The man beside him respectfully addressed him as A. This was the A that Gu Xing had spoken of. Xu Yizhou couldn’t quite make out A’s face clearly, but his height and build gave off a strangely familiar feeling. A’s cold gaze met Xu Yizhou’s, the arrogance in his eyes carrying an undeniable sense of authority. Even Xu Yizhou’s body trembled involuntarily, and he averted his eyes.
“Moon, this room belongs to me.”
A strode in, the heavy thud of his Martin boots echoing on the floor. As he passed by Xu Yizhou, a faint scent of mint lingered in the air—so fleeting that Xu Yizhou wasn’t sure if he had imagined it. Why did this scent feel so similar to the one Wen Jiang carried?
A leaned forward, placing both hands on the edge of the sofa, and looked down at Gu Xing lying there.
Xu Yizhou sensed something off between the two, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. Both were smiling, yet their eyes seemed locked in a silent battle that had already raged for countless rounds.
“What, A, not welcoming me?” Gu Xing showed no fear, instead reaching out to touch A’s face, tracing the firm line of his jaw before moving toward his mask.
A grabbed Gu Xing’s hand, leaning in slightly.
“Moon, you have no right to challenge me above your station.”
His voice was low and steady, carrying an unquestionable authority.
“Don’t be angry. I didn’t come empty-handed.”
Gu Xing smiled, withdrawing his hand from A’s grasp and clapping lightly. The door opened once more, and a waiter entered, holding a tray with both hands. Kneeling, he crawled step by step toward the group, placing two bottles of wine from the tray onto the table before retreating on his knees. A’s thin lips curled slightly as he moved to sit down.
“Speak. What do you want?”
A’s gaze shifted to Xu Yizhou, who had remained silent. In the dim light, his expression was unreadable, but Xu Yizhou felt a chill under his stare.
“Let me introduce you. This is my friend, Zhou.”
“Zhou, this is A, the one I mentioned earlier.”
Gu Xing made the introductions before slowly stating his purpose. “My friend here struggles to confront his emotions and doesn’t quite understand what he’s trying to figure out.”
“And so?”
A asked with a slight smile.
“So, for the sake of these two bottles of wine, could you lend a hand?”
After hearing Gu Xing’s words, A chuckled. “There’s something Moon can’t handle? You trust me that much?”
“It’s not that I can’t handle it. It’s just that we’re too close, making it difficult to proceed.”
Xu Yizhou listened in confusion, completely lost as to what they were discussing, but a vague sense of unease settled in his heart.
“He seems completely unaware of this world.”
A tilted his head, looking into Xu Yizhou’s eyes but addressing Gu Xing.
“Are you sure you want to bring him into this?”
“I thought you would refuse.”
Gu Xing seemed slightly surprised, but after glancing at the two bottles of wine on the table, he smiled calmly.
“A is the top S. I believe A can handle it.”
“Hey, why does it sound like you’re trying to sell me off to this guy?”
Xu Yizhou felt uncomfortable, leaning in to whisper into Gu Xing’s ear.
“The things you’re puzzled about, he will explain them to you one by one. He is the very purpose of our journey here.”
After saying this, Gu Xing looked at A, the smile never leaving his face.
“If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as your agreement.”
With that, Gu Xing kicked the person crawling on the ground, signaling them all to leave, then stood up and stretched lazily. A’s expression was hidden in the dimness, his emotions unclear, yet he remained silent.
“Then I won’t disturb your private space.”
“Sweetheart, I’ll come pick you up later.”
As he spoke, Gu Xing blew a kiss to Xu Yizhou and walked out with the man who had just crawled out, considerately closing the door behind them. In an instant, only he and this A remained in the dim, secluded space. Xu Yizhou wanted to follow and leave, but his feet seemed rooted to the spot. He could feel A scrutinizing him, yet he didn’t know what to say.
The eloquence he had honed during his voice acting practice was nowhere to be found now.
“What is your relationship with Moon?”
A’s voice echoed loudly in the quiet space, carrying an irresistible allure that made it hard not to answer. Xu Yizhou felt awkward but still replied, “Friends.”
“Tell me your name.”
A crossed his longer leg over the other, leaning back slightly. His deep eyes seemed even more profound under the dim light.
“Xu Yizhou.”
He could sense that when he uttered these three words, A across from him visibly stiffened.
“Here, you shouldn’t reveal your real name. Didn’t Moon tell you that?”
“Oh, I’m Zhou.”
Xu Yizhou suddenly remembered that Gu Xing had indeed mentioned it earlier, but the way this man asked was so misleading.
“Tell me your reason for coming here.”
Those deep, penetrating eyes stared straight at him, as if trying to see through him.
What kind of face lay beneath that dark golden mask? Xu Yizhou suddenly grew curious.
“You can tell me everything without reservation. I will guide you to find your answers.”
The added sentence carried a solid, reassuring weight. Serious conversations wouldn’t turn any spoken words into a joke. This feeling made Xu Yizhou think that it seemed as if only the two of them existed in the world, and all secrets would have nowhere to hide.
“I… I react to my brother, but… I’m not gay… I…”
“Stop. There’s no need to rush to explain. Explanations are just a cover for what you truly desire.”
“Your desire.”
A interrupted him. A glint of light swept across the dark golden mask, his face filled with seriousness and an undeniable presence.
“My desire…”
Xu Yizhou didn’t quite understand A’s words.
“The point you want to know is simply whether your reaction stems from pain or from your feelings for your brother.”
A continued. And these words indeed struck the core of his inner turmoil. It seemed he had been pondering this question all week.
“This is actually quite simple. If it’s merely the pleasure derived from the pain of being submissive, then it’s the former. If it’s because of your feelings for your brother, why not try kissing him?”
“When you kiss him, your heart will give you the most accurate and direct answer.”
“Would… you like to try?”
A’s words seemed to be gently guiding him, with a low voice carrying a great deal of persuasion. Yet, he found himself agreeing with A’s words. He watched as A slowly stood up, walked to the spot by the wall inside the room, and picked up an object.