The Little Crybaby Continues to Court Death as a Cannon Fodder - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

As soon as Yu Qing finished speaking, Xi Yue donned a weak, fragile expression once more.

He slowly raised his gaze, the pitch-black depths of his eyes swirling with loneliness and hurt. Even his voice trembled with grievance: “Little Master, I am very well-behaved, but it seems you have already grown weary of me.”

This expression, this posture—it was as if Yu Qing were the one bullying him.

However, Yu Qing was a sucker for this particular act.

He patted Xi Yue’s cheek with satisfaction, coaxing him like one would a pet: “You have to be even better behaved, do you hear me?”

“You were very disobedient today, and I didn’t like it,” he said coldly. “If you are obedient, I can treat you the way I did before.”

Xi Yue gave a very slight nod. At first glance, he truly looked like a submissive little pet.

When Li Wu and Yan Duyun returned, they were carrying a crate of fruit wine and soft drinks. To accommodate Yu Qing, who supposedly couldn’t handle alcohol, they had specifically bought a cup of sugar-free milk tea.

Yu Qing stared at the milk tea on the table, his small face flushed with anger: “Why is mine milk tea?!”

He wanted the fruit wine too!

Li Wu caught Yu Qing’s hand as he reached for a bottle, saying with a smile, “Better not. I’m afraid it’ll go to your head. Even though they’re just drinks, they have a bit of alcohol in them; your head might spin.”

Yu Qing scrambled to defend himself: “It won’t. I accidentally had some beer earlier and it was fine. Fruit wine will definitely be no problem.”

In the end, they couldn’t win against him and gave him a bottle.

Xi Yue opened the cap for him and poured a small amount into a disposable cup. Just as he was about to pull back, he received a fierce glare. Left with no choice, Xi Yue added a bit more to the cup.

Yu Qing had indeed never drank before, but this low alcohol content wasn’t enough to make someone drunk. After taking a few cautious sips, he became a bit addicted and stealthily swiped the drink from in front of Xi Yue.

The others pretended not to see. Yu Qing, thinking his movements were incredibly covert, quickly finished the swiped drink and put the bottle back, lowering his head to sip innocently as if nothing had happened.

Li Wu began teaching Yu Qing drinking games. Yu Qing listened with a solemn, serious face and learned quickly. However, he was still no match for a veteran like Li Wu; he ended up losing and drinking several “penalty” cups until he felt a bit dizzy.

Neither of them noticed that the small four-person booth had suddenly lost two of its occupants.

…

The Secret Confrontation

In a corner of the night market, there was a viewing platform surrounded by lake water. Up ahead was a small pavilion, perfect for watching the sunset in the evening.

Earlier, while Yu Qing was playing games with Li Wu, Yan Duyun had suddenly straightened his expression and whispered, “Let’s talk.”

They? Talk? What was there to talk about?

But Xi Yue remembered his role as a humble and gentle senior and accepted the request.

Upon arriving at the pavilion, Yan Duyun reverted to his fidgety self, struggling for a long time to voice his purpose. Just as Xi Yue’s patience was about to run out, Yan Duyun suddenly spoke with righteous indignation: “Senior, this kind of relationship you have is wrong.”

The words were an explicit accusation, causing Xi Yue to slowly lift his gaze. His pupils were dark—so dark they seemed to hold no light in the night.

Whether it was Yan Duyun’s imagination or not, beneath the gaze of the usually gentle senior lay a hidden, surging tide of violent emotion.

“Senior, your current relationship is maintained by money. It is unhealthy and incorrect. Moreover, Qingqing is still young and doesn’t understand these things. You…”

“Qingqing?”

Xi Yue interrupted him with a soft chuckle. He rolled the two characters over his tongue, savoring them before spitting them out with an ambiguous tone. “Qingqing.”

How laughable. How long had it been, and Yan Duyun was already calling him by such a nickname?

On what basis? Had he received Yu Qing’s permission?

Xi Yue’s smile suddenly stiffened. He recalled earlier when Yu Qing had leaned in close to Yan Duyun’s ear, making the younger boy’s face flush red. What if Yu Qing really had permitted it?

The smile vanished from Xi Yue’s face. His facial muscles went rigid as he stared coldly at Yan Duyun.

Yan Duyun was nervous because of the interruption. Calling him “Qingqing” was indeed an overstep, but he didn’t want to use the full name; it was too distant. Facing a senior who surpassed him in both talent and seniority, he summoned his courage: “Qingqing is very simple. He doesn’t know what ‘sugar baby’ even means. I asked him, and he said it was just for fun, not for those things. Senior, if you need money, I can give it to you, but please stop bothering him. He really doesn’t understand…”

“There are many people who want to keep me.”

Xi Yue had no interest in hearing the rest. He interrupted coldly, “It’s not just being ‘kept.’ Many people contact me to launder money. You know, high art is the best way to do it. I don’t lack money; people are happy to send it to me.”

“But his attitude was very firm. I heard the recordings of his phone calls with the agents. He seemed very angry, but his voice was very beautiful. I told them to contact others, and they said they showed him many photos of people with similar looks, but he didn’t want anyone else. He only wanted me.”

Yan Duyun hadn’t expected Xi Yue to have been the one to refuse initially. He froze, his expression turning dazed and somewhat ashamed. He had assumed Yu Qing was being coaxed and exploited, never imagining that the one insisting on continuing the relationship was Yu Qing himself.

“Do you know how much he offered me? It started at five million, then fifteen million. As long as I was willing, the price had no ceiling.” Xi Yue suddenly laughed. “Even though I know money means nothing to families like his, I was still surprised by the number.”

“They secretly arranged a video call. At the time, he was sunbathing in a garden. He was very beautiful—my ideal type.” He mocked, “You think this is a financial transaction? It’s just our little game of roleplay. I could have refused him; I only agreed because I was interested in him too.”

…

The Game of Truth

On the other hand, Yu Qing was still playing with Li Wu.

Yu Qing kept losing. Li Wu propped her chin on her hand, laughing loudly as she snatched the glass from Yu Qing’s hand: “Alright, stop drinking, or you’ll be wetting the bed later.”

Yu Qing was a typical sore loser with a strong competitive streak. The more he lost, the more he wanted to continue. Stubbornly, he insisted on finishing a whole cup every time he lost, even though he could have cheated and only taken a small sip.

Seeing that the booth was empty, Li Wu’s gaze lingered on Yu Qing’s lips and the faint marks on his neck. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, “Did you kiss Senior Xi Yue today?”

Yu Qing asked blankly, “Huh?”

“Your mouth,” Li Wu pointed. “The skin inside is bitten. It shows when you talk. It looks like a kiss mark.”

Lately, Yu Qing’s mouth had indeed been sore for no reason. He touched his lips, not caring much: “Maybe it’s just canker sores? I didn’t kiss him.” He felt a bit exasperated. “Why would I kiss him?”

“Because Senior Xi Yue is amazing. So many people like him.” Li Wu had truly thought they were dating. “You don’t know, do you? He originally studied sculpture.”

Yu Qing wanted to say he knew; the plot introduction 556 played in his ear had covered that a hundred times. But he listened anyway.

“He won many awards, both domestically and internationally. For a time, critics around the world centered their discussions on him. Later, several of his works sold for astronomical prices at auction, pushing his fame to its peak.” Li Wu clicked her tongue in envy. “A college student achieving that… who wouldn’t be jealous?”

“If he had stayed on that path, he would have become even more famous. But in his junior year, he took up oil painting. From then on, he stopped spending time on sculpture and devoted himself to creation. Critics attacked him for a lack of original ideas—he just paints things that look ‘real.’ If ‘looking real’ is the standard, why do we need painters? A camera is enough.”

Li Wu continued, “His technique is superb; he can mimic any masterpiece in a short time, even recreating the aging process perfectly. Professors say if he went into forgery, he’d be incredibly wealthy. I don’t mean anything bad by this; I admire him. He’s someone who can walk away from desire and fame at any time. If it were me, I couldn’t do it.”

She looked at him seriously. “Many people think he’s lost, but he’s actually very sober. He’s smart, but that kind of smart is better for a friend than a lover. You are very simple. If he really wanted to do something to you, you wouldn’t be able to defend yourself.”

Yu Qing blinked: “I don’t think so. I think he’s quite stupid. He’s disobedient occasionally, but a quick scolding fixes that.” He poked a potato chip, making a hole in it before eating it.

Stupid? Xi Yue? Li Wu almost burst out laughing. “Senior is an expert observer. He adjusts his personality based on your needs to create a perfect social relationship. Don’t be fooled, Little Beauty. Protect yourself.”

…

The First “Official” Kiss

“Little Master.”

The curtain of the booth was lifted, accompanied by a call. Yu Qing’s brow twitched—hadn’t he said not to call him that in public?

He looked over displeased. Xi Yue said helplessly, “It’s late. You should go to sleep.” This was a dangerous time; Yu Qing could fall asleep at any moment.

Yu Qing didn’t want to lose face in front of Li Wu, so he said goodbye and left.

They walked through a narrow, dark alley. Yu Qing’s phone kept vibrating. Annoyed, he handed it to Xi Yue. “You answer. Say I’m not here.”

Before Xi Yue could react, the call connected.

“Baby, are you finished with your snack? I’m coming to pick—”

“President Shang,” Xi Yue interrupted calmly. “The Little Master is not here.”

On the other end, Shang Ling went silent and hung up immediately. After the call ended, the screen showed Yu Qing’s social media feed. Xi Yue noticed something: Yu Qing had many posts that were only visible to Shang Ling. A diary of unrequited love.

Xi Yue’s footsteps stopped. Yu Qing turned around, confused: “What are you doing?”

The streetlight illuminated Xi Yue’s face. Even the warm yellow light couldn’t hide the coldness and chill.

“Little Master, I’m just curious. Did you grow these flowers yourself?”

“Yeah.” Technically, his past self had.

Xi Yue locked the phone and put it in his pocket. A surge of jealousy, as black as ink, filled his heart. Yu Qing really likes Shang Ling. He had thought it was just Shang Ling’s delusion, but the evidence was right there.

As they walked, Yu Qing—perhaps affected by the fruit wine—suddenly turned around. His face was flushed, appearing seductive under the purple streetlights. He hesitated, then stood on his tiptoes to whisper in Xi Yue’s ear:

“Have you ever kissed anyone?”

The moist, warm air of his voice swirled against Xi Yue’s ear. Xi Yue’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “No…”

“Forget it then,” Yu Qing said, losing interest instantly. “I don’t want to try it with someone inexperienced. It would definitely be uncomfortable.”

Li Wu had said it was only enjoyable with someone skilled. If it wasn’t comfortable, why do it?

Xi Yue immediately changed his tune. “Never kissed? How is that possible? I’m almost finished with university; no one would believe that. Of course I’ve kissed people. Many times.”

“Really?” Yu Qing looked skeptical.

But Xi Yue’s expression was too convincing. “Everyone I’ve kissed says my technique is very good.”

Yu Qing hesitated. If he kissed Xi Yue, wouldn’t that be “cheating” on Shang Ling? While he was deciding, Xi Yue put an arm around his shoulder. The neon lights formed a hazy halo around them.

“Little Master, do you want to try with me?” Xi Yue’s voice turned raspy. He cupped Yu Qing’s cheek. “It will be very comfortable.”

Yu Qing huffed, but he really did want to know what it felt like. He stood on his tiptoes and opened his mouth, preparing seriously. Then, feeling a bit awkward, he licked his lips.

Xi Yue stared at him for a moment, then suddenly grabbed the back of his head and kissed him hard.

At first, it was just lips pressing together. Xi Yue was patient, licking Yu Qing’s lips until they were soaking wet. It was sticky and a bit uncomfortable. Yu Qing thought, Is this it? This is actually kind of gross.

But just as he was about to push Xi Yue away, Xi Yue’s tongue suddenly forced its way past his lips.

Yu Qing was stunned. As his tongue was sucked hard, he let out a gasp-like whimper. Realizing the sound he’d made, his face burned with shame. He pushed against Xi Yue’s chest.

That sound seemed to trigger something in Xi Yue. He began to suck and swirl against Yu Qing’s tongue aggressively. Yu Qing was completely overwhelmed. He didn’t know kissing went this deep. Several times, Xi Yue’s tongue reached so far in that he felt a bit of a gag reflex. His legs went weak.

Compared to Xi Yue’s intoxication, Yu Qing’s face was a mess of red and moisture. His small nose was being squished by Xi Yue’s, and he was starting to cry. It was too much. He couldn’t breathe.

Xi Yue is a liar! He said people liked it, but this felt like suffocating!

Yu Qing tried to push Xi Yue’s tongue away with his own, but it was caught and sucked even more intensely. He began to make small, kitten-like whimpers.

Seeing his distress, Xi Yue loosened his grip slightly but didn’t let go. He licked around Yu Qing’s mouth, turning the lips a vivid, wet red.

Yu Qing looked miserable. His mouth felt sticky and sore. He didn’t understand—why did a kiss on the lips make his whole body feel like it was melting? He had to lean on Xi Yue just to stand.

“Little Master?”

Yu Qing looked up with a dazed, wet face. Xi Yue, seeing that look, felt a surge of violent emotion. He pressed a thumb into Yu Qing’s lower lip, forcing the mouth open again.

He plunged his tongue back in. Yu Qing’s mouth was so full he had nowhere to put his own tongue. He tried to turn his head away, but Xi Yue lifted him by the waist, picking him up entirely.

The kiss was so forceful it felt like he was being crushed. Every time they broke for a micro-second of air, the heat from their mouths clouded the space between them. Xi Yue looked down; Yu Qing’s mouth was covered in saliva—he couldn’t tell whose it was anymore.

Tears streamed down Yu Qing’s face. His lips were swollen, his legs were shaking, and his fingers were white from gripping Xi Yue’s shirt.

“Dirty…!” Yu Qing sobbed as soon as they broke apart. “Your spit is disgusting!”

Such a reflex actually made Xi Yue laugh. He spoke in a voice full of unbridled satisfaction:

“The dirty dog has made the baby dirty, hasn’t he?”