The city lights came on as evening fell. The light rain that had started drizzling since dusk dampened September’s Beijing City. The neon sign of a bank flashed red, contrasting with the blue curtain wall lights of the CBD and blending into the rhythm of the windshield wipers.
People who had toiled all day surged like paramecium towards the warm, lit restaurants big and small. Customers came and went, and green beer bottles piled up like small mountains underneath the red tablecloths of the food stalls.
The noise couldn’t penetrate the hotel room’s thick curtains. Only the patter of rain and whisper of wind against the glass window created a dense rhythm.
The sound of water in the bathroom gradually subsided.
Lu Yang was sitting on the sofa playing a few rounds of Snake, but each time he couldn’t last more than half a minute before game over. His mind was clearly not on the game.
His brain was operating at high speed, recalling the knowledge points he had looked up on the computer back home.
“Lu Yang.”
The call came from inside the bathroom. The sound was muffled by a layer of frosted glass door, but it inexplicably sent a jolt through Lu Yang, electrifying half his body.
So much for composure.
He stood up. “What’s wrong?”
Xin Hexue said from inside the bathroom, “I forgot a towel. Get one for me.”
The frosted glass door opened at a thirty-degree angle, and Lu Yang hurriedly handed the towel over. In the movement, his fingers brushed against Xin Hexue’s hand.
The fingertips were damp, flushed red from the hot water.
Lu Yang’s pupils suddenly contracted. That brief touch alone made all the hairs on his body stand on end as if electrified. He returned to the sofa, feeling like his throat was parched with thirst.
Gulping down two glasses of water didn’t help.
With a soft creak, Xin Hexue emerged, gently drying his slightly damp hair ends with the towel.
Lu Yang looked around for a hairdryer. “Shouldn’t you dry your hair first?”
Before he could find the hairdryer, Xin Hexue reached out and hooked his collar. It was unclear whether Xin Hexue’s move had caught him off guard or he was just pretending, Lu Yang was pulled down with just that hook.
The light and shadows shifted as the weight of two bodies pressed down, causing the bed to sink into a concave curve, their breaths even pressing together.
Lu Yang propped himself up on his arms, but his pupils suddenly contracted, fixed intently on Xin Hexue without moving an inch.
A light colored, thin square packet was caught between his upper and lower lips, looking very erotic. In a daze, one might mistake it not for a condom, but for a brightly colored fruit of desire, tempting one to pluck it from the branch.
A slight smile revealed glimpses of snow-white teeth.
“What are you looking at?” Xin Hexue looked at the wooden head before him. “Kiss me.”
The square packet fell onto the pillow. He looped his hands behind Lu Yang’s neck, stretching his neck to demand a kiss like a snake demon.
Their breaths instantly melted together. Outside the window, the rain intensified, and the city was enveloped in a misty haze of moisture.
Lu Yang kissed fiercely, so fiercely that Xin Hexue regretted initiating it. Each time, it compressed his chest and invaded his air, as if trying to swallow him down his throat, using the kiss to confirm every gulp and swallow of lips and teeth.
By the time they pulled apart, Xin Hexue’s chest was already rising and falling as he readjusted his breathing. The corners of his eyes and brows were damp and glistening, and his eyelids lifted to reveal rippling waves of water. “Have you lost your tongue?”
Lu Yang was unusually taciturn. Crossing his arms, he swiftly pulled his shirt up and off.
Once the T-shirt was removed, it was as if his sincere heart had also been stripped bare, openly laid out for Xin Hexue’s judgment. He took Xin Hexue’s hand and pressed it directly against his own chest.
The surface heat was so intense it burned Xin Hexue’s palm, and his fingers instinctively curled slightly, only to be enveloped by Lu Yang’s large hand, their fingers interlocking as he guided it forcefully.
“This is the pectoral muscle.”
“Serratus anterior.”
“Rectus abdominis…”
A bare, scalding, youthful torso.
His gaze involuntarily followed the movement of his hand. Xin Hexue’s eyelashes trembled slightly. Lu Yang continued speaking as if he were a salesman. “Eight-pack.”
“I have abs.” Lu Yang said earnestly.
Xin Hexue’s fingers had already hooked onto his waistband. “So?”
Burning kisses of affection trailed downward from his forehead, imprinting over his thin eyelids, over the eyelashes he had carefully counted, and over the tip of his upturned nose.
“I prepared for a long time. Originally, it was only a six-pack.” Lu Yang’s voice was low. “It was to seduce you.”
At least he was honest.
“Hmm.” Xin Hexue lazily squeezed out the response from his chest.
Lu Yang gazed sincerely into his eyes. “So, are you feeling it? I think I’m a bit hard… it’s starting to hurt.”
He didn’t need to be that honest.
Xin Hexue couldn’t withstand it any longer and retreated in defeat, covering his slightly reddened eyes with the back of his hand. He bent his knee and pressed his foot against Lu Yang’s thigh…it was indeed taut and hard, like stepping on stone. He urged, “Hurry up.”
“No,” Lu Yang buried his head. “Your health isn’t good. I’ll take it slowly. Don’t be afraid, Ah Xue.”
……
Was it better to suffer quickly, or to be tormented slowly?
Xin Hexue lay on his back on the bed, his slender legs held up in a pair of strong arms. His mind, muddled as if by feverish paste, spun in dizzy circles, unable to settle the question. His mouth opened, only to release ragged, disordered breaths. “Ha…”
He couldn’t help but grab Lu Yang’s arm. The incessant, peculiar sensations were torturous, and Lu Yang, as if afraid of hurting him, moved with excessive caution.
“You… didn’t you eat?” Xin Hexue finally cursed, tears welling up from his flushed eye sockets and spilling over. “If you’re any slower…you can just pull out!”
Lu Yang’s movements paused, and his eyes darkened. In the next instant, before Xin Hexue could react, he plunged into him with wide, unrestrained strokes.
Perhaps his brute force struck a particular spot, Xin Hexue’s entire body trembled as if electrified. His legs convulsed and twitched, and a scream escaped from his throat. “Ah!”
Lu Yang immediately panicked. “What’s wrong? Is it your heart hurting again?”
He ignored the surging tide and moved forward to embrace Xin Hexue.
He was already mumbling incoherently and his face was covered in tears.
After a long time, his unfocused eyes slowly regained clarity. Xin Hexue turned his face to the side, the tip of his nose red, and bit out the words in an extremely soft voice: “It felt good.”
Lu Yang’s mind exploded with a roaring buzz, white light crackling and popping like celebratory fireworks.
…………
The taxi finally stopped outside a detached villa. At a glance, one could see the European-style red brick with pointed roofs and Roman columns.
The large wrought-iron gate with intricate carvings was firmly closed. Inside, the private garden was lush and green, with a small, clear pond.
The post-noon sun was intense when Xin Hexue made a phone call. Sure enough, a housekeeper came to open the gate for him. After entering, the housekeeper poured him a cup of tea. “Thank you, Auntie.”
Xin Hexue took in the interior decor and asked the housekeeper auntie, “Excuse me, where is Jiang Tongchen?”
The auntie said, “Second Young Master is taking an afternoon nap upstairs. I was just about to wake him. Please follow me to the study to wait, Mr. Xin. Second Young Master will be right over.”
Xin Hexue waited in the second-floor study for half an hour, but there was still no sign of Jiang Tongchen, the younger brother of his employer, Jiang Heguang.
The tutoring session was scheduled to start at one in the afternoon.
Xin Hexue had arrived ten minutes early, but now it was almost half past one.
It didn’t really matter, though. After all, Jiang Heguang initially told Xin Hexue that regardless of the situation, the tutoring duration would be calculated from one o’clock. It wasn’t Xin Hexue’s time being wasted, but the Jiang family’s money.
Finally, at half past one, the young master slowly arrived, pushed in a wheelchair by the housekeeper auntie.
Xin Hexue raised an eyebrow slightly, finally gaining a new understanding of this tutoring subject’s appearance.
Taken individually, Jiang Tongchen’s facial features were seventy to eighty percent similar to Jiang Heguang’s. However, unlike his dignified and elegant elder brother, the younger brother indeed matched his brother’s description: he looked completely unruly.
His silver-white hair showed no trace of its original black color, perhaps having recently received a root touch-up with dye, and ear piercings practically covered his ear cartilage. He had a frown, his sanbaiyan eyes full of impatience. His left lower leg was in a cast.
The housekeeper auntie wheeled Jiang Tongchen to the desk, apologized to Xin Hexue, and tried to persuade this second young master once more. Even as she left the study, her expression was one of lingering concern.
Jiang Tongchen twirled a pen, his mind elsewhere. “Let’s start.”
Xin Hexue glanced at the wall clock and explained succinctly, “The teaching time President Jiang and I agreed on is from one to three o’clock. Two lessons, forty-five minutes each, with a fifteen-minute break in between. However, since it’s already half past one now, we’ll skip the break between these two lessons in order to finish on time.”
Jiang Tongchen lifted his eyes, as if noticing someone was there for the first time, giving the tutor a sidelong glance.
Immediately, he became intrigued. Propping his chin, he interrupted Xin Hexue’s opening remarks. “I heard my brother recruited you from Peking University?”
“Mm.” Xin Hexue smiled slightly in response. “He told me his younger brother at home greatly admires the academic atmosphere at Peking University.”
It now seems that probably wasn’t the case.
Jiang Tongchen snorted, quickly grinding out a sentence through gritted teeth, “Using me as a cover.”
He said this very softly, in a volume only he could hear.
He interrupted Xin Hexue again. “But, why exactly did my brother choose you? How much salary is he paying you?”
“Perhaps it’s because I happened to be on stage the day President Jiang visited.” Xin Hexue remained calm, explaining without showing impatience. “Three hundred yuan per lesson.”
To avoid Jiang Tongchen from interrupting him again with any questions, he simply asked, “Do you have any other questions you’re curious about? Ask them all now. We’ll start the lesson right after.”
“There is.” Jiang Tongchen rested his chin on his hand, a smile of great interest spreading across his face. “With such a low baoyang fee(support fee in a sugar daddy relationship), you still agreed to go with him? Is it a poor family background, or are you in debt and really in need of money?”
Contrary to Jiang Tongchen’s expectations, this tutor didn’t get angry or upset. He just calmly deflected the question with a nonchalant air. “Since you’re so curious, why not ask your brother directly?”
When Xin Hexue wasn’t smiling, his brows and eyes appeared quite aloof. His hair was exceptionally dark and soft, yet his skin was so fair it seemed to be faintly glowing in the afternoon light by the window.
Jiang Tongchen stared fixedly at the side of his neck for a moment, feeling an increasing, intermittent itch in his canine teeth. He grinned broadly, looking pleased. “My brother gave you six hundred for two lessons?”
He pulled out a stack of red banknotes from his pocket, roughly a dozen or so at a glance. “I’m really curious about what makes you so special. How about this: six hundred to take off one piece of clothing. There’s about thirteen hundred here. I’ll get someone to bring you the remaining five hundred. What do you think of this deal?”
Eighteen hundred to be completely naked.
Jiang Tongchen raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t this much faster than working hard and talking to a brick wall for six lessons, right?”
Xin Hexue shook his head and sighed. “It seems the second young master has only spoken one truthful sentence this whole afternoon so far.”
“As for how this deal is, I’m not a businessperson, so I wouldn’t know.” He simply gathered his books, lamenting the time he had wasted preparing the lesson yesterday. “You can discuss whatever you have to say with President Jiang.”
Jiang Tongchen’s brow furrowed, his smile freezing. “What do you mean?”
Xin Hexue pointed to the landline phone that had remained off the hook on the table by the window. The ebony handset had a deep, somber hue, as if it had condensed the dark storm gathering on the horizon.
He picked up the receiver and said to Jiang Heguang, “If President Jiang has no other matters, I’ll be leaving now. The deposit paid in advance will be given to the housekeeper auntie.”
Jiang Heguang’s voice was steady. “I’m almost home. Please don’t leave just yet.”
…………
As soon as Jiang Heguang arrived home, he nodded and smiled at Xin Hexue before heading upstairs to the second floor.
It was unclear what the two brothers discussed.
Xin Hexue slowly enjoyed tea and pastries in the bright, open living room on the first floor. When he saw Jiang Heguang again, the man’s cufflinks were already undone, and he apologized to him. “My younger brother is very naughty. He was born just as our parents were extremely busy with work. Years of lax discipline led to him becoming like this. I, as his elder brother, am truly very sorry for the trouble he caused.”
Jiang Heguang was tall and well-built, speaking in an orderly manner. He also took out a gift bag, saying, “A small gift, just to express my apology.”
Xin Hexue didn’t even glance at it. “You’re too polite. It’s just a few words, they didn’t cause me any harm.”
“However, I’m afraid I can’t continue with the tutoring job. Student Jiang Tongchen has rather significant objections to me.” He said, glancing at the time.
With all this dawdling, it was almost four o’clock.
Jiang Heguang understood. “It’s not convenient to get a taxi here. Shall I drive you back to school?”
…………
When Xin Hexue sat in the passenger seat, Jiang Heguang called Jiang Tongchen out to see him off. This second young master now had both legs resting on the wheelchair in casts.
No wonder the family doctor came earlier…
Xin Hexue’s gaze was calm, devoid of any particular emotion.
“Tongchen has deeply recognized his narrow-mindedness. He wishes to apologize to you personally.” Jiang Heguang said with a slight smile.
Jiang Tongchen actually lowered his head and apologized quite earnestly, his attitude so sincere it seemed he might simply bow and roll right off his wheelchair.
Of course, if he really did that, Xin Hexue would accept the grand gesture without any hint of embarrassment.
Jiang Heguang walked around the front of the car, opened the driver’s door, and got in.
Soft music quietly flowed from the car stereo. Jiang Heguang’s gaze occasionally drifted towards the passenger seat. He made no attempt to hide it, so Xin Hexue quickly noticed.
“Does President Jiang have something he wants to say to me?”
Jiang Heguang smiled somewhat apologetically. “Although it’s a bit embarrassing to bring up, I still hope Student Xin will reconsider. Tongchen really needs a tutor. I’ll make him reflect more deeply on his mistakes today.”
“The rate per lesson will also be increased to five hundred.” Before Xin Hexue could speak, Jiang Heguang quickly added, “You don’t have to refuse me right away. Just give me an answer before next weekend.”
Having said that, he moved on from the topic and chatted warmly with Xin Hexue about everyday matters.
When getting out of the car, Jiang Heguang glanced in the rearview mirror and then remarked as if casually, “At such a youthful age, does Student Xin have a girlfriend yet?”
Xin Hexue’s gaze also subconsciously followed to the side mirror. A faint red mark on the side of his neck was peeking out from his collar. He adjusted his collar as he got out, taking the backpack Jiang Heguang handed him. “Thank you.”
Regardless of the Jiang brothers’ other qualities, Jiang Heguang at least seemed like a decent person.
Xin Hexue didn’t hear any love value notification, so he guessed he wasn’t a target character, and thus had no further thoughts on the matter.
On the way back, he stopped by the convenience store to buy water. While fetching change from his backpack, Xin Hexue discovered the gift bag that had been placed inside.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, forming crescent-like slits.
It seemed Jiang Heguang had calculated on meeting him again.
…………
In Xin Hexue’s mind, the Jiang brothers were certainly not important figures.
Only when he stepped into the dormitory did the chessboard begin to take its initial shape.
Another sudden downpour arrived in the evening, accompanied by the rumble of thunder as it fell to the ground. The light was dim, but the dorm room lights were off, presumably because the other roommates had gone to the cafeteria.
Xin Hexue turned on the light. Lin Oufei stared straight at him, his face gloomy, with dark circles under his eyes. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “Where were you last night? Why didn’t you come back all night?”
