Chapter 82: Useless Advice

Su Ling curled his lip, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and tucked himself deep under the covers.

Standing by the bed, Ye Moran let out a long, slow sigh.

“This little guy… still so disobedient.”

A flash of loneliness crossed her eyes. Little one, when will you finally understand my feelings for you?

She desperately wanted to do more—to make him fall in love with her right this instant—but a voice in her heart told her not to rush. Don’t be impatient. Take it slow. One day, he will become truly obedient.

Suppressing her thoughts, she turned and left the room. To her surprise, the woman from before hadn’t left. Instead, she was sitting on the living room sofa, staring out the window at something unknown.

“Why haven’t you left yet?”

Despite the question, Ye Moran out of courtesy fetched two glasses of warm water from the dispenser and placed them in front of herself and the woman.

“I want to go find him…”

Ye Moran let out a snicker, making no effort to hide her mockery.

“Weren’t you the one who insisted on letting him go back then? Why are you looking for him now?”

Ye Moran looked at the woman with confusion. She remembered clearly how this woman had begged her for so long to send that “little thing” away.

Saying all this now… Hmph, it’s a bit like those ‘regretful wife-chasing’ novels.

Though she didn’t read such things, she had heard enough about them to understand the trope.

The woman, Xu Nianhe, lowered her head and began to speak slowly.

“Since he left, I haven’t been able to sleep. My head is full of him…”

Xu Nianhe clutched her chest. She could feel a sharp, piercing pain there. Every day felt like being cut by a blade, the agony only intensifying. There was only one thing that could stop this pain from spreading.

“Aren’t you afraid he’ll be so terrified that he tries to kill himself again? If that happens, don’t come begging me. I won’t help you a second time.”

“It’s fine. I will develop a drug to treat myself as soon as possible. I’ve already made some progress; it won’t be long now.”

The woman rubbed her temples, a faint smile flickering at the corners of her mouth.

“Heh!”

Ye Moran sneered, looking at the humble woman before her with pure irony.

To mistreat the one you love, to subject them to every kind of torment, and only regret it now… this woman was even more insane than a certified “psycho” like herself.

At least, she thought, she was completely devoted to her little guy. Aside from punishing him when he tried to run away, she was incredibly good to him.

Seeing Ye Moran’s smug expression, Xu Nianhe instantly guessed her thoughts. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but hesitated. Her fingertips gripped the water glass so tightly that her skin turned red from the heat.

She knew better than anyone how heart-wrenching regret after loss could be. She also understood better than anyone that the “tenderness” Ye Moran thought she was showing was merely a cover for a terrifying, bottomless possessiveness.

Looking at the other woman, Xu Nianhe couldn’t hold back. She spoke up, considering it a final repayment for the help she had received in the past.

“No matter how good you are to him, you can’t hide the obsession with control in your bones.”

Xu Nianhe’s voice was soft and laced with exhaustion.

“Don’t drive him to a dead end. Otherwise… you will end up like me, losing him forever.”

Ye Moran’s expression turned icy, and the air pressure around her plummeted.

She leaned down, bracing her hands on the armrest of the sofa, looking down at Xu Nianhe with a cold, thin smile.

“I am not like you.”

“I won’t scare him to death, and I won’t give him the chance to commit suicide.”

“I will lock him by my side, spoil him, and protect him. I’ll make it so that for the rest of his life, he sees no one but me—and can never leave me!”

Her tone was gentle, but her words were chillingly sinister.

Su Ling was her property, a little kitten she raised meticulously in a cage. No one was allowed to lecture her, and no one was allowed to touch him.

Xu Nianhe closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. She had no right to advise, and she knew she couldn’t change Ye Moran’s mind anyway.

Back then, she had personally pushed away her own “light.” Now, Ye Moran was clenching her light as hard as she could—even if she strangled it to the point of suffocation, she would never let go.

“Suit yourself.”

She stood up and picked up her coat. “I should go. I’ll contact you when the medicine is ready. When that time comes, please tell me his location. I’ll go find him myself.”

Ye Moran didn’t get up to see her out. She merely watched coldly as the woman’s back disappeared into the elevator.

She turned toward the bedroom, her footsteps extremely light.

The little “ball” on the bed was still curled under the covers, revealing only the tips of his fluffy cat ears, which were drooping in a way that looked both pitiful and obedient.

Ye Moran’s heart softened. She suddenly remembered how warm the little guy’s body felt when she touched him earlier. He was still burning up.

A wicked thought suddenly popped into her head: I want to try… a ’40-degree’ little guy.

She gently lifted a corner of the quilt and slid in, pulling Su Ling into a firm embrace from behind, resting her chin in his soft hair.

The person in her arms trembled slightly but didn’t dare turn around.

Su Ling buried his face in the pillow. He could feel her movements, and his body grew increasingly tense. Finally, as her actions became more over-the-top, he couldn’t take it anymore and spoke in a tiny voice to interrupt her.

“Sister… I… I don’t feel well…”

“Hmm?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I feel sick… I want to sleep. So tired, so sleepy…”

Su Ling whispered, slowly turning his body over, his arms resting weakly against her.

Ye Moran’s breath hitched. She was very close to him now; they were almost face-to-face, their breaths mingling in the small space between them.

“Sister…”

“Alright. Let’s sleep then. Sleep peacefully, and you’ll be better when you wake up.”

Looking at him like this, Ye Moran’s heart melted. She suddenly lost the desire to bully him. At the very least, she considered herself someone who treated him exceptionally well, so she would respect his “mood.”

Hearing her answer, Su Ling silently breathed a sigh of relief and slowly closed his eyes. He was truly exhausted. His body had no strength left; he only wanted to sleep in peace.

Feeling his steady breathing, Ye Moran pulled him gently against her and closed her eyes as well.

Su Ling slept for a long time. When he finally opened his eyes, aside from a slight lingering headache, the rest of his discomfort had vanished.

He sat up. The air conditioner was still on, but it was no longer blasting high heat; instead, it provided a gentle, warm breeze. It brought a comforting warmth rather than the scorching heat from before.

He lay on the bed for a while, feeling the dryness in his mouth. He finally got up, walked to the living room, and poured himself a glass of water.

The apartment was empty; Ye Moran was nowhere to be seen. Su Ling sipped the warm water slowly. After a full glass, he felt a bit more energetic.

He glanced around the quiet rooms and walked back into the bedroom.

After dazing out on the bed for a bit, his gaze accidentally brushed past the wardrobe. He remembered he had a phone hidden inside.

After a moment of thought, he cautiously approached the wardrobe, opened the door, and slowly crawled inside.

Hidden among the layers of clothing, he found his phone.

Without a second thought, he turned it on and began to play excitedly. He played a few rounds of games, but eventually felt bored. Looking at the phone in his hand, a bold idea suddenly struck him!

Nangong Wan had previously equipped this phone with a SIM card. He didn’t have to worry about data, which meant he could use this number to register a new social media account.

Even if he couldn’t use his real name, he could still make new friends!

Thinking of this, he felt both nervous and afraid. With a heart full of trepidation, he opened the App Store and downloaded a social networking app.