Don't You like Little Dogs? Now that I'm Taking Liberties, You're Suddenly Reluctant? - Chapter 22

The sound of rain drumming against the glass gradually faded, and the city sank into a false tranquility beneath the post-storm dampness.

The penthouse was exceptionally soundproof; almost no external noise could penetrate its walls, leaving only the faint hum of the central air conditioning. Jiang Si’s bedroom occupied the best vantage point of the apartment spacious, cold, and meticulously organized, much like the man himself.

He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, a nearly finished cigarette held between his fingers. Outside, the blurred sea of neon lights had been washed clean by the rain.

“…Heh.” He let out a sudden, sigh-like sound and stubbed out the cigarette.

The images from the alleyway kept replaying in his mind. Pei Ye had looked like a thoroughly provoked young beast his movements ruthless, precise, and possessing a near-artistic brand of cruelty. The rain had soaked his black hair and suit, outlining a mature, athletic physique. It was a stark reminder to Jiang Si that Pei Ye was no longer the frail, scrawny child of seven years ago.

But the thing inside those eyes that hadn’t changed.

That gaze, a mixture of extreme loyalty, frantic possessiveness, and a suppressed intensity bordering on collapse had surfaced only for him since the boy was eleven.

“Handling trash…” Jiang Si whispered, repeating Pei Ye’s answer from the alley. A very faint curve touched his lips.

He knew exactly what Pei Ye was. He was a weapon Jiang Si had personally picked from a heap of corpses; a sharp tool he had “raised” and polished with his own hands. Pei Ye’s loyalty, his dependency, and even that twisted affection were all within Jiang Si’s expectations and control. He actually took pleasure in this warped growth; it was proof of his ownership and his power to shape another being.

Seeing Pei Ye lose control because someone else touched him had, in a way, amused him.

He didn’t care at all about that “pig” Wang’s life. He even admired the clean efficiency of Pei Ye’s methods—except for the end, where the boy’s emotions had flared a bit too much, leaving traces that would require a follow-up cleanup.

“It’s already dirty.”

He had truly thought that while looking at the blood and rain on Pei Ye’s face. But it wasn’t disgust; it was a statement of fact. His property had been stained with the filthy blood of others because of him. Yet, at the same time, this “filth” signified absolute belonging.

After all, Jiang Si had touched him, hadn’t he? Touched him, and in doing so, became “dirty” alongside him.

Jiang Si lowered his eyes, looking out at the city neon. The little dog he had raised was becoming more and more interesting. The blade was being tempered sharper and sharper, and it was pointing, more and more dangerously, toward the abyss within Jiang Si’s own heart.

Jiang Si didn’t mind the danger. He enjoyed the feeling of controlling it. No matter how powerful Pei Ye became, the child deep inside who feared abandonment and craved even a sliver of his attention remained unchanged. That was the strongest chain he used to leash this beast.

He only needed to ensure the blade’s edge was always pointed at outsiders and that it remained entirely under his command.

The next day.

Pei Ye was waiting in the living room early, dressed in a perfectly pressed black suit. There was no trace of the previous night’s rain or violence. His expression remained calm and restrained, but if one looked closely, they could find a faint, imperceptible tension in his eyes.

When Jiang Si stepped out of the bedroom, he was already dressed, the scent of cedar and tobacco following him. He glanced at Pei Ye without saying anything special and walked toward the dining room as usual.

“Good morning, Master,” Pei Ye’s voice was deeper than usual.

“Mm,” Jiang Si replied, sitting down to eat.

Breakfast was a simple Western style, quiet save for the slight clinking of cutlery. Pei Ye stood to the side with his gaze lowered, focused on playing the role of the assistant, but his senses were hyper-focused on the man in front of him.

He could feel Jiang Si’s gaze occasionally falling on him—calm and flat—yet it made his heart contract violently every time. The words “It’s already dirty” and the cold touch of those fingertips were still burning his nerves. He feared Jiang Si loathed his loss of control, yet he secretly craved that exclusive evaluation, even if it held a negative connotation.

“What are the arrangements for today, Master?” Pei Ye stepped forward respectfully after the meal.

Jiang Si wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Processing documents in the morning. In the afternoon, the ‘Dark Kiln’ has a new shipment of ‘goods’ arriving; I need to inspect them personally. You’re coming with me.”

The “Dark Kiln” was an underground trading post under the organization’s control—a den of vipers that often required a show of force to keep in line. This was the first time since Pei Ye’s return that he would truly accompany Jiang Si on a mission with potential danger.

Pei Ye’s eyes sharpened. “Yes.”

“Change into something easier to move in,” Jiang Si added, his gaze sweeping over the stiff suit. “That place isn’t a ballroom.”

“Understood.”

In the afternoon, a low-profile but high-performance black SUV drove toward the industrial zone on the edge of the city. Pei Ye had changed into tactical black clothes material that was durable and didn’t hinder movement with a holster and dagger hidden at his waist.

He sat in the driver’s seat, focused on the road. Jiang Si sat in the back with his eyes closed, resting. The atmosphere was silent. In the rearview mirror, Pei Ye could see Jiang Si’s sharp jawline and closed eyes. He knew Jiang Si wasn’t asleep; he was thinking.

The “Dark Kiln” was located beneath an abandoned factory. The entrance was hidden and required several rounds of inspection. When the guards saw Jiang Si’s car, they immediately stood aside with respect.

The underground space was vast and dimly lit, the air a cocktail of tobacco, cheap alcohol, and rusted metal. All manner of illicit trades were happening here. The crowd was bustling but kept to a strange, low murmur. When the “guests” saw Jiang Si enter, many gazes some filled with awe, others with fear darted his way before quickly looking away.

Jiang Si walked with a steady pace, and Pei Ye followed half a step behind him, his eyes like those of Cang Jun, scanning every corner for threats. He could feel countless eyes on Jiang Si greedy, malicious, calculating. His muscles were coiled, ready to explode at a moment’s notice.

“Fourth Brother, you’ve arrived,” a man who looked like a manager hurried over, bowing and scraping.

“Where are the goods?” Jiang Si asked directly.

“Inside, please follow me.”

They walked through the noisy hall toward a deeper warehouse partition. There were fewer people here, but the air felt more oppressive. Several crates were open, revealing brand-new weapons that glinted with a cold, metallic sheen.

Jiang Si stepped forward, picking up a pistol and expertly checking the trigger and magazine. His movements were highly professional. Pei Ye stood guard at his side, his gaze never leaving their surroundings. He noticed a few men in the corner of the partition whose eyes weren’t right—they kept staring at Jiang Si, exchanging subtle glances.

The trade seemed to be going smoothly. Once Jiang Si finished the inspection, he nodded, and the manager let out a breath of relief.

But the moment Jiang Si turned to leave, a man in the corner suddenly lunged—not at Jiang Si, but toward an iron barrel filled with flammable solvent!

Clang!

The pungent liquid splashed across the floor, and another man flicked a lighter almost simultaneously. Their goal wasn’t an assassination—they wanted to create chaos!

“Master!” Pei Ye’s reaction was incredibly fast.

The instant the lighter flickered, he had already shoved Jiang Si aside. Simultaneously, he delivered a powerful kick to an empty iron barrel in front of the flowing liquid! The barrel whistled through the air, slamming precisely into the wrist of the man with the lighter.

“Agh!” The man screamed as the lighter flew from his hand, arching through the air and landing right in the middle of the solvent.

Voom!

Flames erupted instantly. Though the fire wasn’t massive, it immediately ignited nearby debris, sending up thick plumes of smoke.

“Fire! Fire!” “Help! Help me!” “Run! Someone’s fighting over there!”

The scene descended into chaos. The crowd shrieked and shoved, fleeing in all directions.

“You’re asking for death!” Pei Ye’s eyes turned cold. Ignoring the fire, his body pounced like a leopard, heading straight for the men who had started the chaos. He moved so fast he was a mere black blur, his strikes utterly ruthless.

The men clearly hadn’t expected the young man by Jiang Si’s side to react so quickly or strike so hard. They pulled their guns in a panicked attempt to fight back.

Bang! Bang!

Several short gunshots rang out, piercing through the noise. Pei Ye dodged the bullets with a twist of his body, closed the distance, and batted away a gun barrel with one hand while the dagger in his other hand plunged into the man’s wrist without hesitation. He twisted the blade.

“AAAAAGH!”

The scream was quickly swallowed by the surrounding noise. Another man attacked from the side; without even looking, Pei Ye delivered a sharp back-kick to the man’s chest. The sound of snapping bone was clearly audible.

“Mad… Madman! Run! Get out of here!”

He was like a ghost, weaving through the chaos and the thick smoke. Every strike was accompanied by a scream and a fallen enemy. His goal was clear eliminate every potential factor that could threaten Jiang Si.

After being shoved aside, Jiang Si merely knit his brows slightly and regained his footing. He didn’t even look at the attackers; his gaze was fixed on Pei Ye the entire time. He watched Pei Ye clear the area with a method so efficient it was cruel, a faint trace of appreciation flickering in the depths of his eyes.

He truly was different from seven years ago. Not just in appearance, but in capability Pei Ye was no longer that helpless child. Now, he was capable of handling most missions alone, even “clearing the floor” on a massive scale.