Chapter Text
Yichen had a dream where he and Lufeng made sweet promises to each other. In that dream, they swore oaths about their relationship, promising to love one another forever and never part. It was a beautiful dream, yet felt terrifyingly real. Waking up abruptly to the sensation of Lufeng’s fingers lightly choking him, Yichen was startled by the dream, but even more shocked to find Lufeng standing right in front of him upon opening his eyes. Lufeng was holding a glass of water.
"What are you doing here?" Yichen asked, his voice laced with fear.
"This is my house. How long has it been since you last drank water? Drink." Lufeng said, extending the glass toward Yichen.
Paralyzed by fear from how Lufeng had treated him during his captivity, Yichen remained motionless, making no move to accept the glass. Realizing his gesture was met with absolute silence, Lufeng’s face hardened.
"Not drinking? Suit yourself."
Lufeng slammed the glass down on the nightstand beside Yichen’s bed and turned to leave the room. But before he could walk away, Yichen instantly reached out and grabbed Lufeng’s arm to stop him.
"Lufeng!"
"Don’t touch me!" Lufeng barked.
"What do you want from me?" Yichen asked.
"This feeling of helplessness because you didn't get what you wanted—watching me get intimate with another man every single day—how does it feel?"
Lufeng leaned closer to Yichen, who remained sitting silently on the bed, and continued softly,
"It doesn't feel good, does it? But what right do you have to feel bad? Who are you to me?"
Yichen stayed quiet, not knowing how to respond. He could only stare at Lufeng as he spoke.
"Mr. Zhuo, looking at your face right now makes me sick."
Lufeng turned away, intending to leave once more. Yichen, who had been holding back, felt a surge of anger. He stood up on the bed and called out loudly.
"Then why are you locking me up here? Let me go!" Yichen demanded.
Lufeng whipped around, his eyes locking onto Yichen with a sharp, piercing glare.
"You want to leave? In your dreams!" Lufeng sneered.
"This is false imprisonment!"
"Call the police, then. It's not like you've never done it before."
Before Yichen could react, Lufeng grabbed him, pinning his body and completely restraining his movements.
"Then… you could kill me while I sleep."
Lufeng reached out, his hand wrapping around Yichen’s throat and squeezing, forcing Yichen’s head back.
"Kill me then. Being alive right now isn't any different from being dead anyway."
Lufeng yanked Yichen to his feet, pinning his arms tightly behind his back.
"I never lock my bedroom door when I sleep. There are plenty of knives in the kitchen—each sharper than the last,"
Lufeng said, his tone dripping with an implicit threat.
Yichen remained silent, not daring to utter a single word. Overwhelmed and deeply intimidated by Lufeng's behavior, sheer terror consumed him. Moments later, Lufeng spoke again.
"Or… you could use this."
Lufeng grabbed a large pair of scissors from a nearby rolling cart, forcing them into Yichen’s hands.
"Take it. TAKE IT!" Lufeng shouted, forcing Yichen’s fingers around the handles. "Just like this… plunge it in. And I’ll be free."
Yichen stared at Lufeng in absolute disbelief. His eyes swam with a chaotic mix of emotions—fear, confusion, disappointment, and rage, all tangled into one. Moments later, Lufeng released his grip, leaving Yichen to collapse onto the bed. Lufeng immediately turned his back, refusing to look at Yichen’s vulnerability. After a long, heavy silence, Yichen finally spoke up.
"What's your guarantee of freedom? Are you so sure death will set you free?" Lufeng paused, his back still turned toward Yichen.
"What do you think? Of course I’ll be free. The police won't arrest or imprison me. But one thing's for sure—after you stab me, you'll be left with unbearable grief once I'm dead."
"How do you know?"
Lufeng finally turned around to face Yichen, staring at him with an unreadable expression.
"Because you still love me." Yichen looked up, his eyes brimming with unshed tears.
"Do you not love me anymore?" Yichen asked in a barely audible whisper. Yichen saw Lufeng’s expression shift instantly. The calm facade he held a second ago vanished, replaced by a piercing coldness.
"My love died the moment you disappeared."
That single, softly spoken sentence shattered Yichen’s heart. His mind went completely blank. It wasn't that he expected Lufeng to treat him the way he did back in high school, but deep down, Yichen had desperately clung to the hope that Lufeng still retained a sliver of love—a chance for Yichen to fix all his past mistakes. He wanted nothing more than a fresh start for the two of them. Even though Lufeng's recent behavior had driven him to extreme stress and agony, that fragile hope was the only thing keeping him afloat. And now, that single sentence had wiped it out entirely, crushing his last defense.
"So… you really don’t… love me?"
Lufeng turned away immediately as Yichen said those words. He stood frozen for a second, searching for what to say.
"Of course I do."
Lufeng said it with a slight tremor in his voice. It was subtle, but anyone else listening would have caught it. Yichen, however, was in utter turmoil. Hearing those words felt as though his very soul had been torn away.
Yichen's mind spiraled completely out of control as he processed Lufeng’s words. He couldn't think straight anymore. The realization that Lufeng’s love was truly gone, that Lufeng had been tormenting him purely for amusement, that bringing other men home wasn't just to make him jealous, and that the belief Lufeng still loved him was nothing more than an illusion he built to shield his fragile heart—all these crushing thoughts raced through his head, deafening him to the outside world. Yichen was plunged into absolute emptiness.
"Then… why am I still alive if the person who gave me a reason to live doesn't love me anymore? I have no one left. My mother and father are dead, and I don't even know where my younger sibling is. I thought I could still reach the one person who mattered most in my life. I wanted to fix everything, to put back together every single piece of the puzzle I broke… but it turns out I'm completely alone in this world…"
Yichen rambled on continuously. Lufeng stood silently with his back to him, quietly shedding a single tear upon hearing Yichen’s desperate rambling, completely unbeknownst to Yichen.
"So why should I keep living? And who am I even living for?"
Five seconds after uttering those words, Yichen looked down at the large pair of scissors in his hands. Without a second thought, he plunged the scissors deep into his neck. Nearly half the blade sank into his throat with terrifying speed. The wet, choking sound immediately drew Lufeng’s attention. When Lufeng turned around, his face pale with horror and shock, he saw Yichen standing there with the scissors embedded in his neck.
"XIAOCHEN!"
Lufeng sprinted forward to catch Yichen, who was trying to end his life. Horror and panic seized him as blood spurted violently from the wound. Yichen’s hands, neck, face, clothes, and pants were instantly soaked in red. As Lufeng grabbed hold of him, the blood sprayed across his own body and hands.
"Xiaochen! Xiaochen! What are you doing! Yichen!"
Lufeng’s hands trembled violently, his eyes wide with absolute terror. He kept screaming Yichen’s name, desperately trying to keep him alive.
"Xiaochen, what—WHY, HAH?!"
Lufeng tugged wildly at his own hair with hands stained in Yichen’s blood. The scissors were buried deep within Yichen’s neck—half the massive blade had sunk straight in.
"What do I do?! Xiaochen! Don't close your eyes! Stay awake! Xiaochen!"
Yichen, his eyes wide with agony from the puncture wound, could only gasp airlessly while staring up at Lufeng. His hands slipped limply away from the handles of the scissors as his body rapidly lost strength from the sheer volume of blood pouring out. Lufeng looked like a madman. He kept tearing at his hair, frantically trying to think through the sheer shock of what Yichen had done, occasionally biting his own nails in terror.
"Wait, Xiaochen! I'm calling an ambulance! Stay right here and stay awake, okay? Don't fall asleep!" Lufeng gasped out, breathless and hyperventilating.
Gently laying Yichen down, Lufeng scrambled frantically across the room to find a phone. Spotting a landline he had placed nearby, he rushed over and dialed the emergency hospital number for an ambulance. The call went through, and the operator's voice filled his ear.
"Hello, Grand Health Clinic Hospital. How may we assist you?"
"Ambulance! Hurry! It's—an ambulance! Hurry! Neck! He was stabbed, hurry!"
The moment the call connected, Lufeng’s composure shattered completely. Panic overtook him, especially as he glanced back at Yichen lying helpless on the blood-soaked bed.
"Someone has been stabbed? Sir, please state your address immediately so we can dispatch an ambulance right away. First, please try to stay calm so you can provide clear information."
"Luxury Housing Complex, Block C, No. 39! Hurry! He's dying!"
"Understood, we are dispatching an ambulance to your location right away. While waiting, can you briefly explain the victim's condition?"
"The scissors are stuck in his neck! Deep! Blood keeps spurting out everywhere! Please, come fast!" Lufeng’s voice trembled violently as he relayed the details.
"Understood, sir. Please DO NOT remove the scissors from his neck. Find a cloth to apply pressure and control the bleeding, but do not press down on the scissors so they don't sink any deeper."
Hearing the instructions, Lufeng slammed the receiver down on the table, leaving the line open, and rushed off to find a cloth or anything to stanch the bleeding. He grabbed a shirt from the wardrobe, ripping it apart into a makeshift bandage to wrap around Yichen's neck.
Because Lufeng was shaking so violently, the cloth trembled in his grip. He couldn't think straight anymore. The pure white fabric was instantly drenched in deep crimson as Yichen’s blood poured endlessly. The sight of the scissors protruding from Yichen’s neck terrified Lufeng to his core. Every ragged, raspy breath Yichen drew felt like a countdown. He just wanted Yichen to survive.
"Xiaochen, Xiaochen, hang in there! The ambulance is coming, please hang on!"
Yichen’s vision was blurring fast. Lufeng could feel that Yichen was on the verge of slipping into unconsciousness from the massive blood loss.
"No… no… Cheng Yichen, stay awake, don't close your eyes! I'm begging you!"
Lufeng was on the brink of tears, watching Yichen hover near death. Just as he was pleading with Yichen to keep his eyes open, the faint wail of an approaching ambulance siren echoed from the distance. Lufeng held Yichen tightly in his arms, refusing to let him close his eyes.
Lufeng’s eyes darted frantically between Yichen’s face and the scissors embedded in his throat.
"Don't close them! Don't! Whatever you do, don't, Xiaochen! I'm warning you!"
Lufeng pulled Yichen’s head against his cheek, terrified beyond measure that Yichen would breathe his last breath right there in his arms.
Lufeng’s mind raced through every worst-case scenario until his gaze went completely blank, staring hollowly at the wall ahead. He didn't even notice the paramedics bursting into the house and rushing into the room. He just felt numb, unable to speak or think. The only thing occupying his consciousness was Yichen.
"Sir? Sir, can you hear us? Please stop shouting and listen to us, okay? Please let go of him so we can load him into the ambulance." The paramedic's voice snapped Lufeng out of his trance.
Wait—who was shouting?
"Who's shouting?" Lufeng managed to utter weakly.
"You are, sir. Now please let go of him right now. If you don't, we won't be able to save him. Please cooperate with us."
Lufeng froze, his limp hands slowly releasing Yichen. The paramedics immediately transferred Yichen onto a stretcher and wheeled him out toward the waiting ambulance. Lufeng stumbled after them, his legs weak and wobbly, nearly tripping over his own feet multiple times. The sight of the continuous blood flow and the scissors still sticking out of Yichen’s neck kept his heart pounding erratically.
They loaded Yichen into the ambulance parked right outside. Lufeng scrambled inside after them. One paramedic sat up front with the driver, while the other stayed in the back with Lufeng and Yichen. As soon as the rear doors slammed shut, the vehicle sped off toward the hospital. The blaring sirens mingled with the sound of the oxygen mask fitted over Yichen’s face, keeping him breathing despite his ragged gasps.
The paramedic worked frantically to control the bleeding. Lufeng could only watch, not daring to reach out and touch Yichen’s hand. He felt as though he was the one who handed Yichen over to death. Overcome with guilt, he was terrified that touching Yichen would only make his condition worse.
"Is… is he going to make it? Please save him, I'm begging you," Lufeng sobbed, rambling incoherently.
"We are doing everything we can, sir. It's our job. Please try to calm down."
Lufeng went quiet, staring blankly at Yichen.
"When did he stab his neck?"
"About… less than half an hour ago. I don't know the exact time. I don't know."
"If we're not too late, we can save him."
"Please save him."
The paramedic remained fully focused on treating Yichen to prevent the wound from becoming fatal.
With the ambulance granted priority right of way, it arrived at the emergency department in record time. The ER nurses were already waiting at the entrance after receiving the advance report. As soon as the rear doors swung open, they carefully unloaded Yichen and wheeled the gurney straight toward the operating room. Lufeng scrambled out after them, his steps unsteady, stumbling along as he tried to keep up. The persistent bleeding and the scissors still embedded in Yichen’s neck kept his heart hammering against his chest.
They finally reached the operating room doors. The nurses rushed Yichen inside, stopping Lufeng from following them. Weak and helpless, Lufeng could only stand there staring at the red operating light. One of the nurses approached him.
"Please fill out these consent forms completely while the operating room is being prepared. You can head over to the administration desk to finish the paperwork. Once everything is signed, you can wait here until the surgery is over."
"Alright, thank you."
The nurse left to call another staff member to guide Lufeng through the paperwork. Lufeng followed mechanically. With hands still trembling and covered in blood, he pulled out his phone—which he had fortunately remembered to bring—and dialed his sister's number. After a few moments, the call connected, and his sister's voice came through the speaker.
"Hello, Lufeng? What's wrong? Why are you calling this late?"
"Sis, Yichen got stabbed. I'm at the hospital and… and I don't know, I'm at administration. Please help me. Please come here."
"WHAT?! HOW—"
"I don't know! I really don't know! Just come fast!"
"Okay, tell me which hospital you're at right now. I'll head over immediately with your brother-in-law. Let me get ready real quick."
Lufeng looked around frantically, trying to spot the hospital name.
"Grand Health Clinic Hospital."
"Okay, wait for me there and don't panic. Understood?"
"Yeah, just hurry."
Lufeng ended the call and rushed through the paperwork so the surgery could begin. Once finished, he collapsed onto a metal bench nearby and buried his head in his hands, sitting in complete silence as his mind struggled to process everything that had just happened.
Half an hour passed, and Lufeng was still sitting in the exact same position. His sister and her husband arrived at the hospital and began searching for him. After looking around, his sister finally spotted Lufeng hunched over on a bench.
She ran over to him immediately.
"Lufeng! Hey, Lufeng!"
At his sister's sharp call, Lufeng lifted his head. Seeing her, he threw his arms around her and broke down into uncontrollable sobs, releasing all the tears he had been holding back.
"Sis! Xiaochen, sis! Xiaochen, he—"
Lufeng choked on his words. It was the first time his sister had ever seen him cry so violently that he couldn't even speak.
"Calm down. Try to calm down, okay? He's going to make it."
Lufeng continued to cry hysterically, his head pounding from the grief.
"Xiaochen… Xiaochen… save him, sis! Please save him!"
Lufeng babbled incoherently in her embrace. His sister could only stroke his back and hair gently, whispering comforting words, while her husband sat on Lufeng’s other side, trying his best to soothe his brother-in-law.
"You need to stay calm. Stop crying for a moment, and let's just wait."
"I can't, I—"
Before Lufeng could finish his sentence, his eyes rolled back and he collapsed unconscious in his sister's arms.
"LUFENG!!"
To Be Continued...