IG: Chapter 4 - Bait
After leaving Yang Guangsheng’s apartment building, Jiang Xinbai didn’t rush home. Instead, he found a spot on the edge of a flower bed and sat down. He held the brass lighter, flicking it open and shut repeatedly as he pondered.
His phone vibrated twice in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw two WeChat messages from his younger brother, Li Zihan.
He replied: ⦍Overtime. Go to sleep.⦎
After sending it, he noticed others had also messaged him and even called a few times. It was already past one in the morning. He didn’t call back, only sent a text: Sorry, I was with Xiao Yang the whole time, just saw this. Soon, a call came through – a man’s voice.
“Assistant Jiang.” The other person paused. “Still with Guangsheng?”
“I heard he’s returning to Jiangcheng tomorrow. In such a hurry?” the man asked again.
“…..” After a moment of silence, hearing only that single “Mm” with no further response, the man could only ask, “Didn’t you suggest he take you along?”
The question seemed to catch Jiang Xinbai off guard. He hesitated before answering, “He doesn’t need me because he doesn’t like me. It’s useless even if I say it.”
“Xiao Jiang, why do you insist on making him dislike you? Guangsheng is easy to please, soft-hearted too. Why can’t you make him like you? Didn’t you say before that you could handle this?”
Jiang Xinbai fell silent for a moment. “I know what to do.”
“Know what?” the man retorted. “Your job as his assistant is to stay by his side first and foremost. Old Yang said you should keep an eye on him, but did you really think you could control him? How long can you control him? If you really want to stick with him, you have to learn to please him, not oppose him.”
The man lowered his voice slightly. “Do you even know what you’re there for, Assistant Jiang?”
“I know,” Jiang Xinbai said. “Just wait a little longer.”
The man snorted. “You know nothing. Don’t let the old man’s praise go to your head. Don’t forget you-”
“I said, wait a little longer,” Jiang Xinbai replied coldly. “I know what I’m doing. And don’t treat Yang Guangsheng like a fool.”
“…..” The man’s tone relaxed a bit. “Then tell me, what’s your plan next?”
After the call ended, Jiang Xinbai put his phone back in his pocket. He began to replay the events in the car and in the room earlier. He reviewed his actions, considering whether they were thorough, reasonable, and in character. Inevitably, he thought of the details.
Yang Guangsheng’s body, Yang Guangsheng’s voice, Yang Guangsheng’s fingers and mouth…
He casually reached down and touched himself. Even after all this time, it still seemed hard. But it was merely a physiological reaction – an uncontrollable instinctive disgust and anger from a normal man toward homosexual acts. This anger made Jiang Xinbai’s muscles tense, his blood flow faster, filling him with a strange, unrestrained excitement born of self-loathing.
He felt a few dried stains on his pants. Without looking closely, he knew what they were.
He began to scrape at one of the dried white spots with his fingernail, turning it into powder that spread into a larger stain. Staring at the stain, he started rubbing it fiercely with both hands.
His eyes were fixed only on the increasingly blurred and spreading stain at the edge, violently tormenting his trousers. He rubbed for who knows how long, until the rough fabric of the suit pants retaliated against his abuse, making his fingers bleed. But he didn’t feel any pain, continuing to jerk his arm silently and intently in the dark flower bed.
Even he didn’t notice when a startled, high-pitched female voice suddenly came from nearby: “Pervert!”
Then came the sound of hurried footsteps retreating. Jiang Xinbai stopped his movements, turned to look at the figure stumbling away in the opposite direction, and after a moment of daze, gradually regained his composure.
He stood up and walked out. When he reached the street, he took out his phone and changed his mind while selecting a ride-hailing destination. He set the destination to Rainbow Tree, the gay bar Yang Guangsheng had taken him to before.
It was already past midnight. Although Rainbow Tree wasn’t as lively as earlier in the night, small groups of patrons still gathered under the dim lights, and the background music felt more languid and ambiguous. Jiang Xinbai approached the bar, where the bartender gave him an extra glance before smiling in greeting.
Seeing his expression, Jiang Xinbai sat down and ordered a glass of juice. After a while, when the bartender was free, Jiang Xinbai gestured him over and said, “Um…”
The bartender leaned against the bar in a flamboyant manner and looked at him. “What’s up, handsome? Any requests?”
Jiang Xinbai took a sip of his juice, then held the glass with both hands.
“I remember you,” Jiang Xinbai said. “Last time I was here, you were the one mixing drinks. You gave me a blue one.”
The bartender smiled and looked at him. “I’m the bartender here, so of course it was me. The drink’s called ‘The Water in a Whale’s Brain Is Still the Ocean.’ It’s my own creation.”
“..…” A slightly surprised expression flickered in Jiang Xinbai’s eyes behind his black-framed glasses. He looked at the other man and smiled. “Sorry, I didn’t drink it.”
“I know,” the bartender shifted his weight to the other foot, leaning a little closer. “You had a glass of apple juice. I remember.”
Jiang Xinbai: “If you can remember customers, you must have a good memory. Do you remember most of the regulars?”
The bartender chuckled, lightly tapping Jiang Xinbai’s slender but firm arm with his finger before tactfully withdrawing it. “Not really. Your looks are pretty memorable. Even glasses can’t hide that. Plus, your ‘type’ isn’t common.”
“What type?” Jiang Xinbai looked at him. “Top? But I’m not.”
The bartender raised an eyebrow in surprise, then burst into hearty laughter. “That line of yours is very ‘that.’”
“..…” Jiang Xinbai seemed to deliberately correct him. “Just looks ‘straight.’ But I’m not.”
“Hahaha…” The bartender laughed even more happily, tapping the bar with his fingertips. “Right. That’s exactly it. Looks straight – that ‘type’ is the most popular. That’s why I remember you.”
Jiang Xinbai adjusted his black-framed glasses. “If I’m so popular, why am I sitting here alone drinking juice?”
"Haha, you just said it yourself – clearly it was that guy who offered you a drink, and you refused..." The bartender trailed off as a customer at the next seat ordered a drink, so he gestured and walked away.
"That guy." Jiang Xinbai repeated the phrase in his mind. That wasn’t a term used for strangers. Sure enough.
When the bartender returned, Jiang Xinbai spoke first, "Last time I was here, that big brother offered me a drink and pestered me for quite a while."
"Hey, Peter, he’s just..." The bartender’s eyes shifted briefly, but his expression quickly returned to a professional one, hinting at something as he said, "Handsome, this bar is different from others, as you know. People who come here are mostly here to have fun. Don’t take it too seriously."
"Peter." Jiang Xinbai repeated the name. "He seems like a regular."
"I’m not taking it seriously. Actually, I think he looks pretty good, quite sturdy." Jiang Xinbai paused, also hinting at something as he said, "I broke up with my boyfriend."
He picked up his glass and took a sip of juice, his eyes peering over the rim as if testing the bartender’s reaction.
Jiang: "I’m feeling a bit... sad."
"....." Jiang Xinbai stared at him for a few seconds before putting down his juice. "Well, I’ll be going then."
The bartender said, "Peter isn’t here today. Maybe come back tomorrow or the day after?"
"Is that so." Jiang Xinbai changed the subject. "Forget it, let it be."
The bartender smiled. He looked Jiang Xinbai up and down again, this time chuckling softly, "Hah, you’d be at a huge disadvantage with him."
"It’s fine. I’m not exactly a good person either." Then Jiang Xinbai stood up, pulled a hundred-yuan bill from his wallet, and firmly pressed it under his glass before getting to his feet. "Thank you."
"...Hey," the bartender thought for a moment, pulled out the bill from under the glass, took out his phone, and showed him a number. "Take down this number."
Jiang Xinbai glanced at the phone number. Then he went to the restroom, washed his face, entered a toilet stall, took out his phone, and dialed the number.
"Hey, big brother. You’re still up so late? I was just thinking of you too... Who is this? Guess? Hmph, you’ve forgotten me so quickly. Last time, you said you’d look for me again, but you didn’t even save my number? Hehe... Guess where I am? Right at the bar where we did it last time, big brother. Come in through the back door, and it’s right there..."
Then he sat on the toilet lid, waiting for big brother. He waited for over twenty minutes – not too long, but not too short either.
Finally, the target walked into the restroom, cautiously pushing open the doors of the toilet stalls one by one. The muscular, broad-chested man looked confused when he saw him. "...You?"
"I’ve been waiting for you. I’m really glad you could come today." Jiang Xinbai said, "Come in, let’s talk."
He was puzzled, crossing his muscular arms. This guy was good-looking, so of course he remembered him. But he and this guy had no physical history – in fact, they even had some bad blood. This was clearly a deliberate trap. What was the intention?
...But Peter had failed to pick anyone up tonight, and his body was restless. Now, looking at his own well-built muscles and then at Jiang Xinbai’s clean, upright face behind those utterly plain glasses, his doubts gradually faded, his lust grew, and his mood lightened.
ʿ*The one who should be nervous isn't me.*ʾ
He asked again, "Why is it you? Are you alone?"
Jiang Xinbai took off his glasses and tucked them into his inner suit pocket. "What else? Am I not enough on my own?"
Then he looked up and stared directly at Peter. Without the glasses blocking them, Jiang Xinbai's dark eyes were bright with wickedness, wicked with honesty, and honest enough to seem like an illusion.
Peter was stunned for a moment, but he still leaned back dismissively. "Come on. Didn't you say you were straight? What are you doing looking for me in the middle of the night? Still want revenge? Just you?"
"You're not even worth my revenge," Jiang Xinbai said. "Today, I'm just in a bad mood and want to vent. I really feel like playing with a pervert who's obsessed with stabbing men in the ass. You can think of it as emotional projection."
Peter looked at him in surprise.
"Oh, you're oddly cute when you're straightforward," he said, walking closer to Jiang Xinbai. "So, how do you want to 'project'? I'm game."
Jiang Xinbai didn't say another word and started unbuckling his belt. Peter watched and smiled, then began undoing his own pants. "Little brother, tell me the truth – did you want it last time too? And you were still pretending, making excuses. Were you just afraid your 'master' wouldn't allow it? Honestly, that's too much. He was over there getting cozy with some young guy while making you watch. How can you stand that? Is having money really that great?"
Hearing this, Jiang Xinbai lowered his head and let out a vague, mocking laugh. Once the belt was off, Jiang Xinbai gripped both ends, folded it into a double strand, and gave it a couple of testing tugs. Then he stood up, suddenly towering over the other man by half a head.
Peter went from looking down to looking up at Jiang Xinbai. This guy was tall, handsome, and had a straightforward, rugged toughness that Peter really liked. He reached out and touched Jiang Xinbai's face.
"Honestly, your man looks impressive, but I could tell at a glance he's all show and no substance – definitely can't satisfy you- Ah!!" Suddenly, the belt lashed hard across his face. His cheek swelled instantly, and Peter's head spun. "Fuck! Fuck you! What are you doing?!"
Jiang Xinbai remained silent and struck again with a backhanded blow. Peter covered his head and scrambled to escape, but Jiang Xinbai delivered a vicious, full-force punch to Peter's unprotected stomach. Peter staggered back, crashing into the stall door, his vision darkening as he nearly lost consciousness.
As he spun and began to collapse, Jiang Xinbai caught him, dragged him into the cramped restroom, and, like lassoing a horse, wrapped the belt around his body and arms, tightened it, fastened it, and shoved him hard, sending him tumbling to the floor. Only then did Jiang Xinbai turn back to lock the door.
Jiang Xinbai frowned at him, thought for a moment, then pulled the remaining toilet paper from the simple metal dispenser. Kneeling down, he twisted the paper roll and shoved it into Peter's mouth. Peter's cries for help turned into strange, ambiguous, incomprehensible "ah-ah-ung-ung" sounds.
Jiang Xinbai stood up and gave him a few punches and kicks. Peter howled in pain.
With his upper body bound by the belt, his body wedged between the toilet and the wall, and his legs unable to stretch out, Peter had no chance to even roll halfway over and stand up. He could only take the beating passively.
Occasionally, when someone came into the restroom, Peter would howl even louder. Jiang Xinbai played along, saying, "Brother, you sound like you're enjoying it. Want me to go harder, huh?"
Then Peter would let out an even more genuine, louder scream.
"You sick pervert. Did my little brother fuck you good, huh?"
Jiang Xinbai vented his anger with punches and kicks, and soon the human punching bag was sobbing and crying.
Not long after, Jiang Xinbai's phone vibrated. He figured it must be Li Zihan urging him to come home. If he answered, there’d be no end to it; if he ignored it, she’d only worry more. So he simply didn’t pick up. After all, if Li Zihan thought he was busy, she wouldn’t call again.
But the phone kept ringing, vibrating persistently, as if it would keep going until he answered. Irritated, Jiang Xinbai stopped, took a few breaths, and pulled out his phone. He froze.
He glanced at Peter, thought for a moment, then shoved his head and shoulders into the toilet, closed the lid, trapping Peter’s head and shoulders inside like a Venus flytrap, and sat on top to keep him pinned. Peter’s wails grew louder, echoing, and he struggled.
"Quiet down," Jiang Xinbai said, giving him a hard kick. "Or I’ll use a pump on your ass later."
Peter fell silent, only unable to control his heavy, sobbing breaths, nasal and choked. Jiang Xinbai steadied his own breathing and answered the call.
"Xiao Bai, why didn’t you answer my call?" Yang Guangsheng’s voice was lazy and hoarse, followed by a yawn. His voice replayed those scenes in Jiang Xinbai’s mind.
"....." Jiang Xinbai covered the microphone with his palm to block out the noise and whispered, "I was about to sleep."
Yang Guangsheng sniffled, his voice muffled as if his face was buried in a pillow. "What’s that weird whooshing sound on your end?"
Jiang Xinbai looked down at Peter and said, "It’s the air conditioner. My AC is faulty."
"Oh." The rustling of blankets came from Yang Guangsheng’s side. "If it’s faulty, replace it. Give me your address, and I’ll have someone send you a new one tomorrow. How big is your room? Do you want a wall-mounted or a floor-standing one?"
"... Are you starting to treat me the same way you treat your so-called friends, Xiao Yang?" Jiang emphasized, "I’m your subordinate."
Yang Guangsheng said he didn’t mess around with subordinates. But they had just messed around. Hearing this, Yang Guangsheng wasn’t embarrassed; instead, he laughed softly. "You kissed your boss first, Xiao Bai."