RTCBM 55

Wen Shang had just stepped out of the shower when he saw his phone light up on the bed. The screen displayed a name“Little Sun,” a new contact name he had set for Mu Yuan. The corner of his lips lifted into a smile as he quickly tapped into the message.

Mu Yuan had sent him a photo of a cat-ear headband.

Little Sun:
A Zhi went to a costume party yesterday and brought this back.

Little Sun:
Wanna see me wear it?

Wen Shang:
Send a photo now.

Little Sun:
Sure, but you’ll need to send a red packet first. Two thousand.

Wen Shang:
…

Wen Shang:
That’s over the red packet limit.

Little Sun:
You can transfer it directly then.

Wen Shang: ….

Little Sun:
No money, no photo.

Wen Shang: …

He really did want to see Mu Yuan wearing that cat-ear headband, so he transferred him two thousand. Not long after, he received a photo of Mu Yuan’s back, wearing the cat ears.

Wen Shang:
Where’s the front view? Send me that one.

Little Sun:
You’ll have to pay for that too.

Wen Shang:
Didn’t I just transfer you money?

Little Sun:
That was for one photo. If you want the next one, you’ll have to pay again.

Tsk tsk… This brat loved coming up with these crooked schemes to squeeze money out of him. Wen Shang suddenly felt like he was getting hustled on a shady chat app, but he gave in and sent another two thousand anyway.

Each time Mu Yuan took a new photo, he demanded payment first. Wen Shang didn’t even know how many times he’d paid by now. He figured it was time to level things up a bit, and ask for some real benefits.

Wen Shang:
Quit just sitting there. Try some other poses.

Little Sun:
What kind of poses?

Wen Shang:
Sexy nudes.

Little Sun:
Sorry, your current balance isn’t enough to unlock more sexy content.

Damn it… This heartless little punk was totally scamming him!

Wen Shang:
I think you just like my money more than you like me.

Little Sun:
Ever thought about why don’t I like anyone else’s money? Why is it only yours I like?

Little Sun:
Come on, isn’t it obvious? I like you!

Wen Shang stared at the message on the screen and shook his head with a helpless smile.

Wen Shang:
Fine, I give up. You win.

He was just about to type something else to remind Mu Yuan to get some rest when a video call request popped up. Wen Shang tapped the green button to answer.

Mu Yuan appeared on screen, wearing the black cat-ear headband, tilting his head and waving at the camera with a goofy grin.

“Wifey, can you see me?”

Turns out the cat ears were battery-powered and actually twitched on top of his head. It was stupidly cute. Wen Shang secretly started recording the video and even took a few screenshots.

“Wifey, what time is it over there?”

“Noon. The exact opposite of China. Why aren’t you in bed yet?” Wen Shang said it casually, though deep down, he was happy to keep chatting and spend more time watching Mu Yuan being ridiculously cute in those cat ears.

“You’ve been such a good boy, tipping me so generously. This video call is your reward,” Mu Yuan chuckled. “When are you coming back from this trip?”

“Flight’s on Friday.”

“Great. I’ll wait for you. Don’t forget my souvenir.”

“Alright, that’s enough. I’ve got work to finish. Get some rest, okay?”

“Okay~”

But Mu Yuan was never one to sit still. As soon as he finished the video call, he changed his clothes to hit the bar.

Ever since being discharged from the hospital, he hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol. Now that his boyfriend was away on a business trip and no one was around to nag him, Mu Yuan figured it was the perfect chance to scratch that drinking itch.

“Someone bring me a dozen bottles of Chivas,” he called out to his boys.

A Zhi, Xiao Xing, and the others stayed seated, making no move.

“What are you all standing around for? Move it!” Mu Yuan urged.

“Boss, your stomach hasn’t been doing great,” A Zhi reminded him. “Didn’t sister-in-law tell you no drinking?”

Mu Yuan waved his hand carelessly. “Just a little won’t hurt. It’s not like he’ll find out anyway. Hurry up and bring the booze.”

But even after another push, no one moved.

“Forget it. I’ll get it myself.”

He had just stood up when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Seeing “Big Breats Wen” flash across the screen, Mu Yuan froze. Damn, didn’t I tell him I was going to bed? Why’s he calling?

Mu Yuan ignored the call. He thought he’d successfully dodged a bullet, until a message came in.

Big Breasts Wen: Consider this a legal warning.

Big Breasts Wen: Try drinking even a drop. Just wait till you get home.

Something wasn’t right. How did his man, all the way on the other side of the Pacific, know he was about to sneak a drink? Bugged phone?

It didn’t take long for Mu Yuan to realize the problem was his underlings.

Furious, he slammed the dice cup on the table and swept his gaze across the room. “Which one of you ratted me out? Speak now!”

No one owned up. They were all in on it. Before Wen Shang left, he had already warned everyone at the Sixth House. To him, Mu Yuan’s health mattered more than anything else. He could tolerate nonsense in other areas, but drinking was non-negotiable.

Wen Shang’s call came in again. Knowing there was no getting away, Mu Yuan had no choice but to pick up.

“You been drinking?”

Even across the ocean, Wen Shang’s cold tone made Mu Yuan break into a sweat. For once in his life, the great Mu Yuan was scared of his boyfriend.

“No way, I didn’t drink yet…”

Wen Shang’s voice softened a little. “It’s fine if you’re out having fun. I won’t stop you. But no drinking.”

“Not even a little?”

“No.” His tone left no room for discussion.

“…Fine.”

After hanging up, Mu Yuan glared at his snitching underlings in contempt. He left the table and sat by the bar alone, sipping a can of herbal tea.

A tall man came over and sat beside him. “Drinking herbal tea at a bar?”

The man was clearly trying to start a conversation. Mu Yuan lifted his eyes slightly and glanced over. He recognized the handsome face. Not long ago, he had seen him at Wen Shang’s company.

“My wife told me I’m not allowed to drink.”

Hua You couldn’t help but laugh. “You actually call him wife?”

Mu Yuan kept chewing his snack and eyed him with suspicion. “What I call him has nothing to do with you.”

Hua You still had that slight smile. “So, looks like you already know who I am.”

Mu Yuan didn’t deny it. “We’re not close. Why are you coming up to me out of nowhere?”

“This is a bar. Isn’t this the kind of place where people chat freely?” Hua You raised his glass of chilled whiskey, took a sip, and added, “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean anything else. I just felt like talking. Honestly, I’m kind of curious about you.”

“Curious about what?”

“I don’t know you, but from how you speak and act, it’s clear you and Wen Shang have completely different personalities. I was wondering how you two ended up together.”

“I told you already, we’re not close. I don’t need to explain anything to you.” Even if Wen Shang had cut ties with this guy completely, an ex was still an ex. Mu Yuan still saw him as a rival and wasn’t about to share anything.

Mu Yuan’s emotions were always written plainly on his face. Hua You didn’t mind and simply smiled. “Fair enough. I was being too forward. My bad.”

His phone rang on the table. Hua You glanced at the screen, picked it up, and walked away. About a minute later, he returned and gave a short goodbye. “Something came up. I’m heading out.”

After a moment’s thought, he added, “Thanks for the dessert last time.”

Mu Yuan stared at his retreating figure and muttered under his breath, “What the hell was that…”

“Wolfie.” Someone patted him on the shoulder. Hifi came around to face him, looking much more serious than usual. He pointed at the glass of whiskey Hua You had just been drinking and asked, “How do you know that guy?”

“He’s a model working with my wife’s company. Why?”

“That guy’s the one I told you about before. Sun Hai’s lover.”

“Fuck…” Mu Yuan looked like he’d just been hit with a bomb. After his initial shock, he immediately dove into gossip mode, eager to hear how the two met.

Two years ago, Hua You had come to China for a photoshoot. By chance, he met Sun Hai at a dinner. Sun Hai was instantly smitten and did everything he could to win him over. He showered him with lavish gifts, gave him endless attention, and even chased him overseas. Eventually, he got what he wanted, and they ended up together.

Since then, Hua You had been developing his career in China. To boost him, Sun Hai pulled every string he could, pouring all his resources into him. Anyone with eyes could see that Sun Hai was completely taken with this lover. It was a shock to many, given Sun Hai’s reputation as a notorious playboy who never stuck around. But after meeting Hua You, the man had somehow settled down.

One was a serial flirt. The other, someone who traded his body for fame. Scumbag plus scumbag. Was that love?

On the way back, Mu Yuan kept mulling over whether that equation could possibly hold true, until a voice shouting from the roadside cut through his thoughts.

“Massive clearance sale! Everything starts at ten yuan! Don’t miss out!”

Mu Yuan wandered over and squeezed into the crowd. The stall was packed with all kinds of cheap, flashy trinkets. He gave them a quick glance and was about to turn away when a small, delicately crafted tin box caught his eyes.

Inside was a silver ring. Its shape was unique — a lizard curled into a loop, its tail connected to its front claws. It was part of a pair. Next to it sat another identical tin box.

Mu Yuan picked up both boxes and tried the rings on. They fit nicely. He asked the vendor, “I’ll take both. How much for the pair?”

“That one’s twenty. Two for forty,” the vendor replied.

Mu Yuan was just about to take out his wallet, but paused when he heard the price. “Hold on. Didn’t you say everything here is ten yuan each? Why the sudden markup?”

“Handsome, you must’ve misheard. I said everything starts from ten yuan.”

“Ten for one. Sell me both for twenty,” Mu Yuan bargained.

The vendor shook his head. “No deal.”

“Tch. Fine, then.” Mu Yuan put the boxes back and walked away. He hadn’t gone more than ten meters before he turned around and came back, pestering the vendor again. “Boss, come on, cut me a deal. How about ten each?”

“If you sell them for ten, I’ll bring you more customers later. I’ve got a lot of buddies. Not lying.”

“Boss, just a little discount, please?”

“Come on, boss…”

The vendor was nearly driven mad. He couldn’t wait to get rid of him and waved his hand in surrender. “Alright, alright, you win. Just pay and go, don’t hold up my business.”

On the way home, Mu Yuan pulled out his phone and sent Wen Shang a message.

Xiao Mu Yu: Babe, I bought you a present. It’s super pretty.

Big Breasts Wen: What kind of present?

Xiao Mu Yu: Not telling. You’ll see when you’re back.

Satisfied, Mu Yuan put away his phone and walked home with the two rings tucked snugly in his pocket.

---

In the past, when Wen Shang was away on business, Nai Gai was the only one he truly worried about. But now, in addition to Nai Gai, he had two more reasons urging him to return home as soon as possible.

As soon as the plane landed safely, Wen Shang rushed to grab his luggage and headed straight home, eager to see his three treasures even one second sooner.

He had told Mu Yuan he would be returning to the country today, but he hadn’t said he had already landed. Wen Shang originally wanted to give Mu Yuan a surprise, but just as he was about to reach the front door, he suddenly remembered that Mu Yuan only had his house key. They weren’t living together, and Mu Yuan might not even be at home right now.

As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw the living room in more disarray than when he’d left. Comic books and magazines were scattered on the floor, half-eaten chips, beef jerky, soda, and other snacks were left on the coffee table, along with a laptop and a blanket on the couch. All these unmistakable traces of life told Wen Shang that his lover was probably right here in the house.

Just as he was about to head to the bedroom to check, a figure suddenly pounced on him from behind and covered his eyes. A familiar voice chuckled close to his ear, then playfully nipped at it. “Guess who I am?”

Wen Shang calmly pulled down the hands covering his glasses, swiftly turned around, and pulled his lover into his arms. He cupped his chin and kissed him, unable to wait any longer.

They had been apart for nearly half a month. Even a simple kiss was enough to make both of them lose control. Mu Yuan reached out and wrapped his arms around Wen Shang’s neck, holding him tightly and accepting his almost reckless, hungry kiss. In return, he responded with equal passion and wildness.

“Wifey… mm… I have a gift… for you…”

“We’ll look at it later,” Wen Shang said, sealing his lips once more.

Mu Yuan gently pushed him away. “No. You have to see it now.”

Wen Shang pulled him back in and lingered on those soft lips, kissing and tasting them for a long while before reluctantly letting go.

“Close your eyes,” Mu Yuan said, hiding both hands behind his back with a cheeky grin.

Wen Shang chuckled. “What are you up to now, acting all mysterious?”

“Don’t ask so much. Just close your eyes. Hurry up.” Mu Yuan urged him.

Wen Shang had no choice but to obey. He closed his eyes and felt his right hand was lifted. When he opened his eyes again, his middle finger had already been encircled by a silver ring shaped like a lizard, its head and tail forming a loop. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass window and landed on the lizard-shaped ring, turning its cool silver hue into a gleaming gold, making the tiny lizard at his fingertip seem especially lifelike.

Mu Yuan raised his own hand, showing off the matching ring he wore. He gave it a smug shake in front of Wen Shang, indicating they were a couple’s ring. “I looked it up online. They say unmarried people should wear rings on the right hand.” He pointed at the ring on Wen Shang’s middle finger. “It means you’re taken. So, wearing my ring means you’re mine now, hahahaha~”

Wen Shang’s eyes stayed on the ring, reluctant to look away. By nature, he wasn’t someone who wore his emotions on his face, but now, for once, he couldn’t help but smile in joy and excitement. This was his lover, the one who created romantic surprises for him, who confessed to him, who called him ‘wifey,’ who tried everything just to make him happy, who sang him love songs and gave him a ring, laying all his passion and love bare in front of him, without holding anything back.

Mu Yuan was truly wonderful in countless ways. Wen Shang used to hate him deeply. Now he liked him just as much.

“Wifey, let’s continue what we were doing earlier.” Mu Yuan pounced on Wen Shang like a hungry wolf, burying his face into the crook of his neck and nibbling away. Just as he was about to pull down his zipper, Wen Shang’s phone rang. It was an important client calling.

“Let me take this call. Wait for me a bit.” Wen Shang pressed his index finger to his lips, gesturing for silence.

But that “bit” ended up lasting from the afternoon all the way into the night.

It was already past ten. Mu Yuan was lying in bed, having read five or six comic books and played seven or eight rounds of mobile games. Wen Shang was still sitting like a statue in front of the computer, working without moving an inch.

Seeing he was still not done, Mu Yuan went to take a shower. When he came out, he deliberately changed into ultra-short shorts and the skimpiest tank top he had, strutting in front of Wen Shang.

Wen Shang didn’t even glance at him. His eyes remained fixed on the computer screen the entire time.

Mu Yuan let out a soft snort through his nose and climbed back into bed to continue his game. But his attention wasn’t really on the game. From time to time, he would glance over at Wen Shang, whether intentionally or not. Wen Shang had already finished working on his laptop and was now reviewing a stack of printed documents. At some point, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses had appeared on the bridge of his nose.

Mu Yuan was used to seeing Wen Shang’s usual appearance, and this was the first time he saw him wearing glasses. The pristine, well-fitted suit paired with the scholarly gold-rimmed frames made him look exactly like one of those cold, abstinent CEOs out of a novel.

This version of Wen Shang had a completely different charm. Just sitting there, not doing anything, was already enough to make Mu Yuan’s heart race. He couldn’t take his eyes off him, as if his gaze had been glued on with super glue.

Fuck this… Mu Yuan finally couldn’t take it anymore. He cursed under his breath, tossed his phone aside, jumped off the bed, and walked straight toward the desk.

“What are you looking at?” Mu Yuan asked with feigned curiosity as he leaned over to peek at the papers in Wen Shang’s hand. They were all written in French. He couldn’t understand a single word. “What kind of weird English is this? Why does it have those accent marks?”

“It’s French,” Wen Shang laughed and tapped Mu Yuan’s forehead. “I just love seeing you act like an uncultured little fool.”

Mu Yuan made a face at him and plopped down on Wen Shang’s thigh, wrapping an arm around his neck. “Hey, don’t you want it?”

Wen Shang raised an eyebrow and pretended not to get it. “Want what?” he asked, still looking down at his document.

This really ticked Mu Yuan off. He pouted in frustration and snatched the document right out of Wen Shang’s hands.

“I’ve been lying on the bed waiting for you all night, I was one step away from pulling my pants off. Isn’t my body more interesting than those squiggly characters on your papers?”

In truth, Wen Shang had finished all his work an hour ago. He just suddenly had the urge to test how much patience Mu Yuan actually had. That’s why he came up with the idea of sitting still and pretending to be busy.

Now that his goal had been achieved, there was no need to keep up the act. Wen Shang scooped Mu Yuan up and carried him to the bed to finally get things started.

“Wifey, I have one tiny request,” Mu Yuan said, kissing Wen Shang on the cheek.

“What is it?”

“Keep the glasses on. Don’t take them off.”

“You like how I look in glasses?” Wen Shang chuckled, kissing Mu Yuan again and again on his moving lips. He was waiting to be praised as handsome, maybe even irresistible, but the next thing Mu Yuan said was, “I want to know what it feels like to be fucked by a sexy gentleman with a shady edge.”

And Mu Yuan did get his wish. Wen Shang fucked him like a scholarly beast all night long.

They stayed up the whole night fooling around and didn’t rest until early morning. Wen Shang had only just laid down when, at seven o’clock, a call came in from Chris in Japan.

“What is it?” Wen Shang’s voice was thick with sleep and clearly irritated.

“Boss, something big happened…” Chris sounded a little panicked.

Not long ago, Chris had gone to Japan with the filming crew for a shoot. Yesterday was supposed to be the final day. After they wrapped up, everyone went out for a celebratory dinner. They were all supposed to return to the hotel afterward, but some of the male colleagues decided to check out a local brothel instead and split off from the group. Later, when those guys were ready to leave, they realized they didn’t have enough money and called Hua You to bring some over.

That was when things went south. The guys got into an argument with the staff over the bill and ended up offending some local gangsters who managed the area. A fight broke out. Hua You, who had only come to deliver money, ended up caught in the middle and got his face cut by shattered glass. A few of the other team members got beaten up too. Worse still, the gangsters seized all their photography equipment from the van and refused to return it.

Wen Shang was now much more awake than before. He asked Chris, “What’s the situation now?”

“We contacted the local police right away. They’ve filed the report, but there’s no telling when they’ll follow up.” Chris sounded anxious. “The equipment they seized contains all the footage we shot for this project. If we can’t get it back, we’re looking at tens of millions in investment down the drain. There’s also another serious issue.”

“What is it?”

“It’s Hua You. Right after the incident, we rushed him to the hospital and got the best doctor we could to stitch him up with cosmetic sutures. But the doctor said the cut on his face is pretty deep, and they can’t guarantee it won’t leave a scar. His agency has insurance for him, but this accident could still affect his entire career going forward.”

The situation didn’t look good. Wen Shang decided to take the earliest flight to Japan. Before hanging up, he told Chris, “Don’t put too much faith in the local police. There’s a chance they’re working with those gang members. Just in case, contact the embassy first. We’ll talk more once I arrive.”

While Wen Shang was changing clothes, Mu Yuan was still sound asleep in bed. He didn’t plan to wake him. Quietly walking to the bedside, he leaned down and kissed Mu Yuan gently on the forehead.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, his wrist was suddenly grabbed. His sleepy lover had reached out from the bed. “Off to work this early?” Mu Yuan yawned and stretched.

“Not work. A business trip.”

“Another trip?” Mu Yuan rubbed his drowsy eyes. “Where to this time?”

“Japan,” Wen Shang replied, then added, “Tsuchiura.”

Hearing that name, Mu Yuan instantly became curious and pressed further. “What are you going there for?”

Wen Shang paused, then decided to tell him the whole story.

“That’s the situation. Some members of the production team accidentally crossed a local gang, so I have to go in person to get a clear understanding. If needed, I might have to negotiate with them.”

Mu Yuan was fully awake now. He remembered that the red-light district in Tsuchiura’s Sakura-machi area was under the control of the Ushijima-gumi. As the largest gang in the Kanto region, the Ushijima group wasn’t exactly known for being easy to deal with. If things really escalated to the point of involving the embassy, it could become even more complicated.

Mu Yuan quickly threw off the blanket and jumped out of bed to get dressed. “I’ll go with you. I have a friend over there who might be able to help, and I can speak Japanese, so it’ll be much easier to handle things.”

“You have a visa?” Wen Shang asked.

“Yeah, I got one recently. But my passport is at my place, so I need to go back and get it.” Mu Yuan had originally planned to visit Japan in a few weeks to catch up with LongZe, which was why he’d applied for the visa. He hadn’t expected it would come in handy so soon.

The two of them acted right away. Before leaving, Wen Shang entrusted Nai Gai and Yuyuan to Xiang Yang for safekeeping, then boarded the next available flight to Japan with Mu Yuan.