Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 511: A Better Place

Carrying a body marred with fresh wounds, He Juan stepped into the funeral parlor with a bouquet of white lilies in hand. Save for his slightly stiff gait and bloodless lips, no one would be able to detect anything amiss with him. Not that it mattered, for the only person inside the hall was currently kneeling before the casket, crying and wailing his heart out. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

A–Mu had neither family members or relatives. He had always been alone, and the only person who could take care of his funeral was none other than his sole disciple, Kang Guanyu.

He Juan’s footsteps halted behind Kang Guanyu as he raised his head to look at A–Mu’s portrait, which stood amidst the lavish display of flower board. People like them very seldom leave any traces of themselves behind – be it fingerprints, strands of hair or photographs – and A–Mu was no exception for that. His funeral portrait seemed to have been taken by secret as it only captured his side profile when he was facing the computer. A–Mu must have discovered the presence of the camera because he cast an annoyed look toward the photographer. Though upon closer inspection, a trace of amusement and fond helplessness could be discerned in his eyes.

It was a very unique portrait but still heartwarming, nonetheless.

For this must be the best – or maybe even the only – photograph Kang Guanyu had of him.

He Juan lowered his gaze and placed the bouquet down, careful not to aggravate his wounds. Inside the casket lay the omega. In the months since He Juan had last seen him, he had thinned down rapidly, leaving only skin and bones. His cheeks were sunken, the shadows beneath his eyes darker, and his jaws sharper. However, any traces of illness on his visage had been artfully concealed by the elaborate make-up, giving hint to the delicate beauty he had once been. A rosy hue adorned his cheekbones, and a wig of thick silken black hair crowned his head.

He Juan stood there in a daze for a few long seconds. Had he not known better, he would have assumed that this was an absurd joke planned by the omega...

But no. Nothing about this was a joke. A–Mu had truly departed. He had left this sick and repulsive world toward a better place that had been prepared for him – a place devoid of any sorrow or suffering.

I have come, He Juan whispered inside his heart. Sorry for always taking so long. I told you that I would visit again, but never have I thought that it would be under such circumstances...

"X–XIU..." Kang Guanyu scrambled to his feet and haphazardly wiped the tears and snots on his face. He forced a strained smile on his face. "Thank you for making the time to visit. I’m sure Teacher will be happy to see you."

The corner of He Juan’s lips tugged into the barest of smiles. Looking at the red-eyed teenager before him, a pang of sympathy struck his chest and he instinctively raised his head to pat Kang Guanyu’s head, only to recall that such a big movement was beyond the scope of his capacity right now. Hence he could only speak to express his remorse, "My deepest condolences for your loss."

Kang Guanyu nodded and let out a wistful laugh, tears welling up in his eyes. "I still don’t know how to pass the days without Teacher by my side, but I guess I will persevere somehow. One small step at a time. Would you believe me if I said that Teacher seemed to have seen this day coming? H–He had prepared everything and I..." he choked on his words and turned his head aside, hastily wiping the tears on the corner of his eyes away. When he looked back at He Juan, his eyes were as red as rabbit, and it was painful to see him forcing out a smile even amidst his grief. "Sorry, I... I’m such a mess, am I not?"

"It’s okay," He Juan reassured him in a gentle tone. "You’ve just lost someone very important to you. It’s okay not to smile."

"But Teacher told me to..." Kang Guanyu’s gaze drifted to the portrait, the curve of his lips tinged with a hint of sorrow and melancholy. "He said that I possess no good qualities aside from my silly smile, so I should smile more often..."

He Juan felt like his heart had been stuffed with cotton when he heard that, rendering him unable to breathe properly. Even the wounds across his body kept throbbing and pulsing in pain. He thought that he had gotten used to death’s cruel embrace during his years in the underworld, had seen enough to turn himself numb and indifferent, but it seemed like he had been too naïve. He could act callous back then because those deaths had nothing to do with him. But recently, misfortune had loomed over the people close to him – He Xie, Marius and now A–Mu...

It made him realize that perhaps he might never get used to death, after all.

Left with no words of comfort, He Juan could only release a heavy sigh and inquired, "Do you need help with anything? Tell me, and I will see what I can do. A–Mu is a friend of mine, and I..." a bitter smile hung on his lips. "I owed him. A lot. You’re his only disciple, so if you encounter any difficulties, don’t hesitate to tell me."

Kang Guanyu blinked, caught off guard by He Juan’s offer. But then, he hastily refused, his words rushed yet appreciative, "No, no, it’s okay. I’m managing fine, there’s no need to trouble you at all, XIU. Haven’t I told you that Teacher has prepared everything for me?" He let out a helpless yet fond huff. "I don’t need to worry about money, I have a place to live, and I’m about to graduate from high school. I can take care of myself very well, it’s just that..." his eyes turned sad and mellow.

Just that the person whom he always spent time with, whom he could talk about anything and everything, whom he kept fussing over, whom he could turn to whenever he needed, was no longer there.

He Juan stayed for a while before leaving, not before giving Kang Guanyu a means to contact him if needed.

When he stepped out of the funeral parlor, he found Chen Youzhi still waiting for him by the car, and the man immediately held the door to the passenger seat open for him as soon as he approached. He Juan had to clench his jaws as he gingerly eased into the car, and by the time he was seated inside, a layer of sweat had already formed on his forehead. He breathed in and out through his mouth in order to adjust his expression, so that when Chen Youzhi slipped into the driver seat, he could not catch any hint of weakness from He Juan.

Chen Youzhi glanced at him through the rearview mirror and asked, "Where are we going, Boss?"

Throwing his gaze outside the window, He Juan stared at the overcast sky and the building which seemed to be shrouded in a heavy somber aura. He sighed and instructed, "To the port."

Marius had yet to be found, and with the recent weather which looked as though it would be snowing at any moment, He Juan’s worry and anxiety had reached a fever pitch. The only way he could soothe the restless energy in his heart was to stay as close as possible to the seaside.

Chen Youzhi appeared hesitant as though wanting to say something, but in the end he merely hummed and started the engine, driving them away from that gloomy place.