The black sedan rolled to a stop, and Song Shiyi pushed open the rear door, stepping out into the narrow alleyway.
He leaned lazily against the cold brick wall, one leg bent, heel pressed against the rough surface, the other leg straightened to bear his weight. He waited in silence, posture casual yet deliberate, as though posing for an invisible audience.
When Qin Huai finally parked and got out, the first thing he saw was that very picture, Song Shiyi standing under the dim yellow streetlamp, looking at him with an expression full of mischief and spark.
The faint wind of the night ruffled his hair, soft strands brushing past his forehead. The weak light traced the elegant outline of his face, making the pale skin glow almost unnaturally against the shadow.
Pure and flirtatious, two qualities that should not have coexisted, yet somehow did on him.
One could never quite tell what he was thinking.
Qin Huai didn’t say a word. He simply turned and walked into the house, his movements calm and measured. Song Shiyi followed, light-footed, every step carrying a hint of restless curiosity.
Just as they reached the doorway, the silence broke, not by words, but by sudden action.
Without warning, Qin Huai pressed a hand to Song Shiyi’s shoulder and shoved him backward. The door thudded against his back, hard and abrupt, and before Song Shiyi could react, the man’s tall frame loomed closer, closing off the last inch of space between them.
A warm hand slid against the curve of his neck. The touch was too sudden, too intimate. Song Shiyi sucked in a breath, instinctively trying to pull away.
But Qin Huai was faster. His knee came up, wedging firmly between Song Shiyi’s legs, holding him in place. The movement was almost indecent, teasing in its aggression, while the man’s face still wore a calm, composed smile as though he were simply testing a theory.
Fingers continued downward, grazing the edge of his shirt. Two buttons slipped free under that slow, deliberate touch
.
A chill crawled up Song Shiyi’s spine, the kind that came from old memories rather than cold air. Yet he didn’t lash out, didn’t scream, didn’t fight. He merely clenched his jaw, forcing himself to meet Qin Huai’s gaze, his chin lifting in defiance.
“When you so casually invite a strange man to take you home,” Qin Huai’s voice was low, his breath brushing against the shell of Song Shiyi’s ear, “did you never consider something like this might happen?”
His knee pressed upward again, close, too close, every inch an exertion of power.
The sheer pressure of it filled the small entryway, suffocating and dangerous, until Song Shiyi could hardly breathe.
And then, in the blur of his thoughts, something inside him cracked open.
It was as if time rewound, throwing him into another night, another body pressed against him, but that one had been cold, lifeless, soaked in blood. The metallic scent filled his lungs, the memory so vivid that his knees nearly gave out.
Sensing the shift, Qin Huai frowned slightly. He thought the boy had simply been scared out of his wits, good! That had been the point, after all.
He never meant to go too far, only to teach him a little lesson.
With a quiet chuckle, Qin Huai drew back. He slipped a hand into his pocket, pulled out his keys, and unlocked the door. As Song Shiyi stumbled, disoriented, Qin Huai’s hands steadied him almost gently.
“Don’t make a habit of it,” he said softly.
Once inside, Song Shiyi closed his eyes for a long moment, then opened them again. The tremor in his breath steadied.
He glanced around, and before Qin Huai could say anything, he tugged lightly at the man’s sleeve, tilting his head up.
“Be a dear and lend me a clean shirt, will you? I need a shower.”
Qin Huai paused, wordless.
So much for the lesson.
But when he caught a glimpse of how pale Song Shiyi’s face still was, he swallowed the rebuke that almost left his tongue and led him upstairs to the bathroom instead.
As soon as the door closed, Song Shiyi locked it. He undid the remaining buttons one by one, his fingers unhurried, his eyes catching his own reflection in the mirror.
There on the delicate skin of his neck, faint red marks bloomed where Qin Huai’s fingers had lingered too long.
He exhaled softly, turned on the shower, and let the water mist over the glass. When the mirror began to blur, his reflection melted into haze.
The body in front of him was healthy, intact, his body.
Song Shiyi raised his hand and traced a line across his side, exactly where the scar should have been.
“Donating my kidney, was it?” he murmured to himself, the corners of his lips curling. “How thoughtful.”
The laughter that followed was soft and thin, faintly unhinged, disappearing into the steam before it could echo.
Let them wait, he thought. This was only the beginning.
When he emerged, his hair was still damp, a few droplets sliding down his neck. He had thrown on the shirt Qin Huai had given him, one of those tailored dress shirts that fit Qin Huai perfectly but drowned his smaller frame.
Only a few buttons were fastened, enough to make him look decent, though the rest gaped slightly with every movement. The cuffs hung loose over his hands, and the faint moisture of his skin clung to the fabric, making it half-translucent under the light.
Qin Huai was sitting by the table, coat off, sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His forearms were lean, strong, covered in black ink that coiled across his skin like smoke.
A bottle of wine sat open beside him, half-full. He poured himself another glass, but when Song Shiyi appeared, his movements faltered.
“Drinking alone?” Song Shiyi asked, a small, crooked smile playing on his lips. He leaned forward, bracing a hand on the table beside Qin Huai, his posture low, voice light. “Pour me one too.”
He hadn’t really had a proper drink these past few days, just chaos and adrenaline. Qin Huai’s eyes slid over him slowly, taking in every inch, but he didn’t comment. He reached for a second glass and set it before him.
Song Shiyi helped himself to the wine, pouring generously before sitting down.
The oversized shirt hung off his shoulders, barely covering the tops of his thighs. His legs, long and pale, stretched out naturally beneath the table, bare feet sinking into the soft carpet.
He raised the glass toward Qin Huai. The crimson liquid shimmered in the light, reflections rippling across his face, tinting his dark eyes a deep shade of wine.
“To us,” he said softly, smiling.
Qin Huai’s gaze lingered on him. He tilted his glass, their rims touching lightly. “To what exactly?” he asked.
Song Shiyi didn’t answer. He simply drained the glass in one breath.
The alcohol burned as it slid down, leaving behind a faint flush along his neck, spreading to his cheeks.
He smiled faintly, pressing his hand against his chest. “To the start of my rebellion against this goddamn world.”
Because he wasn’t reconciled, he never had been. He’d done nothing wrong, yet the world had chosen him as its punching bag, mocked him, cursed him, trampled on him.
Every scrap of warmth he’d once had was stolen away in the freezing dark of that snowbound night.
Every beat of his heart now was a reminder, a pulse of defiance, of pain, of rage. He felt it vividly.
When he looked up again, his expression had softened, eyes glazed faintly from the wine. The pink on his cheeks made his delicate face almost luminous.
He reached out, warm fingers settling lightly on Qin Huai’s shoulder. His voice was low, a little hoarse.
“Tell me, Mr. Qin… do you like me?”
Qin Huai met his gaze. His eyes were deep-set, impossible to read. Then, the faintest smile curved his lips. “No,” he said simply.
How fitting, Song Shiyi thought. I don’t like you either.
But outwardly, he only smiled wider, eyes narrowing with mock sweetness as he let himself fall against the man’s chest.
He didn’t know how the story was supposed to go, but he did know one thing, without taking the initiative, there would be no story at all.
And that golden thigh in front of him? He’d be a fool not to hold on.
Qin Huai neither accepted nor rejected him, only wrapped a steadying arm around his waist to keep him from slipping off.
Song Shiyi tilted his head back, his lips brushing close to the man’s ear as he whispered, soft as silk, “But Mr. Qin… I really, really like you.”
The words grazed against skin like a feather. His breath was warm, the corner of his mouth brushing the edge of Qin Huai’s ear.
For just a moment, something flickered across Qin Huai’s calm face, something faint, something dangerous. But before he could react, Song Shiyi went utterly limp in his arms.
…
When Song Shiyi opened his eyes again, sunlight was already spilling across the floor. The brightness stabbed at his skull, and his head throbbed with the familiar ache of a hangover.
He groaned softly, pressing the back of his hand against his eyes, and pushed himself up with the other. The blanket slid down, pooling around his waist.
So the body’s original owner really was a lightweight, he thought wryly. One glass of red wine and he’d passed out cold. Noted, no more casual drinking outside.
There was no soreness, no strange aftereffects. Just as he’d expected. After all, the man in front of him, calm, disciplined, self-controlled, wasn’t the type to take advantage.
He wandered out of the bedroom, glancing around with idle curiosity. For the first time, he noticed the glossy black piano by the corner of the living room.
He drifted closer, pressing a random key with one finger. The note that rang out was rich, smooth, beautifully resonant.
“Want to play?”
Qin Huai’s voice came from behind him. He turned slightly to see the man standing there, arms crossed. “You can play, can’t you?”
“How does Mr. Qin know that?” Song Shiyi asked, smiling.
“I heard you once,” Qin Huai replied casually. “At a restaurant.”
“Oh?” Song Shiyi tilted his head. So that’s how the original owner caught his attention. Figures. The man has a type.
He chuckled, brushing a hand over the piano keys. “Well, I might be a bit rusty.”
Before the conversation could go further, he glanced toward Qin Huai’s attire. “All dressed up, Mr. Qin? Big day ahead?”
Qin Huai didn’t answer directly. “I have business to attend to,” he said instead.
Just as he spoke, the doorbell rang.
He reached over and pressed the intercom to unlock the front door.
And at that precise moment, Song Shiyi moved closer again, voice light and teasing.
“Lucky timing, then. I happen to be free today. Why don’t you take me along, hmm?”
Qin Huai was adjusting his tie when he looked down at him, expression unreadable. Then, surprisingly, he nodded. “Fine.”
Song Shiyi’s smile deepened. He reached up to fix the man’s tie, fingers brushing the front of his chest in a gesture so intimate it could only be deliberate.
The door swung open and from the angle of the entryway, all one could see was Song Shiyi standing close, his hand resting on Qin Huai’s chest, the scene suggestive in every way.
He tilted his head slightly, eyes wide and innocent, lips curving into the faintest smile, just as his gaze met the face of the man who had entered.
Gu Ye.
Who stood frozen in the doorway, his expression dark as stormclouds.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
☕ (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑ translator fuel acquired?
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · He’s in the BookChapter 2 · You Like playing Stand-in, Right?Chapter 3 · This Kind of person is just asking for troubleChapter 4 · Is it so Bloody?Chapter 5 · Let’s Rot togetherChapter 7 · Illegitimate SonChapter 8 · Unfaithful husbandChapter 9 · MemoriesChapter 10 · Silence before stormChapter 11 · Hunt beginsChapter 12 · Nightmare I rememberChapter 13 · Why do they ride on their own heads?Chapter 14 · I forgive myselfChapter 15 · Can you take me in tonight since I’m homeless?Chapter 16 · Mr. Qin, do you like me?Chapter 17 · If you like it, you can have itChapter 18 · Gu Ye, it’s obvious that you also pursue these thingsChapter 19 · If you still can’t let go of Gu Ye, why not give it a try with me?Chapter 20 · He actually made him bow down to that bastard.Chapter 21 · Ruining someone’s future is simply unforgivableChapter 22 · God can’t possibly favor someone like youChapter 23 · UrnChapter 24 · May they die a horrible deathChapter 25 · If you’re broke, stop showing off.Chapter 26 · Kneel before me, begging for mercy.Chapter 27 · The plan succeededChapter 28 Part 1 · This time, the victim is Gu Ye Part 1Chapter 28 Part 2 · This time, the victim is Gu YeChapter 29 · This time, I’ll make full use of youChapter 30 · Educating about the existence of lawsChapter 31 · So who is he now?Chapter 32 · I want to destroy this fake spacetime.Chapter 33 · So, I was himChapter 34 · They’re all crazy, just let me have my wayChapter 35 · I will punish them in the right way.Chapter 36 · I’m already a lunaticChapter 37 · Can you stay by Qin Huai’s side for my sake?Chapter 38 · I’ll grant your requestChapter 39 · Not a pitiful littleChapter 40 · They Both should dieChapter 41 · I want to destroy the empire that Song Gucheng builtChapter 42 · Do you hate me too?Chapter 43 · No one should feel goodChapter 44 · He’ll definitely be the winner in the end!Chapter 45 · Acting is really tiringChapter 46 · I wanted that bastard to disappearChapter 47 · Ready made scapegoatChapter 48 · He’s willing to save themChapter 49 · I’ve come to catch up with youChapter 50 · You stole someone else’s placeChapter 51 · Shiyi, why won’t you save me…Chapter 52 · To make a good life is more importantChapter 53 · Even if you really cheated on me, it doesn’t matterChapter 54 · Finally, I can say goodbye to you completelyChapter 55 · Angel sent by heaven to save himChapter 56 · CEO Gu is a very affectionate personChapter 57 · If you love him, go to jail for himChapter 58 · His most beloved son wanted to kill himChapter 59 · Take good care of our dear fatherChapter 60 · Take back everything that truly belongs to meChapter 61 · He knew that Gu Ye would not let him downChapter 62 · The Song family’s shares must absolutely not be transferred to Song ShiyiChapter 63 · I am no one’s thingChapter 64 · He always knew what kind of person Song Qingwen was.Chapter 65 · FinalChapter 66 · Extra