In Paris, Huo Qing stared at the photo just sent by Wang Zong on his computer screen with a grim expression. Sharp glints flashed in his eyes like blades.
The scene in the photo was chaotic, seemingly a bar room, filled with an atmosphere of debauchery created by scattered naked figures and torn clothes strewn across the floor, almost leaping out of the computer screen. None of the figures inside showed their faces except for a teenager wearing glasses. He appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen, with a tender, green look on his features, mingled with confusion and unease, pressed onto a couch by a shirtless man.
That was his Su Su in his youth, drugged and stripped by a group of men, photographed in countless disgraceful pictures. Later, these unbearable photos were even sent to his stepfather, Jiang Zhaolin's, desk.
An Na was unaware of this incident. It was Jiang Zhaolin who promptly arranged for Yan Su to drop out and called him into his study for a two-hour reprimand. Considering the near-incident during Yan Su's college entrance exams and these nauseating pictures, one could imagine how Jiang Zhaolin must have berated Yan Su during those two hours. After all, he was just an inconsequential stepson.
For the young Su Su at that time, this was a heavy blow and an immense source of shame. Just the thought made Huo Qing ache unbearably.
"Find all these people, including Jiang He," Huo Qing's voice carried an almost uncontrollable anger.
"Yes, boss, I'm already on it," replied Wang Zong over the phone.
Huo Qing ended the call, silently staring at the photos. His mind was boiling, yet his gaze was icy, shrouded in a chilling intent.
At noon, Nie Jia had a colorless lunch, then attended a seminar at the General Hospital as per their invitation. He had no real interest in this primitive world's backward medical practices; it was merely a way to occupy himself.
By the time the seminar ended, it was already evening. Nie Jia was weary. He returned home, didn't bother with dinner, took a shower, and collapsed onto the bed, resembling a dreamless, defeated fish.
His mood was bleak, and the system, concerned about his persistent stomachache in the morning, kept urging him to have dinner, all of which Nie Jia automatically ignored.
He curled up like a spring roll and fell into a restless slumber.
After an indeterminate period, Nie Jia was stirred awake by a series of shuffling footsteps. In his groggy state, he remembered his door lock had been broken by Jiang He earlier that day and hadn't been fixed yet, allowing anyone to enter his room. Perhaps it was An Na... Nie Jia's thoughts were foggy when he felt a dip beside him, followed by a warm palm gently resting on his head.
He jolted awake, throwing the blanket aside, and sat up abruptly, gazing incredulously at the person next to him.
"Did I wake you?" Huo Qing's eyes, carrying an unmatched tenderness, met Nie Jia's slightly dazed yet handsome face.
Nie Jia, resembling a wary little animal, ears drooping slightly, a mix of caution and surprise in his voice, said, "But... weren't you supposed to come back in a few days?"
"I thought you couldn't stand it anymore, so I came back early." Huo Qing took Nie Jia's hand, lightly kissed the inside of his wrist, then pulled him into a gentle embrace.
Nie Jia glanced at the time, precisely ten o'clock at night. It took about twelve hours to fly from Paris to Moon City, meaning Huo Qing rushed back immediately after their video call in the morning...
He didn't know what to say at first. First, it was surprise, then a faint sense of happiness. It was good that Huo Qing didn't feel repulsed by his violent actions. Nie Jia moved his arm slightly, trembling, wanting to hug him.
At that moment, Huo Qing's voice, low and soft, whispered near his ear, "I was worried about you."
Nie Jia hesitated for a moment. Just as he raised his arm, he restrained himself and lowered his head, burying his face in Huo Qing's neck, smiling somewhat self-deprecatingly, "You've seen it all, I can take care of myself; there's nothing to worry about."
"Of course, that's a good thing." Huo Qing noticed the anomaly in Nie Jia's tone, let go of him, and, illuminated by the faint moonlight, looked at the despondent youth, patting his back gently. Unable to resist, he brushed a kiss against Nie Jia's forehead and then pulled him back into a tender embrace. "But if it wasn't Jiang He? If it were someone else capable of harming you, I'd have to watch you being bullied..." he gritted his teeth, "I won't leave you again. From now on, wherever you go, I'll be by your side, always within sight whenever you turn around."
Nie Jia was stunned for a moment, feeling he had misunderstood something.
"No one can bully me; I'll snap their necks!" He couldn't contain his fury anymore, uttering ruthless words, but then, as his brows furrowed, he couldn't stop the tears from streaming down as he hugged Huo Qing's neck.
"It's alright now, everything's fine." Huo Qing held the trembling body tightly, consoling him with aching tenderness.
Throughout his previous lifetimes' cycles, Nie Jia had always believed that upon the cycle's end, he'd be sentenced to death, and his life would be over. He often thought of Shi Chan, although they secretly liked each other, they never exchanged many words. Regretfully, Nie Jia never boldly pursued the person he liked, thinking he'd lost any chance.
Even upon learning that Shi Chan was trying to save him, even when Shi Chan had hacked into the Public Prosecution Department's system to stand by him, Nie Jia felt uneasy due to his own transformation. He wasn't afraid of death but feared that Shi Chan would mind and despise this change in him. Despite his numerous attempts to suppress these feelings, they lingered.
Now, Nie Jia finally understood. He had underestimated Shi Chan's love. It was he who lacked love, which made him doubt if Shi Chan's resolve was strong enough. He had been despicable, avoiding direct responses to Shi Chan's emotions, all to avoid potential hurt. He was a coward!
"Thank you for being willing to love me, to save me." Nie Jia choked with self-blame.
Huo Qing, touched in his heart, smiled gently, "You are my salvation."
The system, teary-eyed, muffled its sobs: [Sob, sob, this is so touching... Although I don't want to disturb you, Mr. Nie, I have to remind you that the Director has captured Jiang He.]
After Nie Jia's emotions calmed somewhat, Huo Qing got up to bring him a warm towel, wiping away the traces of tears on his face. Nie Jia knelt on the bed, closing his eyes, allowing Huo
Qing to tend to him, cheeks and eyes reddened, looking as innocent as an abused child.
"It's late; go back to sleep," Huo Qing, clouded by gloom, affectionately touched Nie Jia's red eyes.
Nie Jia opened his eyes. The turmoil within him didn't allow for sleepiness. Holding Huo Qing's hand, he whispered, "Why did you capture Jiang He? He was terrified this morning and wouldn't dare bother me again."
Huo Qing's brow furrowed; he hadn't intended to tell him.
But Nie Jia was astute. "You know about what happened at the bar twelve years ago, right?"
Jiang He had spilled everything today, and Huo Qing had heard it all without missing a word. How could Nie Jia remain unaffected?
In the face of Huo Qing's darkening expression, Nie Jia leaned in, resting lightly on his shoulder, and chuckled, "It's nothing, just a staged scene. I wasn't bullied. Jiang Yang was only taking photos for Jiang Zhaolin to see. It didn't really affect me."
Huo Qing's face remained grim. "Don't worry about this matter. Leave Jiang Yang and everything else to me, alright?"
"Let Jiang He go. If you want to vent, you can give him a beating first. I promise I'll deal with them quickly and won't let it touch us," Nie Jia whispered by his ear, teasingly. "And then, let's get married."
Huo Qing's pupils tightened, his gaze intense like a wolf's. "Say it again."
"I'm proposing to you. Do I need to kneel?" Nie Jia chuckled.
Huo Qing's response was a fierce, almost breath-stealing kiss, pushing Nie Jia onto the bed, a blend of tenderness and dominance. In the midst of their passion, Nie Jia suddenly gasped, "The lock in my room is broken. What if my mom walks in..."
Huo Qing shrugged off his suit jacket, swiftly scooped Nie Jia into his arms, and carried him into the bathroom. He placed Nie Jia on the sink, securing the door with a click, then encircled Nie Jia in his arms, murmuring, "It's locked now."
Nie Jia grinned, her hands around Huo Qing's neck, returning his kiss, falling deeper into the moment.
The next day, Jiang Yang was at the office, drowning in paperwork and gossip that had been swirling around him for days. Despite his efforts, he couldn't completely clear the air. With the company's tasks mounting, he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a week. Meng Qian, feeling for Jiang Yang, took it upon herself to prepare three meals daily and stayed by his side at the office.
After lunch, Meng Qian sat close to Jiang Yang, feeding him fruit while they tackled work and chatted.
Suddenly, the office door burst open with force. Two figures barged in, the female secretary bowing apologetically, "I'm sorry, Chairman... I couldn't stop him..."
And who stormed in but Jiang He, just released by Wang Zong moments ago.
"It's fine, you can leave," Meng Qian disdainfully glanced at Jiang He, lazily tossing her fork back into the plate, instructing the secretary.
The secretary nodded nervously, retreating and closing the door behind her.
Jiang Yang glanced up, his irritation evident. "What's going on with you?"
Jiang He was covered in grime, dried blood staining his face. His right eye was entirely bloodshot, giving him a frightening appearance, clearly showing signs of a beating. He slumped onto the sofa, breathing heavily. "I got fired by Qin Yi Ran! Don't you know? And here you are, fooling around in the office during daylight?!"
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