Chapter 29: Injured
Xie Meng cursed under his breath. “Damn it, this is going to be a headache. I hope they aren’t some desperate fugitives. If they’re involved in other illicit business, they might end up getting my whole place shut down.”
“You two, find a couple more guys. Keep a close eye on them first. Under no circumstances can we let them hurt anyone in the shop. I’m going to make a phone call right now.”
It was true that Xie Meng was the boss of the nightclub, but he had people above him; he was merely a tool for others to rake in profits.
Faced with such a major incident, he wasn’t sure how to handle it and definitely had to report to his superiors.
Zeng Hui glanced warily toward the alley entrance. “Someone’s coming!”
Zhou Yuejun turned his head and happened to see Yu Deng poking his head out, his dark hair looking soft and fluffy.
Just as Zeng Hui was about to step forward, Zhou Yuejun grabbed his arm firmly.
“It’s my younger brother.”
The half of Yu Deng’s face that was visible looked timid. He peered around like a newborn kitten and called out softly, “Zhou Yuejun.”
Yu Deng wasn’t afraid for no reason. Zeng Hui looked fierce and malevolent, and Xie Meng had a bit of a sinister aura.
As for Zhou Yuejun, when his face was cold, he naturally carried a hint of ferocity.
They had been speaking in hushed tones earlier, so Yu Deng shouldn’t have heard anything. Xie Meng gave a look to Zeng Hui, signaling for him to follow him back inside first.
Once the others were gone, Yu Deng took two steps toward Zhou Yuejun, but Zhou Yuejun was faster.
“Who told you to come here?”
As soon as he spoke, he sounded very harsh, as if he were scolding him. The verbal lashing caught Yu Deng completely off guard.
The good mood Yu Deng had from the chance encounter was instantly scattered by Zhou Yuejun’s roar. Immediately, his nose felt sour, and his eyes grew stingy.
“I saw you and wanted to come say hello, to tell you I’m back~”
He spoke softly, looking at Zhou Yuejun with such submissive obedience.
But Zhou Yuejun didn’t appreciate it. “Didn’t I give you the number? Call me when you’re back; don’t come here!”
This kind of place was simply not where Yu Deng should be. At best, he’d be harassed by local thugs; at worst, he’d be targeted by powerful people and turned into their plaything.
Zhou Yuejun was being so fierce that Yu Deng wanted to lose his temper, but suddenly, Zhou Yuejun leaned down, cupping Yu Deng’s face with both hands. His words were solemn and filled with a lingering shock.
“Don’t come here.”
“Go on, go back quickly.”
Their gazes locked. What drew closer wasn’t just the distance between them, but their heartbeats as well.
Yu Deng seemed to understand. He nodded meekly and turned to run away, though in truth, he was still feeling a bit sulky.
Watching his receding back, Zhou Yuejun knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid a long round of coaxing when he returned tonight.
Yu Deng ran all the way home. Because he was back quite late, Zhou Yuejun had left him dinner and a note.
Dinner consisted of stir-fried pork with celery, egg fried rice, and stewed chicken. There were also very fresh grapes in the refrigerator.
The note told him to give Zhou Yuejun a call once he was back.
Zhou Yuejun returned late tonight—very late. Yu Deng didn’t know exactly what time it was, only that he felt especially drowsy, far more than usual.
He was woken up by a scent. It wasn’t the foul stench of alcohol or cigarettes, but the smell of rust, tinged with a metallic tang.
As soon as he caught the scent, Yu Deng was jolted awake. His pupils dilated, and with a kick of his feet, he scrambled up from the bed.
“You’re injured?!”
Zhou Yuejun had already washed up when he returned, but he hadn’t expected Yu Deng’s nose to be sharper than a dog’s, detecting it even in his sleep.
His injury was on the palm of his right hand; he couldn’t hide it. He had originally intended to tell Yu Deng the next morning.
He had been slashed. It wasn’t deep enough to hit bone or tendon, but it wasn’t shallow either, and he had lost a fair amount of blood.
Yu Deng saw Zhou Yuejun’s hand wrapped in gauze, which was already damp from water and stained with blood that was almost seeping through.
His sleepiness hadn’t even faded before he was scared into tears, his eyes brimming with moisture.
“W-What happened to you?”
Yu Deng crawled to the edge of the bed, looking at Zhou Yuejun’s hand that was trying to curl away behind his back, yet he didn’t dare pull at it.
“It’s nothing. Someone made trouble in the shop tonight, and my hand got poked by a beer bottle.”
“Liar! It definitely wasn’t a beer bottle!”
“Was it a gunshot?”
At the mention of that word, Zhou Yuejun suddenly covered Yu Deng’s mouth. “What nonsense are you talking?”
He sat on the bed. Even though his gaze was cold and sharp, he couldn’t hide his worry. He repeatedly warned, “Don’t talk nonsense. What gun?”
Yu Deng was terrified, his body trembling as Zhou Yuejun held him. After dodging Zhou Yuejun’s hand, he buried his face in Zhou Yuejun’s chest and let out a small, muffled huff.
“I didn’t hear it, but I saw your lip movements.”
“Tell me quickly! If you don’t, I won’t let you touch me anymore.”
He threw a tantrum, twisting his waist and refusing to let Zhou Yuejun touch him. As he muffled his face, his cheeks puffed out.
Just then, a tear rolled down his eye, leaving a trail. His eyelids were soaked; he looked utterly pitiable.
Outside of the bed, Yu Deng’s tears were his best weapon, forcing Zhou Yuejun to surrender.
Zhou Yuejun knew he couldn’t hide it and didn’t want Yu Deng to keep crying.
He used his left hand to brush away a tear from the tip of Yu Deng’s chin. “It was a serial killer. He was desperate to find someone to make fake ID for him to flee. We caught sight of him and have already taken him down.”
He had returned late because he only felt at ease after learning from Xie Meng that the culprit was acting alone and wasn’t involved in other crimes.
Since he was a murderer, he would surely be executed, so there would be no threat of retaliation.
Yu Deng still didn’t believe him, pouting slightly. “Really?”
“Then take off your clothes. I want to see if there are other injuries on your body.”
Zhou Yuejun was about to obey, but his gaze caught his injured hand and his movement paused. Then, he looked at Yu Deng frankly.
“My hand is injured; it’s hard to take them off.”
Yu Deng gave him a fierce, angry glare. “…You clearly just took a bath!”
Zhou Yuejun, a man of iron and steel, actually showed weakness. “I was enduring the pain just now. Didn’t you see how much blood I lost?”
Moreover, he had a bit of a “shameless rogue” air about him.
Yu Deng had eyes; the gauze was nearly stained red. Just looking at it made him feel a tug at his heart. “Is it still bleeding?”
“No, it stopped long ago. I probably strained it just now while putting on my clothes.”
Yu Deng was actually very simple; all his schemes were written on his face, and he was easily coaxed by Zhou Yuejun.
He was truly worried. Forgetting his shyness, he reached out to pull at Zhou Yuejun’s clothes.
Under the clear light, Yu Deng had no mind to admire Zhou Yuejun’s toned physique.
He saw the abrasions on Zhou Yuejun’s back, with some traces of blood and bruising. His shoulder blade was bruised blue; one could see how brutal the fight had been.
His soft fingertips touched the man’s back. He tapped lightly a few times before quickly withdrawing his hand.
“Don’t go anymore!”
“I don’t want you to go anymore! You just work at the construction site from now on. There are nearly three months until school starts; the tuition is enough.”
He didn’t care about his “character persona” anymore. He felt that by relying on his male lead halo, Zhou Yuejun would seize opportunities and grow slowly—he would transform eventually.
He only needed to act as Zhou Yuejun’s emotional blow by giving him a “green hat” when Zhou Yuejun was about to succeed.
There was no need for such danger, going to a place like a nightclub.
“I won’t allow you to go!”
Zhou Yuejun was shirtless, his body full of rippling muscles displayed before Yu Deng. Yet Yu Deng turned his face away in a huff, deliberately refusing to look at him.
Because Zhou Yuejun hesitated and didn’t agree.
Zhou Yuejun tried to nuzzle Yu Deng’s arm, but Yu Deng quickly dodged. “Hmph! If you dare go again, I really won’t let you touch me.”
Recommended Reads
![[ABO] President Shou Is Not a Total Shou](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/the-shou-is-not-a-total-shou-214x300.jpg)
