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Join the ServerJiang Yu’s eyes fluttered half-open, his gaze unfocused and clouded with mist. Instinctively, he struggled against the discomfort, but he had no strength.
Li Xiao pinched his chin, shoved the pill in, and forced a few mouthfuls of water down his throat.
Jiang Yu choked, coughing, water spilling from the corner of his mouth.
Li Xiao grabbed a tissue, wiped him roughly, then laid him flat and went to the bathroom to wring out a cold towel, placing it on his forehead.
After that, he sat by the bed and watched for a few minutes.
Jiang Yu’s breathing seemed to steady slightly, but the fever hadn’t broken.
Li Xiao lay down again, not falling asleep immediately. He sensed the heavy, scorching breath beside him, eyes open in the dimness, lost in thought.
Later, drowsiness overwhelmed him, and he drifted off again.
****
Jiang Yu woke first.
He was roused by a pounding headache and aching muscles.
His eyelids were heavy as lead. With effort, he forced them open, first seeing an unfamiliar ceiling and a sleek chandelier he’d never seen before.
Memory crashed back.
Everything from last night—the pressure in the alley, the silence in the car, the steam in the bathroom, and on the bed… sharp pain and overwhelming shame seized his heart, churning his stomach.
He turned his neck stiffly, with excruciating slowness.
Li Xiao lay beside him on his side, still asleep.
Asleep, the man lacked that oppressive aggression, but his chiseled, handsome features still commanded attention.
The blanket only covered his waist and abdomen; his bathrobe hung open, revealing broad shoulders and a solid chest.
Jiang Yu moved inch by inch, cautiously trying to slip out from under the covers.
Every tiny motion pulled at the pain in places he couldn’t name and his limp muscles. Cold sweat instantly soaked his temples.
He clenched his jaw, refusing to make a sound.
When his feet touched the cold floor, he swayed and nearly fell, catching himself on the bedframe.
His head throbbed, his body alternating between chills and heat. He knew he had a fever.
Jiang Yu scanned the room and found his hoodie and pants on the sofa, where Li Xiao had brought them from the bathroom.
Holding his breath, he dressed with trembling fingers, moving as slowly as possible.
Each sleeve he put on, each inch he pulled up his pants, felt like torture.
Once dressed, he shuffled step by step toward the door.
The stairs were agonizing. By the time he reached the first floor, his back was drenched in sweat.
The living room was silent, lit only by the gray morning light filtering through the windows.
Jiang Yu found his shoes, shoved them on, and pushed open the villa’s front door. The cool morning air rushed in, making him shiver.
He walked out without looking back, retracing the path from last night, dragging his feverish, weak body quickly away from the upscale neighborhood.
Every step sent a sharp sting through him, a reminder of what had happened.
He had sold his dignity for twenty thousand yuan.
His stomach was empty, but he felt sick enough to vomit.
Jiang Yu braced himself against a tree by the road, dry-heaving a few times. Nothing came up, only tears blurring his vision.
He hailed the earliest taxi and gave the address of his rented old apartment.
Leaning against the window, watching the city awaken and blur past, he felt a chill seeping from his bones.
By the time he got home, it was already bright.
He unlocked the door and slipped inside silently.
The living room was quiet; his sister Jiang Qing’s door was closed—she should still be asleep.
Jiang Yu collapsed onto the creaky old sofa in the small living room, pulled a thin blanket over himself, and curled up.
Fatigue and the fever-induced dizziness finally overwhelmed him. His last thought before sinking into darkness was: ‘I have to deliver food this afternoon… and go to the bar tonight.’
The alarm would go off at noon sharp.
****
Li Xiao slept until after ten in the morning.
When he woke, the space beside him was empty.
He reached out and touched the spot—it was cold.
He was the only one left in the room. The only traces of the other person’s presence last night seemed to be the unfinished glass of water on the nightstand and a faint, alien scent in the air.
He sat up, surveyed the empty bedroom, and glanced at the closed bathroom door.
“Jiang Yu?”
Li Xiao called out.
No response.
He got out of bed, pushed open the bathroom door—empty. He checked the neighboring rooms—nothing.
Downstairs, he searched the living room, kitchen, even the guest room.
Gone.
Without even a word, while he was still asleep, he had sneaked away.
Li Xiao stood in the middle of the spacious, cold living room, slowly narrowing his eyes.
So, what was last night?
A transaction he reluctantly went through, purely for money?
Now that the debt was paid, did he think it was settled and walk away without a second thought?
He remembered Jiang Yu’s icy fingers gripping his wrist in the alley, the gray hopelessness in his eyes when he nodded, the way he trembled in bed, the scorching temperature in the middle of the night, and his fragile appearance as he downed the medicine.
Li Xiao walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, staring at the neatly trimmed lawn outside.
He had slept with many people—men, women, beautiful ones, willing ones—but someone like Jiang Yu… so conflicted, so uncomfortable, and then slipping away with a fever was the first.
Li Xiao curled his lip, picked up his phone, and dialed Gu Ran’s number.
– Hey, Li Xiao.
Gu Ran’s voice was slurred with sleep.
– The bartender from Lost Paradise, the one you mentioned the other day.
Li Xiao’s tone was flat, emotionless.
– What time does he usually work?
– Evenings. Bartenders at that bar usually start at 8:30 and finish around 4 AM. What’s up? Really got your eye on him?
Gu Ran perked up.
– Give me his contact.
Li Xiao didn’t answer, directly demanding.
– Whoa, serious? I’m warning you, that kid looks soft but has a backbone. Not easy to handle.
– Cut the crap. Send it.
After hanging up, half a minute later, a text came through with a phone number.
Li Xiao saved the number but didn’t call immediately.
He walked to the kitchen island, poured himself a glass of ice water, and downed it in one gulp.
The glass clinked against the marble counter.
Li Xiao suddenly felt that this impulsive transaction wasn’t boring him yet.
That Jiang Yu, who trembled in fear, passed out from pain, yet gritted his teeth and stayed silent… was very interesting.
Run?
Li Xiao looked at the new contact on his phone screen, raised an eyebrow, and a sly smile curled his lips.
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OK but when the ML likes it that his sex partner literally passed out from pain he is a sadistic douche bag. Like right after he said not to worry he was good at it and would make him enjoy it. This guy is such a loser.