The Real Young Master is Entangled by the Paranoid Fake Young Master - Chapter 44

On the Boat

Fu Lansheng watched the hands of Song Yuening and Zhaoqing tightly interlaced, nearly grinding his teeth to dust.

After boarding the Fu family’s ship, Lansheng had intended to sit beside Yuening. To his fury, the moment Zhaoqing sat down, Yuening clung to him. When Zhaoqing grumbled about being crowded, Yuening wasn’t angry; he simply continued to smile and snuggle closer, acting like a spoiled child.

Thus, Lansheng was forced to watch the two of them flaunt their “affection” like a pair of lovebirds for over three hours. During the trip, if Yuening had food, he gave half to Zhaoqing; if he wanted water, he made Zhaoqing drink first. To any observer, things were beyond strange. Those who knew them might see brothers; those who didn’t would think Yuening was a golden retriever that had taken human form.

Lin Qi watched as Lansheng’s face turned a shade of livid green. Ever since Lansheng had planted him by Yuening’s side, Lin Qi had never experienced a scene so awkward. If he could, he would have jumped into the sea and swam back to the Song house.

Before he could act on that thought, the ship docked. Lansheng, unable to contain himself, stormed out, slamming the cabin door with a resounding “Bang!”

Zhaoqing immediately turned to Yuening, concerned; being unable to see, the sudden noise had startled him. Zhaoqing muttered under his breath, “How rude. What a piece of work.”

Privately, Zhaoqing thought: Tsk, and he dares to say he loves Yuening? He puts him on a pedestal when things go his way, but the moment he’s displeased, he throws a tantrum without a thought for his “beloved’s” condition. If Yuening liked someone like him, his heart would be as blind as his eyes.

Zhaoqing studied Yuening’s face. In the past life, so many people had loved Song Yuening, whom did he actually prefer? Reflecting on it, Zhaoqing realized the man’s thoughts were buried so deep that even after years together, it was impossible to tell. He partnered with Fu Lansheng to seize the Song Corporation, used Xie Chengxuan for business, and backstabbed Song Zhiyuan. In that life, he simply used whoever was useful.

It seemed he only ever truly loved himself. That wasn’t surprising, most people do. But not everyone can make their pursuers believe they are the most special one in his heart.

Zhaoqing felt a surge of wariness. Life on the island had been free and easy, and the grievances between them seemed to have vanished like a fairy tale. But away from that island, where was there a real fairy tale world?

In the previous life, the peak of their “relationship” had also been right after their rescue. Back then, Zhaoqing had been foolishly optimistic, losing his reason the moment Yuening showed him kindness. Then came the backstab. He had overheard Yuening telling Fu Lansheng that the only reason he patiently approached Zhaoqing was for the massive Sun family inheritance.

“If not for that, why would I bother being friends with him?” Yuening’s words from the past life still echoed in his ears.

Now that the relationship with the Songs had soured, Yuening likely felt even more confident about securing that money. Those funds wouldn’t be touched by anyone in this life, not the Songs, and certainly not Song Yuening.

Furthermore, Zhaoqing felt Yuening was still hiding something. He remembered Xiao Heng giving Yuening an old, yellowed booklet before they left the island, calling it a gift from the grandfather. Zhaoqing was certain Yuening had made some kind of secret deal while he wasn’t looking.

Are we going to spend this life acting out this drama of being close while hiding our true intentions? Zhaoqing wondered as he watched the affectionate Yuening.

The Hospital

Once at the Song family’s private hospital, doctors immediately convened and scheduled Yuening for surgery. Zhaoqing’s arm was in a cast, and he could have returned to the Song house, but Yuening taking advantage of his blindness turned into a “drama queen.” He insisted Zhaoqing stay at the hospital with him, even sharing a suite.

Zhaoqing didn’t want to go back and face the Songs’ sour faces anyway, so he stayed. Now, Yuening gave Zhaoqing the best of everything. He tolerated Zhaoqing’s temper without a word of complaint, his obedience bordering on masochistic.

The only exception was one morning when Zhaoqing went for a stroll in the hospital garden. When he returned, the room was a disaster. Yuening had smashed everything in sight; a swarm of doctors and nurses couldn’t restrain him. The moment he heard Zhaoqing’s voice, he went silent, as if his soul had been returned to him.

He ran to Zhaoqing barefoot, burying his face in Zhaoqing’s neck and murmuring, “Where did you go?”

Zhaoqing realized then that Yuening’s possessiveness was reaching abnormal levels, a hundred times beyond the past life. He seemed to lose his mind the moment Zhaoqing was out of sight.

“Is it really necessary, Young Master?” Zhaoqing teased, but his expression was grave. If he ever tried to leave, would Yuening simply throw a tantrum, or would he use more extreme measures?

Zhaoqing tried to pull away, but Yuening held fast. “Don’t get so clingy,” Zhaoqing said, testing the waters. “I can’t stay with you forever. Once you can see again, you’ll have to adapt to life on your own.”

Yuening’s response sent a chill down Zhaoqing’s spine. “Wherever you go, I’ll go,” he whispered in Zhaoqing’s ear. “If you die, I’ll die with you. If you hide, I’ll use the people and things you care about most to force you out. We will be together for a lifetime.”

It sounded like a delusion, yet Yuening spoke with such conviction that it felt like he had the means to make it a reality. Zhaoqing shivered, and Yuening offered a smile, nothing like his earlier violence.

“So, Zhao-zhao will never leave me, right?”

The Revelation

Song Zhiyuan didn’t appear until the third night after the surgery. It was a rarity; even Fu Lansheng came daily to maintain his presence, and Fang Yang had climbed the hospital wall several times just to see Zhaoqing.

Xie Chengxuan was the most unusual visitor. He burst in and tried to attack Yuening. If not for the bodyguards and Zhaoqing, Yuening’s face would have been ruined.

“Are you having a breakdown?” Zhaoqing asked Chengxuan.

“Zhaoqing, I was a fool to be deceived by him,” Chengxuan spat, glaring at Yuening. “While you were missing, Tao Jiang and that mole Butler Yu were caught. When I checked the evidence, I found the truth! The one who lured me to Yunxi Pool and got us kidnapped wasn’t some stranger, it was your ‘kind and frail’ little Master Song here!”

Chengxuan’s tone was dripping with sarcasm. “Song Yuening, your heart is made of stone. How did I offend you? You ruined me, and now you want to ruin Zhaoqing too?”

“Zhaoqing, come with me. I’ll get the Songs to sign the papers to give up your adoption. Don’t live with him; he’ll be the death of you one day!”

Zhaoqing almost wanted to applaud. Had the world turned upside down? Was this really coming from Yuening’s former number-one admirer?

“Do you have evidence, Xie Chengxuan?” Zhaoqing asked. “You can’t just throw accusations around.”

“Going to Yunxi Pool wasn’t an accident; someone lured me there. Though the ink on the note has faded, there are still traces of—”

Before he could finish, Yuening’s bodyguards lunged forward and gagged him.

“What are you doing? Let him go!” Zhaoqing cried. He wasn’t afraid of offending the Xie family; he was effectively their savior now. But he was dying to know why Chengxuan had turned on his “White Moonlight” so decisively.

Yuening didn’t give Chengxuan a chance to speak. He had him thrown out and banned from the hospital. Then, he turned to Zhaoqing with a perfectly composed face.

“Zhao-zhao, there’s something I never told you. I knew Xie Chengxuan wanted to pursue me, but I never liked him. That night, he confessed, and I rejected him. He took it badly and went to the back mountain to clear his head, where he was caught by Tao Jiang and dragged us into it. I didn’t say anything because our families have history, but I didn’t expect him to frame me. His character is beneath contempt. Stay away from him; I’ll have guards protect you.”

Zhaoqing was stunned by the sheer “Green Tea” energy of Yuening’s speech. It sounded perfectly logical, and knowing Chengxuan’s past character, it was believable. Yet, something felt off.

Despite the chaos, the calls from school, the visits, the Song family elders were conspicuously absent. Even Lili hadn’t shown up or called. Zhaoqing called her mother, Zhen Xue, only to find she was frantic because she hadn’t been able to reach Lili either.

Something major had happened to the Song family, something so big they couldn’t even focus on Yuening and Zhaoqing. Song Shicheng was likely fighting for his own survival.

On the third night, a disheveled and exhausted Song Zhiyuan finally arrived. Zhaoqing blocked his path, demanding, “Where is Lili? Why hasn’t she been here?”

Zhiyuan, worn down by days of crisis, finally snapped. He shoved Zhaoqing back with a force that looked like vengeance.

“You have the nerve to ask? It’s all because of you, you jinx!”

“If you hadn’t brought your bad luck into this house, our projects wouldn’t have collapsed! And Lili wouldn’t have been forced into an arranged marriage!”

“It’s all your fault, you little bastard!”