Chapter 32 (Part 1) Night
“Oh, that’s really sad.” The man took two more steps closer, standing in front of Antonio, and adjusted his glasses with an elegant gesture. “I’m quite interested in you. I hope you’ll at least give me a chance…” As he spoke, he leaned closer to the man, slowly spreading a gentle and harmless smile.
Antonio was taken aback. A male escort had been pestering him, and he'd shooed him away in a huff. He'd assumed the guy was just being persistent and had come back, hence the cold shoulder. Standing before him was a refined-looking man with glasses, tall and handsome. Because of the close proximity, he could even see the man's smooth, fair skin—a beauty that was hard to resist. Looking at the gentle smile on the man's face, Antonio nodded unconsciously, letting him sit beside him.
"On such a wonderful night, why are you sitting alone in the corner?" The man subtly moved closer to him, picked up the wine glass on the table, and gazed at its vibrant colors. "Is it because you haven't found a suitable target?"
Antonio turned to look at him, scrutinizing him from head to toe, then gave a somewhat frivolous smile: "Ah, yes, I only like beautiful women." Here, everything was so direct, naked desire, undisguised madness—this was a decadent paradise. He knew the other's purpose, yet he still allowed him to stay, indicating that subconsciously he wasn't averse to having something happen between them. It wasn't about feelings, but purely about desire and instinct—just as Si Qiang had said, he liked beautiful women, and that had never changed.
Upon hearing this, the man stared at the other man for a moment, then suddenly tilted his head back and downed the rest of his drink. He was only there to test this man's attitude to ensure he posed no further threat to Si Qiang; he had no intention of actually sleeping with him. He put down his glass, feigning regret: "So that's the type you like, and I seem to be quite different from your target. I do have a friend who should fit your criteria… unfortunately, he and his boyfriend are currently very much in love, so I'm afraid I can't introduce him to you for the time being."
Antonio was somewhat confused by his reaction. Wasn't the other person just there for fun? But why was he saying such things now? And bringing up friends... A beauty who was already taken meant nothing to him. He suddenly realized that Si Qiang was also a "flower" that already belonged to someone. Yet he had still stubbornly persisted for so long, simply because this person was the first person he had ever truly fallen for, even though he knew that the other person had never taken him seriously, he still couldn't give up.
It wasn't until he was manipulated and toyed with once again that he finally snapped out of the infatuation that had been haunting him. Ultimately, being used was a matter of mutual consent, but after that incident, he truly realized that a relationship between him and Si Qiang was impossible. The feelings between them were far too profound; even he couldn't go to such lengths for his lover as Si Qiang had. Therefore, he decided to let Si Qiang go, and to let himself go as well.
Thinking of this, he suddenly felt an urge. He wanted to find someone to talk to about his "first love," about all the foolish things he'd done... He just wanted to talk to someone. The melancholy and pent-up emotions had been plaguing him for a long time, and no amount of drinking could quell them. The person in front of him... he didn't know him, and after tonight, they would never have the chance to meet again—this was the perfect person.
"Ha...a beauty...I really am incorrigible." Antonio looked at the other's handsome face and said with a faint self-mockery, "Perhaps this is punishment."
Seeing him remain silent for a long time, the man assumed he was angry about the inconsistency in his attitude, but he didn't expect the other party to suddenly say such a thing. He was slightly taken aback before realizing what the other party meant, and was secretly delighted, thinking that his wish had come true.
He smiled reassuringly and said gently, "Punishment? I believe that pursuing beautiful things is human nature, not a flaw that should be condemned."
Antonio gave a bitter smile. "You're right. My mistake was insisting on having what wasn't mine, which is why I've ended up like this. As you can see, I'm just drowning my sorrows in alcohol right now." With that, he picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp.
The man calmly reached out and filled the other man's glass, his lips curving into a wider smile: "'Drowning your sorrows in alcohol only makes them worse,' have you ever heard that saying?"
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