The following week, Shen Liangsheng asked Ch’in Ching out to dinner again. He subtly mentioned during the meal that the spectacles were ready and asked him to come over on Sunday to pick it up.
Shen Liangsheng made it sound casual but the schoolmaster read between the lines – the gla.s.ses were ready but he didn’t bring them over. Instead, he wanted him to go to his private home. Not even Ch’in Ching could pretend to be oblivious now.“Mhm,” Ch’in Ching replied, as though unconcerned, as he swallowed a pao. Shen Liangsheng, on the other hand, glanced up at him when he heard his consent before returning to his congee and moving on to next topic. As agreed upon, Ch’in Ching went to Shen Liangsheng’s manor on Sunday. A servant told him that the master had an unplanned visitor and politely asked for him to wait.Ch’in Ching had been sitting in the main lounge drinking tea for less than half an hour when he heard voices drawing near. Shen Liangsheng walked into the room with a middle-aged man, who seemed to be around forty years of age, the two exchanging pleasantry the entire way. Seeing Ch’in Ching, the former gave a curt nod while the latter took a longer look at the stranger. He didn’t recognize this friend of the young businessman, but he did not request an introduction. Shen Liangsheng came back only after seeing his other visitor to the car. He patted Ch’in Ching on the back and took him upstairs to the den. Shutting the door behind him, he told his guest to have a seat while he brought over a case from the fireplace ledge.Instead of doing as he was told, Ch’in Ching followed the man and watched as he opened the case and took out a pair of silver-rimmed gla.s.ses. “Did you pick those?”“Yes. Try them on?” Shen Liangsheng pa.s.sed them to him and removed the pair sitting on his face. “And I’ll be keeping these.”“What do you want those for?” Ch’in Ching put the new spectacles on and started to blink from the initial discomfort.“Pray to them every day. Thank them for bringing you to me.”Ch’in Ching was at a loss for words. He shook his head and chuckled weakly, but stopped at the sight of Shen Liangsheng staring at him.“What is it? How do they look?” he asked uneasily.Shen Liangsheng refused to answer and stared into his eyes. Their eyes stayed locked in silence. Shen Liangsheng was back in his usual attire today, possibly because of the earlier visitor. Even at home, he was in a nicely ironed suit and wore his hair up with wax. Having seen him in more casual clothes, Ch’in Ching had a hard time adjusting to this stiff, high-cla.s.s version.It was the last day of October and winter was creeping in to the North. The fireplace in the den was lit and a white tiger pelt was spread before it. It was easy to see from the colour and texture alone that the rug was worth its weight in gold. Beauty came with a price – a deadly one.Shen Liangsheng reached up and slid his finger along the frame, across the leg and finally to Ch’in Ching’s face. He stopped at the rouge mole, gently stroking it.“The first time I saw you, I thought to myself, what a beautiful mole,” he breathed.“Is that why you gave me these gla.s.ses?” Ch’in Ching’s eyes closed at his touch. Before he realized it, he had taken a step towards the man.“What say you?” Shen Liangsheng stepped closer as well. They were not far to begin with, and now they were so close they were breathing as one.“What do you want me to say?” Ch’in Ching’s question sounded like blissful sweet-nothings in Shen Liangsheng’s ears, and the latter replied in the same manner.“Say you want this.” The tension rose to a maximum, but the two stood their ground. Shen Liangsheng looked into his eyes from up close, his fingers still brushing the mole. He had made up his mind not to act, but instead wait for the other man to initiate the kiss.Ch’in Ching faced his gaze in silence. Curiously, despite the desirable looks and affectionate eyes, he sensed a hint of aloofness from the man for a split second. He knew for what the man was waiting. It was none other than his kiss, his willingly falling into the web – the web woven, thread by thread, from three words.Not the words: I want this,But the words: Shen Liang Sheng. After much suspense, Ch’in Ching finally leaned in, tilted his head and sealed Shen Liangsheng’s lips. He licked along the crack between them, and when they opened, he wiggled in and teased the other tongue inside.Instead of deepening the kiss, Shen Liangsheng moved his hand down from Ch’in Ching’s face to his chest and gave him a sudden push.Ch’in Ching didn’t know why he was being pushed away, but before he could dwell on that thought, he was shoved on the shoulder. He lost balance and fell face up on the tiger pelt.“Shen Liangsheng….” The fall made the reason apparent to Ch’in Ching, but he wasn’t angered. He merely looked up at the man and chuckled, “You really like it rough, huh.”“Why? You don’t want this?” Shen Liangsheng didn’t understand and thought he was regretting the decision last minute. He quickly fired back, “You’re the one who started it this time. Don’t you think it’s a little selfish not to finish what you started, Ch’in Ching?”“What I meant, Mr. Shen, was that I wouldn’t mind going along and putting up a fight if it satisfied your needs.” He explained with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, “It’s just that I simply can’t take it upon myself to reject a view as stunning as this. I really don’t want to fight it. What can I say?”It was said in a mocking tone, but the delighted sparkle in his eyes made the question sound mild and also playfully inviting.“Are you trying to say I’m attractive, Mister Ch’in?” His words had succeeded in arousing Shen Liangsheng. He narrowed his eyes and said, “Then feast your eyes upon this.” Shen Liangsheng took a step back, too, and began to unb.u.t.ton his suit jacket while keeping his eyes on Ch’in Ching. He threw the garment aside.Pushing his torso up, Ch’in Ching watched as the man tugged at his tie with just the right speed. He did not take it off, however, and only unfastened it to reveal the top shirt b.u.t.ton. He undid it but ceased to proceed any further.Shen Liangsheng had dressed formally for his visitor earlier. The garment inside was a slim fit French dress shirt that accentuated his tall, slim figure.Ch’in Ching watched as he removed the cufflinks and wrist watch, tossing them onto the nearby armchair. Then, he moved down to the belt, unbuckled it, and drew it out slowly before flinging it to where the jacket now lay.Ch’in Ching thought the next would be the shirt but the man unfastened his pants first. Only then did he tug the ends of the shirt out and start unb.u.t.toning from the bottom up.The pants slipped till they caught his hipbones and revealed an inch of white waistband and a tight, defined abdomen. He could faintly see a nipple past the dangling ash grey tie and unb.u.t.toned shirt.Shen Liangsheng’s head snapped up and they continued eye contact. At last, he took off the shirt and the tie in one fluid motion, exposing the elegant streamline that stretched from his jaw to his collarbone. What was more beautiful was his iliac furrow, painted by perfectly positioned muscles, which enticed one to explore – not with the eyes but with fingers. “A hand, Ch’in Ching?”Shen Liangsheng said as he came closer, paying no attention to the quality pelt under his leather shoes as he stood beside Ch’in Ching.Ch’in Ching didn’t know what he needed help with at first but realized in the next moment. Shen Liangsheng stepped on Ch’in Ching’s thigh, signalling for the man to untie his laces. However, he did not remove his foot even after the laces were undone. Instead, he proceeded to toy with the meat between Ch’in Ching’s legs with his toes.“Hard already?”Indeed, Ch’in Ching was already aroused. He was wearing Western pants that did little to hide the fact, but he didn’t feel embarra.s.sed at all. He merely looked up at Shen Liangsheng, whose skin was a shade fairer than most. “I’d be concerned if I wasn’t after seeing this beautiful work of art before my eyes.”“Spread your legs.” Shen Liangsheng nudged his leg before switching feet. This time, he stepped right on the hardening erection, kneading it back and forth with the sole of his shoe.Ch’in Ching helped him with the laces and patted his ankle. “Bad boy.”The words were meant for misbehaving dogs or cats but his voice was slightly hoa.r.s.e from desire. Shen Liangsheng did not respond and only retracted his foot. He removed his pants along with his shoes and socks. All that was left on his body were a pair of briefs that Westerners came up with. He stood proudly before the schoolmaster, asking, “Like what you see?”Ch’in Ching did not answer but he couldn’t help but stare. The traces of Caucasian blood did not show on Shen Liangsheng’s face but was demonstrated truthfully on the size of his member. The white briefs wrapped snugly around its currently indistinct shape, a huge, full bulge. The sheer fabric was not enough to conceal the thick hairs underneath. The faint shadows somehow reminded Ch’in Ching of a poem.“Bed drapes as thin as cicada wings loomed over a bed blooming forth with flowers of gold and patterns inconscpicuous.”His face flushed and his mouth felt a bit parched. He could only blame it on the fireplace burning too vigorously and raising the temperature in the room. “Ch’in Ching, are you going to undress yourself or do you want me to?” Shen Liangsheng asked softly.Ch’in Ching was still a bit distracted, so he blurted out, “I’ll do it.” He quickly realized what he had just said and cleared his throat in an effort to cover it up. However, he did begin to unb.u.t.ton his shirt collar.The weather was cooler and Ch’in Ching had a wool sweater over the shirt. He unfastened the top two b.u.t.tons before pulling the thicker garment over his head. His hair stuck up from the static, adding some silliness to his look.Ch’in Ching did not care about his hair but he wasn’t as open as Shen Liangsheng. He did not take off the shirt after the sweater, but moved on to the socks and shoes, and then the belt. His hand lingered on the buckle, then the shirt b.u.t.tons, in conflict as to which to remove first.Patiently, Shen Liangsheng flattened his wild, flying hair and took another step closer, pressing the man’s head towards his crotch and rubbing himself on his face.Ch’in Ching’s hands froze in the middle of removing a b.u.t.ton, failing to complete the action. He felt blood rushing to his face. He couldn’t tell which was hotter, his own face or the meat against it. He closed his eyes and heard a suppressed gasp from Shen Liangsheng. Soon, the muscle beneath the thin cloth hardened, sc.r.a.ping past his lashes, nose and lips.Before he knew it, he had tilted his head and kissed it through the underwear. He planted feather-light kisses starting from the base all the way up.These did not bring much stimulation, but seeing the man’s drunken expression along with the red mole behind the silver-rimmed gla.s.ses that he picked for him, Shen Liangsheng felt something snap. He grabbed the man’s shoulders and pushed him down to the floor. He quickly joined him and latched onto his Adam’s apple. He yanked the man’s tucked shirt out and splayed his hand across the stomach, then the chest. He began playing with the right nipple roughly while thinking this tiny thing aroused his desire to explore it carefully with his lips, tongue and teeth more than a voluptuous pair of b.r.e.a.s.t.s.Ch’in Ching couldn’t have been less bothered that his shirt was suddenly ripped apart and b.u.t.tons scattered everywhere. Shen Liangsheng sucked on his nipple until it was wet, and then nipped the areola.“Does it feel good?” he mumbled while licking the marks he had made.Ch’in Ching felt pain but only furrowed his brows.Getting no response, Shen Liangsheng looked up and studied his face while experimenting with both nipples.The coals in the fireplace burnt bright and sent waves of heat to hit him on the face. Eyes closed, Ch’in Ching thought back to the intoxicated night at the dinner table when he had complimented the man on his good-looking fingers, to which the man had said… Now, he got to witness it firsthand.At last, he lay there willingly as the pair of talented hands did as they wished with him, teasing into life the l.u.s.t that he wasn’t supposed to have. They treated him just as they would a woman, rubbing or squeezing the nipples, sometimes sc.r.a.ping and flicking, other times pressing and kneading. They brought forth an abnormal sense of pleasure.“Are you feelin’ it?”Ch’in Ching kept quiet.“Are you?”Indeed, Shen Liangsheng had no previous experience with men, but his actions were not because of a lack thereof. Rather, he was purposely, with ill intentions, treating Ch’in Ching like a woman. It gave him a warped sense of satisfaction to see the man’s brows knit tighter and tighter, his neck arch back and his Adam’s apple bob up and down.He leaned in as he pinched the man’s perk nipples, and commanded, “Tell me, Ch’in Ching, that you want me to f.u.c.k you.” When he heard this, Ch’in Ching had the most peculiar feeling – as though Shen Liangsheng did not feel fond of him, but rather disgust.He opened his eyes, lightly panting as though having woke from a nightmare, and searched for the other man’s eyes.“Shen Liangsheng…” he called lightly. He didn’t know how to continue.Shen Liangsheng faltered when he saw confusion and what might have been grievance in his eyes. He released his grip and patted Ch’in Ching’s cheek. “Don’t look at me like that. I’ll go easy on you, alright?”Ch’in Ching did not know what he looked like, but when pointed out by Shen Liangsheng, he felt awkward and tried to ease it with banter. “You c.o.c.ky little…” he said as he patted the other man’s face as well. “You think you can get away with anything…” He slid his fingers down along the curvature of his face and lifted up his chin. “Just ‘cause you have this pretty face.”“Is it just my face?” Shen Liangsheng grabbed the schoolmaster’s mischievous hand and pinned him down, poking him not-so-subtly with his erection. Their lips brushed against each other as he hinted, “I’ll let you figure out yourself what else is good about me.”Ch’in Ching chose to reply, not with words, but with his lips, letting the other man in. The two flexible muscles interlocked in a sensual dance with the lips – their first deep kiss.The kiss that started as a cute tease became charged with l.u.s.t after a few minutes. Ch’in Ching opened his legs, allowing their bodies to come closer, and began grinding his own hardness against the other man’s groin. Their tongues clashed roughly, as well, and fought for each other’s fluids.“Lift your legs,” Shen Liangsheng ended the kiss and gave a hoa.r.s.e order. He eased Ch’in Ching’s bottom wear down past the knees before flipping him over, face down against the rug, and pinned him down once more.Only after their bodies overlapped one another did Ch’in Ching discover that the other man had gotten rid of his last bit of clothing. A burning rod now poked at his b.u.t.t. He thought the man was going to force his way in and protested worriedly, “Don’t–”“Don’t move,” Shen Liangsheng interrupted. His words were not far from what Ch’in Ching intended to say. He added in a quieter voice, “I’m so hard it hurts. Let me rub one off here first.”Shen Liangsheng was so straightforward that it made Ch’in Ching embarra.s.sed to the point he ceased to struggle. He let the man spread his b.u.t.t cheeks, bury his bulging muscle in between and thrust back and forth.After nearly five minutes, Shen Liangsheng was still hard and showed no signs of release. Meanwhile, things weren’t looking so good on Ch’in Ching’s side.Below him was the pelt of a dead beast, but with Shen Liangsheng gyrating on top and his body rubbing back and forth against the rug, the desire within him was more alive and vigorous than ever. His chest tingled from the stimulation from the soft fur, and his nipples, having already learnt pleasure and forgotten shame, itched and begged for a rough treatment from its owner or the other man.But his buddy down there was in a worse situation. The fully erected member rubbed against the tiger fur. A numb, itchy sensation ran down its length to the s.c.r.o.t.u.m. It wasn’t the usual itch, but the kind unique to s.e.x that made one yearn, the kind under one’s skin from which there was no escape. His d.i.c.k was leaking, and from time to time, the fur would brush right over the hole and induce a shiver down his spine.“Shen…stop…” He could no longer stand it.“Are you sure?” Shen Liangsheng knew exactly what was going on with the man below, but he continued to torment him. “Don’t you feel good?”“…mmm.”“Is that a yes or no?”“Really…stop. I can’t take it.”“Do you want to come?”“…yes.” Ch’in Ching had yet to remove his shirt. He wanted to relieve the irritating urge between his legs with his own hand but he was suddenly jerked back by the garment. The next thing he knew, the shirt was pulled down to his wrists and tied into a knot. His hands were crossed and unable to move.“Let’s have a look.”Ch’in Ching heard something from the man behind him but before he could comprehend anything, he was flipped over to expose his current state. He was a hot mess. His pants were piled at his knees and his arms were tied behind him with his shirt. His d.i.c.k was standing tall and alert, a swollen, leaking length.Shen Liangsheng was completely naked but seemed much more at ease than Ch’in Ching. He trailed a finger along the erection that arched towards his abdomen, and asked intentionally, “Want me to help you with that?”“Do you?” he questioned once more when he received no answer.He refused to proceed without Ch’in Ching’s consent. He merely watched idly as the lonely c.o.c.k nodded pathetically under his gaze despite the lack of physical stimulation. The tip was oozing a sticky fluid that dripped onto his stomach, connecting the two with a dewy string.“How ‘bout you get yourself off?” Shen Liangsheng suggested calmly. He turned Ch’in Ching over again with one hand and slapped his b.u.t.t. His fingertips slid down the crack and pressed on the hole, only briefly and not entering, before reaching the s.c.r.o.t.u.m. He began to rub the sac in circles.Ch’in Ching had been trying to hold back but not anymore. He pushed his crotch forward into the rug and as suggested, began to hump the fur. He hid his face in it as well, so as not to see the other man’s reaction.Shen Liangsheng watched as Ch’in Ching, eyes half-lidded, twisted and writhed to pleasure himself, bare b.u.t.tocks tensing and relaxing. He cupped his sac gently with one hand and reached the other to his a.s.shole. Without any lubricant, he shoved his middle finger in.With the exhilarating pleasure, Ch’in Ching did not feel much pain from his a.s.s. There was only the dry friction that couldn’t count as gratification but was rather an additional stimulant. He couldn’t suppress his grunt as thick c.u.m gushed out and onto the rug.Shen Liangsheng had known that Ch’in Ching was about to come from the spasms that ran through the sac in his hand. He waited for the man to ride out his o.r.g.a.s.m before taunting in a lukewarm tone, “You like it up the a.s.s, don’t you?”Ch’in Ching couldn’t object even if he tried. With his face still buried in the rug, he felt the finger slide out. Seconds of quiet later, he was yanked up by the hair, forced to look up. Against his lips was a burning rod. He heard the man say, “Lick it.”He closed his eyes. He could smell the unique stink of male arousal. After a brief moment of hesitation, he opened wide and took in the head. It was already wet and slick, and not as unappealing as he had thought. His tongue brushed the sensitive hole unintentionally and he began to lick it, invoking a low sigh from the man.“Take it in and use more tongue.”Shen Liangsheng taught the man how to please him. The man listened well, taking him in deeper and wrapping his tongue around his c.o.c.k. He felt the satisfaction of finally getting what he wanted.He had had many partners in the past relationships who were more skilful than this man. He couldn’t say why exactly and concluded it was because this person was a man like himself. Perhaps the satisfaction simply came from the fact that a man had submitted to him. “That’s good.”After ten minutes or so, Shen Liangsheng pushed his head away when he felt his release upon him. He climbed over to thrust his c.o.c.k between his b.u.t.t cheeks again until the climax, and unloaded his c.u.m on his hole.Ch’in Ching felt the moist warmth and thought it was over, but Shen Liangsheng forced his way in before his member wilted with nothing but the c.u.m as lubricant. Ch’in Ching cried out in pain and bit down on his lip.He wasn’t the only one in pain. Shen Liangsheng didn’t get much pleasure either from having only a third of his member in. It was constricted uncomfortably by the narrow opening.But he wanted no lubrication. The pain was what made it real, what truly made this man his. The pain was in itself gratifying. He had promised to go easy on him, but he now turned a deaf ear to his own words. He rocked his hips forward and buried himself in the shorter man. He then pulled out, almost entirely, before ramming himself back in. Brutal and ruthless, he continued to abuse the bleeding hole.His p.e.n.i.s was now stained red like a deadly weapon. Shen Liangsheng had an odd desire for this man’s blood, to make the crimson his possession and to fuse it with his own – so that they may be one even in death.This notion gave Shen Liangsheng a fright that knocked some sense back into him. He seemed to have been possessed by something that caused him to think of death during s.e.x. It was afternoon when Ch’in Ching had first arrived. After all the foreplay, the sky was nearly lightless. The only light in the room came from the glowing coals in the fireplace which illuminated a small area and, within it, two bodies engaged in violent intercourse.He was in far too much pain to think. He stared dumbly into the darkness that shied away from the embers. Before long, a mirage appeared. Vines seemed to burst forth from the shadows with tendrils and leaves, growing at an alarming speed and racing towards him as though to devour him. When they drew close, however, they spread out into a ma.s.sive web – a web woven, tendril by tendril, from three words.Not the words: I want this,But the words: Shen Liang Sheng.