Cai Lang watched him for a moment before quietly asking,"And if I hadn't come?" Jun Wei thought about it seriously,then shook his head. "You would have." Cai Lang raised an eyebrow. "You're very confident about me." Jun Wei grinned. "Because you always come when someone needs you." Cai Lang's expression softened slightly. "Do I?" "Yes." Jun Wei shifted closer and lowered his voice as though sharing a secret. "Even when you pretend you don't care."
Cai Lang looked at him silently. Jun Wei giggled. "See? You're doing it again." "Doing what?" "Pretending." Cai Lang gave him a faintly amused look. "You're becoming too observant." Jun Wei proudly lifted his chin. "Suo-ge says I'm smart." Cai Lang's gaze softened at the mention of Suo Ran. "He does?" Jun Wei nodded enthusiastically. "He says I notice everything." Cai Lang quietly smiled. "Then perhaps you should notice when you need to rest." Jun Wei immediately frowned. "But I want to wait for Ge-ge." "He'll come back." Cai Lang gently pulled the blanket higher around him. "And when he does,he'll be unhappy if he finds you awake." Jun Wei sighed dramatically. "Fine." He settled back against the pillow,but his eyes remained open.
Suo Ran returned to the room after getting his leg treated,his steps slower than before but otherwise steady.As soon as he entered, Jun Wei immediately lifted his head from the pillow,and his sleepy expression brightened. "Ge-ge!" Suo Ran looked toward him,and the tension in his face softened slightly. "Why are you still awake?" Jun Wei smiled and pointed toward the chair beside the bed. "Because I was waiting for you."
Suo Ran's eyes shifted toward Cai Lang.Cai Lang was standing near the window,his arms loosely folded,his expression calm as their eyes met for a brief moment.Neither of them spoke.Jun Wei looked between them."Cai-ge stayed with me while you were gone." Suo Ran nodded. "I see." Cai Lang's gaze dropped briefly toward Suo Ran's leg. "How's your leg?" Suo Ran looked away almost immediately. "Fine."
Cai Lang waited a second. "Did the doctor say anything?" "Nothing important." "You should avoid putting too much pressure on it." "I know." Suo Ran walked past him and went directly to Jun Wei's bedside,as if Cai Lang wasn't even standing there.He adjusted Jun Wei's blanket and checked the pillow under his head. "Are you comfortable?" Jun Wei nodded. "Yes." Suo Ran pulled the blanket slightly higher. "Good." Jun Wei looked at Cai Lang again and smiled. "Cai-ge told me I should sleep."
Suo Ran replied without looking at Cai Lang,"Then listen to him." Cai Lang's eyebrow lifted slightly at the unexpected agreement.Jun Wei grinned. "You listened to him too." Suo Ran paused. "What?" "You listened when he told you to sit down earlier." Suo Ran gave Jun Wei a look. "You remember too much." Jun Wei giggled softly.Cai Lang couldn't help but he smiled.
Suo Ran noticed it from the corner of his eye,but deliberately turned his attention back to Jun Wei. "Drink some water." Jun Wei reached for the glass,but before he could lift it,Suo Ran took it and held it for him.Jun Wei drank a little before settling back. "Ge-ge?"Suo ran looked him."Hmm?" "You look angry." Suo Ran immediately answered,"I'm not."
Jun Wei glanced toward Cai Lang. "Then why aren't you talking to Cai-ge?" Suo Ran became quiet for a moment. "Because there's nothing to talk about." Cai Lang's expression remained unreadable,but his eyes briefly locked in Suo Ran. He simply watched Suo Ran for a few seconds.Jun Wei looked between them again. "Are you two fighting?" Suo Ran immediately softened his expression. "No." Cai Lang answered at almost the same time,"No." Jun Wei narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You both sound like you're fighting."Suo Ran sighed. "Go to sleep."
Jun Wei pulled the blanket closer. "But I'm not sleepy." "You need rest." "But..." "No." Jun Wei looked toward Cai Lang as if asking for help.Cai Lang calmly said,"He's right." Jun Wei looked betrayed. "Cai-ge!" Cai Lang's lips curved slightly. "Sleep." Jun Wei sighed dramatically and closed his eyes.Suo Ran glanced at Cai Lang. "You both are really good at this."
Then Suo Ran deliberately busied himself with small things.He straightened the blanket.He moved the water glass.He adjusted the curtain beside the bed. Everything except looking at Cai Lang.Cai Lang noticed every movement,but he didn't call him out on it.After a few seconds,he quietly said,"You don't have to keep pretending I'm not here." Suo Ran's hand stopped on the edge of the blanket. "I'm not pretending."
Cai Lang raised an eyebrow. "You've looked everywhere in this room except at me." Suo Ran finally turned his head. "Maybe there's nothing interesting about you." Cai Lang's expression didn't change. "Then why have you been avoiding my eyes since I came back?" Suo Ran's gaze hardened. "Because I don't want to look at you."
Suo Ran rolled his eyes and looked away again.Jun Wei suddenly murmured sleepily, "Ge-ge..." Suo Ran immediately leaned closer. "What is it?" Jun Wei's eyes remained closed. "Don't be angry with Cai-ge." Suo Ran froze for a moment.Cai Lang also looked toward Jun Wei.Jun Wei continued sleepily,"He came because he was worried." Suo Ran's expression changed slightly. "Go to sleep,Jun Wei." "Okay..." Jun Wei's voice faded into a whisper.Within a few minutes,his breathing became slow and even.He had finally fallen asleep.
Suo Ran remained beside him,Cai Lang standing several steps away.Cai Lang looked toward Suo Ran. "You really are avoiding me." Suo Ran kept his gaze on Jun Wei. "I'm tired."Cai Lang's expression became slightly more serious. "Did something happen while I was gone?" Suo Ran's fingers tightened around the edge of the blanket. "No." "You're lying."
Suo Ran looked at him sharply. "And you know everything now?" Cai Lang held his gaze. "No.But I know you." Suo Ran looked away again.Cai Lang watched him for another moment before slowly stepping closer.Suo Ran noticed and immediately took half a step back. "What?" Cai Lang didn't answer.He simply continued forward until Suo Ran's back lightly touched the wall beside the bed.Suo Ran's eyes widened slightly. "Cai Lang..." His voice was barely above a whisper.
Cai Lang placed one hand against the wall beside him,leaving just enough distance between them. "If you're angry with me,you can say it." Suo Ran frowned. "Move." "Not until you tell me what's wrong." "I said I'm tired." "And I said that's not an answer." Suo Ran tried to move past him,but Cai Lang blocked his path with his arm.
Suo Ran looked up at him,annoyance flashing across his face. "You're becoming irritating." A faint trace of amusement appeared in Cai Lang's eyes. "Becoming?" Suo Ran's expression darkened. "Don't push your luck." Cai Lang leaned slightly closer. "Then stop avoiding me." Suo Ran opened his mouth to answer,but his voice almost immediately became sharper. "Maybe I don't want to talk to you." "That's different from having nothing to say."
Suo Ran stared at him. "You really don't know when to stop." "Not when you're clearly hiding something." Suo Ran's eyes narrowed. "And you think cornering me will make me talk?" "No." Cai Lang's voice lowered. "I think you'll eventually get tired of pretending you don't care." Suo Ran's expression changed for the briefest moment.Cai Lang noticed it.Suo Ran immediately looked away. "You're imagining things." Cai Lang's gaze softened slightly. "Am I?" Suo Ran turned his face back toward him. "Yes."
Their eyes met and distance between them suddenly felt much smaller than it should have been.For a few seconds,neither moved.Suo Ran's breathing became slightly uneven,but he refused to look away.Cai Lang's gaze lingered on his face before he quietly said, "If you're angry with me,you can say it." Suo Ran gave a quiet laugh. "And what would be the point?" "At least I'd know why." Suo Ran finally turned toward him. "You really don't?" Cai Lang's expression remained calm,but his eyes became more attentive. "No."
Suo Ran stared at him for several seconds, as if waiting for him to realize something on his own.Then he shook his head. "Forget it." Cai Lang's jaw tightened slightly. "Suo Ran." "Jun Wei is sleeping." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't start an argument here." Cai Lang looked toward Jun Wei and then back at him. "I wasn't planning to."
Suo Ran tried to step away again,but Cai Lang caught his wrist and pulled him back to stop him.Suo Ran's eyes immediately flashed with surprise. "Cai Lang." Cai Lang loosened his grip,but didn't completely let go. "You're going to wake him." Suo Ran glanced toward Jun Wei and lowered his voice even further. "Then let go." Cai Lang looked at him for a moment before slowly releasing his wrist.
But before Suo Ran could move away,Cai Lang lifted one finger and put on Suo Ran's lips. "Shh." Suo Ran froze.Cai Lang's eyes flicked toward Jun Wei. "You are going to wake him." Suo Ran stared at him,clearly caught off guard by the sudden closeness. After a moment,he slowly pushed Cai Lang's hand away.He simply stared at him for several seconds,his breathing steady but his expression growing colder. "Where were you?" Cai Lang's eyes narrowed slightly. "What are you talking about?"Suo Ran's voice was quiet,but firm. "Where were you before you came back here?"
Cai Lang didn't answer immediately.Suo Ran's gaze hardened. "I asked you a question." "I had something to deal with." "What?" "Something that couldn't wait." Suo Ran's eyes narrowed. "What couldn't wait?" "A matter I needed to handle personally." "And you couldn't tell me?" Cai Lang looked at him. "I didn't think it was necessary. Because nothing happened that concerns you." Suo Ran's expression changed instantly. "Nothing that concerns me?" Cai Lang's eyes remained calm. "That's what I said."
Suo Ran took a slow breath,his jaw tightening. "Then tell me what does concern me." Cai Lang didn't respond. "Jun Wei?" Suo Ran asked quietly. "Is he the only thing I'm allowed to worry about?" Cai Lang's gaze shifted toward the sleeping boy. "Right now,he should be." Suo Ran stared at him for a moment."And what about everyone else?"Cai Lang looked back at him."What about them?""You keep deciding what I should know and what I shouldn't."Suo Ran's voice remained low,but the anger beneath it was clear."I'm not a child,Cai Lang."Cai Lang's eyes narrowed."I know." "Then stop treating me like one."
Cai Lang's gaze stayed on him."You think I don't understand what I'm doing?"Suo Ran gave a quiet,frustrated laugh."I think you understand far more than you ever tell me."Cai Lang's expression didn't change. "Because you keep walking into situations without knowing what you're dealing with."
Suo Ran's eyes hardened."And you think keeping me in the dark makes me safer?" "Sometimes.""Then tell me when."Cai Lang said nothing."Tell me what I'm supposed to do when you disappear,when you come back covered in blood,and when everyone around me seems to know something except me."
Cai Lang's expression became colder. "Not everything needs to be explained to you." Suo Ran went completely still.For a moment,he said nothing then he replied, "Then don't expect me to pretend I don't notice."Cai Lang looked at him. "Notice what?" "That you're keeping something from me." "I keep many things from many people." "I'm not many people." The words came out before Suo Ran could stop them.Cai Lang's eyes remained fixed on him.Suo Ran's expression tightened,but he didn't take the words back. "At least,I didn't think I was." Cai Lang's voice lowered. "You aren't." "Then why are you treating me like I am?"
Cai Lang looked away for a brief moment. "Because sometimes knowing too much puts people in danger." Suo Ran's eyes hardened. "And deciding what I can handle doesn't put me in danger?" "I'm trying to keep you out of it." "You don't get to decide that for me." "Someone has to." Suo Ran shook his head. "That's exactly your problem.You think protecting someone means keeping them blind." Cai Lang's expression tightened. "And your problem is thinking that knowing everything will solve everything." "At least then I'd know what I'm fighting."
Cai Lang looked at him sharply. "You don't know what you're fighting." "Then tell me." "Not here." "Then where?" Cai Lang remained silent.Suo Ran's frustration finally broke through his controlled expression. "You give me half an answer and expect me to accept it."Cai Lang's voice became colder. "Because you're tired and you're not thinking clearly." Suo Ran stepped closer again. "You just don't want to answer me." Cai Lang's eyes narrowed. "And you think assuming the worst makes you right?" "No." Suo Ran held his gaze. "But your silence gives me plenty of reasons to."
Suo Ran glanced toward the Jun wei and lowered his voice even further. "I trusted you enough to stand beside you without asking what you were doing.Now you're asking me to do the same thing while refusing to tell me anything." Cai Lang's expression hardened. "Then maybe you shouldn't trust me." Suo Ran looked at him.For several seconds,his eyes didn't move from Cai Lang's face.Then he said, "Maybe I shouldn't."
Cai Lang's expression became completely unreadable.He slowly stepped away and turned toward the door.Suo Ran remained beside Jun Wei,his face tense.His voice came quietly from behind him. "Leave if that's what you want." Cai Lang stopped.His hand was still at the door handle.He turned his head and looked back at Suo Ran.For several seconds,neither spoke.Cai Lang looked away,opened the door,and walked out.
Suo Ran sat beside the bed, His expression softened whenever his eyes fell on Jun wei, but the worry behind his gaze never completely disappeared.He reached out and adjusted the blanket around Jun Wei's shoulder."Sleep well." he whispered. "You've had enough trouble for one lifetime." Jun Wei shifted slightly in his sleep but didn't wake. Suo Ran watched him for another moment before slowly standing. His body still felt weak, but he ignored the discomfort and walked toward the window.
He stopped beside the glass and looked down at the hospital entrance.Then he noticed Cai Lang stepped out of the hospital and paused near the entrance.For a moment, he looked back toward the building. Suo Ran's eyes narrowed slightly. Cai Lang eventually turned away and walked toward the waiting car.Suo Ran remained completely still as he watched him leave.
Suo Ran quietly folded his arms. "What are you hiding?" he murmured.His reflection stared back at him from the dark window. Then, flashback from Something he had seen earlier that day. Earlier that day, Suo Ran had been walking through one of the quieter sections of the hospital.He had been turning toward another hallway when he suddenly stopped.
At the far end of the corridor stood Cai Lang. Suo Ran had almost called out to him. "Cai Lang?" But before the words could leave his mouth,he noticed someone standing beside him. Suo Ran immediately stepped back and hid behind the corner. His expression changed the moment he recognized the other man. It was one of the men connected to Jun Wei's kidnapping.
Suo Ran pressed himself against the wall and carefully looked around the corner again.Why is he here?... The man stood calmly across from Cai Lang. There was no struggle between them. They weren't fighting. They were simply talking. Suo Ran narrowed his eyes and tried to listen but their voices were low. He leaned forward slightly, trying to catch even a single sentence but he couldn't hear.
Cai Lang simply stood there with his hands at his sides, listening to the man. Suo Ran's fingers slowly tightened against the edge of the wall. "What are you talking about?" he whispered to himself. The other man eventually said something Suo Ran couldn't hear. Cai Lang gave a short response. The man's expression changed slightly before he nodded.Then he turned and walked away down the corridor.
Suo Ran stayed hidden. He watched the man's back disappear around the corner. Cai Lang remained where he was for several seconds. He looked toward the direction the man had gone then he turned and walked away in the opposite direction. Suo Ran waited until the corridor was completely empty before stepping out from behind the wall.He had stood there for a long moment, staring after Cai Lang.
Back in the present, Suo Ran continued staring through the window. The lights outside blurred slightly against the dark glass.His eyes remained fixed on the road where Cai Lang had disappeared. His jaw tightened. "Why were you meeting him?" Suo Ran's fingers slowly curled into a fist. His mind searched through every possibility, but none of them gave him an answer he could trust.
Suo Ran lowered his gaze for a moment. "You knew him..." he whispered. "Didn't you?" His eyes lifted toward the dark window again.Suo Ran's expression grew colder. "Did you know he was involved?" He paused.His eyes narrowed. "Or were you meeting him because you needed something from him?" Behind him, Jun Wei shifted slightly in his sleep. Suo Ran immediately glanced back at the bed. He saw Jun Wei remained asleep.He walked back toward the bed but stopped halfway. What if Cai Lang knew more than he had told them?... What if that meeting wasn't a coincidence?...
Suo Ran looked toward the door."I need to know the truth." He turned back toward the window. His eyes narrowed. What were you talking about? ... Did he contact you? Or did you contact him?...
The next morning, Cai Lang arrived at the hospital earlier than usual. His car stopped near the entrance, but he didn't immediately get out. He remained inside for several seconds, one hand resting on the steering wheel while his eyes stayed fixed on the hospital doors.Cai Lang slowly exhaled and leaned back against the seat. "Should I even go in after everything that happened last night?" he murmured to himself. His fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel. "He clearly doesn't trust you." He stared ahead for another moment before adding quietly, "So why am I here?" His eyes darkened slightly. "Maybe because I need to know whether he's avoiding me... or hiding something." He was silent for a moment before opening the car door. "Either way, I'll find out." He stepped out and closed the door behind him.
He walked through the hospital entrance without stopping. A few people glanced at him as he passed, but Cai Lang paid no attention. His steps remained steady as he headed toward the elevator. When the doors opened, he stepped inside and pressed the button for Jun Wei's floor.He lowered his gaze for a moment. "Maybe I shouldn't go in," he said under his breath. "Maybe giving him some space is better." The elevator stopped and doors opened, and Cai Lang stepped out. He walked down the corridor.
When he reached the door to Jun Wei's room, he stopped. His hand slowly lifted toward the handle, but he didn't touch it. For a moment, he simply stood there.Cai Lang lowered his hand. "He doesn't want to see me," he murmured. "So why force it?" He turned slightly as if he was about to leave. He took one step away from the door, then stopped. His eyes lowered. Something made him hesitate. He looked back at the room. "At least check on Jun Wei," he quietly told himself. "Then leave."
After a brief pause, he turned back, reached for the handle, and opened the door.The room was empty.The blanket had been folded neatly at the foot of the bed.Cai Lang remained in the doorway for several seconds without moving.He stepped inside and looked around the room again."Jun Wei?" he called quietly but there was no answer.
He walked back into the corridor and looked toward the nurse's station. A nurse noticed him approaching and immediately straightened.Cai Lang stopped in front of her. "Where are they?" The nurse hesitated. "Sir?" "Suo Ran and Jun Wei." She quickly understood. "Oh... Mr. Suo ran took Jun Wei home." Cai Lang's eyes narrowed slightly. "Home?" "Yes, sir." "They left the hospital?" "Yes." His expression remained still. "When did they leave?"
The nurse checked the record. "Not long ago." Cai Lang stared at her. "How long ago?" "Around... maybe thirty minutes." "Did anyone accompany them?" "I'm not sure, sir. I only know Mr. Suo completed the discharge process." Cai Lang's gaze hardened. "He didn't say where they were going?" The nurse shook her head. "No, sir."
Cai Lang stopped at the entrance and looked inside once more. He stepped into the room.His gaze remained fixed on the bed as his jaw clenched. He reached out and grabbed the back of the nearby chair,his fingers tightening around it until his knuckles turned white.He stared at blanket for several seconds, then abruptly released the chair and turned his face away. "You really left without saying anything," he murmured. Then clenched into a tight fist.He struck his palm once with his other hand. "He didn't tell me." he whispered.
Cai Lang reached into his pocket and took out his phone,unlocking it with a quick, impatient movement. His eyes immediately found Suo Ran's name. His thumb hovered over it. His grip tightened and his thumb moved toward the call button,then stopped just before touching it. He lowered the phone, only to raise it again a second later, his frustration growing. He stared at Suo Ran's name before suddenly locking the screen and gripping the phone tightly in his fist. "So that's your decision," he murmured. His eyes became colder. "Fine."
Cai Lang walked toward the parking area without saying another word.By the time he reached the entrance,one of his men noticed him and immediately followed. The subordinate looked at Cai Lang's face and slowed slightly before approaching. He knew better than to speak carelessly when Cai Lang looked like this. Still, he asked, "Boss..." Cai Lang continued walking. "What?" The subordinate swallowed. "Should we contact Mr. Suo ran?" Cai Lang stopped.
Cai Lang slowly turned his head. "No." "But..." "I said no." The subordinate immediately lowered his head. "Yes, Boss." Cai Lang looked toward the hospital entrance. "Don't contact him." The subordinate nodded. "Understood." Cai Lang paused before asking, "Did anyone inform you that they were leaving?" "No, Boss."The subordinate remained quiet for a moment before carefully asking, "Boss... do you want us to send someone to watch the house?" Cai Lang looked at him. "Without approaching them." "Yes." "And don't let Suo Ran know."
The subordinate nodded immediately. "Understood." Cai Lang looked away again.
His fingers tightened around his phone.He looked down at Suo Ran's name again. "After everything that happened today," he murmured, almost to himself, "you still decided to leave without saying anything." The subordinate glanced at him but said nothing. Cai Lang slowly locked the phone and slipped it back into his pocket. "He could have told me."
The subordinate carefully replied, "Maybe he didn't want to disturb you." Cai Lang gave a humorless smile. "Disturb me?" He just didn't have enough reason to tell me."
The subordinate lowered his gaze. "Boss..." Cai Lang interrupted him. "Don't defend him." "I wasn't..." "I know." Cai Lang took a slow breath and forced his expression back under control. "Just find out when they reached home."
The subordinate immediately nodded. "Yes, Boss." Cai Lang opened the car door but stopped before getting inside.He looked back once more toward the hospital entrance then he finally got into the car. Before closing the door, he added quietly, "And if anything happens..." The subordinate straightened. "Yes?" Cai Lang's gaze sharpened. "Tell me immediately." "Of course, Boss." Cai Lang closed the door.