Jian Yang’s heart trembled.

Could he have come back to deal with him?

In the original story, Guan Ciyan was far crueler to him than he was now—mental torment combined with physical abuse, leaving him hanging on by a thread.

The door opened, and Jian Yang shrank under the blanket in fear.

Guan Ciyan yanked the blanket away.

Jian Yang instinctively raised his arms to shield his face, thinking he was about to be beaten.

The next second, his pants were pulled down.

He quickly reached down to grab his waistband but caught sight of a bruise on his tailbone.

Guan Ciyan also stared at that spot and gently pressed his finger against it.

“Hiss.” It hurt.

Without a word, Guan Ciyan retrieved the medical kit, sprayed a bruise-relieving medicine on the area, and carefully massaged it for a while before getting up and heading to the bathroom.

He washed his hands and then left.

That night, Guan Ciyan didn’t force Jian Yang to bear his child.

Instead, Jian Yang found himself unable to sleep. He had already slept too much during the day.

He even admired himself—despite living on the edge of a knife, he could still fall asleep when it was time.

But… what was with Guan Ciyan?

Why wasn’t he treating him as violently as in the original storyline?

Could it be that he was really just addicted to his body, wanting to keep him around for pleasure but not intending to take his life?

Jian Yang let out a bitter laugh.

At least his efforts weren’t completely in vain. He had managed to stay alive despite the original plot.

No wonder Guan Ciyan treated his backside so delicately, even applying medicine himself.

Jian Yang had already forgotten how Guan Ciyan once humbled himself before Elder Su for his sake. He was the type to remember pain but not kindness—his way of self-preservation. He never forgot those who wronged him and would always seek revenge.

The next day, a new housekeeper and a new set of bodyguards arrived.

Jian Yang was momentarily stunned when he saw them.

As he walked around the house, he realized that the living room, the second-floor lounge, and even his own bedroom had been fitted with surveillance cameras.

Smash—

A finely painted antique vase shattered into pieces on the floor.

Cup holders, a fishing lamp, glass display cabinets, pots, pans—he smashed them all.

This time, no one rushed up to stop him.

When Jian Yang was about to destroy his favorite home theater, Guan Ciyan’s assistant finally lost his patience.

“Chairman Guan, the young master has discovered the surveillance cameras. He might just tear down the whole house.”

Guan Ciyan remained focused on his work, his tone indifferent.

“Replace the furniture. If it makes him happy, let him smash it.”

Jian Yang had even put on gloves for himself.

At first, he smashed things out of anger.

Then, it became about revenge.

Guan Ciyan had locked him up, monitored him, imprisoned him.

If he couldn’t have peace, then neither could anyone else.

Guan Ciyan was obsessed with his body, wasn’t he?

Then let’s see how obsessed he really was.

Let’s see how much he could tolerate.

Two hours later, Jian Yang had nearly destroyed everything.

Only the second-floor lounge remained.

A man in a suit entered, followed by a dozen cleaners.

In just minutes, the broken debris disappeared at twice the speed Jian Yang had created it.

His waist was starting to ache from all the smashing…

Then another crew came in, replacing the living room decor and appliances.

Only the television, with its built-in wiring, remained under repair.

The suited man approached Jian Yang.

“Young Master, is there anything else you’d like to smash? Chairman Guan said as long as you’re happy, you can break whatever you want.”

Jian Yang: “Get lost!!!”

The house had a new set of furniture, but the layout remained unchanged.

Only Jian Yang was left exhausted.

Lying on his bed, tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.

It felt like punching a cotton wall—completely futile.

He was so, so tired.

Had Guan Ciyan been possessed by a ghost?

Every day, he just silently took him.

If asked, he would simply say he wanted a child.

He hadn’t been like this before.

That night, Jian Yang deliberately smashed Guan Ciyan’s favorite incense burner right in front of him, staring straight at him.

Right now was a critical moment in reclaiming the Guan family’s other assets.

Guan Ciyan had let things slide before, just for these crucial days—to force the old master to choose between handing over his power or letting the Guan family fall into ruin.

Every day, he was overloaded with work.

The sound of the incense burner shattering made his eyelid twitch slightly.

He even comforted Jian Yang in a considerate tone.

“Smash the rest tomorrow. Elder Su said you shouldn’t do too much physical labor.”

Jian Yang: “…..”

Guan Ciyan was truly insane.

He used to tolerate no defiance.

Jian Yang started to suspect that the man in front of him only looked like Guan Ciyan, but inside, his soul had been replaced.

The once-complex eyes, always masked with a smile, were now indifferent and still—like a dead lake.

Jian Yang suddenly recalled that night on the back mountain road.

Guan Ciyan had sat there waiting for him, alone in the dark, so fragile that it seemed the night wind could turn him to dust.

And those rare moments when Jian Yang caught glimpses of genuine care and even a bit of indulgence from him.

But now, all of that was gone.

Only a pair of deep black eyes remained, devoid of waves.

Jian Yang felt a sharp sting in his heart, as if pricked by a cactus.

He had to admit—this version of Guan Ciyan scared him.

And, in a way, made him feel a little sorry for him.

When Guan Ciyan pressed him down again, Jian Yang covered his backside and said, “It hurts. The injury hasn’t healed yet.”

A bruise the size of a fingertip earned him a night of rest.

Guan Ciyan applied the medicine again, as gently as soaking tea leaves in warm water—slowly, carefully, until the tea finally unfurled.

It took so long that a strange itch rose in Jian Yang’s heart, along with an unsatisfied emptiness.

Guan Ciyan still wanted him to bear his child.

Jian Yang tried to get up to take a bath, but Guan Ciyan pulled him into his arms, holding him as they slept through the night.

The next morning, the spot beside him was empty.

Jian Yang turned over and touched the cold sheets.

His eyelashes trembled as he opened his eyes.

Propping himself up on his arm, he realized his body was clean.

He moved his legs—no soreness, no pain.

That bastard… Guan Ciyan even cleaned him up?

Jian Yang lay back down and remotely opened the curtains.

Summer had arrived.

The exposed skin pressed against the cool bedsheet felt incredibly comfortable. A bold guess formed in Jian Yang’s mind.

— Maybe Guan Ciyan didn’t want to torture him, just simply didn’t want to let him go, keeping him as a secret lover.

But… Guan Ciyan didn’t seem like that kind of person. In his memory, Guan Ciyan was never one to indulge in physical pleasures—he was even considered somewhat upright. Keeping a mistress wasn’t his style.

Besides, in the original novel, Guan Ciyan had remained faithful to Jian Buqing. So why would he suddenly want to enjoy the best of both worlds?

Could it be that his own ass was… addictive?

That after sleeping with him a few times, Guan Ciyan had gotten hooked—his lower half completely taking over his brain?

Jian Yang found it hard to believe, yet everything seemed to suggest otherwise.

The good thing was, at least he wasn’t locked in a dark room, losing his mind, breaking his leg, and dying a gruesome death.

Jian Yang’s greatest talent in life was having a good attitude.

If he couldn’t change his environment, he’d just change his mindset.

Feeling comfortable today, he got up and picked out a lightweight, breathable short-sleeved shirt with matching shorts, washed his hair, and headed downstairs.

The fresh scent of shampoo lingered in the air. Little Sun was waiting outside his door, and as soon as he opened it, the kitten jumped into his arms. Jian Yang scooped up the little cat, absentmindedly stroking its fur. His long, fair legs appeared first as he stepped lazily down the stairs, his toes hooked onto his slippers, each step unhurried.

Saying he was a pampered young master wasn’t an exaggeration.

“Young master, good morning. Breakfast is ready,” the new housekeeper greeted him from the dining room.

Normally, Guan Ciyan disliked having strangers in the house. The servants always used a separate entrance, finished their work, and disappeared before he got home. This housekeeper, who was present 24/7, was most likely assigned to keep an eye on him.

Jian Yang glanced at the simple breakfast of porridge and side dishes, then, still holding his cat, sat sideways on a dining chair. “I want wontons.”

“Right away,” the housekeeper responded immediately, clearing the table and soon bringing out a steaming bowl of chicken soup wontons.

Jian Yang had planned to be difficult, but the aroma was too enticing. He finished the bowl in just a few big bites, letting out a satisfied sigh. Eating hot wontons in the summer was a bit much, but after days of only having liquid food, the warm broth soothed his stomach, making him feel completely content.

Feeling drowsy again after eating, he realized he hadn’t contacted Jiang Ke in a while and went to look for his phone.

He had planned to use his island vacation as a turning point, the moment he completely separated from Guan Ciyan. He had told Jiang Ke not to schedule any work for him for half a month. By now, Jiang Ke was probably worried sick.

Then a horrifying thought hit him—if Guan Ciyan didn’t kill him, he still needed to make money.

If, one day, Jian Buqing and Guan Ciyan became inseparable, and Guan Ciyan finally decided to throw him out, he’d have no money, no job, and would end up on the streets. Holy shit—that would be too tragic!

When Guan Ciyan was relentlessly pinning him down and fucking him, Jian Yang had only felt sad.

But the thought of being broke and starving? That made him explode with rage. He tore the house apart looking for his phone.

The housekeeper, thinking he wanted to smash things but couldn’t find anything suitable, helpfully suggested, “Young master, the kitchenware makes a nice sound when broken.”

Jian Yang: ……

Never mind. Too much effort.

No phone.

Guan Ciyan had confiscated both his phone and laptop.

That bastard.

Jian Yang wanted to punch someone but held back.

He couldn’t win a fight against anyone, so violence wasn’t an option.

Luckily, he was his own boss, so he didn’t have to worry about being fired for skipping work. If he were signed under a company, he’d probably already have a termination letter waiting for him.

With no phone, Jian Yang lay on his bed, petting Little Sun while basking in the sunlight for half an hour. Once his food was fully digested, he got up to try escaping the house.

“Xia Tian.”

At his call, Xia Tian sprinted over to his feet.

“Let’s go out and play.”

Woof woof woof woof woof—

Xia Tian got so excited he spun in circles, then ran to fetch his little dog vest. Jian Yang put it on him and walked to the door. A bodyguard stepped forward, blocking his way. “Young master, the sun is too strong outside. You should stay in and rest.”

“Can’t you see? Xia Tian wants to go out,” Jian Yang imitated Guan Ciyan’s cold tone, making his way toward the door.

The bodyguard kept his arm extended, blocking him. Jian Yang tried to push forward, but as he collided with the guard’s arm, Xia Tian suddenly went into full protective mode, barking fiercely and lunging at the guard. His claws raked across the man’s wrist, leaving deep gashes.

One man, one dog—the bodyguard neither dared to provoke them nor knew how to avoid them.

A trained dog’s attack was no joke. The wound on the guard’s wrist was already raw and bleeding, but he still remained respectful. “Young master, unless Mr. Guan gives the order, you really can’t leave.”

“Xia Tian, come back.”

Jian Yang had only been testing the waters, not trying to hurt anyone. He handed the first aid kit to the bodyguard and went back upstairs.

It seemed that after the previous guard accidentally knocked him down, Guan Ciyan had replaced everyone. Now, the entire household treated him with extreme deference.

But he didn’t need that. He needed to get out and work.

“Bastard.”

“Bastard.”

“Bastard!!!”

Jian Yang ranted to Little Sun and Xia Tian about how awful Guan Ciyan was.

When Guan Ciyan finally returned, Jian Yang sat down, his tone calm. “Guan Ciyan, what exactly do you want from me by keeping me here?”

“And don’t say you want me to have your child—I can’t get pregnant, I’m a man, stop acting crazy.”

Guan Ciyan countered, “Isn’t this place good enough for you?”

“But I need to work. I need to go out. Right now, you think this is fun, keeping me locked up. But what about in the future? When we separate, I still need to survive.” Jian Yang swallowed, his throat tightening.

“Then we won’t separate.” Guan Ciyan’s presence grew heavier, as if the word “separation” was his greatest weakness.

“You can’t keep me locked up forever. I’ll have my own life, I’ll meet people who like me, I’ll do work that I enjoy… We agreed, didn’t we? That we’d each have our own lives,” Jian Yang said, his voice laced with grievance.

Guan Ciyan had fallen for Jian Buqing, yet he still wanted to keep Jian Yang trapped here.

“Have a child with me.”

Guan Ciyan silenced Jian Yang’s endless complaints with a kiss, forcefully stripping him of the chance to argue.

Jian Yang’s slight grievance flared into anger. As soon as Guan Ciyan released his hands, Jian Yang dug his nails into his back, leaving deep scratches that drew blood.

His struggles were soon overtaken by the weakness brought on by pleasure. Jian Yang cursed himself for his lack of resolve—how could he still be feeling good at a time like this? But he blamed Guan Ciyan even more, for taking advantage of him without a word.

“I don’t feel good…” Jian Yang buried his face in the pillow, his voice muffled. “I can’t breathe, Guan Ciyan.”

Guan Ciyan grabbed his legs and flipped him over. Jian Yang took a deep breath, but before he could recover, he felt himself being pushed deeper into the mattress. His lower back tensed, and he nearly teared up from the overwhelming sensation.

Damn this uncooperative body.

Ashamed by the pleasure overtaking him, Jian Yang mustered the last of his strength and kicked out. “I said I didn’t feel good—are you deaf?!”

His foot landed squarely on Guan Ciyan’s face.

Guan Ciyan’s head tilted to the side from the impact.

Jian Yang’s body went cold instantly as he stared at Guan Ciyan’s expression.

Memories flooded back—the manager whose leg Guan Ciyan had broken, the doctor who had been fired, the long-time assistant who had mysteriously disappeared…