Bros (I)

A pleasant night out with the guys had been disturbed by these two women.

Manager Zhang very knowingly and discreetly retreated out the door and closed it silently. Only then did she place her hand on her heart; her career should at least be safe for now.

Mu Jinchen extinguished the cigarette in his hand and resumed his languid and elegant posture. He gently pressed his thumb to the side of his lips and said teasingly, "Do you two... scumbags have anything to say?"

Jun Xiang threw a pillow at him and cursed. He then replied, "There's nothing much to tell. That little wild cat of mine had been wild and untamed since childhood, as my two brothers have witnessed just now. The pretty lady she dragged with her should be the bestie she kept going on and on about called Wushuang. But hey, Mubai, it's such a small world here in S City. It seems like something fishy is going on between Mubai and Wushuang." Jun Xiang glanced at Tang Mubai with a gossipy look. His eyes revealed an indulgent, loving look when he mentioned his 'little wild cat'.

As everyone knew, the Jun and Su families had been friends for many generations. They had always wanted their families to be joined by marriage, yet both families only had sons and no daughters for three consecutive generations. Only during the fourth generation was the Su family finally blessed with a daughter, Su Ran. It was said that as soon as Su Ran's mother confirmed through the ultrasound that it was a girl, the Jun and Su families had already agreed on the betrothal. 

Jun Xiang was seven years older than Su Ran. He was aware from a young age that he had a little fiancee. At Su Ran's One-Year-Old-Birthday-Catch1, she ignored everything else and grabbed onto Jun Xiang's clothes. She refused to let go and cried when it was taken away from her. There was even an old Chinese saying that it was acceptable for a man to be seven years older than the woman but not for the woman to be a year older than the man. The two families believed they were a match made in heaven.

For many years after that, Su Ran followed Jun Xiang everywhere he went. When she was only a few years old, she would cry non-stop when she did not see Jun Xiang around. Jun Xiang had almost moved into the Su family house because of that.

It was not until Su Ran became more sensible that she started to find fault with Jun Xiang in various ways. It was said that Jun Xiang's alleged IQ of a hundred and sixty had been stunted by this constant childish fighting with his fiancee.

"Yours?" Mu Jinchen quipped.

"Yes, mine," Jun Xiang proclaimed. He was well aware of the destructive power his good friend possessed. Not just women but even men would fail to resist Mu Jinchen if he so much so desired them.

Jun Xiang had never admired anyone in his life except for this friend before him.

Mu Jinchen smiled slightly, a smile capable of sending anyone into a frenzy. He reached for the cigarette pack and extracted one. "Are you able to accept such a bean sprout? Wouldn't you be resentful?"

"Why don't you ask Mubai?"

Tang Mubai had regained his usual composure, his eyes had a gentle appearance. "Me? I didn't have enough time to evaluate, so I don't know." 

"Really? That little wild cat of mine constantly cursed you to my face. But, I didn't know she was referring to you then. Otherwise, I would've called and congratulated you for being the subject of my little wild cat's fury. Nonetheless, Wushuang must've suffered a great deal that year. From what I know, she suffered internal bleeding in the stomach due to alcohol overdose and was almost taken advantage of by some gangsters, too. If not for my little wild cat sticking by her, she would've..." Jun Xiang did not continue. Su Ran was not a vengeful person. The amount of hate she had for the person that hurt Wushuang, the person must have wounded her as much.

Tang Mubai took a sip of his whiskey and took the blame. "It was my fault. If I had a choice, I'd choose not to hurt her. There are times when one needs to act in spite of oneself. Sometimes, a form of protection could come as a different kind of hurt. No matter how you put it, I've wronged her."