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
Edited by megane-kun
Chapter 1
At two-thirty in the morning, in a Wimbledon Hotel high-rise suite, a strikingly handsome young man lounged on a bay window ledge, casually gazing at the skyglow of the city.
His bathrobe hung loosely, revealing his bare chest marked with faint red blotches, hinting at the passion that had recently unfolded in the room.
Lighting a cigarette, he took a slow drag and exhaled, the smoke curling lazily through the spacious room before dissipating into the shadows. As the haze cleared, the city lights stretched endlessly before him.
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 simple—Ying Tongchen, 27, male. Divorced parents, unremarkable life as an English teacher at an elite international private school
Up until tonight, he had yet to pop his cherry.
He was now in a luxurious, five-star hotel in the heart of the city.
He wouldn't normally splurge on such a room, especially with the new school term starting soon, if it weren't for the strange circumstances of the night.
But the third question was more pressing.
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 lay 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, Ying Tongchen wouldn’t have let himself get swept up in the moment—courted for sex, no less—and wouldn't be sitting here, questioning his life choices.
That thought brought a dull ache to a certain area, and the irritation drove him to stomp over to the bed and kick the man. The guy, however, was like a reincarnated log—completely unbothered. He simply rolled over and sank deeper into sleep.
Annoyed, Ying Tongchen kicked him twice more, then gave up and flopped onto the bed. After all, this hotel room had cost a fortune—he might as well enjoy it.
As for what happened tonight? Well, he really had no one to blame but himself.
It was his birthday yesterday. He'd gone home, eaten the cake his old man had prepared, then hurried back to school for a meeting. Afterward, the director surprised him with another cake. Later that evening, his close gay friend, Meng Gong, took him to dinner—where, predictably, another small cake appeared.
"..."
Following dinner, Meng Gong dragged him to their usual gay bar. They sat in the middle of the crowd, but despite their decent looks, no one approached them.
Only when Ying Tongchen went to the bathroom—briefly leaving Meng Gong’s side—did someone finally come over to flirt.
"Is that your boyfriend?" A burly man approached him, casually unzipping his pants to relieve himself.
Ying Tongchen wasn’t in the mood for conversation. He was still preoccupied with the meeting from earlier that day. His graduating class—the group of students he'd mentored—was moving on, and the director had assigned him a freshman class.
"Since you're silent, I’ll take that as a 'no,'" the man continued, 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." He found the younger students cute, but the responsibility of shaping their futures weighed heavily on him.
(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's that supposed to mean?" the burly man snapped, zipping up and sneering. "You don’t know a good thing when you see it. I doubt you’ll ever find anyone bigger than me." He huffed off.
Only then did it dawn on Ying Tongchen. Had he just missed another potential hookup?
Shrugging off the missed opportunity, Ying Tongchen returned to the bar, where he noticed an extra figure with Meng Gong.
Meng Gong, a muscular powerhouse, possessed a physique chiseled enough to send the bar's wandering bottoms into a frenzy.
Ying Tongchen had no intention of interrupting a promising lead, but the guy just had to run his mouth, “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 say more, the ‘pretentious prick’ himself walked over. A palpable tension filled the air. The man stiffened, instinctively holding his breath.
Ying Tongchen stopped a step away, tugging impatiently at his tie, his eyes narrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Scheming?" he asked, his voice icy.
The man, who hadn’t looked closely before, now froze, his eyes widening.
Ying Tongchen lazily lifted his eyelids. Behind the gold-rimmed glasses, his expression was partially obscured, but the faint curve of his lips betrayed a refined arrogance—dangerous, yet cultured.
His teacher instincts almost kicked in, he nearly lectured the man about his ripped jeans and flashy tattoos. But as he was about to say something, he saw the man’s face redden.
Excellent. Just like his female students—blushing when caught. At least he still had some sense of shame. That meant he could be taught and rectified.
"Can I get you—" the man began, a shy smile playing on his lips, but before he could finish, Meng Gong cut him off.
"You’re back!" Meng Gong exclaimed, wiping his brow dramatically, as if he'd just escaped a fate worse than death. He then turned to the other man with a deadpan expression. "Sorry, I’m a bottom too."
The man froze, staring at Meng Gong like he’d lost his mind before turning his hopeful eyes toward Ying Tongchen.
Recognizing the familiar look, Meng Gong quickly added, "He’s also a bottom."
"What the hell?!" The man’s romantic fantasies were brutally shattered. "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.
Suddenly, Meng Gong clutched his chest and feigned tears. "Woe is lǎozǐ [1]. All this muscle, and yet, a virgin. Am I doomed to die 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 replied, raising his glass. "Come on, my birthday wish is for us both to finally escape singledom."
"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. What chance did he have anywhere else? 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, giving Ying Tongchen 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, a piercing gaze lurked, contrasting with the almost ascetic elegance they lent his polished demeanor.
Ying Tongchen’s presence commanded attention, but it created an imbalance in his love life. He attracted a parade of delicate little bottoms misled by his sophisticated air and charisma—a fundamental mismatch that doomed their relationships.
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.
Their banter was interrupted by soft sobs. They turned to see a handsome, well-dressed young man at the next table, head bowed, dabbing at his eyes.
"No way, right? All I said was ‘broke.’ Did that really hit a nerve?" Ying Tongchen muttered in disbelief.
"So tragic." Meng Gong shook his head in sympathy.
Hearing their conversation, the young man looked up, shook his head, and snapped, "It's none of your business."
Ying Tongchen calmly pulled out two tissues and offered them. "Here, clean up. Your mascara is running."
"Thanks," the young man mumbled, lowering his head and wiping at his face. But the more he wiped, the more distressed he became. Finally, he crumpled the tissues and tossed them aside in frustration.
Meng Gong, ever the softhearted one, leaned closer and asked, "Xiōngdì [2], what’s wrong? What happened?"
The young man pursed his lips, wrestling with unspoken anxieties. In the end, he asked the most straightforward question he could think of. "Do you recognize me? I’m in the entertainment industry."
Meng Gong gave him a once-over, then shook his head. "Nope. My clients are mostly wealthy women." He works as a senior personal trainer at an exclusive fitness club.
Ying Tongchen then offhandedly remarked, "Me neither, I’m in the ‘rich kid’ 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 surprised. "You two have much brighter futures," he said, a hint of bitterness in his voice. Then, his expression shifted back to sadness, he added, "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.
Hearing that a business mogul was interested, his manager, seeing an opportunity, had immediately sent him to a hotel, anticipating… things. Zhen Mingxin had barely escaped, fleeing to the nearest bar.
When Zhen Mingxin entered the industry, he’d heard rumors about wealthy businessmen and their particular fetishes, but he never thought he'd be in this position. He was just a senior this year, and now he was expected to become a canary in a gilded cage?
What made it worse was the thought of the men who typically kept mistresses—they weren’t exactly the cream of the crop. Most were overweight, crude, and seemingly incapable of attracting a partner on their own merits.
"You’re still a student?" Ying Tongchen asked, his eyes drawn to the familiar university emblem dangling from Zhen Mingxin's backpack.
"Yeah," he replied.
Ying Tongchen checked the time. Dormitory curfews were usually around 11 p.m. He frowned slightly before speaking, "If you need to get things off your chest, you can talk to us. Otherwise, curfew's coming up, so you should probably head back to your dorm."
Zhen Mingxin looked at Meng Gong, then at Ying Tongchen. One was muscular, exuding a sense of security, while the other was slender and aloof, his cool gaze reminding Zhen Mingxin of his dean.
After a moment’s hesitation, he vaguely explained, "I met a man who insisted I go with him, but I refused."
Meng Gong, preoccupied with his own single status, was confused. "Why not?"
Zhen Mingxin sniffed and said, "Because I’m a top... boohoo!"
Meng Gong: "!!!"
Ying Tongchen: "............"
Meng Gong blinked. "Isn't that, like a forced pairing?" he asked awkwardly.
Zhen Mingxin nodded in agreement. "And everyone's pushing me towards him. 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 too far!" Meng Gong exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table and standing up.
Sensing Meng Gong's empathy, Zhen Mingxin moved closer and continued drinking, tears still streaming down his face. Meng Gong, feeling a surge of sympathy, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Then don’t go,” he said. "Ge will escort you home tonight, and I promise no one will be able to lay a hand on you." He flexed his biceps. "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, resolved to protect Zhen Mingxin, stepped forward, ready to escort him home.
Just as they exited the bar, Zhen Mingxin's phone rang. His manager’s name flashed on the screen, and panic seized 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 sleeves, revealing his pale, slender wrists. His expression remained indifferent as he asked, "Where is that person?"
Zhen Mingxin hesitated, taking in Ying Tongchen’s tall, slender frame, then glancing at Meng Gong’s reassuring bulk. He swallowed nervously, his voice trembling. "Ge, you’re not going to… beat him up, are you?"
"We are civilized people," Ying Tongchen said coolly, exhaling a plume of smoke. "We use civilized methods."
"Like…?"
"Calling the police."
Zhen Mingxin: "..." Of course! 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 constricted his throat as he stammered, “What if... what if something...”
Ying Tongchen's sharp eyes met his.
"Wimbledon Hotel, Room 2808!" Zhen Mingxin blurted, finally giving in.
Ying Tongchen watched them leave before heading toward the hotel.
Room 2808.
He stood at the door, phone in hand, dialing 110 but stopping short of pressing the call button. He had a plan:
First, he'd first inform the occupant that Zhen Mingxin had a medical condition—hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, intermittent schizophrenia, or perhaps a sudden outbreak of AIDS. The specific ailment would depend on who answered the door.
If the occupant still tried to force the issue, he’d feign having the wrong room, apologize, and leave. Then, he'd escalate things by calling the police and reporting the room for soliciting a gigolo[3].
Usually, the first approach was enough. He doubted anyone would risk contracting AIDS for a hookup.
At this thought, Ying Tongchen rang the doorbell.
The steady approach of footsteps grew louder, each one a drumbeat against the silence. His mind raced through possible scenarios and appropriate responses. Finally, the door swung open.
A tall man stood framed in the doorway, clad only in a bathrobe, his hair still wet from a recent shower. Trickles of water traced the sculpted lines of his neck and disappeared into the terry cloth.
"You've finally arrived?" the man inquired, his voice was deep, magnetic, and seductive, mirroring his own alluring appearance.
As Ying Tongchen assessed him, the man returned the gaze, his eyes scanning him with a quiet intensity. He raised an eyebrow, his face expressionless, but his toes tapped the floor twice in quick succession.
The tapping was sharp and distinct.
Ying Tongchen lifted his gaze and murmured, "Yes, I'm here."
"Come in," the man said, stepping aside. His toes tapped 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.