Running Away Again?

Hearing the servants outside the bedroom greeting their master, Shen Bichuan pulled at the gold chain around his wrist in absolute terror.

He curled himself tighter into the corner of the bed, his body tensing automatically in pain from the jade piece lodged inside him.

The carved wooden doors swung open.

Qin Ye walked step by step into the inner chamber, dressed in his formal, imposing imperial robes embroidered with five-clawed dragons.

The sound of his footsteps drew closer and closer. Each heavy step carried a suffocating pressure that seemed to stomp directly onto Shen Bichuan’s heart.

A cold shiver ran down Shen Bichuan’s spine. He gripped the bedsheets tightly, his beautiful eyes staring unblinkingly at the space outside the bed curtains.

Qin Ye finally stopped right before the bed. His tall, commanding figure cast a massive shadow that completely swallowed Shen Bichuan up. Shen Bichuan could no longer keep his composure, his fragile body trembling uncontrollably.

Seven days of dark, endless confinement and torture had already left him physically and mentally exhausted.

The proud arrogance he used to carry was long gone, replaced by a fear that had seeped straight into his bones.

Qin Ye took off his imperial robe.

He pulled a soft, finger-thick whip from around his waist.

Without a single moment of hesitation, he swung it down hard against Shen Bichuan.

The whip was forged from black iron, usually wrapped around Qin Ye’s waist as an accessory with its delicate silver patterns, hiding its true nature as a brutal weapon.

Before Shen Bichuan could even react, Qin Ye raised his arm again.

Whoosh!

The whip tore through the air and struck him fiercely.

Rip!

With a sharp tearing sound, the thin inner robe he wore was ripped wide open.

It exposed his pale, delicate skin underneath, where a fierce, bright red whip mark instantly puffed up.

This whip was specially made to smash rocks and slice through iron, but when used on a person, it inflicted agonizing pain without tearing open the flesh.

Shen Bichuan did not try to dodge.

He took the two strikes fully, collapsing onto the bed in agony.

He did not dare to make a sound, choosing instead to bite his lower lip until it bled.

“Are you still going to run away?” the man asked, looking down arrogantly at the person on the bed.

Shen Bichuan was so weak from the pain that he could barely breathe.

Unable to speak, he could only shake his head weakly.

Qin Ye bent down and aggressively grabbed Shen Bichuan by the chin, forcing him to look up.

“When I ask you a question, you answer.”

Sweat beaded across Shen Bichuan’s forehead from the pain.

His clear, bright eyes had lost all their usual light.

After a long pause, he forced out two bitter words through his pain.

“You monster.”

Qin Ye’s eyes narrowed.

The hand gripping Shen Bichuan’s chin slowly slid down to his smooth, slender neck.

Suddenly, a smile that completely clashed with the grim situation appeared on Shen Bichuan’s pale face.

His voice was as weak as a thread.

“Kill me, Qin Ye. If you have the guts, just kill me.”

A dark smile formed on Qin Ye’s lips.

His long, elegant hands slowly moved lower, ungracefully stripping away Shen Bichuan’s remaining inner robe.

Shen Bichuan’s breathing turned ragged.

He raised his hand, the gold chain rattling loudly, and grabbed Qin Ye’s wrist to stop him from going any further.

“Qin Ye, either kill me or let me go.”

Qin Ye brushed his hand away easily.

He patiently removed the ruined inner robe, his dark, sinister eyes scanning over Shen Bichuan’s exposed upper body.

He clicked his tongue in mock pity.

“Such a beautiful body. Wouldn’t it be a waste to kill you?”

The sudden exposure to the cold air brought goosebumps all over Shen Bichuan’s skin.

His lips trembled, his eyes filled with a terror he could no longer hide.

“Qin Ye, you’re a lunatic. You won’t meet a good end.”

Qin Ye let out a dark, low laugh.

He reached out and removed the jade piece that had been torturing Shen Bichuan for a full day and night.

He spoke casually.

“Why can’t you just keep playing the part of a sweet, obedient pet like you used to?”

“You stayed by my side acting all affectionate for three whole years. Why can’t you keep up the act now?”

Shen Bichuan bit his lip, completely at a loss for words.

Three years ago, he and five other spies were sent into the Night King’s estate.

He had carefully disguised his every move, doing everything he could to please the prince.

With his devastatingly beautiful face, he easily became Qin Ye’s favorite bedroom companion among them all.

The current Emperor had six sons.

Out of all of them, the Fourth Prince, Qin Ye, was the absolute fiercest rival to Crown Prince Qin Li.

The Crown Prince had received secret intelligence long ago stating that Qin Ye harbored treasonous ambitions to steal the throne.

Shen Bichuan’s sole mission while deep undercover was to gather intelligence.

He needed to find solid proof of treason so the Crown Prince could wipe out the Night King’s faction once and for all.

It wasn’t until seven days ago that he finally discovered a hidden passage in Qin Ye’s study.

Inside, he actually found an imperial robe and the imperial seal.

But just as he was preparing to slip out and deliver the message, the Night King trapped him right there.

Only after his capture did he realize the truth.

Qin Ye had known his true identity from the very moment he entered the estate three years ago.

For the past three years, that man had simply been playing along, treating him like a pawn in a cat-and-mouse game.