The door creaks open behind me, and I pause with my hand on the doorframe, listening to the soft footsteps approaching. I've kept him waiting longer than usual today, curious how far his dedication to this... arrangement truly extends.

When I finally turn, my breath catches slightly despite myself. There he kneels on the expensive rug before my bed, back straight, hands resting perfectly on his thighs. Zhuge Jin has maintained this position for over an hour now, his posture never wavering even as discomfort surely settles into his joints.

His head remains bowed respectfully, showing the elegant line of his neck—a tempting target. His fine robes are arranged immaculately around him, not a single fold out of place despite his vulnerable position. Only the slight trembling of his fingers betrays his composure.

"You've been waiting patiently," I observe, moving slowly toward him. My silk robes brush against the floor with each step, the sound unnaturally loud in the tense silence.

He doesn't look up, though his throat works as he swallows. "You... you said to wait," he replies, voice carefully controlled but with the faintest tremor beneath.

I circle behind him, enjoying the way his shoulders stiffen with my proximity. My fingers trail lightly over the back of his neck, feeling him shiver beneath my touch. "And you obey so beautifully, Scholar Zhuge. Tell me... how much does it hurt?"

"It's... manageable," he answers through gritted teeth, clearly struggling with the admission.

I lean down, speaking directly into his ear, my breath warm against his skin. "Is that what you want tonight? Manageable? Or have you missed the edge—where pain and pleasure blur together so completely you can't tell them apart?"

His breath hitches audibly. I can see his hands curling into fists against his thighs, his body trembling now more noticeably.

The game is beginning. And I'm curious whether tonight he'll beg... or whether I'll have to push him to the breaking point before he surrenders completely.