Author: hoenimochi (Page 6 of 95)

       Nestled between mountains and rivers, Tingyun Town, with its lush green tiles and whitewashed walls, exudes the exquisite beauty typical of Jiangnan towns. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the prominent Bai family of this place produced many scholars and wealthy merchants. Unfortunately, the wheel of history crushed its former glory, and the few cultural relics that had managed to survive were turned into a grotesque mess after repeated restorations. Only a few stone archways standing at the entrance of the town remained, silently bearing witness to the rise and fall, honour and disgrace of that once-mighty family.

       In recent years, the government had busied itself with tourism development. Yet, lacking both funds and proper planning, the attractions were scattered and low in quality, and visitor numbers remained unimpressive. As the saying went, “Flowers you deliberately plant may not bloom, but willows you never intended to grow thrive into shade.” While Tingyun Town’s vibrant artificial landscapes did not make much of a name for themselves, but the town’s pristine natural scenery attracted visitors instead. Young artists came to capture it with their cameras, old folks who yearned for country life lingered, and middle-aged families escaping the fast pace of big cities arrived in droves. The town grew lively, and sharp-eyed entrepreneurs integrated a few scattered attractions into a scenic area. Thanks to that, the surrounding homestay business also flourished.

       The little money Qin Mu had left, after renting a place and buying daily necessities, was already stretched thin. Introduced by the landlady, he found a job as a tour guide in the scenic area. The manager who interviewed him heard his fluent English and agreed on the spot. In truth, hardly any foreign visitors ever came here, but having someone who knew English sounded more upscale. The job was essentially that of a guide, without a formal contract. Most days, the work was done by idle farmwives from the town. The task was simple: memorize the lines and lead tourists on a walk around the town, earning fifteen yuan each time. Whether there was work or not depended on luck, so the income was unstable. Because of that, Qin Mu also found a side job helping in the small restaurant across from his lodging.

       Tingyun Town, close to water, was rich in fish, and its residents loved to eat it. Fresh bighead carp here were called ‘baotou¹wrapped head, because of it’s rounded head‘, and they grew to remarkable size. They were chopped in half, with the gills removed and the innards cleaned. The fish head was stewed with tofu into soup, while the body was cut into chunks and braised in soy sauce—this was the classic ‘one fish, two dishes’. Tingyun Town was not short of skilled hands at cooking fish, but among them, Master Fang of ‘Old Fang’s Fish Restaurant’ was regarded as the best.

       Chef Fang had been cooking fish for more than thirty years. Not only was his fish head stewed with tofu famous for its milky broth and tender flesh, but dishes like sizzling iron-plate fish head, braised white fish, steamed grouper, and mixed-fish hotpot were all part of his repertoire.

       His restaurant was so small that its two floors could only fit six tables in total, yet it was packed every single day, requiring reservations in advance. The patrons were not only locals but also many visitors who came for its reputation. Now that Chef Fang had passed the age of sixty, his hands were no longer as nimble as before. His wife’s health was not good, and his children were all working hard in the big cities, leaving him no choice but to hire extra help. The old man was stubborn. No matter how much food prices rose outside, the restaurant’s menu had remained unchanged for more than a decade, and the portions were never reduced. Because of this, profits were quite limited. The kitchen help worked hard yet received low pay, so they rarely lasted long. The previous auntie had quit before even two months had passed, which left Qin Mu with the opportunity to step in.

       Qin Mu was diligent—wiping tables, sweeping the floor, washing vegetables, even handling the cash and keeping the accounts. The only thing he couldn’t do was kill fish. He didn’t know why, but the moment he looked into a fish’s eyes, he froze. If the creature started thrashing its tail, Qin Mu could just about leap straight onto the rafters and sit shoulder-to-shoulder with the rows of cured meat hanging there.

       Old Chef Fang once gave him a demonstration with knife flashing in his hand, every movement sharp and swift, and within minutes the half-meter-long fish was neatly cleaned. But when he turned around, the student who was supposed to be observing had already darted two meters away, his forced composure about as fake as the knockoff ‘Mister Kang²Originally written in Kang Shuaifu is a knockoff / parody brand of Kang Shifu (Master Kong), a famous instant noodle brand in China. People often use it online as a metaphor for something obviously fake, low-quality, or pretending to be real‘ soft drinks in the shops.

       “Come here and try one yourself,” Master Fang barked.

       “I still have a few tables to wipe down,” Qin Mu muttered, slipping away as fast as oil on the soles of his feet.

       “You brat, stop right there.” The old man was quick; he grabbed Qin Mu by the back of his collar. “A strapping young fellow like you, afraid of live fish—what a disgrace! Start small. Clean these whitefish first.”

       Qin Mu turned his head and saw a pool packed tight with fish, bulging eyes glaring up at him. A chill ran from the soles of his feet all the way up his spine.

       Just then, a leisurely voice floated in.

       “Chef Fang, even at your age you’ve still got such strength. Truly old but vigorous.” Shen Liu hobbled in, leaning on a bamboo cane.

       Qin Mu frowned. “Why aren’t you at home resting? What are you doing here?”

       “Got tired of lying down. Came to see you.” He limped over to the pool, peered in, set his cane aside, and rolled up his sleeves. “Come on then, darlings. I’ll take care of you.”

       Chef Fang raised a brow. “You know how?”

       “No,” Shen Liu admitted with a smile, “but I’m smarter than him. Teach me.”

       The old man tossed him a pair of rubber gloves, half doubtful. “Fine. But let me make it clear—I’m only paying for one worker.”

       “Of course.” Shen Liu agreed cheerfully, then winked at Qin Mu. “Silly boy, fetch a tall chair for your gege.”

       Heat rushed to Qin Mu’s ears. He turned away quickly to find a chair.

       And so, Shen Liu took over the job of cleaning fish. He had always been a man with a taste for refinement, particular about cleanliness; he used to carry the scent of aftershave or cologne wherever he went. Now he reeked only of fish, the smell clinging stubbornly even after washing. When he showered, fish scales still slid from his hair. Watching Shen Liu’s hunched back as he worked in an apron, limping and bent over the sink, Qin Mu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

       Their lives were poor and difficult. The attic they rented barely fit a double bed. Every meal had to be counted carefully; sometimes they even packed up customers’ leftovers to stretch things out. They had abandoned their studies and their bright futures to take on menial jobs with little reward, bowing and smiling to every kind of customer, ending each day sore and exhausted, worrying about next month’s rent and electricity.

       But they were together.

       Each morning they woke in each other’s arms. Each night they drifted off in the softness of a kiss. The day’s fatigue melted under shared massages. At every meal, looking up, they saw each other’s faces. In rare moments of leisure, they leaned on the railing outside the restaurant, watching the flow of people, the shifting clouds.

       At night they made love, with abandon and urgency, twining around each other, demanding, surrendering. Desire surged through them like a rushing river, crashing against their young bodies. Stifled moans and low, ragged breaths spilled out of the little attic that was never soundproof, like a wild hymn sung into the vast night.

       Even at the height of passion, Qin Mu was careful, afraid of hurting Shen Liu’s injured leg. But Shen Liu only held him tighter, whispering against his ear, “It’s fine. Come inside.” Sometimes he indulged Qin Mu’s fierceness; other times he used his injury to tease and provoke, luring Qin Mu into shameful positions, coaxing him to take him deeper, rougher.

       They had nothing, and yet it felt as if they had everything. They told each other everything, except for two things they both avoided:

       One was the cause. The other, the future.

       Shen Liu never explained what had happened during his disappearance. And since leaving K City, Qin Mu had never again spoken of his dreams for the days to come. He had once imagined graduating, taking the bar exam, the two of them struggling together in K City, saving for the down payment on a tiny apartment, making a home of their own. He had even planned the decor: a massive sofa, and maybe two little pets. But he never spoke of it again.

       After another night’s storm had ebbed away and starlight poured through the attic’s small skylight as they lay side by side. Suddenly, Shen Liu asked, “Log, what kind of life do you want?”

       Qin Mu froze for a moment, then said slowly, “A pastoral life. Planting a little vegetable patch, living off what we grow, storing up in autumn and winter. A life where we don’t have to bother with other people, where if we want greens we just go out and pick them. What about you?”

       It was probably because the moonlight was too bright that Shen Liu closed his eyes. “I want to live the kind of life you wanted to live.”

       He laughed. “So cheesy.”

       The weather gradually grew hotter. Qin Mu received his first month’s salary and took Shen Liu to the county hospital for an X-ray on his leg. The doctor said the recovery looked good, but it still needed more rest.

       On the way home, Qin Mu deliberately stopped by the market to buy two pig trotters, saying he wanted to borrow Chef Fang’s pressure cooker to stew soybeans with pig’s feet for Shen Liu to nourish his body.

       The county market was bustling. The crowd was noisy and lively, hawkers’ cries rose and fell, and the air was thick with the mingled aromas of fried stinky tofu, stir-fried rice cakes, egg pancakes, and oden. It had a clamor that was also full of warmth and closeness, the scent of everyday life. Qin Mu paused at a stall selling fried radish cakes. Just as he was about to leave, Shen Liu called him back.

       “What is it?” Qin Mu asked.

       Shen Liu pursed his lips toward the stall. “I want to eat that.”

       Qin Mu was surprised. “Don’t you not like these? Back then whenever I bought them you never…” He stopped mid-sentence, realizing the truth. It wasn’t that Shen Liu was craving it—he just wanted to buy it for him. A warmth spread in Qin Mu’s chest, and he smiled. “Forget it, I don’t feel like eating.” Their finances were tight; they saved wherever they could.

       “Just buy one. We’ll share it,” Shen Liu said.

       Qin Mu looked at him, then at the radish cakes, and sighed before stepping forward. “Boss, one please.”

       The hot fried cake sizzled with oil when bitten into, the fragrance so rich it felt like it opened every pore in the body. When Qin Mu handed it over, Shen Liu didn’t eat it. Instead, he leaned over just as Qin Mu took a bite and bit into it himself, their lips brushing at the corners. Qin Mu was so startled he nearly dropped the cake.

       “…Are you crazy!” He lowered his voice and scolded, “We’re on the street.”

       “You’re my boyfriend. What’s wrong with a kiss?” That rogue, stealing fragrance and jade, smiled with his eyes bent. “Your greasy mouth looks so appetizing.”

       Qin Mu’s face flushed red as he gritted his teeth. “Do you not want your other leg either?”

       “Go on, hit me. If you break it, then tonight you’ll have to do the full set all by yourself.” Shen Liu could be shameless anywhere, anytime.

       “I should just break your third leg too,” Qin Mu bit into the cake and strode off.

       “Murdering your husband is a serious crime. You can’t break the law,” Shen Liu leaned on his bamboo pole, following at a leisurely pace.

       Qin Mu had only taken a few steps before coming back to support him, stuffing the last bite of fried cake into his mouth. “Shut up.”

       “Yes, sir.” Shen Liu’s eyes brimmed with laughter.

       In Jiangnan, when summer approached, rain became frequent. The sky was like a creditor who could not collect his debt, keeping a gloomy, sullen face for days on end. Qin Mu received a job guiding a tour, and hurried through the rain from the restaurant to the ticket office.

       The tourist was a man, about thirty years old, holding a black umbrella.

       “Please come with me.” Qin Mu led him toward the archways, explaining the history of Tingyun Town along the way. When there was nothing more to say, he made small talk as usual. “There aren’t many visitors on rainy days. You came here alone?”

       “I came to find someone.” The man’s figure was tall and upright, carrying a stern and imposing presence. His steps were measured, not fast or slow, like the precise swing of a pendulum.

       “Find someone?” Qin Mu carefully avoided a puddle on the ground. “Someone living in this town? What’s the name? Maybe I can help.”

       “Shen Liu.”

       Qin Mu stepped straight into a puddle, soaking his shoe.

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       When Shen Liu was young, he was very high-profile, one of the most prominent figures at K University. Yet in matters of love, he was very discreet; aside from a small handful of people in the know, he never mentioned his relationship with Qin Mu to outsiders, nor did he ever display affection in public.

       This was not because he deliberately wanted to hide anything.

       Although Shen Liu seemed approachable, deep down, he carried an arrogance that looked down on the world. He was like a lion lazily basking on a rock, indifferent to the herbivores frolicking before him, baring his fangs and only revealing his wild dominance when provoked. A man like that did not care about the opinions of others.

       Qin Mu knew that Shen Liu’s discretion was to protect him.

       The broader society was still not tolerant enough toward homosexuality. Many people, at the mere mention of it, would blurt out the word ‘disgusting’. Even in the relatively open environment of a university campus, hostility toward homosexuals was not uncommon. Shen Liu was unafraid of these things, but he feared Qin Mu might be affected. He knew the hardships Qin Mu had suffered, the pain he had endured, and how difficult his journey had been. He did not want Qin Mu to once again face cold stares, reproach, or silent hurt. So he used a hard shell to wrap Qin Mu securely, allowing him to dwell peacefully in a safe and fitting little world, much like a snail.

       Qin Mu, in turn, loved Shen Liu with unwavering devotion. He was ready to put on a suit and go before God himself to vow never to part for the rest of his life. But sometimes he deliberately restrained his feelings, not wanting Shen Liu to feel pressure or burden. Everyone, when facing the one they loved, would be anxious and uncertain. All the more so since Qin Mu’s nature still carried the inferiority planted in his childhood. Even though he tried to restrain and adjust himself, he could not help but imagine what would happen if one day Shen Liu no longer loved him.

       He believed in the freedom of love and did not wish to shackle their relationship with chains. However, he did not know if he could let go with grace and offer blessings when the time truly came to part. After all, that was far too difficult.

       But Qin Mu’s worry never came to pass. Shen Liu, hand in hand with him, withstood the test of time. Their love, like wine buried beneath a tree, grew ever more pure and mellow. They had fallen into the habit of caring for one another, looking after each other. Sometimes, without a word, just a glance could make the other understand completely. Feiyan jokingly said the two of them had ‘already stepped into the old married couple stage ahead of time’. Between the two ‘old husbands’ there were still many little intimacies that could not be spoken of, weaving everyday life into something tender, romantic, and poetic.

       In the blink of an eye, Shen Liu reached his senior year, arriving at another crossroads in life. After much thought, he decided to stay on and be directly admitted into K University’s graduate program. When Qin Mu heard the news, he was overjoyed. That night, he wrapped himself around Shen Liu, chattering on and on about their future, until he was thoroughly worn out twice before finally falling asleep, exhausted.

       Just as this little boat of love was cutting through the waves toward hope, a strange current drifted in with the wind.

       That year, during the Spring Festival, Shen Liu went home, only returning just before the new semester began. After that, the phone calls started to increase. Qin Mu noticed that sometimes he would deliberately avoid him when answering. Once, when Qin Mu went to collect the laundry, he overheard Shen Liu on the balcony, clutching his phone and arguing with someone. His tone was so cold and hard that it was frightening. Qin Mu worried that he had encountered a complicated matter, but Shen Liu deflected the topic with just a few words.

       Qin Mu trusted him completely. He thought that since Shen Liu said nothing, it meant he was capable of handling it properly, and he should not dig deeper. Yet after being together for so long, they could read the subtlest changes in each other’s emotions. Qin Mu sensed the anxiety that Shen Liu was straining to suppress. He tried to gently confide to his lover that no matter what happened, he was willing to shoulder it with him, but Shen Liu still said nothing.

       Not only that, he even disappeared.

       That evening, the two had agreed to meet at the library. Shen Liu never came, and when Qin Mu called, his phone was switched off. The longer he waited, the more panicked he became. He hurried back home, only to find the room empty.

       Shen Liu did not come back that night, and Qin Mu did not sleep a wink. Through the registration number on Shen Liu’s student record, he managed to contact his family, but the person on the other end said coldly that Shen Liu had gone home. Not only that, he was not feeling well and could not take calls before hanging up. Within two days, news came from the academic office: Shen Liu had requested a month of medical leave. The whole situation was far too strange. Qin Mu did not know why he had left without a word. On the one hand, he reassured himself that if Shen Liu was home then he must be safe; on the other hand, he worried whether he had truly fallen seriously ill. He even had the thought of flying to J City to look for him, only to discover that the address in the student record—’No. 512 Wang Hai Road, Wushan District, J City’—did not exist at all.

       And just like that, Shen Liu disappeared from Qin Mu’s world.

       During that period, Qin Mu was like a soul lost. He was plagued by nightmares, consumed by worry, unable to sleep at night, counting the days like a child waiting for the New Year. But when the sick leave expired, he still had not returned. He called that number again, but no matter how many times, it never connected.

       The bottomless waiting hollowed Qin Mu out. In a month and a half, he lost ten pounds. He felt as if he had been cast into a barren wilderness, surrounded by desolation on all sides, with no way out and no hope in sight.

       Just as he was on the verge of breaking, that person finally came back.

       On a rainy afternoon, Qin Mu forced himself to sit for an exam. After leaving the hall, when he turned on his phone, he saw a text notification of a missed call from an unfamiliar number. He called back and heard a long-lost voice.

       “Log.”

       Qin Mu froze, suspecting he was hallucinating. Cautiously, he asked, “Shen Liu?”

       The other gave a quiet hum.

       Qin Mu’s hand gripped the phone so tightly his knuckles turned white. He was trembling, his breath uneven. “Where are you? How are you? You…” His vision blurred, and scalding tears welled up, spilling down his cheeks.

       “I’m at the south gate.” Perhaps the signal was poor, because Shen Liu’s voice faded in and out.

       “Don’t hang up!” Qin Mu said urgently. He broke into a run toward the south, nearly crashing into people along the way. When he burst through the south gate of the campus, his heart pounded as if it would leap out of his chest. He looked around frantically, panting, and asked, “Where are you?”

       “To your right.”

       Qin Mu turned his head and saw a black unlicensed car that ferried passengers slowly lower its rear window. From within emerged the face he had longed for day and night. Shen Liu looked somewhat haggard, with messy stubble on his chin. He spoke: “Get in, we’ll talk inside.”

       Opening the back door, Qin Mu immediately noticed the glaringly obvious cast on his right leg. Shocked and distressed, he asked, “What happened to your leg?”

       “It’s nothing.” Shen Liu patted the seat, signalling him to sit, then raised his hand to touch Qin Mu’s gaunt cheek. He asked softly, “You haven’t been eating properly, have you?”

       Qin Mu could not hold back any longer. He seized his hand, eyes reddened, and asked, “What on earth happened? What did you run into? No matter what it is, you can tell me. I am… the closest person to you.”

       Shen Liu gazed at him, his eyes gentle yet profound, like a sea drenched in moonlight. Qin Mu sensed the emotions hidden within—too complex, too intense, impossible to untangle, like a volcanic eruption in the deep ocean, mountain-shaking and earth-splitting, yet known to no one. Just as Qin Mu tried to discern it, he heard him speak.

       “Log, let’s run away together. Leave everything behind, just go with me.”

       Shen Liu’s words were soft and slow, like smoke that would scatter with the faintest breeze.

       Qin Mu was stunned. For a moment, the sudden shock and confusion in his eyes gradually faded, like a lake revealed after the mist had lifted, showing its clear essence.

       He understood.

       This was, in fact, a question.

       Academics, life, friends, family, their little apartment… I am going to abandon it all, to go to the ends of the earth, to places unknown. Will you go with me?

       “Yes.”

       He took less than a minute to make a decision that would affect the rest of his life.

       Hearing this answer, Shen Liu’s gaze trembled, the corners of his eyes tinged with a restrained redness. He pulled his lips into a faint smile, carrying both the comfort of long-held certainty and an unspoken sorrow.

       “Driver, take us to the bus terminal,” he said to the driver.

       Qin Mu understood Shen Liu. He was a man of meticulous thought, thorough and careful in all things, always leaving room in his dealings with others, seldom taking reckless risks. When confronted with problems, he dared to take responsibility, never shirking, and his mind was always full of solutions. Even with the enemy at the gates, he could dig out a way to live from layers of encirclement. He would not have come to this step unless he had been driven into a dead end.

       “Let’s run away together” was his final choice.

       At such a time, even if what lay ahead was a bottomless abyss, Qin Mu still wanted to stand at his side.

       Qin Mu felt that his life was like a tree. Before meeting Shen Liu, he had grown muddle-headed and aimless, trimmed and cut at others’ will, battered by storm and gale. It was this man who had saved him from the mire, who had protected him with care, shielding him from the wind and rain, who had given him the courage to face both past and future, who had taught him how to love and be loved. The name ‘Shen Liu’ had long been carved stroke by stroke into his heart, fused into his very bones and blood. He could leave everything behind and go with him, without asking for a reason.

       As long as they were together, nothing else mattered.

       When they boarded the long-distance bus, Qin Mu asked, “Does this count as a spur-of-the-moment trip?”

       Shen Liu smiled, turned his head over to rest against his own shoulder, and said, “Sleep. Get a proper rest.”

       They rode the bus for two days and one night, and stopped in a small town.

       The town had been built along a river, and the scenery was beautiful.

       Shen Liu had no money on him, and Qin Mu had only a little more than five hundred yuan left from his work-study savings. They found a small inn to settle in temporarily. After taking a good hot shower and resting for a night, they began planning the days ahead. Sixty yuan a day for the inn was too expensive—they had to find another place to live. Fortunately, the inn’s landlady was kind-hearted. When she heard that they wanted to rent a place, she cleared out the attic above her own small building and rented it to them for three hundred and fifty a month.

       Since Shen Liu was inconvenienced by his leg, Qin Mu cleaned up the place, then went to a small supermarket to buy necessities like toothbrushes and cups. When he came back, Shen Liu looked at the bedspread with dragons and phoenixes embroidered in celebration and burst into laughter. “So festive.”

       Qin Mu’s ears turned red, and he muttered in embarrassment, “This one was cheaper.”

       Shen Liu nodded in agreement. “It looks good. It has a beauty unique to traditional Chinese culture, making you want to do something on it.”

       Qin Mu sneered, “You’d better focus on healing your leg first.”

       “How can you discriminate against the disabled?” Shen Liu patted the spot beside him. “Stop fussing, Little Log, come sit with your gege for a while.”

       Qin Mu kicked his uninjured foot lightly. “If you won’t help, fine, but don’t drag me down.” Though his words were sharp, he still poured him a glass of water before sitting down.

       The wind drifted in from the river. Shen Liu held him close, leaned back against the window, and looked up at the drifting clouds in the sky. Like a big cat, he narrowed his eyes and sighed, “The weather is so nice.”

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       Qin Mu’s heart trembled.

       In the past, Shen Liu had called him this way when he was aroused. It was like a bewitching spell that drove one to madness, constantly stirring an irrepressible fervour within him.

       Time had fled with memories, yet the curse that person left on his body lingered, and his body responded with the most honest reaction. Qin Mu’s breathing grew increasingly erratic. Sweat trickled down his heaving chest, and his c0ck, which had softened during the invasion, was now erect again.

       “Why are you clenching so tightly? Eager for me to feed you?” Shen Liu’s low voice carried a triumphant smile.

       Qin Mu’s ears were sensitive, and the warm breath grazing his earlobe instantly sent shivers across his skin. Yet, the man intensified the sensation. He teasingly nibbled at his earlobe with his tongue. The tingling and itching feeling scurried like a startled mouse down his entire spine, and Qin Mu, unable to bear it, turned his face slightly to evade. In the next moment, the beast that had lain dormant within him roared and crashed fiercely. The pleasure of his gland being squeezed forced a low and involuntary cry from his lips.

       “You’ve forgotten what I just taught you so quickly,” Shen Liu said, biting down hard on Qin Mu’s neck in punishment. He then buried his head to kiss a trail along his body like a beast claiming its territory, leaving ambiguous marks that belonged solely to him. He paused just before touching Qin Mu’s lips, the lust swirling in his eyes like a ravenous glutton, eagerly roaring, as if ready to break free from its shackles and pounce upon the person before him in one gulp.

       Before Qin Mu, whose vision had been taken away, Shen Liu finally shed his pretence, restraint, and disguise, revealing his most genuine longing. He gazed boldly and obsessively, his fingertips repeatedly tracing the soft lips, and said in a hoarse voice, “You are mine.”

       It was as if he spoke to the other person, yet also to himself. Before Qin Mu could respond, the beast buried between his thighs could no longer restrain its ferocity. It withdrew, invaded, thrust, and collided repeatedly. The crude and primal rhythm followed the human instinct to chase desire.

       It was not enough, far from enough.

       He wanted everything from the person before him, from the inside out, from body to heart. At that moment, Shen Liu was controlled by a frenzied possessiveness, abandoning all technique and restraint, letting himself sink into the sea of ultimate pleasure.

       Pride was a sin. It trapped one in a self-drawn prison, blinding the eyes with empty resolve, forgetting the true heart.

       Greed was a sin. It drove one to demand the unattainable, pushing them into an abyss of possessive desire, yearning yet never obtaining.

       Lust was a sin. It stripped away reason, ensnaring one in the ecstasy of carnal pleasure and entwining them together.

       Yet even with the weight of such sins and punishments, he still wanted him.

       Knowing it was forbidden, improper, impossible, he insisted on pursuing it.

       Even if only for one night.

       The person he had once lost was right before his eyes, like a bright and tempting fruit hanging high in the Garden of Eden, enchanting him, making him unable to resist, willingly plunging into hell for a single bite.

       Qin Mu was the cause and effect of his fate, the sin he bore, the demon he could not escape.

       He accepted it.

       This obsession was buried too deep, held on for too long. Once the ashes reignited, they blazed into a towering inferno.

       His heart pounded as if it would burst, his chest burning. Shen Liu hooked Qin Mu’s legs into the crook of his arms, relentlessly ravaging the tight passage, each thrust heavier and deeper than the last, as if to meld their bodies into one.

       Qin Mu was so shaken by this brutal assault that his soul seemed to scatter. Pain and pleasure, like spilt paint cans, blended into a vibrant chaos amidst the darkness. Overwhelming ecstasy flashed like lightning through every inch of his flesh and bone, his body trembling, his breath quivering. The moans he struggled to suppress spilt from his gasps, the restrained throat sounds carrying a unique, ascetic undertone, making them all the more alluring in the tangled tide of passion, driving the intruder nearly mad.

       Their skin touched, their lower bodies were connected, and they were both very hot. It was hard to tell who ignited whose desire, and who satisfied whose needs.

       Shen Liu thrust deeply into him again, whispering in his ear, “Is it better with the whip or with your legs spread? Do you like me taking you like this?”

       The usually cold and proud man was now swept into the vortex of desire by a tempest, flushed and disarmed. “…I like it.”

       Shen Liu refused to let him off, teasing as he moved in and out, “No sincerity. Say something I want to hear.”

       Qin Mu tightly pursed his lips, refusing to speak. However, unable to withstand the deliberate torment, he arched his neck and let out a moan tinged with a sob. Shen Liu knew Qin Mu’s endurance in such matters and slowed down, removing the obstructive blindfold and kissing his damp eyes.

       Qin Mu leaned against the wall, dazed, his eyes rimmed red, lashes wet with fine tears. At that moment, he was a mess. His legs were spread wide, his lascivious rear still filled, his engorged member tightly bound at the base. He resembled an angel in a painting, defiled by a demon and tainted with impure desire.

       “Want it released?” Shen Liu teased, stroking Qin Mu’s member. “Beg me.” It was both a temptation and a coaxing.

       Awkwardly, Qin Mu averted his gaze and said with difficulty, “Please… Let me cum…”

       “Look at me and say it again,” Shen Liu demanded, his touch growing firmer.

       Qin Mu’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and he pleaded, “Please, let me cum…”

       Shen Liu, like a forest spirit emerging from the mist to steal souls, whispered seductively, “Say you belong to me.”

       Qin Mu, unable to endure further, lowered his lashes in submission and complied, “…I belong to you, Master.”

       Yet the man greedily pressed further. “Say you love me.”

       At those words, Qin Mu’s gaze flickered, his lips tightly sealed. Shen Liu grazed the tip of his member playfully, narrowing his eyes in warning. “Disobedience won’t feel good.”

       Qin Mu’s chest heaved violently, his eyes growing redder. He closed them in despair, then, like a martyr facing sacrifice. He leaned forward and brushed a fleeting kiss on Shen Liu’s lips.

       Was that an answer?

       The man paused, then laughed, delivering a sharp slap to Qin Mu’s buttocks. “So naughty, should I spank you?” He unlocked the handcuffs, scooped him up by the waist, and tossed him onto the large bed. He immediately pressed himself over him, kissing him deeply while releasing the chastity ring.

       “Don’t cum until I allow it.”

       Before the command fully registered, their lips and tongues entwined again. As Shen Liu invaded his mouth, he claimed his back hole once more. He thrust powerfully, slicing through the soft, wet passage like a blade. This time, instead of going deep, he quickened the pace with shallow thrusts.

       This method intensified the pressure on the gland, sending pleasure bursting like fireworks in the mind. Qin Mu’s body surrendered completely, whimpering amidst the tangle of lips and saliva, his body tensing, toes curling, unable to hold back as he cum. The passage tightened with climax, sucking the intruding shaft like an eager mouth, driving Shen Liu to the edge until he, too, cum with a low groan.

       In the moment, their overwhelming desire was sated. All barriers and grudges vanished as their souls and bodies communed, sensing true affection.

       The afterglow of climax washed over their entwined bodies like waves on a shore, receding layer by layer. Neither moved, nor did either break the silence first. They both knew in their hearts that this reckless night of unspoken understanding would not happen again. The carnal indulgence borrowed from a game, the veiled confessions, the unguarded truths—all would vanish in the dawn’s first light. When their naked bodies donned clothes again, they would also don their roles, status, and distance. Like stars returning to their places, the constellations shifting, this fiery liquor of passion would simmer into tasteless water, used to brew two cups of tea called gentlemanly acquaintance.

       To meet you is joy, yet I can only blame the moon and stars.

       Through this long, absurd night, whose heart will be stirred?

       The room was quiet, save for the faint ticking of the bedside clock. Qin Mu’s legs felt numb, and he shifted slightly. Shen Liu’s hand grazed his lower back. “Want more?”

       Qin Mu’s expression stiffened, his face wooden as he replied, “You still up for it?”

       Shen Liu tossed the condom into the trash, sat on the bed’s edge with legs spread, and grinned. “Serving the people, how could I not be?”

       Qin Mu sat up, glancing at him from the corner of his eye. “At your age, better watch your health.” He moved to get a cigarette, but the earlier exertion left his legs weak, and he stumbled back onto the bed.

       Shen Liu laughed, retorting, “You’re not young either. Watch yourself.”

       Qin Mu’s ears reddened.

       “What do you want?” the man asked.

       “Cigarette.”

       Shen Liu fetched one from Qin Mu’s pocket on the coat rack, lit it between his own lips, and passed it over. “Just one. Too many’s bad for you. At our age, we need to cherish life.”

       The age jab lingered.

       Qin Mu ignored him, took a drag, and mused that cigarettes really do feel good after sex.

       “Shower together?” Shen Liu invited enthusiastically.

       Qin Mu glimpsed the sticky mess on his abdomen and turned away. “You first.”

       “Okay.” Shen Liu smiled and went into the bathroom.

       Qin Mu leaned against the headboard, smoking. His desire-clouded mind now asserting itself in the clarity of post-coital reflection, belatedly pondering deeply.

       What now, after this?

       Where should he place this man?

       What was Shen Liu thinking?

       How would he handle this case?

       The cigarette burned to its end, and no answers came. He considered lighting another but stopped, recalling Shen Liu’s words. With a helpless sigh, he stared at the bedside lamp.

       Moments later, his attention shifted to the small clock nearby.

       Many Doms placed timers or ticking clocks in playrooms, partly to count during punishments, partly to track time. This was an old brass clock.

       Qin Mu recognised it; it was one they had used.

       In Tingyun Town.

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       When the warm softness touched his lips, Qin Mu’s mind went blank for an instant.

       In that moment, his heart forgot to beat, his breath lost its rhythm, and even his hearing was lost.

       The world turned into a quiet and pure black space, with countless white birds surging toward him, piercing through his body like arrows.

       They were fragments of memory.

       Memories of Shen Liu that he had buried with his own hands—

       The awkward and hesitant wine-laced kiss.

       The joyful kiss in the library under the setting sun.

       The brief, tense kiss beneath the basketball hoop.

       The lingering, passionate kiss during a long night’s embrace.

       The bitter, anguished kiss of farewell.

       …

       The long-lost sensation stirred the past, and countless similar moments overlapped. It whistled through his limbs like a gale, so fierce that his soul trembled uncontrollably. A complex and indescribable surge of emotions erupted, and the unfamiliar loss of control filled Qin Mu with panic. His body reacted instinctively.

       Qin Mu turned his face away.

       Reason returned belatedly, and when he realised what he had done, his body stiffened.

       As the submissive in this game, such an action was tantamount to courting disaster. Unable to see Shen Liu’s expression, the hesitant ‘Master’ he uttered, revealing a trace of unease and even a hint of weakness.

       Shen Liu laughed with a dangerous edge in his tone.

       At that moment, Qin Mu was blindfolded and securely bound. He felt like a lone herbivore on the savanna, unaware of the predator lurking in the tall grass. He was surrounded by unseen threats, and his body tensed with apprehension. He scrambled to make amends, admitting fault, “I was wrong, Master.”

       “This is the first time I have met a slave who refuses to be kissed by his master,” Shen Liu drawled, his voice deliberately slow. “It seems Mr. Pharaoh is used to wielding the whip and has forgotten how to be a slave. I don’t mind revisiting basic training, but unfortunately, time is short tonight, so we’ll have to speed things up a bit.” He paced the room, selecting props while musing, “A simple punishment is too dull. Let’s make it educational and entertaining, shall we?”

       Qin Mu sighed helplessly in his heart. His earlier action had already provoked this Dom, and any misstep now would only worsen things. He could only respond with the standard reply, “Everything is decided by Master.”

       Shen Liu, laden with props, placed them on the side table and began, “The rules are simple: guess the prop in my hand. Three chances per item, five seconds each. Guess correctly, and you pass. Guess wrong, and it gets used on you, in a way I choose.”

       “Master expects me to guess blindly from a distance?”

       Shen Liu’s lips curled into a smile. “I’ll give you a chance to touch it. Any other questions?”

       “None, Master.”

       “Then let’s begin. First item.”

       Qin Mu waited attentively. Soon, a faint coolness touched his chest, something hard sliding slowly from the centre of his chest down past his abdomen. It stopped at his c0ck, teasing it carelessly.

       “A friendly reminder. No answer within five seconds counts as a forfeit. Your first chance is gone,” Shen Liu said leisurely.

       Qin Mu blurted out in shock, “You said I could touch…” He stopped mid-sentence, realising that he had been tricked and swallowed the second half of the sentence.

       “I said I would let you touch it with your body. As for which part, that’s my choice,” Shen Liu said with a carefree laugh, scraping the object repeatedly against the tip of Qin Mu’s c0ck, unhurriedly adding, “This should be the most sensitive part of your body. Still can’t guess?”

       How could anyone guess this? Qin Mu gritted his teeth. The sensation of his sensitive tip being rubbed made him take two deep breaths, and he threw out a desperate guess, “Riding crop.”

       “Wrong. Keep going.” The cool and hard object moved back, pressing harder against his balls, as Shen Liu counted down leisurely, “Five, four…”

       “…Hand paddle,” Qin Mu squeezed out at the last second through gritted teeth.

       “Wrong. Such a pity,” Shen Liu said, his regret insincere.

       The words had barely landed when a sharp crack rang out. The strike was swift and precise, landing on the tender flesh inside his right thigh, igniting a stinging, fiery pain. Qin Mu couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan, instinctively trying to close his legs, but the bindings held firm, straining his joints with a dull ache.

       “Now do you know what it is?” Shen Liu asked.

       “…Wide ruler,” Qin Mu said, enduring the pain, roughly deducing the material from the strike’s feel and size.

       “Looks like you only learn through personal experience,” the man said with a chuckle, tossing the ruler aside and picking up another item.

       Qin Mu braced himself. However, the faint touch on his chest lasted only a moment before vanishing, as if it felt soft.

       “Rope?” He couldn’t be sure.

       “Guess again.”

       “…Soft whip.”

       “One last chance.” Shen Liu used the item to tease his nipple, alternating between light and heavy touches, switching to the other side once one began to harden.

       Qin Mu’s body subtly reacted to the teasing and shrank back uncomfortably.

       “Did I permit you to move?” The man’s warning came with a punishment, a sharp pain on his chest, making Qin Mu groan.

       “Give me your answer.”

       Recalling the faint metallic texture, Qin Mu guessed uncertainly, “Chain.”

       Shen Liu tsked, feigning regret. “Such an obvious hint, and you still couldn’t guess. How disappointing.”

       Then both sides of Qin Mu’s chest stung as the item clamped onto his erect nipples like a small mouth with iron teeth. Tiny electric currents slithered out, causing a mix of pain and numbness. He gasped deeply and gripped the steel frame tightly to maintain his posture.

       It turned out to be a pair of electric nipple clamps connected by a thin chain. The so-called hint was just Shen Liu toying with his chest?

       This guy never intended for him to guess right. Qin Mu gave a wry smile.

       “Next one.” Shen Liu was enjoying himself, showing no sign of stopping. After multiple wrong guesses, Qin Mu’s body was covered in mottled marks. Bound and tormented for so long, his stamina waned. He leaned against the wall and panted lightly.

       Shen Liu fastened a c0ck ring—one of the items Qin Mu failed to guess—around the base of his c0ck, mocking, “Mr. Pharaoh, a Dom for so long, yet you can’t distinguish these basic props. Not very competent, are you?” His gaze swept over Qin Mu’s trembling left leg, then he picked up a vibrating di-do and pressed it to Qin Mu’s lips. “One last chance.”

       The silicone texture was easy to recognise. Qin Mu opened his mouth to answer, but the di-do was thrust into his mouth. The next second, his jaw was gripped, Shen Liu forcing him to keep the di-do in. It went too deep, pressing against the back of his tongue, triggering a gag reflex. Qin Mu struggled, the handcuffs clanging against the steel bar.

       Shen Liu eased the di-do out slightly, asking, “Guessed it?”

       With the object in his mouth, Qin Mu could only make muffled throat sounds.

       “Know it but can’t say it… Frustrating, isn’t it?” Shen Liu asked knowingly. He tilted Qin Mu’s face up to expose the elegant line of his neck. His thumb slowly pressed against Qin Mu’s Adam’s apple, forcing him to swallow repeatedly. “Slave, in this game, I am the rules. You must accept everything I give, and everything of yours belongs to me. Understood?”

       The throat was a vulnerable and fatal point. Such an act signified complete control and dominance. Unable to speak, Qin Mu could only nod with difficulty.

       The di-do was withdrawn, and the grip on his jaw released. Qin Mu coughed dryly, tears welling at the corners of his eyes. As he recovered, he felt the saliva-slick di-do now pressing against his secret entrance, circling slowly before resting at his rear hole.

       “Want it?” Shen Liu asked.

       Qin Mu’s body tensed, his voice hoarse. “A slave’s body belongs to Master. I want everything Master gives me.”

       “Very good.” Shen Liu’s lips curved. He applied some lubricant to the medium-sized vibrating di-do. With slight force, the tip began to part his anal opening, inching inside.

       The sensation of his private place being invaded made Qin Mu’s teeth ache, his sphincter instinctively tightening in resistance.

       Shen Liu frowned. “Relax.”

       Qin Mu panted and tried to adjust, but for some reason, he felt so tense and inexperienced. He was unable to relax, no matter how he tried. In a panic, he called out, “Master…”

       Forcing entry in this state could injure him. Shen Liu slapped his thigh as a reprimand. “Can’t even handle expansion properly.”

       “I was wrong, Master.” Qin Mu barely relaxed when he tensed again. Something was pressing against that poor little opening once more.

       This time, it was fingers.

       Shen Liu’s movements were almost gentle, patiently slowing the pace.

       His passage was stretched, the lubricant squelching with embarrassing sticky sounds as it was stirred. Qin Mu’s breathing became erratic. His ears flushed red and his hands gripped the steel bars tightly, trembling as he barely held himself upright.

       “Feel good?” Shen Liu deliberately stoked his desire, his fingers mimicking thrusting motions inside, expertly pressing against that hidden sensitive spot. Qin Mu shuddered as if electrified, arching his neck and gasping heavily, like a fish desperate for water. Under such teasing, his c0ck gradually hardened. His tip rising, engorged with blood, making the c0ck ring at the base bite tighter, a beautiful yet cruel shackle.

       Shen Liu’s gaze darkened, and countless desires flickered in his eyes.

       Qin Mu’s back hole was breached, and his front was on the verge of falling. The man’s fingertips scr4p3d repeatedly at his sensitive tip, like some ancient sorcery, manipulating a snake of pain, itch, and irresistible pleasure slithering through his body. Qin Mu groaned. He tightly closed his lips to stifle the moans threatening to escape, and physiological tears swere oaking the blindfold.

       “Do your subs know their master makes these expressions?” Shen Liu’s low and husky voice whispered in his ear, sensual and provocative. “Ah, the ascetic Mr. Pharaoh, kneeling before another with legs spread wide, calling out ‘Master’ as his little hole below, clinging tightly to the fingers inside. So proper on the surface, but starving with need, just a couple of pokes and you’re so pleasured you’re about to cry.” His words were deliberately provocative, each one light as a feather. “You look beautiful right now. Should we take a picture to show them?”

       Qin Mu’s right leg was numb, his left leg barely holding up under the relentless teasing. These words fanned the flames of shame, a flush spreading across his body, forcing him to yield. “Please…”

       “Now that expression is much more pleasing,” Shen Liu said with a low chuckle. He withdrew his fingers and peeled off the lubricant-slick medical gloves. He quickly unbound Qin Mu’s right leg, catching the unsteady man around the waist and saying in a deep voice, “Foreplay’s over.”

       Before Qin Mu could process the meaning of those words in his dazed state, his back was pressed against the wall, and his hips lifted forcefully. A powerful body pinned him from the front, forcing his legs open again. In that narrow space, a hard, scorching c0ck aligned with his soft entrance and thrust in roughly. Qin Mu gasped, letting out a suppressed moan, his body arching sharply and the handcuffs clanging loudly.

       The tip of Shen Liu’s c0ck was enveloped in the wet and soft cavity. The sensation so intense that Shen Liu had to take two deep breaths to steady himself. He fought to suppress his near-exploding desire, teasing Qin Mu’s chest and softened c0ck repeatedly, his voice hoarse. “Relax, let me in.”

       It had been a long time since Qin Mu had experienced such intimacy. Sweat beaded on his forehead and back, the blindfold soaked through, his voice trembling as he pleaded, “Slower… Please, Master…”

       Shen Liu’s heart raced faster, but he restrained his urge. He controlled the rhythm and eased his grip slightly, letting Qin Mu’s weight slowly open the narrow passage. His size was considerable, and even with thorough preparation, the process was still somewhat difficult.

       It was torturous for both. Qin Mu clenched his teeth, his body rigid as he struggled to adjust to the intrusion, like a helpless animal caught by a predator’s jaws with nowhere to flee. When the entire c0ck was buried in that warm and intoxicating passage, Shen Liu kissed his hot ears from the side of his face and whispered softly, “Good boy.”

T/N:
That’s it for now ><
I planned to finish the whole series by the end of this year at the latest. So don’t worry if I seem to disappear for a while… I will be back and post as much as I can before going MIA again~
Special shoutout for Desuma, who keeps encouraging me and letting me know how much you enjoyed the series 🙂
Rest assured, I will not abandon this project ദ്ദി *´꒳`*)

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       A smile rose on Shen Liu’s face as he turned slightly to the side, raising his hand in an elegant gesture of invitation.

       Qin Mu stepped upstairs. Shen Liu turned his head and glanced at Tao Ze. The house steward caught on instantly and within three minutes had cleared the main building of all irrelevant personnel including himself.

       The two of them entered the bedroom, one after the other. Qin Mu asked, “What do you want me to do?”

       “In such a hurry?” Shen Liu teased. He took off his coat and pulled out his phone to tap on it a few times.

       The massive wall-mounted painting began to move silently, revealing a hidden black door embedded behind it.

       “You never noticed while living here?” Shen Liu asked.

       Qin Mu shook his head.

       The man chuckled, a trace of boyish pride showing on his face. The fingerprint lock responded with a soft click, and he stood by the door, tilting his head to glance back.

       He was waiting.

       He neither urged nor persuaded, carrying an air of laying a trap with a baited smile.

       Qin Mu knew he should walk over with a natural, relaxed, and indifferent attitude. This was a deal he had agreed to, and there was no reason to back out now. But ever since that word ‘Deal’ had left his mouth, the crashing waves in his mind had refused to settle. They howled, clamouring and interrogating him from all directions—

       Do you even know what you just agreed to?

       He’s blackmailing you, do you realise that?

       Weren’t you the one who decided to draw the line with him?

       That relationship ended a long time ago. How can you let this happen now?

       Are you really going to let him get involved?

       What exactly is this between you two?

       …

       At that moment, he felt like a restless sea with currents surging chaotically beneath the surface and shoals of fish scattering in panic. Yet he had to hide it all away, maintaining the illusion of calm waters.

       Shen Liu had placed his chess piece in a way that left him no good move, and he had no choice but to make what seemed like the best decision under the circumstances.

       Because there was no way out.

       Because he was desperate for revenge.

       Because he had no choice.

       But he knew deep down that these reasons that could be laid out on the table were far too flimsy to stand up to real scrutiny. They weren’t enough to justify crossing this line and agreeing to such a ridiculous transaction.

       The real reason was simply… the man in front of him.

       The one he had quietly held in his heart for so many years, someone whose name he hadn’t even dared to utter. After all these years apart, that person could still pull at his heartstrings, shatter his defences, and command his complete trust.

       Qin Mu had struggled to convince himself that this was just a transaction. But now, with the door right in front of him, he suddenly felt afraid. He felt like a rookie soldier stepping onto the battlefield for the first time, instinctively wanting to retreat at the last moment. The urge was so overwhelming that he even entertained the idea of tearing off his pride and breaking the deal right then and there.

       But he couldn’t retreat.

       At least not at this moment.

       Shen Liu had named it a one-night stand. Since he dared to say it, Qin Mu had to be willing to play along.

       Qin Mu silently took a deep breath and stepped toward the door, his stride appearing calm and steady. As he passed by Shen Liu, the man suddenly said, “I gave you a chance to back out.”

       Qin Mu lifted his gaze to meet his eyes and replied evenly, “Why would I regret it?”

       The smile in Shen Liu’s eyes deepened. He released the door, and it shut swiftly behind them.

       A room bathed in soft, gentle lighting unfolded before them, illuminating another world entirely.

       Qin Mu had already guessed what this place was before stepping inside, but seeing it with his own eyes still left him a little stunned.

       It was a training room. The main area was much larger than the private one he used at the East Coast Club. With the addition of an ensuite bathroom, a walk-in closet, and an outrageously showy glass cantilevered pool extending outward, the overall space was likely even larger than Chu Yu and Xu Ye’s private playhouse.

       Shen Liu turned up the air conditioning and handed him a glass of water. With polite composure, he offered, “Care to look around?”

       Qin Mu’s gaze swept over the cabinet lined with various types of sex toys, brushing past the wall-mounted whips hanging in uniform precision. He paused briefly on the steel-framed four-poster bed and returned to Shen Liu’s face. He asked, “Which role do you need me to play?”

       “What do you think?” Shen Liu countered.

       “Compared to being a sub, I’d probably give you more satisfaction as a Dom. But I’ll need a little time to familiarise myself with the space and the tools,” Qin Mu said seriously. “Of course, it’s just a suggestion. The final say is yours.”

       Shen Liu let out a short laugh. “I’m guessing it’s been a while since Pharaoh has been a sub. How about taking the chance to relive it properly today?” He remotely lowered the floor-to-ceiling curtains, put on some soft music, and asked unhurriedly, “Any commands you won’t accept?”

       Qin Mu was silent for a moment, then said, “None.”

       That answer genuinely surprised Shen Liu. He had expected Qin Mu to list a string of ‘don’ts’ that would restrict the entire scene to a very narrow scope. He had even prepared to pick apart wording and look for loopholes. Who would have thought the other party would be this straightforward? It almost made him feel like he had been petty.

       “You trust me that much?” Shen Liu looked at him with interest. “Same safe word as before, or do you want to change it?”

       “The same.”

       “Alright.” He nodded toward the bathroom. “Go clean yourself up. You’ve got fifteen minutes.”

       Qin Mu turned and went in without another word.

       Fifteen minutes was more than enough for a shower, but to get completely clean ‘inside and out’ was cutting it close.

       He bypassed the built-in jacuzzi large enough for three or four people and quickly surveyed the bathroom layout. The sink area was separated into dry and wet zones. The inner section held an enema kit, a cleansing spray head, and a wall-mounted leather leg-spreader chair. The outer glass cabinet displayed an overwhelming array of bottles, all sorted by function and colour. Qin Mu was no novice, and he knew what needed to be done. But it had been so long since he last did it himself that it took a bit of effort.

       By the time he had swiftly completed the cleaning process and put on the bathrobe to step out, the digital clock on the wall had already passed the time limit.

       The room was warm. Shen Liu had taken off his knit sweater, rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, and left the front buttons open. His toned muscles shifted faintly through the gaps as he moved. He tapped the riding crop lightly on the floor and said, “Take off your clothes. Come here.”

       Qin Mu complied without resistance. He hung the robe on the tree-shaped coat rack and walked over completely nude, kneeling down in front of Shen Liu.

       It was a textbook kneeling posture—spine straight, abdomen tight, hands behind his back, knees spread shoulder-width apart—flawless in every detail. He lifted his face to look at the man in front of him, his gaze calm and focused behind his glasses. Even though he knelt naked at someone’s feet, the atmosphere carried the solemnity of a formal meeting. It was utterly devoid of lust.

       A silent smirk curved Shen Liu’s lips. The tip of the riding crop brushed upward from Qin Mu’s chest, slid along his throat, and came to rest under his chin, lifting it slightly. From above, Shen Liu said,

       “Tell me who you are.”

       It was a routine question, meant to help both parties drop into their roles more easily.

       “I am your slave,” Qin Mu replied calmly.

       “Tell me your rights.”

       “To surrender everything to you is my only right.”

       “Tell me your duty.”

       “To obey your commands is my entire duty.”

       “Very good.” Shen Liu tapped the side of his face lightly with the tip of the riding crop. “I gave you fifteen minutes earlier. How long did you exceed the time limit?”

       “Six minutes,” Qin Mu paused, then added, “I was wrong. Please punish me, Master.”

       The riding crop suddenly whipped upward and landed on his chest with a loud snap, striking directly on the nipple with precision. It was a heavy hit. Qin Mu’s muscles instantly tensed, and he clenched his teeth to steady himself.

       Red welts slowly bloomed on his skin. The rough leather at the end of the crop deliberately rubbed against the sensitive spot, now stinging with lingering pain, teasing him with varied pressure. Qin Mu couldn’t suppress a shiver.

       “Does it hurt?” Shen Liu asked.

       “As long as it pleases you, Master, your slave can endure anything.” Qin Mu sounded like a machine devoid of emotion. It was formulaic and perfunctory, yet flawless enough that there was nothing one could nitpick.

       ——I’m playing by your rules, but those rules don’t actually affect me. This is your arena, yet I’m not under your control.

       To a dom, this kind of situation was nothing short of provocation.

       Shen Liu stroked the riding crop in his hand and looked down at him from above.

       He really had changed.

       In his youth, Qin Mu had been shy when it came to sex, mostly letting Shen Liu take the lead. On the rare occasions they switched roles and Qin Mu acted as the Dom, he would easily get emotional. Just a few strokes and he would lose control. But over the years since their separation, time had silently erased all those vivid emotions, turning him into this cold and distant version of himself.

       Was this what they called abstinence?

       A shadowy and deep glint surged through Shen Liu’s eyes.

       Isn’t the true pleasure of the world found in breaking taboos?

       An angel fallen into hell, toppling authority from its throne, making the dominant submit, forcing the abstinent to indulge. The more forbidden it was, the more it ignited the arrogant desire for conquest in one’s bones and blood.

       And right now, his battlefield was right before him.

       Shen Liu tossed the crop aside and retrieved a blindfold from the cabinet.

       Qin Mu’s heart skipped a beat.

       “Do you like it, slave?” Shen Liu asked.

       Qin Mu lowered his gaze and replied, “I like it, Master.”

       “Very good.”

       His glasses were taken off, and black fabric blocked out all light, plunging the world into total darkness.

       In the absence of vision, the human body instinctively senses danger. For someone like Qin Mu, who had experienced certain traumas, this sense of insecurity intensified even more.

       Shen Liu noticed the tension in his body, reached out, and gently stroked his cheek. “I’m here.”

       “Yes, Master.” Qin Mu did his best to adjust his state of mind, forcing himself to relax.

       But the darkness wasn’t all Shen Liu gave him. A collar was fastened around his neck, and he was led to the wall.

       Shen Liu ordered him to stand against it, then fixed his arms to protruding steel bars—one on each side. The cold metal around his wrists made Qin Mu guess they were handcuffs. He stayed completely still, letting the man manipulate him without making a sound.

       “Lift your right leg.”

       That command made him hesitate for two seconds, but he complied. Soon, his right leg was bound to one of the bars in an outwardly spread position, this time using a soft restraint strap.

       In this posture, Qin Mu could only lean against the wall, balancing precariously on one foot, with his most private parts fully exposed to the other’s gaze.

       It was a humiliating position, yet he still showed no visible emotion.

       Shen Liu made further fine adjustments to the restraint, then teasingly stroked Qin Mu’s unresponsive genitals and said, “My slave doesn’t seem very interested today?”

       “I’m sorry, Master.” A dull and mechanical response.

       “That’s alright. Some things are more interesting when they are done slowly,” Shen Liu said with a soft chuckle. His hand slowly gliding up Qin Mu’s chest, where he had been whipped earlier, bit by bit, until it reached his jaw, which he grasped and tilted up to kiss him.

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       The law was a rule of positive order, the baseline of a public society, defining the boundaries of freedom. It was the sword and shield safeguarding fairness and justice, and also the scale that weighed on every person’s heart.

       When the warriors who upheld the dignity of the law abandoned their loyalty, when the impartial scales became laden with lust and profit, when those in high office stepped into the vortex of desire without a single thought… The black-and-white text became meaningless paper, the lofty courtroom became a bustling stage play, and fairness and justice became a tiny boat adrift in muddy waters, swaying and unsteady.

       Qin Mu felt as if someone had slammed a hammer hard into his chest. The wave of disappointment and anger that surged up his throat carried the metallic tang of blood. He watched as the once-indestructible city of belief within him collapsed with a thunderous crash, yet he could only stand helplessly among the ruins.

       Before, he had felt confident in seeking justice for Teacher Xiao, because he had believed that if he appealed through the judicial system step by step, there would eventually be a place where fairness and justice could be found. But now, it seemed that those seated high and presiding over judgments had long since become puppets, manipulated at will. What justice could there be left to speak of?

       Qin Mu clenched his fists, his eyes reddened.

       Also a man of law, Teacher Xiao had been viciously retaliated against and lost his life for helping the poor and helpless. Yet these beasts wearing human skin indulged in Zhao Jinchuan’s lawlessness just to satisfy their private desires, feasting on young flesh.

       Now, he understood why Shen Liu had brought him here. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he never would have believed that these people could fall so far. After the raging fire of anger had scorched his heart, all that remained was a barren emptiness. He lowered his head as if all strength had been drained from him and leaned his back against the wall, sinking into a long silence.

       Shen Liu handed him a cup of hot tea. “Have some.”

       Qin Mu shook his head and took a cigarette out of his coat pocket, clamping it between his lips. The cigarette and lighter were ones he had casually asked Tao Ze for earlier that morning—Huanghelou¹Yellow Crane Tower 1916, premium tobacco.

       He glanced at the man beside him, inquiring.

       Shen Liu shrugged. “Go ahead.”

        Qin Mu lit up and took a deep drag. The smell of tobacco quietly spread through the room.

        “When did you start smoking?” Shen Liu asked.

        “A long time ago. I quit, but recently I’ve been having one every now and then.” After taking a puff, his voice became low and hoarse, carrying a rough rasp.

        Shen Liu didn’t say anything more.

        The room was pitch black, lit only by the faint moonlight and the tiny sparks of a cigarette. The two of them stood on either side of the window, unusually quiet.

        By the time Qin Mu finished his cigarette and looked up again, his expression had already calmed down. He opened his mouth and said, “I want the surveillance footage.”

        This place had a perfect vantage point and was fully equipped—it was clearly not set up just recently. Shen Liu must not have been watching these people just for fun.

        The man leaned his head against the window frame and said lazily, “What, you think you’re capable of wiping them all out in one go?”

        “Do what I must and leave the rest to fate,” Qin Mu raised his eyes and stared at Shen Liu. “This is something I have to do. Even if it’s like smashing an egg against a rock, even if it’s like a moth flying into the flame, I don’t care if I lose my life doing it. Life is short. What we call ‘meaning’ is all something we give ourselves. Whether it’s worth it or not depends only on how we feel in our hearts. Why I chose this path, why I made this decision—others might not understand, but you should.” By the end, his voice carried a trace of emotion.

        Shen Liu narrowed his eyes slightly. The person in front of him seemed to overlap with the stubborn young man from years ago. The light in his eyes was clear and pure, making it hard to look away.

        “I… should understand?” He savoured the lingering weight of the words, drawing out the end with a teasing lilt. He curved his lips into a smile. “They say a man can change in three days. Looks like I really do need to see you with new eyes. You’ve even pulled out that whole defence routine and used it on me. But trying to trick the cards out of my hand with just empty words… Isn’t that a bit greedy?”

        Qin Mu took a sip of tea without changing expression. “You went through all this trouble to set up this stage. Wasn’t it all just to wait for me to come and beg you?”

        In the time it took to finish a cigarette, he had already figured out the whole story. Shen Liu was the person in the world who understood his temperament best. He naturally knew Qin Mu wouldn’t back down because of this. Bringing him here was probably just to let him see firsthand how hard it would be to win this case, and then sit back and wait for Qin Mu to come knocking on his door, asking for a favour.

        Shen Liu let out a short laugh.

        Qin Mu leaned against the window and said, “If you want something, just say it.”

        “So direct?” Shen Liu gave him a sidelong glance and said teasingly, “What if I ask you to run naked outside?”

        Qin Mu shot him a look from the corner of his eye.

        “Kidding. Don’t take it seriously.”

        “Are you giving it or not?” Qin Mu’s patience had run out.

        “No rush. Let’s go over things first.” Shen Liu refilled his cup and leisurely counted off on his fingers. “You want justice for those victims? You’ll need to win the lawsuit. To win the lawsuit, you’ll have to bring down Zhao Jinchuan. To bring down Zhao Jinchuan, you’ll need to deal with his father. His father, Zhao Dongsheng, is the Zhao family’s cash cow. He was deeply rooted and hard to topple. Above Zhao Dongsheng are two older brothers. The eldest, Zhao Qiming, is currently in a heated power struggle with my dad over that seat. The second brother, Zhao Weiguo, commands a number of soldiers. In addition, there’s an older sister overseas acting as their overseas shield. And above all of them is the old General Zhao, practically a spirit in human form. Nearly a hundred years old, yet still vigorous. Just a few days ago, he was in a wheelchair casting votes.”

        “Besides the immediate family, the Zhaos also have seventy or eighty extended relatives. Going up against this kind of clan usually ends in one of two ways: either you uproot them completely, or you’re left without even a whole corpse. Which do you think you’ll be?”

        Qin Mu remained silent.

        “So rather than handing over the evidence and letting you run off to get yourself killed, it’s more valuable to keep it in my hands and save it for a bigger move.”

        Qin Mu’s pupils contracted sharply as he locked his gaze on him.

        “Didn’t you say you wanted revenge? Then why are you glaring at me?” The man’s tone was nonchalant, as if he had just made a trivial decision over something unimportant.

        “This is my business. It shouldn’t involve you,” Qin Mu’s tone turned stiff.

        Shen Liu’s gaze slowly traced a circle across his face. “There’s a whole lot of things that ‘shouldn’t’ be, and not a single one of the things that ‘should’ be done has actually been done.”

        Qin Mu was momentarily stunned.

        “Don’t get it? I’ll teach you.” Shen Liu strolled toward him unhurriedly. “Right now, I’m your only chance to take down Zhao Jinchuan. What you should do is lower your pride and try to win me over. Do everything you can to coax me into fighting the Zhao family for you. You should gradually play the card of our old relationship, make me willing to go up against Zhao Jinchuan for your sake. At the very least, you should be flirting, playing mind games, carefully calculating how to get me to offer more resources and connections for your use.”

        Shen Liu stopped in front of him and asked, “Have you learned that yet?”

        Qin Mu frowned and had just opened his mouth when that man suddenly stepped even closer, the oppressive feeling intensifying. He instinctively tensed up, wanting to retreat, but there was only a wall behind him—no way out.

       “What’s wrong, can’t do it?” The man’s voice sank lower. “I’d go so far as to draw my sword in rage, yet you disdain playing the femme fatale. Clinging tightly to your pride, you would rather throw yourself into the fire than ask me for help. Are you that determined to draw a line between us?”

       This kind of closeness made Qin Mu extremely uncomfortable. He raised his hand, wanting to push the man away, but the next second, his wrist was forcefully pinned to his side. Their chests pressed together, and even through their clothes, he could feel the other man’s firm and unyielding muscles.

       “You—”

       “You wish.” Shen Liu leaned his face close to Qin Mu’s ear, biting down on those three words with deliberate force, as if he were about to sink his teeth harshly into his neck. “The things you can’t do, I’ll do for you. The things you want, I’ll make them happen for you. The condition is simple—accompany me for one night. As for how, I’ll make the rules. If you can’t accept it, then obediently go back to K City tonight, and from now on, never involve yourself in anything related to the Zhao family again.”

        Qin Mu widened his eyes in disbelief. The situation before him had entirely veered off his expectations, throwing him into utter disarray. He broke free from the hold and shoved hard, gritting his teeth. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

       Shen Liu’s leg bumped into the coffee table, and the teacup shattered on the floor. Almost instantly, the door swung open, and the man with the thin long-face along with a few others rushed in, startling Qin Mu.

       Shen Liu frowned impatiently and said coldly, “Get out.”

       The bodyguards, seeing that he was unharmed, quickly withdrew.

       He turned back to Qin Mu and said unhurriedly, “If you want to go crazy, I’ll go crazy with you. Isn’t that touching?”

       “This is my business. It has nothing to do with you.” Qin Mu kept a stern face, but couldn’t suppress the anxiety and restlessness inside him.

       Shen Liu looked at him for a moment, then smiled. “Whether it has to do with me or not, that’s for me to decide. Haven’t you heard? I’m one of the big names in J City too. My temper’s not much better than Zhao Jinchuan’s. He likes trading sex for favours—I like it too. If you piss me off, you might not even make it back to K City.”

       “I don’t need your help, and you can’t force me to go down this path.”

       “You do need my help. You just don’t want to pay this kind of price.” Shen Liu’s gaze swept across Qin Mu’s face as he said indifferently, “Just now, you were vowing with such certainty that you had to go through with it, even if it cost your life. Now that the chance is right in front of you, you’re backing down? Taking down the Zhao family is a high-risk investment. One wrong step and you’ll lose everything, down to your underwear. Honestly speaking, I’m not even asking too much. You’ve seen firsthand the Zhao family’s connections and methods. You should understand that apart from me, you don’t have a better option.”

       He raised his hand and smoothed the collar and front of Qin Mu’s shirt, which had been rumpled during the scuffle. His voice was unusually gentle. “Think about it carefully. No matter how unbearable, it’s only one night. It’s a very worthwhile deal. I’ll give you time to consider, give me your answer once you’re home.”

       With that, he turned and walked out the door.

       Qin Mu stood frozen on the spot for a long time, unable to move.

       The ride home was both brief and endless. The neon lights outside the car window and the receding nightscape became fleeting shadows reflected in Qin Mu’s eyes. His mind, like a rusted projector, lost its ability to move forward, and instead kept replaying past scenes—fragmented, scattered, and blurry.

       What was right? What was wrong? What kind of choice should he make?

       When the weight on the scale was his own life, Qin Mu could wager it without hesitation. But the moment Shen Liu stepped onto that scale, he suddenly lost his courage. He hadn’t expected Shen Liu to get involved, let alone offer such a condition. By now, he could no longer see through the man beside him.

       The car remained silent the entire way. Back at the villa, Qin Mu stopped at the foot of the stairs. His voice was hoarse as he spoke. “Why do this? You, toward me…” He hesitated, as if still unsure what the right words were.

       Shen Liu, standing on the stairs, turned around, lazily curling his lips. “It’s just a one-night stand. Don’t overthink it.”

       Qin Mu fell silent, his lips pressed into a rigid line. He closed his eyes, clenched his hand tightly at his side, as if it took all his strength to force out the word.

       “Deal.”

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       The servants in the dining room had all withdrawn. Qin Mu sat down beside the round table, and Shen Liu personally served him a bowl of rice.

       The dishes were all simple home-style fare. Stir-fried eggplant in soy sauce, scrambled eggs with tomato, braised pork with preserved mustard greens, fish ball soup with floating spinach leaves, and a small side dish of chopped chilli peppers. These everyday, down-to-earth dishes looked slightly out of place when served on Hermès Equateur Jungle¹it refers to a fine porcelain dinnerware collection by Hermès, the French luxury brand tableware series, designed with lush tropical jungle motifs (leaves, animals, vibrant patterns).

       Shen Liu didn’t care in the slightest. He held a piece of meat with his chopsticks midair and asked, “Should I be polite and offer it to you?”

       “No need, I’ll do it myself,” Qin Mu replied.

       Shen Liu nodded and dropped the meat into his own bowl, scooping up two mouthfuls of rice. “Didn’t eat properly at lunch, so hungry my waistline’s shrunk a whole inch.”

       “If you have that much time to spare sending your personal assistant to figure out my preferences, maybe let him sort out your lunch instead,” Qin Mu said.

       Shen Liu curled his lips into a smile. After quickly finishing half a bowl of rice, he slowed down and scooped some chopped peppers into his bowl.

       Qin Mu was a little surprised. He remembered that Shen Liu used to avoid spicy food completely—his taste was as bland as a monk’s. Even a bit of Lao Gan Ma²Old Godmother is a brand of chilli sauces made in China would have him breathing fire. Qin Mu himself had a much heavier palate and always adjusted dishes to be lighter in oil and salt to accommodate him, only setting aside a small personal dish of chilli paste or fermented bean sauce during meals. Seeing Shen Liu now eat so naturally was truly unexpected.

       “Been eating out a lot, my tastes have changed,” Shen Liu said, noticing Qin Mu staring at him. With a flick of his wrist, he slid the little dish in front of Qin Mu. “Want some?”

       Qin Mu didn’t stand on ceremony and asked, “Did you grow this too?”

       “Already visited my garden, have you?” Shen Liu said while eating. “This one isn’t homegrown. But if you want something extra spicy, I can go upstairs and pick a couple for you.”

       “No need.” Qin Mu quipped, “Why are you growing vegetables? The ones in J City not good enough? Or is this a new rich-people fashion trend?”

       Shen Liu glanced at him, smiling as he replied, “For a sense of accomplishment. There are so few things in life we truly get to choose. Of the few that remain, the most important are hobbies and lovers. Gardening helps me relax. Watching the plants flower and bear fruit, then eating them myself—that gives me a real sense of fulfilment.”

       Qin Mu hadn’t expected him to answer so seriously, and for a moment didn’t know how to respond.

       “What else are you curious about me? Ask anything—I’ll answer,” Shen Liu said as he continued eating.

       The two things he just mentioned, ‘hobby’ had been answered, and the only thing left is ‘lover’. Given their history, Qin Mu absolutely wasn’t going to step on that sensitive and awkward landmine. He ended the conversation immediately, “Nothing else.”

       “Then, in the spirit of reciprocity, it’s my turn to be curious.” Shen Liu’s lips curved into a graceful smile. “I heard the renowned Mr. Pharaoh has plenty of admirers, yet always hides behind the banner of celibacy to keep them at bay. Why is that?”

       A straight ball without any bias, leaving no room for turning around and dodging.

       Qin Mu’s chopsticks paused midair. He looked up. “What, your spies didn’t dig that up for you?” He had always disliked people prying into his private life, and this was clearly overstepping.

       “All this time and still no one compatible?” Shen Liu carried on with mock innocence, dancing right on the minefield.

       “I’m not good at getting along with others. Thought I should ask for some advice,” Qin Mu replied coolly. “How does President Shen handle all those admirers? Do you carefully screen them or just accept them all?”

       Now he was angry.

       Shen Liu smiled, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

       Qin Mu had clearly placed him in the ‘old friend not seen in years’ category. They could talk about the weather, national affairs, everyday life and that’s where it should end. But Shen Liu insisted on pushing further.

       The shared bedroom, the chatty housekeeper, the ambiguous teasing, the familiar dishes, the pried-open privacy… Shen Liu’s repeated provocations had finally roused the temper of a long-distance ex-lover.

       And yes, he did it on purpose.

       In their tender youth, love and hate were straightforward and intense. There was no need for games, no need for guarded words or second-guessing. But time had cruelly shaped them into more mature, more calculating versions of themselves. Like prickly creatures covered in barbs, they now hid all their true intentions deep inside, tiptoeing around each other, cautiously testing boundaries, trying to figure out how much space they occupied in each other’s hearts—then adjusting their own stance accordingly like two careful fencers locked in a standoff, trying to read each other’s minds, neither making the first move.

       Qin Mu was content to be a familiar stranger.

       But Shen Liu wasn’t.

       He was determined to break the deadlock, to tear off the mask of false cordiality Qin Mu wore and force him to show his true self. Even if it meant making him angry, that was better than nothing.

       Even when he was angry, Qin Mu wasn’t the type to charge around like a raging bull. He was more like a leopard locking in on its prey—striking cleanly and precisely at the sensitive point in the conversation, trapping Shen Liu in a rhetorical snare.

       It was a question with no good answer.

       Shen Liu had his ways of dealing with such questions. He shamelessly played dumb without batting an eye. “Too bad I don’t have many admirers, so there’s nothing for me to share.”

       Qin Mu shot him a sidelong glance.

       “Sometimes I don’t get it myself,” Shen Liu said, rubbing his chin in mock puzzlement. “I mean… I’m gentle, rich, charming, and devastatingly good-looking. How is it that no one’s throwing themselves at me? Do you think people these days have vision problems?”

       Qin Mu paused for a moment before answering, “Have you considered the possibility that your face is so big it’s blocking their view of anything else on you?”

       Shen Liu nodded in agreement. “Exactly. My face is just too captivating, and it hogs all their attention. The thing is, a man like me is a hidden gem that needs to be dug out slowly. Every part should be examined with a magnifying glass. Otherwise, it would be such a shame to miss out.”

       Qin Mu’s gaze swept once over his lower half, and he said with biting sarcasm, “You need a magnifying glass even to see it?”

       Shen Liu looked down at himself too, savouring the double entendre and then curled his lips into a smile. “If you’re curious, how about a bit of post-meal exercise?”

       Qin Mu knew sparring words with this scoundrel would get him nowhere. He picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and focused on eating. The thin slices of pork belly were rich but not greasy, melting in his mouth. The preserved mustard greens were full of flavour, and the meat juices mixed with soft white rice made an irresistible combination. It was enough to distract him from the infuriating idiot smiling beside him.

       Shen Liu, having eaten his fill, rested his head on his hand and watched him. “It’s not as good as when you cook.”

       Qin Mu ignored him. He finished the meal in silence, then put down his chopsticks and made to leave the table.

       Shen Liu grabbed his arm and teased, “What’s the rush? We haven’t done our post-meal exercise yet.” Seeing Qin Mu’s cold expression, he finally added, unhurriedly, “It’s boring staying at home all day. Let me take you out for a walk.”

       “I remember someone threatening me this morning, saying it wasn’t safe outside and I wasn’t allowed to leave.”

       “With me around, the safety index goes up a lot. Don’t be scared.” The man shamelessly contradicted himself without a hint of guilt.

       The night view of J City was stunning. It was like a glittering jewellery box, enticing the beasts lurking in the dark. They lay in wait, greedy ambitions stirring, wary of one another, scheming, all wanting to claim it as their own.

       Shen Liu and Qin Mu brought four bodyguards with them into a black business van. The familiar long-faced man was among them. Once everyone was seated, the long-faced man turned around and glanced at Qin Mu.

       “If you’ve got something to say, then say it,” Shen Liu said.

       “News just came through. We’ve found them.”

       “A day should be enough. They’re not that useless,” Shen Liu said as he tapped lightly on the car door’s armrest. After thinking for a moment, he added, “Have Tao Ze set up a trap. I’ll meet with him.”

       The long-faced man looked grave as he advised, “The old man said we shouldn’t stir up trouble at a time like this.”

       “This game is already a mess. To break out of it, we have to start over. Their path leads nowhere. So we’ll go with mine,” Shen Liu said, his profile flickering in and out of view beneath the streetlights outside the car window. Every word carried an unshakable authority, with a cold edge and latent menace that brooked no argument.

       “Yes, sir,” the long-faced man said, and fell silent.

       Qin Mu’s gaze lingered on Shen Liu for a moment, then shifted to the window. Even though he had tried to distance himself, that familiar closeness still clung to him like a shadow. Yet in a sudden moment, a sharp wave of unfamiliarity fell like a blade, severing every tangled thread between them. It cut a deep and invisible chasm, brutally reminding him that things were no longer the same.

       The business van drove straight into the underground garage of a serviced apartment complex.

       The twenty-seventh floor. Room 2703.

       The room was very dark. Qin Mu had a natural aversion to darkness. He stood at the doorway and didn’t move. From behind, Shen Liu gave him a gentle push and chuckled softly. “Don’t worry, if there’s a female ghost in here, she’ll definitely come for me first.”

       Qin Mu stepped inside and reached out to find the light switch. Shen Liu grabbed his wrist and spouted nonsense, “Don’t be in such a hurry to feel around. There are others here.”

       Qin Mu’s temple twitched. He withdrew his hand, realising this was Shen Liu’s way of saying the lights should stay off, so he stopped moving.

       The long-faced man pulled open half the curtain, letting in a mix of moonlight and city lights. Qin Mu could just barely make out the surroundings. The room was nearly empty, with almost no furniture. By the window stood three high-magnification monocular telescopes, their data cables connected to a nearby laptop.

       The four men needed no instructions; they moved in practised efficiency. One dragged over two beanbag chairs from who knew where, another took a kettle and teacups from his backpack, a third quickly brewed two cups of jasmine tea and set them on a small side table, and the long-faced man adjusted the telescopes’ angles. Then, all of them quietly retreated, the sound of movement indicating they had entered the neighboring unit, Room 2704.

       “Telescopes and monitors? What are we looking at? The moon? The stars?” Qin Mu asked.

       “Something a bit more exciting than that. Come here,” Shen Liu said, motioning him over.

       The telescope appeared to have night vision capabilities, with an extremely clear image. Through it, Qin Mu saw a window partially covered by a sheer curtain. Behind it was a white bed, and on the bed were two people. Bathed in warm yellow light, the two figures were entangled—a man and a woman. The man was thrusting his hips repeatedly.

       Qin Mu abruptly stepped back, stared at Shen Liu, and said, “Peeping is illegal.”

       Shen Liu smiled nonchalantly. “There are those who steal books and those who steal nations. Obsessing over book thieves while ignoring those who steal a country was also enabling evil.”

       “What’s that supposed to mean?” Qin Mu frowned.

       Shen Liu tilted his chin toward the telescope. “Keep watching.”

       Qin Mu hesitated for a moment, then looked again through the telescope.

       The intercourse behind the curtain continued. The man had changed positions and was now gripping the woman’s hair, thrusting his c0ck into her mouth. Her face was obscured by long hair, but she had a high-bridged nose. She was likely a young woman with sharp features. She seemed utterly limp, showing none of the typical responses of consensual sex, offering no resistance at all as the man manipulated her. She looked like…

       A thought flashed through Qin Mu’s mind. In shock, he said, “Is this… drug-r4p3?”

       “Shh—” Shen Liu wrapped an arm around his waist from behind, half-forcefully lifting Qin Mu’s chin. His breath brushed against Qin Mu’s ear. “Keep watching.”

       Through the curtain’s gap, a third figure entered the frame.

       It was another man, stark naked, with a bloated belly and ugly genitals.

       They forced her into a kneeling position on the bed. One in front, one behind and they both entered her. Then they switched positions, spreading her legs and sandwiching her between them for another round of penetration. The two men finished quickly but refused to stop. They tormented her with new humiliating positions, slapped her genitals forcefully, and even urinated on her face.

       Qin Mu couldn’t watch any longer. He broke free from Shen Liu and reached for his phone to call the police. Shen Liu seized the opportunity to pin his arm against the wall, using his body to press him there.

       Qin Mu stared at him in disbelief. “You want me just to stand by and watch them…”

       “What, upset now?” Shen Liu cut him off, his expression calm. “Didn’t you ask me to stand by and watch you walk into certain death?”

       “…This is not the same thing.” Qin Mu frowned. “If we call the police now, at least we can catch those two beasts.”

       “No one can be caught.” Moonlight reflected in Shen Liu’s eyes, giving off a cold, crystalline glint.

       The crease between Qin Mu’s brows deepened.

       Shen Liu let go of him, leaned lazily against the window, and said coolly, “A young woman, chasing the dream of overnight fame and fortune, comes to the entertainment industry only to find that there are countless others more beautiful, more hardworking, and more talented than her. She’s not exceptional. In fact, not even the best in her own group. She fears the brutal elimination that comes with this industry and dreads fading into obscurity. So, in her arrogance, she chooses what she thinks is a ‘shortcut’; she climbs into Zhao Jinchuan’s bed.

       “She got what she wanted, but of course, she has to pay the price. Using her body to entertain Zhao Jinchuan’s guests is one such cost.”

       He paused, then looked at Qin Mu. “Those guests hold power. They can open doors for Zhao Jinchuan. Once they take the bait of sex and money, they place the handle of their secrets in Zhao Jinchuan’s hands. From then on, they’re trapped and forced to keep working for him. That forms a perfect, closed-loop chain. Each part is bound tightly by vested interests, unbreakable. You can’t save someone who won’t reach for your hand. Reporting this will do nothing but alert the enemy and put us on their radar.”

       He lifted a hand. “Now that I’ve explained, if you still insist, go ahead.”

       Frustration and rage on Qin Mu’s face slowly gave way to dismay and sorrow. He stood frozen for a moment, then finally lowered his hand and put the phone back in his pocket.

       The two of them stood silently in the dark room for a while. Then Shen Liu said, “Don’t you want to see who those two guests are?” He jerked his chin toward another telescope. “They’re about to leave.”

       Qin Mu, still dazed, returned to the telescope.

       The men, now fully dressed, looked perfectly respectable. It was a complete transformation from the beasts who had just satisfied their lust. When he saw their faces clearly, a chill shot up from the soles of his feet and locked his entire body in place.

       “Now you understand why this case can’t be won.” Shen Liu’s voice was low and cold, like the wind that made people shiver in the night.

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       The hangover felt awful. When Qin Mu woke from the haze, Shen Liu had already gone to class and had even thoughtfully cancelled his alarm. The room had been tidied up simply, and on the table was a fried egg sandwich—one of the very few things Young Master Shen knew how to make.

       Everything that had happened the previous night felt like a dream. Qin Mu struggled in the push and pull of affirmation and denial for a long time, until he finally summoned the courage to ‘get things clear’, each step toward the library taken with the solemnity of marching to his own execution.

       He found Shen Liu beside a shelf of math books. Before he even opened his mouth, he was already a bundle of nerves. The lines he had rehearsed a thousand times all turned into stammers.

       “Shen Liu, to you…what am I?”

       “π.”

       “…What?” He was stunned.

       “In every circle, there hides a mischievous and fascinating infinite non-repeating decimal. It’s an inner law, yet impossible to precisely calculate. It requires constant deduction and pondering—just like someone secretly kept in your heart…”

       The book slipped from his hand as his fingertips brushed past Qin Mu’s cheek, gently hooking his collar and pulling him into his arms. The tender and lingering kiss was more intoxicating than liquor, making one willingly drown in it.

       Qin Mu moved back into the little apartment and began a cohabitation life with a proper title. Both of them were rational types, considerate of each other, and as they grew to understand one another deeply through daily life, they turned out to be highly compatible in every way, except… sex.

       Qin Mu had grown up without proper sex education. When he discovered his ‘abnormal’ orientation during adolescence, he never received the right guidance. The time he had spent at the correctional school had only made things worse, leaving him with a deep fear of sexual activity. Even though he tried his best to cooperate with Shen Liu, his body instinctively resisted penetration. That state of being terrified to death but still forcing himself to go through with it made Shen Liu unable to hold back a laugh. “What are you trying to do, die heroically?”

       Qin Mu, who was red from head to toe, buried his face in his arms and mumbled, “Then maybe I should just use my hand…”

       “My little Liu boy was raised all these years just to be jerked off by you?” Shen Liu pretended to be fierce and thrust his hips against Qin Mu’s backside. He gave Qin Mu’s butt two loud smacks, as if still unsatisfied. “What a waste of a war hero. Get up!”

       Feeling guilty, Qin Mu got up quietly, only to see Shen Liu lie down and push his own, already slicked fingers into his body. While Qin Mu was still in a daze, an unopened condom had already been tossed onto his face. Shen Liu spread his legs apart with difficulty and said through gritted teeth, “You better get to it before I change my mind…”

       Qin Mu never imagined Shen Liu would actually be willing to bottom. Shocked, he asked twice in a row, “Are you sure?”

       Shen Liu gnashed his teeth. “…Are you doing it or not?”

       Overcome with emotion, Qin Mu leaned down to hug and kiss him, trailing kisses all the way down to his lower abdomen, then gave a tentative lick on the tip of the still-soft little Liu boy.

       Shen Liu arched his neck and let out a long breath. “You little bastard, you sure learn fast.”

       As it turned out, once a greenhorn got fired up, his combat power could be terrifying. Shen Liu, who was usually strong as an ox, was almost thoroughly worn out. He gasped for breath, his waist giving out, as he clung to Qin Mu’s neck and bit him hard. “Sooner or later… I’ll make you pay for this.”

       And so, both of them broke new ground that night. Qin Mu lost his virginity, and Shen Liu got his ass popped. The experience was, at the very least, novel.

       Afterwards, Qin Mu nervously asked, “Does it hurt?” Shen Liu let out a cold snort, lying face down on the pillow. Qin Mu massaged his waist while asking again, “Just now… was it uncomfortable?”

       Shen Liu turned his head to look at him, face full of complexity. “Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about the word ‘comfortable’?”

       Qin Mu stifled a laugh. “The way you were moaning, I thought you liked it.”

       Shen Liu suddenly flipped over and lunged at him. Qin Mu sprang off the bed and ran. Shen Liu, sore and aching, couldn’t catch up and gritted his teeth. “Get back here! I’ll make you moan!”

       Despite all the ruckus, Shen Liu never really laid a hand on him. He truly loved Qin Mu, he loved him enough to change his own boundaries. Qin Mu understood this deeply. In the days that followed, he fully demonstrated the professional quality of a ‘child bride’. He served tea, cooked, massaged, always gentle and obedient, ready to come when called.

       Shen Liu had always meant what he said. Once his waist stopped hurting and his legs could run a full basketball game again, he began Qin Mu’s ‘payback’ training with full force.

       One evening after self-study, Qin Mu came home to receive a ‘gift’ from him. When he opened it, his face turned red instantly. It was a vibrator.

       “Do it yourself. Show me.” Shen Liu sat leisurely on the edge of the bed.

       Qin Mu was dying of embarrassment but didn’t want to spoil the fun. He had no choice but to obediently comply. After a hasty bit of prep, he was about to insert it when Shen Liu flicked his half-erect c0ck hard.

       Shen Liu stripped off his shirt and unzipped his jeans, holding the condom packet between his teeth, spreading his legs in front of him with a seductive smile. “If you’re ready, here’s your reward.”

       The sight made Qin Mu instantly hard. He pushed the vibrator into his body with some difficulty, but before he could even turn it on, he already cum, earning a good round of ridicule from Shen Liu. Once he recovered, Qin Mu pounced like a leopard, pinned Shen Liu down, and bit his earlobe. His movements were fierce, but his bite was gentle. The man underneath didn’t resist at all, allowing Qin Mu to ravage him, letting out muffled moans as he was thrust into.

       Shen Liu was like a meticulous gardener, full of patience in cultivating Qin Mu’s ‘sexuality’. With the help of toys, seductive teasing, and endless creativity, he gradually soothed Qin Mu’s trauma. He lured him into opening up his body to accept the feeling of being ‘penetrated’.

       After nearly two months of training, Shen Liu began a more advanced attempt. He had Qin Mu tie him up.

       “Be good, just treat me like a vibrator,” Shen Liu lay flat on the bed, his limbs bound, smiling as he gave instructions. “But first, you’ll have to make my ‘stick’ stand up.”

       With a completely unthreatening posture, he handed over all control to Qin Mu.

       At the moment of union, Qin Mu leaned down with tears in the corners of his eyes and kissed him deeply. Their bodies connected, chests pressed together, impossible to tell one from the other.

       Qin Mu, when aroused, was both shy and wild, resisting and craving at once. He was a beautiful contradiction that drove the thoroughly bound Shen Liu nearly insane. His wrists and ankles were chafed and swollen from being tied so tightly, and afterwards, Qin Mu felt distressed over it for quite some time.

       A few days later, Shen Liu mysteriously said he was going to take Qin Mu to ‘broaden his horizons’.

       It was a private club hidden within the city, with no signboard and no service for strangers. Qin Mu had no idea how Shen Liu had managed to obtain a membership.

       He originally thought it was some sort of niche art exhibition, but what he saw left him stunned.

       The tools were ropes, and the canvas was the human body. Soft yet resilient ropes transformed into winding, intricate lines, creating a visual beauty full of tension upon the body-as-canvas, a powerful shock to Qin Mu’s senses.

       “What is this…?” he asked.

       “Rope art,” The female rope artist from Japan explained earnestly in somewhat imperfect Chinese, “Binding and restraint can bring a sense of calm, allow one to feel life, and help one find oneself.”

       “Let’s learn it together,” Shen Liu lured him with a face that could bring down a nation and people. “To spice things up a little.”

       Qin Mu blushed and glared at him. “Tie you up?”

       “You tie me, I tie you. Fair and square.” Shen Liu casually extended both hands toward him. “Come on.”

       To everyone’s surprise, Qin Mu showed extraordinary talent in this area. Not only did he quickly master various knots and binding methods, but he also explored even more creative possibilities with the cooperation of his ‘partner’ Shen Liu.

       The owner of the rope art club introduced them to a small BDSM circle, opening the door to an underground world. They quickly unlocked skill trees that made one’s blood race and left people addicted.

       At the time, they loved each other deeply. In their eyes, there was only one another. They were willing to do anything for each other. Shen Liu enjoyed the look of restraint and yearning on Qin Mu’s face under his guidance, and he was also happy to submit to Qin Mu’s commands, to be tied and restrained. Qin Mu, in turn, worked hard to overcome his psychological barriers to please Shen Liu, even becoming unrecognizably aroused in his presence.

       But the road of life is long, and in the end, they parted ways amidst a storm of sand and dust.

       Qin Mu never handed over control to another person again. He picked up the whip and fully became a dom.

       Looking at himself in the mirror, he sometimes felt he looked exactly like Shen Liu.

       And Shen Liu?

       Was he still playing these games?

       Had he knelt before someone else, been tied up, whipped?

       Or did he already have a favored sub, whispering the same sweet words he once said to Qin Mu?

       …

       Qin Mu’s mind was a complete mess. Footsteps approached from a distance. He opened his eyes.

       Shen Liu’s face overlapped perfectly with how he remembered it, as if nothing had ever changed.

       He stared, dazed. “Why are you sleeping here?” Shen Liu reached out his hand to him.

       Qin Mu came back to his senses, avoided his hand, stood up, grabbed a towel and wiped his sweat, quickly composing himself. “When are you giving my luggage back?”

       “You want it?” Shen Liu teased. “Call me ‘Dear gege’ and let me hear it.”

       Qin Mu ignored him, dr4p3d the towel over his shoulders, and headed straight upstairs. Shen Liu walked behind him with his hands in his pockets, swaying leisurely all the way to the door of the room. Qin Mu blocked him outside. “Anything else?”

       Shen Liu leaned against the doorframe with one hand and smiled. “Free guest room medicine-application service.”

       The next second, the door closed in his face.

       Nearly getting his hand caught, Shen Liu clicked his tongue and leisurely pulled out a key. By the time Qin Mu finished showering, Shen Liu was already sitting on the sofa fiddling with a bottle of medicated oil, the room filled with the cooling scent of mint.

       “Come over and lie down. Let me give you a proper massage.” Still persistent after being shut out, Shen Liu was like an overzealous elementary schooler determined to help an old lady cross the street, brimming with an almost ridiculous enthusiasm.

       The spot on Qin Mu’s lower back that had taken a hit yesterday was indeed much more painful today. He ran a hand through his still-damp hair and said, “Don’t you have a massage therapist? Let him do it.”

       “Fired,” Shen Liu replied without missing a beat.

       “When?” Qin Mu frowned. Tao Ze had just told him this morning that the therapist was still around.

       “Just now,” Shen Liu tilted his head, unreasonable as ever. “I’m the only massage technician left in the entire house. Whether you want it or not, you’re getting it.”

       Qin Mu was speechless. Lips tight, he lay down on the bed. Thanks to regular workouts, the lines of his back were strikingly beautiful. The muscle contours from the nape of his neck down his shoulders to his waist resembled undulating mountain ridges.

       Technician Shen casually tugged away the obstructive towel and placed his warmed-up hands on Qin Mu’s lower back. As he gently kneaded and pressed, the teasing talk flowed non-stop:

       “Does it hurt?”

       “Too much pressure?”

       “Be good, just relax, I’ll go softer.”

       “Feel better now?”

       “If it hurts, cry out. Stop always holding it in.”

       “Want to try a different position?”

       Qin Mu kept his eyes closed the entire time, letting him perform his act alone. His body was tense at first, but gradually relaxed. The familiar touch of those hands deceived the brain, conjuring up memories of the distant past.

       The cramped, stifling rental room.

       The sore, aching back.

       The pungent scent of medicated oil.

       And those murmured words of affection by his ear.

       “My Little Log’s had a hard day. Come here, let big brother give you a massage…”

       His consciousness slowly sank in a haze, drifting below the surface like a leaf on water. Yet the lingering trace of reason struck like a warning bell, thudding heavily against his heart.

       Qin Mu snapped awake.

       Shen Liu sensed the sudden tension in Qin Mu’s back and paused. “Does it hurt?”

       “That’s enough,” Qin Mu said, turning over and sitting up.

       “Then let’s go downstairs and eat.” Shen Liu packed away the ointment and headed to the bathroom to wash his hands. Water flowed across his palms, washing away the remaining warmth. He repeatedly rubbed his long fingers, as if reluctant to let go of the sensation from earlier. Looking up at his reflection in the mirror, he couldn’t help but mock himself silently—

       What kind of expression is that? Why do you look like such a pervert?

       When he came out, Qin Mu was already dressed. Shen Liu pulled a small box from his pocket and handed it over. “Got your glasses fixed. Try them on.”

       Qin Mu took the box. The prescription was accurate and the details nearly identical. If not for the lack of that distinctive scratch on the inner arm, he would’ve thought they were the original pair. As far as he knew, that model had already been discontinued. He had no idea where the ever-resourceful Master Shen had managed to find one.

       But the other man didn’t mention it at all. He just stood at the doorway, urging him, “Let’s go, I’m starving.”

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