He Was the One Who Started It, Then Abandoned Me

【Short-tempered beauty x devoted younger man｜size difference｜second chance romance】 Jiang Min has always been spoiled and arrogant thanks to his family’s wealth, and with his exquisite good looks, he figured he’d have nothing to worry about and could happily live as a rich second-generation kid. Who could have guessed that at twenty-one, a family crisis would force him to lower himself and seduce Gu Nian, the adopted son of his father’s mistress, to avenge his mother? Jiang Min never planned to fall for Gu Nian. But the boy was hopelessly devoted to him, treating him like a treasure every day. After their roughhousing, he would even kneel to rub Jiang Min’s ankle and pull on his socks. Jiang Min clenched his back teeth and kicked him away, telling him to get lost. Gu Nian didn’t get angry. He simply picked him up, buttoned his clothes, and covered the countless bite marks on his neck. Their warm breaths mingled. Jiang Min froze, hearing his heart pound like a drum. …Oh no. I think I’ve fallen for him. * Still, Jiang Min made his move one rainy night. He brought Gu Nian a bowl of ginger soup laced with something, watched the boy’s ferocious eyes as he fought his desire, as if he could tear Jiang Min apart, then endured the pain and leaked the story to the media. Overnight, the Jiang family’s scandalous news was all over town. Under pressure, Jiang Min’s father personally got rid of his mistress, sent Gu Nian abroad along with her, and finally gave Jiang Min’s mother the justice she deserved. Jiang Min had achieved his goal. He should have been overjoyed, but for some reason, he felt an emptiness inside. He remembered those stormy nights when the boy would hold him tight and kiss his forehead again and again. He supposed Gu Nian hated him. Otherwise, years later, when Jiang Min was just getting his career off the ground, Gu Nian wouldn’t have cut off all his funding and left him no choice but to throw himself at his mercy. * Seven years later, Gu Nian returned to Qingcheng. He was now a rising tech mogul, no longer the boy who came whenever he was called and left whenever he was dismissed. Still, every so often, he thought of the person who had abandoned him seven years ago. As luck would have it, he heard that name again in the business world: a young film director, a rising talent in the arts. When they met again, Jiang Min was drinking glass after glass, fatigue showing on his beautiful face. He looked up at Gu Nian, trembled, and dropped his glass, which shattered on the floor. Gu Nian gripped his chin, his gaze so dark it seemed he might tear him apart. In the coldest voice, he told him, “You don’t deserve to be loved.” Jiang Min almost believed him. But Gu Nian kept turning him over and over, and the sound of a foil packet made him want to run. The man who claimed he didn’t love him was now taking his time torturing him. Gu Nian bit down on his shoulder as if to take revenge, his eyes red. * 【Reader’s Guide】 1. M/M, one-on-one, mutually exclusive and each other’s only partner. Lots of melodrama, with a mix of angst, sweetness, and spice. Neither lead is perfect. The couple need time to clear up misunderstandings and work through their relationship, so this may not be for readers who are possessive of either lead. 2. All the villains get what they deserve, including the scummy father who started it all. Don’t worry, no spoilers for the second half of the story. 3. Set in a fictional modern world, with plenty of creative liberties. Please don’t overthink it OvO Theme: Love and peace