Don't Bait Me Anymore! - Chapter 17

Sheng Yan was genuinely surprised when Gu Zhiyi suddenly enveloped him from behind. He hadn’t expected such intense aggression from him, yet at the same time, Gu Zhiyi had instinctively learned to use feigned vulnerability to initiate a flirtatious exchange.

The surprise lasted only a moment, and Sheng Yan had no intention of stopping him. Of course, he wouldn’t let Gu Zhiyi have his way so easily.

“I can teach you,” Sheng Yan finally spoke. Though still completely pinned down by Gu Zhiyi, he had to strain his neck to turn his head and speak. His voice trembled slightly with desire, yet his tone remained unyielding. In fact, he abruptly shifted the conversation, adding a hint of arrogance. “But there’s a tuition fee.”

Gu Zhiyi paused, his voice hoarse. “How do you collect it?”

Seizing the opportunity, Sheng Yan suddenly exerted force, twisting around to face Gu Zhiyi. He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he curved his eyes and slowly leaned in, closing the distance between them, inch by inch…

Until their noses were nearly touching, their breath mingling.

Until only a hair’s breadth separated their lips.

Gu Zhiyi instinctively closed his eyes.

Perhaps it was merely a reflex born of a blank mind, or perhaps, an unconscious flicker of anticipation.

Sheng Yan froze, his hand hovering just inches from Gu Zhiyi’s lips, not daring to complete the kiss.

“It’s simple,” Sheng Yan said, maintaining the overly intimate pose. “Beat me in a round, and I’ll teach you.”

As he spoke, his warm breath fanned across Gu Zhiyi’s nose and the corner of his mouth a kiss without substance.

Before Gu Zhiyi could react, Sheng Yan ducked nimbly, slipping free from his embrace.

A moment later, Gu Zhiyi’s eyes snapped open.

Realizing he’d been teased by Sheng Yan yet again, Gu Zhiyi pressed his tongue hard against his canine tooth.

“Brother, you’re doing it again…” he began, perhaps to protest, but his words died as he met Sheng Yan’s gaze.

Sheng Yan now stood at one of the targets, bow raised and string taut. His shoulders were fully extended, the curve of his shoulder blades as beautiful as butterfly wings poised for flight.

He turned to look at Gu Zhiyi, his expression teasing, even provocative, yet the unmistakable desire in his eyes wove a uniquely seductive spell.

Gu Zhiyi’s gaze darkened. He strode to the other target, picked up his bow, and nocked an arrow.

“If I win,” he said, emphasizing each word, “you’d better keep your word, Brother.”

His voice was hoarse, almost to the point of tasting blood.

He had arrows nocked on his bowstring, ready to fire, yet he had to shoot the one in his hand first a test of endurance few could withstand.

But Sheng Yan had made a promise, leaving him no room to refuse.

“Of course, I’ll keep my word,” Sheng Yan replied with a smile, already releasing his first arrow.

The arrow flew with extraordinary force, a flawless shot that struck the bullseye.

Seeing the result, Sheng Yan’s smile widened. Instead of immediately nocking a second arrow, he turned to Gu Zhiyi and, with deliberate courtesy, gestured. “Your turn.”

Gu Zhiyi murmured an “Mm” and readjusted his stance, drawing the bowstring taut and aiming.

His posture was equally perfect, his broad shoulders and narrow waist accentuated to perfection by the pose.

His thin lips were pressed together, his jawline slightly tensed, his profile exuding a hint of desperate resolve.

Clearly, Gu Zhiyi was taking this seriously, his gaze intensely focused.

Just as he was about to release the arrow, Sheng Yan suddenly spoke, his tone playfully teasing: “Xiao Gu, that look in your eyes right now is incredible—it’s making my knees go weak.”

He lingered on the last two words, “knees go weak,” drawing them out slowly, as if they were tiny hooks spiraling into Gu Zhiyi’s ear.

The instant Sheng Yan’s voice reached his ears, Gu Zhiyi’s fingers instinctively tightened their grip on the bowstring by another two points.

The arrow shot forward, but veered sharply to the left, barely grazing the edge of the nine-ring target.

“Brother…” Gu Zhiyi whipped his head around to face Sheng Yan, his voice hoarse. “Did you do that on purpose?”

How could he possibly remain unmoved when Sheng Yan chose to say such things right before he released the arrow?

Sheng Yan blinked innocently. “What do you mean, ‘on purpose’? I was just speaking my mind, telling the truth.”

Gu Zhiyi was left speechless. He pressed his lips together, and after a long silence, he grumbled, “Next time you have something to say, could you wait until I’ve shot the arrow?”

This time, Sheng Yan didn’t agree. He casually replied, “Depends on my mood,” and loosed a second arrow.

It wasn’t as precise as the first, but it still landed within the ten-ring.

Gu Zhiyi had no choice but to refocus on his own technique. He nocked another arrow, drew the bow, and settled into position.

Yet…

Sheng Yan spoke again: “Actually, I’ve been meaning to say this since I was teaching you how to shoot. Your back muscle strength is exceptional. No wonder you were able to hold that same position for so long the other night.”

Sheng Yan spoke with a surprisingly serious tone, as if he were genuinely analyzing the situation.

But the content of his analysis…

It was utterly unbearable to hear!

Gu Zhiyi instinctively opened his mouth to say something, but before he could make a sound, the arrow had already left the bow.

Undoubtedly, the arrow flew upward, this time even missing the eight-ring…

Gu Zhiyi didn’t need to look to know the outcome would be disastrous.

Because you can’t open your mouth while drawing the bow.

It was a fundamental rule he’d learned the first time he practiced archery, yet he’d just made such a basic mistake…

“Brother, you really didn’t do it on purpose, did you?” Gu Zhiyi couldn’t help asking again.

This time, his voice was deeper, tinged with a hint of woundedness.

But Sheng Yan looked even more innocent than before, his eyebrows arching as he asked with a light tone, “Don’t you want me to praise you?”

That was too serious an accusation.

Gu Zhiyi immediately shook his head in denial. “No, I do want you to.”

After a pause, he tried again to make his request. “But couldn’t you really wait until I’ve finished shooting before praising me…?”

Remembering Chen Cheng’s attitude toward Sheng Yan earlier, Gu Zhiyi even adopted the same tactic. “If you praise me, I’ll lose my focus.”

He would have been mortified to say such a thing before, ashamed to show weakness.

But perhaps after the first time, it quickly became natural.

For Gu Zhiyi now, the priority was to stop Sheng Yan from distracting him. Otherwise, how could he possibly win?

But to Gu Zhiyi’s surprise, this act of “weakness” didn’t achieve the desired result.

“You even want to set a time limit for my praise?” Sheng Yan raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “You’re trying to control me now, huh?”

Gu Zhiyi was instantly speechless.

He had never been good at arguing with people, and in most situations, he had never needed to. But with Sheng Yan, it was different; he was particularly bad at it and didn’t want to argue with him at all.

After a long pause, he could only grumble a muffled “No.”

Sheng Yan, suppressing a smile, shot his third arrow, still hitting within the ten-ring.

Gu Zhiyi nocked another arrow, drew his bow, and aimed.

This time, he had braced himself for Sheng Yan to say something to distract him again, but to his surprise, Sheng Yan remained silent.

Finally, Gu Zhiyi managed to perform normally, hitting the bullseye with a single shot. This earned him a genuine “Beautiful” from Sheng Yan.

The corners of Gu Zhiyi’s tense lips softened slightly.

But when the next round began, Sheng Yan started again, growing bolder with each comment—

“Yes, exactly like that. The way you brace the bowstring between your nose and lips when you draw it is really sexy.”

“By the way, you asked why I’m still wearing your shirt today. It’s not just because it was convenient. It’s because I love the way it smells, it still lingers even after washing. Wearing it feels like being held in your arms.”

“Xiao Gu, have I ever told you how much I love your hands? They’re especially striking when you draw the bow. The distinct knuckles… hmm, there’s such a pure sense of control. It makes me want to imagine what it would feel like to be held by that hand around my waist…”

Gu Zhiyi found himself increasingly unable to cope.

He either dropped his arrows or, when he managed to shoot them, they flew wildly off course.

Hitting the eight-ring was considered a good result.

Appealing to Sheng Yan’s sense of fairness or begging for mercy proved useless. Sheng Yan initially feigned innocence, but soon simply wore the label of “mischievous” on his face.

Helpless, Gu Zhiyi had to find a way on his own.

He tried silently reciting strategic management concepts in his mind, which calmed him slightly, and he finally managed to shoot a nine.

But with only three shots left, his match against Sheng Yan would soon be over.

He had virtually no hope of winning unless…

Unless Sheng Yan missed all three remaining shots or hit the target’s edge, while he himself hit the bullseye every time…

Both conditions were clearly extremely difficult to achieve, but Gu Zhiyi still wanted to try.

So as Sheng Yan drew his bow again, Gu Zhiyi suddenly spoke, his voice awkward but sincere: “The way you shoot, Brother, is truly captivating.”

As soon as the words left his lips, he stared intently at Sheng Yan’s movements.

But Sheng Yan only paused for an extremely brief moment before swiftly regaining his composure, aiming, and releasing the arrow.

Instead of falling or missing the target as Gu Zhiyi had hoped, the arrow struck the bullseye…

Sheng Yan tilted his head and chuckled, asking, “Is it only the way you shoot that’s captivating? You said something similar that night…”

They both knew exactly which night he was referring to.

Having failed to seduce Sheng Yan and instead being seduced himself, Gu Zhiyi’s breathing grew tight.

Forcing himself to rely on his strategic management knowledge, he managed to hit the nine-ring again.

On the second-to-last shot, the two men moved with surprising synchronicity, neither speaking a word.

Sheng Yan hit the ten-ring, while Gu Zhiyi struck the bullseye.

The final shot—

By this point, the outcome was already decided. Gu Zhiyi had lost completely.

Perhaps it was the long suppression that had made the frustration well up in his chest, desperately needing an outlet.

Or perhaps, having lost the chance to “spar with Sheng Yan in archery,” he simply needed to vent his frustration with a few cutting words.

Whatever the reason, as Sheng Yan drew his bow for the final shot, Gu Zhiyi suddenly spoke a phrase he would never have uttered before a crude, direct, and utterly uncharacteristic declaration: “Brother, I want to fuck you.”

His voice was hoarse, low, and deep, thick with a lewd yet utterly pure desire.

It stood in stark contrast to Gu Zhiyi’s usual aloof and composed demeanor.

Startled by Gu Zhiyi’s words, Sheng Yan suddenly tightened his draw too much. With a clack, the final arrow slipped from his fingers and clattered to the ground.

Gu Zhiyi’s eyes trembled.

Instead of immediately picking up the arrow, Sheng Yan lowered his bowstring and strode toward Gu Zhiyi.

His lips curled into a wide grin, his eyes sparkling with unconcealed delight. “Xiao Gu,” he said, his tone dripping with pleasure, “I must say, you’re surprisingly hot when you get a little rough like this.”

Like Sheng Yan’s favorite brandy.

But before Gu Zhiyi could respond, Sheng Yan’s tone shifted abruptly, his voice laced with mock pity, yet his words were cruelly sharp. “But you’re destined to fail today, aren’t you? So, are you still going to shoot that last arrow?”

Gu Zhiyi’s breathing hitched.

He lowered his gaze to stare fixedly at Sheng Yan, the fiery intensity in his eyes nearly solidifying, threatening to burn Sheng Yan to ashes.

After a long moment, his thin lips parted to utter a single word: “Shoot.”

With that, he broke eye contact with Sheng Yan and nocked his final arrow, adjusting his stance.

The answer he expected, Sheng Yan’s lips curved silently.

Gu Zhiyi possessed a stubbornness that less mature men couldn’t understand, yet Sheng Yan found it irresistible.

This time, Sheng Yan didn’t play any more malicious games. Gu Zhiyi, to his credit, performed exceptionally well, once again hitting the bullseye.

But that couldn’t change the fact that he had lost.

After lowering his bowstring, Gu Zhiyi still didn’t look at Sheng Yan. He strode toward the door.

Sheng Yan paused for a moment before calling out, “Where are you going? Are you mad at me?”

Gu Zhiyi stopped and turned back, spitting out three terse words: “The bathroom.”

After a pause, his voice dropped even lower. “I’m not angry. It’s just that Brother doesn’t want me to win, so I’ll have to take care of it myself.”

In reality, given the difference in their size and strength, Gu Zhiyi could easily have forced himself upon Sheng Yan.

But Gu Zhiyi’s bottom line wouldn’t allow it.

On the other hand, perhaps he still held a sliver of hope—

If he acted weak one more time, would Sheng Yan soften?

Sheng Yan did soften.

His original intention had been to tease the puppy, not to genuinely deny him anything.

But Gu Zhiyi had been too rough the day before, and Sheng Yan did want to rest for a day.

However, there was no need to let Gu Zhiyi know that for now.

But now, seeing the tall man standing by the door, his hands hanging limply, the corners of his eyes clearly reddening from restraint, yet still managing to utter such pitiful words.

Sheng Yan suddenly raised his hand and gently tapped Gu Zhiyi on the nose. “One more chance,” he said. “Beg me, and I’ll help you myself.”

When he said this, Sheng Yan had fully expected Gu Zhiyi to immediately blurt out, “Brother, please help me.”

But Gu Zhiyi’s eyes lit up for a fleeting moment before dimming. In the end, he shook his head and refused. “Never mind. I’ll accept defeat.”

Sheng Yan was taken aback.

He couldn’t tell whether Gu Zhiyi’s sense of order was truly that strong, or…

“You’d rather solve this yourself than beg me?” Sheng Yan couldn’t help asking.

But Gu Zhiyi shook his head again.

“No,” he explained sincerely. “It’s just that Brother has been shooting arrows for so long today. Your hands must be tired. I don’t want to make them even more tired.”

At this critical moment, with the arrow drawn taut and the tension almost unbearable, Gu Zhiyi was still thinking of this…

It was unexpectedly considerate.

Sheng Yan was stunned again, a warmth blooming in his chest.

He couldn’t help but sigh softly. “Xiao Gu, you’re bending the rules a bit, aren’t you?”

Sheng Yan’s words were so soft, almost a whisper, that Gu Zhiyi didn’t quite catch them. He instinctively asked, “Hmm?”

But Sheng Yan didn’t repeat himself.

Instead, he suddenly took two more steps to the door and locked the archery room from the inside.

“Go behind the counter,” Sheng Yan instructed Gu Zhiyi, then turned and sat down on the soft sofa.

Gu Zhiyi was confused, but he still followed Sheng Yan’s instructions and approached him.

Sheng Yan rolled up the sides of his trousers to about his knees.

Two slender, straight, and flawless white calves were instantly revealed before Gu Zhiyi’s eyes.

The calves were covered in a layer of perfectly toned muscle, and Gu Zhiyi clearly remembered how they felt to the touch.

Delicate, yet firm.

Guessing what Sheng Yan intended, Gu Zhiyi’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily, and he croaked, “Brother…”

But before he could finish, a cool touch settled on his lips.

Sheng Yan’s fingertip pressed down gently.

“Shh—” Sheng Yan said softly, his eyes curving into a smile. “Be good. Brother will teach you some other games.”

As the last word faded, his calves rose and brushed against him.

Support