Cool-headed, rational genius animal keeper bottom vs. silver-tongued, all-around-capable troupe leader top
A sci-fi setting, with lots of original worldbuilding
Both leads are each other's first and only, and same-sex marriage is legal
Su Fan only wants to quietly work as an animal keeper in this shabby little circus.
But then
On a midnight stroll, he sees a star-spotted tiger mopping the floor.
A crystal butterfly in the incubator flutters its wings, revealing a long, shapely human leg.
A shapeshifting fox sits before a mirror with a comb, looking for someone to braid its hair.
A lightning leopard sits in the cockpit, cigarette in one hand, piloting the spaceship with the other.
To cover the fuel costs, he puts on an animal costume and jumps through hoops.
To save on food costs, he racks his brains to develop animal feed.
Then the costume tears, and he has to sew it himself. The color fades, and he has to dye it himself. And the unreliable troupe leader keeps stealing his ingredients.
Su Fan sees black, then black again. He grabs Lin Lang by the neck and shakes him hard.
Spit it out, damn you!!
--Also serialized next door: The Professional Lackey Who'll Do Anything for Money--
[Money-Grubbing, Stingy Lackey Bottom vs. Mercurial Sugar Daddy Top]
As a professional lackey, Fang Yuan lives by the principle of taking whoever offers the most money.
He'll go above and beyond for the highest bidder, with a honeyed tongue and swift feet, so he's made a great living among the rich second-generation crowd.
Until the eldest young master of the Lu family comes looking for him.
Facing the handsome and wealthy Lu Heng, Fang Yuan smiles ingratiatingly. "What can I do for you, Young Master Lu?"
Lu Heng: "I hear you're good at being a simp?"
Fang Yuan politely corrects him. "I'm a lackey."
Lu Heng opens a box full of cash. "Same thing."
Fang Yuan immediately rubs his hands together. "Same thing, same thing. Absolutely."
Though Lu Heng is generous, his mood changes without warning. He's like a lunatic.
Luckily, Fang Yuan has professional integrity. He does everything he can to figure out Lu Heng's moods, and gets better and better at his lackey job.
He starts thinking that serving only Young Master Lu might not be so bad, but then he overhears a bunch of rich heirs treating his old crush, Song Jingran, as a topic of conversation.
As it turns out, Lu Heng approached him because of a bet: who could make Fang Yuan fall for someone else?
Fang Yuan hides in a corner, stroking his chin. He's curious how everyone knows about his crush, and inwardly curses the lot of them. Even if they threw themselves at him, he wouldn't want them!
Then his gaze lands on the man in the middle. He suppresses the strange feeling in his heart and consoles himself: he's just doing a job for money. The biggest taboo in this line of work is catching real feelings.
The next second, Lu Heng parts his lips. "Did I ever say I'd make a bet with you?"
Fang Yuan barely stops himself from stepping forward, his heart pounding.
Lu Heng adds, "If you kick a dog, you have to consider its owner. Don't let me hear you talking about him again."
Hearing that, Fang Yuan's fist, which had just relaxed, clenches again.
He knew it. There was no way he could fall for Lu Heng!
Bonus Scene:
Fang Yuan, thinking of running away, is cornered at the door.
Lu Heng smiles faintly. "Take your clothes off."
Fang Yuan clutches his chest. "Boss, I'll do anything for money, but not absolutely anything!"
Lu Heng snorts and pulls open his school uniform jacket. A pile of diamonds, jewelry, and luxury car keys tumbles out. "If you don't want to work, then at least pay everything back, Fang."
Fang Yuan stares at the little stash he's just had confiscated, and two long streams of tears run down his face. "I'll do it, I'll do it! Isn't that enough?"
Theme: Technology should exist to protect civilization
