The Leather Shackles and the Desperate Plea

Shi Ji was dazed by the pain for a moment.

He gritted his teeth and hissed in a cold breath, just about to open his eyes to see what was happening. In the next second, he felt Li Chen move beside him. Li Chen grabbed the quilt and flipped it upward with force, enveloping both of them inside.

The clothes piled on the bed scattered to the floor. The light in front of Shi Ji suddenly vanished. He reflexively raised his hands to push his way out, but Li Chen’s reaction was far faster. Before Shi Ji could act, he felt his hands lose all strength and sensation in the blink of an eye.

Li Chen was using the System to control him again, and he had learned to be smarter this time—he hadn’t let 0373 appear as a little puffball.

The sensation of being controlled by someone else was truly terrible. Alarm bells rang in Shi Ji’s mind. His entire body went stiff, and the blood in his veins felt like it was flowing backward.

“Let go of me!” he shouted. His voice broke through his throat only to be muffled by the enclosed space Li Chen had forcibly created. Shi Ji gritted his teeth, widening his eyes to try and see Li Chen through the darkness. “Li Chen, I’ll say it one more time…”

“Let go of me, right now!”

The youth pressed tightly against him. The scorching temperature caused Shi Ji to break out in a cold sweat. Li Chen didn’t speak; or rather, he simply didn’t care about Shi Ji’s resistance. He shifted his body, easily pinning Shi Ji’s shoulders down and pressing the restless man beneath him.

Shi Ji gasped for air, glaring at the Li Chen before him. The other boy stared back expressionlessly, his misty-blue eyes darkened by the low light. He blinked and tilted his head; clearly, Shi Ji’s threats carried no weight with him.

With the System’s help, Shi Ji truly had no way to handle him. He could only watch as Li Chen drew closer and closer. Reflexively, Shi Ji pursed his lips and closed his eyes, tilting his head slightly to the side.

After a long while, the retaliation Shi Ji expected did not arrive. Instead, he heard a soft “click.”

Then, he felt the weight on his body lift. The heat that had been stifling him slowly dissipated. Shi Ji paused, cautiously opening one eye to see that Li Chen had already moved off him and back to his own side.

Wrapped in the quilt, the boy had pulled out a book from somewhere. His slender fingertips traced the thin paper, and his bangs hung down, making him look exceptionally obedient.

Shi Ji frowned. This wasn’t the reaction he expected from Li Chen.

He hesitantly tried to sit up. His hands, which had been devoid of sensation, gradually returned to normal. Shi Ji suddenly realized that his wrists were shackled together by leather cuffs, connected by a chain as thick as a finger.

The other end of the chain was held firmly in Li Chen’s hand.

Shi Ji realized that Li Chen had used the System to numb the nerves in his hands, taking advantage of his weakness to cuff him. The “click” he had heard was the sound of the locks engaging.

He knew Li Chen couldn’t be normal!

Shi Ji was so angry his head spun. He began to tremble uncontrollably, the space between his brows aching. He used his elbows to prop himself up, and the chain on the handcuffs rattled.

The clinking echoed in the room. Shi Ji swallowed and asked in an unsteady voice, “Just what do you want to do?”

Li Chen said nothing. He kept his eyes on the thick book in his hands, even turning the page as if no one else were there.

The hair at Shi Ji’s temples was matted with sweat against his face. In a rare moment of disarray, he tugged at the chain twice and said, somewhat brokenly, “Li Chen, just let me go, okay…”

“I’m begging you.”

“Let me go.”

His voice carried a hint of a sob. On the other end, Li Chen finally reacted. He turned his head halfway to look over, and upon meeting Shi Ji’s indignant gaze, his lips curled into a deliberate smirk.

“It was Brother who approached me first,” Li Chen spoke softly. “Why are you begging me to let you go?”

The smile on the other boy’s face completely enraged Shi Ji. He grabbed the chain of the handcuffs and suddenly lunged forward, pinning Li Chen down.

With reddened eyes, Shi Ji raised his hand, the web of his thumb and index finger pressing against the youth’s slender neck. He gritted his teeth, his smoky-black eyes reflecting Li Chen’s calm composure. Li Chen even cooperatively tilted his head back to make it easier for Shi Ji to choke him.

His fingertips were pressed against the artery beneath the thin skin. Shi Ji didn’t even need to press hard to feel the rapid pulse. Shi Ji’s hands were shaking violently; because of the handcuffs, his hands were beginning to feel numb and congested with blood.

Li Chen tilted his chin, staring straight at Shi Ji. The smile in his eyes deepened, and he wickedly pulled back his lips, revealing the tips of his sharp canines.

“Kill me, Brother,” he coaxed. “Kill me, and no one will pester you anymore.”

“You’ll be free.”

As he provoked the man above him, he quietly reached behind and lifted Shi Ji’s messy clothes. His hot hand slid upward. He felt the rise and fall of the man’s stomach, the skin warming under his palm, and the rapid thud of the heart in his chest.

Shi Ji’s breathing was extremely unstable. He slowly tightened his grip on Li Chen’s neck. The youth just centimeters away began to lose the color in his face. He involuntarily opened his mouth to breathe; even though Shi Ji was cutting off his airway, Li Chen continued to push Shi Ji’s fraying sanity.

“Yes…” His breath was faint. Li Chen’s lips were pale, and his lungs couldn’t pull in the air that had been pushed out. The intense suffocation made his eyes roll back slightly.

“Kill me…”

“That way…”

“I’ll belong to you completely.”

The boy’s mad rambling snapped Shi Ji back to reality. His eyes widened, and he immediately let go of Li Chen’s neck. The sudden rush of oxygen into his airway made Li Chen cough uncontrollably. A few physiological tears prickled the corners of his eyes. Through tear-blurred vision, he looked at a terrified Shi Ji.

Then, Li Chen tightened the chain in his hand, yanking the man forward so that he fell into his arms.

He turned his head, burying his face in Shi Ji’s neck. The Alpha pheromone scent on the other man had faded significantly. Li Chen nuzzled Shi Ji’s neck, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

“You gave up.” His voice was raspy, with a hint of a nasally undertone. “Why?”

“Are you afraid?”

“Or do you just not have the heart to do it?”

The youth’s fingers kneaded the protruding vertebrae on Shi Ji’s back, crawling down bone by bone until he touched the deep dimples at the base of his spine.

The person in his arms was silent. Li Chen lowered his head to see that Shi Ji was biting his lower lip hard, tears staining the fabric of Li Chen’s chest.

He didn’t move, forced to accept Li Chen’s caresses. His obedient appearance made the emotion in Li Chen’s eyes soften.

“I gave you a chance, Brother.” Li Chen’s lips brushed against Shi Ji’s ear. “Since you didn’t want to take it…”

“Then let’s stay together forever.”

Hearing this, Shi Ji finally released his lip. It was bitten raw, and the blood that welled up healed quickly—so quickly he didn’t even register the pain.

He curled into Li Chen’s embrace. Shi Ji steadied himself, lowered his lashes, and nuzzled Li Chen’s chest like a pampered cat.

“I won’t leave you,” Shi Ji whispered. “Let me go, okay?”

“My wrists really hurt.”

He tried to soften his tone, raising his reddened hands with a frown. He looked up at Li Chen with rabbit-like eyes, teardrops still glistening in his pitiful gaze.

Li Chen pursed his lips and looked down at Shi Ji’s wrists. Then, his eyes flickered.

“If Brother tries to please me, I’ll let you go. How about that?”

Shi Ji was confused. “What do you want me to do?”

Li Chen tilted his head and thought for a few seconds. Then he sniffed Shi Ji’s neck and spoke in a muffled voice: “Brother smells like so many people. I want you to only smell like me.”

His words made Shi Ji freeze.

“I-I’m a Beta…” Shi Ji stammered. “I-I can’t smell it.”

Li Chen chuckled. “It’s simple. Brother only needs to let my pheromones cover those scents.”

Shi Ji: “Can’t you not control your pheromones?”

Li Chen was silent for a few seconds, then said, “That’s true.”

“But I don’t want to let Brother go so easily.”

He blinked, his long lashes fluttering. His words were a complete mismatch for his harmless expression.

This despicable, shameless dog, Shi Ji cursed inwardly.

Watching the shifting expressions on Shi Ji’s face, Li Chen’s smile widened. He affectionately kissed Shi Ji’s cheek. “So cute.”

Shi Ji pushed his head away with force, wondering what on earth was wrong with this person.

Li Chen took advantage of the fact that Shi Ji’s hands were cuffed, preventing him from blocking any of his advances. The “wolf pup” kissed the corners of Shi Ji’s mouth and then the corners of his eyes. He loved seeing the way Shi Ji’s lashes trembled as he tried to back away; it only made him press closer, forcing out expressions he had never seen before.

He pulled Shi Ji’s hand to the back of his neck, letting him touch the slightly protruding, soft flesh.

“If Brother touches me here,” Li Chen said slyly, “my pheromones will burst out even more intensely.”

Shi Ji’s breath hitched. His fingertip accidentally touched the gland at the back of Li Chen’s neck. As that soft flesh was pressed, Li Chen’s breathing deepened, and his body became exceptionally hot.

The next second, Shi Ji jerked his hand back and shook his head without hesitation.

If someone touched Li Chen’s gland, he would enter a heat cycle immediately. The memory of the last time was still fresh; Shi Ji wasn’t stupid, he wasn’t about to throw himself into that fire again.

“Another… another way.” Shi Ji’s tongue was tied.

The youth gave him a meaningful look.

“Then let’s try something else.” Li Chen’s voice went hoarse. “Brother can use any method you want to make my pheromones burst out more.”

The boy’s warm breath baked Shi Ji’s ear. The low, raspy voice hit his heart like a steady drumbeat.

Shi Ji’s breath stalled, his pupils contracting. He almost jumped out of his skin, but Li Chen held him firmly in place. Shi Ji swallowed hard and pushed away the hand Li Chen had placed on the back of his own.

He felt utterly defeated. “Just keep me tied up.”

Seeing that Shi Ji was almost scared to tears, Li Chen finally couldn’t help himself. He leaned his head against Shi Ji’s chest, and a laugh escaped his throat.

“What am I going to do with you, Brother?”

“I think I like you a bit too much.”

The youth’s voice entered Shi Ji’s ear, and he closed his eyes.

You’d better not like me at all.

He was held in Li Chen’s arms, the other boy’s palm lightly patting his back as if to soothe his panicked emotions.

Then, Shi Ji smelled a cloying scent of Omega pheromones. The Iris fragrance was thick with desire, revealing the other’s intent.

Li Chen leaned close to his ear.

“Can you smell it? My pheromones.”

“Now, everything here is covered in my scent.”

He said:

“Including you, Brother.”

The next day, when Shi Ji woke up, it was already bright outside.

He didn’t know how long Li Chen had kept him busy last night, but there were two distinct, red marks on his wrists.

Shi Ji stared blankly at the marks. The handcuffs were gone; he didn’t need to guess to know Li Chen had removed them while he was asleep.

Yesterday’s Li Chen was so fierce—so fierce that Shi Ji truly thought he was going to be devoured. Even now, he could clearly recall the way the other boy had looked at him.

Like looking at a prey on the verge of death.

Shi Ji shivered instinctively.

As he sat lost in thought, the phone at the head of the bed lit up, catching his attention. He lifted his heavy eyelids and managed to reach the phone. A new message from Ji Shichu had appeared.

[Ji Shichu]: Have you considered it, Mr. Shi? Do you want to cooperate?

The question was direct. Shi Ji’s finger hovered over the screen for a long time before descending.

He replied: [Mr. Ji has laid out his cards so clearly. If I didn’t agree, I’d be the ungrateful one.]

[- But before that, I hope Mr. Ji can do me a favor.]

Ji Shichu replied quickly: [Please, speak your mind.]

Shi Ji hesitated for a moment.

[- I want Mr. Ji to help me leave this place.]