Hearing You Say Love chapter 3
Wait for me upstairs
Su Ming rarely went to bars. After getting a cochlear implant, noisy environments made him uncomfortable, so he usually preferred quiet places.
This boxing bar wasn’t bad. It wasn’t a club, and except during matches, it wasn’t too crowded. When Su Ming’s friends asked him out, they usually chose this spot.
The after-effects of staying up all night were starting to catch up with him, and after just two light cocktails, he was feeling a little dizzy. Su Ming had a good tolerance for alcohol and never lost control, but after drinking, his face would flush, and the heat wouldn’t dissipate for a long time.
At the sink, he splashed cold water on his face, the chill soothing his flushed cheeks. He raised his head, squinting slightly, and brushed his bangs aside as he waited for the heat on his face to subside.
He had turned the faucet on too high, wetting a small patch of fabric on his chest. His already thin white shirt became transparent, clinging to his skin, subtly revealing what lay beneath, as if he was deliberately trying to tempt someone.
Soon, another person entered the restroom. After using the urinal, the man came over to wash his hands, deliberately choosing the sink right in front of Su Ming, even though others were available. Su Ming shifted to the side, but the man kept moving closer.
It was intentional.
Su Ming was starting to get annoyed.
He glanced in the mirror. The man looked decent, with delicate features, but his gaze was too blatant, making Su Ming uncomfortable. Su Ming straightened up, intending to leave, but the man blocked his path.
Su Ming raised an eyebrow, questioning him with his eyes: What are you doing?
The man was a pro. “Alone? Got anywhere to go later?”
Su Ming frowned, shook his head, and tried to walk past, but the man grabbed his wrist. “Don’t go. I can tell what you are—it’s obvious,” the man said with a smirk. “So am I.”
It took Su Ming a moment to realize what he meant. He raised his wrist, signaling for the man to let go, but the man only tightened his grip. Su Ming struggled, but couldn’t shake him off.
The man, clearly drunk, moved closer, his breath heavy with alcohol, making Su Ming feel nauseous.
Su Ming pressed a fist against the man’s chest, pushing him away slowly, shaking his head in warning.
“Can’t talk?” The man noticed Su Ming’s cochlear implant and grinned, as if someone else’s disability gave him the upper hand. Emboldened, he leaned in even more, whispering into Su Ming’s ear, “There’s a hotel next door. I’m really skilled. You’ll see.” He paused. “I’ll be gentle with you.”
Su Ming narrowed his eyes, shook the man’s hand off roughly, and strode toward the door. The man immediately followed, grabbing Su Ming’s arm again. “Hey, don’t go. Why play hard to get?”
Su Ming turned to look at him, raising his chin slightly, his gaze full of disdain: Why should I waste my time on you?
He didn’t say a word, but the man clearly understood the contempt in Su Ming’s eyes. Angered, he squeezed Su Ming’s arm harder, smiling wickedly when he saw Su Ming wince in pain. “Why don’t you call for help, huh?”
Then the man’s hand slid down Su Ming’s waist, groping him inappropriately.
Su Ming took a deep breath, clenched his right fist, and with a loud bang, punched the man squarely in the face.
The man cursed, clutching his face, “You bitch, how dare you hit me?”
The punch landed on the man’s cheekbone, and Su Ming’s fingers hurt as well. The man was about to retaliate, but Su Ming didn’t give him a chance. In the next second, Su Ming raised his foot and kicked him in the crotch.
Although he held back his strength with that kick, the man’s sensitive area was still fragile. He immediately let go of Su Ming’s hand, cried out in pain, and bent over, clutching his crotch, curling up like a shrimp, while cursing Su Ming as a bitch.
If Su Ming could speak, he would’ve gladly taught the man how to curse properly. But since he couldn’t, he just turned away indifferently and opened the bathroom door.
As soon as the door opened, Zou Beiyuan suddenly leaned in. When they made eye contact, both of them were momentarily stunned.
“Su Ming?”
Zou Beiyuan looked at the scene inside and was a bit shocked.
The man, recovering from the intense pain, reached out and grabbed Su Ming’s collar from behind, pulling him back. He raised his fist, ready to strike.
Zou Beiyuan grabbed the man’s fist with one hand and said coldly, “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Who the hell are you?” The man’s face twisted in anger as he forcefully yanked at Su Ming’s clothes. “This bitch kicked me!”
Zou Beiyuan’s face darkened. He grabbed the man’s wrist, the one pulling Su Ming’s clothes.
The man gasped in pain, gritting his teeth as sweat dripped from his forehead. “Hey, hey, you bastard…”
The pain intensified, as if he were being gripped by iron pliers, leaving him no chance to fight back. His fingers loosened from Su Ming, and his whole hand turned red from the pressure on his blood vessels. Though writhing in pain, he still cursed loudly, refusing to admit defeat.
The noise soon attracted the attention of security and onlookers. A crowd gathered at the bathroom entrance. Zou Beiyuan easily twisted the man’s arms behind his back, restraining him with one hand.
Su Ming was a bit dazed, not expecting such a large crowd to gather, so he shuffled a few steps to stand beside Zou Beiyuan.
“Yuan Ge…” Even the security guard was wide-eyed, not expecting Zou Beiyuan to intervene personally. He gave a sympathetic glance toward the troublemaker.
Zou Beiyuan turned to look at Su Ming, scanning him carefully as if checking for injuries. After confirming there were no serious problems, he lowered his head and said to Su Ming, “Go upstairs and rest for a bit. I’ll be up shortly.”
Su Ming looked at him. Despite having just experienced something unpleasant, his mind wandered as he thought, Zou Beiyuan’s eyes are really beautiful.
The security guard came over and gestured for Su Ming to follow him. The onlookers at the door made way, and Su Ming nodded to Zou Beiyuan before leaving with the guard.
Once outside, Su Ming sent a message to Chen Muchao, saying that something unexpected had happened and that they should leave without waiting for him.
Chen Muchao quickly replied: [What happened? I was just about to come find you.]
Su Ming: [Ran into an idiot. I kicked him. Now the bar’s security has him under control.]
The bar staff wore black short-sleeved shirts with the bar’s logo, and that day Zou Beiyuan happened to be wearing a black shirt too. Given his bodyguard-like presence and demeanor, and the fact that the security called him “Yuan Ge,” Su Ming naturally assumed he was the head of security.
Chen Muchao: [??????]
Chen Muchao: [Holy crap, where are you now?!]
Su Ming: [I’m going upstairs to wait for a bit.]
Chen Muchao: [Upstairs? The second floor? We’re coming over.]
Su Ming: [Don’t come. Let me handle this alone.]
Chen Muchao: [Why?]
Su Ming: [The guy who lives across from me seems to be the head of their security team. He might come find me later… to smooth things over.]