“I swear, dude¹哥们 (gē men) – Brothers! / brethren / dude (colloquial) / brother (diminutive form of address between males), when have I ever lied to you?” Lin Hai typed earnestly in the chat window.

“I only dared to recommend it after trying it myself. Last month, I made some pocket money just from this app.”

Sitting in front of his computer, Qin Yu pondered for a moment. To be honest, after hearing his bad friend² Acc. to Baidu, “损友” (sǔnyǒu) is a Chinese expression that refers to a friend who is detrimental to oneself. It can apply to both physical and mental harm caused by the friend. Essentially, a “损友” is someone who negatively impacts you, contrasting with a positive influence or “益友” (yì yǒu). In modern usage, it can also describe a playful friend who enjoys mischief and light-hearted teasing, often sacrificing their own well-being for the entertainment of others. Despite occasional excessive antics, the essence of a “损友” remains rooted in goodwill and friendship. So, think of them as those mischievous friends who keep things lively! Lin Hai’s pitch, he was quite tempted.

A couple of days ago, Lin Hai suddenly approached him, claiming he’d discovered a gay dating app called WJ. This app was impressive – besides online dating, it had a special feature: renting a partner.

This “partner rental” had evolved beyond its traditional meaning, becoming a way for some scummy gay men to manage their love lives.

Put simply, if a bottom and a top were in an established relationship, but one wanted to back out without losing the other, they could use the app’s rental feature. They’d find someone else to temporarily take their place and play their role.

Usually, these rentals were limited to online relationships. Lin Hai had recently helped a young bottom by chatting with his online boyfriend for a few days, posing as the bottom. As for the real bottom, Lin Hai didn’t know much about his whereabouts, only that he was off on a honeymoon with his real-life boyfriend.

Though it was unethical, there was money to be made. It was just online dating – play a role for a few days, and the cash would roll in instantly. What’s not to love?

This was the part of Lin Hai’s pitch that most attracted Qin Yu. Lin Hai was his college roommate; they’d bonded over their shared poverty, becoming mischievous brothers-in-arms. Their lifelong hobby was discussing ways to make money, and their greatest dream was to get rich overnight.

Making money was good, right? In their current society, while not moral, it wasn’t illegal. How could they ignore such a money-making opportunity?

Qin Yu’s hesitation stemmed from his position. He and Lin Hai were both unequivocally gay, but during their four years of college, the two had thoroughly disdained each other romantically. They weren’t that desperate. The reason was simple: neither was the other’s type.

Lin Hai liked caring, good-natured partners, not particularly picky about tops or bottoms. Qin Yu preferred muscular bottoms, the kind often called “power bottoms” online, while he himself was a pure top. Qin Yu had a good body and exceptional looks, but his standards were high. During college, Lin Hai had cycled through boyfriends faster than anyone, while Qin Yu had only dated one guy in four years – and that was a pure top who’d mistaken Qin Yu for a bottom. Lin Hai never let him live down that mix-up.

Everyone knew that in their circle, bottoms outnumbered tops. Surely 95% of the rentals would be for bottoms. Unlike Lin Hai, who had rich experience as both top and bottom, Qin Yu was a pure top who liked muscular bottoms. Could he really handle this line of work?

“What’s the big deal? Just try a few short-term gigs first. Making money isn’t shameful,” Lin Hai said, immediately pinpointing his good friend’s hesitation.

“Fine, send me the download link. I’ll register too,” Qin Yu relented after a bout of mental gymnastics, ultimately succumbing to his financial reality. Making money wasn’t shameful, after all.

TL Notes

• 1
  哥们 (gē men) – Brothers! / brethren / dude (colloquial) / brother (diminutive form of address between males)
• 2
  Acc. to Baidu, “损友” (sǔnyǒu) is a Chinese expression that refers to a friend who is detrimental to oneself. It can apply to both physical and mental harm caused by the friend. Essentially, a “损友” is someone who negatively impacts you, contrasting with a positive influence or “益友” (yì yǒu). In modern usage, it can also describe a playful friend who enjoys mischief and light-hearted teasing, often sacrificing their own well-being for the entertainment of others. Despite occasional excessive antics, the essence of a “损友” remains rooted in goodwill and friendship. So, think of them as those mischievous friends who keep things lively!