Shou-Switching System Has Been Bound - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Save Me

 

The sound of departing footsteps didn’t pause for a single second, leaving him behind just like that. At the thought of his current situation and Ji Lianyi’s words…

 

And that sound next door, constantly reminding him that this was no good place.

 

Qi Youli struggled even more violently. He was no weakling; with a height of 184cm and a layer of lean muscle, even though his movements were restricted, the sheer brute force he exerted caused one of the partition posts bolted into the floor to actually wobble and loosen.

 

His mouth, sealed with tape, could only emit muffled “Mmm-mm” sounds. Such sounds usually seemed pitiful, but coming from him, they sounded like the pre-attack growl of a wild beast, fierce and aggressive.

 

“Bang!”

 

The partition was slammed hard. “F*ck, keep it down. You think this is your house?”

 

The man cursed, followed by the sounds of continuing business, acting as if no one else were around.

 

Qi Youli instinctively wanted to curse back. Although he couldn’t make a sound, he had already insulted the man’s ancestors for eighteen generations in his head. Since his hands and feet couldn’t move, he wanted to lung forward and headbutt the guy.

 

D*mn it.

 

Yapping at me!

 

But a moment before he lunged, he calmed down slightly. Although he couldn’t see the outside, this was likely the restroom he had seen earlier. If there were people in the next stall conducting that kind of transaction, this park was absolutely unsafe.

 

The man next door had a violent temper. If Qi Youli provoked him and the guy came over to see a “free” version of what he was paying for, a man willing to pay for a pro certainly wouldn’t pass up a freebie.

 

Qi Youli bit his molars so hard they nearly shattered. He’d let the guy off just this once.

 

Suppressing his rage, Qi Youli began to reflect: how did he end up in this state?

 

It shouldn’t be like this…

 

Ji Lianyi, who was supposed to have left, was actually standing right in front of the stall, taking in all of Qi Youli’s reactions. Those light-colored pupils observed him like a scientist watching a test subject.

 

He turned and gestured toward the neighboring stall.

 

As it turned out, the two people making noise hadn’t actually been doing anything. Receiving Ji Lianyi’s signal, they performed the final act of the play.

 

“Phew…”

 

“I’ll look you up again next time, bro.”

 

The two talked as they walked out of the public restroom. Once outside, they didn’t leave; they still had a role to play in a bit.

 

They lit cigarettes and squatted by the entrance, glancing back at the restroom. People nowadays played real wild, but the money tonight was certainly easy to earn.

 

Qi Youli finally waited until the people next door left. He had also figured out why he fell into this mess: he had been careless. As long as he was more cautious next time and planned properly before acting…

 

He would definitely get his revenge!

 

For now, the most important thing was to escape his current predicament. He continued to pull hard with his bound legs, completely disregarding his image. With his upper body leaning against the flush tank, his upturned rear end swayed back and forth, his muscles rippling.

 

D*mn!

 

Why is it tied so tight!

 

Ji Lianyi sent a message. One of the men squatting at the door came back inside, intentionally making heavy footsteps.

 

Hearing the sound, Qi Youli immediately stopped. He tilted his head and pricked up his ears to listen like an anxious dog. He wondered if he should make a noise to attract attention perhaps he could be saved.

 

But…

 

He didn’t quite dare to gamble. After all, his current image…

 

But what if he ran into a truly upright and kind person?

 

He was torn.

 

Under Ji Lianyi’s direction, the man who entered recited the lines prepared for him. First, a phone rang. Accompanied by the sound of rushing water, the man answered.

 

“Ah? Don’t even mention it. Not a single good piece of ‘goods’ tonight.”

 

“My ‘big cannon’ didn’t even get to fire.”

 

“Whatever, bad luck tonight. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

 

The man left the restroom as he spoke.

 

Ji Lianyi watched as cold sweat slid down Qi Youli’s pale face, passing over the transparent tape like teardrops.

 

He had become a dog that was no longer as fierce as before.

 

Qi Youli took a heavy breath. That was close; he nearly delivered himself right to the door. As expected, no one appearing in this park so late was trustworthy especially men!

 

But only men would appear in this restroom.

 

It took a while for Qi Youli’s heartbeat to return to normal. He peeked and listened carefully again. Confirming he was alone, he resumed trying to get his legs out of the ropes, cursing Ji Lianyi in his heart this time up to twenty-eight generations.

 

He thought viciously: Serves you right for being useless in bed! A dark, old man like you deserves to be impotent for life!

 

Just you wait!

 

Once I’m free, never mind Xia Xu, I’ll fck you too!*

 

Someone else entered.

 

The arrogant Qi Youli instantly turned meek. Being in the dark magnified his unease to the limit while sharpening his hearing. He heard the footsteps head straight for the stalls, approaching his location.

 

Each step felt like it was treading on his heart, making it hard to breathe. His anger was crushed step by step, and fear slowly but powerfully found him in his private darkness, coiling around him and swallowing him whole.

 

Ji Lianyi’s eyes narrowed behind his lenses. A layer of goosebumps appeared on those straight, smooth-skinned thighs, silently exposing the body’s terror to his gaze.

 

Qi Youli completely held his breath. The sound was right there—maybe they had already seen him!

 

Did they?

 

They must have…

 

Would they hurt him?

 

His heart hung by a thread.

 

The partition made a slight creak. He heard the sound move to the next stall.

 

At that moment, Ji Lianyi clearly saw Qi Youli’s legs tremble. If his hands weren’t tied to the tank, he probably would have slumped to the floor.

 

He was afraid.

 

Completely terrified.

 

Qi Youli remained as still as a statue, all his focus on the next stall. In the darkness, the passage of time became a form of torture, like a dull knife sawing at his nerves; the progress was slow, but there would eventually be a day it cut through, and his agony was made infinitely long.

 

It felt as if a century had passed before the person next door finally left.

 

Qi Youli was soaked in sweat, his body weight leaning entirely on the flush tank. Could he really save himself? After all this effort, the ropes hadn’t loosened at all. There was zero progress.

 

Hopelessness flooded his heart.

 

Ji Lianyi looked at the man who had lowered his head. Is he giving up?

 

He checked his watch. Only two hours had passed.

 

The partition creaked again. Ji Lianyi looked up. The man who had just been despondent was moving again, huffing and puffing with even more energy and rage than at the start, almost reaching a state of frenzy.

 

For a split second, he nearly ripped one of the partition posts out.

 

But a partition had two posts front and back set into the ground; even if he pulled one out, it was useless. There were four posts across the two partitions. He couldn’t obtain freedom on his own.

 

For twenty full minutes.

 

Qi Youli nearly exhausted himself to death. He panted so hard a layer of mist formed on the tape over his mouth. Ji Lianyi’s Adam’s apple bobbed silently as he watched the mist fade and reappear repeatedly, revealing glimpses of red, lush lips.

 

Qi Youli was certain self-rescue was impossible.

 

Should he call for help?

 

He would!

 

There must be more good people in the world than bad, right?

 

The next time someone came in, he would call for help.

 

Holding onto this thought, he began to wait in silence. Because he had hope, the waiting time became excruciatingly long. Sweat dripped into his eyes, stinging them. Because he had no concept of time, he became exceptionally restless.

 

Why hasn’t anyone come yet?

 

Qi Youli was so anxious he wanted to bite someone. When he didn’t want people here, they were coming in like dumplings into a pot; now that he wanted someone, not even a dog appeared.

 

Fck!

 

Can’t the world revolve around me for just a second!

 

Ji Lianyi’s gaze fell on Qi Youli’s chest, which was heaving noticeably. A very emotionally unstable dog.

 

Qi Youli’s rage vanished with time. Unease and fear grew wildly, and his mind began to wander uncontrollably. He felt as if he had been tossed into an isolated space where time was eternal and he would never get out.

 

What if no one ever came again? He would be trapped here forever, starve to death, and turn into a dried corpse without anyone ever knowing.

 

He didn’t want to die!

 

The urge to call for help peaked at this moment. Anyone! Just someone come!

 

Ji Lianyi saw this and sent another message.

 

Qi Youli finally heard the sound he had been longing for. Just as he was about to make a noise to call for help:

 

“This drug won’t have any problems, right?”

 

“Don’t worry. Just a little bit and they’ll lose their senses. With this, we can get a freebie.”

 

Lascivious laughter echoed in the restroom like a heavy fist, smashing Qi Youli’s expectations and hope to pieces, driving his desire to step out back into the endless darkness.

 

He stopped moving entirely.

 

There are no good people here…

 

With the two men’s departure, the restroom returned to silence.

 

Ji Lianyi, whose gaze had never left Qi Youli, watched as the man faded before his eyes, his head dropping as if his skeletal frame could no longer support his body, ready to scatter across the floor and shatter into dust.

 

A long, long time later, Qi Youli’s blindfolded eyes blinked. Grievance flooded his heart. He had cuckolded the guy, but hadn’t the guy also nearly strangled him to death?

 

Why bully him like this…

 

Not calling for help meant death; calling for help meant being turned into a rag…

 

There was no way out for him.

 

Ji Lianyi looked at his watch again. Four hours had passed.

 

Qi Youli didn’t know how much time had gone by. Having decided that no good people would appear here, even the slightest sound made him tremble. His nerves were highly strung. Even though no one had appeared for a long time, he still felt panicked.

 

Until he noticed the sound of water dripping he didn’t know where the leak was.

 

Drip—drip—drip.

 

He listened to the sound and counted silently in his heart: “1, 2, 3, 4…”

 

“3467.”‘

 

“12652.”

 

“13…”

 

He forgot what number he had just reached and started over from 1. Over and over he counted, over and over he forgot where he was, over and over he started again.

 

Though he still didn’t know what time it was, it at least provided a distraction for his emotions.

 

“2873.”

 

He waited to count 2874.

 

Ji Lianyi pressed a “pause” button on his phone.

 

Qi Youli waited and waited, but the 2874th drop never came. The long silence became a maddening torture. Why did the water stop?

 

Why! Why!

 

The sound that was supposed to diffuse the pressure became the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

 

He suddenly began to struggle like a madman, but only for a moment before he stopped.

 

He was clearly standing there.

 

But his body, from the inside out, developed countless invisible cracks and shattered.

 

He couldn’t take it anymore…

 

Please.

 

Someone save me…

 

Ji Lianyi looked at the dog’s shaking shoulders and checked his watch for the third time.

 

Eight hours.

 

He had lasted a bit longer than expected.

 

There were faster ways to achieve this result—for instance, actual physical contact in this situation, but he couldn’t touch the other party, and others certainly couldn’t.

 

Qi Youli sniffled, tears wetting the tie covering his eyes.

 

He would never mess with someone else’s boyfriend again…

 

Someone save him…

 

Save him…

 

The moment the thought surfaced, someone suddenly leaned against him from behind. He shook with fear. The person pressed so tightly that his terror outweighed his desire to be saved; he twisted frantically to dodge, expressing his rejection.

 

Given their height difference and Qi Youli’s posture, they fit together perfectly.

 

For a moment, it was impossible to tell if he was dodging or if the puppy was wagging its rear in a plea for pleasure.

 

Ji Lianyi’s hand reached forward from beside Qi Youli, like an embrace yet more like a cage. He held a utility knife. His head stopped beside Qi Youli’s; his ear was buried in Qi Youli’s fluffy black curls.

 

The frantically struggling Qi Youli suddenly smelled a fragrance, a coldness that surpassed the scent itself.

 

He had only smelled this scent on one person.

 

His head turned stiffly toward Ji Lianyi. With the movement, his tape-sealed mouth brushed against Ji Lianyi’s cheek. Their mouths touched corner to corner, overlapping.

 

The blindfolded and gagged man was completely unaware of this.

 

Ji Lianyi glanced at him; the tape felt warm and damp. He continued to use the utility knife to cut the tape bound around the flush tank.

 

Qi Youli thought he must be crazy. Knowing it was “that Uncle,” he actually felt saved, safe, and that he wouldn’t be f*cked—he was about to be free.

 

He must be crazy.

 

Yet he couldn’t control the thought.

 

Ji Lianyi, cutting the tape, swayed slightly, causing the man in his arms to sway with him.

 

Qi Youli couldn’t notice that his rear was tracing the shape of Ji Lianyi’s “weapon” right now; he only felt the anticipation for freedom and light. He sniffed hard, confirming the scent he smelled wasn’t a mistake.

 

It was him.

 

He felt a secret sense of relief.

 

The tape was sliced open. Qi Youli’s fingers twitched as if cramping.

 

Ji Lianyi placed the knife on the tank and was about to leave.

 

Qi Youli sensed it. Before his brain could react, the hand that had just gained freedom grabbed the other man first.

 

Ji Lianyi stopped and looked at the hand gripping him. Having been tied for so long, the fingers were stiff; the grip was weak and lacked any real strength.

 

With his other hand, Qi Youli hurriedly tore off the tie covering his eyes. The first thing his restored vision saw was a small red mole on the bridge of the man’s high nose.

 

Like a drop of blood on cold white skin.

 

It was him!

 

Ji Lianyi lifted his gaze to see a pair of eyes filled with tears, red from crying, looking at him like a pitiful puppy.

 

Their gazes met.

 

The tiny stall was cramped with the two of them, making it extremely crowded. Air and heat only circulated between them. Ji Lianyi’s fragrance covered Qi Youli, and the warmth of Qi Youli’s tears heated Ji Lianyi.

 

They were people who had done bad things to each other, yet as they looked at one another, whether it was those dark, watery eyes or those light-colored, indifferent ones—neither felt guilt.

 

They were self-righteous.

 

Ready to create an abyss for the other and then push them in.

 

Qi Youli knew he was still at a disadvantage. Even if he didn’t show weakness, he should at least remain quiet.

 

But looking at this face, he just couldn’t do it!

 

Ignoring the pain, he ripped the tape from his mouth in one go. The lower half of his face was red. He gritted his teeth and used his still-hoarse voice to hiss: “I will definitely not let you go!”

 

His tear-filled eyes were full of stubborn defiance.

 

Ji Lianyi’s pupils contracted sharply. A wind seemed to rise in his calm eyes. The other hand hanging by his leg rose halfway before stopping abruptly. Before his breathing grew too heavy, he shoved Qi Youli away and strode out, his coat swaying to reveal a prominent…

 

Qi Youli stumbled from the shove. Lingering fear slowly found him. Fine, he had been seeking death just now.

 

He spotted the utility knife, pulled up his pants as fast as possible, and frantically cut the ropes around his legs, glancing outside from time to time.

 

If Ji Lianyi dared to show up again, he’d give him a taste of the knife!

 

Ji Lianyi lay on a chaise lounge, water droplets falling from the tips of his hair. Expressionlessly, he picked up a device next to the lounge and fitted it onto his hand.

 

The moment he pressed the switch, electricity surged through his body. His frame developed uncontrollable tremors, and his breathing sounded like a man on the brink of death.

 

His complexion turned from red to white, and veins like earthworms crawled up his sweat-drenched forehead.

 

He didn’t make a sound.

 

The hair on his forehead became disheveled, his bath towel fell open, and his skin gradually turned a pale red under the electrical stimulation.

 

Ten minutes later, Ji Lianyi sat up. He removed the bracelet and tossed it onto the device. His bare feet touched the floor, the sheen of sweat still visible on his long calves.

 

66: “Your hobbies are truly unique.”

 

66: “But being shocked all the time isn’t good for your body. You could always shock others~”

 

66: “Though, that guy is pretty impressive for still refusing to give in.”

 

Ji Lianyi remembered the puppy’s tearful, stubborn eyes.

 

They were very beautiful.

 

His still-trembling hand slowly clenched into a fist.

 

So beautiful it made one want to.

 

Kill him.