Ye He Chapter 16

Sometimes, habit is truly a terrifying thing.

Just a few months ago, when Shen Yi saw Ye He, he would be so frightened he couldn’t even sit still in his chair. Now, however, he could enjoy the other man’s service with a clear conscience.

In the room at night, only the computer screen emitted a faint, blue light.

Shen Yi stared intently at the screen, pushing a plate of nuts toward the side.

Ye He skillfully picked up the nuts, cracked the shells, and removed the kernels, but did not eat them, placing them on an empty plate nearby.

Shen Yi played his game, occasionally picking up a few kernels to eat slowly. Sometimes, when his hands were busy, Ye He would even feed them to his mouth.

The entire night passed this way. Shen Yi yawned lazily, and Ye He left the room to take a shower first.

After Ye He left, the listless expression on Shen Yi’s face gradually faded, leaving only numbness and confusion.

Lately, Ye He had been completely normal, serving him diligently every day. If Shen Yi so much as hummed, Ye He seemed to know exactly what he wanted. If it weren’t for the occasional display of dominance Ye He showed in moments of passion, Shen Yi would almost believe he had simply hired a silent servant.

After several months of coexistence, Shen Yi had gradually figured out Ye He’s personality. He didn’t talk much and had no particular hobbies. Sometimes, he could silently watch Shen Yi for an entire day without moving once. At first, Shen Yi felt a chill in his heart, but as time went on, he even grew accustomed to that constant, watchful gaze.

Similar to his preferences, Ye He didn’t seem to dislike much. He only truly hated two things: Shen Yi trying to escape, and Shen Yi lying.

Before his captivity, Shen Yi was always accustomed to habitual concealment, only showing the side others wanted to see. But in front of Ye He, all his disguises failed. The man could always tell immediately whether or not he was lying. What made Shen Yi even more fearful was that when Ye He discovered a lie, he wouldn’t immediately erupt. He would just silently make a note of it, waiting until the gloom in his heart was so thick it was about to spill over his bottom line, and then deliver a “surprise” to Shen Yi.

Shen Yi had suffered greatly and no longer dared to casually prevaricate. Eventually, he found himself naturally displaying his most authentic self in front of Ye He—a transformation that even he found unbelievable. He felt like the frog being boiled in warm water, gradually adapting to this life devoid of dignity and freedom. Perhaps one day, his hatred for Ye He would also slowly disappear, ultimately transforming entirely into…

“Ring, ring, ring—”

Shen Yi shivered, snapping out of his daze.

The piercing ringtone continued persistently. Was it an alarm clock? He stared blankly for a moment, searching around the room, and finally found the source at the very bottom of the cabinet: a mobile phone.

A mobile phone… A flicker of light flashed in Shen Yi’s numb eyes. He quickly pressed the call button, but unfortunately, the other party had already hung up.

Shen Yi wasn’t too disappointed. He gripped the phone tightly, as if grasping his last hope. Ye He was showering. As long as… as long as he could use this time to contact the outside world, he could escape this humiliating predicament, return to his former life, and perhaps even have the chance to kill the man outside to wash away all the shame. Yes, kill him!

A voice screamed desperately in his heart. Shen Yi’s hands were trembling, but he didn’t hesitate, pressing the unlock button. A dazzling pattern appeared on the screen, along with a ten-minute hourglass countdown.

Was it a sliding puzzle?

The sound of water still echoed from the bathroom. Shen Yi took a deep breath and quickly moved the tiles. The complex figures were scattered everywhere without any discernible pattern, severely challenging one’s patience. Perhaps the yearning for freedom stimulated Shen Yi; he gradually became interested and engrossed in solving it. When the countdown reached only three seconds, most of the pattern had been restored, with only the last piece remaining…

Shen Yi’s heart leaped to his throat. He slid his index finger upward. Unfortunately, it met empty air.

Ye He had taken the phone. His dark, deep-set eyes stared silently at him.

“There was an incoming call,” Shen Yi stammered, though he tried to maintain a calm facade.

Ye He watched him for a while, staring until the top of Shen Yi’s head felt cold. The guilty Shen Yi flinched, curling his legs, and then watched helplessly as Ye He solved the puzzle that had trapped him for ten minutes in just seven seconds.

The flexible, slender index finger slid without the slightest pause, leaving Shen Yi dumbfounded and prompting him to secretly curse the man as a pervert.

Ye He looked at the screen, hesitated for a moment, then dialed the number back. Three seconds later, the call connected, and a soft, pleasant female voice came through, “Ye He.”

The tiny bit of fear in Shen Yi’s heart was immediately replaced by intense curiosity. He gazed eagerly at Ye He, who was always responsive to his needs, practically writing the words “I want to know” on his face.

Ye He, however, gave him a warning look, then took the phone and walked out.

[What the author wants to say:]

The female lead has finally appeared (actually, not really).