Chapter 9

Chapter 9: 1. deep rising-08

Liu Yi sent his friend Xue Haofan home, then, supporting Qi Shanyu—who was nine centimeters taller and at least seven kilograms heavier than him—slowly, step by step, struggled into a five-star hotel at the street corner. He swiped for a suite, and with the help of the hotel staff, dragged Qi Shanyu into the elevator and finally into the room.

By the time he dumped him onto the king-size luxurious bed, Liu Yi was exhausted, gasping for breath.

He collapsed on the other side of the bed, tilting his head to look at Qi Shanyu. Fortunately, the man was like a sack of potatoes; despite being jostled and tossed around, he was still deep in dreamland, snoring lightly.

“Hey, Officer Qi.”

Liu Yi slapped Qi Shanyu’s cheek, a motion far from gentle, making the skin snap.

Qi Shanyu, stung, groaned vaguely and waved his large hand, “Pa!” releasing Liu Yi’s grip.

—Hey, you’re enjoying this!

Liu Yi raised an eyebrow, letting his eyes linger on Qi Shanyu’s face.

He hadn’t had any improper intentions. Seeing Qi Shanyu drunk all night, about to pass out, and considering they knew each other at least slightly, he brought him to the hotel to prevent him from being thrown out and sleeping on the street.

But as a picky top, he never liked effeminate, delicate types like Little Zero; he preferred tall, muscular, handsome, heroic-looking men. Qi Shanyu, in both appearance and physique, perfectly fit his taste, making him increasingly restless and unable to resist doing something to him.

Liu Yi calmly reached out, fingertip hooking, undoing the first button of Qi Shanyu’s shirt.

He wouldn’t really take advantage of the drunk, but helping someone remove clothes was justified, and he could indulge his eyes a bit.

With that thought, he continued, unbuttoning the entire shirt, eyes openly roaming over the defined chest and abs, then sliding down along the V-line to the curve of the waist under the jeans.

Satisfied, Liu Yi moved toward Qi Shanyu’s belt.

“Mm… uh!”

Sensing the disturbance, Qi Shanyu groaned impatiently, grabbed the thing on his lower abdomen, rolled over, pressing the messy shirt, unspread blanket, and Liu Yi’s hands under him.

They ended up face-to-face on the bed, Liu Yi’s arm stretched awkwardly, held firmly by Qi Shanyu, tendons strained painfully.

“Hey, what are you doing!”

The drunk had unpredictable strength; Qi Shanyu’s fingers gripped tight, wrist like iron, and Liu Yi’s struggles were useless.

“Officer Qi!”

Liu Yi’s free hand formed a fist, pounding the drunk’s shoulder several times, trying to make him loosen his grip.

Yet Qi Shanyu’s reaction was unexpected.

Even drunk, he retained his trained reflex: when “attacked,” his first move was to control the opponent.

He suddenly grabbed Liu Yi’s other hand, used his height and strength to toss him sideways, knee forward, throwing him off the bed onto the floor.

Even with a plush rug, Liu Yi hit hard, dazed.

Raised in wealth, educated elite, always a model child, Liu Yi had never lain sprawled on the floor, head spinning with gold flashes, suspecting a concussion.

Qi Shanyu, however, wasn’t done.

Fueled by drunken strength, he pinned Liu Yi’s shoulders, flipped him, bound both hands behind, took out the belt, tied the wrists to the bedpost, immobilizing him.

Done, he sleepily crawled back onto the bed, burrowing under the covers, immediately falling into a deep sleep.

Liu Yi, a cerebral type with no combat training, was completely outmatched.

Bound to the bedpost, he only then remembered he should struggle, yelling:

“Hey! Qi Shanyu!”

He twisted, pulled at the belt, but the heavy five-star bed rendered him powerless; continuing would only injure himself.

Exhausted, he curled on the rug.

He listened to the drunk snoring, the mix of lemon-scented cleaner and rug mildew burning his nose.

“Qi, we’re not done!”

He gritted his teeth.

&&& &&& &&&

Qi Shanyu slept comfortably.

The next morning, sunlight streaming through the curtains landed on his face, waking him groggily.

He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling and ornate light fixture, brain like mush, unsure where he was or what happened.

Rolling over, lying quietly, he gradually recalled fragments from last night.

He remembered getting drunk at a gay bar, a stranger seemingly knowing him, taking him to the hotel… what happened after that!?

He scrambled out of bed, looked down.

The jacket was gone, shirt fully unbuttoned, pants intact, belt missing.

His heart thumped.

As he emerged from the messy covers, he saw someone curled on the floor beside the bed, back toward him, hands behind, partially blocked by the bed.

“Hey, you okay!”

He jumped down, flipped the person over, eyes closed, checked breathing—steady. He exhaled.

A man in his late twenties, extremely handsome. He didn’t know him, but felt oddly familiar.

And now, this handsome man was tied at the bedpost with… Qi Shanyu’s own belt.

Cold sweat on his forehead, Qi Shanyu guessed what he’d done last night.

He quickly untied him, patting his cheeks. “Hey, wake up!”

Liu Yi, exhausted, had slept until almost dawn. Tied all night, his arms were numb, tingling from sore to completely dead; even now, he couldn’t move them immediately.

Opening his eyes, he saw Qi Shanyu’s infuriatingly handsome face and reflexively reached to push, only to realize he couldn’t feel his arms.

“You bastard…”

He lowered his voice, controlling near-explosive anger. “Help me up! My arms don’t work!”

Qi Shanyu hurried to support him. “Are you okay?”

“Try being tied on the floor all night!”

Liu Yi, chilled from lying on the bare floor, temples throbbing, throat dry, struggled to move his arms. “Luckily my hands aren’t completely useless.”

“S-sorry…”

Qi Shanyu stammered, feeling guilty. “But… how did this happen? Why am I here?”

He also wanted to ask if Liu Yi unbuttoned his shirt, or what he intended—but that sounded like a drunk girl’s accusation, awkward to say.

“Of course I carried you in.”

Liu Yi raised an eyebrow, giving a dumbfounded look. “Were you planning to sleep on the street?”

Qi Shanyu stared blankly at Liu Yi’s beautiful phoenix eyes, unsure how to react.

If the stranger was right, he had indeed drunkenly acted wildly and repaid kindness with trouble.

Neither spoke, standing in the room, a wide-open shirt facing crossed arms—awkwardly surreal.

At that moment, a phone rang.

Qi Shanyu snapped, remembering the crucial question: the time—he was definitely late!

Scrambling, he grabbed his jacket, phone, and answered.

“Officer Qi, where have you been!? Get to the scene immediately!”

“Is there a case?”

“Yes! A body was found in the lake at Binhai Middle School…”

Simultaneously, Liu Yi’s phone rang.

After Qi Shanyu got the address and hung up, Liu Yi finished his call.

“Sorry, urgent matter, need to go immediately. About last night, really sorry…”

Qi Shanyu tore a note from the desk, wrote his number.

“Check your hands at the hospital first…”

He glanced at Liu Yi’s wrists, clearly marked. “I’ll cover medical and compensation.”

Liu Yi pocketed the note, said calmly, “Let’s go. My car’s at the corner, I’ll drive you.”

“No, it’s fine!” Qi Shanyu shook his head. “I’ll take a taxi.”

“Binhai Middle School on Science Island, right?”

Liu Yi confirmed.

Qi Shanyu’s eyes widened, surprise turning to caution. “How do you know?”

Liu Yi pointed at himself. “Because I’m going there too.”

“Ah!” Qi Shanyu exclaimed.

No wonder he looked familiar—he recalled where he’d seen him.

Staring at Liu Yi’s long, upturned phoenix eyes, he blurted: “You’re the perverted forensic who smiled at the corpse before!”

Liu Yi: “…”