The night continued as so many had until his last customer of the night. He was a small man, slender. Graceful in his motions even if clearly nervous.

Upon entering, he looked anywhere but at Yiling. Shy to the point of stuttering.

'I-I ...", he voice faded. He rubbed at his ear and fidgeted a bit.

It wasn't the first time this had happened. A young man wanting to experiment with another man maybe? A virgin? Perhaps his first time to hire a person for sex? It was Yiling's job to find out what each customer wanted and, within reason, give it to them.

He lead the man to the bed and seated him on it. Kneeling down before him, Yiling took off the customer's shoes and began to massage his feet. Centering in on a spot just below the big toe and second toe juncture, he watched the acupressure point work its magic as the man slowly began to relax.

He smiled up at the customer. "What can I do for you?"

Meng Yao opened his tired eyes then looked down at his hands. "I..." A sigh as if frustrated with himself.

"I-I don't want s-sex. C-can you just hold me? For a little while?" It was no more than a whisper. Meng Yao looked up. "Is that allowed?"

Yiling's smile was kind, understanding and went a long way to easing Meng Yao's fears.

'This time is yours. No one need ever know what takes place here. How long do you wish to stay?"

"T-two hours. Is that okay?" His gaze said he expected to be told no.

"Two hours is fine. May I ask that you set a timer on your phone?"

With a nod, the phone was fished out and the timer begun.

"I am Yiling. What would you like me to call you?"

"A'Yao?"

Yiling crawled up on the bed and opened his arms to the younger man. "Come, A'Yao."

Hesitantly, Meng Yao laid down, putting his head on Yiling's chest. When he felt the arms surround him, he sighed in relief.

Yiling gently combed A'Yao's hair with his fingers. He didn't know what this man was going through but the tension sang across his muscles they were so tight.

Laying his cheek on A'Yao's head, he whispered, "It will be okay, A'Yao. It really will."

The man was asleep within minutes.

Yiling laid for two hours, quietly humming and stroking A'Yao's hair.
~~~

The "test run' was in it's third hour and counting.

Chen Li had seen Wen Chao enter the 7-Eleven he was begging across from. He began to pick his nose with obvious and exaggerated motions which had the exact effect he was hoping for - everyone was disgusted and moved away. He whispered the information, the license plate as well as the car's color, make and model. Then he wiped the finger on his jacket and promised himself he would wash his hands the minute he could.

As far as Nie Huaisang was concerned, it was Christmas. Sitting in his office, he was listening to his earbud and monitoring Chen Li and Huang Feng's video feeds. At the new information, he started pulling up traffic cams in the vicinity of the 7-Eleven. Madly scribbling, he wrote down the information, the time and date. It would join the rest of his files on Wen Chao.

"Another late night Slurpee, Wen Chao? Those are putting a serious belly on you, Wen Chao. So unattractive and unhealthy..." Nie Huaisang murmured to himself. Gods, he hoped that bastard didn't drop dead of a heart attack. Wen Chao didn't deserve the easy way out.

"Let me know when he leaves, Chen Li." the inspector asked.

An affirmative grunt came back.

Huang Feng was across the street and down the block a bit. He could clearly see Chen Li but couldn't see the front of the 7-Eleven. He took a sip from his bottle, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and wandered closer. As soon as he could see the car Wen Chao arrived in, he leaned on a lamp post to wait. He pulled the hood down further over his face. He coughed and whispered, "Copy." while wiping at his nose with his sleeve.

It wasn't long before Wen Chao emerged holding a bag and an extra large red Slurpee. Getting into the car sucking on the Slurpee straw, Wen Chao started the car and pulled a tire squealing U-turn. Other drivers were honking and flipping him off until he stuck his head out of the window. Silence had descended. Nobody wanted to mess with Wen Chao.

A whisper. "He's out. East bound."

"Good job. I've got him via traffic cams and will keep you advised to final destination." Nie Huaisang's voice announced in Huang Feng's ear. He grunted as he scratched at his belly. It was followed by Chen Li clearing his throat.

Nie Huaisang laughed. "Is that an affirmative throat clearing?"

Chen Li's voice came across the earbud, "Yep." There was a pause and he muttered to himself about missing bok choy.

Nie Huaisang grinned to himself as he watched Wen Chao's car go three blocks and park. This was a location known to be associated with Wen Chao.

"Going to pick up the night's profits, Wen Chao?"

"He is three blocks down. North side of the street. He went into a restaurant, Blue Delights, but he's most likely headed to the brothel above it to collect the night's earnings. He should come back out through Blue Delights. They make excellent wonton* by the way."

Huang Feng announced, "I'm hungry." then continued his drunken stroll down the street.

"Roger that. Good idea."

Chen Li stood up after gathering his few belongings. "Leaving before the trolls come again." he announced to no one in particular.

He walked randomly down the street. At one point, he stopped to discuss the weather with a lamp post while watching for Huang Feng on the other side of the street. Understandably, he was avoided or ignored by everyone.

'A natural indeed...' Nie Huaisang thought with a smile.

When he found the restaurant, Huang Feng entered and found a corner seat, back to the wall with a clear view of both the restaurant and the door.

A young woman, with pink hair and absurdly long false eyelashes, came to the table.

"How much is wontons?"

"Thirty-two yuan." She replied in a bored tone.

Huang Feng grubbed in his pockets and pulled out dirty crumpled bills. He carefully counted it out.

Nodding to himself in satisfaction, he gave a half smile. "I want wontons."

She just turned and walked back to the kitchen.

The restaurant itself was small and tired. As if all its years of service had worn it down from its glory days. Back when the Blue Delights's paint was still blue instead of gray.

Across the street, Chen Li was setting up a new spot. He was seated in a doorway. Leaning against the wall, he watched Huang Feng talk to a girl with cotton candy colored hair. Before long, she came back out with a hefty serving of wontons. Huang Feng was gobbling them down and absent mindedly wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"So jealous." It was a tiny whisper.

"Mmm. Good." was Huang Feng's comment. He slowed his eating and dawdled over the other half in his bowl.

He leaned against the wall appearing to doze until the waitress yelled at him to sleep somewhere else.

"Still eating!" he said indignantly. He glared at her while shoving another wonton in his mouth. She wandered back to the kitchen muttering about drunks always trying to sleep it off at her tables.

Huang Feng was running out of things to do to stall for time. He drank his water then pissed the waitress off again by asking for a refill. He played with his chopsticks. He used the bathroom and hoped he didn't miss anything.

It was a full hour before Wen Chao came back.

Huang Feng went back to eating his now cold wontons. He paused with a wonton halfway to his mouth. Wen Chao had stopped directly in front of his table.

~♡~♡~♡~

For Chiaroscuro555 whose wontons looked soooo yummy! ❤

It's a good time to be happy!
HUGS!!! ❤❤❤

❤🍫🫖❤