Wenhao woke up in his bed.
He blinked at the ceiling, confused. He didn't remember coming back to his room. The last thing he remembered was watching the movie and feeling really, really tired.
Did Zhenlong carry him?
He shook his head violently. No. No way. That was impossible. Zhenlong was a cold-hearted mafia bosd. He probably just called a servant to do it. Yeah. That was it.
Wenhao freshened up and limped downstairs for breakfast. The mansion was strangely quiet. No shouting. No arguing. Just silence.
He sat down at the table and saw Hua Cheng coming down the stairs with a tray of untouched breakfast.
Wenhao frowned. "Where's Zhenlong?"
Hua Cheng didn't stop walking. "Working upstairs."
"Working? It's breakfast time."
Hua Cheng ignored him and walked toward the kitchen. Wenhao watched him go, feeling something strange in his chest.
Then Hua Cheng came back with a cup of coffee. He handed it to a servant. "Take this up to him. Make sure he drinks it."
The servant hesitated. "Again, sir? He already had four cups."
Hua Cheng sighed and rubbed his temples. "Just take it."
Wenhao couldn't help himself. "What happened?"
Hua Cheng looked at him for a long moment. Then he turned and walked away without answering.
Wenhao looked at the servant. "What happened?"
The servant shifted nervously. "Something went wrong with the business. The boss held a meeting last night for hours. And then he kept working without any break. He's still working. He hasn't slept."
Wenhao nodded slowly. He felt something weird in his chest. Something that felt almost like... concern.
He shook it off.
He limped back to his room and tried to distract himself.
But his mind kept wandering.
His father. Xinyi. Shen Wei.
He squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to cry. He didn't want to think about them. He didn't want to feel anything.
He got up and limped toward Zhenlong's office.
The servants tried to stop him. "Young man, you can't go in there. No one is allowed except Mr. Hua Cheng."
Wenhao waved them off. "I'm not no one. I'm the most important hostage you have. I go where I want."
He peeked through the crack in the door.
Zhenlong was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. His face was pale and there were dark circles under his eyes. He looked exhausted. Weak. Nothing like the cold, powerful man who had threatened to cut off Shen Wei's fingers.
Wenhao hesitated.
Then he pushed the door open and limped inside.
Zhenlong's eyes snapped open. His gaze was sharp and cold and Wenhao's heart jumped into his throat.
"What are you doing here?" Zhenlong demanded. "You're not supposed to be walking around with a sprained ankle."
Wenhao tried to play it cool. He limped toward the chair and flopped down across from Zhenlong. "I'm bored. Play with me."
Zhenlong sighed and rubbed his temples. "I don't have energy to play with you."
Wenhao pouted. "That's boring. You're boring. Come on, just five minutes. Ten minutes. I'll even let you win at something."
"I don't let anyone win."
"Then beat me. Come on. I dare you."
Zhenlong didn't move. He just sat there with his eyes half-closed, looking like he might collapse at any moment.
Wenhao reached out and grabbed his hand to pull him up.
And then he felt it.
Zhenlong's skin was burning.
Wenhao's eyes went wide. "You have a fever?"
Zhenlong pulled his hand back. "I don't know. Maybe."
"Maybe? How do you not know if you have a fever? You're a grown man. You should know when you're sick."
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You're burning up. You look like death warmed over. When was the last time you ate? Or slept?"
Zhenlong didn't answer.
"That's what I thought." Wenhao grabbed his arm and tried to pull him up. "Come on. You're going to bed."
"I don't need to—"
"Yes you do. Get up. Now."
Hua Cheng walked in. "The car is ready."
Zhenlong nodded and got up. He swayed slightly and Hua Cheng steadied him.
Wenhao opened his mouth to say something. To stop him. To tell him he shouldn't be going anywhere.
But the words didn't come.
Zhenlong left.
Wenhao limped back to his room and then to the cinema room. He tried to watch a movie. But it was boring. So boring. Watching alone was terrible.
he thought about how much he wanted to watch another movie with Zhenlong.
He froze.
Why was he thinking like that? He was supposed to hate Zhenlong. Zhenlong was the bad guy. The kidnapper. The monster.
But he wasn't acting like a monster.
He was acting like... a person.
Wenhao shook his head. This was dangerous. This was very dangerous.
He spent the rest of the evening waiting in the living room. He didn't know why he was waiting. He just was.
Then he heard the front door open.
Zhenlong walked in, looking even worse than before. His face was pale and his eyes were glassy and he was swaying on his feet. Hua Cheng was beside him, holding his coat.
Zhenlong walked straight toward the stairs, not even looking at anyone. "Don't disturb me," he said to Hua Cheng. "I'm going to sleep."
Hua Cheng watched him go.
Wenhao was about to follow him when Hua Cheng stepped in front of him.
Wenhao braced himself for the lecture. "Look, I know I'm not supposed to—"
"I wasn't going to say that."
Wenhao stopped.
Hua Cheng hesitated. His jaw clenched and unclenched. He looked like he was forcing the words out.
"Zhenlong... he hasn't had dinner. Or lunch. He has a fever. And he refused to take any medicine." Hua Cheng paused. "I'm not saying this because I like you. But maybe... he'll listen to you."
Wenhao blinked. "Me? Why would he listen to me?"
"I don't know." Hua Cheng's voice was gruff. "He just does."
Wenhao hesitated. "I don't think he will."
Hua Cheng's jaw tightened. "Just say you don't want him to get well."
He walked away.
Wenhao watched him go and felt a knot form in his stomach.
He asked a servant to bring dinner and medicine up to Zhenlong's room. Then he limped up the stairs, his ankle throbbing with every step.
He knocked on the door.
No answer.
He pushed it open.
Zhenlong was lying on the bed on his back. He hadn't even bothered to take off his shoes. His arm was draped over his face and he was rubbing his temple with his fingers.
Wenhao hesitated.
"I brought dinner," he said softly.
"Not hungry."
Wenhao gestured for the servant to place the food on the table and leave. Then he sighed and walked to the bed.
"Argh, you're so heavy," he grunted, trying to pull Zhenlong up by his hand.
His ankle gave out and he started to fall.
Zhenlong's eyes snapped open and he lunged forward, grabbing Wenhao's arm and pulling him back before he hit the floor.
"Can't you be more careful?" Zhenlong growled. "You're going to hurt yourself."
Wenhao giggled. "I'm not the one who's sick and refusing to eat."
Zhenlong's heart did a backflip at the sound of that giggle.
"Fine," Zhenlong muttered. "Fine. I'll eat. Just stop being so annoying."
Wenhao grinned and sat down on the bed beside him. He reached for the tray of food.
Zhenlong reached out and helped him.
"Wait," Zhenlong said. "You didn't have dinner."
Wenhao shook his head. "No. Your stupid servants don't serve me good food. Your food looks nice."
Zhenlong chuckled. "That's because I pay them well."
"Whatever. Just eat."
Wenhao took a bite of the food and made a happy sound. "Okay, this is good. This is really good. Why don't I get this?"
"Because you're a hostage."
"That's discrimination."
"It's not discrimination. It's the rules."
"Your rules are stupid."
Zhenlong took a bite and his eyes closed for a moment. "This is good."
"Of course it's good. I picked it."
"You didn't pick it."
"I told the servant to bring it. That's basically picking it."
Wenhao stuffed another bite into his mouth and then shoved the fork toward Zhenlong's face. "Eat."
Zhenlong raised an eyebrow. "You're feeding me?"
"You're too weak to feed yourself. Open up."
"I'm not a child."
"You're acting like one. Open."
Zhenlong opened his mouth and Wenhao shoved the food in.
"See?" Wenhao said. "That wasn't so hard. You just have to do what I say."
"That's not how this works."
"It is now. I'm in charge of your health. You're not allowed to be sick."
"I don't have a choice."
"Everyone has a choice. You choose to work yourself to death. That's stupid. You're stupid."
Zhenlong's mouth twitched. "You're calling me stupid."
"Yes. Very stupid. The stupidest. You should have someone to take care of you. You're terrible at taking care of yourself."
"I've been taking care of myself for years."
"And look how that turned out. You have a fever and you haven't eaten all day. What kind of adult does that?"
Zhenlong opened his mouth to argue but Wenhao shoved another bite of food in.
"Eat," Wenhao demanded. "No talking. Just eating."
Zhenlong chewed and swallowed and then said, "You're very bossy for a hostage."
"I'm a very special hostage. I have standards."
They continued eating like that. Wenhao shoving food into Zhenlong's mouth and scolding him every time he tried to argue.
"Don't argue with me. I'm trying to help you."
"You're trying to annoy me."
"Same thing."
After the food was gone, Wenhao grabbed the medicine and thrust it toward Zhenlong. "Take this."
"I don't need it."
"Yes you do. Take it."
"It's bitter."
"Good. You deserve bitter for being so stupid."
Zhenlong stared at him. "You really don't hold back, do you?"
"Nope. That's not in my nature. Now take the medicine."
Zhenlong took the medicine and made a face. "It's terrible."
"Good. Now lay down."
"I'm already laying down."
"Lay down properly. Take off your shoes. Get under the blanket."
Zhenlong hesitated. "You're not going to tuck me in, are you?"
"I'm not going to do anything. You're going to do it yourself. I'm just going to watch and judge."
Zhenlong shook his head but he kicked off his shoes and slid under the blanket. He laid back and closed his eyes.
Wenhao watched him for a moment. His face was pale and his breathing was slow and he looked so tired.
"Zhenlong?"
"Hmm?"
"Thank you."
Zhenlong opened his eyes and looked at him. There was something soft in his gaze. Something warm.
"Whatever just leave" he said quietly.
Wenhao looked away. "I'm still going to try to escape."
"I know."
"And I still hate you."
"I know."
"But... you're not as bad as I thought."
Zhenlong smiled. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
"Don't get used to it."
Wenhao limped to the door and stopped. He looked back at Zhenlong.
"Get some rest. And if I find out you worked all night again, I'm going to be really annoying. Like, really annoying."
Zhenlong chuckled. "I believe you."
"Good."
Wenhao left the room.
And Zhenlong lay in bed with a smile on his face and a warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with the fever.