【Chapter Five: Not Quite Lovers, Already Rivals】

Taipei’s summer night was unbearably hot; the fan in the alley behind the Red House squealed as if striking the opening gong for tonight’s absurd drama. A-Yao had just finished a two-person, four-handed session; his damp tank top clung to his body and sweat still hung at his temples. He walked into the lounge and saw Jason sitting on the sofa, licking an ice pop. “Why are you staring at me like that?” A-Yao frowned. Jason squinted and smiled, “Because you look good when you sweat, my ‘lover.’” A-Yao was taken aback, then smiled, “Who told you I’m your lover?” Jason set the ice pop down, came over, hooked a hand around A-Yao’s neck. “Do you forget how loud you were on my bed last night?” Their eyes met and the air heated instantly. A-Yao whispered, “Jason, don’t mess around…” Jason pressed his forehead to A-Yao’s and murmured, “I’m not messing— I miss you.” The words turned into a kiss: hot, urgent, laced with anger and possession. They had already been seeing each other in secret, from ambiguous messages to rolling into bed together; the relationship had crossed the line long ago, yet they still pretended cool indifference in the dark. But they both knew one person must never find out—Chen Yuanxing.

At the same time, Chen Yuanxing sat in his car, fingers clenched around his phone. The screen displayed a series of candid photos—A-Yao and Jason walking out of a shop shoulder to shoulder, buying beer together at a convenience store, secretly holding hands in a dark alley. He swiped to the last picture: Jason kissing A-Yao’s neck. His heart skipped a beat. Staring at the image, he murmured, “You think you can hide from me?” The next day, A-Yao received a call from his manager: “Mr. Chen booked you—tonight at ten, single-person service.” A-Yao froze. Jason, standing by the wall, heard every word; his tone was flat: “Are you going?” A-Yao answered too quickly, “He’s a client.” Even he could hear the unease and strain in his voice.

The suite’s air-conditioning was strong, but the atmosphere felt colder. Chen Yuanxing stood by the window; the moment A-Yao entered, he said bluntly, “Come with me. I’ll pay you double, take care of you—won’t let you live like this anymore.” A-Yao was stunned, his eyes flickering: “What did you say?” Chen stepped closer, his voice frighteningly earnest: “You can call it what you want—I want to keep you.” Silence filled the room like poured concrete. A-Yao suddenly laughed, a little cold. “You didn’t even dare hold my hand before, and now you want my whole life? Is this because Jason appeared?” Chen’s gaze shifted for a moment: “No. It’s because I know that if I don’t act now, I’ll really lose you.” He moved in, hugged A-Yao from behind with a grip that felt like trying to freeze time.

A-Yao closed his eyes, feeling that familiar yet foreign warmth, then slowly turned to face him, their noses nearly touching. “Do you know? Jason hugs me like this now, too.” The words drove a needle into Chen’s heart. That night nothing happened between them—only a silent war of possession and regret.

Back at the rented room, Jason was already sitting on the sofa waiting for him. “Where did you go?” he asked. A-Yao took off his jacket. “Picked up a regular,” he said. Jason’s expression darkened. “Was it him?” A-Yao said nothing. Jason stood up and grabbed him. “Do you still love him?” A-Yao remained silent. Jason’s eyes reddened. “I’m not pretending—I really love you, you know that, right?”

In that instant, something inside A-Yao cracked. He lowered his head and lightly hugged Jason, saying nothing—because he didn’t know which of them he truly wanted: the man who wouldn’t dare love him, or the one who, even if not loved back, was willing to stay by his side.

To be continued ......

--- Any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental ---