An obsessive, possessive, sickly, affection-starved, sharp-tongued gong
A clueless, slow-witted, easily appeased little fool shou
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Su Xiuyan is an idiot. All the kids for miles around love picking on him, but he's the idiot belonging to the eldest young master of the Yan family, so they only dare do it behind his back.
Su Xiuyan likes Yan Huai because Yan Huai protects him, brings him little cakes, and kisses him. But he's also really fierce. He doesn't want Su Xiuyan hanging out with those people, going out, or leaving his sight for even a second...
Su Xiuyan has always obediently done as he's told. But as he gets older, his little head begins to clear, and he realizes that Yan Huai's unreasonable antics are even more childish than the kids who bully him.
Bonus Scene:
Little Su Xiuyan loves candy. He often sneaks off to cry when a toothache wakes him in the middle of the night. When the old butler finds out, he confiscates Su Xiuyan's candy for a month, leaving the boy terribly upset.
Little Yan Huai, a bruise on his face, pushes open the front gate and roars, full of bravado, "Su Xiuyan! I'm back! I went and beat up Xu Lian! I got your little cake back! Su Xiuyan? Where are you?!"
The house is empty. Little Yan Huai is thoroughly displeased. This is the first time Su Xiuyan hasn't come out to meet him.
Little Yan Huai searches all over the house until he spots Su Xiuyan in a corner, crying quietly and looking terribly wronged.
Little Yan Huai shoves the cake into his hands. His voice has already taken on a boy's deeper tone. "Why are you crying in secret again? Here's your cake. Stop crying, or I'll lock you in the dark room!"
Little Su Xiuyan is so frightened that he stops crying. He gazes at Little Yan Huai with big, watery eyes, looking pitiful as he says, all aggrieved, "Grandpa won't let me eat candy anymore."
Little Yan Huai grabs his hand and pulls him up. "I'll take you to buy candy! Stop crying! And from now on, you have to wait for me at the gate every day!"
Little Su Xiuyan trots after Little Yan Huai. Looking at his already tall, straight back, he quietly tightens his grip on those pale hands and nods. At last, he breaks into a smile through his tears...
Please Note Before Reading:
1. Same-sex marriage is legal in this setting.
2. This is not a fluffy romance. How angsty it gets depends on the author.
3. Important: The gong's heart condition can't be cured, only managed. The shou's foolishness means he's slow to react and can't keep up when thinking, not that he's intellectually disabled. He'll return to normal later.
4. Important: Neither the gong nor the shou is perfect. The gong will have many extreme emotions and may be somewhat neurotic, which could make some readers uncomfortable. Discussion of the characters' behavior and personalities is welcome, but personal attacks on the author or characters are not.
5. This is a fictional setting. Please don't scrutinize overly technical details, including but not limited to business or the causes of diseases.
6. No gong stans or shou stans. The shou suffers more in the early chapters, and the gong suffers more later on.
7. Don't overanalyze the logic or the author's writing.
8. This is an emotionally rich story, and the author will do their utmost to tell it. Let's witness their love together!
Theme: Cherish the person in front of you
