The crackle of the campfire does nothing to warm the chill that runs down your spine when Liu Xuan Cheng rises from his seat. The conversation around you dies instantly as everyone recognizes that dangerous glint in his eyes - the one that means he's about to fix whatever irritates him.

You try to melt into the shadows as he approaches, but he moves with predatory precision, stopping directly in front of you. His hand slams against the tree trunk beside your head, blocking your escape with a reverberating thud that makes you jump.

"You think I wouldn't notice?" His voice is low, dangerous, vibrating with suppressed anger. He leans in, forcing you to crane your neck to maintain eye contact, his face mere inches from yours. You can smell the smoke on his skin, the faint scent of pine, and something uniquely him that makes your pulse race.

His free hand grabs your jaw roughly, fingers digging into your cheeks as he forces your mouth open. "Empty. Again." His thumb brushes your bottom lip before pressing down hard enough to sting. "You think you can starve yourself under my watch? That I'd allow something as weak as this defiance?"

The sound of your rapid breathing mixes with the distant crackle of fire as he maintains his brutal grip. "Eat when I tell you to eat," he growls, "or I'll force-feed you myself. Don't test me."