The Possessive Beauty Desires Me in Vain - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Spring, Cherry Blossoms, and Moonlit Nights

It seemed to be another dream—a dream of spring, cherry blossoms, and a moonlit night.

The cherry blossoms on Mount Samuel were in full bloom; their beauty was carved even deeper into the soul under the light of the moon. From afar, the sea of flowers surged and ebbed under the moon’s pull against the ink-wash sky, unfolding in a moving shade of pink.

In the heart of this dense floral sea sat a simple, elegant pavilion.

When Chen Hexuan opened his eyes, he was met with a thin, white wisp of steam. Looking down, he saw a refined tea set laid out on the small table before him. The water had already boiled, and the tea leaves were sieved and ready.

Feeling the urge to practice his craft, Chen Hexuan used the materials at hand to brew a pot of tea. Before long, the fragrance of the tea spilled from the spout, mingling with the scent of flowers in the breeze. It was impossible to tell which was sweeter.

Without thinking, Chen Hexuan knew this was another dream of the Demon Palace.

Thus, he felt no surprise when a warm body pressed against his back. He simply picked up the teapot, intending to pour out the dregs.

A pale hand pressed against the back of his own. That hand was slender and long, the knuckles distinct yet tinged with pink, the wrist delicate and small. The soft, plump pads of the fingers pressed against him, making Chen Hexuan’s skin look a shade darker and his palm appear significantly larger by comparison.

Someone leaned into Chen Hexuan’s ear and whispered softly, “Senior Brother, may I have a drink?”

After a pause, Qi Yu added dejectedly, “I have never once tasted tea brewed by your own hands.”

Chen Hexuan froze, suddenly remembering. Back at the Xingzhou Sect, his exquisite tea artistry was no secret. He had brewed tea for many, yet never for Qi Yu.

When Qi Yu first joined the sect, the right occasion had never arisen. Later, when he realized Qi Yu harbored feelings for him, Chen Hexuan intentionally kept his distance and refused to brew for him. Once they were in the Demon Palace, he had no heart for it; it was always Qi Yu who brewed the tea and placed it before him.

“Senior Brother,” Qi Yu’s voice trailed off with that habitual lilt, “don’t pour it out, alright?”

Even before the words had fully fallen, Qi Yu used a clever burst of strength to grip the handle of the pot.

Chen Hexuan’s expression darkened. He said coldly, “Let go.”

Qi Yu had forced him to do so many things; holding onto this—perhaps the only thing he had never done for Qi Yu—felt strangely vital in this moment.

“Do not make me angry,” Chen Hexuan increased his strength, continuing ruthlessly, “Let go.”

“I… I only want the leftover tea at the bottom,” Qi Yu said softly, struggling to suppress the urge to blink his stinging eyes. “Is even that not allowed?”

“You are not worthy,” Chen Hexuan said in a low, heavy voice. “My tea is only for my kin, my masters, my close friends, and my sect brothers. What are you to me?”

“Qi Yu, tell me, what exactly are you to me?”

The words dissipated into the wind but were seared into the depths of Qi Yu’s heart. Chen Hexuan felt the breathing of the person behind him suddenly grow erratic.

Chen Hexuan closed his eyes, wrenched the teapot away with force, and slammed it onto the ground.

“You destroyed my sect, stole my freedom, sealed my power, and imprisoned me in this godforsaken place.”

“Qi Yu, tell me, do you deserve it?”

The crisp sound of shattering porcelain and the splash of tea ended with Chen Hexuan’s sharp, stern interrogation. He felt the body pressed against him tremble uncontrollably, and the scent of iron reached his nose.

Just as Chen Hexuan thought this farce was over, Qi Yu forcefully grabbed his wrist and, like a beautiful serpent draining a man’s essence, sat himself firmly in Chen Hexuan’s lap.

“Senior Brother…”

Qi Yu’s rounded, almond-like fingertips pressed against Chen Hexuan’s broad, heaving chest.

“It is best if you don’t speak after all.”

A pale pink tongue licked Chen Hexuan’s prominent Adam’s apple, then trailed down bit by bit to his collar, which was buttoned tightly to the top.

“You only say these things to bully me because you know I love you.”

Qi Yu spoke slowly; it didn’t sound like a complaint, but rather like he was acting spoiled. He looked up unhurriedly, and meeting Chen Hexuan’s waveless gaze, he bitten his lip unnaturally.

Chen Hexuan looked down at him and noticed a fresh wound on Qi Yu’s lip; even his tongue bore traces of blood. The metallic scent from before was because Qi Yu had bitten himself.

At this realization, an indescribable feeling stirred in Chen Hexuan’s heart. The more he looked at that wound, the more it bothered him. He didn’t realize his heart was in disarray, and even if he had, he was unwilling to examine why.

Chen Hexuan abruptly looked away, only to see the person in his arms focused intently on unbuttoning his collar under the moonlight. Black buttons were pinched between Qi Yu’s pale fingers, and his moist breath brushed against Chen Hexuan’s neck.

Chen Hexuan instinctively tensed, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Finally, a button came loose. Qi Yu pressed his hand against the broad shoulder, his fingertips slowly tracing Chen Hexuan’s collarbone. He leaned into the warmth beneath his touch, his eyes flushed crimson at the edges. With a touch of triumph, he said:

“Senior Brother, no matter how much you wear, I’m the one who takes it off.”

Chen Hexuan suddenly grabbed Qi Yu’s wrist and said sternly in a raspy voice, “Keep your hands off me.”

“You’re being mean again,” Qi Yu looked up at him.

Chen Hexuan tried his best not to meet his eyes, yet he was easily captured by that deep pool of green. He thought dejectedly: It’s over. I’m going to be controlled by him again.

Having obtained a version of Chen Hexuan that would not resist, Qi Yu was not as happy as one might expect. He hugged Chen Hexuan’s broad back despondently and murmured, “Senior Brother, I don’t want to be like this either…”

“But you always treat me so harshly.”

“I… I get sad too…”

Chen Hexuan forced his voice to soften. “Let me go, and I won’t be mean to you.”

He lowered his head, his hands easily circling Qi Yu’s waist to hold him close. One hand pressed against Qi Yu’s thin back, while the other gently stroked his ink-black hair. A faint fragrance rose from Qi Yu—a mix of his own scent and the flowers—which was so refreshing it filled Chen Hexuan’s lungs and flowed through his blood.

Qi Yu cupped Chen Hexuan’s face with both hands, his gaze “licking” over every feature. Even in the dim moonlight, it was an incredibly handsome face—sharp features, deep eyes, a high bridge, and well-defined lips.

When he smiled, he looked truly magnificent—eyes curving like phoenixes, the corners of his mouth upturned, making one feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze. Of course, he was handsome when serious, too—stern eyes and tightly pressed lips making him look dignified. One couldn’t help but drown in those eyes.

Even now, speaking such serious nonsense, he looked beautiful to Qi Yu—those eyes that were always calm and indifferent when looking at him finally held a layer of tenderness.

But the tenderness was too fake—so fake it made Qi Yu’s heart throb with both love and pain.

Qi Yu suddenly curled his lips into a smile and leaned in to kiss the corner of Chen Hexuan’s mouth.

“Senior Brother, you really aren’t suited for lying.”

He placed one hand on Chen Hexuan’s shoulder and covered Chen Hexuan’s eyes with the other, as if he could trick himself into believing that the tenderness just now was real. Qi Yu kissed the back of his own hand, then lowered his eyes sorrowfully and pressed his lips against Chen Hexuan’s in an act of sacrifice.

Chen Hexuan could clearly hear him say:

“But the more you say such things, the less I want to let you go.”

Chen Hexuan didn’t know if the anger rose in his chest faster or if Qi Yu’s movements to undress him were quicker. Before he could recover his senses, Qi Yu’s soft hands had parted the clothes over his chest, wandering between his muscles.

“Senior Brother, you have such a good body.”

No matter how many times he saw it, Qi Yu couldn’t help but sigh dreamily, his eyes fixed on those powerful, honey-colored muscles.

Chen Hexuan could only close his eyes, feeling Qi Yu’s hand pressed against him. Everywhere that hand passed, his blood surged with heat. He had never hated Qi Yu’s control more than in this moment; he couldn’t resist, and he was powerless to fight back.

In the place Chen Hexuan could not see, Qi Yu blinked. “Senior Brother said the wrong thing, so you must accept my punishment.”

Chen Hexuan felt his arms become empty, followed by his hands being bound behind his back with cloth. He opened his eyes to see Qi Yu sitting on the small table before him, a shadow in his green eyes, though the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned as he met his gaze.

Chen Hexuan didn’t understand how Qi Yu intended to punish him and said hoarsely, “Qi Yu, stop playing around. Untie my hands.”

Qi Yu leaned forward, tilting Chen Hexuan’s sharp chin up with a fingertip. He whispered into his ear, “No. I’m still very sad.”

Chen Hexuan felt the posture was bizarre, and Qi Yu’s voice was far too intimate. But he couldn’t break free; he could only be at the other’s mercy.

Qi Yu let go and leaned back on the table, smiling faintly. “It’s easy to make me stop being angry…”

…

Chen Hexuan was stunned, his gaze falling on the pink flush of Qi Yu’s toes and his slender ankles. For a moment, he didn’t know if his head was hotter or the point where he and Qi Yu met.

As for what happened after, Chen Hexuan still couldn’t remember clearly after waking.

Inside the pavilion, a pair of arms clung tightly to his shoulders, and a jade-like face was streaked with tears. Bitten, tender red lips murmured incoherently:

“Senior Brother…”

“Please, love me.”

“I only have you left…”

…

The dynamic between them is getting increasingly complicated—Qi Yu’s desperation for love and Chen Hexuan’s internal struggle are reaching a boiling point.