Kang Zeyu’s eyes flickered uncertainly as he debated whether to silence Cui Ran. Yu Qingxian swiftly approached and knocked Cui Ran out with the butt of the gun, his movements clean and decisive. A splash of blood landed under his eye, the crimson speck accentuating the seductive allure of his narrow phoenix eyes.
Kang Zeyu adored this aloof and unapproachable side of him. In that moment, he seemed utterly captivated, kneeling on the ground and staring at him in a daze.
Yu Qingxian wore a half-smile that wasn’t quite a smile. “Now, you don’t have to hesitate anymore, right?”
He slowly raised the gun in his hand, aimed it at Kang Zeyu, and prodded the man’s head with the cold butt of the weapon, silently urging him on.
It was a life-or-death moment, yet Kang Zeyu’s blood surged with excitement, as if every pore in his body was aflame. He deliberately shifted his position, brazenly displaying the part of himself he took the most pride in.
Gazing at Yu Qingxian’s flushed cheeks, he rasped, “Qingxian, you won’t shoot me, will you? I know your personality—you don’t dare to kill…”
Since he’d been seen through, there was no need to hide anymore.
Yu Qingxian felt utterly disgusted and kicked him to the ground. “Kang Zeyu, are you fucking perverted? You can even get aroused like this?”
“Heh heh, hehehehe…” Kang Zeyu’s face hit the floor, but he actually started laughing. “I’ve chased you for three years—three years! Why? Don’t tell me you don’t like men. You’re clearly different with that Pretty Boy!”
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly sat up. “What do I lack compared to him? He’s just a charlatan. You and I are from the same world. He doesn’t know you prefer red wine from that vineyard in Italy, or your favorite diving spots, or which team you support… But I know all those things!”
“Qingxian, you and I share a spiritual connection. A poor kid like him has no idea what’s on your mind…”
By now, the drug’s effects had fully taken hold in Yu Qingxian. His body temperature skyrocketed, and his head throbbed with dizziness… He blinked hard and noticed Kang Zeyu inching closer. Reacting swiftly, he pulled the trigger. “Don’t come any closer!”
The people outside heard the gunshot and quickly gathered at the door. Yu Qingxian caught the sound of them fumbling with keys.
The floor was spotless, likely cleaned beforehand, and he couldn’t find anything else to use in a pinch. Desperately, he jammed the gun into the door handle.
After securing the door, he turned back, eyeing Kang Zeyu warily. He regretted not shooting the man in the leg earlier. He didn’t want to kill, but crippling him to prevent movement would have been fine.
But it was too late for regrets now. The people outside realized the door was barred and began shouting while slamming against it with loud bangs.
Wolves outside, a tiger within, and he was drugged…
Yu Qingxian steeled his expression and pinched the inside of his thigh hard to stay alert. “Kang Zeyu…”
He wanted to say that even if they beat each other to death today, he would never yield.
“Just go.” Kang Zeyu kept his head lowered, his emotions unreadable. “There’s a small vent window behind the warehouse. The frame is rusted through— a bit of force should get you out.”
“Why?” Yu Qingxian was stunned. “You’re letting me go?”
Kang Zeyu let out a self-deprecating laugh. “What else can I do? What I want isn’t the Yu Family’s money.”
His grandfather had passed, and his father and uncles were under investigation, but the Kang Family was vast and wouldn’t collapse anytime soon. If Cui Ran hadn’t incited him with promises of helping him win Yu Qingxian, he never would have gotten involved.
He admitted he wanted to use the Yu Family’s power to make a comeback, but only because he liked Yu Qingxian… Or perhaps it was unwillingness—he couldn’t bear the man he’d pursued for years finding harmony with someone else…
Yu Qingxian looked at him with complex eyes. “Kang Zeyu, you can’t force someone to like you.”
Kang Zeyu gave a bitter smile. “I know that now.”
Yu Qingxian said nothing more, nodded to him, and ran toward the back of the warehouse. For some reason, seeing Kang Zeyu slumped in defeat made him suddenly think of himself and Chu Yi…
He’d told Kang Zeyu that love couldn’t be forced, but wasn’t his own pursuit of Chu Yi just as one-sided, like carrying a sedan pole on a shaved head? Chu Yi even avoided him.
If Chu Yi got hot and heavy with someone else, like that Liu Shengqing, would he himself resort to extreme measures out of jealousy…?
Yu Qingxian’s body burned hot, and his mind wasn’t clear, but thinking of Chu Yi reignited his resolve. He had to escape—he had to find Chu Yi!
He absolutely couldn’t let Chu Yi end up with that Liu Shengqing!
Fueled by this astonishing willpower, Yu Qingxian found the small vent window, kicked open the rusted frame in a few blows, and crawled out.
He tumbled awkwardly to the ground upon emerging and barely managed to stand by supporting himself against the wall.
His phone had been taken, and he had no idea where he was. He picked a direction with no voices and stumbled forward, deep step after shallow step.
“The hostage escaped!”
“Which way did he go? Chase him!”
Distant voices of the other kidnappers rang out, spurring Yu Qingxian to hurry even more. Gasping for breath, he leaned on a tree trunk and inched forward, gritting his teeth with every step.
