When he woke up the next morning, Shi Jun massaged his aching lower back and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. Under the rushing stream of hot water, the events of the previous night remained vividly etched in his mind.
“007, you’re actually quite good to me. The moment I arrived in this second world, I ran right into my lover,” Shi Jun murmured softly in his mind, the corner of his mouth curving into an involuntary smile.
That smile was like a beam of sunlight breaking through the morning mist, warm and bright.
However, his phone began ringing right outside the bathroom door, shattering the peaceful moment and disrupting his good mood.
Glancing at the caller ID, a sudden flash of anger ignited in Shi Jun’s chest. It was Shi Yue calling—the very person entirely responsible for the original host’s ultimate tragedy.
Shi Jun took a deep breath, forcing down the fury in his heart, and answered the call.
“Cousin! Ah Yao and I have already booked your flight to the United States. During the Sheng family banquet next month, Ah Yao and I will find a way to get you out of there!” Shi Yue’s voice vibrated with excitement and anticipation, booming in Shi Jun’s ears like distant thunder.
Shi Jun let out a cold laugh. The original host had truly believed his cousin was acting out of kindness and had trusted him blindly. He never could have imagined that Shi Yue would team up with Yu Boyao the man the original host had been blind enough to fall for to kidnap and sell him into the depths of the mountains.
Shi Jun replied in a slow, leisurely tone, “What United States? When did I ever say I wanted to go to America?” On the other end of the line, Shi Yue’s tone betrayed a sudden wave of panic and confusion at the rejection.
Shi Jun understood completely. He knew perfectly well that the original host’s sudden defiance would catch them off guard, but this was precisely his first step in launching his counterattack.
Refusing to listen to any more of Shi Yue’s persuasion, Shi Jun simply said flatly, “I’ll think about it,” and hung up the phone.
Stepping back under the spray, he closed his eyes, letting the hot water wash over his body while he mapped out his next moves.
Just as Shi Jun finished washing and stepped out, the phone began to blare again, the sound exceptionally grating in the quiet room.
Shi Yue’s voice carried a desperate urgency: “Cousin, didn’t you say you were sick of Sheng Baiye forcing himself on you? You don’t love him at all, so why are you staying by his side?!” His words were rapid and intense, howling like a gale-force wind in a thunderstorm.
“Oh, I changed my mind. Sheng Baiye has a phenomenal physique, his kissing technique is incredible, and he is absolutely amazing in bed. I can’t bear to leave him now,” Shi Jun deliberately taunted Shi Yue, his tone dripping with playful mischief.
Although Shi Jun was merely stating the absolute truth, he intentionally delivered it with such casual ease purely to provoke his cousin.
Sure enough, Shi Yue was instantly infuriated. He stammered over his words for a long time, utterly incapable of spitting out a coherent sentence.
Shi Jun laughed inwardly. Shi Yue had secretly pined after Sheng Baiye for years; he naturally couldn’t stand seeing Shi Jun happy.
“I have to go. My husband is getting up to make me breakfast. Bye-bye!” Without giving Shi Yue a chance to respond, Shi Jun cut the call.
The moment he turned around, he saw Sheng Baiye leaning against the doorframe, watching him with an intensely amused expression.
Sheng Baiye closed the distance with his long strides, tilting his head down to lightly claim Shi Jun’s lips in a soft kiss.
“So, I’m amazing in bed, am I?” He lowered his head, his voice laced with pure seduction, drawing Shi Jun’s gaze like the brightest star in the night sky.
Shi Jun’s face flushed a violent crimson, and he glared at Sheng Baiye in sheer embarrassment.
The corner of Sheng Baiye’s mouth tilted upward. He raised a finger, gently tracing it over Shi Jun’s lips, and asked, “Do you like my kisses?”
Shi Jun’s gaze flickered erratically, not daring to look directly into Sheng Baiye’s burning eyes.
Sheng Baiye leaned down, capturing Shi Jun’s lips once more, sucking on them firmly. Shi Jun gave a slight, pained shove against his chest, but Sheng Baiye remained completely immovable. He continued to hold Shi Jun in a tight embrace, transferring his own scorching heat to the other man.
Shi Jun’s head buzzed chaotically, his heart hammering wildly against his ribs.
Sheng Baiye extended his fingers to trace the contours of Shi Jun’s face, his eyes gleaming with unvarnished desire as he murmured softly, “I want you…”
Shi Jun heard himself swallow hard, his body involuntarily tensing up.
Suddenly breaking away from the embrace, Shi Jun dashed toward the wardrobe to grab some clothes, desperate to flee the bedroom.
Sheng Baiye pursued him swiftly, wrapping his arms around Shi Jun from behind and lowering his head to press kisses against the nape of his neck.
“Alright, don’t you still have to go to work?”
The moment those words left Shi Jun’s mouth, Sheng Baiye’s expression turned instantly dark and menacing, as if the tenderness from a moment ago had been nothing more than a fleeting dream.
He turned and walked over to the nightstand, pulling an exquisite metal chain from the drawer before walking back to kneel at Shi Jun’s feet. He gently fastened the cuff of the chain around Shi Jun’s ankle, then looked up to give him a deeply intense gaze, his eyes swirling with complex emotions.
“The butler will bring your meals up to you,” Sheng Baiye stated coldly, his voice stripped of all warmth. Without another word, he turned and strode out of the room, leaving Shi Jun completely alone in the bedroom.
Shi Jun stared at the chain, thoroughly dumbfounded by the sequence of events. Was he seriously just put under house arrest?
[System 007: Host, this is a textbook case of forced love! It looks like he still doesn’t completely trust you yet!]