Chapter 32: Where Did That Bastard Go?

Sebastian didn't know how long he had been lying there.

The sky outside the window shifted from black to a hazy grey-white, then finally to bright daylight. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, dragging a long ribbon of light across the floor.

He stared at that beam of light, motionless.

his back still hurt, but it was slightly better than the previous night. Or perhaps he had simply grown numb, unable to distinguish the pain from the hollow sensation in his chest.

He wanted his phone.

He needed to find people.

Find someone to investigate Marcus, find someone for PR, find someone to sue those gossip accounts, find someone...

His hand reached toward the nightstand, but it met empty air.

He paused and turned his head to look.

There was nothing on the nightstand.

It slowly came back to him—he had smashed his phone.

He had hurled it onto the floor; the screen was shattered, the case split, and shards of glass were scattered everywhere.

It was likely still in the living room downstairs.

Staring at the empty nightstand, he felt a sudden surge of renewed frustration.

Even his phone was gone.

He braced himself against the bed to sit up, but the moment he moved, the aching stiffness flared in his waist again, as if something were being twisted inside. Gritting his teeth, he managed to prop himself up halfway before collapsing back down.

He couldn't move.

Lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, his chest heaved.

The thought of that brat—that bastard, that animal who had turned him into this and then abandoned him—made it hard to breathe.

It wasn't the pain; it was rage.

Rage at himself for letting the boy touch him, rage at himself for letting him move in, rage at himself for...

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Stop thinking about it,

he told himself.

Just stop.

Meanwhile, thirty kilometers away in a rural township clinic.

Lucian lay on a narrow hospital bed, staring at a dim, yellowish light on the ceiling.

The conditions at the clinic were primitive.

The paint was peeling off the walls, revealing the concrete beneath.

The curtains were made of an old-fashioned floral print, washed so many times they were nearly white.

The sheets reeked of disinfectant and were stiff and uncomfortable.

But he had no mind for any of that.

He held his phone; the screen was shattered, but it still worked.

He opened WeChat and looked at his chat history with Sebastian.

[Lucian: How are you?]

[Lucian: Reply when you see this.]

[Lucian: I was wrong, don't be angry.]

[Lucian: Hey?]

[Lucian: ???]

He had sent over a dozen messages. Not one had been returned.

Looking at those texts, his heart grew colder.

He knew Sebastian was angry.

Then he clicked on Chen’s profile.

[Lucian: How is he?]

A few seconds later, the reply came.

[Chen: You actually remembered to ask???]

[Chen: When we got there, he was prone on the floor, he couldn't move at all! Do you have any idea what that looked like?!]

[Chen: Xavier said his back injury is severe and he needs a hospital, but he refused no matter what!]

[Chen: He’s resting in the bedroom now; we had to carry him up!]

Lucian watched the messages, his heart sinking further with every word.

He remembered the call Sebastian had made.

"My back hurts. I can't move."

...

Lucian’s grip on his phone tightened, his knuckles turning white.

[Lucian: And now?]

[Chen: What do you mean 'now'?]

[Lucian: How is he now?]

[Chen: No idea. He wouldn't let us stay, he kicked us out. Xavier had to work, so he left. I hired a caregiver to go over and check on him in a bit.]

Lucian stared at the screen for three seconds.

He braced himself to sit up.

The moment he moved, every bone in his body screamed in agony. His ribs, his stomach, his face, his legs... there wasn't a single spot that didn't hurt. He gritted his teeth, made it halfway up, and collapsed back.

He looked down at himself.

He was covered in bandages, his face was swollen like a pig's head, his lip was split, and his eyes were bruised purple. In this state, never mind going to find him—even standing up was an ordeal.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Then he picked up the phone again.

[Lucian: Send me the caregiver's contact info.]

[Chen: ?]

[Lucian: Send it.]

A few seconds later, Chen pushed a contact card over.

Lucian clicked it and added her.

Note:

I am Sebastian’s friend. Contact me anytime if anything happens.

Send.

Then he placed the phone by his pillow and stared at the ceiling.

The clinic was quiet, save for the occasional sound of a nurse’s footsteps. Outside, a rooster crowed; someone nearby was keeping chickens.

He tried to do something, but the movement of his mouth pulled at his wounds, making him hiss in pain.

Sebastian had fallen asleep again.

He didn't know how long he slept, but when he woke, the sunlight outside had turned a deep orange-red.

It was evening.

Lying on the bed, staring at the light, he suddenly heard movement downstairs.

Footsteps.

Someone was in the house.

He hesitated, then braced himself to sit up. This time, the pain in his waist wasn't as sharp. He slowly propped himself up, leaning against the headboard, panting.

The footsteps came upstairs.

A knock at the door.

"Mr. Sebastian? Are you awake?"

A stranger's voice—a woman, her tone gentle.

Sebastian’s brow furrowed.

"Who is it?"

"I'm the caregiver, Mrs. Wang. Mr. Chen hired me. Is it convenient for me to come in?"

"Come in."

The door was pushed open softly. A woman in her forties walked in, dressed simply with a smile on her face. She held a tray with a bowl of congee and a few side dishes.

"Mr. Sebastian, you haven't eaten all day, have you? I’ve made some congee. Would you like some?"

Sebastian watched her, silent.

She set the tray on the nightstand and checked his complexion.

"You look a bit pale. Does your back still hurt badly?"

Sebastian shook his head, forcing a strained smile.

"It's alright."

Mrs. Wang nodded and didn't pry further, simply pushing the bowl toward him.

"Have some congee first; it'll warm your stomach."

Sebastian looked down at the bowl.

The steam rose in wisps, carrying the scent of rice.

He suddenly remembered the meals Lucian used to make.

Fried egg toast, steaks, salads, congee...

That bastard actually knew how to cook quite well.

He picked up the spoon, took a mouthful, and swallowed.

It was warm and smooth; as it went down, his stomach felt a bit better.

Mrs. Wang watched him and smiled.

"Eat slowly. I can get you more if it's not enough."

Sebastian nodded.

As he ate, something occurred to him.

"Do you have a phone? Let me borrow it for a moment."

Mrs. Wang paused, then fished her phone out of her pocket.

"I do. Here you go."

Sebastian took it and, after a moment's hesitation, dialed a number.

It was a number he knew by heart.

Ring—Ring—Ring—

It rang for a long time.

No one answered.

He hung up and dialed again.

Still no answer.

He gripped the phone, staring at the screen, his brow furrowing.

Mrs. Wang watched him, asking cautiously, "Mr. Sebastian, is something wrong?"

Sebastian said nothing, merely handing the phone back to her.

"Nothing."

He lay back down and stared at the ceiling.

Where on earth was that bastard?

Thirty kilometers away, in the clinic.

Lucian’s phone vibrated.

He picked it up; it was a call from an unknown number.

He stared at the number for two seconds and didn't answer.

The phone kept vibrating.

Same number.

He stared at the screen, watching the number flash over and over until it finally disconnected.

He set the phone down.

He looked down at his current state and gave a bitter smile.

If he let him see him like this, wouldn't it just make him worry more?

He lay back and stared at the ceiling.

The sound of dogs barking drifted from outside, one after another.

He suddenly remembered the old street by Sebastian’s family home, the red lanterns, and the way the man looked when he fell asleep in the passenger seat.

He closed his eyes.

The phone vibrated again.

It was a message from Chen.

[Chen: Did you get in touch with the caregiver?]

[Lucian: Yeah.]

[Chen: Where the hell are you?]

[Lucian: Busy.]

[Chen: Busy with what?]

[Lucian: Stop asking.]

The other side was silent for a while.

[Chen: Fine, you're a real tough guy. But I'm telling you, the state Sebastian is in... if you don't come back soon, something's really going to happen to him.]

[Lucian: I know.]

[Chen: You don't know shit.]

Lucian stared at the screen but didn't reply again. He set the phone down and closed his eyes, his thoughts unreadable.