FSGOR Ch9

If the abs photo was the main course, then the earlier photos had merely been appetizers.

Before this, Chu Xuyu could admit he’d been thoroughly hooked. And now, under the influence of alcohol, his body temperature was unusually high, his breathing thick and heavy with tension, and even his exhaled sighs came out laced with desire.

His fingers were hot as well, brushing over the photo on screen as if he were actually touching the boy’s taut, defined abs, which glowed faintly with a milky sheen under the fitting room’s lighting.

At this point, if his gaze drifted any lower, it would be trouble.

He forced himself to look away and focused instead on the boy’s hand, lifting the shirt hem—slender but strong, the bones clean and even, veins just barely raised on the back of his hand. Beautiful, but full of youthful vitality.

Not only that, the boy had even clumsily promised that he’d never sent a photo like this to anyone before, as if trying to please him.

Alone in a luxury hotel suite, alcohol acting as a catalyst, Chu Xuyu’s arousal had been thoroughly stoked. His breaths were scorching hot now, and the thought crept in: he wanted to drag this person out of the digital world and into reality.

Eyes half-lidded, steeped in shadow, his fingertips turned pale from the pressure of typing.

Afternoon Tea: Is that so.

 

Afternoon Tea: No one’s ever touched you either?

Upon receiving the message, Jiang Tian took a deep breath. His heart was pounding wildly as he leaned against the wall, his lashes fluttering like windblown leaves.

Even his breathing had gone uneven. The constant buzzing from his phone was the very thing causing all this chaos.

Afternoon Tea: Why aren’t you answering?

 

Afternoon Tea: So you have been touched?

KIRA: …

 

KIRA: No.

 

KIRA: No one has touched me.

His chest rose and fell sharply. Jiang Tian hastily explained—he had never even had a flirtation, let alone a relationship. There was no way he’d let his innocence be misunderstood like that.

His response was practically a reflex, but to Chu Xuyu, it was far more appealing than any sweet-talking. The earnest urgency of a clean, honest boy—it struck the perfect note.

Afternoon Tea: Mn.

 

Afternoon Tea: Very good.

Jiang Tian’s face burned—this kind of flirtatious atmosphere, which he had never experienced before, felt like he was being roasted alive. He couldn’t explain the rising panic in his chest.

At the same time, knowing his target was the very scumbag he hated only added to his frustration.

KIRA: I did what you asked.

 

KIRA: But could you stop threatening me?

 

KIRA: It’s not fair.

Afternoon Tea: Hm?

KIRA: I’m really not used to taking pictures like that.

KIRA: Don’t keep saying you’ll delete me.

In the dim light, Chu Xuyu was stunned—not just because the boy was so indifferent to money, but also because of that gentle, almost sulky complaint.

He had never felt soft-hearted toward anyone before. But now, tipsy and off-kilter, he was almost tempted to comfort him… even if the alcohol had already thrown his emotions out of control.

Afternoon Tea: Alright.

 

Afternoon Tea: I won’t say that anymore.

The words startled Jiang Tian—he thought the scumbag was ending things for real and panicked immediately, fearing he’d get blocked out of nowhere.

KIRA: Ge.

KIRA: Don’t delete me.

KIRA: I still want to talk to you.

Afternoon Tea: I won’t delete you.

Afternoon Tea: [Transfer: ¥200,000]

 

Afternoon Tea: Next time, send me two more.

After sending that, Chu Xuyu could no longer keep going. The headache had somewhat eased, but days of overwork had left his body exhausted. Sleep overtook him, and his phone shut off as it ran out of battery.

He lay back on the edge of the bed and drifted off into a heavy, restless sleep—without even washing up.

In his dream, the boy’s skin was smooth and pale, glistening with tiny droplets of sweat as if he had just finished exercising. There was a subtle warmth, a scent of sunshine and exertion, and Chu Xuyu had him pinned down against white, soft sheets.

Though he couldn’t make out the boy’s face, he was sure the look fit his taste exactly. For once, the normally cold and restrained CEO leaned in, whispering at the boy’s ear:

“Why are you hiding?”

The boy tried to escape instinctively, yet some unknown force kept him there—half-resisting, half-leaning in, just like all those strange little gestures from their real-life interactions.

Then Chu Xuyu pressed in harder, trying to tease him more—until the dream suddenly shifted.

The next moment, he was the one pinned down. The boy, now surprisingly strong, held him down firmly and didn’t just kiss him—they did far more.

When he woke up, Chu Xuyu had a splitting headache… but also an oddly sweet aftertaste.

***

At the same time…

Jiang Tian’s life had become a mess.

Not knowing there was a time difference between them, and with the scam target no longer messaging him, his subconscious started avoiding the guy.

On Saturday at noon, after a restless night, Jiang Tian had just woken up. His phone was filled with unread messages, but he didn’t feel like replying to any of them.

All he wanted to do was get outside and kick a ball to blow off steam.

His soccer friends, including Lu Qiao, had all come out to play. They were surprised he hadn’t shown up for the mock exam but didn’t press him. After 30 minutes of drills, they played two matches back to back.

Afterward, soaked in sweat, Jiang Tian sat cross-legged on the field. He saw Lu Qiao jogging toward him, clearly gearing up for a heart-to-heart talk.

Brushing his damp bangs back, exposing his flushed forehead, Jiang Tian guzzled water in silence—his energy for words completely drained after a day of pure physical exertion.

“Ge, were you home all day yesterday?”
Lu Qiao muttered again, “You seem kinda down lately.”

Jiang Tian didn’t answer that.

 

 “I… don’t think I can keep this up anymore.”

Lu Qiao: “Huh?”

Jiang Tian’s friend blinked. “Why are you suddenly saying that?”

“I don’t know how to describe it,” Jiang Tian paused. “It just feels weird.”

Lu Qiao didn’t fully get it, but after thinking for a moment, he figured—maybe this was just the pain of pretending to be gay as a straight guy.

But after hearing Jiang Tian talk about it in detail, and especially after seeing the massive transfer amount with his own eyes, Lu Qiao almost fainted on the spot.

“Holy crap! Can someone let me suffer through this ‘straight guy pretending to be gay’ thing too?!”

Jiang Tian: “……”

“I didn’t take the 200,000 yuan he sent,” he said flatly.

Without hesitation, Lu Qiao snatched the phone out of his hand before he could react. Ding!—the ¥200,000 transfer was accepted. By the time Jiang Tian grabbed the phone back, it was too late.

“?!”

Jiang Tian’s face darkened. “How could you just accept it…”

Lu Qiao clapped a hand on his shoulder, grinning lazily.

“Come on. That guy lied to your sister for so long—nearly ruined her life. Taking just ¥200,000 from him? Please.”

“Besides, relationships are about sunk cost. That scumbag’s clearly obsessed with you now.”

“Now that you’ve taken the money, just keep him on the hook—be hot and cold. Sooner or later, he’ll be the one begging for love. Trust me, I’ve been there.”

Jiang Tian frowned. Taking the money made him uneasy. What if the guy turned around and accused him of fraud?

But Lu Qiao explained over and over—this wasn’t a scammer trying to trap him. It was a man hopelessly in love. They just had to stick to the original plan.

“I even asked Ah Hao and his boyfriend,” Lu Qiao said, lowering his voice.

“Guys like you? You’re basically a god-tier snack in the gay community. Say the word and you’ll have people lining up to take care of you for life.”

Jiang Tian: “……”

That analogy was way too weird.

But he did have a real issue to deal with. Ever since he sent the abs photo, he’d felt uneasy—like something was stuck in his chest. He confided in Lu Qiao: the more he thought about the man on the other end being the same scumbag who hurt his sister, the more he felt he’d eventually develop psychological trauma if they kept flirting.

Lu Qiao still remembered the scene where Jiang Tian had dry-heaved—it had been serious. He gently suggested:

“Ge, if it’s really messing with your head, maybe just… pretend he’s not the scumbag? Make up a new identity for him in your head.”

Jiang Tian fell silent. That… might work. Otherwise, he really couldn’t keep chatting like this.

For once, the straight-A student looked genuinely lost—something Lu Qiao, a self-proclaimed slacker, immediately picked up on:

“Just imagine he’s some rich, successful career man. To him, ¥200,000 is pocket change—like tossing a coin at a beggar.”

“……”

How rich would someone have to be for that?

Jiang Tian muttered he’d try, but the truth was he didn’t know any real successful CEOs. The only person that came to mind… was the “god-tier boss” his sister had mentioned before.

The thought was ridiculous, and he quickly dismissed it. There was no way that person and this scumbag could be the same.

But once the thought had appeared, it refused to leave.

***

When the scumbag messaged him again, Jiang Tian had just returned to the changing room. His soccer teammates were chatting excitedly about which BBQ place to go to, all busy scrolling through food apps.

Jiang Tian was on his phone too—when a new message popped up at the top of his screen, nearly making him fling the device across the room.

Afternoon Tea: What are you having for dinner?

Jiang Tian quickly moved to the side, head down, practically leaning against a locker as he used both hands to type back.

It suddenly hit him: he’d taken someone’s huge “red envelope” and hadn’t offered a single word of explanation.

When Lu Qiao had been talking earlier, it didn’t feel like such a big deal. But now, having to face the man directly, ¥200,000 felt like a scorching hot potato in his hands. He couldn’t stand it.

KIRA: Sorry.

 

KIRA: I accepted it by accident.

 

KIRA: [Transfer: ¥200,000]

Afternoon Tea: ?

KIRA: Please take it back.

Afternoon Tea: .

 

Afternoon Tea: No need to send any photos.

The man didn’t seem annoyed at all—on the contrary, he came across as indulgent, almost like a seasoned older man gently implying: You took the money? Then just give me some emotional value.

Jiang Tian realized he hadn’t handled it well. Even if it had been Lu Qiao using his phone, the aftermath was still on him. All he could do now was go along with the flow.

KIRA: Okay.

 

KIRA: Thank you, ge.

Afternoon Tea: What’s for dinner?

KIRA: Going out with my soccer team.

 

KIRA: Haven’t decided yet.

Afternoon Tea: Mn.

The guy didn’t seem to be particularly free. Jiang Tian even got the strange feeling that this man had carved out time in his schedule just to chat about these meaningless little things.

Afternoon Tea: Change the way you address me.

KIRA: Hm?

Afternoon Tea: You don’t like being called a little pup?

KIRA: …

KIRA: I do feel a bit that way.

Jiang Tian was zoning out and didn’t even realize when Lu Qiao had come up behind him. The latter peeked at the chat and leaned in mischievously, lowering his voice like a conspirator:

“How about making him call you my dearest honey sweetie pie~?”

Jiang Tian sucked in a breath—he absolutely could not imagine being called something like that by a man.

But his fingers were way faster than his brain. Before he even processed what was happening, the nickname was already sent.

KIRA: Sweetie.

KIRA: [Message retracted.]

Panicked, he immediately fumbled to unsend it, his heart skipping a beat.

“…………”

Did the scam target see it already…?