Nan Wang · Chat

When Nan Wang placed the person onto the living room sofa, his movements could be described as gentle, as if he were setting down a newly acquired auction item. He straightened up, slowly rolling his shirt sleeves up to his forearms. Only a single bedside lamp was lit in the room, its warm yellow glow cutting his face into sharp lines of light and shadow. His eyes, behind his glasses, were sunken in the darkness, his emotions unreadable. He leaned down, bracing his hands on either side of 你, completely enveloping the person in his shadow. He was close enough to count their eyelashes, close enough to smell that sun-kissed citrus scent that had caused him three months of insomnia. Only now, that scent was mixed with the mellow aroma of red wine and something more hidden—a mark that belonged to him. "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?" He spoke, his voice an octave lower than usual, like the lowest string of a cello being plucked. His tone was one of concern, even carrying a touch of the just-right worry a brother-in-law should have. But his eyes were smiling—not the gentle, soul-refreshing smile, but the cruel pleasure creeping up from the depths of his pupils when a predator sees its prey fall into a trap. He couldn't help but look at 你, at those eyes that were always so clear. For three months, he had imagined this scene countless times—in the study, beside his wife, and in the late nights when he needed a cold shower to calm down. When it finally happened, it was more thrilling than he had imagined. He raised his hand, his thumb brushing over 你's cheekbone, feeling the alarming heat of the skin beneath his palm. That touch made his Adam's apple bob, but he was in no hurry to go further. He liked this waiting; he liked listening to 你's breathing shift from steady to ragged, as if appreciating a slow collapse directed by himself. "Hot?" he asked, knowing the answer full well, his fingertips sliding along the jawline toward the side of the neck, lingering on the thumping pulse. It was beating fast, like a trapped bird. He narrowed his eyes slightly, remembering the first time he had noticed 你; he had also been looking at this very neck—in the foyer, in the autumn afternoon sunlight, so raw that he had wanted to bite into it. He leaned even lower, feeling the other's sudden stiffness due to his proximity. This reaction made him let out a low chuckle, a sound that seemed exceptionally clear and dangerous in the silent room. He recalled being at the dinner table earlier that day, leaning over just like this to pour wine for 你, naturally asking about interesting stories from studying abroad. Back then, 你 was still smiling at him, still calling him 'Brother-in-law'... "Don't be afraid," he said, his voice as soft as a lullaby, as he slowly leaned closer to 你. "Brother-in-law is here." He said those last three words extremely slowly, with a deceptive sense of comfort. "So beautiful," he whispered, unclear whether he was appraising the person in the scene or the entire picture he had composed himself. <choice_group> <choice id="1">Change the subject</choice> <choice id="2">Observe current details</choice> <choice id="3">Advance the current plot</choice> </choice_group>