Rose beauty-Chapter 1.

Upon reading the message, Yu Nan realized that in his hasty departure, he had completely forgotten about the umbrella from the photo. When he received the message, his heart began to beat rapidly, and unfamiliar emotions stirred within him as Mr. Gong’s deep voice echoed in his ears.

In a state of confusion, Yu Nan quickly turned off his phone, trying to deceive himself: “I can’t see it, I can’t hear it.”

It was at this moment that he noticed the corner.

In the corner, there was a gay couple in their early twenties. The taller one had a guitar strapped to his back, and they were affectionately making out, with one’s arm around the other’s waist. They stood facing each other, whispering intimately, occasionally touching foreheads and sharing brief kisses.

Shencheng is an international metropolis with a highly open and inclusive mindset, where sexual orientation wasn’t something that surprised or shocked people. Even with other passengers on the subway, this gay couple behaved openly and without inhibition.

Yu Nan, separated by a dozen people, initially thought that he might be mistaken. However, when the announcement sounded, signaling the arrival of the subway at a new station and the crowd thinned out, he could see more clearly and became more certain.

The person carrying the electric guitar was Tan Lefeng’s boyfriend, Shi Xin, but the other person was not Tan Lefeng. As Tan Lefeng’s best friend, how could Yu Nan not feel upset?

Yu Nan quickly left his seat and walked straight over.

“Shi Xin.”

Upon hearing someone call his name, Shi Xin turned around and saw Yu Nan, who had walked up to them, frowning as he looked at them.

Yu Nan had fair skin, and up close, no flaws were visible. His neck was slender and long, his back was thin and straight – truly an exquisite young man.

His hair had grown a bit longer, giving him a more delicate appearance than usual. His beautiful, glass-like eyes were icy and expressionless, not a hint of a smile, somewhat unsettling.

Feeling the intense gaze, Shi Xin instinctively loosened his grip on the person he was holding.

“Yu Nan?”

He steadied himself slightly, reassuring himself that Yu Nan was just a sheltered flower, ignorant of the ways of the world, spending all his time drawing and knowing little else. People like him were easy to deceive.

Any trace of awkwardness quickly disappeared from Shi Xin’s face as he casually greeted, “What are you doing here?”

This line runs through the East District to the outskirts, and to reach Huxin Academy of Fine Arts at the other end of the city, one would need to transfer. Logically, Yu Nan, a self-proclaimed homebody, shouldn’t be on this line.

Facing a person several notches above him in terms of appearance, the other guy, feeling a bit threatened, he grabbed Shi Xin and asked, “Brother Xin, who is this?”

Yu Nan glanced at the guy. He thought Shi Xin must be blind – this guy’s looks were not even one-tenth as good as Tan Lefeng’s, downright ugly. The lip ring on his thick lips, in particular, triggered a sense of disgust in Yu Nan.

He didn’t answer Shi Xin’s question, nor did he bother with the guy. Instead, he said directly, “Do you have anything to explain?”

Shi Xin pulled away from the guy’s hand, feigning ignorance. “Explain? What do I need to explain?”

Yu Nan was never one to use vulgar language. “Explain why you’re cheating behind Tan Lefeng’s back with this person.”

Some passengers, drawn by the commotion, turned their gaze towards them.

Shi Xin attempted to end the conversation. “Okay, no matter what misunderstanding you have, I’ll call LeLe and clarify it myself. How about that?”

Yu Nan, indeed simple but not that stupid, replied, “You’re cheating, and I’ve seen it. Whether you admit it or not, I don’t care. I’ll go back and tell Tan Lefeng immediately.”

The guy with the lip ring likely knew about Shi Xin having a boyfriend. Caught red-handed by the friend of his boyfriend, he didn’t seem embarrassed. Instead, he let out a disdainful hum and crossed his arms, nonchalantly observing the scene.

Shi Xin’s face turned pale, but he refused to admit guilt. “Yu Nan, you might be misunderstanding.”

Yu Nan couldn’t accept such an explanation. “No misunderstanding. I’m not blind or delusional. I saw exactly what you two were doing just now.”

Fearing Shi Xin’s attempts to argue, Yu Nan continued, “For example, the moment I noticed you, you touched his body three times, with your hand going inside his clothes twice. You kissed four times, two of which involved your lips, and two times your tongue.”

Shi Xin didn’t expect Yu Nan to be so persistent and furrowed his brow. “So, what do you want?”

Yu Nan said seriously, “Tan Lefeng isn’t here. First, apologize to him.”

Shi Xin, considering himself talented and having a bit of reputation in the underground music scene, had never encountered someone so straightforward in delivering a lecture. Yu Nan not only had the support of other passengers but also gathered applause from onlookers enjoying the spectacle. Shi Xin’s face turned livid, and he was on the verge of losing his temper.

The guy with the lip ring couldn’t resist mocking and said, “What’s wrong with kissing? Does kissing equate to cheating? Even having sex doesn’t necessarily mean you’re cheating. Body and mind are two different things. Moreover, there’s no law in the country that forbids kissing in public. Kid, are you underage? Are you too innocent?”

Faced with a limited vocabulary when it came to exposing an affair, he struggled to come up with insulting words for quite some time.

A passenger suggested, “Homewrecker.”

Yu Nan quickly caught on and said menacingly to the guy with the lip ring, “You’re a homewrecker using vulgar words.”

The guy with the lip ring remained unfazed and smirked, “Oh.”

Yu Nan, frustrated and wracking his brains for a better comeback, didn’t get the chance to deliver another retort as the subway reached a new station.

In order to shake him off, even if it wasn’t their stop, Shi Xin, with a scowl on his face, briskly walked away.

The guy with the lip ring, looking quite pleased with himself, sneered: “mind your own business.” and followed suit.

Running away speaks volumes about guilt.

Yu Nan occupied the moral high ground, having clearly won the confrontation, yet he was still explosively angry.

Fuming, he called Tan Lefeng to inform him of the incident. As expected, Tan Lefeng, upon hearing the news, went berserk in the dormitory.

“Bitch!!” Tan Lefeng cursed.

The word hit the mark, immediately carrying a sharp, lethal impact, and closed the call.

As soon as Yu Nan emerged from the subway station, Tan Lefeng called him back, informing him that he couldn’t reach Shi Xin. The scumbag is probably avoiding the situation, either out of guilt or sheer defiance, refusing to answer any calls.

Yu Nan listened as Tan Lefeng went from cursing Shi Xin to cursing his ancestors for several generations. Some of the vulgar words used seemed quite effective to Yu Nan, so he silently noted them down for future reference. He wanted to be prepared in case he ever encountered a similar situation again, so he could drive the other person mad in the crudest and most offensive way possible.

After noting down a few useful words, Yu Nan realized that Tan Lefeng kept repeating the same dirty terms, lacking creativity but becoming increasingly distorted in his expression.

Yu Nan became worried that Tan Lefeng might become crazy.

Tan Lefeng indeed became consumed by anger and suddenly said in a cold tone, “Darling, how about I take you to a bar to see how things are?”

This was Yu Nan’s first time in a bar.

While Tan Lefeng was quite the partygoer, he had never taken Yu Nan along for the ride. Yu Nan was more of a well-behaved type, and in a place like this, he’d likely be devoured without a trace. So, after arriving at their destination, Tan Lefeng felt a twinge of regret.

The two arrived at a dimly lit, ambiguously atmospheric bar filled with hormones of young people, a place where they could release their pent-up energy. On the stage, a melodious female singer was performing, not Shi Xin’s band.

Tan Lefeng came to vent his anger on the scumbag. To avoid being recognized by acquaintances and leaking his presence, he even wore a mask, aiming to be a mysterious avenger.

They found a secluded booth and sat down. A waiter came to take their order.

Tan Lefeng brusquely ordered two cocktails, adhering to the minimum spending, and got a fruit platter for Yu Nan.

“Will that scumbag show up tonight?” Yu Nan asked nervously.

They had already discussed a plan: without causing trouble for themselves, they would discreetly destroy something precious to Shi Xin when he wasn’t paying attention—his beloved electric guitar. This would surely leave him regretting his actions. What made it even more impactful was that Tan Lefeng had contributed half the money for that guitar, a thought that disgusted him.

Yu Nan was satisfied with the plan. It allowed them to vent their frustration and inflict real damage on their enemy.

Tan Lefeng sneered, “Of course. He mentioned last week in bed that he had a performance tonight. He’ll definitely show up.” After some thought, he asked, “Wait, where were you tonight? You took the subway at nine?”

Yu Nan usually went to his part-time job and could reach the school by 8:00. His routine was consistent, so it was understandable for Tan Lefeng to ask. If Yu Nan hadn’t returned late today, he might not have caught Shi Xin in the act, and the deception might have continued.

Yu Nan had already forgotten about the events of the evening, but being asked brought the memories flooding back.

Yes, today marked not only the first time Yu Nan had caught a cheater for a friend and the first time he had been to a bar, but also another significant event – he had been confessed to by his part-time job employer at the restaurant.

Yu Nan liked his employer, Mr. Gong, not in a respectful, elder admiration kind of way, but rather a desire for closeness. Given the significant age gap, he had never expected this sentiment to be reciprocated. Moreover, Yu Nan had never planned on entering into a romantic relationship. He had kept these feelings discreet, never imagining that Mr. Gong would express his liking for him.

Confronted with the handsome face of the man, Yu Nan was so shocked that he accidentally knocked over a plate of ice cream and hurriedly fled the scene.

Yu Nan was unsure whether to tell Tan Lefeng about the confession. Seeing Tan Lefeng currently looking stressed and troubled, he decided it wasn’t necessary to burden him further and simply said, “Mr. Gong treated me to French cuisine tonight.”

It wasn’t a lie, just a selective omission, Yu Nan thought.

Tan Lefeng, unaware of the additional twist in the story, nodded, seemingly understanding something.
Then his gaze fixed tightly on a group of people entering the bar.