Chapter 5

Chapter 5

?: “Your birthday.”

Jiang Mo stared at the message for a full three seconds. It was a password he would never have guessed in a million years. He twisted the small combination dial: 5—2—0.

His birthday: May 20th.

As he turned the 0 into place, he heard a soft click. The lock that had been holding him finally released. Jiang Mo had barely removed the device when…

He found himself amidst the pain and overwhelming pleasure…

As if a rain had passed through him.

Overwhelmed by an unprecedented experience, Jiang Mo’s vision whited out. Unable to stand steadily, he slid down against the partition door, his body trembling subtly. His quivering eyelashes looked as if they might shatter at any moment.

An uncontrollable moan escaped from between his lips.

It was the kind of sound that made ears burn.

His pale face gradually flushed with a captivating redness, making him look much more lively and adding a teasing allure.

Jiang Mo was dizzy from the intense pleasure.

Chen Zui saved the photo. He didn’t push his luck by asking Jiang Mo to include his face in the picture—he knew the other wouldn’t agree anytime soon. Besides, the device had probably reached its limit; holding it in any longer would cause damage.

For his future possession, he magnanimously showed some mercy.

Chen Zui picked up the cherry stem from the cake and brought the cream-topped cherry to his mouth. His deft tongue licked off the cream, and behind his glasses, his dark eyes gleamed with delight.

The café was doing good business, with about 70% of the seats occupied. Many customers stole glances at Chen Zui by the window—the man was truly eye-catching.

Who would have thought he was such a deviant?

—

Evening.

Chen Zui took up Xiao Hang’s invitation to the "Dusk Nest" bar. Their companies intended to collaborate, so they had been meeting up more often lately.

In the original story, this subplot involved the protagonist being a minor character. The purpose was for Xiao Hang to run into Chen Xiu, who worked there, and see how hard his life was.

The original character only had one line in the book: "The man sitting next to Xiao Hang was Chen Zui, the CEO of Shengsheng Company."

Now, Chen Zui was sitting beside Xiao Hang, holding a dry martini. Besides the two of them, there were also some friends from the industry. The place was more like a laid-back bar, with a singer strumming a guitar, creating an intoxicating atmosphere like a gentle evening breeze carried by the scent of alcohol.

Chen Zui’s hand rested on his leg, his long fingers tapping out a rhythm.

Many people within sight wore masks, which was one of the bar’s features. Guests could choose a disposable mask at the entrance. Numerous people dancing on the dance floor also wore masks—everyone was anonymous, going on pure impulse.

Chen Zui wore a red fox mask, its pale tip suggesting the fox’s slyness. He gently swirled his glass.

“You’ve never drunk alcohol?” he asked Ao Tian.

“No,” Ao Tian replied, a note of regret in his tone. “But once I upgrade to the highest level, I can choose to become human and experience life in some minor world.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” it added.

Chen Zui took a sip. “Experiencing life, huh…”

Life could be quite boring, but it also had its interesting moments. If for nothing else, it was worth it for the countless delicacies, fine drinks, and beautiful scenery in the world.

“For you, I’ll work hard.”

Chen Zui threw out a comforting line, which earned him a naive reply from Ao Tian: “You’re so nice. I can tack on another 10 points to your score. That puts you at number 7 on my list of best hosts.”

“I’ll work even harder to become your number one.”

Chen Zui placed his glass down and watched as Chen Xiu approached with drinks. The uniform here was quite particular: a black fitted vest over a white shirt with an openwork design at the waist, looking both innocent and seductive. Paired with black shorts that ended above the knees, the wide legs that looked almost like a miniskirt, his pale, slender thighs were exposed when he crouched, drawing attention under the bar’s mesmerizing lighting.

Everyone at the table glanced over.

The slight young man crouched beside the table, placing drinks one by one. He kept his head down, giving off an air of shyness, exposing his delicate, innocent neck—a fragility that seemed made to be held.

Chen Zui glanced at Xiao Hang, who wore a wolf mask, and sure enough, he was sizing up Chen Xiu.

The staff here didn’t wear masks, showing off their delicate faces like goods up for sale.

Ao Tian: “Aren’t you disappointed that Chen Xiu isn’t the conquest target?”

Chen Zui: “Why?”

Chen Xiu stood up and retreated with his head still lowered. The moment he left, the table was filled with crude remarks.

“His thighs are so pale.”

“His face is pretty too.”

“I wonder what he’d cost.”

“He looks inexperienced—probably cheap, haha—”

Xiao Hang stared at Chen Xiu, who hadn’t gone far, certain he had heard these remarks. For some reason, he felt a spike of irritation: “Enough. He’s just working here. Stop teasing.”

Once he spoke, the others obliged, though one named Liu Yi had a lecherous gleam in his eyes. He turned his gaze to Chen Xiu’s backside and licked his lips with a greasy smirk.

Ao Tian: “Because Chen Xiu is very pretty.”

Chen Zui recalled a certain pale face: “Jiang Mo isn’t bad-looking either.”

Compared to someone pretty and cute like Chen Xiu, he was indeed more interested in someone like Jiang Mo—handsome, tall, and a little off.

Ao Tian: “Speaking of Jiang Mo, he’s right…”

Chen Zui: “At the table to the left of the entrance.”

Ao Tian: “How did you know?”

Chen Zui leisurely took a sip of his drink, his dark eyes shifting toward the person at the table left of the entrance. While everyone else wore animal masks covering either the upper or lower half of their faces, this person had a jet-black mask covering his entire face, with only three holes for eyes and nose.

Who else could it be but Jiang Mo.

Liu Yi stood up: “I’m going to the restroom.”

He left quickly, as if eager to dash to someone’s side. Not even two minutes later, Xiao Hang also said he was going to the restroom and hurried off.

Chen Zui leisurely thought: There’s a show worth watching.

He kept his eyes on Jiang Mo.

Jiang Mo looked toward the bathroom, a sudden bad premonition made him rise to his feet. To get to the bathroom from where he was, he had to cross the dance floor. As he stepped onto the dance floor, the music suddenly turned pumped up.

Someone shouted, "Tonight's expenses are on Mr. Chen! Let's get wild!"

People excitedly surged onto the dance floor. Jiang Mo was jostled and swayed, two attractive women dancing close in front of him, blocking his path. Soon, the crowd pressed in so tightly that he could barely move a step. Jiang Mo struggled to push aside those in his way with his arms.

The lights flickered, his vision alternating between darkness and brightness. When his sight returned after a moment of darkness, he saw a man's hand with prominent knuckles next to his arm.

Before he could get a clear look, darkness fell again.

In the darkness, he felt a warm breath brush past his ear from behind. As the white light returned, the man's hand suddenly turned toward his wrist. Jiang Mo jerked in surprise, and when everything went dark again, his hand was grabbed.

The other's strength was immense, as if it could crush his bones, forcefully controlling his arm and restricting his freedom. A firm body pressed up against him from behind.

The memory of that night at the door came rushing back. Jiang Mo's neck recalled the pain from that evening, goosebumps prickling across his skin.

The strobe lights flashed erratically. With each burst of light, Jiang Mo struggled and resisted, but the people around him only thought he was dancing. No one came to his rescue.

In the repeatedly returning glimpses of light, the other's hand coiled around his like a cold, slimy venomous snake, forcibly prying his fingers apart and roughly interlacing their fingers, gripping his hand tightly.

He couldn't break free. It was like a skipping film reel, overwhelming Jiang Mo's senses.

Amid the deafening music, he heard the words: "I'm watching you."

It sounded light, but felt heavy.

When darkness fell again, the hand holding his let go like a cold tide pulling back.

Soaked with sweat, Jiang Mo staggered and nearly collapsed to the floor.

As the song ended, the lights gradually returned to normal. The crowd, having partied wildly for a while, slowly left the dance floor to rest.

Soon, only a few people remained on the dance floor. The tall Jiang Mo stood out. Steadying himself on his feet, he quickly scanned the area, his expression dazed and angry, with a trace of fear he couldn’t hide.

This person was bolder and more twisted than him.

Jiang Mo scanned every person. Dammit, almost everyone was wearing a mask. At the time, his attention had been entirely on that hand—he had forgotten to look back.

He only had experience making advances on others; he had little experience being harassed himself.

Jiang Mo straightened up and raised his hand to wipe off his cold sweat, only to touch his mask. Then he looked at his right hand, recalling what had just happened. The other's hand had been dry and warm, yet it gave him a damp, slimy feeling.

He strode off toward the bathroom. He needed to wash his hands immediately.

Chen Zui held a cigarette to his lips. Before the smoke reached him, the orange scent on his hand hit him first. He smirked and took a leisurely drag.

Unexpectedly soft.

It would probably feel great to jerk off with it.

When Jiang Mo reached the corridor leading to the bathroom, he heard a heated argument and remembered what he had originally intended to do. He turned to look and saw three people, including Chen Xiu, who was hiding behind a man wearing a wolf mask.

The next moment, Xiao Hang took off the wolf mask.

Chen Xiu's tear-filled almond eyes widened in shock. "Xiao... President Xiao?"

Jiang Mo was burning with hatred. He slammed his fist against the wall in fury. Xiao Hang, again!

Xiao Hang stood in front of Chen Xiu. Hearing Chen Xiu's voice, he glanced back at him and gently ruffled Chen Xiu's hair.

"With me here, don't be afraid."

Chen Xiu's heart raced wildly.

At that moment, Jiang Mo had only one thing on his mind: Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!

Xiao Hang said, "President Liu, do me this favor and don't make things difficult for him."

Though somewhat reluctant, Liu Yi had no choice but to concede since Xiao Hang had put it that way. "Fine, I'll give you face, President Xiao. You'll have your hands full tonight."

He gave a suggestive smirk and walked back.

As he passed Jiang Mo, Jiang Mo glared at him fiercely. These beasts who only thought about sex—he wanted to kill them all. He had been standing there too long and attracted Xiao Hang's attention. Chen Xiu also peeked out from behind Xiao Hang to look at him.

Jiang Mo immediately lowered his head and ducked into the bathroom.

Pretty pathetic.

Jiang Mo's phone vibrated in his pocket.

? sent a photo.

The photo showed a pale, bony man's hand, with thin skin stretched over the bones and prominent veins highlighting its strength.

It was the same hand that had been locked with his earlier.