Chapter 1: Coercion

“Cough, cough!”

Lai Li’s mouth suddenly emptied, and he instinctively swallowed. His knees ached and went numb. When he tried to stand, he staggered and nearly knelt again, but Dai Linxuan caught him in time and intimately rubbed his lips with the other hand. “Not eaten enough?”

Lai Li shuddered all over and finally sobered up. He quickly grabbed his brother’s shoulders, pulled him to the side, pinned his wrists behind his back, and clamped his other hand firmly on his brother’s nape. “Dai Linxuan! You fucking—”

What the hell was wrong with him?

Dai Linxuan struggled a bit but couldn’t break free, so he relaxed his body. In that position, he turned his head slightly, his upturned lips showing obvious satisfaction. “What’s wrong? Officials are allowed to set fires, but the common folk aren’t allowed to light lamps?”

“Official? Me?” Lai Li froze abruptly as last night’s memories flooded back.

Lai Li had indeed lit a fire, but he hadn’t wanted this kind of result.

Yesterday was the birthday banquet for Dai Yi, the precious daughter of the Dai family. As her big brother, Dai Linxuan had returned from two years overseas to celebrate with her. Everyone toasted and enjoyed themselves, drinking quite a bit.

Dai Yi got completely wild, daring to say anything. She even ambiguously declared in private, “Big Brother raised you just to fuck you. Don’t believe me? Try it.”

Lai Li’s brain was probably pickled by the alcohol into a specimen. On one hand, he thought it was bullshit; on the other, he inexplicably walked into Dai Linxuan’s room after the banquet.

They used to sleep together often, and no one thought anything of it.

His memories after entering the room were a bit fragmented, leaving only hazy images. He seemed to bite Dai Linxuan’s collarbone, yank his hair and belt, but Dai Linxuan showed no reaction from start to finish, just coldly looking down at him with lowered eyes…

Lai Li’s grip loosened, and his eyes darkened—he didn’t like that look.

Dai Linxuan rubbed his wrists. “Remembered?”

“…” Lai Li narrowed his eyes at him, his throat still husky with remnants. “Bro, your reaction time is long enough to circle the Earth.”

The fire he’d stoked last night wasn’t something he thought to vent until morning? With that kind of willpower, what couldn’t he accomplish?

Dai Linxuan didn’t get annoyed at the sarcasm. He let down the sleeves folded over his elbow. “Go rinse your mouth. Cai Bo called for breakfast.”

Getting up early to wash up was normal, but Dai Linxuan singled out “rinse your mouth,” making it hard not to think he was deliberately reminding him of what just happened.

Vicious bastard.

—This should have been an evaluation completely unrelated to Dai Linxuan, yet it suddenly popped into Lai Li’s mind that morning.

A secret surge of violence rose inexplicably in his heart. He slammed the bathroom door without looking back. Just before the door fully closed, Dai Linxuan’s figure flashed in the mirror over the sink. That narrow waist, tucked into his slacks, bent slightly as he picked up the balled-up tissue from the floor and chuckled to himself.

“…”

Lai Li braced one hand on the sink and shoved his longest finger down his throat, but after messing around for a while, he didn’t spit up anything. Instead, a sour alcohol taste welled up.

He had drunk a lot last night—probably because he really hadn’t seen Dai Linxuan for a very, very long time, so long that Lai Li couldn’t count the days.

Sunlight gradually filtered through the blinds onto the pure white tiles, stinging his eyes. Only then did Lai Li finally gain a sense of reality: his brother was back, wouldn’t be stationed overseas long-term anymore, and just now, he’d swallowed his brother’s seed.

Dai Linxuan suddenly going crazy first thing in the morning wasn’t just because of the fire stoked last night—

Half an hour ago, Lai Li had just woken up. Last night’s drunken memories hadn’t returned yet, and Dai Yi’s words—“Big Brother raised you just to fuck you. Don’t believe me? Try it”—popped into his head again.

As if bewitched, Lai Li opened his eyes and started testing verbally. “Bro, I want to date someone.”

Dai Linxuan had been standing by the bed then, back to him, fastening his shirt buttons. He paused for about three seconds upon hearing that. “That’s good. Got a target in mind?”

Lai Li said, “Yeah, one.”

Dai Linxuan’s reaction was very flat, like a casual question. “Male or female?”

Lai Li answered, “Male.”

Dai Linxuan immediately laughed and glanced back at him.

His brother’s smile was naturally extremely handsome. Lai Li stared for a bit, and by the time he snapped out of it, his jaw was gripped. Dai Linxuan bent over, bracing on either side of him, his tone a twisted kind of gentleness. “Being gay with me is disgusting, but with someone else it’s acceptable?”

Dai Linxuan was angry.

Lai Li realized that, but before he could figure out what Dai Linxuan’s words meant, he was yanked by the waist out of the bed. After that came only the click of an unbuckling belt and occasional muffled grunts—it was almost entirely Dai Linxuan’s one-sided coercion and release.

Lai Li’s mouth paid a brutal price for his stupid probing.

Just yesterday, he was still the Dai family’s adopted son, the little brother Dai Linxuan had personally raised, with no boundaries crossed.

A hazy figure appeared at the bathroom door, and a knuckle rapped lightly. “Not done yet?”

Lai Li prodded his stinging lip with his tongue tip and suppressed his anger. “Dai Linxuan, I advise you to fuck off right now!”

His alcohol-soaked brain from last night had probably aired out overnight without drying, and he hadn’t resisted when Dai Linxuan just pressed him to his knees.

Dai Linxuan chuckled lightly, his voice fading as he walked away. “Hurry up. You still need to go report to school later. I’ll drop you off after breakfast.”

Lai Li nearly laughed from anger. He knew he was starting school today and still did this shit?

Whether Dai Linxuan did it because the fire from last night burned until morning, or because that line “I want to date a guy” stimulated him, what just happened was enough to shatter Dai Linxuan’s long-standing image.

Dai family’s eldest young master Dai Linxuan: upright and noble, self-disciplined and courteous. He spent massive amounts of time personally doing charity work every year, without a single moral blemish—a rare uncut jade in the capitalist den—

Not a refined scum who stretched his little brother’s mouth.

Compared to being forced to give Dai Linxuan a blowjob, Lai Li cared more about why Dai Linxuan did it.

Two years ago, Dai Linxuan suddenly abandoned his domestic business to invest overseas, rarely coming home, so their meetings were few and far between. Lai Li couldn’t even find any signs of abnormality.

Was it a bad habit picked up abroad? Or the backlash from thirty years of excessive restraint? He’d happened to hit the gap when Dai Linxuan’s desires leaked, becoming a tool once?

Two years of rarely seeing each other, and he gave him such a big “surprise” upon return.

“Drip… splat.”

The sound of water droplets snapped Lai Li out of his daze. He licked away the seeping blood from his lip and met the dark gaze in the mirror.

The youth in the mirror had a tall, slender figure and a flamboyantly arrogant air—the kind of looks that made people fixate at first glance, then recoil from the sharpness. But right now, he looked like he’d been ravaged by someone: damp bangs on his forehead, dark lashes dotted with water droplets.

Lai Li blinked slowly, his gaze following the falling droplet past his swollen lips, finally landing on the scar by his collarbone. It was blurred at the edges, as if it had been there for many years.

Lai Li squeezed his eyes shut hard and smashed his fist straight into the mirror.

The mirror emitted a piercing crack, fissures spreading like a spiderweb, dividing it into countless shards of varying sizes. Each shard reflected a familiar figure, standing on the other side of the world, gazing back at Lai Li with the same eyes.

“Long time no see, Little Cricket.”

–

After Dai Linxuan got in the car, driver Liu Zeng glanced at the main gate. “Not waiting for Little Chestnut?”

“Have Uncle Ren take him to school.” Dai Linxuan closed the car window. “He’s pissed at me right now.”

Uncle Ren was the family’s other driver, who had worked for the Dai family for many years too.

Liu Zeng started the car and couldn’t help laughing. “Little Chestnut hasn’t seen you in over half a year. He probably missed you so much he’s mad.”

“Won’t happen again.” Sunlight through the window lit up Dai Linxuan’s slightly raised lips, but his eyes blended with the shadows, inscrutable.

Liu Zeng quickly glanced in the rearview mirror, unsure if Dai Linxuan meant he wouldn’t be gone for half a year again, or that Lai Li wouldn’t miss him anymore.

When he entered the company elevator, his secretary reported work beside him. Dai Linxuan received a message from the butler.

[Cai Bo]: Linxuan, Little Chestnut threw a huge tantrum at breakfast, smashed a bowl, said today’s porridge was fucking awful. Wouldn’t say what’s wrong when asked. Want to check if he’s been wronged somewhere?

[Dai Linxuan]: Fire him. Double severance.

Who to fire went without saying. Cai Bo was a bit surprised and replied “Okay” after a few seconds.

The elevator dinged.

“…Jiang Feng’s CEO scheduled golf with you Friday evening. Saturday afternoon you have an important private trip. Sunday morning you need to meet with the temple side to discuss the public welfare activity process for the end of the month. Those are the key schedules and meetings this week. Any changes needed, President Dai?” The secretary followed Dai Linxuan out of the elevator. Seeing no reaction, he tentatively called, “President Dai?”

Dai Linxuan turned off his phone and said as he walked, “Contact Jiang Feng’s side and push Friday evening to next week. My golf skills suck; no need to waste time on the course. Tea or dinner works.”

The secretary immediately noted and adjusted. “Any other arrangement for Friday evening?”

“Yeah, personal matter.” Dai Linxuan curved his lips in a mild smile. “Call Li Zhu to the office.”

“Got it.” The secretary turned and left.

The office door opened and closed. The muffled sound of leather shoes stopped by the desk. A pale, large hand opened the drawer, took out a pair of silver-framed glasses, and perched them on his high nose bridge.

Dai Linxuan’s desk was very simple: just the computer, files, two photo frames, and a pot of lush green cactus beside them.

The photo frames reflected Dai Linxuan’s clear, handsome face. He stared at eighteen-year-old Lai Li for a long time before slowly shifting his gaze to the other photo.

That was the family portrait from twelve years ago, before Lai Li appeared. His mother held ten-year-old Dai Yi’s hand, his father had his arm around his mother’s waist, and he smiled standing beside them.

His real gaze met his eighteen-year-old self’s, both feeling estranged.

“Knock knock—”

“Come in.”

When Li Jue entered, Dai Linxuan was playing Sudoku on his tablet.

This was a film company Dai Linxuan had founded himself. In just a few short years, it became an industry leader. Even busy overseas these two years, he hadn’t stepped down as president, which exhausted his assistants. Li Jue was one of them, busier than the others since he handled both business and personal matters for Dai Linxuan.

Stereotypically, a CEO’s “personal matters” boiled down to romance: dealing with clingy one-night stands, covering for the boss’s affairs, soothing ambitious mistresses…

But for Li Jue, it was nothing like that. From start to finish, his personal client was one person—Lai Li.

An 18k pure ancestor with no blood ties to the Dai family, yet who called Dai Linxuan “bro.”

Last week, Li Jue had gone to the hospital on Dai Linxuan’s behalf to visit the He family’s youngest son, He Shuxin, and apologize. The guy had nearly been beaten into a pig’s head by Lai Li. Theoretically, the He family held equal status to the Dai in Danshi, so they wouldn’t let such an insult slide easily. Unexpectedly, they wanted reconciliation even more than the Dai side.

Probably because they were at fault.

Lai Li refused to explain anything.

Li Jue said, “Little Boss Lai just messaged me.”

Dai Linxuan didn’t look up, filling in numbers on the Sudoku grid. “What’d he say?”

Li Jue slid his phone face-up across the desk. Dai Linxuan glanced up and saw Lai Li’s message: If I beat He Shuxin to death, will President Dai bail me out?

Calling him President Dai—looked like he was really pissed from this morning.

Dai Linxuan replied using Li Jue’s phone: Rule of law society.

Lai Li instantly clocked him: How come you didn’t think of rule of law when you made me eat your cum this morning?

Dai Linxuan burst out laughing, coughing against his lips for a good while.

Li Jue, unable to see the chat, looked baffled, wondering how he could laugh when the brother he’d raised wanted to commit murder.

[Dai Linxuan]: You call the cops then. I’ll provide evidence.

[Little Boss Lai]: …You recorded it?

[Dai Linxuan]: Today? No.

Lai Li went silent after that.

Scared now, huh.

Dai Linxuan casually deleted the chat and handed the phone back to Li Jue. “Sure nothing happened these two years I don’t know about? He and He Shuxin used to get along fine. How’d he beat him up like that last time?”

Li Jue said cautiously, “No open conflicts on the surface. That incident happened very suddenly.”

Dai Linxuan hummed in acknowledgment and picked up his phone again. “Who has Lai Li been in contact with lately?”

Li Jue listed off a few familiar names, all regulars on the list—a bunch of fair-weather friends. “Young Boss Lai’s social circle is pretty simple.”

Dai Linxuan rested his leg on his other knee. “That kid from the Huo Family doesn’t seem to have the cleanest private life?”

Li Jue nodded. “Huo Fei? He swings both ways in private. He’s got one at home and keeps three or four more on the side. He hits up shady clubs at least four or five times a month. Out of Young Boss Lai’s friends, he’s the biggest playboy.”

Lai Li probably wouldn’t look twice at him. His looks weren’t up to par.

Dai Linxuan tapped out five or six numbers in quick succession on the tablet, solving two rows of the puzzle before asking, “Besides Huo Fei, who else likes men?”

Li Jue knew Lai Li’s social connections like the back of his hand. “There’s also Jing Deyu, but his thing with keeping a male celebrity got exposed recently. His family beat him half to death for it. He hadn’t been out carousing for almost a month until he showed up at your sister’s birthday party yesterday.”

Dai Linxuan said casually, “From the sound of it, it seems like no one could develop anything beyond boundaries with Lai Li?”

Li Jue paused for a second. “You mean dating?”

“What do you think?”

“Probably not. I’ve never seen Young Boss Lai get particularly close to anyone.”

“Is that so…” Dai Linxuan stared at the dense grid of numbers on the screen, pondering for a moment before filling in the remaining squares with the correct digits in rapid succession. “I’ve got a task for you. From now on, I want to know immediately who Lai Li is in contact with every moment of every day, who he’s talking to, and where he goes.”

“Got it.” Li Jue vaguely felt this was going too far.

Lai Li had always been the reckless type, with a knack for stirring up trouble and courting disaster, so Li Jue could understand Dai Linxuan assigning someone to keep an eye on him—to prevent the kid from making irreparable mistakes. It could all be chalked up to brotherly concern.

But in that instant just now, Li Jue had glimpsed something odd, a chill running down his spine for no reason. Yet Dai Linxuan’s tone remained mild and ordinary, as if it were no big deal.

“The owner of Little Chen Chestnut hasn’t come back from their trip yet?” Dai Linxuan asked suddenly.

The topic shifted so abruptly that Li Jue paused before replying, “We already got water army accounts posing as fans to leave comments on the owner’s social media, urging them to hurry back. The couple said they’d return early and reopen the day after tomorrow.”

“Get me two bags when they do.” Dai Linxuan had always been good to his employees. “You’ve worked hard these past two years. Triple bonus this year.”

Li Jue instantly forgot that fleeting sense of unease, brimming with motivation. He was determined to track even how many glasses of water Lai Li drank in a day. “Thank you, Boss Dai! I’ll be your ox and horse in the next life too!”

Dai Linxuan glanced at him and smiled. “Don’t say things like that.”