CH 79

although lu ye and qi yanbai both knew deep down that neither of them would adhere to this verbal agreement, having the “peace agreement” as an excuse made many things much easier.

for example, qi yanbai could openly make more demands of lu ye, and lu ye no longer had to maintain the persona of the “victim.” he could naturally break the ice and accept qi yanbai’s goodwill.

the originally tense atmosphere subtly balanced out. lu ye and qi yanbai harbored their own thoughts, testing each other, and for a moment, both remained silent without speaking.

after a while, lu ye was the first to break the silence. he pushed aside the blanket on him, lazily changed his position, and stretched his numb back as if it were a matter of course. then, he reached out towards qi yanbai.

“oh, by the way,” lu ye said, “my phone is with you, right? give it to me; i need to make a call.”

although it was a question, lu ye’s tone was very confident, indicating that he had already guessed that qi yanbai deliberately took away his personal belongings. qi yanbai’s heart instinctively tightened upon hearing this. he glanced at lu ye’s expression first, seeing no signs of anger, and then hesitated for a moment before asking, “make a call? who do you want to call?”

“i had originally made plans to meet up with lu wenyu. i can’t go now, so i need to let her know,” lu ye said.

the part about having dinner with lu wenyu was a lie, but lu ye did want to contact her. all his communication devices were currently in qi yanbai’s possession, likely due to qi yanbai’s possessiveness and insecurity, intending to cut off all means of contact with the outside world.

however, lu wenyu was a careful person, and if she couldn’t reach him for an extended period, she would definitely become suspicious. instead of letting her develop unnecessary doubts, lu ye decided it would be better to find a way to contact her now, just in case the situation spiraled out of control later on.

it was quite amusing that officer lu, who had been in law enforcement for so many years, was now actively helping a “criminal” and experiencing the novelty of it.

but qi yanbai had just brought him back, and he was still in a state of unease. upon hearing this unusual request, he was extremely vigilant and almost immediately refused.

“she hasn’t called yet,” qi yanbai said, although he had just reconciled with lu ye, he didn’t make his words too forceful. he simply declined in a roundabout way, “if she needs to reach you, i will let you know.”

lu ye guessed that he wouldn’t agree and wasn’t surprised by this refusal. since qi yanbai wanted to keep him completely confined at home, he would naturally eliminate all possibilities of him “escaping,” including contacting the outside world.

lu ye didn’t want to make qi yanbai overly alert at this stage, so he didn’t dwell on this issue. he accepted qi yanbai’s assurance and quickly gave up.

“never mind then,” lu ye leaned back against the bedhead and raised an eyebrow, saying, “if i can’t make a phone call, can you at least open the curtains? it’s too dark in here, and it’s making my chest ache.”

people who were in the right always had more initiative. moreover, for qi yanbai, as long as lu ye didn’t express a desire to leave, he would be willing to give him anything he wanted, even if he asked for the stars in the sky. without saying a word, qi yanbai stood up and walked to the balcony, pushing aside the curtain that was furthest from lu ye.

“is this okay?” qi yanbai asked.

“it’s fine,” lu ye said.

in the instant the heavy blackout curtain was pulled aside, bright sunlight flooded the room, dispersing the gloomy atmosphere inside. the dry and scorching sunlight eased the mood, making everyone feel a bit more relaxed.

qi yanbai rolled up the opened curtain into a spiral and hung it on the hook by the window. lu ye observed his back and gained some understanding of his boundaries.

blurring the boundaries of time and creating a monotonous environment were the best ways to wear down a person’s will. if you wanted to completely control someone, you not only had to cut off their contact with the outside world but also break their sense of belonging to it. only then could you become their sole emotional support.

but it seemed that qi yanbai wasn’t quite there yet. although he had taken away lu ye’s phone, he didn’t fundamentally reject him receiving information from the outside world. he didn’t appear intent on breaking down lu ye’s psychological defenses or weakening his will. perhaps because of guilt, he was even willing to satisfy lu ye’s requests within a “safe” range.

this made things much easier for lu ye, he thought. with this in mind, he could be a bit bolder in his testing.

as lu ye contemplated, qi yanbai had already finished arranging the curtain and returned to the bedside. he stood by the bed, then held onto the railing at the head of the bed, bent down, and lightly kissed the corner of lu ye’s lips.

his kiss was delicate and careful, trailing down from the corner of lu ye’s lips, then lingering on his jaw and neck. finally, he pressed his forehead against the hollow of lu ye’s shoulder and gently rubbed it.

“qi yanbai,” lu ye felt ticklish from his touch and couldn’t help but curl his lips. “why do you act like a cat seeking rewards as soon as it completes a command?”

—just completed the task you asked and can’t wait to claim a reward.

“can i have one?”

the “peace agreement” provided qi yanbai with a legitimate reason, so he quickly smiled and leaned against lu ye’s shoulder, somewhat sulking as he said, “then can you change the way you address me?”

since establishing their relationship, qi yanbai had never really liked lu ye addressing him by his full name. he always felt it wasn’t intimate enough, so he had protested about it many times before.

lu ye knew him too well, fully aware of this little quirk of his, so he chuckled and looked at him sidelong.

“in this crazy situation,” lu officer amusingly thought, “the ‘kidnapper’ is already being so playful and cheeky. it’s hard to have a serious conversation here.”

qi yanbai’s patience was usually limited, and when he didn’t get a response after a while, he started to feel impatient. he couldn’t help but turn his head and lightly nibble on the soft flesh of lu ye’s neck, as if urging something silently.

after a while, qi yanbai finally heard lu ye’s voice in his ear. it sounded somewhat resigned but also like a concession. “fine… yanbai.”

lu ye’s concession seemed to confirm the authenticity of the “peace agreement.” satisfied with this, qi yanbai made a contented noise and couldn’t resist planting a kiss on him.

“i love you,” qi yanbai said.

he was never stingy with expressing his affection, and he didn’t hide his infatuation either. his love was like him—bold and intense, burning fiercely with sheer determination.

“mmm,” lu ye responded from his throat, whispering softly, “i know.”

so that’s why i’m staying here, lu ye thought.

changing a person is the most challenging thing in the world. if this were a long game of strategy, his greatest asset wouldn’t be his outstanding personal abilities or his flawless preparations—it would be qi yanbai’s love.