Drunk

As the sun set, the light inside the room grew dimmer, making the contours of each other’s faces look blurred and ambiguous. Su Ran’s lips were firmly covered, his mind nearly blank, feeling the person behind him licking his ear, sending tingling shocks like electric currents through him.

Su Ran was frightened, not having expected to be exposed by Zhou Mingyu, and now, unsuccessful in his attempt, he was completely at Zhou Mingyu’s mercy, causing his eyelashes to tremble in fear.

Zhou Mingyu kissed Su Ran’s pale neck, his breath hot as their bodies pressed tightly together, both sweating profusely, making them feel hot and sticky.

Then, Zhou Mingyu kissed along the neck to Su Ran’s face, turning to look directly at him. Su Ran saw the heated gaze of the other, too scared to meet his eyes yet also desperate for help. His eyes reddened, his look pitiful, hoping to be released.

Zhou Mingyu chuckled, his fox-like eyes twinkling mischievously, “Now you’re begging me, huh? Just a moment ago, you wanted everyone to catch me, the pervert.”

Su Ran immediately shook his head, his eyes growing more teary, while Zhou Mingyu kept smiling, then leaned in to kiss Su Ran’s eyes gently, taking care to cover both sides. When he pulled back, Su Ran’s eyes were even redder, and he couldn’t bear to look at him.

Leaning close to his ear, Zhou Mingyu whispered, “No more screaming, or I’ll tie you up and have my way with you brutally.”

Su Ran’s eyelashes trembled upon hearing this, and he quickly nodded, no longer daring to shout, not even if he were lent the courage to do so.

Zhou Mingyu then slowly loosened his grip, allowing those flushed lips to be exposed.

With his hand removed from his mouth, Su Ran didn’t dare speak. He tried to push Zhou Mingyu away by pressing against his chest, but Zhou Mingyu wrapped his arms tighter around Su Ran, lifting him off his feet.

Su Ran exclaimed, his pitiful look directed at Zhou Mingyu, knowing he was powerless and completely in his clutches, he didn’t attempt to struggle.

Zhou Mingyu carried him to the bed and sat down, positioning Su Ran to sit face-to-face on his lap, legs apart, which naturally parted the robe revealing large areas of pale skin.

Su Ran pleaded, “I won’t do it again, please forgive me.”

Zhou Mingyu’s hand caressed his smooth waist, squeezing firmly before saying, “You’re so foolish. Do you understand the severity of the consequences? Did you even think about whether Zhou Yuanzhe would actually keep you safe after everything?”

Su Ran paused, having not considered this deeply. He had been threatened and tried to protect Zhao Jinshun, but now reminded by Zhou Mingyu, he realized Zhou Yuanzhe, who despised his existence, might just use this as an excuse to get rid of him.

Thinking this, Su Ran turned pale and looked at Zhou Mingyu in fear. Seeing his reaction, Zhou Mingyu flicked his nose, “Now you’re scared.”

“You’re such an idiot,” Zhou Mingyu laughed, then leaned in to kiss his lips again, gently biting the tender flesh before releasing him, his breaths growing heavier, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

Su Ran moved back, feeling as if Zhou Mingyu in front of him could devour him, but he was still shocked by his words. He trembled as he looked at the man in front of him, not understanding why he was not pursuing the matter, “Why?”

Zhou Mingyu suddenly tightened his hold, pulling Su Ran close, “You agreed to let me take care of you, of course, I’ll treat you well.”

Saying so, he kissed Su Ran’s beautifully curved neck, and Su Ran froze, knowing his consent was only to achieve his goals, but Zhou Mingyu now seemed to care less about such details.

Su Ran stiffened, feeling threatened, his predicament being leveraged—if he disagreed, Zhou Mingyu might reveal everything. But given the circumstances, he had no choice but to go along.

In the next second, Su Ran’s robe was peeled away, his body tensing up as the warm breath traced over him, his legs tensed, yet he dared not stop it.

When Su Ran left Zhou Mingyu’s courtyard, he was fully dressed, holding several books in his arms. The night had deepened, and as he walked, he pondered how to deal with Zhou Yuanzhe until he pushed open the door to see a lamp lit by the bedside, Zhou Yuanzhe usually reading there.

Seeing him enter, Zhou Yuanzhe glanced over, lips pursed tightly, and coldly asked, “What have you been up to for so long?”

Su Ran placed the books by the bed, then explained, “He just recommended some books he’s read and talked a lot about foreign novels, but I couldn’t understand those foreign ones, so I didn’t take them.”

Zhou Yuanzhe frowned, “Is that all?”

“That’s all,” Su Ran replied.

Zhou Yuanzhe scoffed, “The stuff he reads is all trivial, claiming to be well-traveled and knowledgeable, but in reality, he learned nothing from his travels.”

Su Ran remembered how interesting Zhou Mingyu’s stories about foreign cultures had been and how concisely he’d discussed the stories within each book, not at all useless as Zhou Yuanzhe claimed.

Seeing Su Ran silent, Zhou Yuanzhe’s expression turned cold, “Just like you, only able to enjoy simple storybooks, he can only fool someone like you.”

Su Ran pursed his lips, moved to the other side of the bed, and began to undress. Although Zhou Yuanzhe mocked him, he was relieved that the questioning had ceased.

Lying down, Su Ran slowly relaxed, but a doubt lingered, so he asked the system, “Even though the plot says I wouldn’t succeed and would end up being threatened, is threatening me just to…?”

Feeling like he’d made a huge sacrifice, Su Ran wasn’t sure why he thought ‘again’.

The system, 555, came online immediately, “The vagueness in the plot is because the characters are not influenced by it. If everything was fixed, discrepancies would arise. He didn’t expose you, which means the plot is on track.”

“Oh…” Su Ran responded, “So the plot isn’t fully revealed yet. It’s not going to be these few main characters attacking me, using threats to develop emotional ties with the protagonist, is it?”

555 hesitated for a moment, then said, “It doesn’t matter… We just have to follow our own storyline.”

After pondering for a while, Su Ran agreed, then remarked, “555, you seem a lot more mature.”

Flattered, 555 replied proudly, “Of course, I’ve grown too.”

•

In the morning, after a modest breakfast, Su Ran routinely watered the flowers by the wall, one of his few entertainment activities. When the sun got a bit too hot, Su Ran greeted Zhou Yuanzhe, planning to stroll around the estate. Zhou Yuanzhe didn’t mind much, knowing he couldn’t stay put.

So, Su Ran left the courtyard, following the familiar paths, wandering deeper until he reached the overgrown scenic area where he had encountered Zhou Zekun before. Thinking of him reminded Su Ran of the juicy meat pies, making him swallow in anticipation.

He preferred this scenery to others and walked a bit further, remembering there was a pavilion ahead where he had seen Zhou Zekun sitting last time.

Turning the corner, he saw the pavilion from afar, someone seemed to be eating there with two maids standing by, likely a young master.

Drawing closer, he thought if it was Zhou Zekun, he might join him for a meal since his food would surely be tastier than what he usually had.

As he approached, Su Ran recognized not Zhou Zekun but the eldest son, Zhou Ji’an. Seeing him, Su Ran quickly diverted his gaze, hesitating for a moment before deciding to turn around.

He felt a natural fear of Zhou Ji’an, perhaps a common reaction to intimidating people, plus they weren’t familiar. Zhou Ji’an was usually busy and seldom seen.

Just as he tried to leave quietly as usual, he heard footsteps behind him, and then a maid ran up to him, her forehead sweaty.

“Madam, the eldest young master invites you to join him for a meal,” the maid said.

Stunned, Su Ran hadn’t expected an invitation from Zhou Ji’an, clearly unable to refuse such a prominent figure.

He followed the maid into the pavilion and immediately greeted, “Brother.”

Zhou Ji’an, with a warm smile, said, “Sit, since we’ve met, let’s eat together.”

Su Ran saw his relaxed demeanor and felt slightly more at ease. He looked at the table laden with roast chicken, marinated beef, and stir-fried greens—all looking delicious. Turning to Zhou Ji’an, he noticed the man, now thirty-five, had fine lines at the corners of his eyes when he smiled, which didn’t detract from his handsomeness but added a certain charm.

Zhou Ji’an was nearly a decade older than the second young master, Zhou Mingyu. His mother was Old Master Zhou’s first wife who had deteriorated in health after giving birth to him and died when he was in his teens. Afterward, Old Master Zhou remarried and took several more concubines.

“Go ahead and eat,” Zhou Ji’an said gently.

Su Ran obediently started with the beef, finding it delicious enough to make his eyes squint with pleasure. Zhou Ji’an watched him with a deepening smile.

“Delicious,” Su Ran praised.

Hearing this, Zhou Ji’an pushed the plate closer to him, “If it’s good, eat more.”

Su Ran smiled at him, feeling less intimidated by Zhou Ji’an and more at ease.

Outside the pavilion, birds chirped clearly, and the lush trees rustled in the wind, occasionally letting a breeze pass through the pavilion, adding to the comfort.

Zhou Ji’an, stirred from his thoughts, picked up his wine cup and drained it in one gulp. Putting down the cup, he saw Su Ran watching him, the other eating eagerly, sweat beads on his nose, cheeks flushed, looking very endearing.

Zhou Ji’an swirled his wine cup, “Want a drink?”

Su Ran nodded obediently, saying, “I’d like to try.”

He took the wine cup the maid handed him and presented it to Zhou Ji’an, waiting for him to pour. The maid watching was shocked, thinking how improper it was for Su Ran not to pour for Zhou Ji’an, considering their social ranks, where Zhou Ji’an was always served by others, both indoors and out.

But Zhou Ji’an seemed unconcerned, taking the wine jug and pouring Su Ran a cup, then advising, “Drink slowly.”

“Mm,” Su Ran responded, then took a sip, his first taste of alcohol feeling like a burning line down his throat, exclaiming, “It’s spicy.”

Zhou Ji’an found his reaction amusing, “Don’t rush, drink slowly.”

But Su Ran, as if not to be outdone, held out his cup to Zhou Ji’an again, “More.”

Zhou Ji’an smiled and shook his head, pouring him another full cup. Su Ran hadn’t expected to get drunk, not anticipating how weak this body was to alcohol.

After several cups, the alcohol started to affect him, his forehead hair damp with sweat, his collar soaked dark.

Feeling his head grow heavy and the figure before him blurred, Su Ran unbuttoned two buttons, tugging at his collar to let the heat escape.

“Drunk yet?” Zhou Ji’an asked softly, watching Su Ran’s flushed cheeks and dazed eyes.

Su Ran’s chest was open, revealing his slender neck and subtly visible collarbone, his pale skin slick with sweat. Zhou Ji’an’s gaze inadvertently fell there, paused a moment, then moved away.

But then, Su Ran waved his hand, “Not drunk, I’m very clear-headed.”

Saying this, he stood up, “I need to go back now.”

Just as he took a step, his legs gave way, and he staggered to the side. Zhou Ji’an quickly stood and caught him, wrapping his arms around Su Ran’s waist and pulling him back against his chest.

The air was oppressively hot, but he caught a pleasant scent.