Chapter 67: Don’t You Like Lying in My Arms?
Two weeks later.
The jasmine flowers on the bedside table drooped slightly. The dewdrops rolling on the petals were crystal clear, shimmering with a soft glow under the sunlight, looking exactly like the eyes of the youth before them.
“Achoo!”
Shen Yuan rubbed his nose, jolting awake from his sleep. He opened his hazy eyes, looking around in bewilderment.
White walls, white bedding, cold instruments, and a water glass placed on the bedside table…
All of this made Shen Yuan feel both foreign and familiar, as if his memories had been stripped away, leaving him with only empty frames and nothing else.
His gaze was vacant and dull. He seemed unable to control himself, just staring blankly out the window in a daze.
Today was the weekend, but there was no sun here; he could only view the scenery outside through the glass window.
The sky remained a hazy gray, without the slightest hint of brightness.
“Who am I…”
Shen Yuan muttered softly. He tilted his head slightly, his small hands nervously clutching the quilt. His wet, teary eyes were lost and helpless, looking as if he were about to cry.
At that moment, the ward doors were suddenly pushed open, and the hurried footsteps of several people rushed in.
Shen Yuan was so frightened his entire body shivered. He instinctively pulled the bedsheet over himself, shrinking into a tiny ball beneath it, trembling incessantly.
Suddenly, a large, well-defined hand grabbed the bedsheet and threw it aside without hesitation, revealing that cute, delicately carved little face. However, the youth’s eyes were squeezed shut, and muffled, whimpering sobs escaped his mouth.
Seeing this soft, innocent, and pitiful little thing, Yu Xiuqing’s gaze deepened. A complex look flashed through his sharp, falcon-like eyes, and a twisted sensation arose in his heart.
“Shen Yuan.”
The man’s deep, pleasant voice entered his ears.
Shen Yuan froze. He suddenly felt that this soft call was incredibly familiar, yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember.
He slowly released the hands holding his head. Blinking his thick, dark eyelashes, he looked up timidly, seeing a handsome and heroic face up close.
Next to him stood a doctor in a white coat, and another man with a dark expression, Qi Yunzhao.
“Y-you… who are you guys?”
The little fool asked with difficulty, his eyes carefully locked onto the man in front of him.
Even though everything was unfamiliar, for some unknown reason, he felt an inexplicable, deep-seated fear, mixed with a host of bizarre emotions.
“Yuanyuan, you don’t recognize me?”
Yu Xiuqing found it somewhat unbelievable. He leaned over, casting his eyes down at the youth’s tender, childish face.
It seemed the experiment of using electroshock to stimulate specific memories in the brain had truly failed.
His little male servant had not only forgotten everything, forgotten Yu Peishang, but conveniently forgotten him as well…
A trace of deep pain and guilt seemed to flash in the man’s eyes. Out of habit, he reached out to stroke Shen Yuan’s head, but the other shrank back in fright.
“N-no… I don’t recognize you…”
Shen Yuan shook his head frantically, hugging his pillow tightly, as if that was the only way he could feel secure.
Yu Xiuqing’s hand hung suspended in mid-air. His fingers stiffened, and finally, he lowered his hand, turning to ask the doctor: “What’s going on? Why does he have amnesia?”
The doctor gave a start. He hurriedly flipped through the medical charts, stating the surgical results: “Electroshock can cause the patient to lose consciousness and suffer autonomic nervous system dysfunction, thereby inducing temporary memory loss.”
“Temporary?”
Yu Xiuqing’s heart clenched fiercely. His brows knitted together, and he turned to look at the bewildered person on the bed, his voice dropping: “How long is temporary?”
The doctor shook his head, letting out a sigh: “That will have to wait until the patient is fully awake to determine.”
He paused, then added: “If, during this period, the patient can be exposed more to familiar people or things, it might be highly beneficial to his condition.”
“Mm, you guys step out first.”
Yu Xiuqing issued the order. His expression was cold, but his deep eyes never left Shen Yuan.
Qi Yunzhao quietly glanced at the terrified, uneasy youth, an unfathomable emotion flashing in the depths of his eyes. He then lowered his head, said “Yes,” and walked out briskly.
The door was gently closed once more. This slightly dim ward fell dead silent, the atmosphere tense.
Shen Yuan gripped his quilt tightly, trembling all over, staring at the man with eyes full of fear.
“Wu…”
A faint moan escaped his lips, his small face filled with pain. That little face was terrifyingly pale, as if a gust of wind could blow him away.
“Be good, don’t be afraid, come here.”
Yu Xiuqing sat on the edge of the bed and extended a hand toward him. The corners of his lips curved up slightly, his voice brimming with a strong intent to comfort.
His eyes sparkled with a gentle, doting light, as if he were coaxing his most cherished toy. There was no trace of cruelty to be seen, only a beautiful warmth that made one want to draw near.
Shen Yuan didn’t move, but he stopped crying.
The other person didn’t seem to have done anything to him…
He stared blankly at the backlit man, his eyes as clear as water, tear tracks staining his fair face.
His tiny brows were furrowed tightly, his long, curled eyelashes wet, looking exactly like a little kitten, evoking a deep sense of pity.
Yu Xiuqing suppressed the impatience in his heart and tried to soften his tone, calling out once more: “Yuanyuan?”
If he weren’t afraid of overly stimulating this fool, he would have already pinned the person beneath him…
“Yuanyuan…”
Shen Yuan muttered these two words repeatedly, then looked up at the man innocently: “My name is Yuanyuan?”
“Mm.”
Yu Xiuqing nodded slightly. His gaze landed on the youth’s chubby, pink face, a slight itch forming in his heart.
Those narrow eyes were dotted with starlike amusement—seemingly affectionate, yet filled entirely with playfulness.
Shen Yuan didn’t notice the aggressive intrusion and searing heat wrapped in his gaze. Instead, he continued his curious inquiry: “Then what are you? Why do you call me Yuanyuan?”
“Come closer, I’ll tell you.”
The man hooked his finger lightly, signaling him to approach. His deep, magnetic voice carried a hint of huskiness, exuding an enchanting magic.
Shen Yuan hesitated for a few seconds. He eventually let go of his pillow, but just as he tried to sit up, his entire body felt as if its strength had been sapped, and he collapsed back onto the bed.
“Nn… it hurts…”
He let out a muffled groan, a thin mist clouding his clear, bright eyes. He felt as if a piercing pain was radiating from every bone in his body, as if something were gnawing at him.
Yu Xiuqing’s gaze darkened. He naturally knew this was the aftereffect of the electroshock.
He had no choice but to stand up, walk to the other side of the bed, scoop up the cold-sweat-drenched youth, and place him on his lap.
“It’s okay, you just accidentally took a fall while sleeping.” He held the little thing in his arms tightly, pressing his lips against the other’s cold ear, speaking with feigned heartache.
This warm chest, accompanied by a strong, steady heartbeat, gave Shen Yuan a long-lost sense of familiarity.
He was dizzy from the pain. Looking up, he gazed into the man’s deep, spirited dark eyes. He didn’t struggle; it seemed he believed his words implicitly.
The youth’s smooth forehead brushed imperceptibly against his sensitive jawline. Yu Xiuqing felt his body growing as unbearably hot as if it had been set on fire.
His fingers gently caressed that fair, snow-like, tender, and smooth little face. He enjoyed the soft body in his arms, the depths of his eyes filled with intense, manic possessiveness.
Shen Yuan suddenly felt the man’s burning breath spray against his ear, and he couldn’t help but flinch.
A flush rapidly crept over his face, and a sudden, indescribable sense of shame and panic welled up in his heart.
Unspeakable images inexplicably flashed through his mind. He instinctively reached out to push against the man’s chest, only to realize he couldn’t muster any strength at all.
“Y-you let me go…”
The little fool writhed weakly. The strange reactions of his body seemed to warn him that the person holding him was very dangerous.
Yu Xiuqing effortlessly grabbed the root of his thighs, pressing him even tighter against his chest.
“Don’t you like the feeling of lying in my arms? Hmm?” His voice was hoarse and sexy. As he spoke, his thin lips brushed against Shen Yuan’s temple, sending a shudder through the youth.
“I… like it…”
Shen Yuan answered, at a loss. His head felt dizzy, completely devoid of the ability to think. He only wanted to be close to the man; this intimate proximity left him shy and afraid.
But he quickly realized that his current actions seemed inappropriate. He hurriedly shook his head, displaying a bashful expression:
“N-no, we can’t do this…”
“Why can’t we? You are mine.”
Yu Xiuqing wore a faint smile, but the look he gave the youth carried deep implication and domineering possessiveness.
“Your… your what?”
The little fool looked up in a daze, staring blankly at the man before him, his heart pounding fiercely.
A sickly smile curved Yu Xiuqing’s lips. His fingers traced the youth’s two soft petals of a mouth, his eyes holding a hint of mockery: “My Yuanyuan wife (laopao).”
“I am a wife…”
Shen Yuan gently bit his lip. His impaired mind didn’t understand what those words meant. With a pure gaze, he tilted his head up and asked: “Then what should I call you?”
“Silly, of course you call me hubby (laogong).”
Yu Xiuqing’s eyes revealed a heavy paranoia and madness. He then dotingly tapped the boy’s little nose:
“We are already married. You are my person, and Yuanyuan has to call me that from now on, understand?”
Under such incredibly gentle coaxing, the little fool believed it to be true. He nodded as if possessed by a ghost, his small hands nervously gripping the man’s collar as he pressed shyly against his chest.
The little thing in his arms had become even more obedient and delicate, completely lacking the rebelliousness from before the electroshock. Yu Xiuqing smiled in satisfaction, unable to resist lowering his head to lightly bite the boy’s pink, tender cheek.
This action sent a numbing tingle through Shen Yuan’s entire body. He instinctively tried to dodge, but the man’s large hand held the back of his head in place, leaving him nowhere to hide.
His eyes were wide and bright, the panic in them evident.
Seeing this, Yu Xiuqing felt his heart melt.
He exhaled a hot breath, his thin lips pressed against Shen Yuan’s ear as he asked in a low voice:
“Yuanyuan is so good. Do you like kids?”
Shen Yuan tilted his small head, looking completely bewildered.
“Kids… where are they?”
Even though he asked this with innocent ignorance, his heart was filled with heavy shyness and fear.
Yu Xiuqing chuckled aloud. He raised his hand to pinch the soft, chubby little cheeks: “Yuanyuan will know in a moment.”
Translator’s Note: Here begins the gaslighting. Yu Xiuqing is exploiting Shen Yuan’s amnesia to completely reset their dynamic, cementing Shen Yuan as his submissive “wife” (laopao) and himself as the “husband” (laogong). It’s sick, twisted, and exactly what Sanye wanted all along—absolute control.
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