RTCBM 53

Chris walked into the office holding a folder and handed it to Wen Shang. “Boss, the shooting plan we commissioned from the ad agency has been finalized. The spokesperson for our hotel brand has also been selected. Barring any surprises, filming will officially begin this week.”

Wen Shang opened the folder and quickly scanned through its contents. Chris had always been reliable when it came to work, so Wen Shang felt at ease. His eyes followed the advertising agency’s proposal all the way to the section listing the model for the campaign.

Name: JauWaa

The moment he saw the name, Wen Shang froze. At first, he thought it might just be someone with the same name. But when he turned to the next page and saw the model’s profile, it took him less than a second to recognize the man in the photo. This wasn’t a case of shared names. The model chosen for their company’s new campaign was none other than his former lover. Hua You.

Wen Shang set the folder down on the desk, raised his eyes, and silently looked at Chris. After a few seconds, he pointed at the photo and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me in advance that this was the model we’d be working with?”

Chris explained, “The model was selected after we signed the contract with the advertising agency. Boss, you had previously said the entire ad campaign would be handled by me.”

Noticing that something was off about Wen Shang’s expression, Chris quickly added, “Are you unhappy with the choice?”

Wen Shang didn’t answer the question. Instead, he asked, “Who picked this model?”

“I did, together with the agency,” Chris replied. “Jau specializes in high-end fashion. He has significant recognition internationally, and his image aligns perfectly with the brand identity we want for the hotel. He’s not generic. He has a unique presence.”

In other words, he had the prestige they were looking for.

After Chris left the office, Wen Shang remained seated, staring at the advertisement proposal spread open on the desk, deep in thought.

Five years ago, when he officially ended things with Hua You, he had erased that man from his life completely. He had thought they would never cross paths again. Only now did he realize he’d been too quick to assume.

The contract was already finalized. The ink was dry. If he canceled now, the compensation for breach of contract wouldn’t be the worst of it. What really mattered was the damage it would do to the Wen Group’s reputation.

He thought about it for a long time but couldn’t come up with any workable solution. In the end, he could only take it one step at a time.

That evening, when Mu Yuan came to pick him up from the office, he noticed that Wen Shang seemed a bit agitated. He didn’t ask at the time, but later, while they were at the restaurant, a server accidentally spilled some tea while pouring it.

Wen Shang immediately snapped, glaring at the waiter as if he were an enemy.
“Can’t even handle something this simple? How did you even get hired as a server? Did the restaurant not train you before letting you work?”

Mu Yuan quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Hey, like you said, it’s just a tiny mistake. No need to get upset.”

He stuffed a menu into Wen Shang’s hand.
“Come on, pick something. I’m starving.”

After the meal, Wen Shang was about to head home, but Mu Yuan dragged him off for a walk instead. They strolled side by side.

“You don’t look like you’re in a good mood,” Mu Yuan said, tilting his head and glancing sideways at his boyfriend.

“Do I?”

“I’m not blind,” Mu Yuan chuckled. “Something at work bothering you?”

Wen Shang forced a smile. “It’s nothing.”

Mu Yuan looked around, then spotted a dessert cart parked a short distance ahead.
“Wait here a second.”

He ran off and returned with a large tri-color ice cream cone.

Smiling brightly, he shoved the cone into Wen Shang’s hand. “Here. For you.”

Then, like coaxing a kid, he patted Wen Shang on the head, opened his arms, and pulled him into a hug. “Here’s a love hug.”

He leaned in and kissed Wen Shang on the forehead. “And here’s a love kiss. Now all the bad vibes will disappear, poof.”

He added some hand gestures to go with it, waving dramatically.

Wen Shang couldn’t help laughing.
“What are you, five? You’re so childish.”

Mu Yuan stood tall with his hands on his hips. “I’m making my man feel better. How is that childish?”

Wen Shang lifted the cone and pressed it to Mu Yuan’s mouth to shut him up. “Eat.”

Mu Yuan took a big bite, his eyes sparkling. “This ice cream is really good.”

He leaned in for another, but Wen Shang pulled it away and kept the rest for himself.

“Let me have another bite,” Mu Yuan said, tugging at Wen Shang’s shirt.

“No. This is mine. Go buy your own.”

Mu Yuan didn’t actually care about the cone. He just wanted to tease him. He liked the way it felt, fooling around together.

On a whim, Mu Yuan suddenly jumped onto Wen Shang’s back.

“Carry me.”

“Do you even know how heavy you are? Get down.”

Mu Yuan just grinned and shook his head. He wouldn’t get off. He even stole the cone, took another bite, and swung his legs proudly.

Wen Shang scolded him, but still let him stay. People walking by looked at them curiously. Mu Yuan never cared what others thought. Wen Shang usually did, but whenever he was with Mu Yuan, he kept making exceptions. For someone so harsh and intimidating, he was unexpectedly simple when it came to love. Once he gave his heart, there was no turning back.

He carried Mu Yuan toward the parking lot. A few men came walking from the opposite direction, rough and loud.

“Boss!” one of them called out when he saw Mu Yuan, his tone full of excitement.

The rest quickly followed. “Boss!”

Then they turned to Wen Shang, shouting in unison, “Sister-in-law!”

Being called that again and again really got on Wen Shang’s nerves. He turned his head slightly, speaking low enough that only Mu Yuan could hear. “Can’t you manage your underlings? Tell them to stop shouting nonsense.”

Mu Yuan grinned and leaned in to nibble on his ear, his voice just as low. “You’ve already fucked me. Can’t I at least get away with calling you that?”

Wen Shang gave his ass a hard smack.

“Boss, we’re heading out for drinks. You and sister-in-law coming?” one of the guys asked.

Another one quickly followed up. “What the hell is wrong with you? Don’t you see they’re enjoying some time alone?”

Mu Yuan perked up the moment he heard the word drinks. “Nah, it’s fine. The more the merrier.”

He tugged playfully on Wen Shang’s earlobe. “Come on, I’ll take you to one of my clubs.”

“What for?” Wen Shang turned away again and reminded him, “You can’t drink, you know that.”

Mu Yuan clicked his tongue and pouted, a little disappointed, but deep down he liked how Wen Shang looked after him. It meant he really cared.

Still, that didn’t stop him from wanting to go. “It’s not like going to a club means I have to drink. I’ll stay off the booze, alright?”

After setting some ground rules, Wen Shang finally agreed.

The club was one of Mu Yuan’s own, and they ran into plenty of familiar faces and regulars. Mu Yuan strutted around like he was showing off a prize, proudly introducing Wen Shang to everyone as his boyfriend. Wen Shang was dragged all around the place, forced to endure wave after wave of this public display. By the time they’d made a full round, practically everyone there knew that Mu Yuan from Sheng Yi was officially dating someone.

Which was exactly what Mu Yuan wanted. He couldn’t wait for the whole world to know he had a rich, handsome boyfriend with a big cock. Not that anyone else could confirm the last part, of course. Only he would know.

Mu Yuan had promised Wen Shang he wouldn’t touch alcohol. So, while the others drank, he could only “endure the suffering” with fruit juice. The urge hit him hard, but all he could do was watch. It was painful, but somehow still enjoyable.

Everyone was gathered around the table playing a guessing game with their drinks. Mu Yuan loudly insisted on joining. The others looked awkward.

“Boss, um… aren’t you not supposed to drink?”

“I’ll have juice. You drink your booze. What’s the big deal?”

They still didn’t seem eager to let him in. After some hesitation, one of them said, “Boss, if you’re playing and drinking juice, we’ll have to switch to juice too—just to be fair.”

At first, Wen Shang didn’t understand why the guys were so reluctant. But after watching Mu Yuan play a few rounds, he figured it out. Mu Yuan won almost every time. Out of ten rounds, he could take nine without breaking a sweat. He could knock out a whole table of players in minutes. It wasn’t scheming. They were just trying to survive.

“Sister-in-law, want more to drink?” one of the guys came over with a bottle and asked Wen Shang.

“No, I’m good.” Wen Shang answered, then paused. “And stop calling me that. Just stick with Wen-ge like before.”

“Got it, got it.” The guy nodded quickly and grinned. “Wen-ge, it’s a good thing you’re here tonight. If not, the boss would’ve wiped us all out. No one can beat him at this game.”

Mu Yuan suddenly showed up behind the guy and slapped him hard on the shoulder. “How dare you flirt with my man?”

The guy jumped in fright. “It’s not what it looks like, Boss. I was just—”

“Relax, I’m messing with you,” Mu Yuan laughed and waved him off. Then he plopped down beside Wen Shang and asked, “Shall we head back?”

“You’re done already?” Wen Shang didn’t mind either way. He was only there to keep Mu Yuan company.

“It’s no fun if I can’t drink. Might as well go home and play with this.” Mu Yuan’s hand slid down toward Wen Shang’s crotch, a mischievous grin on his face.

Wen Shang caught his wrist and moved it away. “Control yourself. You’re in public.”

Mu Yuan ignored the warning and leaned in with a grin. “Let’s go home, yeah?”

The look in his eyes gave away exactly what he was thinking. He didn’t even bother to hide it.

Wen Shang pinched his cheek, downed the last of his drink, then stood up. “Wait for me. I’ll hit the bathroom, then we’ll leave.”

The urinal flushed automatically. After zipping up, Wen Shang walked to the sink, squeezed soap onto his palm, and turned on the tap.

Next to him, a man in jeans and a white T-shirt was also washing his hands. Wen Shang kept his head down, focused on rinsing. It wasn’t until he turned off the tap and looked up that he noticed the man beside him through the mirror. The man was also watching him. He had a refined, striking face with sharp features, the kind that made people fall for him at first sight. Wen Shang had once been one of them, completely fooled by that beautiful exterior.

“Hi.”

Hua You was the first to speak. He smiled and greeted him in Chinese with a slight English accent. “Long time no see.”

Wen Shang didn’t respond. His face remained cold. He brushed past Hua You like he didn’t exist, not even sparing him a glance.

Back at the booth, Mu Yuan sat cross-legged on the couch, absorbed in his game. As if sensing Wen Shang’s gaze, Mu Yuan looked up at the same time and blew him a teasing kiss in that typical Boss Mu way.

“This is the right person for me,” Wen Shang said to himself.

He walked over, took Mu Yuan’s hand, leaned close to his ear, and spoke over the noise of the club. “Let’s go home.”

Mu Yuan smiled and nodded. Going home. He liked the sound of that.