WARNING: mentions of r*ape

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Feng Yan had no idea that he had just made a decision he would regret for the rest of his life.

Bai Rui still ended up being kidnapped.

Tied up and locked inside a closet, Bai Rui shifted his arms slightly, testing the thick ropes binding him. He sighed inwardly—so fate really did have a way of forcing certain events to happen. No matter how things changed, it seemed he was destined to be taken at least once.

But unlike his past life, where Liu Xue and Feng Yuzheng were the masterminds, this time, the culprit was none other than the supposed heroine—Jiang Peipei.

And the reason behind Jiang Peipei’s scheme? She simply wanted Bai Rui to witness a “spectacle.”

Bai Rui had already ordered Lao Hei to keep a close watch on Jiang Peipei’s actions. He knew exactly what she was planning, but he also had complete confidence in his man. If anything, he was more than happy to play along and watch Jiang Peipei dig her own grave.

Before long, the closet door was yanked open. Bai Rui was swiftly lifted off the ground and pulled into a strong, broad embrace.

The grip around him was tight—so tight that even through his clothes, he could feel the trembling fear in the other person’s body.

His eyes were still covered, making it impossible to see. But the familiar scent surrounding him left no doubt in his mind.

It was Xiao Zhan.

A slow smile curved Bai Rui’s lips as he chuckled softly.

“What took you so long?”

Xiao Zhan carefully removed Bai Rui’s blindfold and untied the ropes around him. When he saw the deep red marks on Bai Rui’s wrists left by the bindings, his gaze darkened, and his hatred for Jiang Peipei intensified.

Earlier that day, Jiang Peipei had asked to meet him. Xiao Zhan had no intention of going, but she claimed to know a “huge secret” about Bai Rui. That was the only reason he agreed to see her.

The moment she walked out, dressed seductively, Xiao Zhan knew her intentions were anything but pure. He had been careful not to touch any of the food or drinks she offered, but he never expected that she would tamper with the perfume she wore.

Even though the scent made him feel sick, his body still reacted to it, burning with an unnatural heat.

In a fit of rage, he slapped the woman away when she tried to lean on him. But the worry in his heart only deepened—he was sure she wouldn’t just target him alone.

Sure enough, when he tried to call Bai Rui, the call wouldn’t go through.

Panic surged through Xiao Zhan. He immediately ordered his men to search for Bai Rui. Fortunately, he had secretly placed trackers in all of Bai Rui’s clothes. That was the only reason he was able to find him so quickly.

Now, as he looked at his lover, bound and locked inside a closet, his heart clenched with both fear and anger.

“Sorry, Xiao Ran, this is all my fault. I was careless, and that’s why you had to go through this. Are you okay”?

Xiao Zhan held Bai Rui tightly, carefully checking him for any injuries. Bai Rui shook his head. Though his body felt weak, he lazily leaned against Xiao Zhan’s chest. However, he frowned slightly and muttered,

“You smell… off.”

Xiao Zhan’s breathing became heavier. The medicine in the perfume hadn’t been neutralized, and though he had been suppressing it out of worry for Bai Rui, now that he was finally holding his lover, the effect surged back with full force.

Unable to resist, he leaned in for a deep kiss. Thankfully, his subordinates were quick-witted enough to close the door behind them.

“You really have no sense of timing—mmph!”

Before Bai Rui could finish his sentence, Xiao Zhan swallowed his words with another kiss. At that moment, Bai Rui finally realized how much his lover was struggling to hold back.

While he was touched by Xiao Zhan’s self-control, he was also furious at Jiang Peipei for daring to use such tricks.

With a sigh, he resigned himself to the situation—choosing the most effective way to help Xiao Zhan deal with the effects.

After several rounds of intense exercise, Xiao Zhan finally felt the effects subside and regained his composure. Bai Rui, breathless and exhausted, leaned against Xiao Zhan’s chest, his body even weaker than before.

“You’re okay now, right?” he asked, his voice laced with fatigue.

Xiao Zhan nodded, pressing a gentle kiss on Bai Rui’s hair, his tone dark as he reassured him,

“I’m fine now. This was my mistake, but don’t worry—I will make that woman and the Feng family pay for this.”

His voice was cold, revealing the ruthless side of him without hesitation, even in front of his beloved. But Bai Rui loved this about him—Xiao Zhan’s gentleness was reserved only for him, while his enemies would face the full force of his mercilessness.

After all, as Lao Hei always said, “A perfect lid for a perfect pot.”

That very night, Jiang Peipei was dragged before Bai Rui. He stepped closer, his voice a soft whisper against her ear.

“Do you know why I played along with your little kidnapping scheme?” His tone was light, almost amused. “It was so you could understand— you will never be worthy of some people. Being personally thrown to a pack of lunatics by the man you desire… unforgettable, isn’t it?”

A chilling dread spread through Jiang Peipei’s heart. In that moment, she finally understood—she had provoked someone she never should have. If she had another chance, she would run far, far away.

But in this world, there were no second chances.

Tossed into a room full of addicts, Jiang Peipei’s terrified screams filled the air, but they did nothing to stop the group of rough, muscular men from closing in. The next time she opened her eyes, her body was broken, and worse—she had contracted a shameful, incurable disease.

The next morning, damning evidence of Feng Yan’s crimes surfaced—proof that he had secretly ordered the poisoning of over a dozen elderly members of the Feng family. The police wasted no time in making their move.

Feng Yan was still completely unaware of the evidence, and the chef also turned against him and offered Feng Yan. What was waiting for Feng Yan was the wall of the prison where he’d spend the rest of his life.

The entire Feng family was controlled by Bai Rui. He naturally had no feelings for Liu Xue and Feng Yuzheng, so Bai Rui left nothing to them.

Liu Xue, who had lost everything, could only live in a small house with Feng Yuzheng. Not long after, she became addicted to gambling again. She took away everything she could use to gamble from the house, and finally, she stole the little savings that Feng Yuzheng had saved hard and ran away, leaving Feng Yuzheng with large gambling debts.

Bai Rui, who watched everything through Lao Hei, smiled; everything was over. The mission of this world had been completed, the fate of the original owner had been reversed, and Lao Hei had also absorbed a lot of world energy.

Bai Rui was walking home, thinking about his beloved waiting for him. He felt that simply staying in this world and living a peaceful life to the end was a kind of happiness.

However, as he walked, a woman wearing a mask suddenly rushed out from the side, holding a glass bottle. She had clearly been lying in wait for a long time and immediately threw the liquid inside the bottle toward Bai Rui.

In that instant, a figure leaped in front of Bai Rui, shielding him tightly.

The sulfuric acid from the bottle splashed out, instantly causing severe burns on the exposed skin of the person who blocked it. Bai Rui’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at the man before him—Feng Yuzheng.

He had already sensed that Jiang Peipei had been lurking in ambush, along with the hurriedly arriving Feng Yuzheng. Though he didn’t know exactly what they intended to do, Bai Rui’s keen instincts would have easily allowed him to dodge the acid. But what he never expected was that Feng Yuzheng would throw himself forward to take the hit in his place.

The bodyguards hidden in the shadows quickly rushed out, subduing the crazed Jiang Peipei. At that moment, Xiao Zhan also arrived, immediately pulling Bai Rui into his arms and repeatedly checking to make sure he was unharmed.

Meanwhile, the female lead was still screaming frantically.

“Feng Ruiran, it’s all your fault that I ended up like this! I’m going to kill you! Kill you!”

A cold glint flashed in Xiao Zhan’s eyes. He gave a subtle signal to his men, and the bodyguards immediately covered Jiang Peipei’s mouth and dragged her away.

“You… why are you here?”

Bai Rui looked at Xiao Zhan with some confusion. Xiao Zhan, after confirming that Bai Rui was truly unhurt, let out a breath of relief and responded.

“I was waiting for you at home when I suddenly felt uneasy, so I came to find you. I never expected something like this to happen. Xiaoran, don’t worry—I’ll take care of that woman. She will never appear in front of you again.”

Bai Rui nodded, then glanced at Feng Yuzheng, who was injured because of him yet remained silent. He pursed his lips.

“I’ll have someone take you to the hospital.”

“No need.”

Feng Yuzheng shook his head but continued to stare at Bai Rui with a dazed expression.

“I can go by myself. Ruiran, I… I love you! Have you ever had even the slightest feeling for me?”

The moment Feng Yuzheng said this, Bai Rui could feel Xiao Zhan’s arms tightening around him. He gently patted Xiao Zhan in reassurance before turning to Feng Yuzheng and saying,

“But Feng Ruiran doesn’t love you. Feng Ruiran has only ever seen you as an older brother. Yet, what have you done to him behind his back? Do I need to list them one by one?”

Bai Rui referring to “Feng Ruiran” instead of “I” was his way of answering on behalf of the original soul. No matter whether Feng Yuzheng had acted intentionally or unintentionally in the past, he was responsible for the original soul’s downfall—ruined, disgraced, and ultimately meeting a tragic end. He had long lost the right to ask such a question.

Feng Yuzheng closed his eyes and let out a bitter laugh. Yes, he had already lost everything—what right did he have to fight for love? This person… he would never be able to have him.

With one final deep look at Bai Rui, Feng Yuzheng turned around and left. From that moment on, he was never seen again. No one knew where he had gone.

But in an unknown rental apartment in a small, unremarkable city, a man with burn scars on his face would occasionally take out a photograph of a young man, gently stroking it over and over again.

He would think—if he hadn’t let jealousy drive him to assist Liu Xue in harming Xiao Ling, if he hadn’t used any means necessary to try and possess the person he loved, would that young man still be by his side today, smiling softly and calling him “Brother” with warmth in his voice?

After completely settling matters with the Feng family, Bai Rui lived a smooth and peaceful life. With Xiao Zhan by his side, he never had to worry about anything.

Xiao Zhan made their marriage public. After taking over the Ye family, he also carefully groomed a successor early on, allowing the two of them to retire at a young age.

However, instead of traveling the world in retirement, they cherished their time together. Most of their days were spent nestled in their warm little apartment.

During the day, they would eat and take walks together. At night, they often cuddled up to watch movies, softly whispering their love for each other. Their life was simple, warm, and filled with quiet happiness until the very end.

Xiao Zhan was, after all, ten years older than Bai Rui. Though he took great care of his health, by the time he reached eighty, his body had reached its limit.

On his deathbed, he clutched Bai Rui’s hand tightly, his eyes fixed on him. He wanted to speak, but no words would come.

“Don’t worry! I won’t let you walk this path alone. On the road to the afterlife, I’ll be right there with you.”

Bai Rui smiled gently and placed a soft kiss on Xiao Zhan’s lips. Only then did Xiao Zhan finally close his eyes.

With a tender touch, Bai Rui brushed over Xiao Zhan’s eyebrows. In this life, being able to love and stay by his beloved’s side was more than enough for him.

Leaning contentedly against Xiao Zhan’s embrace, Bai Rui took his last breath as well.

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TN:

Onto the next arccccc (⁠ᗒ⁠ᗩ⁠ᗕ⁠)