After the Young Master’s Death, He was Kissed by His Mortal Enemy! (BL) - Chapter 5

Cheng Yi panicked.

Before arriving at the crematorium, he had still clung to a thread of hope—
Maybe Shen Ran wasn’t dead yet.
Maybe there was still a chance to save him.
Maybe…

But the moment he saw the furnace blazing, the pillar of calm holding him together collapsed.

The man in black asked with idle curiosity, “Who are you to him?”

Cheng Yi didn’t answer. He rushed to the machine, hands frantic, struggling to shut off the infernal equipment.

Watching Cheng Yi’s frantic state, the man in black nodded, understanding dawning. “Ah, I see now. You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

He stepped closer, voice soft and conversational, as if discussing something mundane:

“Do you know who gave us Shen Ran’s whereabouts? His boyfriend—Chen Xu. Tch. So much for love—it’s all a lie.”

“Seems the Shen couple doesn’t care about their adopted son’s corpse either. Well then, I’ll be a good man and let Shen Ran rest in peace.”

Cheng Yi’s voice trembled as he gritted his teeth, forcing out words filled with rage:

“You killed him… and you dare speak of letting him rest?!”

There was no way Cheng Yi could stay calm.

The man in black remained unbothered. “A life for a life. A debt must be paid. That’s how the world works.”

“A life for a life… a debt must be paid…” Cheng Yi echoed coldly, eyes dark. “True enough.”

Sensing something, the man in black frowned subtly and signaled with a flick of his hand.

Around them, the thugs armed themselves, weapons gleaming as they closed in, surrounding Cheng Yi and Wei Hailan.

Shen Ran tore his eyes from the furnace just in time to see knives flash with cold, lethal light.

The chilling sensation of his own throat being slit returned—cold, suffocating, overwhelming.

Eyes wide, Shen Ran lunged toward Cheng Yi—
Only to pass right through him.

Panic consumed Shen Ran. He screamed, his voice raw and desperate:

“Cheng Yi, run! Get out of here! Don’t fight them! Don’t get involved!”

He was already dead. He couldn’t let Cheng Yi die too!

But to Shen Ran’s horror, Cheng Yi didn’t move.

Surrounded by weapons, Cheng Yi stood still, eyes closed, as if reaching an agreement with some unyielding obsession.

Then, suddenly, Cheng Yi spoke.

“Uncle Wan—after this, I’ll return to City A. I’ll work behind the scenes, help Cheng Wanli manage the Cheng Group, and I’ll never compete for the family’s power.”

A thug, confused, shouted, “Who the hell are you talking to?! I suggest you shut up and—GAH!”

His words were cut short by the sound of a silenced gunshot.

A red stain bloomed between the brows of the man in black—
He collapsed without warning, shocking everyone into chaos.

With their leader dead, the thugs lost their nerve.

No money, no Shen couple in sight—panic took over, and they scattered.

The sudden reversal left Shen Ran stunned.

In the midst of the chaos, a middle-aged man approached Cheng Yi, holding a silenced pistol—
Clearly the one who fired the fatal shot.

Cheng Yi, usually arrogant and carefree, lowered his proud head. “Uncle Wan.”

The man glanced at the corpse at his feet. “One week from now, I expect to see you at Cheng Group headquarters. You have responsibilities, Cheng Yi. No more acting on your whims.”

A trace of bitterness flickered in Cheng Yi’s eyes. “…Understood.”

The dark night was silent. The criminals had fled, and the dying furnace seemed to extinguish the last light in Cheng Yi’s eyes.

Wei Hailan dropped his bat and cautiously approached, testing the waters.

“Uh… Cheng Yi, are you really going back to help that useless brother of yours? People are going to mock you as the Cheng family’s illegitimate son, you know?”

“Yeah.”

Wei Hailan frowned. “I’m telling you, don’t do it! They’ll exploit you, treat you like dirt! You’ve been doing great here in K City—in a few years, you could even outshine the Chengs!”

Cheng Yi seemed to have lost all his usual fire and pride. “It doesn’t matter.”

Wei Hailan shook his head, sighing deeply. “You, man, you… sigh… And what about Shen Ran? He’s… he’s ashes now.”

At those words, Cheng Yi’s entire body stiffened.

No more excuses.
No more denial.
He had to face reality—Shen Ran was gone.

Shen Ran had no choice but to finally accept the truth—His body had truly been reduced to ashes.

Even though he was dead, Shen Ran still sincerely hoped he wouldn’t be stuffed into some cheap little urn.
Ideally, someone would just scatter his ashes into the sea—free and easy, just like that…

As if hearing his thoughts, Cheng Yi suddenly spoke:
“I own a private stretch of sea near a small island in Hawaii.
He once said he liked freedom. He’d never want to be trapped in some graveyard.”

It was as if their souls were connected.

Shen Ran stared blankly at Cheng Yi’s expressionless profile, his heart suddenly clenched in a tight, painful grip.

A dull ache, deep and suffocating.

He had always assumed their relationship was nothing more than surface-level rivalry, but Cheng Yi—
Cheng Yi had clearly known him inside and out for a long time.

Just as they were about to leave, Cheng Yi seemed to remember something.
After a moment of thought, he pulled Shen Ran’s phone from his pocket.

“Aren’t you going to check it?” Wei Hailan asked.
“Secretary Wang charged it. Seems like there’s no passcode on Shen Ran’s phone.”

Cheng Yi shook his head, completely disinterested.
Without a trace of hesitation, he tossed the phone into the burning furnace.

He would never betray Shen Ran’s trust in the world—not even in death.

The sky was clear, the sea breeze cool and pleasant.

Aboard a private yacht, Cheng Yi stood facing the wind, holding a delicately crafted box in his arms.
He gazed at the distant horizon, eyes filled with quiet sorrow.

Shen Ran followed closely beside him, step for step.

From the moment Cheng Yi had burned his phone, Shen Ran realized he could now move freely.

Yet still, he chose to stay by Cheng Yi’s side.

Because only here—beside Cheng Yi—did this wandering soul have a place to belong.

“Shen Ran… I actually met you a long time ago.”
Cheng Yi suddenly spoke, startling Shen Ran.
“Whoa!”

But soon, Shen Ran realized Cheng Yi was only murmuring to the sea, lost in memory.

These were words Shen Ran had never heard before—Cheng Yi’s true feelings.

“I used to envy you. Envy that you were the beloved only son of the Shen family.
No backstabbing, no schemes, no worries—someone always had your back.
You didn’t have to think about tomorrow.”

“I used to think, if only I weren’t born into the Cheng family,
Maybe I could’ve had the kind of happiness you did.
I wanted to feel the joy that you felt.”

“So I opened a small company, right next to your gallery.
I thought, being that close, maybe I could finally get to know you.”