Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)

"XIU, I’m at the airport now," Marius told him as soon as the call was connected. The faint flight announcements and Sirius asking whether he could get another portion of french fries drifted faintly from the background.

"Airport?" He Juan blinked, taken aback. Why would they go to the airport when it was only the second day of the New Year? He Juan wondered whether trouble had arisen when the recollection hit him soon after. Ah, that’s right. Marius was always so humble that He Juan sometimes forgot he had hailed from a prominent mafia clan with terrifying power that had been passed down through generations. And being the leader of such a prominent clan, Marius had to show his face at every family gathering lest the branch family started to think that he had dropped dead somewhere or not interested in the position any longer. "Back to Canada?"

"That’s right," Marius chuckled with a hint of coldness in his tone. "I skipped Thanksgiving last year, and I think some unruly people have started to entertain amusing ideas in their foolish heads. I have to return at least once to straighten them out."

’Blue blood comes with its own problems,’ He Juan mused. He could only pray for the Morningstar clan’s peace. Marius had clearly taught them a lesson so many times, yet there were always some people who thought that they had a chance to replace him as the leader.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" He Juan grumbled in protest. "Had I known, I would have seen the two of you off in the airport."

"That’s precisely the reason why I said nothing," Marius retorted, amused. "It’s just a few days’ trip, so how can I rob you of your rare and precious time with your brother? Anyway, I’m just calling to let you know in case you can’t reach me this week. And also..."

"Hmm?"

He Juan thought that Marius was going to tell him about a new development pertaining to the government’s secret project they had been investigating all this while, and thus he was utterly taken aback when the man said, "Give Mu Yuze a call. I know it will be hard to explain to your brother how you acquired a child when you’re supposed to be busy with your work, but he missed you a lot." Marius’ tone seemed like he was advising He Juan seriously, yet somehow He Juan could imagine the teasing twinkles in his ocean-blue eyes. As if he wanted to set the entire world in chaos, he added with a wistful sigh, "Poor boy..."

He Juan’s heart skipped a beat. "He said that?"

Guilt started to ferment in his heart. He knew it was cruel of him to hide Mu Yuze away as if he was a skeleton in a cupboard, but he truly had no idea how to explain it if He Xie were to ask. He Juan was supposed to have just returned from a business trip overseas, so where would he get the time to take an orphan under his wings? He was afraid that his little brother would start to speculate things, and thus he had gone out of his way to apologize to Mu Yuze the night before he left, saying how he would not be able to contact him at all during the time he was away. And as obedient and sensible he was, Mu Yuze did not raise any questions and merely nodded in acquiescence. But now that He Juan thought about it again...

It seemed like that move had been too... heartless?

He had not even wished the boy a happy new year yet. Mu Yuze couldn’t have possibly thought that He Juan was abandoning him... right?

"No, of course he didn’t," Marius let out a soft chuckle. "He is not the kind of person who would say something like that out loud, you know it. But I am not blind nor is he that hard to read. I can see it in his eyes, XIU."

That only made He Juan feel all the more terrible. "Okay, okay, I know," He Juan palmed his forehead and let out a wry laugh. Goodness, he should have just taken Mu Yuze along with him. They could have agreed beforehand that Mu Yuze was the son of a business partner who decided to tag along with He Juan this year – or any similar scenario. Either way, he was certain that Mu Yuze would know what and what not to say in front of He Xie...

"It’s my fault, okay? I will give him a call— no, I will take him out these next few days to have fun." He Juan clicked his tongue. It was rare for Marius to defend someone so readily and he couldn’t help but comment, "It seems like the boy has grown on you, huh, M? To think that you will take his side so quickly..."

Marius cleared his throat, "You know I always have a soft spot for good children."

Faintly, He Juan could hear Sirius remark in the background, "Are you guys talking about me?!"

After talking with Sirius for a while and reassuring him that yes, they would continue to have fun once he returned from Canada, He Juan hung up on his phone. Sighing, he started the car and drove away from the boarding school, with one of his hands pressing the speed dial to Mu Yuze’s number.

He Juan had planned to hold an emergency meeting in the Xuanlong HQ to discuss the blatant provocation from the traitor Mo Feng, but right now he could not seem to get Mu Yuze’s face out of his mind. He had to hear the boy’s voice, talk to him, and make sure he was not sulking. Otherwise he really would not be able to function properly for work.

The ringtone reverberated in the car as He Juan floored the accelerator harder, leaving a storm of dust and snow on his wake.

Click. The female mechanical voice answered him, "The number you are calling is unavailable..."

He Juan furrowed his brows. Why didn’t Mu Yuze answer the phone? It was already ten am and He Juan knew that the boy was an early riser. Did he sleep in today, perhaps?

He Juan had no idea why, but an ominous premonition suddenly filled his heart, turning his face grim. He sent a short message to Chen Youzhi, and asked him to drop by the apartment as soon as possible to check on Mu Yuze, and after that he re-dialed the boy’s number again.

***

At the same time, in He Juan’s apartment.

The door was wide open and on closer inspection, the password panel had a few holes on them as if bullets had gone through them. Further in, the entire house was in chaos. The shoe cabinet toppled down, and glass fragments scattered across the floor from the broken vase. The usually spotless floor was stained with dirty and messy footprints.

Right now, three men stood in the living room, dressed in black with a cloth mask to cover their faces. One of them had their arm around Mu Yuze’s neck with the other hand clamping the boy’s mouth shut, rendering his struggle futile.

Ugly bruises were spotted on his exposed arms from where he had tried to smash one of the men with a vase, only to be caught by another before he could run out of the door. Half-dried blood smeared half of his face. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the ringing phone in another man’s hand.

The man looked at the phone and a cunning gleam flashed through his eyes. "It’s XIU," he announced to the others.

Upon hearing that, Mu Yuze struggled even harder in a bid to escape, only for the man to tighten his arm around his fragile neck, almost knocking the wind out of his lungs. He let out an inaudible gasp, his face turning red in a flash and his feet thrashing wildly from where they were hanging off the ground. He could not breathe...!

"Finally," the man who was choking him said, laughing wickedly. "Aren’t you happy, kiddo? Your savior is finally here. Answer it," the ordered to the man who was holding the phone.