Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)

"Ah? Ge, your stomach is hurting? Is there something wrong with the noodles earlier?" the officers asked in worry.

Tak Jung-Hwa’s acting skill was so convincing that even the other men did not think that anything was wrong with it. Only the sharpest officer had a slightly doubtful look on his face, but for fear of ruining Tak Jung-Hwa’s plans, he wisely kept his mouth shut and let others do the talk.

Placing his hand on his stomach, Tak Jung-Hwa gave a half-laugh and half-grimace. "It’s my fault for putting in so much chili powder earlier..."

Little Guo finally concluded whatever calculation was in his mind and gestured for Tak Jung-Hwa to follow him. "There is a toilet in the back. Come with me, I will take you there."

"Okay," Tak Jung-Hwa chirped with a relieved look on his face.

He was not worried about leaving the other four behind. After all, they had finally entered Master Cui’s lair, whom they had suspected as Cui Yan, the former member of Xuanlong. The five of them had been working together day and night for the past few weeks, their cooperation and tacit understanding had improved significantly. Tak Jung-Hwa trusted that they would be able to do some snooping around before he returned.

Meanwhile, the two of them circled around the statue to find a narrow corridor behind it which led to the back of the building. So narrow that they could only walk with one in front while the other followed behind – automatically, Tak Jung-Hwa could only trail after the youth.

There was a door to the side that seemed to be a storage room – judging from the bundles of joss papers he had seen through the crack of the door.

Both of their footsteps were equally brisk and light, almost soundless like a cat. If not because they could see each other, it would look like they were the only one walking through this corridor. Tak Jung-Hwa lowered his gaze and saw that the cement floor was very clean without a speck of dust at all. "Isn’t it hard? To clean up this temple all by yourself?" He struck up a conversation.

In front of him, Little Guo tensed for a split second before relaxing again. It was so brief that Tak Jung-Hwa would have missed it had he not fixed his attention on the young man all the time. "It’s okay."

Still such a curt answer, Tak Jung-Hwa chuckled silently.

"How long have you been a disciple of Master Cui?"

"Not very long."

Tak Jung-Hwa barked out a laugh, his tone teasing. "So vague. How long is ’not very long’?"

They emerged from the corridor to see a small wooden shed that was separated from the temple building by two meters. An old bicycle was leaning near the door. It should be where Little Guo had been staying all this while. However, they did not walk toward the wooden shed, but directly turned left toward an outdoor bathroom. Two cubicles were lining side by side, each with the sign for men and women. There was even a donation box on the wall that was half-filled with copper coins and small bills.

"Here," Little Guo pointed toward the men’s cubicle. His attempt to ignore Tak Jung-Hwa’s previous question was very valiant. "Go and take care of your business."

But Tak Jung-Hwa was not in a hurry. He had determined that Little Guo must not be anyone ordinary, judging by his miniscule body language and micro expressions. Nonetheless, everything was just his assumption. And the main point that strengthened his hypothesis was the memorial tablet under the statue’s feet. He reckoned that the year of that person’s death must not be a coincidence – at the very least, it must have something to do with Xuanlong. And whatever it was, Little Guo would surely know something.

Tak Jung-Hwa slipped his hand into his pockets and looked at the mixed-race young man before him with a tilted smile, "Little guy... of all the people in this world, why did you have to go and become Master Cui’s disciple? Do you know what kind of person he actually is?"

Little Guo stared at him with an unimpressed look. His blue eyes were the color of sky before a violent storm, obscure and dark.

"I mean..." he raised a brow, unperturbed. "Look at you. You’re such an exquisite and beautiful young man. Be careful... there are a lot of perverts out there who would be interested in buying you just based on your appearance alone, you know?"

"Like you?" Little Guo retorted sharply. However, even though he said that, his cheeks were dusted in light pink. Against his extremely fair skin, any color would stand out no matter how faint it was.

Oh? So this little guy can be shy too? A deep and pleasant laugh rumbled out of Tak Jung-Hwa’s throat, his peach blossom eyes were overflowing with flirtatious charm and he even gave a playful wink. "Aigoo, I will be honest, then. Who can refuse someone like you? It’s too bad that I am poor and my salary is only enough for me to get by each month."

Little Guo gnashed his teeth. He looked seconds away from bashing Tak Jung-Hwa on his perverted head. "...Your stomach is not hurting anymore?"

"Eh? It really doesn’t hurt anymore!" Tak Jung-Hwa feigned surprise, which earned him a big eye roll from the youth this time. He couldn’t help but chuckle in amusement. Then without any warning, his tone suddenly dropped low, and a sharp gleam flashed through his eyes. "But on a serious note, I am really, really interested in you, little guy..."

Tak Jung-Hwa sharply took in every minute reaction of the mixed-race youth. He watched as Little Guo’s eyes quickly darted toward the direction of the wooden fences draped in thick ivy and foliage, and his body tensed as though preparing to escape.

What was in there? A hidden back door? Tak Jung-Hwa mused.

Unfortunately, no matter how capable he might appear to be, even if he had received special training before, at the end of the day he was just an eighteen years old brat. In front of Tak Jung-Hwa who got years of rich experience of being in life-and-death battles and also one of the most elite agents of Interpol, the youth’s tricks were akin to child play. Innocent, transparent and pure. Tak Jung-Hwa could see through them in a glance.

Alas, he did not wish to spook the child – at all. After all, he could not sense any malicious intent from him. That’s why he tried to talk to him alone instead of taking him back to the police station right away. At most, Little Guo would only be a crucial witness. A crucial witness he needed to track XIU down. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Master Cui’s real name is Cui Yan, isn’t it? A Beta, 54 years old. He used to be a member of Xuanlong..." Little Guo’s eyes snapped to him, utterly shocked. Tak Jung-Hwa kept a cordial smile on his face, and his tone softened as if coaxing a wild animal. "You know who he is, don’t you? And the reason why you’re staying in this place... is it because of your deceased brother, Marius Morningstar?" Tak Jung-Hwa’s pronunciation was excellent, the name slipped off his tongue smoothly akin to rich and velvety chocolate.

It took Little Guo approximately three seconds to regain his composure. After that, his expression promptly cooled down, and the gaze directed toward Tak Jung-Hwa contained a hint of hostility. "You’re the police." It was a matter-of-fact statement.

Tak Jung-Hwa’s smile deepened. Now they are finally talking.