TF01 Extra

The spacious warehouse echoed with music that kept starting and stopping. Every time it played a few lines, it would cut off, only to start again from the beginning less than a minute later.

“Fuck!”

Completely fed up, Shi Yi finally cursed out loud and reluctantly crawled over Ying Ming’s body to search for the phone they had apparently tossed somewhere the night before. Without his glasses, his vision was a blur. He nearly tripped and fell several times.

After finally fishing the phone out from a pile of chaotic clothes, he didn’t even bother checking who it was. His voice was already edged with fury. “Who the hell is this?”

He restrained himself from swearing only because the last thread of sanity in his brain was still holding on.

What fucking time is it?!

It turned out to be Wang Yiqi on the line. “Did you and Ying Ming break up?”

“You got a death wish?” Being woken up was already annoying enough, but getting a call like this first thing in the morning made Shi Yi genuinely want to hit someone.

On the bed, Ying Ming finally lost his patience as well. He grabbed a pillow and hurled it at Shi Yi. “Shut up!”

So much for sleeping in peace. Why was no one letting them rest?

“You two should just turn on the TV. It’s all over the place. Everyone’s saying you broke up.”

“What the hell does the outside world running wild have to do with us? You seriously have nothing better to do, huh?”

Shi Yi hung up, ripped out the battery, then crawled back into bed. Ignoring Ying Ming’s annoyed protests, he pressed him down by the shoulder and went right back to sleep.

He had just gotten back from a business trip that had lasted more than two weeks. The night before, the two of them had practically gone at it until sunrise. They had barely been asleep for three hours before the phone started ringing nonstop.

And of course, it had been Ying Ming’s phone the entire time.

They ended up sleeping for more than five hours. By the time Shi Yi and Ying Ming opened their eyes again, lunch hours had long passed.

“Fuck. Every time you go on a business trip, I lose three days of work.”

Ying Ming reached instinctively for a cigarette, only to remember midway that he had promised Shi Yi to quit. Every spot in the apartment where cigarettes used to be had now been replaced with those potato sticks he hated most. Irritated, he ran a hand through his hair and flopped over, fighting the urge to kick the man behind him, who was currently committing low-grade sexual harassment against his back, right out of bed.

Shi Yi chuckled behind him. “That’s such a sweet thing to hear first thing after waking up.”

“What I don’t get is, last night you were completely wiped out. Couldn’t even move. So how are you still this full of energy this morning?” Ying Ming squinted at him. “Figures. You’re just better at being on the bottom.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Shi Yi leaned in and kissed him. Their breaths tangled, and they stayed locked together for a long while before finally pulling apart.

“To spare your pride, I won’t say what I was going to say next.”

He lay beside Ying Ming, idly toying with the hair that had started to grow longer again. “Let’s just stay in bed today. I don’t feel like moving.”

“This kind of life-wasting behavior should be a crime.”

“Wrong. My stay-home, zero-emissions lifestyle is a contribution to humanity.”

Shi Yi grabbed him by the jaw and kissed him again, reaffirming something he had already decided. Business trips were inhumane, and no matter what Ou Yang said next time, he was not leaving for that long ever again.

“But still, did anything actually come out of this one?”

“Plenty. Everything’s nearly in the bag.”

This business trip had been focused on securing a major project. Technically, Shiyang already had the qualifications to win it, but in this world, hard metrics were not always what made the final decision. After talking it over with Ou Yang, they agreed it would be safest for Shi Yi to go himself. And once he arrived, he realized there was still more to gain. Just touring two of the construction sites had taken four days.

Ying Ming kept his eyes closed. “Well, I guess it was worth it. At least it makes up for the harassment I endured from your calls every day.”

Shi Yi had been blowing up his phone like there was no limit. For someone who used to hate explaining himself to anyone, his sudden transformation into a clingy boyfriend had been hard for Ying Ming to adapt to. Wherever Shi Yi went, he called. He rarely had anything serious to say. Just endless nonsense. If Ying Ming hadn’t been patient, he might have thrown his phone in the trash.

“You didn’t seem to mind last night,” Shi Yi said with a laugh. “I know you and Smoke Ring both missed me.”

“So that’s why Smoke Ring keeps chewing on the sofa leg.”

Ying Ming opened one eye and glanced at him. “He was pining for you.”

Some animals were simply born to clash. The kind of mutual loathing between Shi Yi and Smoke Ring almost defied nature. It had been tolerable before, but ever since Shi Yi moved back in, Smoke Ring acted like he was on steroids, always scratching or biting, never stopping until there was blood.

These days, Shi Yi insisted on locking the door at night. If not, Smoke Ring would climb right onto his face to sleep.

“We should get him a girlfriend,” Shi Yi suggested, completely serious. “That flat-faced menace has got to be sexually frustrated. Watching us all the time like that, he’s probably suffering internal damage.”

“Don’t you start. We can barely manage one cat between us, and now you want two? I’m not that free.”

Ying Ming had never chosen to adopt Smoke Ring in the first place. He had simply ended up with him, and over time, grew attached. But if given the chance to start over, he would definitely not have brought such a living creature into the house just to make life harder for himself.

Bathing him, feeding him, cleaning up after him, every day was like serving a little emperor.

That thought made him realize he was actually hungry. “Since you’re feeling energetic, go on. Get up and cook something.”

Shi Yi shook his head lazily. “By all logic, it should be your turn today.”

That was the cost of being on top.

Ying Ming finally registered what he meant and let out a crude curse. He dragged his feet for a while longer, then finally sat up with a scowl, threw on a pair of pants, and headed downstairs to make food.

Shi Yi watched him go, still lying in bed, and felt that this kind of life really did count as happiness.

After so long together, Ying Ming’s cooking had finally improved to the point where it wasn’t just instant noodles. The food wasn’t anything special, but it was edible. Neither of them bothered wearing shirts at home. As Ying Ming put it, their lifestyle was one of shameless decadence.

While they were eating, Ying Ming threw in a casual complaint. “Next time you rip my phone apart, I’m feeding your laptop to Smoke Ring.”

As he said that, Smoke Ring happened to hop onto the table. Shi Yi glanced at him, then smugly stole a piece of meat from Ying Ming’s bowl.

“And next time you forget to turn off your phone, I’m tossing it straight out the window. You know you’re a light sleeper and still insist on keeping that ticking time bomb on. Are you trying to torture yourself?”

Whenever Ying Ming got woken up mid-sleep, it pushed him to the edge of madness, and Shi Yi was usually the first to suffer the consequences.

Still, he had gotten a lot better over the past two years.

Probably because he had quit smoking, his whole demeanor seemed brighter. At least he no longer walked around all day with a cigarette in his mouth, squinting at people through a haze. Shi Yi often dragged him out to play basketball or do some kind of extreme sport. When Kou Jing joined them for dinner once, he had joked that Ying Ming was getting more baby-faced by the day. The words were crude, but Shi Yi had taken pride in them.

After all, he was the one who had pampered him into looking that way.

Smoke Ring, triggered by Shi Yi’s provocation, bared his teeth and let out a low yowl. Ying Ming turned his phone back on, and within thirty seconds, the thing exploded with notification sounds.

“What the fuck is going on?”

Being off for a few hours shouldn’t have triggered this many alerts…

Shi Yi was still bickering with Smoke Ring when he added, “I think that call earlier was from Wang Yiqi. I don’t remember what he said. Maybe call him back and check?”

Just as he finished speaking, a new call came in. He and Ying Ming exchanged a look, both getting a faint sense that something was off.

“Hello?” It was Kou Jing. Some of the texts earlier had also been from him.

“What the fuck is going on with you and Shi Yi? Both your phones were off.”

“I was sleeping. Didn’t want to be disturbed. Why?”

It had been a while since Kou Jing sounded this tense. Ying Ming frowned. “Did something happen?”

Ever since Shi Yi’s father passed away, Ying Ming had developed a gut-level irritability whenever he received unexpected urgent calls. Shi Yi noticed the shift in his mood and stopped smiling, turning to glance over in concern.

“You really don’t know? Someone leaked that you and Shi Yi broke up last night. It’s all over the internet. I’ve already gotten more than twenty calls about it this morning.”

Even Dong Xiao had called to ask what the hell was going on. The buzz had spread fast.

“Broke up?” Ying Ming raised his eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”

“You tell me. Just check online. Apparently you and Shi Yi drifted apart because you each found someone new. They even have photos. It sounds just believable enough to make people buy it.”

Kou Jing still had work to handle, so he hung up right after. Ying Ming went to grab Shi Yi’s laptop and pulled up the browser to take a quick look. Sure enough, the rumors were everywhere.

Shi Yi leaned in to read too. His expression darkened as the headlines piled up in front of them.

“Ying Ming, heartbroken and alone, goes shopping in silence. The quiet end of a hidden romance…”

“Things change. Ying Ming and Shi Yi’s five-year relationship ends in breakup.”

“Shi Yi seen with models on both arms, while Ying Ming becomes the cast-off ex…”

“Bullshit! What the fuck is this?” Shi Yi cursed. Even Ou Yang had been caught in the crossfire. One of the photos showed him opening a car door for Shi Yi outside a hotel. The image was grainy, but not so unclear that people could not speculate. It was just the right level of blur to let imaginations run wild.

Ying Ming’s “heartbroken” photo was one of him outside a supermarket, sunglasses on, head down, wearing a long black coat. The lighting and composition made him look desolate and abandoned.

Shi Yi stared at it. “This is staged, right? No way a random street shot gets this much tragic atmosphere.”

Ying Ming scrolled through the articles. The stories were all variations on the same theme. They noted how he had been seen coming and going alone lately, then speculated that Shi Yi had lost interest and moved on to someone new. They even pulled photos from a recent event Shi Yi had attended, where two models had been arranged to accompany him. Facts were irrelevant. As long as the story sold, logic didn’t matter.

And now, all those calls and messages were to confirm whether it was true.

Ying Ming checked his phone. There were messages from people he knew and people he didn’t. Some asking for interviews. Some asking him out for drinks. One was from Haozi, asking if he wanted some sulfuric acid.

“People really have nothing better to do.”

That was his conclusion. He tossed the phone aside and went back to eating.

Shi Yi, however, kept scrolling. The more he read, the more annoyed he got. “Why is it always me who gets cast as the heartless one in these breakup rumors? Why can’t I be the poor sap who got dumped?”

Ying Ming glanced at him. “You’re the one who brought up breaking up, remember?”

The reporters might not have known the truth, but that part wasn’t exactly wrong.

That line was always Shi Yi’s sore spot. Once Ying Ming said it, he fell silent. He frowned and angrily shoved more food into his mouth.

Even though the whole thing had blown up out of nowhere, neither Shi Yi nor Ying Ming considered it a big deal. In the entertainment industry, breakups and reconciliations were just part of the cycle. Rumors like these, especially ones with no real substance, usually only surfaced when the media had nothing better to write about.

If there was anything surprising, it was that when their relationship was first exposed, it had been painted as morally outrageous. Now that they were rumored to have broken up, quite a few people actually seemed disappointed.

Ying Ming was still on set with a production crew. The director was Si Ji. The last film they had worked on together had won Best Picture. Although there had been no individual awards, it was still a clear sign of recognition from within the industry. Investors had approached Si Ji and Dong Xiao to shoot a follow-up. They had picked out a new script and were preparing a spiritual sequel. Ying Ming had been on set the past few days but had taken two days off because of Shi Yi’s return. Having two directors had its perks. If one stepped away, the other could hold the line.

When Shi Yi saw him finish washing the dishes and lie down on the couch to read the script, he couldn’t help walking over to pester him. “You’re really committing to directing this time?”

Last time, Ying Ming had also played one of the leads. This time, he was fully behind the camera.

“For this one, yes. None of the roles in this script feel like something I really want to act out. But I’m not switching careers.”

The reason Ying Ming had stuck with acting all these years was because that was what he truly wanted to do. Being a director came with a kind of satisfaction actors would never quite understand, but once was enough to scratch the itch. He had no interest in making it his long-term job.

Shi Yi forced himself onto the couch, pressing Ying Ming into his arms. “If you moved behind the camera for good, maybe you’d deal with less of this crap.”

“If someone wants to stir shit, they’ll find a way whether I act or not. It has nothing to do with the job.” Ying Ming shifted uncomfortably. “Why do you always like being under me?”

Their body heat stacked up fast, and the two of them lying there shirtless was already pushing it. Ying Ming was starting to lose focus on the script entirely.

The so-called man underneath him only laughed, one hand slipping along his waist in a familiar and very deliberate rhythm. “What can I say? I like being underneath. You gonna punish me for it?”

The friction and teasing were laced with unmistakable intent. Shi Yi touched all the spots he knew would get a reaction, tracing along Ying Ming’s sensitive skin until the chill behind his ears made him flinch.

After a while, Ying Ming finally snapped, throwing the script aside. “Since you like being pinned so much, I’ll be happy to oblige.”

They kissed, bodies locked together as they rolled from the couch to the carpet. The roles had switched since the night before. As Shi Yi pushed into him, Ying Ming gave him an annoyed kick. “Next time, I swear I’ll fuck you so hard you won’t be able to get out of bed.”

He had held back this time because of Shi Yi’s long trip, but the way this man had been showing off since morning was seriously asking for it.

Shi Yi’s only response was to smile and thrust slowly but steadily, teeth grazing the military tag on Ying Ming’s chest. “You can think of it as me… wanting to cook today.”

Ying Ming had only taken two days off. They spent nearly the entire time in the warehouse, wrapped around each other.

It was time to get back to real life.

Shi Yi returned to the company, and Ying Ming headed back to set.

What Ying Ming hadn’t expected was that the nonsense rumor he and Shi Yi had laughed off a few days ago had not faded with time. When he arrived at the outdoor location, the press had already formed two full circles around the set.

Dong Xiao spotted him and grinned in mock sympathy. “Look who just showed up. The heartbroken lover himself.”

Some media outlets had already spotted Ying Ming’s car. Dong Xiao’s remark only served to turn everyone’s attention toward him. Ying Ming got back in the car and returned to the production team’s temporary hotel.

Si Ji happened to be in the lobby talking to staff about a hot water issue. He looked up just in time to see Ying Ming slipping inside, clearly trying not to be noticed.

“Oh? You’re back?”

“What the hell is wrong with Dong Xiao? All those reporters outside and he didn’t think to give me a heads-up.” He glanced back at the door as the media started to follow inside, then kept his greeting brief and headed upstairs. Si Ji told the hotel staff not to let anyone disturb the rooms, then stepped into the elevator with him. “You know he never turns down press attention. That’s nothing new.”

The real reason was probably that Ying Ming had taken two days off, which left Si Ji running nonstop and too busy to keep an eye on Dong Xiao.

“There have been this many reporters the whole time?”

“Ever since that rumor broke, the crowd’s only been getting bigger. Honestly, you’re trending pretty hard right now.”

“I could do without this kind of publicity.”

Just thinking about the horde of tabloid reporters outside made Ying Ming’s head hurt. And of course, Si Ji couldn’t resist stirring the pot. “Especially since you’re wearing sunglasses and all black today. You look like you’re coming back from a funeral.”

This was just how Ying Ming normally dressed, but under the current circumstances, it really made things worse.

He rolled his eyes and said nothing. He was planning to call Kou Jing later and arrange for a more familiar media outlet to issue a clarification.

At least Shi Yi wasn’t being chased around on his end.

Still, that didn’t mean Shi Yi was untouched. Over at the company, Ou Yang had spent the whole morning roasting him non-stop for getting dragged into this nonsense. Just after a meeting, Shi Yi got a call from his secretary saying that Chen Cheng was looking for him.

And he was already waiting in his office.

When Shi Yi opened the door, he saw Chen Cheng seated on the couch with a stern expression. The glass of water in front of him was still untouched.

Shi Yi closed the door behind him. “What brings you here today?”

Ever since his father had passed away, things between him and Chen Cheng had been a little strained. Not exactly hostile, but the closeness from before had faded.

Shi Yi knew very well that when it came to his relationship with Ying Ming, there might never be a day when Chen Cheng would truly forgive him.

But that was part of the price he had accepted. He had nothing to argue. These days, as long as what Chen Cheng asked of him didn’t go against his bottom line, he would usually compromise. He used to believe life had to be lived on his own terms, but slowly he had come to understand that making space for family didn’t actually change who he was.

He sat down across from him. “You needed something?”

Chen Cheng looked over at him. “You just got back from a trip?”

“Yeah, I got in two days ago. I called Mom, but she was with Auntie, so I didn’t go over to bother her.” His mother’s health had improved a bit lately. Whenever he had time, Shi Yi would go home to have a meal with her or take her out for a walk.

They didn’t talk about everything, but there was a shared understanding in their silence.

Chen Cheng gave a slight nod, picked up the water for a sip, and then looked at him again. “You’ve been showing up in the news a lot lately. You’re aware of that, right?”

Shi Yi wasn’t surprised at all.

“I know. Just the usual media gossip.” What surprised him more was that Chen Cheng had come over in person to bring it up.

“How’s work lately?”

“Pretty smooth.”

“I heard you’ve been thinking about expanding down south. Make sure you’re clear about what you want. If there’s anything you need, come find me.” Chen Cheng’s tone gave little away, but Shi Yi was still glad to hear those words. No matter how long it would take to repair things between them, this at least felt like progress.

They had not spoken for long before Ou Yang came in. He greeted Chen Cheng when he saw him on the sofa.

Chen Cheng stood up. “Your mother asked me to check on you. I happened to be nearby, so I dropped in. As for your own business, that’s your call.”

At the door, he turned back and gave Shi Yi one more look. “Since this is the path you’ve chosen, stop stirring up so much trouble. Handle your messes yourself instead of dragging others into it.”

Chen Cheng left with that deliberately vague parting line, and Ou Yang couldn’t help raising an eyebrow. “So… is your uncle finally coming around about you and Ying Ming?”

“Not that optimistic,” Shi Yi said, flipping through the file in Ou Yang’s hand. “But maybe there’s a bit of hope.”
“What’s this?”

“A few industry events and annual meetings. They want you to attend. What’s your opinion?”

“Me?” Ever since his relationship with Ying Ming was made public, Shi Yi had mostly stopped appearing at public events. Organizers were wary of trouble and rarely invited him unless they were close contacts.

But if Ou Yang was asking, these weren’t from personal circles.

“What’s your opinion?”

“I think it wouldn’t hurt. A little visibility can be good.” Especially since they were in the middle of several negotiations with other companies. It might not be directly related, but it gave them something to talk about.

Too much invisibility just became irrelevance. If they had resources, there was no harm in using them wisely.

Shi Yi glanced through the event names. None looked sketchy. He nodded. “Alright. I’ll leave it to you.”

Neither he nor Ou Yang had really considered what these invitations might lead to, until Kou Jing laughed at him afterward and said, “You’ve been with Ying Ming this long and you still haven’t figured out how this game works? The minute you saw those invitations, you should’ve guessed he’d be there too.”

And sure enough, Ying Ming was.

Each of the events had some of the film’s investors involved, and since he had been personally requested, he couldn’t easily say no.

When they both arrived and spotted each other at the venue, it was obvious they’d been set up. But by that point, there was no turning back. The media descended on them like vultures, surrounding them so tightly they could barely move.

Of course, the questions were the usual ones: Had they broken up? What was their current relationship?

Shi Yi remained silent through every question. Ying Ming answered a few, but avoided anything too sensitive. This time, there weren’t any familiar faces among the organizers, so no one stepped in to help. They were only freed when the business portion of the event finally began. The two of them sat far apart. Eventually, Shi Yi slipped out early to avoid being swarmed again.

By the time Ying Ming got home, Shi Yi had already finished showering.

He was lying on the sofa watching TV, with Smoke Ring curled near his feet, baring his teeth in quiet disapproval but not making a move. It looked like the two of them had already had a fight.

Ying Ming gave him a look. “You sure ran off fast.”

“Wouldn’t be me if I didn’t. You trained me well,” Shi Yi said with a chuckle. “By the way, my uncle came by today.”

“Oh?” Ying Ming pulled off his shirt and took a sip from Shi Yi’s water cup. “He chew you out again?”

“Not this time. I think his tone was a little softer.”

“After seeing all those headlines, he still softened up? You sure you weren’t hallucinating?” Ying Ming scoffed and dropped onto the sofa beside him. The way those headlines had dragged them both, he could imagine it without even looking. Every old scandal had been dug up and rehashed. For both of them, it was like reliving all the pain all over again.

Thinking about the nasty questions at the event, Ying Ming’s temper flared. He shot a look at Shi Yi, then suddenly grabbed him by the hair and kissed him hard.

He had drunk a little wine earlier, and there was still a lingering taste of red wine in his mouth. Shi Yi responded and pulled him close. The kiss was intense enough to leave them both breathless.

Shi Yi finally drew back, his breathing unsteady. “What’s gotten into you?”

Ying Ming hesitated only a second before leaning in again. This time, there was nothing restrained about it. He gripped Shi Yi by the neck and kissed him like he meant to erase everything. Their breaths tangled violently, and somewhere in the heat of it, Shi Yi heard Ying Ming mutter hoarsely against his lips, “Payback.”

His hand slid down Shi Yi’s neck. After yanking open his shirt, Ying Ming licked his lips and sat up. “Do you remember what I said when you brought up breaking up? That debt, I said I’d collect it.”

Shi Yi frowned slightly. “How are you planning to collect?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Ying Ming grinned with a dark glint in his eyes. He tore open Shi Yi’s shirt completely and began playing with his chest, occasionally lowering his head to bite down, drawing out subtle responses from the man beneath him. Satisfied, he continued his teasing.

Their bodies were already far too familiar with each other. Even the timing of their arousal was frighteningly in sync. Hearing a quiet grunt of dissatisfaction from Shi Yi, Ying Ming looked up and smiled. “Ou Yang aside, you’ve been pretty chummy with those models too.”

It sounded like jealousy, but to Shi Yi it felt more like a threat. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak, Ying Ming pulled something out of his pocket and slipped it over Shi Yi’s head.

“What the fuck? What is this?”

His vision went dark. The sudden loss of sight threw him off. And then, just as the words left his mouth, something was shoved between his lips.

Ying Ming’s familiar scent surrounded him. He must have moved behind Shi Yi to fasten a clasp, and after a barely audible click, Shi Yi realized he couldn’t make any clear sound at all, just muffled, guttural groans.

Ying Ming!

He tried to call out in discomfort, but all that came out was a wordless whimper.

Ying Ming seemed very pleased with the result. He admired the sight before him. Shi Yi’s shirt wide open, his sight and voice taken away, every reaction now completely exposed and raw. His hand traced the ridges of Shi Yi’s abs, then slid down toward his belt. He gave a cold chuckle. “Picked these up on the way back. Pretty good deal for a roadside impulse buy.”

As soon as he undid the belt, Shi Yi tried to raise a hand to stop him. Ying Ming scowled, grabbed the discarded necktie from earlier, and used it to bind Shi Yi’s wrists.

Young Master Shi had never been handled like this before. He was starting to get seriously pissed. If this was Ying Ming’s idea of fun, it was going way too far. The position was awkward as hell, and Ying Ming hadn’t held back at all when tying him up. Just a small shift of his wrists sent a sharp ache up his arms.

Worse was the gag. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe right. It made him feel suffocated.

“Those reporters today asked me what I thought about your cozy little photos with the models…”

Like hell!

Shi Yi was furious. The models were the ones who came up to him. He didn’t even touch them.

“So I thought, what’s there to feel? I’ll just come home, tie you up, and fuck you until you can’t lift a finger. Problem solved.” Ying Ming’s tone was light, like he was talking about the weather. “So I grabbed some props and came home to serve you properly.”

Shi Yi tried to pull the blindfold off, but as soon as he lifted his arm, Ying Ming slammed it back down. “Unless you want your coworkers to notice something’s off tomorrow, I suggest you stay very still.”

Fuck you!

Shi Yi struggled blindly, thrashing against the cushions as he tried to get his bearings. Unable to see or speak, he could only grope at empty air, each movement more erratic than the last. Shi Yi nearly crashed into the coffee table, and Ying Ming had to yank him back mid-fall.

Shi Yi landed on top of him.

Their ragged breathing tangled together, heavy with heat and friction. Shi Yi tried to push himself up, but ended up jabbing his elbow into Ying Ming’s hair. Ying Ming’s expression darkened. He gripped Shi Yi’s cock with ruthless force, squeezing until the man lost all strength and slumped down on top of him, panting heavily against his chest.

“I told you,” Ying Ming growled, his voice low and lethal, “I’m not going to let you off easy.”

That breakup Shi Yi had suggested, all those years ago, was a thorn Ying Ming had never pulled out. No matter how far they’d come since, that moment still festered deep in his chest. He might have kept walking forward, but he was never going to let that go.

“…There’ll be more of those headlines,” he said quietly.

The violence from earlier shifted into a steady, calculated stroke. Ying Ming leaned over him, bracing himself with one arm, watching as Shi Yi arched his head back in discomfort, sprawled helplessly on the floor. His hand kept moving. “You should’ve known the moment you provoked me,” he said, voice low and threatening, “that this wouldn’t be a one-time thing. In fact, it’s only going to get worse.”

He pressed his fingers down against the swollen tip of Shi Yi’s cock. A strangled groan escaped the man’s throat. Ying Ming move his hand away, looking satisfied.

“Shi Yi,” he said slowly, leaning closer, hand closing around the most vulnerable part of the man beneath him. “On the way back just now, I was thinking… just about everything I told you not to do, you’ve gone ahead and done anyway.”

His tongue began circling along Shi Yi’s lower abdomen, tracing over every twitch of muscle. The reaction made Ying Ming curl his lips slightly, though the words that followed came through gritted teeth. “So is it that my warnings mean nothing to you, or did you just never give a fuck about what I said?”

As his tone darkened, the pressure from his hand suddenly increased. Shi Yi’s body jerked in reflex.. But all that did was shift his position in a way that made Ying Ming’s access even easier.

He shifted lower, reaching around to Shi Yi’s backside. The moment he felt the man’s body tighten under his touch, he let out a cold grunt. “Keep resisting, and it’s only going to hurt more.”

He grabbed a nearby cup and poured half of it directly down between Shi Yi’s thighs. The shock of cold water made Shi Yi grunt in protest, but before he could react further, Ying Ming had already forced his fingers inside, prying him open.

The dominance, the control, made Shi Yi’s body resisted by instinct, but Ying Ming gave him no room to fight back. The gag trapped every sound in his throat, leaving him only muffled gasps and helpless shudders. Ying Ming ignored it completely. He pushed his finger deeper and twisted it, watching the sudden jolt ripple through Shi Yi’s body.

Pinning Shi Yi down and using him however he wanted sent a rush through Ying Ming’s veins that no words could describe. His eyes darkened. As Shi Yi’s resistance gradually broke down, Ying Ming shoved in another finger, then another. When he felt Shi Yi had loosened just enough, he thrust in hard, all at once, burying himself completely.

Shi Yi groaned against the gag, his whole body tensing. Tied and half-stripped, soaked in sweat and water, he slumped forward onto the couch. Ying Ming grabbed his hips, keeping them locked in place, and began to thrust hard and deep, each impact knocking what little breath Shi Yi had left out of him.

His body, far too familiar with Ying Ming’s rhythm, was already responding before his mind could catch up.

Even though his mind was clear enough to know he wasn’t used to this, Shi Yi’s body still responded instinctively to the rush of arousal. With his sight taken away, every touch on his skin felt painfully amplified. He could tell exactly where Ying Ming’s hands were, how hot it was between them, even where the sweat rolled down his temple and tickled his cheek. Nothing escaped him.

But the clearer it became, the worse it felt.

That smothering tension, a mix of anger and helplessness, built in his chest like a heavy weight, suffocating and inescapable. He bit down hard on the gag, forcing himself to hold back the moans that were threatening to escape.

Maybe Ying Ming sensed the protest, because he reached down, turned Shi Yi’s face toward him, and pulled off the blindfold. Before Shi Yi’s dazed gaze could even find its focus, Ying Ming kissed him hard. “Uncomfortable, isn’t it?” His voice was rough. “When you told me we should break up, I was a hell of a lot angrier than this.”

Their eyes met. At first, Shi Yi’s gaze was dazed and unfocused, but as it cleared, he found Ying Ming staring straight at him.

Shi Yi wanted to speak, but the gag was still in his mouth. All he could do was furrow his brows. Ying Ming didn’t ease up in the slightest. Every movement between them carried an overwhelming sense of domination. Shi Yi arched back under the pressure, unable to endure the pace. A fine layer of sweat clung to his throat, catching the light along the curve of his Adam’s apple. It was a raw, natural kind of allure, and Ying Ming couldn’t tear his eyes away.

It felt like fate. This entrapment, this impossible bind they kept returning to. They couldn’t break free. They couldn’t walk away. He had come up with a thousand reasons to convince himself to let go, but in the end, even his gaze refused to obey.

How could a man who had loved women for over twenty years suddenly fall this hard, this violently, for another man?

Ying Ming had no answer. He did not care to find one either. He only knew that there would probably never be another person who could push him this far, so far that he could no longer turn back or walk away. All he could do was cling to Shi Yi and stumble forward with him. Even the thought of parting felt unbearable.

In the echoing space of the warehouse, the sounds of their breath tangled in the heat, naked and unabashed. Just before climax, Ying Ming abruptly pulled out, then grabbed Shi Yi by the waist. Their eyes met through the haze of lust. He reached down between his own legs, preparing himself roughly and without delay. Once he saw clarity begin to return to Shi Yi’s gaze, he steadied himself and slowly lowered his body onto him.

Shi Yi looked stunned, but the groan that slipped from his throat betrayed just how fast pleasure had overtaken him. He stared at Ying Ming, then shut his eyes halfway, dazed by the sensations.

Their bodies were pressed tightly together. Ying Ming’s cock was rubbing against Shi Yi’s abdomen. The heat between them was thick and unrelenting, and the only thing that bothered Shi Yi was the fact that he couldn’t move his arms to hold him.

Drawn by the noise, Smoke Ring lingered nearby and wouldn’t leave. In a space that vast, the sight of the two of them pressed together, naked and writhing, felt strangely out of place. Shi Yi lifted his torso. His bound hands moved, reaching for Ying Ming’s phallus in a muddled attempt to give something back.

Sweat rolled down from Ying Ming’s chest and neck, soaking into the layer already clinging to Shi Yi’s skin. Their stifled moans bounced through the air in a rhythm that blurred tension and release. It was senseless, but they didn’t care. Every sound that left their mouths seemed to carry something deeper, something they couldn’t name but both understood.

At the very end, just as they both came, Ying Ming reached up and undid the gag.

Their final breaths spilled out together, tangled and unsteady. It was impossible to tell which voice belonged to whom. All that remained was the look in each other’s eyes, raw with exhaustion and the weight of what had just passed.

Some say that when two people truly fall in love, they begin to feel like one. Inseparable. Bound.

But Shi Yi didn’t feel like they had become one. This wasn’t connection. It was consumption. Ying Ming was pulling him in, bit by bit, until there was nowhere left to run. It made him uneasy, and he tried to resist. But in the end, his body still gave in.

He collapsed into the couch, limp, his voice hoarse and thick with the weight of everything between them.

“Ying Ming… I’m sorry.”

Ying Ming leaned in and kissed him, then pressed their foreheads together. They stayed like that for a long time, until both of them started laughing quietly.

Some relationships, no matter how painful or full of struggle, refuse to let go. Even when the days are bitter, even when regret howls from deep inside, all it takes is seeing that person again to find the strength to keep going.

That was what Shi Yi was to Ying Ming.

And that was what Ying Ming was to Shi Yi.

They hurt and healed each other, and no matter what happened, the place beside them never changed.

The next morning, it was once again the thunderous sound of a phone ringing.

This time, what drove Shi Yi up the wall was that the sound was coming from right above his head. It was like thunder pounding in a constant loop.

He tried to reach for it, only to realize his wrists were still tied. Cursing under his breath, he pushed himself up and struggled to reach for Ying Ming’s clothes.

Before he could completely lose his mind, someone got there first and pulled the phone out.

Ying Ming ran a hand through his messy hair and snapped, “Say what you want and say it fast.”

When it came to waking up grumpy, Shi Yi was nowhere near his level.

The person on the other end seemed stunned for a moment before asking, hesitantly, “Ying Ming, did you see the news…?” It was Si Ji.

Still annoyed, Ying Ming turned and switched on the TV. It happened to be on the entertainment channel, and his name was being read out loud.

Only this time, it was no longer about breakups or heartbreak. A media outlet had published an editorial accusing him of arrogance and uncooperative behavior, saying he refused to answer questions.

Shi Yi gave the screen a foggy glance. “What the hell is it this time…”

At an event like yesterday’s, even an idiot would know to walk away. And Ying Ming had actually stayed until the end.

Ying Ming said nothing as he listened to the accusations being read out on the screen. Once the report was finished, he looked over at Shi Yi. “If you haven’t been accused of throwing your weight around in this business, you don’t even count as an actor.”

It was always the same handful of stories, repeated in different ways.

Shi Yi couldn’t help laughing. “So what are you going to do about it?”

“If they say I’m arrogant, then I’ll give them arrogant.” Ying Ming shrugged, tossed aside the remote, and flopped back onto the couch. “And don’t forget to make breakfast.”

“Why is it always me?”

“You were the one on top last night.”

Even if Ying Ming had technically still been the one above, the reality of the situation was undeniable. Shi Yi was, naturally, the one who should be taking care of breakfast.

He frowned instinctively. “Don’t tell me you did all that just to get out of cooking?”

The more he thought about it, the more it felt exactly like something Ying Ming would do.

And Ying Ming, with his eyes already closed, gave an effortless reply.

“You tell me.”