【Chapter Five: Not Quite Lovers, Already Full of Rivals (continued)】

A-Yao thought that after that night, things would slowly fade between them, like most clients — a brief encounter, a silent exit.
But he didn't expect Chen Yuanxing's offensive was only just beginning.

The next morning, before he even got out of bed, his phone rang. His manager texted: "Both your afternoon shifts are canceled today. A client booked out your time and wants to take you out to dinner. It's Mr. Chen."

A-Yao frowned. Before he could reply, the doorbell rang. A courier downstairs delivered a silver paper bag. He opened it and found a brand-new iPhone, already fitted with a case and screen protector. Inside the box lay a small note——
"Change your phone. Your old screen is cracked. I'll pick you up for dinner." — Chen"

He intended to stuff the phone back into the bag and return it, but he didn't have the strength. He leaned against the wall and stared at the note for a long time, until Jason came out of the bathroom, saw the box on the table and said, his tone slightly dark, "Him again?"

A-Yao didn't answer; he just pushed the box further into the drawer.

At six that evening, Chen Yuanxing arrived on time to pick him up. A black Mercedes waited at the alley by the red building. When the door opened, the scent inside the car mixed with the air-conditioning, giving an unreal sense of distance.

"You're dressed too casually." Chen glanced at his oversized T-shirt and jeans. "Next time, I'll get you a shirt."

They went to a high-end omakase Japanese restaurant in Dazhi. Only three tables were occupied in the whole place; the chef served personally, and the quiet was such that you could hear breathing.

A-Yao sat opposite him, holding a hot towel, his knuckles unconsciously tightening. This world was so far from the life he normally lived.

Chen looked at him and said gently, "You should get used to places like this. I'll make you used to them slowly."

"You bought out my two shifts just for this dinner?"

"This is only the beginning." He handed over a glass of plum wine. "I want to make up for the things I was too afraid to give you before."

"Didn't you say you couldn't love me?"

"I'm done pretending." Chen's voice dropped, honest and tired. "I know you have someone else now, but I still want to try. Even if it's late, I want to lose willingly."

After saying that, he reached out and gently closed his fingers around A-Yao's fingertips. The touch wasn't strong, but it felt like a spark on the skin.

A-Yao meant to pull away, but that momentary flutter betrayed him.

After dinner, on the way back, the car's interior lights were dim, and the atmosphere was so ambiguous it was hard to breathe. A-Yao leaned against the window, still holding the new phone, and couldn't help but ask, "Do you think money can buy everything?"

"No." Chen's voice was barely a whisper. "But I can only love you in the ways I know how."

The car stopped beneath A-Yao's building. Just as he was about to get out, Chen suddenly grabbed his wrist. A question caught in his throat: "You and Jason… do you love him?"

A-Yao froze; a struggle crossed his eyes. After several seconds, he answered quietly, "I don't know."

That answer was more hurtful than saying "no."

Back in the apartment, Jason sat on the edge of the bed and watched A-Yao come in, his tone impatient: "Where were you so long? I waited for you to eat."

A-Yao took off his jacket without speaking.

Jason stepped closer, smelled the perfume lingering on him, and yanked him, "Did he touch you?"

"No." A-Yao replied coldly.

"But you let him give you things, take you out to dinner, and you didn't refuse?"

"Did I refuse you?" A-Yao countered, his eyes showing exhaustion.

Jason kissed him fiercely, one hand pressing the back of his head, the other grabbing his waist. "If you let him touch you again, I'll take you back from him right in front of him."

The atmosphere heated up; they tangled on the sofa, gasping, clothes disordered——

It wasn't love. It was desire, possession, jealousy, a farce, and a bottomless descent.

Near dawn, A-Yao lay on the bed staring at the ceiling while Jason slept holding him. His phone screen lit up with a message:

"I'll pick you up again tomorrow night. This time, I've booked you for the entire evening." — Chen

A-Yao looked at the message and didn't reply. He simply turned off the screen and tucked the phone under his pillow.

He knew this game had only just begun.

To be continued ......
--- Any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental ---