After the Beautiful Omega Was Targeted by His Straight Roommate - Chapter 33

Xu Jiali did not actually mind working at a gay bar. After all, he was not straight himself, and since he was currently desperate for money, he would go wherever the pay was good. He was just worried that Tao Ran might mind.

Xu Jiali stole a glance at Tao Ran. The first time he had met him, Tao Ran’s exquisite and delicate features had made his gaydar ring incessantly. He had quickly judged that Tao Ran was gay, specifically the refined pretty boy type. However, Xu Jiali had recently begun to doubt that judgment.

After becoming friends with Tao Ran, he realized that Tao Ran’s social circle was incredibly simple and clean. He gave off the vibe of a well-behaved boy next door who had been protected by his family and remained innocent of the world’s ways. Consequently, all the usual methods of judging someone’s orientation through behavioral habits and social circles had mysteriously failed on him.

Xu Jiali was no longer certain of Tao Ran’s sexual orientation, so he asked cautiously, “Tao Ran, this is a gay bar. If we work here, can you accept that?”

A gay bar? That was something new. Tao Ran’s eyes were full of curiosity. “Is a gay bar a place where only gay men can go?”

“Not necessarily. It is just that the proportion is higher. Many straight women or lesbians go in too,” Xu Jiali explained. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly; Tao Ran was so pure and knew nothing about these things. He hoped he was not leading the kid astray.

Thus, Xu Jiali made a careful suggestion. “Why don’t you go in and see if you can handle it? If you can’t, we will find another job.”

Tao Ran hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”

As the sky darkened, it was already 7:00 PM. Tao Ran and Xu Jiali followed the greeting of two doormen and stepped into a long hallway.

At the end, the view opened up. The bar was packed. Colorful lights spun incessantly, and the music from the dance floor was deafening. A crowd of young people swayed their bodies freely to the rhythm. Tao Ran and Xu Jiali pushed through the crowded, noisy mass, looking around curiously.

“What do you think? Do you think it is okay to work here?”

“I think I can accept it.” Tao Ran hesitated, then nodded. His only concern was, “There are just so many people.”

However, his sharp eyes noticed that besides wearing uniform black and white work clothes, every waiter wore a black mask. Working as a waiter meant dealing with many strangers; not showing his face would take some of the pressure off.

“It is normal for bars to be crowded at night,” Xu Jiali said. “Let’s go find the manager.”

Ten minutes later, Tao Ran and Xu Jiali waited at a corner of the bar for the manager to arrive. Xu Jiali smiled and greeted him politely. “Hello, Manager. We are here to apply for waiter positions.”

The manager was a man with a small mustache wearing a black shirt with several buttons undone to reveal a large portion of his chest. His hair was meticulously slicked back with pomade. Upon making eye contact, the manager’s eyes flashed with a sharp light as he looked them up and down.

He gave a satisfied smile. “You two are quite good-looking. Can you dance?”

Tao Ran: ? Xu Jiali: ?

What did being a waiter have to do with dancing? The two shook their heads in confusion. “No.”

The manager said, “If you cannot, you can learn. We have specialized dance teachers here. You do not have to be great, just sway a bit.”

Tao Ran sensed something was wrong. “Waiters have to learn to dance too?”

“Waiters certainly do not. I am talking about that.” The manager jerked his chin toward the opposite side.

The two turned their heads to look. Opposite them was a long stage where several slender young men were standing. They were dressed revealingly in tight camisoles, exposing their slim waists and backs as they writhed seductively to the music. They were surrounded by a crowd of men and women who were cheering and filming with their phones.

“Those guys are our hotel’s star attractions. Their dance videos went viral on short-video platforms. Many people come specifically to see them. They can earn over a thousand yuan an hour up there.”

The manager offered an olive branch. “I think you two have potential. Want to give it a try? We can talk about the salary; I can pay you more. If you are popular, you could make several thousand in a few hours.”

Tao Ran and Xu Jiali snapped out of their shock and exchanged a look, both reading the same rejection in each other’s eyes. It seemed the information the senior had sent was slightly off; the looks-based pay raise was only for the dancers.

“Uh, let’s leave that money for someone else to earn.” Xu Jiali wiped his sweat and declined. “Manager, our bodies are stiffer than zombies. We only know how to march in a straight line. We cannot twist like that. We will just stick to being waiters.”

“Alright.” The manager looked disappointed. “The hourly wage for waiters is indeed one hundred.” He added, still a bit unwilling to give up, “I really think you have potential. Are you sure you will not consider dancing?”

The wage really was one hundred per hour! The two men’s eyes instantly lit up.

Xu Jiali waved his hand. “No, no, Boss. We will just be waiters.”

Fortunately, the manager did not push further. Doing so would have felt like forcing someone into a questionable trade. “Fine, then.”

Over the next few days, Tao Ran began working at the bar. Knowing they were university students, the manager scheduled them based on their class schedules during the day. Since the bar was busy and short-staffed at night, they had to arrive promptly at 6:00 PM if they had no evening classes.

The wages were paid daily. After a few busy days, Tao Ran had saved a sum of money of his own. According to Xu Jiali, besides working at the bar, he also took art commissions online.

Through a casual question, Tao Ran learned that Xu Jiali had created accounts on several social media platforms. He usually posted his artwork to build a following, and occasionally people would commission him. It was like a whole new world had opened for Tao Ran. With Xu Jiali’s help, he created several accounts of his own.

He learned that there were techniques to social media; in the early stages, one had to nurture the account. Xu Jiali suggested he post some practice sketches first. Once there was traffic and followers, commissions would naturally come.

Since he had no classes this afternoon and was not scheduled at the bar, Tao Ran spent his free time in the dorm working on his accounts. After posting some human anatomy practice pieces, he turned off his phone. With both his mind and body at rest, Tao Ran finally had time to think about other things.

Speaking of which, he had not seen Qi Yuxiao in a long time. Since Qi Yuxiao mentioned going abroad for his brother’s birthday last Monday, Tao Ran had not seen him once. He heard Zhuo Qiang and Su Jialiang mention that Qi Yuxiao had returned to the dorm last Sunday afternoon, but he had left in a hurry and had not been back since.

Just as he was thinking, he heard the sound of the door unlocking. As if sensing something, Tao Ran instinctively straightened his back. A surge of inexplicable anticipation rose in his chest, and he turned toward the door.

When he saw the well-defined hand pushing the door open, his eyes instantly lit up. He called out, “Qi Yuxiao?”

In the next moment, Qi Yuxiao pushed the door open and walked in. He was wearing a loose black hoodie and jeans, simple yet handsome. Black hair fell over his forehead. When he looked up and saw Tao Ran, he paused slightly.

He asked, “No class?”

Tao Ran nodded. “I only had classes in the morning today.”

Qi Yuxiao closed the door and walked in. Having not seen him for so long made Tao Ran feel a bit dazed. His gaze followed Qi Yuxiao’s every move. He asked sheepishly, “Qi Yuxiao, why haven’t you been back to the dorm the past few days?”

Qi Yuxiao replied briefly, “Had some things to do.”

“Oh.” Tao Ran bit his lip.

The two fell silent, and the air grew quiet. Tao Ran felt a bit of awkwardness. It felt like friends who only associated with each other at school; once a break happened, there was no contact, and meeting again inevitably felt a bit distant. They were currently enveloped in this faint sense of estrangement.

Tao Ran reflected on the situation. This was likely because they did not chat much on WeChat. Whether in reality or online, Tao Ran was poor at socializing, and Qi Yuxiao was naturally cold and reticent, not the type to initiate a conversation.

Tao Ran racked his brain for a topic. After a moment, he summoned some courage and broke the silence. “Qi Yuxiao, have you still been having insomnia lately?”

“Yes.”

Qi Yuxiao sat down at his desk. He lifted his narrow, dark eyes, which held deep and complex emotions, and stared at Tao Ran for a long moment. He asked softly, “Tao Ran, can I have a hug?”

Tao Ran blinked, his breath hitching for a second. Then, he felt a sense of wonder. He actually thought Qi Yuxiao’s expression looked a bit pitiful, like a stray dog looking to a human for help. This gave Tao Ran a strong sense of being needed, and his heart softened instantly.

He nodded and agreed in a soft voice, “Okay.”

Tao Ran stood up from his seat and walked over to Qi Yuxiao. As soon as he drew near, a pair of strong hands naturally reached out to wrap around his waist, pulling him onto the other man’s lap. Then, Qi Yuxiao buried his head in the crook of Tao Ran’s neck.

The sudden physical closeness instantly washed away the estrangement between them. Tao Ran stood quietly, letting Qi Yuxiao scent his neck for nearly ten minutes.

While looking down idly, Tao Ran’s gaze was suddenly caught by a blue-green mark.

“Qi Yuxiao, what happened to you?” Tao Ran’s voice grew urgent. He placed his hands on Qi Yuxiao’s jaw and tilted his face up, scanning it earnestly. He soon found the bruise on the other man’s high brow bone. The edges were faint, as if it were about to heal, but Tao Ran’s sharp eyes caught it nonetheless.

Qi Yuxiao was stunned for a moment. “What do you mean?”

Tao Ran frowned and touched the spot with his soft, pinkish fingertip. His tone was nervous. “You have a bruise here.”

Qi Yuxiao’s body stiffened for a second. Looking at the concern in Tao Ran’s eyes, a flash of awkwardness crossed his own. “Accidentally bumped into something.”

“I see. You are far too careless.” Tao Ran’s gaze lingered on the injury. “It looks painful.”

Qi Yuxiao looked away slightly. “It is fine. It does not hurt.”

“Is that so? Good, then.” Tao Ran felt relieved. Suddenly remembering something, he gave a start in Qi Yuxiao’s arms. “What time is it?”

Qi Yuxiao checked his phone. “Almost 5:30.”

“It is already that late?” Tao Ran said. “Then I have to go.”

Hearing this, Qi Yuxiao’s arm tightened imperceptibly. “Where to?”

“I have to go to my part-time job,” Tao Ran answered honestly.

Qi Yuxiao’s brow furrowed. He knew Tao Ran was trying to earn money for the compensation. “What kind of job?”

“I’m going to the gay,” Tao Ran’s mouth moved faster than his brain, the words slipping out.

Once his brain caught up, he went silent instantly. Wait, I cannot let Qi Yuxiao know I am working at a gay bar. If he knew, wouldn’t his previous lie about being straight be exposed?

Under Qi Yuxiao’s questioning gaze, a cold sweat broke out on Tao Ran’s back. His mind went blank, and he repeated mechanically, “Gay, gay.”

“Giving people a hand at work?”

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