Chongqing Chilli's Luoyang Laoban

Prologue

Wang Yibo is a twenty eight years old data analyst, part time cashier and an unofficial songwriter who had sacrificed his own dream to be a dancer for his one and only love Cheng Xiao. From childhood onwards, they were deeply in love. They dreamt of being dancers, together. More precisely, get fame as C-pop idols. But situations changed everything when Cheng Xiao's parents died in an accident and she was taken care of by her abusive relatives. They took what little assets she had under the name of her middle class parents and took her as a refugee in their house. She was a young naive girl who didn't have any strength to fight against her rich relatives. When her dreams crumpled to a shabby room and nominal food provided by the mercy of her uncle, Yibo forced himself to be braver. He vowed to protect her and fulfil her wish even if he was only nineteen years old at that time, just like her. Without even minding the opinion of his own parents, Yibo rescued her from the miserable life she had lived in her uncle's house and sent her to a famous dance academy bearing all of her expenses. 

It was like she had given all the facilities at a time. The academy was so famous that they will definitely train her as a professional dancer and give her a chance to join one of the famous entertainment companies too. They have a lot of connections to the outside world. She was given developed training rooms, a clean and neat dorm to stay in, healthy and tasty food and overall quality academic experience. All those things were new and overwhelming to her. Everyday she would call Wang Yibo to thank him for the life she had given by his efforts. Whereas Yibo felt content hearing her happiness and inwardly felt very proud of himself. He had been working hard for her well being. Since he didn't want to trouble his parents anymore, he went to multiple part-time jobs to meet two ends of her and his own expenses. One of them was becoming a third-rate songwriter for the local, on stage drama players. They would have multiple shows in one day in different theatres and  for Yibo, who showed talents in not only dancing but also in creative thinking, it was not a difficult task to write songs. Sometimes Yibo too joins them as a dubbing artist or even singer. Unlike his other part-time jobs, Yibo liked to join the troupe more as once he too had wished to be a star. 

He chose data science for his graduation, since somehow he heard it was a more job offering course so that he can start work immediately after studies. 

He loved Cheng Xiao dearly. They often went on dates in the initial years. Cheng Xiao too, loved him and often expressed her gratitude towards him. Their love grew day by day and they shared a greater intimacy, both physically and mentally until two years after her training became difficult for her to handle and get out of the academy due to the strict rules. Though she would call him whenever she can. They talked for hours and Yibo would listen to her patiently even if all she had to say was how difficult it is to cope with the atmosphere of the academy. She was fed up with the strict grooming, diet charts and even beauty care. All she had to do was obey the rules created by them but nothing else. It was difficult for her. Yibo knew, even if she was complaining about it, she would be grateful for all those things done by them after she debuted as an idol. With a soft smile, he would console her. 

Slowly their talks decreased and both became immersed in their own works. Cheng Xiao worked hard to fulfil her and also her boyfriend's dream of her becoming an idol and Wang Yibo worked hard for her, him and them to be happy and fully funded. He forgot his own health and appearance and became a workaholic. After his nine to five job as a data analyst in a normal company, he would work as a cashier in a nearby restaurant from six to eleven and then before going to sleep, he used to write songs for the drama troupe. For convenience, he had long ago moved into a small house under his name which was left for him by his grandparents, after their death.Though old and slightly dilapidated, it was near his former university and also shorter in distance from all of his work places. Between these, he never got a chance to cherish his dreams to be a dancer. What left was a worn-out Yibo wearing baggy clothes and bigger spectacles. 

Days passed without any changes in Yibo's life until one day he met a noisy, eighteen years old university student Xiao Zhan in the restaurant he was working at the last minutes of their closing time. Xiao Zhan was there demanding them alcohol but the staff, of course, denied. One, because he looks much younger to consume alcohol and two, to avoid troubles in the last hours since the said one looked agitated. When he didn't get the alcohol he needed, Xiao Zhan started to throw a tantrum and Wang Yibo had to interfere. To avoid more troubles, Yibo ordered the others to give him a bottle of soju and food under his own responsibility. The food and beverage was served to Xiao Zhan and he started to eat and drink like a mad man who didn't had anything to eat in days. 

Yibo looked at him in awe, the way he finishes bites and bites of food in big mouth. Just as he finished almost all the food enough for two adults and gulped two shots of soju, the said man started to weep like a child. Yibo, being the temporary caretaker of the boy named Xiao Zhan for the meantime, started to get worried about it and sat beside him to enquire what happened. Through the muffled words in between cry Yibo somehow catched that the boy was disowned by his parents on the next day of his birthday since he dared to announce that he is a proud gay. When he went to his boyfriend for two days, he was rejected immediately and kicked out because that boy wasn't brave enough as him to acknowledge their relationship and also doesn't want someone without a family as his lover. Xiao Zhan was heartbroken and that's why he is there to have alcohol since he heard someone say that alcohol is the best way to forget everything. That's when Yibo noticed the luggage placed under the feet of Xiao Zhan.

Yibo laughed secretly at the silly boy who was drunk only by two shots of soju and talking non-stop but he also took pity on him and offered a roof above his head for one night, in his own house. Xiao Zhan couldn't be more thankful that he readily agreed to the offer and dragged his own luggages on shoulder even if he was drunk enough to not walk. Wang Yibo, who knew he wouldn't last long before going unconscious, kindly called a cab for them and for the first time in months, took half day leave, the next day. Later in the morning, when Xiao Zhan was sober enough to think straight after Yibo's help to get rid of the intoxication, they made a word agreement of Xiao Zhan staying in Yibo's house until he found another place to stay. Xiao Zhan even gave him an average advance payment of one month in ready cash. At first, Yibo didn't accept the money given to him because he didn't do it for money. Also he was a little bit suspicious of the Xiao Zhan boy since he didn't know much about him. He only accepted it after Xiao Zhan pleaded with him to take him in and showed Yibo his Oasis business account where he had sold his multiple artworks to earn money. Of course, the money given to Yibo was stolen by Xiao Zhan from his own house on the day his parents kicked him out for being gay. He was saving his own money for future purposes. Definitely, Xiao Zhan won't tell that to Wang Yibo. He gave the advance payment stubbornly, because he doesn't want Yibo to kick him out any time soon. 

Wang Yibo too was happy since he thought that he could use the money to go to Cheng Xiao's concert. He got the money unexpectedly and unplanned. Using it for his daily expenses would be like a drop in the ocean. He never got a chance before to attend her live concert except the first one. He only watched all of them on his phone and he became excited to attend the new one which will take place in a few months. 

Also he felt it would be good if someone is there in the house besides him so that he won't feel much lonely until he started to regret his decision only just after a few days of Xiao Zhan's stay in his house. 

Now, Let's get a peek of their life...

What made Yibo regret his decisions? 🤔 Any guesses? 😉

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

08/05/2024
Hope you like this, author Fire-On-Fire 😁