“I got it.”

Guan Ciyan grasped the foot that had just kicked his face and kissed the round tip of Jian Yang’s toes. His lips brushed over the arch, the ankle.

He kissed meticulously, licking lightly along Jian Yang’s calf. Jian Yang, after his initial shock, went weak all over, trembling.

This was too much!!!

How could he!!!

Guan Ciyan, broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his taut muscles flexing, knelt before him, reverently kissing the top of his foot.

The visual impact was far greater than the physical touch. The moment Jian Yang opened his mouth, he let out a sticky, breathy whimper.

Guan Ciyan’s fingers skimmed the sole of his foot.

“Hah——???” Jian Yang recoiled, trying to pull away, but Guan Ciyan leaned in, his hand closing around the core of his being.

“Yangyang, does it feel good?”

For a brief moment, Jian Yang felt as if none of the past events had ever happened, as if Guan Ciyan was still on set with him, calling him Yangyang, baby.

“En… uh—” Tears welled in Jian Yang’s eyes. He couldn’t tell if it was from discomfort or pleasure.

His rational mind resisted the warmth and rhythm of Guan Ciyan’s palm. He hated the feeling of being controlled. But Guan Ciyan knew him too well—every little movement hit his nerves just right.

Jian Yang shut his eyes. Tears slipped down, soaking into his temple.

He held the back of Guan Ciyan’s neck, looking into his eyes. “It doesn’t feel good.”

Guan Ciyan kissed the corner of his lips, then let go—of his body and… his pride.

Snap—

The last thread in Jian Yang’s mind snapped.

It was Guan Ciyan—the high and mighty man who teased him, tested him, taught him, and also lifted him into the spotlight.

A sliver of guilt rose in Jian Yang’s heart. He had only meant to humiliate this man who made him lose control.

But when Guan Ciyan did all this, he himself couldn’t accept it even more than Guan Ciyan could.

Soon, he had no room to think about it.

They were too in sync, knowing exactly how to unravel each other.

At the moment of acceptance, he could no longer resist.

His body surrendered before his heart did.

“Do you like it?”

“Are you satisfied?”

Jian Yang gritted his teeth.

He didn’t want Guan Ciyan to be smug.

So Guan Ciyan tirelessly pleased him, serving him.

Jian Yang had always been used to being attended to. Back when they were filming, he would direct Guan Ciyan—what angles, what postures. He had handed over the initiative first.

The air in the room was thick, like the misty rain of the mountains. Jian Yang’s nerves were on the verge of collapse.

“Okay… okay.”

“Enough.”

“Stop, Guan Ciyan.”

When everything finally ended, Jian Yang, weak and boneless, hooked his fingers around Guan Ciyan’s arm. “If you don’t clean me up, you’re dead.”

After saying that, he drifted into sleep.

—

The next morning, he woke up in Guan Ciyan’s room, surprisingly clean. But from his hair to his toes, his whole body ached.

As he moved, the image of Guan Ciyan kissing his toes last night resurfaced, burning itself into his mind.

Did he not find it disgusting?

Just thinking about it made Jian Yang’s face flush.

Crazy. Insane.

He couldn’t let himself sink into this. It was just one of Guan Ciyan’s tricks.

This was how he deceived people. That bastard, that liar!

Jian Yang cursed him under his breath, but deep inside, he felt a little more at ease. At least now, he was fairly sure Guan Ciyan wouldn’t kill him.

His demands were really simple.

To live.

To live well.

And from there, to pursue the freedom and wealth he desired.

As long as he was alive, there was always hope.

Jian Yang rolled over but didn’t get up. Using the villa’s internal phone, he called for the housekeeper to arrange a masseur. Then, he lazed in bed, playing with Xiao Taiyang for a while.

Only when he got hungry did he finally get up to eat.

“For lunch, let’s have seafood hotpot. I want the kind they serve at seaside inns.”

Having eaten something light for breakfast, Jian Yang lounged on the sofa, idly scratching Xiatian’s ears and chin as he instructed the housekeeper to prepare lunch—or perhaps afternoon tea…

After all, he had only gotten up at eleven for breakfast.

“Oh, and book another masseur for me.”

After last night, his muscles were killing him.

He had figured it out.

Since Guan Ciyan wouldn’t let him go out to work, he might as well treat it as a vacation. The literary film he had acted in probably wouldn’t be released for another six months anyway.

He could use that wave of publicity to push for new opportunities.

He wanted to focus on acting. Bai Shun had advised him not to waste time chasing variety show and livestream traffic. If he had the chance to avoid the idol route in this lifetime, of course, he had to go all in!

In six months, Guan Ciyan would probably get tired of him.

By then, he could figure out a way to leave.

“Jian Yang, Jian Yang, control your heart.”

Jian Yang dragged a chair onto the terrace and seriously studied Six Lectures on Acting. But before long, the sun made him drowsy, and he dozed off with the book covering his face.

Around three in the afternoon, the seafood hotpot chefs arrived, carrying two large crates of fresh seafood, entering the villa’s kitchen through the servant’s entrance.

Hearing the commotion, Jian Yang got up to take a look.

The ingredients were extremely fresh.

The head chef was about to introduce them to him, but Jian Yang waved his hand and walked away.

As long as it tastes good, why bother learning?

Before long, the entire first floor of the villa was filled with the aroma of hot pot. Jian Yang wondered if Guan Ciyan would dislike the smell, but then he thought: who cares?

He happily dug into his hot pot.

Jian Yang even picked out a comedy to watch—life was truly comfortable.

After eating slowly and leisurely, he had more or less completed his study plan for the day. Jian Yang went out to the terrace, planning to watch the sunset before relaxing with a variety show.

But unexpectedly, what unfolded before him was more exciting than any variety show.

Fan Mei, with disheveled hair, was kneeling before the villa’s security guards. Jian Yang squinted and noticed—she was actually wearing pants! Fan Mei had always positioned herself as a wealthy socialite, wearing dresses all year round regardless of the season.

What kind of major event could make her wear pants?

Was the Jian family going bankrupt?

Jian Yang lazily leaned against the floor-to-ceiling glass, watching the drama unfold. Fan Mei’s high heels had even lost a heel, making her look utterly pathetic.

What could be so serious that it required her to plead with Guan Ciyan?

Wait a second—!!!!

Jian Yang suddenly stood up straight, his heart gripped by an invisible hand. Given Guan Ciyan’s fiercely protective nature, if he was now pursuing Jian Buqing—or even had feelings for him—

How could he allow Jian Buqing’s parents to be humiliated like this?

Something wasn’t right.

Fan Mei was one thing, but standing in the shadows beside her was Jian Mingwu. He looked utterly dejected, occasionally running his hand over his hair—his once-pristine scalp now showing a clearly bald patch.

Jian Mingwu was obsessed with his image. How had he ended up like this?

Unless they had no other options left.

Jian Yang had been locked away for half a month, but outside, the world seemed to have turned upside down. It was as if a new dynasty had taken over.

Then, Jiang Ke’s car arrived. She spoke with the security guards.

Wei Wei…

Bai Shun…

Everyone he knew was here.

Even the security guards seemed visibly stressed.

Jian Yang had a gut feeling something major was happening and rushed outside.

Better not be watching the drama only to realize he was the main character.

The security guards blocked his way. “Young Master, you are not allowed to leave for now.”

Jian Yang exhaled and calmed himself. “Fine, I won’t leave. But you go and find out what’s happening outside and report back to me.”

The guard hesitated for a moment but ultimately stepped outside under Jian Yang’s gaze.

When he returned, he stammered, unable to give a clear explanation.

This was bad.

“Alright, I won’t make things difficult for you. Just invite the people outside to come in. That shouldn’t violate Mr. Guan’s orders, right?” Jian Yang still had some consideration for the struggles of working people.

The guard looked troubled. “Uh, Young Master, this…”

“Oh, so you do remember that I’m the Young Master?” Jian Yang pretended to be angry. “Do you actually treat me like one?”

“My apologies, Young Master. I’ll report to Mr. Guan right away. Please wait.” The security guard was determined to uphold his professional integrity.

“No need. Just have them stay at the door and not come inside. That should work, right?” Jian Yang didn’t want the guard to contact Guan Ciyan. He compromised. “If you keep being stubborn, this will become pointless.”

Jian Yang didn’t push too hard, and the guard hesitated with his phone in hand.

“I assume when Guan Ciyan hired you, he told you not to let me get hurt, right? What if I insist on going out?”

“…Understood, Young Master. I’ll bring them over right away.”

If Jian Yang got hurt, they were as good as dead.

The lesser mistake was to let a few people in.

Fan Mei was the first to rush in, hobbling across the courtyard in her broken high heels. Her manicured nails, painted deep red, reached out straight for Jian Yang.

Startled, Jian Yang stepped back.

Four security guards at the entrance immediately stepped forward to stop her.

But the fastest one was Summer. With a loud bark, the dog leaped up and bit Fan Mei’s arm, leaving deep, bloody wounds.

Thick, viscous blood dripped onto the doorstep.

Jian Yang clutched his chest, glancing at the security guards restraining Fan Mei. “Good thing you were here.”

Fan Mei endured the pain and dropped to her knees. “No, Yangyang, I wasn’t trying to hurt you! I just… You have to save your brother. He can’t live without his eyes!”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Jian Yang ignored her and turned to Jiang Ke. “Jiang Jie, why are you with them?”

Jiang Ke glanced around and tried to pull Jian Yang aside to speak privately, but the guards blocked her. “Miss, you are not allowed to enter.”

Jiang Ke: ?

Jian Yang explained, “Uh. Things are a bit complicated right now. Mr. Guan has temporarily restricted my movement to this villa. To put it simply, I’m under house arrest.”

Wei Wei: “So you’re saying you’re locked up in a luxury villa, wearing high-end designer clothes, protected by four bodyguards and a dog that listens only to you? You look like you’ve even gained weight.”

Jian Yang: “…….Is the hot pot smell that strong?”

“That’s not the point,” Jiang Ke exhaled. “The main issue is that in order to cure your eyes, Mr. Guan ordered the hospital to remove Jian Buqing’s upper corneal layer and transplant it onto you. I absolutely believe this wasn’t your idea, but Jian Buqing is a public figure. If this gets out, your future will be completely destroyed. This kind of stain won’t wash away, and the public will twist everything you do from now on. I already tried to persuade Mr. Guan, but he won’t listen. We’re hoping you can talk him out of it.”

“…WHAT????” Jian Yang’s eyes widened, his mouth forming an “O” shape.

“I knew this couldn’t have been Jian Yang’s idea,” Wei Wei defended him. “This is way too immoral. Jian Yang isn’t that heartless.”

Fan Mei was still crying. “Yes, yes! Xiaoyang, you’re the kindest. You still care about your brother, don’t you? Please, just talk to Mr. Guan and ask him to save your brother. He can’t live without his eyes! How will he dance in the future?”

Jian Mingwu stood silently beside her, saying nothing.

Jian Yang’s mind was in complete chaos, unable to process this information.

Wasn’t Elder Su treating his eyes? Even while Guan Ciyan had him under house arrest, his medication had never stopped. How did this suddenly turn into taking Jian Buqing’s corneas?

He had never even considered such a thing.

Besides, didn’t Guan Ciyan like Jian Buqing now? And even if he didn’t, wouldn’t Guan Jingyu step in to save him?

Jian Yang stood there, stunned. His gaze shifted to Bai Shun. “Are you here to persuade me too?”

“No,” Bai Shun replied. “I just came to ask what flowers you want for the wedding.”