章 14: Chapter 14
When Xu Ye woke up, he felt like he'd been to the brink of death.
"Awake?" "How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?" Xu Ting and Zhou Jia were both there, each asking questions from either side.
It took Xu Ye a moment to realize he was in a hospital. Clear fluid was flowing into his body through an IV in his hand, which felt cold and numb. He tried to speak, but only a hoarse sound came out, his throat raw and sore—likely a side effect of the stomach pumping. At least he was alive. He managed a weak smile and croaked, "What time is it?"
"It's just after three," Zhou Jia replied, brushing his hair from his forehead. "You scared me half to death."
It was already past three in the morning, which meant he had been unconscious for quite a while. His head felt heavy, his limbs weak. He tried to piece together what had happened, but large gaps in his memory made it difficult. Turning slightly to face Xu Ting, he whispered, "Dad."
"I know you have questions. Rest first; we'll talk when you're feeling better." Xu Ting pulled the blanket up for him. Xu Ye, utterly exhausted, closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.
When he woke again, daylight was filtering in, softened by the white curtains. A gentle breeze brought in fresh air, diluting the antiseptic smell of the hospital.
Xu Ye's mind momentarily went blank when he saw who was sitting beside him.
Third Young Master Chu was idly scrolling through his phone. When he noticed Xu Ye was awake, his gaze paused, and he smirked. "Well, look who's up."
The memories of the previous night rushed back to Xu Ye, and he tensed, glancing at the emergency button on the wall.
"Relax, I'm not here to do anything to you." Chu Xuan raised the head of the hospital bed, propping Xu Ye up into a sitting position. He then poured a glass of water and held it to Xu Ye's mouth, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke softly, "Come on, open up."
The way Chu Xuan treated him like a child sent a chill down Xu Ye's spine. He stared at him, unmoving.
They remained at an impasse for a moment until Xu Ye reached out and took the glass himself.
"Ah, so you'll only listen to him?" Chu Xuan muttered to himself, releasing the glass and letting Xu Ye hold it.
Xu Ye had no idea what he meant, but he knew that if Chu Xuan wanted him to drink something—even if it were poison—he wouldn't have a choice. Besides, his mouth was parched, so he drained the glass.
"Want another?"
"No, thank you." Xu Ye set the glass aside.
Chu Xuan watched him with a gleam in his eye. "No need to be shy. I've got all day to wait on you."
Xu Ye's heart skipped a beat, unsure of what Chu Xuan meant, and his mind raced.
Chu Xuan seemed to catch on to Xu Ye's confusion, his tone turning casual. "It's not about me bothering you—it's about you bothering me. Today, you can treat me like your servant, order me around as you please." With that, he picked up a bright red apple from the cabinet, skillfully peeled it, and handed it to Xu Ye. "Eat up."
Under the mounting pressure, Xu Ye looked at him, unsure. "What game is Third Young Master playing now?"
Chu Xuan wiped his hands with a napkin, an innocent look on his face. "I'm sincerely here to apologize."
Taking someone to the hospital and then showing up to apologize—what kind of logic was this? Xu Ye chuckled dryly. "There's no need for an apology. I wouldn't dare accept it. Just please, go easy on me regarding last night…"
"Oh, you certainly don't deserve it." Chu Xuan's faint smile held a touch of mockery. "Don't get me wrong—I'm not apologizing to you." He watched Xu Ye's surprise with satisfaction, his smile growing wider. "I just happened to mess up someone's toy. I need to show my sincerest apologies, maybe put in some effort to fix it, don't you think?" His words carried a hint of teasing, dissolving into the air.
Xu Ye clenched his cold fingers, staring straight at him. "I don't understand what you mean."
"You don't need to." Chu Xuan leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "All you need to do is lie there and recover. That way, I can complete my assignment, Mr. Toy."
The blunt words made Xu Ye feel humiliated, but their meaning was all too clear. Gritting his teeth, he finally asked, "Who exactly do you need to answer to?"
At that moment, the door opened.
Chu Xuan turned around, immediately rising to his feet. "Second Brother."
A man in a light gray suit with a black collar, wearing a white shirt beneath, stood in the doorway. The suit pants fit perfectly over his long legs, giving an air of sophistication. Xu Ye's gaze drifted to his face and couldn't look away.
The eyes, the shape of the lips, the angle of the jawline, the earring on his right ear—all so familiar. For the first time, the man who had always concealed himself behind a mask stood before him in full.
Clear eyes, elegant features.
Xu Ye's heart seemed to stop, and he forgot to breathe, staring blankly as the man approached the bed, reaching out to touch his face. Xu Ye turned his head slightly, avoiding his hand.
The man glanced at Chu Xuan and said, "Get out."
"Oh." Surprisingly, the often difficult Chu Xuan didn't say another word, silently retreating and closing the door behind him.
"Feeling better?" The calm voice belonged to Chu Yu, carrying a unique warmth.
Xu Ye sat still, not responding.
"Chu Xuan can be excessive at times. I've had a word with him. If you're still upset, feel free to use him as a servant for the next couple of days."
"You are the second young master of the Chu family." Xu Ye's face, which had already been pale, turned even whiter, looking quite fragile.
"I am Chu Yu."
"You didn't want to take off the mask because you didn't want me to know your identity?"
"Now you know." Chu Yu looked at him, asking, "What's different?"
Xu Ye's eyes flickered with a mix of emotions, as if countless voices were clamoring in his head, making it impossible for him to find peace. After a long silence, he finally steeled himself and uttered, "Can we end our relationship?"
Chu Yu stared at him with dark eyes like ink, asking, "Why?"
"I don't want to continue anymore. You said that if I asked, you would let me go." Despite his effort to remain calm, his voice still trembled slightly.
If the man behind the mask were just an ordinary man, Xu Ye might have been willing to maintain their master-servant relationship. But now, this person was Chu Yu—the influential second young master of the Chu family—who instilled fear and anxiety in him. They were not two equals who could interact as such; as long as Chu Yu wanted, he could use his power to turn Xu Ye into a true slave, at any time and in any place. The very existence of that possibility was a heavy pressure that Xu Ye could not bear.
Chu Xuan had said he was just a toy. Perhaps Chu Yu had many such toys, and he was merely the most ordinary one among them. Xu Ye couldn't guess Chu Yu's thoughts or predict the future; everything was beyond his imagination. He wanted to gain physical relaxation and pleasure through their relationship, but he didn't want to get involved with the local tyrants of K City.
So he needed to escape. To flee from the shadow of the Chu family. To run away from this man. The farther, the better.
The man fell silent, his gaze becoming distant.
Nervousness made Xu Ye's hands tremble slightly as they clutched the bedsheet. Just as he felt the weight of the pressure closing in on him, he heard that voice, rich and warm like a cello.
"As you wish."
Xu Ye insisted on being discharged in the afternoon. He didn't want to stay in a hospital owned by Jinying for even a moment longer.
Xu Ting shared some details of the situation with him. Chu Yu had taken him to the hospital. By the time Xu Ting and the others arrived, Xu Ye had already been sent for stomach pumping, which had been done in time, preventing more serious consequences. As for why Chu Yu suddenly appeared, that remained a mystery. In the hospital, he had forced his younger brother to apologize and had given Xu Ting a water lily as a gift. Who would dare refuse a gift from the Chu family? Xu Ting had no choice but to accept it and hang it at home.
This incident had indeed escalated, and Xu Ting granted him a week off work. Zhou Jia subtly suggested he consider seeing a psychologist. Xu Ye, feeling overwhelmed, returned to his apartment to sleep the days away.
At first, he worried that Chu Yu might cause trouble due to his rejection. After three dull days at home, he realized everything was calm. On the evening of the fourth day, he received a call from Liu Jing, inviting him to a bar. Feeling bored and his body nearly recovered, he gladly accepted.
The bar Liu Jing liked was called "Morning and Evening," known for its array of attractive money boys (MBs). When Xu Ye arrived, Liu Jing was joking with one of them. Upon seeing Xu Ye, he playfully patted the MB's backside and said, "Go sit over there; I need to chat with Xu Shao."
Xu Ye took a seat, and a handsome MB leaned over to pour him a drink, but Liu Jing stopped him. "Don't let him drink; get him a glass of milk instead."
Xu Ye frowned. "Are you mocking me?"
"Haha!" Liu Jing laughed heartily. "Your heroic deeds have spread throughout the circle. You bravely fought against Chu San, refusing to back down."
"Who the hell spread that around?" Xu Ye said in exasperation. "If that gets to Chu Xuan's ears, I might as well be dead!"
"Relax; I'm just joking." Liu Jing patted his shoulder. "But I am genuinely curious how he let you off so easily. Normally, anyone who crosses him ends up getting thoroughly punished. You, on the other hand, just had your stomach pumped and walked out without any repercussions."
"Who can guess the thoughts of those types?" Xu Ye replied, though his mind drifted back to that person.
It was undoubtedly Chu Yu who had smoothed things over. He had been quite nice to Xu Ye.
An MB appeared out of nowhere with a glass of milk, which Liu Jing pushed in front of Xu Ye, asking, "Last time you mentioned finding a good dom, how's that going?"
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