ACMS 17

Chapter 17: Friends Don’t Sleep Together

Same place, same people, same “honey.”

Qiao Le no longer felt the awkwardness or embarrassment he had the first time. In fact, after saying it, he almost wanted to laugh. He took it as a way to lighten the mood. “Just kidding, don’t take it seriously.”

“I don’t mind,” Shen Hechuan replied calmly. “If you want to, you can.”

??

I want… I want what?!

Qiao Le felt like the tables had been turned on him. Shen Hechuan seemed relaxed, completely unfazed by his playful attitude.

“You’re not afraid I’ll go overboard and scare your parents?” he asked.

Scare his parents?

Shen Hechuan recalled how Wu Huilan had reacted on the phone when she heard that “honey” and lowered his head with a soft laugh. “You can try.”

Qiao Le pictured that scene and got genuinely worried he’d be thrown out. “Isn’t that a bit too much? Don’t you think it’s weird?”

“Weird?” Shen Hechuan seemed to consider it for a moment. “It’s fine. If calling me that makes the act more convincing, I don’t mind. Didn’t you call your last client—‘Mr. Huo’—the same thing?”

Bringing up the last commission, Qiao Le explained, “I didn’t call Mr. Huo ‘honey.’ I only called you that.”

“Oh?” Shen Hechuan raised an eyebrow. “Only me?”

Qiao Le: “…”

It was clearly meant to be an explanation, but somehow, saying it out loud felt oddly shameful.

Why is that?

He couldn’t exactly say it was because Mr. Huo wasn’t as good-looking as Shen Hechuan.

So he gave a random excuse. “There were too many people around Mr. Huo. It wasn’t convenient.”

Shen Hechuan nodded, understandingly. “Makes sense. Otherwise, the world would’ve had one more heartbreaker.”

Qiao Le covered his face. “…”

Shen Hechuan looked at Qiao Le covering his face like he was begging for mercy, lips curving silently before he stopped teasing. “Alright, let’s talk about payment.”

He remembered Qiao Le had mentioned last night that the starting fee was ten thousand, with the possibility of raising the price depending on difficulty. Dealing with three elders in his family definitely wasn’t going to be easy.

But Qiao Le said, “No need, I told you I’d help you for free.”

Was this… special treatment?

A flicker of something passed through Shen Hechuan’s chest—like being lightly scratched, a numbing kind of pleasure.

He remembered Qiao Le had thought he was a big client and must’ve been happy when he got the message last night.

Since that was the case, he couldn’t just let Qiao Le get excited for nothing. “No need to do that. Business is business. Last time you already bought me coffee. It’s over and done with—you don’t need to keep it on your mind.”

Qiao Le didn’t really keep it on his mind. He just felt like they were friends now, and it made him genuinely happy to be able to help Shen Hechuan.

Seeing his hesitation, Shen Hechuan added, “If you don’t take money, I won’t feel right asking you for help next time.”

“That’s okay,” Qiao Le said easily. “We’re friends—helping each other is normal.”

Friends, huh?

Shen Hechuan thought to himself: Friends don’t sleep together.

That night at the bar was already a day behind them, but the memory of that intense pleasure still lingered in his body—especially since the person who gave him that pleasure was right in front of him.

His gaze unconsciously dropped to Qiao Le’s lips.

They were a healthy shade of pink, full and well-shaped. There was a tiny wound on the lip that had already scabbed over—an unspoken, lingering intimacy.

He’d bitten that lip that night.

Shen Hechuan’s eyes darkened, a quiet undercurrent stirring in him.

He studied Qiao Le silently, and when the latter looked over, he casually averted his gaze and changed the subject. “Did everything get resolved with the bar incident?”

Qiao Le had no idea what Shen Hechuan was thinking, but nodded and answered truthfully, “Yeah, it’s all taken care of.”

He explained what had happened and the outcome. Shen Hechuan listened and nodded, satisfied with how it was handled.

Still, he couldn’t help thinking—if he had taken care of it, he probably would’ve used a firmer hand.

“You still planning to work at the bar?”

“Hm?”

“I don’t mean to interfere,” Shen Hechuan clarified. “It’s just that kind of place isn’t exactly safe.”

No matter how high-end a bar was, the crowd was always mixed. If someone drugged him once, it could happen again.

With looks like Qiao Le’s, he was bound to draw attention in that environment. Good looks came with convenience—but also danger.

That day, Shen Hechuan had just happened to be there. What if he hadn’t? Or what if he hadn’t paid extra attention to Qiao Le?

The consequences would’ve been unimaginable.

Of course, he didn’t consider himself a good guy either.

Taking advantage of the situation, sure. But at least he was clean—his health records were spotless.

Compared to people who drugged others, he figured he was leagues better. So he couldn’t help but add a reminder: “If you do keep working, try not to drink anything people give you.”

Qiao Le had worked in bars long enough to understand what he meant. He was touched by the concern. “I know. I’m not going back to that job. I was just doing a temp shift.”

“Another temp job?” Shen Hechuan asked.

“Yeah.”

Not surprising he was surprised. Qiao Le had so many side jobs, it was like he did everything.

“You seem to do a lot of part-time gigs,” Shen Hechuan noted. He’d checked Qiao Le’s profile on the “Let Me Do It” platform the day before—the list of services was extensive.

Qiao Le finished the coffee in his cup and nodded. “I’ll do anything that makes money.”

“Want another cup?” Shen Hechuan asked.

“No thanks.” Qiao Le licked the milk foam off his lips and shook his head. “If I drink too much, I won’t be able to sleep.”

Shen Hechuan’s gaze followed his movement. When that bit of red disappeared, he lowered his eyes slightly, picked up his own black coffee, and took a sip before circling back. “Then treat this job like another paid gig. No need to feel awkward—talking money makes things easier.”

Talking money makes things easier?

Qiao Le thought about it, and slowly realized—Shen Hechuan was treating this like a transaction, not a favor between friends.

A transaction was simple: money in, service out.

Friendship meant mutual effort.

Shen Hechuan was clearly the former type.

It finally clicked for Qiao Le.

After everything they’d been through together lately, he had started thinking of Shen Hechuan as a friend. Realizing what the other meant left him a little disappointed—but he could understand it.

Rich people tended to have clear boundaries. That was normal.

So he didn’t try to play the part of a sentimental friend. “Well, since you put it like that, I won’t be polite then. Last time, Mr. Huo’s request cost twenty thousand. Since we know each other, I’ll give you a friendly discount—eighty percent. Sixteen thousand.”

“Sixteen thousand?” Shen Hechuan repeated.

“Yeah,” Qiao Le said.

Sixteen thousand shouldn’t sound expensive to Shen Hechuan, right? The man paid eighty thousand for a bottle of wine at the bar, and his slippers cost eight thousand.

Besides, he did give a discount.

It could’ve been free—he was the one who insisted on making it a business deal.

Qiao Le grumbled to himself for a second, then thought about their bond and lowered the price again. “If you think that’s too much, fifteen thousand nine hundred ninety-nine point nine is fine too.”

Just one fen(cent) off. Not a penny more.

He poked at a strawberry on his pancake with his fork, thinking.

Shen Hechuan, who was used to negotiating in the millions, found the one-cent markdown amusing—especially since Qiao Le looked like it was killing him.

He didn’t realize Qiao Le had misunderstood. He hadn’t meant “money for service” the way Qiao Le took it—he just wanted an excuse to give him more money.

“I didn’t think it was expensive,” Shen Hechuan explained, clarifying his intent. “I meant last time you only had to deal with one person. This time it’s three. You should charge three times as much.”

“!!??”

One person, twenty thousand. Three people—sixty thousand?!

Sixty thousand!!

Qiao Le stared at him in disbelief. “Are you joking?!”

“I’m serious,” Shen Hechuan said plainly. “And my elders are hard to handle. So based on your ‘more difficult, higher price’ rule, I’ll pay you a hundred thousand to help solve my marriage pressure problem.”

“…”

Do rich people all treat money like trash?

That was a hundred thousand, not ten bucks!

He had to work so hard to earn that much—and Shen Hechuan just casually threw it out for pretending to be his boyfriend over dinner?

Was Shen Hechuan an idiot with money?!

All of Qiao Le’s earlier disappointment vanished under the weight of that hundred thousand. Shen Hechuan looked like he was glowing—bathed in sacred light.

He’s not my friend.

He’s my god of wealth.

He didn’t come to make a deal—he came to hand me money!!

Only a fool wouldn’t take it!

“Deal!” Qiao Le agreed immediately.

He pulled out his phone, logged into the platform, and efficiently created the transaction, holding it up for Shen Hechuan to see. “Did you get it?”

Shen Hechuan saw the amount: “Wasn’t it supposed to be a hundred thousand?”

It said ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine.

Qiao Le beamed. “Friendship discount. Gave you a little break.”

“…”

Their ‘friendship price’ had just gone from one fen to a whole yuan.

It didn’t sound like much, but it was an increase.

Shen Hechuan didn’t argue and accepted the transaction. Qiao Le saw “Transaction Completed” pop up on the screen, and his eyes curved with joy. He looked at Shen Hechuan like he was shining with sparkles and stars. His voice even got sweeter. “Thank you, Mr. Shen. I’ll serve you with all my heart.”

The tone suddenly turned so syrupy.

Shen Hechuan thought his eyes looked like they were full of stars—bright and dazzling.

This hundred thousand was definitely worth it. Not only would it solve his own troubles—it might help with Qiao Le’s too.

With Qiao Le looking at him so earnestly, Shen Hechuan felt very satisfied. The frustration of being pushed to marry vanished, and even his voice lightened. “Looking forward to your performance. Can we do it tonight? Do you have work?”

“Nope,” Qiao Le replied. “Jiaxu said I wasn’t feeling well and gave me an extra day off.”

“Not feeling well?”

Shen Hechuan looked concerned. “Where does it hurt?”

Qiao Le was scrolling through the platform. Without lifting his head, he replied, “You don’t know where it hurts?”

The second he said it, he froze.

Then he looked up and saw that Shen Hechuan had frozen too.

You don’t know where it hurts?

Of course Shen Hechuan knew.

The air froze for a beat.

Qiao Le inwardly cursed himself and tried to change the subject, but Shen Hechuan said, “Got it. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Qiao Le: “…”

What do you mean, ‘be careful’? Go ahead and be careful then!!