Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 543: Shut Up!

Mu Yuze felt like he had gone insane.

He must really have. Why else would he be so obsessed in visiting each and every place he had been to with He Juan, searching for any sign of the man when he knew deep down that he would find nothing?

He went to the apartment he had visited once before, only to be met with the receptionist’s unwelcome news – He Juan had vacated the room a day after his last visit.

The revelation cut through Mu Yuze akin to a tar-soaked blade, leaving him devastated. Exactly how long had He Juan been planning this for? He should have known... he should have seen the signs that something was amiss the last time they met. Alas, he had been lulled too deep by the sweet and cozy atmosphere, and He Juan’s façade had been too impenetrable, rendering him unable to focus on anything aside from the present.

If only he had been more perceptive, more vigilant, could he have done something to prevent He Juan from leaving?

Perhaps he looked too pitiful, standing in a luxurious lobby bundled up in a thin coat with dazed expression and tear-stained eyes, the staff kindly inquired, "Would you like a cup of warm tea, Sir?"

Mu Yuze snapped out of his reverie and shook his head, "No, there’s no need..."

Thanking the staff one more time, he walked out of the apartment as though he was floating. Next, he went to every restaurant he had visited with He Juan, almost losing his way more than once as he struggled to navigate through the city. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to find He Juan there, but he still searched around with fervor. As if somehow a miracle would happen, as if he would be able to bump into He Juan on the street...

What a pathetic wish, yet he couldn’t help himself.

The sun rode high to the sky only to descend again. Mu Yuze completely lost track of time, and in a blink of an eye, evening had descended upon the city. He still had not eaten anything since this morning, yet strangely he did not feel hungry at all.

As he walked through the crowded street, surrounded by the bustling throngs of people engaged in their own lives, Mu Yuze had never felt so alone.

It was like he had been abandoned by the whole world.

The city was clearly so big, yet there were only a few scant places that held their shared memories. And this time, Mu Yuze was at a loss as to where he should search. Even during the times when he had scrounged for scraps to eat or been wrongfully detained in the police station for the crime he did not commit, never before had the world scared him as much as now.

He felt small, unseen, and vulnerable; it was as if without He Juan, he was no different than a fragile dandelion who could be blown away by the slightest breeze. Since when had he become so reliant on He Juan? And to think that he had boldly declared to the man that he could take care of himself very well...

Suddenly, Mu Yuze halted on his tracks, a sardonic scoff escaping his lips. "What a letdown."

Just then, the advertisement on the billboard ended and the channel shifted to the headline news. Bits and pieces of the words drifted to Mu Yuze’s ears, "... Xuanlong... XIU..."

Mu Yuze instantly snapped his head up, all the sounds around him rushing back to his ears like a tidal wave. He roughly wiped away the tears on his eyes and focused on the screen, where a pair of presenters were engaged in breaking news. "This is an incredibly shocking development, indeed. One couldn’t help but ponder, how could such a giant corporation like Xuanlong collapse overnight?"

"Yes, and as we can see, the properties once belonging to Xuanlong have changed hands, and the shares have all been sold. This is total annihilation! Do you think there’s an internal feud in Xuanlong? Could it have been ignited by the recent spate of news surrounding XIU, making him the target of public outrage?"

"That is possible. However, we can’t dismiss the fact that something strange is going on. For now, we have invited a distinguished economic analyst to..."

Mu Yuze zoned out the rest of the voices, for all of his attention was zeroed in on the headline titles. Despite his dyslexia, those few words were clear and comprehensible.

Xuanlong’s Destruction: Where is XIU?

Mu Yuze’s breath hitched on his throat, and at that moment, he was overtaken by an unprecedented surge of fear that chilled him down to the core. He knew that something was happening on He Juan’s side, and could guess that the man was going to do something dangerous, hence his decision to sever ties with Mu Yuze. But what if... what if some tragedy had already befallen him?

He had always regarded He Juan as some kind of omnipotent being who could solve whatever problem that came his way, but what if it was not the case this time?

A tumultuous buzz reverberated in his ears, causing the world to sway for a fraction of a second. He instinctively clutched onto the pole beside him to steady himself, struggling to breathe through the tightening sensation on his chest.

No, it was not possible. Nothing could ever happen to He Juan...

All around him, people began to cheer in unison, "Serves him right!"

"Karma will surely get to him sooner or later! With the amount of crime he has committed, it’s no wonder that all those bad deeds come back to bite him one day!"

"Geez, I really hope he meets his end this time!"

"Our country will be much safer without him!"

Mu Yuze was filled with sheer incredulity as he witnessed the cruel joy and schadenfreude on the faces of those around him. What the hell were they saying? How could they—

He had to clamp a hand over his mouth when he felt bile rising on his throat. It felt like a poisonous bug had taken root inside him, gnawing on his internal organs and turning them rotten. His ears were filled with curses and insults hurled at He Juan, yet at that time, he felt as if they were directed to himself. Was this what He Juan had been subjected to all along? Mu Yuze wanted to scream, he wanted to bare his teeth, seize them by their collars and shout in front of their faces that his Juan-gege was not like that! Juan-gege is not a bad person at all! You guys don’t know anything about him so shut up! You don’t deserve to say his name with your filthy mouths!!

He wanted to sew their lips shut for talking bad about his beloved Gege. He wanted to punch them, kick them, and teach them a lesson—

But he did none of it.

Instead, he ran away. He clenched his teeth, desperately stifling the cries that threatened to escape his lips. He ran, ran, and ran until he could hear those disparaging remarks no more. He ran until his lungs burned with protest, until the muscles of his legs clamped in agony. Yet he did not stop.

Snowflakes continued to fall and drenched him from head to toe, until he could no longer tell if the wetness on his cheeks was due to tears or melted snow.

His feet carried him to a familiar neighborhood until he reached a particular door. Without even stopping to catch his breath, he pounded on the door, shouting hoarsely, "Master, open up! Master, it’s me, Mu Yuze! Master!!"

If there was someone around Mu Yuze who could gain some information about He Juan, then it would be his martial arts master, Song Yin.