Chapter 82 – Hoes before bros^[1]It was only actually “重色” since the chapter title was shortened but this means ‘hoes before bros’ term which is “重色輕友” so I just used the latter.

Xu Jian didn’t expect that he had only made up his mind last night to pry President Du’s corner, and this morning, Qin Chen told him that President Du wanted to see him.

The opportunity for a real offline PK^[2]Player kill, a gaming term that refers to killing a character controlled by another player came so quickly that he was a little caught off guard.

Noticing his own gaffe, Xu Jian came back to his senses and hurriedly picked up his chopsticks, looked at Qin Chen hesitantly for two seconds, and asked, “When you said Du Zezhou, do you mean… President Du that Tang Li said before?”

Although he had already almost guessed in his heart, Xu Jian still held the last trace of luck.

Qin Chen thought that Xu Jian didn’t know Du Zezhou, and only remembered after listening about his life when he didn’t know Xu Jian was a person. Tang Li mentioned Du Zezhou when he and Tang Li were sharing cat videos.

It’s been so long since things have passed, but he just mentioned a few words at that time. Qin Chen didn’t think about it for a while, but he didn’t expect Xu Jian to remember it.

Looking at Xu Jian, who started to pull the edge of the table with his fingers, Qin Chen smiled, “That’s him, I didn’t expect you to have such a good memory.”

Xu Jian: “……”

Xu Jian, who was already in a complicated mood, was stabbed by the bright smile on Qin Chen’s face. His dry throat was a little bitter, and he reluctantly pulled the corners of his mouth.

“Yeah, I also didn’t expect my memory to be so good…”

Regarding President Du, a rich rival, Xu Jian not only has a good memory but simply has a deep memory. Looking at the smile on Qin Chen’s face when he talked about President Du, Xu Jian was very sour.

Smile, what are you smiling at, annoying.

He couldn’t tell Qin Chen directly about this little thought. Xu Jian took the dumpling in front of him to take out his anger and pierced a crystal-clear and tempting hot dumpling skin. The light sauce-colored soup flowed out and stained the porcelain white, flat, plate.

The change in Xu Jian’s mood was visible to the naked eye. Qin Chen’s eyes and heart weren’t blind. He naturally saw it, but he didn’t know the reason, so he assumed Xu Jian didn’t want to see them.

“You don’t want to go?”

A good dumpling faced disaster by Xu Jian that he couldn’t look at it anymore. After a few seconds, he lowered his head and spoke in a muffled voice, “Don’t really want to go…”

It’s one thing to make up your mind to rob someone and it’s another thing to be mentally prepared to face Du Zezhou.

He now wants money but doesn’t have money and wants fame but doesn’t have fame. Against the rich and powerful Du Zezhou, he has no chance of winning.

Moreover… The thought of Qin Chen meeting with that Du Zezhou to be very intimate^[3]Described couple who are in love are very intimate after he went, Xu Jian was too sour, let alone let him watch it with his own eyes.

Thinking of this, Xu Jian, who was a little hesitant at first, raised his eyes to look at Qin Chen. After frowning, his eyes were firm, “If I don’t go, you don’t go either.”

Although not knowing why Xu Jian’s attitude changed so quickly, the group was originally formed to introduce him to Tang Li and Du Zezhou. Now that the protagonist isn’t going, Qin Chen naturally doesn’t have to go.

He nodded slightly, looked at Xu Jian’s piled-up brows,^[4]means he’s frowning and the dumpling on the bowl; Qin Chen’s eyes flashed, “Did you know Du Zezhou before?”

Xu Jian shook his head.

After that, Xu Jian was unreconciled in the end and added, “I just don’t like him.”

At the Science and Technology site, Du Zezhou, who was taking the elevator to the company, felt his nose was a little itchy. After raising his hand and rubbing it, he sneezed several times in a row.

Seeing this, the secretary next to him hurriedly handed over the paper, and at the same time asked with concern, “President Du, do you have a cold? Do you need to call a doctor to check?”

Taking the tissue paper and wiping it, Du Zezhou touched his ears which were burning for no reason, and wondered, “Who’s scolding me behind my back?”

The secretary didn’t dare to follow it with: “Who’d be thinking of you.”^[5]Formal/courteous you. Secretary being sarcastic XD

Du Zezhou turned to look at the secretary who had followed him since he started his business, “Lying through your teeth, doesn’t your conscience hurt?”

The secretary shook his head affirmatively, “No.”

He didn’t know if his conscience would hurt if he lied through his teeth, but he knew that if he told the truth, his wallet would hurt.

Du Zezhou was amused, “Glib.”

The secretary willingly accepted, “You are right, President Du.”

Du Zezhou: “……”

Du Zezhou lost his temper and began to think in his heart about who he had offended again and who would scold him behind his back, and make his ears burn and sneeze.

On the way home from the restaurant, Xu Jian kicked the stone under his feet as he walked sullenly in front of him. Qin Chen was two steps behind him and asked Du Zezhou on his phone.

Qin Chen: [@Du Zezhou, did you know Xu Jian before?]

Du Zezhou: [Who?]

Tang Li interjected: [Xu Jian? This name sounds familiar.]

Tang Li: [Thinking about it, isn’t it the actor who was on the hot search with you before named Xu Jian?]

Seeing Du Zezhou’s reaction, Qin Chen frowned: [Don’t know?]

Xu Jian’s expression when talking about Du Zezhou just now made Qin Chen think that the two of them had known each other before, and even had a disagreement.

At dawn, Du Zezhou was very confused: [Don’t know ah, what’s wrong?]

Looking up at Xu Jian’s back, Qin Chen typed back: [Nothing, just asking.]

After thinking about it carefully, judging from Du Zezhou and Xu Jian’s social circle, the possibility of the two people knowing each other before was very slim.

But if they don’t know each other, Qin Chen couldn’t understand why Xu Jian would resist Du Zezhou for no reason, or even… hate?

Xu Jian, who was walking in front of him, thought no less than Qin Chen, and his mind was full of Qin Chen, Du Zezhou, prying corners, and saving money.

Before entering the hallway, out of the corner of Xu Jian’s eye swept across a familiar figure again. His footsteps paused and remembered that the man seemed to be Qin Chen’s fan whom he had met several times in the community before.

After so many chance encounters, Xu Jian thought he should be living in the building next to him.

It’s quite a fate.

The plan to introduce Xu Jian and Du Zezhou and Tang Li to meet has been put on hold for the time being. Qin Chen was preparing to find an opportunity to ask Xu Jian why he is so hostile to Du Zezhou.

Tang Li heard that Qin Chen’s future boyfriend didn’t want to see them now, he was puzzled: [What’s wrong, is he still shy?]

Qin Chen didn’t say Xu Jian didn’t want to see them because of Du Zezhou and said: [He’s thin-skinned.]

Du Zezhou: [If he doesn’t meet us, we can come to him ah. You can reveal his schedule, we can have a perfect chance encounter.]

It’s indeed a good way to meet by chance, but Qin Chen didn’t agree:

[Forget it bah, since he doesn’t want to see you, we’ll talk about it next time we have the chance.]

Tang Li: [Qin Chen, you prefer hoes before bros.]

Still not knowing that everything was because of Du Zezhou, who is on the side, added fuel and vinegar: [That is, just meet to see what he looks like and I won’t do anything to him.]

Qin Chen: [@Du Zezhou, you can shut up bah.]

Du Zezhou: [? ? ?]

Du Zezhou: [Solid proof of hoes before bros.[goodbye]]

At the same time, Xu Jian was also sending messages to Chen Doudou: [How to get money fast?]

Chen Doudou: [……]

Chen Doudou: [If you want to get rich, it is recommended that you buy this criminal law and take a look.]

Xu Jian: [Criminal law?]

Chen Doudou: [What is not allowed in criminal law is fast money.]

Xu Jian: […I thank you, if I get caught, I will be the first to confess to you.]

After a few gag shows, Chen Doudou asked him if he was recently short of money, so he could first lend him some.

Xu Jian: [Forget it, I’m just asking casually.]

Besides, with Qin Chen’s worth, even if Chen Doudou lends him his entire fortune, it wouldn’t be enough.

With a long and faint sigh, Xu Jian was so sad ah.

Hearing Xu Jian sighs not far away, Qin Chen frowned almost imperceptibly.

This person is really hiding something from me.

And Du Zezhou, who was far away in the office, sneezed a few times again. Seeing this, the secretary walked out silently. When he came back again, he brought a cup brewed with medicine for colds.

Du Zezhou turned to look at him in a flash, the secretary nodded at him seriously, “Drink it, President Du, you just have a cold.”

Du Zezhou pinched his nose, deeply thinking it was natural, tilted his head and drank the medicine for colds, and thought to himself:

It should be just a bit of cold. With such a good relationship with people, who would scold him once or twice.

…………

The audition for <Chaotic Steps Flying Sword> was very important. Pan Min asked Xu Jian to preserve and nurture his spirit, and adjust his state at home during these two days. He must win this role.

Xu Jian didn’t dare to neglect the rare audition opportunity. All he thought about in his dream was the audition besides prying the corner.

The night before Xu Jian’s audition, Qin Chen was invited to attend a new product launch of a light luxury watch brand. Xu Jian had to get up early tomorrow and stay at home.

Xu Feng’s role was like driving a duck into a perch,^[6]fig. push somebody to do something way beyond their ability and the audition was also very sloppy, but tomorrow’s audition is different. Pan Min explained that there are more than a dozen people auditioning for Qi Feng tomorrow. In addition to the two casting directors on the scene, there are also investors and chief screenwriters.

After all, Qi Feng is the second male lead, second only to the important male and female leads.

Although Pan Min will accompany him at that time, Xu Jian is still nervous. After dinner, he lay in bed early and felt drowsy. He wanted to go to the audition with the fullest spirit early tomorrow morning to leave a good impression on the casting directors and screenwriters.

But the more he wanted to sleep, the more he couldn’t. His thoughts were floating like lanterns. When Xu Jian opened his eyes again with great sobriety, he found that it was almost eleven o’clock.

When he saw the clock on the wall through the faint moonlight outside the window, Xu Jian’s heart jumped heavily— It was so late?

Didn’t Qin Chen say he could get home around ten o’clock? It’s been an hour, why haven’t I heard any movement?

He got up and opened the door, standing by the door of Qin Chen’s room and looking inside, Xu Jian was sure he hadn’t come back yet.

Xu Jian was a little uneasy. After waiting for a few minutes and waiting for someone, he took out his phone, wanting to call Qin Chen. After dialing the number, he remembered in a second that Qin Chen wasn’t available now.

After a pause, Xu Jian turned to call Xiao Nan’s number, and the other side almost answered in seconds.

“Hello, what’s wrong Brother Xu?”

Listening to the movement on Xiao Nan’s side, Xu Jian frowned. “Why is your side so noisy? You guys haven’t finished yet? Where is Brother Chen?”

Xiao Nan over there was obviously taken aback when she heard him, “Is the press conference over? It already ended long ago ah? Brother Chen drove back by himself after nine o’clock. I’m singing with my colleagues now.”

After saying this, Xiao Nan noticed that something was wrong, her nerves tightened, and her tone became serious, “What’s the matter? Brother Chen isn’t home yet?”

After taking a look at the empty, and terribly quiet room, Xu Jian suddenly had a guess in his mind—

Qin Chen hadn’t come back so late, did he go to President Du?

Thinking so in his heart, Xu Jian said to Xiao Nan, “Don’t worry, he’s already an adult. You have fun, I’ll call him and ask.”

He calmed the nervous Xiao Nan with a few words, and after hanging up the phone, Xu Jian called Qin Chen. A cold mechanical female voice came from the receiver:

“Sorry, the number you have dialed has been turned off; sorry^[7]Bolded words = written in English in the raw…

Xu Jian’s call to Qin Chen never failed. Xu Jian frowned tightly, and suddenly had an ominous feeling in his heart. He put on his clothes and prepared to go out to have a look.

Looking at the falling numbers on the elevator floors, Xu Jian’s heart jumped faster and faster. One moment, he was worried that Qin Chen had gone to find President Du, and for another moment, he was worried that something had happened to him driving back alone.

Xu Jian first went to the entrance of the community and asked the security guard. The security guard on duty shook his head and said he didn’t see Qin Chen coming back.

Just as Xu Jian thanked him and turned around to leave, the security guard on duty called out to him, “Since Mr. Qin came back by car, Mr. Xu, would you like to go to the parking lot to have a look, in case he comes back and is in the parking lot?”

The entrance to the parking lot and the community gate isn’t the same entrance. If Qin Chen went to the parking lot, it would be normal for the security guard on duty not to see him.

After hearing the security guard’s words, Xu Jian nodded his head and walked to the parking lot while dialing Qin Chen’s number.

The voice of the security guard came from behind, “Mr. Xu, it’s faster for you to take the elevator.”

The elevator can go directly to the underground parking lot and you have to walk in circles. After hearing the security guard’s words, Xu Jian slapped his forehead.

He was stupid to walk instead of taking the elevator.

After taking the elevator to the negative first floor, Xu Jian just raised his leg out of the elevator, but his heart suddenly ached.

Raising his hand to press down his wildly beating heart, Xu Jian frowned as he looked at the empty and dim parking lot, his inner uneasiness gradually increased.

Suppressing the burst of panic, after taking a deep breath, Xu Jian quickly walked towards Qin Chen’s car, thinking in his heart as he thought:

Don’t let anything happen…

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The author has something to say:

President Du has to carry the pot again today, wait for me to finish the preceding plot~

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Sad XJ: