"The chapter name is—'Coercion After Drinking'."

Xie Yu: "..."

He had briefly skimmed through the novel before, but because there were too many mosaics (censorship), which was an eyesore, he hadn't read all the chapters carefully. Now, hearing the System read out the chapter name in a cold, electronic voice, his worldview was temporarily shaken, leaving him a bit speechless.

The System looked at him with pity: "Host, we are in a smut novel. These kinds of words will appear from time to time. You need to get used to it."

Xie Yu: "..."

He pressed his forehead: "Bring up the chapter."

Large clusters of light points appeared on the glowing blue screen, converging into large paragraphs of text.

Xie Yu read ten lines at a glance, roughly grasping the plot.

The plot of a smut novel was always simple and crude. The story went that on this night, Young Master Xie went crazy for some unknown reason and got dead drunk all by himself. Returning to the hotel, he felt the room was ice-cold. Feeling extremely empty and lonely, and remembering that he had a contracted beauty, he simply called Shen Ci over.

The System commented: "How strange. Would the original owner drink alone?"

Young Master Xie could least endure loneliness; he always gathered a group of friends every time.

Xie Yu slightly raised his eyebrows, deep in thought, but didn't respond to that, only saying, "Let's read on first."

The current Shen Ci was perfectly fine, but the Shen Ci in the novel was doing very poorly. His physical foundation was already weak, and without proper rest, he had a whole host of problems like hypoglycemia and dizziness. After being played with by the original owner for several days in a row, he developed a high fever and was admitted to the hospital.

But Young Master Xie wouldn't care whether he was sick or in the hospital. He even felt that playing with someone who had a high fever would have a unique flavor, so he directly sent someone to the hospital to pick Shen Ci up.

"System." Xie Yu pointed at the plot. "We're stuck on the first step."

The novel's protagonist was hospitalized with a high fever, but Shen Ci wasn't hospitalized. Which hospital was he supposed to go to to pick him up?

The System was used to this kind of minor collapse. It said weakly: "As long as we get sixty points, it's fine. Just go to the school to pick him up."

So Xie Yu made the call. Faking a drunken tone, his attitude was as atrocious as ever: "Teaching Assistant Shen, where are you?"

Late at night, he should be at the university, right?

Who knew Shen Ci would lower his voice: "At the hospital."

The background noise was loud and chaotic, with the sound of machines turning on. Xie Yu paused, unable to maintain his drunken voice: "What's wrong with you?"

He hadn't done anything to the protagonist.

Shen Ci kept his voice very soft: "Visiting my grandmother." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "It's not me, I'm fine."

Saying this made Shen Ci himself feel awkward, as if Xie Yu would care whether something was wrong with him or not.

On the other end of the phone, Xie Yu let out an "oh," leaned back against the sofa, and adjusted his tone back to a drunken state: "Come to the hotel tonight. I'll send someone to pick you up at the hospital."

Shen Ci covered the receiver with one hand, his voice mixing into the complex background noise, indistinct: "Okay."

He put down the phone, looked at the old woman by the hospital bed, and leaned over: "Grandma, I have something to do at the lab. I have to go."

The old woman's temples were white, and her skin was covered with age spots from hyperpigmentation, but her brow bone and nose bridge were delicate and elegant. Judging from her bone structure, she must have been a beautiful woman in her youth.

Hearing this, the old woman looked at Shen Ci and patted the back of his hand with her needle-pierced hand. Her voice was hoarse: "It's so late, and there's still work at the lab?"

Shen Ci: "Yes, it's the project cycle now, so the lab is very busy."

The old woman looked at him quietly. At her age, the eyes were mostly cloudy, but these eyes were very clear. The old woman asked calmly: "Who was that calling you just now?"

Shen Ci's fingers twitched.

He withdrew his fingers, picked up an apple from the fruit basket, and lowered his eyes to peel it: "A friend."

"Just a friend?"

The old woman's hand pressed on the back of Shen Ci's hand. She was fully aware of her grandson's movements but didn't expose him. She continued, "Recently during my hospitalization, I feel that the service has improved a lot. Looking at the medicine in the bottles, I don't recognize any of the names. Listening to the nurses chat, they said they are all imported, very expensive, and sometimes you can't even buy them if you want to... Xiao Ci, tell Grandma, where did you get the money? Where did you get the connections?"

Shen Ci sighed: "It's the friend I just mentioned. He lent it to me."

The old woman looked him up and down. Shen Ci looked somewhat similar to her in her youth; both had a dignified and quiet appearance. In comparison, Shen Ci rarely smiled, his eyebrows and eyes were colder and more solemn, which was also more likely to arouse certain desires.

She slowly closed her eyes: "If it's really a friend, bring him over for me to meet someday."

Shen Ci was stunned and said briefly: "He—"

He slowed his tone without leaving a trace: "Grandma, he is busy with work and his career is demanding. His schedule is very tight, so he might not have time."

Young Master Xie did whatever he wanted, and Shen Ci didn't feel he held enough weight in Xie Yu's heart to trouble him to make a trip to the hospital.

Moreover, although the old woman had failing eyesight, her mind was very clear. The pampered, luxury-car-and-brand-name-watch posture of Young Master Xie was something ordinary people couldn't imitate, so Shen Ci couldn't find anyone to impersonate him.

The old woman didn't speak, only looking at him. Unspeakable sorrow was hidden in her dark eyes. After a long time, she closed her eyes and said, "If it's really a friend who helped so much, letting Grandma thank him in person is always possible, right?"

Shen Ci had no choice but to say: "I'll ask if he has time."

He stood up, left the ward, glanced at the floor-length mirror by the door, and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The person in the mirror looked well. In fact, because the hotel bed was soft and the air conditioning temperature was just right, he had slept well these past two days, so his complexion was even better than before.

He thought to himself, 'She shouldn't be able to tell anything.'

What Shen Ci didn't know was that there was also this plot in the novel. At that time, his complexion was much worse than now. His face was pale and his lips had no color. Every time he came to see his grandmother, he even needed to apply some makeup to cover it up.

In the hotel, Xie Yu was setting up the scene.

The original owner would get dead drunk and lose his mind, leaving the suite reeking of alcohol. Xie Yu, however, had no such interest. It damaged the liver and kidneys, and getting genuinely drunk would affect his performance. So, he simply opened two bottles of rum and brandy, drank himself a third of the way to drunkenness, and once a flush appeared on his face, he splashed a little on his shirt and around the room.

The room temperature was high, so the alcohol easily volatilized. Before long, the room was filled with a rich aroma of alcohol. Mixed with the sandalwood and ebony scent of the reed diffuser, it really gave off a feeling of decadent luxury.

Xie Yu took a bath, ruffled his hair into a mess, and casually pulled on a bathrobe. He tied the belt loosely, exposing a large patch of skin on his chest to create an atmosphere of a hangover. Then, timing it with Shen Ci's arrival, he lay down horizontally on the sofa.

When Shen Ci arrived, this was the scene he saw.

He first smelled the overwhelming stench of alcohol in the room and frowned slightly. Then, he looked toward the sofa, where Young Master Xie was sleeping, propping up his forehead. His brows were tightly knit, as if he was sleeping very uneasily.

Shen Ci walked over to him and sat on the edge of the cushion to prevent Xie Yu from rolling off. Then, he tied the belt properly for him, covering the exposed chest, before lightly touching his face: "Xie Yu?"

Xie Yu remained with his eyes closed.

Shen Ci sighed: "You called me over to keep you company. I came, but you fell asleep?"

He went to the bathroom to fetch a towel, wet it with water, and wiped the sweat from Xie Yu's forehead. Then, he passed his hands under Xie Yu's shoulder blades, intending to carry him to the bed.

Sleeping curled up on the sofa all night would probably cause a cold.

Xie Yu: "..."

He was pretending to sleep, not actually asleep.

According to the script, after Shen Ci came in and found Xie Yu dead drunk, he would silently wash up, then sit by the side table to read. It wouldn't be until Xie Yu, half-asleep, rolled over, fell off the sofa, and hurt his tailbone, that he would furiously climb up, grab Shen Ci, drag him to the bed, and press down on him.

At this point, the plot would be mostly complete. As for the subsequent censorship and dialogue, Xie Yu decided to improvise and act according to the situation, which was why he was sleeping disheveled on the sofa.

But Shen Ci didn't go read a book; he was trying to carry Xie Yu to the bed.

Xie Yu had no choice but to skip the previous steps. He stood up, reached out and grabbed Shen Ci, then threw him onto the bed, pressing his entire body over him.

The hotel mattress was very soft, so he didn't worry about hurting him.

Shen Ci was startled and raised his hands to push him away: "Xie...!"

Xie Yu thought 'sinful' to himself, then controlled both of his wrists, holding them firmly in his palms. With a slight application of force, Shen Ci was forced into a position with both hands raised over his head, leaving all his vulnerable spots exposed.

Due to their intense movements, Shen Ci's shirt was lifted up, revealing a flat, firm lower abdomen and a section of his waistline, smooth and beautiful.

Xie Yu lowered his eyes for a glance, looked away, and frowned in dissatisfaction: "You came so slowly."

At the same time, he tensed his lower abdomen.

Next, Shen Ci was supposed to knee him in the lower abdomen. According to Xie Yu's design, he would let go in pain, then pretend to be furious, playfully bully him a couple of times as a token effort, say a few dirty words, and then collapse and pretend to sleep.

But Shen Ci didn't kick. Xie Yu's face was close at hand, and his figure cast a heavy shadow over him. His face was also hidden in the shadow, making his expression indiscernible.

Shen Ci's pupils contracted slightly as he belatedly reacted.

Xie Yu was drunk.

Some people's tempers became completely different from usual after drinking. They became gloomier and more violent, resorting to punching and kicking others. Shen Ci didn't know what Xie Yu was like when drunk, but he knew that Xie Yu had bipolar disorder.

Someone with bipolar disorder would presumably be even more irritable after drinking than a normal person.

This posture was very bizarre, and having his lower abdomen exposed made him feel extremely unsafe. Shen Ci frowned and endured it, but his body couldn't help trembling. He quietly observed Xie Yu, wanting to say something to appease him, but when he just struggled to move his wrists, they were gripped even tighter.

"Hiss—"

His wrists were bent backward and upwards; it hurt a bit.

Only one bedside lamp was on in the bedroom. In the darkness, the tactile sensation of the skin became even more acute. Xie Yu's breathing was close at hand, bringing an immense sense of oppression. Shen Ci was like a fish on a chopping board. Hot breath sprayed behind his ear, and scorching heat transmitted from where their bodies touched. A thin piece of clothing couldn't block anything.

The Shen Ci in the novel never cried out in pain. No matter how violent the original owner's methods were, he could never hear a single word of begging from his mouth. But on this large, soft bed, firmly surrounded by the quilt, feeling a Xie Yu entirely different from during the day, Shen Ci suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.

The daytime Xie Yu was lazy and comfortable, like a wealthy idler who cared about nothing. The current Xie Yu, however, was extremely oppressive, like some hunting beast.

What would Xie Yu do? Would he use those tools in the box? Would he... hit him?

Shen Ci pursed his lips, tasting a bit of difficult bitterness. A sourness welled up in his chest that he couldn't push down no matter how hard he tried. He turned his head to bury his face in the quilt, hiding his overly complex emotions, while letting his wrists be obediently held, without even a hint of struggle.

He said softly, "Xie Yu, it hurts."

He lowered his eyes, his eyelashes drooping like fans, looking lost and distressed: "It hurts so much."

Xie Yu let go of his hands as if electrocuted.

He was only a third drunk and his mind was still clear. Hearing Shen Ci cry out in pain, he subconsciously thought he had been too heavy-handed.

Shen Ci was startled and silently curled his fingers.

He hadn't expected Xie Yu to hear him, much less that Xie Yu would let go. It was just having his wrists pressed down; how much could it hurt? It didn't even compare to the pain of getting chilblains on his hands from washing clothes in winter. He had only put on such an act, as if he had never endured hardship and couldn't bear any suffering, because he was relying on Xie Yu being too drunk to hear.

Truly pretentious.

But Xie Yu had actually heard him.

Shen Ci broke free from Xie Yu, turned his face to the side, and stopped speaking.

Then, the rich aroma of alcohol pressed down. The smell of rum was clear and sweet. Xie Yu leaned closer. Shen Ci couldn't figure out what he was going to do, so he just tensed his nerves and waited, though he was ultimately not as nervous as before.

How far could a person who stopped just because he said "it hurts" really go?

The next second, Xie Yu pulled over the quilt and wrapped him entirely in it. His fingertips touched the skin on Shen Ci's wrist, pinching and examining it. Half-drunk, his tone was a bit hesitant: "Does it really hurt a lot?"

Shen Ci was completely buried in the quilt, with only his hands raised above his head exposed. Xie Yu held his wrists under the lamp, and his long, slender fingers shrank uneasily and curled up under his gaze.

This posture was far too strange.

Having reached this step, the plot was mostly complete, and the rest was just censorship. Xie Yu had no intention of continuing. He asked, "System, what's the score?"

The System appeared silently and said weakly: "Around 50. If you press against him a little longer, it could reach 55."

It no longer expected a high score from its Host. 50 was fine. Long live 50.

Xie Yu thus lay down flat, pulled the person into his arms, rested his head on Shen Ci's shoulder blade, and said softly: "I drank too much. I won't mess with you anymore. Go to sleep."

He wasn't very good at handling alcohol. After tossing about so much tonight, he was genuinely tired.

Shen Ci paused. Enveloped by the scent of rum and brandy, his body felt languid and weak. He wanted to say something more, but Xie Yu covered his eyes.

Eyelashes brushed across his palm. Meeting the confused and searching gaze of the person in his arms, Xie Yu said forcefully, "It's late. Go to sleep."

...Forced to sleep, that counted as coercion too, right.

The two of them fell silent for a while. Xie Yu found a comfortable position, closed his eyes, and after a short while, his breathing gradually became steady.

He had fallen asleep.

"..."

In the darkness, Shen Ci hesitantly raised his hands and loosely hugged Xie Yu. His fingertips touched his back, then pulled back as if burned. He repeated this several times before finally resting them gently on him.

The next moment, he suddenly furrowed his brows.

—Where his fingertips touched, there were distinctly the marks of scars.