Ximen wore an amused gaze, lowering his eyes slightly as he fell silent once more.
Having resided in a position of high authority for a long time, this childhood friend from his youth had gradually grown distant from him. Yet, he had only ever viewed Ci Mei through the lens of utility, feeling nothing deeper about it. What he valued was simply that the Vieser family held the greatest sway before the aging emperor of that era.
As the youngest son, Ci Mei was the easiest person to get close to.
Little Ci Mei was both obedient and gullible; extracting benefits through him was effortless for Ximen, to the extent that even things Ximen mentioned offhandedly would prompt little Ci Mei to secure them by any means necessary.
The nickname “Little Darling” had also originated from that period.
Watching his somewhat flustered childhood friend, Ximen suddenly recalled what his subordinates had told him earlier: “The youngest son of the Vieser family is arrogant, unreasonable, oblivious to others, and consumed by jealousy. His reputation is atrocious.”
Arrogant, unreasonable, and oblivious to others?
Ximen chuckled inwardly.
He was clearly still that same foolish little darling who believed others too easily.
When he raised his eyes once more, he spotted an unfamiliar youth standing behind Ci Mei, leaning down to murmur something into Ci Mei’s ear.
Ximen raised an eyebrow slightly, instinctively recalling his subordinate’s mention of “consumed by jealousy” and where it might have stemmed from.
On the other side, startled by the sudden approach, Ci Mei instinctively tilted his head away to put some distance between them, right before hearing: “Young Master, I’ve already done as you instructed. Pei Huai is in the restroom right now, just waiting for those few to go inside.”
Ci Mei froze. Sensing Ximen’s gaze pressing in from the side, he lowered his voice: “What?”
The youth looked somewhat bewildered, but still explained truthfully: “Wen Li said he wanted to vent your anger, Young Master, and slip Pei Huai some drug so he learns what kind of person he should and shouldn’t touch.”
Perhaps due to Ci Mei’s utterly blank expression, the youth added, perplexed: “You didn’t know? Wen Li said you gave tacit permission.”
Ci Mei: !!
Slip him some drugs?
Wen Li had literally just had an unpleasant falling out with him—wasn’t he trying to use a borrowed knife to kill someone?
Just as Ci Mei wanted to demand clarification, the system’s voice chimed in his mind: [There is a plot point where the protagonist shou gets drugged and bullied, and the protagonist gong comes to the rescue as a hero saving the beauty. But you weren’t supposed to appear in this scene, which is why I didn’t tell you…]
Before the system could finish, Ci Mei cut it off: “But Fichte has no intersection with Pei Huai right now. There’s no way he’ll notice Pei Huai’s abnormality in time to save him. Right now, I’m the only one who can go save him.”
…That actually made sense.
The system fell abruptly silent. After pausing for a long moment, it compromised: […Fine, but you have to follow the plot I give you.]
Ci Mei muttered an unfocused agreement, not daring to delay any further. Hurriedly standing up to excuse himself from the elderly Count Vieser, Ximen, and the others, he rushed off following the route sent by the system in his head.
When Ci Mei hurried over, Pei Huai was curled up in a corner with his clothes in disarray, his head lowered so his expression was obscured. In the oppressive silence, only his hurried, ragged breaths remained.
Traces of a scuffle lingered in the surroundings.
Ci Mei’s heart tightened, slowing his pace.
Sensing someone approaching, Pei Huai was too overwhelmed by the fierce drug to lower his guard. Forcing his body to shift backward, he endured the surging tide within him, speaking with strained effort: “…If you don’t want to get beaten, get lost.”
Ci Mei came to a halt right in front of him, looking down from above. His voice sounded distant and hazy, yet every word remained exceptionally clear: “You’re still far more useful than the stray dogs in the black market… but they know how to have a master, and you don’t.” Then, Ci Mei’s tone softened slightly: “Feeling awful, Pei Huai?”
The youth on the ground slowly raised his head to look at Ci Mei, his gaze hazy as if struggling to recognize who was standing before him.
Burning as though engulfed in a raging inferno, Pei Huai leveraged the sink to haul himself up, clinging to Ci Mei’s neck. His scorching, hurried breath dusted the pretty person in his arms with a delicate flush.
After reciting the lines provided by the system, Ci Mei added a line of his own private sentiment. Just as he was pondering how to get Pei Huai out of here, he was startled by a sudden, terrifying shift—and the next second, he felt himself plunged headfirst into the flames.
Before he could dodge or push away, the world spun around as his position was swapped with Pei Huai’s. He was slammed abruptly against the door, a large hand cushioning the space between the back of his head and the wooden surface, producing a soft thud as the back of the hand collided with the door.
Immediately following that, his jaw was hooked and scratched by Pei Huai’s messy, upturned locks. A damp sensation brushed against his collarbone, followed by a light bite—not too heavy, leaving only a lingering, electrifying itch laced with carnal temptation.
“Pei… Pei Huai! Don’t touch there… Look closely at who I am!” Ci Mei let out an uncontrollable whimper, his voice trembling. His wrists were captured in Pei Huai’s grip, locked tightly and pressed directly against his own wildly racing heart.
Overwhelmed by the bodily desires coaxed out by Pei Huai, Ci Mei couldn’t break free, so he turned his head sideways to evade Pei Huai’s movements, only to end up offering his fragile, immaculate skin all the more willingly to the person pressing against him.
The culprit kissed that delicate, gorgeous collarbone over and over until it glistened with moisture and flushed bright red, yet he remained unsatisfied, eager to push things further.
From an angle Ci Mei couldn’t see, an intense desire for possession, mingled with a sliver of unmasked clarity, burned brightly in those eyes.
Pei Huai’s voice was hoarse and urgent: “It’s driving me crazy… I want to… lick you.”
He paused for a fraction of a second, then whispered with extreme softness: “…Master.”