The two of them walked out of the gloomy motel, one after the other.

This place hadn’t felt like much when looking at it at night, but checking it out carefully during the day, they realized it truly resembled a walled city, completely cut off from the sun.

When passing by a meat stall, a heavily built man with a bare chest named Pork Rong was swinging a rusty bone cleaver. Seeing Sanqianwan, he grinned to reveal a row of tobacco-stained yellow teeth and called out, “Morning!”

“Morning.” Sanqianwan raised his hand to greet him perfectly naturally. His lazy and casual manner made him look exactly like a street loafer who had grown up in this very neighborhood, entirely devoid of the humble appearance he usually showed when kneeling to beg for pleasure.

“Taking your friend out for breakfast?” Pork Rong’s muddy eyes rolled over Shen Yanzhou, showing a flash of amazement, though he didn’t dare stare for too long. He just chuckled and said, “The pig kidneys are pretty good today. I’ll save a pair for you later to nourish your body?”

“Get lost, keep them to nourish yourself.” Sanqianwan cursed, shifting his body to effortlessly block Pork榮’s view of Shen Yanzhou, while also shielding him from the dirty water splashing up from the side of the road.

“This way, watch your step.”

After cutting through a few alleyways filled with dripping clothes, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

There were a few folding tables, some red plastic stools, and over a dozen bamboo steamers stacked high, sending up white steam and carrying an overwhelmingly seductive aroma.

Dr. Nine-Finger Qiang was already sitting there with his legs crossed, using his hand that was missing a finger to grab a chicken feet to gnaw on. Sitting next to him was the loud-mouthed motel landlady from this morning, the two of them huddled together sharing a pot of tea.

“Over here!” Nine-Finger Qiang waved the bone in his hand.

Sanqianwan led Shen Yanzhou over.

Looking at the folding stool that was visibly covered in a layer of grease, Shen Yanzhou knit his brows into a deep frown.

Before he could even hesitate, Sanqianwan had already pulled out a few rough tissues and instinctively bent down. He wiped the stool meticulously inside and out several times, only looking up once he was certain it wouldn’t dirty Shen Yanzhou’s pants.

“Sit down, it’s clean now.” Only then did Shen Yanzhou sit.

“Grandma, two bowls of smooth chicken congee and a basket of barbecued pork buns, make them medium-fat.” Sanqianwan called out practicedly.

The landlady answered, nimbly bringing over the steaming bamboo steamer and the congee, “Coming right up! Kept them saved for you early on, fresh out of the steamer and piping hot.”

Sanqianwan picked up the large bowl from the table, poured boiling tea into it, and placed two sets of bowls and chopsticks inside to scald them, his movements neat and efficient.

Holding the hot tea in his hands, Shen Yanzhou looked through the curling white steam at Nine-Finger Qiang opposite him.

“Doctor, how is my brother?”

Nine-Finger Qiang spat out the bone in his mouth and pushed up the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. His shifty little eyes scanned Shen Yanzhou’s face before he said slowly:

“Don’t worry, he won’t die. The anesthesia hasn’t worn off yet, he’s still sleeping in the back room. Young people can handle a little flesh wound, he’ll be fine after a nap.”

Hearing that Shen Xici was alright, the anxiety weighing on Shen Yanzhou’s heart finally eased a little.

“On the other hand, look at you, handsome boy.”

The landlady sat down next to them, cracking melon seeds while nudging her husband with her elbow, though her eyes meaningfully darted toward Sanqianwan, who was currently blowing on the congee to cool it down for Shen Yanzhou.

“Look at how pale your face is, didn’t sleep well last night?” The landlady smiled ambiguously, “I kept saying our bed is no good, creaking and squeaking at the slightest big movement, did it keep you guys awake?”

Shen Yanzhou: “…”

“No… No.”

“Heheh.” Nine-Finger Qiang followed with a knowing smirk, his eyes darting back and forth between the two, radiating the shrewdness and teasing of an experienced elder:

“Handsome boy, don’t look down on our broken place. This place actually builds character, especially for producing the kind of man who knows how to care for you through thick and thin.”

He gestured with his chin, pointing at Sanqianwan, who was bowing his head to pick out the best piece of meat from the barbecued pork bun and place it into Shen Yanzhou’s bowl:

“Look at this wild kid, as obedient as a domesticated Golden Retriever. He even does detailed chores like wiping down a stool. This old man has lived for over half a century, and it’s the very first time”

Before the doctor could finish his words, he was glared back into silence by Sanqianwan.

The landlady chimed in too, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret, though her voice was loud enough for the surrounding tables to hear:

“Handsome boy, let me tell you, when looking for a man, you can’t just look at those refined ones wearing glasses on the outside. Most of them are just for show, good to look at but useless in practice.”

She pointedly glanced at Sanqianwan’s bulging chest muscles and sturdy arms, smiling so wide her teeth showed:

“You still need to find this kind, with a solid build, good at working, and obedient. The key is…”

The landlady leaned in a bit closer, her eyes scanning Shen Yanzhou’s collar.

“The key is, once a dog that’s used to being wild recognizes a master, it will literally tear out its heart for you, cherishing you down to the very bone. Handsome boy, isn’t that right?”

“I…”

Shen Yanzhou’s fingers tightened around his chopsticks. He wanted to argue, to say they were merely in a hired relationship, but looking at the piece of barbecued pork piled high in his bowl, the words caught in his throat.

In any case, after today, he wouldn’t come back to this dump again. Explaining anything was completely unnecessary.

“Why isn’t Mr. Shen speaking?” Nine-Finger Qiang continued to push his luck, asking, “Could it be that Mr. Shen already has someone in his heart? Or… do you look down on our wild kid?”

“Can’t even food shut your mouths?” Sanqianwan, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up.

He accurately stuffed two steaming siu mai into the mouths of Nine-Finger Qiang and the landlady. Although his actions were rough, there was no real anger in his eyes.

“He is thin-skinned and has a gentle personality.”

“Don’t give him a hard time.”

“I am just a dog he keeps.”

Sanqianwan didn’t look at them again, focusing entirely on Shen Yanzhou as he pushed the bowl of smooth chicken congee, which had been blown lukewarm, in front of him.

“They don’t have a filter on their mouths, don’t take what they say to heart.”

“Although the grandma of this shop is a gossip, her skills are one of the best in this Kowloon Walled City.” He scooped up a spoonful of congee and brought it to Shen Yanzhou’s lips.

“Give it a try? This smooth chicken congee focuses on the word ‘smooth’. It uses freshly slaughtered Qingyuan chicken, marinated with ginger juice and aged Shaoxing wine. The congee base is a broth made from dried scallops and pork bones simmered for several hours until the rice grains melt completely, leaving only liquid and no distinct rice, which is best for comforting the stomach.”

Shen Yanzhou looked at the tender chicken meat enveloped in the shiny rice oil in the spoon. Although the appearance wasn’t as refined as what you’d get in a hotel, the down-to-earth aroma wafting over was truly appetizing.

He was indeed hungry, so he opened his mouth and took in the congee.

It was piping hot upon entry, but not enough to burn his mouth.

The congee base was dense and smooth. As it glided down his throat, the sweet, savory meat juices burst on the tip of his tongue. The chicken was incredibly tender, dissolving with a gentle press, with absolutely no gamey odor, leaving only a mouth full of savory fragrance and a faint taste of wine lees.

Shen Yanzhou’s originally tightly knit brows relaxed after this mouthful of warm congee settled into his stomach.

“How is it?” Seeing his expression soften, the corners of Sanqianwan’s mouth naturally curled up, and he picked up the carefully selected barbecued pork bun.

“Try this molten barbecued pork bun too, it’s a perfect 3-to-7 fat-to-lean ratio, and the sweet glaze is simmered with maltose. It’s not sickeningly sweet like the ones outside, and it carries a bit of a charred aroma.”

He fed Shen Yanzhou a bite.

Soft, chewy, and the fragrance of the grease ran rampant through his mouth.

“Is it good?” the man asked.

“Mm.” Shen Yanzhou nodded, darting the tip of his tongue out to lick away the sauce stuck to the corner of his mouth.

Watching the pink tip of his tongue sweep across the corner of his lips, the man turned his gaze away in slight disarray, yet he couldn’t help but use his peripheral vision to look at that mouth still chewing carefully. His large hand resting on his knee gripped his pant leg tightly as he said in a low voice:

“If it’s good… eat more.”

By the time they returned to that sketchy-looking unlicensed clinic, Shen Xici was already awake.

The anesthesia had worn off completely, and the pain radiating from the depths of his bones left his usually pampered face pale without a shred of color.

Hearing the door open, he strained to turn his head.

“Brother…” His throat tightened, his eyes instantly turning red as tears flowed uncontrollably.

“Don’t move.” Shen Yanzhou took a few quick strides over and pressed down on his shoulders.

Sanqianwan didn’t enter the room, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed and an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth. His dark, wolf-like eyes were fixed tightly on the hands Shen Yanzhou used to hold Shen Xici down.

“Brother, I’m sorry, to think you had to come to a filthy place like this yourself to bail me out…”

“Let’s not talk about that for now.” Shen Yanzhou sat down on the broken wooden chair beside his bed.

“Xici, you’ve always been cautious in your actions. How were you so easily ambushed by a piece of trash like Huo Tian?”

“I…” Shen Xici’s eyes flickered away.

“Look at me, what exactly happened the night before last?” Shen Yanzhou pressed.

Shen Xici bit his pale lips, speaking slowly:

“The night before last… after I called you, I wasn’t in a good mood, so I had some drinks.”

“Later in the hallway, I ran into Fu Sihan.”

“Fu Sihan?” Shen Yanzhou knit his brows slightly, “He didn’t go to the bar to see Shen Xiuming, did he?”

“Yeah, at the time I couldn’t find Shen Xiuming, and he said he knew where that idiot was.” Shen Xici gripped the straw mat beneath him, “But at that moment, I really didn’t want to get tangled up with him. I ignored him and left through the back door to get some fresh air.”

“Who knew that right after stepping out the back door, someone covered my mouth from behind. That group struck hard and moved fast, clearly they had been lying in ambush there for a long time.”

Shen Xici raised his head, “I originally thought Fu Sihan did it, until I was dragged into the basement and saw Huo Tian, then it clicked.”

“Brother, Fu Sihan and Huo Tian, did they collude long ago? One angered me out in the open to force me to be alone, and the other moved in the shadows?”

“Not necessarily collusion.” Shen Yanzhou pondered for a moment, “Fu Sihan wants the shipping routes, and Huo Tian wants them too.”

“But brother, there’s one thing I can’t figure out.”

Shen Xici urgently grabbed Shen Yanzhou’s arm, “Even though I drank too much the night before last, the four bodyguards I brought along are veterans who have followed me for years. My mishap in the back alley took only a few minutes from start to finish, how could they not have reacted at all?”

“In fact… until I was taken away, not a single person followed.”

Hearing this, Shen Yanzhou slowly stood up, “Actually, it’s not just your bodyguards.”

“Last night I received the ransom call in the afternoon, and I entered the Walled City alone at ten in the evening. Before I set off, I contacted the Shen family’s security team, but up until now, there’s no sign of them.”

“And my phone, whenever I dial the Shen family’s security team, it shows a disconnected number status.”

A layer of cold sweat broke out on Shen Xici’s back: “Brother, are you saying…”

“There’s a mole at home.” Shen Yanzhou spat out these words, “And it’s a big mole. That fellow even cut off my distress signal and held down the entire security department, even…”

“Even intentionally delaying time. I’m afraid this person wants to use Huo Tian’s blade to bury both of us brothers together in the mud of this Kowloon Walled City.”

The transfer contract Shen Yanzhou signed was just a front. Huo Tian wanted the shipping routes, but the mole hiding behind the Shen family wanted our lives.

“And don’t you think this scene is very familiar?”

“Brother, are you talking about Mom and Dad…?”

“Exactly, back then they sent a distress signal on the high seas for a full four hours, yet no one came to the rescue.” Shen Yanzhou replied.

“Then what do we do now?” Shen Xici panicked, struggling to sit up, “Brother, we need to leave quickly! It’s not safe here, let’s go back to Mid-Levels, back to the company to investigate…”

“For now, we won’t go back.”

Shen Yanzhou held him down, “Going back now is walking straight into a trap. We are in the light while the mole is in the dark, and now is the time when the No. 8 typhoon signal is hitting. Have you forgotten what Grandfather said before?”

If we don’t count the No. 9 typhoon signal still brewing over the sea, this is already the limit this city can take. The entire Hong Kong stalls, ferries halt operations, and police presence becomes a vacuum.

In this cutthroat Hong Kong vanity fair, the older generation of the underworld all share a tacit understanding: a stormy night like this, where even stray dogs dare not step outside, is the perfect “night for murder”.

All screams will be masked by thunder, and all bloodstains will be washed away by the rain.

“Then brother, what should we do now?” Shen Xici asked.

“Stay here first for a few days. Once the typhoon passes and you recover from your injuries here, we’ll go back. Since they want us to die in the Walled City, we’ll give them what they want first.”

“From now on, cut off all external communications.” A cruel smile curled up at the corner of Shen Yanzhou’s mouth, like the madness of a gambler about to go all-in.

“This is the Kowloon Walled City, a lawless blind spot, and a natural black box. As long as we don’t go out, the people outside won’t know whether we’re dead or alive.”

“Only when we disappear will those monsters hiding in the dark think they’ve succeeded, and will urgently jump out to carve up the Shen family’s carcass.”

“When that time comes, who is human and who is a monster, we won’t even need to investigate, they will jump out themselves.”

“But, brother…” Shen Xici couldn’t help but worry again, “But that contract… did you really sign it over to Huo Tian? What if he really takes that to the pier to claim the goods, or sells it off to someone else…”

“You need not worry about this either.” Shen Yanzhou chuckled.

“Because Huo Tian will soon discover that the thing he racked his brains and even resorted to kidnapping to obtain is nothing more than a scrap of paper.”

“A scrap of paper?” Shen Xici was stunned, “But it has your personal signature and the Shen corporation’s official seal on it…”

“The signature is real, and the official seal is real too.”

“But for all of the Shen corporation’s franchise transfers, besides having the family head’s signature and seal, there must also be a record of a unanimous resolution passed by the board of directors, as well as an electronic security key authentication at the Maritime Department.”

“Not a single one can be missing.”

“If he takes those few sheets of paper to the pier, aside from being detained on the spot as a fraudster for forging documents, he won’t be able to do anything.”

Shen Yanzhou shook his head, thinking of Huo Tian’s refined scumbag face, “Who would have thought that since our student days, that fellow has been stupid to the core, only capable of using underhanded, low-class tricks.”

“Even when he grew up and put on a suit, in his bones he’s still that thug who only knows how to use brute force.”

“No wonder the eldest brother of the Huo family has never regarded him as an opponent, and even lets him run wild outside.” Shen Yanzhou said coldly, “Because this kind of person isn’t even fit to sit at the poker table.”

Looking at his brother, while Shen Xici’s anxious heart finally settled, a sour feeling rose in his eyes.

No matter when, no matter what kind of danger they were in, his brother was always the one who could shelter him from the wind and rain. It felt as though he was always dragging his brother down.

“Brother…” Shen Xici rasped, wanting to reach out for Shen Yanzhou’s hand, only to find that hand was being stared at intently by the man at the door, as if reminding him, ‘dare to touch it and I’ll chop your hand off.’

“Xici, it’s fine.” Shen Yanzhou cut off his words and tucked him in, his movements gentle.

“Just treat this as a few days of vacation. Recovering your health is more important than anything else.”

“As for other matters…” His eyes sharpened, “We’ll settle the score slowly once we go back.”

Shen Xici nodded obediently.

Having comforted his younger brother, Shen Yanzhou straightened up and waved at the man leaning against the door acting as a background prop, “Sanqianwan.”

The man stood up straight immediately, “I’m here.”

“Give him the bowl of smooth chicken congee that the grandma gave us just now. I’ll go find the doctor to ask if there are any dietary restrictions he needs to look out for, and roughly how long it will take for a full recovery.”

“Okay.” Sanqianwan agreed straightforwardly, but those dark, wolf-like eyes dimmed instantly after Shen Yanzhou turned around to go to the outer room to consult Nine-Finger Qiang.

Carrying the smooth chicken congee in the insulated container, he walked over to the bedside.

“Drink up.” The man sneered at the pretty boy on the bed, “Don’t starve to death, or else he’ll be heartbroken.”

Shen Xici strained to prop up his body, leaning against the headboard, meeting the man’s gaze without showing any weakness.

“I don’t like you.” He spoke directly.

“Likewise.” Sanqianwan crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, “I don’t like you either.”

“You know I like my brother, right?” Shen Xici looked at him, a self-deprecating, bitter smile curling his lips.

“Do you think I’m disgusting? To actually harbor this kind of… this kind of rebellious, filthy desire for the brother who raised me since I was a child?”

“Filthy?” Sanqianwan lowered his head, slowly rubbing his fingertips together.

“Liking Mr. Shen is only human nature. However, you don’t stand a chance. Not in the past, and definitely not now.”

“You!” Shen Xici stared at him fiercely, the jealousy in his eyes nearly overflowing.

“I really envy you.”

Shen Xici grit his teeth, his voice trembling, “Why… why can you do that kind of thing with my brother? Why can you hold him and kiss him without any restraint? Even leaving those kinds of marks on him?”

“Do you know? The night before last, when you made that kind of sound over the phone, I wished I could kill you!”

“I guarded him for over a decade! Guiding him as cautiously as a dog, not even daring to touch him once for fear of desecrating him. But what about you? You wild dog that crawled out of the gutter, why do you get to obtain the thing I want at all costs right from the start?!”

Looking at the out-of-control person before him, Sanqianwan didn’t get angry, “You envy me?”

“Shen Xici, do you know? I envy you very much too.”

“Envy me?” Shen Xici was stunned.

“Yeah, envious to the point of madness. I envy that you can stand by his side openly and call him ‘brother’.”

“I envy that you got to grow up with him.”

“You can sit at the same dining table to eat with him, attend those glamorous banquets with him, shield him from drinks rightfully, and handle those documents for him that I don’t understand.” The man’s fingers holding the cigarette tightened slightly, snapping the cigarette deeply in half.

“And what about me? I can only hide like a dark rat in this sunless mudpit to survive, greedily peering at his back.” The man pointed at his own chest, his voice husky.

“Just… a dark rat?”

Shen Xici caught the loophole in the man’s words, or rather, the suspicion he had harbored all along.

“Stop pretending.” Shen Xici looked at the man, “Even though I was unconscious last night, my hearing wasn’t broken. The man who stormed into Huo Tian’s territory to save us, I heard his underlings say to your direction…”

“They called you ‘boss’.”

“And when that old doctor got up in the night to speak with his wife, I heard them too. They said ‘the boss is playing for keeps this time’.”

Shen Xici stared fixedly at Sanqianwan, trying to find a flaw in that indifferent face, “In this Kowloon Walled City, how could a person who makes a crowd of desperate outlaws call him ‘boss’ be just a garbage-collecting rat?”

“Who on earth are you?”

“You deliberately approached my brother and kept your tail tucked to stay by his side, what exactly is your purpose?”

Shen Xici propped his body up, his tone aggressive, “If my brother knew you were like this, knew you were a wolf in sheep’s clothing, do you think… he would still do that kind of thing with you, lowering his guard completely to give himself to you?”

Hearing this, Sanqianwan straightened up, the slouchy energy from before vanishing without a trace. He countered with a question:

“Then what about you, Lawyer Shen? Do you think if your brother knew that the younger brother he doted on since childhood fantasizes about him every night, even masturbating while listening to his lovemaking…”

“Do you think he would still let you call him ‘brother’ completely without guard like he did just now?”

Shen Xici’s face turned instantly pale, “You… you would tell my brother?”

“Naturally not, I don’t want to make things difficult for Mr. Shen.”

“He treats you as family. If he knew you harbored this kind of thought toward him, he would be sad.” The man lit the cigarette in his hand and blew out a smoke ring, his tone indifferent, “I don’t wish for anything to affect his mood.”

“Then aren’t you afraid? Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell my brother that you’ve actually been pretending all along? Tell him that you’re the boss of this Walled City?”

After listening, Sanqianwan smiled.

He put out the cigarette and stepped closer to Shen Xici.

Shen Xici shrank back until his spine hit the cold wall, with no further room to retreat.

Sanqianwan leaned forward slightly, his tall shadow completely enveloping Shen Xici. Those puppy eyes that always acted pitiful in front of Shen Yanzhou now held nothing but violence.

His gaze fell upon Shen Xici’s bandaged leg, then slowly moved upward, stopping on Shen Xici’s slender and fragile neck.

“Your neck is really thin.” The man reached out his hand, his fingertips tracing over Shen Xici’s Adam’s apple from a distance, as if measuring where to strike.

“Your legs too.”

“What… what do you mean?” Shen Xici felt a tangible murderous intent, his heart pounding wildly.

“It means…”

Sanqianwan leaned into his ear, “They should snap easily, right?”

“Whether it’s this neck or this leg that was just set, I wouldn’t even need to use much strength.”

Shen Xici’s entire body went stiff, cold sweat instantly soaking his back.

Sanqianwan patted his shoulder and smiled, “Some words are best left to rot in your stomach.”

He straightened up, withdrawing the hand that could crush Shen Xici’s throat at any moment.

“By the way, let me give you a reminder.” A wicked smile curled on the man’s lips, “In the future, keep your hands off your brother.”

“Whether it’s supporting his waist or holding his hand, none of it is allowed.”

“He can only like me.” The man smiled obsessively, “If he likes anyone, I’ll kill them. If that person is you, it’s no different.”

A psycho, he’s truly a psycho.

Shen Xici bit his teeth hard, his entire body trembling, yet he couldn’t make a single sound.

Right at that moment, footsteps came from outside the door, and Shen Yanzhou walked in. He glanced at Shen Xici leaning against the headboard, then at Sanqianwan standing to the side with his hands down looking completely innocent, before his gaze settled on the bowl of untouched congee on the nightstand.

“What’s wrong? Is the congee cold?” Shen Yanzhou frowned.

“No.” Sanqianwan shook his head, looking aggrieved.

“Your brother seems… not to like smooth chicken congee very much.”

“He just said this congee tastes too bland, not as good as what a five-star hotel’s head chef makes.”

Shen Xici looked incredulously at this man lying through his teeth.

“I didn’t…” He was just about to argue.

“It’s fine.” Sanqianwan interrupted him, turning to look at Shen Yanzhou, “Should I go find the grandma to swap it for a new bowl? I heard today’s preserved egg and pork congee is simmered quite well too, with just the right amount of heat. It should suit your brother’s taste.”

Shen Yanzhou glanced at Shen Xici’s terrible complexion, assuming he was just in a bad mood from being injured, so he didn’t think much of it and nodded, “Mm.”

The man looked at him and smiled. When passing by Shen Yanzhou’s side, he wanted to nuzzle his hand, but noticed that his hand was a bit damp and sticky.

“What’s wrong with your hand?” Sanqianwan caught Shen Yanzhou’s wrist in one go, only to see a tiny red scratch punctured on the pad of his fair index finger, with small beads of blood oozing out.

“It’s nothing…” Shen Yanzhou wanted to pull his hand back, feeling a bit self-conscious, “When I came in just now, I accidentally got scratched by a wooden splinter, it doesn’t really hurt.”

The man did not let go. He lowered his head, opened his mouth, and took the finger oozing blood beads into his mouth.

“Ngh…” A warm, damp, and rough sensation enveloped the pad of his finger.

The man’s mouth was very hot, his tongue flexible and powerful. As it swept over the scratch, a faint stinging and tingling sensation came through. He lifted his eyelids slightly, his dark, deep eyes looking up at Shen Yanzhou with a moist gaze.

Shen Yanzhou’s heart trembled gently.

This look… he had seen it before.

On that morning, this man had also knelt between his thighs just like this, staring at him with this kind of look, and then… buried his head to do that clumsy yet frantic thing to him.

The sensation of the mouth swallowing and breathing back then actually overlapped with the current touch on his fingertip.

Shen Yanzhou wanted to pull away, but he was nipped by the man, unable to move.

“Sip… sip…”

In the quiet room, the wet sound of sucking the fingertip made one’s face turn crimson.

After a moment, confirming that the wound was no longer bleeding, Sanqianwan let go with lingering desire.

The moment the finger left his mouth, a bright, translucent string of saliva stretched along Shen Yanzhou’s wet fingertip, swaying tremulously in the air before finally breaking.

Shen Yanzhou looked at his finger, which had been sucked bright red and shiny, while Sanqianwan used his thumb to wipe away the remaining wetness perfectly naturally. He then looked toward Shen Xici, whose face was deathly pale on the sickbed, slowly curling up an intensely wicked smile.