---

---

Wide shoulders, narrow waist, and a set of eight-pack abs, toned but not exaggerated.

Water droplets from his hair slid down his collarbone, disappearing into more suggestive areas, enhanced by the scars that slightly oozed blood.

It was irresistibly sexy, evoking an urge to either spoil or destroy him.

I coughed twice and turned my head, not daring to look any further.

“Come here, I’ll apply the medicine.”

The wound on his shoulder was manageable, but the burn mark on his collarbone…

As I applied the ointment, my hand paused, and I couldn’t help but ask, “Was this burned by a cigarette? It’s likely to leave a scar.”

“Bear with it.”

The next second, my hand was gently held.

Instinctively, I looked up, realizing that Wen Xun had somehow moved closer to me.

In an instant, our distance shrank. A little closer, and we’d be kissing.

At that moment, Wen Xun suddenly smiled—a smile so alluring.

“But if it leaves a scar, it won’t look good. How about I tattoo something here instead? I could tattoo your name, brother. What do you think?”

---

He said this while guiding my hand to rub gently over his collarbone.

My hand felt like it had been scorched. I tried to pull it back but couldn’t.

Sensing the increasingly intimate atmosphere, I maintained my composure and gave him a casual glance, saying indifferently, “Why would you want to? If it’s just to stay, there’s no need to flatter me like this.”

Upon hearing that, Wen Xun blinked, his eyes instantly welling up with tears.

His head drooped, and his voice was full of grievance.

“Why would you think of me like that, brother? I just want everyone to know that I belong to you, so you won’t abandon me easily… I’ve overstepped, haven’t I? After all, someone like me isn’t worthy of tattooing your name on my body. Please, don’t hate me, brother.”

His half-damp hair brushed against his face, tickling it.

Looking at the boy’s pitiful appearance, like a dog that had been wronged, my guilt peaked.

I sighed helplessly and patted his head, teasing him, “Don’t worry. With such a pretty face, I could never hate you. I’m a sucker for good looks. As for being ‘property’… you think you’re a dog? You can’t just slap a dog tag on and have an owner.”

Hearing that, Wen Xun suddenly lifted his head, his expression full of innocence.

“Can’t I? If you want, I’ll be your dog, brother.”

The air grew still for a moment.

I wanted to say, “Stop joking.”

What’s this talk about being a dog? It’s not funny.

But the seriousness in Wen Xun’s eyes blocked the words at the tip of my tongue.

We locked eyes.

In the end, I was the one to relent.

“Do as you wish. If you want a tattoo, I’ll take you to get one. But I must tell you, once you get it, this spot can’t be erased easily.”

---

After leaving that comment, I fled the room.

As the door closed behind me, I faintly heard Wen Xun say, “I won’t erase it. Once it’s done, it’s for life. We’ll always be together, brother.”

---

Wen Xun’s voice was so soft that I almost wondered if I imagined it.

But remembering the madness and obsession in his tone, I couldn’t help but shudder.

It was as if everything from before was an act, and this was his true nature.

---

In the following weeks, Wen Xun behaved very well.

Cooking, watering the plants, cleaning—he excelled at everything.

The only issue was that he was a bit clingy.

He wouldn’t sleep until I came home.

One night, I came back late from work, and he had curled up on the sofa, so tired he had fallen asleep, but he still refused to go to bed without me.

When I woke him, he wasn’t angry. Instead, he smiled brightly at me.

He even warmed milk for me, concerned about my sleep quality.

Life was peaceful and cozy.

It almost made me think the darker side of Wen Xun I’d glimpsed that day had been a figment of my imagination.

During a rare day off, I took Wen Xun to get his tattoo.

The skin on his collarbone was thin, and it bled during the process.

It must have hurt, but Wen Xun didn’t say a word.

He just stared intently at the unfinished tattoo.

“Bai Shang.”

My name.

He even added a small heart, with two red dots on either side, just like the ones beneath his eyes.

Watching the tenderness in his gaze, I felt a sudden warmth in my chest.

Noticing my attention, Wen Xun glanced up at me.

He smiled slightly and said, “This is a mark just for you, brother. Do you like it?”

---

In his gentle gaze was a hint of caution and hesitation.

I coughed twice, avoiding a direct answer, and changed the subject.

“It’s getting late. Now that your tattoo is done, let’s go. I’ve got other important things to do today.”

With that, I averted my gaze, purposely ignoring the disappointment in his eyes.

Some things, if spoken aloud, might change irreversibly.

So, why say them?

---

Though I changed the subject, I wasn’t lying.

I really did have something important to do.

Wen Xun is the main villain, and he’s hard to reform. So, naturally, I need to find an easier target for redemption.

After half a month of screening with the system, we finally decided on a high school senior named Xu Yan.

He’s a top student with good looks and a cheerful personality.

His future should be bright, but unfortunately, he has a deadbeat father.

A violent gambler.

Not only did his dad beat his mom into the hospital, but he also ran off after racking up massive debts.

Now debt collectors show up at their house daily, and they’ve taken everything they own, which still doesn’t cover the debt.

His mom needs money for medical bills, forcing Xu Yan to skip school to work part-time.

His grades are plummeting.

The system told me that on his way home from his part-time job today, Xu Yan would be beaten up by those debt collectors.

If I can help him out, he might get back on track.

And I’d complete my mission.

With that in mind, I followed the system’s directions to a secluded path Xu Yan would take on his way home.

From a distance, I heard a group of men cursing, mixed with the occasional grunt of pain.