Chapter 210

Chapter 210

Zhou Gu initially scoffed at Tian Ruan's words. Having followed Qi Feng since he was fifteen or sixteen, he was already well-versed in such matters. While he wouldn’t claim any extraordinary techniques, after so many years, he and Qi Feng knew each other’s bodies inside out—there was simply no passion left.

When Qi Feng was worked up, Zhou Gu was the only one who could take what he dished out.

"You? Seriously?" Zhou Gu was about the same height as Tian Ruan, with a lean and slightly flat build, dressed in thin clothing, his delicate features carrying a teasing charm when he raised an eyebrow.

Tian Ruan bragged, "That’s right. My moves in bed are unbeatable."

Zhou Gu didn’t believe him and chuckled, "You’ve only been married to Yu Jingmo for a little over a year, haven’t you?"

"These things aren’t measured by time—they’re measured by talent." Tian Ruan leaned in close to Zhou Gu’s ear, mindful of eavesdroppers, and murmured, "Let me teach you the first technique: look slim clothed, but show muscle undressed."

"?"

"Your clothes aren’t fitted enough. Take off your jacket and switch to tighter pants to accentuate your curves."

"..."

Zhou Gu wasn’t particularly eager to learn. He wasn’t some sex worker.

Tian Ruan seemed to read his thoughts and quickly fanned the flames, "Do you really want to watch Qi Feng linger over others? To see someone else moaning under him—doesn’t that make you jealous?"

Zhou Gu replied nonchalantly, "I’ve gotten used to it by now."

Tian Ruan pressed, "Don’t you want him to desire only you from now on? To only have eyes for you in the sheets?"

"..."

Tian Ruan had the makings of a master scammer, speaking with con-artist zeal, "Lock down his lust, and sooner or later, his entire being will belong to you. He’ll only get hard for you."

Zhou Gu sized him up for a long moment before finally saying, "Fine, I’ll bite this once, but I won’t bow to you as a master."

Tian Ruan waved it off magnanimously, "Passing on wisdom is a teacher’s duty. I seek no reward—only mutual benefit."

Zhou Gu understood Tian Ruan’s motives perfectly. It was a win-win situation. If he could indeed keep Qi Feng occupied, everyone would be happy. If not, Tian Ruan wouldn’t escape tonight.

Who could bear to watch the person they love with someone else? Zhou Gu wasn’t a saint—he was no exception.

He would feel jealousy, heartache, madness. And yet, he had to pretend it didn’t matter.

"Do you know the most sensual part of a person’s body?" Tian Ruan scrutinized Zhou Gu with an air of authority. Though not particularly tall, Zhou Gu had a slender waist, long legs, and an ass that won’t quit.

"Chest? Hips?" Zhou Gu offered the obvious guesses.

Tian Ruan shook his head, revealing a slender wrist, pale skin tracing blue veins, the bones subtly pronounced.

Zhou Gu’s eyes stuck there, hooked, as if drawn by an inexplicable magnetism.

"The wrists and ankles," Tian Ruan declared.

He wasn’t speaking without basis. Every time Yu Jingmo held his hand, he would trace his thumb along the inside of Tian Ruan’s wrist, pressing against the warm pulse, sometimes even bringing it to his lips to inhale deeply.

Or, on mornings after intimacy, when Yu Jingmo helped him put on socks, his hands would linger over Tian Ruan’s ankles, cradling them like treasured porcelain, occasionally dropping kisses on them.

As a cultured guy, Zhou Gu picked up on the erotic subtext immediately. "The wrists and ankles connect to the limbs. Controlling these points is like holding their reins. That is indeed sensual."

Tian Ruan nodded, "So, you must show them off."

Zhou Gu followed the instructions, rolling up his sleeves and pant cuffs. "Like this?"

"And the socks." Tian Ruan muttered a few more words until the door was suddenly banged loudly.

It was Qi Feng's impatient voice: "You two hooking up in there? You could’ve taken three shits by now."

Zhou Gu went to open the door. "Boss, Tian Ruan’s backed up."

Tian Ruan: "..."

Qi Feng gave Tian Ruan a disgusted look. "Clean yourself up."

Tian Ruan suppressed his anger, trying to ignore Zhou Gu’s "biting the hand that feeds him." "I was kidnapped, so I’m a bit nervous. That’s why I’m constipated."

"Done yet?"

"Not yet, still at it." To save face, Tian Ruan could only sacrifice his pride.

Qi Feng’s expression grew even more disdainful. Who’d have thought this neat-looking kid would suffer from constipation—not exactly sexy. His gaze shifted to Zhou Gu, and suddenly, he noticed something different about the man who had followed him for years.

He couldn’t put his finger on what was different, but his body betrayed him. Grinning, he slung an arm around Zhou Gu. "Come on, let’s go eat."

Zhou Gu chuckled.

Tian Ruan moved to tag along.

Qi Feng paused, and two black-suited bodyguards blocked Tian Ruan. Qi Feng glanced back. "Finish up first, then you eat."

Tian Ruan: "..."

Was this some kind of joke? No food until he finished shitting??

Whether from anger or something else, Tian Ruan’s stomach suddenly ached. He bolted for the bathroom in humiliation and shut the door.

Three minutes later, he stumbled out, drained. Having skipped dinner and emptied everything from breakfast and lunch, he had nothing left in the tank.

Tian Ruan opened the door and said to the two hulking bodyguards, "I’m hungry. I want to eat."

One of the bodyguards handed him a cup of instant noodles and a thermos of hot water.

Tian Ruan was stunned. "What’s Qi Feng eating? And I just get instant noodles?"

"Take it or leave it," the bodyguard said. "Usually, hostages like you are starved for three days, beaten for three more, and then they’ll spill anything."

Knowing Qi Feng’s twisted streak, that was entirely plausible. Tian Ruan wisely took the noodles and wolfed down a few mouthfuls.

As he ate, he suddenly remembered his phone.

Tian Ruan fished it out sneakily. Normally, in such situations, phones would be confiscated—but his was still there. Which meant one thing: Qi Feng wasn’t afraid of him calling for help.

During the book club meeting, his phone had been on silent. Now, as he turned off the mute setting, a barrage of notifications chimed in rapid succession.

Some were from classmates, some from Yu Ti, and others from Lu Qiuyan and Yu Shang.

Tian Ruan immediately opened Yu Jingmo’s chat.

Yu Jingmo: "Already located your position. Hold tight for two more hours."

Yu Jingmo: "If things go south, your safety comes first—no exceptions."

Yu Jingmo: Don’t worry, no matter how bad things get, I love you.

Tian Ruan froze.

In an instant, a flood of mixed emotions—sweetness, sourness, bitterness, heat, and saltiness—surged through his heart, threatening to bring tears to his eyes. He sniffled, his nose stinging as he held back tears, and caught the aroma of instant noodles wafting through the air.

Amid the rich scent of food, there seemed to linger a faint, elusive trace of warm, woodsy scent.

Instant noodles couldn’t possibly carry such a scent—it was just Tian Ruan’s imagination.

He swallowed back his tears and pecked awkwardly at the QWERTY keyboard with both thumbs.

Tian Ruan: Mr. Yu, I’m fine. I’m eating instant noodles.

Tian Ruan: Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.

Tian Ruan: I love you too /rose

Almost the moment he sent the messages, Yu Jingmo replied: They only gave you instant noodles?

Tian Ruan: Yeah. Haven’t had them in a while—they’re actually pretty good.

Yu Jingmo: Wait for me. No more than two hours, and I’ll be by your side.

Tian Ruan: Mm.

With just those few short sentences, Tian Ruan’s heart settled. As long as he could hold out for two more hours, he’d be safely back with Yu Jingmo.

Suddenly, the bodyguard in black opened the door and frowned. "Who said you could use your phone?"

Tian Ruan sat at the dust-covered table, steam from the noodles curling around him. "Qi Feng did. He didn’t confiscate it, so what’s it to you?"

The bodyguard sputtered for a second. "Try calling the cops, and you’re dead."

"So even you guys are scared of the police, huh?" Tian Ruan slurped a mouthful of noodles, his empty stomach finally satisfied. "I won’t call them. If you’re staying here, it means the cops won’t be coming anytime soon, right?"

The bodyguard sneered. "Clever boy."

Though this was just a temporary stop, the surrounding area was a desolate area with just a handful of farmhouses. Even the nearest town police station was an hour’s drive away.

Tian Ruan: "So whether I use my phone or not makes no difference. If I can’t even have noodles and scroll through videos, I’d rather jump out the window."

"Enough talk. Hurry up and finish," the bodyguard snapped impatiently. "After you eat, get cleaned up and head to Mr. Qi’s room."

"……" Tian Ruan ignored him, his mind racing. If nothing went wrong, Zhou Gu should be able to keep Qi Feng occupied tonight.

Though it was the same old story, just repackaged—the thrill was long gone—as long as the packaging was enticing enough, Qi Feng wouldn’t pass up an easy catch.

While eating his noodles, Tian Ruan quickly pulled up his chat with Lu Qiuyan and, without hesitation, tapped the video call button.

The call connected almost instantly. Lu Qiuyan, who seemed to have just showered, lay on his bed with damp hair, looking completely bored out of his mind. "What’s up? You didn’t reply to my messages—where are you?"

Tian Ruan’s background was a dilapidated wall, its dusty wallpaper peeling, torn and sagging in places, now a haven for spiderwebs. A corner of an old New Year’s poster flapped limply in the breeze, and the rotting lattice window creaked with every gust of wind.

Straight out of a horror movie, it’d be the perfect haunted house setting.

Tian Ruan’s face was smaller than the noodle cup as he slurped up the curly noodles, his phone propped against the wall. He answered casually, "Got myself kidnapped again. Eating instant noodles."

Lu Qiuyan: "..."

Tian Ruan: "Tomorrow is Monday, I might be late. Could you clean the classroom for me first? I'll return the favor next time."

Lu Qiuyan was incredulous: "This isn’t some kind of joke, is it?"

Tian Ruan sighed: "I wish. Why do these unlucky things always happen to me?"

Somehow, Lu Qiuyan found himself weirdly impressed by Tian Ruan. Getting kidnapped was such a long shot, yet Tian Ruan had managed to experience it twice. "Shit, why didn’t Yu Shang say anything?"

Tian Ruan thought for a moment. "He probably didn’t know either."

"You’re his stepdad. How could he not know you were kidnapped?"

"Mr. Yu knows—that’s all that matters. Even if Yu Shang knew, it wouldn’t help. It’s not like he could just flex and make Qi Feng and Zhou Gu drop to their knees begging for forgiveness."

"Qi Feng kidnapped you?" Lu Qiuyan’s expression turned serious. "Stop eating. What if they drugged the noodles?"

Tian Ruan froze. "No way? I opened and made this instant noodles myself."

Better not risk it. Tian Ruan sadly gave up on the half-eaten noodles.

Lu Qiuyan: "If you’re hungry, chew on some air."

Tian Ruan: "...Thanks, I’ve already eaten plenty of air."

They talked for another ten minutes or so when suddenly, loud noises came from outside. Tian Ruan peeked through the door but was blocked by the bodyguard in black. Still, through the gap, he saw Zhou Gu being dragged by Qi Feng, like he’d tripped on the stairs, his brows tightly furrowed.

Qi Feng picked him up and hauled him straight to the last room—the one next to where Tian Ruan was being held.

Tian Ruan quickly closed the door gap to avoid being spotted by the beast.

And Qi Feng seemed to have forgotten about Tian Ruan entirely. After carrying Zhou Gu into the room, he kicked the door shut with a bang and went at it rough.

The movements were so intense that Zhou Gu’s muffled moans kept slipping out.

Tian Ruan’s eyes widened.

The bodyguard, like this was just another day, clicked his tongue a few times and dutifully stood guard outside Tian Ruan’s door, smirking. "Feeling left out? Wanna take a turn with Mr. Qi?"

Tian Ruan said darkly, "Nah, I’d rather watch you two take turns with him."

"..." As if imagining the scene, the two bodyguards shuddered in unison and snapped, "We don’t swing that way!"

Tian Ruan deliberately taunted them: "No wonder they stuck you babysitting me. If you liked men, you’d be all over me at the sight of my beauty and get shot by Qi Feng."

With that, he slammed the door shut, not that locking it did anything.

Tian Ruan pressed his phone against the wall, his face flushed with excitement. "Did you hear that, Lu Qiuyan? They’re going wild."

Lu Qiuyan: "...You have the leisure to listen to other people’s bedroom activities?"

"Nothing better to do. Might as well listen." Tian Ruan said optimistically. Now that he had Lu Qiuyan to talk to, nothing too outrageous would happen. "Besides, I trained Zhou Gu."

"?? What do you mean?"

Tian Ruan was too embarrassed to say but couldn’t contain his pride. "I just taught him a little about sex tricks, and he’s already putting it to use so quickly."

"Sex tricks?" Lu Qiuyan had never heard the term before and looked it up. "...Damn."

Tian Ruan snickered. "When you and Yu Shang ever need pointers, I’ll hook you up too."

"Piss off." Lu Qiuyan was so angry he wanted to hang up the video call, but afraid something might happen to Tian Ruan, he had no choice but to drop the subject and keep chatting.

Meanwhile, Tian Ruan's mind had already wandered off, estimating from Zhou Gu's moans which stage of the "art of seduction" they were on—

The first stage: dressed modestly but packing a toned body underneath—essentially a teasing allure, using one's most attractive features to captivate the desired person.

The second stage was the real highlight: the peek-a-boo game.

For example, if one was usually shy and reserved, at this stage, they should take a step forward, then retreat slightly, creating a teasing back-and-forth.

Once hooked, the third stage was equally crucial. If one was typically timid and restrained, now was the time to fully open up—preferably with fiery passion and wild abandon. The louder the moans, the stronger the man's desire to conquer.

Trial and error taught him... these were all lessons Tian Ruan had learned firsthand.

From the fourth stage onward, it was mostly about trying out new moves—splits, handstands, 69, anything untried before.

Tian Ruan had once told Zhou Gu, "Once a man is aroused, he becomes an instinct-driven animal. Just give him a little bait, and he'll bite down hard and fast. But if you stop struggling, he’ll lose interest."

Of course, this was also a hard lesson.

The more Tian Ruan struggled, the rougher Yu Jingmo got.

So he learned to behave—once Yu Jingmo was satisfied, he’d naturally let him go.

Conversely, as long as Zhou Gu stopped being so "well-behaved," Qi Feng would stay intrigued.

"Hehehe." Tian Ruan listened to the sounds from next door and was about to play an English song to set the mood when he suddenly realized his phone battery was down to 10%. "Oh no, oh no, my charger..."

Without a charger or power bank, and failing to borrow one from the bodyguards, Tian Ruan had no choice but to end the call and send a message: *Lu Qiuyan, promise you'll wait for me to come back.*

Lu Qiuyan: *?*

Tian Ruan: *If you say it, I’ll definitely make it back.*

Lu Qiuyan: *I’ll wait for you to come back.*

Tian Ruan: *Never mind, that feels like tempting fate. Say you’ll always be my sweet in-law.*

Lu Qiuyan: *Get lost.*

Tian Ruan: *You said 'get lost,' which means you won’t actually leave me *(teary-eyed)*

Lu Qiuyan: *...*

The sounds from next door went on for an hour, and Tian Ruan's phone eventually died. With the last bit of battery, he sent Yu Jingmo one final message: *Mr. Yu, my phone’s out of power. Qi Feng and Zhou Gu are getting it on—if you come now, you’ll definitely catch them butt-naked! Hurry!*

Yu Jingmo: *...Pass.*

Tian Ruan didn’t see this reply before his phone shut down.

Yu Jingmo: *Wait. I’ll be looking at *your* ass instead.*

Growl—Tian Ruan’s stomach growled again, and he started missing Yu Jingmo’s "big donkey whip"... *Ugh*—no, I meant his food.

Spring had arrived, and just yesterday, Liu Ma had mentioned picking wild greens to make spring pancakes for him.

Tian Ruan had been puzzled: *"Are we so poor we have to forage for wild greens now?"*

Liu Ma: *"The mountains are full of wild vegetables—if we don’t pick them, others will. You should see how many local women come down with baskets full every day."*

Tian Ruan had never actually seen that scene before. Although the entire mountain belonged to Yu Jingmo, he didn’t restrict people from coming and going, as long as they weren’t causing trouble in the estate area.

Besides, the Purple Cloud Temple was on the mountain, and it definitely needed visitors to donate offerings.

Tian Ruan recalled a long time ago when he had also foraged for wild greens. Back then, he was so poor and had little money, so he dug up wild greens to cook and eat. Once, he got food poisoning and threw up and had diarrhea for three days… After that, he never dared to dig them again.

If Tian Ruan hadn’t been captured, he would probably be eating spring rolls tonight.

Tian Ruan stared dejectedly at the pitch-black phone screen. Without a clock, he couldn’t calculate how much longer he had to wait for rescue.

At most, it wouldn’t exceed an hour.

Tian Ruan pulled himself together, treating this as a survival training class with the theme of "How to Save Yourself After Being Kidnapped."

Funny enough, they had actually taken such a course before.

The instructor had had Yu Shang tied up and demonstrated how to untie the ropes and escape.

Yu Shang was extremely familiar with all kinds of knots and had some hand-to-hand combat skills. The whole process was swift and impressive, earning him a round of applause. At the time, Tian Ruan thought that’s not realistic.

First of all, kidnappers wouldn’t just have ropes—they’d have other weapons too.

If the weapon was a gun, the best strategy was to make the enemy lower their guard. Otherwise, guns don’t discriminate, and a young life could be over just like that.

While he muttered to himself, the instructor added, "If the power gap is too large, just give up struggling and wait for your family to pay the ransom."

Sure enough, every time Tian Ruan got kidnapped, he could only wait to be rescued. The most he could do was minimize the harm done to him by the kidnappers.

If he lost both money and got beaten up, that would be a lose-lose situation.

Tian Ruan knew his limits well. He closed his eyes to listen—silence.

"That fast?" Tian Ruan shook his head. "Mr. Yu always takes several hours. Qi Feng is really lacking—just one hour and he’s already burned out."

As soon as he finished speaking, the iron door swung open with a harsh, metallic clang.

Tian Ruan jumped in fright and frowned as he looked over, only to see Qi Feng standing there, his clothes loose and disheveled.

Qi Feng’s eyes were filled with lust, his lips curled into a smirk. His thin upper lip and fuller lower lip parted as he hissed coldly: "Your diversion tactic was quite clever."

Tian Ruan’s hair stood on end. He took a cautious step back. "Brother, what are you talking about? I don’t understand."

"Using Zhou Gu to stall me so I wouldn’t do anything to you." Qi Feng strode in leisurely, his leather shoes creaking against the worn wooden floorboards. "You’re smart, but you overplayed your hand."

Tian Ruan tightened his grip on his phone and pasted on a flattering smile. "Isn’t Zhou Gu good? He likes you so much."

"Of course he’s good," Qi Feng said. "But what you did only excites me more."

"..." Classic villain behavior, their thoughts were far more twisted than an ordinary person’s.

Qi Feng closed in step by step. "What Zhou Gu did—was that what you did under Yu Jingmo? It was excellent. I liked it. So, you can do it again."

Tian Ruan: "Heh, if I refuse, will you take it as me playing coy?"

Qi Feng backed him against the window. An icy wind rushed in, tousling his hair and obscuring the young man’s face. "Exactly. No matter how much you struggle, in my eyes, you’re just a toy for me to play with."

Who cared about the thoughts of a pawn?

With nowhere left to retreat, Tian Ruan slipped his phone into his pocket and said coolly, "I’ve never been anyone’s pawn before, so I don’t know how a pawn should be manipulated. If you only see me as a pawn, then you’re dead wrong."

"Oh?"

"Better treat me like a golden goose. With me, you'll have billions flowing in—provided you keep the treasure well taken care of." Tian Ruan raised his eyes to look at him.

Qi Feng lowered his gaze, noticing the young man's trembling fingers, and scoffed. "You speak so grandly, but deep down, you're terrified of what I might do to you."

Tian Ruan: "I'm not scared, I'm disgusted—ugh—" He turned his head aside and actually gagged a few times.

Qi Feng: "..."

Qi Feng suddenly grabbed him by the throat. "Don't make me hurt you."

Tian Ruan lifted his handcuffed hands, gripping Qi Feng's wrist. His eyes blazed unnaturally bright under the dim light and the gloomy night. "Qi Feng, do you dare keep holding onto me?"

"Why wouldn't I—" Before he could finish, the young man in front of him suddenly threw his back through the remaining window pane, shattering it, and yanked Qi Feng's arm as he leaned outward.

Qi Feng immediately braced against the window frame and yanked Tian Ruan hard back.

Tian Ruan raised his knee and nailed him right in the balls.

"..." Qi Feng's face turned a mix of green and purple before he abruptly let go.

With nothing to hold onto, Tian Ruan plummeted from the third-floor window, managing one last kick at Qi Feng on his way down.

Qi Feng's expression was terrifying, but the next second, a red dot locked onto him. The familiar sense of danger made him react like a bristling wolf—he instantly dropped and rolled, narrowly avoiding the gunshot.

Then came a barrage of gunfire, as if the roof were about to be blown off.

The night suddenly exploded into violence.

Fireworks burst before Tian Ruan's eyes—real fireworks, masking the sound of gunfire.

He landed in a warm, broad embrace, his nose filled with a clean, woodsy fragrance. This time, it wasn’t a hallucination. His eyes welled up, and he rasped, "Mr. Yu."

Yu Jingmo swiftly pulled him into the bulletproof car, and the driver hit the gas as they sped away. Bullets struck the glass and body of the vehicle, while fireworks painted the entire night sky.

Yu Jingmo fiercely kissed Tian Ruan.