Chapter 69: Weakness
The vast space was filled with a decadent, lingering atmosphere.
Wen Yan’s throat was hoarse. He had been forced to say things he never imagined would ever come out of his mouth in this lifetime.
He didn’t know how many times he had fainted or how many times he had woken up. His eyes were so swollen from crying that he couldn’t open them. Maliciously, Pei Zhouye had tied a black cloth over his eyes.
Extreme terror, indistinguishable sensations.
When Wen Yan opened his eyes again, his breathing was labored. The handcuffs on his wrists had been removed.
Using every ounce of his strength, he slapped that face.
Pei Zhouye’s head jerked to the side from the blow. He paused for a moment, then let out a low laugh.
“You still have this much energy.”
Wen Yan couldn’t speak. He bit his lip hard, staring at Pei Zhouye.
He was beautiful even when he was angry. Pei Zhouye’s gaze slid obsessively from Wen Yan’s eyes to the bridge of his nose, then his chin, and finally down to his pale, slender, and fragile neck.
His impulses were stirring.
Pei Zhouye took Wen Yan’s hand and guided it to wrap around his own throat.
Wen Yan felt the Adam’s apple beneath his palm bob violently.
Those cold, dark eyes stared down at him, his voice sounding like a judgment:
“Wen Yan, don’t be afraid. I won’t let you leave.”
Wen Yan struggled and pulled his hand away.
The flow of time seemed non-existent in this space. Wen Yan couldn’t tell what day it was, or even what time.
Pei Zhouye was addicted; he was also sick.
Wen Yan trembled and wanted to shrink back whenever he saw Pei Zhouye, but his body no longer dared to move.
The handcuffs were placed back on Wen Yan’s right wrist.
One side cuffed Wen Yan’s right hand, while the other cuffed Pei Zhouye’s left.
Pei Zhouye fed him with natural intimacy, but Wen Yan kept his lips pressed tightly together in resistance.
“Be good.”
Pei Zhouye’s tone was relaxed, his posture and voice like that of a lover in the heat of a relationship.
“Wen Yan, you know I have many ways to make you eat.”
Wen Yan’s eyes were dry. He couldn’t cry anymore; any urge to cry made his eyes throb with pain.
Would he use their agreement to threaten him? Or his school? Or perhaps his parents?
Pei Zhouye could use any of those things to trap him, or any other method.
Wen Yan stabilized his emotions. “I’ll eat by myself!”
He reached for the spoon with his left hand, but the other man didn’t budge.
He looked up and was met once again by those eyes filled with a gentle smile.
Resistance was futile.
After a long silence, Wen Yan resigned himself and opened his mouth.
A long, thin chain was fastened around his ankle, restricting him to this single floor.
All communication with the outside world was cut off once again. The internal phones could only call other parts of the villa. The butler delivered items outside the door at scheduled times.
There were many conspicuous surveillance cameras in the room—blatant threats.
Safety measures had been taken everywhere. Protective bars were installed on the windows, and every sharp corner had been padded.
Only when Pei Zhouye returned would he unlock the chain and take him to other parts of the villa. Every few days, he would give him his phone to let him call his family.
Wen Yan looked at the well-padded corners of the table and gave a bitter smile.
Pei Zhouye was being redundant. He clearly knew that Wen Yan wouldn’t do anything to harm himself.
He had a father, a mother, friends, good teachers, and a bright academic future.
The happiness he was once proud of had now turned into the very shackles that kept him trapped in this villa.
He had a weakness; he couldn’t bring himself to do something as extreme as Pei Zhouye.
When Pei Zhouye came home and opened the door, he saw Wen Yan lost in thought.
The moment Wen Yan saw him, he instinctively shrank back. As if remembering something, he froze in place, looking at him stiffly.
Pei Zhouye pursed his lips.
He had nearly injured Wen Yan’s body in the first few days. Wen Yan was afraid of him, so now he wouldn’t actually do anything to him.
He had already kept the man locked up for half a month.
Wen Yan’s way of resisting him was to never proactively say a single word.
Pei Zhouye walked over naturally and patted his thigh. “Come here.”
Wen Yan sat still, his reluctance written all over his face. His cheeks puffed out slightly as he ignored him.
The silent treatment.
Pei Zhouye frowned in frustration but also felt helpless. “Come here, and I’ll let you go out.”
Wen Yan turned his head, his eyes lighting up for a moment as if he were hesitating.
Eventually, he walked over to him step by step and sat on his lap.
“Really?” Wen Yan was very close to him. That cold fragrance drifted over again, and his voice was very soft and slightly raspy.
He wondered if this was a deliberate act of seduction just to get out of the house.
Pei Zhouye’s Adam’s apple rolled a few times. Somewhat irritably, he pulled Wen Yan a bit closer. “Finals are coming up. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”
Wen Yan’s expression turned strange.
He said through gritted teeth, “I’m going!”
He had no idea how Pei Zhouye had managed to keep him home and skip classes without anyone finding out.
If Pei Zhouye had found a proxy to take his exams or applied for a deferred exam, he would never forgive him.
During breakfast:
Pei Zhouye placed a box on the table and opened it.
Inside was a black bracelet. It was a somewhat heavy style, looking like a piece of high-tech jewelry, very eye-catching. A green light flickered on the inner side of the bracelet.
“Put it on.” Pei Zhouye didn’t hide its function. “It has a tracker and a recording function. I can know where you are at any time. Don’t get too close to anyone else.”
Wen Yan didn’t move.
Pei Zhouye added, “You can also choose not to wear it, and you won’t be stepping out of this door today.”
Before he could finish, Wen Yan took the bracelet and tried to slide it onto his wrist.
The width wasn’t enough. Just as he was about to use force, Pei Zhouye reached out and pressed the fingerprint sensor on the side.
Another click.
Wen Yan shuddered slightly.
Pei Zhouye dropped him off at the school gate and drove away.
His phone had been returned to him. Wen Yan gripped it, wondering how many monitoring programs had been installed.
Many contacts had been deleted from the phone.
When Wen Yan arrived at the classroom, it was still early. More people gradually trickled in.
Li Si’s eyes were filled with surprise when he saw him. Wen Yan looked much more exhausted, but he quickly looked away.
Duan Mingtao and Wu Qingqing saw him and sat down beside him.
They didn’t ask a single thing.
After class ended and the other students had left, only the three of them remained.
Wu Qingqing asked warmly, “Yan-ge, did something happen to you during this time? You can tell us; we’ll do our best to help.”
Duan Mingtao nodded in agreement.
Wen Yan’s mind was still on the image of Li Si hurriedly leaving after class. He didn’t answer Wu Qingqing’s question.
“How is that investment from Chen Yuchen going?”
Wu Qingqing bit her lip, not having the heart to say it.
Duan Mingtao: “The investment was blocked. It was a huge blow to Li Si. He’s been ignoring everyone lately. Pei Zhouye wanted to invest, but after discussing it, we felt it wasn’t right and didn’t dare to accept.”
Several times, Wen Yan was on the verge of speaking but stopped. He kept his eyes downcast, hiding the moisture within them.
Gratitude.
But even more so, self-blame.
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