Chapter 13 Punishing Him After He Falls Asleep

Chapter 13: Punishment After He Falls Asleep

There was some noise on the other end of the line, as if walking on a crushed gravel path.

When Li Wangyue arrived on the island, he had noticed the ring of lookout points by the sea were paved with gravel. He wondered what Ji Zhijia was doing there at this hour and was about to tell him to head back to his room early and not hang around outside, when Ji Zhijia spoke up first.

"Is Qin You still bothering you?"

He'd been keeping quiet these past few days without hearing that name, so Li Wangyue was genuinely caught off guard.

"...Why ask that? Did he reach out to you?"

"Not really. He texted me this afternoon, asking if I was going to the medical association meeting at the end of the month."

Ji Zhijia and Qin You were kind of in the same field. A while back, when Li Wangyue was dating him, they'd often hang out together, so they were pretty familiar.

Back then, Li Wangyue honestly thought Qin You wanted to get to know his friends and include him in his circle. Now that he thinks about it, it was probably just to have leverage over him later.

Now, every time he brings up Ji Zhijia, it always comes back to Li Wangyue. Qin You always kept it together around people he knew; only Li Wangyue knew his true nature.

Li Wangyue sighed. Whether it was the booze or Qin You getting on his nerves, his head was pounding.

"Sorry to drag you into this. Just don't engage with him."

"Wangyue, can I ask you something? No offense," Ji Zhijia said hesitantly.

"Go ahead."

"He... doesn't have any dirt on you, does he?" Ji Zhijia was being really careful with his words, and a little worried about him too. "This whole thing can't keep going like this. Are you really just gonna take it from him?"

Li Wangyue knew what he meant. "No."

Even though he'd been with Qin You for a few months, they hadn't done anything, let alone leave any evidence. Back then, Li Wangyue might have been blinded by Qin You's passion, but he hadn't completely lost it. He was always careful about things, and in the end, it turned out he was right.

He just didn't want to deal with Qin You. The more he responded, the worse Qin You got, like a kid who didn't get his candy.

And what was he supposed to do about it?

He hung up. Li Wangyue got up and rested his arms on the railing. He could hear the waves, but he couldn't see them.

When he was a kid, his dad would lose it, get drunk and dangle him over the iron railing by the river, grinning and asking if he wanted to play "jump in the river." Li Wangyue had screamed, fought back, and begged, but it never made a difference.

Back then, it was the same in his ears—the wind howling and the water roaring.

He closed his eyes, pressed his hands on the railing, leaned forward a little, and lifted his toes off the ground.

He started to sway.

A sudden ringtone broke the silence.

Li Wangyue opened his eyes, stepped back onto solid ground, turned around, and went back into the room, closing the balcony door behind him.

An unfamiliar number flashed on the screen.

Li Wangyue hesitated for a moment, then picked up the phone.

Qin You?

He'd had enough trouble for today.

Not now.

Li Wangyue tossed the empty bottle into the trash, rolled up his sleeves, and answered the call, his breath catching in his throat as he prepared to speak. But a different voice came from the other end.

"Li Wangyue."

He pulled the phone away to double-check the number.

It was Ting Zhenxi.

"...What's up?" Li Wangyue was caught off guard.

There was a dead silence on the other end before the voice continued, "Where are you?"

"In my room. Are you looking for me?" Li Wangyue thought about going out, but felt it might seem too eager, so he stopped at the door.

"You left something in the hall," Ting Zhenxi said.

"What is it? I'll come get it now." Li Wangyue patted his pockets, unsure what he had left behind.

"Tomorrow." Ting Zhenxi hung up after saying that.

Li Wangyue stared at the empty dial tone, feeling a bit lost.

He was really tired today. Too tired to overthink things. Just the fact that he had gotten to exchange a few words with Ting Zhenxi before bed felt like a small blessing.

He could sleep well tonight.

Li Wangyue pulled the floor-to-ceiling curtains shut. As he turned around, he caught a glimpse of his phone lighting up. He walked over quickly, and a photo appeared on the screen.

The person in the photo was him.

Eyes closed, seemingly fast asleep. White bedding, hotel curtains, messy hair. And clearly visible beside him was another man's shoulder and Adam's apple. His white robe was slightly open, revealing his chest. It looked like...

Li Wangyue's pupils dilated, and all warmth drained from his palms.

He knew when this photo was taken. It was from a trip, but not just the two of them—several classmates had come along, and they had booked twin beds.

He had no idea when or how this photo was taken. Qin You had probably pulled open his robe and staged the shot while he was asleep.

He was certain nothing had happened between him and Qin You. This kind of forced ambiguity was disgusting.

Then a message appeared lightly on the screen.

"Baby, I was wrong the other day. Can we talk nicely?"

Followed by another.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? What gives you the right to ignore my messages? Fucking bitch."

All the messages that had been blocked by the signal jammer came flooding in at once.

"I'm really sorry. Please, just talk to me, okay? I miss you so much..."

"Do I have to send your mom the video of us fucking for you to get it? I'll fucking..."

"Baby, I won't do this again. Give me one more chance. Do I have to get on my knees for you..."

"What are you so high and mighty about? You're just a bastard too..."

Li Wangyue scrolled past those disgusting messages. For two full hours, from the time he got back to the banquet hall until just now, Qin You had sent no fewer than thirty messages—unhinged and all over the place, like a completely different person than before.

He was definitely a scoundrel, and dealing with a scoundrel, putting up with it wasn't dignified or useful.

Taking a deep breath, Li Wangyue replied briefly.

"Go ahead and try."

If Qin You wanted to play the fool, Li Wangyue wasn't gonna just sit there and take it.

Li Wangyue took screenshots of all of Qin You's harassing and abusive messages, along with evidence of Qin You stalking and bothering him, organized everything, and bundled it up.

He knew Qin You's research institute was super strict with reviews, and the research assistant position was especially hard to get. Since Qin You had no shame, Li Wangyue wasn't gonna hold back either.

Li Wangyue's arms were cold, but his heart was weirdly calm.

After finishing everything, Li Wangyue lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, spaced out.

He pulled out his phone, scrolled to a photo he had once taken of Ting Zhenxi, and treasured every detail like it was gold.

His hands slowly warmed up, and the shaking from his nerves stopped.

Li Wangyue always felt that Ting Zhenxi was like his medicine, able to calm the loss of control from his adrenaline spike.

His fingers swiped across the phone, landing on the newest photo, one taken by Meng Chi today.

Li Wangyue thought the person in the photo looked a bit unfamiliar, but upon closer inspection, it was indeed himself.

Meng Chi said he looked good like this.

Li Wangyue agreed. He stared at himself for a while, recalling the lingering glance Ting Zhenxi had given him, and even the tip of his heart brimmed with joy.

Meng Chi was grinning broadly in the photo, as straightforward and cheerful as ever. Li Wangyue was infected by it and couldn't help but curl his lips.

Drowsiness crept in. He put away his phone, wrapped himself in the blanket, and slowly sank into sleep.

On the island night, everything was silent, with only the faint sound of waves and perhaps a foghorn from a cruise ship, blurring the line between dream and reality.

Li Wangyue dreamed.

He dreamed he was back in the Ting family villa, in that cold room, with Ting Zhenxi next door.

He heard the sound of a door lock opening.

Click. Click-clack. Twice.

Footsteps approached from afar, unhurried and steady, as always, stopping by his bedside.

He wanted to open his eyes and see clearly, but his eyelids felt as heavy as lead.

The inability to see made him uneasy, and he began to struggle, as if trapped in a nightmare.

A hand fell, gently stroking his forehead and cheek.

"What are you crying about."

A calm, cold voice fell.

Fingertips brushed over his tear ducts, wiping away the tears that had spilled.

Li Wangyue caught the scent he craved, turned his head to chase it, and rubbed lightly against his palm.

Looking at the unconscious person, the man narrowed his long eyes, his gaze playful.

"Brother is so forward."

The words seemed both sincere and mocking, his voice low and pleased.

Li Wangyue struggled only twice before continuing to sleep in his palm.

"Are you this forward with everyone, or just with me?"

Ting Zhenxi raised an eyebrow slightly, stroking his face, then his neck, before gripping his jaw and squeezing hard.

The sleeping person frowned, as if in pain.

Only then did Ting Zhenxi smile with satisfaction, admiring his furrowed brows.

The look of pain was so beautiful, it made one want to crush him, to see tears glistening in his eyes, to see his heartbreak and panic.

"I'm very unhappy today."

Ting Zhenxi released his grip, rubbing the reddened chin he had pinched, as if recounting a story. "I know everything about you. Isn't that good? Why do you have to ask."

Li Wangyue knew nothing of this.

The man's gaze was sharp and direct, hard to read, falling on his face.

It was indeed different from watching through a screen.

He liked seeing him up close like this.

His breath, his heartbeat, within reach, no longer the dull, boring surveillance footage.

"But now, I can give you an answer." Ting Zhenxi's fingertips lightly traced his nose, lingering lovingly over his face. "Because I'm watching you, so I know your whereabouts. Is that answer satisfactory, brother?"

The sleeping person didn't stir.

"If you don't speak, I'll take it as agreement." Ting Zhenxi's gaze was lazy. "Looks like you enjoy being watched by me too."

"After all, you like everything about me."

The man stopped talking, and the room fell into silence.

Ting Zhenxi got up, locked the balcony door, then sat back by the bed, taking Li Wangyue's hand and interlacing their fingers.

"I've already told you all my secrets. Now, it's your turn to confess."

Ting Zhenxi picked up Li Wangyue's phone, skillfully entered the password to unlock it, opened the photo album, and tapped on the first photo, holding the phone up to him.

"Who is this?"

Ting Zhenxi's thumb rubbed against Li Wangyue's hand and wrist, as if trying to wake him.

He chuckled softly. "You take pictures of others too."

"How greedy."

"Greedy people deserve to be punished."

"Brother, can I punish you?"

"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes."

Ting Zhenxi waited quietly for a beat, then bent down and kissed the back of his hand.

"You agreed."

The man leaned in, kissing him on the lips, pressing harder, sharp teeth sinking into the thin lips, fierce and rough as he pushed deeper.

The warm, humid air instantly turned sticky. Ting Zhenxi tasted the metallic tang of blood, his eyes gleaming as he kissed deeper.

His tongue drove straight in, chasing relentlessly. The suffocating lack of oxygen stirred the sleeping man, who furrowed his brows and fluttered his eyelashes. The man didn't ease up; instead, he grew bolder, clamping his jaw with his fingers to force him to open wider and take him deeper.

The sting of the bitten kiss made Li Wangyue instinctively turn his head away, only to be punished with a light bite.

"Hmm..."

A displeased groan slipped out of his throat, finally making the relentless pursuer ease up slightly.

His breath was ragged, his heart racing, but his gaze grew excited.

"Brother, do you like it when I kiss you?"

Ting Zhenxi stared at his bitten lip, where a bead of crimson blood seeped from the split. His eyes darkened, and he lowered his head to take that lip blood into his mouth, then gently kissed and licked the wound as if to soothe it.

"Don't provoke me like this next time."

Ting Zhenxi picked up the phone and deleted the photo.