Now this was dog training-so satisfying!!

Feng Yan did not return until the following evening. He lounged in his room for a while before asking, "Is Bai Ruan still in the Confinement Room?"

Tao Zhiyan nodded at the question. "Yes."

"Has he eaten anything?"

"No." Tao Zhiyan's expression remained perfectly normal, and he did not even blink. "You told me not to get him anything to eat."

Satisfied, Feng Yan leisurely finished his tea before getting up to go to the Confinement Room.

Tao Zhiyan whipped out his phone and sent Bai Ruan a message.

[Peach: The Second Young Master is coming to see you.]

The reply came quickly.

[Bai: I'm a little nervous... How do I do that seductive, hard-to-get thing?]

[Peach: Pull your clothes down a little and pretend to be asleep.]

[Peach: Also, don't talk to him all evening!]

Tao Zhiyan was, after all, a writer of domineering CEO fiction. He knew how to create contrast.

But this kid, Bai Ruan-how could he not even know how to reel someone in?

How was he supposed to stand out from all the other bottoms?

Musing over that, Tao Zhiyan put his phone away and followed Feng Yan to the Confinement Room.

The moment they pushed the door open, they saw Bai Ruan lying on the floor, pretending to sleep.

Bai Ruan might not know how to do it, but he followed instructions well. As Tao Zhiyan had told him, he had tugged his clothes down a little to expose his smooth, fair shoulder, then curled up on the floor with his eyes shut.

His curls were damp with sweat and clung messily to his forehead. Paired with his slightly rumpled clothes, the sight stirred an irresistible itch.

Feng Yan licked his lips and raised his eyebrows slightly.

This was the first time he had seen Bai Ruan like this.

Bai Ruan was good-looking, beautiful even. His personality was just a little too childish. He was lively and adorable, but he did nothing to stir a man's desire. It got a little tiresome.

Only when he abused and imprisoned Bai Ruan did Feng Yan feel any excitement.

"...Ruanruan?" Feng Yan approached, bent down, and crouched beside him.

Bai Ruan's brow furrowed slightly, as though he had been disturbed in his sleep, but he did not open his eyes.

The lighting in the Confinement Room was dim, and that small patch of smooth, snowy skin Bai Ruan exposed invited a few sensual thoughts.

Feng Yan licked his lips, staring at his bare shoulder before letting his gaze follow the contours of his body downward.

What the fuck? Why did Bai Ruan seem different from before?

Behind him, Tao Zhiyan could not help curling his lips when he saw Feng Yan's gaze.

Those two hours spent teaching Bai Ruan had not been wasted. He had only taught him the basics, but that was more than enough to deal with Feng Yan.

Feng Yan bent down and lifted Bai Ruan from the floor.

Bai Ruan opened his eyes at just the right moment and slowly looked up at Feng Yan. "Mm... Yan?"

"Yeah." Meeting Bai Ruan's gaze, Feng Yan unconsciously swallowed. "...Go back to sleep."

Bai Ruan murmured an assent, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

Feng Yan felt an itch inside him.

Before, no matter when Feng Yan returned or what Bai Ruan was doing, Bai Ruan would immediately rush over and talk to him with a smile.

Most of the time, Feng Yan did not really want to listen. Having to pretend to be interested in all Bai Ruan's pointless chatter was honestly exhausting.

But today, when Bai Ruan simply slept instead of talking to him, he found himself unused to it.

It felt as though something was missing.

Watching Feng Yan's expression, Tao Zhiyan felt immensely satisfied. He could hardly wait to see him suffer through a desperate attempt to win his lover back.

After Feng Yan carried Bai Ruan upstairs, he did not come down again.

That night, just as Tao Zhiyan finished washing up and was about to get into bed, Bai Ruan suddenly sent him a message.

[Bai Ruan: [Video]]

Tao Zhiyan tapped it, and the video began to play.

It was a phone recording of a chat history, packed with messages between Feng Yan and his ex-boyfriend.

Tao Zhiyan's relaxed nerves tightened. His brows unconsciously drew together, and he bit his nail.

The messages spanned five years, from when Feng Yan and his ex-boyfriend first started dating, through their breakup, to their reconciliation.

There were tens of thousands of messages, and their owner had not been willing to delete a single one.

He might have changed phones during that time, but he had still imported them all onto his new phone.

The two had met when they were young.

Then they had fallen in love as their romantic feelings first blossomed.

They had separated because their plans for the future did not align.

Then, unable to let the other man go, Feng Yan had opened their chat again.

For the past six months, they had chatted almost every day, and Feng Yan had initiated most of the conversations.

A little stray cat he had seen today, a sweet treat he had eaten yesterday, a white-haired elderly couple supporting each other by the roadside a few days earlier.

There was nothing they could not talk about.

There was nothing they did not share.

Only after a long while did Bai Ruan send a message:

[Bai Ruan: I thought he was the other man.]

Tao Zhiyan had expected Bai Ruan to break down, but he was frighteningly calm.

Yet beneath that calm, how much suffocating despair must there have been?

Tao Zhiyan did not dare imagine it.

[Peach: He is.]

No matter how long ago Feng Yan and that man had met, Bai Ruan and Feng Yan had already been together before those two got back together.

[Bai Ruan: /crying]

Looking at that little yellow crying emoji, Tao Zhiyan could not help raking a hand through his hair.

How was he supposed to comfort someone over something like this?

So fucking frustrating. Maybe I should just grab Feng Yan and beat him up.

Tao Zhiyan typed a line into the chat box, deleted it, typed it again, and deleted it again. He repeated that several times until a new message popped up.

[Bai Ruan: Butler Tao.]

[Bai Ruan: I want revenge on him.]

Early the next morning, Tao Zhiyan spent ages inspecting himself in the mirror.

Only after making sure his tiny Bluetooth earpiece was not visible did he answer Bai Ruan's call and step outside.

Bai Ruan and Feng Yan were having breakfast.

"Not to your taste?" Feng Yan could not help asking when he saw how listless Bai Ruan had been all morning.

"...No." Just as Bai Ruan finished speaking, he saw Tao Zhiyan come out and immediately sat up straight to look at him.

He tapped his ear with a finger, and Tao Zhiyan nodded.

They were on a voice call. Tao Zhiyan would tell him what to say.

After breakfast, Feng Yan prepared to leave for the office. He picked up his jacket and opened the door, then turned back to ask Bai Ruan for a goodbye kiss, only to discover that Bai Ruan was getting ready to leave too.

Holding two books, Bai Ruan was bent over changing his shoes.

Feng Yan instantly grew angry. He slammed the door shut with a bang. "Where are you going?"

"To school," Bai Ruan said.

"What school? Didn't I tell you to drop out?" Feng Yan could not understand it. Bai Ruan had always been obedient before. What had gotten into him these past few days?

Feng Yan sounded impatient. "Do I seriously have to break up with you before you'll behave?"

Bai Ruan's hands paused over his shoes. Then he slowly straightened and said woodenly, "Then let's break up."

Feng Yan froze at those words. Once he recovered, he let out a little laugh, as though he had just heard some ridiculous joke.

"What did you say?"

Well, this was fucking new. Bai Ruan would agree to break up?

Standing behind the wall, Tao Zhiyan could not quite see Feng Yan's expression, but judging by his tone, he was probably pretty pissed off.

Tao Zhiyan gathered his words, turned toward Feng Yan, and said, "Say-"

"I do love you. Very much."

"But not enough to give up everything for you."

Copying Tao Zhiyan's tone, Bai Ruan repeated the words to Feng Yan one by one.

Sure enough, Feng Yan's composure began to crack on the spot.

He had sat on his lofty perch for so long that suddenly having it kicked out from under him left him unsettled.

What right did Bai Ruan have to talk to him like that? Wasn't he supposed to love him to his very bones?

"Do you know what you're saying?" Feng Yan's smile vanished. He took half a step forward and looked at Bai Ruan. "Ruanruan, I thought we loved each other."

"Step back a little," Tao Zhiyan said. "Careful he doesn't see your earpiece."

Bai Ruan immediately took half a step back.

That half step directly enraged Feng Yan. He felt that Bai Ruan was avoiding him.

Worse, that half step made Feng Yan feel he could no longer control him, and it left him a little panicked.

"Have you thought this through?" Feng Yan closed his eyes, struggling to calm himself. Confident that Bai Ruan would never leave him, he threatened, "If you walk out that door, we're over."

Although the man sounded utterly confident, Tao Zhiyan still detected unease in his eyes.

Training, after all.

You had to tighten the leash, then loosen it.

And you had to offer bait.

"Open the door and leave now." Tao Zhiyan curled his lips. "Before you go, look back and say, 'I love you, but I'll respect your decision too.'"

Bai Ruan did exactly as Tao Zhiyan instructed.

As Bai Ruan headed out, Feng Yan's heart inexplicably tightened. When Bai Ruan looked back and confessed his love, Feng Yan relaxed a little.

But before he could finish that sigh of relief, the words about respecting his decision left him stunned.

Once he had said his piece, Bai Ruan left without looking back.

The man stared at the closed door, unable to utter a single word.

His chest heaved. He desperately tried to calm himself, but his trembling fingers betrayed his emotions.

He took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

After just one drag, as though he could no longer bear it, he raised his hand and hurled the lighter at the floor.

"Fuck!"

Fucking Bai Ruan. If you've got the guts, then don't ever come back!

Feng Yan's face flushed red.

Let's see if you can even last a day!

Veins bulged on Feng Yan's forehead in fury, while Tao Zhiyan turned away with his head held high.

Now this was dog training-so satisfying!!!