Chapitre 16: Chapter 16
Xu Ye felt he needed some fresh air. The sky was pitch black, devoid of stars or the moon. The night wind blew against him, bringing a chill that tousled his hair and helped him gradually calm down, allowing him to see his true feelings more clearly.
He understood perfectly well the source of his irritation upon witnessing the intimate interaction between Chu Yu and the Sparrow. He allowed himself a bitter smile in the stillness of the night.
He was actually jealous of the man getting close to Chu Yu, like a woman sulking over a romantic interest. How ridiculous.
According to others, being accepted by the Count should be considered a stroke of luck; but now it seemed more like a misfortune. It was akin to tasting the most exquisite dish among a banquet of flavors. Once you've savored the best, everything else feels inferior, leaving you to constantly reminisce about that delightful taste.
For Xu Ye, Chu Yu was that exquisite dish. He knew it would be difficult to find a better dom than him, but the arrow had already been released. If he continued to cling to such feelings, he would end up in a vicious cycle.
He needed to move forward.
"Hey." A familiar voice came from behind him. Xu Ye turned to see Marvin approaching with a drink in hand, dressed in a brown leather jacket. He raised a hand, gesturing for his slave to step back, and the slave obediently retreated a few steps, kneeling quietly.
"Hello, Mr. Marvin," Xu Ye greeted first.
"Such a formal greeting," the man chuckled, leaning on the railing beside him. "Are you here enjoying the view by yourself?"
"Just getting some fresh air."
"Yeah, it can get quite stuffy inside." Marvin glanced at him sideways and casually brought up a topic. "Looks like he's starting to take an interest in the Sparrow."
Xu Ye pressed his lips together. He knew who Marvin meant by "he." Despite his reluctance to discuss this subject, he forced a smile and replied, "That's great."
"One of the traits of being a good dom is the ability to read emotions. By interpreting a sub's expressions, a dom can discern their feelings—whether they desire something or reject it, whether they are pleased or in pain, whether they are honest or lying." Marvin tapped rhythmically on the railing with his fingers, smiling at him. "Your expression—clearly shows you're lying."
Being exposed in front of someone felt uncomfortable. However, Xu Ye was too apathetic to argue and remained silent.
"Xu Ye, I'm quite curious about you," Marvin said, deciding to cut straight to the point.
"That certainly surprises me," Xu Ye responded, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm.
Marvin didn't mind and continued, "I have to admit my initial intention in bringing you over was to toy with you. His standards are high and picky, and you, a prickly newbie sub, could never meet his criteria. I was looking forward to seeing you fail, but he took you upstairs instead and even took off his mask when he came down. It surprised all of us." He paused. "What's even more shocking is that he put his mask back on today. At first, I thought maybe you had done something out of line, provoking his anger and causing him to discard you."
"Actually, you're pretty spot on; that's exactly what happened," Xu Ye replied flatly.
"Put away your little cleverness, kid. Let me tell you what happens to a sub discarded by the Count." Marvin looked at him with deep brown eyes. "His cast-off is not something anyone would dare to pick up, so a sub publicly abandoned by him won't find a single dom willing to accept them in this circle. There was once a sub who betrayed him by seeking another dom for a fling. The outcome for those two was so horrific that you'd only need to ask around to know. That's the price of betraying him."
Xu Ye's heart sank as he stiffened and raised his eyes.
"Now that's the expression I like to see," Marvin smirked, continuing, "You need to understand this is not something to joke about. So your separation wasn't due to your betrayal; otherwise, he would never have suppressed your relationship and demanded we keep it confidential."
"Confidential?" Xu Ye blinked in surprise, repeating the word.
Marvin chuckled. "Otherwise, do you think with the attention he gets, no one would know he took a sub?"
Xu Ye's mind was in a whirl as he glanced back at the brightly lit hall. There sat Chu Yu, with the Sparrow kneeling by his side, gazing up at him as they spoke. The mask still covered Chu Yu's face.
"From what I know of him, he wouldn't easily commit to or end a relationship," Marvin said, now also leaning against the railing and facing the hall. "Moreover, he's very patient and resourceful with his subs, so it's unlikely he would have let you go. And yet, you two parted ways so quickly. This suggests…" He chuckled softly. "It seems you're the one who gave him up."
Xu Ye's breath caught for a moment, but his expression remained impassive, and he responded calmly, "That's quite the imaginative guess. As people say, being favored by the Count is a privilege. How could I dare to squander such fortune?"
Marvin's guess was too accurate, which sent a chill through Xu Ye's heart. For someone abandoned by Chu Yu, life was already miserable enough. If others found out that he was the one who had ended things, it would be a hundred times worse.
"Relax." Marvin stood with his arms crossed. "I have no intention of broadcasting it. Besides, your former dom is that magnanimous; I hardly have any standing to interfere. I'm just curious as to why he's been so lenient with you. I reckon you must be the only sub who's ever ditched him. And here you are, safe and sound, which is quite unbelievable."
Xu Ye looked down, laughing silently. The light from the hall reflected in his dark eyes beneath his long lashes, making them even brighter, like polished obsidian. His slightly arched brows and the raised corners of his mouth softened his features, giving him an almost elusive allure. He looked like a white deer in the night forest, inspiring an urge to chase.
Marvin was momentarily stunned by the smile.
He hadn't expected that the man in front of him, with his relatively ordinary appearance, would have such an enchanting smile. The lion's gaze was firmly held by those brilliant eyes, and it took considerable effort to look away. He saw the man's lips moving and heard him utter a tempting invitation, word by word.
"If you're curious, why not try being my dom?"
His words were pure seduction.
Possession, conquest, control—these are the primal desires that drive every dom to make others submit beneath them. As a top dom, Marvin had his own standards and criteria for selecting subs. Teasing Xu Ye at first was simply a whim, a fleeting desire to toy with him, without any serious intent. In truth, Marvin had encountered many handsome men, and his subs all had attractive faces, but none seemed quite as unique as the person before him.
He was a man who didn't stand out much, yet his smile stirred a desire deep within. Marvin thought of those myths where sirens lurk in the sea, singing to lure sailors into treacherous waters, ensnaring their hearts and ears, leading them step by step to their doom.
Chu Yu's judgment, it seemed, was spot on.
Marvin straightened up, stepping closer as he narrowed his eyes. "You're seducing me."
"Yes." Xu Ye still wore that smile, licking his lips. "As a single sub, of course I'd want a skilled dom. I want you."
"Running away from the Count, only to fall into my arms?" Marvin's voice lowered. "You're playing with fire."
Xu Ye tilted his head slightly, meeting his gaze with a near-challenging look. "So, do you dare to take me on?"
"Don't try to goad me; it won't work." The lion's eyes held a smoldering fire, flickering in and out. He hooked Xu Ye's chin, holding his gaze for a moment before smiling. "You've been pretending to be obedient, but now you're showing your claws. I never realized before that you're actually quite a dangerous little animal." He released his hold, took a few steps back toward the room, then turned and said, "Didn't you say you wanted to be my sub? Come with me."
Xu Ye's intentions were straightforward. He wanted to find a capable dom to establish a stable relationship and ease his needs. Although Marvin already had a sub and couldn't fulfill the one-on-one condition, he was overall a very suitable candidate, so Xu Ye was willing to compromise. However, given his past with Chu Yu, Marvin was undoubtedly aware of their former relationship and certainly wouldn't easily accept him.
Since Marvin wouldn't take the initiative, Xu Ye decided to make the first move. He urgently needed a new dom, someone to replace every trace of Chu Yu's presence—his scent, his warmth, his touch.
This was the first time Xu Ye had attempted to seduce a man, a move he hoped would erase everything about Chu Yu. Although he pretended to be composed, he was far from confident. But as he followed Marvin to the sunken circular seating area, he couldn't help but feel that this whole plan was absurd.
Appearing in the VIP area twice in one night was bound to draw attention, and sure enough, numerous eyes turned their way, making Xu Ye feel a prickling discomfort. The surprise on the faces of the people sitting on the sofas was evident, yet no one spoke.
Marvin sat down, stretching his lean body back comfortably against the sofa. With a smirk, he said, "I always interview subs before I accept them, so you'd better do your best to satisfy me. Let's start with a self-introduction."
Xu Ye kept his head down, his gaze fixed on the floor. He was avoiding something—specifically, the masked gaze he could feel resting upon him. He could sense Chu Yu's quiet observation from the side, a gaze that subconsciously tensed his entire body. He took a moment to compose himself, curling his cold fingers as he finally spoke. "My name is Xu Ye." Those four words, though simple, seemed to take all his strength to say. His breathing felt off-kilter.
"This nervousness won't do," Marvin chuckled. "Since you're like this, let's go with a Q&A. Honesty is a sub's fundamental trait, and you know I can tell if you're lying. So, Xu Ye, answer my questions truthfully."
"Yes, sir." He forced himself to calm down, trying not to focus on anyone else.
"Have you had a dom before?" Marvin's first question hit him squarely, and Xu Ye instinctively glanced toward the man seated nearby.
Through the black feathered mask, Chu Yu's eyes were as deep and cold as the night, watching him from where he sat with his arms folded, the Sparrow kneeling by his side.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone