did I get them all right?”

Huo Ming Chen smirked, as if pleased at guessing the likes and loves of Lu Qi so correctly.
Lu Qi did not speak, feeling a bit helpless at all his cards being laid open.

The sky was tinted a bright orange red by the setting sun, with a gradient going from red to purple.
The heavily layered clouds in the silence set a feeling of an expansive, unending world before them.
The car was still driving forward, approaching closer and closer to the sky as if they could touch them if they just reached out with their hands.

As he slowly straightened up his body in his seat Lu Qi said, 

“What’s the point in saying it all correctly? I don’t have a prize to give you.”

“Puh, who cares about your prize.”

Out of habit Huo Ming Chen teased back at Lu Qi, but then stopped and thought about it, his face gaining a bit of a troubled look.
Embarrassed, he coughed lightly twice and then quickly switched the topic.
He tentatively gentled his voice, and hesitatingly asked, 

“That…….
What do you think of me?”

Lu Qi was looking at his phone and didn’t even raise his head up to say, 

“Do you not have an idea in your heart?”

Because he had too fucking much, that’s why I want to hear your opinion.
Huo Ming Chen felt like he was silently choking up and swallowing his own blood.
For the first time in his life, he felt so depressed and mad at the same time.
He angrily said, 

“I’m asking you right now, not you asking me.”

Alright, Lu Qi could only slowly ruminate over it, 

“You’re really handsome, and you have lots of money.”

Hearing this, Huo Ming Chen nodded his head in satisfaction and waited for the continuation.
But the air was as silent as death……

Ten seconds later, he couldn’t help but give Lu Qi a look and said,

“That’s it? No more???”

Lu Qi nodded his head as if to console him, saying in a matter of fact tone, 

“These two points are enough.
A handsome face could make you popular when you are young and money is your charisma insurance when you are old and wrinkled.
This is already what a lot of people desire and chase for.”

When he said it like that, it seemed like it made a lot of sense, but for some reason Huo Ming Chen felt like his heart was being pricked.
He took a deep breath and lightly laughed, but then gritted his teeth saying viciously in a low tone,

“You mean to say, in my entire life I can only use my face and money to attract people?”

“If not then what? Your bad temper?”

That mouth of Lu Qi, as usual, was angering people to death and not giving them anything back.

He just finished his quip when he saw the car that was heading down a normal path turn a corner, heading up the mountain instead.
In a state of alert Lu Qi looked at Huo Ming Chen, 

“What are you doing?”

Huo Ming Chen snorted coldly, thinking in his heart, now you know to be afraid, where did that go a moment ago.
He stomped on the gas pedal and like watching a good show, blinked his eyes and said, 

“Murdering you to keep my secrets safe.
Throwing your body into the wild.”

Lu Qi was stunned and then smiled meaningfully, 

“If you wanted to have a battle in the wild, then just say it.
What’s the point in finding so many excuses?”

Huo Ming Chen: “……”

The car was driven all the way to the top, and it was at this time that the sun was setting at the perfect moment.
It was the perfect scene, where the sun and the surrounding darkness melded together, with the sun’s rays brightly shining in the midst, which could shock those who saw how brightly it burned.
The grass was a field of gold, and the mountain top was golden.
Lu Qi opened the door to get out of the car, and he subconsciously reached out as if to grab the sunlight into his hands.

Huo Ming Chen came slowly closer to his back and then like he was playing a prank, jumped on Lu Qi, making him tumble onto the ground.
Lu Qi was stunned and by the time he realized what happened, his vision was already swirling between the ground and the sky, and he fell right onto the soft grassy pasture.

Huo Ming Chen, laid on top of him like an arrogant king, feet around his waist and was, as per usual, manhandling him, dragging him up by his shirt collar, 

“You were just trying to hurt me in any way possible.
Watch how I’m going to teach you a lesson!”

Behind him was a vast sky of clouds on fire, and his face was open and carefree.
It was hard to tell whether the background was more eye catching or he was.
Lu Qi laid on the grass, lifting his eyes to look at him, black pupils moving around taking everything in and trying to capture this moment.

A vast sky of a cozy blue, clouds in a rainbow of colours, and a…… Huo Ming Chen.

Lu Qi was used to being the one in control and so when Huo Ming Chen was not paying attention, he flipped them over and trapped Huo Ming Chen underneath him.
He held his limbs down and started to tickle his waist.

“Puh hahahaha — Fuck! You’re surprise attacking me!”

Huo Ming Chen laughed until he had no strength and tried to struggle to get up.
Lu Qi did not defend his hold and subconsciously held him tighter in response.
The two of them began to roll around in the grass — you holding me down, I’ll bite you, fighting like two children until their bodies were covered in blades of grass.

Huo Ming Chen grasped in shock, “Fuck fuck! Stop! We’re going to roll down the mountain!”

Lu Qi stopped as per Huo Ming Chen’s yell.
Their current position now was him on top and Huo Ming Chen on the bottom.

The two of them were close together, so close that their breaths mingled together.
Lu Qi looked at him and did not speak, only using a finger stroking one at a time on the side of his cleanly shaven face.
His flirtatious love sick eyes looked as if they were wading deeper into the pool of love.

Huo Ming Chen suddenly became nervous and he bit his bottom lip.
His small and fine eyelashes were shaking, and he dryly said, “Hey, you have grass on your head.”

He leaned upwards after and reached out to brush off the blades of grass.
But when he lifted his head, his mouth felt a sudden warmth, and Huo Ming Chen could not help himself and widened his eyes.

That kiss was unplanned and was not indicated.
Lu Qi crossed his fingers behind Huo Ming Chen’s head, and slowly, one bit at a time, swallowing him, passing through the lips, the teeth and to the tongue.
And so Huo Ming Chen’s body that was half up slowly laid back down.
He wrapped his arms around Lu Qi, and passionately responded back, sucking down until his tongue was numb in pain.

The sun was slowly setting into the mountains, as if it was embarrassed to see this mischievous pair of young men.
When the sky was finally covered in a layer of grey, hiding its colors, the two separated, breathing heavily from the lack of air.

The night was humid, and Lu Qi reached out with his hand to drag Huo Ming Chen up from the ground.
The other purposefully fell into his embrace, laughing and giggling with no proper posture, and elongated his syllables as he said, 

“Hey, why did you kiss me that hard?”

Lu Qi didn’t respond and only raised his eyebrows up slightly.
He showed his swollen lips to Huo Ming Chen, meaning very clear and as direct as saying didn’t you kiss me just as hard?

 

Huo Ming Chen came forward to kiss him again, and then with his lips close to Lu Qi’s ears, elongated his syllables once again, 

“You big men~sao~”

“Then you are a mingsao.”1

Lu Qi opened the car door, and sat in the passenger seat, feeling that that word was born to describe Huo Ming Chen.

The night was dark, and staying up on the mountains at night was not very safe.
Huo Ming Chen started the car to drive back down.
The headlights were shining down on the surrounding backdrop of trees, pulling their shadows into long figures.
As if Lu Qi’s intimacy just now gave him courage, Huo Ming Chen suddenly said,

“Lu Qi,”

“Mhmm?”

“Did you ever think about……”

Before Huo Ming Chen could even finish, the entire car suddenly jolted forwards, as if they were slammed from behind by something.
Huo Ming Chen and Lu Qi’s expression immediately changed, and they both looked backwards.
A medium sized truck had stopped behind them, and at this exact moment was backing up, as if to prepare to hit them once more.

Huo Ming Chen immediately sensed in his heart that something was not right and prepared to speed up to escape.
Who could have thought that at this time, another car was heading towards them, lights shining so brightly that it made their eyes see a field of white.
With the truck behind them, these two cars have now created two sides of attack, leaving the two young men trapped in the middle of the road.

Huo Ming Chen’s eyes flashed with a glint of ruthlessness, and he wanted to slam straight into the incoming car to get over them.
But thinking that this was by the mountain and that Lu Qi was sitting beside him, he could only grit his teeth and stomp down that urge.

Five or six strong men came out from the truck behind them.
Their hands holding metal pipes, all posturing in an aggressive manner, they came forward with quick and loud noises to rip the car door open, dragging Huo Ming Chen and Lu Qi out and taking away their phones and wallets.

The leader, a bald man, took a look at Lu Qi’s phone, smiling as he said, 

“You tiny boy sure is quick on your feet huh, almost let you call the police.”

As if they were not worried about the police finding out, the man signaled with his hand and someone quickly came forward to tie them up and drag them into their cars.

Life is always filled with unexpected events like this.
One second they were still rolling around, fighting for dominance in their kiss, and in the next second, they were being kidnapped.

It was dim inside the truck and the air was full of dust and pollen.
Beside them, there was a man keeping an eye on them, hitting his metal pipe against his palm, voicelessly threatening that if they so much as called a word for help, the next second their heads would get slammed with the pipe.

Lu Qi was feeling a bit complicated inside.
Was his life meant to end early? He locked eyes with Huo Ming Chen and moved his mouth in motions too small for the crook to notice, 

“Your enemies? They seem to be coming for you.”

Huo Ming Chen could guess that these men were sent by Huo Yuan Guang.
On one hand, he cursed himself for overlooking this possibility, and on the other, he regretted that Lu Qi was dragged into this mess.
He angrily said, 

“You are a penniless egg.
If not for me, then for you?”

Lu Qi replied,

 “I’ve been dragged into this by you, could your attitude be a little better?”

This sentence successfully hit Huo Ming Chen straight in the heart and his face went blank, not making another sound.
He lowered his head, thinking about something.

Lu Qi looked at him over and over, as if wanting to try and console him but not knowing how to open his mouth.
In the end, he said,

“If you can learn from your mistakes and change yourself for the better, that is enough to learn from your lesson.”

Huo Ming Chen emotionlessly looked at him as he said that.

Learn from what? What lesson?

Learn that fighting for dominance in a kiss should be fought in the home, never on top of a mountain because you would be kidnapped by crooks?

 

Notes:
*1 Mingsao: opposite of “mensao” where the “ming” means clear so in this case, it means that the person is not hiding away the wildness inside them, even wanting to show it off.