Mo Guan Shan ended up in a sex video scandal. What better thing to do than kill himself?
But He Tian bought him, took him to the Philippines to start a rustic life together.
Warning: Contains a suicidal character and several suicide attempts.
"Always complaining but still doing a brilliant job. Why don't you mess it up for once so I can fire you?"
"Huh."
"Xixi! Tell that weirdo to hang up and stop ruining our date."
"We're not on a date, we're just having dinner."
"If dinner's got a candle on it, it's a date."
"Candle?" He Tian asked.
"Idiot. I wish I was as simple-minded as you."
"Tell him to fuck off."
"Fuck off."
"Yeah, later. With you at the bottom."
"Oooh, is that right?" He Tian asked, chuckling so hard he almost slapped himself to stop. The guy on the phone was probably burning in the face by now.
Zhan Zheng Xi supplied him with what's going on in their circle and told him relevant gossip and how his family's doing. They joked and then talked about his pending projects and upcoming exhibits that he might find interesting until they hung up. He Tian hid his phone and slipped in bed with Mo Guan Shan.
~~~
He Cheng was at the Big House before the sun could catch up so He Tian and Mo Guan Shan were woken up because of his knocking. As revenge, He Tian went around the place to assemble something that might annoy the older guy.
"Where are you staying? The old house?" He Tian inquired, eyes twinkling with mischief. Mo Guan Shan sat on the breakfast table, watching the two as he munched on a ripe banana.
"Yes. Grandfather will be expecting me."
"Then take these with you," he said, dragging a whole stalk of bananas. He bought in from a neighbor at the last minute and they gladly chopped down the tree for him. "That stingy old man loves free stuff anyway."
"Hmm. Very well. Lakatan is expensive in the grocery store so I will take these with me."
"How about this? Mom loves jackfruit," He Tian said, showing him a whole jackfruit the size of a two month old pig. It's ripe and gives off a strong, sweet smell that makes Mo Guan Shan want to stop the guy from giving away the whole fruit.
He Tian was referring to their stepmother. Their father remarried two years after their mother died and she got along with them because she's a hands-on woman. He Tian grew up with her attending his school related events, even parents' day. He liked her because she didn't give them any reason to hate her, simple as that.
He Cheng stared at him with cold eyes. He's aware of his brother bullshitting him but he's got tolerance. This kind of petty teasing won't faze him.
"Anything else?"
"How about you take a goat with you? Grandfather would love it in the backyard. And I almost forgot, Auntie Daniella baked these early for you, and there's homemade cheese too. And look, fresh vegetables!"
"But I can't take all of these with me, so you better come and help me."
He Tian's smile froze on his face and Mo Guan Shan bit his lip to stifle a laugh.
"You can leave the goat if you want."
But there was no goat.
"Uhm, wait. Brother's going back to China with all this stuff?" Mo Guan Shan asked, frowning. He Cheng opened his mouth to speak but He Tian beat him to it.
"Yup," he said. "Little Mo, aren't you forgetting something?"
"What?"
"Your chicken."
"Oh, right. I'll get him now," Mo Guan Shan answered. He understood that. Maybe they wanted to talk without him around and it's cool, although a little bit worrisome. Especially since he's afraid their arrangements are going to change with this new development.
When he left, He Tian looked at He Cheng who was staring at him like he's an idiot.
"You didn't tell him," He Cheng said.
"I didn't get the chance to actually talk to him, remember? And I don't want him to worry about useless information."
He Cheng grunted and asked him for a big knife instead. They busied themselves into cutting up the bananas into separate hands and stuffed them into a cardboard box. He Cheng was also serious about bringing the jackfruit because he said it was also expensive in the grocery and no longer as sweet. He Tian thought that grandfather's stinginess apparently had rubbed off on him but He Cheng knew that it's called practicality. Why spend money when there's a cheaper alternative and you just have to be patient and determined to carry a huge baggage while commuting. It's not like he couldn't do it, either.
And He Cheng lied. Of course he brought a car. But he left it in a mall parking lot back in the nearest city. He wanted to have a reason to stay a bit longer and see for himself the life that his brother chose on impulse. He just commuted partway and hitched a ride on a cart pulled by a carabao. Some folks who knew He Tian offered to take him so he hopped in and enjoyed the bumpy ride while drinking sour palm wine. By the time he arrived, nobody was home so he asked the old men to keep his arrival a secret, in case they bump on He Tian. They all nodded and invited him to a drinking party, which he accepted out of courtesy.
He was so drunk and tired from his little adventure that he slept like a log on the sofa. Good thing he ended up meeting them again in the river the next day. At least he managed to keep his word.
* * *
Note:
He Cheng's day out. Haha.
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