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  • REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 4: Extra Help

    REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 4: Extra Help

       REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 4: Extra Help

    In the life of Lu Yipeng, from childhood to adulthood. He excelled in every aspect, whether in sports or academics. He ranked first in the police academy entrance exam and graduated with top honors in every subject, until Lu Yipeng thought there was nothing left to challenge him in the world. But his small world had just opened up when he encountered the name Red Peafowl.

    Lu Yipeng raised his hand to caress his weak legs, it had been four years already, four years with Hong Kongque…

    Hong Kongque

       Late at night

    On a side road with few cars passing by, a black car drove slowly before coming to a stop. Its headlights illuminated the grass by the side of the road, along with the night breeze blowing in from the nearby coast about two kilometers away.

    The car parked for a while, another old black car drove in and parked next to it. Then the people in the car rolled down the windows and started chatting for a while. The door of the newly arrived car was opened, and a young man in ordinary clothes stepped out. At the same time, the door of the car that had parked earlier was also opened, and another well-dressed man stepped out as well.

    The person who got out of the shabby car walked to the back of the car, then bent down and pulled out something from under the bumper near the exhaust pipe. It was a package about the size of a hand before he raised his head to get in.

    “Money?”

    “Um.” The person standing there replied with a scratchy voice, then handed over a black document pouch, along with receiving the package, “Does it not get smelly like this?”

    “It’s better than letting the dog smell it.”

    The person responded, and opened the pouch. At that moment, a soft rustling sound got louder. The person who opened the pouch looked up, then shouted out, “Police!”

    Gunshots rang out as the car doors opened. The man jumped out of the car quickly, while Lu Yipeng jumped out of the grass along with seven other people. The young police officer aimed his gun at the car’s wheel, fired twice, then turned and shouted at the others, “Follow quickly!”

    Two police cars rushed out of the grass, while the remaining police officer jumped into the car. As for Lu Yipeng, he opened the door and got into the parked car, just before it sped away, leading to an immediate chase on the road.

    Three cars chased after the old car, Lu Yipeng looked at the car which was speeding recklessly. He grabbed the radio on his waist as expected, then spoke into it, “The criminals are heading towards Route 31. Tianlu and Jackie are following.”

    The radio blared with anxious voices. Then Lu Yipeng saw sparks flying out of the old car that was fleeing, accompanied by loud noises and flashes.

    “Damn it!” Lu Yipeng cursed, seeing the police cars ahead and quickly swerving to the side.

    “They have a machine gun! What should we do, inspector?”

    Lu Yipeng quickly leaned down to the lower part of the steering wheel before giving a command, “Follow closely, maintain a safe distance, do not lose sight.

    I will request backup shortly.”

    Just as he finished speaking, he grabbed the radio and spoke urgently, “This is Lu Yipeng, the criminal has a machine gun, requesting backup on Route 35 immediately. Hurry, the criminal has a machine gun.”

    Before he could finish speaking, Lu Yipeng had to duck down quickly, as some bullets sprayed towards the car, hitting the side of his vehicle frighteningly.

    “Captain Duan.” Lu Yipeng called out to the person driving, and the person who was driving replied, “Are you okay? This is definitely not good, we can’t follow too closely but we also cannot lose them.”

    Lu Yipeng thought carefully before moving to sit next to the driver, “I will drive instead.”

    Captain Duan Feng looked at him and quickly jumped out of the driver’s seat. The car skidded slightly to the side as Lu Yipeng sat down.

    “Aim for the car’s tires, Captain Duan.” The young police officer said. The car then accelerated, increasing its speed dangerously.

    “Are you for real?!” The driver exclaimed, trying to aim the gun at the tires of the car in front, while the car swerved dangerously. Gunfire sounded loudly once again.

    “Damn it!!” Lu Yipeng swerved the car in another direction at a speed that almost made the car flip over, while the driver tried to aim at the target, keeping himself from falling out of the car.

    Gunfire erupted from the semi-automatic rifle that was fired out, followed by the loud and fierce sound of the machine gun. This time, Lu Yipeng’s car almost veered off the road.

    “Inspector-Lu!” The driver exclaimed as the bullets flew past above his head.

    He heard Lu Yipeng’s voice respond, “You scoundrels.”

    Lu Yipeng turned the steering wheel quickly, bringing the car back onto the road just in time before it collided with the roadside barrier. The front windshield of the car was cracked, as the bullets had pierced through.

    “There was a car blocking our way!” Duan Feng cursed and tried to shoot at the old car’s tires as Lu Yipeng swerved the car to the side.

    The words of Duan Feng made sense, but who would dare to drive recklessly like this in the middle of two people shooting at each other? If it was other cars they would either hurriedly stop or drive away, so he had to try his best to chase after them until he could catch up with them.

    Lu Yipeng’s mind was in chaos, tingling with fear as he thought that they might die from the cars crashing. In an instant, he felt like he saw a limousine driving in the adjacent lane.

    With his mouth agape, Lu Yipeng almost couldn’t brake in time when he saw a black limousine suddenly appear and swerve in. The sound of metal bodies colliding reverberated through the air, causing Lu Yipeng’s car to skid off to the side of the road. Luckily, it stopped just before crashing into the barrier. Lu Yipeng and his companion jumped out of the car with guns in hand, slowly walking towards the older car in the front, which was now wrecked and abandoned, while leaning against the back of the long black limousine.

    “Call an ambulance, the criminals are injured.” Lu Yipeng said into the radio. After inspecting the wreckage and finding all three criminals lying unconscious, he and his companion disarmed them all and waited for reinforcements to arrive.

    “Well… whose car is this?” The companion asked, gazing at the long black limousine with a small dent in the body from the collision, “It’s bulletproof, huh?”

    Lu Yipeng was about to speak, but someone else’s voice cut in first.

    “No worries, Inspector-Lu.” a young man with a brightly colored suit stepped out of the car. Although only dim lights illuminated from the front of the parked car, Lu Yipeng remembered well who this man was, but before he could speak, the man spoke first.

    “Oh, don’t be so formal now, have some pity for your subordinates.” He said, teasingly looking at the companion who stood stoically. Lu Yipeng let out a sigh, feeling exasperated.

    “Why are you here, to silence them?”

    “I came to help you sincerely, are you still thinking about silencing them? Do the royal police academy students teach honor like this or here?” The man accused in a cutting tone, while Lu Yipeng gritted his teeth before responding,

    “Then why did you appear at this precise moment like this?”

    “I was just about to drive home.” The man replied, “I happened to see something, and felt like being a good citizen so I decided to help. Is there anything else suspicious, or do you think someone like me has to risk crashing the car to kill these bastards?”

    Lu Yipeng was silenced for a moment by the man’s words. The man smiled slightly, then opened the car door, “I’m not expecting any damages repaid for this job. Don’t forget to visit to say thank you.”

    The sound of the car door closing echoed. Before the car, a limousine, could drive away, Duan Feng opened his mouth to ask something, but when he saw the emblem of a red crowned peafowl decorating the front of the car, he said,

    “Red Peafowl!”

    The news that Hong Kongque helped catch the criminals quickly spread throughout the department. It was fortunate that the authorities ordered the news to be suppressed. However, there were still a few tabloid newspapers that enjoyed sensationalizing the news like celebrity gossip, but eventually had to retract and apologize publicly. It is not known whether it was due to police orders or the influence of the Red Peafowl.

    Lu Yipeng glanced at his watch. He had just finished investigating a case last week. Rumors about Red Peafowl had been circulating for several days, causing the young police officer to be upset. Now that things seemed to have calmed down, and he had finished work early today, he decided to go out and enjoy some happiness.

    Since Hong Kongque appeared at that time, Lu Yipeng has never gone to visit him once. When Hong Kongque did not send anyone to follow him, and he had no business there, Lu Yipeng did not step inside.

    The whole incident of blocking the car without clear intentions like that. No need to thank me for that.

    With the Red Peafowl tattoo on his leg, Lu Yipeng no longer had the courage to flirt for sex from any male or female wherever he went. The relaxation and down time that remained in the young police officer’s life would probably be going to the game center.

    Over the past four years, Lu Yipeng has become a regular customer here. The sudden flash of lights. From the game cabinets, along with the people standing around watching, it was enough to replace the atmosphere of the nightclub district.

    Lu Yipeng sat slouched in front of a game cabinet in a gaming area, casually placing two or three coins beside him, but he was not a novice in the center game. When forced to use this place as a relaxation spot, Lu Yipeng’s gaming skills at the moment can be called “god level.” Therefore, the coins were exchanged and piled up. For him, it can be easily forgotten.

    A young policeman was playing with the computer for a while when someone pressed the joystick. He looked over at the game cabinet on the opposite side because it was a large cabinet. What Lu Yipeng saw was the shoulder of a man wearing a plain blue shirt, and the sound of coins piling up beside him.

    No one in the center game dared to challenge him for a long time. This young man’s attitude might be new, but he was wrong to come and challenge him.

    Lu Yipeng never spared a moment when playing against opponents, just like how he carried out his work duties. Therefore, his victory in the first game was easily achieved. The doctor was truly a newbie, unfortunate.

    But defeating a newbie didn’t make Lu Yipeng feel proud. He thought of getting up and going to the other side to help and teach, but the sound of dropping coins and pressing buttons for another round made the young man have to stop himself, then grab the joystick to continue.

    They played several games and Lu Yipeng knew that if it weren’t for the other guy’s persistence, he would be bored. Even with skills like this, he is still willing to compete against him for ten more games. In the end, the young policeman decided to speak up.

    “Excuse me, take a break for a moment. Can we talk for a bit?”

    The other side didn’t respond, just sat quietly. So Lu Yipeng walked around the line of game cabinets lined up next to each other to go to the opposite side, and had to stop abruptly when he saw the face of the person sitting there.

    “Do I not play well enough for you?” A mysterious smile appeared on their face along with the question. Lu Yipeng cursed himself. He should have realized it was the host.

    “Not good enough at all.” said the young policeman, then walked over, “Why didn’t you come and say hi to me?”

    “I thought this would be more fun, don’t you agree?” Hong Kongque said as he assessed Lu Yipeng from head to toe, then asked, “Are you dressed as a company employee after work today?”

    Hong Kongque looked down at his own shirt and slacks outfit and chuckled,

    “Does it suit me?”

    “I think if I have a little bit of a belly protruding from my waist and some love handles, I’ll just embrace it.” Lu Yipeng made an observation, and then he was caught in the eye by another person. The young man swept his gaze elsewhere, noticing a pile of coins.

    “Are you not good at playing games, or are you just teasing me?” Hong Kongque tilted his head to look at him and replied, “Have I teased you about anything before?”

    Lu Yipeng glanced at the other person for a moment before sighing, “Move on, I will teach you so that in the future, you won’t be embarrassed by them.”

    Hong Kongque chuckled, pleased, and shifted in his seat to face Lu Yipeng,

    “Don’t tease me.”

    Hong Kongque raised his hands on both sides and said earnestly, “Please teach me, teacher.”

    As soon as Lu Yipeng heard that, he immediately got goosebumps, “Why are you saying things that are disrespectful to me.”

    The other person chuckled again, “In our culture, we judge age based on appearance. It’s not a disrespectful comment.”

    Lu Yipeng frowned, looking at the other person for a moment. When he saw the approving smile, he quickly averted his gaze back.

    “This is the directional controller.” Lu Yipeng began to explain, “This button is for punching, this one is for kicking, use it with the directional controller like this.” He demonstrated while explaining, and Hong Kongque sat listening, nodding like a curious child giving him goosebumps.

    After listening to the explanation for a while, Hong Kongque spoke up, “It seems difficult, even copying the movements of those guys is easier.”

    Lu Yipeng raised an eyebrow, “This is a game center, not a playground for acrobatics. If you want to show off, then… I suggest you take these coins and exchange them for tokens to play in the acrobatic park.”

    “Well… just saying this doesn’t seem like we have to chase each other away.”

    Hong Kongque interjected, and Lu Yipeng sighed, “I better go home.”

    “Wait.” Hong Kongque put his hand in front of him before quickly adding, “I understand, teacher. Let me try playing it out for you.”

    Lu Yipeng blinked rapidly, but ultimately sat down obediently. Hong Kongque shifted his body and raised his hand in preparation, then began to do what he had been taught.

    “You’re pressing too fast, slow down a bit. The machine can’t keep up.” Lu Yipeng said since meeting Hong Kongque. He had only just seen the clear movements of the doctor’s hand today. He could move fast to an unreasonable extent. He always gave in first.

    Hong Kongque chuckled, “These machines were made very slow. Fighting at this pace would be pointless.”

    “This is just a game, uncle.” Lu Yipeng said. Hong Kongque turned to look at him, then smiled, “Pengpeng… be careful what you say, or your tongue won’t be of any use.”

    Lu Yipeng immediately closed his mouth

    Sitting and staring at Hong Kongque pressing the button for a long time, the speed decreased not much. Lu Yipeng began to be quiet. Unable to bear it, he had to speak out again, “Hey… you’re a little slow.”

    “I’m trying my best.” Hong Kongque said, his face serious. Lu Yipeng looked at him for a moment, then let out a sigh, “I will hold your hand, so you can feel the beat.”

    The young police officer spoke seriously and touched his hand while pressing the button. He felt Hong Kongque slightly flinch, so he turned back to look.

    Hong Kongque’s lips were slightly beautiful, and he let out a faint smile as he turned. Lu Yipeng couldn’t remember how he felt for sure. He just felt a slight shock when he heard the sound of the falling coins, and knew that his lips had touched the lips of the other person.

    Just a little touch, but why did his heart start beating so fast?

    Or was it because of the surprise of the falling coin…?

    Hong Kongque’s face showed a mysterious smile before he finally spoke,

    “Can you handle this slow?”

    Then he began to move his hand again. Lu Yipeng immediately lowered his weight on the other hand, “A little slower.”

    The feeling of holding hands with someone else to play a game is indescribable. Especially when holding hands with someone like Hong Kongque.

    They held hands like that for a while, Hong Kongque’s hand didn’t slow down at all, but Lu Yipeng was sweating profusely. Whether it was due to the realization of the immense power in the other person’s hand, or some other feeling, he was sure.

    “Let’s go.” Hong Kongque spoke up. After running out of coins to insert, Lu

    Yipeng hesitated before looking at his wristwatch, “It’s this late already?”

    The person sitting next to him nodded, “Good kids should sleep before midnight. You can go now.”

    With that, they both got up, and Hong Kongque smiled at him. Lu Yipeng didn’t feel like smiling back, so he quietly got up and walked out of the store.

    A black long limousine pulled up in front of the game center, the colorful lights on the sign further emphasized the red pigeon at the front. A servant stepped out of the car and opened the door for another person who didn’t seem to own a car like this.

    “Pengpeng, today was really fun, thanks for teaching me.” Hong Kongque said before stepping into the car. Lu Yipeng swept his gaze around the car once before speaking.

    “About yesterday… thank you.”

    “Huh?” Hong Kongque sounded confused and lowered the window, “What did you say?”

    “Nothing.” Lu Yipeng shook his head. Hong Kongque smiled faintly before speaking again, “If you’re free next Sunday, come have tea with me.”

    “I’m not a fan of Western customs.” Lu Yipeng replied shortly, the one inviting didn’t say anything, just a brief comment, “Tea is good though.” Then he raised the window, and the long limousine drove away.

    Lu Yipeng let out a sigh, still feeling the moisture on his back. The young man walked along the road, trying to sort out his conflicting thoughts.

    At least, he now knew that someone like Hong Kongque also had parts of himself that he didn’t like.

    Four years have passed, and Lu Yipeng just found out that he can defeat Hong Kongque at this game center.

    “Pengpeng, you have arrived just in time.” Hong Kongque, sitting on a leather armchair in the reception room, greeted him cheerfully upon hearing

    Paechikchik’s voice, “Pengpeng.”

    Lu Yipeng closed his eyes in patience as he thought about how embarrassing it was to be called like that by his boss. Even the bird did not spare him. If it weren’t for being Hong Kongque’s bird, Paechikchik would have been strangled by now, but because he was Hong Kongque’s bird, he had to endure it. More importantly, if compared, he would rather strangle the other person.

    “Oh?” Lu Yipeng asked, as he sat down on the chair opposite Hong Kongque, and the person sitting next to him picked up some plant seeds and fed them to the bird in his hand, then said with a smile, “I remember you saying how much you don’t like Western customs.”

    “If you’re worried that I’ll see your illegally obtained tea cup, then you’re already too late.” Lu Yipeng replied as Hong Kongque chuckled and said, “You always like to tease others. Where’s my illegally obtained tea cup?”

    After a brief pause, Hong Kongque spoke up, “But let’s put the tea matter aside for now. I have something I want you to see. Oh, here it is.”

    The door opened, and the servants helped carry in a cabinet. Lu Yipeng glanced at it for a moment before turning back to the person who was feeding the bird.

    “A game cabinet, right.” Hong Kongque answered the question on the face of the person looking at Lu Yipeng. He patiently endured the situation, “I saw that it’s a game cabinet, but why did you bring it here?”

    “I want to challenge you again.” Hong Kongque answered back, and then handed Paechikchik to the servant, “Let’s see if my skills have improved or not.”

    Lu Yipeng chuckled, “Alright.”

    “Kongque, what is this game machine?” Lu Yipeng asked. After losing five games to Hong Kongque, the person who was asked replied with a smile, “It’s just a game machine, what’s so special about it?”

    Lu Yipeng turned to look at the person answering, and continued, “These buttons are not working. Don’t try to cheat me.”

    Hong Kongque raised his finger and waved it around, “I’m not cheating with you. If you don’t believe me, I’ll move over and let you try that machine yourself.”

    Lu Yipeng patiently waited for Hong Kongque to walk over and sit in front of his game console. After that, he saw a person pressing the game buttons at lightning speed, the fastest in the world.

    “Kongque!!” Lu Yipeng exclaimed, “What did you do to the buttons?!”

    Hong Kongque smiled and replied, “I just adjusted them to be faster. I think this speed is the most suitable for fighting.”

    Lu Yipeng gritted his teeth before bursting out, “Please play your own game by yourself then.” With that, he stormed out of the room, leaving Hong Kongque sighing repeatedly.

    “These kids nowadays… finding it so difficult to make things faster.” Lu Yipeng closed the door with a loud bang.

    Furthermore, fanart of characters S and M is added for more fun. Hong

    Kongque’s image must look cool and handsome, the ultimate male lead.

    Kongque’s image is not cute, but rather manly. Lu Yipeng, the most unlucky character in the three worlds, is considered lucky to be a character in this story.

    Pengpeng’s image is simple and dignified, indeed a model of honor. But what bad luck it is to have to deal with someone like Hong Kongque.

    Additionally, there’s a couple images. This couple is really strong and formidable. No jealousy, no shame, really!

     

          THE RED PEAFOWL CHAPTERS HOME

  • REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 3: Red Peafowl

    REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 3: Red Peafowl

       REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 3: Red Peafowl

    It’s been thirty years since the rumors started spreading that the Red Peafowl is a mysterious organization, operating outside the law, with its leader Hong Kongque being enigmatic…

    But in reality… What kind of person is Hong Kongque?

    The clock tower bells rang loudly throughout the neighborhood at six o’clock in the morning. Hong Kongque rolled out of bed, his large silk robe trailing behind him. He rubbed his head and exchanged greetings with Paechikchik, who came in with the family patriarch. Then he began to get ready, taking about five minutes in total. Afterwards, the family patriarch would give him the daily schedule.

    “Mister Shen arranged for a morning meeting? Is the schedule still the same?” Hong Kongque asked, glancing at the day’s agenda that had already been announced. The family butler nodded.

    “All right. I’ll head to Tunnel Eight and tell them to prepare the cars. Two should be enough. I’ll go as Zi Cui.”

    “Understood.” The family butler acknowledged, then exited the room.

    At eight o’clock sharp… The grand building of the Shen family.

    “Mister Zi, always on time.” Shen Bao greeted the young man in his early twenties with slicked-back hair, who was entering the meeting room. Mister Zi, or Zi Cui, smiled politely in response.

    “I am always punctual, sir. Are the other meeting participants here yet?”

    “They haven’t arrived yet. Please have a seat.” Shen Bao gestured for Zi Cui to sit down.

    “Actually, I asked you to come a bit earlier than the others. I have something I’d like to discuss with you privately.” Shen Bao continued. After Zi Cui sat down, the young man looked at him intently and asked, smiling, “What is it about, sir?”

    “I know that what I am about to say may cause you distress. Many of our shareholders are questioning the status of the Red Peafowl. We want to know the source of your funding. No need to go into detail, just assure us that these funds will not disappear out of thin air.”

    Zi Cui raised a smile on his face, then replied, “Hong Kongque is reputable, sir. He has never misled us before. As for where he gets his money from, I am not sure.”

    “Please, Mister Chu. We have consulted with each other, but do not want to pressure you, so let me speak privately first. When conducting business with other shareholders. We are open with each other, but you… Hong Kongque is not one of us. You do not have any company. No financial reports. This investment is risky. If you were to disappear…”

    “Mister Shen Bao.” Zi Cui replied, “Our company has been in partnership with yours since your father’s time. We have never been deceitful, so is someone making you force us out?”

    Shen Bao looked embarrassed, “Mister Zi, let’s talk directly. The managers in our fathers era have all passed away or retired. Now, the current management is the same generation as me and all of you. Nowadays, they do not believe in old reputation. On top of that, we have never seen the Red Peafowl himself. No one knows what business he is involved in. You must understand this dilemma.”

    Zi Cui looked troubled, “Shen Bao… I do understand. Let’s do it this way. I will call him and ask how much we can disclose about our business. Hopefully, we can both have peace of mind.”

    The young man spoke, and got up and left the room before returning.

    “I can tell you a few things, Mister Shen.” Zi Cui paused for a moment before continuing, “Our boss has businesses in the oil industry with Company F from America, as well as pharmaceuticals in Germany. You can check all this under the name Hong Kongque.”

    Shen Bao raised an eyebrow, “So Hong Kongque is your boss’s real name?”

    Zi Cui replied with a smile, “We hold shares on behalf of the company. We are registered in America.”

    “Oh…” Shenbao exclaimed, and made a phone call. Zi Cui waited until he finished the call before speaking seriously, “This is confidential, Shen Bao.

    Besides you, do not tell anyone else.”

    “Got it.” Shen Bao replied with a smile, “If the information is accurate, I will confirm at the meeting that the Red Peafowl has a strong financial standing.

    You don’t have to worry about it.”

    “Thank you, sir.” Zi Cui replied with a wide smile.

    Because Shen Bao was there to help confirm the argument, the meeting ended smoothly. Zi Cui walked out of the meeting room, taking the documents with him, and thanked Shen Bao sincerely. As he walked out for a bit, someone called out, “Mister Zi.”

    Zi Cui turned around and saw a tall young man named Qi Chengen, one of the partners in this deal.

    “Is there something, sir?” Sue asked politely, stopping in his tracks.

    “Hong Kongque, what exactly is his business?” Qi Chengen asked.

    “I can’t tell you, but you have already confirmed. You shouldn’t doubt anymore.” Zi Cui replied. Qi Chengen nodded. Then he asked, “Mister Zi, can I have a private conversation with you for a moment? It’s about a secret matter.”

    Zi Cui furrowed his brow before nodding to the person waiting and stepping back, “Is there anything else?”

    “If you don’t mind. I apologize, but I want to know… are you and Hong

    Kongque relatives, siblings, father and son, or just underling?”

    “I’m just his underling.” Zi Cui answered. Qin Chengen nodded, “So he must trust you a lot. I heard you’ve been working with him for six years.”

    “Yes, to replace the old employee who left.”

    The questioner nodded again, “Then… you and his former underling must be related.”

    Zi Cui chuckled, “No, I don’t know him at all.”

    “But you do resemble him.” Qi Chengen said, taking out an old photo,

    “Jimmy, was this your name before? Zi Cui?”

    Zi Cui looked at the photo before chuckling, “What a coincidence. I must have looked like him enough for him to hire me. Well, I was really lucky.”

    “Stop playing around, Hong Kongque. How many lives do you think you can hide behind?” Qin Chengen said sternly, his face serious. Hong Kongque immediately got on guard. This time, Zi Cui just smiled and looked straight into the eyes of the man in front of him.

    “Chengen. Has anyone ever told you what Red Peafowl is?”

    “No one has told me, but I will tell others now.”

    Before Zi Cui could move, a gun was already pointed at his waist.

    “This is the Red Peafowl in the legend. You are just a weak, insignificant man.”

    Zi Cui pursed his lips for a moment before a sly smile appeared, “Chengen. Let me ask you something. Are you the person who suggested that others check my financial status?”

    “Yes.” Chengen nodded, “Even if I did not say it, everyone is already suspicious of you. Let’s not waste time and talk about something constructive. What kind of business are you in now?”

    “Has Shen Bao not told you yet?”

    Qin Chengen just smiled, “Even though he may be a coward, he does not reveal secrets. His father has been doing business with you for over ten years.

    He trusts you more than me. If you don’t want to get hurt, just tell me. I know that if something were to happen to you, the Red Peafowl’s reputation would be tarnished.”

    Zi Cui smiled and continued, “Why do you want to know about Red

    Peafowl’s business?”

    “To see what I can do in place of you.” Chengen replied, “If you give up a few businesses to me, I will keep your secret safe.”

    “I somewhat disagree with this method of keeping secrets.” Zi Cui said as he noticed Qin Chengen tightening his grip on the gun in his hand.

    The smell of burning iron made Qin Chengen feel more awake, and he found himself tied up with ropes on a boat. After struggling to move for a moment, the voice of someone became louder.

    “Well, Young Master Qin, nice to meet you officially.”

    Qin Chengen raised his head and saw a man sitting on a big leather chair, his shoulders covered with a white fur shawl. The light shining down reflected on a sharp face displayed on the glowing screen.

    “Oh! Zi Cui… In short, you are actually Hong Kongque.”

    Hong Kongque smiled in the light, “You’re smart enough, Chengen, but not smart enough. I know many have wondered if Zi Cui and my old assistant are the same person, or even if Zi Cui is me. Just like you, but why didn’t they do as you, do you know?” With a pause, Hong Kongque continued, “Because they are smarter than you. They are smart enough to know that they should be nosy in the name Hong Kongque.”

    Qin Chengen looked at the person sitting in front of him before speaking,

    “So, what are you going to do, kill me or what? Do you think the Qin family will stay quiet?”

    “Calm down, Young Master Qin. I haven’t said anything about killing you yet. No need to rush to die now.” Hong Kongque said with a smile, “I have a good offer for you. Has anyone ever told you what to do when meeting Hong

    Kongque?”

    “Stop beating around the bush and just say it.” Qin Chengen spoke with a harsh voice, making Hong Kongque sigh heavily, “Darn, should parents stop teaching their children about Hong Kongque?” When he finished speaking he sighed before looking down at the person who was sitting in front of him.

    “Young Master Qin. Let’s come to an agreement and do business together. If you pass my test, I will join your business and give you a share in mine. I’ll tell you right now that I have shares in oil, satellites, telephones… Let’s see if you pass the test first. I think it’s too much time wasted to explain now. In short, all the businesses of the Qin family will be combined. I still don’t want to get blindsided, so this is your best opportunity.”

    “All right, what do I need to do?” Qin Chengen asked with a hint of impatience. Hong Kongque pointed to a container with red hot charcoal, with three iron rods inserted inside, before continuing, “You must show respect to me… Take those irons and write the words ‘Hong Kongque’ on your left calf beautifully. I have a template to show you.”

    The man stood with a picture frame hanging on the wall with the words Red

    Peafowl in Chinese, which had been placed in front of Qin Chengen’s. The young man’s eyes widened in shock. He grabbed a piece of steel and held it in his hand, moving it close to his lower leg with a trembling motion before exclaiming, “Hong Kongque you vile scum!!!”

    “Mister Zi.” Qin Nan immediately greeted when he saw a young man in his twenties stepping out of the black limousine. Zi Cui nodded. He was dressed in a black suit, looking stern, “Hong Kongque would like to express his condolences for the accident involving your son.”

    Qin Nan nodded quietly, “It’s okay. Mister Zi, your employer…”

    Zi Cui raised his head to look at him before speaking calmly, “Let’s consider the matter closed between Hong Kongque and the parties involved. Mister Qin, you don’t have to worry anymore. Whatever Hong Kongque says, let it be.”

    Qin Nan just nodded again, letting tears fall down. As Zi Cui walked away to pay respects to the deceased.

    “Kongque.”

    Zi Cui, who had just walked away from the funeral, turned to look at the person calling him. He then dragged him to a corner away from prying eyes before frowning and asking, “Who told you to address me like that?”

    The person being scolded frowned in response, “Uh… I really can’t get used to your dressing style.”

    Zi Cui lowered his head to look at his outfit and then smiled, “I think I dress appropriately.”

    “Uh… I really wonder if you secretly put needles to pull your rooster’s hair under that wig.” The person provoked, trying to pull out Zi Cui’s hair and could hear a loud clapping sound.

    “You! Pengpeng! You should know best that my face doesn’t have any wrinkles at all.”

    “I’m not stupid enough to forget about it.” Lu Yipeng retorted to Zi Cui or Hong Kongque, and then continued speaking.

    “And what is inspector Lu doing here? Are you friends with Qin Chengen or something?” The man in the black suit who was questioned, shook his head, “Do you think I dress like this for funerals or something?”

    Hong Kongque glanced at the young police officer from head to toe, Lu Yipeng, who was wearing a white t-shirt, dark colored jeans, and a pair of old sneakers. Hong Kongque paused and then continued, “You look okay enough, but you still don’t look old enough.”

    Lu Yipeng shrugged casually before immediately speaking, “Alright. You’re involved in this accident, aren’t you? Qin Chengen wouldn’t drive straight into the sea without reason.”

    “Uh…” Hong Kongque cried out and made a pitiful face, “What do you see me as, Zhuge Liang? How will I know who will die and when?”

    “I don’t know about others, but I think it’s you. You’re definitely involved.”

    Hong Kongque made a doubting face, looking at Lu Yipeng as if seeing something strange, “Evidence? An alibi? Nowadays, do police officers need to accuse people without evidence?”

    Lu Yipeng gritted his teeth before speaking through clenched teeth, “One day

    I have to find out for sure. You watch out.”

    Hong Kongque stared at the young police officer for a moment before raising his hand to grab the chin of the other person, “Come live with me, will you? You stay with me twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I guarantee you’ll have solid evidence.”

    Lu Yipeng brushed Hong Kongque’s hand away, looking disgusted, “I have other things to do, than being your sex slave.”

    Hearing this, Hong Kongque chuckled, “Well, do you need me to escort you?”

    “No need. I came with a friend.” replied Lu Yipeng immediately. Hong Kongque’s face showed a hint of disappointment, “Pengpeng, visit me at the office tomorrow. I want to see the peafowl on your thigh.”

    “I’m not free.” Lu Yipeng answered bluntly. Hong Kongque nodded,

    “Alright, then Sunday. I’ll have someone pick you up at work.”

    The young police officer turned to him immediately, “No need. I’ll go myself at five in the evening, a little late. No need to send anyone to pick me up.”

    Hong Kongque chuckled before waving goodbye, “See you later, Pengpeng.”

    Lu Yipeng walked away without even looking back, leaving Kongque behind to stare after him.

    “Kongque…” a voice called out from the old butler of the house, causing Hong Kongque, who had just come out of the bathroom, to smile.

    “Sorry for the delay.” Hong Kongque continued, as the butler nodded his head, “No problem at all, everyone is working hard together. And this situation isn’t too serious.”

    “Um.” Hong Kongque nodded, “Go rest, I’ll close the door myself.”

    “Alright…” The seventy-year-old man said, before walking out of the room.

    Hong Kongque walked to the door, locked it, and then sat on the bed.

    Sunday…

    Note: Let’s not think about Hong Kongque’s age, forget about it hahaha

     

          THE RED PEAFOWL CHAPTERS HOME

  • REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 2: Hong Kongque

    REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 2: Hong Kongque

       REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 2: Hong Kongque

    No one knows why Hong Kongque calls himself Hong Kongque (Red Peafowl).

    Even Lu Yipeng himself doesn’t know, and doesn’t want to know. No matter what others may think Hong Kongque is. For Lu Yipeng, it’s a form of spiritual enlightenment, a big one indeed.

    “Oh, Brother Lu, you are not swimming today?”.

    Lu Yipeng turned and smiled at the junior who greeted him. He was now at the police department’s swimming pool, where an incident had occurred four years ago. Lu Yipeng used to frequent the place, but it had changed now.

    “I’m here on business, I’ll be leaving soon.” Lu Yipeng replied, and walked out of the pool. He had come to talk to a junior about a case. He overheard the junior talking to a friend in a low voice, “It’s weird. Brother Lu usually loves swimming, but when the incident with the Red Peafowl happened four years ago…”

    Lu Yipeng didn’t want to hear anything more than this, so he quickly walked out.

    Red Peafowl…

    Detective Lu Yipeng felt a sharp pain on the scar on his calf and got on it immediately. It was definitely just a reminder of the past. The scar had been there for many years, and it probably didn’t hurt much anymore. Except for the pain that was deeply embedded in his soul.

    Thinking about Hong Kongque’s face made him feel the urge to kill come immediately, but Lu Yipeng knew that Hong Kongque was not someone that anyone could easily kill. Even if he had lost all clothes and was naked without a weapon, Hong Kongque was still alive and kicking.

    Four years ago, Hong Kongque had given him something that made him uneasy. Besides the scars, there were also annoying and frustrating incidents that followed. One such incident was when Lu Yipeng stopped swimming. Why, you ask? Who would want to show off their scarred legs like this? This Red Peafowl was a clear symbol of him being Hong Kongque’s property. No one in the department knew about it, everyone just knew that he had survived

    Hong Kongque’s grip for many years. As for the scars, it would be better to die first, no one would ever see them.

    For the past four years, Lu Yipeng had thought about removing the scar. Or at least adding more scars, so he could erase the name Red Peafowl from his leg. However, Hong Kongqu had a psychological illness that made him enjoy looking at the scars on his leg excessively. He even insisted on asking if it still looked good. So he had to swallow his pride and keep the scar as a pass to meet Hong Kongque in his realm.

    “Hey buddy, are you going back home now? Want to go hang out in town together?” A classmate greeted him. As he was about to get in the car, Lu

    Yipeng turned and smiled at his friend, “No, I have to hurry home.”

    “There’s a big celebrity event in the city today. Aren’t you going?” His friend insisted. The invited person still shook his head, “I have urgent work to do.”

    “Always so busy…Take some time off once in a while. I’ll keep a spot for you.” With that, his friend nodded and got into the car.

    If it were four years ago… He would have jumped into the pool, then hurried to go clubbing with his friends. Because that damn name Red Peafowl (Hong Kongque) on his leg was real.

    After being branded by his own hand, Lu Yipeng dared not go swimming anymore. He had to stop having sex temporarily, afraid that someone would see the scars. If he had to, he would just pull his pants down. Let Hong Kongque handle that kind of nonsense alone! Most importantly, after being tricked by Hong Kongque into a sexual encounter a few years ago, he lost interest in women altogether. What the heck did that person use on him?

    Lu Yipeng slammed his hand on the steering wheel in frustration before driving home angrily. But while driving on the road, he felt like someone was following him. A young police officer slowed down his car beside him and saw two black cars following him. One car parked in front of him, while the other parked behind.

    Lu Yipeng remained in his car. If he dared to embrace each other in the middle of this crowded highway, he would. He agreed to embrace, but when he saw the person stepping out of the car, the young man immediately cursed in his heart.

    “Hello, Inspector Lu.” The tall, scarred man greeted him. Lu Yipeng immediately recognized him as one of Hong Kongque’s servants, named Little Zhi.

    “I apologize for the other day.” Lu Yipeng replied. Little Zhi shook his head, then continued, “ Boss sent me to invite you to the mansion.”

    The young police officer looked visibly distressed and quickly responded, “I have urgent matters and need to return home. Thank you, and please tell your boss that I’m not really available.”

    Little Zhi said nothing but picked up the phone, recounted Lu Yipeng’s words without missing a beat, and then spoke to the young police officer.

    “You said he’ll be waiting at your home then.”

    Lu Yipeng tried to calm himself and smiled before responding, “I just received a message that the meeting is postponed. I’ll go to him at the mansion later.”

    Little Zhi nodded, smiled, and then went back to the car, while Lu Yipeng thought about breaking Hong Kongque’s bones in his mind. He still vividly remembered what happened last time when Hong Kongque came to his house.

    “Oh… Little Pengpeng I have been waiting for.”

    Lu Yipeng frowned at the term that slipped out of the mouth of the man in the white shirt matched with another brownish-red blazer. This time, Hong

    Kongque had no Paechikchik stuck on his finger, but instead, he had a glass of whiskey in its place.

    “What’s the matter?” Lu Yipeng asked with a slight raise of his eyebrow, then continued, “The calcium I gave you yesterday. Did you not take it?”

    Lu Yipeng thought about the box of calcium that had been sent to the forensic department. Once he found out there was nothing messed in it, he left it there. He had no intention of retrieving it back. Who would want to go pick up that stuff from that guy anyway?

    “I didn’t forget about the calcium.” The young police officer replied.

    “Well then, try to look more cheerful than this. You haven’t even reached fifty or sixty years old yet.” Hong Kongque said, shifting in his seat and pouring another glass of whiskey. A servant quickly walked over to bring the glass to Lu Yipeng.

    “Have a drink with me.” Hong Kongque said as Lu Yipeng eyed the glass of whiskey in his hand warily.

    “What else did you add to it?” Lu Yipeng asked.

    Hong Kongque shook his head, looking as serious as ever, “Can you see what I’m adding to it?”

    Lu Yipeng looked at him for a moment before shaking his head, “I’d rather not drink, to avoid any complications.”

    “Surely…” Hong Kongque asked again, and Lu Yipeng nodded, “I don’t want to be drugged by you again.”

    Hong Kongque raised his finger to his head before letting out a sigh,

    “Pengpeng, you really like using hard words.”

    Before Lu Yipeng could finish his sentence, he was grabbed by two big men in police uniforms. He was then smacked hard in the back, and the image in front of him faded away.

    The sound of ice hitting the glass made the young police officer snap out of it. He blinked while feeling a dull ache at the back of his head where he had been hit. He heard someone talking above his head, “Are you awake yet?”

    Lu Yipeng suddenly got up and found that his body was almost naked… almost. Luckily, there were swim trunks on.

    Swim trunks?

    The young policeman turned back to look at the person sitting behind him, Hong Kongque, half sitting half lying on a long chair. He was holding a glass of brightly colored liquor and had a secretive smile on his face as usual.

    “Do you like it? I just changed you into a new swimsuit, so I wanted to see you swimming. You look really sexy in that swimsuit.”

    Lu Yipeng glanced at the person speaking before immediately standing up.

    He didn’t want to imagine what state he was in before waking up. He didn’t want to imagine what his body had been through while unconscious.

    “Headache?” Hong Kongque asked when he saw the young man’s face, “This is… If you agree to drink and get drunk, it’ll be over. I’m not going to kill you, I just want you to stay quiet, that’s all.”

    “I’ll leave.” Lu Yipeng said while turning and walking out immediately.

    Hong Kongque raised a finger to his head and then spoke briefly, “Inchen,

    Qingheng.”

    Two black Velociraptor-like rottweilers, almost as tall as the ankles, rushed towards Lu Yipeng immediately. Before they could pounce at Lu Yipeng, they stopped in their tracks and turned to look back at Hong Kongque, who was sitting there smiling.

    “What would you do next, Pengpeng, go for a swim, or wrestle with Inchen and Qingheng?” Hong Kongque said casually, sipping his liquor in the glass. Lu Yipeng hesitated to look at the two dogs that were about to attack, knowing that a simple command might make them jump on him. Finally, the young man gritted his teeth, “Fine. I’ll go swimming. You can call your dogs back now.”

    Hong Kongque smiled broadly before speaking again, “Inchen, Qingheng, come here.”

    The two dogs, who were about to bite the young man, immediately perked up and ran towards their master. Hong Kongque grabbed a biscuit from the plate on the table and threw it to them, each getting two pieces with a satisfied expression. Lu Yipeng was reluctant to continue watching, so he jumped into the pool and swam away.

    Hong Kongque probably didn’t want him to see too much in the mansion, so this time he dealt with him to knock him out. Lu Yipeng began to think that next time he should prepare some sleeping pills to avoid worrying about encountering anything worse than sleeping pills, but it wasn’t certain. This peafowl guy might have injected something into him while he was unconscious.

    Lu Yipeng swam two rounds before stopping at the edge of the pool and looked up towards the sky. He could see that this must be a part of the luxurious constellation that was now visible, as tonight was a full moon. He could see the constellation more clearly than usual, but he didn’t hope to know anything more about it. Lu Yipeng gazed at the moon for a while before turning back to look at the pool, where he saw Hong Kongque sitting holding a glass of wine, staring at him with interest. He thought about wanting to really pluck out his eyes.

    “Well well. Not joining me for a swim?” Lu Yipeng said with a gracious smile, inviting Hong Kongque to join him in the pool. Even though he was sure that Hong Kongque would refuse to get into the pool, he knew that his masculinity would surely be questioned if he declined.

    “Do you want me to come down and swim together?” The man was asked with a smile, to which Lu Yipeng quickly nodded, though he still felt a prick to be called that name again.

    “I want you to come down and swim with me. I’ve never seen you take off your shirt before.”

    Hearing Hong Kongque chuckle, “Do you want to see me naked or… dream on, Little Peng.”

    Lu Yipeng almost immediately thought of something, was it that Hong Kongque would not know how to swim. Lu Yipeng thought that if he could trick him into getting into the water, he might have a chance of catching Hong

    Kongque and taking him to be questioned at the lodge. The servants wouldn’t dare do anything then. Thinking so, Lu Yipeng smiled and continued.

    “Kongque, are you not coming to swim with me? If I see you undressing once, I might be charmed by you.”

    Hong Kongque almost choked on his drink. He quickly swallowed it and chuckled, “Persistent, be careful, I might bite my tongue.”

    Lu Yipeng pursed his lips and stared at him, his cheeks turning slightly red before swimming to the other side. Hong Kongque let out a sigh and lifted his glass to take another sip.

    “Come on.” Lu Yipeng called to him again as he swam back, “Join me. I want to hug you now.”

    Hong Kongque raised his hand to cover his mouth after almost choking out the wine through his nose, “Pengpeng, please. I’m not ready to choke to death.”

    Lu Yipeng looked at him in dismay. This time the young man’s cheeks turned bright red, not just from exerting himself, but because Hong Kongque could hear his own heart pounding.

    Damn…

    Lu Yipeng felt restless and embarrassed, not wanting to mention the reason. He tried to think of words of apology and repentance, thinking that someone like Hong Kongque must have fallen into the pool, but he forgot that it was Hong Kongque. Even if he was ten people, that guy would not easily fall for it.

    Besides, even if he didn’t fall for it, there were plenty of others who would. Thinking this way, Lu Yipeng felt sorry for himself. So he resolved to swim, thinking that in a little while, Hong Kongque would be satisfied and call him up himself.

    Why did he have to do something like this?

    Lu Yipeng emerged from the water with anger, but when he looked up from the water, he had to stop in shock. He found Hong Kongque standing on the pool’s edge with a mysterious smile on his face.

    “I don’t usually take off my clothes in front of anyone.” Hong Kongque replied before pulling off his wet shirt. The brown-red shirt slid down to the floor, revealing his fair skin, which seemed to glow under the moonlight.

    Lu Yipeng stood, fascinated, above the slender white legs. The tight red swimming trunks and the strong waistband with red stripes protruding from the back.

    “Do you really want to hug me, or maybe?” Hong Kongque whispered softly before sitting down at the edge of the pool and stretching out his feet.

    “Kongque…” Lu Yipeng called softly, extending his hand and holding the tip of Hong Kongque’s toe, then bringing it to his mouth, Hong Kongque sighed with satisfaction as the other person kissed all over his foot as if casting a spell. Then slowly licking along the soft flesh between his toes, creating a pleasing tingle.

    Hong Kongque closed his eyes in enjoyment, allowing Lu Yipeng to deal with his own toes with his mouth. Then his body fell into the water instantly.

    The sound of splashing water spread loudly around Lu Yipeng, confident that this time Hong Kongque would have to swallow a lot of water. He was dragged down so quickly that he couldn’t even stand up like this. Even if a swimmer had to dive, they would still suffocate, but it turned out that they were wrestling in the water for a long time and he himself was taking in a lot of water. Plus, he was almost running out of air before emerging from the water, almost suffocating to death.

    The young policeman sighed heavily as he emerged from the water before coughing until his face turned red. When he turned around, he saw Hong Kongque standing and smiling in the pool.

    “Were you going to drown me to death?” The person asked Lu Yipeng who had tears welling up in his eyes as they spoke, “Do you know how to swim?” The young police officer interrupted Hong Kongque with a raised eyebrow. “Well, yeah, I can swim. When did I tell you I couldn’t?”

    Lu Yipeng felt his mouth go dry as if he had been cursed. He looked at Hong Kongque again, then coughed and he heard a chuckle from that direction,

    “Don’t tell me that you thought I could not swim so you dragged me into the water like this?”

    The person being questioned didn’t respond, but instead turned their face away, “I’m going home now.” Speaking swiftly, they swam to the ladder to get out of the pool, with Hong Kongque swimming after them, “Hey, you said you wanted to hug me.”

    “You pushed me into the water. I’m not in the mood.” Lu Yipeng replied curtly, hearing Hong Kongque let out a sigh, “The moral standards of the Hong Kong Police Department are easily compromised. You just choked on water and became afraid.”

    Lu Yipeng turned back slowly before speaking, “I’m not afraid.”

    “Then come back to the pool.”

    The young police officer hesitated before finally agreeing to come back down into the pool. Then Hong Kongque swam towards him, pushing him against the pool’s edge.

    “You make me feel excited to watch.”

    “Um…” Lu Yipeng cleared his throat before finally speaking slowly, “Why… why did you not come to swim with me from the beginning?”

    “Do you really want me to swim with you?” The person being questioned replied, trying to control their emotions, and then explained slowly, “Even if I want to or not, you wanted to do it to me already, why do you have to wait for me to say so, or do you want to tease me?”

    Once they reached this point in the conversation, Lu Yipeng felt his face blush immediately, and he hurriedly turned to the other side, hearing Hong

    Kongque chuckle softly, “Well, actually. I didn’t think of it that way. I just didn’t want anyone to see the Red Peafowl on my back.”

    “?”

    “When you blush like that, you look cute.” Hong Kongque said, leaning in closer, causing Lu Yipeng to blush even more and quickly turn away.

    “Just a second, did you say red Peafowl on the back? Do you have the Red

    Peafowl tattoo on your back?”

    “Yeah…” Hong Kongque cleared his throat and continued, “If you kiss me until I am satisfied, then. I will let you see it once.”

    The black eyes of both met for a pause. Before Hong Kongque let out a sigh,

    “Come on. I don’t mind.” He said, and leaned down to bite the neck of the other person, Lu Yipeng, who gasped in surprise before pressing his face in for a kiss.

    The tips of their tongues entering aggressively made Hong Kongque quickly wrap his arms around the other person’s face, pulling it closer. The lips of both collided violently, until a heavy sigh was heard. Lu Yipeng pushed Hong

    Kongque’s body towards the edge of the pool, pressing another hot passionate kiss, before pushing their bodies down to the ground. The sound of a heavy sigh echoed in the room. After both parties separated their lips.

    “Let me see your Red Peafowl.” Lu Yipeng said with flushed lips and face.

    Hong Kongque’s face showed a small smile before he turned away.

    A large red peafowl displaying its beauty on a clean white backdrop. Its tail feathers extended down around Hong Kongque waist, and probably long enough to reach the front part of the crotch area.

    “Hong Kongque…” Lu Yipeng mumbled, before leaning in closer to the figure, “Your Red Peafowl is so beautiful, why don’t you want anyone to see it.”

    “I’m afraid someone will fall in love with it instead of me.” Hong Kongque replied with a smile, and Lu Yipeng only responded with a chuckle, “Even if you have no tattoos, I won’t fall for you.”

    Hearing the other person chuckle, Lu Yipeng leaned in again. Then their lips met once more, as Lu Yipeng pressed both of Hong Kongque’s arms against the edge of the pool, kissing all over the white backdrop and around the red peafowl.

    The couple made love in the water, hearing the sound of splashing water alternating with moans and sighs. The red peafowl on Hong Kongque’s back  trembled to the rhythm of their passionate lovemaking, as if about to move on its own. Lu Yipeng kissed the white skin once again, before pressing his face against the neck that was emitting soft moans, engaging in another passionate kiss.

    Red Peafowl…

    Lu Yipeng was almost exhausted to death before Hong Kongque would be satisfied. He leaned against the edge of the pool, letting the other person massage his body without being able to resist. He heard Hong Kongque whisper,

    “Pengpeng, please be my companion until dawn. I don’t like full moon nights.”

    Lu Yipeng struggled to open his eyes. He thought he should be able to go back now, but what he felt was the silver moon shining brightly in the sky, and a delicate touch on his body. Before the whole scene faded away.

    “Lu Yipeng, when did you leave the deserted island?” asked a younger sibling as Lu Yipeng walked into the department. The young man raised one eyebrow before replying, “This morning.”

    He then walked straight to the table, where many case files were stacked.

    “Inspector, how did the investigation go?” another younger policeman walked in to ask. Before Lu Yipeng could sit down, he gestured to hold.

    “Just give me a moment.”

    The woman nodded, placing two thick case files on the table, “A Douhou case.”

    “Um, I’ll leave them there.” Lu Yipeng said, raising his hand to his head as the younger police woman walked out.

    That annoying peafowl!

    Lu Yipeng woke up the next morning to find himself lying on a bed he had never seen before. Looking more closely, he saw a large birdcage in front of him. Then Hong Kongque walked in, ready with instructions to feed the birds for ten minutes before Lu Yipeng realized where he was. As he opened the door and saw the vast ocean outside.

    What kind of a deserted island is this? A different world on the island where Hong Kongque kept birds!

    Lu Yipeng vowed to himself that he would not stay another night at Hong

    Kongque’s mansion. The host forced him to feed the birds for three days in exchange for detailing the case he was investigating. Sometimes Lu Yipeng seriously wondered if Hong Kongque was involved in these cases, but until he had evidence to arrest the doctor, it was impossible. Besides, he had nowhere defeated that guy, but one day he will drag that guy into prison.

    One day…one day soon.

     

          THE RED PEAFOWL CHAPTERS HOME

  • REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 1: Lu Yipeng

    REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 1: Lu Yipeng

       REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 1: Lu Yipeng

    “Inspector Lu. I have something to discuss with you in private. Can I have five minutes of your time?”

    Lu Yipeng looked up to the person approaching him. He was examining the evidence from the casino cleanup case last week. The person who walked in was none other than Chen Qian, the current police chief.

    “Of course.” Lu Yipeng agreed, dismissing the younger siblings who were working there to leave.

    “Do you know the details of the case involving the murder of Miao Xiaodong? How much do you know about it?” Chen Qian started asking, still standing. Lu Yipeng shook his head, “That case, Captain Fan Dong, is responsible for that.”

    “Um … yes. He just told me himself that this case may be related to the Red Peafowl.”

    The black eyes of Lu Yipeng widened as he got on immediately.

    “Inspector Lu, I know this may be a bit too delicate for you, but the case of the murder of Miao Xiaodong is a big deal. You are the only one who survived from the Red Peafowl, and successfully closed the case four years ago. I want you to help one more time… I’ve heard that Hong Kongque himself will welcome you well, like a brother.”

    “I don’t know about that.” Lu Yipeng replied bluntly, “You just sent me to find him last month, and now you want me to go again?”

    “Please help me, inspector. If the case can be closed without relying on Hong Kongque, I wouldn’t have to ask you. I don’t want to keep him around too, but you know, isn’t it true that Hong Kongque is someone who can do anything.”

    “He’s just like you.” Lu Yipeng answered, before letting out a sigh in an unmoved manner, “I will go find him, someday on Thursday. He’s not free to meet me every day.”

    “Please do.” Chen Qian said, then turned around to sleep. Lu Yipeng sighed heavily again.

    “Hey Inspector Lu, is there another unresolved case this month?” a cheerful voice greeted as Lu Yipeng walked into the room. The man was sitting on a burgundy leather chair, holding a large white cockatoo in his hand. He was feeding it something with a playful expression.

    The Red Peafowl has been interpreted by society in various ways. Some say it is a secret organization that conducts illegal business activities, while others say it is a gang of thugs who ruthlessly kill people. There is even a rumor that the Red Peafowl has immortal leaders and must be supernatural beings.

    If asked what Red Peafowl is, Lu Yipeng would probably point to the man in front of him and say, “He maybe a crazy unnerving guy, but Hong Kongque is not a crazy unnerving person.” and Lu Yipeng still carries the scars of the injuries on his legs with pain.

    “Is the Red Peafowl on your leg still beautiful, inspector? Let me see.”

    “You just saw it last month.” Lu Yipeng said, hearing the playful tone of the person, “No, stop it, don’t be childish. You’re almost thirty now. Let me see. I don’t have the chance to see it every day like you.”

    Lu Yipeng frowned slightly before taking off his long pants, revealing a fresh red scar at the inside of his thigh.

    “Hmm… a Red Peafowl indeed, your legs are truly beautiful. You’re not wearing those bikini briefs this time, are you? What a shame. Put on your pants now, or Paechikchik will be shocked by your pale legs and fly away from me again.”

    Paechikchik, the white-winged bird, was now staring intently at Lu Yipeng. The young man, twenty-seven years old, pulled up his pants after fastening his belt. After finishing brushing his hair, he looked up at the man once more.

    The man was still seated on the chair, holding the white-winged bird. The sunlight filtered through the curtains revealing his full and handsome face; sharp eyebrows, clear narrow eyes, chiseled cheekbones, prominent nose bridge, and thin lips. These features combined to create his strikingly handsome Chinese appearance.

    “Didn’t you look in the mirror when you combed your hair?” Lu Yipeng greeted him before raising his hand to touch his own hair. The servants standing nearby handed him a comb and mirror.

    “You’re quite observant, Lu Yipeng.” The man replied after finishing combing his hair, “I must have had a bit too much to drink last night. So, what brings you here today?”

    “I’m here about the murder case of Miao Xiaodong.” Lu Yipeng said, gesturing towards the man seated on the chair.

    “No way, Little Yipeng, what do you think the Red Peafowl is? A know-it-all or something? Tell me the details. I’ve been busy with the oil business recently and haven’t had time to read the news.”

    Lu Yipeng looked at the man in front of him with an expression of disbelief but proceeded to tell him some details of the case.

    “Hmm… with all that I’ve been dealing with, I didn’t know about this…” The man calling himself the Red Peafowl raised his hand to his chin in thought, then spoke up.

    “Have you asked the Ungang gang about this?”

    As soon as the man finished his sentence, the person being questioned stopped combing his hair and spoke up, “I think the Ungang Gang is involved in this.”

    “You must be crazy. The Ungang gang has nothing to do with the investigation. They’re not suspects at all.”

    “Have you asked them yourself? Maybe they’re behind this.”

    “No way. The Ungang gang is not involved in this matter, they are not even suspects at all.”

    “Because of this, you can’t close the case, can you?” Hong Kongque answered with a smile, “If you know how they are involved, I guarantee you can close the case for sure.”

    Lu Yipeng frowned in thought, looking at all the evidence. There was nothing substantial to link to the suspects. Even if it was Hong Kongque saying it, just words from a lunatic like him, who would believe it?

    “Oh… Your reasoning is truly questionable. There is no evidence linking them to the suspects at all.” Hong Kongque rubbed his chin in thought once again before glaring at the police officer in front of him.

    “Last time, you hurt Little Zhi. I truly wonder how a police academy graduate like you received honors.”

    “Alright. I admit that I made a mistake. Is there something else you want to tell me about this case? If not, I will be leaving.” Lu Yipeng said irritably as Hong Kongque raised his finger to his head before standing up. The waiting servant then came to escort Paechikchik away.

    “I have a little time left. I will take you to find evidence related to the suspects.” With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Lu Yipeng startled,

    “Wait. It’s not necessary.”

    After that, he was pushed by the servants of Hong Kongque to follow along.

    The address of the mansion was by the sea, and judging from the picture seen, it would probably cost around a hundred million coins, but Lu Yipeng thought its value must be more, considering the secret chambers and hidden passageways within the mansion. He was now walking with Hong Kongque into the mansion, still unsure where they were headed.

    “I might need to change my clothes a bit. It’s not suitable to go in like this.” Hong Kongque mentioned, gesturing to his burnt brown suit jacket, “You

    should change as well. That outfit looks too noticeable.”

    Lu Yipeng looked down at his suit jacket, but before he could say anything, he was pushed into a room.

    Hong Kongque is a man of average build, standing at around 177-178 centimeters tall. He has neat black hair that is always swept to the side. He appears to be in his late twenties to early thirties, but according to Lu Yipeng, he has been in the industry for over thirty years. Another thing, when he first met Hong Kongque four years ago, the man had the same appearance and four years later, that face has hardly changed at all. Well, it would be better to say that it hasn’t changed at all, but Lu Yipeng is sure that Hong Kongque is just an ordinary human who probably has a way to take care of his health better than others.

    Denying help would be detrimental, so one of Hong Kongque’s servants helped him remove his old clothes and brought new ones to replace them. When he saw himself again, he was wearing a black and green football team printed Tshirt with denim jeans that fit him perfectly. Even the sneakers that were brought to him fit him perfectly as well. As he stepped out, he found Hong Kongque waiting for him.

    Apart from the subtle smile on his face, the person in front of him looked like just another car racing enthusiast.

    “You look good, for a change.” Hong Kongque said, then took the cap off Lu

    Yipeng’s head without asking. The young man pulled it back with a displeased look, only to see Hong Kongque holding another cap in his hand.

    “Alright, let’s go out for a motorcycle ride.”

    Lu Yipeng has been working as a police officer for five years so catching street racers is not something new to him. Although he has not been doing this job for long, he has seen enough street racers to know which ones are trouble. The problem is that he is now riding a motorcycle that he suspects belongs to the boss of the street racing gang.

    Hong Kongque led him through the winding streets of the district until they reached a dark alley. At the entrance, there were several motorcycles parked, all heavily modified and clearly well-used. They were not for show. He then invited him to ride one of the motorcycles, and they set off until they emerged on the highway that connected the district, which was several kilometers away from the estate. Needless to say, Lu Yipeng had no idea how he ended up there, as the alley was dark, and the motorcycle rider was too fast. All he could do was hold on tightly to the steel frame of the bike and pray not to fall off.

    The motorcycle journey, which was as rough as a street race, ended when Hong Kongque parked his motorcycle in front of a building that Lu Yipeng knew well.

    Hongang gang is a mafia group that operates various forms of gambling, including legal and illegal football betting.

    “I’ve bet everything. I won’t back down.” Hong Kongque said, patting his shoulder before walking into the building.

    The football betting business of Hongang gang is quite chaotic. Especially in the middle of the night, but it is now midday, and most employees have gone out for lunch break, leaving only a few remaining.

    Hong Kongque walked in. He raised his hand, brushed his hair, and then greeted the employees sitting in front of him, “I came to have lunch together, or is someone going to invite me.”

    The person sitting at the table looked at him curiously, “You…”

    “Shia Shen.” Hong Kongque answered, “Oh, I saw you at the market in district two the other day. Do you live around there?”

    “Yeah, um…” The person responded hesitantly. Hong Kongque continued, “I just wanted to consult you, my younger brother wants to start a business, but you disappeared before I could talk to you.”

    “I have to talk to the boss. I can’t decide on my own.”

    “I just want some advice.” Hong Kongque said with a smile, “Do you think it’s good to open in district six?”

    The person immediately shook his head, “Don’t do it yet. The boss in district six just got cleaned up. If you open it now, people will be suspicious.”

    “What evidence do you have?” Lu Yipeng, who had been silent for a long time, asked the person sitting and frowned, “Where have you all been? Haven’t you heard anything? The case is going to be big.”

    “Oh, there are so many killing cases these days; we won’t be able to know.

    Also, no one seems to be involved here.”

    “There won’t be any evidence. Your tactics are really too new. We were old hands in the industry before. He once worked with the boss for a while, then withdrew and secretly went to do his own thing, taking away our customers and even slandering the boss. Later, the boss took care of him by teaching his righteous older brother a lesson. Some things can’t be done to oneself. If you guys think about entering this industry, play it honestly. Otherwise, you’ll regret it.”

    “Hmm… big brother, we are already very loyal.” Hong Kongque said with a smile on his face, “Thank you for the warning. I need to go consult with our new little brother about where to open.”

    “District Eight.” The person sitting suggested, “They are in need of personnel.”

    Hong Kongque nodded before turning back, “Little Xia, what do you think of District Eight?”

    Lu Yipeng looked serious and hesitated before replying, “I’m not sure, big brother. I am not familiar with District Eight. I think it’s better if we go back for now.”

    Hong Kongque looked disappointed and turned to apologize immediately,

    “Alright, little brother, it seems he doesn’t want to fight too many people. It’s okay, thank you so much, big brother. I will take back my little brother and come back later.”

    “Um.” The person sitting mumbled before lowering their head to focus on the work at hand, realizing that they had never heard the name  before. It had been several weeks since then.

    “Miao Xiaodong is Xiao Baiheng’s adopted big brother.” Hong Kongque said as he rode his motorcycle, having heard Lu Yipeng’s reply through the wind, “I know.”

    The person on the motorcycle chuckled, “If this case closes, it will be my half-good deed.”

    Lu Yipeng cleared his throat, “Do you want anything else this time?”

    “Just the usual.” Hong Kongque replied and turned the motorcycle onto another street.

    “Why don’t you choose a better place than this?” Lu Yipeng asked as Hong

    Kongque opened the door to enter an abandoned warehouse, “I can’t help here.

    I’ll hurry back. This place is close to my home.”

    “Why don’t you go back to your sanctuary then?” The young police officer still had doubts as Hong Kongque raised an eyebrow and smiled at him,

    “Hmm… I get tired of the bed and table at the mansion.”

    Lu Yipeng looked at the person standing in front of him. Then he swept his eyes around the warehouse. Besides the rough cement floor and the scattered wooden crates, there were only two old shipping containers.

    “Do you want to do it?” He turned to ask, the person being asked shrugged again, “Pick one. I’m fine with whichever.”

    Lu Yipeng swept his gaze once more before pointing to the container, “That one is fine. The floor seems clean enough.”

    Hong Kongque chuckled in his throat, “Really love cleanliness, huh. A container is a container, the attitude is equally fine.”

    Both walked side by side towards the container, but before they reached it, Lu Yipeng pulled Hong Kongque in for a hug. Then he began to caress his body.

    “Today felt like role playing… naughty kids, huh.” Hong Kongque said, chuckling, while the other person lightly bit his ear.

    Lu Yipeng continued to caress that figure and then leaned in to kiss the neck corner, before sliding his hands to caress the inner body of Hong Kongque, who stiffened for a moment before turning his face and whispering softly, “Kiss me a little.”

    Lu Yipeng followed easily, as they were close to each other’s lips, the young man took out something small.

    !!!

    Fast as lightning and before he could prepare a counterattack, Lu Yipeng’s back slammed into the container door. Then he heard a click above his head as

    Hong Kongque stood smiling in front of him, “You really excite me, huh.”

    He spoke, and caressed the face of Lu Yipeng who tried to pull his hand away, only to find that both his hands were locked by his own handcuffs on the container door handle.

    “Hiding my handcuff key was a good advancement.” Hong Kongque praised, and brought his mouth close to the other person’s. Of course, this time, Lu Yipeng remained silent, but it didn’t make the other person upset.

    Hong Kongque gently tapped his lips, then raised his face with a smile,

    “Have you thought about it yet? If you catch me, what charges would you press?”

    Lu Yipeng didn’t answer, but instead looked away, only to be pushed back by the other person, “You don’t want to catch me anymore. Always thinking about what to do next or not. I’ve been questioning the standards of the Hong Kong police academy’s students every time.”

    “It has nothing to do with my school.” Lu Yipeng finally replied. He looked at the person in front of him with a sense of confusion that was difficult to explain.

    “Still thinking about the Red Peafowl on your leg, huh?” The person being looked at asked, before smiling, “But I really like the Red Peafowl on your leg the most.”

    Then the figure in front of him crouched down, and Lu Yipeng heard the sound of a zipper. Then his pants were removed.

    “The Red Peafowl on your leg is really beautiful.” The person who held him captive spoke, running his fingers around the smooth, red-patch skin, before leaning in closer with the lips. The chuckle of the person standing nearby was heard, “Didn’t expect someone like Hong Kongque to come and make trouble for me like this.”

    “Well.. you should be proud of it.” Hong Kongque said, pulling down Lu

    Yipeng’s heart-shaped pants, “Maybe you should tell others what I did to you.”

    Lu Yipeng let out a heavy sigh. His hands, which were being held above his head, began to struggle, while his lower body started to wriggle intensively.

    “I’m gonna cum.” The young man spoke with a hoarse voice, as the other person sucked him off again while his two hands were shackled, before letting his lips go.

    “I wonder if you’ll let me finish in your mouth again.” Lu Yipeng said, and was silenced by the lips. Then Hong Kongque pulled out a condom from his pants pocket.

    “I’m curious about how you’re going to do this.” The other person said knowingly, seeing the face of the person who was locked up.

    “Well… I’m really curious about that.” Lu Yipeng admitted, as Hong Kongque chuckled lightly and tore open the condom packet, “Just be careful not to let it spill on the way there, that’s all. Don’t worry about anything else.”

    Lu Yipeng sucked in his breath as Hong Kongque put on the condom. Then the other person lowered his pants and moved closer.

    The young man shuddered once again as the tip of the top penetrated into that secret passage. After wriggling a couple more times, every part of it disappeared until the length was gone, then he heard a chuckled in his throat satisfactorily.

    Before Hong Kongque’s hand reached out to grab his hip, and then collided with his own hip.

    Lu Yipeng growled in his throat, amid the groaning sound of the front body. The strong waist sections of both collided rhythmically. The moaning sound echoed far and wide, the young police officer squeezed his waist towards the hips that were intertwined. Before both bodies shook, along with the white fluid that the other person released.

    Hong Kongque wriggled out, took off his own condom, and then turned to remove the other person’s condom, the drops of emotion released dripped down on the floor between them. He picked up the tissue paper from his pants pocket, wrapped those condoms in it before placing them on the shoulders of the tall figure still locked.

    “Leave it.” Hong Kongque said, while pulling up his pants and looking at Lu

    Yipeng, then he continued, “Let me go first.”

    The person being abandoned raised his eyebrows, looking thoughtful, “That’s right, you probably haven’t figured out how to unlock it yourself yet. Um… you should probably try it now.” After speaking, Hong Kongque turned and made a gesture to walk away, as Lu Yipeng shouted.

    “Kongque!”

    Hong Kongque paused for a moment before raising his hand to cover his ears,

    “What did you say?”

    Lu Yipeng gritted his teeth before speaking again, “I said to let me go first.”

    “Did you call me?”

    “Um…”

    “Call me again.”

    “Kongque… Hong Kongque.”

    Hong Kongque turned back, and a smile appeared on his face, “I like it when you say those three words for real, it’s a pity you don’t say them often.

    Otherwise, you would definitely become Paechichik’s rival.”

    Lu Yipeng tried to use all his patience to the maximum, “Let me go, please. I can’t unlock the key without you teaching me at all.”

    Hong Kongque nodded and smiled satisfactorily, “When you talk to me in this way, I like it. But where is the key?”

    “In my pants pocket.” Lu Yipeng said, bending down to look at the pile of pants near the young man’s feet. He then shook his head, “I don’t want to bend down to find something, or you might take the opportunity to kick me. It’s better this way.”

    Hong Kongque moved his hand to the back. It was unclear what he was taking out. Then he raised his hand above Lu Yipeng’s head, and the handcuff key slipped out.

    “Be careful.” Hong Kongque warned as he carefully wrapped a piece of paper with a thumbtack into Lu Yipeng’s hand. Before he could bend down to pick up the pants, the young police officer smiled in satisfaction, “Um… you taught me well, I must dispose of it correctly. Can’t just throw it anywhere!”

    Hong Kongque hurriedly left, looking at his wristwatch, “I have to hurry, let’s go.” Then he pulled Lu Yipeng’s hand outside.

    Lu Yipeng thought he would die because of Hong Kongque’s motorcycle speed, but in the end, both of them safely returned to the mansion. When they arrived, Hong Kongque quickly went to take a shower and change clothes. The young police officer was curious about what made someone like Hong Kongque in such a hurry, as he never saw him rush before. So, he waited at the reception room of Hong Kongque.

    “Ready?” Hong Kongque asked, before stepping out. He changed into a white silk suit. When he arrived at the reception room, the servant brought Paechikchik to him immediately. The parrot immediately called his name,

    “Kongque… Kongque.” Then, he squawked as if trying to communicate with Hong Kongque, as if he was special, almost like his own child.

    “Calm down, Paechikchik, they are coming soon. Oh, there they are!” He exclaimed as the door to the reception room was opened by two servants. In one of the servant’s hands was a birdcage with a parrot inside.

    “What do you think, Paechik?”

    After standing and enduring for a while, Lu Yipeng couldn’t help but ask, “Kongque, do you like it? Didn’t you say you were in a hurry, were you in a hurry to come and pick up the bird?”

    Hong Kongque turned to look at him and smiled broadly, “You called my name again, sounds really good, huh… Yes. I came to welcome Little Pechikchik and his fiancé. It’s important, you know. So, are you leaving now?

    Don’t drink auspicious alcohol first, okay.”

    Lu Yipeng walked out of the hall hastily, ignoring Hong Kongque’s gaze that made him sigh.

    “What’s with these young men these days, no matter how old they are, they still act immature.” He spoke, and handed Paechikchik to the servant to take to Con before giving orders.

    “I’ll have someone buy some calcium to send to Little Yipeng, send it to his house. He wouldn’t want him to break down at work. Don’t forget to write a letter telling him that I’m worried.”

     

          THE RED PEAFOWL CHAPTERS HOME

  • REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 0: Prologue

    REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 0: Prologue

       REDPEAFOWL, Chapter 0: Prologue

    The narrowed black eyes, still and serene, resembled the night sky in the dark moonlit night. They descended low towards the figure sitting cross-legged below.

    At the front was a tall, sturdy young man tightly bound with ropes used for securing boats, and on his sides, there were two other large men standing guard. “Ah… you are the new undercover spy from the police department, right?” The person sitting on the leather chair covered in animal fur spoke in a playful tone as if talking to children, leaning forward to look at the person sitting crosslegged below.

    “Let me see your face clearly for a moment.”

    At the end of the sentence, the face of the young man was immediately forced to look up, and a chuckle could be heard, “Still so young, huh? How old are you, officer?”

    “Twenty-three.” The person being held answered in a disinterested tone, not making the other person feel upset in any way. The person sitting on the chair continued to look down low, his pale face showing a smirk inviting one to get on, when combined with the still and serene eyes that were like sapphires. It exuded a mysterious charm that was indescribable.

    “What’s his name?” The person sitting asked, one of the two guards standing guard responded.

    “Lu Yipeng graduated from the Police Academy with first-class honors. Born on the xxth of xx, xx, joined the service in September xx last year. By the appointment of Feng Yi, the former Police Commissioner.”.

    “Oh… well, well.” The person sitting on the chair chuckled, “My people have found good information indeed. Let me ask you, Officer… Lu Yipeng, when you received your honors, did your teacher ever teach you what a Red Peafowl is?”

    Lu Yipeng did not answer the question, but instead changed the subject,

    “Whatever you want to do with me, just go ahead and say it.”

    The person sitting on the chair let out another smile before shifting slightly in the seat, the light shining down from the lamp above illuminated a tingling face, with shoulders neither too narrow nor too wide. In a white fur coat on top of a blood-red suit.

    “Captain-Lu. I don’t really know what the person who sent you explained to you what Red Peafowl meant, but do you still want to go back to continue serving the police? No… Do you want to have a good relationship with the Red

    Peafowl?”

    “What do you want?” Lu Yipeng asked the person sitting across with a smile,

    “There’s nothing I want. I just want confirmation that you will show loyalty to the Red Peafowl. If you dare to show it to me, I will assist you with the case. But if not… I think the person who sent you must have told you about the person who came before you.”

    As the speech ended, a steel basin with rust on it was lifted out, with three pieces of steel pipes of just the right size inserted. The person sitting then spoke.

    “Captain-Lu. Can you write Red Peafowl correctly? I’m asking you for real. Can you write every stroke correctly or not? The person before you wrote one line off. So I had to make him lie with the fish in the Hong Kong Bay. I just found out that your police school does not focus much on writing anymore.”

    Lu Yipeng looked at the person sitting in front of him. However, the dim light inside the room did not reflect clearly enough to see how the young man was looking, but it was definitely not with a loyal gaze.

    “Alright. I have solved the problem. I will show you the way and you write accordingly.”

    A picture-scroll rack was brought in, with three words written on it.

    Hong Kongque (Red-Peafowl)

    “Release him.” The person seated gave the command, and the one standing beside untied the rope binding the ship, as soon as the rope slipped, Lu Yipeng jumped to attack the man sitting on the chair immediately.

    No one in the room moved. Even the two men standing beside him did not budge. Lu Yipeng lunged towards the man sitting on the chair, clapping his hands on the throat covered with a white shirt. The mysterious smile of the man sitting on the chair appeared on his face.

    As soon as Lu Yipeng felt his face was in the wrong direction and the image in front of him was skewed. Before his face hit the cement floor below with force, the coldness of the cement seeped into his skin rapidly.

    “Ah … Captain-Lu. Are you illiterate or have you never learned anything?

    Come on. I see that you are still a child, so I will forgive you this time.”

    The same voice spoke again. Then Lu Yipeng noticed the smell of shoe polish, along with the polished leather shoes at the end of his sight which were presented to his chin.

    “If you want to continue investigating, you should play by my rules. But if you no longer want to perform your duties, then indulge yourself… I have nothing to lose.”

    Lu Yipeng recoiled before being dragged back to his original seat. The person on the chair continued speaking,

    “On your left leg, Captain-Lu. The inside of your delicate thigh down there.

    Write it nicely.”

    Lu Yipeng tore his own shoe off, revealing the clean, white, soft flesh hidden underneath. He then took a white cloth and bit into it, before grabbing the hot iron from the fire and pressing it onto his own thigh.

    The smell of burnt flesh spread throughout the room as the young man pressed the hot iron onto his leg with his trembling hand. The person sitting there had eyes glistening faintly in the dim light, the three letters slowly appearing on the clean, white flesh:

    Hong Kongque (Red Peafowl)

     

          THE RED PEAFOWL CHAPTERS HOME

     

  • THEWEDDINGPLAN, Epilogue Chapter

    THEWEDDINGPLAN, Epilogue Chapter

      THEWEDDINGPLAN, Epilogue Chapter:

    A wedding isn’t just about two people.

    But love is about two hearts.

       “I’ll head out early today, sis.”

    “Hey, not taking the company van? You didn’t bring your car,” Sister Eim said.

    “No worries, someone’s picking me up.”

    It was another hectic Sunday afternoon. The talented organizers from The Wiwa Square were busy handling the final details of an engagement ceremony for the bride and groom, as usual. The event went smoothly, with everyone agreeing it was impressive—beautiful, meticulous, and elegantly befitting their status. However, since the event was held at the bride’s house, deep within a sprawling village, when a key assistant like Nuea asked to leave early, the head organizer, Sister Eim, couldn’t help but ask with concern.

    This village is deep… really deep. No easy way in or out.    But when Nuea confidently said someone was coming to pick him up, the listener let out a loud “Oh!”    “Getting bold these days, huh, Nuea?”

    “Come on, sis, it’s gotta happen sometime. We’ve been together for more than a month or two,” Nuea said with a chuckle, a hint of shyness on his face. He glanced at the successful ceremony, knowing full well that behind such triumphs were sweat, effort, and plenty of arguments to pull off an important event like this.

    Today, as usual, most attendees were older relatives, which made Namnuea think back to the wedding that fell apart last year.

    This event felt similar to that one. Getting the bride and groom to agree with their families on who to invite, who to exclude, and how to handle everything for today’s engagement nearly brought the bride to tears. Not to mention the upcoming celebration in two months—sorting things out with the family had already left the bride sobbing to Sister Eim.

    Planning a wedding is stressful, but once it’s over, Namnuea believed it would be an unforgettable, cherished memory for a lifetime.

    “Well, well, who’s picking up Nuea? That super handsome guy?” a curious intern swooped in to ask, eyes sparkling with interest. Namnuea grinned wide and tapped the kid’s head.

    “What, you interested?”

    “Nah, Phii, I’m interested in you! Totally my type. Such a shame you’re already his wife,” the cheeky intern teased, pouting and giving a playful glare. Namnuea patted the kid’s shoulder lightly and said with mock sympathy:

    “Let me teach you something. There are two types of good guys. One…” he pointed at the groom standing faithfully by his bride, “already has a wife.” Then he pointed to himself. “And me… I already have a husband.”

    “Wow, Phii Nuea is so proud of being the wife, huh? Don’t you differentiate, though? Guys with wives can have guy wives or girl wives too,” the kid in front whined, making Uncle Nuea burst into laughter. Just then, another crew member joined them and nudged Namnuea.

    “Hey, Phii Nuea, your groom is waiting in his car out front.”    “Man, I’ve been wondering for a while—why does everyone call Khun Lom Phii Nuea’s groom?” the intern kid, clueless about last year’s events, asked. It made those in the know smirk, while another younger colleague puffed up their chest, answering proudly on their senior’s behalf.

    “Because Phii Nuea snagged the groom who was about to get married, that’s why!”

    “Whoa, Phii Nuea stole someone’s husband?!”

    Thwack

    Another smack landed.

    “No way! Phii Nuea didn’t steal anyone. He was the one who comforted the groom when he was at his lowest point in life.

    That’s when Khun Lom realized he’d fallen for Phii Nuea. Dude, it was the talk of the town—Phii Nuea turned a straight guy into an amazing boyfriend!” Namnuea could only glance at Sister Eim, who knew the truth, and they both shook their heads in weary amusement, not finding it all that funny.

    Who would’ve thought Sailom’s plan would actually work?

    Because so many people around him bought the story he spun.    Now, Sailom has completely closed his heart to women and opened it to a new world—when, in truth… he’s been gay from the start, hasn’t he?

       “Alright, enough. My bedroom life isn’t that interesting. I’m heading out, then. Sorry, Sister Eim, for not staying to help till the end.”

    “No worries, go ahead, Nuea. It’s Khun Yiwa’s wedding today—she must be thrilled,” Sister Eim whispered softly. The listener nodded and slipped out of the bride’s house. Finding his ride wasn’t hard at all… that same flashy sports car.

    Click

    “You could’ve called me when you got here, Khun Lom. I would’ve hurried out.”

    “I didn’t know if you were busy, and besides, I can wait,” the man who took his day off to pick up his boyfriend said with a smile, leaning over to plant a big kiss on Namnuea’s cheek. The kissed one tilted his neck slightly.

    “Come on, I’m all sweaty. Been running around since morning.”

    “Smells good to me. I love every scent of you.”

    “Getting naughty again, you ex-groom?” The listener laughed loudly, then handed over some food he’d bought on the way. As the car pulled onto the road, heading straight for Namnuea’s condominium—

    The place where Sailom has practically moved in already.    After the incident of being jilted by his bride, Sailom’s mother didn’t dare meddle too much in her son’s life anymore, only watching from a distance. This led her dear son to rarely return home, claiming that going back would only make him miss Yiwa more. This evoked pity from everyone around, and even his father suggested he could live elsewhere. Now, Sailom was in the process of buying a new condominium.

    One big enough for two.

       “Sigh, such a pity,” Namnuea said.

    “About what?”

    Namnuea turned to the man beside him with sympathy.    “That we couldn’t attend Khun Yiwa’s wedding.” Khun Yiwa considered the man beside him family, an important brother figure, and so much more over the years. Yet, they couldn’t attend the small ceremony the two brides held in a church in Canada, due to the drama they’d orchestrated the previous year.    If they had gone, it would’ve revealed that Sailom harbored no resentment toward Yiwa. On the contrary, he would’ve been overjoyed for her.

       “It’s alright. Just sending our congratulations made Yiwa happy,” Sailom said with a faint smile, likely recalling when Yiwa Skyped across continents, screaming excitedly into his ear, announcing that her partner had proposed.

    Her demeanor was worlds apart from when she was set to marry Sailom.

    Now, with a stable career after moving there, it wasn’t surprising that they’d want to get married for real. Even if it was just in a church with a priest and a few local friends attending, Yiwa had made it clear to him:

    “I don’t need a grand, extravagant wedding. All I wants is a wedding with the people I loves most by my side.”

    “Jealous?” the man beside him teased, making him tilt his head slightly.

    “Nah, I’m happy for her,” the young organizer replied, but Sailom didn’t change the subject.

    “So, if we got married, what theme would you want for the wedding?”

    “You’re still dreaming about that? A wedding between two guys in Thailand?”

    “I’ve seen plenty of them,” Sailom countered. The listener shook his head, then asked a single question that knocked the other out cold.

    “How about getting your mom to accept it first?”

    “We all need dreams, Nuea. And my dream is to marry you.”    Thud.

    The car dashboard figurine seemed to stare, while the driver glanced over briefly—just a fleeting moment, but enough to convey seriousness. Namnuea dipped his head slightly and let out a soft sigh.

    “But I dreamt it’d be so chaotic. My family, your family, tons of friends, people from your company—they’d all be buzzing. The groom who once had a stunning bride suddenly has another groom show up at the wedding? That’s headline material for sure.”

    Grab.

    Before Namnuea could spiral further, as someone who’d organized countless events and knew chaos better than anyone, the driver reached over, took his hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

    “Nuea, don’t overthink it. Just relax and tell me what kind of wedding you want. We’re dreaming together, aren’t we?” Sailom said, causing the listener to pause briefly before continuing with a faint smile, as if he, too, had secretly been envisioning it. “For me, just a small wedding with my parents and yours there to bless us. That’s all I need. And if we want to tell friends, maybe a small restaurant party to announce we’re married. I just want people who genuinely want to celebrate with us, not those showing up for social clout.” He shook his head slightly.

    “But it’ll still be chaotic.”

    “Let’s plan one someday, yeah?”

    “Hmm.” But the man beside him kept talking with a wide grin. When their eyes met, Namnuea saw the other was dead serious. As the car stopped at a red light, the young man turned, held his hand tighter, leaned in closer, and asked in an even more earnest tone.

    “Someday… will you marry me, Nuea?”

    “Khun Lom…” Namnuea could only let out a soft groan, staring at the unblinking eyes that felt like a marriage proposal right then and there. He didn’t know whether to be thrilled or flustered.

    A proposal at a red light, really?

    Smack.

    “Look at the road, the light’s green,” Namnuea said, giving Sailom a firm pat on the shoulder. Sailom pouted but turned back to the road. Namnuea couldn’t help but tease.

    “You already know weddings are a hassle. And you still want to plan one?”

    “Because I love you.”

    That one sentence wrapped it all up, just like Sun said.

    Namnuea had no comeback, only a flushed face as he turned to stare out at the road.

    That reaction prompted the former groom to ask softly, “Nuea, is it so chaotic you don’t even want to think about it?”    “It’s… not that,” Namnuea mumbled quietly. “It’s chaotic, sure, but even so, lots of people still want to do it. Me… someday…” His voice was faint. Last year, he didn’t even dare imagine his own wedding, thinking he’d live a lonely gay life forever. But this year, he’s been thinking about it… way too much.

    Because of the Person by My Side

       Right now, he has someone he wants to plan a wedding with.    “Hmm, someday, Nuea,” Sailom said in a soft voice, intertwining his fingers with the hand he held.

    A wedding might be chaotic, with many people involved, but Sailom promised, “I swear, Nuea, our love will be just us. I won’t let anyone make things hard for you, no matter what.” The tall figure spoke, and the listener could only offer a faint smile, trusting that this man could do it.

    If Sailom said he’d do something, he could do anything.

       “It’s okay. I’m willing to face the hardship,” Namnuea replied.

    “Hm?”

    A raised eyebrow replaced a question, prompting Namnuea to speak with a steady voice.

    “Because I love you. No matter how tough it gets, I’m ready to walk with you.”

    “Thank you, Nuea. Thank you for loving me.”

    Their tightly clasped hands were the answer. As the luxury car drove back to the condominium, they awaited a call from Canada, someone begging for wedding blessings.

    The path they chose to walk together.

    Even if today’s path doesn’t lead to a wedding ceremony, they’ve learned that a wedding means nothing if two hearts aren’t firmly bound. So, when the day comes when their hearts reach the altar, Sailom will surely ask again:

    “Marry me.”

    And on that day, Namnuea will answer with full conviction:

    “With pleasure.”

    Until that day comes… even without a grand wedding announced to the world, as long as their two hearts are tightly entwined, no matter the obstacles, they’ll support each other to overcome them.

       Because love is a matter of two people… not a crowd, and just two hearts.

       My Wedding Planner

       THEWEDDING PLAN CHAPTERS HOME

  • THEWEDDINGPLAN, Chapter 13

    THEWEDDINGPLAN, Chapter 13

       THEWEDDINGPLAN, Chapter 13:

    No one’s ever completely honest, not even the manliest of men.

        “I can’t believe Yiwa would do something like this. I have to apologize on her behalf. I never thought she’d cause such a scandal,” Yiwa’s mother said.

    Sailom had been back in Bangkok for several days, but the issue of the “rain-fearing” bride who’d fled abroad still lingered. Today, Yiwa’s mother showed up at his house, her face heavy with sorrow, apologizing for her daughter’s actions. Sailom’s mother responded cautiously, her expression teetering on the edge of explosion.

    “I have to apologize on Yiwa’s behalf too, dear,” she said, turning to the one most affected by this mess. Sailom sat with his hands loosely clasped on his knees, his sharp features shadowed by a scruffy beard, his dry, lifeless eyes betraying a lack of spirit. The woman who’d come to apologize could only sit there, uncomfortable under the weight of his silence.

    “It’s fine. Maybe it’s my fault for not knowing she was already with someone else.”

    “Lom.”

    The young man turned to meet his mother’s pitying gaze as she called his name, reaching to place her hand on his. But the tall figure pulled his hand away, shaking his head slowly, signaling he didn’t want any sympathy. Then he turned to the other person.

    “Auntie, has Yiwa contacted you at all?”

    The other hesitated briefly before raising a handkerchief to wipe away tears.

    “Not at all. Yiwa hasn’t reached out. And when she flew off, it seemed like she’d planned it thoroughly—got a visa, carried her passport. This is all because of that so-called friend of hers! If Yiwa hadn’t gotten involved with that… wrong-gender friend, this wouldn’t have happened!”

    “Wrong-gender friend? What does that mean?”

    The only one still clueless—that the bride didn’t run off with a man but with a woman—asked in confusion. The bride’s mother was stunned. Sailom, sitting quietly, let out a heavy sigh and broke the silence.

    “In truth, she never loved me, did she? I was just… a front for

    Yiwa.”

    “Lom, you knew?”

    The young man locked eyes with his mother and asked in a dry, hoarse voice.

    “Do you think I’m that stupid, Mom? I had my suspicions, some inkling that Yiwa and that friend weren’t just friends. But because I loved her, I believed she loved me too. I tried to overlook it, lied to myself that she had to love me… but she never gave in to me. Not once.” His deep voice trembled with pain as he lowered his head, as if holding back tears. Both mothers pressed their lips shut.

    One felt heartbroken for her son.

       The other… feared her daughter would never get another chance like this.

       “Lom, don’t give up yet,” the aunt said. “I’ll try to reach Yiwa. It might not be as bad as we think. Don’t be mad at her yet, give her a chance. I’m sure she knows how much you love her.” Her words went in one ear and out the other for the listener, but they struck the other mother’s heart. A chance? So her daughter could hurt her son again?    “What? Why would you say that?”

    “Or is it not true? Yiwa’s done this much wrong, and you’re still asking for forgiveness? Of course—her daughter’s fled abroad! The ones left here to face the shame are our family, just Lom. How’s he supposed to face people as the foolish groom who was used by a woman all along?”

    “Hey, don’t talk about my daughter like that!” The two, who’d gotten along like peas in a pod for over a decade, began arguing over whose fault it was. And neither seemed willing to back down.

    “Where did I go wrong? I never should’ve let Lom get involved with that girl!”

    From “Yiwa” to “that girl,” the change in pronouns seemed to snap the listener’s patience as well.

    “I shouldn’t have gotten my family involved with someone as narrow-minded as you!”

    “Huh, you dare insult me?!”

    “Enough!!!”

    As the two adults argued immaturely, a deep voice roared loudly. Sailom shot to his feet, glaring at the two adults who could only fall silent, exchange glances, and turn away from each other. Sailom then spoke firmly, with resolve.

    “I’m going to call and cancel the wedding.”

    “Lom!!! Don’t, son, give her a chance…”

    “And if she doesn’t come back, are you going to let me stand there like a fool at the ceremony alone?!” The young man didn’t mean to be rude, but he couldn’t hold back and spoke harshly, staring at the other party, who was on the verge of tears and raised their hands in a wai.

    “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful, but I’ve lost hope. Waa isn’t coming back… I’ll take my leave now. I have work early tomorrow.” With that, the young man strode quickly back to his bedroom, so fast that no one dared stop him. Especially the bride’s mother, who knew her hopes of having this young man as a son-in-law were fading, because he had made it clear: I’m going to tell everyone we’re canceling the wedding.

    “Wait a moment, please…”

    “No. Seeing my son like this, and you still tell me to wait? There will be no wedding between Sailom and Yiwa. Is that clear enough?!”

    The adults’ argument echoed up to the second floor, reaching Sailom, who was about to enter his room. He paused briefly at the doorstep, letting out a heavy sigh. His younger sister, who had come to check on him, called out softly.

    “Phii Lom…”

    But Saifon was surprised, because the person she thought would be stressed and disheveled… was smiling broadly as he walked into his bedroom.

    “Why is you smiling?”

    “Hey, did you watch the drama last night?”

    “Look, when the heroine chose the hero and dumped the second lead… I was crying!”

    “Same, I went through a whole box of tissues…”

    ..

       Thud

    “Ouch, oh, Khun Sailom, I’m so sorry… I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

    During the lunch break, two female employees were walking and chatting enthusiastically, analyzing the latest drama episode with gusto. They didn’t notice a young man coming around the corner and crashed right into him. The moment they looked up and saw who it was, one of the women quickly apologized in a panic.

    The sharp eyes glared down with displeasure, his voice curt.

    “Watch where you’re walking. You have eyes, use them to look at the path, not just to watch dramas.”

    “S-sorry!” The boss had already disappeared around the corner, but the two scolded employees, staring after him dejectedly, turned to face each other. And then… the gossip fest about the boss began.

    “What’s up with Khun Lom? He’s usually so kind, but lately, he’s been acting like a menopausal grump.”

    “What, you haven’t heard the news? They’re saying Khun Lom’s wedding fell apart because the bride ran off with her lover!”

    “What? Are you serious or joking? Is there really a woman who’d ditch someone like Khun Sailom? Is she stupid or crazy?”

    “Maybe both. People have been warning everyone to steer clear of Khun Lom lately. His mood’s all over the place, so don’t take it personally. He seems pretty heartbroken. They say he dated his fiancée for over ten years, but she got pregnant with someone else and fled abroad.” One asked, another answered, and they went on, embellishing the story with glee.

    This made the listener’s eyes widen.

    “Poor Khun Lom. I kinda want to go comfort him.”

    “Daydreaming, huh? He’s head over heels for his fiancée.

    Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let himself go like some bandit.” As one told another, the story spread further, until everyone in the company was endlessly discussing it. The jilted second lead became the ultimate object of pity, more dramatic than the evening soap operas. It even reached the point where someone claimed they saw Khun Sailom trying to kill himself.

    Now, the pity for him multiplied exponentially.

    “Lom, can I talk to you?”

    Sailom was sitting in the living room, sighing heavily, the television blaring through the house though he wasn’t watching it at all. His mother approached hesitantly. The “bandit” who’d let himself go grabbed the remote to mute the TV, saying in a low voice,

    “No, Mom. I don’t have anything to talk about.”

    “Lom, don’t be like this, son,” said the woman who’d always controlled her son, sitting beside him. She rubbed his back soothingly, looking at him with such pity that Sailom shook his head.

    “What are you going to say now, Mom? Console me not to overthink when my fiancée ran off with someone else, and you know it?” The would-be groom spoke with a pained tone, letting out a heavy sigh. His mother clenched her fists, unsure how to comfort him, especially since she’d been complicit in supporting that woman all along.

    Who would’ve thought that the sweet, proper Yiwa could do something like this? 

       “I’m not going to tell you not to overthink. You loved Yiwa for over a decade, and this has hurt you deeply. You need time to heal, but…” His sharp eyes met his mother’s as she took a deep breath and continued.

    “There’s not just one woman in the world, son. There are plenty of women out there ready to take Yiwa’s place…”

    “But in my world, there’s only one woman—Yiwa!”

    Before his mother could finish, the young man cut in sharply, glaring at her with barely contained fury. He continued in a low, dangerous tone, signaling she’d touched a nerve.

    “Even though I knew about Yiwa and her friend, I kept lying to myself for years. Why do you think I did that, Mom? Because I love Yiwa and only Yiwa. She’s the only woman, my entire world. Didn’t I tell you I’d only marry once in my life, to a woman named Yiwa? Now that she’s gone, who do you expect me to turn to? Who else is there?!”

    His words stunned the listeners, who could only watch as he breathed heavily, struggling to keep his grief from exploding further.

    “Lom, calm down, dear. I didn’t mean you need someone else right now. I meant later…”

    “There is no later, Mom. There’s nothing left. You got what you wanted, didn’t you? I’ll only have one woman in my life, and it’ll stay that way forever.” His mother’s eyes widened in shock. She hadn’t realized that her outspoken support for her former would-be daughter-in-law, to the point of keeping her son from other women, had hurt Sailom so deeply.

    Sailom won’t open his heart to anyone else? He shouldn’t hold on like this.

    “But didn’t you teach me to hold on, Mom? Enough. I have nothing more to say.” With that, the man who’d been venting in the living room stood to his full height, turning as if he’d changed his mind and was heading out.

    “Where are you going, Lom?”

    “Got dumped, so I’m going to drink, aren’t I?” he said, raising his voice.

    “You can drink at home.”

    “No. I’m going to see Khun Nuea.” The organizer’s name slipped from her son’s lips—a name she’d heard so often lately it was familiar. Feeling too guilty to stop him, she understood why. Namnuea had been there when Sailom returned to Bangkok, and her son had grown close to the former wedding planner, consulting him and visiting often.

    Her son trusted Namnuea more than he trusted her.

    “It’s fine. Lom’s angry now, but it’ll pass. Once he’s feeling better, he’ll find someone good,” his mother said hopefully, unaware that her son had already found that “good person.” The problem was, she might not approve, because that person wasn’t a woman… but a man.

    “And you’re hiding out here. Jerk,” Namnuea said.

    “How am I a jerk, Nuea?”

    “Every single part of you, that’s how.”

    At Namnuea’s condominium, today welcomed a young man who’s been coming over so often lately it’s almost like he’s moved in. The guy wrapped his arms around Namnuea’s waist as he set down a plate of food—bought on the way home—on the table. Being a man himself, having a bigger guy clinging to him… was pretty inconvenient, to say the least.

    “Man, I’m supposed to be heartbroken here. Not only did my fiancée dump me, but she’s also pregnant and ran off with another guy!”

    “Whoa, how far has this rumor spread?” Namnuea said warily, eyeing the guy who was still grinning widely, clearly pleased despite being the talk of the town.

    Of course, at his office too.

    The sudden cancellation of the wedding between the dashing groom and stunning bride—before invitations were even sent— spread like wildfire. People speculated wildly, their creative minds spinning tales so vivid that Namnuea didn’t know whether to go along with them or cry for poor Khun Yiwa. One thing’s for sure: Khun Sailom seemed utterly pitiful.

    Pitiful, my foot! The “pitiful” guy’s been cuddling up to me every night.

       Namnuea scoffed inwardly, glancing at the man who told his family he was coming over to drown his heartbreak in booze. Yet here he was, helping serve rice, pouring water, and sitting in his usual spot. And yeah—no alcohol involved whatsoever. Just a casual dinner together, like any couple.

    “Let the rumors spread as far as they want. The further, the better. Make me the most pathetic, miserable guy alive,” the man said.

    “I don’t see the point in you sitting here spinning lies to fool everyone, Khun Lom,” Namnuea replied.

    The listener smirked, chuckling low in a way that screamed villainous mastermind, not some tragic second lead. Then, in a clear, pointed tone, he said:

    “From now on, I’m the guy who’s sworn off women, scarred by a wound so deep no one can heal it. And right at that moment, you, my dear friend, step in to comfort me at my lowest. You pull me back, make me see the light, and that’s when I accidentally fall for you… I love this script the most.”

    “Were you a sculptor in a past life or what? You’re way too good at spinning tales,” Namnuea quipped.

    “If I were a sculptor, I’d be a master potter with golden hands, my work displayed in museums. My creations are tangible, realistic, and everyone believes they’re masterpieces… even if I just slapped them together,” the “heartbroken” guy shrugged with a charming air, flashing a smile and reaching to pinch Namnuea’s cheek. “When that day comes, I’ll bring you home, tell my mom straight up that I love you.”

    It sounded touching, heartfelt even—if it weren’t for the fact that this drama had already been scripted by someone else.

    “You’re luckier than you deserve. Before Khun Yiwa left, she paved the way, saying she used you, kept you as a front, turning you into ‘the most pitiful guy.’ When in reality, you’re probably the biggest liar of all,” Namnuea shook his head slightly, though deep down, he couldn’t help but agree with the plan, at least a little.

    In the end, Sailom remains the good son in his mother’s eyes, but a turning point in his life revealed he’s gay—something he’s been all along. It seems the role he’s playing fits perfectly, and it’s even a good thing… a dear friend who pulls him back to a better life.

    “But you went and fell for a liar like me,” the confident man said with a smirk, letting go of his hand and inviting the other to eat. He went on to share company gossip, leaving the listener unsure whether to feel exasperated on his behalf.

    Poor Khun Sailom wasn’t even fazed yet, so why should he worry for him? But still…

    “That handsome guy? Hard to believe he’s that good at lying.”

    Sister Eim, who knew a bit of the story, could only shake her head and whisper in disbelief. She recalled the day Sailom walked into the office, announcing the cancellation of the wedding with a face full of pain. But behind the scenes, he whisked away the talented organizer somewhere unknown, even having the audacity to call and say he was “borrowing” them first. “I can’t believe I ended up with such a master liar for a husband,” Namnuea chuckled softly, muttering to himself, “But

    I’m already in love.”

    Hearing the murmur, the listener smiled faintly, reaching out to gently wipe sauce off a fair cheek.

    “Thank you for understanding me and loving someone as problematic as me,” Sailom said with a serious tone, making the listener smile too. But then he teased, “Is this a drama or real life?”

    That was enough to make the serious man’s face stiffen. He stood up from the chair, pulled the person eating to the sofa, wrapped both arms around a soft waist, and nuzzled into the smooth, fair shoulder he adored. He loved burying his face there, inhaling the sweet scent and kissing the soft skin regularly. Then, with a slightly sulky tone, he said,

    “With you, everything is real… Don’t you believe me?”

    “Well, knowing you’ve been acting to fool everyone at home and the company, I can’t help but wonder a little, Khun Lom.”

    “But I’m serious about you, really,” the cunning man, who was just a clingy softie to Namnuea, insisted. The listener turned to look, but all he saw was a fluffy head buried in the crook of his neck. A fair hand reached out to pat it gently, and a small smile appeared.

    “I believe you, Khun Lom… At least you haven’t lied to me, right?” When asked like that, the other lifted his face, met his eyes, and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

    “You can be sure you’re the one I’ll always tell the truth to… I’ve told you everything, Nuea. Every lie I’ve told, every deception I’ve pulled on everyone—I’ve only shared the truth with you,” the confident man said, still holding his waist, his sincere tone softening Namnuea’s heart.

    Truthfully, Namnuea believed him. If he intended to lie, he wouldn’t have shared every detail of his plans like this. “Thank you, thank you for telling me the truth,” he said, his round eyes shining with trust, making the man who had staked everything on their future smile widely with satisfaction.

    Sailom truly poured everything into their shared future.

        Everything he’s doing now is to pave the way for his mother’s acceptance in the future.

       If his current state was like someone on the brink of death, unable to move forward no matter who tried to pull him up, yet one person could step in and fix it all, that person would be nothing short of a hero. And he wanted Nuea to be that person.

        Now, his mother no longer dared to meddle in his life… a good sign. A very good sign.

       “By the way, can I ask something?”

    “Hmm?” Namnuea narrowed his eyes slightly, not meeting his gaze. “When are you shaving that beard? It’s all scruffy and patchy now,” he teased, playfully tugging at the whiskers.

    Sailom raised an eyebrow and said coolly,

    “You make it sound ugly. Everyone says I look like Johnny

    Depp.”

    “Funny.”

    “You don’t think so?” When the other teased with a smile, Namnuea finally let out a laugh. He looked at the man claiming to be as handsome as a world-class actor and wanted to shave off that beard, but… he couldn’t bring himself to. Because, well, he was actually pretty handsome.

    Ruggedly handsome, undeniably so.

    “I’m not shaving yet. It gives me that heartbroken, fallen-man vibe. Plus… it’s necessary for some things,” the speaker said, his eyes gleaming mischievously, scanning the soft figure up and down until Namnuea grew wary.

    That look definitely had something to do with him. Sailom pointed at the crook of his neck and demonstrated.

    “Eek, no way, Khun Lom! I told you it tickles!” The sharpfeatured face nuzzled into the pale neck, rubbing the beard against the smooth skin, making Namnuea shrink back, tingling all over. After a few rubs, the fair skin turned a soft pink, as expected from someone so pale.

    Khun Sailom’s favorite.

       “But you always tell me to keep going,” a husky voice whispered close to his ear, slyly. Namnuea pouted but couldn’t resist arguing back a bit.

    “Just admit you like it. Look at the beard marks all over me. If I weren’t this pale, would you even like me?” The listener couldn’t help but laugh, pushing Namnuea to lean back on the sofa, raising an eyebrow again.

    “Alright then, I’ll prove I don’t just like your skin.”

    “Stop, stop, stop right now, K…kun Lom, STOP!”

    Namnuea could only yell, pushing at the broad shoulders frantically, his round eyes pleading.

    “I’ll give in, I swear, but not now! It’s the middle of the day, and I haven’t eaten yet, Khun Lom. Let me eat first, I’m starving! After that, you can have me all you want,” he whined, glancing longingly at the food on the dining table. It must’ve been a pitiful sight because the handsome man leaned in and planted a firm kiss on his pale cheek.

    “Alright, I’ll hold you to it.”

    “Stingy, huh?”

    “It’s called being prudent, Nuea,” Sailom said, standing up and pulling the other man to his feet to resume their late dinner.

    The meal, now quite delayed, started again. Sailom watched his lover eat with a smile, unable to resist smiling himself, his thoughts drifting to the day they first met.

    Namnuea’s smile had truly captivated him. It melted away so much stress, making him want to get to know the man. If Yiwa hadn’t interrupted, or if there hadn’t been that meeting about the wedding, who would’ve believed Namnuea would end up being the one in charge of his event? It made Sailom grin, especially recalling those frustrated looks when he kept interrupting.

    “I’m still curious, Nuea. That day we met… what were you looking for?”

    Pause

    Namnuea looked up instantly, eyes wide.

    “Looking… looking for what? Nothing.” Of course, who’d admit they were spending their lunch break checking out guys passing by? But Sailom’s persistent, curious gaze seemed to fluster him, sparking an idea.

    “What I was looking for doesn’t matter, Khun Lom,” Nuea said with a smile, scooping the last bite of rice into his mouth. Then he stood, walked around to the man sitting opposite, and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

    “What matters is that, in the end… my eyes found you.”

    Just like now, as Sailom looked up to meet his gaze, the man before him grinned widely. Unable to resist, Sailom pressed a firm kiss to his lips before pulling back.

    “Alright, that’s the end of twenty questions. Get up and help me wash the dishes properly… wait, no. I bought the food, so you’re washing. I’m going to shower so I can pamper you sooner. So… are you staying over tonight, Khun Lom?” The long-winded spiel made the guest obediently stand to clear the plates, responding with a broad smile.

    “I’d stay even if you didn’t ask.”

    But before Namnuea could head to the shower, a deep voice followed.

    “I’m glad I almost got married. Because that… led me to you.”

    That made Namnuea smile to himself.

       This wedding mattered to him too… even if it ended in spectacular failure.

       A magical wedding where the groom found his true match… a wedding they’d never forget.

        

      

       THEWEDDING PLAN CHAPTERS HOME

  • THEWEDDINGPLAN, Chapter 12

    THEWEDDINGPLAN, Chapter 12

       THEWEDDINGPLAN, Chapter 12:

    Never trust the mood of a bride-to-be.

       They’re unpredictably volatile, believe me.

       Inside the guest bedroom reserved for close relatives, an uninvited guest had joined. After Sailom finished showering, he walked over and wrapped his arms around the waist of the man sitting on the bed watching TV. His sharp-featured face nuzzled into the pale neck, inhaling the sweet scent deeply, making Namnuea scrunch his neck to escape.

    “Your stubble’s tickling me.”

    “I’ll do more than tickle you,” Sailom teased, grabbing the remote to turn off the TV. His hands encircled the waist as his lips trailed along the smooth, pale shoulder, now faintly flushed from the scratch of his rough stubble. A low growl rumbled in his throat.

    “You’re so pale, Nuea. Makes me want to kiss you all over.”

    The listener laughed, no longer pulling away. Instead, he tilted his neck, offering his shoulder for the sharp face to bury into.

    His hands squeezed the strong shoulders in return.

    “Being pale is my one confidence.”

    “Not just pale—delicious too.”

    “Is that how you think of me?”

    “I think of devouring you whole.”

    “Hmm, don’t leave marks on my neck. My relatives might see,” Namnuea warned. Sailom knew his manners, but the sight of that fair skin, blushing with the slightest touch or squeeze, was too tempting. He couldn’t resist planting firm kisses, nibbling and grazing the soft skin. Soon, vivid red marks appeared, prompting Namnuea to protest.

    “You’re not listening again!”

    “Your collar will cover it, Nuea.”

    “So stubborn.”

    “I’ve always been stubborn, haven’t I?”

    Not just talk, Sailom slipped his hand under the hem of the shirt, touching the soft, pale skin. His palm slid up to the smooth chest, savoring the faint moans from the man who no longer thought of escaping him. Namnuea gripped his shoulders tightly, his body visibly tensing as fingertips brushed lightly over sensitive, pale buds.

    “Mm, Khun Lom, don’t tease.”

    “I’m not teasing. I’m serious,” Sailom said, his hands slipping further under the shirt to toy with the pretty buds—flicking, grazing, until they perked up beautifully. Whether Namnuea meant to tease or not, wearing a thin white shirt made them stand out clearly, practically begging for firmer pinches. His lips never left the neck, kissing relentlessly, as the soft body writhed under his touch.

    “Mm, don’t… don’t touch there… seriously… Khun Lom…”

    “Your weak spot?”

    “Nnngh,” Namnuea replied instead, glancing down at the hands, biting his lip. His breathing grew heavier, and he turned to meet Sailom’s gaze. Then, he leaned in, pressing a kiss to those well-shaped lips.

    Sailom didn’t hold back, slipping his tongue inside, meeting the scorching heat that ignited him in a way he couldn’t believe. As their bodies pressed closer, rubbing against each other, the cold night breeze slipping through the slightly open window had no effect on them.

    “Smack… mm… smack…”

    Their tongues grazed and tangled, creating embarrassing sounds. Sweet saliva flowed, one retreating, the other chasing, one pulling back, the other pursuing, alternating back and forth. Meanwhile, large hands slid to tug at the thin fabric of a shirt, its owner yielding to let it slip off over his head.

    Whoosh.

    Then the young organizer flipped the dynamic, parting his legs and straddling Sailom’s body. His hands wrapped around broad shoulders, their eyes locking. Sailom saw the gaze before him— challenging, pushing his patience to the brink.

    A challenge worth savoring.

    Tonight, Namnuea was different from before. Maybe because he wasn’t drunk, wasn’t overwhelmed by emotions, and this wasn’t the mistake he’d once claimed. His eyes burned with fiery intensity, bold and daring, making Sailom want to dive headfirst into the flames. “What are you planning?” Sailom asked, brushing a hand against the pale cheek. The other grabbed his hand, kissed it, and answered cheerfully.

    “Taking charge of you from the start, how’s that?”

    “Can you handle it?” Two hands gripped the round, firm backside, squeezing fully, relishing it even more. The other flinched slightly, baring his teeth a little, but said nothing as the large hands continued kneading. Then, shifting slightly, the curved hips brushed against the bulge in Sailom’s pants. The pale figure began to roll his hips, grinding and pressing, making the recipient clench his jaw.

    A blatant challenge.

    “Come on, Khun Lom, let me have my fun first… please,” Namnuea said before the taller figure could flip them over. His hands pinned the broad shoulders firmly, and he… flashed a coy smile.

    When the one who’d been dodging him suddenly turned flirty, what could the young man do but lie still? As Namnuea leaned his upper body down, those beautiful lips pressed kisses along the jawline. His tongue lightly teased the hollow of the neck, tracing up to the prominent Adam’s apple, sending waves of heat through Sailom’s body. The urge to flip them back vanished completely—he wanted to see what would happen next.

    His lover, trailing along his body, stoked a smoldering desire. That low dip made Sailom’s eyes catch sight of a prominent peak, prompting him to reach out and gently squeeze it. “Has anyone ever told you you’re insanely naughty?”

    “And does anyone know you’re the one who really drives me wild?”

    “Haha, maybe one or two people.”

    “Who?!” Sailom growled low, staring unblinkingly. The other grinned wide.

    “Ex-boyfriend, huh? Did you think someone my age would come to you pure?” The listener’s face fell. He wasn’t expecting purity, not when he himself had been through plenty. But knowing that someone with such a sweet, captivating demeanor had been seen by others made his heart cloud with unease. And it seemed Namnuea could sense it. His warm lips pressed a kiss to the rough cheek, soothingly.

    “But I’ve never done this much for anyone.”

    This “much” made Sailom wait in anticipation. Let’s see if he’d get more than Namnuea’s past lovers. Namnuea’s hands roamed freely, pulling off his own pants and Sailom’s. Hot breaths poured over skin, and he clenched his jaw, holding back his urges as the other’s lips trailed below his navel.

    “Damn, you’re really something.”

    If Namnuea made an ecstatic face when savoring delicious food, he was making that same face now. But the one watching, now burning with desire, could only run a hand through soft hair, gazing at the flushed, porcelain face that was impossibly alluring.

    Namnuea indulged him fully, his hands moving to prepare himself eagerly.

    “Nuea, let me do it,” Sailom insisted stubbornly, despite his heavy breathing. He pushed his fingertips into the tight space, probing and stretching, all while his lips never stopped. The more he looked at the other, the more he had to summon immense restraint not to pull him down, flip him over, and become one.

    “Nuea, I want you… I can’t take it anymore…”

    Only when Sailom pleaded did Namnuea shift to straddle him. His hands pressed against Sailom’s chest, hips lifting. And Sailom found this view to be the best.

    The handsome yet fair face of his lover had brows furrowed tightly, eyelids glistening with moisture and half-closed. Lips twisted, chest heaving with forceful rhythms as their bodies moved in perfect sync, becoming one.

    It was all so captivating, impossible to look away.

    “Nuea, let me kiss you,” Sailom whispered, his face tilting up to meet a searing kiss. As their bodies moved together, moans began to echo through the spacious room, mingling with the sound of skin against skin in a raw rhythm.

    “Ah… mm… kiss…” The warm lips never parted, only broken by moans slipping through. Who would believe their bodies could fit so perfectly?

    Slow, languid movements alternated with fierce, fiery ones, as if neither wanted it to end too soon. They stretched out each moment, kisses unbroken.

    Skin rubbed against skin, hands clung tightly, sweat dripped.

    The room was thick with a sultry haze. The bed creaked, echoing the intensity of their passion. Kiss after kiss, their bodies shuddered with each surge of intensity. How much time passed, they didn’t know, until hoarse, exhausted moans whispered the end.

    “I can’t… Khun Lom… I can’t… anymore… sob…”

    As if it were a signal, Sailom flipped the pale figure to lie beneath him, taking the lead, guiding the trembling, panting person to the edge of their destination. Two hands clung tightly to his neck, letting out moans that echoed through the silent valley at night.

    Sailom followed closely, releasing all his pent-up desire to fill the other, then pressed warm lips to the prominent forehead.

    They exchanged smiles.

    Though no words of love followed their intimacy, a warm embrace was enough to fend off the chilly night air.

    “When are you going back to Bangkok?”

    “I took leave until Monday. You?”

    “Didn’t your friend say you took indefinite leave?” Namnuea nearly laughed at his lover’s annoyed expression, head resting on the other’s arm, gazing at the sharp, crumpled face that seemed to hold a grudge against Sis Eim, not even answering his question.

    “If I had a set date, would you not have followed me?” When he countered, Sailom made a difficult face but moved closer, hugging him, nuzzling into soft hair, as if unable to believe that the overly confident man could be this clingy. A deep voice spoke with a hint of sulking.

    “Of course I’d follow. You were gone for two days, and I thought I’d die.”

    “And I sat worrying for a month after sleeping with you. I didn’t complain.” The other fell silent but didn’t give in. The groom-to-be changed the subject.

    “I’ll go back to Bangkok with you.”

    “With me?”

    “I’m not leaving you here alone. Sun said your cousin is terrifying and wouldn’t let you go back. I’d be devastated,” Sailom shook his head slowly. Even without meeting him, the eldest Phra Rin was this intimidated. If he met the big brother, he’d probably freeze to the bone. He’d already been through it.

    “And you can take leave from work?”

    “At worst, my uncle will fire me from the company,” the responder said carelessly, shrugging with a bored expression, then adding,

    “Believe it or not, even my job was forced on me. I got an offer from a professor doing research in the U.S., but my mom cried her eyes out, saying she wouldn’t let me live abroad longer than my studies. My dad begged me to come back, and in the end, they made me work with my uncle. I’m dying to quit, but

    I’m afraid he’ll fake a heart attack.”

    “Am I going to survive this?” Namnuea asked, half-horrified. The storyteller flashed him a grin. “Of course you will. You’ve got me.”

    “Says the guy who can’t even escape his own mom,”

    Namnuea teased, wrinkling his nose. Whether the spirits of Bangkok were holy enough or not, Sailom’s phone suddenly blared loudly. Its owner whipped his head toward it, letting out a heavy sigh.

    “Answer it,” the man in his arms nudged gently. But instead, Sailom… hung up and turned the phone off.

    “Whoa, just like that?”

    “This is my time with my wife, not my mom. Let her be. She’ll just be a bit annoyed at most,” the larger man said, tossing the phone to the corner of the bed before snuggling back down, pulling the warm body close. Then, he changed the subject.

    “But I want to meet your mom. I’d like to thank her for letting me come chase you down here.” The sentiment mirrored Namnuea’s own gratitude toward the mother who’d allowed this man to come make amends. A smile slipped onto his face.

    “Not scared of my mom?”

    “No one’s scarier than my mom,” Sailom said with a chuckle, then doubled down. “Let me meet your parents.”

    “In what capacity?”

    Yeah, in what capacity? Especially since the other man was supposed to be getting married as a front. That thought made Namnuea return a smile, sliding his hand to intertwine their fingers tightly before whispering in his ear.

    “As the one who’ll take care of you.”

    That line left Namnuea completely flustered.

       “Didn’t know you were such a sweet-talker.”

    “Want a taste?” Namnuea could only laugh, but he didn’t protest as that sharp-featured face leaned closer. As it seemed a second round was about to start, he raised his hands to wrap around those shoulders, feeling the beautiful muscles he’d only dreamed of before, lost in those deep tea-colored eyes that made his heart tremble. But then…

    “Mmm… Sun… close the window… no… n-not… wait,

    Nuea… might hear… ngh…”

    Suddenly, a voice drifted in. Namnuea glanced toward the window, realizing it was slightly ajar. But from the clarity of the sound, the room next door definitely hadn’t closed theirs. And more importantly…

    “Whoa, Little Sun’s got some skills, huh?”

    Someone could make their fierce little brother whimper like a kitten?

       But the man above him seemed less than pleased.

       “I’m better than that kid.”

    It seems like it’ll pull the kid.

    Thinking about it, Nuea turned with a challenging eyebrow raise.

    “I didn’t see that,” he said, perhaps missing the mark a bit, as a wicked smile appeared on his lips. Then the big guy pulled the blanket off to the foot of the bed, climbed on top, straddling Nuea’s body, his eyes gleaming so fiercely it startled him. And it got worse when that menacing voice whispered:

    “Tonight, you’re not sleeping, huh? Fine. I’ll make it happen!”

    This time, Nuea should’ve kept his mouth shut, because it seems the stubborn one loves to win. But it was… absolutely awesome.

    Sister Eim. Now I am not single anymore, sis! No longer starving or parched, but stuffed and thriving!

      

    “Yiwa, why are you so calm when your man’s gone missing?”

    “Just let him do whatever. He’s not a kid anymore.”

    “But you’re about to marry Lom!”

    In the big house, mother and daughter were arguing loudly about how the groom suddenly took leave from work and vanished without the other family even knowing what happened. While everyone else was panicking, the bride-to-be didn’t seem to care one bit, still chatting on the phone with her so-called best friend.

    “Yes, we’re getting married, but I’m not his warden, and Phii

    Lom isn’t a prisoner. He must have business with others.”

    “Aren’t you afraid he’s cheating on you?”

    “If that’s the case, what can I do?”

    “Yiwa!!!” Her mother shouted. The young woman sighed softly, trying to stay calm, then brushed it off.

    “Phii Lom probably has urgent work, Mom. You’re so upset— tonight, I’ll stay at a friend’s so we don’t fight.”

    “Friends! Your friend again? Ever since you started hanging out with this friend, everything’s gone downhill…”

    “Don’t you dare talk about my friend like that!!”

    For the first time, Yiwa raised her voice at her mother. Normally, she used a soft tone to calm her down, but the moment her mother insulted the person she loved most, the young woman shot up to her full height, glaring with fury. Yet her mother didn’t seem to realize she’d crossed a line.

    “You’re arguing with me because of that friend of yours. And what’s this? Going out, traveling, staying over—what, does this friend got no job to do that they keep my daughter around like this? No status, no class, and I can’t even stand looking at her face…”

    “You have no right to talk like that!” Before she could finish, Yiwa screamed, her face red with anger, leaving her mother staring in shock.

    “What’s wrong with you? I’m just stating the truth.”

    “But you have no right to judge her… no right to judge the person I love! You don’t even know her!!”

    “Wha… what do you mean, Yiwa?” The listener was stunned, eyes wide, staring at her daughter who had exploded with anger. It was as if this was the final straw she had been holding onto, because Yiwa was now spilling everything in her heart without any regard for plans or consequences.

    “You didn’t mishear, Mom. The person you thought was my friend? He’s not a friend. She’s my girlfriend. Your daughter loves women. Did you hear that? I love women!”

    “No way! B-but you’re about to marry Sailom, and what about

    Sailom…?”

    Yiwa gave a bitter smile. At this moment, her anger was too overwhelming to speak calmly, so all that came out was…     “Phii Lom is just a foolish man, a tool for me to use, that’s all.” With that, the young woman spun around and stormed out of the house so quickly that her mother could only stand there, pale-faced, lips trembling, calling her name. But Yiwa didn’t care. She sped off in her luxury car, tears streaming down her face.

    Mom never understood her… never knew that the reason she could stand tall every day was because of the person Mom said she didn’t like. If it weren’t for her, she wouldn’t have endured living under her mother’s control until now. Her girlfriend cared for Mom even more than she cared for herself!

       “Phii Lom, I’m sorry. It seems I can’t keep up this act anymore. Travel safely, okay? Come back home when you have time.”

    “Yes, Mom. I will head off now, Mom. Dad, too—don’t overdo it. Missing one day of fertilizing the plants won’t make your beauties wilt.”

    At Chiang Mai Airport, Namnuea bid farewell to his parents who had come to see him off at the gate. Nearby stood a tall man who had promised to return with him. He noticed his father glancing at Sailom, so he quickly spoke, a bit nervously. Even though his father returned the gesture, it didn’t mean he was ready to easily accept his son bringing another man home.

    “Tell yourself, Nuea, people need to keep fertilizing and tending the soil regularly for the flowers to bloom beautifully… right, Khun Lom?” His father didn’t address him but spoke to the other man who stepped forward to respond.

    “Yes, sir. I’ll remember that.”

    Whether a flower of love blooms depends on both people nurturing it together.

       The words that showed his father’s acceptance made Namnuea press his lips tightly, his eyes feeling warm.

    Meanwhile, his mother also said her goodbyes, entrusting him to the other man.

       “Travel safely, okay? Take care of Nuea, Khun Lom. I’m worried about him being alone in Bangkok.” In the end, everyone entrusted him to the other man, who smiled broadly in acceptance. Namnuea could only shake his head as he followed the other to board the plane, feeling like a bride who had just left home for her new life.

    “I like your family… no, I love it,”

    “Falling for it so easily, Khun Lom?”

    “It’s way cuter than my place.”

    “Talking like that gives me chills,” Namnuea said nervously, but he took a deep breath to muster courage. As the other slid a hand to hold his without caring about anyone’s gaze, he felt a surge of strength to return to work in Bangkok and put on a fake smile at the sham wedding that was about to take place.

    After just an hour of talking, the plane landed in the bustling capital, where countless complications awaited.

    As soon as Sailom turned on his phone, which had been off the entire time, it rang almost instantly.

    “Looks like you’re busy. I can head back on my own,” Namnuea said. Who would be crazy enough to leave a car parked at the airport for nearly a week? But, well, there was Khun Sailom, the one and only.

    I’ll drop you off, just let me take this call,” Sailom insisted, holding onto the backpack while answering the phone with an utterly bored expression, his brows furrowing further as a loud voice blared from the device: “Where the hell are you, Lom? I just got hold of you!”

       “I had urgent business to take care of. Is something up,

    Mom?” Usually, his mother would pry until she knew every detail, but this time, it seemed there was something truly urgent. She switched topics and spoke in a stern tone.

    “You get home right now, Lom. It’s urgent!”

       “What’s going on? I’m dropping off a friend first.”

    “Come back immediately. It’s Yiwa!”

       “Yiwa? What’s wrong with Yiwa?” Namnuea looked up, meeting his eyes curiously, stepping closer as if wanting to know what they were talking about. The voice on the other end answered with frantic urgency, almost on the verge of tears.

    “It’s Yiwa! Out of nowhere, she called me saying she’s not getting married, apologized to me, and then flew out of the country! I’m stressed to death, Lom. What’s going on? What is this nonsense?!”

       “Whoa,” Namnuea, hearing every word, gasped in disbelief. He pictured the prim and proper woman who seemed agreeable to everything, defying her mother’s orders, calling to say she wouldn’t marry, and then flying abroad. This wasn’t a demure lady anymore—she was going all out.

    “Mom, calm down, okay? I’ll try to contact Yiwa.”

    “Her mother can’t even reach her, so how could you? Ugh,

    I’m going insane. Why is this happening?!”

       “Mom, please calm down. I’ll head home soon, okay?” Sailom soothed until his mother calmed down and hung up. He turned to

    Namnuea, whose eyes were wide, and said in disbelief,    “Who would’ve thought Yiwa would pull something like this?”

       “I’m one who believes it. She may look like that, but she’s stubborn as hell. If I hadn’t kept her in check, she wouldn’t have stayed quiet this long. She’s probably snapped now. No way she’s coming back to go through with the wedding,” the groomto-be said, but… why was he grinning so widely?

    “Put on a sad face, at least.”

    “No need. I’m actually pretty thrilled with this move. It’s my mom who’s going to lose it,” Nuea thought, genuinely impressed by this bride and groom. Instead of panicking over the extreme actions, he laughed, twirling the car keys casually, grabbing his shoulder, and even inviting him along.

    “Are you crazy? Go to my house in what capacity?”

    “Well, I’d say we bumped into each other at the airport, and I offered to give you a ride. But then my mom called, and I rushed back home, worried my fiancée had disappeared, accidentally taking your ring with me. Sounds plausible, right? That way, you can come to my place, Nuea.” Sometimes, his boyfriend’s wild ideas were hard to stomach, but… Namnuea found himself nodding.

    “Sigh, fine, whatever. I’m already part of this scheme.”

    “Great! Wanna grab something to eat on the way? I’m starving,” the man who’d just claimed to be in a hurry said with a faint smile, making the listener frown instantly.

    “Is this really the time, Khun Lom? Aren’t you worried your mom might have a heart attack?”

    “Her latest health checkup showed she’s perfectly fine—no heart issues whatsoever. She’s not going down that easily, so don’t worry. We’ll just say we got stuck in traffic, and that’s that,” Sailom said, not just talking but subtly dragging Namnuea along. The latter let out a heavy huff through his nose but followed obediently, growing unsure whether loving this cunning man was a mistake or not.

    “Anything special you want to eat?”

    Maybe Namnuea had caught the crazy bug himself, because he replied confidently, “How about we grab some McDonald’s?”

    “Sounds good.” And so, the two men who were supposedly in a rush strolled to the car at a pace no faster than a limping turtle. By the time they finished eating and navigated through traffic to get home, Sailom’s mother was practically fainting from waiting, powerless to do anything but sit there.

    Worse still, she’d be in for an even bigger shock if she learned the truth from Yiwa’s mother—that the runaway bride had fled with someone else.

       This wasn’t just a bride scared of a little rain; she’d dodged a Thai tornado and hightailed it overseas.

        

      

       THEWEDDING PLAN CHAPTERS HOME

  • THEWEDDINGPLAN, Chapter 11

    THEWEDDINGPLAN, Chapter 11

       THEWEDDINGPLAN, Chapter 11:

    Love is a miraculous thing. When hearts align, everything turns pink.

       A heavy silence enveloped the beautiful teakwood house for a fleeting moment, but it was a moment that felt eternal for both men. Namnuea’s eyes widened, his strength to resist drained as if sucked into the earth. His mind struggled to process the words the other had spoken, his senses overwhelmed. Love…

    “You’re lying!”

    “I’m not lying!”

    The accused shot back firmly, forcing Namnuea to look up with eyes blazing with anger.

    If the other thought saying “love” would make everything okay, he was underestimating Namnuea, treating him like a naive fool. The truth was right in front of him.

    “Then what about Khun Yiwa?! You say you love me, but what about your bride? Or can you love multiple people at once?!” Nuea’s voice thundered through the house, causing the other to frown sharply. But the deep voice responded immediately, earnest and unwavering.

    Yes, I love Yiwa.”

    In that moment, Namnuea felt the ground beneath him crumble. Yet he steeled himself, forcing a mocking smile at the despicable man who dared admit to loving two people at once. He was about to snap back when Sailom continued, his voice firm.

    “But I love Yiwa like a sister!”

    “!!!”

    Nuea’s eyes widened, staring into those sharp eyes that seemed to convey something deeper. But in that moment, he couldn’t see it, couldn’t feel it, couldn’t hear it. All he could muster was a look of disappointment and a voice that asked in disbelief.

    “Do you think I’m that naive to fall for your childish lies?

    Who would marry someone they love like a sister…?”

    “I’m the one who has to marry someone I love like a sister to hide that I’m actually gay!”

    Once again, Namnuea was speechless. He opened his mouth to retort, but no sound came out. In that moment, his mind spun like it had been thrown into a blender, staring at the other man as if witnessing the strangest thing he’d ever seen. Sailom didn’t wait for Namnuea to regain his senses, rushing to explain in a rapid, urgent tone, afraid he wouldn’t listen.

    “Nuea, you felt it too, didn’t you? That something’s off about this wedding. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have asked if I was willing to marry. And yes, I intended to go through with it because it’s a marriage of convenience—to keep my family

     

    from meddling in my life anymore. And why did I get involved with you? Because I liked you from the moment I saw you, and I don’t like women.”

    Namnuea couldn’t respond. He stood frozen, like a madman in the arms of the groom-to-be, who was spilling a story that sounded like it belonged in a love advice column in some magazine. But this was real—painfully real, and he was caught up in it. He shook his head slowly, as if… he couldn’t believe it.

    “Nuea, you have to believe me. This wedding isn’t about love.

    Okay, Yiwa and I love each other, but it’s like siblings…”

    “So you deceived Khun Yiwa?”

    “Me? Deceive Yiwa? When did I ever deceive her?” Sailom shot back, confused. But Sister Eim’s words echoed in Namnuea’s mind, from a conversation about third parties.

    So many gay men marry as a cover, hurting another woman’s life. And Sailom was one of them.

    “You tricked Khun Yiwa into a sham marriage, didn’t you? You’re even worse than I thought. I can’t believe someone like you could have such a disgusting mindset. You’re…”

    “Nuea, stop! Listen to me first, please, just listen!” Sailom’s voice rose sharply, gripping the shoulders of the man hurling accusations. Whether it was the serious tone or not, it made the angry Namnuea turn his face away, though he could feel the weight of his guilt intensifying.

    Was he really Khun Lom’s secret lover behind Khun Yiwa’s back? Despicable… no different from the way Sister Eim cursed her friend’s husband.

       Namnuea’s suffocating discomfort prompted Sailom to quickly pull out his phone, one hand still holding the pale shoulder. His sharp eyes scanned the screen, fingers swiping rapidly, until his eyes lit up. Meanwhile, Namnuea, regaining his composure, started to pull away.

    “Nuea, look at this first.”

    “No. I’m not looking.”

    His entire family understood, but the person in front of him…    “Right after the wedding, we’ll move out and live separately. Even in the same house, we agreed to live our own lives, completely independent. We’re only getting married to keep our mothers from meddling. That’s why this fake wedding is happening.”

    It answered every question he’d had before.

    Why didn’t the bride care about her own wedding? Because she didn’t love the groom at all.

       Why didn’t they invite the guests their parents wanted? Because it was just a staged act—the more people involved, the more they’d be lying to.

       “Then why me?”

    Yes, if they were going to play this charade together, why drag Nuea into it?

    Sailom reached out to clasp his cold fingertips, and this time, Namnuea couldn’t push him away. He stood frozen like a log, waiting for the answer that shook his heart the most.

    “Because I love you, Nuea.”

    The other man spoke with a firm voice, gripping his hand tightly, and continued, “I liked you from the moment we met at that McDonald’s, even before I saw you at the office.” Namnuea flinched, recalling the day he sat eating and eyeing some eye candy… not realizing the other man had noticed him too. “You know, Nuea, when you ate, you looked so happy. You smiled, you were content, you showed it all on your face. It made me feel that small joys could come from the littlest things we don’t expect. Or when you stared out the window, I kept wondering what made you laugh, what amused you. Your expression back then made someone as stressed as me feel good just by watching. It made me think, how much could this person make me smile? And you really did.”

    Both hands now wrapped around him, and though Namnuea should’ve pushed them away, he was too embarrassed, his face burning red. He had no idea the other man had been watching him the whole time, and his “amusement” back then… was checking out guys.

    Too ashamed to admit the truth.

       “I was glad you were the one handling my wedding. Yiwa threw everything to me because I told her I liked you. She helped me, wanted me to get closer to you. All those excuses— not liking to discuss important things over the phone, needing to hit the gym in the evening—they were just ways to get you to meet me in person, to let you know where you could find me. I did everything I could to keep you around longer, to get to know you better. But the more I liked you, the harder it was to tell you the truth,” he said, letting out a heavy sigh before leaning in, resting his face on Namnuea’s pale shoulder.

    “I’m sorry. Back then, I didn’t dare trust anyone… not even the person I was pursuing. I didn’t want our plan to reach my mother. I’m sorry, Nuea, for hurting you, for making you blame yourself for stealing someone else’s man. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”

    Countless reasons help Namnuea understand the whole story, and he can’t bring himself to be angry.

       It’s true you shouldn’t trust someone you’ve just met, even if you’ve started to fall for them—especially with something this important. But Namnuea can’t help but ask.

    “Why are you telling me this now?”

    The answer makes his small heart waver. “Because I don’t want to lose you.”

    It’s more than just the word “love.”

    The young organizer feels the other’s embrace, possessive and pleading for trust, filled with all the affection they have. It makes his hands, hanging limply at his sides, slowly move. He closes his eyes, unable to stop his heart.

    He can’t stop his arms from returning the embrace. “You’re such a bad person, you know that, Khun Lom?”

    “I know. I’m sorry.”

    The strong arms of this man are too warm, so warm that his frozen heart begins to melt. Namnuea asks with a trembling voice, “I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?”

    “No, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

     

    I’m not someone’s third wheel, am I?” Like a small child seeking reassurance, his words make the listener hold his soft frame even tighter to affirm.

    “You didn’t destroy anyone’s family or life, Nuea. On the contrary, you brought happiness to mine.”

    “You’re really a bad person.”

    “Yes, I’m a bad person.”

    A bad person who made this Nuea cry. He buries his face in the broad chest, letting tears soak the other’s shirt as he hugs back with all his strength.

       All his fears fade with the clearest explanation.

       “But can this bad person love you?” Sailom, brimming with confidence, asks. Namnuea pulls back slightly, sniffles softly, wipes his face with the back of his hand, and asks in a shaky voice, “Can someone like you even be stopped?”

    The man who chased him all the way here.

    “You could stop me, but I just wouldn’t listen.”

    Namnuea was truly angry at himself… angry that he was smiling through tears, that he didn’t resist when gentle fingertips wiped his face, and angrier still that his eyes closed when the other leaned down to press a soft kiss to his lips.

    A kiss that was just a gentle press before pulling away. Then, those sharp eyes locked onto his, speaking the words he’d longed to hear from someone.

    “I love you, Namnuea.”

    The listener lowered his gaze slightly, using both hands to push the broad shoulders away. This time, Sailom let go.

    I’ll forgive you, but I have one condition,” Namnuea said, and the other listened intently. Then Namnuea grinned… a wide, beaming grin, and…    Pow!

    Crash!

    “Ow!”

    A warm fist slammed into the other’s cheek, sending Sailom staggering into the edge of a chair with a loud crash, crying out in shock. Namnuea shook his hand vigorously—he hadn’t expected punching someone’s face to hurt this much. Then, baring his teeth through tears, he glared at the man who’d caused him both physical and emotional pain, speaking in a firm voice.

    “That’s for making me overthink and go crazy for so long. One punch isn’t even enough.” He turned to storm into his room, but… he wasn’t quick enough to escape the hand that grabbed his wrist.

    “I’ll let you punch me as many times as you want, but I have one question.”

    “…” Namnuea stayed silent, listening.

    “Do you love me?” Nuea raised his fist again, but the other didn’t flinch, staring steadily. The one threatening with a raised hand… smiled.

    “I don’t just love you,” he said firmly. “My answer is… I love you.”

    Grab.

    Hey! You’re still in hot water, let go! Let go!!” But the shameless opportunist yanked his wrist, pulling him onto his lap. Strong arms wrapped tightly around his waist as Namnuea protested lightly but didn’t truly resist. Their hearts were aligned now, they understood each other—why bother freaking out and exhausting himself?

    “You can order me around, but I won’t listen,” Sailom teased.

    “Then don’t ever let go,” Namnuea shot back.

    “No need to tell me—I’m already doing it.”

    Namnuea was still angry at himself, angry that he was too happy in the embrace of this cunning man.

    “You said you like the color of the sunset.”

    “Hmm. I do.”

    At this moment, the couple, having just reconciled, sat on the balcony of the teakwood house, watching the sun dip behind the mountain’s edge. Namnuea leaned against the other, bringing up a topic they’d discussed before. Sailom smiled in response.

    “So that’s why you used orange and white as the wedding theme.”

    “Well, you didn’t help me at all,” Namnuea pouted, recalling the early days of planning the wedding, when he was utterly exasperated and tempted multiple times to dump the work on the client. This made Sailom burst into laughter, tightening his embrace around Namnuea’s shoulders.

    “Because I didn’t actually want to get married.”

    So what are you going to do next?” Namnuea asked, broaching the subject. The listener’s face turned serious, meeting his gaze.

    “You won’t be mad at me, right? If I have to marry Yiwa,” Sailom said, clearly worried. It wasn’t fair to have a secret relationship while married, but for Namnuea, the fact that

    Sailom had been open about everything was clear enough. He smiled lightly.

    “So I’d be the third wheel, huh?”

    “I don’t want you to use that word when I only love you,” Sailom said. But it was the truth they’d have to face. Namnuea would be involved with a married man… even though the bride herself already had a lover.

    “What does Khun Yiwa’s partner think about it?”

    “She doesn’t agree, but Yiwa’s stubborn. There’s no other way to solve it, so she’s reluctantly coming around,” Sailom said wearily, letting out a heavy sigh.

    “If only my mom understood like yours.”

    Namnuea knew he was lucky.

    “I told you before, Khun Lom, every family has different problems, but what’s the same is that they love their kids. Ugh, anyway, I’m ready to dive into your mess. I love you this much, and I already know the deal. As long as this ‘other man’ doesn’t have to climb a thorny tree, I can handle it,” Namnuea said jokingly, though he was serious about his words.

     

    It wasn’t that he was okay with his partner getting legally married, but the situation had gone too far for him to ask Sailom to stop. The listener hugged Namnuea tightly, whispering.

    “Thank you, Nuea. I really mean it.” This time, Namnuea laughed before something occurred to him.

    “Let’s make it a deal, then.”

    “Hm?”

    “It’s not hard,” Nuea said. “You just have to accept that I might balloon up. Stress makes me eat, you know. Just don’t ditch me if I get fat.” His words made Sailom break into a wide grin.

    “No worries, I’ll help you work it off,” Sailom replied, his sharp eyes glinting mischievously, sending a hot-and-cold shiver down Nuea’s spine. But he wasn’t fazed.

    “If it’s in bed, I’m fine. But the gym? I don’t know. Next time you teach me boxing, I might just whip you with a crocodile tail,” Nuea teased, making the groom-to-be burst out laughing. Sailom leaned down, pressing his face against Nuea’s forehead, planting kisses on his forehead and the tip of his nose with such affection that Nuea’s face flushed, suddenly shy in a way he couldn’t explain.

    “The workers down there are cheering, you know,” Sailom said.

    “Don’t worry. I already like you just the way you are, Nuea. Like this—warm and soft when I hold you.”

    He’s head over heels, isn’t he?

    Namnuea laughed to himself, seeing how Sailom would let him call a bird a tree or a tree a bird. So, he decided to reward him.

    Smack

    He pressed a firm kiss to Sailom’s cheek and pulled back.

    “I love you, Khun Lom.”

    Their eyes locked, hands clasped, and Namnuea knew what was coming… he was about to be kissed.

    “I think you got the color of my work shirt wrong,” Sailom whispered softly just before their lips could meet, making Nuea open his eyes again. He saw those sharp eyes sparkling unbelievably.

    “The sunset isn’t orange. I think it’s pink right now.”

    Namnuea nearly gaped, but all he could do was laugh out loud at the cheesy line. Then warm lips pressed against his several times, both of them trying to stifle their laughter, until they were kissing and chuckling at the same time. But Namnuea couldn’t deny it.

    The sunset wasn’t a fiery orange—it was a sweet pink, truly.

       People in love really do see everything in pink.

       “Ahem, Phii Riu…I can see your face is pink too. Looks like I’m blinded by love just like you,” came the voice of the honorary farm worker, interrupting their sweet moment. It made both of them turn to look, only to see the youngest, Riu, standing frozen at the balcony door, his cheeks bright red.

    Smack

    “You lunatic!” Catching the sneaky glance, the secret admirer turns and punches their partner’s shoulder to cover their embarrassment.

    “Well, lunatic or not, I’m crazy in love with Phii Riu. Wink Oh, look, is Phii Riu’s face pink because you were eavesdropping from the start, or is it pink because everywhere I look, it’s all pink? Even the sunset’s pink. Seems like the whole house is colorblind,” the cheeky kid teases, landing a hit on everyone with a playful grin. He catches the fist aimed at him with his palm, facing the huffing, cat-like glare from the youngest, who’s hissing like a feline.

    “Get inside already, you guys. Dinner’s ready. Today, Rerai and Phii Ton went to town, and Rarin’s not back yet. Come on, come eat to fuel up before you go ‘eat’ something else. Cause tonight, I’m eating—”

    “Sun!!!”

    “Whoa, whoa, angry kitty. Easy, Phii Riu, don’t be mad,” he teases, seeing Riu’s anger but still poking at it. He even winks at the two adults following into the house. This time, Namnuea sends a brighter smile and laughs.

    “Looks like I won’t be hearing any wall-scratching tonight.”

    Sun glances over, flashing a knowing grin.

    “Oh, got it. Good call—no scratching sounds. That way, I can belt out at full blast,” he says, pulling the still-glaring Riu, who’s shooting daggers at Sailom, into the house. This leaves the man beside Namnuea to turn with a questioning look. Namnuea laughs loudly and leans in to whisper.

    “Because tonight, I’ll be the one scratching the walls. Interested? You don’t have a place to stay yet—wanna crash here for a couple of nights?” The invitation makes the listener’s eyes gleam, instantly catching the meaning of “wall-scratching.” A wicked smile curls on his lips as he responds with full enthusiasm.

    “I’m not just staying. I’m doing other things too.”

    The challenging tone prompts Namnuea to retort with just one line.

    “Then don’t let the kid outdo you. Last night, my little cousin was moaning like a cat, sneaking into a room. If you can’t keep up, you’re losing to a college kid.” With that, he hurries after his younger brother, leaving the challenged man with a determined grin that promises tonight will be fiery.

    Last time, it was all hesitation and nerves. This time, it’s looking like the real deal.

       Now that he’s certain he’s not dancing in a red-hot pan, he might as well go for a scorching love session on the bed until they both drop.

        

      

       THEWEDDING PLAN CHAPTERS HOME

  • THEWEDDINGPLAN, Chapter 10

    THEWEDDINGPLAN, Chapter 10

       THEWEDDINGPLAN, Chapter 10:

    Love is about communication. If you don’t speak, how can the other person understand?

       “So, you’ve got a boyfriend… No wonder you haven’t been in touch with me lately.”

    “Hey, Nuea, it’s not like that at all!”

    “Yeah, yeah, Bro. I’m not just a boyfriend. I’m a husband!”

    “Husband? Hahaha!”

    The atmosphere in the orchard owner’s guesthouse is livelier than usual. It’s not just that the youngest son has come home with a handsome guy in tow, but a close relative who’s been absent lately is also at the dinner table. And the topic they can’t resist teasing is the youngest, sitting next to his partner.

    The moment “husband” is mentioned, a heavy hand lands a loud smack on the speaker, but the one who said it doesn’t seem fazed. On the contrary, they seem to enjoy it.

    “Keep smacking me like that, and tonight I’ll make you regret it.”

    “Ahem, want to die young, Sun?”

    Rarin, the head of the table and fiercely protective of her younger sibling, clears her throat. Her face shows no hint of joking—she’s dead serious about taking out her future brotherin-law. Sun shrinks a bit, scooting closer to the one who just smacked him, whining.

    “Phii Riu, look, Phii Rarin’s gonna kill me!”

    “Good, die already.”

    “Wow, don’t come crying when you miss me later. Even when I’m sick, you can’t leave my bedside.” For Namnuea, it’s a strange sight. The fiercest younger sibling in the family is blushing, muttering “idiot,” but turns to their older sister with a pleading look, making the doting sibling sigh.

    “Tomorrow, you’re helping the workers graft branches at 4 a.m., Sun.”

    “Not scared, I’m in!” The Bangkok kid seems eager, probably guessing what Namnuea’s thinking, because he turns with a cheeky grin. “I’ve been through it all, mortar and pestle to battleships. But this family’s kind. On heavy workdays, a certain someone brings me a lunchbox.”

    “Who’re you calling a girl?!”

    “Look in the mirror, Phii Riu.”

    Man, this kid’s fearless, and he’s really got Riu wrapped around his finger.

    Namnuea couldn’t help but laugh, watching the two kids playfully teasing each other nonstop. Then he turned to the married couple nearby.

    “And this pair—when are you giving my cousin a little cousin?”

    “Not yet, Nuea. We’re planning to wait about three years so we can fully focus on the kid,” Ton said with a smile, before adding, “But no fewer than four.”

    “Are you the one carrying them, Ton?” That was all it took for Rerai to flash a sweet smile, making her husband give a dry chuckle, though he still pleaded.

    “Come on, Rerai, just three more.”

    Rerai rolled her eyes dramatically but didn’t protest. Then Rarin, the close relative, turned to Namnuea.

    “And what about you, Nuea?”

    “Whoa, shouldn’t you be asking yourself first, Rarin? You’re practically headed for spinsterhood.”

    “Spinsterhood? More like a diamond-encrusted golden bachelorette,” Rarin quipped, unfazed by her single status, which made Namnuea laugh, treating it like a joke as he went on casually.

    “Ugh, it’s not like someone like me could score a guy like Riu here. Looks like I’ll just wither away, unable to snag a man who’d ‘carry my child.’ Oh well, single life’s not that scary. I’ve made peace with it since I realized I was gay. How many gay couples even get to have weddings?” Namnuea never hid that he was gay, though he didn’t always say it outright. His demeanor wasn’t overtly obvious either, so when he spoke plainly, Sun’s eyes widened, and he rubbed his chin.

    “Someone like you, Nuea, staying single? I think you’ve got way better odds than Phii Rarin,” the kid said fearlessly. But the eldest sister didn’t take offense and even agreed.

    “True. Back in the day, you were quite the charmer, with both guys and girls. You’ve got plenty for people to fall for, and you’re still saying you’ll stay single?”

    “I think so too. If it weren’t for Phii Riu, I’d be hitting on you, Nuea,” Sun teased cheekily, but it seemed to rile up the guy next to him more than anything. Sun quickly backtracked.

    “But sorry, my heart belongs to Phii Riu alone now. Right, Phii Riu? I’m so head-over-heels I can’t think straight.” As he spoke, Sun leaned to rest his head on Riu’s shoulder, only for Riu to shove him off with a grimace. But his flushed cheeks were a sight, and Namnuea couldn’t resist asking.

    “So, Sun, what do you like about Riu?”

    He glanced at the youngest, who was clearly intrigued. Sun grinned wide, snapped his fingers with a pop, and answered without hesitation.

    “She’s gorgeous, fierce, spicy, and… so much, man.”

    Smack!

    Just now, Namnuea was sure he hadn’t imagined it. When the guy paused for emphasis, sneaking a glance, the listener nearly smacked his head into the table. This time, his face flushed with anger. He shot up, cursing loudly, flipping the middle finger at his boyfriend. Then Riu practically stormed back to his room.

    “No eating, no drinking!”

    “Whoa, Phii Riu, I’m serious! Last night was awesome,” Sun said, laughing.

    “You idiot!” The scolding rang out, but Sun laughed it off. “Last night’s game was so damn fun. What’re you thinking, huh? Come on, let me get to the room nicely.” He sauntered over to knock on the door calmly, turning to wink at the folks at the table. Namnuea watched, thinking there was no way he’d get in—his partner looked fierce as hell. But, to his surprise… the door actually opened.

    “Good night, everyone. If you hear any noises, just pretend it’s a cat scratching the wall,” Sun said before disappearing with the sound of curses from inside the room, making Namnuea’s eyes widen slightly. He glanced at his relatives, who seemed unfazed, already accustomed to the drama.

    “Is this a regular thing?”

    “Yep,” Rerai nodded with a chuckle, before Phii Ton urged them to focus on dinner. Meanwhile, Namnuea let out a quiet sigh.

    He had to admit, he was genuinely jealous of those two kids.

        One seemed perpetually angry but was actually indulgent. The other loved to tease and provoke but was always attentive and conciliatory. It stirred deep envy in his heart.

       Could he ever find someone like that? No, better yet, could he first forget the man who’d caused him so much pain, Nuea?

      

    How long would it take to erase that man from his heart?

    Sailom had barely stepped onto the grounds of Chiang Mai International Airport when he strode toward the domestic arrivals exit, intent on renting a car to head straight to the address he’d gotten from Namnuea’s coworker. He’d tried calling the number the day before.

    “I’d like to speak to Namnuea, please.”

    [Who’s this? A friend of Nuea? How’d you know he’s back home?]

       The voice on the other end sounded like it might be Namnuea’s mother. He could’ve lied, but he chose honesty.

    “No, I’m not a friend of Namnuea. I’m… a client of his.”

    It was true that the other person didn’t see him as a friend, and he was only ever in that role. But it seemed they were starting to realize no client would call their home like that. The line went quiet for a moment before a soft sigh came through, followed by a question that left him stunned.

    “Are you the one who made Nuea cry?”

    Once again, he was reminded that the person he loved had been shedding tears, and he could do nothing but say, “Yes.”

    “Please, I’m begging you, leave Nuea alone. He’s suffered enough. Don’t you already have someone else? Don’t make things harder for him,” the voice pleaded.

    They likely knew only what their son had shared. Sailom paused, then said urgently, “Please let me explain to him. The idea that I am with someone else—Nuea misunderstood me.

    Please, let me talk to him.”

    “I don’t know if Nuea will agree to talk to you.”

    “That’s okay. If he won’t talk now, that’s fine. But may I come see him tomorrow? I’ll be in Chiang Mai tomorrow morning.”

    The other end fell silent for a moment before asking, “What’s your name?”

    “Sailom. My name is Sailom.”

    Sailom wasn’t sure if they’d let him see Nuea easily, but he’d made his plea. Now he needed to find a ride to the address he’d been given. But…

    “Khun Sailom, where are you? Khun Sailom!” A voice called his name loudly, and since it was unlikely anyone else shared his name, he turned to look. Sure enough, a young man, no older than a university student, was waving a large sign with “Sailom” written on it.

    He immediately knew this person was connected to Namnuea. Part of him wondered if they were sent to intercept and send him back. But if they were sent by Nuea’s mother…

    “I’m Sailom,” he said, stepping forward to introduce himself. The young man turned, met his eyes, and flashed a wide smile.

    “Someone sent me to pick you up, Phii. You’re here for Phii

    Nuea, right?”

    “Mm,” Sailom nodded, eyeing the good-looking young man who gave him a sympathetic glance before covering it with a smile. Still, he couldn’t resist adding, “Phii Sailom, messing with this family takes some guts, you know.”

    “Huh?” Sailom raised an eyebrow, confused, as the young man introduced himself. “Let’s just say I’m Sun. It’s hard to explain, but I’m… a worker at Phii Rarin’s farm. I’ll take you up to the farm.”

    “Farm?” The more he heard, the more confused he got. He’d heard Namnuea’s home was in the city, and that comment earned him another sympathetic smile.

    “Let’s just say you’ll figure it out when you get there. But fair warning: the reason all the seniors sent me is because I’m the absolute worst at driving up mountains. You’d better bring a plastic bag. Phii Rarin said to take you up the steepest route,” the other says with a sympathetic tone, reaching to help with the bag, but Sailom shakes his head and counters.

    “What if I don’t go?”

    “Then you’ll never find Nuea, even if you die trying… My wife asked me to pass that on. Oh, and he’s Nuea’s cousin, in case you’re wondering.” This kid’s sharp—not your average worker. He answers every question just by reading Sailom’s face, and that’s enough to make Sailom nod reluctantly.

    What follows is hours of nerve-wracking mountain driving, teetering on the edge of death.

    “Nuea, Nuea, have you seen Sun?”

    Namnuea is letting a book read itself—well, not exactly, just sitting on the porch with it for ages. The youngest of the house approaches with a hard-to-read expression, carrying a large lunchbox that probably holds a variety of dishes, asking about his partner in a way that makes the listener smirk.

    “Turning into quite the housewife, huh, Little Riu?”

    “If you weren’t you, I’d have snapped back already,” Riu grumbles at being called a girl, his voice low, before circling back to the point.

    “Have you seen Sun? I haven’t seen him since morning. Phii Rarin told him to go cut branches, sure, but I asked the workers—no one’s seen him since early morning, even though he left at dawn.” The youngest seems genuinely worried, and Namnuea can’t help but smile.

    “That worried, huh?”

    “Nah, just don’t wanna deal with picking up his body if he slips off the mountain.” He says that, but his face shows clear concern. It’s already past 2 p.m.

    “I haven’t seen him either,” Namnuea replies. Just then, Rerai steps in and asks, “Sun still hasn’t come back?”

    “Hey, where’d you send Sun off to?”

    “Sent him to pick someone up from town,” Rerai says, calming Riu down. He sets the lunchbox on the table and asks a question Nuea’s curious about too.

    “Picking up who? Mom?”

    “Nope.” For some reason, Rerai glances at Namnuea with a sly smile. “Picking someone up from the airport.”

    “Someone coming to check out the orchard?” the youngest guesses randomly, but Namnuea feels an odd premonition, growing stronger when his close relative says outright,

    “Someone who wants to see Nuea.”

    “Don’t tell me…”

    Bang, bang!

    “Oh, perfect timing,” Rerai said softly as the loud honk of a pickup truck echoed through the yard. But it was Namnuea who shot up, rushing toward the sound with a tense expression.

    It’s not him… It’s not the guy you’re thinking of, Nuea.

        But his prayers went unanswered. The man stepping out of the pickup, pale-faced and brows nearly knitted together, was none other than the one who haunted his dreams every night.

    “How the hell did you get here?!”

    “I brought him myself, Phii,” the driver answered instead, flashing a wide grin and twirling the car keys, proud of his death-defying driving skills. Meanwhile, Sailom tried to stand straight, taking deep breaths to steady himself. He locked eyes with Namnuea and said earnestly, “I wanted to see you.”

    “But I don’t want to see you!” Namnuea shot back loudly, then spun to glare at his close relative. “Was this your plan,

    Rerai?”

    “It was Auntie’s request, actually. It wouldn’t look good for a guy like him to chase after you in the middle of the village. Auntie didn’t want people gossiping about you, so she asked him to come here for a quieter talk,” Rerai explained honestly. Namnuea clenched his fists, turning back to meet Sailom’s gaze, and said curtly, “Go back. I don’t want to talk to you. And don’t forget, in just over a month, you’re getting married.”

    “Damn… what the hell?” Riu cursed under his breath, while the others stood in stunned silence, shocked at the man they’d gone out of their way to help—even if they’d teased him with a nauseating car ride. They hadn’t expected him to have the audacity to show up when he already had a bride. Sailom quickly grabbed Namnuea’s arm firmly.

    “You’ve got it wrong, Nuea.”

    “Got it wrong? I’m the one planning your wedding. How could I get it wrong? You love your bride, not me. You should go back to Khun Yiwa. You shouldn’t be here. And if you’re worried I won’t finish your wedding, don’t be. I’ll be there, and once your wedding’s done, I’ll quit. Satisfied now?” Namnuea spat out angrily, his eyes brimming with tears, forcing him to shove the other man’s hand away forcefully.

    Then he turned to his cousin. “Take him back, Rerai.”

    Without waiting to hear more, Namnuea spun around and strode quickly into the orchard. Sailom started to follow, but…    Thud.

    Both Rerai and Riu stepped in front of him, their initially friendly demeanor now openly hostile.

    “Go back where you came from!” the younger one snapped, his temper flaring. The older one, with a tone of clear displeasure, demanded, “Can you explain what the hell this is about? Are you here to hurt Nuea even more?”

    Sun shuddered on his behalf… he’d seen the wrath of this family’s siblings firsthand. With Sailom’s attitude, getting past their defenses to make amends would surely involve a long interrogation. And this was without Phii Rin around. If the eldest sister were here, it’d be a death sentence for sure.

    “Why’d you come back? Why show your face again? I was finally starting to forget!”

    Namnuea stormed into the flower field, cursing the other man in anger. But more than anything, he was furious with himself for feeling glad that Sailom had followed him here. It wasn’t a good thought—not even a little. It meant he still couldn’t let go, and it was unfair to Khun Yiwa.

    Just seeing his face shattered the heart he thought was strong.

    Swipe.

    Namnuea wiped his face as tears welled up, taking deep breaths to calm himself before he turned into a madman crying in the middle of the field.

    Finally finding a quiet corner, certain the other wouldn’t find him, Namnuea hunched his shoulders, his eyes staring blankly into the distance. It looked like he was watching the workers tend to the flowers, but in truth, his gaze stretched far beyond. The worst part was that the young organizer caught a glimpse of those eyes—eyes trying to explain something.

    It’s not that I won’t listen, but everything’s already clear.

    “Nuea.”

    “Phii Ton,” he said, startled for a moment. But seeing who it was, he let out a huge sigh, forcing a smile for his brother-in-law as he made room for the farm manager to sit beside him.

    “Everyone’s worried about you.”

    “Phii Ton, I’m not Riu, you know. That guy’s the one you should worry about getting kidnapped,” he tried to joke, but the other only gave a faint smile.

    “No, Nuea. You’re family, so we’re worried. Right now, Rerai’s on the phone saying Riu’s going wild, threatening to kill the guest. They’re trying to hold him back,” Phii Ton said with a grin, still the calm man he always was. Namnuea wasn’t surprised why everyone in the family accepted him.

    Phii Ton was a good man—a really good man. That’s how you’d describe him.

       How many men would sit here comforting a gay guy on their wife’s orders, looking at him with genuine concern?

       “Have they sent the guest away yet?”

    “He won’t leave. No matter how much they try to chase him off, he refuses to go.”

    “I’m sorry, Phii. I’ve caused trouble here,” the young organizer said, feeling guilty. But Phii Ton just laughed.

    “Then I owe you an apology. During our wedding, the one who worked the hardest was you, wasn’t it?” Phii Ton was saying that when the family’s struggling, they’ve got to help each other, right? Namnuea couldn’t help but smile, and… for some reason, something urged him to open up. He hadn’t told anyone else, not even Rerai.

       “But if you hear my story, you might not see me as family anymore… I slept with that guy,” Namnuea said, and Phii Ton visibly froze. But he kept going. “And… he’s the groom-to-be whose wedding I was organizing. Disgusting, right? Sleeping with my own client, knowing full well he’s about to get married.” Phii Ton looked angry right away, but not at him—it seemed he was furious at the man who’d left Nuea smiling like he was about to cry.

    Good. This way, the whole family would probably chase Khun Lom away.

       “Why don’t you hear him out, Nuea?”

    But then Phii Ton asked a question that Nuea couldn’t believe he was hearing.

    “Hear out a guy who’s already taken?”

    “If you don’t talk, don’t listen, you’ll keep hurting like this,” Phii Ton countered rationally, letting out a long sigh. “I know we’re outsiders in this, but let me warn you as someone who’s been married, who’s lived that life… No one can understand each other without talking. If he’s brave enough to come all the way here, he must have something to say. Talk it out clearly, reject him firmly, and you’ll feel better.” The older man spoke with reason, patting Namnuea’s shoulder firmly before standing up.

    “He’s trying to talk to you now. It’s up to you whether you’ll listen. You should also say what you feel. If you feel guilty about the bride, you need to let him know. Go sort it out, Nuea.” Namnuea could only sit there silently, managing to say, “I need some time, Phii Ton. Right now… I’m really not ready to face him.”

    “Take all the time you need… but before Rarin gets back.

    Otherwise, that guy’s gonna end up as fertilizer under the farm,” Phii Ton said, trying to lighten the mood with a laugh before turning to leave, leaving Namnuea alone. Namnuea couldn’t help but chuckle softly… Rerai must’ve known he’d listen to Phii Ton, so she sent him to talk. And he did listen.

    He sighed heavily, asking himself if he was ready to end it all.

        To end this, they’d have to talk it out for real. The question was whether he was strong enough to see it through without running away first.

      

    Sailom was anxious, sitting still like a prisoner in the teakwood house for hours. His heart urged him to go find the other man and settle things, but the family had sent a “guard” to watch him, warning him not to go anywhere—or else the farm workers would chase him with shovels. “Chill, Phii,” Sun said. “The women in this family are terrifying. If you try to go out for real, you’ll probably get thrown into a car and driven straight to the airport. But before that, you might get a beating.” The tall man sighed heavily, sinking back into his seat after nearly jumping up, rubbing his head in frustration.

    “What am I supposed to do?”

    “Calm down and think carefully about what you’ll say to

    Nuea. Make it good, one sentence, all-encompassing. From what I’ve seen, Nuea won’t listen to you for long. I mean, who wouldn’t misunderstand?” He’s already told the people here about Yiwa.

    Why is it that the thing he most wants to tell Namnuea remains unsaid, yet he’s spilled it to unrelated outsiders? But if he hadn’t spoken, he probably wouldn’t have been invited to sit here either.

       Looking out the window, he sees the sun’s light fading, signaling late afternoon. He feels like he’s wasting hours doing nothing, but it’s given Sailom time to think.

    He hurt the other person so much that they fled here… and quit their job.

       A few words convey the gravity of it all. The secret he kept was so severe that it drove the other to escape back here. If he keeps his mouth shut and doesn’t explain, he’ll just be the jerk who took everything from Namnuea.

       Just listen to me, Nuea. I’ll tell you everything.

       Sailom resolves firmly to himself. At that moment, someone else steps into the house. Sun sees them first, flashes an encouraging smile, and steps away, leaving Namnuea to approach and stand close behind the man seated at the dining table.

    “Someone said you wanted to talk to me.”

    Thump… whoosh.

    “Nuea!” The moment he sees who’s behind him, Sailom springs up, instinctively moving closer, but he freezes when those round eyes lock onto him, unyielding.

    That gaze seems to say it’s time to end everything.

    “I have something to talk to you about too,” Namnuea continues. He takes a deep breath and speaks words that leave Sailom too stunned to move.

    “Please, let me go, Khun Lom.”

     

    Why are you saying this?” The listener forces a faint smile, his voice trembling.

    “What else can I say? If you care about me at all, let me go. Don’t get involved with me anymore. I don’t want to climb the thorny tree. I don’t want to wrong Khun Yiwa. I don’t want to be known as the guy who stole someone’s husband. I’m begging you, don’t hurt me any more than this… Let me go, please.” His voice quivers, on the verge of tears, but he holds them back. The trembling tone and pleading words make his round eyes shimmer with pain. Don’t hurt me any more than this.

    Sailom feels like he can’t breathe, the truth hitting him square in the chest. He realizes that his silence all this time has deeply wounded the person he thought he loved.

    Namnuea steps back two paces, his voice shaking.

    “I’m begging you, please go back,” they said, and it nearly made Sailom give up.

    He should go back and finish playing his part, let everything end here. But…    Grab.

    The young man lunged forward, seizing the other’s wrist tightly, holding it firm. He looked into those reddened eyes and said what he’d been longing to say most.

    Sun was right. There was only one word he needed to say.

    “I love you, Nuea. I love you.”

    If there was a sentence that could say it all in one word, it was this… love.

    I love you, so I can’t let you go,” Sailom said, pulling the slender figure into his embrace as the other stood stunned. Despite feeling the struggle, he refused to let go. He held on, determined to make Namnuea hear the whole story. And Sailom vowed to himself:

    He would never let go of this hand.

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