Chapter 5: I’ll Take Care of You

Chapter 5: My Treat

"It's all a misunderstanding," Chu Yan wished he could sink into the floor. "I had something urgent that day and had to leave in a hurry. I didn't have much money on me—it's not that I was being stingy. Just name your price, and I'll pay you back right now, okay?"

Fu Junhang chuckled softly. This little idiot was far more amusing than he'd imagined.

He was really quite entertaining.

"But… I'm a *liiittle* pricey."

"How much is a *tiny* bit?"

Chu Yan grew uneasy. As expected, top-tier male models weren't something just anyone could afford.

"Without overnight services, 100,000 a night."

God knows why Fu Junhang was leaning into this role so hard; he was even quoting prices now. He clearly remembered this guy booking five male models at once earlier, and now he was claiming to be cheaper than that muscle-bound one!

This was ridiculous—outrageous!

Chu Yan, however, quietly sighed in relief. He'd thought top-tier male models would be much pricier, but this didn't seem too bad.

"And if it *includes* overnight services?"

They were both adults, after all. Besides, if he was already spending money on a male model, why stop at just sharing a bed?

Fu Junhang was amused by his directness. His fingers tightened slightly around the slender waist, pulling Chu Yan tight against him as he leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"Then the price doubles."

The sudden closeness brought their faces nearly together, and the hand on his waist made Chu Yan shiver.

Damn this male model, using such a wickedly smooth voice to tease him—how was anyone supposed to resist that? Chu Yan's whole body tingled.

Still, he tried to stay composed. He'd already braced himself for a loss of millions, only for the man to say the price would just double.

100,000 doubled was only 200,000.

This guy only charged 200,000 a night?

For some reason, despite it being a huge sum, Chu Yan couldn't shake the feeling that he'd gotten a bargain!

Overcome with excitement, he blurted out, "Just 200k? You're *that* cheap?"

Fu Junhang: "…" Cheap. He'd called him cheap *again*.

What kind of person says crap like that?

Too excited to notice the flash of irritation in Fu Junhang's eyes, Chu Yan became even more convinced he'd hit the jackpot.

Fu Junhang had originally thought the little fool might be struggling financially lately and worried he couldn't afford much, so he'd low-key lowballed the price—only to end up underselling himself.

"I looked it up online. Top-tier male models at Serenity Club go for over a million a night, sometimes even more. You're only asking for 200k—that's a steal!"

And if *this* wasn't even considered top-tier, what were the *actual* top-tier ones like?

Chu Yan suddenly had the urge to shell out just to see.

Fu Junhang, meanwhile, found that the little fool's waist wasn't as fun to hold anymore.

Fu Junhang's brows furrowed slightly as he sighed, "Alright, the truth is, I'm new here."

"What?"

"As someone who just started a few days ago, my rate's already higher than most in the biz. To be honest, with my looks, becoming a top-tier model—or even the star of the entire club—is only a matter of time."

Chu Yan's lips twitched. Guess confidence just comes naturally to guys, but what he said wasn't entirely wrong.

"So, Young Master Chu, would you consider a long-term partnership with me before my price shoots up?"

Chu Yan had already prepared himself to spend a million for one night, yet this man was only asking for two hundred thousand. Wasn't this a steal? And now he was proposing a long-term arrangement?

"What kind of partnership? Out with it—I'm listening." Chu Yan's eyes sparkled with interest.

"Here's the deal. Right now, I'm still two hundred thousand a night, but tomorrow it might be three hundred thousand, the day after five hundred thousand, and then a million..."

"As you can see, I'm exceptionally talented, with outstanding looks. Though I've only been here a few days, the boss already values me highly. Who knows? I might become a top-tier model—or even the club's star attraction—any day now. By then, everyone and their mom will be fighting over me, and my price will soar. A mil a night? Hell, ten mil could happen."

Fu Junhang suddenly leaned in, nipping at Chu Yan's flushed earlobe, startling him so much that he almost pushed him off. With a low chuckle, Fu Junhang continued, "So, Young Master Chu, why not consider booking me outright? It's not expensive—three mil a month."

Chu Yan was stunned by his audacity. Three mil's not expensive?

And ten million a night? Is he made of solid gold or something? Would sleeping with him grant immortality?

But then again, for a top-tier model, twenty thousand a night was a steal. Three million a month was practically a huge bargain.

Fu Junhang watched as Chu Yan's eyes darted around, even flickering downward for a moment, clearly off in la-la land.

He was damn cursed. He'd seen people undersell themselves, but never with such relentless enthusiasm. Fu Junhang wondered if some bargain-bin demon had taken over.

"So, Young Master Chu, three mil a month—only nine mil for three months. Once this opportunity passes, it's gone for good."

Shit. Chu Yan only had ten million to begin with, and he'd already spent one million on the membership. Now this guy was demanding the remaining nine? He almost suspected Fu Junhang had planted a spy in his house—how'd he know I've got exactly nine mil left?

Wait… was this a scam? One of those romance scams? Or was Fu Hongan behind this, sending a handsome con artist to swindle him out of his fortune and leave him destitute?

Caution. Absolute caution. No falling for pretty boys!!!

"Three months… isn't that a bit too long? How about just one month?"

Dumbass! Three million is still money! What nonsense are you spouting?!

Fu Junhang shook his head regretfully. "It has to be three months, and the full nine million must be paid upfront. If you want to pay monthly, I can't guarantee the price will stay the same next month. And by then, you might not even get a spot."

Damn, you're that popular?

But if he spent all his money, how would he survive? Live off vibes? Subsist on nothing but sex?

Fu Junhang seemed to sense his hesitation and let out another long sigh, his expression tinged with sorrow.

"Forget it. I know your situation is difficult right now. I shouldn't push you. It's fine—I'll find someone else."

With that, Fu Junhang released Chu Yan, his earlier smirking act replaced by a fake-sad act.

"Hey, wait—don't go! Why does it have to be three months?"

"I… never mind. *Sigh*"

What's with the drama? At least explain before leaving! Chu Yan hadn't even said anything that harsh. Suddenly, it struck him—this guy reeked of old money, impossible to hide even in this setting. Such refinement couldn't have been cultivated in the lower rungs of society. Probably some rich kid who crashed and burned due to some family disaster.

What else would make a once high-status and distinguished man work as a male model in a club?

Money, of course. He must be in desperate need of it—very, very desperate.

With this realization, Chu Yan suddenly understood, like a lightbulb went off.

No wonder he'd been so pushy earlier—he urgently needed money. He couldn't wait to raise his value by becoming a top-tier male model, and the sum he needed was substantial. That's why he wanted a three-month contract with full payment upfront.

Everything clicked.

Chu Yan grabbed the man's wrist. “You're in a hurry for money?”

Fu Junhang's eyes flickered with embarrassment, but inside, he was smug. He opened his mouth as if struggling to speak, then sighed. “You saw through me.”

Only an idiot wouldn't get that.

“If it's too much trouble, Young Master Chu, I understand. I know your situation isn't ideal either.”

Chu Yan quickly shook his head. “It's not a problem. I came here looking for a male model anyway—it doesn't matter who I pick. Besides, you saved me that night.”

Plus, he was damn good. Finding someone who matched him so well was rare.

“But nine million's no chump change. This is only our second meeting, Young Master Chu. Don't strain yourself. I know your circumstances. I just…” Fu Junhang hesitated, feigning reluctance, before finally making a difficult decision. “Forget it.”

“I'll just find another client. With my looks, I'm sure I can find someone willing to keep me for three months. It's just…”

As he spoke, Fu Junhang even cast Chu Yan a reluctant glance.

The moment Chu Yan heard him mention finding someone else, his mind conjured up horrifying images of sleazy, bald, beer-bellied creeps surrounding Fu Junhang, doing god-knows-what. And when Fu Junhang decisively turned to leave, Chu Yan reacted instantly, grabbing his arm to stop him.

“Nine mil? Deal—you're mine!”

Chu Yan's wallet screamed. He'd just gotten his hands on a mil, and he hadn't even warmed it up yet.

So much for early retirement and laying low. His big mouth just had to run.

“Don't worry. From now on, you're mine. Three mil a month? Pocket change.”

But saying it was one thing. In his past life, when Chu Yan first entered the entertainment industry, he worked as an extra, running himself ragged, barely scraping by on thirty grand a month—and often, he couldn't even get jobs. Some months, forget three mil, he'd be lucky to see three hundred bucks.

Even after signing with an agency, he kept hitting dead ends everywhere. His status never rose, he had no connections, and good gigs were nowhere in sight. There were times he filmed multiple dramas and still couldn't earn three million.

That was the entertainment industry—only the elite at the top cashed in, where one ad deal could net them millions—hell, hundreds of millions. Meanwhile, countless others at the bottom struggled, most wouldn't earn what A-listers made in a heartbeat.

But this Chu Yan wasn't the same pushover from before. He was reborn, determined to live freely. Money? He'd make it back. But a male model this handsome and perfect for him? If he let this slip, he'd never find another like him.

“Thank you, Young Master Chu.”

See? That smile was worth every penny. Chu Yan felt it was worth it.

“No problem,” Chu Yan patted the man's chest. “This young master's loaded.”

The moment the words left his mouth, his phone rang. It was his agent, Liao Jian.

“Hey, what's going on?”

The original owner and his agent had a meh relationship. Liao Jian was actually a decent agent, but the guy had delusions of grandeur, never reflecting on his own shortcomings. Instead, he blamed his failures on the company for not giving him good roles or on Liao Jian for being incompetent—always blaming everyone but himself.

The original owner had excellent looks, and Liao Jian had initially held high hopes for him. But over time, those hopes were worn away. Still, because of the Chu family's status, Liao Jian was shackled to him, and even the company had to handle him with kid gloves.

Now, though, Chu Yan was a fake young master. The company hadn't terminated his contract yet, likely waiting to see how the Chu family would treat him.

Chu Yan hadn't cared before—he was already tired of the entertainment industry. But now, to support his man, he was back to grinding. That meant he couldn't terminate his contract yet. And with Liao Jian calling now, Chu Yan felt uneasy.

On the other end, Liao Jian seemed surprised by the sudden politeness from this usually arrogant young master—even being called “brother.” After a brief pause, he continued flatly, as if already numb to dealing with this useless himbo:

“There's bad news and worse news. Which do you want first?”

Chu Yan gulped, growing even more nervous.

“The bad news first, then.”

“The two endorsements you had—canned.”

Chu Yan: “...”

“And the worse news?”

“You owe ten million in breach penalties. After scraping together what little you have, you're still short nine million.”

Chu Yan: “...”

What was with everyone being so precise with their calculations?

When he looked up, the man beside him was staring straight at him with those mesmerizing eyes. Standing so close, he had clearly heard Liao Jian's words.

“I'm sorry, Young Master Chu. I didn't realize things were so difficult for you—that even nine million is...” He forced a smile, though his eyes reddened slightly. “I'll figure it out myself.”

Chu Yan's heart ached.

“No, I can do it! I'll work my ass off for you!”

Fine, he wouldn't laze around anymore!