Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 544: How Could He?

"Master!" Mu Yuze’s voice echoed through the desolate neighborhood, tinged with pleading and desperation.

He couldn’t care less about the disturbance he was causing to the neighbors; he would not stop until the door was open to him. His fist pounded relentlessly on the door, again and again, until the pale skin turned into deep crimson, half from the cold and half from the pain. "Master!!!"

Fortunately, the door soon creaked open, revealing Song Yin’s disgruntled expression. "What are..." his voice abruptly halted as he took in Mu Yuze’s appearance that was akin to a drenched, down-trodden cat that had fallen into the sewer. His frown deepened as he scanned the surroundings, thinking that his disciple was being chased down by a group of thugs. Why else would he appear in such a state?

"What’s the matter with you? Come inside first." Song Yin opened the door wider, but Mu Yuze did not step in. Instead, he immediately spoke, his words coming out in a trembling, stuttering mess. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Master, the news... have you seen the news?!" Mu Yuze pleaded to him. "Something has happened to Xuanlong. Can you help me find out if... if it has something to do with XIU?"

As soon as Song Yin heard those words, his lips immediately set into thin lines. His words spoke of his disapproval, "Mu Yuze, I’m afraid that whatever he did is none of your concern."

"B–But!" Mu Yuze clung to the wooden gate for support when he felt like the air was lost to him. He was wheezing for breath, yet he still forced his throat to work. "But it’s different this time! Master, I’m sure that an accident has happened to him! Please... I beg you, please help me..." he did not even realize that he was crying until he choked on his tears.

His tongue suddenly felt too thick and heavy in his mouth. Through his blurred vision, he could faintly register Song Yin’s concerned expression, but right now all of his attention was focused on the excruciating agony spreading from the center of his heart to his entire body.

It was different this time. Somehow, he knew it deep within his soul. This pain he was feeling, the creeping despair and dread— it was unbearable. He felt as though half of his soul was being torn apart from him against his will, and if he did nothing, he would lose it for sure. His life would no longer be the same.

But whatever could he do? What could a seventeen-year-old teenager like him do? Oh, never had he ever felt as helpless and powerless as now...

"Please..." he bowed as deeply as his trembling and frozen body allowed him to. "I beg you, Master! I have never asked you for anything, just this once..." he fumbled with his words, tears sliding down the slope of his nose to land on the snowy ground soundlessly.

Not even leaving a mark, as though it mirrored his fruitless effort.

"He left! He told me that he was going somewhere far away! He even went as far as to remove all of his things in the house! Master, he... he is not the kind of person who would do that without a reason, so..." he raised his head and gazed at Song Yin through his tears, pleading. His pitiful whimper was lost amidst the howling wind, "Just this one time... can you please help me, just this one time?"

Song Yin stared at him for one long moment, his gaze inscrutable. But in the end, he released a heavy sigh as though resigning to his fate. "Just this once," he warned.

Mu Yuze’s eyes lit up and a hopeful smile finally broke upon his lips.

Feeling utterly helpless, Song Yin felt the need to clarify, "I will ask around this one time. Whether I can really discover something, it’s not for certain yet."

"T–That’s fine!"

Mu Yuze’s gaze trailed after the man as he walked to the side to make a few phone calls, his blood thrumming beside his ears. Please, he prayed fervently, please don’t let anything happen to him. It’s okay if he left, it’s okay if he did not want Mu Yuze anymore. As long as he was still alive, as long as he was living his best life somewhere Mu Yuze couldn’t see, then...

However, that tiny hope of his was shattered the moment Song Yin returned with his brows pinched into a deep frown. Mu Yuze could feel the ground beneath his feet shaking, or perhaps it was just his own body. Dread settled on the pit of his stomach, and it was further exacerbated when Song Yin opened his mouth and told him,

"The underworld has always been treacherous. Anything can happen within seconds, and one must never let their guard down."

"M–Master...?" Mu Yuze heard his own voice speaking, small and vulnerable.

What did Song Yin mean? What did he mean by saying that?! Alas, as hard as he tried to deceive himself, he could somewhat discern the hidden implications behind those words. But he refused to believe it. No, he couldn’t accept this kind of answer!

Song Yin let out another sigh. "Go back, Mu Yuze." For once, there was no hint of disdain in his tone when he spoke about He Juan. "XIU has done the right thing by severing all ties with you once and for all. He will never return anymore, so you should go back. Forget about him and live your life. I’m sure it must be what he wanted too."

Mu Yuze’s trembling lips opened without a word, and a breathless sob escaped his lips as his world finally crumbled apart. "No..." he whispered, but soon his voice got louder and louder until he was practically screaming on top of his lungs. "No... NO! I WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS! HE’S STILL ALIVE! HE IS STILL—!"

Ever the ruthless and no-nonsense kind of person, Song Yin slammed the door on him, forcing him to leave.

Mu Yuze staggered backward. The weight of exhaustion, dread and fear finally bore down on him and he collapsed on his knees, his eyes staring blankly at the snowy ground before him. "Ha... ah..." he clutched his chest, as though trying to fill the void that was forming there. Tears poured out of his eyes in an unending stream. "No, not possible..." he whispered again and again. "He’s still alive, he is. I can feel it. He can’t be—" his voice abruptly cracked, and he broke down into a heart-rending wail.

"He’s still alive... he must be...!" He kept repeating those words to himself, because he simply had no idea how to face a world without He Juan in it.

How could Song Yin tell him to forget? How could he ever forget, when He Juan’s very presence had become a part of the air he breathed, the blood coursing through his veins and the bones residing in his body? How could he live his life when it was He Juan who made him see the beauty of this bleak and horrendous world?

How could he, when He Juan was the sole reason his sun still rose every single morning?

"Gege... gege..." Mu Yuze curled himself up until his forehead touched the ground and cried himself hoarse, calling out for that one person whom he longed to see the most. "Please... please take me with you..."

Yet his anguished cries were akin to a pebble sinking into the boundless sea, unheard and unnoticed. It was too much. It hurt too much. Mu Yuze did not even know how he could wake up the next morning with the knowledge that He Juan would no longer be by his side, that He Juan would no longer return to him.

He cried, cried and cried, until his voice could no longer be heard, until the snow piled on top of him and almost buried him beneath.

He did not even realize when he’d passed out, and the next thing he knew, he woke up on a hospital bed with Song Yin by his side.

But it was as if Mu Yuze did not register his presence at all, his vacant gaze fixed on the ceiling, tears continuously trickling down and soaking the pillow beneath him. He thought that perhaps, if he vacuumed his mind, if he sealed himself away, then the agony wouldn’t be so unbearable. He might even dream of He Juan, savoring each and every happy memory they had created together.

That was the only thing Mu Yuze could do, to prevent himself from falling apart beyond repair.

Beside him, Song Yin pinched his brows in frustration. He never expected that Mu Yuze’s reaction would be so severe. Hadn’t he only known XIU for a few short years?

He had initially assumed that it was just a typical teenager’s hormone imbalance that made the boy behave like this, but the medical examinations told him otherwise.

Right now, Mu Yuze was acting as if he had lost his bonded mate, when oddly he was not even bonded at all. Even the doctors couldn’t fully explain the reason behind this unusual phenomenon. And as everyone knew, there was only one outcome to an individual who had lost their other half – they would gradually wither and succumb to the overwhelming grief.

Mu Yuze was really going to die soon if the doctor couldn’t find a cure.

Alas, Song Yin had a hunch that what Mu Yuze needed the most was not a cure, but a reason to keep living.

After hours of sitting by Mu Yuze’s bedside, he finally made a hard decision that would alter the life of the person before him. "Become a police officer, Mu Yuze."

Mu Yuze still acted as though he heard nothing, his eyes blank and unseeing. It was as if he had immersed himself into his own world, one that was devoid of pain and separation. Nonetheless, Song Yin pressed on, for he knew exactly what could yank Mu Yuze back from his emotional abyss.

"You will be able to find XIU that way."

As expected, Mu Yuze’s wet lashes trembled at the mere mention of that name, and a faint light flickered in his eyes. Witnessing that, Song Yin released the pent-up breath in his chest and continued, his tone resolute. "As it stands, XIU is a wanted criminal that no police can capture yet. You can try. This is the most legal, straightforward and easiest way if you want to find him. Moreover," a wry smile tugged on his lips. "when it comes to him, you’d rather take matters into your own hands, wouldn’t you?"

Mu Yuze’s breathing caught on his throat, and the heartbeat monitor connected to him began to beep in an irregular rhythm. His eyes gradually regained their focus, and he clung to Song Yin’s words like a drowning man clutching to the last lifeline.

"Can I...?" He croaked, his voice extremely hoarse yet tinged with a fragile glimmer of hope. "If I become a police officer, can I find him?"

Song Yin replied, "That’s the answer you need to find for yourself, isn’t it? I’m just offering you a possibility."

However, that was more than enough to pull Mu Yuze out of his mire of depression. When the boy made a move to sit up, Song Yin pressed his shoulders back to the bed and shot him a disapproving look.

"But..." Mu Yuze murmured with hesitance. "I am an Omega, and I’m dyslexic as well. Can I really..."

It was indeed unheard of for Omegas to pursue such a dangerous occupation – or any kind of occupation altogether. However, society was bound to change since Miss Liang Yuanjun rose to become the first Omega prime minister in history. She had emerged as a trailblazer, a pioneer and living proof that Omega capabilities were not inferior to those of Betas or Alphas.

"You can," Song Yin responded with unwavering reassurance. "I won’t lie to you – this will be a thorny path. Your future will be fraught with danger, and the world will not be kind to you, especially when you’re an Omega. But if you have resolved to do this, Master will train and support you. If it’s you, Mu Yuze, you can definitely achieve it."

Those words seemed to have kindled a fighting spirit in Mu Yuze’s eyes, as the flame within his dark orbs set ablaze with determination. He wiped away his tears and declared through gritted teeth, "I can. I will do it... as long as I can find him!"

Song Yin heaved a sigh of relief. The intels from his network had hinted that XIU might be dead, but if this could give Mu Yuze a reason to carry on...

Live, he gazed at the teenager before him with a hint of sadness. I’m deeply sorry, Mu Yuze. I have no idea how many years this reason will sustain you, but for now... just live and survive.