Happy 2024 everyone!
I’ll be out of town next week, so releases will resume a normal 2x weekly schedule after Jan 15. Thanks for your patience.
-k
P.S. Thank you, dede, for catching that chapter 62.2 was released weirdly. It’s been fixed now.
Chu Yinlong’s pupils shrank when he opened the door.
The scene in the room was better than he imagined, but it was also worse than he imagined – the crying wasn’t from the person he was worried about, but he never expected Qin Xiao to prepare such a room!
His heart contracted abruptly, causing all his limbs to throb.
Chu Yinlong saw his boy turn around slowly. There was silence in his eyes. No sorrow, no joy, no emotion or desire, as he wasn’t alive.
At that moment, it felt like he fell into an ice cave.
When Jiang Dao turned around to see Chu Yinlong appear, he was stunned.
Immediately afterwards, the look in his eyes suddenly recovered, like dead wood blossoming, and there was even a little surprise in his voice. “Why are you here?”
The next second, he was tightly embraced by a slightly heavy force. Chu Yinlong’s hot cheeks pressed against his temples, and a faint tremble in his arms could be detected.
“Great… you’re fine…” His voice was hoarse as he spoke. “You’re fine…”
Jiang Dao felt helpless and sighed softly.
He was mentally prepared to be found by the police, but he didn’t expect Chu Yinlong to come over in person after getting off the plane. He was really… negligent.
Now, whether or not to use that set of lies… that’s the question.
Officer Xing walked to the door, saw the situation in the room, frowned and cleared his throat.
Only then did Chu Yinlong let go of Jiang Dao, and looked at him with soothing eyes: “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”
He took Jiang Dao’s hand and clenched it lightly.
Jiang Dao was relieved immediately and decided to tell the truth… to some extent.
Officer Xing’s eyes immediately fell on Jiang Dao, and he pointed at Qin Xiao who was still talking nonsense on the seat, and asked, “What’s wrong with him?”
Jiang Dao: “He drank the wine prepared for me.”
Officer Xing: …
Chu Yinlong looked at Qin Xiao, who was bound in the restraint chair. A layer of cold sweat broke out on his back, which was quickly replaced by fierce anger.
The wine prepared for Jiang Dao…
If, if Jiang Dao failed to resist, what… what would’ve happened?
Qin Xiao, how dare he?!
Seeing Chu Yinlong clench his fist, as if ready to kill someone, Officer Xing hurriedly called another cop over: “You guys, bring him to the hospital first, and watch him.”
With a salute, the cop brought over two companions to carry Qin Xiao away.
“You, come with me…” Officer Xing said a few words to Jiang Dao. Seeing that Chu Yinlong’s face was not good, he immediately changed his words, “…I have questions to ask you downstairs.”
Back in the living room, Jiang Dao sat on the sofa with his eyes lowered, awaiting questioning.
Officer Xing first asked if any of the other four men were injured. After learning that they were just unconscious without any injuries, he stared at Jiang Dao with a serious gaze. “Tell me, what happened?”
“Last night, Qin Xiao called me and asked me to come find him this morning.” Jiang Dao’s tone was calm. He skipped the most problematic section, and his face was innocent as if he did nothing wrong. “After coming here, I found out that there was something wrong with the wine they prepared for me, so…”
Having said that, he paused, his eyes turned between Chu Yinlong and Officer Xing, and then said: “…I switched the glass of wine back on him.”
Officer Xing rubbed his forehead. After a long silence, he asked again, “What happened to the other four?”
Jiang Dao replied obediently, “Fainted.”
This time Officer Xing was completely speechless.
Jiang Dao was originally a victim in this incident. The other five people wanted to assault him, and he had the right to resist.
However, after he was out of danger, what he did – pouring drugged wine, binding others, and stunning them – was obviously beyond self-defense.
Fortunately, he didn’t do anything extreme. None of them were injured, and he didn’t do anything else to the drugged Qin Xiao. His straightforward admittance also made things less troublesome.
Thinking of this, Officer Xing turned to the other person in the room, “Xiao Chu, this child is a bit dangerous, you have to educate him well. I’m worried he will break the law in the future… We practice martial arts to strengthen our body and help the strong and the weak. It shouldn’t be used for this!”
Since Officer Xing said so, the problem isn’t that troublesome.
Chu Yinlong breathed a sigh of relief, raised his hand and pressed Jiang Dao’s head down to apologize. “Don’t worry, I will definitely educate him.”
At this moment, there was a commotion at the door of the villa.
“What’s going on?”
A police officer came over, and reported: “They’ve woken up. Mr. Li was in a very unstable mood, and Mr. Zhu and Mr. Wang rushed to cover his mouth before he could say much… they’ve already dealt with it.”
Officer Xing frowned when he heard the words: “They are suspected of attempted crimes. Take them back and ask carefully.”
The clenched fists in Jiang Dao’s pockets slowly loosened.
Qin Xiao was sent to the hospital, and the on-site evidence collection was basically wrapped up at this point.
Seeing that Chu Yinlong was in a bad mood, Officer Xing let him take Jiang Dao home first, after agreeing to be contacted if there was anything that required further investigation. Then he escorted a few men who looked like silent gourds away.
…
It was not until he got into Chu Yinlong’s car that Jiang Dao finally relaxed and pulled his hands out of his pockets.
The vehicle was silent until it reached the national highway, and Chu Yinlong finally asked, “What time did you arrive?”
Jiang Dao replied casually, “Eight o’clock.”
Chu Yinlong said, “To be honest.”
Jiang Dao was silent and replied in a low voice, “Last night.”
After falling silent for a while, Chu Yinlong asked again, “How did you spend the night?”
Jiang Dao: “…Can I not tell you?”
After another moment of silence, Chu Yinlong said, “It is also a crime to trespass privately.”
Jiang Dao’s tone was cold: “He invited me.”
“Jiang Dao!”
Chu Yinlong parked the car on the side of the road, turned and stared at Jiang Dao’s face with bloodshot eyes.
His voice trembled slightly, but his tone was decisive: “You better remember that if one day, you trample the law and hurt others, not only will I not help you – I will personally send you to prison! You better remember!”
Jiang Dao lowered his eyelashes and did not speak.
“I’m sorry…” Chu Yinlong’s voice was slightly hoarse, and weary with exhaustion, as he sighed. “I… didn’t mean to scold you. Qin Xiao is at fault for this, and they’re the ones who made the mistake and should be punished. It’s fortunate you were able to protect yourself. After all, I can’t be there all the time… I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize,” Jiang Dao said in a low voice, “I know I must’ve frightened you.”
Chu Yinlong slowly exhaled: “Yes, I’m scared.”
Jiang Dao looked at him suddenly, a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, and he reluctantly asked: “Are you afraid of me?”
Chu Yinlong smiled bitterly: “I’m not afraid of you, I’m afraid… Doing such a dangerous thing, will I see you taken away by the police one day? Jiang Dao, I don’t want to see you hurt by anything, but I also don’t want to see you… act recklessly and hurt yourself.”
Jiang Dao was silent again.
Chu Yinlong restarted the car, drove all the way to his villa, and parked it in the garage.
Neither of them got out of the car for a long time. They just sat there quietly and silently, each with their own thoughts.
After an unknown period of time, Jiang Dao spoke first: “How did you guess that I broke into the villa last night?”
Chu Yinlong pinched his eyebrows. “Knowing you, it shouldn’t be difficult for you… But, Xiao Dao, knowing martial arts doesn’t mean ignoring the law, understand?”
“I know.” Jiang Dao looked at his fingertips and replied in a low voice.
“You know, so why did you even do this?” Chu Yinlong had a headache. “Why take the risk when you know he’s targeting you? In case something happens to you…”
“I’m not afraid of him targeting me. My relationship with him cannot be reconciled. If he just threatened me, I wouldn’t care at all.” Jiang Dao’s emotions burst out as he explained. “But he bribed the people around you to steal the secrets of your studio. He wants to attack you, and he wants me to take the blame, and provoke our relationship – he crossed the line!”
Chu Yinlong was speechless for a while.
The burst of emotions gradually faded, and Jiang Dao returned to the appearance of a harmless teenager, pursing his lips, and looking a little aggrieved. “I don’t want to… lose you…”
A burst of numbness spread in Chu Yinlong’s heart. His fingers moved slightly, almost immediately grabbing the boy’s hand and holding it in the palm of his hand.
But then he heard the end of Jiang Dao’s sentence: “…this friend.”
Chu Yinlong’s half-stretched hand froze halfway.
“I don’t want to lose any friends anymore.” Jiang Dao said, closing his eyes. His voice was so low that it was barely audible. “I also don’t want to become enemies because of any misunderstandings…”
At this moment, Jiang Dao looked sad and vulnerable, as if to withdraw from this world.
Even though they were so close, Chu Yinlong felt that there seemed to be an invisible barrier between the two of them, forcibly boxing them in different dimensions.
Panicked, Chu Yinlong finally held Jiang Dao’s hand tightly, wrapping his cold fingertips into his palm.
Feeling warmth wrapping around his fingers, Jiang Dao turned his face away slightly, clenched his teeth, and forced back the sourness in his nose.
He suddenly felt that he was a little hypocritical, which he never was before.
In the past, he didn’t have so many useless emotions. No matter whether he was sad, angry, frightened, or scared, he could handle it with ease, and use them to fuel him in combat.
Sure enough, a comfortable world can make people weak.
Cry?
He hasn’t cried since he was ten years old.
Crying not only can’t help him survive, but it reveals his weakness, and only increases bullying.
“If you feel bad,” Chu Yinlong tugged Jiang Dao’s hand, “just cry.”
The end of the child’s eyes were red. De didn’t know what kind of grievance he felt in his heart… He obviously didn’t feel like this when he was scolded or injured.
But Jiang Dao had already suppressed his emotions.
He opened his eyes and looked at Chu Yinlong with clear eyes: “Why should I cry?”
Chu Yinlong sighed.
Feeling the cold fingers in his hands slowly warm up, he released his hand and rubbed the top of Jiang Dao’s hair. “Okay, get out of the car. Go in and eat something, then take a bath and sleep. Get some rest.”
…
After eating something to satisfy his hunger, Jiang Dao followed Chu Yinlong up to the second floor master bedroom.
Chu Yinlong pulled out a set of pajamas from the wardrobe and handed it to him, a little apologetic: “It’s not new, but it is washed. If you don’t mind…”
Jiang Dao shook his head and reached out to take it.
Chu Yinlong cleared his throat: “I don’t have any new underwear to lend you… However, you can wash your own. There’s a clothes dryer at home.”
Jiang Dao nodded and said nothing.
Chu Yinlong led him to the master bathroom. “Just wash up here. People don’t visit often, so none of the guestrooms are prepared… Just rest here after washing.”
Seeing Chu Yinlong turning around to leave, Jiang Dao suddenly called out. It was the first time he spoke his full name in such a solemn tone.
“Chu Yinlong.” He looked into the man’s eyes. “Will we always be friends?”
– Can I always trust you, give you my back, and show you my weakness and willfulness? When I make a mistake, can you hold me and keep me from stepping into the abyss… Will we always be friends like this?
Chu Yinlong’s heart was bittersweet to hear such a sentence, and his face changed for a moment.
Friends?
To him this… that’s a little bad.
Hearing nothing, Jiang Dao was a little surprised at first, and then suddenly realized something.
That’s right, it was revealed that the original owner spent a lot of money to bribe the director. Even if Chu Yinlong is willing to help him this time, he must consider whether he can always trust him and be friends with him.
Seeing the expectation in the young man’s eyes gradually disappearing, Chu Yinlong’s heart sank. “Of course, we will always be friends.”
Anyway… boyfriends can also be friends.
He still has a chance.
…
Friend-zoned!
Don’t forget to rate and leave a review on novelupdates. Want to support ABV? Buy me a ko-fi for faster releases (add’l release status is tracked on my ko-fi page).
