Don't You like Little Dogs? Now that I'm Taking Liberties, You're Suddenly Reluctant? - Chapter 21

A week later, Jiang Si was invited to a gala for New City’s political and business elite.

Such occasions were glamorous on the surface but treacherous underneath essential venues for gathering intelligence and expanding networks. The ballroom was a sea of gold and silk, filled with the scent of expensive perfume and the soft rustle of evening gowns.

Pei Ye, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, stood a steady half-step behind Jiang Si. He had suppressed all his killing intent, his gaze sharp and professional as he scanned the room like a hawk. However, the majority of his attention remained fixed on the composed figure maneuvering through the crowd ahead.

Jiang Si navigated the room with practiced ease, a polite smile touching his lips. He was elegant, yet he radiated a natural authority that made people hesitate to look him directly in the eye.

Halfway through the gala, a middle-aged man with a protruding beer belly and a greasy smile approached. This was Wang, the CEO of a construction firm. He shook Jiang Si’s hand with exaggerated warmth, letting his fingers linger on the back of Jiang Si’s hand for several seconds too long. He leaned in uncomfortably close, whispering something while his eyes shimmered with unmasked lechery.

“Mr. Jiang is truly young and promising, a fine specimen of a man. I’ve been wanting to have a deep conversation with you for quite some time. I wonder if you’re free tonight…”

The smile on Jiang Si’s face didn’t waver if anything, it deepened but his eyes turned to ice. He pulled his hand back smoothly, his tone flat: “Mr. Wang jokes. I’m afraid tonight is not convenient.”

Standing behind him, every muscle in Pei Ye’s body coiled tight. A wave of violent killing intent nearly shattered his logic.

How dare he touch his Master like that.

He wanted to lunge forward, snap that filthy pig-hand, and slam the bastard into the floor for daring to covet what belonged to Jiang Si. But his feet were pinned to the spot. Without Jiang Si’s order, he could not move. He only narrowed his eyes, his gaze locking onto Wang like a poisoned ice pick.

“Haha! alright then. Another time, then.” Wang, rejected by Jiang Si and feeling the bone-chilling stare from the bodyguard behind, chuckled nervously and scurried away.

The banquet finally ended. Rain drummed against the hotel’s magnificent glass dome.

A black sedan waited at the entrance. Pei Ye opened the door for Jiang Si. Before Jiang Si leaned into the car, Pei Ye spoke quickly in a low voice: “Master, please go ahead. I have a small matter to handle; I’ll be back shortly.”

Jiang Si paused, glancing at him. The neon lights reflected in the depths of his dark eyes, making his emotions unreadable. The corner of his mouth seemed to twitch almost imperceptibly, he asked nothing, only gave a faint “Mm” before sitting inside.

The car door closed.

Pei Ye turned instantly. His gaze, like an owl tracking prey, locked onto the bloated figure of Mr. Wang walking toward a secluded corner of the parking lot.

Found you.

The rain grew heavier.

Mr. Wang was humming a tune as he pulled his car door open. Just as he sat down, the passenger door was yanked open. A cold figure sat inside, bringing with him a gust of wet, freezing air.

“Who?!” Wang jumped. When he recognized Jiang Si’s terrifying bodyguard, his face paled. “You… what are you doing? I am—”

Before he could finish, a heavy punch slammed into his stomach.

“Ugh!” Wang’s eyes bulged in pain. His scream was instantly muffled by a cold, firm hand.

“Mmph! Mmp—!”

In the next second, he was dragged out of the car like a bag of trash. His back hit the muddy concrete as he was hauled into a dark, deserted alleyway beside the parking lot.

“Ah! You… what are you going to…”

The rain poured over him. Wang struggled futiley against the irresistible force pinning him down. The alley reeked of rotting trash, illuminated only by a flickering yellow streetlamp.

Thud!

Pei Ye slammed him against the wet, filthy brick wall. Wang’s heavy body went limp as vomit and blood mixed with the rainwater at the corner of his mouth.

“Don’t… don’t kill me.” Before he could catch his breath, a rain of kicks and strikes descended. They precisely avoided vital organs but maximized the agony. The dull sound of snapping bones was clear even against the rain.

“Ha… ha…!” Wang lay in the mud like a pile of sludge, gasping for air. The rain washed over his swollen, deformed face.

Pei Ye slowly knelt down, rainwater dripping from his black hair. He reached out and brutally grabbed Wang by the hair, hoisting his head up to force him to look. “Pig.”

Pei Ye’s face held no expression—only an inhuman coldness. In the dim light, his dark eyes looked like abysses.

“Daring to use your filthy hands to touch my Master…” Pei Ye’s voice was low and raspy, like a demon’s whisper. Every word carried a bone-deep chill. “How exactly do you want to die?”

Wang’s pupils were dilated with sheer terror. He made a rattling sound in his throat but couldn’t utter a word.

Tap.

The sound of a leather sole against the pavement.

Pei Ye’s movements froze. He realized someone was at the mouth of the alley. He slowly raised his head, looking through the dense curtain of rain.

A large black umbrella stood there silently. The canopy tilted slightly, obscuring most of the person’s figure, revealing only a sharp jawline and a hand in a black leather glove gripping the handle.

But Pei Ye recognized him instantly. It was Jiang Si.

He had no idea how long Jiang Si had been standing there. Water streamed from the edges of the umbrella. Jiang Si stood perfectly still, as if watching a rain-slicked drama that had nothing to do with him. Beneath the umbrella, his gaze pierced through the rain, landing on Pei Ye with a coldness that was part curiosity, part scrutiny.

Pei Ye’s heart sank to the bottom.

Thud. He let go, and Wang’s head hit the ground with a dull sound.

Pei Ye stood up quickly, rain streaming down his face. He looked at Jiang Si, unsure of how to react. He had been caught. The most wretched, violent, and out-of-control side of himself had been fully exposed to his Master.

Jiang Si didn’t move, nor did he speak. He just watched.

Pei Ye took a breath of the freezing air and stepped forward, walking out of the dark alley toward the black umbrella. The rain soaked him to the bone; his expensive suit clung to his frame, leaving him looking disheveled, yet his back remained perfectly straight.

He stopped a pace away from Jiang Si, his head bowed, not daring to look him in the eye. His voice was dry. “…Master.”

Jiang Si’s gaze traveled over his soaked body, over his knuckles stained with blood and sludge, and finally settled on his face. “What are you doing?”

It sounded more like a statement than a question.

“…Handling trash,” Pei Ye replied in a low voice.

Suddenly, Jiang Si tilted the black umbrella toward Pei Ye, shielding him from the rain. Pei Ye froze, then instinctively reached out to take the handle. He held the umbrella steady for Jiang Si, leaving half of his own body still exposed to the downpour.

In the next second, Jiang Si raised his hand. His gloved fingertip reached toward Pei Ye’s cheek.

Pei Ye’s body stiffened. He instinctively wanted to turn his head away not out of rejection, but because he had just touched something filthy. He was covered in rain and blood; he felt unworthy of his Master’s touch.

But he stopped under Jiang Si’s steady gaze.

The cool sensation of leather pressed against his cold cheek. Jiang Si’s fingertip slowly traced over a small speck of blood on Pei Ye’s cheekbone, as if he were inspecting a piece of art.

“Master… don’t touch. It’s dirty,” Pei Ye whispered, his voice trembling slightly.

“It’s already dirty,” Jiang Si said. His voice was calm, revealing neither anger nor pleasure, as if merely stating a fact.

Pei Ye’s heart constricted. A mixture of shame, fear, and the thrill of being touched swept over him.

Jiang Si withdrew his hand and turned toward the car parked nearby. “Clean it up. Come home.”

“…Yes.”

Pei Ye turned back into the alley to finish the job. As he reached the shadows, he took a deep breath. Despite the freezing autumn night, his skin felt scalding. From the moment Jiang Si touched him, the tips of his ears had turned a deep, unmistakable red.

Back at the penthouse, Pei Ye went straight to the bathroom to wash away the blood and filth. Under the hot stream of the shower, steam filled the air. He stood there with his eyes closed, letting the water run over him. Jiang Si’s words, “It’s already dirty,” and the sensation of the leather glove were seared into his senses.

He turned off the water and wiped himself down. His gaze drifted to the mirror. The glass was blurred with steam, showing only a pale silhouette. He stepped forward and wiped the surface clean.

His reflection came into focus. His young, muscular body was a map of old and new scars, a silent testament to his past. Water dripped from his black hair.

His eyes eventually settled on the spot over his heart. There, the black letters “Jiang Si” sat quietly. The hot water had made them stand out even more clearly, as if they had truly merged with his flesh, beating in time with his heart.

Pei Ye’s fingertips brushed over the tattoo. His expression turned dark and complex.

He must never see this.

The thought was clearer and stronger than ever before. This wasn’t just a name; it was the final sanctuary for all his unspeakable, twisted desires and loyalty. It was his final boundary, and his most fatal weakness.

If it were seen, he didn’t know what would happen. Perhaps total disgust, or a consequence even more terrifying than he could imagine.

He pulled on clean clothes, hiding the name once more, acting as if nothing had happened. But deep in his eyes, the obsessive dark fire burned more silently and more fiercely than ever.

Outside, the rain continued to fall against the glass. Pei Ye took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom.