Chapter 5: You Are Nothing More Than a Plaything to Amuse Me
Blood Collection Room.
Shen Yuan shrank behind the manâs tall frame, looking fearfully at the cold instruments surrounding them.
The bags of deep red plasma on the table made his scalp tingle, and fine sweat continuously seeped from his palms.
Nervously, he tugged at the manâs sleeve and asked tentatively, “Xiansheng, weren’t we going home? Why are we here…”
He heard Yu Xiuqing let out a soft chuckle. Without any effort, the man picked the youth up and placed him in front of him. The fake affection he used while coaxing him earlier was gone, replaced by nothing but coldness. He said:
“I forgot to tell you. Xiaoyaoâs aplastic anemia has flared up. You both have Rh-negative blood. It’s a perfect match.”
Hearing those words, Shen Yuan felt as if he had been doused with cold water. He stared blankly at the indifferent man, recalling every word the man had said to him just a moment ago.
His eyes were red. He sniffled in disbelief and sobbed, “Mister Yu lied to me…”
“It was just talk. Only a fool would take it seriously.”
Yu Xiuqing curled his lips in a mocking smile. His slender fingers tilted the boy’s chin, looking him over disdainfully. “You’re nothing more than a plaything to amuse me. When I’m happy, I’ll give you a little sweetness. When I’m not, you’re just like a stray cat on the street that I can kill at any time.”
A roar suddenly filled his ears. The little fool felt his entire heart shattering, and his wounds hurt even more.
His legs gave way, and he slumped directly onto the floor. The pain following the miscarriage left his entire body incredibly weak.
Qi Yunzhao, dressed in a white lab coat, stepped forward quickly. He forcibly lifted the youth and placed him on the hospital bed.
Shen Yuan was completely defenseless. His arm was gripped tightly by the other man. He wanted to struggle, but he found he couldn’t even lift his arm. He could only watch helplessly as Qi Yunzhao inserted the collection needle into his vein…
“No…”
With a weak, hoarse cry, he lost consciousness again.
Yu Xiuqing stood by the bed, looking at the youth who had finally quieted down. A complex light flickered in his eyes.
He reached out to lightly caress the reddened corner of the boy’s eye. His gaze was filled with a morbid obsession, and his voice carried a hint of chilling cold:
“Be good. It’ll be over in a moment.”
…
As dusk deepened, the cold moonlight spilled into the room, enveloping the slender figure on the bed.
Shen Yuanâs fingers curled. He seemed to be sleeping fitfully, a trace of pain etched between his brows.
His lips were tightly pressed together. His soft, light-colored hair was damp with sweat, clinging to his pale forehead. His small, exquisite features looked even more ghostly pale now.
“Mister Yu… don’t… don’t take my blood! Give the baby back to me… ah!”
A sharp, piercing scream escaped the youth’s mouth. He snapped his eyes open and looked around in a panic, his eyes brimming with tears.
Shen Yuan clutched his chest, gasping for breath. His heart was racing, and he seemed unable to catch his breath.
After a long while, he managed to brace himself against the bedboard and slowly sit up, his eyes devoid of spirit.
The room was terrifyingly quiet. Only a single incandescent bulb glowed overhead. The dripping sound of the IV was incredibly oppressive.
The boy huddled into a small ball under the large blanket, sobbing: “Mister Yu… I’m so scared…”
Mister Yu had his white moonlight now and didn’t want him anymore…
He was homeless again, just like he was two years ago…
At that moment, the door to the room creaked open from the outside. The harsh sound of friction was exceptionally jarring.
Shen Yuan pulled back the sheet in surprise and called out, “Xiansheng! Have you come to take me and the baby home…”
His voice dropped as soon as he saw the person who had walked in so leisurely. The joy on his face vanished, replaced by deep confusion and fear.
“You… who are you?”
Shen Yuanâs hands trembled as he gripped the blanket. His watery eyes looked at the person warily. The stranger’s face filled him with a sense of extreme unease.
The newcomer looked gentle, his eyes like water, yet they carried a faint coldness. A small smile played on his red lips.
Despite his leg being wrapped in bandages and a cast, he was walking perfectly fine, holding a crutch. He said in a deep voice, “Heh, I am Xiuqing-gegeâs legitimate girlfriend, of course.”
Shen Yuanâs heart sank. He was at a loss as he trembled and asked, “Girlfriend… Su… Huai… yao?”
“Is my name something a fool like you can say?”
Once he got a clear look at the youth, whose features bore some resemblance to his own, Su Huaiyaoâs expression changed. He suddenly understood why Yu Xiuqing kept a fool by his side.
“I’m not a fool! Where… where is Mister Yu? I want to find him!” Shen Yuan argued vehemently.
He tried to force his weak body out of bed, but before his feet could even touch the floor, he received a very loud slap across the face.
The strength behind Su Huaiyaoâs slap was startling, a stark contrast to his delicate appearance. He barked:
“Did no one teach you that you can’t covet other people’s boyfriends? What right does a mistress like you have to look for him!”
Shen Yuan covered his swollen cheek and said with grievance, “No… I’m not a mistress…”
“Hmph, you still say you aren’t?”
Su Huaiyao reached out and pinched the boy’s soft left cheek, tugging hard. He said airily:
“If it weren’t for the fact that you look a bit like me, Xiuqing-gege would never have kept you at the Yu house. But it doesn’t matter. Now that I’m back, a slow-witted servant like you can pack your things and get out.”
“I won’t get out!”
Shen Yuan glared at him fiercely, speaking fluently for the first time: “Mister Yu didn’t kick me out!”
“Whatever I want to do, I just need to say the word to Xiuqing-gege, and heâll agree instantly. You think I can’t get rid of you?”
Su Huaiyao sneered, his dark, bright eyes full of insidious charm.
But then he remembered something. He let out a light “tsk” and looked the thin youth up and down, saying:
“Oh, actually, I can’t. I’ll probably have to keep you locked up. Otherwise, when my anemia acts up, I won’t have anyone to provide blood~”
Shen Yuan lowered his head. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the needle mark on the back of his hand from the blood draw. An unspeakable sadness surged through him like a tide.
The next second, the music note necklace around his neck was suddenly yanked off by a reaching hand.
By the time he reacted, the necklace Mister Yu had given him as a birthday present two years ago was already in the other’s hand.
Shen Yuan panicked instantly. He lunged forward to grab it, crying out and pleading, “Please give it back to me…! That was a gift from Xiansheng! You can’t take it!”
But in his current weakened state, the youth was no match for him. Su Huaiyao pushed him away easily.
He looked at the exquisite music note in his hand and mocked, “A fool like you deserves to wear such an expensive necklace?”
With that sudden push, Shen Yuan fell backward. His bandaged forehead struck the corner of the bed with a heavy thud, and streaks of blood immediately seeped through the white gauze.
His head spun. He reached out a small hand toward Su Huaiyao and whispered hoarsely: “Give it… back…”
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