Lu Yao's postoperative observation period became Lu Chenzhou's most subdued stretch of days.
He no longer mentioned the word "leave." Even his usual fiery temper seemed banked, reduced to smoldering embers. Each morning, he waited punctually for Fu Jingshen to bring news from the hospital; each evening when Fu Jingshen returned, he would be found sitting quietly on the sofa, either reading or simply staring out the window.
Fu Jingshen was pleased with this compliance. He remained busy with work but made an effort to return on time for dinner, occasionally taking Lu Chenzhou to visit Lu Yao.
In the hospital room, Lu Yao's color improved day by day. She was soon able to talk and smile with them. She seemed blissfully unaware of the true nature of Lu Chenzhou and Fu Jingshen's relationship, merely grateful for Fu Jingshen's help, holding his hand and thanking him profusely.
Lu Chenzhou sat nearby, watching Fu Jingshen respond to his sister's gratitude with a patience he himself had never been shown. Something heavy and sour lodged in his chest. This man could be gentle and polite to an outsider, yet reserved for him the most brutal forms of confinement and the cruelest threats.
The car ride home was steeped in silence.
"Yao Yao said… she'd like to take you out for a meal when she's better," Lu Chenzhou spoke first, his voice soft.
"Fine," Fu Jingshen's reply was curt. "After she's discharged, she can choose the place."
Lu Chenzhou said nothing more, turning to look out the window. The city's neon lights streamed across the glass like a bizarre, garish dream. He found himself aching for his old life, hauling bricks on construction sites. It had been exhausting, it had been poor, but the sky had been blue, the air had been free, and his wings hadn't yet been brutally snapped.
Back at the villa, Fu Jingshen went to shower. Lu Chenzhou remained in the living room, his gaze falling on the drawer of the coffee table—the one that held the black velvet box containing the collar and its remote.
Almost trance-like, he pulled the drawer open and took the collar out. The cold metal sent a familiar chill through his fingertips. The diamonds glittered under the light with a cold fire, like watching eyes.
Without the collar these past days, he had almost forgotten the humiliation of being branded. But Fu Jingshen's words—*"you are mine for life"*—echoed in his ears like a curse, reminding him this brief "freedom" was nothing but an illusion.
"What are you doing?"
Fu Jingshen's voice sounded suddenly behind him. Lu Chenzhou started, his hand jerking. The collar fell onto the carpet with a soft thud.
He spun around. Fu Jingshen stood a few paces away, hair damp, wearing a robe, his expression unreadable.
"N-nothing," Lu Chenzhou stammered, scrambling to his feet, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Fu Jingshen walked over, bent down, and picked up the collar. His fingers traced the line of small diamonds. "Missing it?"
Lu Chenzhou's face flushed a deep red—not from shyness, but from fury and shame. "Who would miss this damned thing!"
Fu Jingshen smiled, a hint of mockery in it. "Then why were you holding it? Researching how to unlock it? Or…" he paused, his tone shifting into something dangerous, "planning to use it against me when my back was turned?"
"You're insane!" Lu Chenzhou snarled, turning to flee.
Fu Jingshen's hand shot out, clamping around his wrist with bone-crushing force. "Lu Chenzhou, don't play games with me." His voice dropped, all trace of warmth vanishing, replaced by a cold, ruthless edge. "I can see right through you."
He refastened the collar around Lu Chenzhou's neck. The soft *click* of the lock sounded like thunder.
"Since you're being disobedient, you can wear it again." Fu Jingshen's finger brushed the lock, his tone cruel. "A reminder. Every second. Of what you are."
The cold metal against his skin, the sudden constriction around his throat, stole his breath. The anger and humiliation he'd forcibly suppressed erupted like a volcano.
"What have I done that's disobedient?!" He wrenched his wrist free, his voice shaking with emotion. "I haven't run! I haven't fought! I haven't even said a single harsh word! What more do you want from me?!"
"I want you to forget the word 'leave'," Fu Jingshen advanced, closing the distance until they were breathing the same air. "I want you to understand, deep in your bones, that you are my possession. Your life, your body, everything you are… belongs to me."
His words were a poisoned dagger, plunging deep into Lu Chenzhou's heart. Staring into those eyes, seeing the naked obsession and possession there, a profound, icy coldness washed over him.
This man was insane.
He wanted to break his wings completely, to turn him into a soulless bird, fluttering helplessly in the palm of his hand.
"I can't," Lu Chenzhou's voice was quiet, but held a thread of defiance. "Fu Jingshen, I'm a person. Not your pet. Even if you lock me up for a lifetime, I won't forget who I am."
Fu Jingshen's face darkened instantly, a storm gathering in his eyes. "Good," he let out a low laugh, the sound laced with a terrifying chill. "It seems I've been too gentle with you these past days. Made you forget the rules."
He turned and strode into the bedroom, returning swiftly with a black leather belt. It wasn't the kind for trousers; it was wider, thicker, with metal studs along the edge. It looked menacing.
Lu Chenzhou's pupils contracted in fear. He stumbled backward. "What… what are you going to do?"
Fu Jingshen didn't answer. He just kept advancing, the belt gleaming coldly in the light.
"Fu Jingshen! Don't come near me!" Panic laced Lu Chenzhou's voice. He could guess Fu Jingshen's intentions. This cold, methodical punishment terrified him more than the electric shock.
He turned to run, but Fu Jingshen grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and threw him down hard onto the sofa. His back connected with the solid wooden arm, knocking the air from his lungs with a pained grunt.
Fu Jingshen pinned his shoulders, a knee pressing between his legs, immobilizing him. "Where's all that backbone from a moment ago?" His voice was icy. "Say it again. You can't?"
Lu Chenzhou's chest heaved, anger and fear warring within him, making his whole body tremble. But looking into Fu Jingshen's utterly cold eyes, a stubborn fire flared again. "I can't!"
"Then taste the consequences of disobedience." Fu Jingshen's patience evaporated. He grabbed Lu Chenzhou's wrist, binding it tightly to the sofa arm with the belt.
The leather chafed his skin, the sensation of restraint overwhelming. Lu Chenzhou struggled wildly, but the belt only bit deeper into his flesh.
"Let me go! Fu Jingshen, you lunatic! Bastard!" He screamed, hurling every curse he could think of, a trapped animal making its last stand.
Fu Jingshen ignored him, simply taking the other end of the belt, looping it behind his back, and securing his other wrist just as tightly.
Once finished, he straightened up, looking down at Lu Chenzhou, tied to the sofa like a sacrificial lamb. There was no pity in his eyes, only the cold satisfaction of absolute control.
"Are you afraid now?"
Lu Chenzhou's chest rose and fell rapidly, a vein throbbing on his forehead, his eyes frighteningly red. He glared hatefully at Fu Jingshen, the venom in his gaze almost tangible. "I'd die before I'd fear you!"
Fu Jingshen smiled, a cruel, cold expression. He reached down and untied the belt of his robe, revealing his toned torso. "Die?" He leaned down, his mouth close to Lu Chenzhou's ear, his voice like frozen steel. "I won't let you die. I'll keep you alive. You'll remember, perfectly clearly, exactly who your master is."
His kiss descended, a punishment, brutal and掠夺性的 (predatory), devoid of any tenderness. Lu Chenzhou's struggles grew weaker. Tears of humiliation finally escaped, soaking into the fabric of the sofa.
The metal studs of the belt dug into his wrists. The collar constricted his throat. Fu Jingshen's kisses burned like brands on his skin.
He could feel his wings being snapped, one by one. He could almost hear the sound of breaking bones.
Resistance was futile. Struggle was pointless. Even his anger turned pale and insignificant before this absolute display of power.
Watching the light in Lu Chenzhou's eyes gutter and die, seeing his struggles diminish into despairing tremors, the irritation Fu Jingshen had felt at his defiance finally dissipated, replaced by a twisted sense of satisfaction.
This was what he wanted. To shatter Lu Chenzhou's pride completely. To break his wings so thoroughly he would never have the strength to fly again, and would have no choice but to stay obediently by his side.
The night was long. This punishment, this act of "taming," had only just begun.
On the sofa, Lu Chenzhou's screams gradually subsided into choked sobs, then into silent, helpless trembling. The collar around his neck swayed faintly with each ragged breath, a cold mockery of his predicament.
His wings had been broken. Brutally.
And the man who had broken them looked down at him, his eyes filled with a possessiveness so thick it was suffocating.
This forced love, reeking of blood and powdered bone, bound them together inextricably. There was no escape.