BL Ch72

The news from the gatekeeper was that someone had returned. Hong Liangzhang, who was personally cleaning, immediately went out to meet them. He saw that only one of the three cars that had left that morning had returned, parking in front of the fountain. The young man who got out of the car had a serious expression and silently handed over the car keys.

Hong Liangzhang caught the keys, looked down the tree-lined avenue, and confirmed there were no other cars. Puzzled, he asked, “Xiao Bai, why are you the only one back?”

“I was fired, just packing my things to leave.” Bai Zhao said this, then turned towards the annex building.

Hong Liangzhang, too shocked to care about his own astonishment, hurried after him, “You were fired? What happened? Did the young master act out again? Don’t be hasty; when he gets back, I’ll talk to him. He can’t be so capricious. It’s one thing if he suddenly fires so many servants, I can manage with these old bones, but your job can’t be replaced by anyone.”

Bai Zhao didn’t stop walking, “Nothing is irreplaceable; to him, I’m just a bodyguard, not that important.”

Hong Liangzhang struggled to keep up, soon running out of steam, panting as he fell behind, “Don’t say that about yourself, hey, slow down, don’t act rashly, wait until the young master comes back…”

Bai Zhao waved his hand and walked faster, soon creating a distance between them.

Hong Liangzhang was anxious but knew his words wouldn’t help. He stood there thinking for a moment before hurrying back to the main building.

Yu Duqiu was on his way back when he received the call. His car was at the foot of the mountain. Listening to Hong Liangzhang’s earnest persuasion, he responded indifferently, “I thought he had gone somewhere, turns out he came back. Why bother with him? He thinks too highly of himself. If I personally try to retain him now, he’ll become even more unruly.”

Hong Liangzhang, rarely stern, criticized him, “Xiao Bai doesn’t think too highly of himself; he thinks too highly of you. Young master, if you have any affection for him, give him some hope!”

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.

“I’ve given him plenty already; he’s never satisfied.” Yu Duqiu hung up after saying this.

Hong Liangzhang sighed deeply, feeling helpless. He went to the annex building himself, knocking on the tightly shut door, carefully saying, “Xiao Bai, just wait a bit longer, the young master will be back soon. You two should sit down and talk calmly—”

The door suddenly opened, and Bai Zhao, holding the door, asked expressionlessly, “How long before he’s back?”

Hong Liangzhang’s face lit up, thinking there was room for mediation, quickly saying, “Very soon, just a few minutes.”

Bai Zhao turned back into the room, continuing to pack his clothes and belongings, speeding up, “I know him; he won’t talk to me, just like he never consults me before making decisions. He likes to control everything, not allowing others to interfere.”

Hong Liangzhang watched his back, standing helplessly at the door, unable to argue.

Over the past couple of months, anyone with eyes could see the attitudes these two had towards each other.

There was no reason to persuade someone to suffer.

Bai Zhao’s suitcase was on the floor, the same one he brought when he moved in, about 20 inches, just enough for a few clothes, not even room for extra shoes. He didn’t have much in the room to pack, and after finishing with his luggage, he even smoothed out the bedding before closing the suitcase. Facing away from the door, he pointed to the nightstand where a folded piece of paper lay under the lamp, “Uncle Hong, after I leave, please have him read this letter. I’ve written down other possible hideouts for Bai Zhiming. If he’s not in Mogok or if he escapes, they can check these places.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’ve booked the earliest flight to Kunming…” Bai Zhao suddenly paused, turning around abruptly.

Hong Liangzhang, who was previously at the door, had retreated somewhere, and now the person leaning against the door was Yu Duqiu, his expression cold, the usual frivolous smile gone from his flawless face, looking as if he had just emerged from icy water, even his silver hair gleaming coldly.

“Going to Kunming, then what? You don’t have a visa; are you planning to sneak over there alone to catch Bai Zhiming?” Yu Duqiu mocked without hiding his disdain, “Don’t go out there embarrassing me; I don’t want to post bail for you.”

Bai Zhao was silent for a moment before turning back to lock his suitcase, “I resigned; I won’t affect you.”

“From being attentive this morning to quitting now, that’s quite ruthless.”

“Am I ruthless?” Bai Zhao stopped what he was doing, “Anyone can say that about me, but not you.”

Yu Duqiu crossed his arms, “Just ten days ago, you said we were well-matched, and now we’re not? Then get out.”

Bai Zhao closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, he decisively picked up his suitcase, “I’m leaving then. Goodbye.”

He walked towards the door in big strides, slightly turning his body to pass by the person leaning against the door without looking at him.

“Your so-called loyalty amounts to this.” Yu Duqiu’s scornful words came from behind, “The feeling of watching from afar versus being close is very different, isn’t it? Disappointed in me? I knew you’d give up one day, just like everyone else who admired me, but I didn’t expect it to be this soon. Good, it saves me from further loss.”

Bai Zhao stopped in his tracks, gripping the suitcase handle so tightly that veins bulged on his hand.

Yu Duqiu scoffed, “Hit the nail on the head, did I? Embarrassed—”

“Thud!”

The suitcase hit the ground hard.

At the same time, he was grabbed by the collar and slammed against the door.

“What have you lost?” Bai Zhao’s eyes were red, like a desperate beast with a bloodthirsty intensity, “You’ve forgotten all about me, but I still came back to protect you. Now I have to go catch Bai Zhiming alone because of your reckless decision. Do you know he’s a drug dealer and a murderer? Do you know how he used to torture me? Do you know I might die there? You know all this, but you don’t care…”

“Last time I was determined to leave, but you gave me a kiss, and like a dog, I came back to guard you. I’ve gone this far, isn’t it enough to ask you not to go? Even if I die there, it won’t affect you continuing your investigation, finding other obedient lovers. What have you lost?”

Yu Duqiu’s gaze was icy, “Now you’re keeping score? If you want compensation, you shouldn’t have pretended to be so selfless from the start.”

Bai Zhao was hurt by that cold look, lowering his head, his fingers loosening one by one, finally letting go of Yu Duqiu’s collar, even smoothing out his shirt as if the earlier outburst wasn’t his, “Forget it… I need to catch my flight, young master.”

He pulled out the white hibiscus from his suit’s lapel; after the morning’s ordeal, the flower was somewhat wilted.

“I’ll send you a message when I catch Bai Zhiming. If you don’t hear from me within seven days… bury this flower where you often pass by.”

Yu Duqiu didn’t accept it, “Why can’t you wait to go with the police?”

“Like you have your decisions, I have mine.”

“But your decision is foolish.”

Bai Zhao gave a self-mocking smile, “Could anything be more foolish than loving you?”

Yu Duqiu, upon hearing this, took the flower and put it back, “I don’t accept flowers from fools.”

Bai Zhao looked down at the wilted white flower on his chest for a moment before saying, “This is the third time I’ve given you this. There won’t be a fourth, that’s it.”

He turned to leave and pick up the suitcase he had thrown in the hallway earlier, but he was suddenly yanked back with force.

Now it was Yu Duqiu’s turn to grab his collar.

“It’s only been three months.”

Bai Zhao was stunned, “…What?”

“You’ve known me for nine years, but I’ve only known you for three months, and you’ve only seriously pursued me for three months before I let you stay by my side. Lingya chased me for years to get to this position, what do you have to complain about?”

Yu Duqiu’s face was very close; their breaths mingled, giving the illusion of intimacy, but his words were chilling, “Since white hibiscus blooms every day, you should give one every day. Just because you’ve been rejected three times, you stop? Do you think you’re so aggrieved? What about those who’ve given me gifts dozens or even hundreds of times? Should they be so aggrieved they’d kill themselves? Isn’t that just melodramatic?”

Bai Zhao’s suppressed anger flared up again, glaring defiantly at the person in front of him, “Why give if there’s no response?”

“No response? You can actually say that, what was the music hall incident about?”

“That was a reward, as you said.”

“Thus, I say you’re foolish.” Yu Duqiu patted his face, “You’ve been watching me for so many years, have you ever seen me use myself as a reward?”

The man’s anger, which had been building up, suddenly stopped.

Since it was already said, Yu Duqiu continued, “I’m not like you, needing to vocalize everything, afraid I won’t notice. Flaunting your affection every day, isn’t that boring?”

“Use your foolish brain; I fired dozens of employees at home without a second thought. But I’m here talking to you for so long, isn’t that showing I care? What more do you want, for me to beg you not to leave? Dream on.”

“I didn’t ask you to go die for me; you’re the one going crazy for no reason, sneaking over to catch Bai Zhiming alone when you could have police protection? Are you sick? My plan was perfect, using Peiming as a hostage to minimize risk. If we catch Bai Zhiming, great; if not, at least I’m sure I can bring you back.”

“Back in the U.S., didn’t you say you didn’t want to die alone in a place where no one knows? I’m personally going with you, personally protecting you. Even if you die, I’ll bring you back home. What more are you unsatisfied with? Why throw a tantrum?”

“If my decision made you angry, I’m sorry, but I won’t change it because I’m not wrong. You need to change, remember that?”

Yu Duqiu said all this in one breath, then paused for air, slightly panting, seeming to have spoken too quickly, losing his usual composure.

He raised his hand to fix his hair, trying to regain his usual speaking rhythm, but his wrist was caught.

Bai Zhao finally snapped out of his daze, though still a bit confused, holding him tightly, murmuring, “You planned all this… to go with me?”

Yu Duqiu, irritated, “Why else would I risk myself? I never do things others can do for me. Catching Bai Zhiming doesn’t need my personal involvement. You overestimate your understanding of me, overestimating your intelligence—”

Bai Zhao suddenly reached out with his other hand, cupping Yu Duqiu’s cool face.

Then he leaned in slightly, sealing his lips.

A warm breath entered his mouth, followed by an assertive tongue, taking advantage of his surprise to delve deep.

Yu Duqiu frowned with a hum, his head tilting back against the door, unable to escape, which instead gave Bai Zhao a leverage point to deepen the kiss, sucking on his unprepared tongue.

With that suck, Yu Duqiu’s fingers trembled, then he pushed the overly bold man away an inch, “Who allowed you to kiss me?”

Bai Zhao swallowed, his gaze somewhat dazed, “After what you said, if I didn’t kiss you, I feel like I’d suffocate.”

Yu Duqiu couldn’t maintain his stern facade and laughed, “Fool, always saying silly things.”

All his sharp edges melted away in that beautiful smile.

Bai Zhao gently touched his silver hair—the black roots showing since he was too busy with the press conference preparation to dye them, creating a noticeable crack in his defiant disguise, revealing a glimpse of his true self.

“You looked particularly good at your 18th birthday party abroad.” Bai Zhao reminisced softly, “Charismatic when sober, even more eye-catching when drunk. No one could not admire you.”

Yu Duqiu snorted lightly, “Lust at first sight.”

“Perhaps for others, but not for me. I knew exactly who you are, and I was upset you forgot me, so I couldn’t help but take it out on you at first.”

Yu Duqiu: “No wonder you were so hot and cold at first. And later?”

“I’m still angry.” Bai Zhao’s gaze softened, “But I realized I couldn’t let you go.”

Yu Duqiu’s eyes flickered, “Couldn’t let me go? You seemed pretty decisive earlier.”

“I thought you were being reckless, treating danger like a game. That would definitely lead to trouble, so I thought I should handle it first.”

“You think you can handle it alone? What were you thinking?”

“Yeah, I won’t go.” Bai Zhao chuckled deeply, “Wherever you are, I’ll be.”

“That’s more like it.” Yu Duqiu was satisfied, his fingers threading through Bai Zhao’s short hair at the back of his head, casually smoothing it.

Suddenly, words failed them.

They quietly looked at each other, too close to count each other’s eyelashes, every look was unavoidable.

Breaths intertwined, the air growing thick.

Bai Zhao suddenly lowered his gaze.

Yu Duqiu unconsciously bit his lip.

This small action ignited a spark that burst into a loud explosion in his mind, boiling him with an indescribable heat.

While Yu Duqiu was still pondering how to describe this new sensation, Bai Zhao took action—

Rough fingers with calluses intertwined with his, itching as they passed through his fingers, pressing him against the door without room for argument.

The heat source moved away, the temperature dropped, the air became fresher, and Yu Duqiu’s heaving chest gradually calmed, staring at the pristine white ceiling, feeling somewhat dazed.

In his memory, whenever his consciousness was unclear, his vision was like a vast, dark screen where bizarre images and jumbled memories played out

Experiencing a blank mind was a first for him.

Bai Zhao returned from the bathroom with a wet towel, having already cleaned himself, unabashedly revealing his strong physique.

Yu Duqiu glanced down, “I’ve personally served you, and you’re still not satisfied?”

Bai Zhao climbed back into bed, looking down at him from above, “You know what I want.”

“Delusional, this is already the limit.” Yu Duqiu pointed to his waist, “Wipe off this disgusting stuff.”

“You have more than me.” Bai Zhao retorted, placing the towel on his abdomen.

It was still warm.

The wiping motion was also quite comfortable.

Yu Duqiu’s mood gradually calmed down, watching Bai Zhao’s serious and focused expression as if he were cleaning a precious antique. He couldn’t help but lift his hand to hook Bai Zhao’s chin, giving him a compliment, “Actually, I don’t really like doing this, but you make me feel good.”

Bai Zhao coldly lifted his eyelids, his face clearly reading “Who would believe that?”

“I mean it.” Yu Duqiu brushed back his sweat-dampened short hair, revealing his handsome face completely, “It’s hard to endure nights alone; the mind tends to wander without company.”

“The jewelry exhibition was during the day.”

“…Don’t talk back.” Yu Duqiu lightly slapped him, “That time wouldn’t have happened if not for you. If you weren’t so controlling, I wouldn’t have gone with Jingyu.”

Bai Zhao finished cleaning, tossed the towel to the floor, pulled over the blanket, wrapping him like a cocoon, then propped himself up to look at him, “The one with the control issues is you. You want everything to go according to your predictions, everyone to follow your commands. Only then can you feel at ease. But no matter how rich or smart you are, you can’t predict or control everything. You need to trust others, share your burdens.”

Yu Duqiu’s head was the only thing sticking out of the blanket, looking at him crookedly, “You think I don’t know this? But sometimes trusting the wrong person can have dire consequences. It’s better if I handle things myself, at least I can control the current situation.”

“That’s only what you think; reality might be different.”

“Different from what I think, but is it what you think?” Yu Duqiu stretched out an arm from under the blanket, pulling Bai Zhao down by the neck, his eyes narrowing, “Or do you know something I don’t?”

Bai Zhao brushed away the silver hair falling over his face, embracing the round figure on top of him, “First, you need to trust me.”

“Given your foolish performance today, I’ll trust myself for now. I have a feeling, this trip abroad, we’ll clear everything up.”

“A few days ago, you had a premonition that something would go wrong.”

“That was for you alone. Now that I’m going with you, the situation is different. If something goes wrong under my protection, then no one in this world could save you.” Yu Duqiu said confidently.

At that moment, there was a muffled sound from within the blanket.

“What sound was that?”

“…My stomach is protesting; it’s one in the afternoon, and I haven’t had lunch yet.”

Bai Zhao smiled, “Does the savior need to eat?”

Yu Duqiu touched his upturned lips, “The savior wants to eat someone who doesn’t feed him, so he has to eat food instead.”

Bai Zhao neither confirmed nor denied, releasing his grip, “I’ll get the kitchen to prepare something; you rest a bit more.”

Yu Duqiu lay back comfortably, watching him get up, take a clean set of clothes from the wardrobe, and put them on. The scratches Yu Duqiu had left on his back had faded, leaving faint red marks that looked somewhat painful.

Bai Zhao walked towards the door, picked up his suit from the floor, dusted it off, draped it over his arm, then picked up the completely wilted hibiscus flower, looked at it for a moment, and threw it into the trash before leaving.

Yu Duqiu rolled over to the edge of the bed, picking up the paper from among the broken ceramic pieces on the floor, which had been under the lamp. He unfolded it to read – it was very detailed, listing all the possible hideouts for Bai Zhiming, some even down to specific streets and buildings, noting the relationship between the property owners and Bai Zhiming.

However, the last paragraph before the signature was unrelated to the investigation:

[Given Bai Zhiming’s methods, he might dispose of the body in a way that makes identification difficult. If I die, when the police call you for body identification, have Lao Zhou or Baoguo go.]

Even in death, he was worried about his unsightly dead appearance being seen by him.

Yu Duqiu scoffed, tearing the letter apart, keeping only the piece with the signature, and tossing the rest into the air like confetti.

Amid the falling pieces like snowflakes, he gently pressed the name on the paper to his lips, “…Fool.”