A New Personality

Their vacation together was coming to an end.

Waking up the next morning, the men were acutely aware of the regret that hovered between them.

As beautiful as this paradise was, they could not forget that it was only a brief vacation.

Their hearts fluttered, and like soldiers, they began to prepare for battle.

Wei's gaze grew colder and harder. Ling was immersed in himself and seemed aloof.

As they left the oceanfront cabin, Ling discreetly tossed a handful of coins under the wooden patio. It looked silly, but he wanted to go back to that place.

They drank coffee in silence under the canopy of the gas station, waiting for the car to be filled with a full tank. Then they went to the gallery to get the portrait.

After the gallery, their route was to the nearest international airport. Armed with their new papers, Bai Dexin (Shi Ling) and Zhou Ling (Jiang Wei) took their seats on the plane.

They quietly discussed their plan. Bai Dexin was to contact the agency that was looking for him.

"By working for the agency, Bai Dexin would completely change his image, and the real Shi Ling would disappear from the radar. That way, no one will know or suspect that the dead man is very much alive." reminded Jiang Wei quietly, settling into a comfortable chair.

"That part of the plan suits me just fine," replied Ling.

Except that his stubborn heart had a hard time accepting the fact that he and Wei couldn't see each other for a while.

"Any hint of our acquaintance would be met with mistrust and might hurt the plans."

Wei shared and understood his feelings, but had to restrain himself.

The young man was clutching the paper napkins with which he had just wiped away his sweat. It was quite hot in the cabin.

He hesitated to say that he'd rather just hide in his boss's bunker and never see the light, only to have him give him regular intimate master classes.

"Ling, you're a complete romantic," the young man scolded himself, trying to cope with his feelings.

He must get a grip and follow the plan.

Meanwhile, Wei closed his eyes and pretended to sleep. He was mulling over his plan.

All the evidence he had gathered was not enough to strike the enemy. But recently he had been contacted by Lu Fei's adopted daughter.

Young Mrs. Xuan was a childhood friend of Wei's.

Not that they were friends like the other children, just that their busy fathers left them to play together.

While the adults drank, smoked cigars, and discussed business, the children explored the house together or argued about who had the richer family.

The friendship between such children is more of a competition or struggle. After all, from an early age, they are expected to be superior in everything.

For this reason, boys and girls are equally arrogant and conniving. Xuan was the same, she could pretend to be simple-minded, but as soon as she found her opponent's weakness, she immediately released her claws.

Since childhood, Xuan inspired awe in him. At times it seemed that she was more mature than her years, so even Lu Fei was always inferior to her.

And then recently Wei learned that Madam Lu had come up with a cunning plan. She wrote that she was willing to present compromising evidence about one very arrogant Mr. Lu of Jiang Wei's company.

The girl vowed that these materials would bury her greedy and cynical father at the bottom of the gutter, where he belonged. Wei did not know what Lu Fei had caused her daughter's attitude, but it was to his advantage.

In return, she wanted a fake engagement. The family pressured her unceremoniously, constantly setting her up with someone. The freedom-loving Xuan had had enough of this and decided to play her own game, choosing the CEO as her groom and ruining her relationship with her father.

She felt nothing for Wei, but remembering their acquaintance, she decided that she could control this man and the whole situation.

She would give her family a handsome son-in-law, and Jiang Wei's position would be strengthened in his company.

She knew calculatingly and precisely who and what to offer so that people could not refuse to give her what she wanted.

At first, Jiang Wei thought it was a mockery and an inept ploy. But the more he thought, the more he agreed that their engagement made sense to him.

Only if he said yes, how would he present it to Lyn? How would the young man feel about the idea? Should he be initiated, or was it better not to? Will he be offended? Or would he be angry?

Wei looked up from under his lowered lashes at Ling and tried to anticipate his reaction. In his eyes, he was fragile on the outside but very strong on the inside.

Outwardly he might look soft and pliant and droopy, but if he decided something inside, he would stand his ground.

The man sighed: "Whichever way you look at it, the situation is stupid." I wish we could agree if that was possible because his and Ling's relationship still looked vulnerable.

So many small and large difficulties to come could ruin their attachment. Wei shifted his body position in his chair and continued to mentally contemplate the problem, looking for a way out of this maze.

So far he could think of nothing better than to split up at the airport and go each his own way.

Ling was thinking along roughly the same lines. Their luggage was already separated; getting lost in the crowd would not be difficult. He had changed his hair and clothes beforehand so that no one would recognize him as the timid secretary.

There were several temporary tattoos on his tanned skin. On his neck hung a pendant with a shark's tooth.

Ling's image suggested that this young man was a daring traveler who had climbed mountains; scuba dived or danced around a campfire with wild tribes.

Even the stewardesses blushed shyly when they looked at him. They often offered the young man drinks and treats, and he, not realizing the impression he was making, smiled beamingly, causing the man beside him to fidget restlessly.

Wei tried to block their view.

Forced Ling to read a magazine, covering his face.

Throwing frowns at the girls, he grew tired.

When night fell and the light in the cabin was dimmed, Jiang Wei, gripped by jealousy, stared long and hard at Ling, expressing his displeasure.

"How long are you going to go on like this?"

The young man stared back in bewilderment. He didn't realize that all this time beautiful girls were looking back at him now and then. He was naturally shy and serious.

"I don't know what you mean," Ling replied quietly and hid his head in his shoulders.

Wei regretted taking Ling to the store before he left and personally choosing such an outfit for him and helping him change his hair.

Now his secretary looked nothing like himself, but in a certain sense, he was very appetizing.

Wei thought that if Ling had dressed and smiled like that from the beginning...

Rather, someone else would have enjoyed his moans and listened to his vulgar requests.

The events of their last night were still vivid, and Wei didn't even stop feeling possessive for a split second.

So he immediately put a stop to any thought that Ling might be looking at someone else with wet eyes.

He wouldn't even allow himself to ask him about previous relationships, whether he had girlfriends or maybe high school sweethearts.

These questions annoyed the boss, causing him to clench his jaw and flare his nostrils with force, but he did so while turning away from Ling.

"Nothing."

After a long look, Wei leaned over and kissed him. It was not a brief kiss, no.

Wei defiantly and passionately took Ling's lips captive. Intentionally demonstrative, he kissed his man, and all concerned were immediately told if he was free.

Ling did not resist; on the contrary, his soft heart melted and sank into the hot broth of desire. He put his arms around Wei's neck and seized the initiative.

As they kissed, they let go of each other for a while. In the depths of their eyes burned a fierce fire of barely contained passion. Without saying a word to each other, they intertwined their fingers.

Suddenly Wei remembered that Ling had a tattoo of his name.

"You should hide your tattoo, I think it might get you in trouble," Wei said thoughtfully.

"I'll think of something," Ling replied, smiling slightly.

"What will you think of," Wei worried, "You'll remove the tattoo?! Don't you dare!"

"I wouldn't do that. A lot of models use foundation, accessories, and retouching to hide moles or scars, well, I'll hide it."

Wei relaxed. The mark on Ling's body flattered him and warmed his heart. It's almost like a brand, his overbearing demon whispered and laughed deep in his heart - Ling had made that brand himself!

Wei had decided long ago that he would get himself the same tattoo, but later.

"I wonder if Ling would give me a portrait? I'd hang it up... hmm, where to? And why do I need my portrait, I have a mirror." He suddenly wanted a portrait of Ling.

"Hey," he immediately turned to the young man, "I want your portrait!"

"О... you mean my portrait?" - Ling wondered.

"Well, yes, you'd better keep my portrait and draw me your own, okay?" Engrossed in his idea, Wei didn't notice how childishly sweet his request was.

"All right," Ling nodded, now he would agree to any question the man asked.

Their closeness was so warming, giving him a sense of security and peace, that he willingly sank into it.

Ling looked at their intertwined fingers and took a few pictures. The artist's excitement he had awakened in himself earlier inspired him to make this particular intimate picture of them.

Ling didn't want to go back to the excitement and hardships of reality at all. In his mind, he stood barefoot on the sand in front of their beach house and painted Wei, that was all he wanted.

А... No, periodically Wei should kidnap him and passionately love him everywhere he could and couldn't.

Smiling at his thoughts, he even nodded to himself. Great idea, very good... He looked out the window.

There was an emptiness and uncertainty below, just like in his heart.