Go Ahead, Try Hiding Again

Ye Yao realized he had fallen in love with his friend, Lu Xun. They ate and slept together, were almost inseparable, and were each other's best friend. From what Ye Yao had observed over the years, Lu Xun was as straight as they came. On top of that, he was so handsome and eye-catching that he easily attracted guys who were into men. Whenever someone like that showed up, Lu Xun would cut ties without hesitation. Even if they had been on good terms before, he'd block them without a second thought and shut them out of his life completely. This feeling that should never have been there would be easy to discover. To preserve their friendship, Ye Yao tried to spend less time with Lu Xun. Lu Xun wanted to take a trip with him alone. Ye Yao refused. Lu Xun wanted them to shower together. Ye Yao refused. Lu Xun wanted to hold him while they slept. Ye Yao still refused. Ye Yao succeeded in spending less time with Lu Xun, but one day, while he was home alone, Lu Xun blocked his way out. The man who was always bright and cheerful around him now looked frighteningly grim. He pinned Ye Yao against the wall. “Are you avoiding me?” Lu Xun sneered. “If you can't give me a good reason, don't blame me for following you every second of every day.” 2. Ye Yao came clean, but only partway. He told Lu Xun he liked men, but didn't tell him he liked Lu Xun. Lu Xun, who usually avoided gay men like the plague, made an exception for him. Instead of keeping his distance, he took Ye Yao to watch movies and tried to turn him straight. “What could possibly be good about men? They're smelly and hard. Gross.” Lu Xun put an arm around Ye Yao's shoulders and pointed at the man on the computer screen, bent over and hard at work. “They're stinky and exhausting. How about we stop liking men, okay?” Ye Yao was quiet for a moment. “You're right about all of that. But... I'm the bottom.” Lu Xun froze, then fled in a panic. 3. Ye Yao thought his friendship with Lu Xun was over, but at a mixer one day, in the dim light, he was pulled into a familiar embrace. The usually laid-back voice was now full of anger. “Just try letting another man lay a finger on you.” * Ye Yao finally understood. Lu Xun, the die-hard straight guy, had fallen so hard for him he was practically bent into a pretzel, long before Lu Xun himself realized it. *The top spoils the bottom, the top spoils the bottom, the top spoils the bottom. If you want to read about the bottom pining alone and being treated like dirt, this isn't for you. A quick plug for my upcoming novel~ Hold It Together Qiao Yu never thought he'd become the lead in a melodramatic story. His career was going nowhere and his income was pitiful, all because his boyfriend's family was making things difficult for him. His mother was seriously ill and urgently needed a large sum of money. He had none, and his boyfriend, Yue Qianshan, had left his family to pursue his dreams and was just as broke. The wealthy matriarch looked down her nose at him and promised she would give him enough money for his mother's treatment if he left Yue Qianshan. She would also stop his family from sabotaging Yue Qianshan's dream, and let him pursue it without hindrance. That night, Qiao Yu lay awake until dawn. * Qiao Yu broke up with Yue Qianshan and moved out of their shared home. On a snowy night, he found Yue Qianshan huddled there pitifully, waiting for him and begging to get back together. For the first time in his life, the proud young man lowered his head and said with red-rimmed eyes that he could change whatever Qiao Yu disliked about him. Qiao Yu gave him a cold explanation: Yue Qianshan was too poor to give him the life he wanted, and he'd already found someone richer. Yue Qianshan shook with rage, tears barely held back in his eyes. Before leaving, he swore that even if Qiao Yu came crawling back to beg him, he wouldn't give him a second glance. * Three years later, Qiao Yu unexpectedly reunites with Yue Qianshan on a variety show. Yue Qianshan is now dressed in designer labels and has become a hugely popular superstar. Qiao Yu, dressed plainly, is just an ordinary person you could find anywhere. The hatred in Yue Qianshan's eyes is still unmistakable, and every word he says to Qiao Yu is barbed. * Anyone who isn't blind can see that Yue Qianshan hates Qiao Yu to the core. He hates him so much that he won't let anyone but himself give Qiao Yu a hard time. He hates him so much that he cooks Qiao Yu a meal himself, determined to ruin his paper-thin figure so his rich boyfriend will dump him. He hates him so much that he drives away anyone who takes an interest in Qiao Yu. Yue Qianshan says viciously, “I'm relieved to know things aren't going well for you.” * Before the show ends, Yue Qianshan tells Qiao Yu coldly, “In case you get the wrong idea, let me make this clear. I won't go back to an ex, and I'll never be with someone who betrayed me.” Qiao Yu says softly, “Yeah. I know.” * Qiao Yu knows Yue Qianshan has his pride and his principles, so he has never dreamed they could get back together. He never expected that not long afterward, Yue Qianshan would pin him down and grit out, “So what if he's rich? Dump him and be with me. You can have everything I own.” Theme: Be honest with yourself, accept who you are, face setbacks bravely, and look forward to a better tomorrow.