“The group of old fogeys on the company’s board are a bunch of greedy bastards worse than wolves. If your weak personality ever falls into their hands, they’d probably bully you until there’s nothing left but dust. Besides, your health isn’t good. I’ll handle them. Whether your parents can come back or not, I won’t let the Sang family collapse.”
Like fruit growing up trapped in barbed wire, his attempts at kindness were also like those of a lonely creature — ugly, twisted, and deformed.
Somewhat neurotically, he muttered on.
“You should get better soon, right…”
“If you get better, I’ll give you lots and lots of gifts.”
“Except letting you go see that beast in sheep’s clothing, Qin Chuan.” At the mention of that person, he let out a cold laugh in the darkness before continuing, “I’ll agree to anything else you want.”
After saying this, as if finally satisfied, he felt the boy’s palm and forehead temperature again, then got up and quietly left.
“Click.”
The bedroom door closed.
Time passed minute by minute in the darkness. Sang You, who had been sleeping peacefully on the bed, suddenly snapped his eyes open, revealing trembling pupils.
Sang You had never been asleep!
His body had always been weak, making it hard for him to fall asleep normally. After his parents disappeared, Sang You thought too much, his mind burdened with worries, suffering from insomnia and rarely sleeping — often only falling asleep in the early hours of the morning.
When he heard his door being pushed open, Sang You’s brain buzzed. He instinctively shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep.
Who would have thought that Gong Ze would sneak into his room while he was sleeping and confess his true feelings and secrets to him while he was unconscious!?
Listening to Gong Ze’s muttering, Sang You’s heart pounded wildly.
This man was usually sinister and terrifying, yet at night he came to his bedside, hunched his back, pressed his head near his stomach, and spoke in a hoarse, aggrieved voice that trembled slightly.
This version of Gong Ze stirred an inexplicable sense of pity and a flutter in Sang You’s heart — even though he usually disliked him!
He still remembered how fiercely Gong Ze had fought back when Sang You angrily confronted him, demanding to know if he was responsible for his parents’ disappearance.
Then he thought of the search-and-rescue team contract he had found in Gong Ze’s desk drawer.
Looking at that search contract, Sang You was deeply shocked.
But he couldn’t figure it out — if Gong Ze was actively searching for his parents, why hadn’t he said anything?
After what happened tonight, he finally understood!
Since his parents still had no news, it could only mean the search team hadn’t found anything. Gong Ze must have chosen to keep it a secret so that Sang You wouldn’t be hurt again.
He had been wrong all along.
Gong Ze wasn’t the culprit at all!
Sang You’s breathing quickened. The clouds of doubt in his mind seemed to clear, leaving everything bright and lucid!
He had once suspected Gong Ze of being the murderer, hated him, cursed him.
But apart from a few angry outbursts, Gong Ze had said nothing.
When the auntie casually mentioned whether he should call the young master down to eat with him, Gong Ze had frowned, scolded the auntie, and acted as if he didn’t even want to mention Sang You.
But combined with what the man had said by his bedside that night — “I know you’re afraid of me” —
The passionate, obsessive confession.
Gong Ze didn’t not want to see him — he was clearly afraid that Sang You didn’t want to see him!
After realizing the truth, Sang You covered his mouth.
As if soaked in a mixture of emotions, his heart was a complete mess.
Sang You couldn’t even imagine it. “He… likes me that much…?”
He liked him so much that he gritted his teeth and threatened the sleeping version of him, yet only dared to gently touch his face with the soft back of his hand.
Aside from his parents, this was the first time Sang You had ever felt such intense affection from someone else.
Even though he had a crush on Brother Qin Chuan, Qin Chuan had always been gentle with him but never responded to his feelings.
But Gong Ze’s desire for him had been strong and direct from the very beginning.
It felt like a tiny insect had burrowed into his heart — tingling, numbing, its little claws scratching and scratching inside his chest.
Sang You’s slender fingers twisted the bedsheet. His face was flushed with fever, and his eyes glistened with a moist sheen.
He was supposed to like Brother Qin.
Yet at this moment, all Sang You could think about was Gong Ze.
The young master bit his lower lip, recalling how coldly the man had treated him over the past month — how he had ignored him.
Hearing the pitying gossip from the aunties, Sang You had hated Gong Ze to death.
He thought Gong Ze was just like they said — that after having a taste of him and growing bored, he had tossed him aside in the Sang house. Without his parents around, Gong Ze’s true nature had emerged, and he no longer took this young master Sang seriously.
And yet, Gong Ze sneaked into his room at night!
This man was truly —
Perverted!
A scoundrel!
Embarrassed and flustered, Sang You cursed him in his heart, wrapping himself tighter in his blanket and tossing and turning.
Then there was the company matter.
He thought about how Gong Ze had been leaving early and returning late all month. Sometimes when Sang You got up at night to use the bathroom, he would occasionally run into Gong Ze heading to the company.
Sang You had seen with his own eyes how hard Gong Ze was working.
Sang You had thought that after acquiring the Sang family fortune, Gong Ze would become arrogant, flaunt his wealth, and indulge in a life of debauchery.
Yet instead, Gong Ze was working tirelessly every day to protect the Sang family’s pharmaceutical company after his parents disappeared — not only was he not living luxuriously, he was barely even sleeping.
And on top of that, he had to face the board of directors…
Sang You turned over again.
The fact that Gong Ze had forcibly taken him that night — the only explanation now seemed to be exactly what Sang You had suspected before: Gong Ze was afraid that without his parents around, their engagement would fall through.
Added to that, this man had always been secretly jealous of Sang You’s feelings for Qin Chuan — so he had made sure they were bound by flesh and rice cooked into a solid meal…
Sang You’s heartbeat was racing uncontrollably.
His mind was full of Gong Ze, who just now in the darkness — unaware that Sang You was pretending to sleep — had murmured in a sick, fragile way, painfully and stubbornly confessing his love and affection, along with his jealousy and possessiveness.
Sang You, who had a simple romantic history and had never experienced such intense passion, felt his whole body grow hot. He curled his toes shyly under the blanket.
Even though Sang You still hadn’t completely let go of his resentment toward Gong Ze for forcing himself on him that night…
But…
After discovering that beneath Gong Ze’s violent and ruthless exterior was actually a man who, despite being innocent, stubbornly refused to explain himself — strong-willed, secretly jealous, and fond of him — a man who stayed away from home simply because Sang You was afraid of him —
The image of Gong Ze in Sang You’s mind shattered completely and reassembled.
Turned upside down!
Especially when he saw that file about searching for his parents, he felt even more certain that Gong Ze had nothing to do with their disappearance.
What kind of killer hires detectives to investigate themselves?
And so.
The only thing left between him and Gong Ze was their feelings for each other.
“…Feelings…”
Sang You’s heart burned with restlessness.
One moment it was Gong Ze’s hoarse, forceful voice saying he would never let Sang You go, telling him not to look for other men.
The next moment it was that night when Gong Ze impatiently tore open his clothes and pinned him to the bed.
“Dammit! Stop thinking about it!”
The beautiful young master frustratingly covered his head with his pillow. Tonight was destined to be sleepless.
On the other side.
[Ding]
[Congratulations, Host. Sang You’s affection +5. Current affection: -65. Forgiveness Value: +1. Current Forgiveness Value: 11]
[Ding]
[Congratulations, Host. Sang You’s affection +5. Current affection: -60. Forgiveness Value: +1. Current Forgiveness Value: 12]
[Ding]
[Congratu— Sang You’s affection +100! Current affection: 40. Forgiveness Value: +10. Current Forgiveness Value: 22!]
[…]
The system had turned into a statue.
Meanwhile, Gong Ze was replaying in his mind how Sang You had kept his eyes closed pretending to be asleep just now, unaware that his lashes were trembling uncontrollably.
“Pfft.”
The black-bellied, scheming man pressed his fist to his lips and nose.
After a moment, he curled his lips and murmured to himself: “Cute.”
“…”
Leave a Reply