Chapter 54

His words struck out of nowhere, leaving Xue Shu stunned for a moment. Then his gaze darkened.

In the depths of those ink-black eyes, a spark ignited, then roared into a wildfire.

Under Yin Chengyu’s intense stare, Xue Shu slowly slid off his outer robe, then the pristine white inner garment followed.

The discarded clothes lay carelessly at the foot of the bed, and his lean, chiseled torso came into full view. Every line of muscle on his body was drawn taut, sculpted by suppressed emotions that made his presence sharp and dangerous, exuding a fierce, almost predatory beauty.

Yin Chengyu’s eyes raked over him shamelessly, leaving no part unseen.

For the first time, he could take in Xue Shu’s body while both of them were completely sober.

In their previous life, Xue Shu, burdened by his status as a eunuch, would never have dared to undress before him. Yin Chengyu recalled one time when his anger flared and he yanked at Xue Shu’s robes in frustration. All he had managed was to bare a swath of pale chest marred by scars—ghostly white skin, crisscrossed with wounds of the past, with a grotesque, jagged scar slashing over his heart.

Each scar seemed to whisper stories of survival, tales Xue Shu guarded fiercely, refusing to let anyone see. And the more he hid, the more Yin Chengyu had wanted to unravel him, to strip him bare in every sense.

Now, in this life, there was nothing holding Xue Shu back. He was willingly, daringly offering himself.

Yin Chengyu smirked, his gaze audacious, lingering where it pleased. His boldness only made Xue Shu’s body tighten further, every nerve stretched taut under the weight of his stare. But he had already angered the prince earlier—he wouldn’t risk further defiance. Instead, his voice, thick and hoarse with suppressed emotion, softened into a plea:

“Your Highness…”

The effects of the lotus wine coursed fully through his body now, and he made no effort to hide it.

Yin Chengyu’s eyes flicked over him, then he leaned in, brushing his fingers lightly across Xue Shu’s lips. “Wait here.”

With that, he picked up the discarded inner garment at the foot of the bed and disappeared behind the folding screen.

In this house of pleasure, even the screens were crafted to tease the imagination.

But Xue Shu’s eyes weren’t drawn to the intricate erotic paintings on the screen. His focus locked on the shadowy figure moving behind it—the faint outline of Yin Chengyu’s body.

The shifting silhouette didn’t give away much, but one detail stood out: his impossibly narrow, sinuous waist, the kind that curved inward with almost painful precision.

Xue Shu’s gaze lingered on the tantalizing lines of that waist until Yin Chengyu emerged, fully dressed. His attire immaculate, revealing nothing of what had transpired behind the screen.

He tossed a clean white inner garment to Xue Shu.

Xue Shu caught it instinctively, but the unfamiliar texture made him pause. He glanced down and realized it wasn’t his.

The garment was embroidered with fine, understated patterns along the collar and cuffs—Yin Chengyu’s garment.

The realization sank in. The prince had been changing behind the screen, and the clean white collar peeking from beneath his robes now… was Xue Shu’s.

Heat surged through Xue Shu as his mind raced.

He’s wearing my clothes.

That inner garment had only just come off his body, still steeped in his warmth, his scent. The thought sent a primal thrill through him, more potent than when Yin Chengyu had once casually handed him his own clothes.

Xue Shu’s grip tightened around the garment in his hands as if it could ground the sudden wave of desire crashing over him.

Before he could stop himself, he grabbed Yin Chengyu’s wrist, his grip unrelenting, nearly desperate.

The prince frowned slightly but didn’t pull away.

Instead, he used his free hand to trace Xue Shu’s sharp brow with a touch that was both gentle and commanding. “I’ll wait outside,” he murmured, his voice soft but firm. Then, letting his gaze fall briefly downward, he added with a faint smirk, “You have half an hour.”

With that, he patted Xue Shu’s hand, signaling him to let go.

But Xue Shu only held on tighter, his palm damp with sweat, his voice trembling with suppressed urgency. “This isn’t enough… Your Highness, help me.”

Yin Chengyu’s gaze darkened. He pulled the garment from Xue Shu’s grip and leaned in, draping it carelessly over his shoulders. His lips brushed against Xue Shu’s ear, his tone low and intimate, like a lover’s whisper:

“This is punishment for your disrespect today.”

Freed from Xue Shu’s hold, Yin Chengyu took a step back, his expression amused as he watched the other man struggle to keep himself in check, eyes red with restrained emotion.

“Remember this lesson well,” he said with a quiet laugh, his voice carrying a dark promise. “Do not repeat today’s mistake.”

When Xue Shu tried to speak again, Yin Chengyu’s fingers lazily hooked the red string around his neck, lifting the cool jade ring dangling at its end. He toyed with it casually—a trinket he’d once gifted Xue Shu on a whim.

Who would’ve thought the man would wear it so intimately, so consistently?

The discovery pleased Yin Chengyu immensely. Memories of Xue Shu’s behavior in their previous life bubbled up as he pressed the jade against Xue Shu’s lips, his eyes glinting with sharp amusement. His voice was low and taunting, tinged with command. “Bite down. Don’t make a sound.”

The jade, warmed by Xue Shu’s body heat, kissed his lips with a subtle heat, but the fingers gripping the string were a stark contrast—icy, chilling even without direct contact.

Their eyes locked, tension crackling between them. Xue Shu’s sharp, defiant gaze seared back, every angle of his expression bristling with rebellion and ruthlessness. But in the end, that ferocity dulled. The claws retracted, and the predator submitted. Slowly, deliberately, Xue Shu parted his lips.

But submission didn’t mean surrender. He bit—not just the jade, but the cool fingers holding it, hard enough to leave a mark.

Yin Chengyu winced, a sharp hiss slipping through his teeth. His brows twitched, but rather than anger, he only chuckled darkly. Tugging on the red string, he ensured Xue Shu’s grip remained firm before pulling away, satisfied.

Yin Chengyu didn’t leave immediately. He called for the madam to send in a pot of tea and sat leisurely at the table, pouring himself a drink with measured ease. The tea table was only a few steps from the curtained bed, separated by a decorative screen that did little to obscure the faint shadows beyond.

On the other side, Xue Shu lounged against the bedpost, clad only in loose undergarments. His gaze burned a hole through the screen, watching Yin Chengyu’s silhouette move unhurriedly.

Sweat slicked his skin, mingling with the thick air lust, heavy with tension and desire. The jade ring stayed clamped between his teeth, his jaw locked, veins bulging at his temples as he stubbornly held his silence.

Behind the screen, Yin Chengyu listened to the muffled noises, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smug curve. He took his time, finishing the entire pot of tea without a single care.

When the two finally emerged from the room half an hour later, the madam greeted them with a knowing smile, her eyes glittering with mischief. “Gentlemen, satisfied with your evening?”

Xue Shu’s face was dark, his expression stormy and unreadable. Yin Chengyu, however, smiled easily, casting Xue Shu a sidelong glance before dropping a silver ingot into the madam’s waiting palm.

“Very satisfied.”

The madam pocketed the payment with practiced cheer, escorting them to the door with flattering promises of a next time.

*

Back at their temporary lodging, the air of discretion from their earlier outing lingered. Yin Chengyu, still dressed down from their incognito excursion, dismissed the servants with a wave and ordered a tub of hot water for a bath.

The small eunuch returned quickly, laboring to fill the tub. But before he could linger further, Yin Chengyu cut him off with an unyielding tone. “That’s enough. Leave. Anything else can wait until tomorrow.”

Xue Shu, hovering without a reason to stay, had no choice but to retreat.

The door shut behind him, leaving Xue Shu standing in the cool night air, his gaze lingering on the faint glow of candlelight filtering through the window. He stood unmoving, fingers brushing the embroidery on his lapels, tracing the patterns as though searching for something. His eyes flickered with a storm of emotions—anger, desire, frustration—but he kept them locked away.

After a long, heavy silence, he finally turned and strode away.

Yet, he didn’t return to his quarters. Mounting a horse, he rode straight out of the city. The fire roiling inside him demanded release, and he would find another way to extinguish it.

———Author’s Note: Xue Shu: What did I do wrong? Why am I being punished? Yin Chengyu: …