Yu Li watched Fu Shen’s fleeting expression. He did not see it clearly, but it certainly was not a pleasant one. He assumed the man must be absolutely furious with him.
Yu Li said, “I want you to kneel at my feet and dry my hair and my feet every time I finish bathing.”
Afraid that Fu Shen might not hear him clearly, Yu Li deliberately repeated the five words intended to humiliate him: “It must be kneeling on the floor.”
The beautiful youth crossed his arms, his confidence seemingly bolstered. He sat comfortably on the sofa, legs crossed, his fair thighs showing red marks from being pressed together.
Yu Li curled his eyelashes upward and looked at him with flushed, pink-rimmed eyes. “Did you hear me?”
Fu Shen had climbed his way up from the bottom to reach his current formidable position, and he despised nothing more than the wealthy and powerful who abused their status to humiliate others. He loathed those who held themselves high above the rest.
However, as he watched Yu Li asserting his status and acting spoiled, he could not muster a shred of disgust. Not even a little. When the young boy spoke, a sweet, cloying fragrance wafted into the air. His skin, as dazzlingly white as a pearl, was just as beautiful beneath his milky-white bathrobe.
His elegant, jet-black short hair, light-brown eyes like artificial moons, and those plump, pink lips—when he spoke, they looked like ripe fruit dripping with nectar, making anyone want to taste them and savor the sweetness of childhood.
Above all, there was that slender waist. Fu Shen lowered his gaze, his fingertips grazing the youth’s skin—soft, delicate, and white.
Through the exposed skin, one could imagine the beauty beneath the robe; the flesh was so thin that one could see the veins and pulses underneath. If he were to exert any force, it was as if he could see every detail.
Yu Li was an expert at earning viciousness points. Since he knew he would be unable to make a scene in front of the protagonist gong tomorrow or smash any more nutrient packs, he decided to make up for it by tormenting the protagonist shou.
Just as he expected, as soon as he commanded Fu Shen to kneel like a dog to serve him, his viciousness points soared by 25 points, more than ten times what he had earned from his previous petty antics.
Yu Li’s eyes flashed with excitement, which Fu Shen did not miss. Is he really this happy just by tormenting others? Fu Shen wondered.
He remembered how Yu Li had stormed out of the bathroom earlier to punish Qin Xie, who had been ordered to stand in the bathroom without dinner. The young boy’s way of punishing people was no different from flirting. He wondered what Qin Xie could have possibly done to make Yu Li so angry that his eyes had turned red.
Yu Li kept his gaze fixed on Fu Shen, his beautiful, clear eyes blinking. Ignoring whether Fu Shen agreed or not, he said coldly, “Now, help me dry my hair.”
Fu Shen snapped out of his thoughts. He took the towel Yu Li had tossed at him and looked at the ancient human, who was bowing his head, waiting for him to kneel and serve him.
The ancient human’s eyelids and nose were flushed pink. He seemed confused as to why Fu Shen was still hesitating. He gave him a look with those enchanting eyes, seemingly worried that if he remained standing, he wouldn’t be able to reach his head, so he lowered it even further.
He was impossibly obedient. Fu Shen could not refuse.
“All right.”
Watching Fu Shen submit to his demands, Yu Li felt like a cat whose tail was wagging in the air. How am I so good at bullying people? Yu Li thought, feeling smugly proud of himself.
Fu Shen finally knelt down just as the young boy had wished. He knelt almost directly against Yu Li’s feet. As he straightened his back, his slender fingers held the towel, wiping the wet hair little by little.
With this movement, the scent of shampoo mixed with Yu Li’s own intoxicating sweetness rushed toward him with irresistible force.
Because of their close proximity, Fu Shen looked down and saw only the youth’s raven-dark, upturned lashes. Through the dense, curved fringe, he could see a hint of white sclera, and the downward-curved corners of his eyes looked like innocent puppy eyes. No one would ever imagine such a well-behaved youth would order someone to kneel on the floor to serve him.
Yu Li felt the unabashed gaze upon him. He dared not look up, fearing he would meet a pair of burning eyes.
The ancient human’s small Adam’s apple bobbed. With every breath, the heavy, sweet fragrance washed over him. Fu Shen did not stop wiping as he asked the question he most wanted to know, as if he were simply making small talk.
“Li Li, are you wearing perfume?”
Yu Li: “?”
What perfume? What is this man talking about? Yu Li looked up, puzzled, his beautiful face fully exposed. Even his confusion was clear.
Fu Shen looked at the beautiful face that was nearly touching his own. With every breath Yu Li took, his scent brushed against Fu Shen’s face. The man swallowed almost imperceptibly, leaning in to sniff the side of the youth’s face and neck with intense restraint.
The man’s gentle eyes were unreadable, his voice suddenly turned hoarse and puzzled. “Why do you smell so sweet and fragrant, Li Li?”
The New Humans were incredibly open about their curiosity. His finger joints grazed Yu Li’s chin as he leaned in, breathing against him like a dog sniffing, and sighed, “The closer I get, the sweeter and more fragrant you become.”
Yu Li’s eyes widened. “!!”
He froze. He looked at Fu Shen, whose eyes glowed with a predatory green light as if he were about to tear him apart and eat him. What does he mean? Is he warning me not to push my luck?
Is he trying to scare me by acting like he wants to eat me?
The hand gripping his cheek was rough and firm. Yu Li’s eyes filled with tears from the pain. Too terrified to worry about earning viciousness points, he offered a pitiful explanation, fearing that if he were too slow, the man would kill and eat him—nobody had told him that New Humans ate ancient humans!
“It is not perfume.”
“Hmm… it is not.” Fu Shen listened to the soft gasp beside his ear. The sweet, fragrant scent grew even more intense as Yu Li grew nervous and frightened. He was certain—absolutely certain—that it was his natural body scent.
The man’s voice drew out, echoing Yu Li’s words.
Yu Li did not dare reach out to rub his sore cheek. His damp lashes trembled as he said cautiously, “Can you let go of me now? It hurts a little.”
See? The young boy was just a bully who yielded to strength. When he was being compliant, Yu Li looked as if his tail were wagging in the air; now, just by pinching his cheek, he was scared to the point of crying and acting spoiled.
It was exactly as he thought: just be a little fiercer, and he would be too scared to talk back.
“Very well.” Fu Shen let go. He felt a sense of reluctance as the soft, warm skin left his hand.
Yu Li trembled. He secretly watched the man, who had lowered his head and returned to drying his hair. Having received his answer, he pushed his luck again. “From now on, you are not allowed to pinch my face suddenly.”