The temperature in Hawaii was 28°C. It was not too hot to breathe; the weather was just right.
After landing, Qin Yue found a Mercedes G-Class in the parking lot. Fabian spent the entire ride in the passenger seat taking photos, while Star sat quietly in the back with Vincent, showing no interest in the scenery or the vehicle.
Qin Yue looked at Star through the rearview mirror. “Cipher, you and Julián are quite alike. You both disdain luxury cars and designer watches, as if you are terrified my money might contaminate your artistic sensibilities.”
Julián was Qin Yue’s first love.
Star looked out the window, his voice indifferent. “Not at all. I am not that high and mighty; what I love most is money.”
Hearing him admit he loved money right in front of his benefactor, Qin Yue laughed. “Vincent, you finally found someone interesting.”
Vincent swept a glance over Star’s features. “This works out perfectly.”
When they arrived at the hotel to select rooms, Fabian and Qin Yue took one together. Star noticed Vincent made no mention of separate rooms, so he knew they would be sleeping together tonight. Fabian chose the ocean-view room with the best perspective, and Vincent told Star to pick his own. Star chose the room furthest from Qin Yue.
Qin Yue hooked his arm around Vincent’s shoulder. “Cipher, Vincent and I have some business to discuss. Why don’t you and Fabian go wander around the area?”
Star shook his head. “I am feeling a bit dizzy. I am going back to my room to rest.”
Qin Yue tossed a stack of U.S. dollars to Fabian, who left happily with the cash. The two men walked in the same direction, one flamboyant and loud, the other quiet and slender.
Qin Yue whistled. “Haven’t you gotten this one to see the reality of his situation yet?”
Vincent frowned. “See what reality?”
Qin Yue lit a cigarette. “The reality of his status. He probably thinks he is different from the other canaries. I would bet this kid was rich once, right?”
Vincent chuckled and shook his head. “You are only good at guessing things like this.”
Qin Yue proudly flipped his flaming-red hair. “What am I not good at? I am telling you, people who were once wealthy always have an inflated sense of self-worth. If it were me, I would say if you are going to be a kept man, you should have the self-awareness that comes with it. He does not even want to hang out with Fabian? If you keep spoiling him, he might even try to move into your life and demand marriage.”
Qin Yue thought he was giving advice to a man with no romantic experience, but Vincent knew better than anyone. As long as someone was in his palm, no one could make any waves.
The hotel room was large, divided into an outer lounge and an inner bedroom. Star stayed in the outer room and opened his suitcase. He changed into a cotton-linen shirt and beige trousers. Even though only the rope knot at the chest betrayed a traditional Chinese aesthetic, it gave him a slim, cold, and elegant appearance.
The lock clicked, and Vincent walked in. Star turned around. “Sir.”
“Are you feeling better?” Vincent opened his suitcase and took out a set of clothes.
“I am feeling better.” Star hurried toward the bathroom.
Vincent watched him flee, the corners of his mouth curling up.
Star opened the window and reached into his pockets. Since he had changed his clothes, his cigarettes had been confiscated. He could not hide in the bathroom forever, so he waited for a bit and went out. As it turned out, Vincent had only just finished changing his trousers.
Star turned to head back into the bathroom, but heard a voice: “Come here.”
Star walked over with his head down. Vincent’s bright, muscular chest was right in front of him, and the clear veins on his abs vanished into the waistband of his trousers. Star looked up, meeting Vincent’s slightly curved eyes. “Help me with these buttons.”
Star moved his stiff fingers, fastening the buttons from the top down. His cold fingertips accidentally brushed against Vincent’s solid abs, and Star let go as if he had been burned.
His hands were immediately grasped. Vincent’s hands were large, easily enveloping his. “What? Forgot how to do it?”
Star swallowed hard. “I can do it.”
His hands were released, and Star quickly buttoned the remaining two.
Vincent patted his head. “Good boy.”
It felt exactly like training a dog.
Qin Yue came to knock on the door, and Star followed a few steps behind them the entire time. The itinerary primarily consisted of shopping malls and bars. Rich people did not visit famous tourist attractions in such places; they were there to relax, as it was like a second backyard to them.
In the mall, Star was listless. Fabian had long since run off, and since Star did not want to listen to the two benefactors talk in a cafe, he wandered nearby.
Qin Yue slammed his cigarette case on the table. “Guess whose partner spends more: yours or mine?”
Vincent sipped his coffee. “Yours.”
Qin Yue was not happy. “Hey, are you that confident in yours?”
Vincent shook his head. “It is not confidence in him. It is that your taste is poor.”
Qin Yue became even more indignant. “Fabian might not be much, but he is prettier than yours, right?”
It started to rain outside. Tropical showers in Hawaii were like watering the island; they cleared up as quickly as they started. As luck would have it, Star was caught in the rain. He ducked into the cafe and took off his glasses. The boisterous Qin Yue suddenly went quiet. Star turned his head and followed his gaze, realizing his cotton-linen shirt had become translucent, clearly revealing his chest.
Star had the fleeting illusion of being sexually harassed.
“There should be a hair dryer in the restroom. I am going there.” With that, Star hurried away.
Vincent snapped his fingers, and Qin Yue snapped out of it.
“Fabian is prettier than him, so what are you looking at?”
Qin Yue quickly lit a cigarette to quench his internal fire. He actually wanted to ask Vincent when he would get bored so he could take over, but he would not dare say such things to Vincent.
Star dried his clothes, checked his makeup to ensure everything was perfect, and went back. Fabian had returned as well, dragging Qin Yue off to pay the bill.
On the way back, Fabian carried bags of shopping, while Star carried nothing, walking obediently behind them.
Qin Yue whispered in Spanish, “Why does everything good seem to happen to you? He does not want money, he does not want things, does he just want you?”
Vincent’s Spanish was equally fluent. “He wants money.”
Qin Yue glanced backward, but Star avoided his gaze.
“That is fine. It is scarier if they only want the person. After all, money is something we can provide. But with that self-righteous attitude, you have some training to do.”
Star walked even further away.
His phone suddenly rang. Star checked it, his expression shifting. He ducked into a corner to answer.
A crisp girl’s voice came through. “Is it convenient to talk?”
Star looked toward the group walking ahead. “It is.”
The girl burst into tears. “Brother.”
Star panicked. “Ning, what is wrong? Is someone bullying you?”
The girl choked back her sobs. “No, it is just that the medical bills are so high. Brother, how did you get this much money?”
In the distance, Qin Yue, with his flaming-red hair, laughed while lighting a cigarette. Star’s eyes darkened. “It is a family tradition. It is fine, do not worry about it.”
Hearing the phrase “family tradition,” the girl laughed through her tears. “Brother, I can go back to school next month.”
Star gripped his phone tightly. “Do not worry. I will send you your tuition fees then.”
He had wanted to let Vincent go, but it seemed that was no longer an option.
Back at the hotel, Qin Yue insisted on taking Vincent out for drinks, and Fabian excitedly started naming the best bars.
Star did not want to see Qin Yue for a while. “You guys go ahead.”
Vincent’s eyes darkened, but he gave Star his room key without a word. Star took the key and, after they left, headed to the hotel bar.
The hotel bar was quiet, as there were plenty of nightlife hotspots in Hawaii and no one drank at the hotel. Star used cash to order several signature Hawaiian drinks. Vodka and pineapple juice with lavender sugar on the rim were sour, sweet, and drinkable like soda.
After gulping down four or five, he asked the bartender for a full bottle of absinthe.
The deep green liquid floated with a thick white mist, and the notes of anise and sage bloomed on his tongue. Star drank glass after glass until half the bottle was gone, then went to buy cigarettes.
The cool peppermint mixed with the heavy medicinal herbal scent spread in his mouth. Star walked on the beach with a cigarette dangling from his lips. Warm sand slipped between his toes, and the salty scent of the ocean brought a sense of peace. Nearby, a group of tourists were gathered, playing and singing music.
The waves crashed against the shore, mixing with the lively singing.
The singers held their drinks, swaying gently to the music. They saw Star, pulled him over, and handed him a drink. Star held the cheap plastic cup, smoke curling from his cigarette, fully immersed in the rhythm.
When the song reached the Spanish chorus, the singers stumbled. They passed the microphone around until it reached Star. He took the cigarette from his lips and continued, singing in Spanish.
The girls present screamed. Star’s voice was not his usual soft tone; it was hoarse and deep. That single line gave everyone goosebumps. Star was relaxed; his Spanish was as fluent as a native speaker, and the guitarist was perfectly in sync with him.
When the song ended, the people around him applauded, and Star laughed heartily.
He had not been this relaxed in a long time.
He finished the inferior drink, looked up with his cigarette, and froze. Standing opposite him were three people in stunned silence.
The smile on Star’s face solidified. Vincent, Qin Yue, and Fabian were all there. Fabian’s mouth was hanging open.
Star hurriedly snuffed out the cigarette butt. In his haste, he habitually used his fingertips. Sparks danced in the air, illuminating his face through the smoke. In that instant, amidst the bustling crowd, he seemed to exist in a different layer of reality, lonely and cold, utterly detached from the gaiety.
The pain in his fingertips brought him out of his drunken haze. Who puts out a cigarette like that?
Having exposed a habit by mistake, Star pretended nothing happened, put on a smile, and walked toward them.
“Sir, you are back.”
Star smiled sweetly. When Vincent reached out his hand, Star handed over the cigarette case and the lighter. “I just had a few drinks and could not help myself. It will not happen again.”
Fabian asked, surprised, “You can speak Spanish?”
Star shook his head hurriedly. “No, I do not. I only know this one song.”
Qin Yue frowned at him. “You, say another sentence in Spanish so I can hear it.”