Cucummato (TianShan)

23. Breeze

The old man looked at He Tian and Mo Guan Shan, and back to his grandson, sipped his tea and looked at the boys again in turn as they sat around a round garden table. Mo Guan Shan awkwardly adjusted his sore butt on his seat, trying hard not to look at He Tian's almost-unibrow. He's been frowning hard and the old man's expression was unreadable.

The old man laid his cards on the table, letting out a loud "HAH!" He Tian groaned, slamming down his card showing a three of a kind. Mo Guan Shan shook his head in resignation. He ran out of luck.

"Oh, what is this? A royal flush! Oh, what is this?" he laughed so loud in their faces that He Tian pursed his lips and leaned back on his chair.

"I can't believe I'm wasting time playing this game."

"It's only wasting time when you're losing!" bellowed the old man with a wide smile. His cheeks shined almost like a ripe tomato. "How about you, carrot boy?"

"I still don't understand how this works," admitted Mo Guan Shan. He reached for the cards and started shuffling. "But I won once and suddenly it's not that bad." He smirked and glanced at He Tian.

"You little traitor," said He Tian in his most charming smile.

Mo Guan Shan shrugged and leaned back on his seat. They ended up playing cards after He Tian asked the old man to stop sending in his friends' granddaughters after him. Old He Qui Sheng said he'd stop if the two of them manages to beat him at poker.

"Why am I on his side?" he asked. 

"I'm strong enough on my own. Why? Are you on my side?"

He Tian almost jumped up from his seat, fearing what Mo Guan Shan might answer.

"I'm not on anybody's side. Besides, I don't know how to play this game."

But after several round the two of them were utterly crushed by the laughing old man, teasing them profusely for being too weak to handle him. They were only interrupted by a bulky guy in a fancy suit, walking with his eyes glued to He Tian.

Mo Guan Shan could clearly see the resemblance and thought that after several years, He Tian might grow up just like his brother. The intimidating aura was worse too, almost like a tangible force radiating from his whole being. He would never dare cross this kind of man.

"How are you, grandfather?" the man asked, stopping by the table. Even his calm voice could make a baby cry.

"Better than ever," grunted the old man and looked at Mo Guan Shan. "This is my grandson, He Cheng. Cheng, Mo Guan Shan, the kid I've been telling you about.

"Yes, I know," the man nodded at Mo Guan Shan before looking at his younger brother. "We need to talk."

Apparently, he's not too interested in people and operates in a completely different dimension. He should have known.

He Tian sighed and stood up without showing any enthusiasm.

"I'll be back," he told Mo Guan Shan. They disappeared inside the house, leaving Mo Guan Shan with the old man.

When the siblings disappeared inside the house, Mo Guan Shan carefully gathered the cards just to have something to do in the presence of his boss friend.

"May I ask you something?" the old man asked in a serious tone. Mo Guan Shan stopped and lifted his face up. It felt kind of awkward but he had to endure.

"Uh, anything, Sir."

"What do you plan to do after high school?"

Mo Guan Shan actually expected that kind of question from the old man. He knew tha sooner or later, he's gonna ask and he'd have to seriously think about it.

"I'm not going to college. We don't have enough funds for that and I'm no mental giant either, so it'd be risky to gamble on me," he answered while staring at his glass of cola. The perspiration gathered at the bottom, making a small puddle on the table.

"How about your own desire? If you are to choose, would you go?"

"No. I don't particularly enjoy going to school."

The old man laughed.

"I know what you mean," he said. "So you're going to work, like usual?"

"Yeah," he smiled. "I'll give my mom a nice house where she can finally relax."

A gentle breeze blew, cooling him down and somehow helped him feel more serene and honest. 

He Tian

The way He Cheng's brows furrowed told He Tian that it was the usual problem. His brother doesn't need any help because he's efficient, and problems would run from his terrifying presence if they had the legs to run with in the first place. But one thing his older brother can't handle with his ability to terrify was a boy who's too stubborn to be put to place by fear alone.

"He vanished like smoke," He Cheng said, opening the fridge and taking out a bottle of water and a slice of their mother's custard pie.

"Huh," He Tian supplied, watching the big guy eat the sweet thing like it's some medicine. "You look starved."

"Swamped with work," answered He Cheng. "That's why I need your help. Put out some feelers out there. You know the night people better than I do, so someone might have seen him."

He Tian glanced at the glass panel dividing the kitchen from the back garden where his grandfather and Mo Guan Shan waited for him. He needed to get this through as fast as he could because his time with the little redhead is running out for the day.

"You know, if he's been running away from you, it means he doesn't like you that much."

He Cheng didn't answer as he was chewing another slice of pie. It was one side of his brother that nobody knows about. When he's stressed, he's bound to eat whatever sweet thing he gets his eyes into. Says it makes his brain function a little better. Or it makes him a little less grumpier for no reason.

"All right, I will help you. But you gotta pull yourself together. Maybe your being too controlling, work on that."

"If he's manageable, I wouldn't be too uptight," the man grunted his reply.

"Maybe your dick's not enough for him."

"Damn," He Cheng muttered and went to the sink to wash his hands. "He. . ."

"He told you that? Oh! Oh, man. What a blow," He Tian egged on, enjoying his brother's irritation. Thanks to that little shit of a lover, his brother's wasting his attention on him. Most of the time they just pass by each other like it's such a hassle to stop and say hi.

"No, he told me nothing about such thing." He Cheng stormed out from the kitchen and next thing He Tian heard was the older guy's tires squealing away into the distance.

It was the first time he witnessed his brother so frustrated about something and it looked fun. He snickered, wagging his imaginary devil's tail.