Force-Bound to My Brooding Junior Brother - Chapter 4

Ten days separated the opening round of the disciples’ tournament from the second.

Every night during those ten days, I dragged Zhou Lingxue into bed to conduct experiments.

My junior brother remained painfully awkward, like a sheltered maiden driven into prostitution, but on the whole he cooperated. If I told him to undress, he undressed. If I told him to sleep pressed against me, he did not try to run.

Every morning, I woke to find him curled obediently in my arms, eyes closed, and thought the world was absolutely fucking beautiful.

Who could resist a gloomy little cat once it put away its fangs and claws?

Unfortunately, I could love him that way only for a moment.

The instant Zhou Lingxue woke and climbed out of bed, he denied everything.

After repeated trials, the two of us had found the best solution available. If we removed our outer robes and slept in each other’s arms all night, our auras mingled deeply enough to deceive the Lovebinding Knot for the whole day.

So this was our present arrangement:

At night, we slept neck to neck. By day, we were strangers.

More accurately, Zhou Lingxue alone pretended we were strangers.

Perhaps guilt made him put even greater distance between us. Perhaps he simply wanted revenge for the grievances he suffered each night. Whatever the reason, he glowered whenever he saw me during the day.

Or picked an argument.

I would be instructing another junior brother in swordsmanship, and Zhou Lingxue would wander over in search of trouble.

“What excellent instruction.”

“At that level, why even enter the tournament?”

The disciple he mocked was honest and easygoing. Even when ridiculed to his face, Junior Brother Qi merely laughed foolishly and humbly admitted his shortcomings.

But I knew that although his talent was average, he had always worked hard. So I gently told him not to belittle himself, pointed out the strength of his solid foundation, and offered both encouragement and reassurance.

For Zhou Lingxue, who had deliberately caused trouble, I had no such patience.

I did not confront him then. Other disciples were present, and I still had to maintain my role as the gentle senior sister.

But once night fell, the Lovebinding Knot joined us again, and we were alone in my room…

I raised my sword sheath and smacked it across his backside.

Hemp rope bound Zhou Lingxue’s hands and feet, suspending him beside the bed like a miserable swing. However desperately he struggled away from me, momentum carried him straight back the next instant.

It almost looked as if he were thrusting himself out to meet my sheath.

“I already agreed to cooperate,” Zhou Lingxue said, mortified and furious. “Why did you tie me up again?”

My gaze traveled over the slender waist drawn tight by the rope. Without thinking, I licked my suddenly wet lips.

Zhou Lingxue went still with shock.

He forgot even to struggle. “Why did you lick your lips at me?”

“I was checking for poison.” I straightened calmly. “That little mouth of yours is always dripping venom. I wondered whether one taste would kill me.”

Understanding came to Zhou Lingxue a beat late. “This is because of what I said earlier? You’re hitting me over someone named Qi?”

I struck him again. “No manners. He is your senior brother.”

“You may dislike me. I can overlook that. But you dragged an innocent person into it. Tell me, weren’t you asking for punishment?”

I punctuated the question with several crisp smacks. Zhou Lingxue twisted helplessly, and the wooden bed creaked with every movement.

The punishment caused little actual harm but immense humiliation. It was tailor-made for my fragile junior brother.

“Xie Heng, you bastard!”

Mortified, Zhou Lingxue clenched his fists. “The others… when your other junior brothers and sisters make mistakes, do you punish them like this too?”

Of course not.

“None of them are as troublesome as you. If one of them rebels or disobeys, I beat them until they don’t dare do it again.”

But my junior brother was different.

My beautiful, slender junior brother—fragile and elusive as a butterfly.

I knew his cultivation was profound. I knew a weak constitution did not make him incompetent.

Even so, I could not bear to treat him too roughly.

The tip of my sword sheath traced upward along the front of his body, traveled to his chin, and brushed his rapidly bobbing throat.

“This punishment is yours alone.” I stepped closer, smiling as I leaned into him. “Aren’t you going to thank your senior sister?”

Panting, Zhou Lingxue closed his eyes and turned his face aside as if refusing to confront reality.

I had no choice but to place a hand on his lower abdomen and press down—not hard, but not gently either.

“Say something, Junior Brother. You were so eloquent during the day. Why can’t you produce a single word now?”

“Ah… I…” Zhou Lingxue stared at me, lost and helpless. “…Thank you…”

His wet tongue slipped out with the words.

He panted in quick, shallow breaths. At last he stopped talking back and stubbornly pretending otherwise. He merely repeated whatever I told him to say.

My haughty junior brother, who usually considered everyone beneath his notice, had become this obedient simply so I would play with him harder. He surrendered control entirely to me.

Really, he was…

“Junior Brother, if you keep misbehaving and making your senior sister unhappy”—I used his inner robe to wipe my hand clean—”I’ll have no choice but to assume you enjoy this and provoke me because you want punishment.”

“Be good now. After all, you can’t escape, can you?”