***
Bonus chapter! Thank you to --- for the donation! ^^
***
With his chin held firmly in place, Ruan Qing couldn’t struggle. All he could do was clench his teeth tightly, silently rejecting "Qi Lintian's" excessive advances.
"Qi Lintian" paused slightly, as if recalling his original intent. His actions became a bit more restrained, and he made a show of casually wiping Ruan Qing’s lips, acting like a proper gentleman.
…That is, if one ignored the force he used and where exactly he was wiping.
Ruan Qing’s lips had originally been a pale pink, but after being handled so roughly by "Qi Lintian", they had turned a deep, rich red, as if delicately tinted with the finest rouge.
Combined with the lingering moisture from drinking earlier, it made them look irresistibly inviting—like something one couldn’t help but want to taste.
"Qi Lintian's" gaze darkened. After a moment, he leaned in closer, until their breaths mingled and the tips of their noses touched.
Their posture was both dangerous and intimate. At that moment, "Qi Lintian" resembled a predatory wolf locked onto its prey—there wasn’t a trace of that earlier “gentlemanly” façade left.
Ruan Qing instinctively shrank back, but "Qi Lintian" didn’t give him the chance. He tightened his grip on Ruan Qing’s chin, forcibly tilting his head upward, then kissed him without room for refusal.
The moment Ruan Qing felt the alien warmth on his lips, his body stiffened. He clamped his teeth shut.
"Qi Lintian" wasn’t content with just a surface-level kiss, but he didn’t force Ruan Qing to open his mouth either. Instead, he used his tongue to slowly lick and suck at Ruan Qing’s lips with intensity—so much so that it felt as if he wanted to devour him whole. By the time he was done, Ruan Qing’s lips were numb, red, and swollen, completely marked by his presence.
Only then did "Qi Lintian" finally pull back slightly, his eyes dark and unreadable as he looked down at Ruan Qing. He brushed his thumb across the boy’s lips to wipe away the moisture, then spoke in a low, husky voice:
“Your robe’s soaked. Change into another.”
The sea at night was freezing, and even with the air conditioning, wearing damp clothing was far from ideal—especially since Ruan Qing’s chest had been drenched earlier.
Ruan Qing’s lips still ached from that aggressive kiss. Uncomfortable, he pressed them together and reached out, wanting to push "Qi Lintian" away to go change.
But "Qi Lintian" didn’t seem inclined to let him go. After speaking, his gaze shifted downward, settling on Ruan Qing’s waist.
The elaborate, luxurious long robe was styled like traditional hanfu, but even more ornate and exquisite, perfectly outlining the boy’s slender, barely-one-hand-wide waist.
"Qi Lintian" neither moved away nor reacted to Ruan Qing’s feeble push. Instead, his hand slid from Ruan Qing’s chin down to the sash around his waist.
And the next moment, he pulled—just slightly.
Flustered, Ruan Qing grabbed hold of his belt to stop "Qi Lintian", his voice tinged with unease and nervousness. "I-I can do it myself."
"Qi Lintian" looked at him and said softly, "I just want to help you change clothes. I won't do anything else."
But his deep, velvety voice had already taken on a husky edge, and the predatory glint in his eyes remained completely unconcealed—making his words utterly unconvincing.
Worse still, his movements carried an undeniable dominance, leaving Ruan Qing no room for refusal. Even as he spoke, his other hand forcefully pried Ruan Qing's grip away and tugged open the sash of his robe.
The outer robe, held together only by the belt, immediately loosened and fell open.
Beneath it, Ruan Qing wore his own shirt, slightly damp from the spilled water but not enough to warrant changing. Yet "Qi Lintian’s" fingers didn’t stop there—they went straight for the buttons of his shirt.
Ruan Qing’s eyes widened in alarm, and he quickly tried to stop him. Meeting "Qi Lintian’s" dangerously narrowed gaze, he hesitated before whispering, “…The shirt doesn’t need to be changed.”
"No," "Qi Lintian" said sternly, his tone righteous. "The nights are cold. Wearing wet clothes will make you sick." His expression was almost chiding, as if scolding a disobedient child.
This time, Ruan Qing didn’t back down. He clutched his collar tightly, refusing to let "Qi Lintian" undo it.
But with barely enough strength to stand, how could he possibly resist "Qi Lintian’s" strength? In the next second, both his wrists were seized and pinned above his head.
"Qi Lintian’s" knee pressed firmly between his legs, leaving him utterly defenseless as the buttons of his shirt were undone one by one.
Unbuttoning a shirt single-handedly should have been tricky, but "Qi Lintian" managed it effortlessly.
As the fabric parted, it revealed Ruan Qing’s fair, flawless skin—and the marks littered across it.
A dark, violent glint flashed in "Qi Lintian’s" eyes at the sight, his entire aura turning terrifying.
Even though "He" was the one who had left those marks, the sight still filled him with displeasure and jealousy.
But when he sensed the trembling beneath him, he suppressed his fury and continued undressing the young man with a mix of domineering insistence and deceptive gentleness.
"Qi Lintian" had known about the injury at Ruan Qing’s waist—but he hadn’t expected it to be this severe. The deep bruises stood out starkly against his pale skin, some areas even broken and raw.
His brow furrowed tightly. The discoloration looked grotesque, enraging. And the broken skin? It must have been excruciating.
"Qi Lintian’s" fingertips brushed lightly against the skin, and the moment they made contact, he felt the young man shiver slightly.
His own fingers trembled in response, as if he, too, could feel the pain—perhaps even more acutely than the boy. It hurt so badly it felt like his heart was being crushed in an iron grip, leaving him breathless.
This was worse than the torment of being imprisoned in the ocean’s depths.
Gazing at the dark bruising before him, "Qi Lintian" found himself lowering his head as if compelled by some unseen force, pressing a kiss to Ruan Qing’s waist before gently licking the tender skin.
Ruan Qing stiffened at the warmth against his side, panic flaring as he tried to pull away. But his arms and legs were completely pinned—even struggling was impossible. Pale-faced, he could only bite his lip hard and endure "Qi Lintian’s" ministrations in rigid silence.
The cruise ship was massive, and even falling from the second deck was no small drop. No one could walk away from such a fall unscathed, and Ruan Qing’s injuries were severe—aching dully even without touch.
Yet "Qi Lintian’s" touch didn’t bring pain. Instead, the throbbing in his waist gradually eased under the other man’s careful attention.
Ruan Qing froze, instinctively glancing down.
"Qi Lintian" was focused, his gaze locked onto the bruised skin like a starving dog savoring a long-awaited bone.
…And yet, nothing like that at all.
With his striking, aristocratic features, "Qi Lintian" looked every bit the refined nobleman who belonged in gilded ballrooms. But now, he was bent low, his lips and tongue tracing Ruan Qing’s wounds with unbearable gentleness.
The sight of that crimson tongue gliding over pale skin was enough to send anyone’s pulse racing.
Ruan Qing, caught off guard, felt heat flood his cheeks. He jerked his head away the next second.
Despite his predatory aura, "Qi Lintian" didn’t cross any further lines. Once Ruan Qing’s injuries had healed, a robe materialized in his hands out of nowhere.
At first glance, it looked identical to the one Ruan Qing had been wearing—but a closer inspection revealed stark differences.
The fabric, the intricate patterns, even the way light shimmered across its surface as if alive—it all carried an oppressive weight, like the crushing depths of the ocean. One glance was all it took for anyone who had seen the true Evil God’s robes to spot the imitation for what it was.
A cheap counterfeit next to the real thing.
Ruan Qing didn’t need "Qi Lintian" to explain. He knew.
This robe belonged to the Evil God.
The one from the depths of the sea.
The one he had seen before.
"Qi Lintian" removed every piece of clothing from Ruan Qing's body, then methodically—and with absolute insistence—dressed him in the robes, one layer at a time.
His hands trembled slightly as he clothed Ruan Qing, all traces of his earlier composure gone.
By the time he fastened the final sash, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead like a human’s, leaving him looking somewhat disheveled.
It was the result of forcibly suppressing something primal.
This body was human, after all—subject to all the reactions and desires of one.
The torment of restraint was excruciating, yet "Qi Lintian" savored every second of it.
The young man before him was breathtaking. A faint blush tinted his jade-like complexion, his long lashes fluttering like feathers, adding an ethereal allure to his delicate features.
Black suited him exquisitely. The dark robes accentuated his slender, elegant frame—his waist so narrow it seemed it could be circled with one hand, his skin glowing even paler against the inky fabric.
The stark contrast between black and white lent his usual purity an edge of mystery, even something devilish—as if a seductive spirit had stepped out of a painting.
It suited him too well. So well it threatened to drive "Qi Lintian" mad.
And these robes… they were his.
Now the boy lay obediently beneath him, those beautiful eyes reflecting nothing but him—as if he were his entire world.
As if he would allow anything.
For a fleeting moment, the black robes seemed to blur before "Qi Lintian’s" eyes, replaced by a vision of the youth in pristine white.
Holy. Untouchable. Divine.
"Qi Lintian’s" heart lurched, his pupils dilating wildly. His pulse hammered violently, his blood burning like fire through his veins, his fingers trembling uncontrollably.
This boy was divinity.
His divinity.
He could resist no longer. He bowed his head.
