Matthew Clark caught it accurately, spinning it between his fingertips. “How much can I swipe?”
“You still want to swipe more? You’re only worth a hundred bucks, damn it.” Ryan Miller said, “Swipe... five hundred thousand, I’ll kill you if you go over.”
“Alright.” Matthew Clark set the card aside.
Ryan Miller turned to leave, but heard someone call him from behind: “Wait.”
Ryan Miller turned back impatiently. “What?!”
“Let’s exchange contact info.” Matthew Clark said, “Since I’ve taken your money, I have to do my job. If you need me in the future... just contact me.”
Can I call you when I want to kill someone?
The situation was a bit tricky now, so Ryan Miller couldn’t fall out with him. Annoyed, he ran a hand through his hair and took out his phone. “What’s your WeChat?”
After exchanging contact info, Ryan Miller didn’t stay a second longer. Just as he reached the door, he was stopped again.
“Wait, one more thing.” Matthew Clark said casually, “Does your package include the five insurances and one fund?”
What answered him was a deafening slam of the door.
Chapter 2
The moment Ryan Miller stepped out of the room, his previously straight back immediately slumped.
Damn, this hurts too much. It’s not like the pain from a fight, with broken skin and bleeding, but more like a dozen needles pricking the same spot—hidden and itchy.
He sucked in a breath, about to head for the elevator, when he heard some noise from the next room—it was the neighbors.
A couple lived next door. Seeing someone standing outside, they instinctively glanced over as they came out.
Remembering Matthew Clark’s words, Ryan Miller straightened his back at once.
He came to this hotel often, sometimes staying a couple of days after drinking too much, but he honestly didn’t know how good the soundproofing was.
Enduring the pain, he tried to look calm as he walked toward the elevator, frantically pressing the close button before the couple could get in.
Once the elevator doors closed, he finally slumped against the handrail, completely drained.
He called a cab and went to a small villa in the suburbs he’d bought recently. The villa had been renovated for a while, with a housekeeper cleaning every other day, so it was spotless.
It was his first time staying there. The first thing he did after getting back was take a shower. The moment the cold water hit his skin, Ryan Miller finally felt alive again. Gritting his teeth, he propped one leg on the edge of the tub, cleaning himself in shame.
Is it still possible to go back in time and beat Matthew Clark to death?
Jail would be better than stewing in anger alone in a corner like this.
After showering, he threw on a bathrobe and flopped heavily onto the bed on his side.
Damn, it hurts even lying on my side. If I accidentally roll over in my sleep tonight, I’ll probably be woken up by the pain.
His phone rang beside him. Annoyed, Ryan Miller glanced at the caller ID, answered, and put it on speaker.
“What is it?” His voice was weak.
“Ryan Miller, come hang out!” It was William Harris, Ryan Miller’s closest friend. William Harris blurted it out, then realized something was off. “What’s wrong with your voice?”
“Nothing, not going.” Ryan Miller said. “It’s two in the afternoon, what’s there to do? Sunbathe? Just say what you want.”
William Harris had recently been forced to work by his dad, so he was only free after five most days. Calling this early definitely meant something was up.
William Harris said, “Hehe, I just wanted to ask you...”
He lowered his voice on the other end, “Was Matthew Clark wild last night?”
Ryan Miller was startled, and in those few seconds, he’d already cursed Matthew Clark’s ancestors eighteen generations back in his mind.
But he was only shocked for a moment before quickly regaining his composure.
Wait, Matthew Clark and William Harris have nothing to do with each other. There’s no way Matthew Clark would tell him anything.
When William Harris saw he wasn’t answering, he exclaimed, “Come on, we can’t have secrets between besties!”
“Who’s your bestie? Take a look in your pants, I think you’re confused about your own gender.” Ryan Miller said. “Who told you that I did... that with Matthew Clark?”
William Harris is a celebrity in the gay community—so well-known that most of the city’s gays know him, and the rest are either deeply closeted or married to women. He even has tens of thousands of Weibo followers, 80% of whom are women, calling him “sis” every day.
Ryan Miller met William Harris in middle school. Back then, although William Harris liked to act cute and bat his eyes, he hadn’t come out yet, and things weren’t as open as they are now, so no one thought much of it.
But once he got to college, William Harris completely let himself go, calling himself “laoniang” and owning more little dresses than most girls.
William Harris asked, “Were you drunk? You told me yourself last night.”
“……”
Ryan Miller really didn’t remember that part.
He’d drunk too much last night, and his memory was clearly lacking—he’d already forgotten everything before going to the hotel.
...But he did remember how he scratched Matthew Clark in bed. Now that he’d calmed down, he could even recall the heat of Matthew Clark’s body, his leg draped over him like he was pressed against a hot iron plate.
Ryan Miller immediately stopped himself from remembering. “And then?”