I Woke Up Trending, Labeled as the “Heartless Player” by the Entire Internet At night, the superstar I “abandoned” pinned me down. “Darling, you can’t escape this time…” 0 “Hello?” I answered the phone irritably. After spending the whole night out with friends, being woken up by a phone call left me with a splitting headache and in a foul mood. “Oh my God, young master, check the trending topics right now!” “What’s going on…” I mumbled as I opened the trending page. The top topic instantly jolted me awake. #AlexFosterComesOut #AlexFosterHeartbroken What!? My heart skipped a beat as a familiar handsome face flashed in my mind. Everyone knows that I, Zack Harrison, am a notorious spoiled rich kid in the capital city. Young but ruthless, I’ve built my own business empire at a tender age. Of course, I’m also quite the playboy. But no one knows that eight years ago, Zack Harrison was just scrounging for food in dumpsters, struggling to find his next meal, barely surviving. It was during one of those dumpster dives that I found Alex. I was 19, and he was 17. “Come with me,” I said to Alex. My mentally ill mother had committed suicide by jumping off a building when I was 16, leaving me with nothing but scars all over my body and a run-down house for shelter. Perhaps I saw a reflection of my former self in Alex. I didn’t ask where he came from or why he was there. I only asked his name before taking him home. 0
At 16, Alex still needed to continue his education. I paid his tuition fees. It turned out he was an excellent student. I couldn’t understand what his parents were thinking. It was already difficult enough to support myself, and now with Alex, I had to work multiple jobs every day. Alex didn’t say much, but he somehow managed to find ingredients to cook. Every time I returned home, there was always a hot meal waiting for me. Used to eating leftover takeout from restaurants, I suddenly felt this broken-down house become much warmer. After dinner, Alex would dutifully start washing the dishes. Looking at his skinny frame, I noticed that Alex was tall – even at 16, he was already slightly taller than me. But he was just too thin, seemingly malnourished. However, this didn’t detract from his handsomeness. As a first-time guardian, I made a mental note to ensure the kid got a balanced diet. I was actually starting to take on the role of a parent. At first, Alex didn’t like to talk much, and I didn’t force him. Sometimes I would just chat away, and gradually Alex began to open up. We weren’t that far apart in age and had similar experiences, so living together, we didn’t feel so lonely anymore. “Alex, call me brother,” I said with a grin, a cigarette dangling from my lips. Alex was doing his homework nearby, the dim light casting a glow on his handsome face. He looked up, frowning slightly, and walked towards me. That handsome face zoomed in before my eyes, and I froze. But Alex just took the cigarette from my mouth, put it out, and tossed it in the trash. I finally reacted, “Hey, what are you doing?” “Smoke less, it’s bad for your health,” Alex said without looking back, returning to his desk to continue his homework. I rebelled, “Who are you to tell me what to do?” Alex looked up, his beautiful eyes gazing at me, and simply said, “Brother.” That was enough to render me speechless. I mumbled as I quickly tried to escape the situation, “Fine, I won’t smoke.” Little did I know, Alex smiled after I turned my back. 0
Although both Alex and I were very frugal, money was still a headache, especially with Alex’s school fees and various expenses. To cover these costs, I took on as much work as I could. I was smart, young, hardworking, and not picky about jobs, so many middlemen liked working with me. But unknowingly, this started to infringe on some people’s interests. Every day, I was thinking about Alex – what to feed him to improve his nutrition, buying new clothes for him as the weather turned cold, getting some milk because he seemed stressed with his studies lately… Little did I know, I had already been targeted. Once, while serving food, a customer found a toothpick in their dish. They immediately slapped me across the face. I had been working so hard lately, day and night, that this slap made me see stars. My fair cheek immediately swelled up. But I kept apologizing with my head bowed. The manager came out to handle the situation, and in the end, the customer’s meal was comped. Back in the kitchen, the manager frowned as he questioned me, finally saying that the cost of the customer’s meal would be deducted from my wages. I looked up, “Why? It’s not entirely my fault, is it?” The manager, irritated by my defiance, shouted, “If you can handle it, stay. If not, get out!” I could only silently endure it. After the night shift ended, I confronted a few people who had been sabotaging me, “It was you guys, wasn’t it?” They laughed it off, but stopped when they saw me in the darkness. The leader spoke bluntly, “Working so hard, thought we’d teach you a lesson.” I smiled, which confused them. I suddenly charged out from the darkness, swinging a brick at them. It was several of them against just me, but having grown up fighting, I held my own. Finally, they couldn’t take it anymore. The leader gritted his teeth, “Damn, we’re done. You got lucky today!” But I wasn’t in great shape either, my injuries no better than theirs. I felt dizzy and worse than before, sitting down to rest with my eyes closed. “Are you okay?” A voice woke me up. It was a female student. I recognized the uniform; Alex had the same one. The student was very concerned about me and even bought some medicine from a nearby pharmacy to help bandage me up. I waved her off, “It’s not necessary.” “No, your injuries…” Our conversation was suddenly interrupted. “Zack.” A familiar voice. I looked up, and there was Alex, his face full of anxiety. Was it my imagination, or did his expression seem a bit cold? The girl blushed when she saw Alex and softly said, “Alex.” I frowned. Alex took me home and crouched down to help bandage my wounds, silent all the while. I felt something wet on my hand. Alex was crying. The usually strong and quiet Alex was crying. I was at a loss, “Don’t, don’t cry. It’s not like you’re the one who got beaten up.” Alex suddenly pulled me into his arms, using all his strength, as if trying to meld me into his bones. He cried on my shoulder, saying between sobs, “I won’t go to school anymore. I’ll get a job, I’ll earn money…” I got angry, “Don’t even think about it. Your brother is working so hard just so you can study. You can’t just decide not to go to school. It’s not possible…” Before I could finish, my mouth was covered. Alex pressed his lips against mine. I was stunned. The bitterness of tears exploded on my taste buds, and my mind exploded too. 0
After that kiss that day, I started avoiding Alex. Alex seemed to sense it, and we both tacitly agreed not to disturb each other. The nightclub was a kaleidoscope of flashing lights and writhing bodies – the most famous club in the capital city. I was quite satisfied with my new job. The patrons were either rich or powerful. With my good looks and sociable nature, I always got the most in drink commissions and tips. Although I occasionally had to put up with some groping, thinking about how this money could help Alex and me live better, I endured it. I just treated it like being bitten by a dog. Alex’s birthday was coming up, and it was his coming-of-age celebration. I had my eye on a watch that cost several thousand dollars, but I was worried about how to afford it. “Zack, take this to Room 302,” the manager called me over. I picked up the bottle and headed to Room 302. Seeing the people in the room, I knew I could make a lot of money today. They were all dressed expensively, each with beautiful men and women on their arms. They clearly weren’t short on cash. I started drinking games with the people in the room. If I drank ten bottles, they’d give me $5,000. Not bad, $500 a bottle. This money was too good to pass up. My alcohol tolerance was incredibly high, built up over time. I downed five bottles in a row, not noticing that the expressions of the leading men had changed as they watched me. But by the seventh bottle, I couldn’t take it anymore. My mouth burned, my stomach churned, and I could barely stand. But looking at the three bottles left, I gritted my teeth, opened the cap, and started pouring it down my throat. “That’s enough, you don’t need to drink anymore,” a refined voice said. “I can still…” I thought the man was trying to back out of the deal. The man interrupted me, “No need to drink more. Five thousand, I’ll still give it to you.” Only then did I put down the bottle. The man gave me five thousand and shooed me out. Although I was confused, I had the money in hand, so I didn’t think much of it. But as I walked, I felt something was off with my body. I felt weak all over, and there was a strange heat burning through my entire body. I hid in the bathroom, unbuttoned a couple of buttons, and splashed cold water on my face. But it didn’t help at all; instead, I felt even hotter. I leaned against the cold tiles, panting. “Zack—” A familiar voice. Seeing Alex was like seeing a lifeline. I didn’t even wonder why Alex was here. I threw myself at him, my voice trembling, “Alex, help me, help your brother…” I saw Alex’s eyes darken, “Okay.”
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