Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)

The driver politely opened the door on He Juan’s side. Getting off, He Juan straightened his suit and gave an immaculate smile toward the white-haired doctor, "Doctor Zhang, thank you so much for making time for us amidst your busy schedule. I have heard so much about you."

"So have I," the doctor surnamed Zhang let out a hearty chuckle, his eyes warm and gentle. "I never expected the day would come when I could finally meet the infamous XIU face-to-face..."

’Infamous XIU?’ Mu Yuze mouthed the words quietly from where he was hiding behind He Juan’s back, the large fur hood covering his face from sight. He keenly sensed an underlying meaning behind the doctor’s words, yet he just could not put a finger to it. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

He Juan did not show too much reaction to that though, his smile was still as impeccable as ever. "Shall we?" He gestured to the elevator and it was only then that Mu Yuze noticed he had slipped on a pair of leather gloves.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised. When did He Juan do that? He recalled that the man’s hands were still bare inside the car...

They stepped into the elevator one by one with Jia Molei and Doctor Zhang in front, while he and He Juan slightly on the back. Soon after the door closed, a subtle atmosphere spread in the enclosed space, causing creases to form between Mu Yuze’s brows. As he watched the number on the panel going up, something finally clicked in his mind.

It’s Jia Molei!

He had gotten so used to the doctor scowling and hurling out curses as easily as breathing in air that he couldn’t react for a moment when the man suddenly became taciturn and amicable as now. And it was not only him, He Juan too... despite the smile on his face, Mu Yuze could tell that it was just there for the sake of politeness. He had seen He Juan’s genuine smiles enough to point out the fakes at a glance.

What was wrong? Why were both of them putting on such an act as if... they were keeping their guard up against something? Was it because this doctor surnamed Zhang was present?

The cloud of confusion was ever present in Mu Yuze’s mind even after the elevator let out a soft ding and opened at the sixth floor. "This way," Doctor Zhang beckoned to them with a smile as he began to walk down the corridor.

Mu Yuze had just taken one step out of the elevator when he sensed He Juan tugging his hood even lower to the point where he could only see his own feet. After that, the man grasped his wrist and led him to follow behind Doctor Zhang and Jia Molei. Along the way, they bumped into one or two people but Mu Yuze was unable to see anything with the hood blocking his vision.

He Juan was doing this because he did not want his face to be seen, he belatedly realized. But why?

Soon, they arrived at Doctor Zhang’s office and it was not until the door was closed behind them that Jia Molei let out a huge sigh and cursed under his breath, "Fuck, this is why I hate public hospitals..."

He Juan cleared his throat. "Language, Doctor Jia."

After that, he turned to Mu Yuze and let out a small ’pfft’ when he saw the boy still standing obediently with the large fur hood over his head. Amused yet also slightly guilty, He Juan went to lift the hood for him to reveal the boy’s adorably sulky face. "Sorry for that, Xiao Ze. You didn’t feel stifled, right?"

Mu Yuze huffed and shook his head.

"Oh, so this is the patient?" Doctor Zhang smiled and waved at Mu Yuze kindly. "Come here and let me take a look at you, kid. What’s your name?"

Mu Yuze snuck a hesitant glance at He Juan as though asking permission, sending a spark of joy blooming across He Juan’s heart. Just look at how endearing this boy was! Unable to resist a smile, he patted Mu Yuze’s head and told him, "Go. Just follow Doctor Zhang’s instructions and you will be fine. He is the most renowned ophthalmologist in this hospital. I’m sure you will be in good hands."

Mu Yuze furrowed his brows. "...What about you?" Why did he sound like he was going to leave Mu Yuze here all alone?

"Ah, me?" He made eye contact with Jia Molei and grimaced. "Gege needs to take care of something. By the way, how long will the examination last, Doctor Zhang?"

"One hour at most," the doctor smiled. "I can’t possibly make you wait, can I?"

"Oh no, please. Take as much time as you need. What’s most important is that we can finally learn more about Xiao Ze’s condition from a specialist, right?" He Juan patted Mu Yuze’s shoulder and told him gently, "Gege will come back to fetch you after your examination is over. Until then, can you manage by yourself, Xiao Ze?"

’No. Stay, please...’ he wished to say. ’Don’t leave me alone here. What if you don’t come back?’

Alas, under He Juan’s expectant stare, he could only force himself to nod, "Mn."

He Juan gave his shoulder a little squeeze as if offering a silent comfort. But in the end, he still let go and stepped back, leaving nothing but the lingering warmth of his touch that would soon fade into nothingness.

"I will come back in an hour," he told Doctor Zhang with a hint of hidden warning in his tone. "You will take good care of my little brother in the meantime, won’t you, Doctor Zhang?"

The old doctor, having seen too much in his life, was utterly undeterred by the low pressure He Juan exuded. His smile was as amicable and gentle as ever as he nodded, "Please do not worry. I can even swear on my life if you need me to, Mr. Xiu."

"Thank you," He Juan nodded. He took one last look at Mu Yuze before turning around and walking out of the office with Jia Molei hot on his trail.

Again, they stepped into the elevator that would carry them to the underground floor and it was not until they got into the car that Jia Molei clicked his tongue and commented, "How cruel of you, XIU."

"Hmm?"

"Laying out traps at the same time as taking the brat out for an eye examination... I swear, no one has bigger guts than you to attempt such a crazy thing." Jia Molei shook his head, half in awe and half in exasperation. "Aren’t you afraid that something will go wrong and he will be implicated?"

"Afraid?" He Juan raised an amused brow. "With you and Old Huang here, what do I have to be afraid of?"

Jia Molei merely rolled his eyes at that exaggerated praise. Meanwhile, Huang Zhiyan – the driver of the night – rubbed his face and cursed under his breath, laughing, "Boss, you’re giving me too much credit."

"Okay, enough talking. How many people are following the decoy?" He Juan asked.

Jia Molei tinkered with his tablet. A bloodthirsty and excited smile slowly formed across his face. "Six cars... so that’s more or less thirty people there. Two have already noticed something off and are making a turnaround. Fuck, your enemies are as enthusiastic as ever, XIU. Couldn’t they just stay at home and sleep under the warm blanket in this freezing morning?!" Even though he said that, he was already rolling up his sleeves, showcasing his muscular arms that were inked with tattoos.

He Juan let out a chilling laugh, a gleam of killing intent flashing through his silver eyes. "Thirty people, huh... well, let’s make it fast. I don’t want to keep Xiao Ze waiting."