Anh Tài drove the car out the back door of the hotel, and I hurriedly carried Trường An on my back and ran without looking back. As soon as I closed the car door, Trường An fell into a deep sleep, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Looking in the rearview mirror, I saw the man from earlier holding his phone, probably informing Mr. Tô that he had missed his chance tonight.
Anh Tài asked, “Are you alright?”
I shook my head, “I’m fine. Luckily you arrived in time.”
Anh Tài clicked his tongue, “You’re surprisingly strong. You were tormented by An like that and you’re still running around so energetically. Anyone else would probably be bedridden.”
I stammered, “Huh… You… you know?”
Anh Tài laughed, “I’ve been with An since he was little, there’s nothing I don’t know.”
Anh Tài was only a few years older than Trường An; when he went to Mr. Nhật’s house, Trường An was just a baby. As Trường An grew up, Tài looked after him even more than Mrs. Nhật did. When Trường An was four, Mrs. Nhật gave birth to Thiên, but not long after, she suddenly became unusually depressed and completely ignored Trường An.
Tài said, “Not long after that, Trường An’s mother passed away. The doctor told the boss she had severe depression, and the medicine couldn’t cure it.”
I only heard what I heard, not really understanding much. I asked, “What kind of depression is that?”
Tài replied, “That’s what the doctor said, so that’s all I know. But seeing the boss’s mother at that time was terrifying. She didn’t say anything all day, just cried and wailed. I heard from Aunt Bảy that she stopped eating for a while, couldn’t bear it anymore, and passed away. The illness probably started around the time Trường An was born. I heard he was born a month premature; he was supposed to be born in January, but he was born in December. Luckily, he was blessed by his ancestors and is as healthy as a normal child.”
After talking for a while longer, I discovered that Trường An was actually only two months older than me. He was born in December, and I was born in February. I laughed, “See? Yet he always acts so much older than me!”
Even so, I thought Trường An wasn’t much different from me. I thought his mother had only passed away a few years ago, but I didn’t realize that Trường An had been without his mother’s love since he was four years old. Perhaps that’s why he’s so much stronger than usual. In front of me, he never complained or grumbled about his incomplete childhood. Meanwhile, I’m constantly worried about my biological father, whether he’s alive or dead.
I blurted out, “It’s quite a pity for Thiên, isn’t it?”
Tài nodded, “Yes, Thiên is even more pitiful. Those years were difficult, the boss had to work long hours, so Thiên left everything to Aunt Bảy. But no matter how much she loved him, she couldn’t replace his biological parents.”
I sighed softly. I wondered how those two brothers had managed to grow up over the past twenty years. Perhaps they were better off than me because they didn’t have to worry about food and clothing. But for my mother, I was always the most important thing she cared about. Meanwhile, although Mr. Nhat seemed gentle, I couldn’t find any connection between him and his two children who had lost their mother so early.
When we got home, I helped Truong An into his room to rest. He was as unresponsive as a sack of sand, letting me pull and tug at him on the bed. I was about to go outside when Truong An whispered softly, “Mom… Mom…”
In his delirium, Truong An’s hands flailed around as if searching for something to hold onto. His cries grew louder, mixed with sobs: “Mom, don’t leave me… Mom… I’m so scared…”
I sat beside the bed and took Truong An’s hand. He grasped my hand and squeezed it with all his might. Only then did he finally calm down, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths through his nose. Perhaps for countless nights, Trường An had had to comfort himself, embracing his loneliness to drift off to sleep.
But I couldn’t sit there forever, and lying on the bed didn’t seem allowed. I could only sit on the floor, my hands resting on the bed. And yet, in that position leaning against the headboard, I fell asleep without realizing it.
I woke up feeling someone’s fingers gently stroking the back of my hand. I opened my eyes slightly and was startled to see Trường An grinning at me. I pulled my hand away, but Trường An didn’t forget to tease me, “You’re so infatuated with me, aren’t you? Instead of sleeping in your own bedroom, you came to my room to sit and hold my hand, huh?”
I chuckled, “Last night you were drunk, you held my hand so tightly. Wait, who is Tien anyway? Last night you were shouting, ‘Tien, don’t leave me. Tien, stay with me. I miss you so much, Tien!’ You held onto my hand and wouldn’t let go, and now you dare say I’m infatuated with you.”
Truong An sat up in bed, his face thoughtful, “So, did I say anything else last night?”
I teased, “You said a lot. And it was awful, don’t ask me to repeat it. I’m too embarrassed to say it like you did.”
Truong An looked at me searchingly, while I put on a mysterious expression to make him restless. Truong An coaxed, “Tell me, and I’ll give you a raise.”
I scoffed, “Even if you pay me, I won’t say it this time.”
Truong An got out of bed, stretched, and said, “Sooner or later, I’ll find a way to make you say it!” He then twisted his body a few times. He was about to do some exercise, then suddenly clutched his groin and cried out in pain, “Ah… Why does it hurt so much? What did you do to me last night?”
I shrugged like those actors in movies when they pretend not to know: “I swear I didn’t do anything. You’re still fully clothed this morning.”
Truong An hastily took off his clothes, pulled his penis out of his underwear, and shamelessly said to me, “Oh my god, it’s all swollen! And scratched too! You’ve ruined my… thing! What did you do? Confess quickly!”
I glanced over, and indeed, the head of his penis was slightly swollen, with a small scratch where the shaft connects to the bright red glans. I said, “Don’t blame me. I didn’t do anything. Or maybe it’s because we had sex too intensely with Tien that it’s all swollen. Who’s going to blame me for this?”
Trường An put his hands on his hips, looking both confused and helpless: “I haven’t touched anyone or fooled around for a whole year. It could only be you.”
I firmly stated, “I didn’t do it. You have no evidence, so accusing me is slander.”
I stomped out, secretly chuckling to myself. Perhaps Trường An hadn’t been intimate for a long time, and last night he was suddenly so forceful, it was inevitable that his private parts were injured. But it was Trường An who “did it to me,” not me!
This morning’s shower was unlike any other. As soon as the water wet his penis, Trường An started thrashing around. He stayed in his room all day, refusing to see any appointments. He didn’t even bother to put on his clothes, mainly just to prevent his penis from rubbing against his pants and causing him so much pain that he was on the verge of tears.
As usual, after Trường An finished showering, I gathered his clothes to wash. Just as I was leaving the room, Nha suddenly jumped in and started banging loudly on the door. He shouted, “Uncle An, I have something to tell you! It’s extremely important!”
Truong An let out a pathetic cry from inside the room, probably because he had to put on his clothes and accidentally bumped his penis. Then he yelled, “Come in!”
I didn’t care what Nha was going to tell on me. I put the clothes in the washing machine; it was a modern foreign machine that could wash clothes instantly with just a press of a button. Being a maid for the rich had its advantages; although it was called washing clothes, it wasn’t really that hard work. I put the clothes for home in the washing machine, and the clothes for parties I gave to Tai to take to the laundromat. The things I washed the most were Truong An’s underwear. He complained that the washing machine didn’t clean his underwear well, that it made him itchy, and that area wasn’t convenient for scratching.
After sorting the clothes, I suddenly realized that one pair of underwear was missing from the pile. I looked around, checking my shirt and pants to see if it was stuck inside. But I couldn’t find it. Now only one pair of underwear remained.
I ran back up to Trường An’s room to see if I’d dropped it on the way down. Near the door, I met Nhã, who had just come out, shouting, “So you’re a pervert! I know everything, you don’t need to hide it anymore!” I asked, “What are you talking about?”
Trường An also came out from behind, his back slightly hunched to prevent his penis from rubbing against something. He said, “Nhã said you took my underwear and hid it in your room to do something naughty. Did you?”
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I really didn’t understand why this guy would make up such a story. I replied, “My room is next door. You can go in and see for yourself.”
Nha put his hands on his hips: “He’s being cheeky, man. You just stand outside the room, let me go in and search his room thoroughly. A few days ago, I saw him sneaking around with your underwear in his hand before going into his room. You have so many things, you probably wouldn’t even notice if one or two were missing.”
I was speechless with frustration, but Nha eagerly burst through the door. The servant’s room wasn’t supposed to be locked in case the master called in the middle of the night. My room had several drawers containing clothes, and he rummaged through them, scattering them all over the floor. After searching for a while without success, he looked confused: “Where did he hide it…?”
I scoffed: “Have you found it yet?”
Nha sauntered out, still deep in thought. Truong An asked: “So where are the other things?”
Nha suddenly exclaimed: “Ah! There’s one place I haven’t searched yet!”
He dashed inside, lifted my mattress, and threw it aside. Beneath that lay a pair of underwear, the very pair I was looking for to wash for Truong An.
Nha gloated, “The proof is clear now, son! I have to go tell the boss, let everyone in this house know about your perverted behavior!” He ran off, shouting, “Boss! Boss!”
Truong An yelled, “Nha! Stop bragging!”
Nha’s shouting stopped abruptly, and he meekly turned back to stand before Truong An. Truong An said, “Does anyone else know about this?”
Nha shook his head, “No, only I know.”
Truong An continued, “Phuc was brought home by me. Now you’re going to expose him to the whole house? That’s like smearing mud on my face! Keep this to yourself, understand? If I find out anyone else knows, you’ll be in trouble.”
Nha’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot; he was probably furious that he couldn’t bring himself to slander me about this. Truong An then said, “Nha, go do your work. And Phuc, go into the room…” “Let’s talk.”
Seeing Truong An’s resentful expression, Nha felt quite pleased. I went into the room first, while Truong An stood outside saying something to Nha before following me in.
Later, Truong An came in frowning, probably uncomfortable from rubbing his penis against his pants. He said, “Do you have anything to explain?”
I didn’t understand why I wasn’t scared like someone about to be wrongly accused, I just replied, “I didn’t do it. There’s nothing to explain.”
Truong An took off his clothes and said, “If you didn’t do it, why is my underwear under your mattress?”
I retorted, “Look, those are the underwear you wore yesterday afternoon! I was with you all night last night, and even slept in your room late at night, so when did I hide it?”
Truong An calmly said, “I didn’t know either.” “Did my pants sprout legs and run into your room on their own?”
Although he didn’t accuse me, I felt that every word Trường An said was a sarcastic jab. I retorted, “So what do you want now?”
Trường An sat up in bed and ordered, “Take off your pants!”
I didn’t resist, I just pulled my pants down.
Trường An ordered again, “Take off your underwear too!”
I obediently followed with a dejected expression.
Trường An continued, “Give it here!”
I looked up, stunned for a moment. Before I could react, Trường An snatched the underwear from my hand. He said, “If you liked my underwear, why didn’t you say so earlier? You can keep that.” “You keep this as a draw.”
In that moment, the whole room seemed to freeze. I didn’t even know what I had just heard.
Truong An asked again, “So you’re going to give up or not, acting like a robot with a dead battery?” After saying that, he didn’t hesitate to bring his pants up to his nose and take a sniff, even though he knew I hadn’t showered since yesterday afternoon. Truong An’s penis quickly became erect, and he whispered, “This smells so good… Do you want to say anything else? If not, go outside so I can get some business done.”
I was speechless for a moment; who would have thought Truong An would “deal” with me like that? But as soon as I turned away, Truong An yelled, “Shit!” “It hurts so much, I don’t know when this swelling will go down…”
I went outside and then returned to my room to rearrange the pile of clothes that Nha had rummaged through. I should probably go find him and thank him because, thanks to his troublemaking, I legitimately got a pair of underwear from the most charming and handsome Saigon gentleman. I couldn’t resist bringing the underwear up to my nose to smell it. Truong An was clean, and yesterday he hadn’t done anything strenuous, so the smell of sweat was only faint, not as strong as my underwear. But for me, that was probably enough.
Taking a few more breaths, I unconsciously lay back on the bed. One hand covered my nose with the underwear, the other hand stroked my penis. The tip of my penis was dripping with fluid because Truong An had taken the underwear earlier. Remembering the scene of him smelling his underwear right in front of me, I couldn’t resist pulling down my own underwear and starting to masturbate.
I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths to let the scent of his underwear fill my breath. I kept my mouth shut so no moans would escape. Suddenly, I heard a very faint sound, like someone opening a door. I paused for a moment, then continued, thinking I must have misheard. Because if anyone had actually seen this, their first reaction would be to scream in terror as if they’d seen a ghost in the middle of the day. Moreover, this was my room; besides Truong An, no one was allowed to enter without permission.
I suddenly wished that what was covering my face wasn’t my underwear, but Truong An’s erect penis, which had been exposed before me just now. I honestly didn’t know what Truong An thought of me. Our relationship was master and servant, but in reality, it was probably more than a friend, but not enough to call him a lover. But I didn’t ask for much; I would be perfectly content if Truong An still showed his penis to me every day when we showered.
After two more minutes of masturbation, I ejaculated all over my stomach. My penis still wouldn’t go down because the image from earlier was still deeply etched in my mind. I closed my eyes and lay there catching my breath, when suddenly a voice echoed in my ear: “So much coming out? Smelling my pants must be very stimulating, right?”
I quickly pulled my underwear away from my face, reached down to pull up my trousers, and jumped up. It turned out I hadn’t misheard; it was Trường An opening the door and walking in, which I’d thought was just the wind. He was standing right in the doorway, a surprisingly large bulge protruding from his crotch, the swollen head of his penis clearly visible through his thin silk trousers.
Despite seeing him like that, I didn’t feel happy. My face flushed with embarrassment, so I loudly asked, “When did you come in?”
Trường An calmly replied, “Just about five minutes ago. I saw you were so focused, so I didn’t want to wake you.”
I tried to change the subject: “So, what did you want to see me about?”
Trường An replied, “Tomorrow or the day after, you go down to the warehouse and get me that toy music box.” “Suddenly, I want to take it to be repaired.”
I tidied up and hurried out to avoid embarrassment, replying, “I’ll go find it for you after I hang the clothes to dry.”
Even after I walked past, I could still feel Trường An giggling behind me. I wished I could suddenly lose my memory right then and there.
After showering, I made my way down to the old storage room. I was so preoccupied with running away that I forgot to ask, and now that I think about it, I don’t know where the old storage room is. I asked Auntie Bay, “Auntie, is the old storage room here?”
Auntie Bay, stirring a pot of porridge on the stove, replied, “Do you see that house way out in the backyard? That’s the old storage room for the master and the young men.”
I ran to the back door and looked into the distance, spotting a house. Although it was also a beautifully painted house, it was a world apart from the villa we were living in. I asked Auntie Bay, “Why didn’t they build the storage room inside the house instead of so far away?”
My aunt replied, “That’s the old house of the former boss. Later, when his business prospered, he bought up the surrounding land, eventually acquiring a spacious area like this. But he couldn’t bear to leave the house as a memento, and the feng shui master said it would be better to build a new house here. In the end, the old house was used as a warehouse. What are you looking for? Let me go find it for you.”
I slipped on my sandals and replied, “No, I’ll go find it.”
Because the backyard was very large, it took five minutes to walk there. The closer I got to the house, the less it looked like a warehouse. Compared to the house that Ngoc Nam had just built for my mother, it was probably much more elaborately decorated.
When I got there, I saw that the warehouse door was locked. I groped around from one side to the other to see if there was another entrance. Finding nothing, I turned back helplessly, intending to ask Tai for the key. But before I could even search, Tài’s voice rang out from inside: “I’m so horny, baby. Why is your pussy getting tighter and tighter?”
I held my breath, my body froze, I knew without a doubt what Tài was doing. But who was doing it with Tài?
Without making me wait any longer, a female voice answered, as if to answer: “Your dick is so big, bigger than Thiên’s! Push it in deeper, honey! You’ve been away so much these past few days, I’m so horny… Mmm… Honey… Deeper, honey!”
My heart pounded when I realized it was Ly. She was pregnant, yet she dared to sneak out here to have sex, and she wasn’t even bothering to be discreet, moaning loudly. Tài knew that, so he covered her mouth and warned: “Moan quietly, or we’ll be in trouble if anyone hears.”
Ly confidently said, “Who would hear! The door is locked from the outside; they’ll be back before we even get there. You have the key to the storage room, so they’ll have to come inside to find you. It feels so good here, I can’t control myself… Look… So much fluid is coming out…”
I wondered how they got inside if the door was locked from the outside. I looked around, pressing on the walls as if searching for a secret “organ.” But unexpectedly, a section of the wall I pressed shook, and even made a rattling sound.
Before I could even think, my feet were already running. The distance to the house was too far; if anyone in the storage room poked their head out, I’d definitely be seen. Thinking this, I jumped into the overgrown, untrimmed bushes, peering out to observe the situation.
Not long after, Tài hurriedly emerged from behind the house and circled around to the front. Then he hurriedly ran to the back, presumably to tell Ly that their secret affair had been discovered.
Taking advantage of the moment, I darted out from the bushes and ran straight into the house, not caring if anyone saw us.
Once safe, I stood at the back door and peered out. After quite a while, Ly swaggered in from outside.
Nha and Trang’s son ran out to greet her, acting very solicitous: “Auntie, why didn’t you tell us to come with you? If you get even a scratch, the boss will punish us severely.”
Ly replied: “You guys are worrying too much. The doctor told me to walk around a bit so it’ll be easier for the baby when the time comes. I was just walking around in the backyard, nothing to make such a fuss about.”
The two of them led Ly upstairs to her room, and then I saw Tai coming out of the house. As if startled, I dashed upstairs. I intended to tell Chang An that I didn’t have the key to the storage room, but after knocking several times on his door, he didn’t answer. He was probably engrossed in writing poetry and composing music.
I opened the door and stepped inside. I didn’t see Chang An on the bed, only the sound of the toilet flushing in the closed bathroom. On his desk was a book he was reading, and next to it was his phone screen, still on.
On the phone screen, a young man was lying on the bed with his underwear pulled up to his nose. His eyes were tightly closed, one hand caressing his penis, the other masturbating. Before long, he ejaculated, a large amount of white fluid flowing out, spilling onto his stomach and down below…
It was me, of course! I almost fell when I realized that Chang An hadn’t just come in to look, he’d turned around without me noticing. Just then, Chang An came out of the bathroom. I glared at him and pointed at the phone: “What’s this?”
Chang An calmly replied: “A documentary.”
I was annoyed by his shamelessness and snapped: “Delete it immediately. Just because you’re the owner doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want.”
Chang An sat down at the table, still with that fearless demeanor: “Don’t worry, I won’t delete it. You look very natural in it.” “It’s much better than those staged films, why would I delete it?”
I wondered, “Then why did you keep it?”
Truong An leaned closer and whispered, “Whatever you do with my underwear, I’ll do the same with your video.”
My relationship with Truong An was becoming increasingly confusing. Although he didn’t actually discriminate against any of my dark thoughts about him, and even revealed himself to be darker than me, he didn’t seem to want to take things further with me either. Now I understand what it feels like to “hang bait to make a pig starve.”