Ye Rou's madness

Zhong Qing paced his room, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way out. Days had passed since his last confrontation with Ye Rou, and the tension in the mansion had only grown thicker. There were guards everywhere now, their presence a constant reminder of the invisible chains Ye Rou had wrapped around him. Every time he ventured out of his room, their eyes followed him, a silent warning that any attempt to leave would be futile.

He felt trapped, like a bird in a gilded cage—luxury and comfort surrounding him, but freedom just out of reach. Zhong Qing had tried to maintain some semblance of normalcy, but the oppressive atmosphere made it impossible to ignore the reality of his situation. Ye Rou's reach extended into every corner of his life, controlling every aspect of his existence.

Zhong Qing's frustration grew with each passing day. He had underestimated the lengths Ye Rou would go to in order to keep him here. The mansion, once a place that had held memories of their shared moments, now felt more like a prison. The guards were a clear message: there was no escape.

He walked to the window, looking out at the sprawling grounds below. The high walls, the guarded gates—everything was designed to keep him in, to prevent him from even thinking about leaving. Zhong Qing clenched his fists, feeling the weight of his situation pressing down on him. He was trapped, and Ye Rou had made sure of it.

The door to his room creaked open, and Zhong Qing turned sharply, half expecting to see Ye Rou standing there. But it was only one of the guards, standing at attention, his expression unreadable.

"Dinner will be served soon," the guard said, his tone polite but distant. "Mr. Ye Rou requests your presence."

Zhong Qing nodded, though his mind was elsewhere. The idea of sitting across from Ye Rou, pretending that everything was normal, made his stomach turn. But what choice did he have? Any attempt to resist would only tighten Ye Rou's grip on him.

"I'm not coming. Tell him that." Zhong Qing said. He let out a frustrated sigh. He knew Ye Rou wouldn't let him go, not without a fight. But he also knew that he couldn't stay here forever, living under Ye Rou's watchful eye, controlled and manipulated at every turn.

The guard hesitated for a moment, clearly caught off guard by Zhong Qing's refusal. It was unusual for anyone to defy Ye Rou's requests, especially someone in Zhong Qing's position. The guard's eyes flicked over Zhong Qing, as if assessing whether he was serious or if this was some kind of test.

"Sir, I… I'm not sure if that's—" the guard began, but Zhong Qing cut him off, his voice firm and unyielding.

"I said I'm not coming," Zhong Qing repeated, his tone brooking no argument. "Tell Ye Rou that if he wants to see me, he can come here himself."

The guard's expression tightened, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of delivering such a message to Ye Rou. But Zhong Qing didn't care. He was done playing by Ye Rou's rules, done pretending that he had any say in this twisted game. If Ye Rou wanted to control every aspect of his life, then he could at least have the decency to face him directly.

After a moment of tense silence, the guard gave a stiff nod. "Very well," he said, his voice clipped. "I'll relay your message."

Zhong Qing watched as the guard turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as he was alone, Zhong Qing felt a wave of mixed emotions wash over him—anger, defiance, and a flicker of fear at what might happen next. He knew he was playing a dangerous game, but he couldn't let Ye Rou continue to dictate his every move.

He walked back to the window, staring out at the darkening sky. The mansion was quiet, the air heavy with anticipation. He didn't know how Ye Rou would react, but he was certain it wouldn't be pleasant. Yet, despite the anxiety gnawing at him, there was a small part of Zhong Qing that felt a sense of triumph. For the first time in days, he had taken back a piece of control, however small.

Minutes passed, and the silence in the room became almost unbearable. Zhong Qing could feel the tension building, knowing that Ye Rou would respond soon. He just didn't know how.

But he was ready. He would face Ye Rou on his own terms, and whatever happened, he wouldn't back down. Zhong Qing had made up his mind—if this was the path he had to take to regain his freedom, then so be it.

The door flew open with a force that rattled the walls, and Ye Rou stormed into the room, his expression a mix of fury and disbelief. His usually composed demeanor was shattered, replaced by a raw intensity that filled the space with a suffocating tension.

Zhong Qing didn't flinch, though his heart raced as he turned to face Ye Rou. He had expected this, had known that Ye Rou wouldn't take his defiance lightly, but seeing the anger in Ye Rou's eyes still sent a chill down his spine.

"You dare to defy me?" Ye Rou's voice was low, dangerous, each word laced with barely restrained rage. He took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them, his eyes boring into Zhong Qing's with an intensity that made the air feel heavy.

Zhong Qing held his ground, refusing to let Ye Rou see the fear that lurked just beneath the surface. He straightened his back, meeting Ye Rou's gaze with a calmness he didn't entirely feel. "I'm not a puppet for you to control, Ye Rou," Zhong Qing said, his voice steady despite the storm raging in the room. "You can't keep doing this. I won't let you."

Ye Rou's eyes narrowed, a flash of something dangerous passing through them. "You don't get to decide that," he hissed, stepping closer until he was only inches away from Zhong Qing. "You belong to me. You always have, and you always will."

The words hung in the air, thick with possessiveness, and Zhong Qing felt a surge of anger rise within him. He couldn't believe how far Ye Rou had fallen, how twisted his love had become. "This isn't love, Ye Rou," Zhong Qing said, his voice rising with emotion. "You're suffocating me. I can't breathe, I can't live like this. If you really cared about me, you'd let me go."

For a moment, Ye Rou's expression faltered, a flicker of doubt crossing his features. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the cold, unyielding determination that had driven him all along. "I won't lose you, Zhong Qing," Ye Rou said, his voice harsh but laced with an underlying desperation. "Not to anyone, not to anything. You belong here, with me, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you stay."

Zhong Qing felt a wave of despair crash over him as he realized just how deep Ye Rou's obsession ran. There was no reasoning with him, no way to make him see the truth. Ye Rou was determined to keep him here, no matter the cost.

"I'm not staying," Zhong Qing said, his voice firm despite the turmoil in his heart. "Not like this."

Ye Rou's jaw clenched, and in a swift motion, he grabbed Zhong Qing by the shoulders, his grip tight and unyielding. "You're not leaving," he said, his voice dangerously low. "I won't let you. You're mine, Zhong Qing. Mine."

Zhong Qing stared into Ye Rou's eyes, seeing the madness that had taken hold, and felt a pang of sorrow for the man he had once loved. But he couldn't give in, couldn't let Ye Rou's desperation dictate his life. "If you ever loved me, Ye Rou," Zhong Qing said softly, his voice trembling with the weight of his words, "you'll let me go."

For a moment, the room was silent, the only sound the ragged breathing of the two men standing locked in a battle of wills. Then, slowly, Ye Rou's grip loosened, his hands dropping to his sides as if the strength had drained out of him.

But his eyes remained hard, his voice cold as he finally spoke. "You're not leaving," he repeated, though now it sounded more like a statement of fact than a command. "Not today, not ever. No matter what you say, Zhong Qing, you'll stay here. With me."

Zhong Qing felt a sense of resignation settle over him. Ye Rou was too far gone, too consumed by his obsession to see reason. There was no way out—not yet, at least. But Zhong Qing knew he couldn't give up. He would find a way, somehow, to escape this gilded cage.

"You used to treat me as your pawn, putting me forward each time for sacrifice. What happened now?" Zhong Qing said, his voice full of venom.

Ye Rou stopped in his tracks, his hand still on the doorknob as Zhong Qing's words cut through the silence like a blade. He turned slowly, his expression unreadable, but the tension in the room spiked. The venom in Zhong Qing's voice was unmistakable, a bitterness that had been festering for far too long.

Zhong Qing's eyes blazed with anger, years of suppressed resentment bubbling to the surface. He took a step forward, the pain and frustration of their twisted relationship spilling out in a torrent of words he could no longer hold back. "You used to treat me like I was nothing but a pawn, Ye Rou. You pushed me forward every time, sacrificing me for your own plans, your own gain. I was just a tool for you, something to use and discard when it was convenient."

Ye Rou's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he listened to Zhong Qing's accusations. But he didn't interrupt, didn't try to deny the truth that hung between them like a dark cloud.

"And now, suddenly, I'm supposed to believe that I'm something more? That you care about me?" Zhong Qing continued, his voice rising with each word. "What happened, Ye Rou? Did you finally realize what you had? Or are you just trying to keep me around because you're afraid of losing your favorite toy?"

Ye Rou's expression darkened, but there was a flicker of something else—regret, perhaps, or the faintest hint of guilt. But it was buried deep beneath his steely exterior, hidden away where even he refused to acknowledge it.

"I did what I had to do," Ye Rou said, his voice cold and controlled. "Everything I've done was necessary, for both of us. You were never just a pawn, Zhong Qing. You were—"

"What?" Zhong Qing snapped, cutting him off. "I was what? Your loyal servant? Your obedient follower? Someone you could control and manipulate whenever it suited you?"

Ye Rou's hands clenched into fists at his sides, his composure slipping just slightly as he struggled to find the words to respond. "You were my closest ally," he said, his voice strained. "The one person I could trust, the one person who understood what needed to be done. We were in this together, Zhong Qing. You knew what it meant—what it required."

Zhong Qing let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "In this together? You never saw us as equals, Ye Rou. You never once thought of what I wanted, what I needed. It was always about you—your goals, your ambitions. I was just a means to an end."

The weight of Zhong Qing's words hung heavily in the air, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Ye Rou's gaze softened just a fraction, but his pride and stubbornness kept him from admitting the full truth. He couldn't let go of the control he had clung to for so long, even as it slipped through his fingers.

"I never wanted to hurt you," Ye Rou said quietly, the anger in his voice replaced by a weariness that betrayed the toll their relationship had taken on both of them. "But I won't let you leave, Zhong Qing. I can't. Not after everything we've been through. You're the only one who's ever truly understood me."

Zhong Qing's heart ached at those words, but the bitterness remained, tainting any trace of compassion he might have once felt. "Maybe that's the problem, Ye Rou," he said, his voice softer now, tinged with sadness. "Maybe I understand you too well. And that's why I know I can't stay."

Ye Rou's eyes flashed with a mixture of hurt and anger, but before he could respond, Zhong Qing turned away, his mind already made up. There was nothing more to say—nothing that could bridge the chasm that had grown between them.

As Ye Rou stood there, watching Zhong Qing turning his back towards him, and gazing into the shadows of the room, he felt an unfamiliar sense of loss gnawing at him. But even then, he couldn't let go, couldn't give up the one person who had ever truly been by his side. His resolve hardened once more, and he turned to leave, knowing that this battle was far from over.

Zhong Qing might believe he could walk away, but Ye Rou wasn't ready to let him go. Not yet. Not ever.