Star went with them anyway. Qin Yue had organized a submarine tour, which meant they would not have to get in the water and could stay comfortable without exerting much effort. For any movement that required a long stride, Vincent refused to let Star move on his own, acting as a human seat for him.
Once inside the submarine, Fabian finally found an opportunity to whisper to Star. “Can you teach me what you actually did? Why is Vincent so good to you?”
“Hmm…” Star thought carefully, but he could not find an answer. “Maybe it is because I am obedient.”
“Huh?” Fabian’s brows furrowed. “Just because of that?”
Star hesitated and nodded. “I suppose so.”
He even started to believe this himself. After all, for the wealthy, maintaining a kept arrangement and spending money was about peace of mind. Those who stayed by a benefactor’s side for a long time were usually the ones who were obedient, sensible, and did not cause trouble.
Fabian glanced at the two tall men on the deck. “Do you think that tactic would work on Qin Yue?”
Star shook his head. Qin Yue preferred people with strong individual charm and a bit of a temper.
The boat arrived at its destination and entered the submarine. Even without diving, they could see the beautiful underwater world. Corals, sea turtles, and schools of fish swam by in a spectacular display. Star could not help but be immersed in the scenery, but just as he was admiring the view, something was pressed into his hand. Star looked down to see a small velvet box.
“Sir…” Star met Vincent’s gentle eyes. His tone was soft. “A Christmas present.”
Fabian looked on with envy. “Open it and see.”
Star opened it to find a car key, a Ferrari key. Fabian was ready to scream, but Star remained relatively indifferent.
Vincent tousled his hair. “Do you not like it?”
“No, I like it.” Star closed the box, the fine velvet tickling his hand. “Thank you, sir.”
Qin Yue teased, “What is it? Do you think Ferrari has poor taste?”
Star finally regained his composure. “No, I like it very much.”
The car would not be in his name; he would just be driving it, which meant no real financial gain. Realizing this, Star felt much more relaxed and took the initiative to wrap his arms around Vincent’s neck, pecking him quickly on the cheek. Vincent looked satisfied at the sight of his flushed little face.
The Hawaii trip came to an end in the blink of an eye, and the submarine tour made for a nice finish. They did not travel together on the way back; the two pairs took separate planes. Qin Yue boarded first, and Star breathed a sigh of relief as he watched that plane taxi down the runway. He did not have to face Qin Yue anymore. Although Qin Yue’s gaze might have just been typical lust, Star still did not want any further contact with him.
Vincent noticed his lingering gaze. “What are you thinking about?”
Star realized he had been staring at Qin Yue’s plane for too long and quickly looked away. “Nothing. I have just never been to Las Vegas, and I was wondering what it would be like.”
The gate staff invited them to board. Vincent walked ahead. “Stay away from casinos and nightclubs; you can wander anywhere else.”
Star smiled but said nothing. Even if he were allowed to go to those places, he would not. Star had expected a business class seat, but upon boarding, he found the layout suggested a private jet. He could have checked Vincent’s identity through the jet, but Star no longer had the heart for it. He had wanted to investigate before to prescribe the right medicine for getting money, but now, it was clearly unnecessary. They had already slept together, and Vincent was generous; digging into his background served no purpose. He could save enough for Star Ning’s tuition in a few months, and if he could save for another two years, that would be even better.
Still, Star turned to look at Vincent by the window. The sunlight bathed him, casting a soft glow over his frame. Vincent noticed his gaze and pulled him into his arms, stroking the back of his hand. “Does it still hurt?”
Star knew what he was asking about and his ears turned pink. “It does not.”
After that day, Star had not let Vincent apply the medication for him. He simply could not bring himself to do it while awake. Vincent hugged him tighter, letting him rest against his chest. “Get some sleep.”
“Okay.” Star could now tell Vincent’s state of mind by looking at his trouser leg. If it looked like things might get out of hand, he would have to play dead and feign sleep; he could not survive another round of such destruction.
The weather in Las Vegas was perfect, 15 degrees Celsius, a temperature where a long sleeved shirt was all you needed. The gambling city was truly prosperous; as soon as they exited the airport, they were surrounded by music and advertisements exuding the scent of money. An Alpine car, familiar to him, was waiting outside with the same driver. As the car drove down the Las Vegas Strip, the streets were packed with tourists even in the daytime. The pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, he could see replicas of almost every world class heritage site. Star looked genuinely interested, staring out the window the whole time.
Vincent reminded him, “Every hotel has its own casino.”
Star nodded. “I know. I will not go.”
Vincent took out his wallet and pulled out the secondary card Star was familiar with. “I will drop you off at the apartment first; you can go wander around later.”
Star took the card, tucked it into his pocket, and gave a sweet smile. “Okay, sir.”
Star had assumed the apartment would be a hotel style unit, perhaps a hundred square meters at most. When he opened the door, the living room alone seemed to exceed a hundred square meters. Star was so surprised he nearly lost his composure. Did this size mean Vincent was going to live here too? Was he really going to have to maintain his disguise twenty four hours a day from now on? Two old suitcases sat on the floor, looking entirely out of place in the luxurious, minimalist living room; these were the belongings he had gathered in Pennsylvania.
In the walk in closet of the master bedroom, several outfits were already hanging. Vincent went to change and picked a watch from the cabinet at the door. “I have a meeting. Be back by eight tonight.”
“Um, okay.” Star stepped forward to adjust his tie clip.
Vincent held the back of his neck and kissed him. “Remember to apply your medicine.”
The door closed. Star turned to face the vast, empty living room and sighed. The watch cabinet by the door held over a dozen luxury watches; the master closet was filled with silk pajamas. Everything looked like the setup for cohabitation.
Cohabitation.
Star sat on the carpet, unable to reach the coffee table, so he just crawled over and dialed Ji Zuo on his phone.
“Ji Zuo, did you arrive?”
Star did not need him to answer; he knew he had, because the familiar, loud music of the Las Vegas Strip could be heard in the background.
“I got here yesterday. There are too many fun things to do in Las Vegas.”
Star pressed his face against the cold coffee table, his voice muffled. “Stop playing around. I sent you the address; come over.”
Ji Zuo looked at the address and shrieked, “Holy cow, the Ridges community? A place this fancy?”
Star closed his eyes. “Hurry up and bring your gear.”
When Ji Zuo arrived, he was wearing a cowboy hat and a bandana over his face. To prevent security from stopping him, Star went down to meet him.
“I tried my best, but this is the only way,” Ji Zuo said, tearing off the bandana the moment he entered.
Star nodded. “I know. Let us start.”
Ji Zuo pulled a laptop and two small black boxes from his backpack and got to work immediately.
“Done.” Ji Zuo connected Star’s phone to the computer. “From now on, you can view the surveillance of all entrances and exits for the building.”
The phone screen showed everything clearly. Star closed the app and took out the phone and tablet he had bought in Hawaii. “Help me mail these to Star Ning.”
Ji Zuo tucked them into his bag. “You are an incredible big brother.”
Star’s eyes dimmed. “In that kind of school, using outdated models would just lead to being looked down upon.”
Ji Zuo sighed and patted his shoulder. “Soon, soon.”
Star did not go out. He had no interest in the flashy world outside. Since Vincent was worried about him being bewitched by the city, he figured he might as well stay home. However, the benefit of the surveillance was that Star did not have to wear contact lenses twenty four hours a day; his phone would alert him the moment Vincent entered the building.
Before eight PM, without waiting for the phone alert, Star put in his lenses. But ten minutes passed, and Vincent did not return. An hour later, Vincent was still nowhere to be seen. By eleven PM, he still had not returned.
Star sat on the carpet with his arms around his legs, staring at the surveillance monitor until he lost heart. I will go to sleep; I will talk to him when he gets back.
Star returned to the master bedroom, turned the phone volume to maximum, took out his lenses, and opened the nightstand drawer. He froze.
The drawer was packed to the brim with lubricant. Most of it was the pink chili flavored kind, but the rest were rainbow colored, featuring every flavor imaginable. Star clearly heard himself gasp. He tremblingly opened the bottom drawer. The contents were even more abundant: balls, handcuffs, whips, ropes, tails, and that cat themed pajama set.
Star jumped up and ran to the other side of the room, opening cabinets and pulling out all the drawers under the bed. The variety was probably more extensive than any boutique shop. There were over fifty bottles of lubricant alone.
Star retreated step by step until his back hit the glass sliding door. For the first time, he wanted to run away. Not just because of the shock, but because of what these things implied.
“It is okay, it is okay, it is okay.” Star did not know what he was saying, just repeating that it was okay, forcing himself to stay calm. He mechanically closed all the drawers, pretending he had never seen any of them. It is fine. Aside from the start, the rest was quite comfortable. Just treat it like a workout.
As he closed the last drawer, Star stopped. He took out a tube of ointment from the corner, the one he had been using. The tube was metal, cool to the touch. Suddenly, he understood.
Vincent was not coming back. Vincent had put him here just to use him for sexual release. Since his injuries had not healed yet, there was no point in Vincent coming back. As for the instruction to be home by eight, that was just a benefactor’s desire for control.
His phone buzzed.
Vincent: I am in LA. I will not be back tonight. Order some takeout.
Star did not know if he should feel relieved or sorrowful upon seeing the message.
Star: Okay, sir.
Vincent: Did you apply the medicine?
Star: Yes.
Star tossed the phone aside and collapsed on the bed, taking deep breaths. It is fine. Benefactor and companion, a paid arrangement. Not cohabitation. This is fine.