Don't You like Little Dogs? Now that I'm Taking Liberties, You're Suddenly Reluctant? - Chapter 55

“So, my gaze, naturally, will only ever fall upon my puppy. Do you understand? Boy-friend.”

Jiang Si’s voice was not loud, but it carried a sense of undeniable declaration. Every word hammered clearly against Pei Ye’s heart, especially those last three words, which were drawn out with a playful, teasing smile.

Boy-friend.

Pei Ye was completely stunned. His brain felt as if it had been instantly emptied, leaving only Jiang Si’s words echoing repeatedly in his ears.

Master is telling him again in this possessive way.

All of his dark conjectures, his unease, and his fear were shattered in this moment by this nearly tyrannical declaration. His heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by a warm hand; a mix of bitterness and wild joy surged upward, nearly breaking through his throat.

Pei Ye opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He could only stare blankly at Jiang Si’s eyes, which were so close they clearly reflected his own dull and disheveled appearance. He could feel his eyes heating up uncontrollably. He blinked hard, trying to force back that embarrassing moisture.

The result was the opposite. Looking into Master’s eyes, which seemed able to see through everything, he only wanted to cry.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the private room door, and it was pushed open. Well-trained waiters pushed in a dining cart and began to serve the dishes in an orderly fashion.

The sudden break in the atmosphere caused Pei Ye to snap back to his senses. He instinctively tried to tilt his head away to escape Jiang Si’s hand, but his chin was held even more firmly.

“Stop moving,” Jiang Si acted as if he did not see the waiters enter. His gaze remained locked onto Pei Ye until he confirmed that the panic in the other man’s eyes had been replaced by a deeper, watery dependence. Only then did he slowly release his grip.

“Eat well,” Jiang Si dropped these words and leaned back lazily against the chair, as if nothing had just happened.

Pei Ye sat frozen in place, staring straight at Jiang Si. The spot where he had just been touched was still burning.

Master’s temperature.

But it was no longer the usual coldness; it was a deeper, indescribable heat.

The waiters showed no unnecessary reaction. They quickly laid out the exquisite Western meal and then, showing great tact, retreated from the room.

The two were alone again. The aroma of food filled the air, but the silent surge of emotion was even stronger. Pei Ye lowered his head and picked up his knife and fork, his fingers still trembling slightly. He cut the steak on his plate with mechanical movements, but his mind was not on the food at all.

My gaze, naturally, will only ever fall upon my puppy.

It was not a perfunctory remark or a comfort, but a matter-of-fact proclamation. Master had used his most habitual, possessive way to give him a “calming pill.” Nothing made him feel more at peace than this. This was what Master said. Master said it himself.

The dinner ended in a strange, quiet atmosphere. Jiang Si did not eat much, occasionally sipping red wine and spending most of his time just watching Pei Ye.

Under the constant gaze of his Master, Pei Ye finished all the food pushed in front of him with a flushed face. Even though he did not actually taste much, his heart was entirely on the person sitting opposite him.

Master really is watching me the whole time.

I am so happy.

It was not until they walked out of the restaurant that Pei Ye’s mood finally settled from the massive impact. It was replaced by a warm current that slowly flowed through his entire body.

The attendant handed over the many bags from their shopping trip earlier that day. Most were items Jiang Si had bought on a whim, ranging from limited-edition accessories to exquisite little trinkets that seemed useless. Pei Ye naturally took all the shopping bags. The heavy weight in his hands gave him a special kind of satisfaction.

Master and I chose these together.

Sitting in the car on the way back, Pei Ye stowed the items properly and sat beside Jiang Si. The neon lights outside the window were lit once more. He quietly tilted his head to look at Jiang Si’s profile as he rested with his eyes closed.

In that barren land of his heart, he did not know when the cold wind had stopped howling, replaced by a sense of stability he had never felt before. He was still Master’s blade and Jiang Si’s property. But now, he had a more private and appropriate identity.

Boyfriend. Master’s boyfriend.

Pei Ye silently chewed on those words, and the corners of his mouth uncontrollably curved upward.

So happy. A date with Master. So much happiness.

Following the Scorpion incident in the Rust Belt, the Jiang family had made no obvious major moves. They maintained a strange harmony with Skeleton, though it was less of a harmony and more of an invisible test. Both sides were waiting to see who would move first.

Skeleton kept a high degree of vigilance and surveillance on the Jiang family while simultaneously turning its gaze toward its own low-level branches for internal cleaning. Skeleton had eyes and ears in every district of New City, as well as various casinos and exchanges under its banner.

In the past month, Skeleton’s high-ranking members noticed that the Golden Den casino in the West District seemed to have some unusual activity. Delayed reports, missing accounts, and frequent personnel changes all revealed the hidden problems of the Golden Den.

While the Adjutant handled the surveillance of the Jiang family, he also secretly sent people to investigate the internal staff of the Golden Den. At the same time, the First Squad was called back collectively from the Rust Belt to stand by at the base. This was the precursor to a collective bloodletting of the low-level casinos, the calm before the storm.

Night time, East Sea Avenue.

The black sedan with the license plate ending in 74 traveled smoothly along the avenue. As it rounded a corner, Jiang Si’s phone suddenly rang. The ringtone sounded exceptionally jarring in the enclosed cabin.

“Tsk.”

Jiang Si narrowed his eyes, looking somewhat dissatisfied as he pulled the phone from his pocket to answer. The Adjutant’s characteristically calm and efficient voice soon came through. “Fourth Brother, there is movement at the Golden Den casino in the West District.”

Jiang Si paused. Recalling the report the Adjutant had given him a week ago, he could not help but frown.

Truly a bunch of useless trash.

“Understood,” Jiang Si said only those words and hung up.

He turned his head to look at Pei Ye in the driver’s seat. The leisure from their date earlier had completely vanished from his eyes, replaced by his usual coldness. “Let’s go. There is work to do.”

“Understood.” Pei Ye’s gaze sharpened. All the gentleness from a moment ago was instantly retracted, leaving only absolute focus.

He skillfully turned the steering wheel, entered the West City Expressway, merged into the flow of traffic, and headed toward the West District with a clear direction.

He was a bit annoyed. He had finally finished his date with Master and it was still early enough to go home, but because of other “trash” matters, they had to make a detour. Pei Ye felt a surge of inexplicable irritability in his heart.

A bunch of meddling trash.