Chapter 03

　　Michael knew him well enough to hit David where it hurt.

　　In this world, the person David cared most about was his grandmother. Truth be told, Michael was a close second. In his heart, his first love still occupied a small corner, tucked away from everything else.

　　David would never openly admit this, and he only kept his feelings to himself. Michael was his well-kept secret. He would rather die than hurt his grandmother, and she would most certainly get hurt if she learns about his sexual preference. She would not be pleased to learn that David likes men.

　　\"Michael, leave my grandmother out of this!\" He pleaded. \"Don\'t be cruel. Why would you do something like this? What if someone did the same to you?\"

　　Michael patted David\'s face and said in an almost doting tone.\"Be good, or I\'ll send the video to your old lady!\"

　　David’s whole body trembled. He clenched his teeth.

　　The truth was, though humiliating, he had just made a pretty good deal. It was discreet. It paid enough for his grandmother to be able to stay in the hospital. It was easy enough, since he knew Michael well, he knew that he did not have any quirks in bed. He knew how to act, how to please him. The biggest advantage was that it had come just in time. He urgently needed the money. Now his grandmother’s medical expenses will be taken care of.

　　However, there was a time when he was worth a lot so much more than the amount offered. David resisted the urge to punch Michael and said with a smile, \"Thank you for your business!\"

　　One day, he will break Michael\'s teeth.

　　\"So, do I have to cook and clean now?\" The obvious sarcasm in Davids’s voice was annoying to say the least.

　　\"Get out!\" was all Michael could manage to say.

　　He had told David to get out, but Michael was the first to leave.

　　The following week, Michael disappeared. If it wasn\'t for the traces on David\'s body, he might have thought that what happened a few days ago was a dream. The money, however, was very real.

　　As soon as he got it, David went straight to the hospital.

　　The old lady\'s condition was getting worse and worse. Sometimes she was lucid, but most of the time she was unconscious. David knows that her days are numbered.

　　From the discovery of her brain tumor four years ago, he has been preparing for the worst. But even at this stage, he finds that he is not as strong as he had imagined.

　　\"Son, Grandma wants to go home.\" This is the first sentence that the old lady said to David when she woke up. David could barely hold back his tears. The Yu family has had no home for a long time. Where are they going?

　　\"When you\'re better, we\'ll go home.\"

　　\"Don\'t lie to Grandma.\"

　　The old lady is very old, and winter is very sad. In the past four years, the old lady hardly cared about the new year. Today, the old lady is very persistent and hopes to go home with David for a new year.

　　\"I’m not lying. We will go home.\"

　　David\'s mouth was smiling, but his eyes were red. The old lady said a couple more words and went to sleep again. David felt powerless.

　　If he could, he would take her place.

　　Ten years ago, he couldn’t care less if he didn’t wake up.

　　David stayed in the hospital for a while. When he came out, it was dark. There was a short message from Michael on his mobile phone, \"Where are you?\"

　　Michael must be dissatisfied. The bed companion he had spent money on was not available on demand. Though Michael may be upset, David is not in a hurry. He eats a bowl of noodles in the noodle shop outside the hospital, and then goes back slowly by bus.

　　Being so late, David thought that Michael must have been sitting on the sofa and waiting in anger. But to David’s surprise, there was someone else in the room, wearing a bathrobe and all sweaty.

　　Had it not been for the cast on his leg, David would have thought that this man had just been having sex. When David looked at the other man more closely, his chest seemed to be heavily beaten by something.

　　If David hadn\'t been absolutely sure that he was an only child, he would have suspected that this was his long-lost brother.

　　\"Hello, David. I\'m Sam Wen.\"

　　David had never met him, but his name was familiar, not just because he was a celebrity in his own right. He gets told pretty often that Sam looks a lot like him.

　　Nearly identical, in fact.

　　Oh, Michael is really making every effort to disgust him. It didn’t even matter, whether or not they looked similar. His stomach turned at the thought that Michael may have a relationship with this young man.

　　\"Where is Michael?\" David casually asked him.

　　Sam nodded.\"Mike is taking a bath.\"

　　“Mike. ”

　　David lightly scoffed, \"I should leave.\"

　　He turned and started to leave. Michael\'s voice came from behind, with a little bit of anger, \"Did I tell you you can go?\"

　　\"Why can’t I go?” David protested. “I’m not doing it with you with someone else around! I\'m not as messed up as you are!\"