Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 485: Bound To Be Responsible
The medical examination results showed that He Xie’s fainting had just been triggered by the extreme emotional turbulence.
However, upon seeing how horrible his complexion was, He Juan insisted on keeping him for a night at the hospital for further observation. Perhaps it was the instinct of an older brother, when the night deepened, He Xie suddenly caught a high fever and had to be put on IV drips.
Sitting beside He Xie’s bed, He Juan’s gaze lingered on his younger brother’s face, his mind an abyss of emptiness.
The déjà vu that enveloped him right now was unimaginable; he felt as if he had returned to that day nine years ago when their parents were murdered. Back then, he was also like this, staying by He Xie’s side the whole night, simply watching the rise and fall of the little boy’s chest. Nine years had passed since then, yet He Juan oddly felt as if he had reverted to his seventeen years old self, rife with trepidation and uncertainty over the bleak future.
He watched as a droplet of tear slid from the corner of He Xie’s eyes, and as though electrified, he jerked back to awareness and reached out to wipe it away. Yet those tears were neverending, they seeped out of the young man’s eyes again and again as though he was grieving even in his dreams.
He Juan clenched his fists, the rims of his eyes reddening. His breathing grew harsh, and his entire person was akin to a lit fuse on the verge of exploding, solely restrained by the thin tether of sanity.
He had once vowed to keep He Xie safe with his own hands. He had sworn that he would grow powerful enough to shield his brother from all harm, so that he could live a content and ordinary life like anyone else on this planet. And yet here he was, caught in the same torment he had once gone through— only this time, he felt like the agony might be even more insufferable.
As an elder brother, what should he do? What could he do to make He Xie feel better? Could He Xie even recover after losing the people dear to him, not only once but twice?
If He Juan were to take the path he had walked through back then, then his next course of action was—
"Boss."
Chen Youzhi entered the room quietly and called out to him.
He Juan cast him a faint glance and saw that the man’s countenance seemed more somber than usual. He pulled the blanket up to He Xie’s neck before exiting the room, shutting the door softly behind him. "What’s the matter?"
Chen Youzhi handed him a phone that was open to a news article’s page. [The Birth of Mutant Alphas: Is There a Connection to XIU of Xuanlong?]
"This article was posted five minutes ago," Chen Youzhi relayed as he keenly assessed He Juan’s reaction, searching for any hint of emotion but found none. Right now, He Juan’s expression remained inscrutable as he scrolled through the article without nary a fluctuation on his face. "I dispatched a team to investigate, and they sent the news that nearly every news outlet in the country is gearing up to report on this situation. I have told them to suppress it, but we still have to wait and see for certain. At least, your face is not recorded in the videos, Boss." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
He Juan couldn’t discern what he was feeling as he read through the article which subtly guided public opinion to think that XIU was the one behind the mutated Alphas, implying he was creating a new army for his own power. Indeed, if one hadn’t known better, they would have believed that he was the mastermind behind the accident, given how he was acting. However, as the person involved, He Juan only found the whole situation... ridiculous. So much that he couldn’t help but chuckle in a cold, eerie way.
Chen Youzhi was alarmed, but before he could say anything, He Juan handed the phone back to him and spoke in a distant tone, "It’s no use trying to suppress the news. I’m guessing that by tomorrow, I will be all over the headlines. People only believe what they want to, and this..." he glanced at the phone, his gaze chilling. "This kind of news is exactly what people want to hear. Someone is bound to be responsible for all of this mess— it doesn’t matter if they’re really the culprit or not. As long as hundreds of people believe it, even a lie can become an absolute truth."
Chen Youzhi was stunned. He couldn’t believe how composed He Juan was despite the dire circumstances. After all, he was the one who might end up taking the fall! If worse came to worst, he would be a wanted criminal across the whole country!
"Boss, you..." He couldn’t resist offering his own opinion. "You could have avoided this blame by throwing the real culprit out, so why..."
"He is just a thirteen-year-old boy who is still struggling with his manifestation period," He Juan interrupted, startling the other. "Do you think I’m the kind of person who would use a child as a shield to save myself?"
"But..." Chen Youzhi appeared frustrated, still wanting to say more, but He Juan raised a hand to silence him.
"Enough. You shouldn’t be focusing on this right now. Something is amiss with the direction of the news. It’s too specific and fast. I have a feeling that someone is pulling the strings from behind. Go and find out who it is."
Chen Youzhi’s expression darkened at the revelation, and he straightened up. "Roger, Boss!" He turned away, eager to pull the troublemaker out of their burrow, when he suddenly recalled something. He paused on his tracks and faced He Juan once more. There stood He Juan, still with his head lowered in thought, it was unknown what was running through his mind. Despite the corridor being well-lit, Chen Youzhi couldn’t shake off the feeling that He Juan was shrouded in shadows, leaving an unnerving and uneasy feeling on the pit of his stomach.
Before he knew it, he called out, "Boss." When He Juan raised his eyelids and offered him an inquiring look, Chen Youzhi braced himself to ask, "Are you... alright?"
He Juan was taken aback for a brief moment before a faint smile graced his lips. "Of course I am. What could have happened to me?" Now that he had put it like this, Chen Youzhi found himself unable to say anything further. He nodded and turned to go, determined to carry out He Juan’s instructions as soon as possible.
As it turned out, He Juan’s prediction was on point. There was indeed someone controlling the news company behind the scenes, steering them towards a certain narrative they wanted to propagate. Even though a lot of He Juan’s enemies joined in the fray to fuel the chaos, there had to be an instigator at the heart of it all.
In the wee hours the next day, He Juan received a name.
Fang Yazhu.
Well, well, if it was not a close acquaintance of his. A sinister and violent glint flashed through He Juan’s eyes as his pent-up frustration and suffocation, which had simmered within him for hours, finally seemed to find an outlet. Casting a final glance at He Xie who was sleeping restlessly under the influence of medication, He Juan rose from his seat and left the room.
"Send people to watch over He Xie," he ordered Chen Youzhi. "Maintain a proper distance and make sure not to let him know. Give me a call if he wakes up. I will pay a brief visit to Mr. Fang’s residence. I regret not doing this earlier."
