WonNovels

By my second year in escort services, I met A-list celebrity Ethan Gray.

He lay there on the floor, silently begging me for help while battling his depression.

I pulled him into my arms without hesitation.

Just like that, I stayed with him through one hellish episode after another.

Until day three hundred, when the man in my arms smiled and told me:

"I think I've been saved by a little sun."

Of course I knew who the little sun was.

The other male lead in Ethan Gray's new dual-protagonist series.

I stared at the ceiling, suddenly unable to make a sound.

After a long moment, I smiled: "That's good."

That's good. The sun is light. And I'm destined to stay in the shadows.

1

Ethan Gray fell asleep in my arms again.

I got up carefully, listening to his steady, peaceful breathing, and walked to the balcony.

Leaning against the half-open railing, I lit a cigarette.

"I think I've been saved by a little sun."

I turned those words over and over in my mind.

The smile in his eyes flashed through my thoughts.

I don't think I'd ever seen Ethan Gray smile like that before.

From the moment I met him, he'd spent most of his time in silence or manic episodes.

Even when his depression hit, he dealt with it passively.

Not eating, not drinking, just lying in bed day after day.

Having someone he truly cared about was good—at least it could help him.

As for me, I just needed to clean up whatever mess was left.

Behind me, someone was talking in their sleep, impatiently feeling around the other side of the bed.

I quickly stubbed out my cigarette and returned to bed, instinctively extending my hand for him to grab.

"Where did you go?"

The sleeping man frowned, clearly displeased by the temporary coldness at his side.

"I'm here. Go back to sleep."

I slipped back under the covers, turned toward him, and patted his waist gently.

After he fell back into peaceful sleep, I lay there staring at the patches of starlight in the darkness.

Another sleepless night.

2

As usual, I woke up earlier than Ethan Gray.

I made sandwiches and left them on the dining table, then walked out into the dim morning light.

This was my routine—I never stayed to wake up with him at his place.

I'd do what needed to be done and leave, never lingering for those fleeting moments of tenderness.

As for taking care of his daily needs, it was only because this man had bought me out of that place.

What I owed him was far more than what I'd spent on him.

My phone buzzed.

"The woman you've been watching is back at her apartment. Yeah, it's definitely her."

I hailed a taxi and headed to the address pinned on my phone.

I'd been tailing this obsessive fan of Ethan Gray's for a week now.

Last week, she'd sent threatening letters to Ethan Gray's company.

Inside were Ethan's personal belongings and intimate photos.

In the pictures, both Ethan Gray and I were clearly visible.

We were half-naked, kissing in a dressing room backstage at a Broadway theater.

From the photos, Ethan looked completely absorbed, easily giving people ideas—like he was secretly dating behind his fans' backs.

Ethan Gray was at the peak of his career. If this stuff leaked online, he'd be finished.

As for the truth? Who cares about that?

I'd found traces of this stalker online and followed the breadcrumbs to her apartment.

When the sun was at its strongest, the stalker finally left her place.

Without hesitation, I dragged her to the police station.

After the cops cleared all of Ethan Gray's private information from her phone, Ethan arrived with his manager.

"Now that we have solid evidence, you can decide whether to press charges against her."

I kicked an empty can on the ground nearby, pretending to be casual.

I heard the manager say: "Let's just let this go."

He basically threw all my legal threats at the stalker right back in my face.

The girl's nose turned red as she tearfully complained to Ethan Gray.

"I just don't think you could really like him, oppa."

"Besides, didn't you say you liked little Lucas the most? Were you lying to us?"

I understood immediately.

Great. Not only was she a stalker, but she was also a shipper who paired Ethan Gray with his sunshine co-star Lucas King.

Ethan Gray's face turned ashen. From my angle, his whole body looked rigid as stone.

Under the girl's expectant gaze, he forced his expression to soften.

"Yes, I like little Lucas the most. Don't do things like this anymore."

I almost laughed out loud.

My mouth was halfway to a smirk when I suddenly felt completely deflated.

I turned and slowly walked toward the police station exit, ignoring the happy scene behind me.

Looks like I had to be the bad guy, as always.

Besides, Ethan Gray hadn't lied.

3

"Are you mad?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you'd found her first. The company has long-term considerations for this situation, but if we press charges, it might blow up."

It was rare for Ethan Gray to text me. I glanced at the messages briefly but didn't reply.

I buried myself under blankets in my rental and slept until daylight.

In my dreams, Ethan Gray locked himself in a dark, lightless room.

The moment I broke down the door, he moved his eyes slightly.

Tears flowed silently down his face, with pleas for help and the look of someone dying appearing simultaneously on his sharp-featured face.

I sat up in bed, throwing off the covers.

I had a bad feeling about this.

With heavy dew outside, I rushed to Ethan Gray's place without thinking.

The moment I pressed the code on his lock, I suddenly wondered if I should call him first.

The scene inside answered that question for me.

My thoughts were too scattered, so I didn't notice the unfamiliar shoes by the entrance in the darkness.

But I clearly saw Ethan Gray being held in Lucas King's arms through the half-open bedroom door.

I must have made too much noise because someone inside got up.

"Who's there?"

My feet felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, my chest tight, like something was stuck in my throat.

I could barely maintain basic composure.

Dim light from the room spilled onto the floor as Lucas King opened the door.

"Who are you?"

My gaze remained fixed on Ethan Gray's face.

It was the familiar Ethan Gray in a depressive state, his brow furrowed even in sleep.

His palms would clench unconsciously, showing excessive resistance to his surroundings.

I didn't know how long this episode would last.

But I didn't need to know anymore.

"I'm... his friend."

The living room was dark with no lights on. I tried to keep my head down.

"Oh, you're Ethan's friend? He seems a bit unwell. Do you want to..."

"Yeah, please take care of him. I won't disturb you today. I'll come back another time."

It felt like I had a face that couldn't be seen by others.

My self-respect had always been stuck in the mud.

I hurriedly turned and fled like I was escaping.

The only good thing was that I remembered to close the door gently as I left.

In the elevator, I stared at myself in the mirror.

In that weightless, descending space, I told myself over and over:

"He was never someone you should have gotten close to."

"It was never you who could cure his illness."

I should be grateful that I'd never left a single trace of myself in that home.

So when I left, I could leave cleanly.

4

I got a call from Ethan Gray three days later.

"Ryan Chen, I want some coffee from that place in Greenwich Village."

"Have your assistant buy it."

I hung up with a sharp click.

Half a minute later, the phone rang again like it was possessed.

"Did you come looking for me? When did you come?"

The voice on the other end seemed to be gritting his teeth, dropping his tone an octave.

"No."

"That's impossible. You wouldn't..."

His words were completely swallowed up as Ethan Gray fell silent.

I hung up again.

My head felt like mush when my phone buzzed with another message.

A reminder that the show I'd bought tickets for was starting tonight.

I threw my phone back on the nightstand and froze for two seconds.

My heart, about to close itself off, suggested: why not see him one last time?

I guess I'm half masochist by nature.

The event I'd bought tickets for was a fan meet for the promotional campaign of Ethan Gray and Lucas King's dual-lead series.

Front row seats, too.

The moment I sat down, the glances around me carried hints of voyeurism and secret delight.

After all, male fans shipping a couple were rare—who wouldn't find that interesting?

I forced out a smile and chatted with the excited girl next to me.

But when those two men stepped onto the stage, I completely lost the ability to smile.

How can I put this? I often asked myself:

Had I ever been jealous of the person who could stand openly beside Ethan Gray?

But in this moment, as I looked up at the moon along with everyone else, I realized:

Jealousy or envy didn't matter anymore.

Because even when the moon's reflection falls into a swamp, it's just shadows playing tricks—the moon itself remains pure.

A swamp never truly embraces the moon, so what right does it have to talk about feelings?

"Now it's time for the fan song request segment. Our camera will randomly select someone from the audience."

"Three, two, one."

When my face appeared on the big screen, the only two people on stage who couldn't smile:

Were Ethan Gray and me.

Excited shouts rippled through the crowd.

"Wow, a male fan!"

"So, what song would you like to request?"

The host asking me this question seemed to have found the climax of this fan meet, while Lucas King, standing to his right, joined in the excitement.

"Come on, for our male fan, you can request anything! Go ahead!"

I have to say, even I found him adorable.

I tilted my head, and on the screen, my reflection smiled with crinkled eyes.

"I'd like to hear 'If You've Also Heard.'"

Ethan Gray's expression flickered with panic for a moment.

Then his eyes locked onto mine intently.

As if asking: What the hell are you trying to do?

"Alright, 'If You've Also Heard' it is."

The stage lights dimmed at the perfect moment.

Lucas King started with the main verse, building gradually, blending perfectly with Ethan Gray's vocal tone.

The song I'd requested happened to be in both their comfort zones.

I'd forgotten when exactly, but once a drunk Ethan Gray had hummed to me:

"If you've also heard, have you thought of me"

"Like an ordinary old friend, or do you still care about me"

"...If you've also heard, would you believe me"

"Would you go along with the rumors, or do you know I'm still me"

The memory seemed already blurred.

Around me was the roar of voices shouting:

"Their theme song! Perfect match!!"

The stage lights stung my eyes, and the moment they forced out my tears, I surrendered to myself.

I admitted it—I had loved Ethan Gray, deeply.

5

I was sucking on a lollipop in the backstage emergency exit.

Having let go of that emotional burden, I felt light all over.

The fire door swung open and slammed shut violently.

I heard Ethan Gray's voice crack with desperation.

"What the fuck were you doing out there?!"

"Who told you to come?!"

His shout lit up the motion-sensor lights in the stairwell.

He yelled so loud my ears hurt and my legs felt weak, so I just crouched down.

"I bought a ticket, can't I come?"

"Big star, do you own the ticketing rights now?"

After saying that, I laughed again. Crouching on the ground, I looked up at him, and my laughter left Ethan Gray stunned.

I don't know why, but he suddenly showed a rare flash of panic.

"Ryan Chen, let me sing you another song, okay?"

I bit through the lollipop and stood up.

"No need."

"Why not?"

"Because I thought today's song sounded great."

His face instantly darkened.

"Stop stirring up trouble."

I looked at him openly, my gaze moving from his eyes to his jawline.

"Ethan Gray."

Unlike him, I rarely called him by his full name.

Most of the time, I had no way to address him at all.

Because no matter how I called him, it never felt right.

The fire in him immediately died down.

I pointed toward backstage.

"You still have to do curtain calls."

The sound of his assistant looking for him drifted over.

I crossed my arms and stared at him until he took two steps back and reluctantly pushed the door open to leave.

The motion-sensor lights went dark.

They lit up again when I spoke:

"I hope you find happiness in love."

"I'm done following the moon."

6

Completely disappearing from Ethan Gray's life was easy as breathing for me.

I was born to drift—dump one phone number, and I could start fresh in another city.

The coffee shop's business was slow on rainy days.

Ethan Gray's latest commercial was playing on the TV.

The manager was named Winston Lee, a tall guy three years younger than me.

His hair was a bit long, styled in a wolf cut, and he was meticulous about everything.

"There's barely anyone here anyway. You can head home early."

I didn't argue with him, just nodded.

Looking at the darkening sky, I went to the back kitchen to change into my own clothes.

Just fifteen minutes later, the weather outside suddenly turned to heavy rain.

It forced my steps right back inside.

A curtain of rain hung before my eyes.

Suddenly an umbrella appeared over my head.

"I'll give you a ride. Where do you live?"

I thought for a moment.

"South Hill Street. Thank you."

Winston Lee nodded, put his hand on my arm, and pulled me into the rain.

The car was parked ten meters away.

I didn't get wet—he shielded me as I got into the passenger seat.

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