Xing Ming had lied to Yu Zhongye. He did not go home to accompany his mother. Instead, he went back to his rental apartment.
Since then, a normal week had passed as usual. He got up at six, took a morning run, took a shower, ate breakfast, and listened to CNN News… Then he went to Pearl Station. The only deviation from routine was that his team had officially entered the separation phase. The technical director, camera operator and post-production team had almost all accepted offers of job transfer and were preparing to move to their new workplaces. Xing Ming sat in his own office, watching them holding their organized file boxes through transparent glass doors as one left, then another…
Only Ruan Ning stayed in the formerly full working area. The one who didn't want to stay had to stay, while the ones who wanted to leave had all left.
The last one was Sun Wei. He walked into Xing Ming's office, asking, "Do you need me to stay one more month before transferring and handing over the work?"
"There's no need." Xing Ming's stare penetrated through the glass-door past Sun Wei to see Ol' Chen approaching. He smiled as if nothing had happened, telling Sun Wei, "Work hard on your job and take good care of your family."
Ol' Chen had come at a time that was later than Xing Ming had expected. He pretended that he had waited for the other man's arrival for a long time. As soon as Ol' Chen arrived, he stood up to welcome him.
"Hey, young Xing!" Ol' Chen came in, face lit with a smile. He seemed to be initiating a peace-talk. "I've heard from Yu-shu that you were sick, why didn't you take a few more days off to rest?"
"All thanks to the heartfelt care of Director Chen, I haven't died yet." With the same smile on his face, Xing Ming stared straight at Ol' Chen. He didn't seem to be rattled by flattery or insulted, bravely confronting all the tough breaks and setbacks with poise in light of a brighter future.
Outside the transparent glass doors of the office, a crowd had gathered. While they pretended to do work or converse, they were really just attracted by the potential gossip, wanting to see if another big fight will start up between the two inside.
"Isn't it your birthday soon? Why hasn't Yu-shu said anything about celebrating it?" On the surface, Ol' Chen looked amiable, but in reality, the man hated Xing Ming so much that he was almost gnashing his teeth. He had planned everything thoroughly and meticulously, yet this one oversight had still happened. He would never have thought that such an arrogant Ice Prince would so shamelessly climb into Chairman Yu's bed.
"There's still one month till then. Yu-laoshi knows his own schedule, so I'm not anxious." Xing Ming knew that it was impossible for Yu Zhongye to remember his birthday, but he still wanted to prop up his paper tiger. Even with empty threats, he could at least frighten Ol' Chen a bit.
"You'd better grasp this opportunity and figure out what you really want. Our chairman loves his workers and treats them like they're his family. He's super generous. Previously, for Zhuang Lei's birthday, Yu-shu straight up gave her Pearl Line, making her our number one lady."
Xing Ming looked at Ol' Chen's face condescendingly without a single comment.
"I already knew abouts the rumors and nonsense spreading through the Station. If they want to talk shit about others, then just let them do it. I don't care to play little games with you youngsters. However, young Xing, you have to understand that I, Ol' Chen, don't hold that kind of power or reputation. Zhuang Lei's current position is so safe and sound for reasons beyond relying on me." In front of Xing Ming, Ol' Chen was no longer the Director of the News Center who would so often initiate conflicts. He appeared genial and warm, smiling with a face full of laugh lines. "One more thing. Soon you will know about this from somewhere else as well. There's no way that Yu Shu won't get what he wants. Luo You from the East Asian Channel has already confirmed that he will to come to our Station. This time he's here to host If People Love Beauty, along with another popular young kid. This is the new program that cost the station so much time and effort."
Ol' Chen talked about the two seemingly unrelated things, yet he had clearly made his point. Xing Ming almost immediately understood what he was talking about—Chairman Yu had several of his own favorites and Xing Ming was definitely not the only one he liked.
At least when Ol' Chen had called through the phone, he had already gotten that one affirmation.
Yu Zhongye had no intention of sleeping with him without reimbursement. That day, the one crucial sentence that he gave to Ol' Chen at least gave evidence that he cared about the relationship of sleeping on the same bed. He had at last fulfilled the sentiments and demands of adultery.
Ol' Chen thought he had finally managed to triumph over Xing Ming, so he left satisfied. Before leaving, he had even been considerate enough to say that the new show should be taken seriously and that if Xing Ming needed anything from him, he, as the Director of News Center would definitely try his best to help and cooperate.
Xing Ming didn't show any signs of stinginess and prejudice either, talking cheerfully and wittily with Ol' Chen on the way to the elevator. The gathered crowd had not seen the fight that they expected, so they dispersed, resentful and disappointed. Only Ruan Ning noticed the angry tick on Xing Ming's face. After seeing Ol' Chen off, he stood still at the elevator door and seemed to daydream.
"Boss…" Ruan Ning thought that Ol' Chen was playing tricks on Xing Ming again, so he approached to comfort him. "It's impossible to tell which hunter will kill the deer; the winner is yet uncertain. We will work hard on the new show and win one over him…"
Feeling like he had awakened from reverie, Xing Ming turned to walk back to the office. "There are some capable temporary employees at our TV station. I've reviewed their resumes and their portfolios. Though they need more experience, they're all creative. Take out your notebook and jot this down, I want to have a drink with them…"
By the time Ruan Ning held his pen, Xing Ming had already said a lot all at once. The name of the program, the types of positions, name, gender, time, and place… Xing Ming had a speaking speed that was faster than others. Except for the times when he broadcasted as a host where he would deliberately slow down to talk, in usual conversations, his speech, particularly when he was working, would be either extremely concise or very rapid-fire.
Ruan Ning took out the paper and pen, shakily following behind Xing Ming. He laboriously wrote the entire way, but it was impossible for him to write down everything.
"Boss, wait…"
Xing Ming stopped, turned his face and looked at Ruan Ning.
"Boss, could you that repeat again… I couldn't record everything …"
"Is this very hard?" Xing Ming had changed his expression, coldly staring into Ruan Ning's eyes as the whole atmosphere of the working area turned hostile. Xing Ming didn't like people who did not commit to their work fully, hence, his team always had the smallest number of members in the News Center despite having the highest working efficiency. He himself was able to speedread incredibly quickly and to remember every single word he heard, and he held the same standard for his team of employees. However, in most people's opinions, he was so picky and demanding that he set these requirements to purposely cause them trouble. Once, he'd had a fight with an experienced news reporter over the way the latter clocked his overtime. Xing Ming seized that opportunity to spend twenty minutes finishing a task for which the other person had estimated an entire week of worktime, then, pointing at his nose, ordered him to resign the job and leave.
"Boss, could you repeat it again?" Ruan Ning certainly remembered this incident, so he was trapped in embarrassment and panic. "This time, I promise that I'll remember everything and jot it down…"
Xing Ming gazed at Ruan Ning for a few moments, then with a more relaxed facial expression, he returned to his own office, telling Ruan Ning, "Follow me."
This situation really scared Ruan Ning. Following behind Xing Ming with his heart hammering and body shaking, he saw Xing Ming taking out something from the drawer of his office desk. He casually raised his hand, throwing it at Ruan Ning.
Ruan Ning's reaction was quick enough that he caught it with his hands. He looked down and found it was a tennis ball which bore the signature of Roger Federer.
Xing Ming tried hard to make himself give a genuine smile, saying, "I know he's your idol, though I always seem to forget to bring it to you."
"Boss! I love you so much, I could die!" Ruan Ning's fear turned to delight, and he almost burst into tears. He looked like he was about to throw himself into Xing Ming's arms.
"Piss off, I'm straight." Xing Ming raised his hands to prevent Ruan Ning from approaching him too closely, but the smile on his face became more natural. "It's been a long time since you joined the Station, so this new show is also a great chance for you. You haven't been offered the journalist's license yet, but I'll set it up for you. You'll be in charge of the outdoor interviews in this new show. Participate more, learn more, and read more from real examples; that's your road to success. You have to seriously consider your future career path, and I will definitely support you to the best of my abilities. I'm sure that you don't want to be an assistant your whole life."
His words sounded comforting and pleasing, but in fact, he'd said them because, in face of their current reality, just then, there was no way to find a sponsor, so the budget for the show was limited, which meant that they did not have enough money to hire other crew members.
Ruan Ning knew nothing about it. The joy on his face dampened the corners of his eyes and the tips of his brow. He nodded his head constantly like he was pounding garlic paste with his chin. Xing Ming curled his finger in a beckoning gesture for Ruan Ning to step closer. Then he flicked Ruan Ning's forehead, saying, "Now, write down the words I say. Pay more attention. If you still can't remember, I'll have to be hard on you."
Ruan Ning jotted down all the working content. Even before he left the office, he would frequently turn his head back with grateful glances at Xing Ming as he walked away.
Xing Ming waved his hands towards him with a smile then he stood up and locked the office door from the inside.
So far, he planned on building up a new team. After the experience of being kicked while he was down and having his employees poached from him, he could no longer bear to suffer from it again in his lifetime. Xing Ming reminded himself to control his temper, to become a leader who was both considerate and just, both merciful and understanding. At the very least, he should remember team members' names and interests.
He found out that the so-called art of leadership was not in fact, as hard as he first thought.
Of course, being a good leader not only depended on a good temper, but also a visionary mind. Someone who didn't hold anyone's talents back but who did dig out unexplored aptitudes.
For some people, merely Ruan Ning's invitation was enough, but for the others, it was better to learn from the Han Emperor Liu Bei, to imitate his actions from when he'd sought after the talents of the strategist Zhuge Liang, and to personally pay those three humble visits of solicitation.
The fact was that, before Zhuang Lei, Pearl Line had had another host, Su Qinghua, who had single-handedly established Pearl Line and set the building blocks for Pearl Station's currently prominent status.
Different from the storytelling style of Zhuang Lei, Su Qinghua had a critical angle of viewing issues and expert skill with words. His style of hosting was ingenious. While it was sometimes maniacally radical, other times it was romantically poetic.
"There has to be someone to stand up for the minorities of society and speak out for them."
Su Qinghua once said the exact same words.
At that time, Su Qinghua had been in charge of Pearl Line, and he'd had a spirit that seemed willing to sacrifice his lifeblood to the Yellow Emperor in sheer patriotism. He harshly condemned the leaders who condoned inaction and criticized society for its obsessiveness. When he'd hosted the program, he never coordinated his speaking notes with the Xin Hua News Agency and even openly publicized some points that violated public order and ethics. The colleagues from the TV businesses all sighed that they had never seen such a bold media professional. Yet Ol' Chen's comments on this show was: "He has always done things that oppose his proper duties, cause chaos to the public, and put the Communist Party in danger."
The result of being bold enough to speak up was gory. During one interview, Su Qinghua had suffered from a sudden assault. A group of gangsters holding steel bars had come out of nowhere and chased and beat him until he could no longer stand up. As of yet, the perpetrators had still not been arrested or brought to justice; the police said it was simple robbery. However, at Pearl Station, a rumor stated that Su Qinghua had reaped what his controversial viewpoints had sown. He had annoyed someone who should never be bothered, and that was why he was in such dire condition.
Things went in a vicious direction. A spinal injury rendered Su Qinghua paraplegic and unable to walk, which made him unable to continue his experienced career as a host. He struggled, relying on work-injury compensation and living in a shabby apartment that was just a couple hundred square-foot. Among the dozens of poor students to whom he had provided help, only one or two occasionally came back to visit. Meanwhile, all others had vanished without trace.
Although Su Qinghua was paralyzed, his heart never flew away from the news and media industry circles. He had been cynical about the changes of Pearl Station in recent years, so he'd once written long articles on his Weibo account, denouncing the present Pearl Station that had already changed completely. He attributed it all to the new chairman, Yu Zhongye.
Put bluntly, his articles were good. Through each word and sentence, it showed sophistication, vigor and strength, dreams and morality. However, to most people, this claim seemed to hold not only resentment but also petty complaints like the grudges of a loser. Hence, nothing changed. Only a small news organization, now shut down, had sent a journalist to interview him, asking, "You have so many axes to grind. Is it because of disagreements with the new chairman?"
Su Qinghua had shaken his head, saying, "This world has changed. You and I no longer fit in this world, for we look too much upon the past."
This was a quote, originally spoken by the actor Donald Chow Yun-fat, from the 1989 Hong Kong movie called The Killer.
Xing Ming knew Su Qinghua long before he'd gotten into media as a career. Long ago, Su Qinghua had worked together with Xing Hong at the Economics Daily News organization. He'd been young, handsome, vigorous, and high-spirited, completely different from who he was now, withered and skinny. Since he had some Russian blood—maybe one-eighth or even less—his appearance was a little bit exotic, with a naturally yellowish tinge to his shoulder-length hair, arch eyebrows, and deep-set eyes that were slightly more ashen than brown. He was a few years younger than Xing Hong, and they'd both been idealistic young men, the sort that dreamed as if they'd live forever. They wrote poems and played music together, ran articles and wrote essays together. Once, when Xing Ming had been seven or eight years old, he'd watched Xing Hong singing and Su Qinghua playing the guitar, watched Xing Hong drinking a sour German stout and Su Qinghua holding a cigarette butt and blowing smoke clouds. Both of them had beenwearing old grey sweaters, their faces smiling brightly like flowers.
It had been a traditional Italian folk song. Xing Ming always remembered it.
"Before the night falls, please come on my little boat, Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia…
Before the morning comes, let's hurry off these shores, Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia…"[1]
As youth decayed, the flesh perished and the dreams died out. This man was just like the burnt end of a cigarette, bursting and burning with a final magnificent, splendid spark, which was then ruthlessly extinguished by the powerful current of the times.
Xing Ming called Su Qinghua "shifu[2]," and, from a professional point of view, he had one hundred percent faith in Su Qinghua's abilities as the producer of the new show. When Xing Ming had initially started on his job at the Station, whenever he met with any tough problems, he would immediately consult Su Qinghua. But as such a disobedient and prickly person, the man certainly would not leave a good impression with Yu Zhongye.
At the office, Xing Ming called Su Qinghua. He respectfully asked him whether he had any ideas towards the new show, but the reply from Su Qinghua was blunt. For this innovative live program on news debates, he held neither positive expectations nor supportive ideas. He openly expressed pessimism towards the future prospect of the news industry. Before hanging the phone, he said that all ideals had died.
Despite the fact that Su Qinghua directly dampened his enthusiasm, building up of the new team took priority and was still in progress. Everything had gone smoothly so far as the first two members joined the team; one was responsible for pre-production, Wang Chong, while the other one was for post-production, Fang Ying. Wang Chong was a young lady, and Fang Ying was a young man. They were both temps at the Station, recent graduates but experts in their fields.
The team continued to develop like that. The new show was named Oriental TV Line. Xing Ming gathered everyone to have a meeting where he good-naturedly called out each member's name. He didn't throw out requirements and listened to their requests first.
The team members chatted a lot. Some said that they were preparing to buy a house to get married but that their Hukou had not settled yet rendering them thus unstable in their household registration, while others said that they hadn't been able to wear a uniform or buy any insurance even after working there for seven years… Xing Ming patiently listened to the requests and remembered every word they said. By using promises and pacification at just the right time, he managed to console them with some illusions of grandeur. But in reality, he couldn't promise much since even he himself didn't have a permanent position within the employment system.
Recently, Yu Zhongye had not interacted with him at all. Occasionally when they met at Pearl Station, he only showed the manners of a chairman who greeted his worker, asking questions about nothing more than the progress of the new show. When Xing Ming recalled the selective words left by Ol' Chen, he missed Yu Zhongye uncontrollably.
From the point of view of human nature, he detested having sex with other men, yet he didn't hate having sex with Yu Zhongye. He'd been anxious before it happened and regretful after it finished, but he thoroughly enjoyed the process. After all, men were animals driven by lower half: love, responsibility, promises, and dreams… everything could be faked—except orgasms.
After getting back home, Xing Ming took a shower and brushed his teeth. He lay on the bed and sent messages to Yu Zhongye with the hope that he could once again get the chance to present himself to Yu Zhongye as a gift, asking, "Laoshi, do you need me to come over tonight?"
He sent a message to Su Qinghua as well, inviting him to be the producer of Oriental TV Line, his words chosen to be both touching and reasonable.
Yu Zhongye did not reply; neither did Su Qinghua.
One must match the bait to the fish. On one hand, he was focusing on the idea, on the other hand, he was following his lust. As such, a whole week went by in which Xing Ming would send out two messages every night, one of them carefully asking the same question, the other one cautiously exploring and discussing dreams and truth.
It repeated until the seventh night, when he suddenly felt a little bit fed up with it. Yu Zhongye probably hadn't tasted him properly before tiring of him. At the moment, the pretty Zhuang Lei or handsome Luo You were probably already lying on that big bed covered with black velvet.
Xing Ming happened to be tired of being cautious and discreet too. He typed in a long paragraph on the phone with noisy sounds, claiming that he really appreciated and respected Su Qinghua, though he couldn't agree with his pessimism and misgivings.
The times had changed, but not all ideals had died.
Xing Ming sent out a chunk of enthusiastic words but after five minutes, he realized that he had sent it to the wrong person—he sent the text meant for Su Qinghua instead to Yu Zhongye.
A few minutes passed; Yu Zhongye sent a reply.
Four words: Wait for me outside.
Xing Ming followed his instructions and waited outside. After over an hour, the black Mercedes arrived late.
The wind blew harshly at night, like blades, shaving his face rapidly. Xing Ming had stood there for such a long time that he felt frozen. The Mercedes lingered in front of him for over five minutes before he realized that he was to get into the car.
Yu Zhongye did not speak a word. It was Ol' Lin who initiated a conversation with Xing Ming, "Host Xing, have you waited for a long time?"
"It's fine." Xing Ming got in and replied with no expression on his face. It wasn't because he wanted to annoy people but because his face was too frozen.
Ol' Lin turned the wheel, explaining, "There was some trouble on the road."
Xing Ming thought he had been picked up by Yu Zhongye to be taken back home, but soon he found out that the car was going in the opposite direction, so he asked, "Where are we going?"
Yu Zhongye replied, "To meet an old friend."
The Mercedes drove in a big turn and passed two traffic lights. Xing Ming recognized this route—he also drove on this path normally; it was the only road to Su Qinghua's house.
"You two know each other?" Yu Zhongye had not been the chairman of Pearl Station when Su Qinghua got injured. Maybe it was true that they knew each other, but Su Qinghua had disclosed his disdain towards Yu Zhongye more than once. In his mind, what this chairman of Pearl Station had done had violated the long-standing ideology that Pearl Station had possessed ever since its establishment. His cold-blooded and profiteering acts were unbecoming for a media professional, let alone for an artist.
"More than that." Yu Zhongye closed his eyes to rest.
"You want him out of hermithood?" For such a prominent person, like the past exemplars of the TV media business, even upon being trapped in such a plight, he wouldn't submit to demands so easily just to make a living. Xing Ming knew Su Qinghua's personality, so he was quite confident about that. As such he stated, "He won't agree to come back to Pearl Station. It's impossible."
Yu Zhongye turned to look at Xing Ming.
Xing Ming raised an eyebrow. "Want to bet?"
Yu Zhongye laughed out loud, and even Ol' Lin grinned.
Xing Ming knew what they were laughing at. They were laughing at his ignorance. Right now, except for his appearance and body, he had no advantages. But if he won, he could ask for a request. Otherwise, if he lost, he certainly wouldn't feel good but at least he could have a producer for his new show. In conclusion, Xing Ming thought that he could benefit from it either way.
Yu Zhongye seemed in a good mood today, surprisingly receptive to Xing Ming's naughty pestering, asking him, "How so?"
"I've almost made up the team. Most of them are subcontractors. Some of the fawning ones asked some requests from me. They wouldn't dare to think about becoming official staff who will be enrolled in the staff-listing system. However, they do wonder. If they can make some great achievements, could they at least have the opportunity to become employed by the Station and possibly be enrolled into the Station's staff system?"
"You're making demands before you give me any results." The slight smile on Yu Zhongye's face, carried a hint of teasing. "No patience."
"It's a case-by-case situation. They've got low entry-level salaries without any bonuses and their incomes are solely based on their working performance, which can only be accessed by checking their tax reports. Most of them came from other regions. Without a settled Hukou, they've got no insurance welfare. They still have to raise their family members at home, so we should at least plan ahead and ensure their income so that they'll be willing to commit to their dreams." Negotiation particularly required wisdom. Xing Ming knew that he shouldn't always ask for requests, so he added, "Of course, we have to look at the view rates of the new program to judge it. Without good ratings, my negotiations would merely be an act of robbery."
"Not fighting for yourself, but for others." Yu Zhongye closed his eyes, which seemed to neither accept the wager nor refuse it.
The Mercedes drove into the narrow alley named Jin Xiu Lane. Yu Zhongye got out of the car on his own, telling Xing Ming, intending to follow, "Wait in the car."
Xing Ming yearned to fight but gave up. He stayed in the car, alone and sullen. It was Ol' Lin, ever considerate, who attempted to comfort him jokingly, "Don't worry. They truly are well-acquainted; they won't easily fight with each other."
The car couldn't find a parking spot, so Ol' Lin took him on a drive around the block area. The road was rough with the annoying puddles and potholes. Along the street there were shady hair salons with dim pink lights suggesting more "services" than just the ones proclaimed on signposts. The black Mercedes proceeded with a bumpy ride, and, through the many erotic colors, Xing Ming tried hard to identify the surrounding scenery.
Such a place held a mixed bag of residents, rumored to house drug dealers and prostitutes alike. Just days before, a whorehouse had been discovered and destroyed by the cops from the Criminal Investigation Department. The escorts had been scantily clad, squatting on the ground with hands on their heads. They wore gaudy clothes and had all kinds of body shapes, looking like a mix of peacocks and golden pheasants.
Normal people would not consider settling permanent homes here. Which led to the only benefit the area possessed, its cheap rent.
Xing Ming had always considered getting Su Qinghua to move out of Jin Xiu Lane. Such a sage-like type of person, it was a pity that he lived in such a place. Just like pure white jade tainted by mud. However, even though Su Qinghua could no longer move conveniently, his temper was as stubborn as usual. He had rejected help from Xing Ming several times and sometimes when he got especially agitated, he would directly kick him out of the house.
Ol' Lin was indeed an experienced driver for Yu Zhongye. After driving in a loop for forty minutes, he serendipitously parked at the mouth of Jin Xiu Lane just as Yu Zhongye walked out from the same alley.
Ol' Lin jumped out of the car to open the car door for Yu Zhongye. As soon as Yu Zhongye sat in the car, Xing Ming urgently asked, "Did he agree?"
"No." Yu Zhongye shook his head, but conversely asked him, "If it were you, what would you do?"
As expected, he knew that Su Qinghua would not easily deign to lower his head and agree. Unreasonably, Xing Ming felt displeased, and the little part of darkness that was buried and hibernated in his mind, awoke, "He has refused my toast[3]; since he will not accept, then I might find a way to cut off his work-injury compensation."
Yu Zhongye nodded, "That's what I'm thinking about as well."
"What?!" Xing Ming exclaimed, taking his statement seriously. Uneasy, he'd hopped up from the backseat of the car, greatly losing the composure of his typical Ice Prince persona.
"I was lying, dummy." Yu Zhongye chuckled, taking Xing Ming into his arms and caressing his body like he was playing with a cat. "Your shifu agreed to it."
Xing Ming was even more surprised. Curiosity tickled his body. Thinking it over, he said, "He must have cursed you out quite a bit."
"You saw?" Yu Zhongye's expression was trite, and his tone was stable, showing no signs of hiding any grudges.
Though he had undoubtedly lost the bet, Xing Ming was still persistent, asking, "Then… the official employment by the Station?'
"Give an inch and you'll take a mile." Yu Zhongye lowered his eyes to look at him, his eyes showing growing amusement.
"Why not?" Xing Ming lifted his face to look straight into Yu Zhongye's eyes. He indeed wanted a mile out of this inch.
"Depends on your performance."
While Yu Zhongye had always possessed deep-set eyes, his current expression was somewhat atypical. This was the first time that Xing Ming could read the flame of lust from those eyes, which were so incandescent that it made his heart anxious. He asked, "Here?"
Yu Zhongye groped Xing Ming's waist, his grip ungentle but also unvexed, just impatient.
"Right here."
Xing Ming knew that Ol' Lin may have already been used to this, that he wouldn't turn his head nor comment anything. But he himself felt ashamed, and he himself felt reluctant to have sex in such an exhibitionist way.
Xing Ming neither moved nor spoke, neither refused nor showed any eagerness to accept. With a slight frown, he pursed his lips and stared straight into Yu Zhongye's eyes. The two men's emotions lapsed into a slight stalemate. Then, Yu Zhongye told Ol' Lin, "Go take a smoke break."
Ol' Lin understood the latent message, so he parked his car on the side of the road and, taking a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, got out of the car.
After Ol' Lin got out of the car, Xing Ming unbuttoned his shirt and stripped his pants, presenting a tensely muscular chest and a slightly wet cock. Then he smoothly sat on Yu Zhongye. Only, he was too tall to sit straight inside the Mercedes, so he had to slouch slightly.
There was no lube in the car, so Xing Ming used spit to lubricate, but it was so dry that he couldn't even get one finger inside. Seeing no other course of action, he started to stroke himself. The entire time, Yu Zhongye watched. Under his lukewarm gaze, Xing Ming felt growing distress and panic, gasping in a breath of cold air. His exposed cock remained at half-mast.
Truthfully, Xing Ming didn't normally have any sexual fantasies, and rarely did he masturbate. When he had been studying Clinical Medicine, a roommate, a boy with a lot of acne, would hide in the bathroom every night, watching porn and jacking off, rendering the restroom stinking of not just its usual scent of piss but also a bizarre and suspiciously carnal scent. Xing Ming disliked how messy his roommate had been, and thus found it a hassle to bring women home. Even when the queen bee at school had initiated a relationship with him, he'd never had much lust for women.
"Laoshi, help me…" The more distressed he got, the harder it was to find release. Xing Ming could only seek help from Yu Zhongye, boldly grabbing his hand and pulling it to his cock.
Like he was offering grace, Yu Zhongye didn't pull his hand away but instead twined their fingers together over that quivering cock and gripped it tightly in their palms.
Despite their faces being pressed together almost cheek to cheek and the feeling of each other's breath, they didn't kiss.
The tips of Yu Zhongye's fingers were chilled, but his palm was warm. When his nail scraped across the bulging veins of the cock, Xing Ming shuddered involuntarily. He gave up all autonomy, surrendering it to Yu Zhongye and letting him grasp his hand, leading it and guiding it to skillfully rub the shaft and massage the head.
The desire for release soon emerged. Xing Ming's cock retracted intensely, and even his balls twitched. But then, before he was able to shoot, Yu Zhongye noticed his reactions and, using the tip of his pinky finger, firmly covered the dripping hole of his cock.
"Laoshi, let me…"
This time, actually wanting to climax but being unable to, Xing Ming tried to struggle. Beside his ear, Yu Zhongye said in that deep voice of his, "Don't move."
Yu Zhongye ordered him not to move, so he no longer dared to do so, only panting deep, gasping breaths one by one. Yu Zhongye continued the previous rhythm in stimulating his cock. Though the fire burning in his eyes had not been quenched, there was a strange stillness to the gaze, making this beautiful face look dangerous and frightening.
It felt like he was holding back piss, and it was both embarrassing and torturous, but it also brought a strangely pleasant feeling. His cock, trapped in those ten fingers, experienced another attempt at throbbing climax. Resigned, Xing Ming closed his eyes. Almost simultaneously, Yu Zhongye's kiss fell on him.
Yu Zhongye's tongue gently breached his open lips. An extremely quiet noise suddenly burst into Xing Ming's ear, like a sound of a fuse blowing—Yu Zhongye had loosened a finger, and Xing Ming had finally shot his load.
Using the cum as lube, Xing Ming prepared his hole, but the moment Yu Zhongye's member thrust into his body, it still felt it so painful that he trembled, unconsciously leaning his head back.
With a bang, the back of his head hit the car roof. Even if it was a Mercedes, the space inside a car was still too small for two six-foot-plus men.
"Come closer." Yu Zhongye covered the back of Xing Ming's head with his own palms to prevent him from bumping the car roof again.
Xing Ming's only choice was to sit completely on Yu Zhongye, burying his face into his neck and putting himself fully into his lap. In such a cramped space, he only had so much room to rise and fall. Clenching tightly down on Yu Zhongye's cock, he carefully rode up and down.
"Put in more effort."
Yu Zhongye told him to put more effort in, so Xing Ming put more effort into moving, incidentally rubbing his nipples repeatedly over Yu Zhongye's suit buttons. But the length within his hole continued to penetrate more than it retreated, all the way until it reached that scalding spot deep within. It became difficult enough to override any pleasure, leaving behind only awkwardness. Thinking that this kind of rutting couldn't satisfy Yu Zhongye, at some point, Xing Ming suddenly said, "Switch."
The cock inside his hole temporarily withdrew from his body, and Xing Ming leaned against the seat of the car, spreading his legs in a way that kept his feet off the floor. His ankles were grabbed by Yu Zhongye's hands, and his butt was lifted from the seat so that his body was almost completely suspended. It felt like he was being snapped in half at the waist.
Reentry went far more smoothly than the initial breaching, and, though the pain remained, the change in position brought pleasure.
Despite the limits of space, Yu Zhongye moved fiercely. His waist was strong and muscular, without any superfluous padding, and each thrust that sprang from it held terrific strength. If the Mercedes did not have such a strong frame, Xing Ming might have feared that the car itself would start moving to compensate for Yu Zhongye's movements.
Xing Ming welcomed Yu Zhongye's thrusts, his moans becoming louder and louder, higher and higher. When Yu Zhongye bent forward to kiss him, Xing Ming bit his lips and said, "Thank you."
What he was grateful for, not even Xing Ming himself knew. It might have been related to Su Qinghua, but it might not have been.
The car windows were sealed, and the insides of the car slowly filled with a scent that seemed to be the fermenting mixture of sweat and ejaculation, though it wasn't actually a bad smell. Xing Ming already felt like he in a haze, and, in a daze, he rolled down the car window and, from the suffocating air within the car, stretched out one hand in escape.
Ol' Lin stared at that hand which had extended out of the car window. He saw it stiffen even as it stretched out so tightly, the blue veins on its back bulging. Then he saw it tightly clutching the upper part of the window frame with its knuckles clearly protruding. It seemed to alternate between these two states, sometimes stretched tight, sometimes clamped down… In the end, that hand relaxed and softened as if the tendons and bones had all been removed from it and, nerveless, it could do nothing other than droop downwards.
Ol' Lin lowered his head to check his box of cigarettes and realized that he had unwittingly smoked almost half the pack. He looked back at that hand, confirmed that the two men inside the car had finished with their affairs, then went back into the car.
Having just smoked too much, Ol' Lin coughed. Then, he started the Mercedes' engine, slowly drove past the potholes, and, stepping on the gas pedal, accelerated rapidly over the flat roads.
Xing Ming felt exhausted, especially upon realizing that his previous lewd moaning and wooing might have been heard by Ol' Lin. Humiliated, he curled up, leaning into Yu Zhongye's arms, pretending to take a nap.
One of Yu Zhongye's hands rested on the back of Xing Ming's neck, sometimes rubbing his hair and kneading the back of his neck like he was cuddling a pet.
"Yu-shu, shouldn't I switch cars?" Ol' Lin was always thoughtful, so he voluntarily spoke up, "Host Xing was born with a model's body and height. This vehicle's roof isn't high enough for him to sit comfortably."
"He did just bump his head." Yu Zhongye's finger lingered around and slid to the back of Xing Ming's head. When it felt the slightly swollen bump, the hand caressed it, covering it with the palm. "It's time to switch vehicles."
After a couple of exchanges, Ol' Lin's phone rang. Ol' Lin threw a glance at the screen, but he didn't pick up the phone.
The phone kept ringing for a while, then, after only a five-minute pause, it rang again.
Ol' Lin kept ignoring. Yu Zhongye asked him, "Why don't you pick up the phone?"
"It's Host Lin," Ol' Lin said. "Just now while I smoked, the phone rang a couple of times. He was asking whether you would go to his place or if he should come over. He didn't want to bother you, so he came to me."
Xing Ming had been half awake and half asleep, but, as soon as he heard this, he became vigilant, listening carefully. According to Ol' Lin's words, Yu Zhongye originally had other plans tonight, but he'd disrupted them. Quickly going through the memories inside his mind, he found that there weren't many hosts in the News Center with a last name Lin.
Yu Zhongye said, "You two get along pretty well."
"That's because five hundred years ago, we were the same family." After he declined the call, more and more calls arrived. Folk music filled and floated inside the car, overflowing. Ol' Lin smiled, "I guess it's because News China is going to change its host. Host Lin's voice sounds like he's not quite emotionally stable…"
"Leave him like that. I've spoiled him too much over the years," Yu Zhongye said, interrupting Ol' Lin with an obviously fatigued expression. "News China needs some new faces; it's what the audience wants."
"It's true that he's no longer young. When he first started to follow you, he had been the same age as Host Xing." Ol' Lin had been in military service with Yu Zhongye and, after discharge, had been his personal driver, which gave him a special status at the Station. Normally, even Ol' Chen would treat him with caution, for he was the only one who dared to speak to Yu Zhongye like this.
Xing Ming fully awoke from the lingering pleasure of his orgasm. With News China, though it followed the system of rotating hosts on duty, the youngest, most popular, and attractive one among them was Zhuang Lei's husband, Lin Siquan. He was often granted the title "the voice of the nation" by many media outlets and viewers. News China and Pearl Line together created the fame for Pearl Station. And now, Zhuang Lei was still working on overload and overtime in the broadcasting studio to record the show which had been taken back from Xing Ming.
Xing Ming knew Zhuang Lei, so he naturally knew Zhuang Lei's husband. There was never a lack of handsome men in the News Center, but a gentle and graceful man like Lin Siquan was rare. Although he was the chief host at Pearl Station, Lin Siquan had always been the type of person that Xing Ming looked down on. He disliked the man's showy intimacy, goodwill, and humble attitude. It bored him. They didn't socialize with each other much, so normally when they met in the News Center, they would just nod, smile, and then keep walking.
Ol' Lin certainly wasn't bluffing. Lin Siquan, who was almost thirty-five this year, had by now followed Yu Zhongye for nearly ten years. It made sense that Ol' Lin was willing to speak for him. At that time, the "Number One Lady of Pearl Station" had not even stepped out from the ponytail- and white-skirt-filled campus of her high school.
"Ol' Lin, you've talked too much today." Yu Zhongye said, "Give me the phone."
Once the car got onto the overpass, Ol' Lin turned around and passed over his phone. Yu Zhongye picked it up but seemed to realize that there was still a man in his arms. He lowered his eyes, staring at Xing Ming with his fingers playing with his ears.
Ears were the most sensitive spots on Xing Ming during sex. His earlobes, rubbed as they were by Yu Zhongye, felt like they were burning, like a tiny little flame was rampaging and burning all the way down his neck.
The voice of Lin Siquan emerged clearly. Although both hosts spoke Mandarin Chinese with extreme proficiency, their voices still possessed differences. Xing Ming had no professional background, and his natural voice had a relatively brighter tone, so he rarely used a broadcasting accent in day-to-day conversations. But Lin Siquan had a very conventional broadcasting accent, and he pronounced each word with a profoundly standard Mandarin Chinese, which sounded quite amazing to Xing Ming, making him feel shamed in comparison.
"Already a father, yet still so childish." Yu Zhongye's voice sounded tired, but somehow more mellow and tender than usual, like a sip of excellent vintage rolled around in his throat. While he placated Lin Siquan, he slid his hand into Xing Ming's shirt collar, ripping off the button from inside and caressing his solid chest muscle.
Yu Zhongye's touch was so skillful that Xing Ming's nipples went hard under his fingertips like little rubies, and the more Yu Zhongye touched him, the more he didn't want to stop.
On the other side of the call, Lin Siquan proposed an invitation again, asking if he could visit Yu Zhongye tonight. Xing Ming was amused, not because he was mocking Lin Siquan, but because he was laughing at himself. It turned out that whores were all the same, all of them so eagerly wanting to offer themselves on the casting couch.
"Boss Yu?" Having not yet gotten imperial permission, Lin Siquan asked anxiously again.
Yu Zhongye's head lowered and Xing Ming's face raised, two pairs of eyes briefly collided. After a few seconds, Yu Zhongye spoke to Lin Siquan on the other side, "Okay, come here."
Xing Ming suddenly felt disappointed, and his head drooped down. He was a little bit vexed but not too much, just like a little spike had stabbed his heart to hurt him. This had nothing to do with love, but his self-esteem. His earlier "thank you" seemed awfully stupid all of a sudden. During that moment of climax, he had even mistakenly thought that there would be some vague, tacit agreement going beyond physical bonds existing between him and this man. However, the truth was Yu Zhongye had absolutely no intention of hiding the fact that he had other lovers. By raising a hand, he could beckon him to come, whereas with a wave of a hand, he could gesture for him to leave, like calling the service of a prostitute.
"What?" Yu Zhongye pinched Xing Ming's chin with thumb and forefinger to forcefully lift it.
"I want to get out of the car." Xing Ming couldn't resist the power of Yu Zhongye's fingers, so he had raised his head and tried hard to make a bright beautiful smile.
"I just remembered that Oriental TV Line has collected a whole team, so I have to immediately start seeking investors. I have an appointment with a potential sponsor tomorrow, so I have to work tonight to come up with an investment campaign plan." It was true that he had to work on finding investors, but still it was mainly because he could not persuade himself. If he had not even talked that much to Lin Siquan the few times they met, then how could they, like Chinese wives of old, see each other naked and serve the same man?'
"Not allowed." Just earlier Yu Zhongye had still been in the mood to comfort Lin Siquan, but now he directly ignored Xing Ming's disappointment.
"Then I'll just have to jump out of the car." Xing Ming not only dared to talk without thinking, but also even stood straight, intending to pull open the car door, "If I fall and die, that's my own fault. It's none of Chairman Yu's business."
Ol' Lin attempted to mediate, saying, "It's too late and it's raining. Staying on the overpass is too dangerous. Even if the work is urgent, you have to wait until we get off the overpass."
"Such bad temper." Instead of being annoyed, Yu Zhongye laughed, telling Ol' Lin, "Work is more important. Let him off here."
Ol' Lin parked the car near the ramp portion of the overpass. Xing Ming opened the door and got out of the car. The Mercedes did not tarry, quickly vanishing into the vast darkness.
It was late at night. Fortunately, it wasn't raining heavily, just a heavy misting of droplets tickling down his face. Xing Ming put his hands in his pockets and ambled along the green strip. Several cars passed by at a very high speed and were less than half a meter distance from him like they were acting in that 1994 movie called Speed.
He hadn't walked far when he suddenly felt a stream of hot liquid dripping down between his butt cheeks, sticky and wet, making walking very awkward.
Fuck, you lecherous old man, you sneaky old fox, old bastard… Xing Ming inwardly cursed.
There had been no condom in the car, so that sneaky old fox had cum inside him. This had been his first time.
[1] This quotes the final couple refrains of the Italian folk song "Santa Lucia." The lyrics are translated from the Chinese of the original novel and are not the same as the original Italian nor any of the English translation.
[2] This term of address means "master" in the sense of master-and-apprentice.
[3] The full saying is roughly "refused a toast of wine only to drink in forfeit." The meaning behind it is that if someone does not agree to a request, they could be forced into the task anyway.