Shackles
Lu Congxing’s gaze towards Lin Yudan had changed. He gently patted He Zhouyan’s hand: “Ji!”
He Zhouyan understood immediately, patting the little tuft of fluff on top of his head. When he turned to face Lin Yudan, his expression returned to being completely neutral. “I’ll be visiting Mr. Hu’s house tonight.”
The word “visit” actually meant to investigate.
Without concrete evidence, they couldn’t involve the police, so He Zhouyan would have to investigate on his own. This was the first time Lu Congxing had so confidently and openly done something “bad.” He rubbed his little hooves together and couldn’t resist wagging his little tail.
He didn’t look majestic at all; instead, he looked a little silly.
“But why should you?” Lin Yudan still couldn’t hide his anger, his eyes glaring at the person in front of him.
He Zhouyan answered carelessly, “My lover is very concerned about his friend.”
It wasn’t exactly an explanation, but it carried a certain pressure.
Lin Yudan’s fingers twitched as if cramping. This was the first time the artist, who had always been seen as above worldly concerns, encountered such an unreasonable person. It was also the first time he realized that there were areas in the world beyond even the reach of high art.
A single sentence from the man made him yield, and he had to lower his proud head, just as he had once looked down on people who bowed to power.
In that brief moment of eye contact, Lin Yudan realized that everything he had worked for might be seen by this man as nothing more than child’s play.
Perhaps in the future, he could rise higher and gain the ability to resist, but for now, he had to grit his teeth and accept it.
He Zhouyan glanced at his watch. “I’ll head over in half an hour. During this time, my assistant will be keeping an eye on you.”
Lin Yudan turned with a very displeased expression and walked away.
The assistant, who had appeared out of nowhere, quickly followed him.
The reason for sending the assistant was to prevent Lin Yudan from making any moves while they were heading to Hu Hu’s house.
If Lu Congxing had only had some suspicion earlier, after seeing Lin Yudan’s inexplicable nervousness, his suspicions became much stronger.
This was a very paranoid person. If something truly had happened between the two of them, it was entirely possible that Lin Yudan could act to imprison someone.
He Zhouyan placed the cub into the car and handed him a change of clothes.
As he was about to change back into a human form, Lu Congxing paused. He wanted to explain that he could create clothes with spiritual energy when transforming back into a human. However, in the face of He Zhouyan’s inexplicably expectant gaze, he reluctantly took the clothes.
After taking them, he felt like he had been tricked. The direct, unwavering gaze made him a little nervous.
Small animals were very sensitive, so he made a small grumble and ran to the backseat to change, raising the privacy partition in the process.
All that could be seen through the rearview mirror was black. He Zhouyan sighed and withdrew his gaze, but his spiritual energy did not withdraw.
The powerful spiritual energy lingered ambiguously around the cub in the backseat, causing a breath of annoyance to escape.
The buttons that Lu Congxing had just fastened were undone by He Zhouyan’s spiritual energy. The shirt fell open, revealing his pale waist. The energy, responding to its master’s will, immediately attached itself and rubbed gently.
Although spiritual energy was intangible, Lu Congxing felt as if a rough hand was caressing that spot on his skin. His face flushed with anger, and a hint of redness appeared in the corner of his eyes.
Though his eyes couldn’t see, the all-knowing Bai Ze still perceived the scene in the backseat through the spiritual energy and imprinted it in his mind.
Finally, Lu Congxing had no choice but to release the small fire to completely block off the backseat before he could finish changing.
He Zhouyan, with a slight sense of regret, withdrew all his spiritual energy and sat in the driver’s seat, looking every bit the gentleman.
Unfortunately, Lu Congxing no longer trusted him. Not only did he fasten his shirt all the way to the top button, but no matter how He Zhouyan coaxed him, he refused to sit back in the passenger seat.
If he had obediently sat down to drive, he wouldn’t have been He Zhouyan. He simply cut off all the basement’s surveillance and transformed back into his original form.
He casually pushed open the backseat door. Luckily, he remembered not to go overboard, so he shrank himself down to the size of a Sumatran tiger.
Lu Congxing, annoyed, lightly tapped Bai Ze’s nose. The sacred white beast, in an attempt to cheer up his beloved, lowered its ears, and its beastly, bluish vertical pupils became somewhat rounder. It stretched out its tongue to lick the palm of Lu Congxing’s hand, as if trying to please him.
Even though Lu Congxing knew the slight force he used couldn’t hurt a divine beast, he couldn’t help but soften at Bai Ze’s expression.
It was that moment of hesitation that led to him being gently lifted onto Bai Ze’s back.
The divine beast didn’t mind being used as a mount and even seemed to enjoy it. Lu Congxing, lying on his soft, white, furry back, grabbed the ear that felt the best and laughed, “Really no dignity.”
He Zhouyan flicked his tail and pretended not to hear.
And so, today, the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs received another record of illegal invisibility flight in the city.
The registration officer trembled as he glanced at Bai Ze, hesitating whether to submit the report. Just then, he noticed the cub on Bai Ze’s back.
Instantly feeling at ease, he struck through the cub’s name on the form.
The cub was still so small, wasn’t it normal for him to want to fly around and explore?
Thanks to the Bureau staff’s complete lack of boundaries in tolerating such behavior, He Zhouyan, who repeatedly violated regulations, had yet to receive any punishment or warning.
Despite making a point of flying around a few extra circles, they still had plenty of time.
When they arrived at the villa where Hu Hu lived in human society, the gatekeeper, who had been waiting for a while after receiving a call, immediately opened the door.
The two in front of him were very handsome, unforgettable to anyone who met them.
So the gatekeeper immediately recognized them as the pair of brothers who had previously come to ask him questions. Thinking about how he had even taken their red banknote to go drink, he felt his job was in jeopardy.
Now, he couldn’t find a higher-paying job, so he hurriedly ushered them in, eager to please. “Do you need me to show you the way?”
Lu Congxing nodded. “Thank you.”
The gatekeeper responded eagerly, “You’re welcome. Please follow me.”
He led the way, feeling the pressure from the footsteps behind him, both large and small.
As they passed through each door, Lu Congxing would quickly glance inside. The small flames, invisible to the human eye, transformed into several little fiery puppies that hopped around the room, sniffing and confirming that there were no hidden people before they retreated.
The gatekeeper opened several doors, noticing that the pair only glanced inside, not looking like they were searching for anything.
Yet, their actions still made it seem like they were looking for something.
Just as he was beginning to wonder, a voice came from behind.
“A house this big doesn’t have a basement or a secret room?”
Before the gatekeeper could respond, someone else beat him to it, Lin Yudan, looking tired from rushing in from outside, had just caught the tail end of the question.
He coldly replied, “No, and this is Hu Hu’s house. Haven’t you been here before?”
Lin Yudan clenched and relaxed his fists, feeling a strange, secretive thrill deep inside.
Hu Hu had only ever brought him to his home. They shared many wonderful memories in this house.
This was his territory, and no one could take it away.
Suddenly, as if struck by some thought, Lin Yudan’s expression became extremely unpleasant.
Lu Congxing stared at him for two seconds and then said, “Maybe we’ll find something at your place.”
He placed extra emphasis on the words “your place.”
If it was about imprisonment, it was very likely that someone was being confined in one of his private residences.
Lu Congxing was a bit frustrated with himself for not realizing it sooner.
Meanwhile, He Zhouyan had already pulled out his phone to check how many properties the famous painter Lin Yudan owned.
At this point, Lin Yudan could no longer maintain his calm. His eyes reddened as he breathed heavily.
Lu Congxing expected him to be angry or lash out, but instead, his emotions suddenly plummeted, dropping to absolute zero.
He was extremely moody, and the gatekeeper who dared not speak on the other side was obviously used to his appearance, and he calmly keeping his eyes down in a practiced manner.
Lin Yudan suddenly smiled. He smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes caused by rushing over and spoke in a calm tone, “No need to ask anyone else. I’ll take you there myself.”
Although he didn’t seem particularly stable, Lu Congxing tilted his head, thought for a moment, and still decided to agree.
He saw something incredibly fragile in Lin Yudan—there was no denying that this man truly loved Danghu.
But perhaps because of that love, it was all the more strange that, as his boyfriend, he hadn’t pursued the reason for his disappearance.
Guided by Lin Yudan, they arrived at a highly secure residential complex, only entering after swiping a keycard.
The moment he opened the door, Lin Yudan’s steps visibly grew heavier. It was as if he had aged several years overnight. His once upright posture bent in exhaustion as he collapsed onto the sofa, covering most of his face with one hand, and said with bitter self-mockery, “You want to know why I didn’t call the police? The answer is right here.”
He then fell silent again, unmoving, almost like a statue.
Left with no choice, Lu Congxing began exploring the three-bedroom apartment on his own.
He found all kinds of couples’ items—everything from two toothbrushes and cups placed closely together to matching dishes and chopsticks in different colors. It was clear that a deeply intimate couple had once lived here.
He wanted to ask He Zhouyan what he thought, but when he turned around, he found the man lost in thought, staring at a pair of kissing pig figurines on the table.
He Zhouyan was thinking that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to buy something like that for his own home too.
That way, everyone who visited would immediately understand the bond between him and the cub.
So Lu Congxing turned to the last room and pushed open the door by himself. Though he had a vague sense of foreboding, he was still startled the moment he stepped inside.
The room was plastered with countless drawings—all of the same person.
They depicted various poses and expressions—some intimate, some obviously casual sketches from daily life, and some with rather revealing details.
The boy in the paintings, always smiling with a pair of charming dimples, was the same boy from the piece titled “Imprisonment”—and it was none other than Danghu.
Lu Congxing stood frozen for a full minute, overwhelmed by the sheer number of drawings filling the room, each one making it just a little harder to breathe. Only then did he finally move his feet and step inside.
In the center of the room, a sheet of paper and a pair of silver handcuffs lay in plain sight.
The silence was deafening.
Author’s note: It’s almost the end!