FSGOR Ch49

 

Chu Xuyu almost lost focus in the meeting room, his mind drifting due to emotional turmoil. He sat in silence, deep in thought, replaying a scene from a movie he once saw.

In that story’s ending, the lover’s companionship healed the protagonist’s heart—soothing childhood traumas and allowing him to finally stop repressing his sexual desire.

Chu Xuyu suddenly recalled the third year of his own therapy.

He and Fu Boxi were on summer vacation. They had gone back to their hometown and, unexpectedly, in one of the relatively open scenic areas, witnessed two young men kissing.

At that moment—

Fu Boxi had already decided to study medicine. He often volunteered as an assistant to his father, a psychologist. Using a professional tone, he asked, “Did the patient feel disgusted?”

Standing in the center of a cobblestone path in what looked like a fairytale town, Chu Xuyu looked past the blooming flowerbeds toward the two men kissing and calmly said, “No.”

He even felt a vague longing for that kind of beauty.

Perhaps it was from that moment that Chu Xuyu began to accept his own sexuality. Despite having a father who made him sick to his stomach, the therapy he received always reminded him—

He was completely different from that trash, Chu Jianye.

In the meeting room.

The executives were speaking passionately.

Chu Xuyu sat with his hand propping up his jaw, his face cold and unreadable. He wore his usual casual style: T-shirt and jeans, youthful and laid-back—but his expression remained distant.

“President Chu?”

“…”

“President Chu?”

Only when Karina called out to him a second time did Chu Xuyu lift his head, realizing he’d zoned out. Still, he skillfully concealed it with a composed voice. “Proceed as discussed earlier.”

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. Their usually meticulous and demanding CEO was uncharacteristically easygoing today. Since the topics were minor anyway, the meeting was dismissed without further ado.

Even Karina, who usually said little, didn’t disturb him any longer. She quietly packed her things and left, merely reminding him that he had a new message on his phone—leaving the room to her boss lost in thought.

Chu Xuyu closed his eyes to rest, fingers gently pressing against his temple, still immersed in complex emotions.

He couldn’t stop thinking about what he had said to Jiang Tian in a joking tone—about “being the bottom if it really came to it.”

But now, he was genuinely reflecting on whether he could actually be the bottom.

Just like how Fu Boxi once analyzed that his rejection might be psychological rather than physiological.

If that were the case—like how, in his youth, he instinctively knew he wasn’t attracted to women but forcefully suppressed it due to his father’s shadow—then maybe it was time he tried to accept himself.

That moment of seeing a beautiful queer couple had changed everything.

So maybe…

Maybe he could give it a try. And if it truly didn’t work out, then perhaps a platonic relationship wouldn’t be such a bad option either.

Time slipped quietly by.

Chu Xuyu was still lost in thought, staring at his screen—until all distraction vanished in an instant.

Because half an hour ago, Jiang Tian had messaged him requesting leave. And… he had taken the car.

“…?”

Why so suddenly?

Was it because Jiang Jing had returned from out of town and needed to be picked up?

Chu Xuyu felt that something was off. Just as he was about to message Jiang Tian, a new email notification popped up on his phone.

He paused, opened the message, and saw the attachment: dozens of photos.

They were all of a young Jiang Tian with a girl who looked somewhat familiar.

—The prince and princess from a first-year drama performance.

 —The injured forward from a second-year soccer match and the cheerleader supporting him.

 —The sweet photo taken after graduation during a summer job buying cold drinks…

…

Chu Xuyu narrowed his eyes. The corner of his mouth lifted into a dangerous, mocking smile.

Then he opened the app linked to the sports car’s GPS. The vehicle wasn’t moving.

Switching to the real-time in-car monitor, he noticed something unusual: a set of keys had fallen on the passenger seat, with a pink LinaBell keychain attached—obviously a young girl’s accessory.

At that very moment.

West of the city.

Near the abandoned Ninggang factory’s badminton gym.

Jiang Tian and a few others had already arrived at the meeting location. There weren’t many people. Two hours prior, Zhao Yuanhao—who had received the invitation and tried to stop Lu Qiao—was already there, along with Jiang Tian and their class monitor, Zhang Wenxuan, who they had picked up en route.

“Three people don’t really count as walking into the lion’s den alone.”

Zhao Yuanhao, who had pedaled there on his bike, bent forward with hands on his knees, panting heavily. Still, he looked confused. “Why’s your class monitor here?”

Zhang Wenxuan, a former cheerleading captain familiar with them all, lifted her chin and explained, “I live nearby. Lu Qiao messaged me before going dark—he asked about the safety in this area.”

“I didn’t feel good about it, so I waited at the intersection for Jiang Tian to pick me up.”

Zhao Yuanhao frowned and looked at Jiang Tian. “Still… we shouldn’t be dragging a girl into this.”

“True.”

Jiang Tian agreed and handed the car keys to Zhao Yuanhao, reminding him, “Keep this safe. Wait outside. Be ready.”

Then he stood in place, extending his phone to check signal strength. It was weak. He brought it back in and confirmed that the abandoned gym was definitely suspicious. The monitor had mentioned that the area was known for being a hotspot for reckless youth—often taking shady jobs when strapped for cash. It was very possible Lu Qiao had been brought here.

Just then, Zhang Wenxuan pulled out a cartoon-style walkie-talkie from an old school play purchase, assuring them it worked within a kilometer range. She handed it to Jiang Tian, then looked at Zhao Yuanhao and said, “Don’t underestimate us girls.”

Jiang Tian thanked her sincerely. He agreed—this reliable and intelligent monitor had proven very helpful.

He emphasized to Zhao Yuanhao: “Keep the walkie-talkie on. I’ll find a way to get Lu Qiao out. If anything goes wrong, drive the car to a closer position and wait.”

His maturity and calmness exceeded his age, earning the silent approval of both teammates. Of course, if a real fight broke out, their best option was still to escape.

Zhao Yuanhao didn’t insist on following inside anymore and asked one last question, preparing for the worst: “Shouldn’t we call the police?”

Jiang Tian checked the time on his fitness watch and replied calmly, “Ten minutes.”

“If I don’t come out—then call.”

Zhao Yuanhao nodded. “Alright. We’ll follow your lead.”

The three of them believed their plan to be airtight. After all, no matter how messed up Zeng Jiaxiang was, the worst he could do would be to threaten them. It wasn’t like he’d go as far as murder.

They crossed through a field of overgrown weeds and peeked through a ventilation gap in the facility.

Inside, they saw a group of unruly youths gathered—and right in the middle, someone was struggling—

It was Lu Qiao.

Making eye contact with the visibly tense pair, Jiang Tian took a deep breath. He looked especially calm—ready to head in and pull someone out.

This kind of plot felt like something straight out of a shounen manga. But actually going through it once, he realized… it was just whatever.

Inside, it was pitch-black and stiflingly hot. Jiang Tian had barely stepped in before he started feeling short of breath.

Those reckless punks had tied up Lu Qiao, who didn’t seem to be in great shape either, swearing as he struggled: “Stop squirming, you brat!”
 

“I swear I’ll split your skull open!”

 “…Where’s the damn phone?!”

Jiang Tian slipped around a dilapidated makeshift barricade and easily blended into the space. From behind, he saw Lu Qiao tied to a chair while the gang crouched over a phone, as if preparing to record something.

Lu Qiao had had enough: “What the hell are you even trying to do?!”

“If you want to fight, untie me and let’s do it fair and square!”

“It’s hot as hell in here—give it two more minutes and I’ll faint from heatstroke!”

Their leader, the so-called Ghostfire Boss, was still fiddling with the phone. Cigarette in hand, he visibly trembled with irritation.

“Shut up, shut up!” he yelled.

 “You saw Young Master Zeng’s dirty secret, didn’t you?!”

 “We’re just hired to do a job—take a few nude pics of you so you’ll keep your mouth shut!”

Lu Qiao: “…”

Jiang Tian: “…”

The two listening outside: “…”

What the hell—this is disgusting!

Lu Qiao could’ve braved a fistfight, sure. But these idiots talking about taking nudes of him? That was enough to make a grown man cry.

“I didn’t even blab to anyone! The few who know are tight-lipped as hell! So what if your Young Master Zeng fools around? Taking nudes is some next-level pervert behavior!”

Ghostfire Boss slammed a fist down on Lu Qiao’s head.

“Shut up! You’re annoying as hell!”

That punch had Lu Qiao seeing stars. He couldn’t take it anymore—he started struggling and managed to topple over, chair and all. One of the punks gave him a hard kick.

“Boss! He’s really not shutting up—just knock him out before we film!”

Lu Qiao: “???”

The one who couldn’t tolerate it any longer… was Jiang Tian.

He brought his lips close to the walkie-talkie and said in a low voice, “Call the cops.”

Then he walked out alone, gripping a baseball bat—his newly acquired weapon, found earlier in a pile of junk.

“I already called the police.”

Jiang Tian’s jaw was tight. He raised the bat and pointed it toward the Ghostfire gang, voice cold as ice.

“Let him go. Now.”

The punks looked around, stunned.

“???”

Lu Qiao’s eyes filled with tears.

“Tian-Ge!”

“You’re my real brother!”

 “…!!!”

He was genuinely touched. Even lying on the ground, he didn’t waste a moment—he used a well-placed kick to smash one punk right in the crotch, almost ensuring the guy’s bloodline would end here.

The Ghostfire Boss was absolutely livid. But the worst part wasn’t the low blow—it was that his precious brand-new phone, which he had spent a fortune on, slipped from his hand in the scuffle and—

Smack!

It hit the ground and shattered into a million pieces.

“Holy sh*t!”

“You guys from No. 3 High School got prize money to burn or what?!”

“How could you break my 16 Pro Max that I worked three months in a factory just to afford?!”

Completely enraged, the Ghostfire Boss howled. The punks, who’d previously been focused on finishing the job, now just wanted to avenge their fallen high-end phone—complete with its Dynamic Island and bragging rights.

The gang was big and muscular. Jiang Tian barely held his own in terms of physique and strength—but he held his ground.

At that moment, Zhao Yuanhao and Zhang Wenxuan arrived. They weren’t going to keep waiting—they rushed in.

Zhao Yuanhao grabbed a badminton racket and unleashed his fury in a mixed-style beatdown.

Zhang Wenxuan, finding Lu Qiao rolled into a corner, quickly untied him. Their teamwork was flawless.

They could’ve stopped there.

But the Ghostfire gang was furious now. They called in reinforcements from a nearby group—the “Milk Tea Crew”—trying to overwhelm these elite students from No. 3 High with sheer numbers.

“…………”

In the end…

The Ghostfire Gang and the Milk Tea Crew were all taken down.

The three students had fought too fiercely. What shocked Zhang Wenxuan more was how unexpectedly cool Jiang Tian looked, throwing punches without hesitation, completely unlike his usual gentle self!

Meanwhile, the aching and bruised Lu Qiao and Zhao Yuanhao looked at each other: “?”

Wait a minute.

So Jiang Tian was just barely holding it together… just like us?!

All of them were beaten up but had successfully flattened the lawless gangs. They escaped the abandoned badminton gym, and only midway—after finally getting a signal—did they manage to call the police.

Fearing that the Ghostfire and Milk Tea guys might regroup and chase them down, the group decided it was best to flee first and deal with the aftermath later. That anime-styled supercar was parked in the distance, basking under the scorching 40°C sun. They kept running—until someone couldn’t keep going anymore.

“Thud—”

Jiang Tian nearly collapsed right onto the ground. If Lu Qiao hadn’t caught him just in time, that pretty face of his might’ve been history!

“Tian-Ge!”

Lu Qiao was both panicked and guilty. He saw Jiang Tian’s pupils unfocused, his flushed face an alarming shade of red.

“Y-You’re having a heatstroke, aren’t you?!”

The other two quickly gathered around to check on him. Jiang Tian looked like he wanted to say it wasn’t a big deal, but his head was spinning. He gasped hoarsely, “I…”

Yeah. He really was having a heatstroke.

All he could vaguely feel was Zhao Yuanhao and Lu Qiao each supporting one arm, dragging him toward the car. His eyelids were heavy and drooping. In the haze of semi-consciousness, he thought he saw Chu Xuyu getting out of another car—a sleek, black Dark Knight-edition vehicle.

The man’s steps were hurried and anxious.

‘But wait… wasn’t that car still parked downstairs at the company?’

His mind began slipping beyond his control.

He could only stare blankly, his eyes unable to focus. Even now, as his body gave out, he still wanted to explain—explain everything that had just happened.

“Leave him to me.”

A deep and dependable voice echoed in his ears.

That voice made the wounded boy relax completely. He closed his eyes and fell straight into the familiar embrace.

At that moment—

Under the stunned gazes of the others, Chu Xuyu supported Jiang Tian by the waist and turned to the bodyguard in a suit who had also gotten out of the Dark Knight vehicle.

He ordered coolly, “Send the other kids home.”

“And make sure everything gets resolved properly.”

Then—

He lowered his eyes to look at the unconscious youth. Even with his eyes shut, Jiang Tian’s long black lashes were still trembling.

Chu Xuyu gently patted his back, soothing him.
“Jiang Tian.”

“Let’s go home.”