After the Young Master’s Death, He was Kissed by His Mortal Enemy! (BL) - Chapter 6

Their offices being next to each other hadn’t been coincidence—
It had been Cheng Yi’s plan all along.

His goal was simple: set up his company next to Shen Ran’s gallery, close the physical distance, and “accidentally” get to know him.

He never expected that on the very first day his company moved in, Shen Ran would take the initiative and come over to say hello.

That day, Cheng Yi had been watering a money tree plant when Shen Ran’s cheerful voice suddenly sounded behind him.

Startled, Cheng Yi’s hand slipped—he almost dropped the watering can.

Even though he’d been dying to meet Shen Ran, being caught off guard like that, even Cheng Yi lost his composure.

Trying to steady himself, he curled his lips into the usual smirk, hiding his pounding heart behind mockery.

“Delivering bubble tea? I don’t recall ordering takeout, Mr. Shen.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Cheng Yi regretted it.

He knew how important first impressions were.

But having lived as the Cheng family’s illegitimate son for so long, all he’d ever faced was mockery and suppression.

If he didn’t keep his guard up—keep his thorns sharp—he would’ve been broken long ago.

Years of pressure and survival had shaped his biting sarcasm, and in moments of panic, the poisonous words slipped out instinctively.

Lost for what to say, his true feelings always stayed hidden.

Now, it was too late for regret.

“I never told you about my background because I didn’t want you to look down on me.
No one wants to talk to some ‘bastard,’ especially someone as happy as you.”

His voice was calm, almost detached—
But his words struck like a knife, making the heart ache.

Shen Ran’s heart twisted. He bit his lip and shook his head.

No—Cheng Yi wasn’t as worthless as he thought.

There had to be more to the story. And besides…

“But now I see you weren’t as happy as I thought. We both had our own struggles.”

With each truthful word, Cheng Yi scattered Shen Ran’s ashes into the private sea he owned.

Yet, he kept one small piece—
A tiny bone fragment from Shen Ran’s ring finger.

It should’ve been impossible to identify among the ashes—
But Shen Ran’s ring finger was unique.

When Shen Ran was twenty, full of reckless youth, he’d gone street racing in pursuit of freedom, only to crash late one night and fall unconscious.

A kind stranger had taken him to the hospital.

He’d only suffered a minor injury—a fractured ring finger—but the mark had remained ever since.

What Shen Ran never knew was that the man who found him that night and took him to the hospital…
Was Cheng Yi.

Now, Cheng Yi silently slipped a ring onto that tiny bone fragment, his heart aching.

He didn’t even know what this ring truly meant.
Only that it belonged to Shen Ran.

“Shen Ran, if you can still hear me… stay here.
If you have no home, this sea can be your home.”

“I won’t abandon you.”

As the last of the ashes fell into the sea, Shen Ran felt dizzy. His spiritual form flickered—
All his strength seemed to be draining away.

Was it time for him to leave?

…But he didn’t want to go.

He instinctively reached out to Cheng Yi—
But he couldn’t touch him.

“Shen Ran…
In our next life, may we both find true happiness and freedom.”

Cheng Yi’s voice was soft, carried away by the sea breeze, vanishing into the distance.

It was the last thing Shen Ran ever heard.

“Cheng Yi!!”

Watching Cheng Yi stand against the wind, arms outstretched, Shen Ran realized—he knew what Cheng Yi was about to do.

He’d overlooked it—
How Cheng Yi never truly belonged to anyone.
How Cheng Yi had always appeared unbothered, free-spirited.

How could someone like him willingly return to the Cheng family, to be humiliated and crushed?

Not going back meant betraying his promise.
Only death could truly set him free.

Unable to resist, Shen Ran’s spirit finally scattered beneath the blue sky.

The deck was now empty—
No trace of Cheng Yi remained.

Tears streamed from Shen Ran’s eyes. In that final moment, he reached out—
One desperate thought echoing in his mind:

Death wouldn’t free them.
It wouldn’t bring peace or freedom.
This isn’t how it should end.

Only by living—
Only by living—
Could they truly be free.

“Cheng Yi!!”

A chaotic haze shattered, replaced by clarity. Shen Ran’s eyes flew open, his hand shooting forward, as if trying to grasp something in front of him.

In that instant, he realized—he was somewhere incredibly familiar.

His gallery.
He was lying on a comfortable lounge chair.

The violent jolt of movement knocked him off balance, and he tumbled off the chair, still reaching forward as if to catch something.

“Ah! That hurts!”

A sharp wave of pain surged through him, making him grit his teeth. But it also jolted him fully awake.

Glancing around, everything felt so real that Shen Ran could barely believe it.

What… was going on?
Hadn’t he already died?
How was he suddenly back in his gallery, in the blink of an eye?

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, warming his back.

Lowering his head, Shen Ran flipped his hands over and over, staring at them.

He opened his palms, clenched them into fists, repeated the motion several times, and finally cupped his face with both hands.

The real, tangible sensation left him stunned.

It was real.
He was truly alive.
This wasn’t the hallucination of a lost soul before passing on.

His eyes sparkled, and a wave of joy bubbled up inside him.

…Wait. Cheng Yi!

He was safe now—but what about Cheng Yi?

The name that had lingered in his heart even in death surged to the front of his mind.

The joy on his face froze mid-formation.
Panic-stricken, Shen Ran leapt to his feet and bolted out the door.

As he rushed out, he nearly collided with one of his employees—Xiao Chen.

“Boss, what were you doing? I was just napping and you scared the crap out of me—whoa!”

Xiao Chen yawned and stretched, clearly just waking up from his lunch break.

Shen Ran zoomed past him like a tornado, startling him again.

“Move! Don’t block the way!”

Shen Ran sprinted out of the gallery, more grateful than ever that his place was right next to Cheng Yi’s company.

Just like in the past, Shen Ran barreled into Cheng Yi’s office uninvited, only to find Cheng Yi in a meeting with several people.

The sound of the door swinging open wasn’t subtle.
Everyone turned to look at him—Cheng Yi included.

Unlike the others’ confused stares, Cheng Yi simply raised a brow and gave a familiar teasing smile.
“Well, well. Isn’t this our neighbor, Boss Shen?
What’s the matter?”

That familiar smirk, that familiar tone.

Shen Ran’s hand tightened around the doorknob, his nose stung, and tears nearly spilled from his eyes.

This was Cheng Yi.
The Cheng Yi he knew—still the same.

Swallowing back the lump in his throat, Shen Ran suddenly charged forward, grabbed Cheng Yi’s hand, and dragged him out—right in front of everyone.

“Whoa, whoa. I’m in the middle of a meeting here. Where are you dragging me, Boss Shen?”

Cheng Yi gave a light tug, trying to stop him, but Shen Ran didn’t slow down.
Left with no choice, Cheng Yi let himself be pulled along and turned back toward the meeting room.

“I’ve got something to handle. You all keep going. If anything comes up, ask Secretary Wang.”

Shen Ran clutched Cheng Yi’s hand tightly, head down, walking fast—though he had no idea where he was even going.

Behind him, Cheng Yi sighed.
“Shen Ran, stop charging around like a stubborn mule.
Whatever’s going on, let’s talk in my office.”

Once they were inside, Cheng Yi’s face wore the same carefree expression as always.

But before he could make some sarcastic remark, he noticed Shen Ran’s expression—
And his smile vanished instantly.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?…
Shen Ran, hey—don’t cry.”