Lu Bingxun had been gone for three days. Apart from not having someone to hold him tightly from behind while sleeping, life hadn’t changed much for Cheng Min. With his husband not at home, no one was there to control him, and he was free to do whatever he wanted, even tossing away the peas he disliked. No one would say anything to him, after all, there were two previous examples to consider.
Over time, Cheng Min completely reverted to his former self, the state he was in when he was the young master surrounded by stars, arrogant and dismissive of everyone. He took charge of all matters in the villa, and if there was anything he was dissatisfied with, he would pick it out and harshly criticize it. He had become the master.
Later on, as Lu Bingxun still hadn’t returned, Cheng Min gradually grew tired of this lifestyle, feeling it was dull. Afternoon tea was delivered daily as usual, almost never repeating. Even though it was the same recipe as before, Cheng Min found it tasteless now, as if something was missing. It made sense, as this was the first time the two had been apart for so long.
Cheng Min slowly developed a habit of frequently looking out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lu Bingxun. But each time, without exception, he was disappointed. The aura Lu Bingxun left behind gradually faded, as if he had completely disappeared from the world, never having been a part of Cheng Min’s life. If it weren’t for the environment he was in, Cheng Min would have thought it was a dream, so real that he found it hard to believe.
Once again, he curled up on the small sofa, staring out the window for an entire afternoon. Dinner had been delivered, but Cheng Min had no appetite. After sending the humans away, he lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He didn’t know how much time had passed, but when he came back to his senses, the sky outside had darkened, and the distant lights were a faint yellow, very beautiful. Cheng Min couldn’t help but stare out the window.
“Bang bang bang.” A few gunshots interrupted Cheng Min’s thoughts. At the same time, the faint yellow lights disappeared, and the screams and wails of humans intertwined. The struggle continued, the gunshots relentless, everything was out of control. Cheng Min clenched his fists, pulled the blanket over himself, and kept reassuring himself that nothing would happen.
In a daze, a few tall figures climbed over the fence and headed towards the house. Cheng Min’s mind went blank, completely shutting down. Urgent footsteps echoed in the hallway, getting closer and closer. Humans ran and shouted, seemingly afraid of something, and the fear penetrated the door, spreading to Cheng Min’s side.
When his gaze fell on the wardrobe in the corner, Cheng Min suddenly snapped awake and ran over frantically. He wanted to survive. Just as he hid inside, the footsteps stopped outside the door. Cheng Min curled up among the clothes, his back against the wardrobe wall, covering his mouth with one hand to avoid making any noise.
“Have you found Lu Bingxun’s little thing?” A strange voice sounded. “We’ve searched all the other rooms, only this one is left,” a sharp voice replied. “Creak.” Footsteps approached, and through the gap in the wardrobe, Cheng Min saw the two people searching for him. He held his breath, staring at them without blinking.
“Could he have run away?” “Impossible,” the other said. “A little thing that lies in bed all day and struggles to walk couldn’t have run out of the villa so quickly.” “True.” Just as the words fell, a beam of light shone on Cheng Min’s face, and his heart sank to the bottom. He trembled all over, tears streaming down uncontrollably, silently chanting Lu Bingxun’s name in his heart, hoping he would save him like last time.
“I know you’re in there. If you come out obediently, I’ll consider letting you see Lu Bingxun alive.” Cheng Min bit his hand, closing his eyes in self-deception, thinking that if he did so, they wouldn’t see him, and he could escape this ordeal. “We’ll give you three minutes to think about it,” the sharp voice said. “After that, don’t blame us.” With that, the light on Cheng Min’s face disappeared, and the two stood by the door, chatting, ignoring the poor little thing hiding in the wardrobe.
Time slowly passed, and in Cheng Min’s pleas, it came to an end. Suddenly, the wardrobe door was pulled open, and a beam of light shone on Cheng Min’s face. He covered his eyes, trembling and curling up into a ball. “Little thing, really ungrateful,” one of them said, grabbing Cheng Min’s arm and dragging him out. Cheng Min opened his eyes, and two tall men stood in front of him, their faces filled with malicious intent. One of them even reached out to touch Cheng Min. “I have to admit, I like it too.”
Cheng Min frowned, slapped his hand away, and sternly scolded, “Take your dirty hands off me, don’t touch me.” But in their eyes, it was a soft, enticing display, making them laugh heartily. “Really interesting.” “Take him away, he’ll be useful.” The two of them decided Cheng Min’s future with a few words, not caring about his attitude at all.
One of the men squatted down, trying to pick Cheng Min up and take him away, but he didn’t cooperate at all, struggling with all his might to return to the corner of the wardrobe. “I’m not going,” Cheng Min cried, “Lu Bingxun, where are you?” “Your husband doesn’t want you anymore,” the man teased with a smile. “Staying here, you’ll just be abandoned. You might as well come with us.” “Don’t touch me,” Cheng Min screamed, “He loves me the most, he won’t abandon me.”
The man’s mocking laughter intertwined with the weak little thing’s desperate cries, and he completely broke down. Letting the man pull him out, holding him tightly, pinching his chin, trying to kiss Cheng Min. Cheng Min closed his eyes in despair. “Bang.” A gunshot rang out, and immediately, Cheng Min was pushed back into the wardrobe, the door closing, completely cutting off the outside view. He curled up in the corner, helplessly covering his ears.
He didn’t know how long it took, but the outside finally calmed down. Through the gap, he saw the two men being subdued, and he relaxed a little. Gathering his courage, he wanted to go out and see. Just as his hand touched the door, it opened from the outside. Lu Bingxun squatted in front of Cheng Min, his eyes filled with exhaustion. “Wife, I’m back.”
“Lu Bingxun?” He was stunned, hardly daring to believe it. “Yes, it’s me,” Lu Bingxun forced a smile, “I’m back.” Cheng Min’s nose tingled, and before he knew it, he had thrown himself into his arms, unable to stop crying, “Husband, why did you come back so late? Do you know I almost got bullied just now?” “Take them away,” Lu Bingxun said, gently patting his back, repeatedly apologizing for letting Cheng Min suffer, “It won’t happen again, I promise.”
All the grievances Cheng Min had just experienced poured out, and he cried uncontrollably in Lu Bingxun’s arms, unable to stop the tears. “Don’t cry, wife,” Lu Bingxun wiped the tears from Cheng Min’s eyes, softly saying, “If you keep crying, you’ll go blind.” Cheng Min sniffled, but the tears wouldn’t stop. Lu Bingxun sighed, carrying Cheng Min out of the wardrobe and back to the bed, holding him tightly in his arms.
Unknowingly, Cheng Min cried himself to sleep, lying on Lu Bingxun’s chest.