He Qian sat in the taxi, his lips trembling as he told the driver to go. The driver asked him where they were headed.
He Qian had imagined escaping countless times, but now that he was actually doing it, he felt a sense of daze. He had no home; he did not know where he could go to be truly safe. He only knew that he had to leave this place and get away from Zhou Xuying.
“To, to the neighboring city. To Linhai City!” And from there, he would take a boat and leave.
“Fine.”
“Do, no, do not take the highway!” He Qian warned alertly.
The driver thought it was strange but did not ask further. After all, taking the national roads was much farther than the highway, which meant a higher fare. He Qian sat in the car, watching the minutes and seconds tick by. As the scenery outside became increasingly unfamiliar, he gradually began to catch his breath. However, his heart remained heavy. He had not gone far enough yet. It was not far enough!
He Qian sat in the car for a full two and a half hours, his nerves taut as he stared out the window. The journey was long, and though the driver tried to engage in small talk a few times, He Qian was extremely dismissive, so the driver eventually fell silent.
He Qian kept his eyes fixed on the outside world. When a Bentley appeared with its lights flashing in pursuit, He Qian caught it instantly. Seeing the familiar license plate, his palms went cold.
“Sir, drive faster!”
“Huh?” The driver glanced at the rearview mirror. “Oh, alright.”
He Qian’s face was as pale as ash. The driver watched as the car behind drew closer. “I say, is that car behind us chasing you? Did you steal something from them?”
He Qian swallowed hard. “No.”
At a turn where the service road merged into the main lane, the Bentley accelerated to full throttle and swerved horizontally, blocking He Qian’s path. The impact of the interception sent the Bentley’s door crashing into the taxi’s front headlight. The headlight flickered uncontrollably as long legs stepped out of the Bentley and into the shadows. The cold, hard lines of a face became clear, and the features gradually came into focus.
Zhou Xuying.
He Qian felt suffocated, locking the car doors tight. His knuckles shook; he felt like a fish out of water.
“Hey! You were the one who cut me off; it is not my fault!”
The taxi driver immediately unbuckled his seatbelt to go out and argue, but a swarm of people arrived from the fleet of cars following behind. In front of He Qian’s eyes, separated only by the car window, they broke the driver’s leg and forced He Qian to get out.
He Qian’s body shook as he stepped out of the vehicle. Zhou Xuying used one knee to pin him against the car door, holding his body down. As he leaned in, the smell of nicotine spread. His voice was dark and cold blooded.
“I gave you three hours.”
He Qian swallowed, but it felt like swallowing knives. Beneath his reddened eyes was a sense of endless despair. Zhou Xuying glanced at the driver and said, “Take him to the hospital and compensate him well.”
The fleet of cars departed. In the dark night, only the car, Zhou Xuying, He Qian, and an endless despair remained. The uninhabited outskirts were pitch black. The wind rustled through the gaps in the trees, accompanied by the chirping of summer cicadas and the sound of water crashing against stones. All the sounds became a hollow ringing in He Qian’s ears.
Zhou Xuying hoisted him up and carried him toward the depths of the forest. He Qian was so lost that he forgot to struggle, his body stiff. A cold, clear voice with a frantic tone rang in He Qian’s ear.
“He Qian, is running away that fun? Hmm?”
The long, drawn out syllable ended with a morbid, raspy chuckle. He Qian broke into a cold sweat. His body tightened and shook with rigidity. His pale face was contorted with pain, yet he could not even squeeze a sound from between his teeth.
He Qian emerged from his memories. He followed Zhou Xuying out of the car with a wooden expression, clutching his military training uniform tightly. He felt embarrassed. He was a freshman holding his training gear, while Zhou Xuying was a member of the elite in a tailored suit. He Qian knew exactly what kind of assumptions people would make seeing the two of them in a hotel. Undoubtedly, they would think a freshman had been taken as a kept companion the moment he started university.
Zhou Xuying had one hand in his pocket, his shirt sleeve pushed up slightly to reveal a Patek Philippe watch. Before reaching the surveillance area, Zhou Xuying took off his suit jacket and draped it directly over He Qian’s head, placing a hand around the man’s shoulder to lead him into the elevator. In the darkness beneath the jacket, He Qian’s body was slightly stiff.
When they entered the elevator, Zhou Xuying withdrew his hand. He Qian leaned his back against the elevator door, and the sliver of light he could see was soon blocked by a shadow.
A chime sounded. The elevator reached the top floor.
Zhou Xuying guided him to the door of the suite. With two beeps, the door opened, and He Qian immediately slipped inside. Zhou Xuying followed, inserting the key card into the slot. He Qian turned back to watch him, looking slightly confused.
Zhou Xuying pulled off his tie. “I booked this for half a month.”
He meant that He Qian could stay in the hotel for the duration of his military training. He Qian put his clothes down and sensibly went to take a shower. In the bathroom, two silk pajamas were laid out. For these two weeks, Zhou Xuying would likely be staying here as well.
After his shower, He Qian walked to the nightstand and pulled open the drawer. Inside lay a bottle and several colorful square boxes. Everything was meticulously prepared. Resigned to his fate, He Qian took the bottle and walked to the sofa, tilting his head back slightly. Droplets of water trailed from his brow to his lips. His mouth parted slightly as a thin bead of water slid down his jawline, hanging precariously.
Zhou Xuying stood by the floor to ceiling window, momentarily dazed as he looked at He Qian, whose face was flushed and whose long legs were crossed. He suppressed a swallow, unbuckled his watch with one hand, and entered the bathroom.
When he emerged, Zhou Xuying’s black hair was still dripping with water. He brushed his hair back with his hand, revealing a sharp profile. The light from the chandelier carved the room into slices of light and shadow. Half of Zhou Xuying’s face was buried in the dark, but under the flickering warm light, his features were strikingly handsome. He shifted his gaze toward He Qian, who was kneeling on the sofa with his legs crossed and his ears flushed red.
Zhou Xuying pulled open the sliding glass door and beckoned to him. “Come here.”
He Qian composed himself and went over. Zhou Xuying had walked out to the circular outdoor dining table on the balcony and sat down. He raised an eyebrow at He Qian, signaling for him to join him.
He Qian walked over. Zhou Xuying pulled him into his arms with one hand and picked up a glass of red wine from the table, handing it to He Qian. He Qian took a sip and let out a mocking smile. A suite, moonlight, and floor to ceiling windows. Wine tasting? What kind of refined gentleman was Zhou Xuying trying to be now? Or rather, had he found a new way to torment him? He Qian’s gaze toward the wine bottle was no longer innocent.
Zhou Xuying clinked his glass against He Qian’s and took a sip. Then, he set the glass down and spoke huskily, “Call my name.”
“Zhou Xuying.”
“Zhou Xuying!”
“Zhou Xuying, Zhou Xuying, Zhou Xuying.”
He Qian called out over and over. Zhou Xuying’s eyes were closed and his breathing was slow, as if he were savoring the moment. When He Qian grew tired and prepared to rest, Zhou Xuying suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze burning.
“I am here.”
Zhou Xuying’s voice was firm. He Qian was startled and looked at him in confusion. That intense gaze made He Qian feel scorched. He immediately looked away and, in a sudden fit of flustered nervousness, took a sip of the wine on the table. With the alcohol hitting him, He Qian wearily hooked his arms around Zhou Xuying’s neck and asked urgently, “Do you want to?” If not, I want to sleep.
Zhou Xuying moved his hand down, his raspy voice containing a hint of pleasant surprise. “What, are you trying to please me?” Under the moonlight, he curled his lips in a wicked smile, his face a sickly shade of white.
He Qian remained silent.
In the next second, Zhou Xuying swept him up and carried him back into the room. He Qian knew that this was Zhou Xuying’s last moment of sobriety. A mad dog with such intense possessiveness would never allow his prey to be seen by anyone else.