Just as the line began trying to ring, Suo Ran's already unstable balance gave up entirely. His head tipped sideways, shoulder slipping hard against the taxi door as the phone slid from his loose grip, bounced once against the seat, then fell to the floor near Lin Yichen's shoes.From the speaker, a flat automated voice filled the cab."The number you have dialed is currently switched off."
Lin Yichen froze for half a second, eyes dropping immediately to the fallen phone.
Then he looked at Suo Ran." Seriously?"
But Suo Ran was already gone again.His head had dropped fully against the window now, eyes closed, breathing deep.His got all Red like tomato. " Unbelievable." Lin Yichen muttered.
He leaned back hard against the seat and dragged both hands down his face."I really, really should not have brought you to that bar." "Actually forget that. I should not have let you drink literally anything." Suo Ran remained unconscious, somehow looking both completely harmless and personally inconvenient.Lin Yichen glanced at him again, deeply offended by how peaceful he looked." You can't even handle alcohol," he muttered. "One night. One stupid night. That's all it took."He exhaled sharply, frustration turning inward fast." What was I even thinking?"Lin Yichen let his head fall back against the seat for a second, staring at the taxi ceiling like it had personally disappointed him."I nearly got us threatened by armed criminals, got you drunk enough to stop functioning, and now you're drunk-dialing people."A pause."This is exactly why I don't plan things."Another glance at Suo Ran." No. Correction. This is exactly why I should plan things."
His voice dropped lower, more serious now guilt finally cutting through the sarcasm.
" I'm not repeating this mistake."The words came quieter."Not again."He looked at Suo Ran's flushed face, at how completely unaware he was now, and his irritation shifted into something sharper regret." You trusted me enough to come," he muttered, almost to himself. "And I brought you there."Lin Yichen looked away quickly, jaw tightening. " Yeah. Never again."
He bent down, picked up the phone from the floor and paused.The screen was still dimly lit one name remained there. That was Cai Lang name. Lin Yichen's expression changed immediately.His brows narrowed slightly, gaze lingering on that name a second too long." Cai Lang," he repeated quietly, more to himself than anyone else.The driver glanced in the mirror. "Problem?"Lin Yichen locked the phone without answering. "No."But his expression said otherwise.He looked at Suo Ran again, unconscious beside him, completely unaware. " What exactly are you doing?" Lin Yichen murmured under his breath.
After a moment, Lin Yichen quietly slipped the phone into his own pocket instead of putting it back." You're not making any more decisions tonight," he said flatly.Beside him, Suo Ran mumbled something incoherent that sounded vaguely argumentative.
Lin Yichen sighed and leaned back." Yeah. Exactly."Outside, the city lights blurred past.
By the time Cai Lang finally reached the apartment, the city had gone quieter. His hand stayed pressed hard against his side, blood already dried in some places, fresh in others. He didn't look down again.The door opened carefully. He didn't make any noise.
Inside, the apartment was dark except for faint streetlight shadows stretching through the windows. Everything was silent.
Cai Lang stepped inside, shut the door behind him slowly, then finally exhaled through clenched teeth."Damn it."His body felt heavier now.He made it to the sofa first and dropped down onto it harder than intended, his breathing uneven for the first real time that night. For a moment, he just sat there in silence, one hand pressing harder against the wound.Then pain spiked."Shit?!"
His jaw locked instantly." That asshole." he muttered under his breath, anger cutting through the pain just enough to keep him alert. His fingers pressed harder against his side, and his expression darkened. "Who the hell were they…?"His breathing slowed deliberately." Not normal."
Cai Lang leaned forward slowly, every muscle visibly resisting, and reached for the nearby drawer where the first aid kit was usually kept. He pulled it open. There was no first aid kit.Then his brows pulled together sharply.
"You've got to be kidding me."He looked again.There was still nothing.His already-thin patience snapped further."Where the hell is it?"His voice came out lower this time more irritated, more dangerous, because somehow this was what was pushing him closer to losing it.He shoved the drawer harder.
Cai Lang stared at the empty space like it had personally betrayed him." Seriously?"
His jaw tightened."They seriously moved it?"
Pain throbbed violently through his side, but irritation was somehow winning."What do people do in this place when they actually need something?" he muttered bitterly, voice sharper now. "Just bleed out while wandering around the apartment playing some stupid guessing game?"He yanked the drawer shut harder than necessary."That's so irritating…"
His breathing hitched once from the movement alone."Who puts medical supplies somewhere random?" he hissed under his breath. "It's called a first aid kit not a treasure hunt."
breathing hitched once from the movement alone."Who puts medical supplies somewhere random?" he hissed under his breath. "It's called a first aid kit not a treasure hunt."
He glared at the empty drawer like it had personally offended him.Then Memory hit.
A brief flash where Lian Ziho moving things around while saying something about "better placement." Cai Lang froze. " Wait."A pause followed.Then his expression darkened in real time."The kitchen?" He stared ahead in disbelief. " Who puts a first aid kit in the kitchen?"His voice came out deeply offended now, like this decision had somehow become tonight's greatest betrayal."What kind of logic even is that?" he muttered, increasingly irritated the more he thought about it. "Is there some hidden emergency medical philosophy I missed?"He pressed a hand harder against his side and grimaced.
"Did he think I'd stop bleeding and make tea first?"
Cai Lang closed his eyes for one brief second
" Okay Let's go and check in kitchen."He pushed himself up from the sofa carefully and immediately regretted it.Pain shot sharply through his side." Tch."For half a second, his balance nearly gave out, but he caught himself against the table."You can do it! Cai Lang." he muttered, though it sounded less confident than intended. He took one slow step then another.
The kitchen somehow looked farther away than it had ever been before.Each step was uneven now, his body compensating automatically, one hand dragging briefly against the wall for support." This is pathetic." he muttered.But he kept moving.
He reached Kitchen.He crouched slightly, opened the lower cabinet, and there it was.
For one absurd second, he almost felt victorious." Found it." He grabbed it immediately and turned then everything went wrong.His foot caught slightly. His side spasmed violently.Pain exploded and before his balance could recover he collapsed.
The the first aid kit flew from his hand.
Metal crashed sharply against the floor.
Cai Lang's shoulder slammed down first, then the rest of him followed.The noise shattered the apartment silence instantly.
The crash tore through the apartment like a gunshot in the dark.For one sharp second, everything went completely still.Then from down the hallway, a muffled voice broke through sleep and confusion." What was that?"
Anxin's voice came out rough with exhaustion, still caught between sleep and awareness, but the moment the silence answered him, something in his expression shifted. It wasn't panic yet just that uneasy pause where the brain tries to decide whether it imagined something or not. The faint sound from the room made him still completely, head tilting slightly as he listened harder, and his brows slowly pulled together." Did I hear that wrong?" he muttered, voice quieter now, still heavy with sleep but threaded with suspicion.
He didn't move for half a second, just listening to the apartment again. Then a sharper exhale left him as his awareness caught up fully."No… I definitely heard that."
Fabric rustled as he pushed himself upright, and the soft click of a bedside lamp broke the darkness in his room. The sudden light made everything feel more real, more immediate. Anxin glanced toward the clock on instinct, and the glowing numbers only deepened his irritation and confusion.
" Seriously? 2:00?!!" he muttered under his breath."Who the hell..."He stopped mid-sentence, eyes narrowing slightly as the thought shifted from annoyance into
something more alert." At this time?"
For a brief moment, uncertainty crept in. A break-in crossed his mind first, followed by something worse, then something far too specific. Did Cai Lang come back?
The thought made his chest tighten slightly.
"Cai Lang?" he called out, louder now.
Cai Lang shut his eyes briefly, one hand instinctively pressing harder against his side as pain flared so violently his breathing nearly stopped." Damn it." he hissed under his breath.Bedroom door opened hard enough to hit the wall.Anxin stepped into the hallway, hair messy, expression halfway between sleep and suspicion.
He stopped. His mind completely blank.
Because there, half-collapsed on the kitchen floor under scattered medical supplies and dim streetlight shadows was Cai Lang. He saw blood a lot more blood than Anxin's brain was prepared to process at this hour. " Cai Lang?" There was no response at first. Anxin's eyes widened so fast it almost looked unreal. "What the hell?!" He rushed forward immediately, dropping to his knees beside him. "Cai Lang!"
Cai Lang grimaced, visibly regretting being alive enough to hear this volume. "Don't," he muttered weakly, voice rougher now. "Make noise." Anxin stared at him in complete disbelief. For second. "Don't make noise?!" he snapped, panic and anger colliding instantly. "You are bleeding! And you are saying don't make noise." Cai Lang frowned faintly, clearly offended even while injured.
"What are you doing instead of sleeping?"
Anxin let out a short, humorless laugh, stepping closer with a mix of disbelief and irritation. "What am I doing? I don't know maybe playing hide and seek in the middle of the night. You want to join?"Cai Lang blinked slowly, clearly not appreciating the sarcasm. " What are you talking about?"His breath hitched slightly as he adjusted his posture and immediately regretted it when pain flared again. He exhaled sharply through his teeth.
"I'm not in a state of listening to anything right now."
Anxin's eyes narrowed. "Oh? So what is this then?" He gestured sharply toward Cai Lang's side. "Why is there blood?"A pause.
Anxin's voice sharpened further, frustration mixing with genuine alarm now. "You look like you fought a murder documentary!"Cai Lang shifted slightly and instantly tensed, a low sound escaping him as pain ripped through him again. His jaw clenched hard." It's nothing serious," he said flatly, forcing his tone to stay controlled. "Just a normal injury. Don't worry."
Anxin's expression changed fast.Because now the fear was fully visible. "Cai Lang," he said, voice dropping sharply, more serious now. " Can you please tell me what exactly happened to you?" Cai Lang didn't answer immediately.
Anxin actually looked like he might strangle him. But instead, panic won."You're actually losing blood," he said, voice tighter now. "Why didn't you go hospital ? How did you drive like this?" Cai Lang let out a weak breath that almost sounded like a laugh." Like other people do." Anxin got irritated by that answer he speaks louder than before "Cai Lang!" cai Lang replied with more louder voice "Anxin." Anxin stared at him then "What?!" Cai Lang replied with normal voice
" You're loud." For a moment, Anxin just stared at him.Then, very deliberately"I am trying extremely hard not to emotionally collapse right now."
That actually made Cai Lang's mouth twitch slightly despite the pain. "You're overreacting."Anxin looked personally offended. "You are on the floor!" with angry tone. Cai lang replied " Temporary." Anxin gave strange smile "Oh, that's comforting."
Anxin carefully slid one arm under Cai Lang's shoulder, helping him up despite immediate resistance."I can walk." Cai Lang muttered automatically.Anxin gave him a deadpan look. "I literally already saw how that went."
" I can manage." Cai Lang muttered, though even he could hear how weak it sounded now.
Anxin shot him a look sharp enough to cut through the dark. "Clearly not." cai Lang said
"It was one fall." Anxin let out something between anger and disbelief as he adjusted his grip, carefully but firmly pulling Cai Lang's arm over his shoulder. "You didn't trip over nothing, Cai Lang you collapsed on floor while bleeding."Cai Lang winced as pressure shifted against his side. " You're being dramatic." "Dramatic?" Anxin's voice dropped lower, which somehow sounded more dangerous than shouting. Despite the irritation in his voice, Anxin's hold tightened more carefully when Cai Lang's balance slipped again. "Watch it," Anxin snapped immediately, panic flashing through the anger. "Don't put your full weight down like that."
Cai Lang exhaled sharply through pain. "I said I'm fine." "No, you said 'don't make noise,'" Anxin shot back. "Those are not the same thing." A pause.Then, quieter And far more shaken than he wanted to sound
" Do you have any idea what this looks like?"
Cai Lang didn't answer right away.Anxin's jaw tightened. "I walk out thinking there's a thief, and instead I find you bleeding on the kitchen floor."
Anxin stared at him for one deeply offended second." I genuinely cannot decide if you're stubborn or actually insane.""Both," Cai Lang muttered.His irritation shifted again Still there. But edged harder now with fear." Stop pretending it doesn't hurt." Cai Lang's jaw tightened. "I'm not pretending." "Then stop acting like passing out was part of your plan."
"It wasn't passing out." "You hit the floor hard enough to wake the dead." " I hate you." "No, you don't." Anxin snapped automatically, adjusting him again when Cai Lang nearly stumbled. "And right now, that's unfortunate for me because it means I'm the one keeping you upright." Even injured, Cai Lang somehow managed a dry, pained breath that was almost a laugh." You talk too much."
"Because you make terrible decisions."
They finally reached the bedroom door, slower than either of them liked.Anxin shoved it open with his foot, guided Cai Lang inside, and lowered him onto the bed with far more care than his tone suggested.The second Cai Lang sat down, Anxin pointed at him sharply.
"Don't move."Cai Lang leaned back carefully, exhausted. " That sounded aggressive."
"It was," Anxin replied immediately, already reaching for supplies with visibly unsteady hands. "Because if you stand up again before Doctor Gu gets here, I will personally make this worse."" There is no need to call doctor. you're overreacting." Anxin froze, then turned slowly. His expression was a mix of disbelief, anger, and very real fear.
" You are bleeding through your shirt. And you are asking why doctor? "
Cai Lang glanced down once." Okay," he admitted after a pause. "Maybe a little."
"A little?!" Cai Lang closed his eyes briefly. "You yelling is making it worse."
"Good," Anxin snapped, though his voice cracked slightly from adrenaline. "Maybe that'll stop you."
Lin Yichen helped Suo Ran up the final stretch of the street, the night air cool but not enough to clear the haze in Suo Ran's expression. Suo Ran was walking, but not properly his steps were uneven, slightly delayed, like his body and brain were no longer agreeing on timing. A faint, unfocused smile stayed on his face for no clear reason, and every few seconds he muttered something under his breath that didn't fully form into words." That place… was loud…" he mumbled, tilting slightly before Lin Yichen steadied him again."You think?" Lin Yichen muttered under his breath, exhausted. "You almost started a diplomatic crisis in there."
Suo Ran blinked slowly. "…Did I?" "Yes," Lin Yichen replied immediately. "Multiple times."
They finally reached the apartment building. Lin Yichen supported him more firmly now as they entered the hallway, then stopped in front of the door and knocked once, then again.Inside lian ziho had been asleep.The sound of knocking pulled him awake instantly. His eyes opened in the dark, sharp and alert in seconds. He sat up slightly, listening knock again.His expression tightened."At this time?" he muttered under his breath.He glanced at the clock.It was 2:20.Silence in his mind sharpened immediately."That's not normal."
For a moment, he didn't move, just listening harder. Then his gaze darkened slightly.
" Something's wrong."He got out of bed quickly.Without hesitation, he moved toward the kitchen table where a knife had been left earlier. His hand hovered for a second, then he picked it up."Just in case." he muttered quietly to himself, jaw tight.His thoughts were already moving fast.Too late at night,no prior message, knocking instead of unlocking.
He walked slowly toward the door now, knife held low but ready.Each step quieter than the last.He stopped in front of it."Who is it?" he called out, voice controlled but firm.
Then Outside, slightly slurred, relaxed, almost careless " It's me."Lian Ziho froze.
That voice was suo ran. But why it's feel little different he thought.His grip on the knife tightened instantly."Suo Ran?" he said again, more carefully now."Yeah…" came the same voice, dragging slightly, like it was being carried by the night air itself.Lian Ziho didn't move for a second.Then door clicked open fast.Lian Ziho moved without hesitation, throwing the knife aside onto the table mid-motion as the door swung open.And there he saw suo Ran. He was standing there.Slightly swaying.His Hair was messy and eyes unfocused.
That same faint, harmless smile still on his face like nothing in the world was wrong.
For a fraction of a second, relief almost appeared in Lian Ziho's expression.Suo Ran blinked at him slowly, then his lips curved slightly wider, like he was about to speak or smile properly.But before he could Lin Yichen stepped in behind him and adjusted his grip, lifting Suo Ran slightly back again as he started to tip forward."Careful." Lin Yichen muttered.That single movement shifted everything.Lian Ziho's expression changed instantly.His eyes snapped to Lin Yichen.His expression was cold and sharp."You? Why are you here again?" he said, voice dropping instantly.