After several days in the hospital, I gradually regained feeling in my lower body. Every day, Chang An would come in to massage me, even though I told him it wasn’t necessary because the nurses were always on duty. But since he wanted to, I couldn’t stop him. The only annoying thing was that every now and then he would ask me, “Tell me the truth, who raped you that day when you were only wearing underwear?”
I frowned at being asked this question so often, and just replied, “What makes you think someone would rape me? I look so dark-skinned and rustic, who would want me?”
Chang An immediately replied, “Me… Oh, no. Besides, you’re a model now, not like before.”
I sighed, “That day I saw Tian fighting, so I jumped in to help. They couldn’t beat him, so they ganged up and tore my clothes.”
Chang An stood up straight, hands on his hips, looking at me with utter helplessness, “Are you kidding me? What kind of gangster tears clothes?” I quickly changed the subject: “Oh my god, the world is a dangerous place, there’s no shortage of tricks in fights. Please go outside for a bit so I can pee…”
Although I felt something, I still couldn’t pee. Urination could only be done in bed with special aids.
Hearing this, Chang An not only didn’t leave, but he also pulled back the blanket I was using, pulled my pants down to my knees, and grabbed my penis, pressing it against my urethra. I shyly covered my face with my hands: “What are you doing?”
Chang An clicked his tongue: “Is there anything of yours I haven’t seen? Don’t be shy, go ahead.”
I was helpless: “How can I pee like that…”
It was fine a few days ago, but today, when Chang An touched me, my penis suddenly became hard. Chang An laughed: “One leg has recovered. Only two legs left.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door outside. Trường An, startled, let go of my younger brother, while I reached out and pulled the blanket up to cover my stomach. Thiên came in from outside, looking at Trường An and me with a feigned look of disgust: “Calm down, guys. We’re in the hospital, not at home. Luckily, I knew better than to be so scared and came in first, otherwise I would have been begging for mercy.”
I froze, lying still like a statue. Before I could fully understand Thiên’s words, three or four more people rushed in from outside: Uncle Trung, Aunt Đoan, Brother Hoàng, and Brother Vũ.
Seeing me lying motionless, Aunt Đoan couldn’t help but cry: “Why is it that every time I see you, you’re in the hospital? Oh my God, poor thing!”
I reassured her: “Don’t worry, the doctor said I’m recovering very well. It’ll be one or two months, or at most three or four months, before I can walk normally again.”
Trường An led Thiên outside so we could talk. It was unexpected that in this strange city, there were still strangers who treated each other like family.
Seeing Hoang looking so plump and fair-skinned lately, I was both happy and wanted to tease him: “How many kilos have you gained, brother? You’ve got some flesh on your bones and look so handsome!”
Uncle Trung chimed in: “Don’t praise him anymore, kid. He’s been secretly eating food from the kitchen all the time, he’s gotten as fat as a pig. In three months, he’ll be a barrel, you’ll see.”
Hoang retorted: “Uncle! It’s just that I have big bones, I only gained ten kilos.”
Everyone was laughing and chatting happily, except for Vu, who stood in a corner yawning. I asked curiously: “Did you stay up all night? You look exhausted.”
Vu yawned again and replied: “Last night I had to ‘serve’ Mr. Ba Thien, I only managed to get a couple of hours of sleep before Ms. Doan woke me up and made me come here.”
They told me that Truong An had handed over the management of the pub to Thien. Last night, he went to check the accounts, glancing at them from night until six or seven o’clock. Perhaps the scolding from his two younger friends really made Thien realize his mistake. And deep down, Thien probably also wanted to escape the label of “living off his father.”
After chatting for a while, Ms. Doan, Hoang, and Vu left first. When only the two of us were left, Uncle Trung cautiously looked towards the door and said to me, “Do you remember what I told you, son?”
I nodded, “I would never dare forget. But don’t worry, Uncle, I know my place.”
Uncle Trung nodded, “Yes, that’s good. Remember this, son, don’t aim too high. When people are happy, they value you; when they don’t need you anymore, they’ll say you’re like a leech clinging to a crane’s leg.”
I understood Uncle Trung; he certainly didn’t keep reminding me of that for no reason. I whispered, “Uncle, what’s going on? Tell me about it.”
I understood Uncle Trung; it certainly wasn’t without reason that he kept reminding me of this. I asked quietly, “Uncle, what’s going on? Tell me about it.”
Uncle Trung shook his head: “I’m not comfortable talking about other people’s affairs, but I know what’s best for you, so I’m just giving you careful advice. If you have feelings for someone, keep it at the level of friendship, okay? Don’t be foolish and fall in love, or you’ll suffer later.”
Uncle Trung was probably like my mother; there were stories he couldn’t share. I hugged him for a while, and he let me lean on his shoulder and gently stroked my head. But even though I’d known Trường An for quite a while, I hadn’t noticed anything strange. Either I was too naive, or Trường An was too good at hiding it.
After a whole month in the hospital, I was finally discharged to continue treatment at home. But even so, I’d probably have to wait a long time before I could walk again.
I lay on a stretcher and was carried into Trường An’s room by the nurse. Thinking the nurse didn’t know, I pointed: “Your room is over here…”
The nurse replied, “Mr. An told us to bring you to the room over there. Maybe you should ask Mr. An again.”
I hadn’t heard any instructions from Truong An beforehand, so I was a little surprised. As soon as the nurse left, Nha came in from the door. He placed the bowl of porridge on the bedside table where I was lying and stood to one side, smirking at me: “What a cunning person, after only a few months, he’s already sleeping in the master’s bed. No housework to do, someone brings him food and drinks. If he stays a few more months, he’ll probably become a monster.”
I’d put up with him a lot, but seeing that it wouldn’t change his ways, I replied, “Didn’t you hear Aunt Bay say? Everyone gets what they deserve. Try to be a good person, and in your next life you’ll be as happy as me.”
He turned sharply to look at me resentfully: “That’s why you’re getting your comeuppance; now you’re crippled and confined to bed.” “Watch your life, or I’ll see you leave sooner or later. You’re a servant trying to climb on top of your master…”
I interrupted: “Yeah, I want to climb on top of my master, so what? Do you believe that if you say another word, I’ll tell Uncle An to kick you out of the house?”
Unexpectedly, at that moment, Truong An appeared at the door of the room. Nha jumped up: “Uncle, you heard what he said, didn’t you? Kick him out! Keeping this kind of person in the house will only lead to your downfall someday…”
Truong An asked Nha: “So fierce? Who taught you to talk so childishly today?”
Nha said shyly: “I saw it said that in a movie, and I repeated it. Isn’t that great, Uncle? And did you hear Phuc say he wants to climb on top of you earlier?” “You can’t let him get away with it, you hear me?”
Thien, who had just returned from outside, loudly called out to Nha: “Nha, come here, I need to talk to you. Stop standing there gossiping.”
Nha was very upset, but he didn’t dare disobey. He walked out the door, but still glanced back at me without blinking.
I quickly explained: “Earlier, it was because he…”
Truong An interrupted: “Don’t say anything more, I heard everything. You want to boss me around, don’t you? Alright, I’ll let you off another day…”
Before Truong An could finish speaking, a woman’s shrill, piercing voice came from outside. She was practically screaming: “An, why didn’t you come to my birthday party last month? Do you know how much time and effort I put into it?” “And on top of that, you’ve been avoiding me for a whole month!”
Truong An said to me, “I have some personal business.”
As he closed the door, the girl rushed to his side. Feeling both hurt and angry, she pushed the door open rudely. Seeing me in the room, she asked, “Who is this, An?”
Truong An closed the door again and replied, “This is my cousin. If you want to talk, let’s go outside.”
I lay still, wondering what their relationship was. The girl struggled into the room, shouting, “What’s the matter? Why do we have to go outside? I’ll be in this room with you eventually anyway! Or are you going to buy a house for us to move out after we get married?” “Okay, I’ll go talk to my mother about choosing a house gradually.”
If you disregarded her casual demeanor, she could probably be considered a “stunning beauty.” She looked like a princess in her shimmering, gold-embellished dress. Her skin was fair and rosy, her face a distinct oval, her waist slender, and her long, elegantly curled hair added to her charm.
Before I could even ask anything, she introduced herself: “Are you An’s cousin? Let me introduce myself. I’m Ly Le Tram Anh, the second-generation daughter of the most powerful Ly family in Saigon, you probably know that already, right? I’m An’s fiancée, betrothed to him by our parents since childhood.” “She’s eighteen this year, probably younger than me, but when she marries An, I’ll have to call her ‘sister’ in terms of seniority. I’ll call her that now to get used to it.”
I smiled and nodded: “Hello, sister…”
Truong An grabbed Tram Anh’s wrist and pulled her outside, saying sternly: “My brother is sick, let him rest.”
For some reason, after they left, I felt a little melancholic. It turned out Truong An already had an engagement, and with a powerful, well-matched family. Surely everyone in Saigon knew about this, Uncle Trung knew too, which is why he warned me not to get involved.
Suddenly, my phone rang. I saw the caller ID and it was Ngoc Nam. Without any formalities, he asked: “Are you home? When can you kneel?”
I cautiously looked out the door and whispered: “I beg you! But… how did you know?”
Ngoc Nam clicked his tongue: “I recommended the doctor who’s treating you.” “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Aunt Hai.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t that I was deliberately hiding it, but if I told her, my mother would only worry more and it wouldn’t do any good.
I suddenly remembered the girl from earlier; seeing how influential she was, I figured Ngoc Nam must know her too. I asked, “Brother, do you know Truong An’s fiancée? That Ly Le Tram Anh girl?”
Before Nam could answer, Sang’s voice came from the other end of the line: “Don’t squeeze so hard, it hurts my little guy.”
Nam replied to Sang, “Take it easy, let me talk to Phuc for a bit.”
I didn’t need to ask to know what the two of them were doing. Nam then said to me, “I know that girl too well. Her mother is my father’s younger sister.”
Ngoc Nam told me that his great-grandfather had many wives and children, and that she was also the closest relative. He built the powerful Ly family in Saigon. Each child was given a different middle name. His paternal grandfather was named “Ly Ngoc” because he wished his children’s lives would shine like jade; others were named “Ly Lac” for a peaceful life; or “Ly Le,” symbolizing a beautiful face, the name chosen for Tram Anh’s maternal grandmother. Not to mention Ly Uy, Ly Vu, Ly Duc… and many others.
When he was quite old, his great-grandfather took another wife, a foreign woman. She was incredibly beautiful, unmatched by any other beauty in Saigon at the time. She later gave birth to a daughter, but unfortunately, the daughter died prematurely in an accident when she was only in her twenties.
His great-grandfather was so grief-stricken that he forbade anyone from mentioning his deceased daughter. To this day, he has never even heard of his youngest aunt’s name, Ngoc Nam.
Ngoc Nam added, “Back then, my great-grandfather arranged for a son-in-law to marry into a wealthy family, so Ly Le’s children took their mother’s surname. It was a powerful family, so it was common for children to take their mother’s surname. Ly Le’s daughter, after giving birth to Tram Anh, followed this rule as well.”
I asked curiously, “So, I wonder whose surname their children will take after she and Truong An get married?”
Ngoc Nam yelled at me, making me hold the phone away from my ear: “Are you crazy? Maybe An will accept her when that girl grows a penis.”
I laughed, but still teased him, “Who knows, maybe she’ll change her taste.”
Ngoc Nam confidently replied, “You’re worrying too much, girl. I’ve seen people who are attracted to men, then switch to relationships with women, but in the end, they’re still attracted to men.”
I asked curiously, “Who, and where?”
Ngoc Nam replied, “I’m lying next to you right now… Ah… Slowly… You… Gently… You… Mmm… Mmm…”
I hung up the phone immediately, because I couldn’t stand them moaning and groaning on the other end. Being unable to move was inconvenient sometimes, and I couldn’t even run to the bathroom to relieve myself. For the past month, I’ve been helpless, caught between intense arousal and waiting for it to subside naturally, because if I smeared it all over the bed, I wouldn’t have the nerve to tell the nurse.
Truong An walked in from outside, breathing heavily as if he’d just fought a battle. I teased, “Your fiancée’s back?”
He came to the table, poured a glass of water, and sighed, “Don’t mention it. It’s because my mother made all those promises that things are like this now.”
I continued, “I think her family is a good match for yours. She’s incredibly beautiful, not ugly at all.”
He brought a glass of water and sat down next to me, placing it on the bedside table before picking up the bowl of porridge again: “You’re always teasing me. Eat quickly so you can take your medicine.”
That afternoon, Trường An carried me into the bathroom. After preparing the water, he laid me in the tub and gently unbuttoned my shirt. He pressed his index finger against my chest and stomach, laughing, “You’re truly a country boy. A whole month of just lying around and eating, and your muscles aren’t flabby; you’re even more beautiful than before.”
Actually, over the past month, I’ve noticed my body is much more toned and muscular, like a male model, not the tough, sinewy look of a country boy anymore. It’s probably because Trường An asked Aunt Bảy to cook me so many nutritious things.
Suddenly, I realized I hadn’t spent a single penny in a whole month. Thinking about the cost of medicine, I sat up slightly, causing my back to ache again. I frowned and asked, “You’ve been in the hospital for so long, it must have cost a lot of money. How much have you lent me already?”
Truong An replied, “If you model for me for a year, it’ll be enough to pay it all back.”
I covered my forehead with my hand, unable to accept the fact that I would have to work for free for another year. Seeing my reaction, Truong An couldn’t hide it anymore. He said, “My father paid for the hospital bills and everything else. Thien asked for it, saying it was because of him that you ended up like this.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that my effort to save Thien from a near-fatal blow that day hadn’t been in vain. He’s a gangster, but he seems to have some sense of honor.
My joy didn’t last long before my expression froze as Truong An slowly pulled down my pants, gripping the sides of my waistband.
As a natural reflex, I used both hands to cover my crotch before it was exposed in front of Truong An. He scoffed, “Why cover it up? Even with both hands, it’s still sticking out!”
Having abstained for a whole month, my little brother was incredibly sensitive. Just pulling down my pants would instantly make it erect, filled with an overwhelming surge of desire.
After washing my hair, Trường An helped me scrub my body. I grabbed his wrist and said, “My body is so dirty, let me do it myself.”
I said that because in the hospital I only got to shower once every few days. Even then, I couldn’t shower as thoroughly as I could at home.
Trường An snatched the sponge from my hand and growled, “Stay still.”
It had been a long time since I’d heard that tone from him, but even so, I was still as scared as the first time. And wherever Trường An’s hand moved, my mind followed. My younger brother, who had already gone half-soft in the cool water, couldn’t control himself when he touched me and it became erect again.
Truong An’s hand moved down to my stomach, and my heart started pounding. Truong An looked at me, then gestured with his chin towards my penis. My brother, I was so embarrassed I just said, “Just leave it alone.” Then, letting Trường An continue scrubbing, I could only cover my face with my hands to hide my embarrassment.
Trường An slowly moved his hand down to scrub my pubic hair. Although it wasn’t as long as before, it was thicker than when he first trimmed it. I couldn’t help but tremble from Trường An’s stimulation, whether intentional or unintentional. My penis was already erect and twitching repeatedly. Trường An laughed with pleasure. Then he slipped his hand under my crotch, gently scrubbing and then moving it deeper between my buttocks.
Because this area was too narrow, Trường An couldn’t insert the sponge, so he used his own hand to gently rub and clean. I let out a soft gasp, holding his hand back: “Okay, brother… That place… let me do it myself.”
Trường An insisted: “Are your hands as long as ape’s arms or something that you can reach there?”
I don’t know if he did it intentionally, but his fingertips gently massaged the outside of my anus. If we weren’t both submerged in water, he probably would have seen liters of viscous fluid oozing from the tip of my penis.
Suddenly, Truong An pressed his fingertip harder into my anus. Caught off guard, I let out a soft “Um…”. Embarrassed, I covered my mouth tightly with my hand. The moan was barely audible, but at this distance, even my breath could be heard by Truong An, let alone the sound of my handshake.
Seeing this, Truong An continued to press and rub, his other hand gripping my penis and gently stroking it. I burst into sobs: “Brother… Don’t… I can’t take it anymore… I haven’t ejaculated for a whole month… Um…”
Contrary to my writhing, he calmly continued, responding: “I know. Ejaculate. I’ll help you.”
At this point, there was nothing left to be embarrassed about. I gripped the sides of the bathtub tightly with my hands and gritted my teeth, letting out sounds in rhythm with Truong An’s up-and-down strokes. My eyes were half-closed, my lips dry, but I couldn’t help but moan: “I’m so horny… Mmm… Faster, honey… Yes… Mmm… It feels so good… Squeeze my dick, honey… Ah… I’m so horny… Hmph… Hmph…”
In a moment of complete loss of reason, I boldly did something I would never normally dare to do. I reached my hand between Trường An’s pants, urgently searching for his penis hidden inside. Trường An didn’t flinch; in fact, his erect penis twitched slightly when I took my hand.
He stroked my penis faster, and I instinctively grabbed his penis and caressed it as well. This was probably the most pleasurable masturbation I’ve ever done since I learned what masturbation was.
Overwhelmed with emotion, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I squeezed his penis tightly, breathing heavily and shouting, “My dick is so numb… I’m about to cum, An… Your dick is so good… I want to suck your dick so much, An… Come… Mmm… Come with me… Mmm… I can’t take it anymore… Come with me… Come with me, An… A… A… A…”
I shuddered and began to ejaculate, the semen so abundant it almost clouded a large area of water in the tub. But what followed was truly horrifying. Truong An released my penis and stood up straight, his hand taking my hand that was gripping his penis. He closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and cried out in ecstasy, “Aaaaaaaa… A… A…”
Truong An ejaculated repeatedly. My hand, holding his penis, felt each stream of semen spurt out through the duct beneath the shaft. With each ejaculation, a milky white fluid dripped from the tip of his penis into the tub. He ejaculated even more than me, probably because it had been a long time since we’d done this.
Trường An sat down on the floor, panting. Only then did I realize how terrible my “crime” had been. I quickly explained, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I…”
Trường An chuckled softly, his lips curving upwards on his beautiful face: “If you know you’re wrong, remember to suck next time. You said you wanted it earlier, remember?”
I blushed bright red, covering my face with my hands and shouting, “Forget it, it wasn’t me earlier!”
Trường An took a breath, stood up, his voice full of teasing, “If it wasn’t you, who could have moaned like that? Do you know why I came so quickly? It wasn’t because of your hand, but because of your moans. And you even managed to get me to come with you!”
At that moment, I just wanted to turn into an eel and crawl into the bathroom drain. I was sure Trường An would continue to tease me about this for days to come.
But most importantly, Trường An’s face showed no sign of reproach. On the contrary, he looked somewhat satisfied, as if he had been waiting for this feeling for a long time.