Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 521: Leave a Bruise

Where did this smell of blood come from? Juan-gege? Well, there were only two people here, and Mu Yuze was positive that he was not injured. So that left only one possibility.

His heart abruptly sank into his stomach, and the intense flutter he had been feeling tonight faded, replaced with a sinking dread at the notion that He Juan might be hurt. It must have been quite severe, given how Mu Yuze could catch a whiff of it from where he was sitting.

Brows furrowed, he was dead set to confirm his suspicion. Taking advantage of the moment when He Juan had his guard lowered, he inched closer, his hand reaching out toward He Juan...

...only for it to be caught squarely before he could act on his intentions.

A sharp gasp escaped Mu Yuze’s lips, half from the surprise and half from the pain as He Juan had squeezed his wrist with the force enough to crush bones. He could almost hear a faint creaking sound. He Juan’s eyes snapped open, their silver depths now cold and brutal, unlike anything Mu Yuze had ever seen before. But in the next second, he was stunned when his gaze landed on Mu Yuze’s wincing face.

"Xiao Ze!" He Juan immediately released his grip and cradled the wrist gently in his hands, inspecting the reddish mark blooming on the fair skin. He made a small distressed noise in his throat, looking as if someone had punched him in the gut. His brows knitted in self-blame and anxiety, "A–Are you okay? Did it hurt that much? Can you still move your hand? Should we—"

He looked so flustered that Mu Yuze felt compelled to interrupt him. "It’s okay, Gege."

He Juan whipped his gaze towards him, his expression stricken. "How can it be okay?! I almost—!"

"You didn’t break my bones, and..." he gently rotated his wrist, willing himself not to show anything on his face despite the sharp throbbing of pain. He did not want to make He Juan show this kind of face. "See? It’s working just fine."

"But it will still leave a bruise..." He Juan rubbed his face roughly, and he looked so miserable that Mu Yuze felt the urge to nuzzle against him just to offer some comfort. "Did I fall asleep?" he asked with faint disbelief, seemingly as though he couldn’t fathom how his own body had betrayed him.

Mu Yuze nodded while observing him carefully. "You look tired," he commented. "Are you sick or injured?"

He Juan raised a brow, presumably sensing that there was a deeper meaning to Mu Yuze’s question. Fuck it all, that was his purpose – to let He Juan know that he harbored some doubts, and see how He Juan reacted to that. He had expected the man to skillfully divert the conservation like he always did, and thus he was caught off guard when He Juan let out a grunt in response,

"I was a little injured a few days ago, and that’s why I haven’t been getting enough sleep." He shook his head and let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "Still can’t believe how easily I fell asleep with you, though. Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Xiao Ze. Gege really didn’t do it on purpose..."

Mu Yuze’s eyes widened at the admission, and he immediately swept his gaze over He Juan’s body, anxiety palpable on his face. "W–Where did you get injured? Was it serious? Have you gotten it treated?!" If not for the reservation he had within him, he would have ripped open He Juan’s shirt right at that very second to do an inspection. Alas, the current him was still toeing on the lines of He Juan’s boundaries, not knowing when he might step on a landmine. He could only gaze at He Juan helplessly, so anxious that the rims of his eyes reddened.

He Juan muttered a quiet curse under his breath before offering him a reassuring smile. "Of course, it has been treated. Nothing serious, it’s just that it is scabbing over now, so the wound might be a little itchy. Don’t worry, okay? Such injuries are very common for people like us, and I’ve gotten used to it." He teasingly pinched Mu Yuze’s little nose with an endearing look.

How could he not worry?! Mu Yuze pressed his lips into thin lines, visibly upset. Not only because of how He Juan kept downplaying the situation, but also because this situation abruptly reminded him of the insurmountable distance between them. He Juan’s world was different from his. Every single day, He Juan had to deal with hidden danger and threat of death. It was a world full of violence and blood. A world with no place for him.

Somehow, he could kinda understand why He Juan reacted the way he did when Mu Yuze snuck up on him. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

As though guessing his thoughts, He Juan released a heavy sigh and chided him softly, "Don’t approach me so carelessly again in the future, do you get it? What if I accidentally break your wrist? Geez, my heart is not strong enough for this..."

"Then you can break your own wrist as compensation," Mu Yuze retorted darkly, purely out of spite.

He Juan seemed taken aback by that snide remark, but then he burst out into laughter. He, much to Mu Yuze’s dismay, showed no hint of refusal. He looked happy instead, as if he had just been enlightened, "Should I do that next time? No, there will be no next time. Stop leading me on, little fearless bunny." He Juan flicked him playfully on the forehead, prompting Mu Yuze to snap his teeth, threatening to bite the man’s fingers off.

Who was leading on who? He Juan should have gotten his eyesight checked!

Smooth and low laughter flowed out of He Juan’s lips, which Mu Yuze relished with all of his heart. He Juan’s gaze then darted to the clock, and surprise flashed in his eyes. "Oh, look at the time!" He turned back to Mu Yuze and smiled gently, "It’s your official seventeenth birthday, Xiao Ze."

Mu Yuze was in a state of disbelief. It was midnight already? So that meant... he had spent almost twenty minutes just staring at He Juan’s sleeping face alone? His cheeks burned at the realization. Fortunately, He Juan was oblivious of how Mu Yuze had been staring at him like a creep. "T–Thank you, Gege..."

"It’s getting late now. You still have lessons with Teacher Wei tomorrow, right? Let’s go to sleep." He Juan stood up and beckoned for him to follow, leading him to the guest room. And as much as Mu Yuze wanted to spend more time with He Juan, he knew that he must not be too selfish, not when he was currently injured.

He Juan stopped in front of a door and pushed it open, revealing a luxurious bedroom with the most basic furniture. "I have prepared everything you need in the bathroom, but if there’s anything you lack, don’t hesitate to knock on my door. It’s just down the hallway."

When Mu Yuze gave a nod of understanding, He Juan’s features melted into something softer, gentler, almost as though he wanted to burn Mu Yuze’s visage behind his eyelids. "Off you go. Omegas shouldn’t stay up too late. It’s not good for your health."

Mu Yuze stopped at the doorway and gave He Juan one last scrutiny. "Gege, you’re alright, aren’t you?" he couldn’t help but ask again, not completely rest assured.

He Juan stifled a chuckle with his hand. "What could have happened to me? Don’t let any stupid ideas get into that pretty head of yours. I will see you in the morning. Good night, Xiao Ze."

It had been so long since Mu Yuze had woken up to He Juan that he couldn’t help the way his heart skipped a beat in anticipation. He nodded and replied softly, "Good night, Juan-gege."

Unbeknownst to Mu Yuze, He Juan had once again managed to divert his attention with a skillful blend of truth and lies, cloaked behind his impeccable façade.

***

"I’m sorry I can’t send you back myself," He Juan said with a touch of regret.

The night had passed all too quickly, and now Mu Yuze stood on the empty bus station, all bundled up the way he had arrived, with He Juan accompanying him. The only difference was that now he had a box of cake in his hand and a luxurious gift watch inside his backpack.

Mu Yuze had never seen He Juan look so casual before – black sweater, sweatpants, gray sneakers, with his long hair tied into a messy bun on the base of his neck. Half of his face was covered by a black mask, courtesy of Mu Yuze who insisted he wear it. On him, the ordinary outfit made it look like he could grace the runway at any moment, and Mu Yuze couldn’t help but sneak a few glances at him, admiring his broad shoulders and toned arms.

He Juan looked extremely apologetic, prompting Mu Yuze to shake his head. "It’s okay, I can manage just fine. Juan-gege should return soon instead of sending me off. What if someone sees you here?" He gave He Juan a pointed look, which earned him another one of his favorite laughter.

"Okay, okay, Gege will go back as soon as you board the bus, satisfied?" He Juan teased, his silver eyes curving into crescents.

"Mn," Mu Yuze nodded with a serious expression on his face, though he still scanned his surroundings warily for fear that a police car would drive by. They lingered on the station for a while, breathing in the crisp morning air, until the familiar bus was spotted in the distance.

He Juan raised his hand to fix the scarf for him. "I will see you again soon. Don’t forget to eat your meals on time, dress warmly and rest if you’re tired. If your wrist still hurts, don’t force yourself and go to the hospital for an examination, okay?"

Mu Yuze couldn’t help but snort. Who was the worrywart here? He had caught He Juan’s gaze drifting to his wrist countless times since this morning. Alas, Mu Yuze had made sure to wear his long sleeved sweater, so nothing could be seen. When he caught He Juan’s eyes wandering to his wrist again, he subtly hid it behind his back. Although it was no longer hurting, the skin had discolored into an ugly blue and purple. He Juan would definitely get a heart attack if he saw it, and then he would blame himself again. Mu Yuze did not want to see it happening, thus he began to nudge He Juan into the direction of the apartment.

"The bus is here. Juan-gege should go back!"

He Juan offered him what seemed to be a pitiful look, causing him to falter. "I will see you off," he insisted.

The bus came to a stop before them, and He Juan reached out to ruffle his hair. As he withdrew his hand, his fingers gently brushed Mu Yuze’s cheek, sending the poor boy’s heart into disarray.

He Juan smiled down at him, oh so gently that Mu Yuze felt his nose turning sour. "Have a safe trip, Xiao Ze."

Not wanting He Juan to see how much it pained him to be separated again without knowing when they would meet next time, Mu Yuze put on a strong bravado, waved the man goodbye and climbed onto the bus, settling on an empty seat beside the window. He kept his gaze on He Juan until the bus started moving, carrying him away from the man he loved the most. And only then did a layer of moisture form on his eyes, revealing a hint of vulnerability within.

"God, I missed him already..." he whispered to the empty air, roughly wiping the tears away.

Meanwhile, He Juan’s smile immediately slipped off his face once Mu Yuze disappeared from sight, replaced by a pained grimace. His casual and easy gait was no more as he breathed in through his mouth to endure the throbbing pain on his back, which had somehow intensified after he fell asleep on the couch last night. Fortunately, he had managed to evade the crisis and kept Mu Yuze oblivious until the end. He did not want the boy to worry about him more than he already did.

As he walked back to the apartment, his phone rang in his pocket. He retrieved it to see that Chen Youzhi was calling him. He answered the call, "Hello?"

Listening to the words from the other side, He Juan’s countenance turned icy and hard. "I understand. Wait for me, I will be there soon."