Chapter 34: I Will Try My Best

Qu Yan had never seen what an animal in heat looked like.

The only animal he had ever encountered was a dog Qu Zizhi had kept during high school. It seemed to be some rare, expensive breed with snow-white fur and blue eyes. Qu Zizhi had been very fond of it, not only walking it personally but even setting aside an hour every day just to play with it. Unfortunately, the dog lived for only a month before falling gravely ill and dying, and Qu Yan had never seen it in heat during that time.

As for Yan Zhuo, he was asleep now, half his face buried in the soft pillow, his breathing steady. Qu Yan could not reconcile him with the words "in heat."

A thud echoed in the hallway. The building’s soundproofing was poor, and Yan Zhuo’s brows furrowed slightly, a sign he was on the verge of waking. Qu Yan leaned over to cover his ears, hearing footsteps outside—unsteady and dragging—approaching from a distance. It likely wasn't Song Chengfeng.

The door, which lacked a proper lock, was pushed open. The intruder walked in, though it was unclear whether he had entered the wrong room or had done so on purpose. Qu Yan soon found out.

"Yan Zhuo, get out here! I want a duel!" Qin Li stood with his hands on his hips, looking arrogant and confident.

Qu Yan had little impression of the young man and didn't know where Yan Zhuo had provoked him to make him go to such lengths in the middle of the night.

"Come out, Yan Zhuo!" Qin Li shouted into the living room, occasionally letting out exaggerated, boastful laughs. "I’ll count to three. If you don't come out, it means you're a coward!"

He let out a drunken hiccup and began to count: "One, two, three, four, five..."

Qu Yan raised an eyebrow. Wasn't it supposed to be just three?

"Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty..."

The counting stopped at fifty, and Qin Li collapsed onto the sofa, eyes closed and dead to the world.

Silence finally returned. Qu Yan let out a soft breath and looked down, only to be met with a pair of crimson eyes. Yan Zhuo had woken up at some point without making a sound, and there was no telling how long he had been staring.

Qu Yan’s heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously backed away. His back hit the wheelchair, and Yan Zhuo sat up on the bed.

"Yan Zhuo, are you awake?"

Qu Yan kept his expression calm, but his hands moved the wheelchair backward. Yan Zhuo knelt on the bed, eyes fixed on Qu Yan. Every time Qu Yan moved back, Yan Zhuo leaned forward to follow. It was like a game, the two of them shifting back and forth in unison.

The wheelchair hit the windowsill, and Qu Yan was out of room. Yan Zhuo lost his balance and tumbled off the bed. He landed hard on the hardwood floor, but as if he felt no pain, he scrambled up and crawled toward Qu Yan on all fours.

Placing his hands on Qu Yan’s thighs, Yan Zhuo looked up. Those red eyes, which should have been devoid of emotion, revealed a hint of fawning. "Woof."

A soft, damp tongue licked Qu Yan’s fingers.

"Yan Zhuo?" Qu Yan called out again.

Yan Zhuo didn't respond, continuing to nuzzle against his legs. The last time Yan Zhuo’s eyes had turned red was at Yan Xingzhang’s villa; back then, he had lost his sanity and displayed a fierce, aggressive demeanor. But the current Yan Zhuo could hardly be called fierce.

He was more like a spoiled puppy. Qu Yan’s mind flashed back to the dog Qu Zizhi used to have, and the more he looked at Yan Zhuo, the more he saw the resemblance.

He reached out and pressed a finger against Yan Zhuo’s forehead, pushing him back. "Sit properly."

His voice wasn't loud, but Yan Zhuo looked up, his hair messy and charged with static. Qu Yan pointed to the floor. "Sit properly."

Yan Zhuo pulled his hands back and obediently crouched on the floor. It seemed he could still understand words. Qu Yan tapped his temple. "Go to bed."

Yan Zhuo blinked, unmoving. Qu Yan rolled his wheelchair forward and patted the bed. "Get up."

Only then did Yan Zhuo move, climbing onto the bed, his static-charged hair still clinging limply to his forehead.

Qu Yan: "Cover yourself with the quilt."

Yan Zhuo pulled up the quilt and burrowed inside, leaving only his head visible.

Compared to the time at Yan Xingzhang’s villa, Yan Zhuo was far more obedient. Qu Yan yawned, feeling drowsy himself, his voice thick with sleepiness: "Close your eyes and sleep."

Yan Zhuo clutched the quilt with both hands, his red eyes fixed on Qu Yan.

Qu Yan: "...Close your eyes."

Yan Zhuo: *Stare.*

Qu Yan sighed, reached out, and manually closed Yan Zhuo’s eyes. "Don't move, don't open them, just sleep."

He held his hand over Yan Zhuo’s eyes for several minutes before letting go.

Yan Zhuo, seeing the light again: *Stare.*

Forget it, Qu Yan decided to give up. Staying awake for one night wouldn't kill him. One lying in bed, one sitting in the wheelchair, Qu Yan supported his cheek and drifted toward sleep, while Yan Zhuo remained wide awake, showing no signs of fatigue.

Time passed, and then a knock came at the door. Qu Yan jolted awake, and Yan Zhuo lifted his head, alert.

Song Chengfeng’s voice came from outside: "Qu Yan, are you asleep?"

Qu Yan held down Yan Zhuo, who was about to leap off the bed, and replied, "What is it?"

"Why did that brat Qin Li end up here? Does Qin Ji know? And Wen Xi—if he finds out, he’ll definitely take shots at me again, openly or behind my back..." Song Chengfeng grumbled outside, completely unaware of the scene inside the bedroom.

Yan Zhuo crouched on the bed, baring his teeth and emitting low growls. Had Qu Yan not stopped him, he would have pounced long ago.

Qu Yan’s tone remained calm. "Don't worry about him, he came here on his own."

"Then I’m relieved." Song Chengfeng breathed a sigh of relief. After a few seconds of hesitation, he added, "Is Yan Zhuo in there, too? If he’s not doing anything major, you should come out. What if he suddenly goes crazy and hurts you—"

"Awooooo—"

Clearly provoked by Song Chengfeng’s words, Yan Zhuo tilted his head back and let out a howl. The chilling wolf cry rippled through the air.

Song Chengfeng’s hair stood on end. "W-what was that sound?"

In the living room, Qin Li was startled awake. He clutched his pounding heart, scanned the room, and finding no danger, fell back into a peaceful sleep. It must have been a nightmare after all.

The quilt on the bed was torn to shreds. Qu Yan was thrown onto the bed, lying on what remained of a pillow. Yan Zhuo pinned his wrists down, his expression blank as he stroked Qu Yan's earlobe. "Why were you going to leave?"

Qu Yan didn't feel afraid, though his body betrayed him by trembling. He gritted his teeth. "I wasn't leaving. Let me go first."

"I know, A-Yan wouldn't leave." The hand stroking his earlobe moved to his lips. Yan Zhuo didn't loosen his grip, clearly not believing him.

Insects like to strike when people are off guard, but wolves—large predators—are more direct. They prefer to surround their prey or corner them before satisfyingly beginning the hunt. Qu Yan was pinned, with no room to escape. At this moment, he felt like Yan Zhuo’s prey.

Moonlight filtered through the window, echoing the candlelight in the room. Qu Yan relaxed his body, attempting to communicate: "Let me go. I’m not leaving, and I won't lie to you."

He paused, then added, "My wrists hurt."

His hands were gripped tightly by Yan Zhuo, already showing red marks. Yan Zhuo hesitated for two seconds, seemingly inclined to agree.

But Song Chengfeng suddenly banged on the door hard. "Qu Yan, are you okay? Listen to me and come out, forget about Yan Zhuo!"

The grip, which had loosened slightly, tightened instantly. Yan Zhuo’s voice was vicious: "Liar! You’re lying to me! You want to leave, don't you? I won't let you go. Unless I die, don't even think about leaving me!"

His sudden outburst caught Qu Yan off guard. These were words the sober Yan Zhuo would never say.

Song Chengfeng shouted, "Qu Yan, say something, or I’m going to kick the door down!"

Qu Yan closed his eyes, grabbed the pillow from beneath him, and hurled it at the door. "Get lost!"

With a bang, Song Chengfeng stepped back, then ground his teeth. "Fine, treat my kindness like a donkey’s liver! I don't care about you anymore!"

Quiet returned. A damp, cold sensation touched his neck. Qu Yan looked up to see tears rolling endlessly down Yan Zhuo’s face.

"How are you..." he stammered.

Yan Zhuo rubbed his cheek against Qu Yan’s, his expression pained, as if struggling to suppress something. "A-Yan, I want to eat you so badly."

His fingers pressed harder, and a numbing pain spread across Qu Yan’s cheek. Tears fell onto his collarbone, then slid backward, eventually vanishing into the messy quilt.

Yan Zhuo panted, his breathing rapid, every word he uttered heavy with damp heat. "If I swallow you into my stomach, would you stop leaving?"

He was serious; he had likely truly considered the feasibility of it.

Qu Yan looked into those crimson eyes and reflected in his heart: had he shown his "use and discard" attitude too clearly, letting Yan Zhuo realize it? Had he finally driven him to madness through his silence?

He pondered this, failing to notice that Yan Zhuo’s eyes were slowly turning back to black.

A long time later, the person on top of him said, with a trembling voice, "I'm sorry."

Qu Yan snapped out of his thoughts, staring at Yan Zhuo’s black eyes. "Are you sober?"

Yan Zhuo gave a low hum and curled up his body. "Am I scary?"

His voice was muffled, laced with self-reproach. "I don't know what happened to me. My body wouldn't listen, it was like I was going crazy..."

He held his head, not daring to look at Qu Yan. "Please don't be afraid of me, okay? Or chain me up. I’ll go find an iron chain tomorrow. You can tie me up; I won't hurt you."

The more he said, the more impossible it seemed. How could Qu Yan keep someone who might hurt him at any moment by his side?

Bitterness spread, and Yan Zhuo’s voice grew soft. "Don't abandon me... Qu Yan..."

So that was it. Qu Yan finally understood why he had been hiding, why he had said not to touch him. Everything had an answer now.

Yan Zhuo received no reply, but instead heard a soft chuckle. He subconsciously looked up and saw Qu Yan flick his fingers.

Something crawled up the bed, rustling as it wrapped around his ankles several times.

"You..."

Qu Yan touched his thumb and index finger together, and the vines binding Yan Zhuo vanished instantly. "I don't like iron chains. How is this?"

"But I..."

Qu Yan interrupted him: "Your body... it will be fine in a few days. Don't overthink it."

Yan Zhuo huddled at the foot of the bed, looking lost.

Qu Yan averted his gaze and said briefly, "You’re in heat."

*In... heat...*

The two words flashed through Yan Zhuo’s mind. His face turned beet red, and he gave a dazed response.

His reaction only made Qu Yan find him interesting. He hooked his finger. "Actually, it’s easy to solve. If you tell me, I’ll always help you."

*How to help?*

*How could one possibly help with this kind of thing?*

Yan Zhuo’s arms tightened around the pillow; he understood what Qu Yan meant.

Qu Yan continued to ask, "Don't you want to? I’m willing."

He meant it. He had lived for twenty-eight years, preoccupied with maneuvering among the old men of the Qu family, and had never tasted what intimacy was like. Thinking about it, he felt he had missed out, and besides, Yan Zhuo was the only person he had been interested in so far.

In truth, he didn't resist the idea.

He had expected Yan Zhuo to be happy, but instead, Yan Zhuo lowered his head and whispered, "It will hurt."

It would hurt Qu Yan, which was why he would rather be chained up.

Qu Yan curled his lips, noncommittal. He released the vines again, binding Yan Zhuo’s hands and feet. Yan Zhuo didn't resist; he even cooperated actively.

Seeing him so indifferent to being bound, Qu Yan raised his hand and extinguished the candle with the vines. "Sleep."

On the messy bed, the two lay side by side. Yan Zhuo spoke up: "I will get prepared."

Qu Yan didn't catch it at first. "Prepared for what?"

"That... thing." Yan Zhuo paused suspiciously. "Whatever you like, I’ll do anything you want."

Qu Yan was silent. "...Fine, then prepare well."

In the darkness, Yan Zhuo was incredibly earnest. "I will try my best."