Second-Rate Goods

Wen Ran was never the sort of person who could hold his own in polite society. He came from a poor village in the mountains, with parents and a whole crowd of relatives. He was a child stuck in the middle, neither here nor there. He had neither his parents' affection nor the responsibility of being an older brother. When he saw a friend come back from the city after dropping out of school to work, he left his family with all its burdens behind, heedless of his parents' scolding, and went to work in the city after finishing middle school.

But he couldn't endure hardship, didn't like working hard, and thought studying was useless.

A Niu, the kid in his class who spent all day tending cattle and still came first in exams, could only study. Whenever he saw Wen Ran, he'd blush and stammer, unable to get a word out.

So stupid. Wen Ran hated people who only knew how to study. Once they entered the real world, they'd still end up working for someone else.

He was terrified of being poor.

He just wanted to make it big overnight. He wanted to be rich.

Not just ordinary wealth, either. He wanted a windfall.

The fastest shortcut was to find someone rich.

People like that usually ended up in a miserable state because they were short-sighted and empty-headed, wanting something for nothing, and often losing both the person and the money. People would call them fools who deserved it.

But the problem was that Wen Ran was very beautiful, beautiful enough to make himself an asset.

So everyone would say it was all his family's fault.

*

Huo Qi Yan was in charge of his family's conglomerate and had already made a name for himself in the business world. His family background and ability were enough to let him look down on everyone else. Naturally, there were plenty of people around him who wanted to use him. Climbing into a man's bed was certainly a fast shortcut, but his pride made him disdain such lowbrow games.

The liquor had been drugged. His whole body was burning, and Huo Qi Yan knew what was happening. He forced himself to leave while he still had a shred of clarity.

"Mr. Huo, are you all right?"

An unfamiliar body touched him. A slender hand rested on his waist, and a faint fragrance stoked the flames raging inside him.

Huo Qi Yan narrowed his eyes as he looked at the hotel receptionist, whose beauty was dazzling.

"Should I find your room key for you? Is it in your pocket?"

A hand brushed the dangerous area, seemingly by accident. The desire he couldn't suppress rose within him.

Huo Qi Yan fell onto the bed, and the delicate receptionist was pulled down with him. His lips accidentally brushed Huo Qi Yan's collarbone, and Huo Qi Yan's dark eyes filled with a repressed, blood-red hunger.

The receptionist hurried to his feet. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Huo. I'm leaving now."

As he turned, Huo Qi Yan grabbed his wrist and pushed him down.

A wildfire raged all night.

The next day, after they were done, the receptionist looked at him in a panic, the corners of his eyes still red from passion. Huo Qi Yan tossed him a check.

"Two million."

Sure enough, the receptionist was tempted by the money, delight showing in his eyes.

How could Huo Qi Yan not know he'd been used? Watching Wen Ran feign restraint while greed showed in his beautiful eyes, he couldn't help finding it laughable.

So this was his target: to climb into Huo Qi Yan's bed.

Later, when Huo Qi Yan had become addicted to him, he still threw out checks and said, "Fifty million. Be my lover."

He thought someone like Wen Ran would have no complaints about being a kept lover as long as he was paid. There was no chance they'd ever get married.

Later still, he continued throwing expensive things at Wen Ran. This time, it was a ring.

"Wen Ran, sometimes I still get angry with you, but I can't help thinking about you. I love you, so marry me."

*

"I know you're stupid, shallow, and thoughtless, but I love you. I know your goals and ideals are vulgar and ordinary, but I love you. I know you're second-rate, but I love you. I know you're marrying me only for the benefits, and I love you so much that I don't care." -- The Painted Veil

P.S.

1. The shou is vulgar. All he wants is to be rich, and he doesn't want to work hard. He has no skills, so he can only find someone rich.

2. Even if the shou doesn't change, the gong will still love him, because love has no reason.

3. I just love this kind of dark, twisted romance. Please don't flame me if it's not your thing.

Theme: Love is a dark, unreasonable invasion.