Even a straight guy like me...

By the time they left the veterinary hospital, it was completely dark.

Xinji really was sick. Song Yixiao hadn't lied.

Pei Yang might have said, "He's just a dog," but from the day they bought Xinji, he had loved and cared for him like his own child. Seeing him suffer so badly truly hurt.

The night breeze was a little chilly. Pei Yang was reading the medical report by the emergency light in the corridor when he suddenly felt warmth against his back. Song Yixiao had draped his jacket over Pei Yang's shoulders. "The weather's turning. Don't catch a cold."

Pei Yang shook the jacket straight onto the ground and stepped back, wishing he could put ten meters between them. "Song Yixiao, once Xinji's discharged, I'm taking him."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Xinji was... I paid for him, and I gave him his name," Song Yixiao said. "If you miss him, you can come home and see him anytime, but you can't take him away."

"Song Yixiao, Xinji is a living creature. If you had any humanity at all, you wouldn't use a dog."

"I have no humanity? If I had no humanity, I'd have thrown him in the trash. Why would I drag my exhausted ass to the hospital with him after working overtime at night?" Song Yixiao pushed back the hair over his forehead, planted his hands on his hips, and exhaled. "Yangyang, I admit I wanted to use Xinji to get back together with you, but isn't that ultimately because I love you?!"

Pei Yang didn't want to keep going around in circles with Song Yixiao. Xinji's vet had met him today. All he needed was a suitable opportunity to sneak Xinji away without Song Yixiao knowing.

"Song Yixiao, we're over." Pei Yang turned to leave.

"Yangyang!"

Song Yixiao picked up the jacket from the ground and threw it over Pei Yang's shoulders, gripping the collar so tightly that Pei Yang couldn't move. "Why can't you understand that I mean well? I only made one little mistake for your sake. It was a minor thing. Did you really have to blow it out of proportion and drag this fight out for so long?"

"A minor thing?" Pei Yang asked. "So I can sleep with whoever I want, too?"

"Don't you dare!" Those words instantly ignited Song Yixiao's anger. His expression twisted, his eyes glaring fiercely. "If you dare find someone else, I'll break both your legs and lock you up at home. Pei Yang, don't even think about it."

"Strict with everyone else, lenient with yourself. Figures." Pei Yang smiled. "Song Yixiao, there's actually something I never told you. The night you cheated, I also-"

"Ring, ring, ring-"

A shrill ringtone sounded from the pocket of Song Yixiao's jacket. Startled into silence, Pei Yang instinctively pulled out the phone.

"Work call." Song Yixiao took the phone with one hand while keeping a death grip on Pei Yang with the other, afraid he would run. "Hello? What is it?"

A man's voice came from the other end. "Boss, I've got a big job here. Haven't you been short on cash lately? Ask around for me, and we'll split the money fifty-fifty if it works out."

"Get to the point. I'm busy."

"Here's the deal. Some seriously rich big shot came to the club looking for a male look-alike. I sent you the photo on WeChat. Take a look and see if anyone in your circle resembles him. If we find someone, money's no object."

"How big a big shot? Going to all this trouble to find a look-" Song Yixiao switched to WeChat, swallowed the rest of the word, and froze.

The person in the photo was standing right in front of him.

"Man, who can imagine how rich people think? But the guy in the photo really is hot. Even a straight guy like me..."

"Shut up." Song Yixiao ended the call.

Pei Yang couldn't make out what the person on the other end was saying. He was focused on breaking free, his wrist already red from Song Yixiao's grip.

"Song Yixiao! Let go of me!"

"Pei Yang." With a cold expression, Song Yixiao turned the phone screen toward him. "This is you, isn't it?"

"?"

Pei Yang went still. His own selfie was on the screen. "Yes. So?"

"When did you take it?"

"What's it to you? Let go of me first!"

That casually taken photo had actually attracted a little attention in the first few days after it was posted, even bringing quite a few new followers to the company account. But being an influencer wasn't Pei Yang's main job, after all, and the phone used for the shoot had already been passed to the next team. He had thought the buzz had long since died down. How had Song Yixiao come across it now?

"Song Yixiao! If you don't let go, I'm calling the police!"

"Do you know this photo of you has been shared in the Northern Continent's male-model work groups? They're saying some big shot is looking for a look-alike of the person in it." Song Yixiao frowned, baffled. "Since when have you had connections with the Northern Continent's wealthy crowd?"

"...What?"

Pei Yang couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

A look-alike... of me?

"Who's looking? Where?" Pei Yang snatched Song Yixiao's phone. Just then, the underling who had sent the photo sent another voice message, along with the location of an upscale club.

Pei Yang played the message. "Boss, why'd you hang up on me? Just tell me whether you can do it. I know you know plenty of good-looking male escorts. If you find anyone, send them straight here."

"What nonsense. How could I possibly know any male... male escorts?" Guiltily, Song Yixiao tried to turn off the screen, but Pei Yang reacted quickly, raising his arm to keep the phone out of reach. With his other hand, he took the car keys from Song Yixiao's pocket.

"I'm borrowing your car."

"Hey-Yangyang!"

Pei Yang tossed Song Yixiao's phone behind him. Song Yixiao instinctively went to catch it, and Pei Yang seized the opening to jump into the Porsche and drive off.

The roads were clear the whole way, with hardly any red lights. Driving the luxury car, Pei Yang arrived at the club, and a valet immediately came over to knock on his window. "Sir, would you like me to park your car?"

"Find someone to take me inside." Pei Yang tossed the keys to the valet.

Pei Yang had never been anywhere like this. He relied entirely on Song Yixiao's car to pass for someone rich without revealing his unease. A server respectfully led him inside, and the glittering, lavish lobby felt unreal to him.

Who exactly was using his photo to find some look-alike? Pei Yang felt unsettled and a little repulsed. He had an inkling, but he didn't dare believe it.

Could Feng Wanting really be that impatient? He'd only slept with me last night, and tonight he was already at a club looking for male models-even... even ones who looked like me?

They reached an elevator. From the other end of the corridor came a shrill voice belonging to an effeminate man. "This one won't do. His nose is too big. I told you we wanted a fresh, innocent look with no makeup, and you put on this much? Take it off! Oh my god, and this one-how did you even come here looking like that? Who sent you? Do you bear any resemblance to the person in the photo?"

"..."

The elevator arrived, and the server held the button for Pei Yang. When he remained motionless, the server said patiently, "Sir, the elevator's here."

Pei Yang headed straight toward the voice.

"Excuse me, sir!" the server called after him. "That's the staff break area. Sir?"

Pei Yang ignored him and quickened his pace. The closer he got, the clearer the effeminate man's voice became. He seemed to have answered a call, and the harsh tone he had used to scold the others instantly turned obsequious. "Hello? Young Master Wei! Soon, we're doing our best to find someone. The person in your photo... it's really quite difficult. Yes, yes, give me another ten minutes."

Young Master Wei? Pei Yang frowned. Not Feng Wanting?

After hanging up, the man let out a long breath. A crowd of pretty boys stood before him, all looking miserable, their heads drooping.

Pei Yang was determined to meet this "Young Master Wei" who was using his photo to find a look-alike. After a moment's hesitation, he stepped out from behind the wall. Once everyone's eyes were on him, he asked, "Do you think I look like the person in the photo?"