The Wedding Breaker (SAMYU AU FF)

Bao is oblivious *sigh

From a short chat with Chih Tian before they started dining, Yang Yu Teng was both disappointed and relieved in equal parts when he found out that the pictures he deliberately spread had mostly been taken down from the news sites. "That fast?" was his first reaction to which Chih Tian simply answered with, "Of course, between Sam personally going to the news office and the lawsuits he brought along, wouldn't it be better for them to fold?"

"Why wasn't it this easy for Sam back then?" Yang Yu Teng remembered that it took months for the mockings to subside back then. Was it because he's a nobody compared to Sam? That must be it, that was it. But that wasn't just it.

"How much did you pay the station to post the pictures?"

"Hm? I don't really pay anything. I just emailed it to them. Do people normally pay for that kind of things?"

"..." Chih Tian pulled the man closer to him as they whispered to each other near the sink, careful not to let the owner of the house hear them 'gossiping'. "Last year, I think that girl paid people to keep Sam on the news. They have big money you know, maybe that's why it was harder for Sam to clear his name."

"What..," Yang Yu Teng's guilt engulfed him all over again. "You mean, I aided in that too?"

"Uhh," Chih Tian smiled awkwardly. It wasn't the point he was trying to make but it was taken nonetheless. "I mean, what I' m trying to say here is, if it's true that his rich ex-fiance is behind the recent slander too, it would take very long for Sam to handle it too. So, what you did was, I think, right. You did great. You basically settled it in two days. Good job."

Unsure if the long praises were honest or just pure snide, Yang Yu Teng had no idea how to react. He would gladly take the praises if they came from Sam himself but obviously, the man wasn't the least pleased with what he did.

But, it's all almost over, right? Sam's scandals were buried under Yang Yu Teng's own and Yang Yu Teng's scandal was being taken care of by such a capable man. Maybe, he could take a breath of relief now. Maybe, life would turn to normal now.

"But you can't be relieved yet," the conjunction came just in time. Of course he could count on Chih Tian to be honest and devastate him further. "The comments against you are still bad and Sam seems to be taking the bullet too, helping you like that."

He's always taking the bullet, Yang Yu Teng rubbed his temples. "What now?"

"People are saying Sam is bewitched, protecting someone who cheated on him like that. Well, at least that's the nicest one I read."

"Witch? Me?" his mouth curled in disbelief. "Where are you reading all this?"

"You should stay away from Twitter."

Reverse psychology; if only Chih Tian knew what it meant and how it works. It didn't take long for Yang Yu Teng to have his fingers scrolling down pages after pages of mostly condemnations and aspersions castings.

The hand holding the phone shook with a mixture of emotions of mostly anger if it not already clearly written on his face. He truly learnt some interesting curses in those short 10 minutes and he regrettably only managed to spew one of them when Sam called his name from outside the side glass door.

He planned to cook that night but Ray's suggestion to have a grill 'party' over by the pool at which the outdoor chairs and tables would finally get some love, seemed more appealing and less of a hassle. Ray sounded confident talking of his grilling skill and by how the entire house smelled of smoky deliciousness, he proved to be not one of those empty talk big guys.

"I should've been the one cooking," Yang Yu Teng apologized as soon as he and Chih Tian reached near the grill to watch Ray flaunt his charbroiling skill before taking a seat where Sam was already waiting. Already filled with a many plates of grilled vegetables and meats of all sorts; artificial and whatnot, the long wooden table braced a feast.

"Ray, leave it. Let's eat." Maybe because they had guests over, Sam didn't zip his mouth like he did the past days and despite the fact that Yang Yu Teng realized he wasn't the one lifting the corners of the man's lips, a sort of consolation it was still.

These two are really best friends, was what Yang Yu Teng saw for the first time that day through the way Sam could loosen up and talk about their playful teenage and young adult life. During that conversations over beers and good food, the boss and bodyguard relationship they had didn't surface for a bit even when Ray started bringing him into their exchanges, most probably trying to play a part in mending some shaky bridges.

"How about you guys,? What sport did you two play at school?"

Chih Tian raised his hand, enthusiastically so as he eagerly responded to the question, "I don't know if it counts, but I'm pretty good at paintball." The mention of paintball or any sorts of gun would most probably attract the military man so the two almost instantly fell into their own bubble, finishing each other's sentences as if they had known one another for a while.

"These two..," Yang Yu Teng narrowed his eyes at the two men sitting side by side; their small touches, their smiles that seemed to really reach their eyes, the laughs at some not-so-funny jokes. Of course it wasn't that weird for the ever so friendly Chih Tian but seeing Ray on the somewhat same wavelength was pretty sus. "...must be the beers."