Tan Yi'an had been his college roommate and had gone abroad for further studies after graduation. Shan Ye, meanwhile, had secured a recommendation for graduate school in China and stayed to work there afterward. They got along well, came from similar backgrounds, and, more importantly, were both gay.
When Tan Yi'an first learned about Shan Ye's sexuality, he had even pursued him, saying he wanted to date him. Shan Ye had rejected him outright for a simple reason: he wasn't going to be the bottom. Position was secondary, though. More importantly, Tan Yi'an wasn't his type.
As they spent more time together, they became good friends. Gay men always had plenty in common.
Tan Yi'an asked casually, "Why have you been going to that café so much lately?"
"How do you know?"
"Your Moments feed. Posting every time you have a coffee? I reckon you've got your eye on the owner," Tan Yi'an teased.
Shan Ye smiled. "You're pretty sharp."
Tan Yi'an stared in surprise. He had only been joking. "He's the guy you mentioned?"
Shan Ye propped his head on one hand. "Is that a problem?"
"What does he look like? A pretty young thing with fair skin?"
Shan Ye smiled. That description hardly fit his Boss Fan. Fan Jin had a presence all his own.
When he didn't answer, Tan Yi'an said, "I'll have to go take a look sometime. See what someone who catches your eye looks like."
Tan Yi'an drove him to the school gates. As Shan Ye got out, he called, "Don't forget tonight. I'll pick you up."
Shan Ye glanced back at him. "Got it."
Shan Ye took his coffee back to the office to review the lessons he would teach that afternoon. He became so absorbed in his computer that he didn't notice someone had texted him.
He only checked his phone shortly before class. There was a text from an unfamiliar number-Are you free tonight?
Shan Ye frowned. Which blind date was this now? He got plenty of unwanted texts like these. They were either people trying to date him or insurance and real estate agents.
Just another nuisance text.
Shan Ye didn't reply. Instead, he blocked the number and picked up his textbook, ready to head to class.
But then he discovered his flash drive was missing. He searched for ages without finding it.
He checked the time. There were only a few minutes left before class. Never mind-he could connect his laptop to the projector. It wasn't as convenient as a flash drive, but it would work.
Shan Ye spent all four periods bent over as he lectured because he had to keep advancing the PowerPoint slides.
By the time class ended, he was exhausted.
Tan Yi'an texted him to say he was already waiting at the school gates.
Shan Ye packed up. As soon as he stepped outside the gates, he saw the gray supercar parked ostentatiously by the entrance. Students along the roadside were openly taking pictures and whispering about it.
Shan Ye frowned. He didn't even want to get in. The moment he did, he complained, "Could you be a little more low-key? I'm a teacher. Think how this makes me look."
"Oh, come on, how does it make you look? It's not even a fancy car," Tan Yi'an disagreed.
Shan Ye couldn't be bothered to argue. If a four-million-yuan car didn't count as fancy to him, there was nothing left to say.
Night spread across the sky, and headlights flickered in the darkness.
The supercar finally stopped outside a bar. It had only recently opened, had few customers, and was fairly low-key. Shan Ye had no idea how Tan Yi'an had found it.
Shan Ye thought nothing more of it and followed him inside. There really weren't many people, which suited him. As a teacher, he sometimes worried about running into his students when he went somewhere crowded for fun. It could affect his reputation to some extent, so he tried to choose quieter places when he went out.
Tan Yi'an found a booth and said to Shan Ye, "Have a few drinks tonight. I finally made it back to China."
"I've got classes tomorrow."
"I don't care. You're drinking."
Shan Ye ignored him and settled into the booth to play on his phone.
Tan Yi'an snatched his phone away. "Hey, quit playing. Someone's coming."
Before Shan Ye could say anything, a scantily clad young man suddenly sat in his lap, wearing shorts with his waist exposed. Shan Ye jolted in alarm and pushed him away.
The young man pouted at him in disappointment. Shan Ye turned to Tan Yi'an, looking stunned. "This is a gay bar?"
Tan Yi'an laughed at Shan Ye's reaction for a good while, then raised an eyebrow. "We're both gay. Where else would we go?"
Shan Ye drew a breath. That was fair enough, but he never went to gay bars. Partly because of his job, and partly because he felt they attracted all sorts of people, which he didn't like.
Even when he went to a bar, he only drank. He never picked up men there.
When the young man heard Tan Yi'an say they were both gay, he pressed close again and said coyly, "Come on, handsome. Just have a drink with me. Nothing else."
Tan Yi'an was more easygoing. Since he was here, he might as well enjoy himself, and he soon had a young model wearing bunny ears in his arms.
Shan Ye glanced at them, unable to describe how he felt. It wasn't exactly that he was putting on an act of restraint. He liked men, sure, but that didn't mean he liked every man. He liked men who were clean-cut, comfortable to be around, steady in temperament, and made him feel safe.
Men like Fan Jin.
He glanced again at the heavily made-up young man beside him. He really wasn't interested.
The young man felt Shan Ye's muscles, then looked at his exceptionally fair, clear face and liked what he saw very much. He knew a thing or two about pleasing people, too. He hooked his manicured fingertips beneath Shan Ye's chin and held a glass in his other hand, bringing it to Shan Ye's lips.
Shan Ye caught his wrist, intending to move it away, but in that instant he noticed someone watching him a short distance away.
His eyesight was excellent, and his instincts hadn't been wrong. Less than ten meters away, a tall man stood by the entrance, looking around.
Wasn't that Boss Fan?
Shan Ye sprang to his feet in alarm. Seeing him at this time, in this place, made him instinctively want to flee.
In a flash, Shan Ye bolted. He couldn't let Boss Fan find out he had come to a gay bar-with a young man beside him, no less.
He wasn't sure whether Fan Jin had seen him, but he had gotten a clear look. That was definitely Fan Jin.
Without a word, he ran into a hallway.
By the time Tan Yi'an reacted, Shan Ye was already gone. He shouted in the direction Shan Ye had run, "Shan Ye! Shan Ye, why are you running?"
Shan Ye leaned against the wall, his heart still racing, when he heard Tan Yi'an calling him. Shut the hell up, Tan Yi'an. Do you have a death wish?
He texted Tan Yi'an, "Stop fucking shouting."
Tan Yi'an replied quickly, "Where did you go?"
Shan Ye: "Don't ask."
Shan Ye pressed a hand over his heart. His pulse had to be at least a hundred and sixty right now. He had no idea why Fan Jin would come to a place like this. Could he be gay too?
He didn't have the mental capacity to think about that now. Leaning against the wall, he took a pack of Marlboros from his pocket, shook out a cigarette, and lowered his head to light it.
He held the cigarette between his fingers and took a drag. Through the curling smoke, he couldn't resist glancing outside to see whether Fan Jin was still there.
Figures milled around outside the hallway, and the music shook the walls. He poked half his head out and narrowed his eyes, scanning toward the entrance.
No one.
He breathed a sigh of relief and took another drag. Just as he was about to duck back, his vision suddenly darkened.
At some point, a figure had stepped in front of him, enveloping him completely in shadow.
Shan Ye looked up.
Fan Jin stood right in front of him, looking down at him without expression.
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