After a long round of questions, Lu Chen was finally let go. Rubbing the side of his head with a tired sigh, he walked out of the station, feeling as though every last bit of energy had been drained from his body.
It had already been a long and exhausting day, and whatever little sleep he had managed to get had been completely disrupted by this unexpected event. His head was still heavy, and his eyes burned with exhaustion.
What a mess…
Letting out another tired sigh, Lu Chen decided that the first thing he would do was call his boss and ask for a day off.
He had barely taken a few steps when a pair of fluffy slippers suddenly came into view.
Lu Chen slowly raised his gaze.
The man standing in front of him was still wearing his night suit. His hair was messy, his glasses were slightly crooked, and judging from the dark circles under his eyes, he probably hadn't slept much either.
The moment their eyes met, the man glared at Lu Chen as though he had finally found the culprit responsible for all his problems.
"Where is he, huh?" Jun Ming demanded, taking a step closer. "I know you have him. Did you hide him somewhere right after you left?"
His accusations came one after another, leaving Lu Chen barely any room to respond.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Chen simply gave him a tired smile. "I have no clue where Hua Lang is," he said calmly. "But I hope he's safe."
"You!" Jun Ming's face immediately darkened. He grabbed Lu Chen by the collar and pulled him closer. "You better let him go, you asshole!"
Lu Chen's eyebrows twitched. The patience he had been holding till now was cracking. For a moment, he simply stared at the hand gripping his collar before looking back at Jun Ming.
"What makes you think I have him?"
He gestured toward Tian, who was standing nearby and gently holding the little piglet in his arms.
"Don't you suspect him?" Lu Chen calmly pulled his shirt out of Jun Ming's grip and carefully patted down the wrinkles on his collar.
Jun Ming's gaze shifted toward Tian and then back to Lu Chen.
There was something about this man that bothered him.
Out of everyone standing there, Lu Chen looked the most suspicious.
Even though he looked handsome and carried himself with a calm, almost cool demeanour, there was something strange about that smile of his. It looked far too polite. Far too fake.
Jun Ming had spent enough time around people in the business world to recognize that kind of expression. People smiled like that when they were hiding something.
"Because..."
Lu Chen waited.
"Because you look like it!"
There was a brief silence.
"...What?"
"You look like someone who would kidnap my boss!" Jun Ming snapped, as though it were the most logical explanation in the world.
Lu Chen's mouth twitched.
What kind of reasoning is that?
He rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Look, sir. I have had a very long day and an even longer night. I would really like to go home and sleep now." He gestured toward the side. "So, could you please move out of the way?"
With that, Lu Chen calmly sidestepped him.
Jun Ming immediately stepped to the side as well.
They were standing almost chest to chest.
For a moment, Lu Chen was stunned. Taking a proper look at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but notice how ridiculous Jun Ming looked.
His crooked glasses sat unevenly on his face, his messy hair was sticking out in every direction, and the way he glared up at him reminded Lu Chen of an angry cat whose fur had been completely ruffled.
The sight was simply too amusing. A small chuckle escaped his lips.
Jun Ming's expression immediately darkened. "What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing. Good night," Lu Chen stepped to the left again.
The guy moved to the left.
Lu Chen stepped right.
The guy moved right.
Lu Chen stared at him completely flabbergasted. "...Are we seriously doing this?"
"I'm not letting you go until you tell me where Hua Lang is." Jun Ming's voice was low and hoarse. His wet eyes blinking rapidly as if he was holding back his tears.
This really piqued Lu Chen's curiosity.
'Hua Lang had a person like this in his life huh... a person who really cared for him.'
All through high school many had tried their best to get close to Hua Lang, the cold-hearted prince of their class. But the man never let anyone get close to his frozen heart.
'So, who is this guy….'
he leaned down slightly, bringing his face closer to his. His eyes searched those pale brown pupils. "Who was Hua Lang to you?"
Jun Ming stiffened.
"A boyfriend, perhaps?"
Jun Ming's eyes widened.
"Is that why you're so worried about him?"
"That's none of your concern!" Jun Ming immediately snapped. His teeth clenched hard. "Just..." His voice faltered. "Just tell me one thing."
His tear-filled eyes gazed up at the man. "Is... is he alive?"
The tears he had been desperately holding back finally gathered in his eyes. His vision blurred, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall.
He would not cry. Especially not in front of this prick.
Jun Ming lowered his head slightly, desperately trying to hide the moisture in his eyes.
"Just tell me..." he whispered again, his voice barely audible. "Please."