Chapter 4: Happy Birthday

Cha Kexing sighed inwardly, suddenly remembering that Cha Qingle was also in the US. He quickly said, “Can you keep an eye on my cousin’s safety for me?”

“Sure, you’re such a good brother,” Zheng Yao agreed without hesitation.

Then there was a moment of silence between them.

Cha Kexing lowered his head, looking at the mechanical watch on his wrist. The second hand ticked ten times, feeling like ten years had passed. He felt a bit anxious, not because someone was hired to break his leg.

Cha Kexing thought to himself, maybe it’s better to talk things out? Even if they can’t go back to the best times, being friends would be nice!

He tidied his hair and spoke softly, “Zheng Yao, I…”

“Brother Zheng, I’m done with my shower!” A sweet female voice came from the other end of the phone.

Cha Kexing immediately asked, “Are you having fun?”

Zheng Yao exhaled, “Uh-huh.”

“Is it fun?”

“More fun than with you!” Zheng Yao’s voice remained unchanged, still carrying a hint of laughter. “Anything else?”

“No.”

The call was abruptly ended by Zheng Yao.

Cha Kexing stared at the beautiful raptor on his phone’s screensaver for ten seconds, replaying ten years in his mind, then tossed the phone aside and lay back in bed, pondering whether to hire a coach to learn some martial arts like Sanda, Muay Thai, or Judo. But then he thought better of it; he had tried in his teens and realized he wasn’t cut out for it.

#

Since hanging out with Zheng Yao, sixteen-year-old Cha Kexing had been living a fulfilling life. Back then, there were no shared bikes, only bicycles on the road. He could spend half a day happily removing a bike bell or valve stem, just loving to do such pointless mischief.

He got along well with Zheng Yao’s little brothers. Though he didn’t talk much, he was sweet-talking, not very skilled but diligent, just following Zheng Yao around as his little sidekick. Because he was good-looking and the youngest, everyone took care of him. When there was trouble, they never let him get involved; he was just responsible for keeping watch and looking after their clothes.

After a few months, they helped a sister who commuted late at night to fend off some thugs harassing her. Grateful, she invited the eight of them to a KTV. Only when they arrived did they realize she was a big manager there and had arranged a room full of hostesses for them.

“Today, you can sing and drink with the ladies to your heart’s content, no charge, but keep it within limits!” The sister winked and left the room.

The KTV room erupted with wolf whistles.

Zheng Yao’s little brothers, the oldest not even twenty and the youngest being Cha Kexing, were all little virgins, bouncing around excitedly at the door, not daring to step over the line.

Zheng Yao was the first to walk in, sitting boldly on the sofa, opening a bottle of champagne. “Look at you guys, scratching your ears like monkeys! Come on, don’t waste the sister’s kindness, have fun, order whatever you want, I’ll cover the bill!”

A little brother came over and asked, “Brother Zheng, you’re so calm… have you done it before?”

“Of course, I had my fun when I was this big!” Zheng Yao gestured with his hand, looking proud. “Back home, there are plenty of big sisters and little sisters waiting for me!”

Zheng Yao always hid the fact that he was from abroad, which wasn’t hard since he didn’t have any foreign accent, and sometimes his words even carried a bit of a Northeastern dialect.

“Brother Zheng is amazing!”

“Truly worthy of being Brother Zheng!”

The little brothers pushed each other, gradually gathering around the hostesses, singing, drinking, playing cards, and taking the chance to hold hands or hug waists, having a blast.

Zheng Yao gave Cha Kexing a push, encouragingly saying, “Go on, find a girl to chat with.”

Cha Kexing sat still, peeling an orange for Zheng Yao.

Zheng Yao tossed the orange into his mouth, leaning back on the sofa, “Don’t get too attached to me, it won’t end well.”

Cha Kexing smiled at him, “They’re not my type.”

“True, you have high standards, not easily impressed.”

Cha Kexing indeed had high standards. As a child, he often attended film premieres and award ceremonies, seeing many handsome and beautiful people in the entertainment industry. His mother, Zeng Mei, was a Miss Chinese beauty pageant champion, and her friends, though older, were all stunning beauties. He was immune to pretty faces.

In this room, there wasn’t anyone who could catch his eye, except… Zheng Yao.

Zheng Yao was always unkempt, with hair neither long nor short, and his clothes were a mess, but nothing could dim his handsome glow. Moreover, Zheng Yao wasn’t a typical handsome guy; he had distinctive features. His skull was full, his face broad and open, with healthy light wheat-colored skin. His nose rose sharply from the bridge, with a delicate tip, and his mouth was diamond-shaped, with an upturned upper lip, as if made for holding a cigarette.

He had two thick, straight eyebrows, deep eye sockets, but his eyes were soft willow-leaf shaped, with pupils that changed color in different lights, contrasting with his spirited demeanor, making him pure, proud, and… sexy.

So even if he bragged about his rich experience with women, it didn’t seem sleazy.

At least back then, Cha Kexing thought he was just bragging.

Zheng Yao ate the grapes Cha Kexing peeled, still not giving up, urging, “But you should try, it’s all the same with the lights off.”

Cha Kexing, annoyed by his pushing, simply said, “I just like Brother Zheng, no one else will do!”

“Sigh, falling for Zheng Yao ruins your life!” Zheng Yao sighed, standing up. “Come on, I’ll take you to do something else!”

Then he took Cha Kexing to a boxing gym, immediately giving him a set of straight punches, hooks, and swings, leaving Cha Kexing lying on the ground, unable to get up for a while.

“Still like Brother Zheng?” Zheng Yao squatted beside him, smiling.

Though he wore protective gear and wasn’t hurt, it didn’t hurt much, but Cha Kexing was still very upset. He wasn’t a weakling; the Cha family wouldn’t allow him to be one. He had systematic strength training, and though it didn’t show in clothes, he had a thin layer of muscle… but under Zheng Yao’s seemingly casual punches, he couldn’t even dodge.

Cha Kexing’s small male ego took a big hit.

Zheng Yao continued to rub salt in the wound, “Look at you, such a waste, always wanting to mix in the underworld, you don’t even know how you’d die.”

Cha Kexing thought, is this to persuade him to “abandon evil and do good”? Actually, there’s no need to persuade; he just wanted to indulge for a while. He would go abroad next year, the school was already chosen, who really wants to mix in the underworld!

“That’s why I’m following you!” Cha Kexing took off his headgear, sweat dripping into his eyes, blinking repeatedly, his eyes watery. “Where else can I find a big brother who takes care of his little brothers like you?”

Zheng Yao suddenly asked, “Hey, have you been with a girl?”

“No.”

“With a guy?”

“No.”

“So you’re just hanging on my tree, no one else will do, huh?” Zheng Yao nudged his forehead with a boxing glove.

Cha Kexing lowered his head, like a wronged little deer, making a nasal sound, “Mm.”

Zheng Yao took off his boxing gloves, rummaging in his pocket for cigarettes, finding an empty pack, and tossing it aside. Actually, Zheng Yao didn’t smoke much, and he didn’t smell of smoke. He seemed to just like holding a cigarette. Cha Kexing thought about giving him a milk tea straw, and he’d probably enjoy holding that too.

“I’ll go buy—”

Cha Kexing, perceptive, got up, and at the same time, Zheng Yao reached out to his lower body.

“Let me help you with that.”

“No need!” Cha Kexing almost did a kip-up, then jumped back, hitting the boxing ring ropes, bouncing back, and falling onto the squatting Zheng Yao.

“Ah… you like it this way, huh?” Zheng Yao chuckled.

“I—I’ll go buy cigarettes!” Cha Kexing, blushing, scrambled up and fled.

#

Cha Kexing contacted the head of the security company that Cha Media regularly cooperated with, asking them to introduce a personal bodyguard. Not the kind of large group in black suits holding hands to block fans at celebrity events, but a real bodyguard with skills to protect his life in critical moments.

The other party was attentive, sending him profiles of five professional bodyguards in the afternoon, all retired special personnel, some even having been on the battlefield and killed people.

Cha Kexing eliminated those who were a bit older or looked too fierce, and among the remaining two men and one woman, he chose the woman.

For a personal bodyguard, he felt a woman would be more convenient. First, women are easier to communicate with and better at hiding their identity. Second, if mistaken for a lover, it’s better to be a woman!

The female bodyguard, codenamed “Probiotic,” arrived early the next morning, wearing a well-fitted suit, with a slender waist and good skin, not looking like someone in need of digestive aid.

“Hello, Mr. Cha, just call me Xiao Yi.” Miss Yi spoke softly, walking gracefully.

Cha Kexing didn’t underestimate her at all. To do this job, a woman would have to be tougher and more skilled than a man. The calluses in her palm during their handshake were genuine.

Cha Kexing brought this special assistant home, arranged a room for her, and had her accompany him to and from work every day. The Cha family had no reaction; his credibility in the Cha family was off the charts. Whatever he did, his parents would think, Kexing always has a sense of propriety, he must have his reasons.

This went on for over a week, so calm that Cha Kexing suspected Zheng Yao was just teasing him. Besides, with the Spring Festival approaching, the thugs hired by Feng Ji might not be locals. If they saw no opportunity, they might have gone home for the holidays.

On the twenty-second day of the twelfth lunar month, Cha Kexing was working overtime in the group building when he received a call from his younger brother, Cha Kenuo.

The third generation of the Cha family had four children, all boys. The youngest, Cha Kenuo, had just turned eighteen, with a peculiar personality, always gloomy like a ghost doll, with dark circles under his eyes, living a nocturnal life. He was rarely seen, and even when seen, he didn’t speak, earning the nickname “Little Pervert Cha” from Cha Kexing.

A call from him at this hour was bound to be trouble.

As soon as he answered, he heard the hoarse, crying voice of a teenager going through puberty, “Second Brother, come help me, my friend is dying!”

Cha Kexing turned down the phone volume a bit, asking with concern, “Kenuo, don’t panic, what happened to your friend? Did you call emergency services? Did you call the police?”

“We can’t call the police! Second Brother, you mustn’t call the police! Please come quickly!” Then he hung up, and Cha Kexing received a friend request on WeChat—yes, he and Little Pervert Cha didn’t even have each other on WeChat.

After accepting the friend request, Cha Kenuo, with a human skull as his avatar, sent a location, a room number, and finally a “come quickly” emoji.

Cha Kexing informed his deputy to attend the video conference with overseas partners in a few minutes, took Miss Yi, and went to the address Cha Kenuo sent, an old motel near the old train station.

Even though he prepared himself mentally on the way, Cha Kexing was still stunned by the scene before him upon entering the room.

It was a room with a large bed, with three people lying in the middle, all wearing skimpy, bizarre outfits. Each of their necks was in a metal ring, and the rings were interlocked. It seemed there was a mistake when the last girl put hers on, causing two of the rings to jam, choking the three people.

When Cha Kexing arrived, the three were red-faced and on the verge of suffocation.

Cha Kexing took off his glasses and wiped them carefully, confirming multiple times that it wasn’t his eye condition acting up—do young people play this wildly nowadays?

“Kenuo, what are you doing?” Cha Kexing’s voice remained steady.

“We… we’re role-playing, my friend got stuck, Second Brother, please save them!”

“And you… what role are you playing?”

“I… I’m just here to observe…” Cha Kenuo stammered, clearly not telling the truth. There was another empty ring behind the three, probably meant for him.

The rings were quite thick, impossible to open by hand. Fortunately, Miss Yi was well-equipped, pulling out a pair of pliers from her bag and stepping onto the bed to start cutting.

She worked as efficiently as a professional rescue worker, and after ten minutes of effort, she freed the only girl.

Cha Kexing covered the girl with a hotel towel, gently asking, “How old are you?”

The girl, eyes full of tears, sobbed, “Twenty…”

Cha Kexing breathed a slight sigh of relief, at least she wasn’t a minor. Looking closely, this girl, wasn’t she… the little beauty in the sequined dress that Zheng Yao had his arm around at the Cha Cinema opening party?

Should he inform Zheng Yao?

Maybe it was from watching too many short drama samples produced by the company, but Cha Kexing’s mind flashed with plots from “The Overbearing CEO’s Fragile Little Wife.” Although he thought Zheng Yao, having been through countless flowers, probably wouldn’t remember a little beauty from a month ago, this one was indeed different from his usual companions, just in case?

“What’s your name?”

“Song… Song Tiantian.”

He took out his phone and dialed Zheng Yao’s number. After several seconds, Zheng Yao answered, the background noise loud, with strong beats and electronic music, as if at a party.

“Ah Xing, what’s up?” The noise subsided a bit as Zheng Yao moved to a quieter place, his voice still carrying a hint of laughter, seemingly in a good mood.

Cha Kexing got straight to the point, “Song Tiantian, how’s your relationship with her?”

“Who?”

“Song Tiantian, the girl I saw you with that day.”

“Oh, maybe had a one-night stand.” Zheng Yao replied nonchalantly, “Why, you interested? Go ahead, no need to inform me.”

Cha Kexing pressed his lips together, “…No, if you’re not close, then it’s fine.”

Just as he was about to hang up, Zheng Yao suddenly called out:

“Cha Kexing!”

Zheng Yao rarely called him by his full name like this, did he… remember something? Could it really be a missed true love?

Cha Kexing held the phone, waiting for Zheng Yao’s follow-up.

After three seconds of silence, Zheng Yao only asked, “Do you have anything else?”

“Uh…” Cha Kexing apologized, “Did I disturb you?”

“I asked if you have anything else!”

“No.”

Click, the call was hung up.

Cha Kexing suddenly chuckled, then looked up at the old electronic clock on the motel’s mottled wall.

The numbers jumped, quickly reaching 00:00.

Happy Birthday, Zheng Yao.