TLLKTBD CH 7

Chapter 7: Rule No.1 of Being a Sugar Baby—Don’t Fall in Love with Your Patron

A few days later, the medical report was finally released. Without even glancing at it, Jin Lang handed over the document, which proved he was clean, to Jin Xiaomi. She looked at his expressionless face, pulled out the report, and carefully examined it. After confirming everything was in order, she gave him a nod.

“Have you done your homework? About serving your patron?” Jin Xiaomi asked.

“Huh?” Jin Lang was momentarily stunned. Once he processed her words, he shook his head silently.

“I’ll have someone guide you later. No rush. For now, let me tell you a few things about your patron. Keep these in mind,” Jin Xiaomi said after a brief pause, deciding not to reveal Lu Qian’s name just yet.

“The patron I found for you has agreed to keep you. Three million, one year,” she stated.

Jin Lang’s eyes widened in shock.

“You’re not hearing things—three million for a year,” she confirmed with a nod. “Don’t ask why. Just take it as him having too much money to spend.”

She waited for Jin Lang to digest the information before continuing, “He doesn’t have any particularly unusual requests—mostly just everyday matters. You two can discuss the details once you meet. But as his friend, there are some things I need you to take care of.”

Jin Lang frowned at her serious tone. Wait… could this patron have some peculiar tastes? No wonder he was offering such a high price. Was he going to make him sign a life-or-death contract?

Seeing the sudden paleness on Jin Lang’s face, Jin Xiaomi was baffled. I haven’t even said anything yet! What’s this kid imagining?

“Don’t worry. He’s my friend—he won’t do anything to you,” she reassured him before getting to the point. “He doesn’t seem to have any strange fetishes, but… he does have a mental illness.”

I knew it! A total lunatic! Jin Lang’s thoughts ran wild.

Jin Xiaomi, unaware of his discomfort, continued, “He’s incredibly busy with work, so much so that he often forgets to eat. When he’s alone, he just eats whatever is convenient. That’s how his stomach got ruined. You’ll need to make sure he eats properly. Can you cook?”

Jin Lang nodded.

Jin Xiaomi looked pleased. “Good. He also has a low alcohol tolerance, but he enjoys drinking occasionally. You need to control his intake. Trust me, you do not want to see him drunk.”

She shuddered at the thought of that usually serious man turning into… that.

Jin Lang’s mind spun. What happens when he’s drunk? Does he turn into a werewolf or something?

“Alright, make sure he eats properly and don’t let him get drunk. What else?” Jin Lang noted it all down in a small palm-sized notebook.

“One more thing—I hope you can help him,” Jin Xiaomi said, her gaze fixed on Jin Lang.

“Help him? Help him with what?” Jin Lang was completely lost.

Jin Xiaomi didn’t give him a direct answer. Instead, she simply said, “Just remember—when the time comes, be extra gentle with him. Don’t scare him.”

Don’t scare him? When the time comes?

Summing up Jin Xiaomi’s scattered instructions, Jin Lang concluded: So, this patron is basically a rich man who throws money around, needs to be coaxed into eating, turns into a beast when drunk, and is a pretentious drama queen.

I should be the one scared here!

But unfortunately, Jin Lang had no right to be delicate or dramatic. Even though he already felt overwhelmed, all he could do was force out a bitter smile.

“Oh, right! You have no experience in that area,” Jin Xiaomi suddenly remembered. “I’ll have Sunny guide you on this part.”

She immediately pulled out her phone and dialed the bar. “Ah Tang, tell Sunny to come to my office.”

“Jie, let Sam-ge teach me instead. I’m more familiar with him…”

Jin Lang’s forced composure instantly crumbled at her words. He felt awkward. He didn’t know this so-called Sunny at all. From what he’d heard, Sunny was Sam’s predecessor and had practically retired from the scene. So why was he suddenly back?

“Sam won’t do. Your patron isn’t into Sam’s style. If I let him train you, your patron will kill me,” Jin Xiaomi dismissed the idea. “Sunny is basically your master’s master. Sam was trained by him. Almost everyone with a name around here was taught by him. Plus, he’s one of the few tops in the scene. Don’t worry—he’s a professional.”

Jin Xiaomi leaned in and warned, “I brought him back especially for you today. So don’t you dare go to your patron’s place acting all clueless.”

Tops?

Before Jin Lang could fully process that, there was a knock on the door.

“Xiaomi,” a smooth, confident voice called out as the door opened.

Sunny walked in, greeting Jin Xiaomi with a warm hug before turning his sharp gaze onto Jin Lang.

“This is the boy?”

Jin Lang instantly felt like he was being stripped bare under that penetrating stare. His entire body tensed, instinctively wanting to shrink away.

“Not bad,” Sunny nodded in approval.

“I’ll leave Lion to you. Teach him how to approach people first. His patron… well, he has issues.” Jin Xiaomi let out an exaggerated sigh. “The guy thinks he’s incapable of desire just because he doesn’t feel anything for anyone. He doesn’t even dare fall in love. This kid’s job is to help him regain his confidence, got it?”

Sunny, a veteran in the industry, chuckled in disbelief. “Someone that pure still exists?”

“More like an idiot!” Jin Xiaomi rolled her eyes. “Anyway, just teach Lion a few tricks—make sure he can seduce without making it obvious.”

“That’s easy,” Sunny said casually.

“Just don’t turn him into another Sam,” Jin Xiaomi warned.

Sunny frowned. “What’s wrong with Sam? He’s my personally trained successor, my top star. Are you looking down on him?” Hearing Jin Xiaomi’s disdain for Sam made Sunny a little displeased.

“Sam is great, absolutely fantastic. But the patron wants a cold and aloof handsome guy.” Jin Xiaomi chuckled secretly.

Ignoring Jin Xiaomi, Sunny turned to look at Jin Lang. “Lion, huh? Who gave you that name? It’s so unoriginal.”

“It was your disciple, Sam,” Jin Lang replied respectfully.

Sunny felt a sudden toothache. “Forget it. That useless guy—just pretend I never asked.” He spoke while pushing Jin Lang out of the room. “Hurry up. I have plans tonight. This afternoon, I’ll go over the dos and don’ts of dealing with patrons with you…”

Jin Xiaomi called out to Sunny and pointed at Jin Lang. “He has no experience. You need to focus on teaching him how to handle things properly. Young men are full of energy—don’t let him end up hurting the patron.” His tone was serious.

“Got it. A cold and aloof handsome guy who seduces without a trace by day and turns into a gentle spring breeze in bed, right?” Sunny waved his hand dismissively and took Jin Lang away.

---

Jin Lang found himself in a small room, feeling incredibly restless as he stared at the television screen. It was playing a rare, high-definition, uncensored gay video—an exclusive collection provided by Sunny. Since Sunny had taken over his training, the two of them had been locked in this room all afternoon.

At first, Sunny didn’t actually teach Jin Lang anything specific. He just casually walked around, chatted with him, and even ordered a bottle of red wine to be brought in. However, as their conversation went on, Jin Lang started to sense that something was off. Sunny was deliberately teasing him—both verbally and physically.

Jin Lang had found himself trapped in Sunny’s embrace, being taught, step by step, how to seductively open and pour wine. His hands were clumsy, and he was flustered. Then, just as he was completely overwhelmed, Sunny suddenly sat back down and looked at him seriously. “Well? Did you get a feel for it? Did you experience anything?”

His gaze swept over Jin Lang, starting from his knees and lingering at a certain area before continuing upward, finally meeting Jin Lang’s awkward expression.

“……” So that whole afternoon of ambiguous teasing was actually a demonstration?! Boss, couldn’t you have given me a heads-up?!

Jin Lang carefully replayed everything Sunny had done. To be honest, there was nothing inappropriate. Their conversation had been normal, just casual social chatter. Yet, an occasional caring remark, a deep gaze into his eyes, a subtle movement that seemed to brush past him but never quite touched, the deliberate closeness while still maintaining a gentlemanly distance—it was all executed flawlessly, flowing like water.

Throughout the process, Jin Lang had felt a bit uncomfortable but not repulsed. In fact… he was embarrassed to admit it, but he had felt slightly stirred.

Jin Lang felt like his world was crumbling. A lifetime of believing he was straight, shaken in just one afternoon.

Sunny truly was a master—a legend.

“You can think of yourself as an actor, and the patron is your audience. Whatever he wants to see, you perform. Cater to his tastes. You have to put yourself into the role, pretend you’re enjoying it.”

“If the patron likes something wild, then be wilder. If he prefers innocence, act pure and shy. It’s not that hard.”

Jin Lang frowned. “How do I know what the patron likes?”

Even though he despised his current situation, he understood that since he was taking the money, he had to do his job. His patron was generous, so for the duration of their arrangement, he would do his best to keep the patron satisfied.

“You’ll need to pay close attention and observe everything. Notice what makes the patron smile, what makes him annoyed, what makes him frown—remember all of it. If you can’t remember, write it down. Just don’t let the patron find out. Your entire world should revolve around him. Love what he loves, hate what he hates. Convince yourself that you exist solely for this person.”

Sunny leaned in. “And most importantly, remember—it’s all fake.”

“Fake?”

“Fake!” Sunny nodded. “Pretend you love him. Whether he looks like a disgusting pig or a reincarnated Adonis, it doesn’t matter.”

Jin Lang was stunned, still trying to process what Sunny was saying.

Sunny continued explaining, “A patron willing to support someone long-term isn’t just looking for s*x. Some of them crave emotional companionship. Maybe they don’t have anyone in real life who loves them, so they have to buy love instead. You, of course, need to act the part—show him that he’s conquered you, that you worship him.”

Jin Lang felt a strange discomfort at the thought of submitting to another man. “Do I really need to go that far? I mean, the patron knows it’s all just money, right? If I start acting all in love with him, isn’t that disgusting? Wouldn’t it be too fake?”

Sunny took a deep drag from his cigarette. “When you buy a movie ticket and go to the cinema, you know the movie is fake, right? You know it’s all acting. So why do you still pay for it?”

Jin Lang thought the comparison was weird, but he couldn’t find a way to argue against it.

Seeing Jin Lang fall silent, Sunny repeated firmly, “The key point—pretend.”

Jin Lang still didn’t respond.

“Everything is fake. Your affection for him is fake. And no matter how much the patron claims to like you, that’s fake too. He won’t forget that he bought you, and you shouldn’t forget it either. You are just a dish on his table—your only purpose is to be consumed, to satisfy him. No matter how much he enjoys you, it’s just a craving. No one falls in love with a dish.”

Sunny paused before delivering the most important rule with a serious expression.

“The first and most important rule of being a kept man—never fall in love with the patron, and never fantasize that the patron will fall in love with you.”

Jin Lang finally understood. He was stunned. “Fall in love with the patron?”

His mind immediately conjured an image of a greasy, pot-bellied, balding pervert. That was just insane. If he could fall for someone like that, then it would have to be true love.

“How could I possibly fall in love with the patron? I’m only doing this for money—I had no other choice! How could I actually develop feelings?” Jin Lang protested in shock.

“You’re straight? Good, that’s ideal. Just stay professional. I’m only warning you because you’re young—don’t let yourself get carried away by sweet words. When your contract ends, it’ll hurt if you’ve been fooled.”

Sunny tapped his fingers lightly on the table, smirking. “And also, don’t fall for your trainer.”

“Who the hell would—” Jin Lang was about to loudly refute, but when he saw Sunny smirking with one brow raised, he shivered. “…Fine. I promise to do my best not to fall in love with you.”

Sunny laughed heartily, clearly satisfied with his own charm. He patted Jin Lang’s shoulder. “Smart kid.”

He pointed at the DVD, signaling Jin Lang to study it on his own, then turned and left the room.

As he walked out, his eyes darkened slightly, a fleeting moment of dim light flickering in them.

Once upon a time, someone had been that foolish.

(To be continued…)