Spoiled by a Paranoid Big Shot Since Childhood - Chapter 16

Qin Yian practically strong-armed Xi Bei into finishing his breakfast before allowing him to go find Qin Siyu, hoping to settle the boy who was sitting on the sofa, puffed up and bristling like a hedgehog.

Because Xi Bei had a phobia of fire, the kitchen in the Qin residence had been remodeled to use only induction cooktops, ovens, and microwaves. Despite these safety measures, Xi Bei was still hesitant to get too close to any heat source. He preferred cold meals, and since Qin Yian understood his trauma, he never brought it up.

Xi Bei’s favorite and most perfected culinary creations were “no-bake” desserts, such as simple tiramisu, snow skin mochi, and milk pudding. To prevent their new guest from feeling slighted, Xi Bei spent a while busy in the kitchen, with Qin Yian by his side.

Around noon, a nervous Xi Bei took the tiramisu out of the refrigerator. Seeing it in perfect condition, his eyes curved into happy crescents. He cut the first piece for Qin Yian before plating the rest. After taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he winked at Qin Yian, mouthed, “I’m going over there now,” and stepped forward under Qin Yian’s gentle, encouraging gaze.

Qin Siyu was sitting by himself. No one was paying him any mind, and he certainly “couldn’t care less” about anyone’s attention. He turned his head away, feigning disinterest in the television. Although he clearly smelled the tiramisu in Xi Bei’s hands, he pretended not to notice, turning his head even further away in a display of performative indifference.

“Hello there! Would you like to try some of the tiramisu I just made? I’m not sure if it’s to your taste.”

Xi Bei was smiling, warm and cheerful. He politely offered the dessert with both hands. “You must be a little hungry by now, right?”

“…I’m not hungry!”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Qin Siyu let out a loud, involuntary swallow. Xi Bei’s eyes crinkled like crescent moons.

“I’m really not hungry!” Qin Siyu tried to argue, but his stomach betrayed him, letting out a distinct, rumbling growl.

Xi Bei chuckled softly. He nodded understandingly and said, “I understand. But would you mind just trying a little bit?”

Qin Siyu’s intense gaze seemed to burn holes in the plate, yet he still scoffed, “…Why are you bringing this to me? I told you I hate you all. Are you an idiot?”

He hadn’t kept his voice down. Qin Yian, standing behind Xi Bei, had clearly noticed. His expression darkened as he took two steps forward, watching the situation intently. However, the two boys in conversation remained focused on each other.

Xi Bei shook his head, biting his lip slightly, and said gently, “I heard from Uncle Gu that something happened at your home. My family went through something even worse in the past, but because I had An’an with me, I was able to walk through it. I want you to…”

Qin Siyu seemed momentarily stunned. His complexion shifted between pale and flushed, uncertain whether to feel angry or ashamed.

“You have to believe that your mom and dad love you very much. You are a good person—”

As Xi Bei spoke, he suddenly saw Qin Siyu’s expression freeze, then turn livid. The boy shifted instantly from his awkward state into a frantic, irrational fury. With red-rimmed eyes, he swiped Xi Bei’s hands away and shoved him hard to the side.

“That’s not true!”

“Ah!”

Xi Bei lost his balance. His “Oh!” turned into a startled cry as he fell backward, feeling dizzy and disoriented. The tiramisu flipped in the air and crashed onto the floor with a sickening splat. The plate spun twice before shattering with a crisp crack.

The incident happened in a flash.

But the hard floor Xi Bei expected never arrived. His body hit a firm, reliable chest, and he could hear a rapid, thunderous heartbeat a testament to the person beneath him’s alarm. However, due to the angle of the fall, his head still knocked heavily against the armrest of the sofa with a dull thud.

“Tuantuan!”

Xi Bei was still reeling, dazed and confused. “…An’an?”

Qin Yian’s face was grim as he scooped Xi Bei up and placed him on a clean section of the sofa. He was silent, yet visibly furious. He finally turned his gaze to Qin Siyu, who stood to the side, startled and awkward, his eyes darting away in guilt.

Qin Siyu likely realized the gravity of what he had just done. The large portion of tiramisu Xi Bei had spent hours meticulously preparing now lay in a ruined, messy heap on the floor.

How could he treat Xi Bei’s heart like that? How could he?

Qin Yian was the tallest among his peers, towering over Qin Siyu by half a head. In three long strides, he reached him, gripped his collar, and easily hauled him up.

“…Ah!” Qin Siyu cried out in surprise.

Qin Yian’s chest heaved with suppressed rage. His skin was so fair that the veins in his arms were prominent, looking quite intimidating.

“Kneel down.” Qin Yian articulated each word clearly. “If you don’t lick the floor clean, don’t you dare think about lifting your head.”

“…”

Uncle Gu, who had been in the courtyard, rushed in after hearing the commotion, followed by other servants. “What is happening… Oh, heavens!”

Qin Siyu’s eyes were bloodshot. As Qin Yian held his collar and forced him downward, his face was inches away from the cheese on the floor.

Xi Bei finally regained his senses. He grabbed Qin Yian’s arm and whispered, “…An’an.”

Uncle Gu hurried over. “Young Master, please!”

Qin Yian looked away, his meaning clear. For years, he had been a man of his word, showing as much ruthlessness to himself as he did to others. Uncle Gu and the servants felt a wave of despair; the two young masters were at each other’s throats who could they persuade, and how? It was impossible!

Was he actually going to make Qin Siyu clean the floor like that? Uncle Gu’s face turned ghastly pale.

In that critical moment, a thought struck him. His only hope was to turn to Xi Bei for help.

Xi Bei hesitated for a moment, then seemingly understood. He let go of the arm he was holding. Qin Yian blinked, instinctively looking down at Xi Bei.

“…An’an,” Xi Bei said, his eyes swimming with tears. “M-my head hurts a little.”

Qin Yian’s grip on Qin Siyu tightened, making the boy’s face flush a deep red.

“Don’t worry about him anymore. Can you take me upstairs, please?” Xi Bei asked softly.

“…”

After a second’s pause, Qin Yian decisively released Qin Siyu. He swept a cold, stern gaze over everyone in the room. “Do not clean the floor. Wait for me to come back down.”

The implication was clear: the matter would be finished once he returned. Uncle Gu couldn’t help but swallow hard.

Qin Yian took one last look at them, then stood straight as a tree, letting Xi Bei cling to him like a little sloth as he carried him toward their bedroom.

Once they were upstairs and he had set Xi Bei down, Qin Yian lowered his eyes and asked quietly, “Does it hurt?”

Xi Bei shook his head. He was still a bit dizzy, and a tuft of hair on his crown was stuck with bits of cheese, which Qin Yian brushed away without a second thought.

“You’ve turned into a little cream-covered piggy.”

Xi Bei nodded. “I have, haven’t I?”

Qin Yian playfully or perhaps as a small punishment smeared a bit of the stray cheese onto the tip of Xi Bei’s nose. “Still nodding? Little Piggy Bei.”

Xi Bei kept smiling. “Yes, yes.”

Qin Yian suddenly fell silent. His glass-like eyes rested on Xi Bei as if he were looking at a fragile treasure, a delicate butterfly, or a dream that might vanish at any moment.

“I wouldn’t even let a speck of harm come to anything you made for me,” Qin Yian said suddenly. “Who does he think he is? How dare he?”

Xi Bei’s smile faded slightly, though he wasn’t angry. He crawled over to Qin Yian’s side and said softly, “It’s okay if he doesn’t like it. As long as you like it, I’m happy.”

There was no one or nothing in this world that everyone would love even money had its detractors. Xi Bei didn’t expect the whole world to like him. As long as Qin Yian liked him, that was enough. They were the best friends and family in the entire world.

A moment later, Qin Yian blinked and the corner of his mouth quirked up. He gave a soft hum of agreement. “I like it. Who cares if that dog likes it or not?”

Xi Bei couldn’t help but burst into a giggle. He shook his head. “I don’t think he’s all that bad. It was an accident. I saw his hand slip, actually…”

Before he could finish, his soft, sweet lips were pinched shut by Qin Yian. Qin Yian held his mouth shut like he was holding a little duck, making him muffle, “Mmph, mmph!”

“You are not allowed to defend him,” Qin Yian huffed. “I’m still angry.”

“Okay… mmph…”

Xi Bei felt genuinely happy. Even though he’d just bumped his head and his hard work had been ruined on the floor, he wasn’t mad. The feeling of being protected by Qin Yian was truly wonderful. It was the best thing ever.

How could he ever want to find a “new mommy” for An’an? Clearly, he just didn’t want Qin Yian to be this good to anyone else. Though Xi Bei didn’t know where this strange, possessive thought had come from, he didn’t stop it from spreading.

With a mischievous glint in his eye, he wiped the cheese from his nose onto Qin Yian’s hand.

A hint of a smile touched Qin Yian’s eyes. He leaned down and began to tickle Xi Bei’s neck—his most ticklish spot. The difference in their strength was vast, and it wasn’t long before Xi Bei was laughing uncontrollably, his eyes brimming with happy tears.

“I was wrong… An’an…” Xi Bei’s face was flushed pink as he pretended to beg for mercy.

Qin Yian moved to pull his hands away, but Xi Bei seized the opportunity. His eyes lit up! He looked like a snowy little dumpling, smelling faintly of tiramisu, with chubby cheeks, thick curling lashes, and sparkling black eyes. A tiny “lip bead” caught the light in the center of his lips like morning dew on a rose.

“Wow!”

He sat up straight and raised his hands, trying to look fierce like a tiny panda. “You got scared, didn’t you!”

Qin Yian: “…”

He thought he was going to die from how cute that was.