14 - We, as adults, shouldn't be so capricious

t/w: unnegotiated impact-play

Wu Fengrong had just hung up the phone with the Wancheng police. That thief who had jumped from the car was going to be delivered to the Wancheng police station and then transferred from Wancheng to Tongzhou. The person he’d stolen that large suitcase from had already reported it to the police. Eventually it would be returned to its rightful owner, a successful conclusion. Wu Fengrong had made the call from the driver’s cab. It hadn’t even taken ten minutes. Then he received another call from the transit police saying that they’d just caught a wanted criminal.

He smacked his forehead as he remembered Zhou Yanling. After Zhao Xintao’s assault, he’d forgotten about Zhou Yanling. He’d thought that Zhou Yanling had too many cunning plots, that he’d pretended to be injured, that he’d provoked the assault. He couldn’t tell what kind of trick he’d pull in the future. Wu Fengrong wasn’t fond of such people. Contact with such fishy people made him feel like their fishiness would rub off on him. As a result, he had thought to distance himself from Zhou Yanling and shift his attention back to his work.

Zhou Yanling sat, well-behaved, on the floor. His left hand was cuffed to the bed’s ladder. The transit police had questioned him, and he had respectfully nodded and smiled, speaking politely and neatly, and with the bearing to match. The transit police were not happy with him, a sentiment which they expressed with great force. When Wu Fengrong arrived, he had lost hope. Wu Fengrong’s arrival was like that of a savior.

“Someone rushed over and said that they had seen a man, one who closely resembled the wanted photos from the TV, wandering around the train. I was ordered to check it out, so I followed him. In fact we initially weren’t sure, but he fled when he saw us. It was fucking close. Just a moment ago, we found his ID card, and it’s definitely him,” the transit officer said: “Rong ge, this person has clammed up and won’t answer any questions. Ever since we grabbed him, he only says that he wants to see you. We’ve also picked up his cell phone. Here it is. Consider whether you should contact Wancheng and hand him over with the thief at the next stop.”

In his heart, Wu Fengrong had already spanked Zhou Yanling a countless number of times, but he could only grit his teeth and remain silent. He couldn’t let the resentment, that he felt to Zhou Yanling for not meeting his expectations, seep into his expression. Now, Zhou Yanling 1 made Wu Fengrong’s 2 situation quite difficult. Wu Fengrong 3 couldn’t be seen protecting a suspect in the presence of the transit police, but he also couldn’t just promise to turn him over to the police. This person hadn’t been out of his sight for ten minutes and someone had already reported him. Wu Fengrong considered himself to be unlucky. He didn’t expect Zhou Yanling to have a similar constitution. They both had a penchant for trouble. Just thinking about it made him angry. Wu Fengrong couldn’t help but aim a kick at the suspect’s ass. Zhou Yanling covered his ass with a wail, shooting Wu Fengrong a ferocious look.

The transit police asked, worried: “Rong ge, you’ll be alright here, ba? You’d better take care.”

Wu Fengrong laughed as he grabbed the handcuffs, which clattered as he fiddled with them: “Actually, don’t cuff him. It’s fine.” After he finished speaking, his eyes slipped down to the side of the transit police’s crotch, and he was struck by sudden inspiration: “Lend me your truncheon. I can use it to defend myself if this guy snaps.”

Most of the police truncheons were collapsible, not electrified, and were made entirely out of stainless steel, shiny and slender. In shape, it resembled a teacher’s pointer, only with a handle made out of rubber to protect the user from losing their grip on impact. Wu Fengrong, irritated, shook out the silver rod. The steel glittered a dazzling white as the light hit it. As it swayed, Zhou Yanling’s expression stiffened, thinking over and over that the wheel of fate always turns.

Having fought alongside and dealt with the police for many years, Zhou Yanling had seen a lot of this sort of thing. He’d even bought something similar online for certain obscene and intimate bedroom games. Hitting someone with this rod could cause terrible torment. First there would be a sharp pain. Then, where the strike landed, the skin would heat up until it felt almost feverish. The marks left would last for quite a long time before disappearing. Some people liked being beaten by this sort of toy in bed. For them, the more it hurt, the more excited they became. Zhou Yanling didn’t lust after such abuse. Occasionally, he would dom, but only if his partners wanted that sort of play. Zhou Yanling had only ever beaten other people. No one had ever dared to use the rod on him.

Today, he feared that Wu Fengrong would want to be the first to stake his claim on this new ground.

“Baby,” Wu Fengrong picked up the rod and slid it across his face. The truncheon was ice-cold causing Zhou Yanling’s whole body to prickle with goosebumps: “Tsk tsk. It must be uncomfortable sitting on the floor. And it’s quite cold. Shall we go back to bed before they say that I’m abusing prisoners?”

Zhou Yanling forced out an ingratiating smile: “RongRong, this kind of thing can’t be used negligently. It could kill someone.” He hadn’t even finished speaking before he was roughly dragged to his feet by the handcuffs. Wu Fengrong kicked him in the stomach. Kicked him, in fact, onto the mattress. The kick didn’t actually have a lot of strength behind it and it made his heart beat faster. His mind felt like it was going to explode, flowering in joy at this new world.

“Don’t worry. I won’t give you up.” Wu Fengrong said, with all the arrogance of one occupying the high ground.

Zhou Yanling could see him from this angle. He was outstandingly gorgeous, irresistible. What man wouldn’t be tempted by him? Looking at him, Zhou Yanling gave no fucks about the rod, golden or silver or otherwise. He greedily extended his tongue and lapped at it, licking it into his mouth. Suddenly, he closed his mouth around the stick and dragged his head back, pulling stick towards him along with the man. Wu Fengrong didn’t dare resist, fearful of harming his teeth. He obediently fell into his embrace.

Before he’d even had time to speak, a harsh kiss was first pressed to the base of his neck. Zhou Yanling’s other uncuffed hand stroked below his waist: “You’d hate to part with me or would you hate to part with this rod?” Wu Fengrong felt something half-hard against the base of his own leg and immediately felt angry.

It’s easy for you to calculatingly flirt, isn’t it Zhou Yanling? If you’re so capable, don’t get caught! If you’re able to get out of the cuffs, then get out! Do you really think that I, Wu Fengrong, only care about this stick? If so, then you’re going to get a smack! Then, I won’t hear any such slander on this train!

In a fit of pique, the conductor pushed himself upright, grasped the truncheon and hit him in the pit of his stomach. It was a direct strike, cold and hard even through the layer of clothes. Zhou Yanling immediately shut his mouth after being hit. The rod had meticulously avoided the wound under his ribs, leaving only a sharp ache on his abdominal muscles. He didn’t need to look to know that it’d left a thin red mark on his skin. He was sure that it was exceedingly beautiful. He was actually a little pleased to think that he was wearing Wu Fengrong’s mark on his body.

Wu Fengrong wasn’t blind. Zhou Yanling was excited, not scared, with an urgent air about him. He pressed the head of the rod against the two sensitive nubs and struck them firmly. Zhou Yanling’s mouth went dry and he felt warmth bubble up from inside. He had fought in battle before, so he could bear the pain. But he wasn’t sure what type of face he was making. Only, the more he was hit, the more unrestrained Wu Fengrong’s expression became.

He saw Wu Fengrong’s soft hands tremble as he refused to look at him. He could only bury his own disappointment in his heart: “Still not enough to irritate a suspect, ba? Don’t you want to ask me to look for an electrified one to play with? Do you even still think of me as a person?” he said as he hit him twice on each side, four times in total.

He wasn’t counting, concentrating solely on the blows. Continuing to hit him like this was extremely frightening. Zhou Yanling skillfully intercepted the rod on its next downwards swing and threw it to the side. He wasn’t worried about any injuries he might have sustained. But he couldn’t allow Wu Fengrong’s heart to suffer.

“Fine, fine, fine. I admit my mistake. I admit my mistake.” Zhou Yanling begged for mercy with a virtuous expression: “Ancestor, the beating’s over. Even if it hasn’t been resolved 4 we can wait a little before starting the beating again. Don’t be angry.”

“Am I not allowed to be angry, ma? Who do you think is the cause for my anger? Do I need to make it clearer?” Wu Fengrong bared his teeth: “You think I want to be this angry? Isn’t the person troubling me is the same person for whom I’ve been rushing about? The moment that we arrive at Wancheng, I just hand you over to the police, then I’ll no longer have a reason to be angry!”

Zhou Yanling smiled in obsequious apology: “I know that I’ve caused a great deal of trouble for you. I apologize for the matter with Zhao Xintao. He’s your man, so I should have left him some face. Please let me take responsibility for inconveniencing you.” After he finished speaking, he rubbed his nose feeling a little reluctant: “I admit, I’m a little jealous. Why is he the closest to you? Why do you consider him to be the most sensible? Do you only have close and profound relationships with people around you on the basis of seniority, a? Coming right up and just punching me in the face, he definitely believes that I’m leading you astray!”

Of course, Wu Fengrong was still angry, but listening to him speaking like this made him laugh.

“He definitely thinks you’re leading me astray. Are you not a nationally-wanted fugitive? He’s afraid that you’ll damage my reputation as a heroic train conductor.”

Zhou Yanling’s expression sank completely: “So he thinks of me like this. But I refuse to take the fall for this crime.”

At last, it was Wu Fengrong’s turn to be feel proud of himself. He slid the police truncheon from his lower abdomen until it rested under his ear, then hooked it around his neck.

“Mr. Zhou is already compensating me for my reputation. Mr. Zhou already pledged his body to me, don’t you remember?”

Zhou Yanling raised his neck to reach for his lips, but Wu Fengrong ducked his head so he couldn’t. Zhou Yanling thought that he was unwilling and his mood worsened. He didn’t expect that Wu Fengrong would take the initiative to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. He kissed him softly and warmly, then trailed kisses lower, over his clothed stomach where he had been struck. Zhou Yanling arched his chest then sighed, satisfied.

“RongRong, if you don’t want to, then forget about it. You’ve already played with me. If you don’t want to continue, that’s fine.” Zhou Yanling was not willing to let the subject drop. Wu Fengrong shouldn’t be dirtied because of him.

This game originated out of adult desires, a game of true and false. Zhou Yanling and Wu Fengrong had played together before, but this time he had to withdraw before it was too late. He needed to turn around and leave before they could tangle together again. He feared that later he wouldn’t be able to leave.

“Are you worried about me or yourself?” Wu Fengrong asked.

Zhou Yanling looked at him tenderly: “I was serious when I said that I regret not having met you before. I really regret it. Actually, I don’t know if we’ll make it through this. If not, you will be my last beautiful memory. I can’t help but suspect that the Heavens sent you to me so I could have one last beautiful dream. I don’t dare take this as something real. RongRong, what am I afraid of? I’m willing to give you my heart. I will remember you. No matter what happens, I will remember you. Do you want to remember me, ma?”

Wu Fengrong rested their heads together, his sharp nose touched the point of his nose, and then he sighed heavily.

“You, look you. You’re not willing to part from me. For me not to remember you, we as adults shouldn’t be so capricious, Yanling.” Wu Fengrong paused then said, solemnly: “I promise that I will definitely remember you. For as long as it is possible, I will remember you.”

Zhou Yanling’s body suddenly went hot and cold, and his mind went blank. People at the pinnacle of happiness could become delirious. Wu Fengrong had coaxed him to such a state. He fiddled with the hair at Wu Fengrong’s temples. The kiss he pressed to those hairs was rife with meaning.

Wu Fengrong supported his chin with one hand. With the other, he toyed with the buttons on his clothes, looking quite cute.

“Let’s cut to the chase. We don’t have a lot of time. We only have three hours left.”

“What? Three hours?”

“There’s only three hours until we reach Wancheng.”

Zhou Yanling understood. The transit police had made contact with the police in Wancheng, so Wancheng’s police knew that he was on board. If the real murderer couldn’t be found within the next three hours, then he would be have to go with the police.

The original thirty hours had been suddenly shortened tenfold.

Wu Fengrong was also not in the mood to play around. He put away the police truncheon away and undid the handcuffs, saying: “We should split up and talk to each person on the list. We might be able to gather some clues. If the suspect sees you, they might give the game away/ reveal themselves. If he immediately makes a lot of noise and calls the police, then you’ve got him. The message from that mysterious person said that you could find evidence. It might be on him or we might need to search his luggage. Either is possible. No matter what, first you need to text that mysterious person and let him know that the circumstances have changed. You no longer have a lot of time. Have him help out by thinking of a way for you to catch him. If he still wants you to catch that person, no matter his reason, then the two of you share the same purpose and he should be willing to help you.”

Zhou Yanling didn’t move immediately. Instead, he fell silent. Wu Fengrong looked at his wristwatch, anxiety clear on his face.

“Wait a minute. You said that when the suspect sees me he’ll immediately make a lot of noise and call the police, ba?

“If you don’t go down for his crime, how will he get away free without suspicion?”

Zhou Yanling said: “What was it that the transit police said just now? ‘Someone had urgently reported seeing him wandering around the train’? Who is this ‘someone’? Is it possible that they’re the suspect? They’re definitely not a crew member. Otherwise, the police officer would have immediately identified that they were a crew member, so it must be that they’re a passenger. But you didn’t notify all the passengers that there was a fugitive on board, so it’s not as though the passengers would know to be wary that a fellow passenger might really be a fugitive. So the one who called the police is probably the real killer.”

Wu Fengrong’s eyes brightened and he immediately turned around to use the two-way transceiver.

On the other end, the transit police officer answered: “It was a young boy. Not sure which car. He came over alone. Might be a student, ba. May have had a Tongzhou accent. He was wearing a black down-filled coat, ugg boats. I can’t really describe him, but I could take you to find him and I would recognize him. Why are you looking for him?”

Wu Fengrong put down the transceiver, grabbed Zhou Yanling and ran. The transit police found him first. They passed through car 6 and saw the boy at the end of the first row, closest to the windshield. He was sitting calmly near the window. When he saw Wu Fengrong and Zhou Yanling walking towards him, he had a dull and blank expression on his face. But more than anything else, he looked calm.

As they drew closer, Wu Fengrong recognized him at a glance. Wasn’t this one half of the pair of lovebirds who had been unwilling to stop kissing near the windshield?

“Rong, he’s the one who told me that he’d seen the suspect on the train.” the transit officer said.

Wu Fengrong didn’t see the girl. With a smile, he asked: “We meet again, student. I remember your surname is He, right? Where’s your girlfriend?”

He Youan was someone who was deeply worried and sick at heart. He was a little chubby with fair skin and a few red and swollen pimples on his forehead, half-hidden beneath greasy hair. His ear was pierced, but there was no earring. There was only a small hole in his earlobe which looked quite large. It was an old wive’s tale that such a person would be blessed with good fortune. Wu Fengrong crouched down to look at him levelly. He was met with a calm and collected gaze, quietly hiding worries which shouldn’t belong to someone so young. Wu Fengrong met his gaze and held it for a few seconds. Surprisingly, he didn’t lose his imposing manner.

After a long while, he opened his mouth: “Xiao Ran went to the bathroom. I was the one who called the police. Do you need anything, ma?”

T/N: If the parts with the failed bdsm didn’t make sense, that’s my fault. There were a lot of ‘he’s used and a disconcerting lack of subjects in some clauses.

Also, on a different note, please communicate with your partner before introducing things in the bedroom. Don’t just whip out metal sticks and handcuffs. Don’t do something just because you think your partner may want that done to them. Communication is very sexy.

added for clarity added for clarity added for clarity the raw was 要是还没消气 , which didn’t specify which of the two hadn’t “cooled down”. So, here we are at intentional unspecificity.