Chapter 15: The Invisible Net

“But I want to repay it,” Jiang Yu insisted. “Debts must be paid, it’s only right.”

Li Xiao stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed. “Fine. You’ve got guts.”

He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “Here’s the deal: you accompany me for three hours each evening, and I’ll pay you double your hourly rate. Plus, on weekends, the bar has afternoon shifts—you can bartend. I’ll talk to the manager to pack your schedule. The income will be higher than food delivery, and it’s less exhausting.”

Jiang Yu was stunned.

This offer… it was too good.

“Why?” he asked instinctively.

“Why what?” Li Xiao leaned back into the sofa, his demeanor relaxed. “I told you—I want you to maintain a good repayment status. You collapsing under stress does me no good.”

The same old excuse.

Jiang Yu didn’t believe it.

But he had no other choice.

Li Xiao’s proposal was indeed optimal: higher income, more concentrated working hours, and still time to care for his sister.

“…Thank you,” he finally murmured.

“Don’t thank me.” Li Xiao picked up his glass again. “Just do your job well as a bartender.”

The rest of the evening, Li Xiao didn’t say much.

He lounged on the sofa, sipping his drink slowly, occasionally glancing at his phone with a slight frown, as if something was troubling him.

Jiang Yu stayed quietly nearby, ready to mix the next drink.

But he could sense that tonight’s Li Xiao was different from yesterday’s.

That effortless playfulness was gone, replaced by a genuine weariness and… a certain heaviness.

Around ten o’clock, Li Xiao’s phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, and his expression darkened.

He stood up and walked to a corner of the booth area to take the call.

Jiang Yu couldn’t hear the specifics, but he could see Li Xiao’s back was taut, and his gestures during the call betrayed impatience.

A few minutes later, he hung up and walked back, his face grim.

“Whisky,” he said curtly as he sat down. “Neat.”

Jiang Yu selected a bottle of single malt, poured a standard measure, and slid it over.

Li Xiao downed it in one gulp and pushed the glass forward. “Another.”

Jiang Yu poured again.

This time, Li Xiao drank more slowly, but his eyes remained dark.

“Family stuff?” Jiang Yu didn’t know why he asked.

He regretted it the moment the words left his mouth.

Li Xiao looked up, his gaze sharp. “What? Worried about me?”

“…Just making small talk.” Jiang Yu averted his eyes.

Li Xiao stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed—a smile that held no warmth. “You could say that. The old man at home is starting trouble again.”

Jiang Yu knew that Li Xiao’s family was wealthy, but he didn’t know the specifics.

Nor did he have the right to ask.

“Mix another one.” Li Xiao pushed the empty glass over, his tone softening. “Nothing too strong.”

Jiang Yu thought for a moment and made a Godfather cocktail, but he reduced the proportion of whisky and added more amaretto to make it smoother.

Li Xiao took a sip and raised an eyebrow. “Better than yesterday’s.”

“Yesterday’s was the standard recipe,” Jiang Yu said. “Today’s is more suited for… when you’re in a bad mood.”

Li Xiao paused, looking up at him. “How do you know I’m in a bad mood?”

“Just a guess.” Jiang Yu lowered his head to wipe the bar spoon.

Li Xiao didn’t press further.

He drank slowly, his gaze falling on Jiang Yu’s bowed profile.

The bar’s light cast fine shadows on his eyelashes. His nose was straight, his lips pale and slightly pursed.

“Jiang Yu,” Li Xiao suddenly spoke.

“Hmm?”

“Do you hate me?”

The question came so abruptly that Jiang Yu’s hand, wiping the spoon, froze.

He looked up, meeting Li Xiao’s deep gaze.

There was no mockery, no testing—only a serious inquiry.

Jiang Yu opened his mouth, his throat tight.

Hate him? Of course he did.

He hated Li Xiao for taking him that way, for threatening him with his sister, for controlling everything about him.

But mixed in with that hatred were other things.

The decisiveness with which Li Xiao repaid his debt, the firmness with which he forbade him from delivering food, the way he seriously tasted his cocktails and gave feedback.

These details seeped like warm water into his frozen hatred.

“…I don’t know,” Jiang Yu finally answered honestly.

Li Xiao looked at him for a long time, then smiled.

This time, the smile was more genuine, even carrying a hint of relief.

“Not knowing is fine,” he said, tilting his head back to finish the rest of his drink. “Better than outright saying you hate me.”

He set down the glass and checked the time. “That’s about it. We’ll stop here for tonight.”

Jiang Yu was surprised.

It was only eleven o’clock.

“Are you… leaving already?”

“What? Really can’t bear to part with me?” Li Xiao had returned to his teasing tone, but his eyes were gentle.

Jiang Yu’s ears grew hot as he busied himself with tidying up. “No. It’s just… you didn’t drink much.”

“I have things to do tomorrow, so I need to get back early.” Li Xiao stood up and grabbed his suit jacket.

As he put it on, Jiang Yu noticed a fresh scrape on his left wrist, covered by a thin layer of dried blood.

“Your hand…” Jiang Yu blurted out.

Li Xiao followed his gaze to his wrist and waved his hand nonchalantly. “It’s nothing. Just a scratch.”

He finished putting on his jacket, pulled a few bills from his wallet, and placed them on the table.

“No need. The manager said to put the drinks and food on your tab—”

“That’s the bar’s tab.” Li Xiao cut him off. “This is your tip.”

He paused, then added, “Keep it. Buy something nice for your sister.”

With that, he turned and left, not giving Jiang Yu a chance to refuse.

Jiang Yu stared at the red bills on the table—at least a thousand yuan.

His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides before he finally picked up the money, folded it neatly, and tucked it into the inner pocket of his vest.

The complex emotions within him churned again.

Li Xiao was always like this.

One moment he wielded his power to suppress, the next he offered an undeniable “kindness.”

This constant back-and-forth made it impossible for Jiang Yu to hate him purely.

After packing up, Jiang Yu went to the changing room to change clothes.

Passing the manager’s office, he heard the manager on the phone.

“…Yes, yes, yes. Rest assured, Mr. Li, I’ll take good care of Jiang Yu over here… The sponsorship fee you provided has already been received. Thank you so much! The bar’s renovation plan will begin immediately…”

Jiang Yu stopped in his tracks.

Sponsorship fee?

He recalled Li Xiao casually mentioning the night before that the bar’s equipment needed replacing.

At the time, Jiang Yu hadn’t thought much of it, but now…

He quickened his pace to leave, not wanting to hear any more.

Stepping out of the bar, the night wind hit him.

Jiang Yu stood on the street, gazing at the city lights.

Li Xiao had infiltrated his life too deeply.

His job, his income, his debt, even the bar’s operations.

He was like an invisible net, shrouding Jiang Yu completely.

And Jiang Yu realized he was getting used to that net.

His phone vibrated. A text from Li Xiao, just two words:

– “Home.”

Jiang Yu stared at those two words for a long time, then typed two in reply:

– “Received.”

He sent it.

Almost instantly, Li Xiao replied:

– “Rest early. See you tomorrow.”

Jiang Yu put away his phone and headed for the bus stop.

He felt tired—not physically, but mentally.

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