Lu Min’s expression turned cold instantly. He reached for the small ball he had found earlier among the props Ying Yulian had purchased. He shortened the restraint straps slightly and placed it on Ying Yulian.
“Bite down. Do not let it fall out.”
The silent room was filled only with the sound of hand-delivered discipline. Ying Yulian watched himself and his brother in the mirror. Lu Min leaned over him from behind; he had removed his sweater, leaving only a loosely draped black shirt. The man clamped the boy’s flailing feet between his legs. Lu Min’s face was expressionless, like a heartless executioner or a stern judge.
The leather paddle was cast aside. Lu Min felt it was too mild for such an disobedient child. He chose to rely on his own strength, using his hands to personally educate his child.
Ying Yulian stared blankly at Lu Min in the mirror. The faint impatience in the man’s cold eyes, caused by the boy’s secrecy, reminded him of a dream he once had about Lu Min smoking. The pain had turned into a dull numbness.
That dream replayed continuously in Ying Yulian’s mind. In his blurred consciousness, he felt as if his brother were using him as an ashtray, extinguishing a cigarette on his skin. A thin layer of sweat broke out on the boy’s nose, and his dark clothes were gradually becoming damp with moisture.
Ying Yulian’s legs stiffened from the pain, and he tried to cross them to lessen the stinging. However, he was too close to his brother. If Lu Min discovered this untimely reaction—this attempt to escape punishment while inadvertently finding pleasure—it would be even harder to explain.
Ying Yulian turned his head, trying to avoid Lu Min’s palms and the harsh discipline. Yet, time and again, Lu Min forced his head back, staring at him without blinking as the palms continued to fall. Lu Min was a stern father; he could be gentle usually, but he was relentless when it came to educating and correcting improper behavior.
“Do not hide.”
After another strike fell, Ying Yulian’s clothes were soaked with sweat. The sticky sensation made him extremely uncomfortable, but the youth could not speak. Only muffled whimpers escaped him.
“What is it? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”
Noticing the boy’s abnormal state, Lu Min immediately removed the small ball. He turned Ying Yulian over. Lying on the sofa, Ying Yulian’s face was flushed deep red, and his entire body glowed a faint pink from the beating. Because he had worn the gag for so long, saliva slowly overflowed from his crimson lips. His black hair was drenched in sweat; he looked as if he had been fished out of the water.
Lu Min had been holding back his strength; he knew the limits of Ying Yulian’s body. These red marks would fade within a few days. However, seeing Ying Yulian like this, Lu Min could not help but wonder if he had truly struck too hard and injured the youth.
His gaze traveled downward until he saw a spreading wet patch on the boy’s clothes.
Water? Where did this moisture come from?
As a confused Lu Min prepared to check, Ying Yulian moved first. He grabbed Lu Min’s hand, his eyes brimming with tears, and said with a sob, “Brother, do not touch it. It is dirty.”
Dirty?
Lu Min suddenly remembered a pedophile he had encountered in his past life who had been beaten by other inmates until he lost bladder control. Lu Min had forgotten if the man ever recovered. Regardless, since Ying Yulian was in this state because of his punishment, he had to take responsibility.
“Go to the bathroom. Take them off and let me see,” Lu Min said, frowning. If he had actually caused an injury, it was no small matter; he would have to take Ying Yulian to the hospital.
“No! Brother, I do not want you to see!”
Ying Yulian gripped the edge of the thin fabric tightly, shaking his head desperately. How could he let his brother see such a thing? If Lu Min saw it, his hidden thoughts would be laid bare, and his brother would surely distance himself.
Knowing the power his tears had over Lu Min, Ying Yulian let them fall one by one.
“Has Brother not finished the punishment? This happened because Brother hit me too hard. Why must you make me take off my clothes? I am already so embarrassed.”
“I hate you, Brother. Why do you force me to do things I do not like?”
“This is my body; only I know it best. If there is a problem, I will come to you, or I will go to the hospital myself.”
“I am eighteen now. Brother, stop treating me like a child.”
This series of tearful questions made Lu Min’s nerves throb. How had a simple health inquiry escalated to a lack of respect? Lu Min knew Ying Yulian was using tears as a weapon to force him to give up the examination.
But the man, who hated being threatened, simply remained silent. He took a tissue from the table and slowly wiped the tears from Ying Yulian’s face. He knew Ying Yulian was hiding more than one thing, including that suspicious wetness on his clothes.
Lu Min hated losing control, but he hated Ying Yulian’s tears even more. He turned and walked into the study.
Lu Min calmed himself for ten minutes in the study until he heard a faint, mosquito-like sobbing behind him. The moment he turned his chair, Ying Yulian, who was kneeling on the floor, lifted his wet eyes. Like a drowning animal grabbing a piece of driftwood, the boy scrambled over, his knees making dull thuds against the floor.
“Do not kneel.”
Lu Min’s voice still carried a cold edge, but his hand already reached out to support the boy’s trembling elbow. The air was filled with suppressed sobs, one after another, sounding incredibly pitiful. Ying Yulian bit his lower lip hard, burying his face in his arms. His shoulders shook as he tried to keep from wailing, terrified of truly provoking the man sitting before him.
Lu Min watched him, his fingers tapping the arm of the chair. His voice was unreadable. “Stop crying, and I will hold you.”
Upon hearing this, Ying Yulian froze. He suppressed his cries so hard he almost lost his breath. He shook his head and then nodded frantically, not knowing which command to follow first, locking the whimpers deep in his throat. He waited a few seconds, but when the embrace did not come, he panicked. He scrambled toward the sofa, grabbing Lu Min’s waist and practically collapsing into his lap.
The wall he had built crumbled instantly.
“I… I am not crying anymore…” He lifted his wet face, his voice shaking. Tears rolled down in strings. “Why will you not hold me? It hurts so much… Please do not be angry anymore, okay?”
Ying Yulian’s lips were bitten white. He did not dare hug Lu Min’s neck; he only pressed his forehead against the man’s knee, the fabric quickly becoming wet and warm.
“Look up.”
Ying Yulian shook his head, his shoulders huddling tighter. Lu Min sighed, his remaining anger finally dissipating. He reached down, scooped the boy up, and placed him on his lap, his palm resting against the boy’s sweat-dampened neck.
“I am sorry. It was my fault. I struck too hard. Did it hurt that much?”
The person in his arms nodded immediately, then hurriedly shook his head. His fingers gripped the hem of Lu Min’s shirt, wrinkling the fabric. He finally dared to bury his face in the crook of Lu Min’s neck, his voice muffled and broken.
“I… I will never do that again. Brother, do not ignore me.”
“I am not ignoring you.” Lu Min tightened his arms, feeling the slight tremors in Ying Yulian’s back. “But you must remember, crying does not solve problems.”
Ying Yulian nodded frantically, his tears rubbing against Lu Min’s neck. He tentatively wrapped his arms around Lu Min’s waist. Receiving a response from the man, he finally relaxed, his sobs turning into aggrieved whimpers.
“I was so scared… When you closed the study door, I thought you really did not want me anymore.”
“I would not do that.” Lu Min brushed the sweat from the boy’s forehead and stroked his back. “But you must learn to accept consequences rather than using tears to escape. Do you understand?”
“Yes…” Ying Yulian lifted his tear-stained face, his eyelashes wet and clumped together. “Then… can you hold me tighter now? It still hurts here…” He grabbed Lu Min’s hand and pressed it against his back, his eyes as red as a rabbit’s.
Lu Min laughed softly and gently rubbed the heated skin, pulling the boy into a full embrace. “You brought this on yourself.”
Ying Yulian finally smiled through his tears and snuggled back in.
“Brother, I am not hiding anything from you, and I have never done those things with anyone else.”
“I was just too scared.”
“I was afraid you would start a family and there would be a new mistress in this house. If she did not like me, she would kick me out. I cannot leave you, Brother. I cannot live without you.”
“So… I saw someone online say that if you do not want to leave someone, you should take off your clothes and seduce them, to create a situation that cannot be undone…”
“Utterly ridiculous.”
Before Ying Yulian could finish, Lu Min interrupted him. He was almost amused by the absurd explanation, but considering the boy’s lack of security, this ridiculous excuse actually seemed somewhat plausible.
Lu Min lowered his eyes, his lashes casting shadows over the dark circles beneath them. He gently rubbed the small bone at the back of the boy’s neck. It was an act of comfort, yet he was also weighing the truth of the explanation.
Watching Lu Min’s expression, Ying Yulian swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Would his brother accept this flawed explanation? He wanted the matter to be over, yet he also secretly wished for another round of discipline.
“There is no need to do that.” Lu Min remained silent for a moment and did not press further. “I will always stay with you.”
“And did I not promise you, Xiao Lian? I will guide you to use your talents.” Lu Min’s lips curled into a slight smile as he squeezed the boy’s hand. “I am not going anywhere. Now, let us apply the ointment.”
When Lu Min unscrewed the cap, Ying Yulian was still gasping softly on his lap. As the cool ointment touched his skin, the boy flinched.
“Does it hurt?” Lu Min softened his movements.
Ying Yulian shook his head, burying his face deeper into the sofa cushion, showing only his bright red ears. Lu Min stopped talking and focused on spreading the cool cream evenly with his fingertips. The man’s palm was warm, heating the small patch of skin.
“Will you do it again?” Lu Min asked softly, his hands still moving.
Ying Yulian immediately shook his head and turned his wet face slightly, his eyes glistening under the light. “I will not… truly.”
Lu Min looked at the boy’s bitten, bright red lips. He used his finger to gently pry the boy’s teeth away from the soft flesh. Ying Yulian trembled slightly but did not pull away; instead, he pressed his face closer to Lu Min’s palm, letting out a soft sound from his throat.
Once the ointment was applied, Lu Min did not let go immediately. His palm remained pressed against the skin, allowing the warmth to seep through. Ying Yulian lay quietly, his fingers unconsciously picking at the sofa seam. After a long while, he whispered, “Brother… do not close the study door in the future.”
Lu Min paused, then turned him over to hold him in his arms. Ying Yulian immediately clung to him with all his limbs, as if afraid he would leave again.
“I will not,” Lu Min said, wiping away a stray tear from the corner of the boy’s eye. “But you must remember the pain.”
Ying Yulian nodded and pressed his burning cheek against the man’s chest, listening to the steady heartbeat. He finally became completely still.
Outside, the night grew darker. Only a single floor lamp was lit in the living room, casting a dim, yellow glow over the sofa. Lu Min patted the boy’s back rhythmically, an act of both comfort and silent promise.
Ying Yulian snuggled in his arms, finding a more comfortable position as sleepiness took over. “Brother…”
“Mhm.”
“You smell like ointment.” He wrinkled his nose but held the man tighter.
Lu Min laughed softly. “And whose fault is that?”
The person in his arms did not respond; his breathing grew steady and long. Lu Min looked down; Ying Yulian had closed his eyes, his lashes still damp with moisture that shimmered in the light.