On Friday, Lu Heyang learned from Xiao Feng’s message that Number 17 had not taken time off to recover from his injuries this time and had once again been scheduled for a free exhibition match.
Xiao Feng asked Lu Heyang: How are Number 17’s injuries? Do you know?
Lu Heyang replied: Not really.
He really didn’t know. Ever since swimming class on Tuesday, Lu Heyang could clearly feel that Xu Ze was avoiding him. They had happened to run into each other twice on campus, and both times, as soon as Xu Ze spotted him from a distance, he changed directions.
Then one day after school, on the way to the parking lot, Xu Ze was dragging his bicycle out of the bike shelter. He Wei greeted him, and Xu Ze gave a quiet “Mm,” then immediately hurriedly said, “I’ll go first.” From beginning to end, he kept his head lowered and never looked at Lu Heyang.
He Wei had watched Xu Ze’s retreating back and asked Lu Heyang in bewilderment, “What did you do to Xu Ze?”
After dinner, Lu Heyang and Gu Yunchi went to the west side of the city first and waited in the car for a little over ten minutes before He Wei arrived, bringing another alpha with him.
“He Yu, my cousin.” He Wei closed the car door and introduced him. “A useless rich second-generation kid.”
“?” He Yu asked, “Are you talking about yourself?”
He Wei grinned and hooked an arm around his shoulders as they entered the building together.
When the four of them arrived, it happened to be the middle of the entertainment matches. Number 17 entered the ring as calmly as he had every time before. There was no sign that he had only recently recovered from an injury. Hiding pain was probably one of the things he was best at.
Number 17 didn’t look toward the audience this time. Throughout the entire match, his focus remained within the octagonal cage. His opponent was still in a heavier weight class than him. Tonight, Number 17 showed no intention whatsoever of riling up the audience. His attacks were fast, steady, precise, and ruthless, and he cleanly ended the match within forty-five seconds.
After watching three more matches in a row and comparing the other fighters, He Wei asked, “What do you think?”
“He’s good. With proper training, he could definitely move up several levels. He’s the best fit here,” He Yu said. “The others have too much viciousness in them. To compete professionally, you need ambition, not bloodlust. I run a legitimate club. With the way they fight, the place would get shut down after just a couple of matches.”
“Then let’s talk to Number 17.” He Wei turned to Lu Heyang. “Do you have his phone number?”
“I’ll go find him backstage.” Lu Heyang stood up and walked toward the audience passageway.
Xiao Feng was leaning against the door again, cracking sunflower seeds. When he saw Lu Heyang coming, he immediately straightened up.
“Number 17 isn’t backstage.”
“He left?”
“No, he’s moving drinks.” Xiao Feng said, “There’s no money for tonight’s entertainment match, so he’s earning some tips instead. It’s not much, but it’s enough to pay for dinner.”
Following Xiao Feng’s directions, Lu Heyang went to the lobby they would pass through after getting off the elevator. Pink lights cast a hazy, almost hallucinatory glow. Looking through the crowd, Lu Heyang saw an alpha wearing a baseball cap beside a beverage machine, placing drinks inside. An omega server wearing a camisole and hot pants was standing beside him, smiling and saying something to him.
After arranging the drinks, Xu Ze straightened up, closed the machine, locked it, and pulled out the key. The omega took a step forward, wrapped both arms around Xu Ze’s arm, pressed their entire body against him, raised their head, and rested their chin on Xu Ze’s shoulder. Leaning very close to his ear, they whispered a few words with a bright smile.
Xu Ze turned his head slightly to look at the omega. He didn’t seem bothered, but merely gently pulled his arm free.
The omega took a bottle of something out of their bag and handed it to Xu Ze, then waved at him and bounced back to their counter.
Xu Ze gathered the plastic crates from the floor, stacked them together, and picked them up. The moment he turned around, he saw Lu Heyang not far away and visibly froze.
Then Xu Ze lowered his head and walked toward another passageway on the left.
Lu Heyang followed unhurriedly. This passageway was narrow and had very little foot traffic. After entering and walking a few steps, Lu Heyang called out, “Xu Ze.”
He saw Xu Ze’s footsteps pause. Then he stopped completely and turned around.
The passageway was very dark. Xu Ze stood there holding the plastic crates, his figure faint and silent.
“Are you finished?” Lu Heyang walked toward him as he asked.
There were actually other things he wanted to ask, but He Wei and the others were still waiting, so he could only bring up the most urgent matter first.
“Is there something you need?” Xu Ze asked quietly.
“He Wei’s cousin opened a boxing club not long ago. They compete professionally. He Yu came to watch your match today and wants to talk to you.”
“Talk about what?” Xu Ze raised his head slightly.
“He Yu wants to train some new fighters.”
Xu Ze’s cap was pulled very low, and Lu Heyang couldn’t see his expression. After a short while, Xu Ze finally answered, “Okay.”
He didn’t look surprised or happy in the slightest.
“What did that omega just give you?” Lu Heyang glanced toward Xu Ze’s pants pocket and asked.
“Makeup remover,” Xu Ze said. “To remove the paint from my face.”
A long time ago, Xu Ze used to wash the paint off directly with soap. Once, an omega happened to see him doing it and immediately gave him a bottle of makeup remover, even teaching him how to use cotton pads. Unfortunately, Xu Ze didn’t care much about such things. At most, he would pour the makeup remover into his palm and rub it directly onto his face.
After that, the omega began regularly giving him makeup remover, and Xu Ze refused several times to no avail.
Lu Heyang said, “You two seem to have a pretty good relationship.”
“…It’s okay.” Xu Ze wasn’t really sure what the definition of a “good relationship” was, but since Lu Heyang had described it that way, he supposed he could admit that it was probably true.
Lu Heyang reached out and gently lifted Xu Ze’s cap a little, revealing his eyes.
“I thought you weren’t very good at making friends.”
Xu Ze agreed with him, but most of the people here were very easygoing, so even though he wasn’t good at socializing, there were people willing to take the initiative to talk to him.
“They’re nice people,” Xu Ze said.
“Mm.” Lu Heyang gave a faint response.
Afterward, he went backstage with Xu Ze and put away the plastic baskets.
He Wei and the others were already sitting in a booth at the club’s bar. It was still early, so there weren’t many people in the bar yet. Instead, it was quieter than most other places.
“So this is what you look like.” He Yu looked Xu Ze up and down and smiled. “You could make a living off your looks alone. Why bother fighting underground?”
Lu Heyang sat down beside Xu Ze. He Yu casually picked up a bottle of alcohol and poured some for Xu Ze.
“Can you drink?”
Xu Ze nodded. Lu Heyang glanced at him.
“Have you eaten dinner?”
Before Xu Ze could take his first sip, Lu Heyang turned his head and asked.
“I have.” Xu Ze lowered his eyes without looking at him.
After a few drinks and some casual conversation, He Yu got to the point.
“Have you ever thought about fighting somewhere else? Trying professional competitions? Maybe that would suit you better.”
“…Sorry.”
Xu Ze held the glass in both hands, his voice very quiet.
“Probably not.”
He said “probably,” but it was obvious that there was actually no room for negotiation.
He Yu looked at He Wei. He Wei looked at Lu Heyang. Lu Heyang, meanwhile, was looking at Xu Ze.
After refusing, Xu Ze picked up his glass. For some reason, his hand was a little unsteady, and some of the alcohol spilled onto the back of his hand.
Xu Ze stared at the spilled liquor.
Lu Heyang thought he was flustered or distracted, but Xu Ze calmly lowered his head and licked the liquor off the back of his hand. Then he pressed his lips to the rim of the glass and drank the rest.
“It’s fine. Think about it some more. If you have any thoughts, tell me anytime.”
He Yu didn’t press him. He pushed his business card in front of Xu Ze.
“I know things here are complicated, and it might not be easy for you to get away. But if you really want to leave, we can figure something out together.”
Xu Ze picked up the business card and nodded.
“Thank you.”
After that, no one brought up the subject again. They talked about other things, while Xu Ze remained silent, drinking one glass after another.
For almost the entire night, he didn’t look at Lu Heyang.
It wasn’t that he was deliberately ignoring him. He was doing everything he could to control himself and not look.
The more Xu Ze drank, the lower his head drooped.
Lu Heyang reached out toward Gu Yunchi beside him.
“Give me the car keys. You ride with He Wei.”
Gu Yunchi looked up from his mobile game, glanced at Xu Ze, and said nothing. He handed the car keys to Lu Heyang.
“Stop drinking.”
Lu Heyang pressed down on Xu Ze’s wrist.
“Let’s go outside for a bit.”
Xu Ze’s gaze fell on the five fingers wrapped around his wrist. After several seconds, he put down his glass.
Lu Heyang withdrew his hand, said goodbye to He Wei and He Yu, then stood up.
Xu Ze followed him.
He had drunk too much and was unsteady on his feet. Lu Heyang steadied him by the shoulder, preventing him from pitching forward.
Xu Ze had left his cap on the sofa. Lu Heyang picked it up for him.
By now, the bar was already extremely lively. Xu Ze staggered along, repeatedly getting bumped on the shoulder or arm by other people.
Lu Heyang quickly stepped ahead, put the baseball cap onto Xu Ze’s head, and pulled the brim down. Then he wrapped an arm around Xu Ze’s waist, guiding him through the crowded room toward the narrow passage they had used earlier.
Xu Ze was barely conscious of what was happening. His mind was completely blank as Lu Heyang led him along.
They went all the way backstage. Under the curious gazes of people passing by, Lu Heyang pushed open the door of the dressing room at the end of the corridor, went inside, and locked the door behind them.
His hand remained around Xu Ze’s waist.
Through the T-shirt, Lu Heyang could feel how hot Xu Ze’s body was. Xu Ze’s waist felt more supple and resilient than he had imagined, perhaps because he was relaxed now, unlike the tense state he was in during a match.
Both of them had worked up a little sweat.
With one arm around Xu Ze, Lu Heyang used his other hand to sweep the water bottles and miscellaneous items off the old table.
Xu Ze didn’t know what Lu Heyang was planning to do.
But it was already very late. He wanted to remind Lu Heyang to go home; otherwise, it wouldn’t be safe.
However, just as he was about to speak, Xu Ze suddenly felt his feet leave the ground.
Lu Heyang wrapped one arm around his waist and lifted him onto the table, while simultaneously removing his cap with his other hand.
The table: What the hell are you doing? What are you doing?!