Doting on the Sickly Young Master

Brooding, devoted, fatherly gong x beautiful young master shou

The short version:

Lin Jinran was born to be a young master. First, he was the young master of the Lin residence. Later, he became Qi Qi's young master.

The long version:

Lin Jinran grew up surrounded by the love of his aunt and mother, living in luxury. Everyone said he was lucky, and that he probably wouldn't even know how to write the word "hardship" in his lifetime.

He even thought he must be heaven's own son.

Then, disaster struck without warning.

After offending a powerful person, the once pampered young master was thrown out of his home and became a stray dog anyone could kick.

When he was at the end of his rope, the servant who used to work for his family took him in.

Qi Qi was tall and muscular, with dark, deep eyes that fixed on people like prey. Lin Jinran followed behind him, shivering with cold and famished with hunger, wanting to cry but not daring to.

He was afraid he'd be thrown out again.

Holding it all in made him sick. Burning with fever and barely conscious, he opened his eyes and saw Qi Qi's stern face. At last, he couldn't hold back his grievance, and tears pattered down his cheeks. "I'm already like this... and you're still being mean to me..."

"I'm not being mean." Qi Qi's handsome brows drew together as he spoke softly. "I'll make sure you have a good life."

Tearfully sniffling, Lin Jinran asked, "R-really?"

The man gazed steadily at him, his eyes full of something Lin Jinran couldn't understand. He gently pressed his forehead to Lin Jinran's. "Be good."

That promise became the foundation of their lives together.

As chaos spread and the court gradually lifted its bans on salt and iron, Qi Qi drew on his wolfish ruthlessness to start smuggling salt and iron. Climbing up from the blood-soaked depths of society, he built an empire with his own hands.

Everyone said Qi Qi was ruthless and heartless, a born slave who was a vicious wolf that could never be tamed.

But no one knew that, amid all his most disreputable dealings, every bit of softness in him belonged to one person.

One morning, the young master sat down with aching hips, then looked at several bite marks on his ankle. "I told you it hurt!"

Qi Qi clasped his ankle again, brushing his thumb over the bite mark as he lowered his eyes and soothed him. "I'll be gentler next time."

+++++++++

The young master had a longevity lock. A wandering Daoist had said he was destined for wealth but would have a short life, so his family had made him a lock to ward off misfortune. Perhaps because of it, he had made it past the age of twenty.

In the vast snowfield, after waking from his grave injuries, Qi Qi felt the longevity lock around his neck. He didn't know when Lin Jinran had put it on him.

The young master, who complained after walking just a few steps, had somehow carried him all the way out of the snow.

Qi Qi clutched the lock so tightly that its edges cut into his palm.

The blizzard swallowed every trace, and took his young master with it.

1. A feelings-focused story, written for my own enjoyment. Please don't flame me if it's not your thing. Thank you ๑•́₃•̀๑

2. They are each other's one and only!

3. Melodrama!!! Every kind of old-school plot twist makes an appearance.

Theme: Living