AWDC Chapter 77
by VolareOn the other side, Mu Chuang had already brought Lin Xi back to the county government compound. His near-death escape attempt had pushed Mu Chuang’s fury to its peak.
He ordered the servants to take away all sharp objects from Lin Xi’s room, not even leaving him any porcelain jars, fearing he might break them to use as weapons.
After doing all this, he pinned Lin Xi to the bed and fiercely tormented him. “You’re getting bolder and bolder! Not only did you dare run away behind my back, but you also let Zhao Yuming go, and even thought about eloping with him! Have I been too lenient with you that you don’t take me seriously at all?”
He held Lin Xi down, one hand reaching under his robes to knead his thigh, a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes. “Don’t think I actually wouldn’t do anything to you, little brother. Now, I’m going to put an end to our past relationship and start a new one. I’m going to make you mine. I want you to call me ‘Husband.'”
He said it through gritted teeth, each word taking immense effort to cross his lips. Once the words were out, making that leap in their relationship, he felt a strange sense of liberation. [Note: The “liberation” shows that Mu Chuang has been suppressing his true feelings.]
But Lin Xi was stunned by his words. What he had secretly longed for was now being spoken aloud. He couldn’t deny the shock, but he was in no mood to appreciate it.
It wasn’t that he truly had no feelings for this man, but he felt wronged and hurt. He didn’t want to forgive him so easily, nor did he believe that Mu Chuang was sincere.
Lost in thought, the restless hand had slowly moved from his thigh to a certain… place, sending shivers down Lin Xi’s spine.
“Stop it!” Reacting, he grabbed the wandering hand, his heart pounding. “Take it away! You’re not allowed to do this!”
“Oh?” Mu Chuang chuckled, teasing him as Mu Fang [Note: This references his alternate identity from earlier in the story]. “What are you afraid of, Xiao Yu? We’ve done this before…”
“Or…” He immediately switched back to his real identity, a sly smile playing on his lips, “…does Xi Xi finally acknowledge me?”
“Too bad…” His expression instantly darkened, his smile turning wicked. “…I gave you all the chances you deserved. Now, even if you call me ‘Chuang-ge’ [Brother Chuang], I won’t let you off. Be a good boy and call me ‘Husband’, and maybe I’ll go a little easier on you.”
Mu Chuang ground his teeth, oozing with a roguish charm. [Note: This is playing on the “” quality]
Lin Xi shuddered involuntarily at the word “Husband,” the hairs on his body standing on end.
He had liked Mu Chuang before, but he had never imagined calling him that. Having it said so explicitly embarrassed him, and also filled him with anger.
But in this situation, he could only remain silent. He didn’t want to acknowledge the implied intimacy, nor did he want Mu Chuang to touch him. He simply fought him, tensing his body. When his strength wasn’t enough, he resorted to pinching. The moment Mu Chuang’s hand moved, he wouldn’t hesitate to sink his nails into his flesh.
“Ah—!” Mu Chuang cried out in pain, recoiling as if shocked. He saw a fingernail mark rising on the back of his hand, quickly turning red and gradually oozing blood.
“You really know how to hurt a person, you little ingrate! You have no loyalty at all. I’ve never been able to bring myself to lay a finger on you like that, and you actually have the heart to be so cruel?!”
Mu Chuang complained, showing his bleeding hand to Lin Xi. “Look at this! How much strength did you use? How deep did you pinch?”
Lin Xi remained silent, but thought to himself, “You nearly choked me to death! Don’t you feel ashamed saying that?”
But Mu Chuang, in that moment, seemed to have forgotten how he had treated Lin Xi in the past. Instead, he brought his bleeding hand to Lin Xi’s lips, joking in a twisted way, “Lick it clean for me. You drew the blood, you eat it.”
Lin Xi turned his face away, avoiding the offered hand, and remained silent…
He prayed, praying that Mu Chuang would let him go. He was also gambling, gambling on Mu Chuang’s mercy, hoping he wouldn’t go too far.
“You won’t eat?” Mu Chuang persistently brought his hand to Lin Xi’s lips, as if he were going to force-feed him. “If you won’t eat it, why did you draw the blood? If I don’t teach you a lesson today, you’ll be this cruel again in the future, won’t you?”
As he spoke, he actually smeared the blood on Lin Xi’s lips, even though they were tightly closed. The red stain deepened their color, making them look incredibly tempting.
Mu Chuang’s eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at those two crimson lips. Something must have crossed his mind, because he resumed his tormenting…
He turned Lin Xi’s face toward him, and then covered his mouth in a heated kiss. His tongue, tasting the blood on his lips, forced its way into his mouth, swirling around and stirring up a thick, metallic taste that made Lin Xi want to gag.
“Mmm… No…” Lin Xi struggled, trying to avoid the invasion. The taste of blood was unbearable.
“No what? Swallow it for me, be good. Don’t think I’m always indulging you and have no temper. I’ll let you have a taste today of what it’s like to anger me.”
Mu Chuang said between kisses, revealing snippets of words through his teeth. He didn’t stop until he had forced all the blood into Lin Xi’s mouth, then forced him to swallow it before finally pulling away.
“Don’t you dare spit it out,” he said, looking down at Lin Xi with an overbearing and unyielding expression. “If you dare spit it out, I’ll take you right here.”
Lin Xi’s stomach was churning, and he desperately wanted to vomit. Hearing those words, he swallowed hard, forcing it all down.
“Waaah…” He cried, feeling so wronged. This was the first time since his rebirth that he had cried so openly in front of Mu Chuang. “Waaah…”
He was like a child being bullied, running to Mu Chuang to complain, crying as if his heart would break.
Mu Chuang: …
For a moment, he really wanted to soften his attitude and coax him. But the thought of him trying to “elope” with Zhao Yuming reignited his anger.
“Crying?” He asked, knowing the answer. “Crying is good. If I don’t make you cry, you’ll really think I have no temper. Don’t think I’ll comfort you. Stop when you’re tired of crying.”
Mu Chuang hardened his face, pretending to be made of stone.
“Waaah…” Lin Xi continued to cry. It wasn’t that he was spoiled, but he truly felt wronged. His stomach was nauseous, and he couldn’t even throw up. Mu Chuang’s attitude, making him cry and then saying such harsh things, finally broke the dam of his long-repressed emotions.
“Waaah…” He continued to cry, his body convulsing. He was a pathetic mess, completely unlike the cool and aloof beauty he usually presented.
“Haha…” Mu Chuang suddenly laughed, laughing like a madman. “…Weren’t you trying to act? Trying to act cool and aloof so I wouldn’t dare touch you? Why aren’t you acting now? When you cry, you’re just a vulnerable little thing again!”
“Are you being good now?” He cupped Lin Xi’s cheeks in his hands, staring at his beautiful face. He kissed him everywhere – his forehead, eyelids, nose, cheeks, lips – even making loud kissing sounds on purpose. This made Lin Xi both angry and amused, and he instantly stopped crying.