Your boyfriend is great. He's mine now. - Chapter 1

By the flower shop on the side of the road, a third man walked past. He was of medium build, wearing a black baseball cap with a camera hanging around his neck.

Shen Xubai spared him a second glance. For the past few years, he would pause for a few moments whenever he saw someone carrying a camera.

He was certain: someone had been stalking him for seven years.

“Stop being angry.”

Shen Xubai withdrew his gaze and looked at the person in front of him.

Xiao Yu was his boyfriend. A month ago, they had gotten into an argument. He didn’t quite remember the specific reason, but it was just the usual things.

“I was just angry last time and said things that were too harsh. It was my fault, and I apologize.”

Last time…

 “No one can stand you like this; you aren’t normal at all.”   “Shen Xubai, you’re sick.”

Shen Xubai lowered his eyelids, his cold, clear eyes devoid of much emotion. He gave a simple “Mhm,” considering the matter settled.

Xiao Yu looked smug. Sure enough, as long as I apologize, Shen Xubai will forgive me.

“Eat more. Have you not been eating properly lately? You look like you’ve lost weight again.”

Shen Xubai didn’t speak. They had been in a cold war for a month, not a single message or phone call between them. But since Xiao Yu had come today to reconcile, Shen Xubai gave him face and took a few extra bites, even though he had no appetite.

Ding-dong.

Xiao Yu’s phone, lying on the table, chimed.

Shen Xubai subconsciously glanced at it. He saw Xiao Yu flip the phone face down on the table and say casually, “Just work stuff.”

“If you’re busy, you can go ahead and handle it.”

Although Shen Xubai’s lashes weren’t thick, they were very long, and the eyes hidden beneath their shadow were as calm as still water. Xiao Yu both loved this look and hated it at the same time.

“I specially took the time to have dinner with you tonight. Everything else can be put aside.”

After saying this, he gripped Shen Xubai’s fingers and smiled suggestively. “You’re already chasing me away? We haven’t seen each other in a month don’t you miss me?”

Shen Xubai paused, retracted his fingers, and a flicker of unease appeared on his face.

Xiao Yu chuckled, feeling quite pleased. We’ve been dating for three years, and he’s still this shy.

Shen Xubai rented an apartment in a residential complex called “Starry.” It was a twenty-minute drive from his workplace neither too close nor too far and he was quite satisfied with it.

But Xiao Yu hated it.

“Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to move in with me? It’s closer to your office. Why insist on staying here and suffering? You really like making life hard for yourself.” “Look at this elevator; it’s old and cramped. It’s filthy. How can you stand it?” “And it’s not even a private entrance; you have zero privacy.”

Shen Xubai interrupted his rambling. “If you’re so dissatisfied, you can go back.”

Xiao Yu instantly fell silent. He followed behind Shen Xubai with a look of extreme annoyance, waiting for him to input the passcode.

Then came the routine: changing shoes, washing hands, spraying alcohol all done in one fluid motion.

Xiao Yu had been enduring it for too long. If not for the required ritual to enter Shen Xubai’s home, he would have pinned him against the door and kissed him long ago.

Shen Xubai, with great foresight, pushed him away and frowned. “Go take a shower first.”

“I showered before I left.”

“It’s dirty outside; there are a lot of bacteria.”

Xiao Yu admitted defeat, already losing interest. “Fine, fine, I get it.”

Shen Xubai flattened the living room sofa into a single bed and took out the spare quilt and pillow. Only after finishing all this did he breathe a subtle sigh of relief.

Xiao Yu took a quick shower and circled the bedroom, finding no traces of anyone else. However, he did notice the flower-shaped lamp on the bedside table. Press one, and it emitted a warm, yellow light.

Stupid lamp. You’ve been here longer than I have. I really want to throw you away.

He was tempted several times to destroy it, but he managed to restrain himself.

The phone chimed again.

Xiao Yu picked it up, expecting something. It was a photo of a naked body: vermilion lips, a white substance on the tongue, and eyes brimming with seduction. The person had covered their entire body in cream, posing as a delicious little cake.

Xiao Yu took one look and nodded in acknowledgment. He felt a restless urge to rush into the bathroom and pin Shen Xubai against the wall.

But when Shen Xubai walked out, Xiao Yu felt his interest waning again.

Shen Xubai was thin but not scrawny. Usually, he was always dressed in a shirt and trousers, with the top button fastened, revealing only a slender neck and a cold, aloof face it was abstinent to the point of being suffocating. Even during the day, his pajamas were short sleeves and long pants, appearing far too conservative and lacking any charm.

Between an “old popsicle” and a “little cake,” the choice was obvious. Furthermore…

Xiao Yu changed his clothes while saying, “Something came up at the company. My dad wants me to go back now.”

Shen Xubai was stunned for a second, then nodded. “Then call the driver to pick you up. You drank alcohol tonight, don’t drive.”

This show of concern made Xiao Yu feel quite satisfied. He stepped forward, placed a shallow kiss on the corner of Shen Xubai’s mouth, and said softly, “Then I’m leaving. Get some rest.”

“Mhm.”

In the bar, amber whiskey swirled in crystal glasses, mixed with the fragrance of ambiguous perfumes and a faint heat of sweat. Secretive sounds drifted about, carrying an intoxicating aura that turned the entire space into a trap of desire.

Inside a gilded private room at the end of the corridor, men were tangled together.

The luxurious aura surged wildly. Even through the heavy door, one could hear high-pitched cries.

The phone suddenly chimed.

Xiao Yu stopped his movements, unlocked the screen, and tapped on the message.

[Xiaobai]: Forgot to tell you just now, I’m going on a business trip tomorrow, expected to last two to three days.

Lin Jinghe, who was right in the middle of things, hooked his legs around him and cried out aggrievedly, “Brother Xiao, I’m still right here. Don’t be distracted.”

Xiao Yu threw the phone aside, met Lin Jinghe’s seductive gaze, hooked his legs together, and cursed.

“Fuck, you little bitch.”

Soon, the flushed, heart-pounding sounds filled the room once more.

Three minutes later, Xiao Yu lit a cigarette.

Lin Jinghe wiped himself with a few tissues, threw on a white shirt that barely covered the tops of his thighs, and leaned against the man. “Brother Xiao, stay with me tonight.”

Xiao Yu tilted his head back and downed a glass of wine. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, exposing the ambiguous red mark on his Adam’s apple.

Lin Jinghe had clearly seen that WeChat message; his eyelashes flickered as he teased, “Brother Xiao, things are tight at home, huh?”

Xiao Yu hummed and laughed. “Who dares to manage me?”

He took a deep drag and slowly exhaled a smoke ring. Amidst the hazy half-light, he suddenly remembered Shen Xubai’s cold, clear eyes, and a restless feeling stirred within him.

Seeing Xiao Yu’s expression, Lin Jinghe felt a bit jealous. He clung tighter, wrapping his arms around Xiao Yu’s neck. “Brother Xiao, what’s so good about that Shen Xubai? You’ve been dating for three years aren’t you bored yet?”

“You don’t know shit. He’s different.”

Xiao Yu cast him a look of disdain. Cheap perfume, how could you ever compare to Shen Xubai?