Chapter 7: Yuanyuan Wasn’t Being Disobedient
He rubbed his fuzzy head against the man’s palm as if acting spoiled, as if clinging to him. Like a well-behaved, harmless kitten, he quietly closed his eyes.
The warmth of Xiansheng’s palm and the scent on his body were so comfortable. It was the only thing in this world he craved, and something that had been unattainable for his entire life…
In his blurred mind, images of the first time the man had brought him home surfaced. He had lacked security then as well, curling his small body into a ball like cotton.
He was like a child—nervous, at a loss, yet craving even a tiny bit of comfort and protection.
At that time, only by pressing close to the man’s broad chest and having his face and hair gently stroked by those warm hands could he let down his guard and sleep peacefully.
In this world, the only person who could give him warmth was Mister Yu. But later, Xiansheng seemed to have changed…
As he thought about it, Shen Yuan’s lips puckered. He suddenly felt his eyes grow wet, and his long eyelashes became laden with tears. Huddled at the man’s feet, his voice was choked with sobs:
“Xiansheng, Yuanyuan wants to keep leaning against your hand like this. Yuanyuan is very good. Please don’t abandon me…”
The soft, pleading voice of the youth rang in his ears, causing Yu Xiuqing’s heart to tighten inexplicably. His palm seemed to have been soaked by something warm, the heat traveling all the way to his heart.
The emotion on his face only faltered for a brief second. But he refused to let himself feel a shred of pity. Without hesitation, he withdrew his hand, watching as that foolish head struck the floor with a thud when it lost its support.
The corners of the man’s mouth slowly curved into a smile. A gentle light flickered in his eyes, but it held infinite malice and coldness.
“But Yuanyuan’s behavior has disappointed me so much. You weren’t well-behaved at all. What should I do about that?”
His words were doting and helpless, as if he were whispering to a beloved treasure. But his expression was that of a demon.
Shen Yuan only felt a splitting headache. His head was dizzy, and his ears couldn’t clearly hear the man’s words.
However, he still vaguely heard the words “not well-behaved,” and he instantly panicked. He shivered as he propped his limp body up to sit on the floor, using his dirty hands to hurriedly wipe his face. He immediately crawled into the man’s arms, feeling aggrieved.
“No, no… Yuanyuan wasn’t disobedient, and I didn’t push Su Xiansheng! Please don’t go!”
The youth explained urgently, his voice as thin as a mosquito’s buzz.
Sitting on the hospital bed behind them, Su Huaiyao watched this scene and couldn’t help but clench his fists, driven mad with jealousy.
Because he was pretending his leg was broken and couldn’t get up, he could only call out urgently: “Xiuqing-gege!”
Yu Xiuqing ignored the voice behind him. The coldness in his eyes grew deeper and more freezing. “Why did you push Xiaoyao?”
The boy’s head was buried in his chest. While crying, he held onto the sturdy arm tightly. His tear-filled eyes were enough to make anyone’s heart ache, and he refused to let go:
“Mister Yu… please forgive Yuanyuan. Forgive Yuanyuan… sob… Yuanyuan was wrong. It’s all Yuanyuan’s fault for being ignorant…”
Shen Yuan didn’t know why he was crying or why he was admitting to a mistake he hadn’t made. But he couldn’t control his emotions, and his heart was too afraid that Xiansheng would leave.
His tears fell one by one onto the man’s dress shirt, slowly creating wet patches.
Yu Xiuqing looked down at the little fellow nestled in his chest. A complex emotion flashed through his eyes, followed immediately by indifference. His expression remained completely flat.
He gripped the youth’s trembling shoulders with one hand, pushing him away from his chest with a bit of force. He curled his lips into a smile and raised his thumb to wipe away the tear tracks from the boy’s eyes. His voice was like a cool stream in a valley:
“Brave enough to admit your mistake—that’s a good child. It’s okay. I don’t blame Yuanyuan, and Su Xiansheng won’t blame you either.”
Seeing the man’s gentle-as-water appearance, Su Huaiyao’s face turned pale. The anger in his heart was like a raging bonfire, and his ten fingers gripped the bedsheet tightly.
Could it be that his Xiuqing-gege was really just going to forgive that little servant like that?! How could he! What about him? Was he no longer important in the man’s heart?!
Hearing that Xiansheng had forgiven him, Shen Yuan stopped sobbing. He slowly looked up at him, his small, exquisite face still streaked with tears and his eyes misty. He was overjoyed:
“Xiansheng doesn’t blame me… I’m so happy. Yuanyuan will definitely listen to Xiansheng. I’ll do whatever Xiansheng tells me to, as long as Xiansheng doesn’t kick me out…”
The last part of the sentence was spoken with extreme trembling. He felt terrified and uneasy, fearing that now that the white moonlight was back and the man had someone to accompany him, he would no longer be wanted…
“That’s more like it. Yuanyuan is so good.”
Yu Xiuqing reached out and stroked the boy’s head meaningfully. His gaze was tender and doting, as if looking at a child, but the smile in his eyes made Shen Yuan’s hair stand on end.
The man’s clean fingernail traced the cracks on the boy’s lips. A faint red appeared on the dry, peeling skin. His voice carried a deep sense of pity: “Tsk, why is this little mouth so dry? There’s even blood. Does it hurt?”
Hearing those words, Shen Yuan’s heart began to throb for some reason. He couldn’t help but shrink back slightly:
“No… it’s fine, Xiansheng. It doesn’t hurt.”
Yu Xiuqing seemed to see the fear in his eyes, and his tone became even softer: “How about some water?”
“No need, Xiansheng…” The youth shook his head repeatedly.
“How can you say no? Such a beautiful mouth—it won’t be pretty if it’s cracked like this. Be good now; I’ll feed you.”
After saying this, the man stood up. He glanced around the floor as if looking for something. After a few seconds, he picked up the IV bottle that hadn’t finished dripping from beside the water dispenser.
He twisted the stopper off the bottle and tossed it into the trash. Then, he easily lifted the person on the floor and brought the bottle to the youth’s lips, coaxing him softly:
“Come on, open up.”
Looking at the object in his hand, Shen Yuan shook his head like a rattle. His face was pale as he gritted his teeth, refusing to open his mouth.
“Xiansheng, that’s medicine, not water. You can’t drink it…! Yuanyuan won’t drink it, no…”
He wasn’t completely stupid. He knew very well that the liquid in that bottle had been injected into his hand just now to treat his illness. It was definitely not drinkable water!
Does Xiansheng not know…
Su Huaiyao’s expression instantly turned from anger to joy. He laughed inwardly—it seemed Xiuqing-gege still cared about him after all.
On the other side, Yu Xiuqing had already brought the bottle to the boy’s lips. The superficial tenderness vanished, and though he hadn’t fully lost his temper, his tone became cold and harsh:
“Is Yuanyuan being foolish? This is water. Drink it quickly. My patience is limited.”
“Xiansheng, this isn’t water! You can’t drink it!”
Shen Yuan pressed his lips together tightly. Those eyes, soaked in tears, were dark and bright, looking helpless and terrified.
He pushed his hands against the bottle. Perhaps because he was too scared, he instinctively shoved the bottle away. Some of the liquid splashed out, landing squarely on Su Huaiyao.
“Ah!”
Su Huaiyao didn’t have time to dodge and was splashed directly. A large part of his clean trouser leg became wet instantly.
He hurriedly grabbed some tissues and began to wipe it frantically.
T/N: Hey everyone! Welcome to this new journey of angst and “dog blood” (slang for over-the-top melodrama).
Vocabulary Corner:
- White Moonlight (白月光 – Bái Yuè Guāng): A popular Chinese internet term referring to someone who is an unattainable first love or a pure, idealized person in one’s heart.
- Xiansheng (先生 – Xiānsheng): Means “Mister” or “Sir.” In this context, Shen Yuan uses it as a formal yet intimate honorific for his master.
- Sanye (三爺 – Sānyé): Literally “Third Master.” This indicates Yu Xiuqing is the third-born son or ranked third in his generation within a powerful family.
- Rh-negative blood: In Chinese web novels, having a rare blood type (especially Rh-negative “panda blood”) is a classic trope used to make a character a “human blood bag” for the protagonist’s rival.
Let me know what you think of the first few chapters! This story is definitely going to be a rollercoaster.
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