Prologue
Gilayn Wang was engaged to Kuea Keerati, as their families had agreed. The Keerati family lineage traced back to the noble house of the past, resulting in the ownership of many properties including the export of silk and Thai clothing brands.
As for the Wangs, their Chinese ancestor had escaped the war by boat to Thailand and worked in the Keerati silk shop. His diligence had earned him the trust of the Keerati family, who later promoted him to manager, taking charge of branches throughout Thailand. One day, he married the daughter of an ice factory owner and resigned from the silk business to inherit his wife’s family business, expanding it to Bangkok.
The engagement between the Keerati family and the Wang family was formed because Mr. Keerati still loved his old employee. At a time when the Wang family was suffering financially after deciding to engage in the import and export of beverages, he approached the Keeratis to borrow tens of millions of baht.
It was Mr. Keerati who proposed the engagement, seeing that the Wangs had a two-year-old son walking around his villa.
“Lian’s physiognomy is very beautiful. Think of this money as the betrothal contract of our grandchildren.”
“But your daughter isn’t married yet...”
Mr. Keerati had a daughter who was in a relationship with a promising ambassador. He had recently chosen the auspicious date to celebrate the wedding the following year.
“No problem, I’ll have one in the future. Lian will be grown up and I’ll leave my grandson in his care..”
Lian, or Gilayn, who was only two years old, didn’t know what the adults were talking about, but when he heard his name mentioned, he nodded in agreement.
“You are so kind to us that I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
“You are the only ones I can trust. My daughter will probably move with her husband to a foreign country and our business is not as prosperous as it once was. Times are changing, people no longer wear silk. In the future, the Keerati family may have nothing left and I will have already left them. Our family will have to rely on you when that time comes. Keep this money for my grandson.”
“Sir, I cannot accept. We should make a written contract, making the Keerati family my official partner, then Lian will marry your nephew.”
“Oh, if that’s what you want.”
After signing the contract, the Wangs’ business grew so much that it became the ‘Gilayn’ Beverage Company. They imported carbonated beverages and opened their own brewery, making them the best entrepreneurs in the company.
At the same time, many of the Keerati branches had closed until all that remained was the main one in the old Bangkok shopping mall. The Keerati family’s precious little grandson was born during the decline of his family’s business.
Kuea Keerati, the pink baby, lay obediently in the arms of his mother, the wife of an ambassador stationed in Sweden. She had asked to give birth in her home country because the climate in Europe was bitterly cold.
“Lian… Come and see the little one.”
Kewalin Keerati knew about her father’s arranged engagement with his former employee, whom she trusted as much as her father. She saw Lian as her son.
Gilayn Wang, or Lian, was a seven-year-old boy of Chinese-Thai origin, with rather dark skin because he had inherited Thai characters from his mother. He pursed his lips defiantly, imitating his father’s solemn manner in detail.
“Nong…”
His sharp eyes stared at the diapered baby, whose face was showing. He was as small as the newborn kitten behind the brewery. His eyes were similarly closed and his mouth was tiny. However, the kitten was fluffier… and the baby looked softer and pinker as powder.
“His name is Kuea, Nu* Kuea… Lian, from now on you will be the one to take care of him.”
(‘Nu’ is a word used to address someone younger.)
“He must be a good boy to me.”
Lian hated children. The children of his family’s employees always whined annoyingly. Crying was weaklings’ behavior, and Lian was strong, so he didn’t cry. The child shouldn’t have cried, but he was so small... it was okay to cry a little. But it was better if he had stayed calm when Lian told him not to be a naughty boy.
“If you love him, he will be good for you.”
“I’ll take care of him.”
I can raise a kitten, it should be fine if I take care of Kuea the same way. He’s just a little bigger than a kitten.
~~~~~
Gilayn and Kuea were the perfect match.
Kuea Keerati was twenty years old and lived up to his noble lineage. They said that according to the family will, everything should be passed down to the heir with the same surname, for this reason Kuea took his mother’s surname. At the same time, he was also the only son of a promising ambassador. He was polite, kind and loved and beloved by the elders. His voice was soft and gentle when he spoke to his fiancé, clear as a glass bell.
Gilayn Wang, on the other hand, was twenty-seven years old and as handsome as a Hong Kong actor. He was tall and always had a slight smile on his face. His sharp eyes looked at the younger boy with affection. His large hand always held Kuea’s. When he walked forward, he was careful with every step. He spoke rather frankly, having grown up in a Chinese family. However, when he spoke to his younger boyfriend, he was always kind and patient.
When they stood side by side, the older man and the younger man fit together like nothing else. According to gossip, the two were waiting for Kuea to graduate before uniting the two families in marriage. The Keerati family owned several large lands while the Wang family was becoming more powerful day by day.
The sweetest and most magnificent wedding in the country would surely take place in a few years… Sure, of course.
Kuea Keerati wanted to cry, or scream, wanted to rush over and shake the taller man leaning against the desk who was looking at him with an uninterested expression. He wasn’t even interested in him, who had been his boyfriend all his life. Lian was like a stranger in that moment.
“What does it mean?”
Ten points for trying to control his shaking voice. Kuea had kept his tone soft and gentle, speaking politely to the older man as he always did. He wanted to curse him… but that wasn’t considered polite.
Kuea Keerati, the son of a brilliant ambassador, was a perfect boyfriend who would not lose his cool!
“Haa… I already said it clearly, why do you keep asking?”
“I do not understand.”
“Do you not understand or do you not want to understand?”
Finally he turned his handsome but cold face to Kuea. His large hand grabbed the expensive glass of wine on the table to sip from, letting silence take over the room again.
“We love each other, right?”
“I think you misunderstood.”
“But you said you’d be by my side forever.”
“Right.” Hia* Lian nodded, didn’t deny it.
(‘Hia’ is a word used by Thai-Chinese or Chinese in Thailand to address an older man who is close to us.)
“You promised you would ask me to marry you.”
“Yes, I will do that for you in the future.”
“But when I asked you if you loved me...”
“When you said you wanted me to stay by your side for the rest of our lives, I said I will. When you asked if I would marry you, it’s no problem. But if you ask me if I love you… I say no.”
“Hia…”
Tons of questions flooded his mind. He was speechless at the way the man shrugged as if he couldn’t help it. Why is he so mean?
“Being together and getting married have nothing to do with love. If it hadn’t been like that, we wouldn’t have stayed together this long. Please come home, I have work to do. I’ll ask someone to accompany you.”
Yes…Kuea understood what Lian meant. Every single word, every meaning he had indicated. He had never loved him, that was all. All those years of trying to be his boyfriend… seemed futile.
“It’s okay, I can go home alone.”
“It’s late. Aunt Kew would scold me.”
“My mother is in Austria, she won’t know.”
“Don’t talk sarcastically to me.”
“I’m not being sarcastic. I don’t know how to be sarcastic, but I realized I shouldn’t bother you anymore. I’ve wasted enough of your time all these years. Besides, I’m a man. It’s no big deal to go home alone. Don’t worry about the engagement, Hia, I’ll talk to my mother about it. Simple, right? I’m leaving now.”
“Nu Kuea, don’t make me angry.”
“How strange. My every action suddenly irritates you. Even making me walk home alone makes you angry.”
Kuea was surprised at himself for how he could still smile at that moment. He smiled as if the exasperated expression on Lian’s face was fake, while his burning gaze was as sweet as honey in May… Ah.
“As for the engagement, I’ll take care of it myself. There’s no need to call it off. We’ll just live separately.”
“You’re not the only one in this engagement. We are together. Whether you like it or not, I have as much right to deal with it as you do. In that case, I want to break off the engagement.”
Lian snorted, “You’re amazing, Nu Kuea.”
He was furious, a rare occasion; but Kuea was equally furious. He was so furious that he was shaking and had to clench his fists to hold back his disappointment… in any case Kuea would not lose to him!
“Find a good answer to the reason for breaking the engagement.”
“What’s so difficult? I can simply say that I want to marry a person, not a doll.”
Kuea knew well that Lian was a grumpy person. He always got angry with his subordinates, but this was the first time he got angry with him. So, this is the real Gilayn Wang!
“Am I that cute in your eyes?”
“Like Annabelle.”
The evil smile on Gilayn’s lips only added fuel to the fire. If Kuea had had something in his hand, he would not have hesitated to throw it at Hia Lian’s head. But he was Kuea Keerati. He valued his pride above all else.
“I don’t want to talk to you anymore. Sorry, goodbye.”
The tall, slender figure turned away from him and walked slowly toward the door, but the man behind him shouted.
“Whoever’s out there, take Kuea home. And you better not be afraid of ghosts!”
You’re not a boyfriend. You’re an asshole! Hia Lian, you son of a bitch!
