Cucummato (TianShan)

36. Drive

He Tian explained that he went to the diner and Mo Guan Shan wasn't there so he asked the boss and he told him where he probably was. So he walked around the place and he found She Li first, but She Li caught sight of him and tried to slip away. He Tian then called his brother to report before he trailed them with his own car. Mo Guan Shan even almost hit his side-view mirror along the way.

"Why didn't you call me?" He Tian asked as he was driving them home.

After Mo Guan Shan got off from work, they stopped by a food stall and ate street food together, sitting on the sidewalk while sipping cokes. He Tian used his "done you a favour" card to ask Mo Guan Shan for another sleepover. The other boy was too tired to argue so he said sure. He didn't have to worry about having another guy in the room when they arrived, anyway.

"You came, didn't you?" Mo Guan Shan said, trying to sound reasonable. He didn't admit the fact that he almost did call, but he was too concerned about He Tian's well-being, even more than his own. Now that's a huge development but he would never admit it out loud.

"But what if I didn't? They were ready to ruin your faces, Little Mo."

"But you did. So just forget it."

"Okay. Geez, I'm still freaking out. What if I got there too late and I can't gather all your pieces?"

"I'm not a fucking Lego, shithead."

He Tian laughed, but he wasn't thinking about Legos. 

"I'm surprised you knew that She Li," He Tian cast him a quick glance, just to see his reaction.

"Yeah. Stuff happened and we bumped into each other quite a lot," Mo Guan Shan said. It wasn't the whole truth but he wasn't lying either, and He Tian picked up on that.

"He was wearing your jacket, Little Mo," he pointed out, disarming the other guy who seemed uncomfortable.

"I. . . I didn't know."

"Tell me everything, please? You've been really suspicious lately, just so you know, and I have this gut-feeling that somehow it's got a lot to do with him."

He's getting nervous and the tip of his tongue found the cut on his lip. Finally, he heaved a deep sigh and started telling him about the first time he met She Li. He Tian listened to him, nodding, as if he's figuring out things too. Mo Guan shan left the part about the kiss.

"So, he punched you in the face and almost made you forget me. But you still helped him?!"

"Don't be dramatic. I didn't know it was him, okay? He was beaten up so badly and if you were there, you would also help him."

"You brought a stranger to your house in the middle of the night!"

"Yeah, no shit, Kristoff. I have poor judgment and excuse me for that."

"Anything else? I feel like there's something else I should know."

"No. Nothing. It may sound like an excuse but having him in my room was part of the reason why I wasn't getting enough sleep these past few days."

"That asshole really knows how to torment people," He Tian murmured, as if he wasn't one too, but Mo Guan Shan chose to shut his mouth and let him huff like an amgery potater.

"Is your brother really a Triad boss?"

"That's funny, because he's just an ordinary office worker," He Tian said, laughing. It was funny because everyone else seemed to think that He Cheng was running some sort of illegal underground business. Maybe he should ease up on the suits and try wearing casual clothes when he's not working.