CH 93

with lu ye back, the last major obstacle in qi yanbai’s heart finally moved aside, and he suddenly became cheerful, feeling light-hearted after a long time.

perhaps qi yanbai had absorbed enough love and nourishment from lu ye because his physical condition and emotions quickly recovered. after just one night, he transformed from an “outlaw” back into that gentle and virtuous “perfect lover.”

when lu ye woke up, the room had already been tidied up, and the mess from last night had disappeared. the carpet, wrinkled from being soaked in rain, was now drying on the balcony. the curtains in front of the french windows were half-open, allowing bright and dazzling sunlight to filter in.

the glass of honey water on the bedside table was at the perfect temperature. lu ye sat up in bed, reached for the cup, took a sip, and noticed a flash of brightness out of the corner of his eye. he turned his head and saw that qi yanbai hadn’t removed the handcuffs and had confidently gone out with the chain.

the long chain stretched across the floor and extended into the bathroom. lu ye’s gaze lingered on the swaying chain for a moment before he raised an eyebrow and placed the glass back on the bedside table.

the sound of the glass hitting the wooden bedside table alerted qi yanbai. the sound had barely stopped when he came out of the bathroom, dressed in pajamas. he approached the bed quietly, effortlessly crawled onto it, and leaned over to give lu ye a quick kiss.

“are you awake?” qi yanbai asked with a beaming smile. “how did you sleep?”

his movements were smooth, resembling a cat waking up its owner. lu ye raised an eyebrow, encircled qi yanbai’s waist with his arm, responded with a soft “mmm,” and then slightly turned his head to avoid qi yanbai’s kiss, planting a kiss on his cheek instead.

“i haven’t freshened up yet,” lu ye said. “i slept fairly well. why did you wake up so early? aren’t you tired?”

“of course, i’m tired.” qi yanbai, playing along like a snake shedding its skin, went along with the flow. he immediately put on a pitiful expression, as if he had been tormented. “my back is sore, my legs ache, it feels like i’ve pulled a muscle. when i woke up this morning, i almost stumbled and had difficulty walking.”

he played the role of a pitiable victim, as if he had been mistreated. however, lu ye had already seen through his act. lu ye raised an eyebrow at qi yanbai’s words and, with a tone suggesting he wasn’t buying it, asked, “then why did you get up early in the morning to sunbathe the carpet?”

qi yanbai was momentarily taken aback by the question and couldn’t come up with a response. he blinked his eyes, pretending not to understand.

seeing through the act, lu ye playfully knocked him on the head. with one hand, he lifted the hem of qi yanbai’s shirt and began massaging his sore lower back, waist and butt.

lu ye’s hand was slightly warmer than qi yanbai’s body, feeling comfortably warm against his skin. qi yanbai’s whole body softened under his touch, and before long, he closed his eyes in contentment, resting his head in the crook of lu ye’s shoulder.

“stop pretending,” lu ye playfully nudged him and continued massaging him. he asked, “aren’t those chains heavy? why haven’t you taken them off?”

the key to the handcuffs had been found by lu ye the previous night and was placed on the bedside table, within easy reach.

qi yanbai could easily regain his freedom at any time, but the fact that he still wore them meant that he was doing it on purpose, possibly to tease lu ye.

“i won’t take them off,” qi yanbai confirmed. he extended his arm to encircle lu ye’s neck, deliberately tugging at the chain in front of lu ye’s eyes. he then narrowed his eyes and nuzzled lu ye’s shoulder, lazily saying, “if you want i can remain handcuffed like this.”

no longer needing to pretend to have “boundaries” or “understanding” after all, qi yanbai had seemingly let go completely. he no longer concealed his little tricks and began to push his luck.

qi yanbai was well aware that lu ye wouldn’t harm, nor would he lose control of his emotions and go mad like himself. regardless of what he did to him, qi yanbai believed that lu ye cared more about his safety. even when he was chained, qi yanbai trusted that lu ye would eventually personally unlock the restraints.

he had an exceptionally precise gauge in his heart, with all the “safe” and “dangerous” zones marked on it and he believed he could receive lu ye’s protection forever.

he had already tasted the sweetness of this, so he couldn’t help but want to rely on lu ye’s protection without fear.

of course, lu ye understood his unspoken words. he raised an eyebrow, jingled the heavy chain slightly, and chuckled at the crisp sound. he asked, “so, your point is that either i obediently listen to you, or i have to take full responsibility for you?”

“of course not,” qi yanbai blinked and spoke nonsense with his eyes wide open. he softened his voice, trying to please, and said, “i mean, you can treat me however you want—.”

“don’t play this game with me.” lu ye could easily see through his act. he was both amused and annoyed, pinching qi yanbai’s collar and pushing him away. he casually said, “you’re not very picky, are you?”

qi yanbai gave up on his playful banter since it didn’t work and, with a smile, reached out to hug lu ye’s arm.

“it’s still early; there’s no need to rush to get up,” qi yanbai tried to negotiate, “let’s cuddle a bit longer—”

while speaking, qi yanbai accidentally nudged lu ye’s collar open. he had originally intended to tease him, but when he glanced at lu ye’s shoulder, he saw a bloody bite mark.

it was the one he had bitten in the midst of his emotional turmoil yesterday. at that moment, he had been frustrated and hadn’t held back at all. even after a whole night had passed, the bite mark was still noticeable.

the bite mark had scabbed over, but there was still some redness around the wound, and the purple-black blood scab left a frightening imprint on the skin. qi yanbai couldn’t help but make a hissing sound, and much of the smile on his face disappeared. for once, he felt a hint of regret.

looking at it was painful, and qi yanbai thought with regret, “if only i had held back.”

lu ye noticed his furrowed brows, followed his gaze to his own shoulder, and then calmly pulled his collar, trying to block qi yanbai’s view.

“what are you looking at?” lu ye chuckled, his tone ambiguous. “little wolf, you wanted to bite, so you did.”

qi yanbai knew he was in the wrong, so he quickly softened his expression, smiled at lu ye, and then lowered his gaze. he approached lu ye, gently kissed and licked his wound.

the gentle sensation brushed against his skin, creating a tingling, ticklish feeling. lu ye was gently provoked, and he couldn’t help but take a deep breath, reaching out to pinch qi yanbai’s chin, lifting his face.

“what’s this?” lu ye chuckled. “you’re not being a little wolf  anymore; are you trying to be a puppy now?”

qi yanbai always appeared particularly submissive when he felt guilty. upon hearing lu ye’s words, he blinked his eyes, and after a few moments, he suddenly smiled at lu ye, lowered his head, and nibbled on his fingertip.

then, he lowered his gaze, looked at lu ye, and let out a gentle bark.

“woof,” he said.