KM: Chapter 2

The early autumn weather was still somewhat chilly. Ji An pulled the sleeves of his coat tighter, curling up to try and keep warm. His health wasn't good, and he had a tendency towards feeling cold, which made him quite afraid of the cold. Students passed by in twos and threes at the intersection, and then more and more. He hung his head, afraid to look around, just hoping You Chen would arrive soon, as quickly as possible.

When the crowd began to gather and run, You Chen still hadn't arrived. Ji An checked the time on his phone, feeling a growing unease. The homeroom teacher had already sternly warned him for being late several times. If he was late again today, he would certainly be punished. Counting down in his mind, there were only two minutes left. Ji An glanced towards the intersection, not seeing You Chen's figure. He bit his lip, turned, and ran towards the school. The wind blew into his school uniform jacket, making him feel truly cold. Why? Why couldn't You Chen be a little faster? He didn't want to wait or run because of the cold, and he certainly didn't want to be punished by the homeroom teacher.

When Ji An finally reached the classroom, he was still late. The homeroom teacher shot him a cold glance and told him to come to the office after class. He nodded slightly, sat at his seat, and curled up on the desk, fingers twisted together as if fearing something.

Before long, there was a thud at the back door. You Chen kicked the door open and walked in with a fierce demeanor, ignoring the stares from the class. He walked over to Ji An, grabbed the back of his collar, and lifted him up like a helpless kitten. Ji An closed his eyes tightly, being dragged all the way to the bathroom stall. After You Chen came in and locked the door, he pulled Ji An and pressed him against the door panel. Ji An let out a soft hum, not daring to open his eyes.

"Didn't wait for me? Ji An, what do you take my warnings for?" He didn't answer, and it was clear You Chen didn't intend to give him a chance to. A punishing kiss pressed down, sharp canine teeth biting his lips, causing tears to spill from the corners of his eyes. Suppressing the urge to push You Chen away, Ji An's hand finally reached forward, only to be predictably caught and pinned above his head. You Chen tugged his earlobe hard, making him open his mouth to cry out. You Chen took the opportunity to slip inside, his fingers becoming gentle, soothing the momentary sharp pain.

But while his ear no longer hurt, his mouth still did, his tongue hurt from being bitten and sucked, kissed to the point of pain. The kisses described in books were so tender, why did he only feel pain? Was it because there was no affection between them, only control and desire? Ji An felt the oxygen in his chest slowly depleting, the lack of air making him a bit dazed, confusedly wondering why his affection for You Chen only grew stronger in this twisted relationship. He had hidden his feelings for so long, yet just because he was pushed and fell awkwardly in front of the other, he was dragged into such an unbearable relationship, unable to interact with the other on equal terms.

You Chen released Ji An, who could no longer endure, looking down at Ji An's red eyes as he gasped for air. Once Ji An caught his breath, You Chen coldly said, "Apologize." Ji An's lips were swollen, red and wet, with a line of teeth marks slowly fading, left by You Chen. "S-sorry…" Ji An trembled, trying hard to speak clearly, but after many attempts, he still failed. He hated his stutter, which is why he was unwilling to speak. Panic and a bit of grievance made him seem somewhat pitiful, long eyelashes drooping wetly.

But You Chen didn't pity him at all, harshly pinching his face and impatiently ordering, "Say it clearly, say all three words together." Ji An tried many times, finally succeeding in the end. "S-sorry." You Chen patted his face and smiled. "Good, very obedient."

As soon as the morning self-study ended, Ji An headed towards the office, his thin back looking lonely and aggrieved. You Chen frowned. Xu Ren came to ask him to have breakfast. After taking one last look at Ji An, You Chen turned and went downstairs with Xu Ren. He thought about buying something for Ji An to eat, and as he stared blankly at the shops along the way, Xu Ren teased him, "Hey, You-ge, are you really interested in that little stutterer?"

"Last time he obviously fell in front of you on purpose, such an old trick, and you fell for it?" You Chen glanced at him and said, "Didn't you see someone pushed him?" "But he fell towards you, it was intentional." You Chen said nothing, buying some dumplings, asking the clerk to pack them, and stuffing them into his school uniform pocket, covering them with his hand. Ji An was very delicate and couldn't eat cold food.

"You-ge, are you serious?" Xu Ren was a bit incredulous, "Although you always seem to make that little stutterer miserable, you obviously look different this time." You Chen lowered his eyelids, his sharp brow bones making his expression look sinister. "A rag doll that listens to me no matter what, if I fix it up, it will be mine. Isn't that a sure-win business?"

That's how it was. You Chen watched Ji An, curled up and obediently eating dumplings, recalling the time Ji An fell at his feet, his face flushed with embarrassment, crawling up to apologize. He cried before he even spoke, stammering an apology. So obedient, so fragile. His deeply buried desire for control and sadism was maliciously stirred, and in that moment, he clearly understood that his future life would be tightly intertwined with Ji An.

People often lump many feelings together as affection, but You Chen preferred to express directly that it was his twisted desire for control and sadism at play. But calling it affection wasn't wrong either, as he found that over time, the protective desire hidden behind the sadism grew stronger. Contradictory emotions indeed fit better when called affection.

Ji An chewed slowly, his cheeks puffed for a while before returning to normal, the soft flesh of his cheeks forming a childlike arc. So beautiful and so obedient, yet a stutterer. So he called him a rag doll, a beautiful object with a flaw. He wouldn't tolerate the flaw, nor would he discard the beautiful object because of it. He could choose to fix it, and the reward would be—complete control over this beautiful object.

"What did you go to the office for?" You Chen tapped his finger on Ji An's desk. Ji An, startled, clutched the remaining dumplings tightly in his palm. You Chen wanted to laugh; did he think You Chen would take back what he had bought for him?

"Did the homeroom teacher call you?" Ji An didn't speak. You Chen grew impatient, about to reach out to grab the dumplings from Ji An's hand to make him listen. The next second, the homeroom teacher came in, announcing with a cold face, "Today's cleaning duty is entirely Ji An's responsibility. If he is late again, he will be punished for a week." Ji An blushed and lowered his head, still chewing dumplings listlessly. You Chen kicked the desk leg, squinting at the homeroom teacher who left after speaking.

"Ji An, look at yourself. Isn't it funny? You're not the only one late, so why are you the only one punished?" You Chen stood up and walked out of the classroom, cursing, "Trash teaching staff, no wonder they can't produce anything good."