The Gloomy Overseas Student Rewards His Hubby With Some Thirst Traps - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Yu Yanshuang was so terrified he nearly dropped his phone.

For a split second, he actually thought he had been chatting with Sane—telling Sane to his face that he wanted to ride him.

It was horrifying!

Buzz.

The phone on the floor vibrated. Yu Yanshuang swallowed hard. Could it be that he’d been caught selling intel on Sane, and now the man himself had come to hunt him down?

He cautiously checked the screen. Sane had sent a photo of a Min-style dish—Sea Clams in Chicken Soup, a famous Fujian delicacy second only to Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Served in authentic, high-end blue-and-white porcelain, the soup looked incredibly fragrant, with a rich golden broth that instantly whetted the appetite.

Although Yu Yanshuang had recently secured $5,000, he was still living frugally. He wanted to save enough for tuition and living expenses so he could finally escape the Yu family’s control. He also needed to buy a computer and a translator; otherwise, he would eventually fail his classes and miss out on his degree—everything cost money.

As a result, Yu Yanshuang had eaten a cold sandwich again today. Looking at the delicious, steaming soup now, he realized his panic was just a “thief’s guilty conscience.”

Thank God it wasn’t that kind of “eating.” Not to mention eating it all, it would probably hurt like hell…

He blamed Sane for the fact that he was even thinking about such disgusting things.

Yu Yanshuang immediately replied to Sane: 【Why are you sending me this out of the blue? Of course I can eat it! How could a little bit of food make me cry from being too full? You underestimate me. Bring it to me right now.】

Sane replied quickly: 【Should I come pick you up? Come eat at my place.】

Yu Yanshuang was wary. It was already past 10:00 PM. If he went out now, he might end up having to stay the night. He had just been scared half to death; going out this late to a place where he couldn’t guarantee his safety was risky. Who knew if Sane was intentionally luring him out just to have him caught and forced to delete the photos?

Besides, he had plenty of photos on his phone already; he didn’t particularly want to see Sane again so soon.

Congratulating himself on his foresight, Yu Yanshuang messaged: 【No. Have it delivered. And remember, don’t come yourself. I don’t want to see you.】

However, after that message was sent, Sane didn’t reply.

Yu Yanshuang couldn’t help but wonder: Was I too harsh? Did I actually hurt his feelings?

If he put aside the fact that he was blackmailing him, Sane had been acting out of guilt. He had endured the discomfort of being kissed, pampered him with supercars, offered to take him for drives, posed for photos whenever asked, and now even offered to send food…

Still, it was very difficult for Yu Yanshuang to take the initiative to apologize. After a brief moment of guilt, he returned to the Discord group to “verify” himself. He told the “Big Boss” who paid $10,000 to enter the chat and prove he had received the photo.

The Big Boss was quite obedient. Following Yu Yanshuang’s instructions, he posted a 1/5th crop of the photo along with a screenshot of the $10,000 transfer. The group erupted in praise for “Blonde Beauty” again, begging for more photos—preferably at a slightly cheaper price.

Having gained enough emotional and financial validation from Discord, Yu Yanshuang turned off his phone with satisfaction. He happily calculated: if he could make $10,000 a day, how many days would it take to save up for tuition?

“What are you smiling at?” Garcia asked, coming out after washing up.

Yu Yanshuang asked curiously, “Why are you dressed so formally? Are you hungry? My treat—let’s get pizza.”

That photo of the soup had made him crave something hot. Sane was likely angry, so he definitely wouldn’t be sending food now.

Garcia nodded. “Sure! That’s rare—you’re actually willing to pay.”

“I have money!” Yu Yanshuang laughed enigmatically. Just as he was debating which pizza to order, there was a knock at the dorm door.

Since he was close to the door, he caught the aroma before he even opened it. He thought he was hallucinating from hunger—he could actually smell that soup!

He pulled the door open to find three attendants in suits and white gloves. They were carrying over a dozen food containers and offered professional smiles: “Hello, Mr. Sane asked us to deliver your meal.”

…

“My God… Yu, why is Sane so good to you?”

After drying his hair, Garcia immediately changed into a new outfit. He was currently taking selfies with the food and the attendants setting the table. As dish after fragrant dish was laid out, Garcia wouldn’t stop exclaiming, drawing several curious dorm-mates to peek into their room.

Yu Yanshuang awkwardly shut the door. He hadn’t expected Sane to actually send it. So he didn’t reply because he was sad… but even in his sadness, he still sent food.

Guilt gnawed at Yu Yanshuang for a long time. He opened his chat with Sane, typed “Thank you,” deleted it, and in the end, sent nothing.

He thought resentfully: I can’t go soft on Sane. Have I forgotten how privileged people like him are? If it weren’t for these wealthy and powerful people, I wouldn’t be in this mess!

Seeing Yu Yanshuang’s silent, brooding expression return, Garcia was puzzled. He said, “This restaurant is Michelin-level; they don’t even do deliveries unless the person is extremely powerful. Sane is really treating you well. Why are you so unhappy?”

Yu Yanshuang grew even angrier. Damn rich people! If poor people wanted to eat there, they had to wait in line for a reservation they might not even get.

He said stiffly, “It’s fine. Just eat. He owes me!”

Once the attendants finished setting up and offered to serve them, Yu Yanshuang gave them a small tip and asked them to leave. Garcia posted his photos to Instagram, saying excitedly, “Ah, perfect. I haven’t eaten in a day and a night. Chinese food is so good.”

Hearing his homeland praised, a small smile appeared on Yu Yanshuang’s face. “Let’s eat, then.”

After a while, Garcia checked his phone in surprise. “Rodney commented on my photo! He invited me to a yacht party—a one-week cruise around Europe!”

Yu Yanshuang was surprised too. “Looks like he really likes you. Didn’t you say he was getting bored?”

Garcia frowned. “That’s what I thought. You don’t know, he was so angry yesterday… and…” He stopped himself. “His ‘bedroom manners’ are terrible. I’ve wanted to end it with him for a long time. If it weren’t for wanting to get more money out of him…”

Garcia’s family wasn’t that well-off, and being an art major was expensive. He looked at Yu Yanshuang, equally puzzled. Usually, if Rodney had a target, he wouldn’t stop until he got them. Yet after one dinner, he had given up. Could it be… that Yu Yanshuang was actually Sane’s target?

But Sane didn’t like men. In fact, the Bass family’s hatred of homosexuality was famously terrifying. Yu Yanshuang was also straight, so it didn’t seem like that was the case. Sane’s actions were just very strange.

Garcia asked again, “Yu, you’re so close to Sane, and he’s never had anyone around him before—does he like guys or girls?”

Yu Yanshuang said without hesitation, “Girls, obviously. Why do you care? Aren’t you after money? Are we still going through with our plan?”

“Forget it. Rodney has probably given up on you. I’ll find another way to get some money and then end it. Going on a trip is fine; I can squeeze more money out of him there, hehe,” Garcia said happily.

Yu Yanshuang was happy too. He could also make a lot of money using Sane!

…

The next day in class, Yu Yanshuang noticed even more people staring at him than the day before. It felt like being back in high school. Like Sane, he was very used to being the center of attention.

Yesterday, he hadn’t been prepared. He hadn’t realized that just one dinner with Sane would result in a crowd of people coming to gawk at him during class, so he had worn old, dark clothes that didn’t show dirt easily. Today, he was prepared. He specifically wore a white shirt paired with a plaid vest—all LV, perfectly fitted to highlight his slender and upright figure.

He looked exquisite, like a precious Ragdoll cat walking into the classroom with its head held high. Today, he even sat in the first row. However, as he pulled out his notebook, he paused. Everyone around him was using a Mac! Dammit, this makes me look so poor!

Yu Yanshuang gripped his notebook, feigning pride as he began to preview the textbook, trying to memorize some vocabulary in advance. Although his major was East Asian Languages and Civilizations—covering China, Japan, and Korea—Yu Yanshuang was unfamiliar with much of the cultural background. He was terrible at the humanities, though he was quite good at the sciences.

This class was Sex and Gender in China. For a recent midterm assignment, Yu Yanshuang had received an F. The professor was strict and professional, bluntly telling him that his writing was “crap.” Yu Yanshuang hoped to perform better to see if he could negotiate a chance to resubmit. This time, he would definitely take it seriously.

The bell rang, and the professor began the lecture. Two specific terms were mentioned, and Yu Yanshuang immediately lost the thread. He took out his lagging phone to look them up, but by the time the page loaded, the professor had already moved on.

Yu Yanshuang frustratedly grabbed his hair. If only he had a translator! He’d have to buy one after class today; he reflexively checked the prices online.

Knock, knock.

Yu Yanshuang snapped out of it to find the professor standing in front of him, tapping on his desk. The professor said in an unfriendly tone: “Answer this question. In Chinese history, male-male intimacy among the literati was considered an elegant affair, with terms like ‘The Shared Peach’ or ‘The Cut Sleeve.’ In modern society, many individuals do not discriminate against homosexuality, yet the society as a whole is still permeated by a systemic ‘homophobic’ pressure. Why?” [1]

“I…”

Yu Yanshuang’s mind went blank. It was like a foreigner listening to an English test—he understood the individual words but couldn’t grasp the overall meaning. It sounded like the professor was saying homosexuality was good, but then it wasn’t?

Buzz.

The phone in his hand vibrated. Yu Yanshuang glanced at it and understood half the question. It vibrated again, and he understood the rest.

Like a timely rain, Sane had sent him a message. It was exactly the answer to the professor’s question, a mix of Chinese and English, perfectly bypassing the phone’s auto-truncate limit. As more texts came in, the scope of the answer was defined.

Yu Yanshuang understood the question now and, with the prompts, knew how to frame it. He answered slowly: “In China, the family is the basic unit of society. It’s not necessarily that individuals have a direct hatred for homosexuals; rather, it’s the fear of making things difficult for one’s parents and the burden of family responsibility that creates the ‘homophobic’ pressure to stay in the closet. This is different from the religious-based hatred found in the US. As for the fundamental root causes between the two, I believe I still need to learn more from you, Professor.” [2]

Despite the rare vocabulary, for which Sane had provided the pronunciations, Yu Yanshuang read a bit stiltedly. However, the professor’s expression softened, and he began to nod slowly.

The professor smiled slightly. “It seems you’ve been studying hard. Keep it up.”

Yu Yanshuang breathed a sigh of relief and reflexively hid his phone deeper under the desk. He couldn’t resist glancing back. He saw Sane immediately, sitting in the very last row. He was dressed casually today, looking youthful and sharp. His crisp jawline was tucked into the collar of a black windbreaker as he raised an eyebrow at Yu Yanshuang.

For a moment, Yu Yanshuang was stunned. Why had Sane come here? He had been so mean to him last night and hadn’t even thanked him…

Before long, Sane’s texts continued to pour in, each one explaining a difficult term the professor was currently using. When the bell finally rang, Yu Yanshuang felt a shadow loom over him. Before he could look up, he smelled the familiar scent of Sane’s clothes. He grabbed his bag and looked away awkwardly. “Why are you here?”

Someone walked past and called out, “Hi, Sane.”

Sane didn’t respond. He leaned down to take the backpack from Yu Yanshuang’s hand, his deep voice carrying a hint of happiness: “Let’s go. I’m taking you to eat something good, and I have some good news for you.”

Yu Yanshuang saw that Sane hadn’t even responded to the other person. That person would probably go back and tell everyone they’d greeted Sane and how “easygoing” he was. He was so busy complaining in his head about everyone’s tolerance for Sane that his bag was taken before he could react.

Sane’s expression cooled slightly. He reached out and placed his hand on Yu Yanshuang’s round head, turning him so he was facing Sane directly. “Look at me.”

Forced to stay still, Yu Yanshuang stared up at Sane, his vision filled only with the other man. His eyes widened, and just as he was about to get angry, Sane shook the backpack Yu Yanshuang had reflexively handed over and smiled. “I have your bag. It looks like you have to come with me.”

…

The Aston Martin drove past the red bricks and green vines of the school, past Rockefeller Chapel, and out of the gates toward a restaurant. In less than ten minutes, the car stopped steadily in front of an establishment. Yu Yanshuang looked up and asked suspiciously, “British food? Is it good?”

Wasn’t British food famously terrible?

Sane raised an eyebrow. “A friend recommended it. I heard it’s been modified for the Chinese palate. Give it a try.”

Such thoughtfulness made Yu Yanshuang feel even weirder. No matter how you modified British food, it was still British food. Why did this feel like a “Last Supper”? Sane’s attempts to please him were truly easy to get swept up in. Yu Yanshuang couldn’t help but think: If I had met Sane normally and become his friend without all this blackmail and fear, how nice would that have been?

The restaurant was a fusion of British and Chinese styles, creating a sense of absurd beauty. Looking at Sane across from him, Yu Yanshuang felt their entire relationship—from how they met to sitting peacefully at dinner—was also quite absurd.

Once in the private booth, Sane handed over the menu for him to look at. Yu Yanshuang glanced at Sane; he seemed busy replying to messages. Just as Yu Yanshuang looked back at the menu, Sane’s phone rang. He looked up again and realized it wasn’t the phone Sane was holding, but another one he pulled from his pocket.

Sane checked the screen, his expression becoming serious. He seemed urgent to take the call, leaving his other phone on the table—unlocked.

Yu Yanshuang stared at that phone. His muddled thoughts suddenly cleared. His heart pounded as he watched Sane’s back, praying he wouldn’t turn around.

Sane suddenly looked back and said, “Order the Cullen Skink for me.”

“Okay, go ahead,” Yu Yanshuang said with a stiff smile and a wave.

Click.

The moment the door closed, Yu Yanshuang snatched up Sane’s phone. Heavens, this is the perfect chance to find Sane’s little secrets! To think Sane could be this careless!

Hahaha, Sane! You finally slipped up! Yu Yanshuang was as excited as a tabloid reporter determined to dig up dirt.

The next second, his face turned pale.

Someone had messaged Sane: 【The photos you showed me are amateur work. There are clear traces of Photoshop, which can easily be used as proof that the images were faked. Don’t worry, I can handle the PR for you. There won’t be any negative scandals. Deal?】

So that’s it! That’s how it is!

All of Sane’s kindness was a front to lure him into a false sense of security! The “good news” was actually that he’d found a way to fix the problem. He’d brought him out to finally retaliate, hadn’t he? And he brought him for British food because he knew Yu Yanshuang wouldn’t be able to eat anyway—it didn’t matter if it tasted bad!

Yu Yanshuang quickly deleted the notification and put the phone back, not daring to look at anything else. He pressed his hands together. Thank the ancestors for looking out for me!

Yu Yanshuang immediately booked a room and realized there was a five-star hotel right next to the restaurant—$800! He wouldn’t even need a car; he just had to turn right out the door. He’d endure the cost! In this emergency, he couldn’t afford to be stingy.

It was as if the heavens were helping him; every second wasted was a risk that Sane would see the message. Since those other photos were “amateur,” he would take some real hardcore ones! He wasn’t the same clueless Yu Yanshuang from that first night!

About three minutes later, before the food even arrived, Sane returned from his call.

Yu Yanshuang looked at him with a smile. “Sane, I’ve booked a room. It’s time we took some new photos for fun.”

Sane’s smile faded, but his grey eyes betrayed an uncontainable joy. He nonchalantly tucked the phone from the table into his pocket. He feigned panic and asked, “So soon? What happened? Why not wait? You haven’t eaten yet.”

Yu Yanshuang knew exactly what Sane was doing! Trying to stall for time?

No way!

Yu Yanshuang leaned over the table and stood up, his tone brook no refusal and his voice cold: “Now. Immediately. Let’s go!”