Shawn was in a deep sleep. Completely drained by the alcohol and a night of ultimate release, he was like a small boat that had sunk into the sea, floating in a warm and weary afterglow. A strange, sore fullness lingered deep within his body, as if after intense exercise, every muscle fiber was humming, savoring the memory of last night's madness.
In his chaotic slumber, the familiar system notification, with its cheerful electronic tone, quietly sounded in the depths of his mind.
[Ding—!]
A soft, ghostly blue screen unfolded behind his closed eyelids, the text on it flowing silently.
[Congratulations, host! The main mission "Make his affection for you reach 'Hopelessly Smitten'" has been completed above and beyond!]
[Detecting that the host has successfully collected the "Life Essence" of the conquest target Eric Dane. Mission completion is rated as "Perfect"!]
[System is now calculating rewards...]
[Reward distributed: Charm +20! Current Charm: 35.6.]
[Reward distributed: Cash $1,000,000! Has been deposited into an anonymous Swiss bank account under the host's name.]
[Reward distributed: Skill "Gaze of the Succubus (Beginner)" has been upgraded to "Gaze of the Succubus (Advanced)"!]
[Skill Description: When you make eye contact with any target for more than ten seconds, there is a 90% chance of causing them to enter a state of "absolute infatuation" with you.]
The stream of system information flowed like a warm creek through his sleeping consciousness, without stirring a single ripple.
Eric, however, woke up to a sharp headache. He slowly opened his eyes, the pain of the hangover and the fragmented memories of last night battling in his mind. Himself, desperate in the bar; the shattered crystal bottle; that strange scent; and then... a series of vivid, erotic images.
What... what had he done to Shawn?
A cold fear seized his heart. He stiffly turned his head and saw the sleeping Shawn beside him. The morning light fell gently on Shawn's face, giving his usually pale skin a warm, jade-like glow. He was sleeping completely unguarded, his long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath his eyes, his lips slightly parted, breathing evenly in his sleep. His bare shoulders and collarbones were covered in bluish-purple, ambiguous marks—the evidence of his own frantic taking last night.
Guilt and remorse engulfed Eric like a tsunami. He was a bastard, an animal, he had actually...
Just then, the sleeping Shawn seemed to sense the gaze on him. He stirred restlessly, his brow furrowed slightly, and he let out a muffled, sleepy sound. He subconsciously rolled over, moving toward the source of heat, and curled up in Eric's arms.
This unconscious, intimate gesture was like a key, unlocking a soft corner in Eric's heart. He reached out, wanting to gently stroke Shawn's hair, but was afraid of waking him. He looked at the person in his arms, and a feeling he had never experienced before—a mixture of heartache, pity, and a sick possessiveness—filled his chest.
Perhaps feeling the touch of his arm, Shawn's dream seemed to become less peaceful. He opened his mouth and, like a young kitten protecting its food, he took Eric's approaching arm into his mouth and bit down lightly, unconsciously. The force wasn't strong; it was more like a playful, nibbling bite.
"Ngh..."
Eric let out a muffled grunt. The slight sting, far from making him angry, sent a numbing tingle through his heart. He looked down at the faint teeth marks on his arm and smiled, a mix of helplessness and doting affection.
He gently pulled his arm back, but the movement finally woke Shawn. Shawn's long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze, just awakened from sleep, was still covered in a hazy mist, looking at Eric with a blank, uncomprehending expression.
Their eyes met.
Time seemed to slow down.
One second, two seconds... Eric's heart began to race. He wanted to look away, but found himself held fast, as if by a magnet.
Five seconds, six seconds... The confusion in Shawn's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a hint of puzzlement. He didn't seem to have fully grasped the situation yet. He looked at Eric, his expression as pure as a blank sheet of paper.
Nine seconds, ten seconds.
["Gaze of the Succubus (Advanced)" has been triggered! Success!]
Eric's pupils contracted violently.
The raging tsunami in his mind, the one named "guilt" and "remorse," the moment his gaze met Shawn's for a full ten seconds, was completely overwhelmed by a desire that was even more torrential, even more irresistible.
It wasn't simple desire. It was... an absolute craving for a soulmate, as if written into his genes.
The ultimate pleasure of last night was like a brand, seared deep into his body's memory. At this moment, the "gaze" ignited that memory, turning it into an unquestionable impulse that had to be acted upon immediately.
"No... Eric... it's morning..." Shawn was finally fully awake. He looked at the fire that had reignited in Eric's eyes and subconsciously shrank back. His voice, hoarse from a night of screaming, sounded weak in the quiet room.
"Morning is better," Eric's voice was low and heavy, filled with an irrepressible obsession. "This way, I can see you more clearly."
He leaned down, giving Shawn no chance to speak again. His kiss was direct and precise, silencing all of Shawn's weak protests. This kiss held no trace of hesitation, only a sense of possession, his tongue prying open Shawn's teeth and sweeping over every sensitive surface within.
Immediately after, Eric straightened up. His arms went under Shawn's knees and back, his muscles tensing as he lifted him entirely from the messy sheets in a single motion. Shawn cried out in alarm, his body instantly going limp. He subconsciously wrapped his arms around Eric's neck and rested his head on his solid shoulder.
Eric held him, his bare feet padding against the cold wooden floor as he walked, step by step, out of the dimly lit bedroom. When they entered the living room, the morning sun was streaming in, unobstructed, through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.
The intense light instantly enveloped them.
The light illuminated Shawn's body, making the bluish-purple love bites and ambiguous fingerprints from last night clearly visible on his fair skin. The light also outlined the bulging muscles of Eric's back and the teeth marks on his arm, which were still faintly bleeding.
Their intertwined, naked shadows were stretched long by the sun, cast upon the polished floor, moving with Eric's steps, silent and full of tension.
Eric gently placed Shawn on the large leather sofa in the living room. The cool leather against Shawn's warm skin made him shiver and let out a soft moan. The sound was like the most beautiful aphrodisiac, making the fire in Eric's eyes burn even brighter.
"Shawn, look at me," he commanded, his voice holding an undeniable tenderness.
He sat back on the sofa and, with one arm, easily lifted Shawn's entire body, having him straddle him, facing him. Shawn's legs, subconsciously, yet as naturally as if they had practiced it a thousand times, wrapped around Eric's strong waist. The position pressed them tightly together, without a single gap.
Eric used the arm with the faint teeth marks to firmly support Shawn's pert buttocks, his fingers even able to feel the slight trembling of the person beneath him, a tremor born of nervousness and anticipation. Then, he tensed the muscles in his arm and, with a slow and steady force, controlled the rhythm, making the Shawn who was draped over him, with the sway of his arm, again and again, forced, yet perfectly in sync, sink down deep, and then slowly rise up.
"Ah... Eric..."
Shawn's head fell back limply, exposing his long neck. His eyes were shut tight, his long eyelashes trembling violently from the unbearable pleasure. A vivid blush spread from his chest all the way to his cheeks, making him look like a ripe fruit, ready to be picked. His lips, already swollen from being kissed, were now slightly parted, continuously spilling broken, sweet moans and tearful gasps.
"Eric... slow... slower... ah..."
His hands gripped Eric's shoulders tightly, his nails unconsciously digging into the firm muscles, leaving behind ambiguous red marks. With every downward movement, his waist couldn't help but arch, as if actively welcoming the impact that was piercing through his body with a destructive pleasure. This wasn't resistance; this was complete surrender. He was like a manipulated puppet, completely dominated by the dizzying rhythm that Eric controlled.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, with a satisfied, beast-like growl and a high-pitched, tearful scream, the two of them once again erupted in a scalding torrent of love.
When it was all over, it was already noon.
The passion subsided, and the obsession in Eric's eyes gradually settled into a deeper, thicker love that could not be diluted. He held the exhausted, sleeping Shawn in his arms, his heart filled with an unprecedented satisfaction and... a lingering fear.
He was afraid of losing him.
He gently placed Shawn back on the bed and tenderly covered him with the blanket. Then, he quickly walked to his backpack and took out his phone and laptop. Without any hesitation, his fingers flew across the keyboard. On the screen, complex stock market K-line charts and a long, dazzling string of numbers scrolled rapidly. It was all the wealth he had secretly earned in the stock market over the years, behind his family's back.
He calmly and decisively issued a series of sell orders, unhesitatingly converting the numbers that had once represented his ambition and secrets into a huge sum of cash.
A few minutes later, holding his phone, he returned to the bedside. He quietly watched Shawn's sleeping face. He waited until Shawn slowly woke up again, a trace of reason returning to his eyes.
"Shawn, this is all my savings."
He didn't take Shawn's hand, but just gently, tentatively, placed his own palm over the back of Shawn's, which was resting on top of the blanket.
"Let's use this money to buy a house of our own, okay?" he gazed into Shawn's eyes, his look no longer a frantic plea, but an invitation filled with hope and respect. "Not mine, not yours, but 'ours.' You can pick any city you like, any style you like. We can design it together, decorate it together, and make it our home."
"I'm willing to give you everything I have," he said slowly, word by word. "Not as compensation, and not to lock you down. Simply because... I want to have a home with you."