24: Chapter 24: The Gathering 24: Chapter 24: The Gathering “Knock, knock!” Along with the knocking, Emily Lopez called out from outside the door, “Sis, Jas, ti to get up!”
Gina Lopez replied with a quick response, then whispered to Jas Brown, “Let’s just forget about it; don’t feel burdened.
You’re my boyfriend now.”
Jas quickly nodded and then took a deep breath.
He smiled at Gina and said, “No problem now.”
Gina nodded, got up to open the bedroom door, and Emily imdiately squeezed in.
She glanced at the blanket on the bed, then at their clothes, and chuckled, “You two sure got dressed quickly, huh?”
Jas cleared his throat with a cough, clearly a bit embarrassed.
Gina glared at her and said, “What, you an we should’ve stayed undressed for you to see?”
Emily laughed and said, “If you’re not dressed, there’s nothing to see, but Jas… heh heh, I wouldn’t dare look.”
Jas gave an awkward laugh, quickly made the bed, and then finished putting on his outer clothes.
By this ti, Gina had also gotten fully dressed.
“What are you doing here so early in the morning?” Gina asked.
Emily giggled, “Nothing much, Mom woke up early and ended up waking too, so I ca to bother you guys.”
“Humph, you’re really bored,” Gina comnted as she tidied her hair.
The large wavy curls were quite convenient to manage.
“So, what should we do?
Since we’re up early with nothing to do, how about we go out and have so fun?”
“What’s there to do?
Isn’t it nice to chat with Grandpa?”
“You co back only once a year.
I visit every month.
Grandpa doesn’t miss .
Jas, will you go have fun with ?”
Gina imdiately rejected the idea, “No way, Jas has to keep Grandpa company too.”
“Boring,” Emily huffed.
“Later, I’ll go find soone else to play with.” She made a face at Gina and ran out.
Gina shook her head, feeling entirely helpless about her sister.
She turned to Jas, who had a smile on his face, and asked, “What are you laughing about?”
Jas said, “Isn’t it strange how you two are twins, yet your personalities are so different?”
“Humph, she’s just a kid who will never grow up.
I have no idea when she’ll give us a break,” Gina replied helplessly.
“Not really, I think Emily’s way of being carefree and happy is good, too.
For a girl, as long as she’s happy, why should she have to be ambitious and goal-driven like you?”
Gina said, displeased, “You’re not to say those things to Emily.
Otherwise, she’ll get even more cocky.
I’m not expecting her to be like , but she can’t just run off to play all the ti, hanging out with those shady characters and talking about practicing art.
I think they’re just a bunch of no-goods using art as an excuse.”
Jas, unfamiliar with the situation, said, “I’m not sure about that.
If Emily is really mixing with shady people, then we really should do sothing about it.”
Gina looked at Jas, then suddenly asked, “Are you good at fighting?”
“I guess so.
Why, you want to get into a fight?”
“No, not to fight, but to find a chance to teach those guys a lesson, to keep them away from Emily.”
“Really?
If we interfere with Emily’s friends like that, she might get angry.”
“So what if she gets angry?
I’m her elder sister.
I’m not afraid of her,” Gina scoffed.
“Well…
I think it’s best to be careful.
If you trust , I’ll find an opportunity to et Emily’s friends and see what sort of people they are.
If they’re really bad news, I’ll take care of them.
If not, then I’ll just let her be.”
Gina replied, her eyes filled with doubt, “You…”
Jas shrugged and said, “If you don’t trust , then there’s nothing I can do.”
At that, Gina nodded, “Alright then, go and check it out.
In the next couple of days, they’re definitely going to have so kind of gathering.
Just tag along when the ti cos.”
Jas grinned, “No problem, I’ll do it for free this ti, consider it a bonus.”
Gina rolled her eyes at Jas, “I’ve already given you plenty, and besides, when we get back, I’ll arrange a job for you.
Doing a bit more is only right.”
It was rare to hear Gina speak in such a tone, and Jas chuckled before heading out to the living room with her.
Grandpa, Jonathan Lopez, and his wife were there, while Emily had vanished who knows where.
After breakfast, another round of New Year’s greetings took place, with even the more distant relatives coming over, making it all quite lively.
Then, in the afternoon, Gina Lopez and her family of five returned to their ho in the city.
Compared to the hustle and bustle of the countryside, this ho seed relatively quiet.
As soon as Emily Lopez got ho, she received several phone calls from friends talking about getting together.
Once Emily had finished her calls, Gina said, “Emily, there’s nothing for Jas to do at ho, why don’t you take him out for a bit?”
Emily was imdiately surprised and looked at Gina, “You trust to take Jas out?
Aren’t you afraid I’ll lead him astray?”
Gina huffed, “It’s for him to keep an eye on you.”
Emily chuckled and said, “No problem.” Then she winked at Jas Brown.
She had always been skeptical about Jas being her sister’s boyfriend, but since he lived in the sa room as Gina, she had no choice but to believe that Jas really was her sister’s boyfriend.
She actually thought this Jas was quite nice and wasn’t afraid of Jas at all.
In fact, she got along very well with him and was quite happy to go out with him.
Around five o’clock, Jas and Emily left the house together.
Emily didn’t drive because they would be drinking tonight.
They took a taxi directly to a place called The Art Bar.
The decor was quite distinctive, but upon entering, it was sowhat dark.
After winding through a circular corridor, they arrived at a small hall.
Around the periter of the hall were tables and chairs, with six or seven people seated at two tables drinking.
In the center was a small stage, where a young man with long hair was strumming a guitar, singing a song Jas had never heard before.
“Emily’s here!” soone called out, and the others greeted her warmly.
Emily was on friendly terms with everyone there.
“Emily, who’s this?” A woman with long hair, wearing a loose blouse and floral pants, sashaying up with her hips swinging, ca over and pointed at Jas with a rather seductive gesture.
“Let introduce you all, this is Jas Brown,” Emily said, pulling Jas to her side, smiling as she introduced him to everyone without disclosing that he was her brother-in-law.
“Jas Brown, huh?
I’m William Clarke.” The flirtatious woman reached out to Jas with her red-nailed hand.
Jas shook her hand and said hello, then suddenly noticed sothing.
This person had an Adam’s apple.
Taking a closer look, despite the heavy makeup that made the person look like a woman, there was still stubble visible above the chin.
This made Jas break out in a cold sweat.
He had seen many transvestites in T Country, but had never actually encountered a drag queen before.
Today truly opened his eyes to such people.
“Emily, what’s his relationship to you?” William asked Emily at that mont.
Emily playfully winked at Jas, then said, “I’ve brought him here, what do you guys think his relationship to is?”
“Wow!” William suddenly exclaid, taking a closer look at Jas, making him feel uncomfortable.
Even confronted with a formidable opponent, Jas had never felt as uneasy as he did now.
“Emily, what kind of taste is this?
How did you end up with a boyfriend like this?”
The comnt from William made Jas quite unhappy.
However, to his surprise, these people were mistaking him for Emily’s boyfriend, and Emily seed to be intentionally letting others think that.
But Jas didn’t object, because Emily had indeed given him a aningful look earlier.
Clearly, that was her intention.
This girl hadn’t said anything on the way, but had sprung this on him only upon their arrival.
Imdiately, Emily hooked her arm through Jas’s and said, “William, what vision do you have?
Let tell you, my boyfriend is aweso.”
“Aweso?
What can he do?
Does he understand music?
Does he know how to dance?
Oil painting?
Art?” William asked in a high-pitched voice, unsatisfied.
Jas shook his head and said, “I don’t understand any of those things.”
The guy singing on stage also jumped down and approached Emily with a hostile look, “Emily, what’s this?
Why did you bring soone who doesn’t understand anything?”
Emily pouted and said, “You just don’t have the vision.
The awesoness of Jas is not sothing you can recognize.
If you keep saying that, I might just leave.”
The long-haired guy opened his mouth to say sothing, then extended his hand to Jas, “Steven Robinson.”
Jas shook the long-haired guy’s hand, smiling and about to let go when the guy suddenly gripped Jas’s hand tightly.
The others looked on excitedly, obviously aware that Steven was secretly testing Jas’s strength.
Jas couldn’t help but smile and gripped Steven’s hand back, curious to see what this guy could do.
“Uh-oh, Emily, be careful your boyfriend doesn’t get his hand crushed.”
“Yeah, you know how strong Steven’s grip is, he’s practiced martial arts.”
“To be Emily’s boyfriend, one has to show so real skills, right?”
Emily looked at Jas nervously.
Of course, she knew Steven had a strong grip, but she was not sure about Jas.
At that mont, she was genuinely concerned Jas might be at a disadvantage.
She was about to warn him, but it was too late.
She thought about telling Steven to let go of Jas, but seeing Jas’s relaxed expression, she swallowed her words and her eyes shone with the sa excitent as everyone else’s.
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