The moment Zhang Xu laid eyes on Xu Bosu, he knew the guy was into men, the way Xu Bosu looked at him was like he had hooks in his eyes.

To put it bluntly, he was radiating gay energy without any attempt to hide his intense interest in men.

Lu Kai burst out laughing again: “Bent like a mosquito coil? Oh my god, hahaha!” This time, he not only slapped his own thigh but also slapped Shen Feiqing’s thigh hard: “Did you hear that? He said Old Xu is bent like a mosquito coil. You can actually tell that?”

And yet, despite having been Xu Bosu’s best friends for over twenty years, he and Shen Feiqing had only recently found out that Xu Bosu liked men.

“To each his own,” Shen Feiqing said with a smile, though his feelings were actually quite complicated.

Xu Bosu was his childhood friend; he’d always assumed the guy was just like him and Lu Kai—a straight-as-an-arrow, rock-solid straight man.

But so much had happened recently. First, the Xu family announced plans for a strategic marriage alliance with a major conglomerate, and then rumors broke that Xu Bosu had come out and was leaving the Xu family to strike out on his own.

As his brothers, they could only watch helplessly as their buddy transformed from a rock-solid straight man into a stunningly attractive top, and then from a golden boy into a penniless bum.

Tonight was the first time the three of them had gathered since Xu Bosu left the Xu family. To show they had no issue with their brother’s sexual orientation, they suggested coming to this famous gay bar.

And as it happened, today was also the first day same-sex marriage was legal, a rather significant milestone.

If Xu Bosu could find someone special on this extraordinary day, his brothers Lu Kai and Shen Feiqing would be genuinely happy for him.

After all, after suppressing his feelings for so many years, who wouldn’t have some needs?

As for the whole registration business, they’d just treat it as a bit of fun.

The man whom Zhang Xu had declared was “bent like a mosquito coil” still wore that half-smile. His long arm rested on the back of the chair behind Zhang Xu, and he looked completely at ease.

He leaned subtly toward Zhang Xu, creating an air of quiet intimacy.

“You’re amazing. Want a sip?” Xu Bosu held out his bottle.

“Sure thing.” Zhang Xu didn’t hesitate, clinking the neck of his bottle against Xu Bosu’s before tilting his head back to drink.

Xu Bosu drank more elegantly than Zhang Xu, sipping slowly while his eyes responded with a subtle, almost imperceptible glance to the winking and gesturing across from him.

“You… like… him?” Lu Kai mouthed the words while pointing at Zhang Xu.

With a sharp slap, Shen Feiqing swatted away that overly dramatic finger, then flashed a smile at Zhang Xu: “You’re so young—still in school, right?”

Zhang Xu nodded: “Yeah, K University’s Journalism Department. I’ll graduate next year.”

“K University? K University’s pretty good!” Lu Kai exclaimed excitedly. “I’m a K University graduate too, it was so hard to get in back then, you know!”

“You’re a K University student, so why did your ex-boyfriend say you had no education?” Shen Feiqing asked, puzzled, subtly stirring the pot.

Xu Bosu kept an eye on the people around him while secretly giving his brother a thumbs-up.

The way he’d racked up that aggro was just perfect.

“He’s a jerk!” Sure enough, the moment Yu Shuyang’s name came up, Zhang Xu exploded. He slammed his bottle down on the table, gritted his teeth, and rolled up his sleeves. “I must’ve been blind to ever fall for someone so snobbish and obsessed with money and status. Damn it! What a waste of my youth!”

Lu Kai chimed in, his voice brimming with righteous indignation: “Exactly! That kind of trash who only sees money and status isn’t even fit to tie my brother’s shoes!”

Then, grabbing Zhang Xu’s arm, he added: “You know my brother, right? He’s a rich kid from a loaded family—devoted, gentle, and the absolute best man you could ever find. He’s a million times better than your ex!”

Shen Feiqing pressed his hand to his forehead. There was no stopping this idiot’s mouth, his intentions were way too obvious.

Anyone who couldn’t read between the lines was a fool!

As for the guy being showered with flattery, he hadn’t even noticed what nonsense Lu Kai was spouting. He was grinning like a star performer, staring intently at his new friend without blinking.

“You’re absolutely right, my ex-boyfriend was total trash!” Zhang Xu exclaimed, cheerfully clinking bottles with Lu Kai. “Come on, let’s drink! Cheers to new friends!”

He hadn’t picked up on Lu Kai’s blatantly obvious sales pitch at all.

Shen Feiqing: “???”

The friendship between two oblivious people like you is truly something else.

“Hmm, beer is too bland.” Zhang Xu downed a bottle in no time, his lively eyes darting around as he suggested, “Why don’t we go for something stronger? What do you say, Xu Bosu?”

Looking up, Zhang Xu realized Xu Bosu was standing incredibly close—so close they’d almost kissed.

“Man, your face is just too unfair,” Zhang Xu laughed, leaning back unashamedly onto the other guy’s arm. “Being your boyfriend must be such a hassle, huh?”

You’d have to guard against flirters all day long.

“Didn’t my buddy just say it? I’m totally loyal.” Xu Bosu glanced at him, then at the arm being used as a pillow, his smile so captivating it could charm anyone.

Way too perfect.

Even the top-tier tops in the gay scene wouldn’t hold a candle to him.

“Haha.” Zhang Xu laughed along, playing it casual. After all, he wasn’t his boyfriend—no need for him to worry. “So, want another drink?”

Zhang Xu’s expressions were particularly vivid and lively; anyone who appreciated that kind of energy would find him incredibly charming.

“Sure.” Xu Bosu smiled and turned briefly to Shen Feiqing: “Feiqing.”

“I’ll go order some drinks,” Shen Feiqing said, getting up from the table.

It was a busy night and the bar was packed; the waitstaff couldn’t keep up, so getting it himself would be faster.

“Aren’t you afraid of getting drunk?” Lu Kai watched the scene unfold and suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. The three of them were teaming up to help their buddy score.

“What’s there to be afraid of?” Zhang Xu said. “If the bottom doesn’t get drunk, the top won’t get his chance.”

“Hahahaha…” Lu Kai laughed out loud, thinking to himself: well, you two are clearly into each other. What business is it of mine?

None at all.

Xu Bosu’s smile faltered for a moment. True enough—no matter how open-minded someone might seem, after a sudden breakup, who wouldn’t have some feelings churning inside?

“It’s fine. If you get drunk, I’ll get drunk with you,” Xu Bosu said, subtly making clear he was a man of integrity.

“We’ll see who gets drunk first,” Zhang Xu shot back, his eyes full of defiance, radiating a combative energy from head to toe.

Forgive Xu Bosu for being frank, but with Zhang Xu’s sharp features and bright smile, coupled with his lean, athletic build, his provocations only served to stir up other people’s desire to conquer him.

“Here’s the alcohol.” Shen Feiqing returned, followed by a waiter carrying a tray of hard liquor—enough to be a lot even split between four people.

“Holy cow,” Lu Kai gasped. He thought he’d already been pretty ruthless for his brother’s sake, but he never expected Old Shen to be even worse.

“What’s the matter? Isn’t this what you guys wanted?” Shen Feiqing sat down with a smile, then pulled a few slips of paper out of his pocket, looking completely unfazed. “I went downstairs just now and got slipped a few phone numbers.”

“Hahahaha…” That string of laughter came from Zhang Xu and Lu Kai.

“There’s even a big guy over 185 cm in the mix.” Shen Feiqing pushed his glasses up. “Do I look like a bottom to you?”

“Hahahaha…” Lu Kai laughed so hard he thought he was going to pass out.

“Not necessarily,” Zhang Xu said, feeling obligated to give his new friend a crash course in gay culture. “Just because someone looks built doesn’t mean they’re a top—they could easily be a soft-hearted bottom.”

“Soft-hearted bottom, hahahaha…” Lu Kai was losing it, because the guy sitting across from him was also well over 185 cm.

“Lu Kai, look at me one more time…” Xu Bosu’s gaze was pure menace.

“Zhang Xu, in your opinion—is my brother a top or a bottom?” Lu Kai asked, throwing all caution to the wind.

The moment the words left his mouth, everyone turned to look at the young man quietly sipping his liquor.

They were all very interested in his answer.

“Definitely a top,” Zhang Xu said. The alcohol had made him particularly chatty tonight. “Your brother is the full package in the gay scene. With his stats, he could have his pick of any bottom he wants—even if he were a complete jerk, guys would still be lining up to throw themselves at him.”

“My brother is not a jerk,” Lu Kai quickly cut in.

“You know there are way more bottoms than tops, right?” Zhang Xu shifted into a more comfortable position, only to realize he was sitting too close to Xu Bosu and tried to move away.

“It’s fine.” Xu Bosu wrapped an arm around him, not only stopping him from moving but pulling him in even closer.

“How many exes do you have?” Zhang Xu asked curiously. A top this well-packaged—surely he had a long list?

“He doesn’t have any exes.” Shen Feiqing had the kind of face that couldn’t tell a lie; whatever came out of his mouth carried an inexplicable air of credibility.

“No way?” Zhang Xu stared at Xu Bosu in disbelief. A guy this good-looking had no exes?

“I only just came out recently,” Xu Bosu answered.

No matter when Zhang Xu looked over, he found Xu Bosu already looking back at him.

Damn.

Zhang Xu was starting to wonder if this guy was actually hitting on him.

But he had no proof. Sure, they were sitting close, but Xu Bosu hadn’t made any suggestive moves or said anything out of line.

If anything, it was him and the two straight guys who kept steering the conversation toward gay topics—which made Xu Bosu seem like the quiet, reserved one by comparison.

“Wait, you came out?” Zhang Xu’s eyes went wide, and his opinion of Xu Bosu shot up several notches. “Bro, I respect that. You’re my idol.”

“What, your family doesn’t approve either?” Lu Kai looked at him.

“Sort of. My dad forbids me from dating anyone.” Zhang Xu took an annoyed sip of his drink. “Forget it, let’s not talk about that. Come on, let’s drink.”

“No way. You’re a college student, not a high schooler…” Lu Kai teased as he clinked glasses with him. “Does your dad think he’s raising a daughter instead of a son?”

Zhang Xu paused, thinking to himself: isn’t that basically the truth?

Xu Bosu: “And yet you still went and dated someone.” He chuckled softly, slowly swirling the amber liquid in his glass.

“Stop changing the subject. You haven’t touched a single drop of that liquor.” Zhang Xu said, clinking his glass against Xu Bosu’s. “Drink up.”

Faced with such a direct invitation, Xu Bosu raised his glass without hesitation and downed it in one go.

“Good. That’s what I like to see,” Zhang Xu said approvingly, then finished the rest of his own drink.

“Tsk, tsk. At this pace, I can’t keep up with you two.” Lu Kai patted his chest—the liquor really was strong.

“I’m not drinking; I’m driving everyone home,” Shen Feiqing said calmly, shelling sunflower seeds with both hands.

“There’s a 185 cm bottom over there staring at you, Brother Feiqing,” Lu Kai teased.

He immediately got a face full of sunflower seed shells from Shen Feiqing.

“Hahaha.” Zhang Xu laughed.

It wasn’t just the people around them staring at Shen Feiqing—their entire table was the center of attention.

Especially Xu Bosu. Although he kept his face turned toward Zhang Xu, blocking the prying eyes of many, his presence was undeniable.

One glance was enough to draw people in, making them unable to resist looking again and again.

“A lot of people are staring at you,” Zhang Xu remarked, glancing over. He thought to himself: this guy has racked up a mountain of hate points tonight—the bottoms at Boys & Boys Bar must be green with envy.

“But I’m looking at you.” Xu Bosu smiled, his gaze steady and focused.

“Are you hitting on me?” Zhang Xu looked up, his own smile playful.

“Didn’t we agree to get married tomorrow?” Xu Bosu leaned in slightly, his expression deeply affectionate.

“Pfft—” Zhang Xu laughed, looping an arm around Xu Bosu’s neck. “Marriage—you said it yourself. If you back out, you’re the worst.”

“I won’t back out.”

Two glasses clinked together cleanly, and as Lu Kai and Shen Feiqing stared in stunned disbelief, the two of them downed another round.

Wait—what?!

When had these two gotten so close?!

As their brothers, they hadn’t seen it coming at all!

Was this how gay guys paired up—at lightning speed?

But looking around at the environment, it wasn’t that surprising.

Simply put, the community was small, and the options were limited. With alcohol and atmosphere acting as catalysts, once two people locked eyes, getting together on the spot wasn’t unusual at all.

The moment Xu Bosu said “I won’t back out,” Zhang Xu had already made up his mind: this guy was definitely a player just looking for a one-night stand.

Sure, he was handsome and had great credentials—but he was way too shamelessly smooth.

Who in their right mind would believe that a guy this much of a catch would seriously talk about marriage on the very first day they met? Please.

Only an idiot would fall for that.

But Zhang Xu was in a bad mood, and besides sitting here drinking, he didn’t know where else to go.

He had no desire to go back to campus.

Thinking about the past year or so—all the time he and Yu Shuyang had spent wrapped up in each other in every corner of that school—made him feel sick.

His off-campus apartment was cold and empty. Going back there would just mean ordering takeout and drinking alone.

He definitely couldn’t go back to his dad’s place either. If his dad picked up on anything, he’d skin him alive.

Besides, his dad was living with his girlfriend now, and she had this insufferably snobby, aloof son who looked at Zhang Xu like he was dirt every time he visited. Screw that.

After weighing all his options, it turned out the only thing he could do was play along with a stranger here to kill time.

What a depressing situation.

Zhang Xu felt sorry for himself and took another sip.

“Feeling down?” Xu Bosu’s hand had long since moved from the chair back to Zhang Xu’s shoulder. He pulled him close, their foreheads nearly touching as he spoke.

The strong liquor was already going to Zhang Xu’s head; his thoughts were starting to slow. He leaned into the other man without any resistance: “Hm?”

Xu Bosu smiled and pressed a quiet kiss to Zhang Xu’s hair: “Do you miss your ex?”

At the same time, he set both their glasses on the table, lifted Zhang Xu’s hands, and draped them around his own shoulders.

“My ex? Ha. My ex is dead to me,” Zhang Xu muttered. His reactions were sluggish, but his mind was still clear enough. He let Xu Bosu arrange his arms simply because he didn’t feel like doing anything himself.

Not that he could deny it—the faint trace of cologne on this man was genuinely, undeniably appealing.

It was especially noticeable when he leaned against his shoulder and breathed in. Faint and light, yet impossible to ignore. It suited Xu Bosu perfectly.

“Are you happy with me as your boyfriend, Xiao Xu?” Xu Bosu murmured, pulling Zhang Xu closer.

The two brothers at the table stared, completely dumbfounded.

“Holy…” Lu Kai thought back to their high school days, when the prettiest girls in school always ended up with Xu Bosu as their boyfriend.

Back then, he’d thought Xu Bosu just had better luck.

Now he realized it wasn’t luck. The other two simply never bothered to try.

“How would I know if we haven’t slept together?” Zhang Xu murmured against Xu Bosu’s ear, his voice low and teasing, warm breath brushing right against him.

Xu Bosu felt like a lit firework—ready to go off.

“Are you the one hitting on me now?” A top who’d been single his entire twenty-six years of life was in a very dangerous state right now.

“Didn’t we agree to get married tomorrow?” Zhang Xu threw his own words right back at him.

As Xu Bosu’s face drew closer and closer, Zhang Xu suddenly burst out laughing, smoothly retreating back to his own seat, still chuckling as he reached for his drink.

“…Clearly not drunk enough yet.”

The other three at the table were in unanimous agreement.

“Come on, come on, let’s keep drinking!” Lu Kai hadn’t wanted it to come to this either, but things had already gotten this far—just one more push needed. How could he not help?

“…” Xu Bosu’s arms were empty again. He picked up his glass and kept drinking alongside Zhang Xu.

“Don’t overdo it, though,” Shen Feiqing said, clinging to his last shred of conscience. “Drinking isn’t just bad for your health—it’s also very easy to lose more than just your inhibitions.”

“Hahahahaha…” Lu Kai couldn’t stop laughing tonight.

“Is that right? Then maybe we should stop?” Zhang Xu glanced over at Xu Bosu.

“Whatever you want,” Xu Bosu said. “If you want to keep drinking, I’ll drink with you. If you don’t, we stop.”

Completely unbothered either way.

“Hey, after all this drinking.” Zhang Xu suddenly turned on Xu Bosu: “Just be honest with me—how many exes did it take to perfect this whole gentle and attentive routine?”

Xu Bosu chuckled: “Do you really think Feiqing would lie to you?” Seeing Zhang Xu’s unconvinced expression, he answered evenly: “I don’t have any exes.”

Zhang Xu dropped his gaze, glancing off to the side. “So you’re still a virgin?”

“Cough, cough, cough—” Lu Kai choked on his drink and dissolved into laughter. “Hahaha, sorry, sorry. You two carry on.”

Honestly, he was dying to know the answer himself.

“Why don’t you find out firsthand?” Xu Bosu replied, composed and perfectly at ease.

That answer was completely airtight.

Not fun at all.

Zhang Xu felt deflated and drank in sulky silence.

The others kept exchanging glances but didn’t dare say a word out loud.

Zhang Xu had already had quite a bit, and as the alcohol settled in, his mind grew increasingly foggy.

He knew he was about to hit his limit.

He downed the last of his drink and set the glass on the table. “Can’t drink anymore,” he mumbled. “I’m going to the bathroom, then heading home… Hic—” A hiccup broke through. “Thanks for the drinks, everyone. Hope we run into each other again.”

Everyone watched as he stood up—then toppled straight onto Xu Bosu with a thud.

The man who’d been waiting for exactly this moment opened his arms and caught him without missing a beat.

The other two exhaled with relief.

Alright. That was settled, then.

“Where are you taking him?” Shen Feiqing asked. “A hotel, or back to your place?”

“A hotel,” Xu Bosu said. “My place is small, and who knows how much trouble he’ll cause while drunk.”

“Ugh…” Lu Kai opened his mouth, making one last appeal to his conscience: “Are you seriously going to pursue this with him?”

You just met today… how is this already happening…

“We’ll see,” Xu Bosu said, three words that answered nothing, and carried Zhang Xu downstairs.

Anyone who’s ever been drunk knows that feeling—your body stops cooperating, your thoughts slow to a crawl, but somewhere underneath it all, you’re still awake.

“I need the bathroom…” Zhang Xu was in agony. That was the only thing on his mind right now—he desperately needed to go.

He wasn’t thinking about anything else.

“Okay. I’ll take you.” Xu Bosu said quietly, then told Shen Feiqing: “Go settle the bill. I’ll be right back.”

Watching the two of them disappear, Shen Feiqing and Lu Kai exchanged a look and sighed. That’s what it looks like when a man has someone he wants to take care of.

Still, neither of them felt very optimistic about where this was actually going.

Xu Bosu’s family situation alone was a serious obstacle.

An ordinary guy like Zhang Xu—it just wasn’t going to be simple.