The Troublemaker and His Headache of a Mr.

[Early on, he's a gorgeous shou who's spoiled, foolish, and mean, but very good at acting cute and obedient. He's the one who loses his husband.]

[A doting daddy gong who's easy to soothe and win back, and always stuck cleaning up messes. His wife can get him back with ease.]

Jiang Wang and Shen Youqi were together for six years, apart for four, and spent nearly a decade losing their way.

*

Ten years ago, Jiang Wang rescued Shen Youqi after he fell into the water. Before Shen Youqi had even made it ashore, Jiang Wang bared his "gaping maw" and shouted, "All my clothes are brand-new! My shirt cost 80 yuan, my underwear 15, my pants 120, my socks 5, and my shoes 300. They all got soaked because I saved you!"

A debt of 520 yuan got him a wristwatch worth 5.2 million.

That five-million-yuan watch, in turn, paid off three million yuan of gambling debt owed by Jiang Wang's father.

"Shen Youqi, I don't have a home anymore."

On New Year's Eve, Shen Youqi took in Wangzai, a boy the world had cast aside.

From then on, Jiang Wang, who had once been wanted by no one, had not only someone who wanted him, but someone who loved him too.

*

After arriving in the big city, Jiang Wang quickly became enamored with its glitzy, extravagant lifestyle.

Jiang Wang wanted to be a singer, a superstar.

Without Shen Youqi's permission, he somehow signed a twenty-year contract and declared that he would take Shen Youqi along to enjoy the good life.

Shen Youqi disagreed, so Jiang Wang gave him little kissy-kisses.

Shen Youqi sighed, kissed the corner of his mouth, and let him do as he pleased.

Shen Youqi was like Doraemon. He'd grant Jiang Wang's offhand wishes and put up with all his bad moods, blending into Jiang Wang's life like the air he breathed. The more Shen Youqi spoiled him, the more spoiled Jiang Wang became.

Jiang Wang wanted to be a singer, a composer, an actor...

...and he wanted to break up.

*

Jiang Wang hurt himself rather than stay. After letting him go, Shen Youqi smashed every shared memento in their villa. He finally regained his senses in front of a plate of cold dumplings.

On New Year's Eve, Shen Youqi finished a plate of cold dumplings as the television counted down to the New Year. At last, he decided to let Jiang Wang be free, at least for a while.

*

Later, the poor little darling who'd been hurt wanted to come back.

The once-glamorous superstar had fallen back into the mud, while the man who had once indulged him in every way still stood high above him.

"Shen Youqi, I don't have a home anymore."

"I know I was wrong, and I've already been punished. Are you really going to never want me again because of this?"

To make Shen Youqi change his mind, he chose the clumsiest, stupidest way he could think of.

He looped his arms around Shen Youqi's neck and wrapped his legs around his waist with practiced ease. "I can learn to behave. I'll be good. Why don't you take me back and see?"

But this time, there was no emotion in Shen Youqi's eyes as he looked at him.

"Get down."

A rush of indescribable bitterness rose in Jiang Wang's chest. He pressed his lips together, and tears fell in a stream onto Shen Youqi, slipping beneath his collar.

He bowed his head and bit Shen Youqi's lips, pushing his tongue inside without permission, stealing every breath from him.

"Shen Youqi, kiss me again. I'll behave, I really will, I swear, "

Shen Youqi gripped Jiang Wang's chin and forced him to look up.

"Jiang Wang, if you really feel sorry for me, get on top yourself. You know how to please me."

Shen Youqi was never going to stop wanting him. But from now on, Shen Youqi would decide how to keep him.

*

The story, from each of their perspectives:

For the gong: Make the disobedient prey willingly return to his diamond cage.

For the shou: Get his keeper to raise him with all his heart one more time.

Reader's guide:

1. Jiang Wang is the shou, Shen Youqi is the gong.

2. The shou has a mental illness. Please don't read if that's a concern for you.

3. Both the gong and shou have their issues: one fell for him at first sight, while the other wasn't what he seemed.

4. The gong is easy to soothe and win back. Maybe the only thing he'll do is make threats, so does that make him a mama-type gong?

5. The shou is foolish and deserves a good scolding, but he's very good at acting obedient and never learns to mend his ways.

6. Maybe this isn't a great fit for gong fans or shou fans?

7. I recommend buying a chapter at a time or five chapters at a time. It's best not to subscribe to the whole thing all at once~

A preview of an upcoming story~

The Fake Young Master Extra Wakes Up, and the Real Young Master Panics, also known as: His Ex Turns Out to Be the Real Young Master

Jiang Qi'an had an unusually vivid dream. In it, he learned the truth about the world.

It turned out that his world wasn't real. It was a danmei novel about a real and fake young master. His ex-boyfriend of many years, Shen Xun, was the real young master and the main gong. Shen Xun's childhood friend, Xiao Mi, was the main shou.

And Jiang Qi'an was the fake young master, a villainous extra.

In the dream, he let his hatred fester until it turned to malice. He secretly sabotaged Shen Xun, the real young master, and twistedly broke up Shen Xun and Xiao Mi, a couple seemingly made for each other. Like a rat in a gutter, he couldn't stand to see the protagonists happy.

He committed one evil deed after another until everyone turned against him, and Shen Xun pushed him into the sea to be eaten by sharks.

In the final moments of his life, he still shamelessly hooked a hand around Shen Xun's and asked if Shen Xun had ever loved him.

Naturally, Shen Xun's answer was: Never.

At the end of the dream, Jiang Qi'an caught a glimpse of Shen Xun vomiting blood on the deck, while a hoarse, anguished cry rang in his ears: "Qiqi, "

Jiang Qi'an narrowed his eyes in confusion, trying to see more clearly.

"Qiqi, Qiqi, "

"Why are you sleeping on the sofa?"

Jiang Qi'an opened his eyes. His mother was holding Shen Xun in her arms and gently said, "This is Qi'an. His nickname is Qiqi. He's a few minutes younger than you, so from now on, you'll be brothers."

"Qiqi, say hello to your big brother."

Years later, Shen Xun had appeared before Jiang Qi'an once more. The strange rhythm of Jiang Qi'an's heartbeat made it clear that his feelings hadn't faded.

But the pain he'd experienced in the dream had felt so real, and reality was unfolding just like that dream. The bloody ending waiting for him made Jiang Qi'an too afraid to love again.

He thought he would do as Shen Xun had asked in the dream and keep his distance. He would also marry someone for the sake of his family's company...

Everything was going as Shen Xun had wanted in the dream.

But the real Shen Xun had gone mad. He locked Jiang Qi'an in a dark room, pinned him down, and asked with bloodshot eyes, "Qiqi, who are you going to marry?"

"You're mine. You can only be mine."

[Side story: Their past will be told in the extras.]

Jiang Qi'an's school years had been simple, with every stroke of the brush drawing only one person: Shen Xun. He fell in love with Shen Xun at first sight and pursued him like a moth to a flame, without a shred of dignity. But Shen Xun hated him and never gave him the time of day.

To get some peace and quiet, Shen Xun finally gave in and agreed to go out with Jiang Qi'an.

Shen Xun never said he liked or loved him. On the day they got together, all he said was, "You have to behave."

Shen Xun put a tightening spell on Jiang Qi'an, who was very badly behaved. After that, Jiang Qi'an no longer dared to make unreasonable demands, afraid Shen Xun would decide he was misbehaving and send him back.

Jiang Qi'an was obedient and considerate. He didn't sit next to Shen Xun in class or share a dorm room with him, and he never wasted Shen Xun's time by asking about problems he couldn't solve...

Even so, when they graduated, Shen Xun still broke up with him. He even changed his college application at the last minute to get away from him.

After they broke up, Jiang Qi'an followed Shen Xun to his new school. Later, he fell seriously ill and never mentioned the ex-boyfriend who had hurt him so deeply to anyone again.

It wasn't until many years after they got together that Jiang Qi'an learned the truth.

The breakup hadn't been about getting away from him. It was because Shen Xun had loved him too much...

Theme: Love can nourish the flesh and blood.