Li Yan opened his eyes. The bedroom was completely dark, and the entire estate was dead quiet.
He lay perfectly still for a moment, listening to the silence of the house. Both the Crown Prince and the General were finally asleep in their own quarters, giving him the perfect opportunity to move without being watched.
He slid out of bed, his legs still a bit stiff from the intense encounter in the library.
He pulled a simple dark tunic over his shoulders and crept out into the quiet hallway.
He had a clear goal tonight. He did not care about the emotional conversations he had shared with the prince.
He was a businessman, and his main target was still to find a way out of this forced proximity prison. To do that, he needed a layout or a map of the estate’s magical boundary.
He knew the prince’s room was heavily protected by magic, but General Zhen Sheng was a military man.
He was more likely to keep tactical records or estate maps in his private quarters.
Li Yan walked softly down the corridor, his bare feet making no sound on the floor.
He pushed open the door to the general’s room. It smelled strongly of hot cedar and old leather. The room was simple, filled with heavy wooden furniture and training weapons.
Li Yan began to search through the desk drawers, moving papers around carefully so he would not leave any trace.
He found military reports and supply lists, but nothing about the estate’s magical barrier.
As he leaned against a large wooden wardrobe to catch his breath, his hand accidentally pressed a small, raised piece of wood on the side panel.
A soft click echoed through the quiet room.
Li Yan stepped back as a section of the wall slowly slid open, revealing a dark, narrow doorway that led into a hidden room.
His heart began to beat faster.
This is it, he thought, pulling his shoulders back. This must be where he keeps the classified estate documents.
He stepped inside the hidden space. The room was small, lit by a single glowing crystal on a table.
Li Yan looked up, expecting to see maps or blueprints. Instead, his breath caught in his throat, and a cold shock ran straight down his spine.
The walls were not covered in maps. They were completely covered in painted portraits.
And every single portrait was a painting of him.
There were paintings of Duke Xiao Mingxuan walking through the imperial court, paintings of him sleeping, paintings of him looking angry, and paintings of him from years ago when he was younger.
The sheer number of faces staring back at him was staggering. It was an absolute wall of pure, dark obsession.
"Do you like my collection, husband?" a low, rough voice asked from the dark doorway.
Li Yan spun around, his back hitting the wall of portraits.
General Zhen Sheng stood at the entrance, wearing only loose trousers, his broad chest bare in the dim light.
A dark, mocking smirk played on his lips, but his golden eyes were flashing with a dangerous intensity.
"You..." Li Yan stammered, his corporate calm completely vanishing as he looked from the general back to the creepy paintings. "You really are a complete lunatic. What is the meaning of this?"
Zhen Sheng walked into the room with slow, heavy steps, closing the hidden door behind him with a soft thud.
He did not look angry that his secret had been found out. Instead, he looked deeply satisfied.
He stepped close, trapping Li Yan against the wall, his large hands coming down to press against the frames on either side of Li Yan’s head.
"I told you in the greenhouse, Mingxuan," Zhen Sheng whispered, his warm cedar scent immediately filling the small space. "I have been watching you for years.
Every expression you make, every time you look down on the world, I wanted to capture it."
"Now that you are locked in this house with me, I don’t have to rely on paintings anymore."
The general leaned down, his lips brushing against Li Yan’s cheek as his hand slid down to grip Li Yan’s waist, pulling his hips forward.
His large length was already hardening against his trousers. He clearly wanted to use this private discovery to thoroughly claim Li Yan right here among the portraits.
Li Yan’s body began to shiver from the thick Alpha scent, the familiar heat building up between his thighs.
But his sharp mind refused to drown in the pleasure this time. He needed to stop the general without causing a bloody fight. He needed to use his corporate strategy.
"Wait," Li Yan said, his voice turning surprisingly soft and steady. He placed his hands against the general’s hard chest, preventing him from leaning closer.
He looked directly into Zhen Sheng’s wild golden eyes. "Let me ask you a question, General."
Zhen Sheng paused, his breath hitching. "What question?"
"Look at all these paintings," Li Yan said, gesturing slightly to the walls. "You have spent years chasing a shadow. So tell me the truth."
"Do you just want my body because of my SS-Rank biology, or do you want my body and my heart?"
The question cut through the thick lust in the room like a sharp knife.
Zhen Sheng completely froze. His golden eyes widened, his lips parting slightly as he stared down at Li Yan.
As a ruthless military commander, he knew how to fight wars and claim territory by force. He knew how to take a body in bed.
But he had absolutely no idea how to handle a question about a person’s heart. The concept of mutual love and emotional connection was completely foreign to his rough, solitary nature.
"Your... heart?" Zhen Sheng muttered, his grip on Li Yan’s waist loosening significantly.
He looked thoroughly confused, his brow furrowing as his mind scrambled to find an answer.
"If you only want a body, you can have it anytime because of this bond," Li Yan said coldly, taking advantage of the general’s hesitation to slide out from beneath his arms.
He walked toward the hidden door, pulling his tunic straight. "But if you want both, you are going to have to treat me like a human being, not a trophy."
Zhen Sheng did not chase him. He remained standing in the center of the hidden room, surrounded by the portraits of the man he loved, looking completely lost and silent.
Li Yan pushed the secret wall open and stepped back into the main bedroom, letting out a long breath.
He had successfully managed to escape the encounter using his mind instead of his physical strength.
Suddenly, a sharp ding echoed inside his head, and the blue glass screen flashed in the dark room.
[Warning to Host: General Zhen Sheng’s emotional state is unstable.]
[Current Favorability: 85%. Do not let your actions lower his favorite status below 80%, or the System will apply a continuous disciplinary shock to your soul.]
Li Yan glared at the blue text as he walked back toward his own quarters.
"Always threatening me," he muttered, his jaw tightening. "But at least I know how to make them stop now."