That Man Is a Little Wild - Chapter 1

Leaning against the railing with a can of coffee in hand, Li Cang took a slow sip while typing a message on WeChat.

He was tall and lean, his white shirt sleeves casually rolled up to reveal a wrist with a sleek watch. His fingers tapped the pull tab of the can lazily, the can swinging lightly as he drank now and then elegant, composed, and effortlessly poised.

Beside him, Hu Haoxuan asked, “You done yet?”

Li Cang typed into the chat box:
[After we ring the bell, it’s officially over.]

He slipped his phone back into his pocket, tossed the empty can into a nearby bin, and turned toward Hu Haoxuan. “All done.”

Hu Haoxuan nodded. “So, who goes first? You or me?”

Li Cang circled the big bronze bell in front of them once. “You go ahead.”

Covering his ears, he stepped aside and asked the monk standing nearby, “Hey, how many times do people usually strike the bell when they break up here?”

The monk blinked, caught off guard. “…None.”

Li Cang raised a brow. “You mean no one’s ever come to ring the bell after a breakup between a man and a woman, or no one’s ever come after breaking up with another man?”

The monk fell silent.

With a deep dong, Hu Haoxuan swung the striker, the heavy tone echoing through Hanming Temple. The sound rolled into the distance, fading in waves.

“Your turn,” Hu Haoxuan said, walking back over and rubbing his temple, clearly still ringing from the vibration.

Li Cang went up, grabbed the rope above the striker, and tapped the bell gently.

Hu Haoxuan frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ringing the bell,” Li Cang said simply, letting go of the rope. “Your turn again.”

Hu Haoxuan looked at him, clearly irritated. “You’re the one who wanted to come here to ring the breakup bell.”

“Right,” Li Cang said innocently. “And I just did. Wasn’t that enough?”

Hu Haoxuan’s face twitched. He grabbed the striker and slammed it hard into the bell, the deep chime reverberating once more.

Li Cang covered his ears and turned to the monk. “Maybe you should put up a sign tell future couples that one strike is enough. Any more and they’ll ruin their hearing.”

The monk stared wordlessly.

Hu Haoxuan faced him again. “We’ve officially broken up now. Anything else you want to say?”

“Yeah.” Li Cang dug a finger in his ear, then straightened and smirked. “Your skills, bro absolutely terrible. You should practice more when you’ve got time.”

Hu Haoxuan’s expression darkened. “I told you I couldn’t go to that charity run with you because the company”

Li Cang cut him off. “I lied. It’s really because your skills are unbearable. I just couldn’t take it anymore.” He glanced at the poor monk who looked like he wished he could vanish into the floor. “Do people ever come here to break up because their s3x life’s bad?”

The monk looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

Hu Haoxuan was speechless, his face an alarming shade of red.

The tension in the air was thick until a low chuckle drifted up from below.

Li Cang turned toward the sound, curious to see who’d chosen this perfect moment to laugh.

The man standing below tilted his head up. His face was sharp and masculine, nose straight, lips thin.

Catching Li Cang’s gaze, he lifted a hand slightly, eyes glinting with amusement. “Sorry. Please, carry on.”

Hu Haoxuan shot him a glare, then turned back to Li Cang. “I’m done talking. I’m leaving.”

Li Cang reached out and caught his arm.

“What now?” Hu Haoxuan snapped, turning around.

“The breakup gift’s at the front desk,” Li Cang said with a harmless smile. “Make sure you pick it up. And may you think of me every time you… exercise.”

The monk stood frozen.

Another quiet laugh floated up from below.

Hu Haoxuan lost his temper completely, shouting down, “Can’t you mind your own damn business?!”

The deep, magnetic voice replied, still tinged with amusement, “Nope.”

Hu Haoxuan’s face turned crimson with fury.

Li Cang patted him on the shoulder. “This isn’t your temple, you know. He can stand wherever he wants.”

With that, he turned away, not sparing another glance at Hu Haoxuan’s dark expression, and walked down the steps.

Never again, he thought. No more temple breakups. Too much hassle having to come all the way out here just to end things.