Month: August 2025

       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.”

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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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       The kiss was hasty yet resolute, bitter yet sweet. He knew this act was somewhat shameless, but his body, as if bewitched, was beyond his control. Just as uncontrollable was his heart, which felt as though it was about to leap out of his chest. He even gave rise to a dangerous hope—if Shen Liu were to wake up at this very moment…then everything could be laid bare, and he wouldn’t have to keep hiding anymore.

       But Shen Liu remained sound asleep, his chest gently rising and falling, his breath tinged with the lingering scent of alcohol.

       Qin Mu let out a sigh, both disappointed and relieved. He savored that lingering kiss over and over in his mind, then carefully lay down beside Shen Liu. He had planned to lie there just for a moment before moving to the couch, but ended up falling asleep without realizing it—only to be caught red-handed when Shen Liu woke up in the morning, needing to pee. Before he had a chance to blush and stammer an explanation, the man pushed him back onto the pillow. “If you haven’t slept well, sleep a bit more. I’ll go buy breakfast.”

       With a guilty conscience, Qin Mu buried his face under the blanket and let out a long sigh. He truly didn’t know what to do with this ghost of a man.

       Apart from his torturous and bumpy path in love, what also weighed on his mind was his living expenses.

       Thanks to his excellent college entrance exam scores, K University had proactively waived his tuition for all four years. However, he didn’t meet the criteria for the ‘financial hardship’ student aid and thus couldn’t apply for subsidies. He had to cover his living costs on his own. Before the semester started, he took on several short-term jobs. He worked as a barista during the day, doing night shifts at an internet café, and tutoring the neighbor’s little daughter in English two evenings a week.

       Although he spent the entire summer working nonstop and was often so exhausted that he could barely move, his mood remained both joyful and tinged with reluctance to leave. To him, this was the ‘last period of time’ he had set aside in his heart to be with Shen Liu. Even though Shen Liu was willing to let him continue staying over, Qin Mu still insisted on moving into the school dormitory. He couldn’t allow the ghost in his heart to keep growing unchecked.

       The night before registration, Shen Liu gave him a cellphone as a gift—the exact same model as his own. Qin Mu accepted it. For a long time afterward, that sliding Nokia phone contained only one contact number. Shen Liu also handed him thirty thousand yuan in cash, saying it was from Qin Aihua and Zheng Yan. Since Qin Mu refused to go home or see them, the couple had no choice but to ask Shen Liu to deliver it on their behalf.

       On registration day, Shen Liu helped him settle into his dorm, took him to set up his student card and internet access, showed him around the library and cafeteria, and walked with him through every corner of K University. Qin Mu followed him down the tree-lined paths, painfully suppressing the urge to take back his decision.

       At last, he left Shen Liu.

       The initial discomfort was overwhelming, but fortunately, his classmates and dormmates were all friendly, helping him gradually integrate. Military training, classes, part-time jobs as a campus staff member, joining clubs and volunteer groups… With help from Feiyan and others, Qin Mu gradually stepped into a brand-new campus life and built a social circle of his own. He didn’t slack off academically either, maintaining his grades steadily in the top tier.

       Shen Liu was intentionally trying to foster Qin Mu’s independence, rarely took the initiative to disturb him. The two saw each other less and less often, but kept in touch through daily texts. They exchanged morning and evening greetings, shared amusing stories from the day, and occasionally grabbed a meal together at the cafeteria. Qin Mu had thought that his feelings would gradually fade after parting, but contrary to his expectations, he couldn’t stop himself from missing him.

       On Christmas, Shen Liu invited him back to the small apartment to celebrate. Qin Mu took a detour to pick up a cake and arrived late, only to open the door and find a room full of people. Shen Liu sat with a beautiful girl on his left, and an empty seat on his right. Feiyan pulled him over to sit in the vacant spot, winking as she whispered, “That’s Liu kiddo’s rumored girlfriend—the campus belle from the business school.”

       It was like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head. Qin Mu forced a stiff smile. “She’s very pretty.” From then on, he entered a dazed state. He drank mechanically and swallowed mouthfuls of bitter sourness. His loneliness turned the festive atmosphere into something incoherent and messy, and a flickering reel of past memories began playing in his mind. He knew Shen Liu would eventually have a girlfriend. He also knew he had no right to feel jealous. But emotions and reason were two different things—he simply couldn’t keep his heart still.

       The group got tipsy and began teasing one another, egging each other on to call the girl ‘sister-in-law’ and demanding that Shen Liu drink on her behalf. Shen Liu cursed, “Get lost. I’ve been in poor health lately, can’t drink that much.”

       “Your hand still isn’t better?” Glasses asked.

       Qin Mu froze. “What happened to his hand?”

       Fatty cut in, “He was trying to show off! There was no way he could’ve blocked that shot, but he insisted on trying and got slammed hard—got flung a long way, hand basically ruined.”

       Shen Liu had never mentioned a word about it to him. Qin Mu’s mood sank even lower, and he furrowed his brows.

       “It’s just a sprain. A few days and it’ll be fine.” Shen Liu brushed it off lightly, his eyes glancing at Qin Mu’s wine glass. “Shouldn’t you be putting that down by now?”

       Qin Mu said nothing.

       “Why are you bossing him around like that?” the girl interjected with a smile.

       Shen Liu habitually slung an arm over the back of Qin Mu’s chair, tilted his head, and said, “I’m his older brother.”

       Bitterness bubbled up in Qin Mu’s chest, wave after wave, impossible to suppress. He forced a smile and raised his glass. “In that case, as the younger brother, let me toast my sister-in-law.”

       The people around them roared with laughter. The girl blushed and protested, “You’re all such bullies!”

       Shen Liu lifted his eyelids and gave Qin Mu a cold and unwavering stare. “Put it down.”

       The atmosphere turned awkward in an instant.

       Qin Mu didn’t move. His heart felt like it was being torn apart. You’re protecting her to the point you won’t even spare me this bit of dignity?

       Seeing the tension rise, the girl hurried to ease the situation. “It’s not that I won’t drink—it’s just that I really can’t hold my liquor… how about half a glass?”

       Without a word, Shen Liu took the glass from her hand and drained it in one go, leaving Qin Mu out in the cold.

       “Whoa, our knight in black armor,” Fatty cracked a joke, trying to break the tension. “Come on, someone play a round with me—loser downs their drink!”

       The guy with glasses immediately chimed in, “Forget alcohol, I dare you to finish this bowl of spicy hot pot soup!”

       “Bring it on! Who’s afraid of who?”

       The table quickly returned to a noisy buzz.

       Qin Mu sat there at a loss. He could tell Shen Liu was angry. It was such a foreign feeling, after all Shen Liu had never been mad at him before. He had no idea how to deal with it. After a moment of hesitation, he quietly set his glass down.

       Shen Liu got up and walked out. Qin Mu wanted to follow, but the girl beat him to it. He could only sit there in silence.

       Feiyan patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about him. He’s got a temper. Let’s just keep drinking.”

       After seven or eight more drinks, Qin Mu was finally properly drunk. Dizzy and drowsy, he couldn’t bring himself to leave as long as Shen Liu was still around. In the end, Feiyan dragged him into a game circle.

       Truth or Dare.

       The empty beer bottle spun round and round, pointing to everyone but him. Qin Mu felt like a ghost—utterly invisible in the room’s laughter and chatter. He could see it all but couldn’t touch it. He didn’t belong.

       In the final round, Shen Liu’s rumored girlfriend chose “Dare,” and drew the task: A passionate kiss. But by some twist of fate, the bottle’s mouth didn’t stop in front of Shen Liu. Instead, it tilted crookedly and pointed straight at Qin Mu.

       The bizarre pairing left everyone speechless.

       Qin Mu, already a little numb with alcohol, stared blankly at the bottle, as if trying to analyze the probability of it pointing to him.

       The girl awkwardly asked, “No knight to save me this time?”

       Shen Liu tossed aside his half-eaten apple and stood up. Fatty whistled.

       “Hold on a sec,” Feiyan interrupted on purpose. “She drew passionate kiss—if it’s not going to be a wet one, then you better chug that beer instead.”

       Everyone assumed Shen Liu would just drink the beer. Even Qin Mu. Until Shen Liu half-knelt in front of him, reached out, and wrapped an arm around his neck—then Qin Mu realized something was off.

       Before he could react, Shen Liu’s lips were already on his. It was fierce and commanding.

       It was like a massive avalanche had erupted in Qin Mu’s head, collapsing all reason into rubble. He couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or awake. Shen Liu cupped his jaw, forcing his mouth open. The sweet and crisp taste of apple swept in. Tongues tangled, saliva mixed, and obscene sounds echoed in the stunned silence.

       Someone gasped. Fatty was trembling and whispered, “Holy shit…”

       Qin Mu’s scalp tingled as he shoved Shen Liu away.

       “Satisfied now?” Shen Liu wiped the corner of his mouth with a flick of his finger. Though the question was directed at Feiyan, his eyes never left Qin Mu.

       Feiyan swallowed hard. “…Satisfied.”

       “Good. Then let’s wrap this up. It’s late,” Shen Liu said, ruthlessly kicking everyone out.

       Qin Mu’s face flushed and he couldn’t say a word. His heart was racing wildly, completely out of control. He just wanted to run, but his limbs wouldn’t cooperate. He couldn’t walk in a straight line and nearly knocked over the coffee table.

       Shen Liu grabbed his arm. “You stay.”

       Qin Mu struggled, but must have pulled Shen Liu’s injured hand. Shen Liu hissed in pain. Qin Mu immediately froze.

       The atmosphere was far too strange, and the onlookers had lost all will to spectate. One by one, they fled like their lives depended on it. Fatty sobered up instantly, the guy with glasses didn’t even bother to grab his 800-degree specs. The two of them supported each other as they bolted. Feiyan and the others raced to get dressed like they were competing in a quick-change contest. The Shen Liu’s rumored girlfriend left with a gloomy face and said nothing.

       In less than three minutes, the room was empty, leaving only Shen Liu and Qin Mu. The silence was overwhelming.

       Qin Mu had already downed a barrel of jealousy and drowned himself in alcohol. He had been cold-shouldered, then kissed out of nowhere. His emotions had been yanked up and down until his temper finally snapped. He stared at Shen Liu and mocked coldly, “Aren’t you going to see your girlfriend off?”

       Shen Liu shoved him hard and pinned him against the wall. “You’ve been out for just a few days and you’re already acting out—itching for a beating, aren’t you?”

       Qin Mu, dizzy and irritated, struggled. “If you don’t let go, don’t blame me if your arm ends up broken.”

       Shen Liu pressed him down with his chest, deliberately using his injured right hand to hold down Qin Mu’s wrist. “I’ll give you a chance. Go ahead.”

       “…You’re insane.” Even in his drunken haze, Qin Mu remembered not to touch his injured arm. But that left him unable to move, pinned and helpless. He muttered, “Stop messing around, will you?”

       Shen Liu was so close and their faces nearly touching. Under the light, the dark depths of his eyes sparkled faintly, and with a teasing smile he asked, “Angry?”

       “If you didn’t want me to kiss her, you could’ve just said so… why do all this…” Qin Mu’s voice faltered. He lowered his eyes, avoiding Shen Liu’s gaze.

       “A law student like you—don’t you know that a debt must be repaid to be fair?” Shen Liu curved his lips in feigned innocence. “You stole a kiss from me while I was drunk. I deserve a chance to collect.”

       Qin Mu’s heart gave a violent jolt. His eyes widened in disbelief.

       …He knew?

       …He had known all along?

       Panic surged through Qin Mu. A wave of shame flooding him until he felt scorched inside and out. He was like a thief cornered in a dead-end alley with only two choices; to surrender or fight to the bitter end.

       But this was Shen Liu. Once he made a move, he never left an escape route.

       “You’re right. I didn’t want you to kiss her.” Shen Liu murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the side of Qin Mu’s neck. “After all, I raised you for so long. How could I let someone else kiss my child bride?”

       The tingling and electric sensation made Qin Mu shudder involuntarily. He must really be drunk, so drunk he had started dreaming strange and impossible dreams. Dreams where up was down, right was wrong.

       And yet… he didn’t want to wake up.

       He had finally heard the words he had longed for, from the person he loved. Whether they were true or not, none of it mattered anymore.

       Shen Liu found his reaction utterly amusing. He cupped Qin Mu’s face and gave it a light squeeze. “You really are made of wood, huh?”

       Qin Mu stared at him for a moment, dazed, then silently wrapped his arms around him. He held him tightly, like he was afraid he might lose something precious. He hugged him so hard he almost crushed him.

       “You silly thing, ease up—I’m about to suffocate,” Shen Liu said helplessly. “Go lie down for a bit. I’ll take care of this mess…”

       But Qin Mu wouldn’t let go.

       “…Fine,” Shen Liu said with a laugh, and simply carried him straight to bed.

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T/N:
Hello, very long time no see.. I never plan to abandon this series for this long, but life happens… I need time to solve my financial situation properly, and with the fact that I need to move and everything… I just always came home exhausted and have no time or strength to translate
So I’m sorry for making you guys wait long, I don’t have any excuses; just that I need to focus more on my rl to get more money so I can leisurely translate without burden.
Since half of the problem solved, I will be posting more than just one chapters 🙂

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