Chapter 11

The moment was a bit awkward. Xu Heng hesitated, unsure what to say.

He and He An had once been friends with benefits. They met at a gay bar, and their arrangement had lasted about three or four months. Not exactly long, but not short either. They had ended things two months ago because He An was going abroad for further studies in art. It had been a peaceful parting. Xu Heng had even given He An a farewell gift, a painting he bought at an exhibition. It hadn’t come cheap.

The truth was, Xu Heng still felt a little unresolved when it came to He An.

He An, being the more composed one, turned to Chen Ang and said, “Xiao Heng and I are friends. We met shortly before I left the country.”

“Friends.” The word carried just enough ambiguity to make someone like Chen Ang pick up on it instantly. He was too sharp not to. After all, Xu Heng and He An came from completely different worlds.

He An and Chen Ang had grown up together. Their fathers were comrades, their mothers best friends. He An was flawless both in his studies and his character. Chen Ang had a rebellious phase as a kid, but He An had always been the golden child.

Lately, He An had been in France for his art. He came back specifically to attend Chen Jing’s wedding.

As for Xu Heng, at the end of the day, he was just a makeup artist. No one even knew if he had gone to college. If they were “friends,” and Xu Heng looked this uncomfortable, then the kind of friends they were could only be the kind who slept together.

Chen Ang suddenly smiled. “What a coincidence.”

He An was always thoughtful and gentle. He looked at Xu Heng and said, “It’s been a while. How have you been? I really liked the painting you gave me. It’s still hanging in my bedroom.”

Xu Heng was clearly flustered. He forced himself to stay calm and politely replied, “I’m doing alright. I’m glad you like it.”

Chen Ang was watching him. Xu Heng was behaving so well in front of He An. The smile he gave was just right, not too much or too little. His eyes even narrowed a little, like a student trying hard to act perfect while being randomly called on by the teacher. Nothing like the way he was when they were alone. Wild, unfiltered, sprawled out like a fish knocked out cold on the chopping board after sex, not caring one bit about how he looked.

He An said, “Didn’t expect you two to know each other. What a small world.”

Chen Ang’s mind had wandered off. Xu Heng quickly jumped in. “No… Actually, we don’t really… We’re not that close…”

That sudden burst of competitiveness made Chen Ang forget all about keeping his relationship with Xu Heng low-key. He reached out and slung an arm over Xu Heng’s shoulder, all buddy-buddy, grinning. “We’re good friends.”

Xu Heng calmly shifted his shoulder, stepping aside to shrug off Chen Ang’s hand. Then he made a quick exit. “I—I’ve got something to do. You guys go ahead and talk. I’ll catch you later.”

Chen Ang stayed behind, forcing himself to make small talk with He An. But honestly, they had nothing to really talk about. Their families were similar, but their lives couldn’t be more different. Chen Ang spent his days smiling and hustling inside the system. He An spent his painting under the Eiffel Tower and sipping coffee. Just thinking about it irritated him.

By the time they left the smoking room, the makeup artists had all gone. Chen Jing was alone, still in her wedding dress, removing her makeup.

He An asked, “Where’s brother-in-law? He’s not coming?”

Chen Jing replied calmly, “What for? He’s already tried on his suit.”

Chen Ang leaned against the window, a fancy Baroque-style one, looking outside. Xu Heng and his colleagues were already far off in the distance.

Tsk. Didn’t get his WeChat.

He An didn’t mention “Xu Heng” once on the way back. Chen Ang, looking as calm as ever, wasn’t going to bring it up either. And of course, he wouldn’t ask He An for Xu Heng’s contact. Not with this damn competitive streak eating at him.

That night, after showering, Chen Ang lay on the sofa and opened He An’s WeChat Moments. He scrolled through everything, all the way down, but found no trace of Xu Heng. Which made sense. Still, he couldn’t help but feel ridiculous for even checking.

He tossed his phone aside, handled some work tasks, but even by bedtime, he couldn’t settle down. Restless, he reached for his tablet and downloaded a streaming app. Relying on that quick glimpse from the other day, he accurately found Xu Heng’s beauty channel.

Xu Heng hadn’t gone live today. Chen Ang tapped on one of the older videos and started watching, propped against the pillow.

He had no idea what kind of makeup was being applied. None of the products or skincare items Xu Heng introduced meant anything to him. The comments scrolling across the screen were all familiar characters, but together they made no sense. Even so, Chen Ang found himself surprisingly drawn in.

Especially the parts where Xu Heng leaned closer to the camera to show off the finished look. His face came in close, sometimes it was his blinking eyes, sometimes his slightly parted, soft lips. When he interacted with fans, he’d give a shy little smile, dimples showing, so sweet it made your heart ache. Just like the way he’d talked to He An today.

That damn competitive streak flared up again. Chen Ang flipped the tablet face down onto the bed and forced himself to go to sleep.

Then immediately turned it back over.

Might as well finish the video. Just this one. After that, he’d stop watching.

Right then, Xu Heng was applying lotion before doing his makeup. The milky white product pooled in his palm. He brought it close to the camera, showed it off, then dotted it on his face and started rubbing it in. Maybe he used too much, because it slid down his cheek a little. He reached up and wiped it off, nearly getting it on his lips.

Chen Ang got hard.

Next time, he should try putting it on Xu Heng’s face himself.

That thought played in his head as he started touching himself.