Feudal Dregs - Chapter 18

Lan Yu cleaned himself with cold water and changed into fresh robes before grabbing an umbrella. At the door, he glanced back at Li Yuqing, who lounged against the headboard, staring intently despite his own obvious arousal. Their eyes met briefly before Lan Yu turned away, stepping out into the storm.

The wind nearly tore the umbrella from his grasp as rain pelted down like hailstones.

Frowning, Lan Yu braved the tempest down the corridor. The walkway was already soaked, red lanterns swinging wildly. Banana trees in the courtyard bent under the assault, as if about to be uprooted. Though his quarters were close to Old Master Li's bedroom, the short journey left his shoulders damp and face wet.

The old master's room blazed with light. When Lan Yu entered, Yunxiang was preparing the opium pipe.

Yunxiang was the head maid of Old Master Li's household.

The old master reclined against a wooden bed table, frowning as he took the first puff. Spotting Lan Yu, he dismissed Yunxiang with a wave. Yunxiang bowed obediently, greeting Lan Yu with, "Ninth Concubine," before withdrawing.

Lan Yu nodded and walked over, his voice gentle. "Why are you smoking opium so late at night?"

Old Master Li patted the bed. "Come here."

Lan Yu removed his wooden clogs and took off his outer robe before climbing onto the bed. Old Master Li rested his head on Lan Yu's lap, gazing up at his youthful, handsome face. He reached up to touch Lan Yu's slightly cool cheek and said, "I had a dream tonight and couldn't sleep well. The thunder and lightning all night gave me a headache."

Lan Yu obediently lowered his eyes and began massaging Old Master Li's temples. "You've been using opium more and more frequently lately."

Old Master Li slowly exhaled a ring of white smoke, his eyes narrowing slightly, his voice growing hazy. "It's nothing serious. I know my limits."

The opium, heated over the flame, emitted a cloyingly sweet scent. Lan Yu, sitting close, inhaled it and felt a slight intoxication. He shook his head and looked at Old Master Li. Paralysis—no matter how composed a man appeared on the surface, it weighed on him. In just a few short months, Old Master Li had aged visibly, the lines around his eyes and brows deepening.

Lan Yu spoke softly, "You should take better care of yourself."

Old Master Li gave a vague hum in response. The two of them chatted idly, Old Master Li barely keeping his focus. He lazily played with Lan Yu's fingers and asked, "Why did you take so long to come?"

Lan Yu lightly scratched the man's rough palm. "No matter how much I want to be with you, you still have to give me time to dress and get ready."

His tone was coquettish, stirring a restless itch in Old Master Li's heart. Driven by the opium's influence, Old Master Li inhaled deeply, intoxicated by Lan Yu's scent. His voice dropped lower. "What is this fragrance?"

Lan Yu's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged. "The steward brought some perfume this afternoon—said it was a foreign novelty. I found it interesting, so I sprayed some on my clothes. The scent lingers. Do you like it?"

Old Master Li chuckled drowsily, burying his face against Lan Yu's waist and taking another deep breath. "I do."

Seeing the dazed look on the old man's face, Lan Yu shuddered involuntarily. He took the opium pipe from Old Master Li's hand and said, "Let me help you rest."

Old Master Li reacted sluggishly, only responding after a few moments. When Lan Yu tried to rise, the old man tightened his grip around his waist. Old Master Li exhaled deeply, nuzzling against Lan Yu's body as his hands began to wander. "Take off your clothes," he ordered.

Lan Yu hesitated, then coaxed him gently, "Let me put away the side table first, alright?"

Old Master Li raised his eyes to look at him and said imperiously, "Take off your clothes."

Old Master Li's gaze was slightly narrowed, lazy yet exuding an overwhelming pressure that made Lan Yu feel suffocated. Slowly, Lan Yu reached up to undo the frog buttons at his collar, his mind racing to recall whether Li Yuqing had left any marks on his body. While sober, he had certainly warned Li Yuqing, but that scoundrel always did as he pleased. His skilled hands in seduction were something even Lan Yu found hard to resist.

Under Old Master Li's scrutinizing gaze, Lan Yu's heart pounded. His hands trembled several times as he struggled to undo the buttons at his chest, his nervousness palpable. His ears flushed red as he pleaded softly, "The light is too bright. Please turn it off."

His shy demeanor, like that of an untouched maiden, only seemed to amuse Old Master Li. The old man's eyes lingered on the snow-white skin of Lan Yu's shoulders before he leaned in to kiss it, murmuring, "What's there to be shy about?"

Lan Yu let out a soft gasp, clutching Old Master Li's hand—the same one that had held the opium pipe—and mumbled, "With you staring like that, who wouldn't feel embarrassed?"

"Please," Lan Yu whispered, tilting his neck obediently as Old Master Li's lips brushed against his. His fingers hooked onto the old man's lapel. Only after Old Master Li bit down on the side of his neck did he pat Lan Yu's thigh magnanimously and say, "Go turn off the light."

Relieved, Lan Yu let out a quiet breath. Li Yuqing had gripped his waist so fiercely earlier that it might have left fingerprints. Clutching his collar, he slipped off the bed, quickly removed the small bedside table, and turned off the light before stripping completely and climbing back under the covers.

Old Master Li reclined against the headboard, pleased when a warm, naked body nestled into his arms. He pinched and toyed with the young man's tender nipples, teasing, "After being with me for so long, you're still acting like a virgin." With a mocking squeeze, he forced Lan Yu to curl up and whimper, "Little maiden."

Lan Yu obediently let him play with his nipples, rubbing his cheek against the old man's in a daze of desire. "You're making fun of me," he murmured.

Old Master Li chuckled darkly, kneading Lan Yu's buttocks with rough hands. Despite his slender frame, years of sitting to play the pipa had given Lan Yu plump, full buttocks that were irresistibly soft. The old man slapped them hard, watching the flesh ripple with each strike, a vivid and tantalizing sight. The youthful body held an undeniable allure for an aging man—admiration for its vitality mixed with envy, a desire to possess and even destroy it. Lan Yu, already aroused from his unfinished encounter with Li Yuqing, gasped as those hands slid between his thighs, letting out a sharp moan.

The grotesque yet perversely stimulating combination of male and female anatomy only heightened the depravity. Old Master Li's fingers brushed against the small, wet opening and immediately noticed its slickness. "Why are you so wet tonight?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Lan Yu jolted awake, cold sweat breaking out on his back as he instinctively clenched around the old man's fingers. "M-Master..." he stammered.

A sharp slap landed on his inner thigh. "What are you hiding?" Old Master Li demanded.

A seasoned libertine, he recognized the signs immediately. His eyes darkened as he leaned in, voice low and dangerous. "Lan Yu, what were you doing before you came here?"

Lan Yu's heart trembled, barely daring to imagine the consequences if he were discovered having dallied with Li Yuqing tonight. Outside the window, a violet bolt of lightning suddenly split the sky, followed by the deafening roar of thunder. Lan Yu's mind abruptly conjured the image of the well he'd passed when first entering the Li residence—its narrow, pitch-black mouth fringed with weeds, starkly out of place amidst the Li mansion's extravagance. A shiver ran down his spine as he stammered, "No... I didn't do anything."

Old Master Li's palm came down heavily on his entrance, drawing an unprepared cry from Lan Yu, his eyes reddening instantly. The old man's rough hands, bearing the marks of time and hardship with their broad knuckles, made the tender flesh flush deeper as he carelessly thrust his fingers inside. "Your cunt's been fucked soft," he said coldly. "And you claim nothing happened?"

A sob escaped Lan Yu as tears spilled over. "It—it was just... a jade phallus," he whispered, voice thick with shame. "I... pleasured myself with it."

Old Master Li watched him like an old wolf lurking in the shadows before leaning in to kiss him, his tone softening. "Why cry over a few questions? Seeing you like this breaks my heart."

Lan Yu squeezed his eyes shut, humiliation burning through him. "The way you asked—it was as if you were accusing me of adultery. If you suspect me of betrayal, just have me thrown into the well."

"A man like me, born with this... thing, married to you as a concubine—I've already defied all decency. I'll burn in hell for it. Must you humiliate me further?"

"Nonsense," Old Master Li chided, wiping his tears. "You're my little bodhisattva, the treasure of my heart. How could I ever shame you?" His voice dropped. "I was only worried some other man might deceive you."

Lan Yu stayed silent, save for the occasional sniffle. "No more tears?" the old man murmured. "It's a sin to make my little bodhisattva weep." After a long pause, Lan Yu whispered, "You truly don't suspect me?" His voice, still trembling, carried such pitiful fragility that Old Master Li could think of nothing else. "Of course not," he assured. "I know your devotion. Besides, would my Lan Yu ever be so wanton?"

Only then did Lan Yu wipe his tears with a quiet nod. Old Master Li chuckled. "They say Yangzhou men are made of water—tears at a few teasing words, and now your cunt's dripping too." Lan Yu turned his face away, refusing to answer as the old man pulled him closer, fingers slipping between his thighs. "Did you enjoy playing with your toy?" he murmured.

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