Chapter 51: When a Young Man Ventures Out, He Must Take Care to Protect Himself

After leaving Xinjiekou, Cheng Yao called Lu Mengyao.

“There’s a mole. Put the kid back, have another one later!”

“…”

Lu Mengyao was speechless.

After hanging up, Cheng Yao created a new account and added Lu Mengyao as a friend. She seemed to understand what was going on.

Lu Mengyao: “Tsk tsk, you’re scared.”

“I was terrified at the time. Can’t talk now, I’ve got things to do.”

“You heartless bastard, using me and tossing me aside. Am I still coming over tonight?!”

Truth be told, Lu Mengyao was a bit apprehensive about going over, especially after running into Zhang Ya. She felt guilty and lacked confidence; compared to Zhang Ya, she was nothing.

Cheng Yao: “No need, I’m afraid I’ll wear you out.”

“???”

Lu Mengyao was stunned.

…

Logging out, switching back to his old account, Cheng Yao left a message in the group chat saying he was moving and wouldn’t be coming home tonight.

Wang Wenbo: You must move house three hundred sixty-five days a year. I’ve got big news for you guys—tsk tsk—there’s a guy from our university’s School of Foreign Languages who got drugged at a bar.

?

Cheng Yao’s first reaction was pure confusion. Men can get drugged? What kind of woman is that bold?

Cheng Yao: Tell us, what happened?

He loved this kind of gossip, and it was from his own university, too. The gossip fiend in him was instantly ignited.

For a moment, the group chat was abuzz. Even Lu Mengyao from the art school and a few others joined the fun.

Wang Wenbo: Call me daddy, and I’ll tell you.

Zhang Lei: Daddy!

Cheng Yao: …Where’s your dignity?

Zhu Huiyang: Daddy!!!

Tsk tsk, this guy really milked it.

Wang Wenbo: “It was a senior from our School of Foreign Languages. I was there at the time—a very delicate-looking boy. Some guy at the next table slipped him five sleeping pills, and when he went to the bathroom, well, you can imagine. The police were called on the spot, and I heard the guy’s already been arrested…”

“What the hell?!”

Cheng Yao typed furiously, trying to get the full story. This was some outrageous news. Are men at bars now desperate enough to prey on other men?

No doubt about it, bars are utter chaos!

Lu Mengyao: Guys, you have to protect yourselves when you’re out and about. @Cheng Yao.

Cheng Yao: ???

Wang Wenbo: Haha, Lao Cheng, I think you’ve got potential to be on the receiving end.

Cheng Yao: Go to hell.

Chen Qian: You men are disgusting.

Wang Wenbo: Women have lesbians too, don’t be a hypocrite!

Cheng Yao thought about telling Zhang Ya the news, but spreading it didn’t seem right—the victim still had to go to school, presumably. But to be drugged and assaulted like that, what a psychological blow that must be. Just picturing the scene made Cheng Yao’s scalp tingle; he didn’t dare dwell on it.

If it happened to him, he’d have to get revenge, or else he’d never let go of the hatred—and he’d use the thickest concrete reinforced with steel.

But this kind of thing would never happen to him. His mother always said: don’t go to bars. That’s the real answer; you get all kinds in bars—people who drug others, people who prey on the drunk… tsk tsk.

Without realizing it, he’d already reached his stop. After leaving the subway, Cheng Yao walked a few hundred meters and arrived at Half Mountain Cloud Residence, where the delivery man had already called.

When he reached the entrance, the van was already parked there.

The delivery man saw Cheng Yao and asked, “Are you Mr. Cheng?”

“Yes.”

“What floor do you live on?”

“Eleventh.”

“That’s going to be tricky. If something happens to this expensive item, we can’t afford to pay for it. Can we use the elevator?”

The boss had made it clear—absolutely no bumps or knocks; everything had to be handled with the utmost care, or the losses would be enormous.

Cheng Yao nodded, and after passing through security, headed straight to Building Eleven. “The elevator here is pretty big, shouldn’t be a problem. Follow me.”

They chatted idly as they walked.

The two delivery guys were a bit surprised. A three-and-a-half-million piano—they thought he’d be living in a villa. Half Mountain Cloud Residence wasn’t exactly the most expensive place in town, was it? It was hard to imagine someone living here could afford, and be willing, to buy something so valuable.

The elevator doors opened and the two men maneuvered the piano inside. “The elevator’s big enough, just tilt it a bit to the side—yeah, that’s good, that’s good, let’s go up.”

Soon, they arrived on the eleventh floor.

Cheng Yao opened the door, and his little puppy wagged its tail, backing away timidly from the strangers. It barked, its voice still soft and childish.

“Could you please put it right there?” Cheng Yao sniffed the air, peeked into the bathroom, and sure enough, the puppy had pooped. He hurried over to clean up.

“Mr. Cheng, is it okay if we leave it here?”

“That’s perfect, right there.”

Once the piano was set up in the living room, Cheng Yao handed over two packs of cigarettes. The delivery men accepted them with a bit of reluctance but quickly left, pleased.

Cheng Yao was about to call Zhang Ya when he realized she and Cheng Cheng were already downstairs.

A moment later, Zhang Ya and Cheng Cheng arrived home, carrying a big bag of things. As soon as she walked in, Zhang Ya exclaimed, “So beautiful, and you even bought a piano?”

Her eyes immediately landed on the piano. She had a decent eye for quality.

Cheng Yao grinned. “I bought it especially for you.”

“Big bro, wasn’t it for me?” Cheng Cheng poked her little head out.

“Keep dreaming, ugly.”

“I’m not ugly!!!”

Cheng Cheng, like an indignant little tiger cub, hugged the puppy and said fiercely, “Sister-in-law, do you want to hold it?”

“So cute.”

Zhang Ya liked animals too, though she preferred cats to dogs. But Samoyed puppies really were adorable, all soft and fluffy.

Cheng Cheng beamed, “It’s had a bath, it’s very clean.”

So Zhang Ya scooped the puppy into her arms, hugging it close.

Watching, Cheng Yao was jealous. “Actually, I’m really cute too. You could cuddle me instead!”

“You?” Zhang Ya rolled her eyes.

“Woof!”

Zhang Ya: “?”

Cheng Cheng: “…”

In that instant, her lofty impression of her brother crumbled inside.

After sending Cheng Cheng off, Zhang Ya couldn’t wait to sit at the piano. Her slender fingers fell on the keys, and a precise, standard melody rang out—an unexpected surprise.

“This grand piano is so small… Is it a German-made Schimmel?”

“Right again…”

Zhang Ya looked up in shock. “Go turn yourself in, Cheng Yao! Tell me, that robbery on the news yesterday—was that you?”

“???”

Cheng Yao felt the black lines of exasperation crawling across his face. “Don’t be ridiculous. I got this through a friend. It’s not what you think.”

A newly made friend is still a friend.

Right, Lisa?

With Zhang Ya, Cheng Yao would bluff whenever he could, and change the subject when he couldn’t.

Zhang Ya let it go, her slender fingers playing Beethoven’s Symphony of Fate. “If you wanted lessons for Cheng Cheng, why didn’t you ask me?”

“I didn’t want to disrupt your studies. Besides, she’s got a three-minute passion for things. Even if she really liked it, she has no talent—and if she did, I’d have stolen it anyway.”

“Poor thing,” Zhang Ya teased, ruffling Cheng Cheng’s hair.

Nearby, Cheng Cheng looked at them both with a mournful gaze.

…