The Charming Rogue

(It's late at night, and my angsty-romance brain has kicked in. Still an older-top-younger-bottom pairing.) A flirtatious, shameless drama king who loves to act cute and spout sweet nothings but never follows through. Top & A calculating, cautious pragmatist who seems cold but takes care of everything. Bottom [Blurb]: Everyone in Beijing knows what a piece of work Tan Jiwang is. He parties hard and plays along with whoever's around. The people coming and going at his side are livelier than the neon lights around the Workers' Stadium. And yet he has such an appealing face, always smiling and acting cute. He hardly ever says anything sincere, but somehow nobody can bring themselves to hate him. Cheng Biesi is the exact opposite: cold, distant, and aloof. They were obviously a terrible match. So no one expected the two of them to end up in bed together. They would kiss atop the China World Trade Center in the dead of night and tangle together in private clubs where no one could find out. Cheng Biesi would say, “Jiwang, this isn't right,” but he never once turned him down. When Tan Jiwang got drunk, he'd wrap his arms around Cheng Biesi's neck and act cute. “Brother Si, you're the best to me. I like you the most.” But then he'd turn around, clink glasses with someone else, laugh flirtatiously, and casually take some pretty thing to a hotel. They never said they loved each other. They were both too clear-eyed. Clear-eyed enough to separate their bodies from their hearts, leaving no trace of either behind. They both understood that this affair was just an unspoken transgression in the long river of time. Afterward, Tan Jiwang would go back to being a playboy, indulging in pleasure and treating life like a game. And Cheng Biesi would eventually marry a woman from a family of equal standing, live with her in mutual respect, and spend the rest of his life in respectable comfort. No promises, no future, no sincere feelings. “...” “Brother Si, Beijing is full of affairs that end without ever going anywhere.” “That's true.” Cheng Biesi thought: Ours is just one of the most ordinary ones. [Reader's Guide]: 1. I thought I'd finish writing about heartbreak and stop doing angsty stories, but inspiration hit out of nowhere. I'll save this idea for now. The top isn't a virgin, while the bottom is. Still set in Beijing. (I'd like to write about somewhere else, but I've never been there and don't know much about it. I'm stumped.) 2. The top and bottom do have feelings for each other early on, but not many. 3. The top's personality is made very clear. He's just a playboy. Please don't judge him, okay? And please don't believe a single thing he says early on, okay? As for the name mentioned in point 1, Jiwang refers to the sixteenth day of the lunar month, when the full moon is about to wane. 4. This is purely an indulgence fic. Please don't read anything deeper into it. No labeling or unsolicited advice. Theme: Stay positive; true love lasts forever