Chapter 1 : Adrian Brown

Adrian was surprised to see Albert Jones waiting across the street when he left the station. They hadn''t seen each other for almost a month.

Not far away, across the bustling street, Albert was leaning against his car door, lighting a cigarette. His tailored coat accentuated his tall and sharp figure, drawing frequent glances from passing girls. The wind blew, and Albert brushed his hair back. When he looked up and saw Adrian across the street, his furrowed brow finally relaxed a bit.

Adrian''s car was still in the shop, so he had to cross the street to catch the subway home. His spotless shoes turned in one direction and then back again. Why should he avoid him?

He took off his police jacket and draped it over his arm, striding across the road.

"Hey...! Where are you going?"

Ignoring the shouts from behind, he walked briskly.

"Home."

"Come on, I''ll give you a ride."

Seeing Adrian still walking ahead, Albert grabbed his arm, wrinkling the light blue shirt instantly.

Adrian frowned and said coldly, "Stay away from me. I can''t stand the smell of smoke."

Albert wasn''t annoyed. He muttered, "Alright, alright, I''ll put it out." Then he pushed Adrian into his black Bentley.

Albert rarely drove himself.

"What do you want to eat?"

The temperature outside was low, but inside the car, it was just right. Adrian was still annoyed at how easily he had been pushed into the car. He turned his head to look out the window.

"I don''t want to eat anything."

Albert clicked his tongue in frustration. While waiting at a red light, he turned to study the face of his long-unseen lover. Adrian''s skin was very pale, an extreme kind of pale, like a porcelain vase locked in a glass cabinet for years—delicate, cold, with a faint bluish sheen.

Now, his already lean jawline had become even more gaunt, with dark circles under his eyes, making him look as pale as a sheet and in poor spirits. Albert''s suppressed anger flared up at the sight.

"Why do you look so terrible? Did you ignore everything I told you before I left? Is this how you take care of yourself?"

Adrian faced Albert''s questioning without fear and replied coldly, "How I take care of myself is my business, not yours, Mr. Jones."

He felt a deep sense of frustration, but Albert was holding back even greater anger. After a long pause, Albert took a deep breath and calmed down.

"...Alright, let''s not talk about this tonight. How about we go to Maple Restaurant for some porridge? Your favorite fish porridge."

"I''m not hungry."

Adrian added coldly, "I want to go home. If you don''t take me home, drop me off here. I''ll go back myself."

Albert, with a stern face, said nothing. Seeing the fatigue on Adrian''s face, he finally relented and turned the car towards the third ring road.

The black Bentley drove into a mid-to-high-end residential area.

As soon as he got out of the car, Adrian showed no intention of inviting Albert upstairs. He turned and walked away, but Albert parked the car and followed him unhurriedly.

The apartment was a three-bedroom, one-living room unit, about 160 square meters, tastefully but coldly decorated, in line with Adrian''s usual style.

Just as he closed the door, there was a loud bang from outside, followed by a man and a woman cursing each other''s ancestors, and then the sound of high heels stomping away as if they were going to break through the floor.

Why is the soundproofing in this place so terrible? Albert''s frown, which had been there since he went upstairs, deepened even more.

"I told you to move to Novel Restaurant. It''s closer to your work and quieter. You insisted on living here. How can you sleep well with such light sleep?"

Adrian ignored him, hanging his police jacket on the coat rack and changing into slippers. "If you like it so much, you move there. I sleep just fine here."

Sleeping well with those dark circles? Albert didn''t want to argue about it. He rolled up his sleeves and opened the fridge. He almost never cooked, but compared to his lover, who was even less likely to cook, Albert had to lower himself to do it.

"Whatever, what do you want to eat? I''ll make it for you—"

But what greeted him was an empty, spotless fridge.

Oh, and four cans of beer and two bottles of mineral water.

Adrian tossed a box of instant rice from the cabinet to him. "This is all we have. Take it or leave it. I''m going to take a shower and still have a work report to finish."

Albert held the fast food in his hand, his face darkening.

"Adrian!"

Albert stormed into the bedroom, grabbing Adrian''s wrist, his voice seething through clenched teeth. "You expect me to eat this every day?"

Adrian was in the middle of changing into his loungewear, his upper body still bare. His face flushed instantly, and he snapped, "What are you doing? Let go! What I eat is none of your business!"

Albert stared at him, then suddenly laughed, though it was more of a grinding, angry laugh. "None of my business? You think it''s none of my business? Have I been spoiling you too much lately? So much that you''ve forgotten your place?"

Albert''s imposing presence made Adrian''s heart skip a beat, but he retorted, "I know my name is Adrian. I don''t need you to remind me!"

"Fine, looks like you need a lesson!"

Without another word, Albert yanked him by the wrist and threw him onto the bed.

Even at his best, Adrian might not be a match for Albert, but at least he could put up a fight. Now, he was like a rag doll, completely powerless. He had been exhausted from overseeing a cross-state child trafficking case, and his arm was injured during the final arrest that evening. When Albert''s grip hit his injury, he couldn''t help but groan in pain.

Albert immediately loosened his grip.

Adrian didn''t notice, his vision blurred from the impact. He wanted to ask Albert why he was being punished and what their relationship even was, but the pain in his arm was overwhelming, making him feel weak.

To his surprise, the expected pain didn''t come.

Albert let go, and the bed sank beside him as he was pulled into a warm, strong embrace.

The bedside lamp went out, and in the darkness, Albert''s warm, firm hand gently caressed his aching arm.

"Stop fussing. Look at your face. Baby, let''s just sleep, okay?"

Albert''s tone was a mix of helplessness and affection, enveloping Adrian from all sides. His body tensed for a moment, then relaxed, finally letting go of the tension he''d been holding all day, sinking into the domineering gentleness.

He whispered, "Okay."

Adrian slept deeply, or rather, he hadn''t slept this well in a long time.

His strict internal clock woke him at 6:30 AM sharp, but the space beside him was empty. Albert was already gone.

Adrian splashed his face with cold water, feeling irritable. Despite a night''s rest, the person in the mirror still looked exhausted.

The cross-state child trafficking case was a major one, with orders from above to solve it within 20 days and report the results to the media. Adrian was appointed as the action team leader, and he hadn''t been home much this past month. The relentless focus and round-the-clock work were a double strain on his body and mind.

This strain came partly from his serious commitment to his duties, but also from...

Cold water dripped from his hair into the sink. The usually composed Mr. Brown rarely covered his face with his hands.

What exactly was his relationship with Albert?

Or rather, what did he mean to Albert? A lover to see when convenient, who disappeared without a trace when not? And he, during this long month, found this waiting... especially hard to bear for the first time.

This feeling made him restless. Adrian wiped his face and prepared to go for a morning run.

In the living room, the sound of a key turning in the lock caught his attention. Adrian remained expressionless.

Sure enough, the door opened, and Albert appeared with takeout in hand.

He looked a bit surprised to see Adrian. "Why are you up so early? Skip the run today. Have breakfast first, then get some more sleep."

"Where did you get the key?"

"I took it from your pocket."

Albert set the takeout bag on the dining table, took off his coat, and walked into the kitchen. As he passed Adrian, Adrian could still feel the lingering morning chill on his clothes.

Adrian glanced at the Maple Restaurant sign.

"I told you I wasn''t hungry, and you still went and bought it..."

"Enough already," Albert said, half-joking, half-threatening, as he took out two sets of dishes from the kitchen. Adrian shrugged, opened the fridge, and twisted open a bottle of mineral water to drink.

"Don''t you know it''s cold? Do you want to ruin your stomach?" Albert snatched the bottle from his hand, the coldness making his temper flare. "Come eat first, I''ll get you something warm to drink."

Adrian didn''t move. Albert narrowed his eyes.

"Come eat, or do you want me to settle everything with you right now, huh?"

Being threatened was a blow to his pride, especially when Adrian felt deep down that it was best not to resist. He avoided his lover''s intense gaze and walked to the dining table. "Hurry up and eat. I still have to go to work, or I''ll be late."

Albert took out the fish porridge, his tone calm. "Take your time. I''ve already called in for you."

As expected, Adrian reacted like a firecracker being lit. "Called in? Who gave you the right to call in for me? I have an important report to deliver today!"

"Can''t it be delivered without you? Are you the only one in your team? I don''t believe the police department can''t function without you for a day."

"Albert! Who gave you the right to make decisions for me?"

The sound of cutlery slamming on the table echoed.

Albert looked up at him. "I have the right to make you finish this meal first. Can you eat?"

The atmosphere during the meal was tense, but the warm fish porridge finally soothed Adrian''s tormented stomach. Albert''s phone rang twice during the meal, and he answered with a few curt "uh-huhs" before hanging up.

After eating, Adrian changed clothes and headed for the door. Albert grabbed him from behind. "Where are you going?"

"To work."

Adrian reached for his police uniform jacket on the coat rack, but Albert was quicker and held it down firmly.

"Don''t wear it. If you want to piss me off, let''s settle this now."