Xiao Bo sat on the couch in the hall fidgeting his fingers, looking here and there in awe of the humongous villa. It was the same size as the Wang's farmhouse back in S-city.
Mu Chen went with the butler to make some changes in the master bedroom. He knew the younger would be scared if he stayed alone in the room, given his personal experience of last time. Still, it wasn't appropriate for both of them to sleep in the same bed before their marriage.
So, he told the butler to replace the king-sized bed in the room with two beds, side-by-side, at the proper distance—not too far, not too close.
After making changes, he came down to take the Younger upstairs and saw him drinking a warm latte, which the butler's wife, who was also the head chef of the villa, had given him.
He finished it in one go, licked his upper lips, and handed over the glass to the aunty with a small satisfied twinkle in his eyes who was adoring him with a motherly smile on her face.
Their young master never brought anyone to the villa until now. Even his parents weren't allowed to come there without his permission as it was his private space and he didn't like anyone invading it.
However, now he brought a young boy home, so cute and pretty that all the servants gossiped the moment Xiao Bo stepped inside their villa which reached her ears and that's why she came running to the hall to see the boy with her eyes.
She was surprised and at the same time happy seeing Xiao Bo. Hence, she took the initiative to ask if he wanted to drink something and the boy just nodded reminding her of the cute baby rabbit she raised when she was a kid.
That was it, she ran to the kitchen at jet speed and made the most delicious choco latte for him. All the servants were too immersed in adoring him as he drank it little by little with puffy cheeks.
It was as if his every action no matter how miniscule it was, for them it was like arrows flying straight through their hearts because of witnessing too much cuteness.
That was the effect of Xiao Bo, charming everyone with a mere glance of his, which was not noticed by anyone in his past life because of how grubby he looked along with the nasty rumors he carried on his back.
It was as if in his past life no matter what he did he was a villain... But strangely enough, it had the opposite reaction on everyone at present.
Xiao Bo wasn't that thick-skinned to not notice their stares cause he had always been sensitive to them in both of his lives and present.
He could easily differentiate between the contempt-filled eyes that made him suffocated and breathless also those filled with adoration which made him flustered and all blushy.
He sure took little steps to change his fate as the Goddess suggested but it didn't make any sense for everything to change this drastically.
Was changing one's fate that easy?
Xiao Bo was still skeptical about every single thing and at a corner of his heart, the devil inside of him whispered that this pleasing dream of his would come to an end eventually waking him up coldly in that same dark basement of sufferings.
Who wouldn't when everything was changing this rapidly? Suddenly, the people who hated him for no reason became close to him, and a big revelation that his heartless father and stern elder brother weren't his real family.
Could anyone be sane enough after experiencing all these things he was going through? It was a miracle that he was this calm outside though his intrusive thoughts were running wild inside his mind frantically.
Mu Chen saw the younger becoming self-conscious and timid amid the amused stares of everyone around him, he cleared his throat and signed to the butler.
In a jiffy, all the maids and servants were dismissed, Mu Chen approached Xiao Bo with a smile plastered on his lips to ease his awkwardness.
"Um, it's late. You must be hungry, what do you want to eat? Anything specific?" Mu Chen gently asked sitting beside the smaller taking his palm into his.
Xiao Bo's ears instantly painted red with that gesture of the elder, "I... I don't know the names... of the food," he whispered in the elder's ear with a little embarrassment.
Mu Chen expected this but was still stunned and angry... angry at his fake father who never let the Younger eat basic food. Even though Xiao Bo wasn't his child how could Song Yi Ming go to such an extent?
What was the reason for his hatred toward Xiao Bo? No one knew... except him.
Xiao Bo gave him a light squeeze seeing the frown on the elder's face. Mu Chen came out of his thoughts and shook his head reassuring him that everything was fine.
This small interaction between them was noticed by the butler and his wife who were gravely shocked seeing their master's gentle behavior.
"How did this cute little rabbit, tame our fierce master, the big bad wolf?" The wife whisper-asked the butler.
The butler with widened eyes shrugged his shoulders showing he had no idea.
"Aunty, make some chicken congee with mild taste and no spices-"
Mu Chen was stopped in the middle of the sentence when Xiao Bo tugged his sleeves. The elder leaned sidewards allowing the smaller to whisper in his ear.
"... uh... won... tons"
Automatically, the thin lips of Mu Chen curved like a taco hearing Xiao Bo asking him something he desired for the first time.
He never ever in his life thought that one day his heart would be filled with this warm and fuzzy feeling just by listening to Xiao Bo asking him something so small on his own accord.
Till now, Mu Chen met several kinds of people who wanted many things from him which only made him distrustful and disgusted in them but now it was the opposite.
He wasn't sure so far what he felt for Xiao Bo however with each day he was spending with the smaller it was becoming clear and clearer.
"And some wontons to go with," Mu Chen looked at the aunty who nodded and ran to the kitchen to prepare the food.
...
The old doctor checked on Wei Chen and after treating him he walked out of the room glaring at Feng Mian.
"This is sexual assault. I must report it to the police even if it's you, Mian." the old doctor was angry.
"Even after knowing that it won't implicate me in any way?" Feng Mian questioned.
"Is that the reason why you behaved with that boy inside in such a brutal way? It's inhumane, Feng Mian," the old doctor shouted in rage.
"... I know, I went too far," Feng Mian's voice sounded guilty, "... It wasn't my intention to hurt him that way."
"Oh, then why did you do it?" The old doctor became less furious hearing him.
"I lost my temper and I... you know me, doctor Yu. Though I am the worst of a playboy, I'd never force anyone."
"Which is why I am this mad, Mian. Once, you start behaving like this you will lose yourself and become some senseless monster who only thinks of its pleasure and nothing else, don't fall that far."
"...Hah, it's not about pleasure, doctor Yu," Feng Mian sighed rubbing his forehead, "...he is a... Ugh, never mind. How is he?"
"The nerve to ask this, tsk! I am warning you if there is a second time you hurt that boy in such a way, you will witness my wrath, and no one even your father could help you at that time, got it?" The old doctor threatened.
Feng Mian gave him a few nods, "I understand."
"The walls of his rear end are ruptured, I sewed them. It might hurt him badly after the anesthesia dissipates out of his system. He has to absolutely take bed rest for a week for him to walk normally again. It will also pain him every time he goes for excretion-"
The old doctor stopped seeing the anxious look on Feng Mian's face, "...huh? Now, you're worried? There were handprints on his cheeks and neck also bound marks on his wrists and ankles. I ain't born yesterday to not know what you did to him."
"..."
Feng Mian remained silent.
"You! These are the medications I prescribed. You must give them as I have instructed so that it will lessen his pain doing regular things, got it?"
The old doctor didn't want to stay a second more so he started leaving but stopped midway and turned back.
"And keep your animalistic behavior in check or else I will throw you into a mental hospital!" And left.
Feng Mian swept his hair back releasing a long breath and glowered at the man standing beside him, "I asked you to bring a doctor not this senile old man..."
That man scratched his nape giving his boss an awkward smile, "He is the only doctor we know... and available at this time... sorry boss!" He bowed immediately not to witness the wrath of his boss.
Gritting his teeth Feng Mian waved his hand tiredly dismissing the man to bring the medications the old doctor prescribed fastly and walked inside the room hesitantly.
He saw Wei Chen sleeping on his bed, his neck wrapped in bandages. He was still naked under the sheets.
Feng Mian sat beside him on the bed and then only noticed Wei Chen shivering slightly and the trembles of his chapped lips.
He opened the drawer beside the bed, took the remote control of the heater, and increased the temperature in the room and that of the bed.
Wei Chen stopped quivering. Feng Mian reached out his hand brushing his hair back and saw the swollen red cheeks that were turning purple.
He took out his phone and called one of his men to bring some ice to his room and in five minutes a bowl of ice was handed to him.
At first, he applied the ice directly on the swollen area but seeing Wei Chen flinch and making a pained expression, Feng Mian retracted his hand.
He took out his clean handkerchief, wrapped an ice cube in it then rubbed it gently on Wei Chen's cheeks slowly. This time there wasn't any reaction so he continued.
Seeing Wei Chen's face this close up he started remembering how they met and all the interactions they had until now.
From the time they encountered and before the truth was revealed about his younger brother, every time, Wei Chen was protective of Xiao Bo.
He also witnessed how his younger brother depended on Wei Chen in the comic store where they wrote the contract.
Now that he pondered over it Wei Chen only offended him in the first place because of Xiao Bo. He was careful not to upset him in any way because of his powerful family background until he heard the insults directed toward Xiao Bo.
If Wei Chen was just putting upon an act like a protective big brother only on the outside there was no need to do that and get on bad terms with him.
Thus, Feng Mian concluded Wei Chen wasn't faking when he got angry for Xiao Bo.
>>>So, what's with the video?
Feng Mian lost his reasoning after seeing the video in which Song Yi Ming and Wei Chen abused Xiao Bo so he acted first in rage.
Furthermore, his Father ordered him to ruin both Song Yi Ming and Wei Chen therefore he without thinking much did what he did. In addition, after witnessing how frightened Xiao Bo was to meet his family... It just added fuel to the already burning flames.
Now, after putting off everything, Feng Mian became perplexed. He clenched his jaw,
>>>Did I take my anger out on an innocent person without knowing the complete truth?
He recalled how Mu Chen also thought Wei Chen might not be such a person.
>>>I need to dig deeper to recheck the entire facts.
Feng Mian walked to the balcony and immediately called his men and ordered them to continue the investigation and this time he wanted to especially know the relationship between the Song brothers.
After hanging up he came inside and saw Wei Chen looking at him with fear evident in his eyes, he tried to get up but a dull sharp pain surged from his lower body to his spine making him wince badly.
Seeing that Feng Mian strode toward him but,
"DON'T... don't c-come... n-near me!" Wei Chen yelled, horrified.
...
The next day, Wang Mu Chen was driving the car and Xiao Bo was sitting beside him in the passenger's seat.
Mu Chen saw the Younger was getting nervous so he turned on the radio to ease his tension and just when he was about to change the news channel to that of music, he got a call.
He put on one of his AirPods and received the call which was from Xin Yi, "Mu Gege, don't let Xiao Bo open social media or see any news-"
Mu Chen was baffled by that request before he heard the monotone voice of a female host speaking,
「"...-was found dead in his mansion. It was confirmed that Song Yi Ming, the famous business conglomerate in S-city committed suicide..."」
Xiao Bo's face paled at the news.
*****