Chapter 2: A Night of Lessons

By the time I tumbled out of the car, my legs were as weak as overcooked noodles.

Dangling a cigarette loose between my lips, I staggered upstairs, my head spinning from the alcohol.

The second I unlocked the bedroom door, I collapsed face-first onto the mattress.

It wasn’t until I was completely enveloped in Xu Yu’s familiar scent that my liquor-soaked brain registered something off.

Wait a second.

…This isn’t my room.

My mind short-circuited for a few beats before I quickly rationalized the situation.

So what?

Xu Yu belonged to me. Naturally, his room was mine too.

Having solved that riddle, I immediately felt at peace. I stripped naked, tossed my clothes aside, and burrowed straight under the covers.

Only to instantly freeze when my bare skin brushed against another body, burning hot against mine.

In the dim moonlight filtering through the window, I found myself staring directly into Xu Yu’s deep, shadowy eyes.

“Uncle… Uncle Xu?!”

“When the hell did you get back?!”

Saturated in alcohol, my brain was running at half-speed, making my speech slur together.

Then, the memory of that male model at the bar suddenly surfaced, kindling a sharp wave of annoyance inside me.

I leaned down and bit hard into his neck.

I might as well bite him to death.

If he’s dead, he won’t be able to look at anyone else.

I brushed my hand lightly over his eyes. Under my drunken gaze, those usually cold features looked surprisingly endearing.

My fingers slowly trailed down to his throat, coming into contact with the faint bead of blood oozing from the bite mark I’d just left.

I raised my head and gave him a foolish, lopsided grin.

“Look at that, Uncle Xu. You’re bleeding.”

“Why aren’t you scolding me?”

Without waiting for his answer, I provided one myself. “Ah, I get it…”

“Biting dogs don’t bark.”

In my drunken mind, the usually stoic, authoritative Xu Yu transformed into a vicious, silent hound. The mental image amused me so much I actually let out a loud laugh.

At that exact moment, a searingly hot palm slid up my thigh.

The sudden wave of heat drew an involuntary, soft groan from my throat.

The man beneath me seemed to go rigid.

Narrowing my eyes, I grabbed his wrist and flipped our positions, pinning him down beneath me.

My mouth remained utterly shameless. “Uncle Xu, why aren’t you wearing anything?”

As I spoke, my hand ventured downward—

—and collided with something terrifyingly hard and scalding hot.

I blinked innocently.

“Huh?”

“Uncle Xu… why is it so swollen?”

Curious, I gave it a tentative press.

It didn’t budge.

Well, that’s weird.

Xu Yu’s entire frame went rock-hard in an instant, his body heat spiking so dramatically I felt like I was being roasted alive.

I mumbled discontentedly, “Uncle Xu, you’re way too hot…”

A massive hand clamped around the back of my neck, hauling me flush against his chest.

My lips brushed accidentally against his collarbone, and I caught the subtle, sharp swallow in his throat.

He stared at me for a long, heavy moment. Finally, as if his restraint had completely snapped, he flipped us over, pinning me violently back into the mattress.

His hand locked around my chin, his voice raspy and terrifyingly low. “Shut up. Save your breath, you’re going to need it.”

I flinched purely out of instinct.

Xu Yu tightened his grip on my waist, letting out a cold, dark chuckle. “Make sure you call me ‘Uncle Xu’ a few more times tonight.”

God help me.

My ass is beyond saving.

—

The next morning, I was jarred awake by the housekeeper knocking at the door.

Opening my eyes, I saw Xu Yu standing by the bed, calmly buttoning his shirt.

My eyes nearly popped out of my head.

Wait. When on earth did he return to the country?!

And wait even more…

Why was he in my bed?!

Panicking, I tried to bolt upright. But the moment I moved my hips, a sharp, searing pain shot straight through my lower half, bringing me to the absolute brink of tears.

Last night’s memories came flooding back like a burst dam.

Setting aside the heat-of-the-moment, heart-pounding parts… what I remembered most vividly was a shirtless Xu Yu raining blows on me with a completely unreadable expression.

One after another.

Loud, crisp cracks echoing in the room.

I had been pinned face-down across his lap, screaming until my voice went hoarse, cursing everything from his soul to eighteen generations of his ancestors.

Yet Xu Yu was an absolute top-tier psycho. Even in a moment like that, he had maintained that icy, detached composure, staring down at my bruised rear while working his hands.

Worst of all, he hadn’t even been genuinely angry. If the roles were reversed, I would have choked someone to death on the spot.

Perhaps noticing the utter despair written all over my face, Xu Yu finished tightening his tie and remarked offhandedly, “Remember now?”

I slammed my head down into the pillow, not daring to look at him.

*Old bastard… sooner or later, I’m going to make you feel what a swollen ass feels like!*

Xu Yu pulled the door open, then paused mid-step. He turned back, his gaze sweeping over my bare frame before coming to rest on my swollen lips.

“You sounded lovely last night.”

“Uncle Xu was very pleased.”

His tone was as casual as if he were reviewing a quarterly business report, yet I could hear the subtle, mocking thread of humor weaving through it. My face instantly exploded in heat.

Before I could hurl a pillow at his head, the door clicked shut.

I knelt on the bed, taking several deep, ragged breaths before finally pulling myself together.

After a moment, a faint scent of soothing ointment drifted up to my nose.

The raw, burning sensation on my rear had calmed down significantly.

Hmph.

At least he had enough of a conscience to rub medication on me.

After lounging in bed a bit longer, I finally limped my way downstairs.

Noticing my awkward, uneven stride, Mrs. Wang, the housekeeper, hurried over to support me. I waved a hand dismissively to show I wasn’t dead just yet.

Once I confirmed that Xu Yu had already left for work, I finally let out a proper sigh of relief.

“Mrs. Wang, when did Uncle Xu get back?”

Setting down a bowl of breakfast, Mrs. Wang replied, “Yesterday afternoon.”

My spoon froze in midair.

Meaning…

When I called him last night, he was already in the house. And there I was, sitting in a VIP booth at a bar, lying through my teeth with absolute confidence.

A chill ran straight down my spine.

I’d taken advantage of his brief absence over the last two days to run wild the second the leash came off. Who could have guessed he’d return way earlier than scheduled?

Even more miraculous was the fact that he hadn’t actually choked me to death last night.

A genuine medical marvel.

I lowered my head to sip the porridge, but the moment it hit my tongue, my brows knit together. “Why is the porridge sweet today? Doesn’t Uncle Xu hate sweet food?”

Mrs. Wang chuckled softly. “Mr. Xu ordered it specifically. You’ve loved sweet things since you were a boy.”

I paused, the corners of my lips curling up unbidden.

“He really holds on to things.”

Pouring a glass of warm milk, Mrs. Wang smiled warmly. “You’re the one who remembers everything best, Xiaochuan.”

That was true enough.

I actually had an incredible memory, it was just never applied where it mattered. In school, I could never memorize a single textbook passage and was constantly berated by teachers. But when it came to anything concerning Xu Yu…

I remembered every single detail vividly.

Like twelve years ago, when the very first sentence he said to me was: “My name is Xu Yu.”

“From now on, you belong to me.”

Or…

The very first time I saw him cry.

I had been street racing with some guys and nearly lost my life, falling into a coma for two full days.

When I finally woke up, the first person I saw was Xu Yu. His eyes were bloodshot from staying awake, laced with terrifying, crimson veins.

I’d expected him to fly into a rage and tear into me.

He didn’t.

He just stared at me for a long, agonizing moment, as if trying to prove to himself that I was still breathing. Then, he bowed his head, burying his face into the palm of my hand.

I’d initially tried to pull my hand back—until I felt the wetness soaking against my palm. I went completely rigid.

Xu Yu… was crying.

A man who had been beaten with wooden chairs, wine bottles, and leather belts as a child without shedding a single tear…

Was weeping for me.

His shoulders trembled softly, and my heart shook right along with them. I wanted to say something, but my throat was entirely blocked.

By the time Xu Yu lifted his head again, his expression had reverted to its usual, icy calm.

As though the breakdown had been nothing more than my own hallucination.

Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, his voice rough and rasping. “Xu Chuan. You are mine.”

Reflected in those frigid eyes was my face, and mine alone.

Xu Yu was possessive.

Overbearing.

A complete psycho.

An absolute bastard.

Yet I understood the weight behind that sentence better than anyone else.

Xu Yu was the mountain holding me down. Even if I were to die, I’d need his permission first.

It sounded completely unhinged. But then again, he was an unhinged man.

After that incident, I was hospitalized for months. Xu Yu showed up every single day, handling every detail of my care personally.

I kept complaining that he was annoying, picking fights with him daily.

What can I say?

I was the sick one.

And Xu Yu spoiled me to a lawless degree.

Every day after work, he’d help me bathe. When I threw a fit and refused, he’d simply strip off his necktie and bind my wrists together, tying them so tightly they left dark red rings. I’d blow my top, cursing straight to his face:

“You fucking pervert!”

Xu Yu never argued back. Not that he could ever win a verbal spat against me anyway.

Yet I noticed clearly that whenever his eyes landed on those red marks on my wrists, his gaze would darken imperceptibly.

Total freak.

I cursed him out even harder.

Eventually losing his patience, he’d use his leather belt to bind my ankles as well. With one hand clamping my jaw to tilt my head back, he’d…

Take the bitter medicine into his own mouth and force-feed it to me, lips to lips.

It tasted foul enough to kill. I’d thrash around like a landed fish, but in the end, he’d force me to swallow every drop.

After a few rounds of that, I became significantly better behaved. From then on, Xu Yu would routinely scoop me up in his arms, carry me into the bathroom, and proceed with his “nursing duties.”

His excuse was entirely respectable: “Just making sure you don’t hurt yourself.”

Bullshit.

He was just a pervert enjoying himself.

Once, unable to take it anymore, I kicked him twice. “Why didn’t you help me bathe back when we were at home then?!”

I was actually poking fun at the fact that he’d installed hidden cameras in my bathroom.

Did the bastard really think I didn’t know?

Yet Xu Yu’s face was thicker than reinforced concrete. He paused for a beat, then his lips curved into a faint smile.

“Alright.”

“From now on, Uncle Xu will bathe you every single day.”

Me: “???”

When did I ever say that?!

Which ear did he use to hear that translation?!

Watching me practically steam with rage, the amused glint in Xu Yu’s eyes only grew deeper.

In that moment, I really just wanted to bite him to death.