Chapter 2

Whatever little fondness Xu Heng might have had for Gu Wenyuan disappeared completely after what happened in the restroom. When the rehearsal ended, Gu Wenyuan tried again to casually ask him out. Xu Heng quickly said he had something urgent to take care of and slipped away.

Back home, he crashed and slept the entire afternoon. It was already dark when his stomach finally woke him up. Still groggy, he slid into a pair of flip-flops and shuffled outside in search of food.

The apartment Xu Heng bought was secondhand, but the location was great. It was right in the middle of a lively old district. The street was full of locals walking their dogs after dinner. Elderly folks gathered beneath the banyan tree, lazily fanning themselves while playing chess. On both sides of the street stood rows of renovated old arcade buildings. Small food stalls lined the sidewalks, one after another, with several trendy dessert shops drawing long queues of customers.

He picked one of his regular claypot rice places, tied his hair up messily, scrolled through his phone, and ate until his belly felt round and full. After a hearty burp, he packed up a few rice cakes for a midnight snack and hung the plastic bag on his pinky finger, swinging it as he walked.

Up ahead, at a quiet corner of the street, two men stood facing each other. Their voices grew sharper with every word, clearly caught in some kind of argument. Xu Heng immediately veered off to the side, hoping to avoid being dragged into anything.

“I told you, we are already over.”

The cold tone of the voice made Xu Heng pause. He glanced from the corner of his eye and was shocked to recognize the speaker. It was Chen Ang.

Chen Ang was dressed casually, in a loose cotton shirt and soft slacks. His hair had not been styled and rested naturally on his forehead. One hand was in his pocket, and his face showed clear irritation. From time to time, he checked the time on his watch.

The other man was visibly more emotional.

“Chris, please give me one more chance. I love you. I really do.”

Chen Ang interrupted in a calm voice.

“I told you from the start, this was supposed to be exclusive. If you went off with someone else, then it is over.”

Xu Heng was stunned. It felt like he had overheard something private and dramatic. His instincts told him to run before Chen Ang noticed him. But he was the only one walking on the street. Turning back now would look suspicious. He had no choice but to duck into a nearby alley and lower his presence as much as possible while waiting for the argument to end.

The other man sounded even more desperate.

“I did not do it on purpose. We have been seeing each other for almost two months and I still do not even know your real name or what you do for a living. I feel like I have no security at all. You…”

Chen Ang cut him off again, and this time, there was a hint of anger in his voice.

“There is no relationship. It was just physical. If you keep bothering me, I will call the police.”

The man muttered a few more things under his breath, but eventually walked away.

Xu Heng stood still and silently counted to sixty. When everything outside seemed quiet, he let out a breath and started walking again.

Just as he stepped out of the alley, he bumped right into a tall figure. The faint scent of cologne lingered in the air.

“Heard all of that?” Chen Ang’s voice was calm, laced with a hint of amusement, like someone watching a cornered animal squirm.

Xu Heng froze. He had not expected Chen Ang to still be there. After a stunned pause, he quickly said, “I didn’t hear anything.”

He was just short of raising three fingers to the sky and swearing an oath. The last thing he wanted was to get involved with someone like Chen Ang, who looked like serious trouble.

Chen Ang stared at him and stepped closer.

“If you dare to open your mouth…”

Xu Heng immediately backed up until his back hit the wall. His voice stuttered.

“I… I didn’t hear anything…”

He had gone out wearing a loose T-shirt. The collar had stretched from too much wear, slipping off one shoulder. The dip of his collarbone was slightly visible. The kiss mark Gu Wenyuan left had already faded, leaving behind nothing but pale skin.

Chen Ang reached out and tapped the hollow of his shoulder.

“Maybe I’ll just tell everyone you hooked up with Gu Wenyuan in the restroom. And say you were the one who told me about it.”

Hooked up? That wasn’t even what happened.

Xu Heng hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. If you push a rabbit into a corner, it bites. He muttered quietly in protest.

“People at your office don’t know you like men, do they? If you start spreading things, then I’ll… I’ll…”

Under Chen Ang’s narrowed eyes, he lost all nerve. That “I’ll” dangled in the air without an ending. He quickly tried to push past him and escape, but Chen Ang shoved him back against the wall in one swift move. The alley was narrow and dimly lit. No one else was around. For a second, Xu Heng thought he was about to get silenced for real, and even dropped the rice cakes he was carrying.

Chen Ang was stronger and broader than him. His forearm pressed across Xu Heng’s collarbone, locking him in place.

“And if I really do start talking, what exactly are you going to do?”

Xu Heng struggled a little, but he couldn’t break free. He turned his head away from Chen Ang’s sharp stare. The tattoo on his neck peeked out. A dark blue whale tail curled right beneath his ear, striking against his pale skin.

There was no winning here. Xu Heng had no choice but to soften his tone.

“Just let go. I promise I won’t say anything. I really won’t.”

He lowered himself completely, acting as pitiful as possible. From Chen Ang’s angle, his drooping lashes and tilted eyes made him look almost fragile.

For some reason, Chen Ang remembered that soft moan he heard in the restroom stall. Heat stirred in his chest. He swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing. When he spoke again, his voice had dropped to a husky, rough whisper.

“You and Gu Wenyuan. Did you two hook up?”