Chapter 60: Two-Faced Phoenix Man 19 Part 2

It figured. No matter how hard he suppressed it, he could never pretend to be flawless in front of the one he loved.

Jiang Rang would find out eventually.

He’d simply seen through Chen Ming’s pathetic feelings a little early.

Chen Ming wanted to persuade himself to stay far away from the other man. He needed to escape while he still had his sanity intact. However, Jiang Rang’s final words had nearly transformed into a shadow-like curse that followed him relentlessly. It constantly whipped and interrogated the man’s heart, trapping him in exhausting, eternal nightmares that he could never escape, one after another.

*

Jiang Rang had just exited the teaching building when his phone vibrated again.

The students around him had mostly dispersed by then. The young man casually opened the message to glance at it—it was from Zhou Yichun.

Zhou Yichun had previously taken half a year off from school to treat his eyes.

Now that his first treatment course had just ended, the other man had rushed back without delay.

Under Jiang Rang’s threats and coaxing, the man—who had been fed just enough to feel half-sated—had willingly locked himself away in his cramped home, becoming the young man’s occasional plaything for venting boredom or teasing.

Zhou Yichun wasn’t entirely passive. Since he had never received the young man’s open acknowledgment, his prolonged distorted worldview had infected him, causing him to grow increasingly fawning and lapdog-like in front of Jiang Rang.

It had become even more exaggerated lately. Ever since the two of them had truly consummated their relationship, Zhou Yichun acted like a dog in heat. After lurking in the shadows and confirming the frequency of the young man’s dates with his boyfriend, he began scheming every way possible to steal moments of intimacy with Jiang Rang.

Jiang Rang wasn’t a man of ironclad resolve. Zhou Yichun served him so comfortably and endured any beating or scolding without complaint, so sometimes Jiang Rang simply indulged him.

A young man’s body was fresh and succulent; once tasted, it was inevitable to develop a craving for more.

People were always so cheaply drawn to such things, and with Jiang Rang already harboring vengeful intentions, he and Zhou Yichun had secretly hooked up several times right under Lu Xiang’s nose.

Their most thrilling encounter happened in a private box at a high-end restaurant. While Lu Xiang went to the restroom to deal with the shirt that Jiang Rang had accidentally soiled, Jiang Rang seized those mere ten minutes to fool around with Zhou Yichun, who was disguised as a server—his face flushed with lust.

Of course, ten minutes was far too short for this pair of illicit lovebirds to fully satisfy themselves.

With teary eyes, the young man had to force his voice steady midway through and call his boyfriend to say he suddenly wanted something to drink.

Lately, Lu Xiang had been almost utterly indulgent with Jiang Rang. The young man had called him authoritarian, said he showed no respect, and claimed their relationship was unequal, so the man had strived to correct his ways.

He gave Jiang Rang space and freedom, listened to his opinions, and supported his career development—these were merely the tip of the iceberg.

Now, whenever Jiang Rang expressed a desire for something, Lu Xiang naturally handled it personally in hopes of mending the rift between them.

As a result, Lu Xiang had missed countless scenes of Jiang Rang’s face blooming with lustful, radiant allure.

Jiang Rang flipped through the photos of the man on his phone, his throat bobbing slightly.

Zhou Yichun understood him perfectly—or rather, men probably all gravitated toward this type.

In the photo, the man wore the simplest soft white shirt, its collar slightly unbuttoned to reveal a beautiful silver chain caught against the contours of his rippling muscles, snaking downward.

His posture wasn’t his usual timid hunch; he stood with arms loosely crossed, knuckles flushed red as clear water cascaded from above his head. Against his pale, fragile features, it evoked a sense of shattered heartache, words hovering unspoken on his lips.

Especially the faint bruises lingering on his lip and cheekbone from the last time the young man had been rough with him—Jiang Rang could hardly tear his gaze away.

Saliva flooded the young man’s mouth; he swallowed repeatedly, feeling an intense thirst while an irrational surge of violent urge to vent welled up inside him.

The bizarre mood clouded his mind and made his mouth itch, as if he needed to sink his teeth into something.

In that instant, a slender finger with prominent knuckles offered him a slim cigarette, as if it had read his mind.

Jiang Rang flinched instinctively and looked up, meeting a pair of slightly upturned blue fox-like eyes that seemed to smile without truly smiling.

It was Ji Mingyu, who hadn’t appeared in a long while.

Ji Mingyu had an elegant appearance and hailed from a prestigious ink art family, so he naturally drew plenty of attention. Jiang Rang had seen numerous posts about him across various forums.

Recently, Ji Mingyu had been invited to an art exhibition in M Country and had only returned to S City in the past couple of days.

Jiang Rang couldn’t quite gauge the moods of such an elusive figure; people like Ji Mingyu were exactly the type he least wanted to tangle with.

Because they were unpredictable.

The man appeared refined and amiable on the surface, but any probing revealed an inscrutable mix of truth and deception. He would play along with your script, yet if you tried to unravel his true nature amid the flowers and willows, you could easily step into a trap.

Jiang Rang had already experienced the man’s tactics firsthand.

The young man wasn’t foolish enough to believe that Ji Mingyu’s final words at the birthday banquet stemmed from self-debasement. Clearly, the man was a master of linguistic artistry.

Ji Mingyu’s true intent was actually a threat.

With an exceedingly refined smile, he informed the young man that he had evidence of his true colors. If Jiang Rang still dreamed of climbing the social ladder, he would have to bend to Ji Mingyu’s will.

He couldn’t entertain even the slightest thought of resistance.

Ji Mingyu’s pale face bore a smile that rippled like water. His eyebrows were not thick, which only accentuated the elegance and nobility of his blue eyes.

This time, the man wore a different earring. A deep crimson scratch lingered on his jade-like earlobe, while the serpentine chain swayed faintly in the sunlight, exuding a seductive allure. Seeing that Jiang Rang wasn’t taking the cigarette, Ji Mingyu’s smile deepened. He leaned in closer, like a wisp of damp mist carried by the breeze, clinging directly to the young man.

He slipped the lit cigarette between the young man’s handsome lips. Then, with the motion, he casually leaned half against Jiang Rang’s shoulder. His blue eyes, sharp as needles, flicked over the flirtatious photo of the man on Jiang Rang’s phone. After a moment, he let out a sudden laugh.

Only then did Jiang Rang seem to realize something. His hand trembled as he locked his phone.

After doing so, the young man’s lips moved with practiced ease. He took a deep drag and exhaled a thin mist of mint-scented smoke, somewhat hurriedly.

Perhaps because his motions were a bit rushed, Jiang Rang’s throat bobbed. He felt like coughing, but when his gaze met Ji Mingyu’s faintly amused expression, he paused and suppressed the itch in his throat.

The young man couldn’t help but ask, “What are you laughing at?”

He felt no shame at being caught in his affair. On the contrary, Jiang Rang asked the question righteously, laced with irritation and impatience.

Ji Mingyu smiled, a slender cigarette now between his own lips. As the smoke drifted from his mouth, he let out a soft, enigmatic scoff. “Hmm… your little lover’s photography skills aren’t up to much.”

Born into an artistic family, Ji Mingyu’s sense of aesthetics was beyond compare, but Jiang Rang didn’t care for his condescending tone.

On the surface, the man was mocking Zhou Yichun’s vulgar eroticism, but to Jiang Rang’s ears, it felt like a jab at his own poor taste.

After all, he’d been utterly enamored with it just moments ago.

“Not happy now?”

Ji Mingyu tapped the cigarette lightly with his knuckle, and the ash crumbled away like weathered flower petals, turning to dust.

The man’s lips curved slightly, his voice carrying the sexy rasp of a recent smoker. “I only said a couple things about your little lover, and you’re already upset—”

Ji Mingyu drew out the words, his long fingers trailing up to the young man’s smooth cheek, poking it casually. “Can’t play favorites, Classmate Jiang. I’m your mistress too… oh, make that your fourth.”

Jiang Rang frowned and brusquely shoved the man away. “What do you want? Spit it out.”

Ji Mingyu let out a soft sigh. The earring chain by his ear swung wildly from the young man’s rough handling, its metallic gleam flashing brilliantly in the sunlight.

He curled his lips. “What’s the rush? Feeling guilty?”

Jiang Rang’s expression gradually shifted. The young man slowly reined in his flustered guilt, refusing to yield the upper hand in their standoff. His handsome, superior bone structure allowed him to flash a stunning smile.

It was all show, pure posturing.

Yet because he was so beautiful, it carried a unique charm.

Jiang Rang seized the man’s wrist. In that position, he drew them both into the roadside shrubbery.

Ambiguous shadows draped over them, instantly creating an air of vacuum intimacy.

Jiang Rang narrowed his eyes and leaned in, gently sucking and kissing the man’s vivid red lips. It was as if they teetered on the edge of a dark, bewitching cliff—one misstep, and they’d tumble over, shattered to pieces, reputations in ruins.

The young man lightly released his teeth and breathed softly against the man’s injured earlobe. “Well? Can you say it now?”

Ji Mingyu suddenly laughed with a tremor, his back pressed hard against the tree branch, nearly grinding it raw.

Coughing amid gasps, he murmured, “Jiang Rang, Jiang Rang… after all these years, you’re still the same. Haven’t changed a bit.”

Jiang Rang hadn’t quite caught the words and wanted to ask again, but the man had already composed himself, regaining his poised elegance. “Of course I can say it now.”

“Honor your previous promise. Be my one and only model.”

“Three o’clock this afternoon. Painting Studio.”