[曦澄 | XiCheng][MDZS Modern AU]: All The Things I Never Told You [~PART 2~]

〽️👁‍🗨 Chapter 266: Judas.

Link:   https://lovequotesrus.tumblr.com/post/138051035162/theone

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As soon as Jiang Cheng entered the bar, he raised an eyebrow. The place was scarcely visited today, but it was to be expected  –  it was the weekend and it was barely 10 a.m. in the morning.

- Am I too early?  –  he huffed.  –  Or...

He could not define precisely why he had felt suspicious from the very start. It hadn't been that much time that'd passed, just a mere week, he still remembered the schedule of the place.

And then it hit him: Bobby was waving at him enthusiastically, greeting him from the door, flushed, welcoming him in as if he was a VIP guest.

Weird.

Flushed?

Jiang Cheng could not remember ever seeing him so flushed before.

Why? 

Was he... ill? The young bartender could not believe that his line manager was that  excited to see him again.

No.

Something was off.

- Hello, hello, hi, A-Cheng!  –  Bobby was laughing nervously.  –  No, you are just on time! The boss is waiting for you, back in there.

He poked a thumb over his shoulder, pointing towards the rear section of the bar, where their boss' office was.

Nervously?

Why was Bobby Chan nervous? Why would today be any different from any other day?

Hmm.

Jiang Cheng shuddered and frowned. In order to reach Mister X's office, he had to cross the portion of the corridor where the damned pig had cornered him a month ago. True, it wasn't as intimidating during the day, but still. It was unpleasant to do, for sure.

- What's wrong, Bobby? –  he asked hesitantly.  –  Where is A-Ning? I wanted to say goodbye. I thought it was his shift today? Isn't he supposed to change you at 10?

- Ahhh!  –  Bobby rolled his eyes.  –  The boy asked for a favor... I guess? He has an important exam today, so I will be stepping in!

Jiang Cheng thought about it for a moment. Yes, it sounded plausible, it was the exam session time alright. But then... If this was the middle of a terribly exhausting double shift... Why was Bobby so... cheerful about it? Wasn't he supposed to be grumpy about it? Tired?

The silence trailed for too long, it seemed, so the elder man felt the need to explain:

- Well, it's more money for me, you know! I can finally get the little wife to the Maldives, like she wanted me to!  –  he grinned now.

The younger man just nodded his head distractedly, thinking that he had never actually seen Bobby Chan's wife, ever, in the months they'd been working together. She was just an image from his stories, most of them  –  boastful, or whiny.

- I see.

Without further ado, he turned his back to the bar and walked down the fateful corridor, feeling chills crawling down his spine.

- I must stop being such a fucking wuss!  –  he hissed to himself, and, drawing a deep breath, he knocked on the office's door.

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His boss was sitting behind a huge mahogany desk, so heavy-looking that it most probably hadn't been moved ever since the bar was bought, and the furniture  –  moved in. He was smoking one of his obligatory cigars that almost never left his mouth, and Jiang Cheng choked on the thick smog  –  he wondered how come this forever sick-looking man could do something so disgusting and unhealthy so early in the morning. Mister X seemed to enjoy it, but in his mind  –  he could only feel sick about it.