Chapter 7

He was submissive. Submitting to this dominant man, uttering words that made him lose his dignity. Such actions only intensified his feelings of shame. The overwhelming sense of humiliation, combined with the pain in his back, made his body come alive with excitement.

Desire surged within him, like waves rising with the wind.

"Tell me what you did wrong." The man turned to face him, lifting his chin with a bamboo stick, forcing him to kneel straight.

"I misaddressed my master," Xu Ye answered quickly.

The man seemed to be waiting for him to continue. Seeing his innocent silence, he couldn't help but laugh, "It seems I really need to use a more profound method to help you enhance your memory." He tossed aside the bamboo stick and took a one-meter-twenty-long black-and-white patterned snake whip. "You like it, don't you?" The man smiled faintly as he unfurled it. "Let me fulfill that for you."

Xu Ye's face turned pale. This was the whip he had just taken down to try; he knew how painful it was. "Master…" A pleading look appeared in his eyes.

The man remained unmoved and said in a deep voice, "First, the kneeling position." The whip lunged out like a snake, striking directly at the inner thigh, precisely avoiding the vulnerable area between his legs.

Xu Ye cried out, his body shaking. The pain spread through him, and he bit his lip, parting his legs to shoulder width, straightening his posture.

"Next, the rules." He flicked his wrist, leaving a clear whip mark across Xu Ye's fair body, slanting from his left chest to the right. "Do you remember what position I told you to stay in here?"

"The kneeling position… until you allow me to change…" Xu Ye gasped, both from pain and from his rising desire.

When treated harshly, a part of the pain transformed into pleasure. Some people would become excited because of it. However, there exists a blurred boundary; when the pain exceeds a certain level, the pleasure dissipates. This boundary varies from person to person. Sometimes, people push themselves to the limit in pursuit of the excitement brought by pain, and once that happens, only more pain can trigger their excitement, easily leading to accidents. Xu Ye had thought he had become numb to ordinary pain, but at this moment, he realized that was not the case. The camel had left him battered but had not stirred his desires, whereas under this man's hand, he felt exquisitely sensitive, almost unrecognizable as himself.

"What position were you in when I came in?" The man pressed the whip handle against Xu Ye's protruding left chest, slowly rotating it.

This directly intensified Xu Ye's trembling; his hands behind his back twisted tightly together, sweat seeping from his palms. He answered tremulously, "...standing." Tears glistened in his eyes, filled with pleading, "I was wrong; I won't do it again, Master…"

"A very sincere expression," the man said, his smile deepening. "Unfortunately, you used the tools without my permission and left marks on your body; such behavior requires a lesson."

The whip swiftly swept diagonally down from his left chest, crossing over his protruding arousal, perfectly symmetrical with the previous lash, forming a sharp X across his body. Xu Ye's cries and gasps intertwined, the pain and desire mingling on his face, his eyes full of moisture. The weakness between his legs was about to rise slowly but was firmly restrained by the man.

Xu Ye looked at the man, who was half-squatting, with fear, and heard him say leisurely, "The meaning of punishment is to make you remember the lesson, not to give you pleasure." Then, a light ring wrapped tightly around the base of his half-erect member.

The desire bound by the foreign object did not diminish; instead, it stood more prominently. This state made the effect of the ring even more noticeable. Noise surged in his mind, the pain on the inner thigh igniting more tingling sensations, and a small current seemed to dart across his chest, bringing a painful itch like needle pricks. The pain in his back began to subside, and his entire body became feverish.

It was desire, burning like fire.

Xu Ye arched his body helplessly, but a sharp sting landed on his backside. The man stood before him, looking down at him: "Slave, I'm giving you an opportunity for reflection. Think carefully, then tell me what you did wrong today. If there's any concealment or lies, you know I have the right to do anything to you."

Xu Ye's chest heaved violently with each gasp, and after a moment of closing his eyes, he almost finished saying, "I didn't follow your command to kneel in the cage, I secretly checked and used your tools, leaving marks that don't belong to you on my body, misaddressed you, and…"

Controlled, dominated, bound.

This feeling penetrated his mind, forming barriers step by step, nearly stripping him of any resistance and making him forget everything outside. Only the masked man before him controlled his gaze, thoughts, and actions.

No need for hesitation, no need for cognition, no need for thought. Just obey, execute, and submit.

Xu Ye looked at his master with misty eyes, completely giving in: "The reason for being late this morning wasn't because of company matters, but because… I overslept; I lied to you…"

The man smiled, the corners of his mouth curving into an attractive arc. He reached out and gently stroked the slave's head as if comforting him. "To reward your honesty, I will grant you a privilege in the next punishment." He set aside the snake whip and said, "You can choose any tool hanging on the wall and bring it to me. As for how it will be used, the decision is mine."

Xu Ye instinctively wanted to rise but instinctively stopped himself; he hadn't received the command to get up, so he looked up at the man with a somewhat aggrieved expression.

"If you wish to give up this privilege, I have no objections, little slave." The man sat comfortably in the chair, watching him struggle, enjoying himself.

Xu Ye resignedly crawled forward; the carpet was thick and soft, so his knees didn't hurt, but the arousal between his legs trembled with each movement, rubbing and touching against his body, igniting his desire. Yet that rising desire was frustratingly restrained by the damned ring, driving him almost to madness.

He struggled to move to the wall and ultimately chose a lightweight, short-handled leather paddle. To him, a paddle with a larger striking surface would be less painful than a whip. When he returned to his master and offered the paddle with both hands, the man chuckled, "Aren't you going to take a look around carefully this time?"

Xu Ye cast a resentful glance at him and then lowered his head to avoid the teasing gaze. His body bore several red marks, his eyes clouded with desire, yet he was desperately trying to suppress it, looking somewhat pitiful with his helpless, light panting.

"Turn around," the man commanded.

He turned, maintaining a kneeling position with his back to his master sitting in the chair.

When one's line of sight is obstructed, an involuntary sense of insecurity arises. He could not see the man's movements behind him, could not predict or judge what would happen, nor could he prepare himself. Xu Ye could only tense every nerve in his body, waiting for the man's actions. The man seemed to deliberately increase this sense of intimidation by remaining still for a long moment. The excessive tension was almost overwhelming for Xu Ye, and he tentatively called out, "Master…"

With a loud smack, the paddle struck his left buttock, causing more pain than the previous lash of the whip. Xu Ye cried out, his eyes reddening, regret swirling in his heart—why did this hurt so much?!

The man got up to retrieve something, then walked back in front of him, commanding, "Open your mouth."

Xu Ye's eyes widened in shock; before he could react, the man grasped his jaw, forcing him to open his mouth. He pressed down on Xu Ye's tongue and shoved a soft, yellow ball into his mouth, then tightened the strap behind his head.

"This is a small size; if you speak again without my permission, there are plenty of larger ones waiting for you." The man looked at his watch and then swept his gaze over Xu Ye's frightened eyes, saying in a deep voice, "Next, I will strike your buttocks twelve times with this paddle as punishment. Slave, put your hands on the ground and raise your butt."

Xu Ye bent at the waist, the crack of his backside slowly opening due to the movement.

A wave of humiliation surged over him.

Exposing his most private parts to another in this position was shameful, and the drool leaking from the corners of his mouth, unable to close because of the gag, deepened this feeling. The swelling pain in his lower body made him acutely aware of his rising desire in such circumstances. Warm liquid dampened the corners of his eyes as he shut them tight.

One strike, then another, alternating on his buttocks.

The cold punishment from the man left no room for bargaining, with about ten seconds of pause between each blow, allowing Xu Ye to fully feel the pain from every strike. Xu Ye's muffled cries and gasps mingled with each other through the ball gag, becoming indistinct. Desire and pain intertwined, almost indistinguishable. He felt like a small boat overturned in a sea of emotions, tossed high and low by the surging waves, rising and falling, sinking deeper. Sweat dripped onto the carpet, while tears were held back in the corners of his eyes.

When the twelfth strike ended, he felt a hand quickly remove the evil ring that had been binding him. At that moment, he completely collapsed.

As the climax surged forth, tears also broke free.

His weakened legs trembled and gave way, but the man was quick to support his faltering body, deliberately avoiding the areas that had been whipped. After unfastening the gag, the man gently massaged his jaw with his warm hand, his touch tender, seemingly unfazed by the saliva that had gotten onto him.

Xu Ye leaned weakly against him, inhaling the faint fragrance of his body.

"It's all over, you did well," the man said, looking down at him with a gentle tone.

Xu Ye realized that tears were flowing uncontrollably down his face. Even he didn't understand how a man could cry in such an ugly manner; when he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, the other grabbed his wrist.

"Why are you crying?" The black eyes behind the mask gazed at him calmly.

"I don't know." Xu Ye's lashes were damp with tears, and his face flushed, "Maybe it's because of the pain, or perhaps it was too intense earlier… I don't know; I just feel like I'm going crazy… I think I might really like that feeling of being enslaved… I've completely lost it…" He spoke in fits and starts, his voice a bit choked, "Just looking at you and doing what you want me to do… not thinking about anything, feeling so empty and comfortable… I think I might be broken…"

This was the first time he had so openly expressed his thoughts, sharing the intertwined contradictions and anxieties, doubts, and insecurities with another person.

"Don't worry, I won't break you," the man said with a smile, patting his hair like comforting a small animal. "There are many ways to experience pleasure; our interactions are just one of them. Enjoying and relaxing in this way, while unique, is not synonymous with sin; you don't need to feel guilty about it. Our relationship is built on mutual consent. Only then can the relationship of master and slave exist. When you willingly give yourself to me, I can obtain the rights of a master; otherwise, I have no right to force you to kneel at my feet. So, relax, Xu Ye. This is just your way of life. Accept it, and accept yourself as you are."

Xu Ye was stunned for a moment and suddenly asked gloomily, "Does the master also gain pleasure from me?"

The man chuckled, "Of course."

"But you didn't react at all," Xu Ye shifted slightly, as if feeling something. The deep voice, carrying a refreshing aura, made his ears warm.

"Little slave, the punishment for touching your master without permission will be severe; you'd better think carefully before you act."

His hand, which had been about to move toward the man's waist, froze in place.

"It's getting late; go to your room, clean yourself up, and then come down for dinner." The man helped him to his feet. Seeing him grimace in pain, he simply picked him up in his arms.

Xu Ye was startled, "Master…"

"What, do you think I can't carry you?"

"I'm worried you might not be able to hold on while going down the stairs; it will hurt even more if I fall." Xu Ye finally cast aside all his negative emotions and made a joke.

"Oh? What do you mean by 'more painful'?" The man pressed down on the spot on Xu Ye's inner thigh where he had just been whipped with one hand.

Oh my, that really hurt.