Very few people would dare interrupt Bai Wei while he was playing the piano. It could be said that this was one of the few things that the young master of the Bai family was particularly strict about—a certain kind of obsession with cleanliness, where he needed absolute silence to focus on his practice.
However, ignorance was no crime.
That day, Bai Wei noticed An Tianming lingering nearby, listening to his playing. He didn’t feel too annoyed—mainly because the sympathy that had been stirred up last time still hadn’t faded completely. It made Bai Wei feel like he should be a little nicer to the guy.
After finishing the last few notes of the piece and striking the final high note, Bai Wei turned to look at the person watching him intently. “What, completely mesmerized?”
An Tianming snapped out of it. After a fleeting moment of awkwardness, he smiled. “That was really nice. What’s the piece called?”
“Secret.”
An Tianming nodded in understanding. “Alright, if you can’t say, then forget it.”
Hearing this, Bai Wei shot him a sidelong glance, feeling a bit miffed.
Come to think of it, it wasn’t too hard to imagine that someone who didn’t even know Detective Conan wouldn’t have heard of the artsy film Secret either. But to Bai Wei, this was at least a joke-worthy situation. He had been expecting a classic response—after he said “Secret,” the other person was supposed to ask, “Why can’t you say?” And then he could smugly reply, “Because it’s a secret!”
—But who would’ve thought that An Tianming wouldn’t play by the script at all?
Bai Wei suddenly had nothing to say.
Then, An Tianming chuckled. “I haven’t seen it, but I’ve heard of Secret before.”
Bai Wei thought it over carefully and came to a realization. “So basically, when you said ‘if you can’t say, then forget it,’ you were messing with me?”
“Young Master Bai, I’d never.”
“Oh, come on. Every time you say ‘I didn’t mean it that way,’ you absolutely do mean it that way.” Bai Wei finally figured it out.
An Tianming kept laughing. “Young Master Bai, you’re a generous person. Just don’t make me ride in a car you’re driving.”
Great. He had officially lost his dignity in front of a newcomer. Bai Wei sulked.
An Tianming tried to console him. “Young Master Bai, I still have great respect for you.”
…Wait a second. How did you know what I was thinking? Are you Professor X or something?
“That’s because you said it out loud, Young Master Bai. Also, is Professor X from another movie?”
“What? I said it out loud? Do I do that a lot?” Bai Wei looked horrified. He had an incredibly active inner monologue—if he was just blurting out his thoughts at random moments, how was he supposed to keep living his life?!
An Tianming pointed at the wine glass beside him. “I think you can blame it on the wine.”
“But I only had a little.” Bai Wei wasn’t a fan of alcohol. He had only started drinking lately because his father was overseas and couldn’t control him. It was pure rebellion—getting into alcohol just because it had always been off-limits. But honestly? It tasted terrible, so he had just sipped a couple of times out of curiosity.
“Wine is tricky,” An Tianming said seriously. “Some people can drink a whole bottle and be fine. Others take one sip and they’re done for.”
Bai Wei glared at him.
Just say it already—you think I’m a lightweight, don’t you?!
“Well, even if you can’t hold your liquor, you play the piano really well.”
Great. He’d definitely blurted out his thoughts again. Bai Wei was convinced that this was all An Tianming’s fault—
“How do you not even know about X-Men?” he complained.
An Tianming responded casually, “I’m just a driver. My knowledge is obviously very limited.”
“This has nothing to do with knowledge. What kind of movies do you usually watch?”
“I don’t watch movies.”
“…Never?”
An Tianming thought about it for a moment. “I don’t really like them.”
“Then what do you like?”
This time, An Tianming took a long pause. “Nothing in particular.”
Bai Wei couldn’t wrap his head around that. “Then what do you do when you’re bored?”
“I don’t get bored.”
Bai Wei bit his lip, consciously stopping himself from speaking. He couldn’t let An Tianming hear his thoughts jumping to conclusions—imagining the kind of exhausting life where someone was constantly struggling just to survive. People usually hated being pitied.
He glanced at the man who had spent his whole childhood just trying to stay alive. Logically speaking, An Tianming had a stable job now, probably decent pay. He shouldn’t still be living in hardship… right?
“Do you, uh…” Bai Wei hesitated before asking cautiously, “have a gambling addict in the family? Or a lot of debt?”
An Tianming stared at him in silence for a moment. Then he suddenly broke into a laugh. “Young Master Bai, you really do have a wild imagination. I just live a fulfilling life, that’s all. It’s not like I’m too busy scraping by to have any free time for entertainment.”
“…So, what you’re saying is, people like me—who watch movies and have hobbies—are actually living empty, meaningless lives with no goals?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Which means that’s exactly what you meant!” Following the established rule—every time you say ‘I didn’t mean it that way,’ you actually do mean it that way—Bai Wei indignantly reached his conclusion.
An Tianming, barely holding back his laughter, stepped closer. “Young Master Bai, to prove that I don’t look down on people who watch movies, let me take you to one.”
Absolutely not! What if this guy was just pretending and actually had no money?
Bai Wei firmly rejected the idea and offered an alternative. “I’ll treat you instead. Let’s go.”
Bai Wei was someone who did things with great consideration—whether others noticed or not was irrelevant. The important thing was that he knew it. So, just in case An Tianming really was some pitiful guy who had never experienced entertainment, Bai Wei didn’t just take him to a movie that night.
Afterward, he also dragged him to the bar where he always went to watch soccer whenever his father wasn’t around to stop him.
“Remember, once we’re inside, make sure to protect yourself. If a fight breaks out, strike first,” Bai Wei solemnly advised as they stepped into the bar.
This heartfelt warning earned him a puzzled look from his companion. “What do you mean by ‘once we’re inside’?”
Bai Wei ignored the question and focused on the more pressing matter. “First, let me test you: Arsenal or Manchester United?”
An Tianming made a calculated guess. “Soccer?”
…Well, at least he didn’t lose points for that answer. Bai Wei was momentarily thrown off but quickly clarified, “I mean, between Arsenal and Manchester United, which team do you support?”
An Tianming raised an eyebrow at him. “What do you think?”
Fair enough. The guy had been so cautious earlier that he even hesitated before answering “soccer.” He probably had only overheard those names in passing. Well, that worked out just fine—at least Bai Wei wouldn’t have to worry about him being an undercover fan of the enemy team.
“Alright, then it’s settled. You’re officially an Arsenal fan now. No switching sides.”
“Can I at least understand what this has to do with the fighting you mentioned earlier?” An Tianming asked, making sure to double-check.
Bai Wei quickly explained, “This bar lets people bet on games, and the best part? The fines for fighting are discounted—which means they encourage fights. And tonight, since Arsenal is playing against Manchester United, the bar is packed with fans from both sides. Once the match starts, things might get heated.”
“…Has that actually happened before?”
“Of course.”
“…So your head has definitely been hit before, hasn’t it?”
Bai Wei hadn’t even started drinking yet, so he caught the underlying sarcasm in that remark. He raised his head and gave An Tianming a cool, unimpressed look. “At least I wasn’t hit so hard that I can’t tell when someone’s implying that I’ve lost a few brain cells. So this is how you show your ‘respect’ for me?”
An Tianming chuckled. “Young Master Bai, you said it yourself—you’ve lost your dignity already. Between the two of us, obviously, you’re the one in charge.”
“So you should understand—‘A real man knows when to fight and when to back down.’ Even if I know I’m going to get beaten up, I can’t retreat.”
The words had barely left his mouth before Bai Wei instantly regretted them. Why the hell did I just admit that I always end up on the receiving end of the beatings?!
He was already thinking about how to react if An Tianming laughed at him. To be honest, he had no idea what he’d do…
But instead of laughing, An Tianming just smiled at him and said, “Don’t worry, Young Master Bai. Even if I’m not great at fighting either, if anyone’s getting hit tonight, it’ll be me. I won’t let you take the punches.”
Bai Wei wanted to say that he was a grown man and didn’t need anyone protecting him. He really did think An Tianming was underestimating him. But for some reason… he wasn’t mad.
Instead, his heart started racing in a completely illogical way—like An Tianming had just delivered some kind of legendary movie line.
“You okay, Young Master Bai? You haven’t even had a drink yet, and your face is already red.”
An Tianming’s voice snapped Bai Wei out of his daze. He had no idea what he’d been thinking just now. He figured it was probably just the heat in the bar. But there was no way he was going to answer that dumb question.
He quickly shifted gears. “Wait here—I’m placing my bet.”
Bai Wei hurried off, deliberately lingering at the bar for a bit after placing his bet to make sure he’d cooled down before heading back with his “ticket” in hand.
An Tianming took one look at it and raised an eyebrow. “At first, I was curious about this place’s illegal gambling, but now I have a more pressing question: Are you really an Arsenal fan? Why did you bet on Manchester United to win?”
This was a matter of life philosophy, and Bai Wei couldn’t help but take pride in his own wisdom. “This is the lesson of ‘when the sun reaches its peak, it begins to set; when the moon is full, it starts to wane.’ One mustn’t be too greedy. If Arsenal wins as I hope, and I make money? That would be unfair to others.”
An Tianming immediately caught on. “So basically, you’re hedging your bets. If Arsenal wins, you’re happy as a fan. But if Arsenal loses, at least you win some money—so it’s not a total loss.”
Bai Wei wasn’t sure why, but when An Tianming put it that way… it suddenly sounded way too practical.
“…Anyway, a person should only expect one good thing to happen at a time.”
An Tianming gave Bai Wei a thoughtful look. “So, do you always place weights on both sides of the scale for everything in life?”
“Of course,” Bai Wei nodded. “I just taught you an invaluable life lesson, didn’t I?”
“As an Arsenal fan, betting on Manchester United to win—you really are something else. I bet all the times you got beaten up, it was by Arsenal fans, huh?”
Bai Wei had never met someone with such a complete lack of tact before. He glared at An Tianming in frustration. “I’m here treating you like a friend, giving you life lessons, and you’re just busy mocking me?”
“Young Master Bai, you’re my boss. Don’t flatter me like that.”
Compared to Bai Wei—who saw himself as someone with very clear-cut likes and dislikes (regardless of what others thought)—An Tianming usually carried a certain friendliness when talking to him, even when his words were particularly blunt.
But this time, for the first time, Bai Wei felt something close to disdain coming from him.
For the first time, Bai Wei had the distinct feeling that An Tianming was being completely honest, that the man who just said “Don’t flatter me” was actually someone who didn’t think much of Bai Wei at all.
A strange chill spread through Bai Wei, rising from some unknown place deep inside him. The warmth of the alcohol seeped through his veins, yet his mind suddenly became clearer than ever.
He lifted his gaze to the man beside him. “So, what you’re saying is, I’m only good enough to be your boss, but not good enough to be your friend?”
For once, An Tianming didn’t say “That’s not what I meant.”
Instead, he just looked at Bai Wei, his eyes carrying a rare trace of sincerity.
“Young Master Bai, the truth is—you just think you’re entitled to have everyone as your friend.” His voice was steady, not accusing, just stating facts. “I’m not saying you’re arrogant. But to you, this is all just a game, isn’t it?
“You don’t actually respect us—the people you call servants. You never call me by my name. When you need to address me, I’m just ‘the new guy.’ You think you don’t need to respect me to be my friend—because, to you, it doesn’t matter.
“You think that when it comes to people like us, you can do whatever you want, and it’ll still be fine. Because everything you do for us is a favor, a gift from above, isn’t it?”
Bai Wei had a million things he wanted to argue—
He called An Tianming “the new guy” because it was a nickname… When he was in elementary school, he called a classmate “Runny Nose” and that guy never complained about it… Okay, looking back, maybe that wasn’t the best nickname… But that was just how he was… Maybe he wasn’t the most polite person… He never meant to be disrespectful… Maybe he just didn’t know how to be respectful…
But no one had ever told him he was arrogant before… How was he supposed to know? No one had ever told him.
He didn’t want to be this way…
All of his excuses and justifications tangled into a mess in his mind. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became—because he realized he had no way to win this argument.
“So what you’re really saying is that I am arrogant.” Bai Wei stood up from his chair.
“Well, excuse me, Mr. An Tianming. I guess I really am just that arrogant.” With that, his voice ice-cold, he turned and walked out of the bar.
