The "Honest" Beta Deceived Day and Night by a Twisted Obsessive - Chapter 32

The First Attempted Escape.

Since the truth had been laid bare, “The Eye” had cast aside all restraint. Duan Huaijing was now frequently awoken by the man’s ministrations.

Eventually, Duan Huaijing simply stopped bothering to react. The Eye had a sense of limit; he never went all the way, preferring to linger and taste at the edges. Duan Huaijing let him have his way. For one, because of that initial contract, they had already done everything they shouldn’t have; his body was long since immune to The Eye’s presence, and he had even learned how to find his own pleasure in the process.

Secondly, the man always meticulously cleaned away every trace afterward. Slowly, Duan Huaijing began to view him as little more than a toy.

Time blurred within the villa. Duan Huaijing lost track of how many days had passed, relying solely on recording everyone’s movements to keep himself from losing his mind within this “golden cage”.

The Eye would leave the villa at eight in the morning. The chef would begin preparing fruit and tea at nine. The housekeeper’s shift change occurred just after nine, leaving a ten-minute window where the floor was entirely unsupervised.

Duan Huaijing didn’t act immediately upon learning the schedule. Instead, he played the part of the submissive captive, cultivating the illusion that he had become dependent on this life.

Then, while The Eye was away, he slipped into the man’s room to search for his phone.

He vividly remembered the first time he had entered that room, the suffocating sense of shock and absurdity upon seeing the walls, the desk, and even the cushions printed with photos of him from every stage of his life. But after a few visits, he had managed to walk straight to his destination without a side glance.

The entire room had been searched, save for the safe in front of him.

Duan Huaijing took a deep breath, his heart racing. He reached a trembling hand toward the cold metal. If his phone was in there, it could all be over. His heart hammered at the thought.

Goodbye forever, “Eye.”

The safe reflected the cold light like a blade, a silent guardian forbidding entry. Duan Huaijing swallowed, his palms slick with sweat. He wiped them quickly on his clothes and tentatively pressed a digit.

Beep.

The safe let out a small chime. Duan Huaijing’s heart skipped a beat, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Sir, you’re back,” the housekeeper’s voice drifted up from downstairs.

Duan Huaijing’s head snapped up. Why is he back so early today?

His emotions were a roller coaster; one moment he was drowning in the joy of imminent success, the next he was being shattered by the consequences of that joy. He looked at the safe, where he had only managed to enter a single number.

He couldn’t. he absolutely could not let The Eye find him here.

Acting on instinct, he cleared the entry, used his sleeve to wipe away any trace of his damp fingerprints, and sprinted to the top of the stairs. His heart felt as though it were about to burst from his chest, yet he forced his breathing to level out, pretending as though nothing had happened.

The Eye noticed his presence and looked up.

Duan Huaijing, already riddled with guilt, instinctively averted his eyes. His fingers curled tightly around the banister.

Thump-thump, thump-thump.

His heart was going far too fast. A few seconds felt like a century. Fearing that The Eye would sense his agitation, he frantically tried to recall how he usually reacted when seeing the man.

It wasn’t until The Eye was standing directly in front of him that he managed to find his voice.

“You’re back,” he stammered, unable to meet the man’s eyes, focusing instead on his lapel pin.

The Eye stared at him.

Duan Huaijing’s panic intensified until he felt light-headed, as if he were floating on a cloud of static. He didn’t dare imagine what a “deranged” Eye would do if he discovered the escape plan. He only knew that a truly unleashed Eye was something he couldn’t survive.

“They said you ate quite a lot for dinner.”

Duan Huaijing, who had been mentally walking a tightrope, was caught off guard by the mundane observation. “Eh?”

He had eaten so much only because he feared he wouldn’t have the stamina for tonight’s escape. He had practically gorged himself.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” the masked man asked.

Duan Huaijing stood frozen. He couldn’t figure out the angle. He hadn’t been allowed out for days; now, right after he’d attempted to crack a safe, the man wanted to take him for a stroll. Was this a coincidence, or a test?

Was he being given a chance to run just to see if he’d take it?

Duan Huaijing forced a smile and waved it off. “No, I’m fine.”

He thought he heard The Eye let out a soft chuckle. “Aren’t you afraid of indigestion?”

Duan Huaijing realized he had trapped himself with his own excuse.

Fine.

*****

It wasn’t too late in the evening. The streets were filled with people out for a stroll—young and old, all busy with their own lives. The two of them didn’t attract much attention, save for one sharp-eyed child.

“Mummy, why are those two big brothers both wearing handcuffs?” the child asked.

The parents, thinking it was a game, laughed it off. “Those aren’t handcuffs, dear; that’s just a policeman catching a thief.”

The Eye continued walking, eyes fixed forward. Duan Huaijing wanted to turn and see who had spoken, but the moment he began to move his head, he felt a sharp tug on his wrist.

the shackles were no longer cold, they had been warmed by their shared body heat—but the man didn’t hold back his strength. It felt like a deliberate punishment. Duan Huaijing stumbled forward several steps, caught off guard.

“What is wrong with you now?” Duan Huaijing hissed.

“Do you like that child?”

Duan Huaijing wanted to scream. “He’s a child. Why on earth would I ‘like’ him?”

“Then why were you looking at him?”

“I have you bound to me, yet you still haven’t learned to keep your eyes on me.”

The Eye tilted his head toward him. Even without seeing his eyes, Duan Huaijing could feel a possessiveness so suffocating it felt like it was leaching into every facet of his life. The man wanted to monopolise even his gaze. He looked like a venomous snake staring down its prey from the shadows.

Duan Huaijing looked away uncomfortably. “I need the toilet. Is there one nearby?”

The Eye considered this for a moment. “Yes.”

After several turns, they arrived at a public toilet in a secluded area. It was tucked away and deserted—unusually quiet. Duan Huaijing discreetly scanned the surroundings. This place was perfect for an escape.

“I need to go. I can’t exactly take this thing in with me, can I?” Duan Huaijing lifted his hand, indicating the cuff.

Surprisingly, The Eye was cooperative and unlocked it.

Duan Huaijing rubbed his wrist as he walked toward the entrance. He could feel the man’s gaze locked onto his back, a sensation impossible to ignore. Once inside, he bolted the door and quickly assessed the situation.

There was a small window in the cubicle. Behind it lay a patch of wasteland with weeds as high as a man’s waist. An adult could easily crouch down and vanish. It was a perfect hiding spot.

Duan Huaijing pushed the window open gently.

A few minutes later, Duan Huaijing emerged from the toilet, his fingers still damp with water. The Eye was waiting right outside the door. His eyes flickered as he saw him.

Duan Huaijing held out his hands naturally, allowing The Eye to click the cuffs back into place. “That place was filthy. How did you even find it?” he complained.

The Eye gave a slight nod, the picture of a refined gentleman. “My apologies. I wasn’t as thoughtful as I should have been.”

Duan Huaijing kept up the complaints, but inwardly, he let out a massive sigh of relief. I fooled him.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought of jumping out that window. But as he had reached for the frame, a sense of unease had stopped him. They were in an area where people frequently walked; there should have been a better toilet nearby. He had even noticed a petrol station with facilities on the way here.

Yet The Eye had brought him here.

It was as if he were being given the opportunity to run. Success felt too easy, and in this man’s world, “easy” usually meant a trap. Duan Huaijing had decided to stay, hoping this display of “sincerity” would lower The Eye’s guard for later.

After walking a bit further, he asked with feigned nonchalance, “Aren’t you afraid I’d just run off?”

The Eye seemed to be in an excellent mood, though his response sounded like a curse. “If you ran, I’d just catch you and bring you back.”

Duan Huaijing averted his eyes, offering a soft, relieved “Oh.”

It was past eleven by the time they returned home. Duan Huaijing prepared himself, finalised his plan, and lay down to sleep.

Shortly after, his bedroom door opened, just as it had every night. Duan Huaijing closed his eyes and feigned sleep with practiced ease. The Eye began his usual routine, nuzzling and licking like a devoted dog.

Normally, once he was finished, The Eye would clean him up and head to the study to work. Duan Huaijing counted the seconds. He would wait for the man to be occupied with work, then seize the chance to find the phone.

The Eye had tested him today to see if he would run. Even though he had provided a “satisfying” answer, it proved that The Eye had sensed his restlessness—likely from those few seconds of eye contact at the stairs.

Such terrifying observational skills made Duan Huaijing’s skin crawl. Suspicion meant he had to act fast; he didn’t have the luxury of waiting weeks for the man to relax again. To avoid any further complications, he had to make contact with the outside world tonight.

He waited and waited. Finally, the sound of his bedroom door closing reached his ears. He waited a few more minutes before sitting up.

The Eye always insisted on keeping the lights off. When Duan Huaijing opened his eyes, the only light came from a full moon. Perhaps it was the adrenaline of the escape, or the sheer pressure of trying to deceive The Eye, but as he looked at the moon, it began to look like a giant eye in the sky, watching his every move.

His breathing grew ragged. His muscles were tight as he bit his lip and carefully climbed out of bed. His heart was a drum in his ears, and the sound of his own swallowing seemed deafening. He didn’t even put on shoes, fearing the noise.

One step  another toward the door.

He reached for the handle, his hand beginning to press down, when a familiar shiver raced up his spine. That feeling of being watched.

A sense of impending doom washed over him. His back went cold, and his body felt like it no longer belonged to him. He slowly, stiffly turned his head, his neck making a faint click-clack sound.

“Babe, where are you going so late?”

The Eye, who was supposed to be in the study, was lying right there on his bed, shrouded in darkness, watching him the entire time.

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