Taming The Tiger

38. Two Sides

"Don't you have anything to say?" Hu Lei asked with narrowed eyes as he looked at his motorbike keys his brother gave back.

"Thanks," Hu Jing Yao made it short. He took his grey coat off, hung it behind his boss chair and sat down.

Hu Lei watched him in silence, but he had no intention to go back to his office. It was so rare for his brother to act that impulsively, let alone borrowing something from him, so the art director wanted to know the reason.

"Do you have a new lover?"

The sudden question hit Hu Jing Yao hard and he raised his head to check his brother's expression. Did he know about Yu Hua? Did his father tell him? It wouldn't be favourable if his father heard about his LaoDao trip the previous day. Still, he shouldn't spill the beans before being sure.

"None of your business." Okay, that was a good evasion.

Hu Bei nodded with a knowing-all smile, but didn't dig anymore. He rather focused on the reason why he came there in the first place.

"I heard our new drama has a really cutie."

Blood froze on Hu Jing Yao's veins. Schooling his expression, he asked "who?"

"Yu... Yu... Hua!" Hu Bei snapped his fingers as he remembered the name.

Hu Jing Yao felt nauseous. He dropped the file in his hand on the table and stared at his brother menacingly, "you will stay away from him."

Hu Bei gulped, sensing the danger. In order to ease the atmosphere, he chuckled nervously and asked "you want him for yourself?"

"Yes" was the unwavering answer of his brother, "his is mine, so stay away."

Hu Bei raised his hands in surrender, "I will, don't worry."

"Good."

***

"Yu ge!" Jing Yong shouted as he ran behind the called man.

"Hmm?" Yu Hua stopped in his tracks and turned half around to look at the younger man, hoping the director didn't call him back.

"Are you going to the 7/11 store?"

Good, so there was nothing wrong with his scenes. Relieved, he said "first I will go to Ming Lei's house, later we will go to the store together."

"Nice, can I be the third wheel?" Jing Yong asked with a charming smile, trying to minimise the chance of rejection.

Letting out a soft chuckle, Yu Hua snarled an arm around the younger actor's shoulders and pulled him towards the exit after saying "I am the third wheel."

Like a good gentleman, Jing Yong drove them to Ming Lei's house and even bought lunch on the way. As Ming Lei was unaware of his boyfriend coming, his face was a sight to behold when he saw Jing Yong's smiling face.

"Miss me, little chick?"

Ming Lei almost choked on his saliva while Yu Hua burst into laughter.

"Little chick, ha? It suits you," the laughing man patted his friend's shoulder as he slid inside.

"Why the hell you said that?!" Ming Lei snapped at his unruly boyfriend, who just shrugged and pinched him on the cheek.

"Because it is true and I am not ashamed."

Behind him, Ming Lei made a strangling gesture and slammed the door as if it was the one at fault. He had the potential to sulk all day, but luckily, Jing Yong had his bribe with him. Seeing the sweet and sour chicken, the angry man forgot about his sulking and started to eat his bribe happily.

"So, you will quit that work after tomorrow?" Jing Yong asked, being happy silently. He hated that his boyfriend and brother were working at LaoDao street, so he could even send a bouquet to the shop owner for firing them.

Ming Lei nodded, his gaze on Yu Hua, "yes, we will finish the shift and get the salary, then flee from that dangerous place. It is a blessing in disguise!" he said as he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder reassuringly.

"I will help you, no worries!" Jing Yong declared blithely and seeing their admirable effort, Yu Hua smiled at them.

Putting the chopsticks on the empty bowl, Yu Hua said "let's rest for a week first, didn't we deserve it?"

"YESS!" Ming Lei threw himself on his friend, hugging him tight.

"Slow down, little chick, you're gonna smash him!"

Yu Hua let out a chuckle again and Ming Lei threw him a cold glare.

"If you enjoy it a lot, from now on I will call you little flower."

Little flower...

The smile faded from Yu Hua's lips as Hu Jing Yao's voice echoed in his ear, calling him little flower. Though it was an embarrassing pet name for a partner, combined with the CEO's sexy voice and gentle touches, it used to sound so intimate...

Intimate... as if... I am so stupid...

"I won't call you that, I am sorry, you can call me little chick as long as you wanted," Ming Lei rattled apologetically, seeing the doleful expression on Yu Hua's face.

"Don't regret it later," the sad actor said, trying to pretend as if everything was okay, as if he already forgot about the CEO, as if he was happy...