They were staying at the ranch for the night. The conditions were excellent, with luxurious rooms and outdoor bathtubs on the balconies, making one feel as if they were bathing under a starry sky.
Star’s mood, however, was far from ideal. He had not anticipated spending the night away, so he had not brought spare contact lenses, only his eye drops. To make matters worse, the bathroom was fully transparent, meaning he could not even take his lenses out to give his eyes a break. The villa owner certainly lived up to the reputation of being friends with Qin Yue.
The image of those wolf-like, ice-blue eyes flashed through Star’s mind.
“Are you going to shower?” Vincent entered the room and immediately began unbuttoning his shirt.
“You go first. I promised Fabian I would take photos for him.” Star fled the room as if escaping a fire.
Vincent glanced at the transparent bathroom and shook his head with a smile.
Qin Yue and Fabian had already returned to their rooms. Star could not very well call them out, so he wandered around the villa. Habitually, he reached into his pocket, but it was empty; his cigarettes had been confiscated again. He had no idea how many days of the vacation were left. His disguise makeup could only last two days at most, and he still needed to find opportunities to make money. He wondered if there would be any shopping malls in the later part of their itinerary.
He shared a link to a Hawaii-exclusive luxury bag, and sure enough, Fabian liked the post within two minutes. A trip to a mall seemed feasible, but he still had to figure out how to deal with the transparent bathroom. How much time did Vincent actually intend to give him? Would he force the issue tonight?
Star slipped into a guest room. It was well-equipped, so he showered there and finally took out his lenses to rest his eyes. He could not delay any longer, so he eventually returned to their room. Vincent had already finished showering and was sitting at the desk, looking at a tablet while wrapped in a bathrobe.
Vincent set the tablet down. “Come here.”
Star walked over obediently and sat on his lap. It felt like sitting on a wooden stake. Vincent wrapped his arms around him, stroking his arms.
“Cipher, go back to school.”
School. Such a distant word. Star mumbled an agreement. The young man in his arms had just showered, his hair still damp, and the red mole at the corner of his eye looked even more alluring. Vincent held him tighter, breathing in the scent of his hair.
“You do not want to go to school?”
Star shook his head. “No, I do. I want to.”
Vincent handed him the tablet. “See which one you like.”
The screen displayed top-tier universities, all with elite MBA programs. Vincent explained in detail, “Columbia is the heart of Wall Street, filled with talent. Among the Managing Directors at Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, and KKR, one out of every five is a Columbia alumnus.”
Vincent spoke at length, but Star did not take in a single word. It was useless. There was no way he could go to school. His current identity might hold up to superficial scrutiny, but applying for enrollment or a student visa was impossible. The photos showed magnificent, historic architecture, sunny lawns, and libraries. The students in the pictures were smiling brightly. Star’s finger traced over the face of one of the smiling students. It must be so nice to go to school.
But what did that have to do with him? If only Star Ning could attend a university like this in the future. As for himself, he would have to wait for the next life.
Star wrapped his arms around Vincent’s neck and leaned against his shoulder. Vincent hugged his waist. “What is wrong?”
Star buried his face in Vincent’s shoulder, his voice muffled. “I am sleepy.”
Vincent’s eyes darkened, but he remained silent. Star’s attitude was clear; he had no intention of going to school. Vincent had expected as much, though he had not realized Star had fallen so far, desiring only to submit beneath a man and leaving himself no way out. He had initially felt a spark of kindness, wanting to leave Star with enough money to survive in the future. But since Star did not want it, there was no need for pity. If he wanted to be a plaything, he must be aware of what happens after one is played with.
However, Vincent glanced at the nightstand. They were not at a hotel, and the supplies were incomplete. Out here in the wilderness, if they were unprepared and something went wrong, there would not be enough time to reach a hospital. Let him off for now. We will deal with it when we are back in the city.
Star had no idea he had narrowly avoided a disaster. He had been feigning sleep for so long that he actually drifted off.
In the middle of the night, a hand wrapped around his waist. Star woke up on high alert, but upon realizing the situation, he relaxed and closed his eyes again. He realized that Vincent seemed to love sleeping while hugging him like this, always pressing his face against the crook of his neck, which made his skin tickle.
Morning arrived. The air on the ranch was exceptionally fresh. Star had expected hiking or sightseeing, but neither happened. Instead, several jeeps arrived, and men in casual clothing, wearing sunglasses and gold watches with neatly trimmed beards, stepped out. They did not look like good people. Star understood; certain things were best handled during travel or while others were distracted by activities.
Vincent and Qin Yue hosted the visitors in the villa’s reception room. Fabian whispered behind Star, “I feel like I have seen one of them before. Maybe in a magazine? A jewelry mogul…”
Star interrupted him. “You do not know him, and you have never seen him.”
Fabian was frightened by Star’s tone. “Yes, yes, I have not seen him.”
Star rode a horse to the distant livestock area. He sat at a wooden table and lit one of the cigarettes he had swiped from Vincent. The sharp menthol hit his nostrils; having not smoked in days, the strength of it made him want to tear up, so he sniffed and looked away.
The window on the second floor of the villa was open, and shadows occasionally passed by.
Tch.
The information Vincent had prepared for him yesterday, that detailed investigation, even researching apartments and restaurants near those schools, showed he had put in real effort. Why go to such lengths for a paid arrangement? It was laughable.
Several people emerged from the villa. It was the guests; their business must have concluded. Vincent and Qin Yue saw them out, with Fabian in tow. Star waited until the jeeps were out of sight before returning, heading straight to a guest room to brush his teeth.
Vincent appeared behind him. “Where did you go?”
“Avoiding suspicion.” Star spat out the foam.
Star was very self-aware in this regard, and Vincent found his company surprisingly relaxing.
Vincent raised an eyebrow. “We are leaving shortly. Do you need to pack?”
“No.” Star wiped the corner of his mouth.
They drove for two hours to a helipad, then flew for nearly an hour before finally returning to the original hotel. As soon as they arrived, Fabian insisted on going to the mall, and for once, Star agreed.
Vincent handed Star a card. It was not a secondary card, but a primary one. Qin Yue frowned as he saw it. “You are just giving him the main card?”
Vincent sipped his coffee, his tone casual. “Why would I not?”
“You, sigh.” Qin Yue raised his hand and let it drop. “Fine, whatever, you have the money.”
“Cipher has a sense of proportion,” Vincent said with certainty.
Qin Yue sneered. “When faced with an unlimited card, that sense of proportion does not last very long.”
Vincent chuckled. “It seems young master Qin has extensive experience with being a benefactor?”
Qin Yue did not look ashamed. “More than you.”
Fabian dragged Star through every luxury store. Star had no interest in alloys that did not hold their value, though Fabian was keen on various flashy mother-of-pearl bracelets.
Fabian compared two bracelets on his wrist. “Vincent gave you his card; why aren’t you spending?”
Star looked at the jewelry in the display case, but his eyes were unfocused. “I do not like these.”
Fabian was annoyed, taking off the bracelet and returning it to the clerk. “If you act like this, how am I supposed to pull Mr. Qin into buying me things? Buy at least something, won’t you?”
Star twirled the card in his fingers, feeling the raised letters on the surface. This was not a gift; it was a test. Star Ning’s tuition and living expenses cost one hundred thousand dollars a year. If he spent that much at once, Vincent would certainly be displeased, especially with Qin Yue watching. But he had to buy something. The question was what.
Items like Hermes required Vincent’s presence to acquire, or else he could only buy the filler products, which had terrible resale value. Other brands were easier to buy but also had poor resale value. Qin Yue’s presence was the biggest obstacle, and Star could not drag Vincent out to shop. I really want to buy gold, but I cannot. That would be too obvious.
Since it was likely a waste anyway, he might as well try to please his benefactor.
When they returned, Fabian dragged Qin Yue to pay, while Star only carried one small bag.
“What did you buy?” Vincent took the card Star handed him.
Star handed him the bag as well. “I bought something for you.”
Vincent looked intrigued. He had never seen the brand on the bag before. He reached inside, pulled out half of the item, and then abruptly stuffed it back in. A smile played on his lips; it looked part genuine and part exasperated.
“Are you sure this is for me?”
Inside the bag was a set of erotic lingerie, crotchless pants, a cat tail, and cat ears, along with a bottle of high-end pink oil.
Star sat beside him and took a sip of his coffee. “It is for your enjoyment, so it counts as being for you.”
Vincent placed the bag by his feet and gave Star a card. “Fine, I accept. Go on, buy yourself something.”
Star looked. It was not the main card; it was a secondary one. He felt much more at ease. He hugged Vincent’s neck, kissed him quickly, and left with the card.
What is the Chinese phrase for this? Taiji?
Vincent held his cup, unbothered that Star had drunk from it, and glanced periodically at the bag by his feet. It seems this little one knows exactly what he is doing.
Star bought a mobile phone, a tablet, and several brands with better resale value, all tasteful items that fit the identity of a young master. He spent thirty thousand in total, about the same as Fabian.
When Qin Yue returned and saw the bag on the floor, he wore a lecherous grin. Vincent’s expression remained composed as he spoke softly and gently to Star.
Qin Yue said in Spanish, “This brand’s pink chili-flavored lubricant is truly unique. Did you buy it?”
Before Vincent could react, Star nearly jumped to his feet. He had just randomly grabbed a pink bottle, thinking it was cherry or strawberry-scented. He had no idea it was chili-flavored.
He was in a losing position with no strategic advantage, and since it was destined to end up in bed, he would accept the reality. But he absolutely did not want to suffer through a chili-flavored fate.
Chili!? No, no, no!
Star ignored the risk of exposing his Spanish and ran off with the bag in his hand.