FSGOR Ch23

East District Financial Center.

The grand, standalone building soared into the clouds, and afternoon sunlight poured through the sky bridge, flooding the top-floor office with light.

The young CEO had one hand in his pocket and held a phone in the other. On the screen was a video copied from a dashcam—one he had already watched countless times.

Although there were several teenagers in the clip, his gaze was fixed only on the tall, fair-skinned boy in the middle.

His instincts had rarely failed him.

Among the group were familiar faces from the bar that night, and the one who caught his attention most… bore a resemblance to his secretary. The skin tone, body shape—it all felt too familiar.

Chu Xuyu lowered his eyes. His gaze was like a burning tongue slowly licking over the boy’s tall and attractive figure, pausing on that strikingly handsome face. The aura he exuded was like a predator—dangerous and deadly.

“……”

Chu Xuyu wondered if he had really gone mad.

He had sworn to find that boy and teach him a harsh lesson. But now, all he could think was—maybe my little sweetheart isn’t so bad after all.

The short clip lasted just a few seconds. He didn’t know how many times he’d watched it. He had a meeting coming up… and honestly, he was thinking about canceling it.

Knock knock.

There was a knock on the door.

Chu Xuyu lifted his eyes as Simon stepped into the office with a stack of documents, clearly curious.

“Give it to me.”

Chu Xuyu didn’t even wait a second and walked over to take the investigation file he had asked for half an hour ago.

Standing tall, he flipped through the materials from front to back. First in the city-wide high school entrance exam, countless Olympiad medals—this boy’s resume was astonishingly perfect.

He couldn’t reconcile this model student, a recipient of top academic awards every year, with the cunning brat who had seduced him, messed with his feelings, and then ran off.

But those doubts were quickly suppressed. One of the awards on the resume was from the Putnam Math Competition—the same contest that had featured the very question this boy used. The evidence was ironclad.

Chu Xuyu’s lips curled into a meaningful smile as he stared at the school photo on the file, his eyes practically devouring the image.

Simon, standing beside him, was completely confused. He had no idea why the boss wanted to investigate Judy’s little brother and even insisted the whole thing be kept confidential. It was hard not to suspect some kind of business dispute.

But… Judy didn’t seem like the type!

Just as Simon was spacing out, Chu Xuyu handed him a new phone and gave an order: “Start running this alt account.”

“Huh?”

Simon took it, his brain foggy, as he heard Chu Xuyu add, “Make it look like someone your age would use.”

“???”

Simon agreed aloud but almost dropped the phone. What kind of trend is this?

But after the events of last night, he knew to keep his mouth shut. The boss’s private matters weren’t his concern. He just had to do his job.

Following instructions, Simon updated the profile picture and ID with anime-style images, set the feed to “visible for three days only,” and posted a pic of a limited-edition figure he had bought in Akihabara.

Sigh…

Who would’ve thought I’d one day help a billionaire boss pull off a weeb disguise?

In less than two minutes, Chu Xuyu had the new account and was quite satisfied. He even gave Simon a bonus and urgently ordered some anime merch.

His brows lifted subtly.

If he wanted to just snatch the boy, he could do it any time—but that would be no fun.

‘Isn’t he just a high schooler?’

He’d decided to wait until the college entrance exam ended. He couldn’t wait to see the expression on that handsome face when the little troublemaker learned the truth.

Ning City No. 3 High School.

Summer had arrived, and the boys on the football field were training under the blazing sun, doing synchronized planks, their bodies soaked in sweat.

The coach paced around them, watching carefully as one after another gave in. In the end, only Jiang Tian was left standing strong, still in decent form.

Satisfied, the coach nodded and announced: “Rest up well tonight! Be at the field early tomorrow for the game!”

Everyone shouted in unison: “Yes!”

To stay in top shape, the team planned to grab some BBQ and head home early to rest.

Jiang Tian, too, headed to the snack street outside the school and happened to stumble upon a BBQ place hosting an anniversary event—three days of unlimited free BBQ.

He was a little confused. “Why all of a sudden?”

Usually, places hold events like this after at least a year of business. This one had only been open three months.

“I’ll go ask…”

Lu Qiao was just as clueless, went around asking, and came back to report, “I heard some big investor came by, thought the food was good, and decided to put in capital.”

“Sounds like the boss is making big bucks, so he’s in a great mood and started the anniversary celebration early!”

Jiang Tian nodded. “Makes sense.”

The place was good, or else the team wouldn’t visit so often. He didn’t think too much about it.

While waiting for the food, Jiang Tian pulled out his phone to text his sister, asking if she wanted him to bring dinner home.

His sister was a classy city woman, but never picky about cheap student food. If she was home, Jiang Tian always asked in advance, sometimes bringing her dumplings or noodles.

But today hadn’t been a good day, and Jiang Jing didn’t seem to have much appetite.

KIRA: Got it.

KIRA: Then make some lean meat porridge, Jie.

KIRA: Don’t skip meals.

Since childhood, Jiang Tian had been without parents. It was his sister who raised him.

He was always cold and distant to outsiders, even ruthless to bad people. But to his sister, he was the sweetest and most gentle younger brother.

Ending the conversation, Jiang Tian set his phone down and prepared to eat with the team.

Soon, the BBQ grill and skewers were served at the big table, the rotating grill releasing a mouthwatering aroma.

Ding—

Jiang Tian’s phone buzzed on the table.

Before he could reach for it, a teammate leaned over and spoke up, “Oh right, Tian-Ge, remember to accept my transfer…”

The other boy had accidentally broken his phone earlier and transferred 1000 yuan as compensation, which Jiang Tian refused to accept.

“No worries.”

He was using a phone gifted by his sister’s boss, which already made him feel guilty. Normally, he wasn’t one to be petty.

“That old phone had been used for a long time anyway.”

It was a prize gift he’d earned through hard work. Of course, it hurt to lose it. But he took the incident as karmic punishment—for ending up using a phone from the very person who had been hurt.

Just as he chatted with his teammates and prepared to dig in again, he glanced down at his phone and suddenly noticed—

A new, unfamiliar group chat had appeared on his screen.

“Temporary group chat between ORANGE Customer Service, KIRA, and L.”

Jiang Tian paused, finding it a bit strange. He put the metal skewer down on the table and sent a private message to the ORANGE bar’s customer service.

KIRA: Hello.

KIRA: Was I added to the wrong group?

They had both signed up for a membership and added the customer service account, but they’d been told group chats would only be created during events. There was no mention of being added to one randomly.

Besides, if he’d been put in a large group chat, he wouldn’t have minded. But in this case, aside from the customer service agent, there were only two people—him and a complete stranger.

That person’s username was L, a nod to KIRA’s archrival in the anime Death Note. Not only did the username match, but the profile picture also featured that same high-IQ genius detective.

ORANGE Customer Service: Hey handsome~

ORANGE Customer Service: Nope, this group is intentional~

ORANGE Customer Service: The other guest was from table 16. Do you remember?

Jiang Tian hesitated for a second, then typed a reply.

KIRA: I remember.

KIRA: The guest who only ordered sparkling water?

ORANGE Customer Service: Yup yup~

ORANGE Customer Service: Because you two had the lowest total spend of the night~

ORANGE Customer Service: That made you the luckiest pair! 

Jiang Tian finally understood—it must be some kind of post-event promo from the bar. He relaxed and continued eating BBQ while waiting for more info.

Moments later, the customer service sent a picture of a formal promotional flyer.

Jiang Tian scanned it quickly and was surprised by how generous the prizes were. He and the guest from table 16 could pick from gifts specially prepared by the bar owner—including a 1-meter tall limited-edition figure.

Jiang Tian didn’t normally crave material things, but he did enjoy anime. This was the kind of prize that really tempted him. So, he casually shared the good news with Lu Qiao and Zhao Yuanhao.

The two were immediately jealous. They crowded around to look at the flyer, bumping his shoulder and encouraging him:

“Why are you even hesitating!”

 “C’mon, Tian-Ge! Sign up already!”

“……”

Jiang Tian was wavering. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, “Don’t we both have to agree?”

The activity required both him and the table 16 guest to form a duo and complete some simple tasks. Nothing intimate—just messaging each other daily, chatting about anime, or singing theme songs together.

“That’s not even hard.”

Lu Qiao took the initiative and tapped on L’s profile pic. To their surprise, the user hadn’t blocked strangers from viewing their posts.

“Holy sh*t…”

“This guy’s loaded!”

His voice was loud enough to attract nearby teammates. One by one, they crowded around to see a room filled with anime collectibles. Everyone was stunned at the collection—and the money behind it.

Jiang Tian was a bit envious too. Some of those figures were rare and long discontinued. No amount of money could buy them now.

And then there were the prizes prepared by the bar’s owner—enough to make any anime fan’s heart race. It was hard not to be swayed.

Still, Jiang Tian wasn’t the type to initiate conversation. He just waited quietly for any updates in the group.

ORANGE Customer Service: Have you two lovely boys received Little Orange’s private message?~

ORANGE Customer Service: Would you like to participate?~

ORANGE Customer Service: If one of you opts out, the chance will go to the second-lowest spending pair that night. Think it over carefully, sweethearts~

Jiang Tian was very tempted. The other person was also a guy, they seemed to have shared interests, and their ages might be similar—he doubted the other would say no.

L: I’m in.

Seeing that pop up, Jiang Tian didn’t hesitate and followed up immediately.

KIRA: I’m in too.

ORANGE Customer Service: Wonderful~

ORANGE Customer Service: Remember to check in and complete your tasks in the group chat each day! Seven days in a row and you can claim any anime-themed gift you want!

ORANGE Customer Service: Also, feel free to add each other as friends to get to know each other better~

There was nothing wrong with the rest of the message… but the suggestion to add each other as friends made Jiang Tian hesitate.

He hovered over the screen, distracted from the delicious BBQ in front of him. Just as he was about to respond, the table 16 guest beat him to it.

L: No need.

L: We can just communicate here in the group.

L: What do you think, @KIRA?

The other person had even politely asked for his opinion. Jiang Tian had just created this new account and didn’t really want to add anyone anyway, so he felt relieved.

KIRA: I think so too.

KIRA: Let’s just talk here in the group chat.

L: Sounds good.

ORANGE Customer Service: That’s fine too~

ORANGE Customer Service: No problem! Little Orange will get the activity details sorted and send them your way soon~

With that, the conversation ended. Jiang Tian locked his phone screen and resumed eating.

He felt like luck had been on his side lately—whether it was going to a bar or just BBQ, good things seemed to happen.

More importantly, there weren’t any troublesome people, and the stranger wasn’t pushy about adding him. The distance felt just right—enough to keep things comfortable and make him willing to participate.

The night in Ning City grew hotter.

After getting home and showering, Jiang Tian returned to his room. Wanting to rest up for tomorrow’s match, he prepared to go to bed.

Just then, a group chat notification chimed.

ORANGE Customer Service: Are you two still awake?~

ORANGE Customer Service: Tonight’s bedtime task is super easy~ Just chat for five minutes and it’ll count as your daily check-in~

The task was more than simple. Jiang Tian sat on his bed in soft cotton pajamas, fully relaxed. He didn’t mind chatting with a stranger for five minutes.

The other person also said they were free but had to attend a football game the next morning, so they’d chat and then sleep. They even asked the customer service rep if there were any additional requirements.

Jiang Tian blinked, feeling like they’d found common ground. Rarely, he initiated conversation himself.

KIRA: Are you going to the City South High football league?

L: Yep.

KIRA: What a coincidence.

L: You too?

KIRA: Yeah.

L: Which section will you be sitting in?

KIRA: I’m a player on the team.

KIRA: Enjoy the game.

L: !

L: That’s amazing! ^^

Maybe he was used to compliments like that, so Jiang Tian didn’t react much. But he was still in a better mood and replied politely—after all, the five-minute task countdown was still running.

KIRA: Thanks.

KIRA: Which school are you from?

L: No. 5 High.

L: And you?

KIRA: I’m from No. 3 High.

L: ……!

The other’s tone suddenly warmed up. At first, Jiang Tian didn’t understand and answered vaguely, out of habit. But he soon realized why the other person got so excited.

L: My crush is also on No. 3’s football team.

L: Can you give me his WeChat?

Jiang Tian froze for half a second. That familiar feeling that had lingered his entire adolescence suddenly surged up again. He had a bad premonition.

L: His name is Jiang Tian.

L: I’ve had a crush on him for so long.

L: Every time I see him, I want to kiss him.

L: ^^

Jiang Tian: “…………”

The internet may not be lawless, but this is still a public group chat. With a customer service rep in here! Is this really appropriate?!

He hadn’t felt all that uncomfortable before, but now Jiang Tian instinctively wanted to back out. He nearly messaged the customer service privately to quit the event altogether.

But backing out would be breaking his word—and those anime prizes were honestly quite tempting. Plus, this guy probably didn’t realize he was actually chatting with Jiang Tian himself.

KIRA: That’s not really appropriate.

KIRA: Sorry.

KIRA: I can’t help you with that.

L: It’s okay.

L: No worries.

L: I guess it would’ve been rude to bother him anyway.

The reply calmed Jiang Tian a little. Thank god this wasn’t some persistent weirdo—he could at least continue the event for now.

What he didn’t know was that the person behind this account, a grown man, was currently lounging on a luxury villa sofa, overlooking Lake Jingting, a subtle smile playing on his lips.

For Chu Xuyu, pretending to be a high schooler wasn’t easy. He had even infiltrated student group chats and studied how young people talked, just to reach this point.

At first, it had felt awkward, but now? Chatting casually with his “little sweetheart” had long overridden any discomfort. He still had two minutes left in their chat task.

He wasn’t in a rush to “catch” him. Honestly, this cat-and-mouse game was turning out to be pretty enjoyable. Just imagining that the boy had the face and figure he liked… even if they were chatting nonsense, he was more than happy to play along.

Chu Xuyu wasn’t the type to act this way—he seriously suspected this little sweetheart had drugged him somehow. How else could he be so hooked?

KIRA: Okay.

KIRA: Thanks for understanding.

Chu Xuyu stared at the message, sensing that his sweetheart was probably the polite but distant type. That only made him even more curious and… itching.

Back then, someone with this kind of personality had said such blunt, explicit things to him. How?

That was part of the reason he hadn’t gone after him directly. Just like he’d been lured in, he wanted to dig through that polite, closed-off exterior and uncover the real reason behind the seduction.

L: It’s okay ^^

L: Good luck with your game tomorrow.

L: Oh, by the way—

L: You went to ORANGE Bar, right?

L: Are you gay?

Jiang Tian had been getting sleepy, but that last question snapped him wide awake. He didn’t know how to respond.

He’d been grappling with his own sexuality recently. Even though he had gay friends, he’d never told anyone about himself.

Now, this stranger had casually asked him. And though he felt the urge to confide, this was a group chat. With a rep watching. There was no way he could get into such private topics here.

Just then, the group members dropped from three to two—the customer service rep had left the chat.

L: The rep said we can talk privately.

L: Just screenshot the chat length for proof.

KIRA: Okay.

KIRA: I got the message too.

It was all… just a little too convenient.

Because it was all orchestrated by Chu Xuyu.

He rested his head on his hand, sharp eyes gleaming, silently warning himself not to scare the boy off. But God, he wanted to know—know the real him, tie him up, interrogate him.

No. For now, at least the rep’s disappearance trick had worked. His sweetheart was responding seriously.

KIRA: Yeah.

KIRA: I guess I am.

Chu Xuyu exhaled, not surprised at all. If anything, after how coldly the kid had ghosted him before, this moment felt justified.

Excitement surged through him. His heart pounded. He quickly typed his next question.

L: Why “guess”?

L: Did you only realize recently?

KIRA: ……

KIRA: Maybe.

Chu Xuyu’s whole body started to heat up. If it really was recent, that likely meant… it had everything to do with him.

He remembered that time his sweetheart watched gay porn with him—live, during a video call. So graphic, so intense. Could it have been the boy’s first time seeing something like that? Watching it with him? Did he react to it too?

L: Do you watch porn?

KIRA: ……

KIRA: That’s a very direct question.

L: Sorry ^^

L: I’ll retract that.

KIRA: It’s fine.

The boy had a good temper. He didn’t get angry easily and carried himself like an obedient, sweet border collie puppy.

Chu Xuyu had never been so certain—this world really had someone who was his type in every way. Face, figure, personality… everything was exactly his taste.

The countdown was almost over. He didn’t intend to push the boy too hard, not tonight. But unexpectedly, the boy took the initiative and offered more details.

KIRA: It’s actually fine.

KIRA: Do you watch?

L: I was born gay.

L: Of course I do.

KIRA: Mm.

KIRA: I’ve watched too.

There were five seconds left on the task timer. With a soft “ding,” his sweetheart’s message popped into view—

KIRA: Only once.

KIRA: Last month.

KIRA: With someone I was dating online.

“……”

Chu Xuyu’s eyelid twitched slightly. He exhaled, warm breath spilling out as the desire in his eyes became impossible to hide.

He regretted using this method.

Because honestly, what he really wanted was to tie the boy up and pin him to the bed—to do far more dangerous and thrilling things.