Chapter 185: We Don't Do That
The three of them returned to Max and Caroline's apartment together.
The moment the door closed, Max could no longer contain herself. She turned to Caroline with an eager grin.
"So..." she drawled, "after rolling around with the website guy last night... was it good?"
Ethan quietly slipped into the kitchen to grab a drink, his actions making one thing perfectly clear:
Pretend I'm not here.
As she shrugged off her coat, Caroline laughed.
"It was pretty good."
She paused before adding, her expression growing puzzled.
"Until he suggested something that made me really uncomfortable."
"Oh?" Max's curiosity immediately flared.
"How uncomfortable?"
Caroline hesitated, carefully choosing her words.
"It was..."
"...crossing a line."
She glanced at Ethan before quickly looking away again.
"Anyway, I turned him down."
"Wait, wait!" Max refused to let it go.
"What exactly was it?"
"Did he want you to call him Daddy?"
"Or make a phone call to someone in the middle of it?"
"Or..."
"Max."
Caroline shot her a warning look.
Max immediately raised both hands in surrender.
"Fine, fine. I'll stop."
"But you can tell us if you want to..."
Seeing there was no escape, Caroline sighed in defeat.
"He suddenly wanted to try..."
"...breath play."
"He wanted to pretend he was choking me."
She couldn't help turning toward Ethan, her face practically screaming, Has the whole world gone insane?
"When did men start getting into stuff like this?"
Ethan instinctively raised a hand.
"I honestly don't know."
"I've never tried it."
"Oh?" Max perked up instantly.
"So did the two of you end up trying it?"
"How was it?"
"No."
Caroline answered without hesitation.
"I refused."
Max turned to Ethan.
"Doctor."
"Give us the professional explanation."
Ethan considered it seriously before replying,
"There actually is some physiology behind it."
"Physically, restricting someone's breathing can heighten sensory perception, making emotions, touch, and physical sensations feel more intense."
"Psychologically, the person giving up control may experience a sense of vulnerability or complete trust."
"And the person in control may feel a stronger sense of responsibility or dominance, believing the other person has entrusted themselves entirely to them."
Ethan paused for a moment before summing it up.
"At its core, it's about using a sense of danger to create excitement."
Caroline frowned.
"So... it doesn't sound like the guy actually gets much out of it."
Ethan hesitated before adding,
"There can also be involuntary physical responses... muscle spasms, or involuntary pelvic floor contractions."
He quickly corrected himself.
"But overall..."
"It's extremely dangerous."
"And extremely messed up."
"So..." Max raised an eyebrow, giving Ethan a knowing look.
"There are some benefits, then?"
"You're a doctor," she added leisurely. "So... things probably wouldn't go wrong, right?"
Ethan fell silent for several seconds.
In theory, it wouldn't be dangerous.
And even if something did go wrong...
He could always pull someone back.
But the real question was—
Did he really want to open Pandora's box?
What if he lost control one day and became some complete degenerate with built-in healing and resurrection abilities?
The thought alone sent a chill down his spine.
In the end, he wisely chose to keep his mouth shut.
Caroline changed the subject just in time.
"So how did you get Edwin to leave me alone?"
"Did you let him down gently?"
"Nope." Max shrugged.
"I told him to get lost."
"It was a one-night stand. Guys understand how that works."
"That's it?" Caroline asked, sounding worried.
"Won't he be heartbroken?"
"When you kissed the doctor right in front of him," Max replied dryly, "I'd say he already completed the grieving process."
She waved a dismissive hand.
"Relax. A guy's understanding of a one-night stand is simple—show up, leave, move on."
Ethan chimed in.
"I think Max's right."
"He probably felt relieved."
Caroline thought about it before asking,
"But... what if he wants to get back together later?"
"Don't worry." Max lazily stretched.
"He won't come chasing after you..."
"...unless you suddenly develop certain physical needs..."
"...or your belly starts showing unexpected news."
Caroline stared at her speechlessly.
"...Fine."
"Either way, thanks for helping me shake him off."
Silence settled over the living room.
Not an awkward silence—
Just the quiet that comes after everything important has already been said.
Ethan unscrewed a bottle of soda and took a sip.
He had just set it down when Max spoke again.
"So..."
She tilted her head, sounding almost casual.
"Doctor."
"Are you staying tonight?"
"Of course," Ethan answered without thinking.
"You're not about to tell Caroline, 'Help me dump him—we were only a one-night stand,' are you?"
"Don't worry, Ethan," Caroline said with a perfectly straight face.
"I promise I won't."
"No, that's not it." Max waved her hand.
"It's just that you've never stayed here two nights in a row before."
"It's starting to feel like we're living together."
Caroline glanced at the two of them, wisely grabbed a change of clothes, and headed for the bathroom.
"I'll go take a shower first."
"You two can continue... whatever it is you were doing."
"Oh—"
She stopped at the bathroom door and turned back.
"Just in case you decide to try anything weird tonight..."
"...let's agree on a safe word."
She thought seriously for a moment.
"If I actually need help, I'll shout..."
"'World's Greatest Cupcake!'"
"Otherwise..."
"Even if you're screaming your lungs out, I'm not opening that bedroom door."
The bathroom door clicked shut.
The atmosphere in the room immediately became more intimate, the air itself seeming to grow warmer.
Max sat cross-legged on the couch, her gaze slowly drifting from Ethan's face downward before casually returning, the familiar mischievous smile tugging at her lips.
"Doctor."
"That explanation of yours sounded awfully professional."
"Almost like you really know what you're talking about."
Ethan placed his bottle on the coffee table.
"What I understand is why some people find it exciting."
"Not that I'd ever recommend trying it."
"Tsk."
"Doctors really know how to ruin the mood."
She paused before asking tentatively,
"What if..."
"...I were the one suggesting it?"
Ethan met her eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation, he answered,
"No."
Firm.
Decisive.
He didn't even bother explaining.
Max blinked.
"That absolute?"
"Yeah."
"Because today it's grabbing someone's neck..."
"...tomorrow it'll be tying someone up..."
"...and the day after that they'll be hanging from the ceiling."
"Hah!"
The image instantly popped into Max's mind, and she burst into laughter.
"Doctor, you're not nearly as innocent as you pretend."
"Your imagination is full of the weirdest stuff."
Ethan maintained an utterly serious expression, as if he hadn't been the one who'd just said it.
Max stared at him for several seconds before raising both hands in surrender.
"Fine."
"Fine."
"You win."
She grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the bedroom.
"Then give me a massage."
Walking ahead without looking back, she added casually,
"Because I've noticed..."
"...after your massages..."
"...I end up feeling something pretty similar."
Ethan visibly slowed.
Recovery... has that kind of side effect too?
After a moment's thought, he nodded.
"No problem."
"As a trade..." Max said while pushing him gently onto the bed, "...I'll give you one, too."
"Deal."
Ethan obediently lay face down.
"So..."
Max sat behind him and asked earnestly,
"Where do you want the massage?"
"Hmm..."
Ethan considered it.
"My back."
"Then..."
She leaned down close to his ear and whispered,
"And... what do you want me to use to give you that massage?"
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