Chapter 5

Lian Ai couldn’t run. He knew it. If he dared to turn and flee now, even the last sliver of hope would vanish.

He swallowed his fear and crawled on hands and knees toward Bu Nian. Only when he reached the general’s feet did he stop, like a trembling little pup.

“General… please, have mercy. I know I was wrong… just this once… I won’t try to escape again…” His voice trembled as he clung to the hem of Bu Nian’s robe. He knew arguing was useless now. If Bu Nian had been able to find them so quickly, then he must have known about their plan from the start.

Bu Nian was like a cat toying with a mouse. In his eyes, all struggle was meaningless.

“If you want my forgiveness, it’s not impossible.” As he spoke, he picked up a black pill the size of a longan from the fruit plate and placed it beside a piece of peeled longan flesh, then held them both out to Lian Ai.

“Choose.”

Lian Ai stared hard at the two items in his palm. After a moment, he looked up at him.
“General…”

The man’s eyes were unfathomably deep, more inscrutable than an ancient well, darker than the depths of a shadowed pool.

Lian Ai had believed the best outcome tonight was survival, and the worst, death. But he had forgotten that Bu Nian had a thousand ways to make him wish he were dead.

He didn’t choose. He snatched both the pill and the fruit and shoved them into his mouth.

“If it’s from the General, even if it’s poison… I’ll eat it!” he said, chewing messily and swallowing everything down.

The bitterness of the pill mixed with the sweetness of the fruit, creating a strange and nauseating taste. But Lian Ai couldn’t care less about that now. Live or die, it all depended on this. If he lost this gamble, he would never eat again anyway.

Bu Nian rested his chin on his hand, a mocking curve on his lips. “Does it taste good?”

Lian Ai choked, tears brimming in his eyes. Cold sweat soaked his forehead.

He forced a grateful smile. “Delicious.”

Bu Nian seemed pleased. “Good. As long as you like it.”

Lian Ai followed suit with a foolish grin, desperate to please him. He was terrified, his brows tightly knit, but he still forced the ugliest smile onto his face.

The smile didn’t last long.

What Bu Nian gave him was no miracle elixir. Just as Lian Ai had guessed, it was poison. When Bu Nian spoke of forgiveness, it was never meant to be unconditional. Only if he was satisfied, only when his anger had passed, would Lian Ai be allowed to live.

Soon, Lian Ai’s body began to itch. But it wasn’t the kind of itch that came from mosquito bites. It was a deep, crawling sensation that seemed to rise from his very bones. He tried to scratch, but the moment his fingers touched his skin, a cry tore from his throat. The itch transformed instantly into a sharp, tearing pain.

Not scratching made it unbearable. Scratching made it worse. It was torment enough to make him wish he were dead.

Lian Ai couldn’t hold on for long. He rolled back and forth on the ground, tears and sweat smearing his face, wailing nonstop.

“General… ah… it itches so bad!”
The coarse stone floor scraped against his skin, making the pain unbearable. His screams grew louder. “It hurts… help me… ahhh… General, save me… please… I’m begging you… help me…”

Overwhelmed by the torment of pain and itch, his clothes were soon soaked through with sweat. He looked like someone who had just been pulled from water.

“Still thinking of running?” Bu Nian watched his pitiful display with a calm face, unmoved from start to finish, not even a twitch in his brow.

Lian Ai clung tightly to the hem of his robe, gripping so hard that the fabric wrinkled beneath his fingers. He lay on the ground crying in shame, overwhelmed by fear, pain, and itchiness. The bitterness of being born just to be used left him sobbing uncontrollably.

“No. I don’t dare anymore. I’ll never try to run again. From now on, I’m the General’s dog…” He desperately wanted to cut open his own skin and scratch deep into his bones to make the itching stop. But even the lightest touch from fabric hurt like fire. He couldn’t imagine what stabbing himself would feel like.

“A dog should behave.” Bu Nian suddenly leaned down and gripped his chin, locking eyes with him as he spoke.

It hurt. The skin where he touched him throbbed with agony.

Lian Ai saw black spots clouding his vision. He wanted to scream, but a shred of reason held him back. It was Bu Nian’s hand. He must not struggle.

“I will. I’ll behave. If the General wants me to go east, I won’t even glance west.”

Bu Nian didn’t care that Lian Ai’s face was covered in tears and filth. He pried his jaw open and slipped a small, white pill into his mouth.

The pill dissolved instantly. Within moments, the pain and itching began to fade.

His body relaxed, and exhaustion swept over him.

Just before losing consciousness, Lian Ai still remembered to give thanks.

“Thank… thank you, General.”

—

Bu Nian had drugged Lian Ai’s body. Every full moon night, the effects would flare up. Unless he took the antidote in time to suppress it, he would suffer unbearable torment, a pain and itch that no human should endure.

He had learned his lesson. He submitted completely, never daring to go against Bu Nian again.

When Bu Nian told him to behave, he obeyed without question. His only task now was to teach the two girls how to serve in bed. Everything else, he ignored. He did not ask, and he did not think.

He never asked what had happened to Song Qiao. He had enough to deal with on his own and no strength left to worry about others. But if even someone like him, who was still useful, had been treated this way, then someone like Song Qiao, who had betrayed his master and fled, most likely had no chance of surviving.

Two more months passed. Thanks to Lian Ai’s careful guidance, the two girls quickly surpassed their teacher. They were intelligent, quick to learn, and had thrown themselves into their lessons with extraordinary dedication. There was no way they could fail.

That night after their final lesson, Lian Ai was about to return to his room when the Ah-Da called out to him.

“Sir, tonight was our last lesson. We leave the mansion tomorrow, and I fear we may never meet again.” She picked up two cups from the table and handed one to Ah-Er beside her.

“We are truly grateful for your teaching over these past months. We never offered tea when we became your students, so we’d like to make up for that now. Please accept our bow.” The two stunning girls gave Lian Ai a respectful bow, catching him completely off guard.

“No, no, that’s not necessary.” Lian Ai hurriedly helped them up. “This wasn’t anything noble enough to deserve that. There’s no need for you to lower yourselves.”

He was nothing more than a lowly bedslave. Those two girls, on the other hand, had earned the General’s favor and were refined in both skill and speech. They could rival noble daughters. For them to bow to him truly felt like an honor he didn’t deserve.

“Rituals should not be skipped. Please, Teacher, drink this tea.” Ah-Da, the girl in red, insisted again and again, and Lian Ai had no choice but to take a sip from each of their cups.

After he drank, the two girls gave him a long, quiet look. At last, Ah-Er, the girl in white, let out a soft sigh. “You’re a simple-hearted person.”

Ah-Da pressed her lips together, as if she wanted to speak but changed her mind at the last moment. “Please return to your room now, Teacher.”

Once Lian Ai left, she turned to her companion, her tone laced with caution. “Deathsworn soldiers have no place for emotions. We are merely pieces in the General’s hand. You cannot save him, and you certainly cannot help him.”

Ah-Er stared at the tightly shut door for a moment before nodding. “I understand. Once we complete our mission, he will no longer be useful. The General will not keep him around for long.”

They were all chess pieces on the board. The only difference was that the two of them had chosen this path willingly. Lian Ai had not.

Ah-Da stepped forward to stand beside her, both of them watching the direction Lian Ai had gone. “For the sake of the General’s grand plan, even if bones turn to dust, it cannot be helped.”

What they both understood, how could Lian Ai, no matter how naive, not sense it?

Now that the students had completed their training, what use was there left for the teacher?

The short walk back to his room felt like a torment. With every step, his mind was in pieces. He kept thinking a killer sent by the general might leap out from the shadows at any moment to end his life. Once inside, he locked the doors and windows tightly and dared not step out again.

That night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. This time, he truly believed his death was near.

How could he survive? How could he convince the general to spare his life?

He curled up in bed, wrapping the blanket tightly around himself, burying his entire body underneath as if that was the only way to feel a sliver of safety.

Biting his nails, Lian Ai sank into a pit of anxious despair.

He had grown up in a brothel, trained only in how to please others. He had no real skills. He could read, but barely more than a commoner. He knew nothing of higher learning. His body was the only thing he could offer, the only thing that still held some value.

But the General had never shown him the slightest warmth. The only time he had let Lian Ai serve him with his mouth in the carriage had felt more like a product inspection than anything else. Even that final bargaining chip was gone. How was he supposed to survive now?

He did not sleep a single minute that night. His mind spun endlessly with dark thoughts. By morning, when he finally got out of bed, the servant attending him informed him that Bu Nian had personally come to fetch the girls. He was already in the residence, and Lian Ai was told to eat breakfast and then report to the study.

Certain his end was near, Lian Ai had no appetite. He forced down a few mouthfuls, then had the servant escort him to the study.

Bu Nian was seated behind a desk, idly flipping through a book. His legs were crossed and propped up on the table, a stark contrast to his usual composed formality.

Lian Ai immediately dropped to his knees in front of him. “General…”

Bu Nian moved the book aside and looked at him. “I was just wondering when you’d finally get up.”

Lian Ai bowed even lower. “Forgive me for keeping the General waiting. It was my fault.”

Bu Nian lowered his long legs from the table and tossed the book aside. He rolled his neck, and a few crisp cracks echoed from his joints.

“Today, I’ll be taking Zeqi and Gancao with me.”

Only at this moment did Lian Ai finally learn the names of the two girls. “You’ve done well over the past six months. There were a few minor setbacks, but you came around in time, so it’s nothing worth dwelling on.”

As he spoke, he pulled a porcelain bottle from his robe and tipped a single bright red pill into his palm.

It was roughly the same size as the antidotes Lian Ai had taken over the past two months, but the color was blood red and shimmered faintly with a bluish hue under the sunlight. Lian Ai’s instincts told him this was nothing good.

Bu Nian held the pill in his fingers and looked at him. “This is the final pill. Once you take it, everything ends here.”

Lian Ai felt his fears confirmed. Bu Nian had not called it the final antidote, just the final pill.

His body shook. His voice trembled. “Please, General, don’t kill me. I’m useful. I really am useful.”

Bu Nian stared at the head bowed so low it was nearly touching the floor. “And what use do you think you have?”

Lian Ai suddenly looked up. His tone remained stubborn. “I am useful. Truly, I am.”

He knew that if he didn’t cling to that one thread, he would be thrown away like garbage.

He was born into a lowly life, had never seen mountains or oceans, never known the beauty of the world. He refused to die here. Even if his life was worth less than grass, he still wanted to fight for a way to live.

He crawled toward Bu Nian, slipping under the desk until he reached the his legs. He leaned in close and looked up, forcing a smile.

“I can please the General. I am useful.”

Bu Nian looked down at him. He gave neither approval nor rejection.

That silence gave Lian Ai the courage to go further.

He bit his lip and gently lifted the edge of Bu Nian’s robe. He knew this was his last chance. If he failed now, all he could hope for was a better life in the next.

He pressed his face between Bu Nian’s thighs, lips touching the still-soft cock through thin undergarments. Each kiss was tender.

Feeling a response stirring beneath, the slightest growth in hardness, he silently rejoiced. He let his tongue glide along the thick shape, tracing its outline with careful precision.

The cock swelled further, pressing against the fabric. A dark spot bloomed at the tip, damp with arousal, revealing the flushed slit beneath. It looked like a dragon awakening, eager to devour.

Afraid it might feel too tight, Lian Ai whispered, “General, let me help you…” and reached to tug down the undergarment.

The thick cock sprang free, breaking loose from its confines and rising before him in full glory.

Last time, even with his eyes closed, Lian Ai had thought Bu Nian’s size was impressive. Now that he saw it clearly, he realized the truth. The color was deep but not overly dark, the length curved slightly, the head full and broad. It truly was a weapon unmatched.

A skilled mouth was not just about licking. It had to know how to suck too. The lips should wrap around the cock tightly, the tip of the tongue pressing against the slit, moving up and down to mimic the rhythm of intercourse, while suction was applied with force.

Female bedslaves, due to their lack of strength, often fell short in this area. They could never match the boys. Back when Lian Ai was still in the brothel, whenever Madam tested their oral skills, he was always the fastest to make the client surrender. Sometimes, just a single suck from him was enough to make the man groan and spill his load.

This was a moment where his life truly hung in the balance. All he could think about was making Bu Nian crave him, making him realize just how useful he still was. There was no room for hesitation.

He had blamed himself for performing poorly last time, for not making Bu Nian climax within the time it took to drink a cup of tea. That failure had driven him to study even harder while training Zeqi and Gancao. He had refined his skills and pushed them to perfection. His mouth, when used, had already reached the peak of its craft.

No matter how much self-control Bu Nian had, a man’s body never lied. It responded truthfully to pleasure. His arousal surged, and Lian Ai’s warm, soft lips tightened around the cock, sending waves of maddening ecstasy through him.

As time passed, just long enough to finish a cup of tea, Lian Ai took him deeper. The sensitive tip pressed against the soft wall of his throat, and he began to swallow in rhythmic motions, massaging the head with his throat as if coaxing it from within. Most people would gag or retch trying to do this, but he had been trained for it since young. He was born for this. There was no reaction of nausea or struggle.

Soon, he felt the muscles in Bu Nian’s thighs tighten. That was the sign. The man was about to come. Lian Ai doubled his efforts, sucking with devotion.

A muffled groan escaped from Bu Nian as he finally gave in to Lian Ai’s masterful mouth. His release came in hot, thick spurts, flooding Lian Ai’s throat.

Wave after wave of thick fluid struck his throat. Lian Ai swallowed it all without even the faintest look of discomfort or resistance. When the cock finally softened, shrinking back, he didn’t forget to gently cradle it and carefully lick the slit clean with the tip of his tongue.

Once it was done, he tidied up Bu Nian’s undergarments and smoothed out the folds in his robe. Then he crawled backward and resumed kneeling, his forehead lowered in perfect submission.

He knelt there respectfully, not daring to glance at the man who held the power to end his life at any moment. It felt like even one wrong look could cost him everything.

Bu Nian stared at him. His breathing was still uneven. He had to admit, Lian Ai had indeed brought him intense pleasure. It was purely physical, but the pleasure had been overwhelming.

He rolled the porcelain bottle between his fingers and spoke in a low voice.

“I will let you live. But you will spend the rest of your life in this mansion. And I will not remove the ‘Mianmian’ in your body.”

Mianmian. The name sounded soft and harmless, almost gentle, but it was a poison, insidious and cruel. Sweet in name, lethal in nature.

The irony cut deep.

“You’ll need to take the antidote I give you each month to suppress its effects. You’ve already tasted it once. I don’t think you’d want to go through that again. As long as you behave, I won’t make things difficult for you.”

This was already the best outcome Lian Ai could hope for.

He lowered his head and knocked it hard against the floor, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and relief.

“Thank you, General, for sparing me. Thank you, General, for your mercy.”

There was a sharp sound. Something was thrown to the floor and rolled toward him.

Lian Ai followed the sound and saw that it was the familiar white pill he had taken several times before.

“Take it. This time, it’s the antidote.” Bu Nian’s tone held the weight of a reward.

Lian Ai rushed forward and grabbed the pill. He shoved it into his mouth and swallowed it whole without even chewing.