RTCBM 46

Wen Shang ran several red lights on his way over. By the time he reached the massage parlor on Linyuan Avenue that Mu Yuan had mentioned, the chaos had already died down. There was no sign of Mu Yuan anywhere, but right in front of the entrance, Wen Shang spotted a pool of blood. It was a bright, fresh red, not yet dried. The front doors were tightly shut. He scanned the area, then hurried across the street to a convenience store and asked the shop owner, “Excuse me, do you know what happened here just now?”

The owner still looked shaken as he recalled the scene. He told Wen Shang everything he knew.

“I’m not too sure about the details, but some young guys got into a fight. Looked like it started with an argument. Then they suddenly jumped one guy. There were several of them, and one of them had a knife. A few people on the street wanted to call the cops, but they got threatened. Said if anyone made the call, they’d get chopped. Those guys were out of control, like they didn’t give a damn about the law.”

Wen Shang pressed urgently, “Was one of them about one eighty-five, with dyed brown hair?”

The owner thought for a moment. “Yeah, yeah, that was the one. He was the one getting ganged up on. Got stabbed too.”

It was a simple account, but it made Wen Shang’s heart lurch. Fear gripped him. He couldn’t stop imagining the worst.

“Where did he get stabbed? What happened to him after that? Where did he go?” His voice was tight, filled with anxiety.

“I was too far to see exactly where he got hit, but the blood on the ground was definitely his. That young guy could fight though. He managed to break free and ran off.” The owner pointed to the left side of the intersection. “He went that way.”

A sharp screech of brakes echoed from across the street. A white commercial van pulled up right in front of the massage parlor. Not long after, several more vehicles arrived in quick succession. There had to be at least a dozen of them.

After getting the call from Xiang Yang, He Dongying immediately gathered everyone from Sixth House and rushed to the scene. When word spread that Mu Yuan had been targeted by Da K, other brothers from Sheng Yi also came pouring in from all directions to back him up. In the middle of the night, Linyuan Avenue, which had been quiet and empty just moments ago, was now filled with over a hundred men. Every single one of them was burning with anger, armed with their tools, and shouting about settling the score with Da K once and for all.

The owner of the 24-hour convenience store was so terrified by the overwhelming presence that he trembled from head to toe. Convinced a massacre was about to break out, he abandoned his shop and bolted out the back to save his own skin.

Wen Shang strode straight into the dense crowd. It didn’t take long before he spotted He Dongying among the mass of people. He quickly filled him in on everything he had just learned from the shopkeeper. After listening, He Dongying nodded grimly.

“I got it.”

He took out his phone and made a few calls. A moment later, fresh intel came in.

“Ying-ge, any word?” A Zhi came up and asked. “Do we know where the boss is?”

“Someone saw him and Da K being taken to Lei Hall by A-Neng.”

The news caused an immediate uproar. Voices rose as the crowd broke into heated chatter. Lei Hall was Renhe’s headquarters. If Mu Yuan had been taken there, that meant the situation had escalated enough to alarm even the top brass. This wasn’t just some street brawl anymore.

It was often said that Sheng Yi had no shortage of top fighters. Pick ten guys at random, and at least nine of them would be the kind who bled for loyalty and never backed down. It wasn’t just talk.

No one cared if it was Da K or even Chang Yunxuan himself. If it came to it, they were ready to storm the place. Everyone grabbed their weapons and made their way toward Lei Hall.

On the way, Wen Shang didn’t say a word. Deep down, he understood the rules of the game. Anyone who lived in the underworld knew you had to pay your dues sooner or later. He was sure this wasn’t Mu Yuan’s first time facing something like this, but that didn’t stop him from worrying. He prayed that Mu Yuan would be safe. That he wouldn’t get hurt.

Lei Hall was brightly lit. The security guards on night duty were completely stunned when they saw the massive crowd gathered outside. They immediately called Chang Yunxuan to report the situation and asked whether reinforcements should be called in.

The brothers didn’t waste words. One of them stepped forward and shouted at the entrance.

“Where’s our boss? If you don’t let him out right now, we’ll tear this place down!”

In the middle of the shouting, someone stepped out from inside Lei Hall. Even from a distance, Wen Shang could tell from the outline and familiar walk that it was Mu Yuan.

He moved faster than anyone else. The moment he saw Mu Yuan, he charged through the crowd. He didn’t care who was watching. He grabbed Mu Yuan, pulled him in, and held him tight. With his mouth close to Mu Yuan’s ear, he whispered again and again in a low, trembling voice.

“You scared the hell out of me… you really scared the hell out of me…”

Mu Yuan didn’t resist. He could feel that Wen Shang’s body was trembling slightly. That quiet, trembling voice against his ear felt charged with something electric, striking deep along his nerves and straight into his chest. The faint vibration sent his heartbeat racing, a strange and unfamiliar feeling.

He stood there in a daze. Several seconds passed before he pushed Wen Shang away and glared at him.

“What the fuck are you doing? All the brothers are watching. You trying to start something?”

This wasn’t the time for curiosity. The other brothers didn’t bother wondering about the two of them. Once they saw Mu Yuan come out, they came up one after another to ask how he was.

“Boss, are you okay? Did those Renhe bastards lay a hand on you?”

“Boss Mu, who the hell sliced your arm like that?”

“Was it that son of a bitch Da K? Fucking dead man walking. Let’s go cut him down right now!”

“Let’s move, brothers!”

The crowd boiled over with fury. Some of them were so worked up that veins were bulging from their necks. Mu Yuan knew if he didn’t act fast, they’d explode. He quickly stepped forward and raised his voice to settle them down.

“I’m fine. Seriously. It’s over between me and Da K. Nothing happened tonight.”

But given Da K’s filthy track record, nobody looked convinced. The first to question him was A Zhi.

“Boss, if something’s going on, just say it. Don’t carry this shit alone.”

“I said I’m fine, and I mean it. Da K won’t come looking for trouble again, so don’t worry.” Mu Yuan urged, “Everyone head back. We’ve already caused enough of a scene tonight. The cops might be on their way. Don’t hang around here wasting time. Go on, go.”

The brothers still didn’t seem convinced, but after Mu Yuan repeated himself several times, they finally began to disperse and leave.

Wen Shang insisted on driving Mu Yuan back himself. Mu Yuan didn’t refuse. After getting in the car, Wen Shang didn’t start the engine right away. He sat in the driver’s seat, turned to face Mu Yuan, and looked at him directly, eye to eye.

“What are you doing…”

Wen Shang didn’t answer. He leaned in and checked Mu Yuan’s injuries carefully, looking over the bruises on his face, the split at the corner of his mouth, the scrapes on the back of his hand, the cut on his arm, and the other places on his body.

Swollen here. Bruised there.

Wen Shang pointed at the bandage on Mu Yuan’s left arm. “What’s this?”

“Got stabbed.”

He said it lightly, like it was nothing, like it happened all the time. Wen Shang felt a stab of pain just hearing it. His expression tightened and wouldn’t relax.

“Does this kind of thing happen to you a lot?”

“It’s fine.” Mu Yuan shrugged. “When you’re in this life, you expect stuff like this. Can’t really avoid it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a warm hand reached over and held his tightly. The other hand came to his cheek, gently brushing over it.

Wen Shang had a lot of things he wanted to say. Things like, “You need to be more careful next time,” or “You really should get out of this gang life. It’s too dangerous,” or “Don’t go out there alone if you can help it.”

But all of it felt useless. None of it would change anything.

In the end, he only said one thing.

“You’re okay. That’s all that matters.”

The words were spoken softly, but when they reached Mu Yuan’s ears, they landed heavy, like a bell tolling loud and clear, echoing in his mind for a long time.

Bitterness and warmth tangled together. He couldn’t even remember the last time someone had shown him that kind of genuine, heartfelt concern.

Mu Yuan leaned his face into that broad, warm palm and rubbed against it like a small animal.

Neither of them said anything. They simply stayed in that quiet, ambiguous position.

No one knew how much time passed before Mu Yuan, voice a little hoarse, finally brought up the real matter.

“Back at Lei Hall, I saw Chang Yunxuan. And I met someone else too.”

“Who?”

“Bai Wei,” Mu Yuan told Wen Shang. “He’s actually my third uncle.”

“Your third uncle was one of the founders of Renhe?”

Mu Yuan nodded. “I was shocked when I saw him. I stood there hesitating for a long time, not sure if I should call out to him.”

“What did you talk about?”

“I asked him about what happened back when my second uncle was killed.”

“What did he say?”

Mu Yuan shook his head and gave a slight shrug. “He told me to go back to the old house in Nathan Road and look for something. Once I find it, I’m supposed to bring it to him. He said he’d explain everything then.”

He paused for a moment, then said, “I’m planning to go there tomorrow. Will you come with me?”

“Yeah,” Wen Shang answered without a moment’s hesitation.

Hearing how easily he agreed, Mu Yuan’s eyes curved with a smile. The corners of his mouth lifted along with it. That genuine smile came from deep inside, and it was beautiful to see. Wen Shang couldn’t look away. He reached out, cupped Mu Yuan’s bruised face with both hands, and kissed the soft curve of his lips.

Once wasn’t enough. He kissed him again. And again.

Mu Yuan didn’t pull away. He quietly closed his eyes and let himself feel the warmth of Wen Shang’s lips, the dampness of his tongue. For the first time, he realized a man’s kiss could be this soft, this gentle.