Chapter 9 – Delicate Little Bottom

The moment Chen Meixian first laid eyes on Chu Yin, he felt something different about him.

During the day, Chu Yin was all thorns, fighting recklessly on the streets, but at night, he curled up small in a corner, shedding tears. This stirred something deep in Chen Meixian’s heart.

As Chen Meixian grew older, his sick obsession with Chu Yin only intensified. After his mother’s death, Chen Meixian could finally possess, control, and torment Chu Yin without restraint. No matter how many lovers he had, Chu Yin had to stay firmly by his side.

“Brother Yin, you have no idea how much I love watching you cry,” Chen Meixian said, raising a whip. “I love you. The more it hurts, the more I love you.”

The thin whip sliced through the air with a sharp crack, landing on Chu Yin’s abdomen and leaving a horrifying red welt.

Chu Yin didn’t know what drug Chen Meixian had given him—his limbs were weak, his mind hazy, but his sensitivity to pain had been amplified several times over. Drenched in sweat, he writhed like a fish stranded on the shore by crashing waves, sobbing as he twisted and turned, trying to curl into the corner and hide his stomach.

Chen Meixian traced a finger along Chu Yin’s spine and sighed regretfully, “Every time, I show you just a little love, and you cry like this, breaking my heart. So how can you blame me for seeking others? I’m doing this for your own good.”

“Ugh… ugh…”

“I know you must be cursing me,” Chen Meixian said, delivering two more lashes to Chu Yin’s back. Suddenly struck by inspiration, he leaned down and whispered, “You’ve got a little crush on that mentally ill old slut Wei Lai, don’t you? Has he ever seen you like this? Should I livestream it for him?”

Chu Yin’s eyelids trembled, and he suddenly thrashed violently. Chen Meixian burst into laughter, thoroughly entertained. Just as he was about to proceed, a dull thud echoed through the storm outside—something had struck the window.

Chen Meixian didn’t think anyone could possibly find this place. Oblivious, he sent Wei Lai a video clip.

Two seconds later, a WeChat notification chimed like a ghostly whisper from the balcony. Chen Meixian turned his head in disbelief.

With a sharp crack—like ice shattering or cavalry charging—shards of glass cascaded down like a silver waterfall. The curtains billowed wildly as Wei Lai, dripping wet, stood amidst the chaotic rain and howling wind, his expression dark. Without a single wasted word, he lunged forward and attacked.

Old grudges and new hatred flared between them. Both men fought with reddened eyes, choking and punching, battling from the bedroom to the living room, toppling countless objects in their wake. The sounds of their struggle were deafening.

Chu Yin was frantic. His hands were bound behind his back, his legs shackled to the bedpost. He twisted and struggled desperately to break free, but the ropes only tightened further, rubbing his skin raw until it bled.

Looking back later, Chu Yin realized that rainy night was when he fell in love with Wei Lai. But at the time, his heart was too full of worry for Wei Lai to notice the stirrings of love. Wei Lai’s daily exercise consisted of bouncing between friends’ houses to play mahjong, while Chen Meixian was a gym rat who genuinely worked up a sweat. Visions of Wei Lai getting beaten to a pulp by Chen Meixian flashed through Chu Yin’s mind, and fat tears rolled down his cheeks.

The sounds of fighting outside gradually faded. Chu Yin heard someone approaching and twisted awkwardly to look, but before he could see who it was, he was pulled into a damp, warm embrace.

“Are you okay?” Wei Lai removed his gag and wiped his face with his sleeve, panting. “Anywhere hurt badly?”

Chu Yin looked up at him. Wei Lai’s clothes were disheveled, his face covered in red marks—clearly, he’d been through a brutal fight. Drawing from years of brawling experience, Chu Yin’s first question was, “Is he completely immobilized?”

“Don’t worry, he’s down for good,” Wei Lai said, bending to untie the ropes. “Knocked out by a stun gun, and I tied him up tight. There’s zero chance of some cliché twist where Chen Meixian suddenly jumps up for a sneak attack.”

Chu Yin hummed in acknowledgment and curled his legs slightly. “How did you get here? Weren’t you in Shanghai?”

Though it wasn’t the best thought to have, Wei Lai couldn’t help feeling Yan Yunshui’s stabbing had been perfectly timed. Worried Yan Yunshui might suffer any indignities, Wei Lai had checked her into a high-end private hospital—one just a few villas away from Chu Yin’s home.

Wei Lai scoffed, “What kind of question is that? You’re like this—of course I’d come! Can you move? Let’s get you to the hospital.”

Chu Yin silently wept and shook his head. “You go.”

Wei Lai blinked. “And what about you?”

“I… I… want to take a bath,” Chu Yin mumbled, shuffling to the edge of the bed. “I’m not going to the hospital.”

But before he could take more than a few steps, darkness swam before his eyes. His legs gave out, and he crumpled sideways. Wei Lai reacted swiftly, lunging to catch him—a move that should’ve been suave and heroic, but something unexpected happened.

Wei Lai simply couldn’t support Chu Yin’s full weight. He barely managed to cushion the fall, and the moment they hit the ground, a sharp, terrible pain shot through his lower back.

It took Chu Yin a while to regain consciousness. Dazed, he opened his eyes and realized he was sprawled on top of Wei Lai. As he tried to push himself up, Wei Lai suddenly lifted a hand and patted his head. “Hospital first, then bath. Okay? I don’t think I can hold on much longer.”

For some reason, Chu Yin’s nose stung. He buried his face in Wei Lai’s stomach and sobbed uncontrollably. “Why do you care about me? Madam Wei, do you treat everyone like this? Can you just… stop being nice to me?”

Wei Lai waited for Chu Yin to cry it out, but the tears seemed endless. Helpless, he sighed, “Stop crying. Right now, this looks like a scene from the ‘Selling My Body to Bury My Father’ trope.”

Chu Yin: “…”

Wei Lai: “Be strong. Go get some food, then come back and carry me to the hospital.”

Chu Yin: “???”

Wei Lai: “…I think I threw out my back.”

Chu Yin stammered, “Did I do that?”

“Pretty much,” Wei Lai said with deep emotion. “After all, I’m just a delicate little bottom.”

Chu Yin: “…”