EIP 41

Outside the tall walls of Yong Mansion, Zhou Jun lay on the ground, grimacing in pain, covered in dirt and dust. He wasn’t injured, just shaken. It took him a while to regain his bearings. Finally, he wiped his face and hands with a handkerchief, dusting off his clothes. When the sound of approaching footsteps filled the air, Zhou Jun quickly composed himself, standing up with his usual charming demeanor, back to being the graceful Young Master Zhou.

Deputy Chen, upon seeing him, was clearly surprised. His expression shifted for a moment before he politely smiled.

“Mr. Zhou, what brings you here?”

Zhou Jun, still a little flustered, replied, “I… I came to speak with the Major General. Could you please notify him?”

He certainly couldn’t admit that he had come because he was anxious. But Deputy Chen’s gaze became even more pointed, though he remained courteous.

“Please wait here, Mr. Zhou. I’ll inform the Major General.”

Zhou Jun hadn’t expected to be kept at the door. He felt utterly embarrassed. Clearly, Deputy Chen knew about the complicated relationship between him and Yong Jin, and now, with his attitude, Zhou Jun could imagine what he must look like in Deputy Chen’s eyes. The burning shame made it difficult for him to stand still. Lowering his gaze, he shoved his hands into his pockets and clenched his fists, determined to maintain his composure.

Zhou Jun had misread Deputy Chen’s attitude. It wasn’t personal. His timing had simply been too unfortunate. Just a few days earlier, he had come by, and not long after, Yong Jin’s itinerary had been leaked, leading to a near-fatal ambush. Now, with the situation still fresh, Zhou Jun showed up again, even trying to climb over the wall. It was hard not to be suspicious, and Deputy Chen couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

He quietly reported to the Major General, who showed little reaction. He hesitated but finally voiced his worries. Though he knew it was somewhat presumptuous, he couldn’t shake his concern over the Major General’s indulgence toward the man. If even he could see the potential danger, how could the Major General not suspect him, unless, of course, he didn’t want to?

Yong Jin interrupted his speculation, speaking in a low voice, “Let him in.”

Deputy Chen lowered his head. “Yes, Sir.”

As he turned to leave, he heard Yong Jin call, “Xiao Chen.”

Deputy Chen paused.

Ying Jin continued, “I don’t want my father to know about this.”

Deputy Chen looked up in surprise, but the Yong Jin wasn’t even looking at him. His gaze was fixed on the wilted rosebush at the bedside, lost in thought.

When Zhou Jun pushed the door open, the room was filled with the smell of blood mixed with medicine, making his face pale. He hesitated, standing by the door for a while, staring at Yong Jin who was leaning against the bed. The man was bare-chested, his hair messy, and his face weary. Though his body was clean, the bandages on his chest and the injury were enough to shock anyone.

Yong Jin opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Zhou Jun.

“Come here.”

Zhou Jun walked slowly over and sat at the edge of the bed. He didn’t ask what had happened. He didn’t dare. His mind kept circling back to that strange feeling from earlier. So it really wasn’t just his imagination. Could he have truly fallen into some inexplicable bond with this man?

When Yong Jin reached out to take his hand, Zhou Jun’s fingers were icy from the winter wind. Yong Jin’s were just as cold, drained of warmth by blood loss. Zhou Jun jolted back to the present, tightened his grip, and quietly lifted his own shirt, guiding Yong Jin’s hand to the warmth of his bare stomach.

It took a long time for the words to come out, brittle and dry, like the ache behind his eyes.

“What… what happened to you?”

Yong Jin’s cold fingers brushed over his waist and stomach. Before he could answer, Zhou Jun gently wrapped his arms around him, his hair brushing against Yong Jin’s face, warm breaths leaving heated trails on his neck. Zhou Jun, both angry and distressed, muttered, “Liar.”

Yong Jin wrapped his arms around Zhou Jun’s waist, responding with a soft hum.

Zhou Jun continued, “You said you’d protect me, liar. I trusted you a little, and this is what happened.”

Yong Jin found it somewhat amusing, but before he could reply, the door was pushed open again. He hurriedly got off the bed, feeling a little embarrassed as he looked at the person who entered. The person, wearing a white medical coat, lowered their mask and said to Yong Jin, “Major, he’s awake.”

Before Zhou Jun could make sense of it, Yong Jin was already getting out of bed. Zhou Jun let out a quiet sigh, hoping he would stay put instead of moving around with injuries like that. But Yong Jin simply threw on a coat and walked out the door.

Zhou Jun stayed behind, unsure whether to follow. It felt more thoughtful to give him space, but standing alone in the bedroom left him uneasy. What if there were confidential documents lying around? The awkwardness of it all settled back in, so he sat down again and tried to compose himself.

Just then, Yong Jin returned. Zhou Jun had been absently toying with the ring on his finger, leaning against the headboard. The moment he heard footsteps, he sat up straight and looked toward the door.

Yong Jin pulled him up, making him spin around. Zhou Jun was completely puzzled, but Yong Jin asked, “Didn’t someone fire a gun earlier? Are you hurt?”

He quickly shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I’m tough.”

Yong Jin let out a sigh of relief and squeezed his palm.

“Wait here for a moment,” he said, but just as he was about to turn away, Zhou Jun tugged at his shirt.

“If you’re fine, I’ll… go first.”

He meant to say he’d leave and come back another day. He understood that something serious must have happened earlier. Given his sensitive position, it was safer to leave than to stay. He could tell from Deputy Chen’s suspicious look that he wasn’t welcome. But without seeing Yong Jin, his heart wasn’t at ease, so he couldn’t bring himself to leave, despite the awkwardness.

Yong Jin’s expression darkened, and Zhou Jun quickly changed his words.

“I’ll wait for you downstairs. Do you have anything to eat? I’m really hungry.”

Yong Jin’s face softened a little and instructed a servant to escort him downstairs.

Once Zhou Jun sat at the long table, which was empty of anyone else, a servant with good sense came to light the long candles on the table. Zhou Jun hurriedly waved them off, instead asking for a simple bowl of porridge.

When the hot porridge was brought to him, Zhou Jun felt his body slowly warming up. The fire in the hearth blazed intensely, and before long, Zhou Jun felt its heat, his jacket starting to feel uncomfortably warm. He even unbuttoned a few of the buttons. After finishing the warm porridge, his lower abdomen felt even hotter. Zhou Jun could feel his face burning, and a thin layer of sweat started to form on his back.

At that moment, Deputy Chen came downstairs and quietly said to him. “The Major is currently a bit indisposed. Would Mr. Zhou like to have some refreshments?”

Zhou Jun shook his head. However, thinking about Miss Yang left at the cinema, he replied, “I’d like to use the phone.”

Deputy Chen led him to the main hall, where the phone was placed on a small wooden table beside a long sofa.

Zhou Jun dialed Miss Yang’s number. As he waited for the call to connect, he noticed a servant coming down the stairs, carrying several bloodied garments. The robe was so stained with blood that it was nearly unrecognizable. Zhou Jun nearly dropped the receiver in surprise. But he quickly realized the clothes weren’t Yong Jin’s, as he had never seen him wear such a long robe.

The voice on the receiver was Miss Yang’s, sounding somewhat down. Zhou Jun greeted her, and Miss Yang’s response was barely audible, her mood clearly low, even tinged with a sense of grievance. She explained how she had put in extra effort for today, styling her hair and wearing a new cheongsam, tightly cinched at the waist to make her figure look slimmer and more attractive, hoping to catch Zhou Jun’s attention.

However, she had been unexpectedly left behind, and her hopes of romance had been dashed. Initially, she had planned to walk home, but her high heels had rubbed her heels raw, so she reluctantly took a rickshaw. Now, with Zhou Jun calling, her frustrations resurfaced. Zhou Jun spent a long time comforting her on the phone, and only after hanging up did he let out a sigh of relief. As he turned around, he was startled to see Yong Jin standing behind him.

He held some medicine in his hand, his gaze dark and brooding. Zhou Jun, for some reason, felt an overwhelming urge to avoid being caught, but he didn’t dare explain that he had left his date waiting in the cinema. The word “date” alone was enough to be misunderstood, but then he thought, hadn’t that phone call been suspicious enough? He forced a smile and reached out to take Yong Jin’s hand.

“When did you come down?”

However, Yong Jin pushed his hand away, and the medicine bottle fell from his grip, shattering into pieces. Zhou Jun paused in surprise, hearing Yong Jin coldly say, “I’ll have Deputy Chen take you home.”

Yong Jin turned and walked away. Earlier, Deputy Chen had told him that Zhou Jun was on the phone, discussing something about a “date.”

Yong Jin had stationed people around Zhou Jun to keep him safe, but now he was learning things he wished he hadn’t. While someone was suffering upstairs in bed, this man was downstairs, comforting a woman. The tension in Yong Jin’s temples became unbearable, and his anger surged. He no longer wanted to see him.