Chapter 14 — The Experimental Subject

Fu Xingyan was silent for a moment. In the quiet, spacious laboratory, the only sounds were the interwoven breaths of the two people.

Those eyes fixed on Shao Leyan were dark as if soaked in ink, with a faint red tint at the corners—an uncontrollable trace of desire bleeding through.

She wasn’t sure if she was imagining it. A moment ago she’d been shivering from the cold, and even after putting on a coat she had only barely warmed up.

But now, under Fu Xingyan’s deep, shadowy gaze—an abyss pulling her in—her body began to heat up. Sweat gathered on her back. A strange panic rose in her chest and peaked the moment he opened his mouth.

“I need to examine your body. I have to check your skin, muscles, organs, bones… even your nerves.”

“…What?”

Leyen wondered if she’d misheard. Her heart pounded violently, and her fingers twisted together in restless knots.

“I… I didn’t catch that. Could you repeat it?”

She claimed she hadn’t heard, but her crystal-clear little face had already flushed a shy shade of pink—like a soft, juicy peach.

A peach that made others want to lean down, bite through the skin, and taste the sweetness inside.

Fu Xingyan forcefully suppressed the faint embarrassment and hidden anticipation rising within him. He composed himself, donned a professional expression, and looked coldly at the girl who hung her head in shy panic.

“I need accurate data about you. So I must conduct a full-body examination. And during future experiments, to ensure the mechanical blades operate properly, the subject cannot wear any clothing.”

He said this without so much as a twitch in his expression. Even his tone and the curve of his lips remained unchanged.

Meanwhile, Leyen swallowed nervously. Her cheeks flared crimson, and the tips of her ears turned red enough to drip blood.

His calm, straightforward manner only made her own thoughts feel guiltier.

But she was thinking in the wrong direction.

He might call it a pre-experiment examination—but she had just been intimate with his twin brother this morning.

Now, only hours later… she was supposed to undress and let the younger brother see everything?

Leyen lowered her head even further. Her clear, expressive eyes darted around the room, refusing to meet his.

“T-this request is too embarrassing… I don’t think I can accept it.”

Fu Xingyan had expected this reaction. Her refusal didn’t surprise him at all.

“You’re overthinking. Once you’re on the examination table, you’re not a grown woman in my eyes. You’re simply an ability-enhanced experimental subject.”

Leyen understood instantly and nodded quickly.

“I trust your professionalism. I really do. But… I don’t trust myself.”

Her voice grew quieter and quieter, shrinking with guilt. By the end, it was barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz. She didn’t know if he could even hear her.

Only she and Fu Xingchen knew her body’s sensitivity—and the strange pleasure threshold brought on by her ability.

Her regeneration was strong, but her sensitivity was overwhelming. As long as Fu Xingchen did anything to her, she reacted with uncontrollable heat and breathlessness.

And her pain tolerance had reached the point where even Fu Xingchen’s full-strength lightning strikes felt like a high-grade masseur giving a full-body therapy session.

She wasn’t the same Shao Leyan she’d been when she had first returned to the apocalypse. Even if Fu Xingyan chopped off her head, it would feel no different from a massage to her.

But Fu Xingyan knew none of this. In his eyes, she was simply relying too heavily on his brother. His tone cooled slightly.

“As long as you trust me, that’s enough. Brother will be in Central City for at least three days. Do you want to wait until he returns to deal with your… need for pain? He’s the City Lord, ruler of the Underground City. He’s not your personal tool.”

Leyan pressed her lips together. She had no rebuttal.

His words hit the exact weakness she’d been avoiding.

No matter how good Fu Xingchen was, he couldn’t stay by her side every moment.

But her body’s craving for pain… that torment never stopped.

She couldn’t put all her eggs in one basket—if that basket fell, she’d lose everything.

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and looked up at Fu Xingyan—only to flinch at the coldness in his eyes.

“T-then… how far will your research go?”

Fu Xingyan must have noticed her fear. The ice in his eyes slowly melted. His full lips curved into a gentle smile, and his voice softened.

“That depends on how much you can handle.”

Leyan bit her lip. She had already made up her mind, but saying it aloud was difficult.

To gain something, she had to give something. In the apocalypse, to grow stronger, she needed to take this step.

“…Alright. I’ll do it.”

Fu Xingyan lowered his gaze. His long lashes hid the joy glimmering in his eyes, leaving him looking calm as he pointed at the white examination table in the center of the room.

“Please remove your clothes and lie down. We’ll begin immediately.”

Leyan squeezed her eyes shut, steeled her nerves, and stopped hesitating. She quickly stripped off her clothes and climbed onto the cool, smooth examination table.

The moment she lay down, Fu Xingyan had already finished washing his hands and was walking toward her at an unhurried pace.

Her heart hammered wildly—faster than the rhythm of his approaching footsteps.

Out of embarrassment, she kept her eyes tightly shut. Her rosy lips were pressed together so hard they’d gone pale.

Her skin was like polished white jade tinged with pink. Her body trembled slightly, soft curves quivering now and then. Her tiny toes were tense, as if every part of her body was bracing itself.

She looked breathtaking—enough to make anyone unable to look away.

Fu Xingyan reached the table. His dark, glassy pupils locked onto her as though they were a soft bed pulling her in, enveloping her entire body.

Leyan kept her eyes shut, clinging to the darkness to comfort herself. It was just an examination. As long as she couldn’t see it, she wouldn’t feel embarrassed.

If she opened her eyes now, she would be terrified by the obsessive, almost sickly affection burning in Fu Xingyan’s gaze. If she saw that look, everything that happened afterward might never happen at all.

Seeing her trembling, he couldn’t help but murmur gently:

“Don’t be nervous. Relax. I won’t hurt you. You can treat this like a simple full-body checkup.”

Her fingers clutched the sides of the table, resisting the urge to cross her arms over her chest. She let out a soft “mm.”

Fu Xingyan leaned down. His hawk-like eyes were tinged with a seductive red. Confirming that she truly had her eyes shut, he spoke in a low voice brimming with coaxing warmth:

“Then I’ll begin.”

His slightly rough fingertips brushed tentatively against her smooth, delicate cheek. She frowned faintly, so he pressed his whole palm gently against her face.

“Is this alright?”

Leyan let out a breath of relief. When she nodded, her soft cheek brushed lightly against the warmth of his palm.

If the examination stayed at this level… she could handle it.