"Where did you go? I was so worried when I found your room empty this morning!" Haoran's voice was thick with anxiety the moment Qixian stepped through the door.
"I'm sorry... I just needed some air. I went for a bit of a drive to see the sights around the area," Qixian reasoned, trying to keep his voice steady despite the everything he was still carrying from earlier.
"Next time, please, just tell me before you disappear. It makes me so worried that my heart can't take the guessing games," Haoran demanded, his protective brotherly instincts flaring up.
"Okay, I promise. Next time, you'll be the first to know, and I'll be telling you everything, no lies," Qixian said, forcing a small smile, he didn't mean his words because he knows that even right now, he was lying to him. Before he says something crazy his eyes drifted past Haoran, landing on two familiar figures already lounging in the corner of the clinic. "You two are certainly here early today."
"Well, Yichen was practically vibrating with the need to see your face. I think he was worried he'd have to wait another two days to pester you—" Sihan started to tease, his eyes glinting with mischief. But before he could even get the laugh out, Yichen's leg shot out, kicking Sihan's chair with enough force to send him stumbling off the seat.
"Shut your mouth. Your lies are getting more annoying by the second, they're getting on my nerves," Yichen snapped, his expression a mask of irritated indifference.
"Honestly, you should've kicked him much harder than that," Qixian added wickedly, crossing his arms as he watched Sihan scramble to find his balance.
Sihan shot a mock glare at the two of them before darting behind Haoran, using him as a human shield. He pointed a dramatic finger at them as if he's a child hiding behind an adult, "Look, Haoran, they're ganging up on me!"
"Okay, okay, that's enough, everyone," Haoran said, playing the peacemaker, though a genuine smile finally escaped his lips as he watched the chaotic familiar energy return to the room.
While Haoran was busy playing peacemaker and settling the boys down, a sharp chime cut through the chatter. Yichen pulled his phone from his pocket, and as he read the message on the screen, his entire demeanor shifted. His gaze snapped up, landing heavily on Qixian.
"What?" Qixian asked, his voice a mix of confusion and genuine annoyance by the fact that Yichen is looking at him so suspiciously. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Let's talk. Outside." Yichen said, his tone straightforward and leaving no room for argument.
"Fine, lead the way," Qixian muttered, following him out to the small alleyway beside the clinic.
The moment they were shielded from the others' view, Yichen spun around. "Where did you really go this morning?" he asked, his eyes narrow and searching.
"I already told Haoran. I was just wandering around, getting some fresh air," Qixian answered, crossing his arms defensively.
"I had my men follow you," Yichen revealed, his voice low and steady. "So why is the report I just received so different from your story?"
"You did what?" Qixian's face flushed with anger. "Don't you have any concept of privacy? You can't just stalk people!"
"Who is Bo Wenxian?" Yichen ignored the outburst, pressing forward. "The name on the grave you visited."
"Why would I ever tell you that? It's none of your business," Qixian said defiantly, though his heart began to race.
"Is she the one from your nightmare?" Yichen asked suddenly.
Qixian froze, the anger draining out of him to be replaced by a flash of genuine shock. "What? How could you possibly—?"
"The last time, when you were attacked and fell unconscious," Yichen answered, his gaze softening almost imperceptibly. "You were struggling even while you were out."
"Did I... did I say something?" Qixian asked, his voice dropping into a cautious whisper.
"You just clutched my sleeve and begged someone not to go. I figured it had to be a nightmare," Yichen said. He stepped a fraction closer, his curiosity now tinged with something like concern. "So, is it because of her? What exactly was she to you?"
Qixian looked away, the silence stretching between them until he finally let out a shaky breath. "You're right... she's the one from my nightmares. And to answer your question... she was like a big sister to me. But we aren't related by blood."
"Why do you have nightmares about her? What happened?" Yichen pushed, sensing there was a much darker story beneath the surface.
"That," Qixian said, regaining his composure and shrugging off the vulnerability, "is definitely none of your business."
Yichen looked at him for a long moment, studying the sharp lines of Qixian's face before finally letting out a defeated sigh. "Fine. Don't tell me." He turned and began walking back toward the clinic door.
"And don't order anyone to follow me next time," Qixian called out as he followed him inside. "It's invasive and uncomfortable."
"I'll tell them to stop," Yichen agreed, surprisingly compliant.
As soon as they stepped back into the lobby, Haoran looked up from a stack of patient files. "By the way, Qixian, don't you have work today? You're usually gone by now."
"Ah, I won't be going in for a while. Something... came up at the office," Qixian answered vaguely.
"Wait... Qixian, did you get fired already?" Haoran blurted out, his eyes wide with horror.
"No! Of course not!" Qixian immediately yelled, his face turning red.
"I see," Haoran said, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes. "Well, if you're 'between tasks,' you'll just have to help me here at the clinic for the time being. I could use an extra pair of hands."
____________
The interior of Jin Rou's private study looked like a literal battlefield. Scattered across the expensive mahogany floor were hundreds of high-resolution surveillance stills, detailed bank statements, and GPS logs—all of them leading to the same frustrating, hollow dead end.
Jin Rou sat slumped behind his desk, his head cradled in his trembling hands. A rhythmic, stabbing pain pulsed behind his left eye, timed perfectly with the relentless ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner. To him, each tick felt like a hammer blow against his skull.
"Explain it to me one more time," Jin Rou whispered, his voice dropping to a dangerously low tone. "How does a man with a distinct A-tier Alpha profile, a customized luxury vehicle, and a medical license registered to the most prestigious hospital in the country simply... vanish into thin air?"
Across the desk, his lead investigator—a man who had built a career successfully tracking international fugitives—seemed to shrink under the pressure. "Sir, it's not just that he's hiding. It's as if someone has scrubbed the city's digital skin clean. We found the car he used to leave the estate, but it was abandoned in a perfect blind spot of the traffic cameras. Every lead we follow regarding his phone signal ends up being nothing, redirected through encrypted servers in Northern Europe. But we guessed that... Chengli, his secretary is the one who was expert in doing those things. But if he's hiding the second young master, then he wouldn't have time doing those things..."
"Yanlan," Jin Rou hissed, the name tasting like venom on his tongue. He massaged his temples, but the headache only intensified, blinding and hot. "It has to be her. She's using her overseas connections to hide his entire existence."
The subordinate hesitated, shifting his weight nervously. "There's... something else, sir. We checked the logs at ZH General Hospital again out of curiosity, and we found a connection we missed before..."
Jin Rou's head snapped up, his eyes bloodshot and wide. "What is it? Don't make me ask again."
"That's the problem, sir... the association is... unexpected."
"Just fucking tell me!" Jin Rou stood up abruptly, the sudden movement causing a wave of nausea to wash over him. He swiped a massive stack of papers off his desk in a fit of rage, sending them fluttering to the floor.
"Mr. Gu... Gu Yichen. He was seen with the second son at the elevator once, but we aren't sure if it's him since the CCTV was glitching," the subordinate stammered, bracing for the fallout.
Jin Rou let out a frustrated laugh that quickly turned into a pained wince as he flared. "You're telling me that the Gu Yichen is the one protecting him?!" The pain was blinding now. To Jin Rou, Qixian wasn't just hiding, he was actively taunting him from behind the shield of a rival power.
"Have people follow that Gu Yichen at all costs!" Jin Rou ordered, his voice a snarl. "Let's see how long he stays so protective once he realizes who—and what—you really are, Qixian. Once he finds out you're no different from the rest of us. After all, a Zhou will always be a Zhou."