Realizing he couldn’t get out through the door, Huo Tingfeng immediately headed for the window.
He stumbled toward the windowsill, deep steps and shallow ones alike, the glass shards screeching shrilly under his shoes. When his palm gripped the window ledge, the broken glass stabbed deep into his flesh.
Shen Leyuan guessed what he was up to and shouted with all his remaining strength: “Come back!”
He was already so weak his legs trembled when he walked—what difference was climbing out the window from suicide?
Huo Tingfeng’s arms shook. He knew the drug’s effects were still raging, and the blood loss combined with his earlier outburst had drained most of his strength. Dizziness made it impossible to even see if anyone was downstairs.
He didn’t dare look back, afraid to see his beloved’s exposed body.
But his beloved kept calling to him: “Come back… Huo Tingfeng! Get back here!”
The voice was soft, like silken threads wrapping around him.
Those threads pulled Huo Tingfeng back. He closed his eyes and covered his beloved’s pale body with the blanket. He didn’t dare stay too far from Shen Leyuan or too close, curling up at the edge of the bed like an old dog in the dead of winter, panting heavily.
I can endure it, he told himself. I can hold out.
A moment later, hatred surged through him: Why did my illness have to get better right now? I should’ve stayed impotent forever!
Shen Leyuan sensed something was off and asked softly: “What’s wrong?”
Perhaps to keep him conscious and suffering, the drug’s effects weren’t that long-lasting. Now he could slightly lift his palm, and his voice was louder than before: “Are you hurt bad? Are you crying?”
In his eyes, Huo Tingfeng was the type who cried easily.
Huo Tingfeng wasn’t crying.
Half his mind was gripped by lingering fear, the other half tempted to act like a beast—the two clashing so fiercely he didn’t dare move a muscle, not even to comfort himself or steal the slightest bit of relief.
But being cared for so gently made his lips tremble. He murmured: “It hurts…”
Shen Leyuan quickly asked: “Where does it hurt?”
Huo Tingfeng didn’t answer.
Though worried, Shen Leyuan had no choice with Huo Tingfeng staying silent. He could only call out now and then to make sure the man hadn’t passed out from excessive blood loss.
As time passed, strength slowly returned to his body.
But along with it came an unbearable heat. At first, Shen Leyuan thought it was from too many blankets and had Huo Tingfeng pull them off.
Huo Tingfeng shrank even smaller, yanking the blanket down and piling it at the foot of the bed.
His breathing grew more obvious as he did.
Shen Leyuan started breathing heavily too. As his body reacted, a realization flashed in his mind, and he couldn’t help cursing.
“Is Di Junya fucking insane?!”
Hearing that, Huo Tingfeng scooted toward the foot of the bed, wishing he could crawl under it.
The previous drug had already been an aphrodisiac, and this new one piled on top—the flames of desire threatened to consume him, his sanity hanging by a thread. But he loathed the state of his body and instinctively remembered: No.
He can’t see it. I can’t do anything irreversible.
That person’s gasps were so enticing, making him forget his pain and discomfort. He fixated obsessively on those subtle sounds. After a stifled groan, Huo Tingfeng felt liquid splash onto his lips.
In a daze, he licked it away, only for his throat to burn even drier.
Shen Leyuan had taken care of himself once. This world is still normal after all, he thought. The Flower Market setting hasn’t fully invaded it. Otherwise, no way could you resolve a drug like this with just your hand—you’d need to debate length, girth, and depth.
In his post-nut clarity, he belatedly noticed Huo Tingfeng’s breathing growing heavier.
Taking care of himself too?
Shen Leyuan’s already flushed ears burned hotter. He waited as long as he could—not sure how long, maybe ten minutes, maybe half an hour—until he had a bit of strength.
“You better yet?” he couldn’t help urging.
Huo Tingfeng let out a muffled “Mm.”
Thinking it was agreement, Shen Leyuan struggled halfway up. The clothes with his phone had been tossed to the floor by Di Junya—out of reach.
“Get them for me…” His voice cut off abruptly.
The cuts from the glass shards had soaked through the man’s clothes. His strong frame was curled into a ball, shivering against the foot of the bed, forehead pressed to the bedframe as he gasped for air, arms locked around his knees.
“Didn’t you take care of yourself?”
Shen Leyuan tried to get closer, but his legs gave out, dumping him on the floor.
Hearing the noise, the man looked over blankly. His raised face wasn’t flushed as Shen Leyuan expected—it was shockingly pale, slick with cold sweat.
Shen Leyuan panicked more and crawled closer: “That bad?”
Only then did he remember he was still naked. He grabbed the blanket to wrap himself and pressed: “Didn’t you take care of yourself?”
Huo Tingfeng seemed addled, rasping: “Take care… of myself…”
“Yeah, you know…” Shen Leyuan started to explain, then faltered, sighing vaguely: “You know, jerking off.”
A grown man like that couldn’t possibly not know, right?
Or maybe they’re all into Flower Market stuff here—needing to use the back door to counteract the drug?
Huo Tingfeng murmured: “I know…”
He reached down.
Shen Leyuan averted his eyes, unable to watch. He heard a barely audible groan choked in the man’s throat. After a dozen seconds, he glanced back: “You okay? Need more time?”
If it took another round, he’d go find the phone first.
Though Huo Tingfeng hadn’t called the cops earlier—this line was probably jammed anyway?
Lost in scattered thoughts, he forced his focus elsewhere.
But when his gaze returned to Huo Tingfeng’s face—now even paler, sweat beading denser—he forgot everything else.
“What’s wrong? What drug did he give you?”
Shen Leyuan asked frantically: “Any big wounds? Let me see!”
Huo Tingfeng huddled like a turtle in its shell, refusing to let him look. Shivering, he explained: “Taking care… of it… I’m fine… fine…”
As he spoke, his hand moved again, then he shuddered violently.
Shen Leyuan finally sensed something was very wrong and demanded: “Huo Tingfeng, what the hell are you doing?!”
Huo Tingfeng could barely process words anymore, only suppressing his urges while mumbling reassurances. From his expression, he probably didn’t even know what he was saying.
Shen Leyuan pried at his arm: “Let me see!”
Huo Tingfeng wouldn’t let go.
Shen Leyuan snapped and cursed, nearly in tears from frustration—no amount of coaxing worked.
Wiping his eyes, he thought for a second, then called out: “Mr. Chu?”
Huo Tingfeng’s body trembled.
Shen Leyuan softened his tone: “Mr. Chu, don’t sit on the floor. Can you move your arm and let me see?”
Huo Tingfeng responded, but said: “Huo.”
Stunned for a second, Shen Leyuan caught on and switched: “Okay, Mr. Huo, let me see? You’ll let me, right?”
He wheedled playfully: “I never got to see it before.”
Only then did the man slowly uncurl, showing him.
Ignoring the awkwardness, Shen Leyuan stared. What he saw was impressive—and tragic. Red, swollen, covered in pinch marks.
Horrified, he held his breath: “You don’t know… how?”
Huo Tingfeng met his gaze blankly, eyes vacant like an idiot’s.
But even an idiot should know that hurts!
Shen Leyuan held up one hand in a circle, the other straight like teaching a kindergartener, voice gentle: “Like this, got it?”
Huo Tingfeng nodded slowly—but kept using his nails.
“Stop!” Shen Leyuan yanked his arm, halting the self-torture. Gravely: “Rest. I’ll do it!”
Huo Tingfeng’s reaction was explosive—he snapped back into his turtle shell.
Shen Leyuan: ???
Fuming and heartbroken: “Why won’t you let me touch? You trying to castrate yourself?”
Huo Tingfeng, nasal and choked—whether he understood or not: “Mm.”
Like he’s crying.
Shen Leyuan’s heart softened. Coaxing: “Why not let me? Scared of hurting me? It’s fine, just my hand… You okay?”
Huo Tingfeng stayed silent.
Shen Leyuan gripped his arm, feeling the chills wrack his body. This won’t do. He called out “Mr. Huo,” “Mr. Chu,” “Mr. Ghost,” coaxing and pleading for him to stop.
Finally, Huo Tingfeng choked out: “I don’t deserve it.”
“I never told you I was Mr. Huo,” he murmured. “I should’ve said it sooner… what I needed to say…”
Shen Leyuan froze, then sighed softly.
He was angry—furious that Huo Tingfeng had hidden it during their brief time together. But he hadn’t realized it weighed so heavily on Huo Tingfeng, enough to haunt him even now.
Fine, forgive him for that…
Huo Tingfeng had gotten this mess saving him, after taking a knife for him before. He couldn’t just watch the man ruin himself.
But before he could speak, Huo Tingfeng continued.
“I killed Huihui too.”
He sobbed: “You won’t forgive me. I know… I know… My fault. I don’t deserve… I really… don’t deserve…”
Shen Leyuan’s tender heart hardened. He clenched his jaw, glaring fiercely at Huo Tingfeng.
The man’s voice trailed off, drowned in profound despair, wanting to burrow into a crack in the floor—utterly regretful and ashamed.
This is my Little Dog, Shen Leyuan thought.
He had felt deceived at first.
But it was his beloved Little Dog, the pup he could spot in an instant. After the initial chaos, no matter how much evidence proved it was the same one, he knew the one in his arms wasn’t his.
His Little Dog was so smart, always comforting him when he was down.
But his Little Dog was also so dumb, so naughty…
He wouldn’t forgive the naughty pup.
But…
Shen Leyuan reached out, tilting Huo Tingfeng’s chin to force eye contact. Gritting his teeth: “Whether you deserve it or not is for later. First off, no castrating yourself without my say-so, got it?”
“I’ll count to three,” he said coldly. “Spread your legs!”
Outside, the bodyguards finally breached the door.
Afraid of alerting those inside, they moved silently. They found that idiot Di guy pressed against a door, eavesdropping, with what looked like a signal jammer on the table.
Soon, Di Junya was pinned to the floor, the jammer shut off.
The surveillance app Lin Yuan had installed on his wife’s phone reactivated, transmitting the first words after hours of blackout.
—”I’ll count to three. Spread your legs!”
