Chapter 42.2 (1/2)
Deep in the Act
Translator: Kotoni
Editor: Isalee
Quality Check: Isalee
First Published on Chaleuria
Warning: Contains descriptions of rape
Chapter 42.2
He walked out of the door, stepped into the elevator, and pressed the b.u.t.ton for the floor he wanted without knowing how he did it. It was not until Gao Zhun stirred, blinking, that Fang Chi realized he had been staring at the man all this while like a devoted fool. ”Don't be afraid.” Lingering, unspoken feelings thrummed through Fang Chi's poignant murmur. ”We're going to the hospital now.”
The very next moment - he must be hallucinating, Fang Chi thought - a transformation came over Gao Zhun. With the barest s.h.i.+ft of his brows and eyes, Gao Zhun blossomed with miraculous new life like a flower blooming from the barren surface of a rock, or a new-born sprout growing on the steely blades of shears. So tender and loving was he that he moved Fang Chi with the depths of affection in his gaze. ”You really came…” Tears fell like pearls from the warm, alluring pools of his eyes. ”Just like you promised…”
Fang Chi lost his voice. His heart and lungs became filled with a fiery determination to defy the world around him, around them. It lasted for several minutes, growing and ballooning in Fang Chi's chest as he tucked Gao Zhun into the front seat, put the car in gear, started the car, and fastened his seat belt. Then, as he released the foot brake to pull out of the driveway, the flames of his resolution sputtered and died. The ashes of his defiance cooled. Cold sweat broke out all over him as he recalled what he had done just moments ago, and the way Zuo Linlin had collapsed on the floor, looking up at him with shocked incomprehension in her eyes. It was as if the entire world were reflected in her gaze, watching him, reminding him of his own perversion.
Fang Chi s.h.i.+fted gear to neutral, turned off the ignition, and tossed his gla.s.ses onto the dashboard. Lying three inches to his side was the living proof of the mistake he had made in the heat of the moment: his patient, another man. Have you lost your mind, Fang Chi?! Zuo Linlin's words rang in his ears again, and he clapped his hands to his head in a fit of panic. He had never fought with her before, could never bring himself to utter even a harsh word to her in the past. But now, he had thrown her aside just for Gao Zhun. Struggling, he began with difficulty, ”Gao Zhun, I…”
”Mn?” the other man answered in a trance.
Fang Chi leaned close to gaze upon Gao Zhun, taking in every detail on that face with his attentive eyes. ”You can't come with me,” he muttered as he pressed a palm to the man's forehead. It burned to the touch. ”Be good and listen to me. I'll carry you back upstairs, Linlin will take you…” Gao Zhun averted his head at once; despite how giddy he felt and how slow his mind had become, he knew that Fang Chi was going to push him away once more. ”Look at me.” Suppressing the searing anxiety within himself, Fang Chi lifted the man's chin. ”I'm talking to you!”
Gao Zhun weakly brushed Fang Chi's hand aside. It was a most feeble move, but the man's weary impatience angered Fang Chi. Resentment welled up from the bottom of his soul: he hated the pride hidden deep in Gao Zhun's bones; he loathed the way the man could dare to remain so superior even after ensnaring him with his charms. Arching his body, Fang Chi leaned further into Gao Zhun's seat, dogged in his attempt to pry the man's face towards him again. Gao Zhun struggled. Perhaps because of his illness, or perhaps because he had had enough, he fought back with equal stubbornness.
Smack. In the midst of the tussle, Gao Zhun landed a slap on Fang Chi's cheek. There was not much strength in the strike, however, and it was more self-defense gone overboard than an actual attack on the man. Nevertheless, the impact sent Fang Chi's head turning to the side. His eyes widened; their hardened glare fell upon a spread corner of Gao Zhun's covers, which had come loose during their scuffle. Under that blanket was the champagne silk of Gao Zhun's pajamas, and lying beneath that sheath was a flushed body covered with beaded sweat. Fang Chi's head buzzed as if it had been dealt a straight blow. His face turned crimson. Like a wayward wanderer traversing the line between good and evil, Fang Chi lost control of himself, and he could not help but try to catch the other man's flailing hands.
Unaware of what was happening, Gao Zhun shrank from Fang Chi's grasp, refusing to be trapped. Mounting urgency quickened Fang Chi's breath, and he lunged forward like a cat after a mouse, striking wherever he sensed the semblance of a struggle until he had his prey firmly pinned under his claws. The hunt was over in the blink of an eye. Yet, though he was left with no room for movement, Gao Zhun continued twisting his wrists despite the futility of his actions. He, too, was consumed with bitterness towards the man above him - how could he not? Resenting Fang Chi for his hypocritical and moralistic airs, as well as the different personas he a.s.sumed in the nighttime and the day, Gao Zhun would not be subdued. He kept up his resistance, snorting softly from the effort of his exertion.