Lu Shian went to the bathroom to wash up, while Meng Yu headed straight into the kitchen.
Their behavior since waking up had been far too calm, hardly resembling the reaction one would expect the day after an accidental roll in the sheets. Every movement and exchange felt so natural that it seemed as if spending the night together was the most ordinary thing in the world.
Exiting the bathroom, Lu Shian walked into the living room and began to look around. Meng Yu’s apartment was roughly one hundred square meters, a two bedroom unit with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, study, and a balcony. The living room was tidy, and the balcony was filled with flowers, including a perfume lemon tree. There was a strong sense of daily life here, especially now with the fragrance wafting from the kitchen. He had assumed that a busy doctor like Meng Yu would have a home devoid of warmth, but it seemed his imagination had been slightly off.
Just as he found his charging phone and prepared to turn it on, Meng Yu emerged from the kitchen carrying two steaming bowls of noodles.
“Will eating something make you late?” Meng Yu placed the noodles on the dining table and teased, “Does the boss get his pay docked for being late?”
“The boss does not have a salary,” Lu Shian replied while powering on his device. “I told Qi Lei I would be in later.”
As soon as the phone turned on, a cascade of WeChat messages and over three hundred missed calls popped up. A quick glance showed that they were all from Mu Yunzhou. His phone must have died because of this guy’s relentless, life threatening calls.
Instead of returning the calls or reading the messages immediately, Lu Shian called Qi Lei to postpone the day’s meeting. He instructed the driver to pick him up and sent his location via WeChat. After making the arrangements, he sat at the table and began to eat the noodles Meng Yu handed him. He took a bite; the taste was quite good. He was hungry, and with food to soothe him, his mood brightened significantly.
“Why are you so calm today?” Meng Yu finally voiced the confusion he had been holding back. Last time Lu Shian realized they had slept together, his gaze looked like it wanted to murder someone.
“What else should I be?” Lu Shian swallowed a mouthful of noodles. “Call the police and have you arrested?”
“Why arrest me and not you?” Meng Yu did not agree with Lu Shian’s logic. He had not used force. Although alcohol was involved, they had both been in agreement. At most, it was just a case of post drinking impulsiveness.
Lu Shian took another bite of noodles before answering slowly, “Because you were the one on top of me.”
Meng Yu choked for a moment, then nodded with a smile. “Fine, I admit it.”
“Are you not curious about last night?” Meng Yu paused and added, “The details.”
“There is nothing to be curious about. I was drunk and you picked me up. As for the details in bed, there are only so many ways to play around.” Lu Shian was perfectly composed, a far cry from the person who was embarrassed earlier about someone washing his underwear.
Looking at Lu Shian, Meng Yu felt a sense of disappointment. Last night, Lu Shian had asked him to remember the details and tell him later. He had remembered them seriously; every word, every breath, and every murmur Lu Shian made in bed was etched into his mind. Yet now, the person in front of him was coldly telling him he was not curious.
Meng Yu put down his chopsticks and asked seriously, “I have slept with you twice. Do I need to take responsibility?”
Lu Shian hesitated for only a moment before putting down his chopsticks as well. “Yes.”
Before Meng Yu could recover from that unexpected answer, Lu Shian continued, “I will draft a keeping agreement. You will be my lover.”
Meng Yu nearly lost his breath. He looked at Lu Shian, unable to keep his composure. “Lover?”
“Mm. Two million a month.” Lu Shian thought for a moment and added, “Housing, cars, all of that can be negotiated.”
Meng Yu leaned back in his chair and let out a short laugh. “Is President Lu always this generous when keeping lovers?”
Lu Shian answered formally, “I have never kept one before, so I do not know the market price.”
Meng Yu’s expression softened as the frustration in his heart dissipated. “So I am the first?”
“Yes.”
“What does a lover of President Lu need to do?”
Lu Shian fell silent for half a minute, giving the question serious thought.
“You are a doctor, so you cannot be on call at all times. When you are free and I have a need, you must satisfy me.”
Emotions swirled in Meng Yu’s eyes. He nodded. “And then?”
“While you are my lover, you are not allowed to have a boyfriend or girlfriend, you are not allowed to have sexual relations with others, and you must avoid all ambiguity with anyone else.”
Meng Yu expressed his agreement. “For two million, those requirements are reasonable. Anything else?”
“The contract will be for an indefinite period. If you agree, the agreement takes effect today, and I will transfer the money to you on this day every month.”
Meng Yu’s heart felt tight and bitter. The cold words made him feel ashamed. How had he and Lu Shian ended up at the stage of being lovers?
“If I am not your lover, what else can we be?” Meng Yu asked tentatively.
Lu Shian lowered his eyes and thought for a moment. “I think there would probably be no more interaction between us.”
Meng Yu’s heart sank. “Before we discuss this, can we talk about the past? I think there must be many misunderstandings between us. Shishi, let us make things clear, okay?”
He did not know exactly where things had gone wrong or where the root of the misunderstanding lay. The past held pain that Meng Yu did not want to mention, but he did not want to be with Lu Shian in such an unclear way.
At the mention of the past, Lu Shian’s eyes dropped. The past was not beautiful for either of them; it was heart piercing. He did not want to uncover those old scars.
After a long pause, he said, “I do not want to mention the past. Let us start over from now, as lovers.”
Hearing the words start over, Meng Yu suppressed the surging emotions in his heart and agreed. “Fine, I will be your lover.” He paused. “But I also have a request.”
Lu Shian hid his emotions and raised an eyebrow. “A lover making a request of the benefactor?”
Meng Yu raised an eyebrow back. “President Lu, I am in high demand.”
A burst of restlessness rose in Lu Shian’s chest. “Speak.”
“While I am your lover, you are also not allowed to have a boyfriend or girlfriend, you are not allowed to have sexual relations with anyone but me, and you definitely cannot be ambiguous with others.”
Lu Shian tapped his finger on the table, his face serious. “A lover making such unreasonable demands of a benefactor? Who gave you the courage?”
He then added, “Do not say Fish Leong, it is not funny.”
“It is quite funny coming from your mouth.” Meng Yu stood up to clear the bowls. “Take your time to consider it. I am not in a hurry.”
“Fine, I agree.” Lu Shian followed him up to get his phone from the coffee table. He unplugged the charger and spoke to Meng Yu, who had already entered the kitchen. “Perform well, Doctor Meng. Do not make me get tired of you too quickly.”
Without another word, he walked straight out.
Hearing the door close, Meng Yu put the bowls into the sink. He stared at the slowly flowing water and lost himself in thought.
Sitting in the driver’s car, Lu Shian opened his phone to look at Mu Yunzhou’s messages. The first one was a voice message sent at 10:30 PM last night.
He clicked to listen: Holy shit, Lu Shian, you need to see what the hell you are doing!
Next was a video. Lu Shian clicked it open. The video showed a scene of neon lights and loud noise. Lu Shian lowered the volume and watched carefully. Inside, two people were holding each other and kissing passionately.
Lu Shian’s heart tightened; it was himself and Meng Yu. He muted the sound completely and moved the phone closer to his eyes, staring at the two people in the video who were locked in an ambiguous embrace. His heart could not help but beat faster and faster.
Lu Shian could not help but curse out loud. Was he really this horny, thirsty, and proactive?
The video lasted over fifty seconds. Lu Shian watched the whole thing with a red face. Lacking the courage to watch it a second time, he called Mu Yunzhou.
Mu Yunzhou’s lazy voice came through the phone, sounding as if he had just woken up. Lu Shian then remembered the time difference; it was evening where Mu Yunzhou was.
“Was that video taken by your people?” Lu Shian asked.