He Juan crushed the piece of paper in his hand and shoved it back into his pocket before anyone could see it, his expression turning grim.

The instance where people bumped into him on the street had never happened before, not with how cautious and alert he was.

In hindsight, he should have been able to step aside in the nick of time to evade such an accident. But he reasoned that he had been too caught off guard by Mu Yuze’s fury. He knew that he had said too much – despite the words coming sincerely from the bottom of his heart – knew that Mu Yuze definitely would not believe him and would take it as another form of teasing.

But what he did not expect... was the rising panic and fluster he felt when the boy took his leave.

At that time, He Juan seemed to have lost the ability to think and his instinct pushed him to chase after the boy, to apologize, to... to do anything – as long as the boy would not be angry with him anymore. Amidst the bustling street, Mu Yuze’s thin and slender back was all he could see. He Juan was just one step away from tugging the boy back when he sensed someone rapidly heading in his direction. And then, the rest was history.

Now, what should he do about this secret SOS note? Ignoring it was definitely not an option because he had a hunch that the other person seemed to know who he was...

"What is this place...?" he heard Mu Yuze wonder out loud, sounding simultaneously confused, awed and bewildered.

He Juan raised his head and saw that Mu Yuze was staring at the scene in front of him, wide-eyed and jaws slack. He resisted the urge to smile and ruffle the boy’s hair. Jia Molei’s clinic tended to give such an impression to the clients who came here for the first time.

From outside, the building might look like an extravagant mansion that belonged only to people in the upper ladder of society. But only after coming in would they realize that ’extravagant’ and ’luxurious’ was not suitable to describe the place at all.

Once they stepped through the front door, all they could find was a bare open space that utterly lacked any furniture or decoration that could make a living room. Instead, there were a few partition screens that divided the place into several areas. From where they were standing, they could see the waiting area that was interspersed with small couches and folding chairs, the emergency treatment area where a few sterile beds, IV stands, and medical trays were, and lastly the grand staircase leading to the second floor where patients were kept in the single rooms.

No wonder Mu Yuze was baffled. Only God knew what kind of scenario the boy already concocted inside his head.

"Why are you so surprised?" Jia Molei harrumphed and gave He Juan a stinky side eye. "Did this guy not tell you what this place is all about?"

He Juan cleared his throat awkwardly. It seemed like... he had indeed forgotten to inform Mu Yuze?

Next, Mu Yuze’s bewildered gaze shifted to him, forcing a dry laugh out of He Juan’s throat. "Ah, I’m sorry for not telling you, Xiao Ze. This is Doctor Jia’s private clinic." Only after he said those words did he realize that he had not told Mu Yuze about his real identity yet. What if the boy asked why they did not go to a public hospital instead? Should He Juan just tell him everything right here and now?

Just as he was mulling over his choices, Mu Yuze let out a little ’oh’ and averted his gaze.

That’s it...? He did not have any other questions?

He Juan blinked, a tad bewildered. Sometimes the boy would be an open book and He Juan did not even have to think to guess what was running through his mind, but on rare occasions, Mu Yuze seemed... closed-off and distant. It made He Juan feel uncomfortable. He’d rather Mu Yuze bombard him with questions rather than staying silent and unreadable like this.

"Okay, come with me." Jia Molei’s command spared him from having to make a decision. The doctor pointed at Mu Yuze, because of course he would. "You first, kiddo. XIU, just wait until I summon you."

Mu Yuze pointed at his own nose, eyes wide and unblinking. He Juan was amused at how he could look both bewildered and affronted at the same time.

"Ah, I will come with him." He Juan finally came to the boy’s rescue and patted his head lightly with a chuckle. This worked just in his favor, he could get another check-up while offering the same to Mu Yuze. Save him from thinking of ways to get the boy’s injuries treated in the hospital. "We come in one package, Doctor Jia. Buy one get one free. Isn’t that right, Xiao Ze?" He turned to give Mu Yuze a conspiratorial wink.

Alas, neither Mu Yuze nor the doctor got his joke at all. Instead, they looked wholly unimpressed.

"Whatever," Jia Molei shrugged with a roll of his eyes. "Then come with me, both of you."

He Juan happily agreed. After asking Chen Youzhi to wait for a while, he placed his palm behind the small of Mu Yuze’s back and led him toward the grand staircase. It was not until both Chen Youzhi and Jia Molei were out of earshot that Mu Yuze hurriedly tugged on the hem of his sleeve.

"Hmm?" He Juan bent down on his waist to let Mu Yuze whisper into his ear. "What’s wrong, Xiao Ze?"

Mu Yuze hissed in a low voice, "I can understand what you are here for, but... what about me?!"

The boy’s exhale softly fanned the side of his neck, spreading a ticklish sensation all over his skin. He Juan distractedly scratched the itchy spot and turned to give Mu Yuze a dark smile, not realizing how close their faces were right now.

"Mu Yuze, you are not planning to go to the hospital, are you?"

Mu Yuze’s black-blue eyes widened, enabling He Juan to see his own self reflected within. The boy took a step backward to create some distance between them and stuttered out, "W–Why should I?"

Sure enough, this would be Mu Yuze’s answer. Even though He Juan had already expected it, he was not any happier. On the contrary, he felt even more distressed. Just what was it about this boy that made his heart ache so? He stared intently at the dark bruise blooming on Mu Yuze’s cheek and his hand reached out without him realizing, thumb grazing softly across the soft skin.

"Doesn’t this hurt? Hmm?"