QUEEN is a small storefront with a single entrance. Its inconspicuous appearance, with a few LED lights forming dim red letters, goes unnoticed most of the time.

But once notice it, there's an inexplicable sense of mystery, like an entrance to another world.

There are too many people, and they have to queue to get in. Two big guys at the entrance are checking electronic tickets.

Chris wandered around the entrance for a few laps, then went to talk to one of the gatekeepers and later squatted on the side of the road, making a phone call.

Stephen's car was parked across the street, and he was getting impatient. Leaning on the car door, he lit a cigarette.

He came here at Chris' suggestion, but he couldn't help but feel that this was a mistake for their whole day's date. He reevaluated Chris once again – he wasn't his type after all, even though his appearance did stir some momentary impulse in him.

After a while, Chris finally came over, looking somewhat tired. "It's sorted, let's go,"he said as she walked inside. Complaining along the way, "Tita hasn't come out for such a long time, so getting the tickets was a hassle."

Stephen surveyed the surroundings. Cars kept coming, and the line of people waiting only grew.

When they reached the entrance, a slick-haired short person was waiting for them. After a brief conversation, the short person instructed them, and the big guy made them store their phones in a locker at the entrance.

Stephen was not very willing, but Chris persuaded him, "No photography allowed inside."

Finally, they entered. Chris approached the short person and hooked his arm around his, using a flirtatious tone, "Thank you, babe."

The short person pushed him away, annoyed, "Don't get cozy with me, who's your babe?"

"Of course, it's you. You're my only babe at QUEEN."

"Save your 'babe' for someone else, I can't measure up." The short person led them to a spot by the side and spoke to Stephen with a surprisingly good attitude, "You can sit here," then waved to a waiter, "Order something to drink with him." Lowering his voice, he said to the waiter, "This table's expenses are on the VIP tab."

But Chris was not satisfied with their location. "Can you help us move a bit further forward? It's too far from the stage, can't see anything."

"Do you need the whole screen to see? You can even see the pores. It extends from the floor to the ceiling behind the stage," the short person pointed at the large screen.

"I'm here in person, and you want me to watch the screen?"

"Well, that's the way it is. If you didn't buy a ticket, my limited capability as the front-of-house manager is all there is. If you're not satisfied, go find the boss yourself."

With that, the short person walked away in a huff. Chris caught up with him, hugged his shoulder, and said a few sweet words, slipping a wad of cash into his pocket. But the short person didn't seem pleased; instead, he looked at Chris with a hateful gaze.

Once they were seated, Stephen asked, "Is that person the manager here?"

"Yes, in charge of the reception up front."

Stephen noticed that Chris' relationship with the front-of-house manager was not ordinary and wanted to ask something, but Chris interrupted, "The performance is about to start, look ahead."

As soon as Chris finished his sentence, all the lights in the venue suddenly went out. The spotlights above the stage turned on, and an extravagantly dressed host stood in the center. After a brief opening speech, the first performance of the evening began.

With the sound of the "Rabbit Dance" music, the stage lights lit up again, and a group of muscular boys wearing rabbit costumes emerged from both sides.

Some wore short skirts that barely covered their hips, and others wore high-waisted ones that revealed their thighs. Each of them wore adorable rabbit ears, and there were fluffy white tails on their backsides. Stepping skillfully in high heels, they jumped and danced to the rhythm of the music, showcasing their cuteness and sexiness.

The opening dance quickly ignited the atmosphere in the venue.

Some people left their seats and approached the stage barrier. As one of the boys knelt down and wiggled his butt towards the audience, shaking his fluffy little tail in unison, the atmosphere soared for the first time that evening.

Some in the audience whistled and applauded, while others leaned against the stage and tossed tips. The boys scattered around the stage, getting up close and personal with the guests, blowing kisses, or letting the guests touch their thighs. By the end, their collars and seams were filled with tips.

Chris watched the performance eagerly on the screen in front and asked Stephen, "How do you like it? They're so adorable, aren't they?"

Stephen wasn't particularly interested, but he had to admit that these boys must have been carefully selected and trained. They all looked cute and performed professionally. He nodded in agreement.

"They're all available for dates, you know..." Chris was about to say the next part, "I have their phone numbers," but stopped himself when he saw Stephen's lack of interest.

At this moment, Chris realized that they weren't really on the same page. Maybe he shouldn't have brought Stephen here today. But since they were already there, there was no way he could leave before Tita's performance was over.

The lights came on, and the host stood on the stage again. "I wonder how many of you are here just for our Tita tonight. He's backstage now, let him hear your enthusiasm..."

The audience immediately started to stir, with cheers echoing through the venue. Even Chris couldn't help but shout along.

Hearing the commotion, Stephen looked around. The venue was now packed, much more crowded than when they had arrived. Apart from the VIP area, every seat, the dance floor, and the aisles were filled with people. Roughly estimating, there were at least seven to eight hundred people.

"A while ago, Tita couldn't perform for some personal reasons. It's been a long time since he last appeared. He asked me to apologize to everyone, and thank you all for your continuous support..."

At that moment, someone shouted loudly, "Tita, I love you!"

"... Let us welcome Tita with enthusiastic applause as he brings us his new song, 'Love Story'."

Applause, cheers, and whistles filled the air as the lights gradually dimmed...

"Steve, I'm going up front." Chris said and, guided by the small table lamp on the wine table, maneuvered through the crowd towards the stage.

A spotlight illuminated the center of the stage, revealing a graceful silhouette dressed in pure white. From this slender figure, there was no indication that this was a man.

From their slightly off-center position, the stage wasn't very clear, but from the magnified details on the screen, everything on stage was visible.

The pure white lace cheongsam with a high slit, the long white satin gloves, the bareback with smooth and delicate skin, the beautiful curve of the back and the raised shoulder blades. The cheongsam split to the root of the legs, revealing a slender leg that was straight, with delicate ankles wrapped in crystal high-heeled shoes. The heels, like the person, were thin and long, swaying like a slender willow branch in the spring breeze.

That silhouette made Stephen swallow his saliva. Although he disliked seeing men in women's clothing, some deeper preferences couldn't be denied. He had a particular fondness for this kind of delicate and beautiful masculinity.

The man turned in the light, his hair wrapped in a white feather headdress, revealing a complete face with white makeup. Even the eyebrows and eyelashes were painted white, except for a touch of vibrant red on his lip and two crystal tears under his right eye.

He stood in the center of the stage with lowered eyes, seemingly uninterested in interacting with the audience. But just standing there, not relying on clothes or makeup, it was his expression and posture that exuded a seductive purity and bewitching tenderness.

Stephen understood why this person was so popular. It's not just about the looks, it's about the essence. Stephen had seen beautiful people before, but this kind of bone structure and temperament was naturally enchanting.

However, he felt a sense of restlessness. He seemed to have forgotten something, something that lingered at the edge of his consciousness, something he could touch with his hand, but disappeared every time he reaches for it.

The somber and melancholic prelude of a saxophone interrupted Stephen's thoughts.

The lights around the stage gradually brightened, revealing Tita with a full accompaniment behind him. He walked over and held the microphone stand. As he began to sing, a deep and gentle male voice emerged.

The first person I loved

was my client.

Just two months into the profession,

I became the most incompetent of practitioners—

My chastity still intact,

but my money gone…

That familiar voice, the slightly altered but countless comforting gentle tone, suddenly became clear at the edge of Stephen's consciousness, and the thing that disappeared finally returned to his hand.

Stephen couldn't believe it. He stared fixedly at the man singing on the big screen. He couldn't believe that this person could be his husband.

He stared at him intently.

As the performance became more immersive, the person on stage turned around, capturing countless camera shots facing the stage. He leisurely rotated in a circle, then lowered his eyebrows and continued singing--

A client recommended by a friend,

My first time sleeping with someone,

My first time being loved,

I had only this client,

the first time with no other options.

Waking up the next day,

the client had already left,

leaving nothing behind,

nothing at all.

Friend asked how much I'd earned.

I said,

I didn't ask for money, because I love him.

I said,

I want nothing at all, because I love him.

I want nothing at all, because I love him.

I want nothing at all, because I love him.

...

Tita on stage sang and sighed with such melancholy, as if lamenting his own life. Upon awakening, there was nothing, no money, no love. Yet he was so beautiful, so sensual, so lovable, making people wish they could offer their hearts as a sacrifice.

From the moment he spoke, people below started throwing money and items onto the stage. Just because of the phrase "I love him," the crowd became more enthusiastic, urging and begging for him to come closer to the edge of the stage.

But Tita was unmoved, as if immersed in his own world. No matter how much money or love others gave him, he remained that poor soul with hands empty. Crystal sequins turned into teardrops, flowing freely in the midst of countless fervent admiration, as he shed his own tears.

But this didn't stop the audience from showering him with even more intense love and pursuit. Stephen also saw Chris in the crowd on the screen, witnessing him emptying his wallet and taking off the new watch he had just bought, wrapping it in his wallet and throwing it at Tita's feet.

A sudden surge of pain snapped Stephen back to reality. He lowered his head and saw the broken cocktail glass in his hand. Its sharp edge had cut his palm.

Tita performed three songs in a row this time. The host came up and said he would take a break and return later for the grand finale.

Chris returned to his seat excitedly and found only a broken glass on the seat. He asked the server, who said the person here had already left.

Only then did he remember that he had just thrown the watch that Stephen had given him onto the stage. Could it have been seen and caused anger? It was indeed not the right thing to do, but he hadn't talked to Stephen about one thing.

Unlike other performers, when valuable items are thrown on stage for Tita, the bar staff will return them to the customers after the performance, instead of assuming they were given away. He knew this, so he threw the watch that Stephen bought for him up there, just for fun.

He would have to finish watching the performance and then make a phone call to explain this situation.