After the Young Master’s Death, He was Kissed by His Mortal Enemy! (BL) - Chapter 40

Seeing the car parked outside, Shen Ran stood up smoothly.

“Well, I think we’ve said all we need to say. I’ll be going now. Goodbye.”

After settling the bill, Shen Ran practically bounced down the teahouse stairs, taking three steps in two. The moment he stepped out the door, the car by the curb lowered its window.

Shen Ran flashed a teasing smile. “Hungry already, President Cheng? Did I not feed you enough this morning?”

Suggestive, ambiguous—it was a line delivered deliberately, meant to make Cheng Yi overthink.

Cheng Yi, catching sight of him, also seemed to be in a rather good mood.

But then, just as quickly, his smile disappeared. His gaze turned cold, suddenly shifting to something behind Shen Ran.

Huh?

Before Shen Ran could react, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from behind.

Chen Xu had come chasing after him again.

“Ranran! No matter what, I’m not giving up on you! Please—can you give us another chance to start over?”

This time, Shen Ran was truly fed up.

He had taken Chen Xu’s call, agreed to meet him face-to-face—all for the purpose of ending things cleanly.

He had clearly said he didn’t like him. So why was Chen Xu still pestering him like this?

Really—he didn’t take the soft approach, now he was asking for the hard one!

Determined to scold him thoroughly, Shen Ran clenched his fists and turned around sharply.

“Chen Xu, could you stop being so freaking—”

But as he turned, Shen Ran froze.

He almost didn’t get the rest of the sentence out.

Yes, Chen Xu had followed him out of the teahouse, wearing that same expression of reluctance and resolve.

But now—on Chen Xu’s back was a woman clinging to him.

No, not just a woman. More like… a ghost.

She had long, wavy hair and crimson lips. If one ignored the semi-transparent body and sorrowful expression, she would’ve been considered stunning, seductive even.

…Given the scene before him, “clingy ghost” was suddenly a little too on-the-nose.

Thanks to his previous experience with Xiao Dong, Shen Ran no longer freaked out at the sight of ghosts.

He could mostly remain calm now, but it still took a moment to regain his composure.

Because the woman floating behind Chen Xu… was staring at him, eyes brimming with tears.

Why did she look so heartbroken?

Locked in silent eye contact with the woman, Shen Ran didn’t even notice the soft click of a car door opening behind him.

“Shen Ran, what are you staring at? Aren’t you treating me to lunch?”

A weight and warmth settled on his shoulder—Cheng Yi had appeared by his side, arm draped over him.

Looking down at him with a gaze unusually tender, Cheng Yi’s voice was softer than Shen Ran had ever heard.

Chen Xu’s expression darkened instantly. “…President Cheng.”

Of course, Chen Xu knew Cheng Yi.

After all, Shen Ran’s gallery was just across the street from Cheng Yi’s company—they were bound to have crossed paths.

But in his memory, Cheng Yi and Shen Ran never got along. They were oil and water.

So why were they acting this close now?

Close enough that Cheng Yi was driving Shen Ran’s car, going to lunch together—with Shen Ran treating?

Chen Xu’s first instinct was that Shen Ran was being threatened. Maybe Cheng Yi had something on him.

But then… the way Cheng Yi casually held Shen Ran, the gentle way he looked at him—

That wasn’t blackmail. That was affection.

And then came the final blow: Cheng Yi raised an eyebrow and smiled brightly.

“Nice to meet you, senior. Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Shen Ran’s boyfriend.”

It was like a thread in Chen Xu’s mind snapped with an audible snap.

Two men, standing face-to-face.

Tension thick in the air. Emotions high. Eyes red.

Glaring at Cheng Yi, Chen Xu blurted out, “But Ranran only just broke up with me this morning! How could you two already be together?!”

“Oh, that’s simple,” Cheng Yi replied.

He pulled a still-slightly-dazed Shen Ran closer into his arms, as if to make a statement—staking his claim.

“I’ve actually had my eye on Shen Ran for a long time. But he was with you, senior, so I never had a chance. It just wasn’t my turn yet.”

“I even considered being the third party willingly,” Cheng Yi continued, dead serious. “But you know how Shen Ran is—honest, loyal, kindhearted. He wouldn’t let me come between you two.”

Shen Ran was completely stunned.

He knew Cheng Yi was saying all this just to provoke Chen Xu—but this… this was next-level nonsense!

Willing to be a third wheel? Cheng Yi really was the king of shameless fiction.

“When I heard this morning that you two had broken up,” Cheng Yi went on, “I was over the moon. My turn had finally come. So I jumped at the opportunity.”

“And now,” he declared, “Shen Ran is my boyfriend. So, I’d appreciate it if you—former senior and outdated ex—could stop bothering him.”

His words were perfectly crafted.

He took full responsibility for everything, leaving Shen Ran completely out of it.

This way, even if Chen Xu wanted to lash out in anger, he couldn’t blame Shen Ran or call him disloyal.

Chen Xu couldn’t sit still anymore.

His chest rose and fell with increasing intensity, face flushed—clearly from rage.

As if needing confirmation, he ignored Cheng Yi’s words entirely and stared straight at Shen Ran.

“Ranran… is what Cheng Yi said true? Is it really like that?”

Cheng Yi had already committed to the act, and Shen Ran—true to character—would never leave him hanging.

So Shen Ran put on a serious expression and nodded.

“It’s true, senior. Cheng Yi’s been pursuing me for a long time—relentlessly. After I broke up with you, he came to me again, begging me to give him a chance…”

“He begged you, and you agreed?” Chen Xu’s voice trembled. “Ranran, how could you be so casual about this?”

Cheng Yi’s expression darkened, ready to speak up, but Shen Ran stretched his neck and cut in first, tone dripping with disdain.

“Come on, senior, aren’t you being a bit hypocritical? You confessed to me first, begged me to agree too, remember? So by that logic, weren’t we also casual from the very start?”

“That’s not the same—”

“How is it not the same?” Shen Ran pressed. “Honestly, I think Cheng Yi’s actually pretty great—young, rich, ambitious… and, let’s face it, easy on the eyes.”

As he spoke, he reached out a hand. Cheng Yi immediately stepped forward, lowering himself slightly so his chin rested obediently in Shen Ran’s palm.

The moment his hand touched Cheng Yi’s chin, Shen Ran couldn’t resist giving it a little scratch—and even closed his eyes for a moment.

…Damn. That felt so satisfying.

Like a proud hunting hound bowing its noble head to its master.

“Shen Ran,” Cheng Yi said softly, “let’s go. You promised me lunch. I’m starving.”

The tone he used—it sounded almost like he was pouting.

Shen Ran nodded, and Cheng Yi immediately opened the passenger door for him with the utmost care and consideration.

Before getting in, Shen Ran turned and gave Chen Xu one final look.

“Oh, and senior—maybe just call me Shen Ran from now on. ‘Ranran’ sounds way too intimate. Doesn’t suit the kind of… distant relationship we have now.”

Chen Xu was too choked up to respond.

And before he could recover, Cheng Yi—still standing by the car—smiled and tossed in a final jab:

“Well then, I’m off—with my boyfriend. Goodbye, Senior Chen.”