Don't You like Little Dogs? Now that I'm Taking Liberties, You're Suddenly Reluctant? - Chapter 50

Beneath the night sky, Xincheng had shed its daytime bustle, replaced by the ambiguous glow of neon lights. Inside the city’s premier hotel, the Precious Diamond, the atmosphere was a mix of luxury and tension.

The lights in the top-floor private suite had been deliberately dimmed, leaving only a few warm yellow wall lamps and the flickering flames of candles in the center of the dining table. The long table was laden with a feast of food and expensive liquor, creating a rare sense of relaxation.

The Adjutant, Cang Jun, Feng Jun, Viper, Ghost, and Blood Butcher had already arrived. When they saw Jiang Si enter with Pei Ye, everyone stood up.

“Fourth Brother.”

Greetings rose from across the room. They were as respectful as ever, but they carried a genuine ease that was less formulaic than usual. Jiang Si waved them off casually, signaling for everyone to sit.

He naturally walked to the head of the table. Pei Ye instinctively moved to sit slightly behind and to the side of him, but he was stopped by a single look from Jiang Si. Jiang Si tapped the empty seat directly next to him.

Pei Ye paused. Under the knowing gazes of the others, he walked over and sat down in silence. His body remained ramrod straight, appearing somewhat stiff. His Master had blatantly allowed him to sit in the closest possible position. His Master was serious.

The Adjutant’s expression remained unchanged, as if this was exactly how things should be. He stood up to pour Jiang Si a drink, then looked at Pei Ye. “Pei Ye, what are you drinking?”

“Just water,” Pei Ye said softly.

“Tsk, Xiao Liu, that is no fun.” Feng Jun was the first to chime in, wearing a sly grin. “On an occasion like this, you have to drink something, right? Is that not right, Fourth Brother?”

He was bold enough to toss the topic directly to Jiang Si. Jiang Si glanced at Feng Jun without saying a word, but he pushed his freshly poured glass of whiskey toward Pei Ye. The meaning was clear.

Pei Ye looked at the amber liquid and then at Jiang Si. Finally, he reached out and took the glass. As his fingertips touched the rim, he could still feel the warmth from where Jiang Si had just held it.

“That is more like it!” Feng Jun laughed triumphantly.

The dinner began. Conversations opened up, ranging from anecdotes about recent missions to insights on weapon modifications and harmless bickering.

Cang Jun remained steady, speaking little but always hitting the mark when he did. Feng Jun was the primary force behind the lively atmosphere, being foul-mouthed and frantic yet knowing exactly how far to push. Viper seemed to be whispering something to Blood Butcher, while Ghost sat to the side, tinkering with something that looked like a handheld game console.

Pei Ye remained silent for most of the time, eating quietly. He only gave brief answers when Jiang Si or the others spoke to him. However, his presence was undeniable, especially since Jiang Si would naturally move certain dishes closer to him. These small gestures were noticed by everyone.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became even more active. Feng Jun started looking for trouble again. “Just drinking and eating meat is boring. Let us play a game.”

“What kind of terrible idea do you have now?” Cang Jun glanced at him.

“Truth or Dare! A classic that never goes out of style!” Feng Jun shouted, suddenly producing an empty bottle from somewhere and placing it in the center of the table. “Fourth Brother, are you in?”

Everyone looked at Jiang Si. Jiang Si leaned back in his chair, a cigarette between his fingers. Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow and scanned the room before his gaze landed on the tense Pei Ye beside him. The corner of his mouth seemed to curve upward.

“Sure,” he said, exhaling a plume of smoke as he gave his calm consent.

The game began. The bottle spun, and the first target was Viper. Feng Jun immediately smirked. “Truth! The last time you secretly modified Fourth Brother’s batch of arms, what ‘goodies’ did you add?”

Viper remained expressionless. “I added a little something that fluoresces when it touches blood. It makes it easier to clean up the battlefield and gather statistics.” His tone was as flat as if he were discussing the weather.

The group fell silent. It was definitely his style.

The next was Blood Butcher, who chose a dare. Feng Jun made him mimic the Adjutant giving a lecture for ten minutes. Surprisingly, Blood Butcher actually stood up and, with a straight face and an emotionless voice, began to recite the organizational rules and regulations. The imitation was so perfect that even the Adjutant could not help but push up his glasses as the corner of his mouth twitched. No one expected that the usually silent “Butcher” would be like this. It was a surprising contrast.

The bottle spun again. This time, it slowly came to a stop in front of Pei Ye. All eyes focused on him instantly, filled with excitement and the anticipation of a good show.

Pei Ye’s body became visibly stiffer. Feng Jun’s eyes lit up. “Xiao Liu! What do you choose? Truth or dare?”

Pei Ye pursed his lips and instinctively looked at Jiang Si. Jiang Si was also looking at him with a playful and indulgent gaze. It was as if he were telling him to choose whatever he wanted because he was there.

“Truth.” Pei Ye finally chose the safer option. He could not imagine the outrageous dares Feng Jun might come up with.

“Great!” Feng Jun slapped the table. “Here is the question! What is the one thing you want to do to Fourth Brother most in your heart right now? No lying!”

The question was extremely tricky, instantly heightening the underlying tension. Even Cang Jun looked interested, and the Adjutant took a quiet sip of his drink.

Pei Ye’s ears turned bright red, and the flush spread down to his neck. He opened his mouth but could not say a word. Panic flashed in his eyes, and he instinctively looked to Jiang Si for help again.

Jiang Si caught his pleading gaze and let out a light chuckle. He did not bail Pei Ye out. Instead, he slowly stubbed out his cigarette. Then, under the gaze of everyone present, he made a move that plunged the entire room into silence.

He reached out and naturally took Pei Ye’s hand, which was clenched into a fist under the table. His fingers forcefully pushed between Pei Ye’s, interlocking them in a tight grip. Then, he raised their joined hands and placed them on the table.

The two clasped hands, one with distinct knuckles and thin calluses, the other long but with white knuckles from the pressure, were tightly bound together.

Jiang Si’s gaze swept across everyone in the room before finally landing on the completely frozen Pei Ye, who had even forgotten to breathe. His tone was calm, yet it carried an indisputable declaration.

“There is nothing that cannot be said.” He paused before stating clearly, “We are dating.”