Editor and proofreader: Oceanblue

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Ye Qingyun considered whether to leave to avoid further entanglement with those people. But this was Gu Shenyuan’s home; fleeing from a few troublemakers seemed an insult to Gu Shenyuan’s ability to handle the situation.

Moreover, in the original story, these people didn’t seem to cause much trouble for Gu Shenyuan. After mulling it over, Ye Qingyun decided to stay.

However, Gu Shenyuan, after a few days, still found himself incredulous about Ye Qingyun’s actions during that encounter.

Ye Qingyun hadn’t treated the man as a substitute nor followed him. What did that mean?

Did it mean Ye Qingyun was so devoted to Pu Tian that he didn’t want a replacement? Or did it mean he was slowly moving on, with Pu Tian’s significance fading?

Each option led to an extreme conclusion.

Gu Shenyuan dared not ask.

If the answer wasn’t what he wanted, he couldn’t trust himself not to take a dark turn, one that might bring harm to Ye Qingyun.

All he knew was that he wouldn’t let anyone else come between them, no matter what it took.

---

Life went on uneventfully for Ye Qingyun until his research made a breakthrough.

Examining his latest findings, Ye Qingyun frowned.

The bloodline restrictions on Gu Shenyuan were even more severe than he’d initially thought.

He had read little about such bloodline constraints online, and Gu Shenyuan hadn’t mentioned them. He’d assumed the restrictions merely kept Gu Shenyuan loyal, with serious repercussions if he strayed. But this recent research had deepened his understanding.

If his data analysis was correct, Gu Shenyuan faced numerous constraints.

Not only was he forbidden from loving anyone else or defying Ye Qingyun, but Ye Qingyun also had absolute command over him.

Gu Shenyuan could neither harm him nor disobey any serious order. If Ye Qingyun wanted something desperately, Gu Shenyuan would be forced to fulfill it, regardless of the danger.

If he even considered betrayal, his powers would backlash against him with severe pain and mental turmoil.

Even trying to leave was futile; if they spent too much time apart, Gu Shenyuan would suffer from splitting headaches that worsened until he returned to Ye Qingyun’s side.

If Ye Qingyun had died, Gu Shenyuan wouldn’t have perished immediately. However, the longer he remained dead, the greater Gu Shenyuan’s torment, until he could no longer bear it and would ultimately follow him to death.
From now on, as long as he wanted, Gu Shenyuan would become a complete weapon in his hands.

Without independent thought, he’d be a puppet, acting entirely according to his commands.

As Ye Qingyun reviewed the long list of restrictions, he didn’t feel any excitement. On the contrary, he grew increasingly alarmed.

In theory, if two people were in love, these restrictions might serve as playful boundaries. The loved one wouldn’t push their partner to do something dangerous or go against their wishes.

But if there was no mutual affection and the loved one simply wanted to exploit the other, people like Gu Shenyuan would suffer visibly.

No amount of love could survive such torment. When these human weapons were stripped of all affection, what kind of pain would they feel as they carried out their former lover’s commands?

Ye Qingyun frowned.

No, he couldn’t allow this. He had to find a way to break these bloodline restrictions and give Gu Shenyuan his freedom, so he could live his own life rather than follow someone else’s commands.

Gu Shenyuan deserved to be the freest of people—the protagonist of his own story, beyond anyone’s control, free from all constraints.

Ye Qingyun threw himself back into his intense research, feeling a bit relieved.

Thankfully, he’d never forced Gu Shenyuan to do anything extreme. He usually asked him for help in a gentle tone rather than through commands.

He recalled the time Gu Shenyuan had first openly confessed his feelings. He’d tried subtly to get Gu Shenyuan to accept his help in researching a solution, only to be dismissed as wasting his energy.

What if, back then, he had forced Gu Shenyuan to cooperate? How would things have turned out?

A sudden thought made Ye Qingyun pause.

If… he eventually found a cure and Gu Shenyuan refused to take it, would he be able to compel him to drink it?

That seemed like it could solve everything.

After all, facing such a terrifying restriction, could it be that Gu Shenyuan didn’t want a way out? Perhaps he was enduring it only out of love. With a little persuasion, maybe he’d change his mind.

The more Ye Qingyun thought, the more convinced he became, seeing a hopeful future. He threw himself back into his research with renewed enthusiasm.

---

A few days later, Ye Qingyun made initial progress in developing a cure.

The troublesome individuals hadn’t reappeared, making him think they’d either given up or been scared off by Gu Shenyuan.

That night, lying in bed, Ye Qingyun thought about how he’d break the news to Gu Shenyuan when the cure was ready, planning to present it in a gentle way that would make Gu Shenyuan gladly take it.

In any case, he’d need to drink it, so better that he did it willingly. Gu Shenyuan, being as smart as he was, would surely understand.

Thinking this, Ye Qingyun drifted off to sleep.

---

Elsewhere…

The three people Ye Qingyun had encountered before gathered together. The attractive young man was dressed especially well tonight, his fair cheeks slightly flushed and his eyes gleaming with allure, inviting a desire to tease.

“Everything is ready. I’ll handle the material preparations. As for the rest,” the smoking man said coldly, “whether you can seduce him is up to you. Use your best skills, or you’ll be the one to pay.”

The young man gritted his teeth and scoffed. “You don’t need to tell me that.”

The smoking man handed the young man a temporary power-enhancing serum along with two other items.

“This,” he pointed to a small device, “you place on the beauty when you’re inside. This will transport him to a set location, where I’ll be waiting to intercept him, giving you time alone with the target.”

“And this,” he indicated a small bottle of transparent spray, “you’ll use afterward to mist the room. This is a royal-grade relationship disruptor—just one drop is priceless. Anyone who smells it will have any slight annoyance they feel toward their lover magnified, while their attitude toward others will soften. And paired with the enhancement serum…”

The smoking man explained, growing confident in the plan.

Men, in general, have weaknesses, and with a stunning beauty actively seducing them, few could resist, especially with the power of the serum. Even a monk would be tempted.

If the target hesitated out of loyalty, the disruptor would stir up any buried discontent, making him consider separation or, at the very least, releasing his frustrations on someone else. And with an admiring, soft beauty right there, it would be a perfect setup.

He’d secretly hidden a camera on the young man so that he could show the scene to the beauty’s lover once it played out.

Then the lover would see the betrayal and leave, heartbroken, running straight into his arms. The couple would be torn apart.

The smoking man savored the thought of Gu Shenyuan’s despair upon realizing his lover had gone.

The attractive young man smirked as he took the items.

These tools, normally too expensive for him to obtain, excited him, stirring up anticipation for the plan ahead.
That man was wealthy and powerful, exceptionally handsome, and very protective. He was the perfect partner in the young man’s eyes.

With the help of these tools, his chances of failure were minuscule.

Once married, even if just for a night, one could inevitably start developing other thoughts.

Soon… that man would be his.

---

The beautiful young man, dressed in the anti-surveillance gear provided by the smoking man, quietly slipped into Gu Shenyuan’s yard.

This outfit was also an expensive, top-grade concealment suit, capable of blending his presence with the surroundings, making it difficult for high-tech monitoring or supernatural detection to notice him.

Although someone awake could spot him easily, both Gu Shenyuan and Ye Qingyun were asleep, and it was dark, so how could they find him so easily?

Next, he used a special door opener designed for interstellar police to sneak in and capture criminals and quietly opened the door.

These technological gadgets were typically controlled by the powerful and used against disobedient high-level supernatural beings. As an ordinary citizen, he felt a bit nervous wielding such items.

Following the information he had previously gathered, the young man headed to what he inferred was the bedroom.

He was fortunate; the layout of Gu Shenyuan’s house was nothing unusual, and he found his destination.

He entered silently.

To his surprise, the two inside were not sharing a bed but sleeping separately.

… Had they not progressed to that stage yet?

Heh, this was great news for him; that meant he could take the lead.

The young man moved to the space between the two beds, using night vision goggles to see Ye Qingyun sleeping in one. Just as he was about to approach and take Ye Qingyun away, a cold voice interrupted, “Who’s there?”

—How could this be? He hadn’t made a sound, and he was in a concealment suit. How was he discovered? This shouldn’t happen!

Startled, the young man instantly threw the device onto Ye Qingyun and pressed down hard on the separation agent in his other hand, filling the air with a thick, fragrant scent.

After completing these actions, he let out a sigh of relief. He undid the top buttons of his shirt, turning around with a soft, seductive voice, “Benefactor…”

---

Ye Qingyun was awakened by the sudden sound. He opened his eyes to find himself in an unfamiliar place, with two men he had seen before standing in front of him.

Quickly, he stood up and glanced around.

Gu Shenyuan was not by his side.

Ye Qingyun gasped, desperately trying to calm himself.

He had been kidnapped.

In this situation, he needed to stabilize the emotions of these two men, waiting for Gu Shenyuan to come to rescue him or looking for an opportunity to escape.

The smoking man saw through Ye Qingyun’s thoughts and smirked, “Waiting for your little lover to come save you? I’m afraid he won’t be coming. He’s busy sleeping with someone else, so he has no time to come over.”

Ye Qingyun didn’t believe a word of this nonsense, but for safety’s sake, he played along, feigning shock, and angrily retorted, “Impossible! He would never sleep with anyone else; don’t slander him!”

The smoking man scoffed at Ye Qingyun’s words, finding them laughable.

Ye Qingyun continued, “He’s not like you men; he would never be tempted by beauty! He’s devoted to me and wouldn’t cheat. You have no right to slander him!”

His fervent words made the smoking man lose patience.

He had initially planned to wait for the young man to message him, confirming success before showing Ye Qingyun the surveillance footage. But looking at Ye Qingyun’s trusting face made his hands itch to shatter that trust immediately.

Why not show it to Ye Qingyun now? Let him see how his man comforted someone else; wouldn’t that be more thrilling?

With this thought in mind, the man activated the surveillance.

The tiny camera had fallen to the ground, capturing a clear view of everything in the room from a good angle.

The beautiful young man stood there, half undressed, with sultry eyes. His soft, moist lips looked inviting.

Not far away stood Gu Shenyuan, whose expression was terrifyingly dark.

In a single glance, Ye Qingyun could tell something was off with Gu Shenyuan.

Ordinary people wouldn’t notice, but he had faced Gu Shenyuan in that particular state before, so he recognized it.

This wasn’t the usual indifferent Gu Shenyuan; this person had definitely been drugged!

“Why is he so cruel? He won’t even share a bed with you?” the young man blinked his moist eyes, cheeks slightly flushed, looking at Gu Shenyuan with admiration. He said softly, “Can I sleep with you? I don’t want any rewards; you can treat me however you want. I… I like you.”

The young man’s face reddened further as he shyly gazed at Gu Shenyuan, his eyes filled with expectation.

Ye Qingyun found these words disgusting and continued searching with his gaze, landing on the young man’s hand.

The young man was holding a small spray bottle, its unique design unlike anything available on the market.

Ye Qingyun’s heart sank.

Out of curiosity, he had once hacked into the royal high-tech supply vault, where he had seen this item.

What was it… it was…

Ye Qingyun racked his brain to remember, while on the surveillance, the beautiful young man stepped closer to Gu Shenyuan: “He looks so delicate; he must often let you do as you please. I won’t mind. You can order me around however you want.”
Ye Qingyun suddenly remembered.

This drug… it was a “relationship separation agent,” or perhaps one specifically designed for the third party to take a position.

As long as there was even the slightest, trivial opinion in Gu Shenyuan’s heart against him, this agent would amplify that opinion exponentially, turning a small concern into a huge prejudice.

Given that Gu Shenyuan was burdened by that bloodline confinement, it could be said that he was entirely controlled by it. How could he possibly have no hidden opinions at all?

Moreover, considering the aphrodisiacs that the young man was covered in, it was no wonder that the smoking man confidently claimed that Gu Shenyuan was involved with someone else.

“See? He didn’t even refute it; he’s already stirred.” The man beside Ye Qingyun smugly puffed out a smoke ring, eager to see the heartbreak on Ye Qingyun’s face.

Ye Qingyun felt no heartbreak; he was terrified, his heart pounding as if it would leap out of his throat.

If Gu Shenyuan felt severely dissatisfied, betrayed, and engaged with others… under the bloodline confinement, Gu Shenyuan wouldn’t be able to survive much longer.

They were trying to kill Gu Shenyuan!

No, no! Gu Shenyuan couldn’t die. He didn’t care about such matters; regardless, Gu Shenyuan must not die for such a ridiculous reason.

Ye Qingyun couldn’t afford to hesitate. He turned to run outside but was held back.

“What are you running for? Don’t want to watch anymore?” The smoking man pressed down on Ye Qingyun’s shoulder, forcing him to look at the surveillance. “I’m helping you see his true colors. Look, see how happy he is without you? He’s happily getting drunk with someone else—”

Ye Qingyun refused to look. Just as he was trying to think of a way to break free, he noticed the man’s voice abruptly stopped, as if he had seen something utterly unbelievable.

What was happening? Was Gu Shenyuan already dead?

Ye Qingyun’s heart sank. He took a deep breath and summoned the courage to look at the monitor.

The screen showed blood everywhere, but the person still standing was not the young man.

Gu Shenyuan’s clothes were splattered with bright red blood, his expression blank, as a thick black mist spread out from him, enveloping everything in sight, obscuring the camera’s view.

Ye Qingyun strained to see Gu Shenyuan’s figure, but soon Gu Shenyuan’s face suddenly appeared extremely close to the camera.

His pure black eyes stared into the lens, his voice deep, like a dragon robbed of its treasures, on the verge of going berserk.

“I’ve found you.”