Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 518: Stupid Juan-gege
He Juan quietly basked in Mu Yuze’s presence, taking in his warmth, the gentle cadence of his breathing, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, and the occasional flutter of his long lashes brushing against his neck. And he could tell that Mu Yuze was also doing the same, immersing himself in the cocoon of He Juan’s embrace.
If it were up to him, he did not ever want to let Mu Yuze go. Alas, with the way Mu Yuze was clinging so tightly, He Juan was afraid that the boy might catch a whiff of the lingering scent of blood on his body. He couldn’t afford to rouse Mu Yuze’s suspicion. Thus he wracked his brain for a change of topic. Lo and behold, he truly recalled a piece of event that had taken place some months ago.
He released a heavy sigh and uttered, "I’m sorry."
Mu Yuze stilled for a brief moment before pulling back, and He Juan reluctantly released his hold, his hands lingering a second too long on the curve of Mu Yuze’s spine. That’s enough, He Juan. You must not indulge more than you already do!
"Why are you saying that out of nowhere?" Mu Yuze asked with a puzzled frown.
With a wry chuckle, He Juan gently pressed a finger on the creases between Mu Yuze’s brows to smooth out the lines. "Haven’t I promised to take you on an overseas trip for your birthday? Alas..." he trailed off, allowing the silence to fill in the unspoken words.
He Juan was never one to make promises lightly. When he did, he would give his absolute best to fulfill them regardless of the lengths he had to go through, and very rarely had he broken them. Lately, however, he seemed to have broken more promises than he ever had before. He failed to wrap up his business in the underworld to live with his brother, He Xie. He failed to uphold justice for He Xie’s lover, and now he did not even get to take Mu Yuze abroad. He could still recall the quiet sparkles in Mu Yuze’s eyes when he proposed the trip, and it only made him all the more bitter.
Unwilling to spoil the warm atmosphere between them, He Juan cleared his throat and went to wipe the plates. Mu Yuze quietly went to stand beside him and took the plates from He Juan’s hands, placing them back on the cabinet where they were supposed to be.
The number of plates they used could be counted with two hands, and thus it did not take long for them to be done. He Juan finished wiping the last one and handed it over to Mu Yuze, but instead of taking it, Mu Yuze shuffled closer and gingerly leaned against him, resting his head on He Juan’s shoulder.
"Do I look like I care?" he mumbled in a quiet voice.
He Juan’s breath caught in his throat and he strained his ears as though it could allow him to hear Mu Yuze better.
"Stupid Juan-gege."
Now this was truly unexpected. He Juan did not know whether to laugh or cry. This might be the first time someone had ever dubbed him so, but trust Mu Yuze to be able to give him a new surprise every single time. Alas, before he could say anything, Mu Yuze beat him to it.
"It seems like I have to spell it out for you lest you will never get it. I don’t need fancy gifts, nor am I particularly interested in going abroad. Like this..." he took the plate from He Juan’s hand and set it aside, then ever so slowly, he mustered his courage to hook He Juan’s pinky finger with his. And oh, that one gesture from Mu Yuze sent a trace of shivers down He Juan’s spine, for he felt like the boy had not only hooked his finger, but his soul as well.
"Like this," he continued, his voice a soft murmur. The finger hooked onto He Juan’s was trembling ever so slightly. "As long as I get to be with you, it’s more than enough for me. I don’t need anything else."
He Juan squeezed Mu Yuze’s pinky finger gently, feeling extremely helpless within. How? How could someone so good, so sweet and adorable exist in this world? How could Mu Yuze make it so easy for He Juan to cherish, to adore and love him? Worse still, he knew very well how difficult it was for Mu Yuze to say these words. After all, he was a reserved boy to begin with, preferring to bottle everything up within himself. Yet today, he had been awfully candid with He Juan, his words the sweetest drug, almost making He Juan drunk in them.
He Juan could feel his heart pounding away within his ribcage, his breath hitching. His throat ran dry as he squeezed out, "Xiao Ze..."
If Mu Yuze kept this up, he might not live past tonight. Oh God, why hadn’t he realized what a dangerous creature his little mate was until now? Every word of his, every gesture and every smile, they were designed to disarm He Juan down to his very last armor.
And He Juan was more than willing to let him.
He Juan slowly turned his gaze to behold the boy’s visage, drinking in the deep flush on his cheeks, the wild fluttering of his lashes, the beads of sweat on his hairline, and the faintest indent on his plush bottom lip from where he had bitten down too hard. Mu Yuze tilted his chin, gingerly peering up at He Juan through the fan of his thick lashes, and his breath hitched when he realized that He Juan’s gaze was fixated upon him. Even then, he still braced himself to say,
"But if... if Gege would like to make it up for me, then I... would not... refuse..." he whispered with their gazes locked onto each other, and it’s like there was an invisible magic spreading in the air, causing the temperature to rise and the tension to spike. Yet despite everything, He Juan couldn’t bring himself to look away from the nervous glimmer in Mu Yuze’s captivating eyes.
Unconsciously, he stroked Mu Yuze’s pinky finger with his own, delighting in the way it deepened the flush on Mu Yuze’s fair skin, which now seemed to extend to his neck. From He Juan’s position, he could catch the pinkish hue disappearing beyond Mu Yuze’s collar, and he absentmindedly wondered if the color would engulf his entire body too.
"What does Xiao Ze want?" he asked, his voice dipped low, almost as if it had rumbled out from his chest. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
Mu Yuze flushed even redder, if that was possible. He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing and He Juan couldn’t help but let his gaze drift to that mesmerizing sight.
"L–Let me stay for the night?" Mu Yuze pleaded with a quivering voice. It was as if He Juan could hear how hard the boy’s heart was pounding through their linked pinky fingers, or was it just his own? He could no longer tell. "Gege, I want you to be the first to wish me a happy birthday tomorrow..."
He Juan quietly sucked in a breath, feeling as if his heart had been scratched by a kitten’s paw. Seriously, what did Mu Yuze expect from him? He should have known, should have realized that He Juan would not deny him of anything. He was no more than a feeble mortal, after all. In the face of such allure, what response could He Juan give other than ’yes’?
