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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