TSMITB Chapter45

Intense pain exploded on Shen Que’s butt. For a moment, he even felt like a piece of his flesh was scraped away. The immense pain shot up his spine, making his head go blank.

After the extreme silence came the rage he could no longer suppress. Shen Que cried out in shame and anger, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the bedsheet tightly. All sense of dignity and forbearance was thrown out the window. He was determined to curse Sheng Qixiao’s entire family right then and there, “Sheng Qixiao, I’ll screw your ancestors, are you crazy? How dare you hit me!”

Shen Que struggled to turn on his side and reached back to grab Sheng Qixiao’s hand pressing on his lower back. However, this was like a lamb offering itself to a tiger’s mouth; Sheng Qixiao instantly grabbed his hand and twisted it behind his back.

Then came a flurry of more slaps, falling like a torrential rain, striking Shen Que’s backside without mercy.

The angry curses he hadn’t had time to utter were drowned out by unexpected cries of pain.

Shen Que’s eyes were wide open. He twisted his body in vain while trying to use his shoulders to support himself and flip over, but in the next second, he was completely subdued by Sheng Qixiao, making it difficult to even move.

The gift in return for his resistance was a harder slap.

Pain rushed in like a tide, constantly accumulating and stacking up. Each time Sheng Qixiao swung his arm, it brought him multiple levels of pain.

He didn’t know where the next blow would land or how hard it would be. He could only bite tightly onto the sheets and bedding beneath him to prevent himself from making any sound of weakness.

Even after Sheng Qixiao stopped, he fearlessly continued to provoke, “You better beat me to death now, or I’ll damn sure make you regret it!”

His voice already carried a faint sob. His beautiful, fox-like eyes shimmered with tears, not from pain, but from fury.

He had lived for more than twenty years and had never once imagined that someone would dare treat him like this; as if disciplining a disobedient child, trampling his dignity into the mud.

Even in a fit of rage, Sheng Qixiao was still holding back his strength, especially since there were two layers of fabric separating them. It was impossible to cause any actual physical harm.

The pain came more from the psychological suggestion he gave Shen Que.

The moment Shen Que’s hands were freed, his thought wasn’t about how to fight back, but rather to pull the quilt over and completely cover himself.

He didn’t know how utterly disheveled he looked at that moment. He only knew that he absolutely had to make Sheng Qixiao pay the price.

But not now. A smart person doesn’t suffer a loss they can avoid, especially since he had just suffered one.

A very faint smile flickered in Sheng Qixiao’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

“Does it hurt?” His voice pressed down from above. The next moment, he reached out and pulled back the quilt, revealing Shen Que’s flushed face, his cheeks reddened with anger.

Shen Que stared with wide-open eyes while clenching his teeth, refusing to show any fear. He stopped foolishly struggling to resist and instead rolled over, climbing out of bed from the other side. Enduring the pain, he turned around and tried to leave.

Sheng Qixiao, however, was not willing to let him go. He grabbed his shoulder to pull him back, and pushed him to sit back down on the bed.

The moment he made contact with the bed, Shen Que’s expression twisted for an instant, and he gasped sharply. The pain, which severely wore down his will, almost made him spring up instantly, even his breathing was trembling. But he forcefully endured it, held his breath, sat back down, and said fiercely, “Are you freaking done or not?”

“Does it hurt?”

“What do you think? You maniac, I was really blind to think that…”

“Think what?” Sheng Qixiao asked casually with his fingertips still resting on Shen Que’s face.

Shen Que couldn’t stand it anymore and immediately turned his face away. His face flushed as he realized that, for a moment, he had actually believed Sheng Qixiao was an ignorant, kind, and innocent young man.

Even now, he still remembered the circumstances of their first encounter by the river, and how he had stammered and communicated carefully.

The Sheng Qixiao back then was so beautiful, pure, and even adorable. He was completely different from this lunatic currently wearing a gentle facade.

Seeing Shen Que remain silent, Sheng Qixiao didn’t press further, merely reiterating his demand, “In the future, don’t disappear without letting me find you again, and don’t make me worry.”

Shen Que gave two “Heh” sounds of cold sarcasm, “What are you worried about? You’re worried that I’ll run out of E’yun Mountain, right?”

Sheng Qixiao shook his head, his tone full of certainty, “You can’t get out.”

“…Are you done talking? If so, I’m going back to sleep.” This topic would never end once they started, and they could never reach an agreement. Moreover, his backside was still too sore to sit properly, and he was unwilling to remain in the same space as Sheng Qixiao for even another second.

“Sleep.” Sheng Qixiao generously granted, nodding.

Shen Que immediately got up and left.

He had only taken half a step when Sheng Qixiao grabbed him again, his tone leaving no room for argument, “Sleep right here.”

Shen Que couldn’t be bothered to talk nonsense with him and directly tried to shake him off.

The next second, his weathered buttocks fell into someone’s clutches again. The pain made him instantly stand on his toes following the upward force, almost jumping up.

Sheng Qixiao’s voice hammered against his eardrums, his tone brooking no negotiation, “I said, from now on, you’ll sleep here.”

“Let go!” Shen Que’s voice was distorted.

Not only did Sheng Qixiao not let go, he even intensified his grip with another squeeze while feigning concern, “It seems a little hot. Should I help you put some ointment on it?”

“Will you just get lost already?”

Seeing that he was genuinely about to erupt in anger, Sheng Qixiao backed off when he saw his chance by taking half a step back and moving aside, clearing a ‘starlight avenue’ directly to the large bed for Shen Que.

However unwilling Shen Que was, he had to consider his own buttocks’ well-being. He wrapped himself up in the quilt in a huff.

His voice came muffled from inside the quilt, “Why haven’t you left yet?”

“Why should I leave?”

“Didn’t you tell me to sleep here?”

“That’s right.” Sheng Qixiao sat down on the edge of the bed and touched the bulge under the quilt with his fingertip. Shen Que’s anger completely subsided. “From now on, this will be our room.”

“I want to sleep alone.”

Sheng Qixiao acted as if he hadn’t heard. His footsteps slowly moved toward the door. He paused, then came back, “Your silent running away from home was, very bad. As a punishment, you are not allowed to step a single pace outside this room today.”

Shen Que, who had just managed to convince himself to strategically yield to the dark forces, immediately exploded again. He abruptly sat up with a “thump,” the quilt sliding down to reveal an expression of utter outrage. “I’ll say it one more time, don’t impose your ridiculous rules on me. Do you think I will listen?”

“Or, you can try it.” Sheng Qixiao’s tone was flat.

Shen Que felt like he was punching cotton; he was both angry and wronged.

And a little bit aggrieved.

He knew Sheng Qixiao wasn’t without a temper.

But previously, he had even tried to stab him, and Sheng Qixiao hadn’t done anything serious to him. So, he naturally assumed Sheng Qixiao wouldn’t dare to do anything to him.

But the reality gave him a harsh lesson: it’s not that Sheng Qixiao dared not do it; it just hadn’t been the right time…

Sheng Qixiao was a maniac, and he wanted to take back every compliment he had ever given him.

At the same time, Shen Que also began to regret why he hadn’t focused his energy on improving his combat skills before, which was why he was now utterly defenseless in front of Sheng Qixiao.

Sheng Qixiao’s words about not letting Shen Que leave were not just empty threats.

Before long, he somehow found a low table and moved it over, placing it directly outside the room door. He moved the tasks that were supposed to be done in the medicine room to this spot on the ground of ‘accompanying Shen Que.’

But he was completely deaf to remarks from Shen Que such as “No need” or “Get as far away as possible,” and other similar comments.

Not only that, he automatically filtered out ninety-nine percent of all the harsh words that Shen Que uttered thereafter, while the things he himself said had one hundred percent implementation…

Sheng Qixiao did not lock the door; he left it wide open, placing no actual restrictions on him. Yet it felt as though an invisible barrier stood there, making Shen Que genuinely afraid to act recklessly.

Shen Que tried to walk outside, but the moment his toes crossed the door frame, the pain in his backside and the process that caused it flashed uncontrollably in his mind, practically forcing him to relive the agony of that time.

He quickly retracted his foot and asked Sheng Qixiao with a disgruntled look, “Did you use some kind of dark magic again?”

Sheng Qixiao concentrated on mixing the medicine without lifting his eyes, “There are books in the cabinet, all the kind you liked to read before. If you want to read others later, I will take you to get them.”

Shen Que didn’t miss any opportunity to talk back to Sheng Qixiao, “Didn’t someone say that place can only be visited during festivals? Your words are truly bullshit.”

Sheng Qixiao frowned and finally looked up at Shen Que, “You’ve lied to me plenty as well. Must we argue who is right?”

“……” Shen Que choked for a moment, unable to find a word to retort.

He opened every cabinet and drawer in the room while scanning every inch of the place with his eyes as if conducting an inspection.

Seeing that his mask, which had been crushed out of shape during the Moon Glazing Festival, and his sunglasses were both properly stored on the top shelf of the cabinet, a ripple of emotion inevitably rose in his heart.

But he quickly dismissed it.

Sheng Qixiao reminded him in a timely manner, “Don’t throw anything away.”

Shen Que’s movements halted, but he quickly realized that Sheng Qixiao was referring to him not throwing away his collection of junk, and nothing else.

“What if I insist on throwing them away?”

“Shen Que, you are a smart person.” Sheng Qixiao put down the pestle and looked at him seriously, “My heart is very small, but I am already trying my best to give you the most freedom. Don’t try to anger me again. It won’t do either of us any good, and I also don’t want you to be hurt or sad.”

What Shen Que hated most now was Sheng Qixiao speaking to him in this tone. It was clearly a threat, but he had to phrase it as if he were doing it for his own good.

“You’ve already done the thing that made me the most hurt and sad, so why are you still putting on an act? Do you really think you’re some kind of great person?”

Sheng Qixiao shook his head, admitting generously, “I’m not a good person, and neither are you. According to outsiders’ saying, we two should be ‘a match made in heaven,’ shouldn’t we?”

“When it comes to shamelessness, I humbly admit defeat.”

“Shen Que, don’t resist me like this.” Sheng Qixiao’s tone softened, seemingly in explanation, “Keeping you in E’yun Mountain, is not my purpose. I just want you to be with me. I also want to go to your world, and integrate into your life. When the day comes that I can break free from here, we will leave together.”

“That day? When?”

Sheng Qixiao was silent for a while, “I cannot give you a promise, right now.”

This day was extremely long in Shen Que’s eyes.

He increasingly felt that Sheng Qixiao was a pervert in human skin, and compared to him, he himself still had too much of a conscience.

At night, Sheng Qixiao automatically pulled Shen Que into his arms.

He lightly patted Shen Que’s buttocks with his palm, “Does it still hurt?”

Shen Que closed his eyes and ignored him while silently reciting a calming mantra, controlling himself not to lose his temper.

He had regained his fighting spirit. He absolutely had to leave here as soon as possible. He simply didn’t believe there were no other options.

“Why aren’t you speaking? Are you thinking about how to leave again?”

Shen Que’s whole body stiffened.

Sheng Qixiao whispered “I don’t have mind-reading abilities.” He slowly and gently stroked Shen Que’s back with a hint of comfort, “However, I think it’s necessary to give you another warning, it doesn’t matter how you lose your temper with me, but you cannot leave me.”

“Sheng Qixiao, I’ll tell you one more time: sooner or later, I will leave this place.” Shen Que stated the fact calmly.

Sheng Qixiao subconsciously tightened his arms, “Why? Didn’t you promise me that, if I let them go, you would stay, and accompany me forever?”

“Didn’t you also say that I’m not a good person? My words hold no credibility. Did you remember that?”

“I remember.” Sheng Qixiao pulled his arm away from Shen Que, turned over, and lay flat on his back on the bed, staring up at the pitch-black ceiling. “You can try as much as you like. You know, I can’t bear to truly hurt you. Yet now I’ve found other, more effective methods. If you still don’t give up, then let’s wait and see, let’s test how strong your buttocks really is with action.”

Shen Que immediately opened his eyes, “You freaking want to hit me again?”

“In your eyes, does this count as hitting?” Sheng Qixiao paused, a flicker of purple light passing through his eyes, his tone carrying an ambiguous and dangerous edge. “Isn’t this the fetish, that you once liked the most?”

“When did I ever say this was fetish? I have no freaking fetish with you.”

“Mhn. Not with me, but with others, it fills up your entire photo album.”

“What freaking entire photo album are you talking about?” Shen Que frowned, immediately recalling the photos in his album that Sheng Qixiao had inadvertently seen before.

For a moment, he was left speechless, his words catching in his throat. “So, you think the way you treated me today was a fetish?”

“Not exactly either,” Sheng Qixiao curved his lips, “I just wanted to make you feel pain, to let you know what you should, and shouldn’t do.”

Shen Que turned over to face away from Sheng Qixiao. After thinking about it, he turned back before lying flat on his back just like him.

“The thing I should least be doing is wasting my breath talking nonsense with you right now.”

Sheng Qixiao sighed with some helplessness, “I originally, wanted to be gentler with you. But you’re not someone who can be treated that way. If I indulged you, you would only feel that you had me completely under your control and become even more reckless.”

“Stop acting crazy.” Shen Que pulled the quilt over his head to cover himself, “Do you still remember how aloof you were before? I hope you can keep it up.”

The sound beside him disappeared, leaving only the two people’s gradually steady breathing sounds in his ears.

Shen Que was not asleep; his mind was entirely focused on formulating escape plans.