Angry red welts, like earthworms, crawled around his wrists.
Lu Chenzhou was curled in the corner of the sofa, his back to Fu Jingshen in the center of the room, motionless. The collar around his neck dug into his skin, and every breath felt heavy, suffocating.
Fu Jingshen had untied him. The belt lay discarded on the coffee table, its metal buckle gleaming coldly, a silent warning. He sat in an armchair, a cigarette between his fingers, smoke curling around him, obscuring the emotion in his eyes.
The living room was terrifyingly quiet, save for the relentless ticking of the wall clock, each second a heavy beat against Lu Chenzhou's heart.
He could feel Fu Jingshen's gaze fixed on him—assessing, controlling, like a man examining a shattered piece of porcelain, wondering if it could ever be whole again.
Humiliation, rage, powerlessness… a tumult of emotions churned inside him, finally settling into a dead, hollow numbness. He had struggled too hard; now his entire body ached, and his throat was raw from screaming.
He had lost. Utterly.
In the face of Fu Jingshen's absolute power and ruthlessness, all his pride and defiance seemed like a pathetic joke.
"Thirsty?" Fu Jingshen's voice cut through the silence, its tone unreadable.
Lu Chenzhou didn't move, didn't speak, as if he hadn't heard.
Fu Jingshen didn't press. He stood, poured a glass of water, and walked over, offering it. "Drink."
Lu Chenzhou still refused to take it, burying his head lower, his shoulders hunching slightly, like a wounded animal rejecting comfort.
A flicker of impatience crossed Fu Jingshen's eyes, but it was quickly suppressed. He set the glass on the table and knelt down, bringing his eyes level with Lu Chenzhou's.
"Still sulking?" His fingertips lightly brushed Lu Chenzhou's chin, a deliberate attempt at gentleness.
Lu Chenzhou jerked his head away, avoiding the touch. The hatred in his eyes was a venomous needle. "Don't touch me."
His voice was a ragged scrape, laden with unmistakable rejection.
Fu Jingshen's hand froze mid-air. The warmth in his eyes drained away. He straightened up, looking down at him, his tone reverting to its former coldness. "Lu Chenzhou. Do not test my limits. I have been more than tolerant with you."
Lu Chenzhou ignored him, biting his lower lip hard enough to draw blood, swallowing all his emotions.
Seeing this stubborn resistance, the irritation Fu Jingshen had felt during the punishment flared again. He knew he'd been harsh, but Lu Chenzhou's unyielding defiance infuriated him.
He didn't want a puppet that only cried and fought. He wanted a Lu Chenzhou who would obey, who would respond to him.
"It seems you won't learn without a proper lesson." Fu Jingshen picked up the remote from the table, his finger hovering over the button, his gaze ominous.
Lu Chenzhou's body tensed instantly, the collar around his neck seeming to grow hot already. His head snapped up, his eyes fixed on the remote, filled with terror, yet he still clenched his jaw, refusing to yield.
Seeing the mix of fear and stubbornness in his eyes, Fu Jingshen finally put the remote away. He sighed, a faint thread of weariness in his voice. "Enough. I'll let it go for today."
He turned and walked into the bedroom, leaving Lu Chenzhou on the sofa.
Watching his retreating back disappear, the tension finally left Lu Chenzhou's body. The tears he'd been holding back broke free, streaming down his face. He *was* afraid. It was just that the last shred of pride in his bones prevented him from bowing completely before Fu Jingshen.
But he knew, with painful clarity, that his resistance, in Fu Jingshen's eyes, was nothing more than insignificant struggling.
He didn't know how long he sat there on the sofa, until a deep cold had seeped into his bones. Finally, he slowly stood up and dragged his heavy feet toward the bedroom.
Fu Jingshen was already asleep, turned away from him, his breathing even. Lu Chenzhou looked at his back, a complicated mix of feelings churning inside him. He wanted to be far away from this man, as far as possible. Yet his body, as if pulled by a magnet, walked him to the edge of the bed.
He lay down on the far edge, putting as much distance between them as possible, but he could still smell the familiar scent of cedarwood on him. A scent he had once loathed and feared now, strangely, offered a sliver of comfort.
Perhaps it was exhaustion, perhaps it was despair, but Lu Chenzhou fell into a deep sleep quickly.
In the middle of the night, he stirred vaguely, sensing movement beside him. Fu Jingshen turned over, his arm draping lightly over Lu Chenzhou's waist, pulling him closer.
Lu Chenzhou's body stiffened for a second, but he didn't struggle. After the violent confrontation earlier, he had no strength left to resist.
Fu Jingshen seemed to sense his wakefulness but said nothing, only held him tighter, his chin resting on the top of Lu Chenzhou's head, his warm breath ghosting through his hair.
In the darkness, Lu Chenzhou could hear Fu Jingshen's heartbeat clearly—steady, powerful, like a silent promise.
This man was cruel, obsessive, imprisoning him in the most degrading way. Yet he had to admit, in this man's arms, he always slept with a profound, unsettling peace.
This contradiction tortured him.
The next morning, Lu Chenzhou was woken by the smell of breakfast. He opened his eyes. The space beside him was empty. The collar was gone from his neck, leaving only a faint red line.
He paused, a strange, unidentifiable emotion stirring within him.
Walking out of the bedroom, he found Fu Jingshen already at the dining table. Seeing him, Fu Jingshen gestured to the opposite seat. "Come eat."
Lu Chenzhou sat down. The table was laden with a lavish breakfast, but he had no appetite.
"Not going to the office today. Taking you somewhere," Fu Jingshen announced suddenly.
Lu Chenzhou looked up at him, confused.
A faint smile touched Fu Jingshen's lips. "You'll see."
After breakfast, Fu Jingshen drove them to a jewelry store in the city center. The staff recognized him immediately and greeted him with deference, clearly a regular customer.
"Mr. Fu. Your item is ready."
"Bring it," Fu Jingshen's tone was flat.
The clerk soon returned with an exquisite velvet case. Fu Jingshen opened it. Inside lay a delicate silver chain. The pendant was a small, intricate padlock, set with a single, tiny sapphire that glowed with a deep blue light under the store lights.
He took the necklace and walked over to Lu Chenzhou. "Lower your head."
Lu Chenzhou hesitated, then obediently bowed his head.
The cool metal of the chain brushed his skin. Fu Jingshen's fingertips grazed his neck, sending a faint shiver through him. A soft *click* echoed as the clasp fastened.
"It suits you," Fu Jingshen said, stepping back to admire his handiwork, a satisfied smile in his eyes.
Lu Chenzhou raised a hand to touch the necklace. The lock pendant was light, yet it carried a strange weight. He didn't understand why Fu Jingshen was giving him this. Another attempt to humiliate him with material things?
"What does this mean?" he couldn't help asking.
"It doesn't mean anything," Fu Jingshen's tone was casual. "I saw it. Thought it was beautiful. So I bought it for you."
He paused, then added, "It's much prettier than that collar."
Heat flooded Lu Chenzhou's face as the memory of last night's humiliation washed over him, a fresh pang in his chest. He reached to take it off, but Fu Jingshen caught his hand.
"Wear it," Fu Jingshen's voice held an unyielding command. "I gave it to you. You will not remove it."
Seeing the adamant look in his eyes, Lu Chenzhou finally gave up the struggle. He knew even if he took it off, Fu Jingshen would find a way to make him wear it again.
Outside the jewelry store, Lu Chenzhou looked down at the glint of blue at his throat, feeling something block his airways. He didn't understand Fu Jingshen. One moment brutally violent, the next displaying this seemingly gentle side. He was impossible to predict.
But he had to admit, when Fu Jingshen said the necklace was prettier than the collar, a tiny, treacherous flicker of pleasure had sparked within him.
That flicker terrified him. Yet he felt powerless to resist it.
Perhaps he really was, just as Fu Jingshen said, being tamed. Piece by piece.