Chapter 10

The bride glanced around and said to Chen Ang, “Not bad. Just wear that. I’ll go try the makeup.”

Chen Ang caught a glimpse of Xu Heng from the corner of his eye, then turned and went back into the changing room. Xu Heng’s expression toward him had completely changed. It was as if he were looking at a modern-day Chen Shimei¹Chen Shimei is a figure from Chinese folklore known for abandoning his wife to marry a princess after gaining power. His name is now synonymous with betrayal and heartless infidelity itching to drag that lying gay groom straight to the execution block.

Xu Heng was from a third-tier county town, simple and backward. When he was a kid, he had never even heard of something as trendy as homosexuality. The idea that men could be with men or women with women was something he only learned about at fifteen. The couple next door were in the middle of a divorce, a rare and juicy bit of gossip in their area. Xu Heng heard at the dinner table that the reason was the husband had been caught cheating, and the affair partner turned out to be a man.

Pervert. Disgusting. The kind that sticks it where it doesn’t belong.

That summed up everything people around Xu Heng thought about gay men.

In the end, the couple didn’t go through with the divorce. They just kept living together begrudgingly, fighting and yelling all the time. The only one who really suffered was their kid, left to run around filthy and ignored.

Watching all this unfold, Xu Heng couldn’t help but fume. Even if Chen Ang had eight hundred heads, Xu Heng would have chopped them all off in his heart.

Xu Heng and a few of the studio girls gathered around the bride to help her get ready. He had done makeup for many weddings before. Most brides were glowing, radiating happiness. But this one didn’t give off that feeling. She just listed her preferences like she was finishing a job. Her thin heels tapped against the floor, one click at a time, full of impatience.

“I won’t be using your brushes. I brought my own set.”

Xu Heng paused for a second. They always cleaned their tools before each gig. The bride didn’t say anything outright rude like “unsanitary” or “dirty,” but the sense of superiority in her tone made it uncomfortable.

Xu Heng quietly curled his lip. She and Chen Ang were two of a kind.

The bride was picky and hard to please. By the time they finally got her mostly ready, Xu Heng let out a breath, pulled down his mask, and stepped out to use the restroom. On the way, he passed the smoking room and saw Chen Ang sitting inside, alone, wearing a T-shirt and jeans, something Xu Heng had never seen him wear, flipping through a magazine and smoking.

Xu Heng was about to turn and slip away, but Chen Ang looked up and locked eyes with him.

“Come here,” Chen Ang said, exhaling a slow breath before putting out the cigarette.

Xu Heng checked both ends of the hallway. No one was around. He hesitated for a moment, then stepped into the room. He didn’t close the door all the way, leaving it slightly ajar. But Chen Ang came over, placed one hand beside Xu Heng’s head, and shut the door completely.

Xu Heng’s eyes widened like a startled hamster. “What do you want?”

Chen Ang leaned on the door and looked him over from head to toe. “Why do I keep running into you everywhere?”

Xu Heng pressed himself against the door and said, “I should be the one asking that. Why do you keep showing up everywhere?”

He was wearing makeup today, his face a little paler than usual, with a healthy touch of red. When his eyes widened, you could see the delicate upward sweep of his eyeliner. Her hair was tied in a little bun at the back, and she wore a plain hoodie with no graphics, just a few words in white on a black background.

Chen Ang read them out, one word at a time: “Fi-re-at-me?”

Xu Heng: “…”

So embarrassing. It felt just like someone shouting your Weibo username in the middle of the street.

Chen Ang raised an eyebrow. “Fire at what? Didn’t we fire enough that night?”

Seeing where both of their gazes were starting to wander, Xu Heng quickly pulled out her metaphorical guillotine and said righteously, with pointed meaning, “I don’t mess around with people who are already taken.”

“What do you mean, taken?” Chen Ang frowned. A second later, realization dawned on him. “That’s my sister. I’m the groomsman.”

Xu Heng’s righteous energy evaporated on the spot. He was caught completely off guard. “Oh…”

“So now can we mess around?”

He was far more lively and interesting than any of Chen Ang’s past hookups. In fact, he stood from most people in his social or professional circles. For once, Chen Ang genuinely considered something long-term with Xu Heng. At the very least, the sex was great, and off the bed, they weren’t clingy either. He pulled out his phone and said, “Want to add each other on WeChat?”

Xu Heng was just about to reply when they heard voices in the hallway.

“The smoking room, right? I’ll go check. Sis, sit down and don’t move. You’ll ruin your makeup.”

Both of them were startled. They barely had time to step one meter apart before the door swung open.

The person who entered was about the same height as Chen Ang, dressed in a casual suit. He had fair skin, a refined appearance, and a gentle smile on his face. He gave Chen Ang a quick hug, then turned and spotted Xu Heng standing to the side.

“Xiao Heng?” He An’s smile carried a mix of surprise and confusion, along with the natural gentleness and grace he always seemed to have. He looked at Xu Heng, then at Chen Ang. “You two know each other?”

Chen Ang paused for a moment before asking, “You two know each other?”

*Chen Shimei is a figure from Chinese folklore known for abandoning his wife to marry a princess after gaining power. His name is now synonymous with betrayal and heartless infidelity.

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  Chen Shimei is a figure from Chinese folklore known for abandoning his wife to marry a princess after gaining power. His name is now synonymous with betrayal and heartless infidelity