Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 429: Chocolate Chips And Matcha
Not to kill him?
He Juan had been dying to get Mo Feng in his hands, to peel off his skin inch by inch and prolong his death into a slow and agonizing torment. So how was it possible for He Juan to let him go just like that?!
Yet, if they let this chance slip away, would they miss out on crucial information? How did Mo Feng come to know about the existence of this secret facility, something even Ye Qiu was unaware of? In the very first place, how did he discover the government’s project? Or had he always known all along?
Mo Feng’s presence raised so many questions in He Juan’s mind, but he was not confident that he would not snap once the man was standing before him.
In the end, he was unable to come to a decision, and Marius gently shooed him away, "For now, go home and rest. Take a few more days to think it over. Whatever choice you make in the end, I will respect it. Besides, it’s not like we can only rely on Mo Feng alone for intels, right? Even without him, we will be able to find this facility just fine," Marius told him with an understanding smile, and Ye Qiu also nodded in agreement.
"You guys..." He Juan was helpless yet overwhelmed at the same time at the level of trust they had put in him.
How could he not realize that Mo Feng was their best and quickest means to capture the ringleader of the omega trafficking channel? Yes, they might eventually reach their goal without Mo Feng’s assistance, but how long would it take? What if they missed the timing and caused the ringleader to escape again?
He Juan couldn’t help but feel bad for his two partners. Marius was offering to help out of the kindness in his heart when he had his own territory and responsibilities to take care of — a burden much larger than they could have imagined. And the longer this operation dragged on, the more taxing it would be for Marius.
Moreover, Ye Qiu would soon turn eighteen and officially became an adult. He Juan had secretly resolved to end this madness before then. He wanted to give her the normal life she deserved, along with the other children. Everyone was growing up rapidly and needed to attend school. It would be best if they could experience real society, and be surrounded by kind people who wouldn’t persecute them for crimes they had never committed.
But for that to happen, he would have to show mercy on Mo Feng. He had to break the vow he made to Ma Ping and Old Liu.
Could he do it?
Distraught by this inner conflict, He Juan made his way home. He quietly entered the dark house and toed off his shoes, careful not to wake Mu Yuze up. However, before he could even go inside, his sleeve ended up caught in the door handle, resulting in his collar almost choking him.
This was by no means an unusual occurrence, but for He Juan, who was already seething in anger and frustration, this became the last straw that broke the camel’s back and he directed his brutal rage towards the innocent door handle.
"Fuck!" Staring at the broken handle lying on the floor, He Juan squatted down and cradled his head, wishing that he could bash himself to the nearest wall. He hissed in a low voice, "What the hell am I doing..."
"Juan-gege?"
A tentative call came from the house, followed by the soft pitter-patter of approaching footsteps. "I heard some noises. Is there something—" Mu Yuze’s eyes flew wide in shock when he discovered He Juan crouching in front of the door and he hurriedly rushed forward, flustered. "W–What’s wrong? Do you feel ill somewhere? Are you hurt?!"
He Juan silently peered up at the boy, and all of a sudden, an uncontrollable urge overwhelmed him. He buried his face into the crook of his arm and released a heavy sigh, "That’s right, I am hurt..."
Mu Yuze’s face paled when he heard those words. He hovered around He Juan, unsure of where to touch. "Where are you hurt? Should we go to the hospital right now?!"
Still not looking up, He Juan answered with his voice muffled, "No, there’s no need to go to the hospital. Why are you still awake at such a late hour? It’s already past midnight, isn’t it?"
"Juan-gege!" Mu Yuze cried out in frustration. After a moment of hesitation, he mustered up his courage and reached out to grasp He Juan’s arm, helping him to his feet. His eyes anxiously scanned He Juan’s body, searching for any signs of injury. "Can you walk? If not, you can lean on me. Let’s get you inside first, okay?"
"Okay," He Juan smoothly took advantage of the situation and rested his cheek on top of Mu Yuze’s head like a boneless limpet, allowing the boy to drag him into the house. He couldn’t help but chuckle softly at the evident concern and anxiety on the boy’s face, as well as his careful words of guidance. "There’s a step in front of you. Be careful not to trip. We’re almost in the living room. Hang in there... we’re almost there."
As soon as He Juan settled on the couch, he let out a groan and tilted his head up, staring up at the ceiling in thought.
Mu Yuze stared at him with worry, and his gaze briefly lingered on the column of He Juan’s neck, the masculine swell of his jugular as well as the glimpse of smooth honey skin peeking out through the skewed collar. However, as soon as he realized what he was doing, he hastily tore his eyes away the next second. Now was not the time to be mesmerized by the man’s charm!
"A–Are you okay, Juan-gege?" He asked nervously. "You really don’t want to go to the hospital or... Doctor Jia’s clinic?"
He Juan let out a brief chuckle, his silver eyes twinkling in mirth, "There’s really no need. Geez, how can our Xiao Ze be so gullible?"
"You..." Mu Yuze gaped at him in sheer disbelief and incredulity. "You’re lying?!" To think that he had been worried to death!
"Well, I am indeed hurt. My head, it is." He pinched his brows with a pained look. "I’m in dire need of Xiao Ze’s comfort tonight. Can you please spare Gege this time?"
Mu Yuze’s face flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. He was frustrated at how easily he was teased, but when he recalled the state he had found He Juan in, his heart immediately went soft. It seemed like He Juan was in an extremely bad mood tonight. Biting his lower lip, he took a deep breath and braced himself to ask, "W–What can I do for you?
"Wait, really?" He Juan’s eyes lit up with delight. "Then how about some ice cream? It seems like you can’t sleep either, so let’s watch a movie together, just the two of us, okay?"
Now that He Juan had made such a sweet plea, how could Mu Yuze resist? Letting out a helpless sigh, he went to the kitchen and returned with two buckets of ice cream – chocolate chips for He Juan and matcha for himself. When he entered the living room, He Juan had already set up the movie and patted the seat beside him. "Come here, Xiao Ze!"
In the dimly lit living room, the TV screen cast a soft glow, highlighting the contours of He Juan’s profile and making his features appear softer. His silver eyes glimmered like molten copper, reflecting the lights as if thousands of stars had converged within them.
Hmph, did he have to be so dashing even in the middle of the night?
With a huff, Mu Yuze walked over and handed the ice cream to He Juan before taking his seat beside the man.
Mu Yuze faintly registered that the movie playing at that moment was an old film starring the legendary actor Li Lianjie. Alas, fifteen minutes passed by and he still could not concentrate on anything. He Juan’s warmth beside him was akin to little needles prickling his skin, making him feel self-conscious. He mechanically scooped ice cream into his mouth, one spoonful after another, until he could no longer bear the silence.
"So," he swallowed the icy and mildly sweet taste down his throat and fixed his gaze on the television. "Is something troubling you, Juan-gege?"
"Ha..." He Juan sighed again. The reminder of Mo Feng’s request still ignited anger in his heart, but at least he did not feel as horrible anymore with the sweet ice cream and Mu Yuze by his side. Alas, let alone talk, he did not even want to think about it for fear of spoiling the tranquil atmosphere between them.
Instead, he lowered himself on the couch until he could rest his head on Mu Yuze’s shoulder, causing the boy to freeze in shock with one of his cheeks puffing with ice cream.
Mu Yuze: "...!"
"This feels nice..." He Juan murmured, closing his eyes and smiling. "Why is it that I always feel so calm when I’m around you, Xiao Ze?"
