Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 520: Smell of Blood
Mu Yuze’s breath hitched in response to that question, his fingers nearly slipping on the plate he held. With a soft ’oops’ from He Juan, who laughed softly, the plate was taken from his grasp and placed on the table. However, this also meant that he had to release his hold over Mu Yuze’s eyes.
When he regained his vision again, the first thing Mu Yuze fixated on was the tiny smile dancing on the corner of He Juan’s lips. Of course, he should have expected that the man would ask this kind of question. After all, Juan-gege had a penchant for teasing him! Mu Yuze nibbled anxiously on his bottom lip, his hands clenching the fabric of his shirt so tightly that they formed visible creases. When He Juan shifted his gaze to him with an arched brow, Mu Yuze found all his courage evaporating like a worthless drop of water in the face of the scorching sun. Perhaps the darkness really did wonder to embolden him just now.
"I didn’t mean anything by that..." he offered weakly. "I just... want to know more about Juan-gege, that’s all..."
Did he imagine it, or was that really a flash of disappointment he caught in He Juan’s eyes?
Mu Yuze blinked hard, but the curve of He Juan’s lips remained unchanged. It must have been his imagination playing tricks on him.
He Juan made himself comfortable on the corner of the couch, facing him. "Go ahead, ask me anything."
Mu Yuze secretly mourned for the growing distance between them, but he soon picked up his spirits because this might be his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He Juan, the ever elusive, slick and sly He Juan, just granted him permission to ask anything he wanted! Mu Yuze licked his chapped lips. Too consumed in his own thoughts, he failed to realize how He Juan’s attention snapped there for a fleeting second before he forcibly tore his eyes away.
Clearing his throat, Mu Yuze began, "First question, when is your birthday?"
He couldn’t help but feel ashamed to admit that he did not even know such basic information about He Juan. Juan-gege had celebrated his birthday twice – twice! – but never once had Mu Yuze reciprocated the gesture. Mu Yuze fixed his burning stare on He Juan, eagerly awaiting the answer.
"My birthday, huh?" He Juan appeared deep in thought as though... as though he was struggling to recall the date. Mu Yuze was feeling incredulous because who could forget such a significant date of their life? Even he, who had never celebrated his own birthday prior to meeting He Juan, could blurt out the answer in a heartbeat if someone were to ask him about it.
Perhaps sensing the direction of his thoughts, He Juan let out a wry chuckle. "I’m sorry, but it has been really too long. I haven’t really celebrated my birthday since my parents passed away, and well, since I took on XIU’s identity."
Mu Yuze frowned deeper when he heard that, and he mentally beat himself up. Three years – he had three whole chances to celebrate He Juan’s birthday with him, but he let them slip away from his fingers just like that! How horrible!
"Don’t put on such a look," He Juan poked a gentle finger between his knitted brow, and Mu Yuze swiftly adjusted his expression. "There’s nothing special about my birthday. Besides, it’s long past already. It’s on April 25th."
So he was born in spring. How befitting of a man who had brought warmth and light into his life after a prolonged, harsh winter. Mu Yuze secretly tucked the information to the corner of his heart and nodded with a solemn expression, "I got it, April 25th."
This time, He Juan’s smile shifted into one of amusement. "What are you planning to do now that you know it? Will you celebrate Gege’s birthday next spring?"
"Shut up!" Mu Yuze flushed when his plans were foiled before it even had the chance to take shape in his mind. "Next question," he huffed, ignoring He Juan who was laughing in mirth. "What’s your favorite color?"
He Juan responded after his laughter subsided, though traces of mirth lingered on the corner of his eyes. "Favorite color? I’ve never really given it much thought, but I guess I preferred dark blue?"
"Favorite food?"
"I’m not very particular when it comes to food, as long as they’re edible and not bitter."
Of course he would say this. He had such a sweet tooth, after all. Mu Yuze thought fondly. He continued to ask, "Favorite drink?"
He Juan’s smile deepened as he responded, "Milk tea."
A soft huff escaped Mu Yuze’s lips, but given his personality, it could be considered as laughter. He Juan knew it as well, and his silver eyes lit up in delight.
One would ask, and the other would answer. Just like that, they continued their back-and-forth exchange until Mu Yuze learned so many tidbits about He Juan. Not the fearsome XIU, but He Juan as a person. He hoarded them greedily like how a rabbit would carry his treasures back to his burrow. His lips twitched into a smile when He Juan recounted his silly experiences when he was still a child, he got jealous at the tenderness in He Juan’s eyes when he talked about his brother, and his heart ached for the hardship He Juan had to go through to become who he was today.
Eventually, the abandoned movie on the television reached its roll credits, and Mu Yuze suppressed the disappointment in his heart, realizing that his time with He Juan might be coming to an end. A glance at the clock showed that it was twenty minutes before midnight, yet Mu Yuze couldn’t think of a reason to keep He Juan with him until his birthday arrived. Resigning to his fate, he turned to address He Juan, "Gege, would you like to..."
His voice came to an abrupt halt when he noticed that He Juan’s eyes were closed, his breathing soft and even.
He had fallen asleep on the couch.
Mu Yuze held his breath sharply, fearing that the slightest movement or sound would rouse the man from his peaceful slumber. He couldn’t take his eyes off He Juan’s sleeping visage. Why did he feel like it would never be enough, no matter how long he spent looking at this man? The more he gazed upon He Juan, the more intense his yearning became. It was as if a hole had been punctured through his heart, a tiny void that could never be filled.
Tonight, He Juan had given him so much, yet Mu Yuze realized with utter shame that he still wanted more. He wanted everything that the man could offer him...
As though bewitched by a spell, Mu Yuze slowly inched closer, bringing his face closer to He Juan’s. He had completely stopped breathing at this point, as though he needed no air in his lungs as long as he could keep He Juan within his sight. It was not until his body protested that he finally deigned to take a slow inhale, but he abruptly froze when the faintest smell of rust drifted to his nose.
What was this? Blood?
Frowning, Mu Yuze sniffed the air to take in more of the scent, trying to pinpoint where it had come from. Eventually, his gaze settled on the sleeping man before him, and his pupils dilated in shock.
***
At the same time, in Guangnan City. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
After tidying up the store, He Xie made his way toward the front and inserted the key into the control panel. With a gentle push, the roller shutter began to descend. The metallic clatter echoed through the empty street as the clothing store’s colorful display vanished behind the descending steel curtain. He locked the door with a click and slipped the key into his pocket, ready to go home.
But then, a voice suddenly rang out from behind him, "Mr. He Xie?"
"Ah—!" He Xie was startled so badly that he jumped like a cat whose tail was being stepped on. He spun around in shock to find a man behind him, wearing a friendly smile. Where had this person come from?! He had not noticed anyone approaching!
"S–Sorry, you surprised me there. Is there something I can help you with? I have already closed the store for the day."
He observed the man carefully and found nothing out of the ordinary. The man’s look was normal, so normal that He Xie thought he would quickly forget about this face after he arrived home. It was the kind of face that left no lasting impression, one that could easily blend into the crowd. Alas, perhaps it was just his paranoia speaking, but he felt a little uncomfortable under the man’s scrutiny. Those eyes seemed dark and bottomless, almost as though they could not reflect any lights. Even though the man was clearly smiling good-naturedly, He Xie’s wariness only intensified.
"Do you need something?" He asked again with a neutral tone, not wanting to falsely accuse an innocent person. If worse came to worst, he could just make a run for it. He was confident that he could at least fend off one person. Besides, this man did not appear any stronger than him, with his lean and slender build.
"So it’s really you," the man chuckled with an air of delight. "Oh my, you can’t imagine the lengths I went through to find you. That bastard XIU has really hidden you well, hasn’t he?"
"W–What?" He Xie’s eyes widened, unable to believe what he was hearing. Did this man just mention... XIU? He had never thought that he would one day hear himself being put in the same sentence as XIU, the prime suspect behind A–Sheng’s death. He Xie’s vigilance dropped, replaced with a rush of desperation as he reached out to grab the man’s arm. "What did you just say? Do you know who XIU is?!"
"Do you want to know?" The man whispered like a devil enticing Adam to bite into the forbidden fruit. "If you want, I can take you to XIU."
He Xie gulped, hesitating. The offer indeed sounded very tempting, but...
"Who are you? How do you know me and... how do you know that I’m looking for XIU?" he asked in suspicion. "Did my Ge send you here?"
In response, Ku Jin’s grin widened like a Cheshire cat that had captured its prey.
