Chapter 17: “Good doggy…” [Koeyle, 10%]…
“That mess in the broadcasting studio last time, I can overlook it as the colonel not understanding the rules before the game started. Let bygones be bygones.”
He Yue looked down at Koeyle, who was still standing at the door, enduring to the point of almost breaking the doorknob, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the wooden ladder, his tone light.
He was bathed in the sunlight streaming through the window, the naturally upturned strands of his backlit hair gleaming with a golden light, his whole being seemingly outlined by a soft glow. He swung his legs, the slippers that had been on his feet now nowhere to be seen, only his bare feet dangling beside the wooden frame.
The wooden frame creaked occasionally, swaying back and forth with his movements.
He Yue tilted his head and chuckled softly, his bright eyes capturing every bit of the man’s awkwardness below: “If you want that dog-like thing of yours to feel better, think of a way to please me. Didn’t the colonel say he would learn how to do that before?”
He was clearly radiant, elegant, even inexplicably gentle, his tone soft. Yet, those words coming from his mouth carried a contradictory sense of oppression and captivating power.
“I will, I will learn…”
Koeyle looked away, no longer staring at the person who spoke the harshest words in the gentlest tone, repeating his last question as if momentarily bewitched.
Those teasing words, though harsh, didn’t feel unpleasant, instead stirring up strange emotions within him.
The still-moving iron ball hadn’t changed its intensity, but it made his heart itch.
“Who allowed you to lower your head?”
Koeyle froze, forced to raise his head, the look of arousal on his face fully exposed to He Yue’s gaze.
Thus, the unspeakable shame was forced to be presented to He Yue even more openly.
At the same time, Koeyle couldn’t help but trace and engrave the image of the person sitting in the sunlight above him into his memory, aided by the throbbing of the iron ball.
His thoughts were momentarily scattered as the iron ball occasionally hit his imprint point, only to be jolted back to reality by the sight of the person before him as he looked up.
He Yue shifted to the side on the ladder, intending to toss the hammer in his hand into the tool basket hanging on the frame. He leaned down to throw the hammer, and the whole frame creaked loudly.
He was sitting on one side of the frame, and even a slight movement could cause the other side to tilt upwards, let alone leaning over to reach the tool basket hanging on the middle bar.
The entire frame tipped over, and He Yue was about to lean back to maintain his balance when he fell from the ladder.
“Master!”
[Host!]
Two voices rang out simultaneously. Koeyle, ignoring the iron ball, strode forward, his quick reflexes catching He Yue securely in his arms. The iron ball, of course, didn’t spare him during this large stride, causing his leg to buckle, and he knelt on one knee.
The toppling wooden frame fell towards them, and Koeyle, unable to dodge, shielded He Yue in his arms, his back taking the full brunt of the impact. He only grunted, instinctively protecting He Yue’s head, pressing him closer.
The pain in his back distracted him from the strange sensations caused by the iron ball that had been tormenting him for so long. He held He Yue with one hand and pushed the wooden frame off his back with the other.
He Yue sat on his lap, still slightly dazed from the sudden incident. He coughed amidst the dust stirred up by the falling frame and looked down at Koeyle, who was very close to him.
They were very close, much closer than before, when one was sitting high above and the other standing at the door.
He Yue’s robe was disheveled, the collar slightly open, and the hem had ridden up.
Koeyle’s hand still rested on He Yue’s waist, his eyes lingering on the exposed skin for a second before his other hand pulled the edge of the robe down, covering He Yue’s knees.
He had wanted to reach for He Yue’s collar, but his reason returned first, and his hand, hovering in mid-air, awkwardly changed its trajectory and retreated.
A hand landed on Koeyle’s head, stroking it back and forth.
Koeyle looked up slightly and saw that the person sitting on his lap had already recovered, sitting up straight, taller than him, and was now ruffling his hair.
“Good doggy…”
The softened tone was quite soothing, especially after He Yue had just spoken those almost humiliating words, pushing him to the bottom, only to now pull him back up with a gentle smile.
Koeyle felt his emotions in turmoil, partly because of the iron ball, and partly because of the person in his arms.
[Koeyle, 10%]
He Yue glanced at the number that flashed above his head and said with a smile, “Are you badly hurt? Take off your clothes and let me see.”
“I’m fine, no need…”
Koeyle looked up and saw He Yue raise an eyebrow, a sharp look in his eyes, and immediately stopped talking. This atmosphere between them was rare, even if it was caused by an accident.
He unbuttoned his clothes with one hand, taking off his jacket under He Yue’s gaze, then his tie and shirt. His muscles were well-defined. When he was clothed, they seemed to just fill out his uniform, but now, without the fabric, they were clearly prominent.
There was a deep red mark on his back where he had been hit, but it wasn’t serious, not even broken skin. With a female insect’s healing ability, such a minor injury would be negligible in a day or two.
He Yue’s hand gently touched the injury on his back, lightly stroking the hot, swollen surface.
The bruised area was naturally more sensitive to touch, and He Yue’s touch was gentle, more like a tingling sensation.
Koeyle swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, his hand around He Yue’s waist tightening into a fist.
The gentle caress brought his attention back to himself, to the fingers on his back, and the throbbing iron ball. Unlike before, he was now very close to He Yue, close enough to hear his breathing.
“Does it hurt?” He Yue’s voice was close to his ear.
“No… ah!!” Koeyle’s reply was cut short by a sudden slap on his back from He Yue, turning into a cry of pain. His body jerked, and the iron ball abruptly contracted, grinding against his imprint point.
He doubled over, his face almost touching He Yue’s leg.
This unexpected touch almost made him lose control. This level of pain was normally nothing to him, but combined with the iron ball he had been enduring for so long, it was completely different.
Koeyle, who had just found a moment of respite, was dragged back into torment by He Yue.
His back burned intensely, now bearing a handprint much redder than the surrounding area.
He Yue’s handprint.
He Yue’s fingertips gently traced the even redder handprint, nodding in satisfaction with his work.
“What a pity,” He Yue said with a smile, “If you could see it, you would know how beautiful it is.”
