Chapter 5

“Gege, wake up~”

 

The gentle voice, tinged with a playful lilt, was like a tender hand lifting Yu Huan’s consciousness from the depths of a hazy slumber.

 

Yu Huan opened his eyes and stared blankly at He Chen for several seconds before propping himself up in bed.

 

He glanced at the wall clock. It was still 8:00, roughly the same time he usually woke up, yet he felt as though he had slept for an eternity. His body was sluggish and heavy, utterly devoid of energy.

 

Yu Huan stood up in silence, but instead of heading to the bathroom as usual, he first opened the window to peer outside. The world remained a blinding white expanse, the road buried under a thick layer of snow.

 

Across the street, the snow had draped the slightly dilapidated inn in a simple yet elegant white cloak, instantly elevating its atmosphere to a whole new level.

 

Just then, a window on the third floor of the inn opened. A young boy stretched languidly before noticing Yu Huan and waving a greeting.

 

Yu Huan nodded in response and closed the window.

 

He then walked into the small living room and touched the edge of the table.

 

He Chen followed him, puzzled. “Gege, what are you doing?”

 

Yu Huan gave him a cold glance before returning to the bathroom to wash up.

 

He Chen leaned against the doorframe, his hands gripping the frame, and asked innocently, “Brother, what were you doing just now?”

 

Even without a single glance from Yu Huan, He Chen could happily chatter on for half a day, including details about two suspicious figures lurking around their house yesterday and how their TV was too small and it was time for a new one.

 

“Brother, if you say just one word to me, I’ll take you out to buy a new TV. How does that sound?”

 

He Chen knew Yu Huan better than anyone in the world, and Yu Huan knew He Chen just as well.

 

Yu Huan sat at the table, completely ignoring He Chen from start to finish.

 

He Chen was driven by a strong sense of initiative and competitiveness. If he set his mind on achieving something, he wouldn’t stop until he succeeded. Conversely, if he failed to accomplish something he wanted, he would spiral into a painful vortex of self-doubt.

 

Living with He Chen meant Yu Huan was constantly tormented by memories, but the thought that He Chen was also unhappy made it all worthwhile.

 

*Perfect,* Yu Huan thought. *Let’s keep tormenting each other like this and see who breaks first.*

 

Liu Ying didn’t sleep well all night. He could even distinctly feel the icy air that had rushed in when Zhou Hua opened the door last night.

 

One moment, he remembered Yu Huan standing by the window, reaching out to feel the snow, looking pure and beautiful.

 

The next, he saw Yu Huan screaming hysterically as he jumped from the windowsill…

 

These images played repeatedly in his mind, making it impossible for him to let go.

 

An unprecedentedly strong impulse surged through him. He wanted to take Yu Huan away, anywhere, as long as Yu Huan could have a carefree life.

 

Early the next morning, Liu Ying climbed out of bed without waking Zhou Hua and went out alone.

 

He strolled to the small building and stared at the window for a long, long time—or perhaps it was only a moment. Finally, Liu Ying walked toward the door guarded by several bodyguards.

 

“I’m Liu Ying, a friend of Yu Huan’s. Your boss also knows him as He Huan. I need to speak with him urgently. Could you let him come out and see me?”

 

“I’m sorry, but no one is allowed inside without Mr. He’s permission. Please leave immediately.”

 

“Just make a phone call. He’ll definitely let me in.”

 

“I’m sorry, but no one is allowed inside without Mr. He’s permission. Please leave immediately.”

 

“You’re holding him captive and preventing him from seeing anyone! This is illegal imprisonment!”

 

“I’m sorry, but no one is allowed inside without Mr. He’s permission. Please leave immediately.”

 

“Are you a broken record? All you can say is that?”

 

The bodyguard remained unmoved. He raised his hand, and two black-suited bodyguards stepped forward, forcibly lifting Liu Ying and throwing him out.

 

Liu Ying, still unwilling to give up, shouted Yu Huan’s name loudly at the window.

 

“This is Mr. He’s private property. If you continue to loiter and spy, Mr. He has the right to sue you.”

 

“Sue me? He’s illegally imprisoning Yu Huan! Let’s see who sues whom!”

 

Liu Ying’s shouting, though failing to rouse Yu Huan, did attract numerous people from the small motel behind him. They leaned out their windows, shouting, “What’s all the noise so early in the morning? Don’t you have any consideration for others?”

 

“These people are illegally imprisoning my friend…”

 

“Mr. Liu,” the bodyguard interrupted, “your words constitute defamation of Mr. He’s reputation. We will sue you for defamation. We advise you to be more careful with your language from now on.”

 

“Then why don’t you sue me? I’d like to see if He Chen’s influence reaches the courts! If he doesn’t get me locked up, I’ll sue him until he’s behind bars!”

 

Zhou Hua, roused from sleep by the commotion, rushed downstairs and grabbed Liu Ying. “What are you saying? Have you lost your mind?”

 

“I…” Liu Ying tried to say something, but Zhou Hua cut him off.

 

“He Huan wouldn’t want you to get into trouble for him.”

 

Those words finally snapped Liu Ying’s mind out of its fog. After a night of confusion, his thoughts cleared slightly.

 

Zhou Hua then pulled Liu Ying around to apologize to the crowd, claiming that recent creative blocks and excessive pressure had driven him to such behavior. With great difficulty, he managed to smooth things over.

 

Once they were alone, Zhou Hua, usually so mild-mannered, violently shook off Liu Ying’s hand. “Do you even realize what you’re doing? With your connections, you wouldn’t even get to see He Chen before they threw you in jail!”

 

“Why? Does he think he can control everything with a snap of his fingers?”

 

“He can’t control everything, but didn’t you say it yourself yesterday? Money makes the world go round. And He Chen has more money than he knows what to do with!”

 

“Just how rich is he, anyway?”

 

Zhou Hua closed his eyes. “Do you remember what I told you about what happened after the college entrance exams? I should have been clearer with you sooner.”

 

After He Huan and He Chen left, they vanished without a trace. They didn’t reply to messages, and their phones were always switched off. Zhou Hua kept reassuring himself that this was a society governed by law, and He Huan was still He Chen’s brother. He wouldn’t dare do anything too extreme.

 

As days turned into weeks, Zhou Hua’s anxiety grew. He went to their school and found the He Family’s address.

 

The He Family was incredibly wealthy. Their mansion, larger than the school’s training hall, stood on its own sprawling grounds, complete with a small garden and exotic plants Zhou Hua couldn’t even identify.

 

Yet, despite the mansion’s grandeur, not a soul was visible during the day. In desperation, Zhou Hua climbed over a tree by the wall and snuck into the villa.

 

The interior seemed long abandoned. A thin layer of dust covered the living room, making Zhou Hua wonder if he was overthinking things. Perhaps He Chen and He Huan had simply gone on a trip?

 

But when he saw the strange room, Zhou Hua realized the situation was far more complicated than he’d imagined…

 

The room was small, only about twenty square meters, and completely bare. From ceiling to floor, it was painted white. Just standing at the doorway, Zhou Hua felt a suffocating pressure. The room felt like a giant beast’s gaping maw, ready to swallow him whole.

 

Zhou Hua stumbled out, breathing heavily. It was clear this room wasn’t meant for the He Family. The only possibility was that it was prepared for He Huan.

 

*No wonder He Huan and He Chen’s relationship was so strange. What exactly had He Chen done to He Huan?*

 

Zhou Hua found He Chen’s room on the second floor. It was impeccably clean, like a meticulously tidied morgue, much like He Chen himself.

 

Next door was He Huan’s room. It looked like it had been the scene of a violent argument. Broken furniture lay scattered across the floor, stained with mottled bloodstains.

 

A layer of dust covered the shattered furniture, clearly the aftermath of the fight that erupted on the day they returned home.

 

Zhou Hua wandered through the house in a daze, searching for someone. Finally, with no hope left, he went to the kitchen. It was surprisingly clean, with little dust, suggesting someone had used it recently.

 

Zhou Hua crouched down and followed the barely visible footprints to the basement entrance.

 

The He Family’s basement had a distinctly retro design—perhaps a conspicuous basement door would disrupt the aesthetic harmony of the beautiful house. The entrance was concealed beneath an inconspicuous floorboard at the end of the hallway.

 

The moment he lifted the board, a wave of nauseating stench assaulted him. The odor was a mixture of decaying wood, rotting food, and putrefying flesh. Zhou Hua barely had time to react before he was doubled over, vomiting violently.

 

Covering his mouth and nose with one hand while holding a flashlight in the other, Zhou Hua slowly entered the basement. He could scarcely believe what he saw.

 

He Huan lay on the floor, his body covered in wounds, some already festering. He was emaciated beyond recognition, barely clinging to life.

 

He Chen lay beside him, also unconscious. His entire right hand was crisscrossed with jagged scars, as if someone had flayed off a layer of skin while he was still alive.

 

*What the hell did that pervert He Chen do to them?!*

 

Zhou Hua stumbled out of the basement and immediately called both 120 (emergency medical services) and 110 (police).

 

He didn’t dare go down to see He Huan’s condition. He huddled alone on the sofa, trembling.

 

*If he had come to find He Huan earlier…*

 

*If he had bravely confronted He Chen and stopped him from taking He Huan away…*

 

*If he had urged He Huan to answer He Chen’s call and clear things up sooner…*

 

*If he hadn’t arranged to meet He Huan…*

 

*If he hadn’t struck up a conversation with He Huan in the first place…*

 

Each “if” was like a sharp knife tearing through his mind, shattering He Huan’s once innocent smile into irreparable fragments.

 

The ambulance finally arrived. As they carried the two out, the paramedics’ faces were etched with shock and pity. After years of medical practice, they might never have witnessed such a horrific scene.

 

Zhou Hua waited outside the emergency room in a daze, unsure how long he’d been there. When he finally heard that He Huan’s condition had stabilized, he collapsed to the ground.

 

Thank heaven, He Huan had survived.

 

Such a good person deserved a life of peace and prosperity. Why had he been cursed to cross paths with He Chen?

 

Zhou Hua slept for an entire day. The first sight he saw upon waking was He Family’s arrogant, self-righteous parents. Their nouveau riche demeanor made Zhou Hua sick.

 

According to their account, He Chen and He Huan were locked in the basement by the butler, who delivered their last meal three days ago and then vanished. The family was currently searching for him.

 

“You’re lying!” Zhou Hua roared, smashing everything within reach. “It was that pervert He Chen who did this to He Huan! I’ll make him pay for what he’s done!”

 

The noble He Family parents scurried around like rats. When Zhou Hua had nothing left to throw, He Chen’s mother, Shen Yuehong, clattered over in her eight-centimeter heels and slapped him across the face.

 

“We’re just giving you a warning. Nobody cares about your accusations. If you insist on being stubborn, your parents will have to pay the price for your recklessness!”

 

“Do you really think you can cover everything up? I’ll report this to the police and have that pervert He Chen arrested!”

 

Shen Yuehong sneered. “Before that happens, your parents will jump off a building from the stress of losing their jobs.”

 

Zhou Hua trembled with rage, but he remained confident that the truth would eventually come to light.