Chapter 25 The Teasing Yandere Boy 25

Chapter 25: The Alluring Sickly Young Master 25

System: ...

There's probably no such thing as courting death just once—it's either zero times or endless times.

At this moment, he could already see a giant "DANGER" sign flashing over the young master's head!

The young master was on a roll, completely oblivious to the fact that every word out of his mouth was straight-up scumbag material.

Once he was done with his little rant, he still didn't notice that the man across from him had crushed the cup in his fist.

The murderous look on his face was barely contained at this point.

Qiao Ling stared at Jiang Ran with wide, unbothered eyes, not a trace of fear in them, his expression practically screaming, "Look how awesome I am!"

The man across from him laughed out of pure rage, curling his lips as he said, "Get up, I'll take you home."

Qiao Ling blinked and asked, "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I'm not eating."

After all, something far tastier was right in front of him.

The young master had no clue that the man beside him was a hungry wolf lurking in the dark, and he let himself be driven home like a lamb.

Qiao Ling had been crashing at the Qiao place lately and hadn't been home in ages.

The second he walked in and flopped onto the couch, the man was already looming over him.

Qiao Ling patted the spot next to him. "Sit."

Jiang Ran was tall, and every time he stood over him like that, it made Qiao Ling feel boxed in.

Jiang Ran smirked at that. Instead of sitting, he braced his knee against the couch.

His tall frame towered over Qiao Ling as he reached down to gently cup the young master's cheek.

"So eager?"

Qiao Ling blinked. "What?"

He only told him to sit—what was he rushing for?

Jiang Ran's eyes were dark and heavy as he murmured, "You sure? Right here on the couch?"

Qiao Ling choked on air, almost passing out from the shock.

Since he hadn't been home in days, every curtain was drawn tight, not a sliver of light getting through.

The man before him radiated possessiveness, his eyes so blatant it didn't take a genius to read them.

He said, "Young master, our past arrangement seems to have given you the wrong idea about me. Starting today, I'm going to be very direct with you in my own way. Hope you're ready."

Qiao Ling stared at him, dazed. "What are you gonna do?"

He smirked, leaned in, and whispered a single word against his ear.

Then that familiar scent washed over him.

Qiao Ling felt completely under his control, and only then did it finally hit him.

Whether Jiang Ran was fighting fate or fighting him—his so-called patron who'd never treated him right—he was never someone who'd just roll over and take it.

And once fate handed him an opening, he'd sink his teeth in and never let go...

The young master was crying hard, and Jiang Ran's heart ached.

He didn't get how this young master could be so fragile.

He gently wiped the tears from the sleeping boy's lashes, and then his phone buzzed on the floor.

Jiang Ran picked it up. It was Qiao Huai.

"Xiao Ling, you home?"

Jiang Ran's gaze dropped to the young master's tear-damp lashes, and his voice came out soft. "Brother Qiao Huai, the young master's with me. I'll take good care of him."

Qiao Huai paused at the voice. Qiao Ling had told him before that once Jiang Ran went back to the Jian family, he'd stop bullying him and would keep his distance.

But lately, he'd noticed Jiang Ran was the one actively seeking Qiao Ling out.

And... this kid gave people a chill deep in their bones. If he was a friend, fine. But if he was an enemy, he'd be a problem you couldn't ignore.

"The kid probably got pissed about my mom setting him up on a blind date and ditched the girl. As long as he's safe, that's all that matters. If he's throwing a fit, just ignore it—he doesn't mean you any harm."

At the words "blind date," Jiang Ran's mind flashed to Qiao Ling picking food for that girl.

Jealousy flooded through him, and his eyes went ice cold.

"Brother Qiao Huai, since the young master's feeling down, I'll take him out for a few days."

Qiao Huai said casually, "Sure. He doesn't wanna be home anyway."

After hanging up, the young man leaned over the edge of the bed, quietly watching the young master sleep.

Even in sleep, he kept sniffling, tears still slipping down his face.

Jiang Ran seriously questioned his life—was this kid made of water?

How could he cry this hard?

He pulled the boy into his arms, drinking in the marks left on his pale skin.

---

Qiao Ling drifted in and out of sleep for god knows how long. When he finally opened his eyes, it was pitch black.

His voice still thick with tears, the young master asked, "Jiang Ran, why didn't you turn on the light?"

The words barely left his mouth before the bedside lamp clicked on.

The sudden light stung Qiao Ling's eyes, and he instinctively raised a hand to block it—then he heard metal clinking by his ear.

Qiao Ling froze. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, it finally hit him—this wasn't his home at all!

Panicked, he turned to look at the man beside him.

Jiang Ran lay beside him, eyes closed, one hand resting lazily across his waist.

This time, Qiao Ling finally saw the shackles for what they were. He stared at Jiang Ran in disbelief, voice shaking.

"Jiang Ran, what the hell are you doing?"

The man beside him gave a slight flutter of his lashes, finally opening his eyes.

His lips parted slightly beneath his high-bridged nose, his voice cold: "Young master, have I ever told you that I'm actually not someone you wanna mess with?"

Qiao Ling was about to lose it.

Like, do you even need to say you're not easy to mess with?

Haven't you already put me in my place?

Wasn't I just keeping up my image with some player talk?

Besides, I've done so much messed-up stuff and you forgave me for all of it, why can't you forgive me one more time!

Last time I threw that apple on the ground like a jerk, and you weren't even this angry!

All this was churning inside Qiao Ling, and after a long while, the young master could only squeak out a wimpy line: "If I messed up, I can apologize. Just please don't punish me like this, okay?"

Shit.

He never should've been so stupid as to keep up that persona from the start.

Right now, Qiao Ling felt like the biggest idiot in the whole universe.

Jiang Ran couldn't help but laugh at how sincere he looked. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the young master's forehead.

"What are you talking about? No matter what you did wrong, I would never punish you."

Because that would break his own heart.

Qiao Ling's face lit up at that: "Really? Then what about this..."

He held out his wrist, hinting like crazy.

Jiang Ran's expression slowly darkened: "But this... this isn't a punishment."

Qiao Ling: "..."

Watch me do my smile-disappearing act. You get what I'm thinking right now?

"Young master clearly likes me very much, yet you're always so mean to me, which just... confuses me."

"So until I figure this out, I'll stay here with you."

"Young master, I hope you won't try to confuse me or numb me with words anymore."

"Once I've decided on someone, I'll never let go, not even in death."

"Update! Please urge for more and leave footprints!"