Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 557: The New Drug Lord

Perhaps it was due to his resignation to fate, He Juan discovered that he was able to sleep more soundly at night. Of course, he did not cross the possibility that his men had secretly mixed some calming substances into his IV bottle, but He Juan would like to trust that they had not reached such a level of desperation yet.

The remnants of his nightmares still lurked behind his closed eyelids, nested within the hollow of his ribcage, and echoing in the canal of his ears. The gazes filled with sorrow and resentment, the anguished cries, the lingering stench of blood and death— he doubted that they would ever fully disappear, for they had carved themselves too deeply into his flesh and soul. But he had learned to accept them as a part of himself.

And he lived. Even though he couldn’t quite fathom how he did it, he managed to live through each day.

It had been five days since He Juan woke up, and his routine was surprisingly mundane so far. He would open his eyes to the sight of one of his (ex) subordinates asleep on the couch, and the remainder of his days would be spent catching up with each of them. They had seven years’ worth of stories to share, and He Juan listened with relish, happy to know that they had found happiness and freedom away from the looming shadow of Xuanlong.

The atmosphere was so warm and serene that it was hard to believe that they were a bunch of fugitives who were seeking refuge in a foreign land.

He Juan was never the type to stay idle, even when he was injured. Even back then, he had rarely remained in Jia Molei’s clinic for more than two days, much to the doctor’s dismay. Plus with Jia Molei’s life and death now uncertain, it was hard for him to be rest assured. He wished he could rip off his IV drip and track down Ku Jin wherever he was hiding.

Alas, this might be where He Juan became aware of how much time had passed. He was no longer the resilient and tenacious twenty six-year-old XIU who could go on days without sleeping and shrug off bullets in his body without batting an eyelid. Now he was thirty three – holy shit he was already in his thirties – and his body was no longer the same.

He, He Juan realized, had become so weak that it was pathetic.

His muscles were all stiff and aching from the long disuse, his reflexes no longer worked as fast as they used to, and to top it off, he would often suffer from debilitating headaches. Whenever it happened, he would need to find a place to sit and close his eyes for a few minutes to prevent the symptoms from worsening. Things did not end there; he had also become such a klutz. He would be in the middle of speaking when he abruptly forgot what he was about to say next, his mind drawing blank as if someone had punctured a hole through it.

The doctor attributed these issues to side effects from the accident, which He Juan would have to adapt to from now on.

When He Juan expressed his concern about their current status quo, the men merely brushed him off and declared, "Leave everything to us, Boss!"

"Uh-huh, please focus on getting well soon!"

"Don’t worry, we can handle things just fine!"

Chen Youzhi stared at him and stressed, "You don’t need to do anything, Boss. Just concentrate on your recovery."

He Juan was torn between laughter and tears. Throughout his life, it was him who had always protected others, who had always been in charge. Suddenly being told to rest and take it easy... he really couldn’t get used to it. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me ’Boss’ anymore?" He asked helplessly. "Moreover, have you ensured that this hospital is safe? Didn’t you say that the police have learned that we’re here? Why don’t we move first before talking again?"

Upon hearing that, the group of men exchanged meaningful glances, causing He Juan to raise an intrigued brow. O-kay, it seemed like there was something else he was not privy to?

"What is it?" He urged gently, yet the underlying steel in his tone indicated that he demanded nothing but the truth.

Eventually, the men’s eyes settled on Chen Youzhi, whose face promptly darkened when he realized that he had been made into a sacrifice. Releasing a heavy sigh, Chen Youzhi finally resigned to his fate and turned to He Juan, who awaited an explanation, "There are a few things you’re not aware of yet."

He Juan gave him a gesture to go ahead.

Chen Youzhi, ever the frank and candid, immediately got straight to the point. "Right now, we are in Myanmar."

His blunt declaration invited a chorus of groans and exasperated curses from the others. One of them exclaimed, "Can’t you be a bit more tactful, you bastard?!"

Alas, it was already too late for them to regret pushing Chen Youzhi out, for He Juan had registered those words into his mind. "We’re... in Myanmar?" The line of his lips were stiff when he asked that question.

He knew that they were currently in another country, but he was wholly oblivious of the details because the others were adamant on keeping it this way. Moreover, the doctor and nurses who attended to him were mostly westerners, further eluding him from the truth.

Myanmar.

Just the thought of this country brought a sore ache to his heart. It was the country he had always come to whenever he visited Marius in the past. And after Marius’ accident, he had never attempted to find out who had seized the empty position. It all felt meaningless when his brother and best friend was no longer here.

"Why here?" He Juan asked, seeking Chen Youzhi’s eyes for answers.

"Our safety is guaranteed here," Chen Youzhi replied. "The drug lord has absolute authority over the law enforcers, and they will never dare to touch you."

He Juan felt his mind swimming because he could not make head or tail of the situation at all. "The drug lord?" He massaged his throbbing temple, puzzled. "Why would they be shielding me?"

Against his will, He Juan’s heart started to race faster as a possibility crossed his mind. It couldn’t be... Had Marius been found some time during his memory loss?!

Yet as soon as the notion popped into his mind, He Juan swiftly dismissed it. No, it was not Marius. It couldn’t have been him. If it were him, he would have appeared in front of He Juan from the very first day. He Juan sifted through his memory, but he couldn’t think of anyone he was close enough to for them to go to such lengths to protect him. Why would they do this when he no longer had anything to his name?

XIU and Xuanlong’s era of glory had long since been buried, and protecting He Juan would only bring them more trouble than benefit.

"Who?" He demanded, his tone wintry. "Who is it? I want to meet them."

Huang Zhiyan let out a groan, "I knew this would happen. Luckily, they’re also planning to visit you today. Speak of the devil," he looked down at his phone and grimaced. "They’re here."

He Juan tensed up when he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching the room. Unlike the footsteps belonging to the doctor or nurses, this one was firm, heavy and steady. It spoke of undeniable composure and confidence. Step by step, they came near until they stopped just outside the room, and Huang Zhiyan went to open the door, nodding in greeting.

As the person stepped in, He Juan felt as if all the oxygen in the room had been sucked away. His eyes flew wide in shock and disbelief, taking in the familiar yet foreign appearance of the other.

"You... how..." He Juan’s voice was hoarse, thick with emotions. His mind began to replay their last meeting seven years ago which was far from pleasant. Back then, he had genuinely believed that it was the last time they would ever see each other in this lifetime.

Yet as it turned out, he was wrong.

"It’s been a long time..." Twenty-five-year old Ye Qiu gazed at him softly, her faint smile tinged with a hint of sorrow and joy. "...Ge."