Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 497: Turn Me In!
He Juan did not know how he managed to reach the car when He Xie’s voice kept echoing in his mind again and again like a relentless curse. It was not until he heard the soft pitter patter of raindrops tapping against the car’s window did he realize that it was drizzling outside.
In a rush, he recalled He Xie who had walked out of the funeral parlor without carrying anything but a phone and wallet on his body. He swiftly retrieved his phone, intending to dial He Xie’s number, but his hand froze midway.
Would He Xie even pick up if he were to call now?
Perhaps not. Most likely not. With that thought in mind, He Juan hesitated for a brief second and decided to send a message instead: [Where are you? It’s raining.]
He Juan experienced the longest eight minutes in his life before he got a reply, [I bought an umbrella.]
His reply was curt and decisive, and the implication behind it was clear— he did not wish to be found. He Juan could very well ask his men to track down He Xie’s whereabouts through the GPS signal on his phone, but... would he? Could he go through with it after the blunder he had made earlier? What if He Xie found out and grew even more incensed at him?
He Juan slumped against the seat and massaged his throbbing temple. He did not know. He truly did not know how to face He Xie right now, what kind of tone he should use, from which angle he should tackle the problem. This was the first time he had ever had a sibling quarrel – a serious one at that! – and He Juan found himself at an utter loss of how to proceed.
In the end, he decided that maybe... he should give He Xie some time and space. Charging ahead recklessly to mend their relationship would not do them any good, and He Juan knew better than to exacerbate the situation. He typed out a message after much contemplation, [Don’t let yourself go hungry. If you need anything, call me.] Along with the message, he transferred five thousand RMB to He Xie’s account.
This time, He Xie no longer replied and He Juan could only toss his phone aside with a heavy sigh.
Whenever he closed his eyes, he could see He Xie’s resentful gaze as if the very image had been burned into his mind and imprinted on the back of his eyelids. "You’re supposed to be my Ge..."
The words wrapped around his throat like a poisonous vine, constricting and suffocating him until he could not breathe properly. That’s right, he was He Xie’s Ge. He needed to do something to atone for all of the loneliness and pain he had unknowingly caused He Xie all these years.
He Juan started the car, almost as if he was daydreaming, and maneuvered it out of the parking lot, breaking into the curtain of light drizzle that veiled the outside world.
He arrived in Marius’ villa an hour later. It might only be his imagination speaking, but he felt as though the entire building was shrouded in a dark and somber aura. Or it could also be because of the overcast sky above. Only God knew how long Ye Qiu and the others had been waiting for him, because as soon as He Juan stepped through the entrance, six pairs of eyes snapped to him, filled with nervousness, apprehension, and also another emotion, one that He Juan knew all too well.
Fear.
They were staring at him in fear.
He Juan couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of expression he was making right now, for all of his attention was fixated on Ye Hu. The teenager stepped forward tentatively, as if searching for words but unsure to begin. His face was pallid, eyes bloodshot, and his entire person seemed haggard as though he had not slept ever since. Gone was the jovial boy who used to fill the room with laughter, who was the moodmaker within the group, and what remained was only a weary and disheveled figure.
"You’re supposed to be my Ge..."
Unbeknownst to He Juan, strands of pheromones oozed out of his body, carrying the scent of whiskey and rosewood. Yet instead of giving off a warm and seductive air, they were now brimming with murderous intent. The air grew heavy with their presence as if the very oxygen had been sucked away, suffocating each breath. They were akin to sharp and unsheathed swords, surrounding his body and pointing at the teenager before him.
"You’re supposed to be my Ge..."
Ye Hu’s expression twisted into one of sheer terror as he subconsciously took a step back, tears filling his eyes. He choked on a whimper, "Please..."
He Juan took in the scene before him, yet not even a single ripple could be found on his cold and detached expression. He felt as if he was drifting through a surreal dream where he was merely a bystander watching over everything from the sidelines. The person standing there, his life and death, was none of his business. He had caused great agony to He Xie, had killed He Xie’s lover, and for that, He Juan was going to make him suffer a thousand fold.
He Xie’s words echoed relentlessly in his mind, blurring his reasoning and intensifying the numbing ache in his heart. Take your revenge, a voice within him whispered. Bring him before A–Xie and beg for his forgiveness.
His frenzied state lasted until Ye Qiu rushed forward to pull Ye Hu behind her. She dropped to her knees before He Juan. "Just... Just turn me in!" She rasped out, her voice gratingly hoarse, yet her eyes held unwavering conviction. "Hand me over to the police and clear your name. Ye Hu, he... he is still too young. He can’t control his pheromones yet, but I am different! I am strong, and I can bear it even if I have to stay behind the bars for decades!"
It was apparent that this thought had been fermenting in her mind for quite some time.
As though Ye Qiu’s words had shattered the frozen spell in the air, the others immediately reacted.
Ye Gu knelt down beside Ye Qiu. Though he was barely fifteen in age, there was a mature steadfastness in his eyes as he offered himself, "No, turn me in instead. Ye-jiejie needs to take care of the others and I... I am the best choice for this." He was the Alpha who was undergoing manifestation when He Juan encountered him for the first time. Aside from Ye Hu and Ye Qiu, it could only be him.
"What the fuck are you two saying?!" Ye Hu’s voice cracked, tears cascading down his face as he tried to pull them up from their kneeling position to no avail. "I am the one who should be going to jail! I am the one who killed them! It’s me! Please..." his body was wracked with sobs. "Don’t do this... I beg you..."
The other three also dropped to their knees before He Juan, even knocking their foreheads to the ground. Their cries were filled with pleas, begging for the mercy of the man before them. "Please... we beg you, XIU. Don’t take them away... don’t tear our family apart!"
Ye Qiu admonished them harshly, though she looked like she was desperately holding back tears as well. "Get up, all of you! This has nothing to do with you!"
He Juan drew in a sharp breath. He blinked away the haze in his eyes, feeling as if someone had yanked his head out of the water. And just like that, all of the muted emotions he had fervently tried to suppress came bursting out like a damn, threatening to engulf him in its torrential wave. He staggered backward, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. The lethal pheromones around him dissipated without a trace, leaving only an icy chill in the air.
Sweeping his gaze over the six not-yet-adults kneeling before him, He Juan’s blood ran cold. No...
This... This was not what he wanted. This had never been his intention. At all. He could not believe what he had just attempted to do. Could not believe that he had raised his own pheromones against them, forcing them into a desperate corner.
But what should he do? What was he supposed to do?!
Intense nausea churned in his stomach and he shut his eyes, taking in a deep shuddering breath. "I’m sorry..." he heard himself saying in a hoarse voice. "All of you, just... just stay here. I will see what I can do." Leaving behind that sentence, He Juan fled from that place like the coward he was.
He slipped into the car, slammed the door shut and drove away as if a horde of demons were hot on his trail, as if the ground behind him was breaking apart. He ground his jaws so hard that he tasted blood in his mouth, and an unprecedented panic consumed his senses. What have you done, He Juan? What have you just done?! If not for Ye Qiu interfering in time, he would have...
He Juan tightened his grip on the wheel, so much that his knuckles turned white. His harsh breathing filled the enclosed space, resembling a wounded beast trapped in a thorn cage, struggling and thrashing around to no avail. He felt as if something was slipping through his fingers, as if his body and mind was no longer his own. And it terrified him to know that he could commit unforgivable mistakes in the grip of such emotions.
He had to seek advice. He had to find someone who could help him—
That’s right, Marius!
If anyone could provide He Juan with the best advice, it was Marius. He would surely know what was the right course of action in this kind of situation!
He Juan quickly pulled over to the side of the road and scrambled for his phone. But before he could dial Marius’ number, an incoming call lit up the screen. And to his surprise, the caller was none other than the person he had been meaning to reach.
Speak of the devil.
