“From now on, you are not allowed to pinch my face suddenly.”
“…” Fu Shen paused his drying motion, looking confused. Why? The ancient human was so sweet and fragrant. Pinching him felt delightful, so why was it forbidden?
Having not been threatened by Fu Shen immediately, Yu Li’s courage grew. He tilted his flushed eyes upward and, to boost his presence, put his hands on his hips and shouted fiercely, “I said it is forbidden! Do you know how rough your hands are? You pinched my face and it hurt like hell!”
“Besides, your hands are so big and hard, you do not even know how to be gentle! You pinched my face until it hurt!”
Yu Li rambled on, feeling aggrieved for himself. He had completely forgotten that the reason he was pinched in the first place was that he had been treating Fu Shen like a dog. He sniffed, his voice small and soft.
“It must be swollen now. It is all your fault.”
As he spoke, Yu Li shoved his flushed little face toward the man, opening his eyes wide with a look that was both innocent and mischievous. He pointed his fair fingertip at the spot that had been pinched, not looking the least bit pampered, but rather, looking quite wicked. “Look! It must be red and swollen!”
Fu Shen looked at the fluffy head thrust toward him. He leaned down, and his palms naturally cupped Yu Li’s face.
It was soft, much softer than when he had pinched his cheek earlier without permission. This time, Yu Li had offered his face for him to touch.
Yu Li let the man hold him, his dense eyelashes hiding the grievance in his eyes. In his heart, he was cursing the protagonist shou, thinking he was truly wicked—worse than he was.
Seeing Fu Shen seriously examining the red mark, Yu Li grumbled, “Is it swollen?”
The youth’s chin, pale with a flush of pink, bore a very distinct finger mark. Even though he had used the lightest touch, it was still enough to leave the delicate ancient human red, swollen, and tearful.
The man pursed his lips, his heart filled with guilt. His thumb gently brushed over the swollen mark. “It is swollen.”
Fu Shen’s indifferent attitude angered Yu Li.
“It is all your fault, all your fault!”
Yu Li looked like a young girl acting spoiled and arrogant toward her boyfriend. He gnashed his teeth in frustration, no longer afraid of Fu Shen, and punched his chest.
Fu Shen stood perfectly still, letting the ancient human vent his anger. “I am sorry. If you want to hit me to feel better, Li Li, go ahead.”
The tall, broad-shouldered figure stood obediently in place. He held his arms out loosely, shielding the youth as if he were a long-suffering, submissive wife; even while being hit, he was worried that the person hitting him might trip.
There was a difference between hitting someone yourself and them begging you to hit them. Yu Li held his breath, his pretty face cold, his voice still trembling. “If I hit you just because you asked me to, I would lose all my dignity.”
Yu Li sat back down on the sofa, pouting. His eyelashes flickered upward, revealing his red-rimmed eyes and pink nose. He looked incredibly pitiful as he commanded him, “Kneel down and rub my legs.”
He was furious—absolutely furious. He wanted the protagonist shou to experience the malice of the world. First, he had made him kneel to dry his hair, forcing him to keep his head down until his neck grew sore. Now, Yu Li was going to make Fu Shen rub his legs!
At this moment, the beautiful ancient human’s light-brown eyes reflected his entire image. Fu Shen could see it clearly: Yu Li’s eyes were filled with nothing but him.
Fu Shen knelt down. His slender, distinct fingers gripped Yu Li’s ankles. He raised his eyes to see the ancient human’s face, which was panting slightly.
Perhaps because he was truly angry, Yu Li’s half-exposed chest was heaving. He was already fair-skinned, but due to his emotions, a flush of pink had surfaced, making his skin even more captivating.
Yu Li did not notice Fu Shen’s gaze. He pressed his lips together, his breathing gradually calming, and said coldly, “Rub.”
The small feet resting in his lap were glowing white, with pinkish, delicate toes and heels. His calves were slender, and his thighs were supple. Because Fu Shen was looking up from below, he could see things he shouldn’t.
Because the ancient human’s skin was impossibly delicate, the previous pressure had left soft, pink indentations on the tender inner thighs near his calves.
Fu Shen did not know what made the beautiful ancient human think that rubbing his legs was a punishment. With those soft, white, incredibly tactile feet in his lap, Fu Shen genuinely felt that this was not a punishment at all. For a bad dog, it was a reward.
Noticing Yu Li staring at him, Fu Shen replied in a low voice, “I understand.”
Fu Shen kneaded his calves carefully. The soft, warm sensation in his palms felt like the silken tofu he had handled in the past—the kind that would crumble if held too tightly. He had to cradle them in his palms, shielding and protecting them.
Watching Fu Shen endure the humiliation and submit to his torment, the frustration in Yu Li’s heart finally subsided. He did not mind giving him a bit of praise.
Yu Li: “Do you know you were wrong yet?”
Fu Shen rubbed with great concentration, keeping his movements steady while watching Yu Li. “I do.”
Yu Li: “Then tell me what you did wrong!”
Yu Li felt that a person should not just know they were wrong; they had to be able to say it. He wanted to make the person who made the mistake remember it firmly.
Like a child pestering a boyfriend who had done something wrong, he would not let it go; he had to make him admit the specific action. Fu Shen’s heart raced. He felt a secret joy over the relationship he had imagined—something he had never experienced in all these years.
Fu Shen said: “I should not have pinched Li Li’s face until it turned red and swollen.”
Yu Li hmphed and asked, “Will you do it again!”
Fu Shen stated firmly: “No.”
From now on, he would be even gentler when pinching Yu Li’s face; he would absolutely not let it turn red or swollen again. He could swear on his life.
Yu Li did not know what was on the man’s mind. Hearing the obedient response, he found it incredibly satisfying. He casually shoved his other foot, which had been resting on the floor, toward the man and commanded, “Rub this one too.”
No one was more wicked than he was. He tormented the protagonist gong by forbidding him from eating, and he threatened the protagonist shou into rubbing his legs. Yu Li felt like a wealthy master at a massage parlor who had ordered a handsome young servant, his tone dripping with arrogance.
Yet, to Fu Shen, all of this felt perfectly natural. He suddenly felt that as a precious ancient human, it was only natural for him to be served. Even if his personality was extremely pampered and arrogant, it was justified. After all, ancient humans had lived lives of luxury before; why should they not now?
Yu Li did not just deserve to be pampered; he deserved to have countless people surrounding him, waiting on him hand and foot. However, the mere thought of more people coming to compete with him for that position made Fu Shen feel incredibly displeased.