Qiao Si raised his eyes. The man in the mirror was slender, pale, with tightened lips. A slightly gloomy and hysteric face, with remaining shadows under the eyes.

The debauchery in his youth left with him only a trace of sickly handsomeness to this day. After all, a man over thirty was different from a boy at his eighteenth.

He wore only silk and jade now, and didn"t bother to waste his strength to look at people in their eyes. He didn"t care if he looked good or not - a man at his status no longer need to please anyone. On the contrary, people needed to please him.

Even the ugliest face wouldn"t reduce how hard others tried to entertain him. The only thing he needed to do was to be comfortable, and trying his best to make himself relax and comfortable.

However, in the closet hanged a newly arrived tailored suit, which had been through his repeated tryouts and multiple amendments for the fittest of every detail. He needed to wear this at the banquet tonight.

Today was Qiao Che"s birthday, and Qiao Che disliked people wearing casually at important occasions.

Qiao Che was his half brother, who didn"t look like him very much. He was like a handsome and melancholy prince from those mythologies who had a tragic past. When he was not talking, he was surrounded by a proud and distant magical aura.

Ever since he met Qiao Che in their father"s studyroom at the age of eighteen, with only one aloof look back at him by this man, he was cursed. He would never be able to forget him.

However, despite he was already somebody at his age, and had pretty decent look, Qiao Che still treated him like a toad. Thereupon, no matter how many pretty boys he had kept and how lascivious and wild his life was, there was a figure in his heart that he couldn"t let go of.

"Master Si, Duan Heng is here."

"Hmm."

Qiao Si was still bathing in warm water with eyes closed. The mixed smell of Chinese herbs and medicines filled his sense. Medicated bath had become his habit. Before the night came, he had half an afternoon to smoothen the flow of his blood and vital energy, ensuring their circulation in his meridians was un.o.bstructed.

Footsteps went away and then came back. The coming ones belongs to a young man, which was cautiously softened.

"Master Si."

Qiao Si opened his eyes. The man standing next to the tub looked wearied. He was very tall, with broad shoulders. He had long slanted eyebrows and pheonix eyes, straight nose and thin lips. The aura and temperament were entirely an adult man"s, which made him lost the interest to even give him a look.

He summoning Duan Heng back from thousands of miles away, only because Qiao Che expressed an appreciation to the new movie, especially to the acting of the lead actor, Duan Heng.

Duan Heng was a professional actor, or one should say a superstar by his level of popularity. When Qiao Si asked him to accompany his then favorite kid to the audition, he didn"t expect he would be the one chosen by the director, then the judges, which won him a best supporting actor award for his debut movie. After that his career took off, and he rose unstoppably to the peak of the entertainment business.

But no matter how big of a star Duan Heng was, he was nothing in front of Qiao Si. He was still the humble and obedient kid in the past, with unfledged wings. There were a number of successful men that rose under his patronage, and Duan Heng was only a more outstanding one of them.

"Tonight is Qiao Che"s birthday banquet. Get yourself ready."

The man was a bit reluctant, "I already have plans for tonight. The flight tickets are......"

Qiao Si only responded to him with "You know what to do."

This is Qiao Che"s birthday. Whatever Qiao Che likes, he will get it for him. Whoever that disrespects Qiao Che is disrespecting him.

"Yes, Master Si."

Though Duan Heng was indeed talented, his success was by no means achievable by anyone on their own. The patronage of Qiao Si in terms of connections and money was an indispensable part of it. Of course Duan Heng should understand there"s nothing more important than the happiness of Master Si.

However, after agreeing, Duan Heng did not leave immediately. He stood there as though he was hesitating about something.

Qiao Si opened his eyes again, "Weren"t you busy?"
"I have this afternoon off."

"Come in and bath with me then."

Duan Heng hurried all the way here, and he seemed in need of some relaxation. There were an abundance of top quality herbs in the water, which could be a reward for his obedience.

Duan Heng took the offer and went to shower first. Qiao Si rested with his eyes closed. After a while, he heard the quiet sound of feet stepping into water, and felt the wave rippled.

"Master Si."

When he opened his eyes, Duan Heng"s cautiously inquiring eyes was gazing directly at him. Qiao Si humphed in question.

"Do you want to......"

Qiao Si understood, and twitched the corner of his lips into a smile, "You"re thinking too much."

He had no s.e.xual interests in Duan Heng, unless his body was a bit softer and smaller.

He actually pampered Duan Heng a lot, because he was indeed a talented man. Duan Heng was quite smart and extraordinarily hard-working. Even when he was still young, he knew to talk less and do more; move his mouth less, and move his legs more. A man with a sober mind and a clear goal, who can restrain his temper and is good at creating and grasping opportunities, usually achieves more than others.

In his eyes, kids like him, though unattractive, would definitely be somebody.

Before Duan Heng got into the show business by coincidence, Qiao Si was planning to train this boy into his right-hand man.

But for him, there was never much desire for Duan Heng. Even in Duan Heng"s pretties years, he wasn"t interested enough to take him.

He preferred young boys with round and big eyes like a deer"s, even better if they had eyelashes like b.u.t.terfly wings, while Duan Heng had single eyelid and pheonix eyes. There was no denying that the eyes were pretty, but they"re not his type.

He preferred boys that were under 175 cm in height, because he wanted exactly the soft, green, unripe qualities of boys, while Duan Heng grew past that standard quickly, and grew further and further away from it, which was a great disappointment.

There were plenty of good-looking boys that fitted his taste; he never had a lack of pets. Therefore, he wouldn"t consider touching someone he had little s.e.xual interest at the beginning.

*** *** ***

Translator: Summerx

So I just dug a new hole for myself.....

The pairing is Duan Heng x Qiao Si BTW. Qiao Si is the uke.