The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - Chapter 75 - The Choker (R18)

Night had fully descended, swaddling the vast living room in a profound silence. The dim light seemed to emanate only from a few secretive corridor lamps, a maddeningly feeble illumination that made the space feel boundless and hushed.

Shen Xuzhi, stripped to the waist and adorned with the soft wolf ears seamlessly blending into his dark hair, radiated the raw, unrestrained power of a mature male. The faint light played across the sculpted planes of his chest and shoulders, hinting at an alluring, primal wildness beneath the veneer of civilization.

Qing Lin’s neck was flushed crimson, a heat that had spread all the way to his ears. Clinging to the last thread of his rationality, he spoke with a deliberately blank expression, “Then why aren’t you wearing the choker?”

Shen Xuzhi offered no reply. He simply rose, retrieved the choker, and a silent thought crossed his mind: Perhaps Qing Lin genuinely has this specific preference.

The leather object felt warm and heavy in his hand, stirring a smoldering heat within his own core. Shen Xuzhi’s long, elegant fingers lightly traced the clasp. With a gentle twist of his knuckles, a faint, soft click echoed in the stillness as the lock released.

His hands were a study in contradiction—long and slender, yet possessing a powerful, bony texture. They were hands clearly made for instruments; even the simple act of undoing a clasp was performed with a smooth, mesmerizing grace.

He then deliberately thrust the choker forward toward Qing Lin.

Qing Lin froze, looking up at Shen Xuzhi’s face hovering above him. The man’s voice, a warm and husky whisper, brushed lightly against his ear: “Qing Lin, put it on me yourself.”

Qing Lin felt his scalp prickle.

What kind of request was that?

He had never imagined such a simple object could be a source of such arousal, but holding the cool leather in his hands, staring up at the powerful man waiting above him, stirred an uncontrollable, deep-seated restlessness within his own body.

He swallowed hard and reached out, his fingers trembling slightly as he fastened the choker around Shen Xuzhi’s strong, sharply defined neck.

Shen Xuzhi tilted his head, his cold yet strikingly beautiful eyes fixed deeply on Qing Lin. The black leather now adorned his throat, the diamond-studded pendant dangling perfectly beneath his chin.

It was as if Qing Lin had stepped through a hidden door into a new world. Everything around him seemed to freeze, his mind momentarily short-circuiting. His vision narrowed, capable of perceiving only the scene directly before him.

Shen Xuzhi’s voice, deep and magnetic, spoke slowly and deliberately, his words a soft caress against the younger man’s ear.

“Now you can touch my head.”

Qing Lin stared at the “wolf” between his spread legs, and in a fleeting moment of pure, reckless madness, he reached up and tentatively touched its head.

Shen Xuzhi played his role to perfection, tilting his chin slightly and rubbing it gently against Qing Lin’s hand. A fleeting glance from those intense eyes coaxed the younger man’s fingers upward to stroke his cheek.

Then, Shen Xuzhi turned his head, his warm lips pressing a feather-light kiss into the center of Qing Lin’s palm, yet his eyes never once left Qing Lin’s. The diamonds on the choker around his neck shimmered and danced in the dim light.

For some inexplicable reason, seeing Shen Xuzhi in this state made Qing Lin’s heart burn with a sudden, panicked protectiveness. He blurted out instinctively, “Good boy.”

Both of them froze instantly.

Qing Lin was stunned by the subconscious word that had escaped his lips and immediately tried to quickly formulate an explanation.

But in the very next second, the man who had been relatively docile leapt. Using the momentum, he pinned Qing Lin down on the sofa cushions.

The sudden, jarring fall made Qing Lin’s heart skip a beat. Then, he saw Shen Xuzhi’s powerful hands braced on either side of his head, his gaze intense and piercing, now truly the look of a predator sizing up its prey.

The angle of his downward gaze and the diamond pendant dangling from the choker swayed back and forth with the movement, teasingly dancing before Qing Lin’s widened eyes.

Shen Xuzhi’s voice, now dangerously low, cut through the silence. “What did you just say?”

They were so close that Qing Lin was surrounded by Mr. Shen’s breath. He must have just showered, as a faint, clean hint of body wash hung in the air.

Qing Lin’s ears, cheeks, and neck instantly flushed.

He fixed his gaze on Shen Xuzhi’s face—the distinguished curve of his prominent nose bridge, the perfectly chiseled eye sockets. Those ears on top just begged to be pinched.

…Fine. He admitted to himself that he couldn’t fight the lure of temptation.

Qing Lin lowered his gaze, his heart suddenly ablaze. Moments later, he lifted his neck, which was so crimson it looked like it could be wrung out, and pressed it against Shen Xuzhi’s nose.

Maintaining his usual composed demeanor, he rubbed against Shen Xuzhi’s nose and said with an expressionless tone, “Kiss me.”

Shen Xuzhi froze. He adored his honesty but had not anticipated it would manifest so perfectly.

The young man beneath him pressed his lips to Shen Xuzhi’s mouth, seemingly unaware of how utterly innocent yet defiantly bold his own expression had become.

Shen Xuzhi’s jaw tensed. His hand lightly brushed Qing Lin’s earlobe as he lowered his head, murmuring lazily, “Open your mouth.”

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The living room filled with the sound of soft, wet kisses.

Qing Lin didn’t know why, but as they kissed, he found himself somehow sitting on top of Shen Xuzhi.

The movement was so abrupt it seemed to have accidentally knocked the TV remote.

The large screen in the living room flickered to life, casting a faint glow onto the dim surroundings. A news broadcast played softly in the background, its volume barely perceptible and certainly not intrusive to the pair.

Shen Xuzhi’s large hand traced Qing Lin’s spine beneath his clothes. Each inch downward elicited a slight shiver, immediately followed by an involuntary arch of his back and a thrust of his hips. His hands found Shen Xuzhi’s shoulders, pulling his head up for a deeper kiss.

Qing Lin felt dizzy from the kiss, vaguely hearing the faint hum of the centralized air conditioning. Then, a layer of citrus scent washed over him, instantly followed by the sound of splashing water.

He was not very adept at regulating his breathing. When he couldn’t catch his breath, he pushed Shen Xuzhi away.

After a long kiss, Shen Xuzhi finally drew back, though not for long. His lips wandered next to Qing Lin’s neck and collarbone, brushing them with soft, lingering kisses.

Only when a chill touched his waist did Qing Lin hazily realize that this creature—cosplaying as either a wolf or a dog—had hands roaming over him.

Qing Lin’s legs went weak, sitting atop Shen Xuzhi with no strength left to resist.

Then, something felt off.

Qing Lin froze instantly.

Shen Xuzhi’s messy bangs had been swept back during their kiss, revealing traces of movement beneath the wolf ears. His entire face was exposed now, the skin beneath his eyes flushed.

No.

He couldn’t keep kissing…

Qing Lin’s expression showed slight oxygen deprivation. Compared to the passive suffocation he had experienced that day on Cangshan Mountain, this situation felt even more intense. His lips were still wet, soft and red, tempting one to bite them again.

What truly frightened him was that he actually liked it.

Qing Lin’s libido had always been quite low. He usually focused solely on his studies and had never acted this way in front of others before.

Shyness and restlessness fermented rapidly amid their hurried breaths.

Shen Xuzhi lowered his gaze; the hand pressed against Qing Lin’s neck slid upward to cup his face, intending to kiss him again.

Then came the whisper pressed close to his ear. “Let me help you.”

Qing Lin’s mind spun, his heart racing wildly. He could barely make out the words through his haze, then felt his pants being pulled halfway down.

Then the sound vanished entirely….

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The weather in Hangzhou had been unsettled lately, with frequent thunderstorms. The news broadcast mentioned an approaching typhoon.

Outside, the rain intensified, streaking the floor-to-ceiling windows as muffled thunder rumbled intermittently.

“No! This is wrong… Ugh…”

Shen Xuzhi kept one hand outside, his fingers tangling in Qing Lin’s hair, soothing his scalp. Hearing the soft whimpers, he turned the young man’s small face toward him, nipped his lips, then plunged back into a deep kiss.

Qing Lin gasped, each upward thrust sending shivers down his spine.

Through blurred vision, he caught sight of the prominent veins bulging on Mr. Shen’s arm. Blushing with shame, he pushed against Shen Xuzhi’s shoulder, unwilling to look.

Shen Xuzhi’s breathing grew heavy. Seeing Qing Lin’s evasion, he reached out to call him back.

He took his finger into his mouth.

Enveloped by the softness of the mouth, Qing Lin stared at the man beneath him, nearly driven mad.

Then Shen Xuzhi bit down on the knuckle of his ring finger, leaving a ring-shaped mark with his teeth.

He wrapped his arms around Qing Lin’s waist, pressing against his chest, his hands never stopping. Qing Lin felt like he was going to die of embarrassment.

“Master, you’re trembling quite a bit,” Shen Xuzhi murmured hoarsely, kissing his ear. “Don’t be afraid. Just hold me.”

Qing Lin, both embarrassed and furious, reached out to tug at Shen Xuzhi’s collar. The man showed no reaction whatsoever, seemingly impervious to pain.

In his desperation, Qing Lin even ripped off the wolf ears on Shen Xuzhi’s head, cursing him as a “pervert.”

With his true nature exposed, Shen Xuzhi grew even more unrestrained. Qing Lin, in a fit of self-abandonment, clung desperately to his neck, burying his face and refusing to lift his head. He even opened his mouth to bite, though he couldn’t possibly make a dent.

Amidst the only sound of water, Shen Xuzhi felt several wet tears fall behind him.

He realized that Qing Lin, who usually showed no emotional fluctuations and always appeared strong, had been saving his tears for moments like this.

Shen Xuzhi found it utterly adorable. After admiring him for a moment, he turned his head and said, “Qing Lin, that was a bit fast.”

“……”

Shen Xuzhi held him close, kissing his forehead, neck, and behind his ears before lingering on his lips, grinding them together repeatedly. Only then did he rise to fetch tissues and clean up the mess.

Qing Lin lay panting on the sofa, every inch of his pale skin flushed crimson.

His expression was a mix of extreme embarrassment and anger as he tugged at his own clothes, glaring fiercely at Shen Xuzhi.

What wolf ears? What collar? He should have grabbed that iron chain first and bound this man’s hands.

“Shen Xuzhi…” Qing Lin gritted his teeth, his face flushed with shame yet his gaze fierce as he glared at Shen Xuzhi.

“Get out.”

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Shen Xuzhi had truly angered Qing Lin.

Although there was nothing wrong with helping each other, it was Qing Lin’s first time doing something like that. After the passion faded, he couldn’t help feeling that he’d been completely dazed—bewitched—by Shen Xuzhi’s desire.

Shen Xuzhi hadn’t expected that after finally tricking Qing Lin into moving in with him, he would vanish from his sight the very next day.

With his packed schedule, Shen Xuzhi often had to rush between two or three shoots a day, only getting home past eleven. By then, Qing Lin would already be asleep.

Still, Shen Xuzhi persistently sent him messages, trying to coax him back into a good mood, but each time he received nothing more than a curt, indifferent “Mm.”

He was doomed. How could he possibly make amends?

What made it worse was how tricky things had become. Qing Lin didn’t act any differently on the surface—he’d still say goodbye to Shen Xuzhi, still accept the small comfort cakes he brought back—but his demeanor remained distant and cool, leaving Shen Xuzhi deeply unsettled.

He’d been trying to make amends for days without success, until it seemed that fate finally decided to lend him a hand.

“Escape Room?”

“Yeah, that super popular escape room puzzle reality show.” Knowing the two were living together, Wang Zhan brought the casting notice straight to Shen Xuzhi’s place.

He also brought the Domino’s pizza Shen Xuzhi had specifically requested—the flavor Qing Lin loved after trying it last time.

Qing Lin glanced at the theme for the next episode while Wang Zhan spoke.
“The next Escape Room theme is Manor of the Weeping Child. We’ll be filming on location in a small mountain village. I checked the details the production team sent over—both the setup and the show’s popularity look solid. It’s worth taking. Plus, the ShenLin CP is trending right now. Their invitation seems really sincere, and with your ‘academic genius’ reputation, Linlin, the pay should be pretty good too.”

Wang Zhan smiled at Qing Lin and asked, “Linlin, what do you think?”