#ningchao

He'd managed to avoid Wen Chao for a while. Even when they were in the same camp, Wen Ning did his utmost to make sure they wouldn’t meet. It was a bold move; one that would bring him painful consequences if it ever came to light. After all, Sect Leader Wen himself had agreed to let his son “unwind” with Wen Ning whenever he wanted (provided Sect Leader Wen wasn’t already using him for the same purpose). 

“I thought you were dead! Where the hell have you been?” Wen Chao seized his wrist like he wanted to break it, like a child who didn’t know how to handle a small animal. Wen Ning was helpless in his grip.

If he made the smallest attempt at pulling back, Wen Chao dug his fingers into him until Wen Ning’s hand numbed. He was used to rough treatment, but this time, it was brutal.

“Y-young master Wen! Don’t you have somewhere to be?” 

He’d learned not to say it hurts; it rarely served any purpose; but he didn’t have to, this time. Wen Chao saw little tears gathering on the corners of Wen Ning’s eyes; he became aware of the force he was using, and relaxed. Instead, he grabbed Wen Ning by the waist.

“It’s okay,” he said in a tone that was most different from before. His voice now was that of a child comforting the animal he’d almost suffocated. “Father knows, it’s okay.” 

As soldiers ran around, Wen Chao dragged Wen Ning to his room. 

“I have to leave.” 

“Leave? No, no, you’ll be safe here with me. Wen ZhuLiu will take care of you.” Wen Chao had not let go of his waist. One hand held him while the other fiddled with Wen Ning’s sash belt.

Despite not directly calling him, Wen Chao’s bodyguard appeared at the door, blocking any of Wen Ning’s plans to escape, as if Wen Chao had known about them beforehand.

“Wen ZhuLiu, make sure we’re not disturbed.” 

Wen ZhuLiu didn’t care about Wen Chao’s affairs; it was not his place to say anything, so he didn’t. 

Wen Ning cried internally. Entertaining Wen Chao for the night was one thing. He slept like a corpse, and if Wen Ning wasn’t trapped under him when they finished, he could sneak away and find his sister before sunrise, but if Wen ZhuLiu was guarding the door, it wouldn’t be so easy. 

Wen Chao didn’t wait for Wen ZhuLiu to stop looking before he dove in for Wen Ning’s lips. 

Wen Ning pulled back. 

“What’s wrong?” Wen Chao asked, irritated.

“I…” Wen Ning’s mouth moved stupidly until he settled on a response that would please Wen Chao. “Don’t want him to hear...” 

Wen Chao was an easy man to excite, and much easier to handle than someone like Wen RuoHan. Seeing Wen Ning so shy, he immediately yelled for Wen ZhuLiu to scram for the night. 

It wasn’t the ideal outcome; Wen Ning still had to deal with Wen Chao for the night. But he could manage that much. 

He comforted himself with thoughts of that person; the person that had seen his potential and didn’t laugh at him; the person that had thanked him for his help and hadn’t asked anything in return. Wen Ning wondered how he was doing, and in doing so, he managed to forget about the person thrusting into him. 

“Qionglin, ahh, Qionglin... You’ll stay, right? Don’t go to my father anymore. Be mine...” 

During these moments, Wen Ning realized that Wen Chao, with all his forceful grips and obnoxious overconfidence, was really quite pathetic. Though, wasn’t Wen Ning even more pathetic? He’d surrendered to Wen Chao, after all.  

“Qionglin, promise me...”