When My Straight Crush Goes Broke

#After Sleeping with My Best Bro, I Realized He Might... Have a Crush on Me?!#

[Super Clingy, werwer, Straight-Laced Handsome Boss X Beautiful, Gentle, Motherly Acting Emperor]

Blurb:

The day Bai Yao went bankrupt, his fiancée called off their engagement, all his fair-weather friends disappeared, and everyone avoided him like the plague. Only Liu Yu, whom he had met just once, offered up everything he had to help Bai Yao through the crisis.

Bai Yao thought, What an idiot.

So President Bai started over from scratch, built a major company in three years, and returned to the top.

At the celebratory banquet, he put an arm around Liu Yu's shoulder and called him his best bro. Liu Yu lowered his eyes and smiled without a word.

Who could have guessed that night, Bai Yao would pin his dear bro down and sleep with him until they were both spent?

The next day, Bai Yao had no chance to scream or panic and explain, because Liu Yu wasn't there. When he checked his phone, the news of Liu Yu's relationship had shot to the top of the trending searches.

The Emperor of Acting Liu's "official" boyfriend had the whole internet's attention, while nobody cared that he himself had been practically glued to the actor just the day before?

Covered in marks and suffering from a splitting hangover, Bai Yao felt a pang of sour jealousy and nearly flung his phone in frustration.

While calling Liu Yu over and over and getting no answer, he asked himself a few questions.

1. Liu Yu seems to like men. Can he accept that?

Yes.

2. Can he accept Liu Yu having someone else?

No! Absolutely not!

3. Can he accept sleeping with Liu Yu?

Well, yesterday felt so good. Maybe... he could?

Whatever. First, he needed to make things official!

*

Liu Yu had always known that he and Bai Yao could never be together, and had never dreamed of anything unrealistic. He had spent years building up his fortune, only to lose it all, but as long as he could help Bai Yao, even a little, he was content.

After being introduced as Bai Yao's best bro once again, the ache in Liu Yu's heart had nearly faded away.

He thought he had put his feelings in order and understood that being Bai Yao's friend was the only way he could stay by his side for the rest of his life.

But when Bai Yao begged him so pitifully, Liu Yu couldn't bring himself to refuse. He gave in and made a mistake.

Facing everything after waking up, Liu Yu did something unusual and ran away, going to an event that wasn't particularly urgent.

As he stepped off the plane, Bai Yao's calls came in nonstop.

He answered. After a long silence, he heard the sound of Bai Yao flicking his lighter and lighting a cigarette.

"...A Yao?" Liu Yu's palms were slick with nervous sweat.

"A Yu." Bai Yao's hoarse voice trembled, and the sound pierced straight through Liu Yu's heart. "Would you be willing to give us a try?"

Liu Yu thought of the letter he had sent out thirteen years ago, and how he had finally received a reply.

*

Thirteen years ago, Bai Yao's arrival made Liu Yu choose to stay in this world.

Thirteen years later, Bai Yao's acceptance finally let his love step into the light.

*

[Extra Scene]

After their wedding, Boss Bai was always bothered by all the people crowding around the Emperor of Acting Liu.

After an evening banquet, the Emperor of Acting Liu went to take a shower, but Boss Bai blocked the doorway. "You smiled at that young actor three times today. You think I didn't see?"

Liu Yu leaned against the doorframe, his eyes curving into a smile. "Jealous again? Don't start. I need to shower."

Bai Yao scooped him up and tossed him onto the bed, then pressed himself on top of him.

Liu Yu laughed and struggled. "You're so dirty! I want to shower!"

Bai Yao grabbed his wrists and pinned them above his head, then lowered his head to bite his collarbone. His words came out muffled. "In a little while... together..."

Also known as: "What Should I Do If My Straight Best Friend, Who I've Secretly Loved for Ten Years, Goes Bankrupt?" and "Does Dating an Actor Make You a Kept Man If You're the Boss of an Entertainment Company?"

Content notes:

1. No role reversal, with the same positions every time.

2. A healing love story, secret crush comes true, an unconventional friends-to-lovers romance, and a straight man turns gay (though maybe he wasn't that straight).

3. At its heart, this is a slice-of-life romance. There's not much about the entertainment industry.

Theme: If you never forget, your feelings will be returned.