MAFIA BOY and MASK MAN: Live to Love

CHAPTER #26

It was Saturday night and Lu He asked his twin for a favour. "I'm tutoring a kid and their damn dog won't stop barking.  His sister usually takes the dog for a walk, but she hasn't come home yet.  Can you PLEASE walk it for us?"

"I'm not picking up dog poop." 

"That's fine, take a picture of where the poop is and I'll pick it up later.  Unless you want me to walk the dog and you teach the kid while I'm gone?"

"I'll take the dog.  Send me the address, I'll drive over."

"With who's car?"

"Dad got me a car.  If you ask he'll get you one too."

"What did you have to do to get it?"

"Nothing.  Just visit Xiang Shao, I did some gaming with him, but you could offer to tutor him."

"I'll think about it.  See you soon and thanks."

Lu He ended the call.  A car would make going to and from acting gigs, easier.  He put a reminder, to call his half-brother, into his phone.  Next he got the leash on the dog and waited for his twin to arrive.  The leash was handed over to Qihe and Lu He then returned to the lesson he was giving the child.

Qihe walked the dog and was disgusted that no one had trained it. "You don't even know the basic commands of sit and heal."

The dog began tugging him hard and then some how got the collar to pop off.  It ran away, with Qihe swearing at it.  He pursued the animal.  It went down a back alley and then across a street, thankfully it was not hit by a car.  As Qihe started to think he wouldn't catch it, he came around a corner and saw a guy holding the dog in his arms, yelling at a girl that was maybe a year older than Qihe himself.  He could see the guy about to hit the girl.  Without pausing, Qihe pulled the girl close to him, protecting her. The guy ran off with the dog.

"Damn it... . Are you okay?"

She nodded yes and watched him run after the dog and guy. "That's my stepmother's nephew, don't hurt him!"

Qihe heard her and then guessed that the dog had escaped to either see the guy or the girl.  He caught up to the nephew. "Hand over the dog, I was walking him."

"F'ck you."

First Qihe got the collar tightened on the dog and then forced the guy to put the animal on the ground.  Without pausing he punched him in the face. "You shouldn't be mean to girls or animals.  Let this be your lesson in manners."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Mafia Boy." Qihe turned and left, with the dog obediently following.

The girl he had protected was waiting where he'd left her.  She came up to him and saw his red knuckles, "sorry to hurt you."

"This is nothing.  Is the dog yours or his?"

"Maxie is my brother's dog, but I usually walk him.  Lu He texted and said his brother was walking Maxie tonight, because I was late getting home.  Since you look like Lu He, it's obvious you're the brother.  I'm Bo."

"Qihe, nice to meet you."

"Sorry for all this trouble."

"No trouble, just more exercise than I had anticipated," he winked at her. "Come on, let's get you and Maxie home."

She fell into step beside him. "Lu He is a great tutor.  He even helped me with an essay I had and I'm two years older than him."

"Academically we both excel, but I don't have the patience to tutor others... at least not for school related things." He glanced her way and saw Bo blush. "Does your step-mother's nephew bully you often?"

"Sometimes.  He learned that behaviour from his mother."

The dog stopped and squatted. Qihe turned to look at Bo. "I told Lu He I'm not picking that up."

She smiled, "don't worry I have a bag with me, I'll do it.  I don't blame you for not wanting to pick up my dog's poop."

After Maxie had finished his performance and Bo had cleaned it up, they found a garbage bin to throw out the stinky deposit.  After that it wasn't long before they retuned to her family's house.

"I'll check if my brother is done," Qihe said as he followed her inside.

Lu He confirmed that tutoring was finished. "Are you giving me a ride home?"

"Yes. Give me a minute, here's the key.  You can drive back if you want." Qihe found Bo. "If you have another run in with that guy, call me." He gave her his number and they exchanged Weibo QR codes.

As he turned to leave, she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for tonight."

"Until we meet again," Qihe said.

** ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ **

"Qihe, Xiang Shao and I are hanging out tomorrow, will you drive me there?" Lu He asked as he came into his twin's room.

"I can't, there's a local e-sport competition tomorrow and my team is in the finals."

Lu He sighed, "okay I'll take transit.  Good luck and don't play tonight or your hands will be sore."

"Yes mom," Qihe teased. Then he asked, "does Bo, the sister of the kid you tutor, have a boyfriend?"

"No I don't think so.  But if you pursue her, try not to end it badly, I like the money they pay for my tutoring."

"I promise not to cause problems for you with her family.  Anyway I don't have time for girls right now, I was just curious."

Lu He didn't believe him and scoffed, "you always make time for girls."

Qihe grinned and changed the subject. "Are you asking for a car too?"

"If Dad doesn't offer it, then yes."

"I saw Chyou at Seven Cranes yesterday, what's that all about?"

"She got a modelling contract, after she did a stand in for a sick model at one of my magazine shoots."

"Nice.  The money is good and it's pretty easy work, compared to doing commercials or acting."

Lu He nodded in agreement. "But now we see each other even less than before. That's why I want the car, it will make time management easier."

"That and gives you a private make-out spot too. Nothing's more romantic than driving out of the city and kissing under the stars."

"Amen brother."