Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)

Numbly, He Juan ended the call and redialed it again and again. He had no idea why he did it either. Perhaps he was wishing that a miracle would happen and he would hear Jia Molei’s voice from the end of the line, rebuking him for being nosy. Or perhaps he needed something to do – anything – to distract him from the wild scenarios in his mind. Yet until the end, a miracle did not occur. It was still the same mechanical voice that greeted him every single time.

"The number you’re calling is unavailable..."

"The number you’re calling is unavailable..."

Although confused, Su Xieren could guess the severity of the matter from He Juan’s horrible complexion. "That’s weird..." he murmured. "He replied to my message a few hours ago. How come his phone is turned off now?"

He Juan turned to him so fast that his neck issued a crack. "He... replied to you? What did you two talk about?"

"You, of course." Su Xieren furrowed his brows as he elaborated, "I’ve been feeling a little worried because I couldn’t reach him all day long, so I asked Officer Mu about it and he said he would check up on Jia-ge after he got off work. After that, Officer Mu reassured me that everything’s fine. Jia-ge has also replied to my messages and we talked about your condition for a while. I didn’t think too much about it again after that."

Su Xieren pulled out his own phone and showed He Juan his chat history with Jia Molei. Sure enough, Jia Molei had replied to him within one or two minutes. The record showed that it was two hours ago, around the time when Mu Yuze sent the surveillance footage to Kang Guanyu.

What could have happened within these two hours?

’A lot’, a voice within him answered. ’Aren’t you the one who knows best how it feels to fall from Heaven to Hell within the span of minutes?’

He Juan’s fingers shook. An indescribable fear crept into his core at the thought of Jia Molei getting into danger somewhere he did not know. His heart beat erratically in his chest and his back was soaked in cold sweat in no time at all. Dread consumed his entire being, yet at the same time, it also gave birth to a renewed resolution that surged forth out of nowhere.

He no longer wanted to hear bad news about the people he cherished and treasured. He no longer wanted to be the reason for their suffering. He had to do something. He could not just keep still and stay here while the police were hunting his best friend down. He had to—

"I have to go." He Juan made a move to brush past Su Xieren only for his arm to be grabbed.

"Where are you going?" Su Xieren had been closely monitoring the changes in He Juan’s expression and thus he knew that the man was going to attempt something reckless. Anger bled into his tone. "Do you remember what kind of state you’re in right now, da-ge? Tell me what you need to do. I will help you."

"No!" He Juan’s answer was too rushed and frantic, surprising both of them. "No, I..." he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and raked his fingers through his hair, trying to scrap together a semblance of sanity. "I can’t... let you do this, didi. Nobody can, but me."

Su Xieren was stunned by the look in He Juan’s eyes. He had never seen the man look like this before during the years they knew each other. He keenly sensed the slight tremble from where he was grabbing onto He Juan’s arms, yet the man’s eyes were startlingly bright. Molten silvery, almost glowing in an inhumane light. They were filled with nothing but obstinacy, willpower and something else he could not quite describe. Something that compelled Su Xieren to bow down and obey his words without fail.

He Juan grasped his shoulder, his expression grave. "Didi, Xieren, do me a favor. I... I can’t rely on anyone but you. Please."

"W–What is it?" It was wholly uncharacteristic for Su Xieren to stutter, yet both of them were in no capacity to care.

"Stay here and... take care of Mu Yuze." He Juan’s voice almost cracked when he uttered the omega’s name. His grip on Su Xieren shook as agony turned his voice raw. "Take good care of him for me. If... If he wakes up when I haven’t returned yet, tell him not to worry and recuperate well. Watch over him like how you did for me, Xieren. And also tell him..." his jaws clenched and unclenched as he forced out the words through the emotions choking his throat. "Tell him that as long as he is still alive... no, as long as I am still alive, he will always be my home to return to."

Su Xieren’s eyes flew wide in shock. "Da-ge, you..." Why do you sound like you will be gone for a long time?

Taking advantage of Su Xieren’s momentary lapse of attention, He Juan walked past him, grabbed a set of clothes – courtesy of Su Xieren who had returned to the apartment to grab his luggage for him – from the closet and changed out of the hospital gown. When Su Xieren returned to his senses, He Juan already braided his long hair with dexterous fingers and fastened it with a rubber tie.

He walked to Mu Yuze’s bedside and gazed down at him greedily as though he could not get enough. He could almost hear the sound of his heart breaking to pieces like fragile glass being smashed to the floor. It hurt. It hurt so much. Just the mere thought of leaving Mu Yuze when he was in such a condition was already killing him inside. Why...? He had only wished for one thing – to cherish, love and be together with this person until old age. But why was it so difficult? Why did that mundane life seem so far away from He Juan now?

Bending down, He Juan gently tucked Mu Yuze’s soft hair behind his ear and pressed their foreheads together, his eyes falling shut. He spent a few long seconds in that position, just matching his breathing and heartbeat to Mu Yuze’s. "I love you..." he whispered within the lull of their mingled breaths. "Mu Yuze, I love you so, so much..."

Taking in a deep breath, He Juan decisively tore himself away from the omega. It was such a simple and easy movement, yet he wound up breathing heavily as if he had torn open his chest, dug his heart out and left it where Mu Yuze was.

"Da-ge..."

"I’m leaving," He Juan cut him off, not giving Su Xieren any chance to say anything to persuade him. He had already made up his mind. This mess that had taken root from more than seven years ago, this plight that involved the past he had forgotten, he was going to fix it before it could harm the person he loved the most.

He tore his gaze away from Mu Yuze’s face as if tearing his own skin apart, and the eyes that landed on Su Xieren was starting to be rimmed with red. "You’re going to take care of him, will you?"

Su Xieren looked as if he was going to say something else, but in the end, whatever he saw on He Juan’s face had him heaved out a drawn-out sigh and nodded. "I will. You... take care of yourself too, da-ge," he clenched his fists. "And come back... please."

He Juan’s hard features softened by a fraction and his lips curled into a very faint smile. "Of course, didi. I will be back. I promise."

Not giving himself a chance to look at Mu Yuze any longer, He Juan swept out of the room and disappeared from sight within one heartbeat and the next. Behind him, the heartbeat monitor recorded a sudden lurch as though relaying the silent protest from the unconscious patient on the bed.