The dorm lights went out on schedule, plunging the room into pitch darkness. It was unusually quiet, so much so that Ji Zhi could clearly hear the frantic pounding of his own heart, born of guilt.
Ji Zhi had no idea whether Fu Huixu hadn’t heard it or simply couldn’t do anything about it. After all, if it was the latter, Fu Huixu couldn’t very well command his heart to beat more quietly, as if ordering him to stay silent.
Even though he’d attended classes all day, tension and guilt kept Ji Zhi awake for a long time. He was still reeling from the shock that the top bidder, No. 1 on the list, was Fu Huixu.
After what felt like an eternity, drowsiness finally overtook him. Ji Zhi closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank into sleep.
Perhaps because he’d been dwelling on the matter before bed, Ji Zhi dreamed about No. 1 on the list.
In the dream, aside from the collar, Top Fan No.1 sent him other gifts—a ring or a men’s necklace, perhaps.
These rings and necklaces were naturally priceless, and according to No. 1’s words, the inside of the band would be engraved with both their names.
Since his refusals had gone nowhere, Ji Zhi had stalled by saying he’d accept them upon meeting. He hadn’t expected this to make No. 1 so eager for their encounter.
The other man often chatted with him about what their meeting might be like.
Ji Zhi had already resolved to stop streaming once his contract ended, so when they talked about post-meeting scenarios, he’d simply gone along with whatever No. 1 suggested.
But this time, as he sent Fu Huixu a message just like always, the scene around him shifted in an instant—to the dorm room.
Sunlight streamed brightly through the window outside, signaling morning.
And there stood Fu Huixu by the bed, gazing fixedly at him.
Ji Zhi blinked slowly, realizing he’d probably woken too early, before Fu Huixu had left.
But why was the other man staring at him like that?
Puzzled, Ji Zhi opened his mouth to ask what was going on. Then he met Fu Huixu’s pitch-black eyes.
His words caught in his throat as he saw his own reflection in those dark depths.
Without the black-framed glasses to obscure it, his refined features were on full display.
Instinctively, Ji Zhi raised a hand to his cheek, remembering he’d taken off his glasses before bed and hadn’t put them back on yet.
Had Fu Huixu seen his face now? Would he recognize him…?
The thought had barely surfaced in Ji Zhi’s mind when Fu Huixu’s icy voice rang in his ear: “So you’re Zhi Zhi.”
Ji Zhi wanted to protest, but Fu Huixu’s cold tone softened to its usual gentleness: “Baby, we’ve finally met.”
Something felt off. Ji Zhi instinctively tried to flee, but Fu Huixu was already reaching for him.
With one hand, Fu Huixu effortlessly pinned him down.
Ji Zhi’s wrists were gripped tightly in Fu Huixu’s grasp. He could feel those long fingers closing around him, the pads pressing against his pulsing veins—as if Fu Huixu controlled even his heartbeat.
Ji Zhi tried to pull free but failed. Instead, Fu Huixu tightened his hold, leaving no room for escape.
In the next instant, Ji Zhi’s world spun—
Fu Huixu had pressed him down onto the bed, the soft mattress sinking deep under their combined weight.
Fu Huixu loomed over him, his knee wedged between Ji Zhi’s legs, sealing off any path of retreat.
At some point, the collar Ji Zhi had once selected appeared in Fu Huixu’s hand. It gleamed coldly in the sunlight filtering through the window.
With a soft click, the metal clasp tightened against the vulnerable line of his neck.
The chill made Ji Zhi shudder involuntarily.
Fu Huixu’s slender fingertips trailed slowly along the edge of the collar, as if admiring a long-awaited treasure finally in place.
Ji Zhi watched as Fu Huixu leaned down, his breath warm against Ji Zhi’s ear: “Baby, I told you—once we met, I’d put all these things on you myself.”
“If you don’t like this one, I have other styles.”
“Baby, you promised you’d wear them afterward. I even bought you other skirts…”
As Fu Huixu’s words washed over him, Ji Zhi dimly recalled the promises he’d made.
Realizing these things were about to happen to him, his vision went black.
He could already feel Fu Huixu’s other hand slipping under the hem of his shirt, fingers tracing his waist in an intimate caress.
“Baby, I told you before—ever since I saw you in a short skirt, exposing your waist, I’ve wanted to do this…”
A chill ran through Ji Zhi. He blurted out, “Wait, Fu Huixu…”
He wanted to come clean, to tell Fu Huixu he was straight and beg him to stop. But Fu Huixu gave him no chance.
The man’s hand slid down from Ji Zhi’s waist, venturing deeper.
Ji Zhi’s eyes snapped open. He bolted upright in bed.
It took a few seconds for him to realize that everything had just been a dream.
Rubbing his bare neck, Ji Zhi breathed a silent sigh of relief in his mind—
Thank goodness Fu Huixu hadn’t discovered his identity. None of those bizarre dream events had come true.
Assuming Fu Huixu had already left, Ji Zhi glanced sideways—and locked eyes with a pair of pitch-black ones.
The other man hadn’t made a sound, so Ji Zhi hadn’t noticed anyone at the bedside until now.
Ji Zhi: !!!
The sudden eye contact startled him.
But once he made out the figure by his bed, he barely managed to calm down.
Oh, it was just Fu Huixu. For a moment, he’d thought it was someone else…
No—why was Fu Huixu standing by his bed like this, completely out of character?!
Ji Zhi had been on the verge of relaxing when the realization hit. His heart leaped back into his throat. Cautiously, he looked up at Fu Huixu.
Just like in the dream, Fu Huixu stood there by the bed, his dark eyes reflecting Ji Zhi’s face.
Seeing his glasses-clad reflection in those eyes, Ji Zhi finally exhaled inwardly.
He never wore glasses to bed normally, and last time he’d slept facing the wall.
Now that he knew Fu Huixu was No. 1 on the list, to avoid discovery, Ji Zhi had opted to sleep with them on. According to Chen Xingwen’s assessment, his sleeping posture ranged from statue-still on good nights to thrashing about on bad ones.
Ji Zhi couldn’t guarantee he’d face the wall the whole night in his sleep, so glasses were a safer bet.
He’d just congratulated himself on that precaution when something else struck him as wrong—
If that was the case, why was Fu Huixu standing by the bed, watching him?
Did he think he was awake, or was this still a dream?
With that in mind, Ji Zhi stealthily pinched his own arm to check, then ventured carefully, “What’s wrong…”
