Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 554: Brief Clarity

Inside a VIP room at a private hospital, Myanmar.

The steady cadence of the heartbeat monitor echoed through the space, synchronized with the rhythm ticking of a clock. Even though there were six big men inside the room, it was so silent that even a pin drop could be heard.

Every pair of eyes was focused on the man on the bed whose face was covered by an oxygen mask, tracking down the gentle rise and fall of the man’s chest with a somber look on their faces.

"Damn it!" a frustrated curse broke the silence. "I never thought that... the day we met again would be like this..."

Huang Zhiyan let out a heavy exhale, his fingers twitching with the urge to smoke. "Let’s not brood," he chimed in with a casual tone to lighten the atmosphere. "Haven’t Old Chen told us that it’s already a blessing for him to survive? We should be grateful instead that we have the chance to see him again."

"That’s right!" Another man exclaimed in a loud voice, startling the others. "He’s still alive until now, isn’t that the most important thing? Boss’ luck is truly excellent, he must have accumulated it over several lifetimes! Look, even the doctors have confirmed that we only need to wait for him to wake up, and his head trauma is not severe!"

A scoff punctuated the air. "You’re exaggerating, idiot!"

"Geez, why are we moping like this when we finally meet again after seven long years?!"

"Seriously, though, I almost kneeled down to God when the medical report came out. It was fortunate that Boss is out of the critical stage, or else... hiss, I don’t even dare to think about it! And to make matters worse, Doctor Jia is not even here with us!"

They could not hold back a curse upon recalling the missing doctor. "Damn it, we still need to deal with that fucking manipulator..."

"So what? What do we have to be afraid of?! It’s not like Xuanlong exists anymore!"

"Alright, alright," Huang Zhiyan’s voice cut through the heated discussion, tinged with a hint of helplessness. "We will leave that bastard for another day. For now, let’s catch some rest." He let out a gigantic yawn in time as if to emphasize his words. "Shit, my body is not young anymore. First, I had to travel for hours to reach China, and then there was a fucking AX–03 bomb, clash with the police and now..."

It was still okay if Huang Zhiyan did not mention it out loud, but now that he did, everyone began to feel exhaustion creeping into their bodies. It was not only physical exhaustion, but mental fatigue as well. After all, it had been so long since they’d engaged in such intensive action, having grown accustomed to a comfortable and peaceful life.

"So, who’s gonna take the first watch tonight?"

"Should we all just crash on the floor?"

"Ah, no, no, my spine can no longer handle sleeping on the hard floor! Please, let me take the couch!"

"Fuck, what are you? A delicate princess?!"

A mix of curses and laughter filled the room, drawing a smile across Huang Zhiyan’s face. Though they had not seen each other for years, he was glad to see that their bonds remained as solid as ever, if not more. Everyone here had been saved by XIU in one way or another, and they owed him yet another immeasurable debt when Xuanlong collapsed seven years ago, and they suddenly found a huge sum of money in their accounts that ensured a lifetime of comfort. Especially when they later learned that the money had come from He Juan’s personal assets.

They would literally lay down their lives for He Juan if he ever asked, and at this moment, nothing mattered to them more than He Juan’s safety.

"I—" Huang Zhiyan began, ready to volunteer for the first watch, when the door slid open and Chen Youzhi stepped in.

"I will watch over him tonight. You guys should rest."

"Old Chen!"

"Fuck, Old Chen, you made it here! How is Little Sirius? Where is he?"

"Did the police make things difficult for you?!"

The corner of Chen Youzhi’s lips into a semblance of a smile at the warm and boisterous welcome. "Don’t worry, we managed to slip away during the chaos caused by the explosion. I sent Little Guo back and hitched a ride on a boat to get myself here. He..." his gaze shifted to He Juan on the bed, and for a split second, a powerful déjà vu overcame him, causing his fists to tighten. "How is he?"

The others swiftly filled him in and reassured him that He Juan would recover once he regained consciousness later, and Chen Youzhi finally released the tension on his body. "Good, it’s good that he’s okay..." Otherwise he really did not know what he should do if He Juan were to fall into a comatose state again. The events from seven years ago were more than enough to traumatize him.

Shaking his head to dispel the thought, he addressed his brothers in the room, "I’m serious. You all should go back and get some rest. I’m the only one who didn’t have to travel a long distance, so I can keep watch for the night."

Now that Chen Youzhi put it like that, the others no longer had any reason to refuse. "Then we will rely on you for tonight."

"Alright, brothers. Let’s go back and have a good rest!"

"Sure, I’m planning to come here first thing in the morning."

"Old Chen, let us know if he wakes up, okay?"

"Thank you," Huang Zhiyan patted him on the shoulder before he walked away, making Chen Youzhi feel somewhat helpless.

Soon, the men vacated the room, leaving only him and He Juan alone. Chen Youzhi shrugged off his coat, rolled up his sleeves and walked to the bathroom to fetch a warm cloth. He then settled in a chair by the bed and began to wipe He Juan’s arms and neck. The movement was so familiar that it brought an ache to his heart, as he had been doing this almost daily seven years ago when He Juan was still in a coma.

Gazing at the unconscious man, Chen Youzhi couldn’t help but murmur softly, "Please wake up soon, Boss. Everyone is waiting for you."

He retrieved his hand, ready to return the cloth to the bathroom, but then he abruptly froze when he caught sight of a subtle twitch in He Juan’s fingertips. In an instant, his gaze snapped up to the man, and he instantly shot up to his feet upon seeing that He Juan’s lashes were quivering violently as though he was about to wake up.

"Boss...?" Chen Youzhi called out gingerly, hope rising in his chest.

A long exhale from He Juan fogged up the oxygen mask, and the beeping of the monitor accelerated ever so slightly. Much to Chen Youzhi’s delight, He Juan’s eyelids slowly fluttered open, revealing a pair of dazed and unfocused silver eyes.

"Boss? Are you awake?!" Chen Youzhi scrambled to press the button to call for the doctor. "Can you hear me?"

He Juan’s eyes roamed over the surroundings in a sluggish manner before landing on him. Then his lips parted, and a soft, almost inaudible voice slipped out. It was as quiet as a fleeting breeze, yet the effect it had on Chen Youzhi was akin to a bolt of lightning striking his head.

"C... hen’er..."

Chen Youzhi’s breath snagged in his throat, his pupils dilating in shock. What...?

W–What was that? Did He Juan just call his old nickname? But how? Wasn’t he supposed to have forgotten everything?! Questions swirled in Chen Youzhi’s mind, rendering his mind blank for a while.

By the time the medical team rushed into the room, He Juan’s eyes had gently closed again, his breathing steady and tranquil. It was as though that brief moment of clarity had been nothing more than the product of Chen Youzhi’s imagination.