After the Young Master’s Death, He was Kissed by His Mortal Enemy! (BL) - Chapter 35

Shen Ran hated Chen Xu.

No matter how it played out in his previous life, it was ultimately Chen Xu’s betrayal that led to his death—all over a bank card worth a mere 500,000 yuan.

Five hundred thousand!! Shen Ran had spent more than that on Chen Xu in the past!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. His past self had really been pathetic.

You throw that kind of money into water, at least you hear a splash. But spending it on Chen Xu? Not even a hand-hold in return! The guy wouldn’t even reply to his messages!

So he was the noble, refined upperclassman, was he? Fine! Chen Xu was “pure”—and Shen Ran was clean, too!

But simply breaking up, blocking, and deleting him… felt way too merciful.

Shen Ran didn’t know what kind of entanglements might come later.

All he knew was that this ridiculous, ill-defined “relationship” needed to end—decisively, and fast.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair to him… and it certainly wouldn’t be fair to Cheng Yi.

If Chen Xu still tried to pester him in the future, or even schemed to frame him again—then Chen Xu was in for a very bad time.

But!

Even if Chen Xu vanished and never contacted him again, he still wouldn’t escape retribution.

Once Shen Ran finished handling the matters at hand, no matter where in the world Chen Xu tried to hide, he’d drag him back and settle every old score one by one.

A debt must be repaid. A life must be avenged. That’s just how it works.

Having just cut off Chen Xu, Shen Ran felt lighter than air. With his phone stuffed in his pocket, he hummed a cheerful tune as he happily continued waiting in line for an egg-stuffed pancake.

Then suddenly, he felt a small tug on his hand.

“Gege.”
A clear, childish voice.

Shen Ran thought it was some grandparent’s grandkid trying to play with him, so he responded brightly, “Hey, what is it, little one?”

But something felt… off.

The small hand holding his was ice cold—completely without warmth.

…No warmth at all?!

Shen Ran’s smile froze. Slowly, he looked down—

A little boy was holding his hand, looking up at him with wide eyes.

His body was slightly translucent. His eyes were unusually large.

Wasn’t this the same ghost boy who had shown up multiple times last night?!

Holy crap!! In broad daylight?! This ghost wasn’t even afraid of the sun anymore?!

“Oiii!! You little gh– uh, you’re… very c-c-cold! Let go! Let gooooo!!”

No matter how Shen Ran shrieked and flailed—arms flapping like a scarecrow—the little boy remained steadfast, holding his hand and refusing to let go.

Think about it! Who knows how long this kid had been holding his hand while he was distracted scrolling social media?!

If Shen Ran wasn’t in a crowded line, he’d probably be stepping on his own feet and leaping toward the sky by now.

His screams, of course, quickly drew the attention of the grandpas and grandmas in the queue.

All of them stared at Shen Ran jumping and wailing without warning. Some looked confused, others shook their heads in pity.

“What a nice young man… why’s he suddenly screaming like a lunatic?”

“Yeah, yeah, he looks like a proper kid. What a shame… sigh…”

“These mentally challenged children nowadays, even they know how to queue up. So polite!”

Shen Ran felt utterly wronged—but who was he going to complain to?

It was obvious now. No one else could see the little boy.

“Gege,” the boy said again, “why are you so scared?”

“How could I not be scared?! I…”

Shen Ran was about to shout a retort, but when he caught the pitying looks from the surrounding elders, he grit his teeth and lowered his voice angrily:

“…Just—don’t talk for now, okay? We’ll talk later! Also, stop holding my hand!”

There was no way he could risk “talking to himself” in public like this. He didn’t want to end up strapped to a gurney and carted off to a psychiatric hospital!

After buying breakfast as fast as he could, Shen Ran hurried back—egg-stuffed pancake in one hand, two cups of soy milk in the other, head down and steps brisk.

The little boy couldn’t keep up with Shen Ran’s pace, so he simply lifted off the ground and began floating.

Shen Ran happened to glance back and saw the boy hovering in the air. Terrified, he picked up the pace, his legs moving like a pair of spinning wheels on fire.

“I’m doomed, doomed—I’m actually seeing ghosts now?! Am I really one of those people with spiritual sensitivity?! I’ve never hurt anyone in my life—why am I being haunted? I don’t want to die again!…”

With a little ghost trailing him like stubborn chewing gum, Shen Ran definitely wasn’t going back to Cheng Yi’s place.

But since the little ghost wasn’t giving up and sticking to him like glue, Shen Ran had no choice but to return to his own apartment instead.

The little boy seemed curious about both Shen Ran and his home. Without hesitation, he followed him right through the front door, gazing around as if he belonged.

Then suddenly, he pointed to a corner of the room.

“Gege,” he said.

Shen Ran, now completely out of patience, snapped, “What?!”

The boy tilted his head. “You died over there. Didn’t you?”

Shen Ran’s breath caught.

He looked in the direction the boy was pointing and fell silent. “…How do you know that?”

“I saw it. Gege, I’m just like you.”

The little boy wasn’t very good at expressing himself—he was still a child, after all.

But as Shen Ran looked at the faint glow surrounding the boy’s translucent body, he understood what he meant.

This boy wasn’t a ghost in the scary, vengeful sense.

He was a spirit.

Just like Shen Ran had once been.

In that moment, Shen Ran let out a breath of relief. So he wasn’t here to claim a soul or scare him to death. Thank goodness! Shen Ran had seriously been thinking he had developed some paranormal constitution. Ha ha ha ha…

…Wait, actually, if you thought about it, being someone who died and came back to life might be even more bizarre than having a spiritual sixth sense.

Either way, knowing the boy wasn’t a vengeful spirit eased Shen Ran’s nerves considerably.

He crouched down in front of the child, gently patting his head—unaware that this was something Cheng Yi often did to him.

“Kid, what’s your name? How old are you?”

“My name’s Xiao Dong. I was five… when I died.”

Shen Ran sighed inwardly. “Then, Xiao Dong… if it’s not too hard to talk about, can I ask how you…?”

Xiao Dong looked down, visibly gloomy.

He’d been born in the winter—and died in the winter, too.

His parents, unable to afford raising him, had planned to abandon him while he was asleep, leaving him at the gate of Qingshan Welfare Home and disappearing into the night.

They thought he’d wake up and walk in on his own. But instead, Xiao Dong had woken up and chased after them, crying—straight into the road.

It was a winter night. He was struck and killed by a large truck.

His body was dragged nearly a hundred meters, but his spirit lingered at the gates of the welfare home.

For several years, Xiao Dong had wandered the place, unseen by anyone—until yesterday, when he and Shen Ran locked eyes in the cafeteria.

Children fear loneliness. When he realized someone could see him, Xiao Dong instinctively followed Shen Ran.

But Shen Ran had looked scared, so Xiao Dong had hidden himself, waiting for daylight to try again.

A spirit with a strong attachment won’t fade away.

Shen Ran felt a pang in his chest. “Xiao Dong… do you have a wish? Something you want to do? Gege can help make it come true.”