Through the darkness, he heard Su Hui let out a soft laugh, followed by the faint rustle of fabric rubbing together and dropping to the floor. The “collar” was yanked taut once more. This time, the sensation of colliding against him was entirely different.

His lips brushed against incredibly smooth, soft skin. He didn’t dare make any reckless moves, but the force tugging at his neck carried a distinct direction, practically guiding him until his lips firmly pressed against it.

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. As the seconds ticked past, he endured the restraint until his lips began to tremble slightly.

“You may.”

The countless intimate encounters of their past seemed to culminate at this moment into a repeated experience of “conditioning,” transforming into executionary instinct the exact second the command was given. Yet, he hadn’t noticed that his restraint had made him more urgent, more fierce. His teeth nipped and ground against him several times, but Su Hui accommodated him beautifully.

That is, until he attempted to reach his hand out to hold Su Hui’s lower back, wanting to bury his face deeper into his body.

“No.”

The master withdrew the reward. “Wait.”

Ning Yixiao took a deep, heavy breath. He began to grow hyper-sensitive, to the point where he could distinctly hear the sound of Su Hui’s footsteps as he backed away, step by step.

“Where are you going?”

“To take a shower.”

“I’m coming too.” He attempted to stand up.

But Su Hui targeted him with another “wait,” adding, “You don’t need to.”

“Why?”

“You’re going to break a massive sweat in a little while anyway.”

The remark was highly novel. Ning Yixiao wasn’t someone who perspired easily—a fact Su Hui knew better than anyone.

The suite’s bedroom fell into a deathly silence. The sound of running water echoed from afar, muffled by the glass door, yet completely audible to his ears. He even attempted to focus his mind on work to distract himself, but his imagination proved to be far more powerful.

Ning Yixiao had never experienced such a agonizingly long wait.

Just as his patience neared its absolute limit, Su Hui returned, carrying the unfamiliar fragrance of the hotel’s body wash.

“You really sat here exactly like this the entire time.” A damp hand caressed his cheek. “Good puppy.”

Ning Yixiao felt a frantic urge to rip off the sleep mask right this second. If only the belt had bound his hands instead; at least then he would truly be unable to reach out. But it wasn’t. He hadn’t been restricted in any physical capacity.

It was pure conditioning.

The caressing hand didn’t pull away, and he instinctively nuzzled his face against it. In that exact instant, Su Hui’s hand shifted downward, giving his shoulder a gentle push. He reclined onto the mattress naturally. The hotel’s mattress was as soft as the fluffiest marshmallow. He could feel the mattress dipping down on both sides of his head, left and right.

Slender calves flanked both sides of his arms.

“The bridge of your nose is so hot… are you still running a fever?” Su Hui’s sharp intake of breath was far more terrifying than any verbal command. “No nuzzling allowed.”

Calm down.

Don’t move.

A wicked finger pried open his tightly closed lips.

“You’re so tense.” Su Hui laughed again. “I love seeing you like this, completely stripped of your usual composure.” The finger probed deeper, his index and middle fingers pinching the tip of his tongue, as though trying to pull it out to force him to break the rules.

Ning Yixiao gripped the bedsheets with immense force. He fought desperately to restrain himself—he couldn’t grab his thighs, he couldn’t pin him down all at once.

Time, coupled with Su Hui’s gentle, rhythmic friction against him, acted like two blunt knives slowly wearing him down.

Once more, right when he was on the verge of total collapse, Su Hui sat over him properly and removed his sleep mask, granting him the command—the reward—to “consume.” He carried only a single requirement: be gentler.

The entire night progressed in this manner. Ning Yixiao was pulled back and forth between fierce restraint and total indulgence, like a puppy sitting obediently before its master, listening to a continuous string of commands. Spin. Sit. Speak. Lie down. Eat. Wait… He had to obey, execute, and learn the art of delayed gratification before he could receive his reward.

Su Hui’s demands came without warning, calling a halt at any given second, not permitting even a single extra movement.

Ning Yixiao had never broken such a heavy sweat in his life. Perspiration slid down the bridge of his nose, dangling precariously at the tip before dripping onto Su Hui’s collarbone. His hand pressed firmly against Su Hui’s tattoo, while his other hand wanted to touch the shining piercing at his waist, but it wasn’t allowed.

Su Hui didn’t seem to have had his fill of the game yet.

“Pick me up.”

Though the request was phrased vaguely, Ning Yixiao executed it with absolute clarity. Grabbing both of Su Hui’s hands, he gave a gentle pull, hoisting him up to hold him securely within his embrace.

“Can I touch your back?” Ning Yixiao buried his face into the damp crook of his neck, inhaling deeply.

“You can rest your hands there. No moving.”

Inhaling sharply, he obediently rested his palms against Su Hui’s shoulder blades. Yet, his palms still managed to caress him thoroughly—up and down, agonizingly slow.

Su Hui emphasized the “no moving” rule once more. But Ning Yixiao simply couldn’t sustain this state any longer. He couldn’t touch, couldn’t kiss, not even his shoulder. He could only watch. This would drive absolutely anyone to their absolute breaking point.

And breaking him was exactly what Su Hui intended. Ning Yixiao suddenly felt a surge of amusement—how did this little cat suddenly develop such an intense competitive streak?

A devious little cat. He lowered his head, staring fixedly at him.

The pace grew slower and slower. Was he losing his strength? It felt as though it had been many times already.

Yet, Ning Yixiao hadn’t given in even once.

Ning Yixiao breathed deeply, tilting his head back to stare at the faint patterns on the ceiling, attempting to divert his attention by deciphering what they were. After all, in any form of competition, he refused to lose; he absolutely loathed losing. His competitive drive was terrifyingly intense.

Su Hui sensed this as well. Leaning in close, he kissed the side of his neck, speaking in a tone he considered seductive but was actually incredibly adorable: “You really aren’t getting angry at all.”

“I’ve worked so hard, even treating you like a puppy to train at a time like this…”

I was always your puppy to begin with. Ning Yixiao drifted into a brief daze.

“I promised you I would do whatever you wanted, and I keep my word.”

Su Hui was panting even while laughing. He clung to Ning Yixiao’s neck, showering him with light, dense kisses stretching from his collarbone to the side of his ear. Then, as if a sudden thought struck him, he paused for a fraction of a second before speaking right against his ear.

“Ning Yixiao.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s almost over, isn’t it?”

Over? This quickly?

“My hubby is coming back soon, hurry up.”

Ning Yixiao froze. He lowered his head to look at Su Hui, narrowing his eyes as he tilted his head slightly.

“Your hubby?”

Su Hui nodded. His usually pale cheeks were flushed with an uncharacteristic crimson, and a thin layer of sweat glinted subtly under the ambient light, looking exceptionally beautiful. A beauty that carried a hint of malice.

“Look at what time it is, he’ll be back in a bit…”

Before Su Hui could finish his sentence, a faint click of a tongue cut him off—just a single, sharp sound. Ning Yixiao nodded deeply and slowly, raising an eyebrow as his hand, which rested against his back, slid downward to deliver two sharp slaps.

Su Hui felt him pull away completely.

“Huh?”

His brain short-circuited. The expression vanished from Su Hui’s face. He began to frantically reflect on whether he had taken things a step too far.

“Yixiao, don’t…”

Are we not continuing?

Is it over?

As if he could read his mind, Ning Yixiao responded.

“No.” He kept his head lowered, his expression unreadable as his withdrawing hand unfastened something.

“I just suddenly don’t want to wear it anymore.”

Su Hui’s shoulders were pushed back with immense force. The moment he collapsed onto the mattress, his vision dimmed significantly—Ning Yixiao’s broad shoulders blocked out the majority of the light, casting a thoroughly dark shadow over his face.

Yet, his tone carried a trace of amusement as he said, “Your husband should be able to forgive me, right?”

The dynamics of dominance shifted instantly. Ning Yixiao had been successfully provoked, losing the game, but the initial reward had transformed into an exceptionally, exceptionally terrifying punishment.

However, it was all the same to Su Hui. After all, the heavier the punishment, the more Ning Yixiao lost control—and the more he lost control, the more Su Hui loved it. What he hadn’t anticipated, however, was that he would black out.

The moment he opened his eyes, Su Hui felt as though he had just awakened from a terribly long nightmare. Though he had forgotten the exact contents, the residual panic and loneliness from the dream still lingered. But then he realized he was cradled securely in Ning Yixiao’s arms.

“You’re awake?” Ning Yixiao noticed instantly, smoothing a soothing hand over his lower back before pressing a kiss against his shoulder.

“What time is it…” He lifted his face, nuzzling against Ning Yixiao’s chin. “Did I sleep for a very long time?”

“To be precise, you fainted in the bathroom, likely due to a lack of oxygen.” Ning Yixiao’s voice carried a trace of gravity. “I even had Carl call a private doctor up to check on you. Fortunately, it was nothing…”

“You called a doctor!??” Su Hui shrieked. “Then, we… our…” His face instantly turned a violent shade of crimson. He looked down at himself, then up at Ning Yixiao.

Both of them were clad in pajamas. Thank goodness.

Given Ning Yixiao’s petty streaks, he probably wouldn’t let things get completely out of hand in front of outsiders. Still, this room was an absolute shambles; being fully dressed was merely a textbook example of “protesting too much.”

Amused, Ning Yixiao lifted his chin. “What? Are you afraid of our affair being exposed?”

“Why are you still holding onto that?” Su Hui muttered softly.

Refusing to let the matter drop, Ning Yixiao raised an eyebrow. “When are you getting a divorce? I don’t want to live this kind of life without an official title anymore. If you don’t divorce him, I’m going to force his hand.”

Su Hui bit his hand. “…You are incredibly petty.”

Ning Yixiao mimicked his tone perfectly, “You are incredibly bold.”

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

After a moment, Ning Yixiao admitted honestly, “The moment you said ‘my hubby is coming back,’ I was instantly transported back to last year, right here, hearing you call out Liang Wen’s name… You truly know exactly how to provoke me.” He uttered the words almost through gritted teeth.

Su Hui smiled, pinching his cheek. “No wonder your revenge was so fierce. You haven’t been this, this, this…”

“…this wicked in a very long time,” Ning Yixiao finished the sentence for him, otherwise he had no idea how many more adverbs of degree Su Hui would deploy to describe his sins.

Su Hui offered a highly innocent smile, leaning against his shoulder as he lay quietly for a rare moment of tranquility.

“It feels like it’s snowing outside,” he whispered softly.

Ning Yixiao looked slightly surprised. “How do you know?”

“Did I guess correctly?” Su Hui asked with a grin.

“Mm.” Ning Yixiao kissed his forehead. “When Carl and the others arrived, they mentioned it had started snowing.”

What a coincidence. It had been the exact same last year.

Su Hui drifted into a quiet contemplation. He was terrified that the moment he stopped talking, the memories of their separation would return to haunt him. Thus, he began to ramble aimlessly about how busy he had been lately, leaving him no time to keep him company, and how exhausting his manic phases were despite his inability to sleep.

Ning Yixiao combed through his hair with his fingers, asking casually, “Did you not buy anything during this manic phase? I didn’t see any activity on your card.”

“I did buy something. I used my own card,” Su Hui said.

“What did you buy?”

“Just… a few paintings? They were quite expensive, though.”

“How expensive?”

Leaning close to his ear, Su Hui whispered a figure and watched Ning Yixiao’s expression. Yet, Ning Yixiao remained entirely unbothered upon hearing it.

“Does that even qualify as expensive?”

Su Hui was utterly shocked. “How is that not expensive?!”

“It’s not even as expensive as the item I purchased recently,” Ning Yixiao countered.

“What did you buy?” Su Hui blinked curiously.

Ning Yixiao pointed toward the bed.

“The bed?”

He shook his head, pointing further upward.

Su Hui followed his gesture, looking up. “…The light fixture?”

Ning Yixiao shook his head again. “Guess again. Think bigger.”

Su Hui frowned, lost in thought for a moment before the realization suddenly dawned on him. “This room? Did you book Room 2208 permanently?”

Ning Yixiao smiled. He sat up, turning his face to reach his hand toward the nightstand. “How are you feeling right now? Do your hands have enough strength to write?”

Confused, Su Hui blinked, propping his upper body up with his arms. He watched as Ning Yixiao retrieved a paper document along with the fountain pen Su Hui frequently used, setting them down right before his eyes.

“I bought this hotel.”

He handed the pen to Su Hui. “Leave your paw print.”

Su Hui froze in utter shock. It was a contract, its cover clearly bearing the words Asset Gift Deed. Ning Yixiao flipped to the final page; the donor’s side on the left already carried his signature, while the right side remained blank.

Smiling warmly, with an effortless casualness that felt as though he were merely gifting a common apple on Christmas Eve, Ning Yixiao presented an unimaginable gift to Su Hui on this fateful, snowy night in Seattle.

“Happy reunion.”

__

Carl: Shaw, aren’t we a tech company? Why are you suddenly acquiring a hotel??

Ning Yixiao: Are you questioning my executive decisions?

Carl: Shaw, you’re gifting this entire hotel to Eddy??

Ning Yixiao: Don’t you think you’re showing an excessive amount of concern regarding your superior’s private life?

Carl (who received a phone call at midnight and rushed to the hotel with a doctor): Do you honestly think I want to show this much concern????