Ji Ran loosened the blanket and returned it to Han Shen, revealing the overly revealing stage costume he was wearing underneath.
The rain continued to fall without pause and the weather had grown even colder. When his bare feet touched the ground, it felt as though he were stepping directly onto ice.
Throughout the entire process, Han Shen kept his eyes on him, as if he were silently giving Ji Ran every opportunity to change his mind.
But Ji Ran merely glanced at him once before putting on the high heels and walking back inside.
….
When he returned backstage, Ji Ran came up with an excuse about having diarrhea to explain his absence to the staff. The other person gave him a look, then had the makeup artist do his makeup anyway.
It wasn’t long before it was time for Ji Ran and the others to go onstage.
The runway show was an unpleasant experience, one that Ji Ran didn’t particularly want to remember. Fortunately, he was wearing a mask, which offered at least some protection against the intrusive gazes directed at him.
He waited for Han Shen to take the photographs, intending to proceed with the next stage of their operation afterward.
But unexpectedly, Brother Diao suddenly brought a middle aged man over and said that he wanted to introduce Ji Ran to him.
Ji Ran felt a surge of panic. Then he heard one of the staff members explain, “You’re the one Master Cheng specifically requested. He really likes you. He went to considerable trouble to have us bring you here.”
Ji Ran suddenly understood.
So the nightclub hadn’t tricked him into coming for a part time job by accident. Someone had specifically chosen him.
A wave of disgust rose within him.
Ji Ran didn’t want to speak to the man but Brother Diao said, “Make sure you keep Master Cheng entertained. He may be a little old but he never messes around. When he takes someone under his wing, he treats them like his own son. Being chosen by him is your good fortune.”
The man extended his right hand toward Ji Ran.
Ji Ran didn’t want to touch him, so he took a step backward. Brother Diao, however, grabbed his hand and pulled him forward.
“SMACK”
A hand slapped against the back of Brother Diao’s hand.
A man dressed in a leopard print suit spoke up.
“I already told you to be gentler. Why is that so difficult for you to learn?”
“Boss?” Brother Diao quickly withdrew his hand, his expression instantly turning fearful.
“Why haven’t you let him go yet?” The boss walked over and stepped slightly to the side, speaking to a handsome young man. “President Han, this is the person you requested.”
Ji Ran breathed a sigh of relief. Han Shen had arrived.
After that, Ji Ran was no longer harassed. He thought the matter would end there, until the boss arranged for him to spend the night with Han Shen.
Although he had already anticipated that something like this might happen, Ji Ran still felt somewhat apprehensive when it actually became a reality. He followed Han Shen upstairs to the second floor.
There were surveillance cameras and recording equipment in the bedroom, so Ji Ran didn’t dare say anything. All he could do was try his best to cooperate with Han Shen’s movements.
Han Shen pressed Ji Ran against the wall, his back hitting something hard. With a loud smack, their intense movements caused the light in the room to go out.
Ji Ran felt his scalp prickle.
“How are they doing now?” In the surveillance room, the boss looked at the screens and asked.
“They’ve been assigned to Rooms One and Two.” Manager Zhao pointed at the screens. “Peacock in Room One has already started. The little rabbit in Room Eight and his guest have entered the bathroom but there hasn’t been any further action yet.”
Room One had only a single night light left on, leaving the video footage dim. It was just barely possible to see Peacock sitting on top of the guest, their movements and the sounds coming from the room both intense.
It didn’t look like an act.
Over in Room Eight, they were still taking a shower. Steam had blurred the glass and only their vague silhouettes could be seen making contact with each other. There was a possibility they were putting on a performance but Han Shen clearly seemed like the type who enjoyed tormenting people slowly and methodically. Taking a little longer to get started was understandable.
The boss thought for a moment before asking the manager, “If I remember correctly, both Peacock and the little rabbit are newcomers?”
“Peacock has already participated in several performances but this is his first time spending the night with a guest. As for the little rabbit, he really did only arrive today.” After finishing his explanation, Manager Zhao asked uneasily, “Do you suspect them?”
“I’m not certain yet.” The boss shook his head as he watched the screens. “It’s just that something feels strange. The timing is far too coincidental.”
Manager Zhao thought for a moment before adding, “I’m not too familiar with Peacock’s background but the little rabbit is an internet celebrity. A regular guest specifically requested him by name and we went through a great deal of trouble to bring him here. He shouldn’t be a problem.”
The boss fell into thought for a moment before making his decision. “You keep an eye on the surveillance. If they don’t go all the way tonight, cancel the overnight arrangements for all the other guests.”
The manager hesitated. “But our big event only happens once every half a month and the guests have already been waiting long enough. If we cancel this time, they’ll have to wait until next month.”
“What does one month matter?” The boss shook his head and told him, “We’re in this for the long term. There’s nothing wrong with being a little more cautious.”
“I understand.” Manager Zhao nodded before asking, “But what if they do go through with it?”
The boss stared at the surveillance footage on the screen. After remaining silent for several seconds, he finally said, “Then the overnight event will proceed as scheduled.”
…….
Room Eight had fallen into darkness, with only two blurry figures visible through the camera.
Manager Zhao watched with rapt attention, his eyes fixed carefully on the screen.
Before long, the two figures on the large bed became intertwined. Then Ji Ran let out a scream. His voice sounded obedient and pitiful, as though he was experiencing some pleasure but it sounded even more like he was being bullied terribly.
“You’re too tight.” Han Shen’s voice didn’t sound much better. “Relax a little more.”
Ji Ran was genuinely on the verge of tears. “I want to relax too but it really hurts. My body just won’t listen to me…”
Han Shen said nothing. He began moving without the slightest trace of mercy.
Ji Ran suffered terribly as a result. His cries grew more pitiful with every sound and by the end, they had even taken on a tearful quality.
Manager Zhao’s face flushed as he listened. He reported the results to the boss, who remained silent for several seconds before announcing that the overnight event would proceed as scheduled.
……..
Ji Ran had screamed until his throat was hoarse.
Han Shen gave him a full body massage on the bed, even taking care to work on the acupressure points on the soles of his feet. Ji Ran’s physical condition had always been poor and after sitting for long periods, his muscles had become stiff as boards. On top of that, he had never received a massage before, so practically every place Han Shen pressed was painful.
Unfortunately, Han Shen was particularly heavy handed. He especially enjoyed lingering over the acupressure points that hurt Ji Ran the most. The more miserably Ji Ran cried out, the harder he pressed. No matter how much Ji Ran begged for mercy, he refused to let up.
During that entire hour after the lights had gone out, Ji Ran’s screams barely stopped.
At first, he had still been able to speak but later, his voice became so hoarse that he could only make soft, kitten like whimpering sounds.
By the time the first round of massage ended, Ji Ran was already completely exhausted.
He lay with his face buried in the pillow and asked Han Shen quietly from behind him, “C… Can we stop now?”
Han Shen didn’t answer. His burning palm remained pressed against Ji Ran’s lower back, while his breathing sounded heavier than usual.
Ji Ran couldn’t bear listening to that sound. Just as he was about to move away, Han Shen leaned down and whispered beside his ear, “One more time.”
……
The footage on the surveillance monitors became more lively. One after another, the dark screens lit up, just as they had on countless nights in the past, showing people seeking pleasure and entertainment in the darkness.
Manager Zhao was beginning to feel tired. He had watched too many of these videos and they no longer stirred even the slightest interest in him. At this point, all he wanted was to finish work, go home, eat a steaming bowl of noodles, take a hot shower and get a good night’s sleep.
He only needed to wait until dawn…
Manager Zhao leaned back in his chair and began to doze off.
“Bang-”
He didn’t know how much time had passed when a sudden, deafening crash jolted him awake. Someone burst into the room with a gun raised.
“Put your hands up! Don’t move!”
The arrest operation had begun.
If they were going to put on an act, they had to see it through to the end. Ji Ran and Han Shen were taken back to the police station as well. However, they still received a little preferential treatment and were placed in a small four seater car.
This crackdown on prostitution had rounded up more than two hundred people, turning the local police station into something resembling a crowded marketplace. Under the pretext of conducting separate interrogations, a female police officer brought Ji Ran and Han Shen into a room. She untied their restraints and even commented that they had been tied quite well.
Before leaving, the female officer told them that Officer Leng would come over shortly. Once they had met with him, they would be able to go home.
“Officer Leng?” Ji Ran failed to react for a moment.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the door opened and a man wearing police style trousers and a light blue shirt walked inside. He had the familiar phoenix shaped eyes that Ji Ran knew so well. Without his makeup, his handsome features carried a distinctly heroic air.
It was none other than Peacock from the club.
Ji Ran found himself captivated by the sight for a moment.
Ji Ran had a particular quirk. He liked anything neat, orderly and governed by a sense of structure.
For example, evenly arranged lines, clean and tidy rooms, library bookshelves organized in orderly rows and clothing such as suits and uniforms, which followed a fixed design and established form. Things like these gave him a sense of order and security.
Police uniforms naturally fell into that category as well. Ji Ran liked the feeling of safety and order conveyed by a police uniform.
“Thank you for your hard work.” Officer Leng strode toward them and extended his right hand to Ji Ran. “I’m Leng Lingci, deputy captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade. Once again, I’d like to thank both of you citizens for your cooperation with this operation.”
Ji Ran extended his own hand. “It was nothing. We were just doing what we should.”
After exchanging greetings, Leng Lingci turned his attention back to Ji Ran and was just about to speak when the door was pushed open.
Jiang Yi walked in carrying two shopping bags. “Brother Han, go change your clothes first. Your family has come to the station.”
Han Shen looked slightly surprised, then nodded. “Got it.”
With that, he handed one of the shopping bags to Ji Ran and said, “Take this and change into it.”
Ji Ran had assumed there wouldn’t be anything for him, so he accepted the clothes and gave Jiang Yi a grateful look. “Thank you, Officer Jiang.”
“Old Han bought them,” Jiang Yi explained. “I ran into his driver at the entrance, so I brought them along.”
Ji Ran froze for a moment. He was about to thank him again but Han Shen had already turned around and left to change his clothes.
Left with no choice, Ji Ran carried the clothes into the changing cubicle. The bag was packed full. Underwear, an outer coat, shoes, everything was included. The price tags had been removed, so he couldn’t see how much the clothes had cost but he encountered that enormous logo almost every day when he went to work at the shopping mall nearby.
Oh, no. Why had Han Shen bought him clothes this expensive?
Ji Ran’s first thought was that he wouldn’t be able to afford to pay him back.
After struggling with the matter for a while, Ji Ran finally changed and stepped out. Han Shen was already gone and Jiang Yi had left with him as well. The only person remaining in the room was Leng Lingci.
Ji Ran glanced at him. Leng Lingci put down his phone and walked toward him, having apparently stayed behind specifically to wait for him.
“Officer Leng.” Ji Ran nodded at him.
“This is my contact information.” Leng Lingci handed him a slip of paper before continuing, “When you go home during this period, if you notice anything unusual or encounter anything dangerous, call me at any time.”
Only then did Ji Ran understand. Leng Lingci was worried that his undercover operation might have been exposed and that the people involved would deliberately retaliate against him.
He carefully memorized the number, then tucked the slip of paper into his pocket and nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Officer Leng.”
Leng Lingci still had work to do. After giving Ji Ran his phone number, he left. Ji Ran avoided the crowd as he made his way downstairs, only to remember that his phone was still at the club. He had no idea whether someone had brought it over.
He turned around, intending to ask Leng Lingci about it. However, as he walked through the corridor, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.
“You two actually did it at the club?”
It was Jiang Yi’s voice. Then the person he was asking had to be Han Shen, right?
Now that Ji Ran thought back to that one hour, he still felt extremely embarrassed. He wished he could erase that entire memory from his mind.
He didn’t dare interrupt the two of them, so he remained where he was, waiting for them to leave.
Unexpectedly, the two men stopped instead. Ji Ran heard Han Shen say, “Do you think I’m like you?”
“What do you mean, looking down on me? We were doing legitimate work! Of course we didn’t go all the way, okay?”
Jiang Yi’s retort was rather fierce but to Ji Ran, there seemed to be a distinct lack of confidence behind his words.
Han Shen replied in an exceptionally calm yet infuriating tone, “Yes. You merely took a little advantage of your position for personal reasons.”
“You have the nerve to say that about me?” Jiang Yi let out a cold snort. “What about you, then? You agreed to help this time but did you really have no ulterior motives?”
The corridor fell silent for a moment. Without realizing it, Ji Ran also quieted his breathing.
“No.”
Han Shen’s voice was deep and cold, so much so that Ji Ran could almost picture the indifferent expression on his face as he said those words.
Ji Ran turned around and left.
He returned to the second floor, intending to find someone and ask about his phone. However, he couldn’t find Leng Lingci and the other officers were all rushing around, too busy to bother with such a minor matter.
Ji Ran found nothing at all. With his head lowered, he made his way downstairs.
At some point, rain had begun falling outside. The winter rain was fine and continuous, weaving a golden pattern of light and shadow beneath the streetlamps.
Han Shen stood at the entrance of the police station. When he saw Ji Ran come out, he walked over and said, “I’ll take you home.”
Ji Ran remained silent for two seconds before replying, “Thank you but I still have something to do.”
Han Shen asked, “What is it?”
Ji Ran answered, “I need to find my phone.”
Han Shen reached into his coat, took out the phone and held it out to him. “I got it back for you.”
“Oh.” Ji Ran accepted the phone but continued standing there without moving.
Han Shen’s patience began to wear thin. He gave him an instruction. “Get in the car.”
Ji Ran pressed his lips together. He seemed as though he still wanted to say something but under Han Shen’s impatient, urging gaze, he eventually followed him into the car.
The heater was on inside and Ji Ran soon felt a little warm. He took off his overcoat, revealing the dark gray suit he wore underneath. The design was simple and understated but the tailoring and craftsmanship were excellent, making him look tall, upright and full of energy.
Ji Ran had already thought before that Han Shen was particularly good at arranging clothes for people. Now, every piece of clothing he had on had been purchased at Han Shen’s instruction. Even details such as his underwear and socks had been taken into consideration.
The brand new overcoat lay across his legs. It appeared to be made of cashmere, with a soft and lightweight texture that was astonishingly warm.
Although he had already anticipated that it would be expensive, Ji Ran didn’t want to owe someone a favor. He took the initiative to ask, “How much did the clothes cost? I’ll transfer the money to you.”
Han Shen replied, “I bought them while I was at it. You don’t need to pay me.”
Ji Ran hesitated for a while before saying, “Then I’ll wash them and return them to you.”
“No need.” Han Shen rejected him again. “Even if you returned them to me, I wouldn’t have any use for them.”
Ji Ran asked, “Wasn’t there a young man about my size last time?”
He was referring to the time he had helped Han Shen and Asher try on clothes over the weekend. These were expensive designer brands and Ji Ran thought the other man could wear them instead.
Han Shen answered, “He doesn’t wear other people’s clothes.”
Ji Ran was taken aback. He stared blankly ahead and let out a quiet, “Oh,” before falling silent.
The car continued moving through the curtain of rain and neither of them spoke again. Outside the window, raindrops wet the glass, blurring the lights and shadows along the streets.
Ji Ran quietly watched the scenery for a while. Finding it uninteresting, he closed his eyes.
After a while, he began to feel a little uncomfortable, so he leaned his face closer to the seat belt.
……
A week later, Han Shen suddenly realized that Ji Ran hadn’t worn a single piece of clothing he had bought for him.
Ji Ran was still alternating between his two Uniqlo suits. Whenever it was too cold outside, he would pair them with his black down jacket, the one that had become stiff and hardened from being washed so many times.
Han Shen rarely regretted his words or actions but at this moment, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat annoyed with himself.
He thought that his earlier words must have hurt Ji Ran. After all, Ji Ran was actually someone with a very strong sense of self respect.
Han Shen opened his social media app and contacted the furniture company that had previously approached him about filming an advertisement.
[Hello. I’ve changed my mind. If you’re still interested in collaborating, please contact me.]
…….
After returning home that day, Ji Ran immediately took off the expensive suit he was wearing and carefully hung it inside his wardrobe.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to wear it. It was just that the negative consequences of wearing the suit far outweighed any positive feedback he might receive.
Although his colleagues at the company weren’t particularly gossipy, they might still bring up his new clothes during casual conversation.
Anyone could tell that the outfit was far beyond his usual spending capacity. Ji Ran couldn’t exactly claim that he had bought it himself but he was even less likely to tell his colleagues that it had been given to him by his superior. So, in the end, he could only leave the clothes hidden away in his wardrobe.
Of course, Ji Ran liked nice things too. He simply couldn’t accept someone else’s kindness with complete peace of mind.
Rather than having someone generously give him something, he would much rather purchase it himself.
However, the incident at the club had made him more cautious and he no longer intended to continue taking on part time work to earn extra money.
Han Shen had been right. His most important task at present was to establish himself and gain a firm footing. He was only a student still undergoing his internship. There was no reason for him to shoulder all of his parents’ expenses. He could manage by covering only part of their financial needs.
What Ji Ran hadn’t expected was that when he logged into the social media app again, Soli lunar’s public relations representative informed him that Orca had agreed to film the advertisement and the project had been restarted.
Ji Ran still remembered the generous payment that had been offered for the project. However, he had already been deceived once. He didn’t think there was any chance Orca would agree to the invitation and he couldn’t be bothered to investigate whether the company was legitimate or just another scam.
He simply rejected the offer.
Unexpectedly, that very evening, Orca sent him a video collaboration invitation himself.
Ji Ran was a little dumbfounded. He checked and rechecked the message several times before finally confirming that it really was from Orca.
[Working_is_bound_to_drive_you_crazy]: Why did you agree to film an advertisement?
[Orca]: I owe someone a favor.
[Working_is_bound_to_drive_you_crazy]: Oh.
[Orca]: If you’re worried about safety, I can have the brand initiate an official platform sponsored collaboration.
Ji Ran hadn’t been a content creator for very long and it was only now that he understood how things worked. Legitimate brands could contact creators directly through the platform. The brand name, agency and payment for the sponsored collaboration would all be clearly displayed, which significantly reduced the risk of creators being scammed compared to accepting cooperation offers through private messages.
With that in mind, Ji Ran didn’t reject the offer. Instead, he waited for the filming date with a sense of anticipation and excitement.
That feeling lasted until he received the video script.
Ji Ran was completely dumbfounded.
[Scene One: Living Room]
There’s No Way to Work Without Going Crazy has his eyes covered and is thrown into the living room.
Orca grabs him by the neck and pushes him down onto the sofa.
[Scene Two: Kitchen]
There’s No Way to Work Without Going Crazy is lying on the kitchen island while Orca pours milk over his head and body.
[Scene Three: Bedroom]
There’s No Way to Work Without Going Crazy steps barefoot onto Orca’s chest, raises his hand and delivers a hard slap across his face…
[Scene Four: Bathroom]
Orca lies in the bathtub with his eyes closed, while bright red blood flows out from beneath his body.
There’s No Way to Work Without Going Crazy stands by the window, wearing Orca’s pajamas while enjoying his red wine and fine food.
After reading the script, Ji Ran could only stare in utter shock.
Was this something they could actually film??!
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
This is your completely normal and non-suspicious request to buy coffee.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · A cold-hearted bossChapter 2 · “Your skirt?”Chapter 3 · Ji Ran was caught off guardChapter 4 · Relax, you bit your lip until it bledChapter 5 · Don’t want toChapter 6 · Women’s clothing and DaddyChapter 7 · Ji Ran hunched over and began to sob softly.Chapter 8 · Rebellion, offense, and self-rewardChapter 9 · I hate it when people flaunt their wealth in front of meChapter 10 · CompensateChapter 11 · Why are you following me?Chapter 12 · Damn, he forgot to take off his leg chainChapter 13 · Ji Ran was indeed still afraid of him.Chapter 14 · A message came from OrcaChapter 15 · Self-blame, anger, and tears.Chapter 16 · You have to pay more!Chapter 17 · Did you come here just to yell at me?Chapter 18 · Just bear with it a little longerChapter 19 · Women’s clothing live streamChapter 20 · Could you come and pick me up?Chapter 21 Part 1 · It’s all an actChapter 21 Part 2 · It’s all an actChapter 22 · The actions could be even more brutalChapter 23 · A slapChapter 24 · He wanted to surrender a part of himself