Mistaken Canary Chapter 1
TL Note: After recently reading and falling heavily in love with the webtoon ‘Payback,’ I decided to pick something similar in genre but more lighthearted (and funny)… so this will be my second danmei project! Another modern-day story, this time it’s CEOxEnglish Teacher!
But before we begin reading, I wanted to first explain why the title is the way it is. 金丝雀 literally means ‘canary.’ But in a figurative sense, it refers to someone who is kept in a comfortable and pampered life by a usually wealthy partner. Treated like a showpiece—they are often dependent on their ‘benefactor’ and often lacking freedom or independence, much like a canary kept in a cage.
Proofread by CitrusP
Chapter 1
At two-thirty in the morning, in a high-rise suite of the Wimbledon Hotel, an unparalleled handsome young man lounged on the ledge of a bay window, casually taking in the night skyline.
A bathrobe hung loosely over his tall, lean frame, its open collar revealing his bare chest. His fair skin was streaked with faint red marks, hinting at the aftermath of something exciting that had just unfolded in the room.
Lighting a cigarette, he took a slow drag and exhaled, the smoke curling lazily through the spacious room before fading into the shadows. As the haze lifted, the view before him sharpened, revealing the city lights stretching endlessly into the night.
Now that he was sober and clear-headed, three questions immediately came to mind—
Who am I?
Where am I?
And who’s that ridiculous guy passed out on the bed?
The first question was straightforward—Ying Tongchen, male, 27 years old. His parents were divorced, and he led a relatively unremarkable life as an English teacher at a private international school for the elite.
Up until tonight, he had yet to pop his cherry.
He was in a five-star hotel in the heart of the city.
If it hadn’t been for tonight’s unusual circumstances, there was no way he’d splurge on such a pricey room—especially with the new school term just around the corner.
The third question, however, ran deeper.
On the spacious, two-meter-long bed, a stranger lay fast asleep, his back marred with scratches—clear evidence of his own handiwork.
The man rested on his side, revealing a profile so striking it looked as if it had been sculpted from fine jade. Every detail was exquisitely carved, flawless to the point of being almost unreal—a masterpiece brought to life.
Honestly, if this man’s face hadn’t been exactly his type, he wouldn’t have let himself get swept up in the moment—courted for sex, let alone be sitting here now, questioning his life choices.
As that thought settled, a dull ache flared up in a certain area, irritating him enough to stomp over to the bed and deliver a swift kick to the man. But the guy turned out to be a reincarnated log—completely unbothered. Instead of waking up, he just rolled over and sank even deeper into sleep.
Annoyed, Ying Tongchen kicked him twice more before finally giving up and flopping down on the bed. After all, this hotel cost a small fortune—he might as well make the most of it.
As for what happened tonight? Well, he really had no one to blame but himself.
Yesterday had been his birthday. He went home, ate the cake his old man had prepared, and then rushed back to school for a meeting. When the meeting wrapped up, the director surprised him with another cake. Later that evening, his close gay friend invited him out to dinner—and, unsurprisingly, pulled out yet another small cake.
"..."
After dinner, his close friend Meng Gong dragged him to their regularly frequented gay bar. The two of them sat smack dab in the middle of the crowd, but despite their decent looks, not a single soul approached them.
It wasn’t until Ying Tongchen left for the bathroom—briefly parting ways with Meng Gong—that someone finally came up to hit on him.
"Is the person you were with your boyfriend?" A burly man approached him, casually unzipping his pants to relieve himself.
Ying Tongchen wasn’t in the mood for conversation. In fact, his mind was still occupied with the meeting earlier that day. His graduating class, the group of monkey students he had been mentoring since graduation, was now moving on, and the director had assigned him to oversee a freshman class.
"Since you're silent, I’ll take that as a 'no,'" the man remarked, finishing up and looking at him with a smug expression. He then motioned for Ying Tongchen to glance down. "What do you think?"
"Not much to think about," Ying Tongchen replied, lifting his gaze with a sigh. "Too small." Though the younger ones were cute, the weight of responsibility, properly shaping these seedlings of the motherland, was heavy.
(TLN: lol his words can be interpreted in two ways: one, as a response to the burly man, or two, as a remark about his director’s assignment.)
"What do you mean by that?" The burly man snapped, zipping up and shooting him a sneer. "You don’t know a good thing when you see it. I doubt you’ll ever find anyone bigger than me."
Only after the man stormed off in a huff did Ying Tongchen snap out of his daze. Wait—did he just let another potential encounter slip through his fingers?
When he made his way back to the bar counter, he noticed an extra figure standing next to Meng Gong.
Meng Gong, a true powerhouse of muscle, had a physique chiseled enough to send the little wandering bottoms in the bar into a frenzy.
Ying Tongchen had no intention of interrupting a good thing, but this figure just had to bring him up. “Was the guy sitting with you earlier your boyfriend? Dressed so formally in a place like this... what a scheming man. I’d never act like such a pretentious prick.”
Ying Tongchen: “...”
Before the man could continue, the so-called ‘pretentious prick’ started walking toward them. In an instant, a heavy sense of pressure filled the air. The man stiffened, instinctively holding his breath.
Ying Tongchen stopped just a step away, narrowing his eyes slightly as he tugged at his tie with visible impatience. His gaze was icy, and his lips pressed into a firm line. "Scheming?"
The man, who hadn’t bothered to take a closer look before, suddenly froze.
Ying Tongchen lazily lifted his eyelids. Behind the gold-rimmed glasses, his expression was partially obscured, but the faint curve of his lips carried an air of subtle arrogance—refined yet dangerous, like a cultured scoundrel.
His instincts as a teacher kicked in, and he almost opened his mouth to lecture the man about his ripped jeans and flashy tattoos. But just as he was about to speak, he noticed the man’s cheeks flushing red.
Excellent. Just like the girls in his class—blushing when they get caught. At least he still knew how to feel embarrassed. That meant he could be taught and rectified.
"Can I get you—" The man began with a shy smile, but before he could finish, Meng Gong cut him off.
"You’re finally back." Meng Gong wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking as if he’d just been granted a pardon. Then he turned to the man and said bluntly, "Sorry, I’m a bottom too."
The man froze, staring at Meng Gong like he’d lost his mind, then turned hopeful eyes toward Ying Tongchen.
Already used to that kind of look, Meng Gong quickly added, "He’s also a bottom."
"What the hell?!" The man’s romantic fantasies shattered on the spot. "You two are actually pulling off a double-bottom relationship?!" Crushed, he stomped his foot dramatically, put his hands on his hips, and stormed off in frustration.
Ying Tongchen: "..."
Meng Gong: "Haha, how many times have we been misunderstood now?"
Ying Tongchen could only shake his head helplessly.
Meng Gong suddenly clutched his chest and pretended to shed tears. "Poor lǎozǐ [1]. Look at me—all this muscle, and I’m still a virgin. Am I really going to die as a little daisy*?"
(TLN: he’s referring to his untouched 'back door,' still tight even until death because no one has used it lololol)
"Who isn’t?" Ying Tongchen raised his glass. "Come on, my birthday wish this year is that we both finally shake off our single status."
"It feels so damn impossible." Meng Gong sighed, utterly dejected. Even in a place like this—where everyone was gay and love was supposed to flow freely—he couldn’t even score a quick fling. The chances of finding anything elsewhere? Practically zero.
"Then let’s just kidnap someone and lose our v-cards first." Ying Tongchen joked.
"Now that’s more doable." Meng Gong snickered and gave him a once-over. Ying Tongchen’s formal attire was pristine—his shirt buttoned all the way up to the collar and his trousers sharp and unwrinkled, as if he’d just stepped out of a fashion catalog.
His facial features were sharp and refined, the outer corners of his eyes slightly upturned, exuding an air of quiet confidence. Behind the gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze carried a piercing depth, while the glasses themselves added an almost ascetic elegance to his already polished demeanor.
Ying Tongchen was the kind of person who turned heads wherever he went, but that was exactly what complicated his love life. Most of the people who approached him were delicate little bottoms, drawn in by his sophisticated appearance and dominant aura—relationships destined to go nowhere.
Meng Gong sighed. "Look at you—your entire wardrobe probably looks like it’s been starched and pressed to a T. Don’t you own anything even remotely flamboyant?"
"Too broke," Ying Tongchen shut him down with just two words.
The two were joking around when a soft sobbing sound suddenly caught their attention. They both turned at the same time to spot a handsome, well-dressed young man at the next table, head bowed, dabbing at his tears.
"No way, right? All I said was ‘broke.’ Did that really hit a nerve?" Ying Tongchen stared in disbelief.
"So tragic." Meng Gong shook his head in sympathy.
Hearing their conversation, the young man lifted his head, shook it, and retorted, "It's none of your business."
Ying Tongchen calmly pulled out two tissues and handed them over. "Here, clean up. Your mascara's running."
"Thanks." The young man took the tissues and started dabbing at his face. But the more he wiped, the more upset he seemed to get. Finally, he crumpled the tissues and tossed them aside in frustration.
Meng Gong, ever the warmhearted type, leaned in and asked, "Xiōngdì [2], what’s wrong? What happened?"
The young man pursed his lips, hesitating as if unsure where to begin. In the end, he settled for the simplest question he could muster. "Do you recognize me? I’m in the entertainment industry(circle)."
Meng Gong gave him a once-over, then shook his head. "Nope. I’m more tuned in to the wealthy ladies’ circle." He worked as a senior personal trainer at an exclusive fitness club.
Ying Tongchen added insult to injury, "Me neither, I’m in the rich second-generation circle." His students’ family fortunes were thicker than his skin*.
(TLN: As in he’s already got really thick skin, aka, really shameless)
The young man was silent for a moment, clearly taken aback. "You two have much brighter futures," he said, his voice tinged with bitterness. Then, just as quickly, his expression shifted back to sorrow. "I’m just a 108th-tier star. My last name’s Zhen. Full name’s Zhen Mingxin." Not only had he struggled to make a mark in the industry, but he was also being exploited by his manager.
The manager, hearing that a business mogul wanted to take him on, had wasted no time sending him to a hotel, fully prepared for whatever was to come. Zhen Mingxin had barely escaped before slipping into the nearest bar.
When Zhen Mingxin entered the industry, he’d heard rumors about wealthy businessmen and their particular fetishes, but he never imagined he’d end up in this kind of situation. He was just a senior this year, and now he was expected to become a canary in a gilded cage?
What’s worse, the people who usually kept mistresses weren’t exactly the cream of the crop—most were overweight, crude, and incapable of finding a partner on their own.
"You’re still a student?" Ying Tongchen noticed a pendant hanging from Zhen Mingxin’s backpack, clearly displaying the emblem of a nearby university.
"Yeah."
Ying Tongchen glanced at the time. The university curfew was usually around 11 p.m. He frowned slightly before speaking. "If you need to get things off your chest, you can talk to us. If not, abide by the school rules and head back to your dorm."
Zhen Mingxin looked between the two of them. One was muscular, exuding a sense of security, while the other was slender and distant, with cold eyes that reminded him of his dean.
After a brief pause, he hesitated and then vaguely shared his problem. "I met a man who insisted I go with him, but I refused."
Meng Gong, who was desperate to get out of his own singlehood, was confused. "Why didn’t you go?"
Zhen Mingxin sniffed and said, "Because I’m a top... boohoo!"
Meng Gong: "!!!"
Ying Tongchen: "............"
"Isn't that just a forced CP?" Meng Gong said awkwardly.
Zhen Mingxin nodded in agreement. "And everyone around me keeps pushing me toward that man. If I don’t, I might lose my job, get suppressed and banned, fall off the 108th-tier ladder—reduced to a regular nobody."
Ying Tongchen: "......"
"They’re going overboard!" Meng Gong slammed the table, rising to his feet in indignation.
Zhen Mingxin, sensing Meng Gong’s warmth, directly sat down next to him and continued drinking, tears still flowing. Meng Gong, feeling a surge of sympathy, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Then don’t go. Ge will escort you home tonight, and I promise no one will be able to lay a hand on you." He flexed his muscles. "I’m super macho."
Zhen Mingxin looked at him, eyes brimming with tears and admiration. "I wish I was as macho as you."
Ying Tongchen couldn't help but think to himself: No, you don’t want to wish for that. It's hard for a macho to find a more macho-er as a partner.
Meng Gong, determined to keep his word, stepped forward, ready to make sure Zhen Mingxin got home safely.
As they left the bar, Zhen Mingxin's phone rang. His manager’s name appeared on the screen, and panic surged through him. He froze, eyes wide with fear. "It's over! Over! I’m definitely going to get scolded. If I don’t go, what if that person comes back to retaliate against me?"
Ying Tongchen, calmly lighting a cigarette, rolled up his shirt sleeves, revealing his fair and slender wrists. His expression remained indifferent as he asked, "Where is that person?"
Zhen Mingxin hesitated, taking in Ying Tongchen’s tall, slender frame and then glancing at Meng Gong, who looked every bit the dependable figure. He nervously swallowed, his voice trembling slightly. "Ge, you’re not planning to beat him up, are you?"
"We are civilized people," Ying Tongchen said coolly, exhaling a puff of smoke. "We can use civilized methods."
"What type of methods?"
"Calling the police."
Zhen Mingxin: "..." Indeed! But he didn't dare!
"Ole Meng, you send him back, I'll call the police."
"Okay, you got this!" Meng Gong nodded, confident in Ying Tongchen’s resolve
Zhen Mingxin felt as if he was asking a twig trying to bend a bough. Anxiety crept into his voice as he stammered, “What if... if something...”
Ying Tongchen's piercing eyes looked at him.
Zhen Mingxin: "Wimbledon Hotel, Room 2808!"
Ying Tongchen watched them depart before making his way toward the nearby hotel.
Room 2808.
He stood at the door, took out his phone, and dialed 110 but didn’t press the call button—he had already devised a plan:
First, he would inform the other party that Zhen Mingxin had a medical condition—hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, intermittent schizophrenia, or perhaps a sudden outbreak of AIDS. The precise ailment would be decided once he saw the person.
If the other party still attempted to use force, he would feign having the wrong room, apologize, and leave. Then, he'd call the police and report that the room had hired a gigolo[3].
Of course, the first step would usually solve the problem. He couldn’t believe anyone would risk contracting AIDS just for sex.
At this thought, Ying Tongchen rang the doorbell.
The sound of steady footsteps grew louder, and a series of countermeasures rushed through his mind, preparing him for any situation. The door finally opened.
A tall man stood in the doorway, wearing a bathrobe, his hair still damp. Water trickled down his neck, following the contour of his muscles, disappearing into the bathrobe.
"You've finally arrived?" The man's voice was deep, magnetic, and seductive, his features just as alluring.
As Ying Tongchen studied him, the man returned the gaze, his eyes scanning him with a quiet intensity. He raised his eyebrows slightly, his face expressionless, but his toes tapped the ground twice in quick succession.
The sound of his feet tapping against the floor was sharply audible.
Ying Tongchen lifted his gaze and murmured, "Yes, I'm here."
"Come in." The man stepped aside, allowing him entry, his toes tapping the floor again.
.
.
.
TL Note: My hubby was not happy to help me with all the internet slang lolol. Regardless we are going to see it though, hopefully you enjoyed the first chapter!
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Footnotes:
[1] Laozi (老子) - this would be translated as I, but this sentence would read in a completely different tone. Basically, this is a first person pronoun 'I' that is used arrogantly or jocularly. Like the Japanese word ‘ore-sama’.
[2] Xiōngdì (兄弟) - literally means brother; or a humble term used by men in public speech. It’s closest to the English term ‘bro’, or ‘dude’
[3] Hired a gigolo - Prostitution (the act of paying for sex) is illegal in China.