The Real Reason for the Trip

"Did something happen outside?" Kyle asked curiously, looking up at Richa. He had heard some noises and wondered if someone had broken into the mansion.

Richa calmly replied, "It's nothing." He didn't want to burden Kyle with the complexities of his family affairs, which were too tangled and distressing to explain.

Kyle, sensing that Richa didn't want to talk about it, decided not to press further. He obediently nestled back into Richa's embrace, content to let the matter drop.

However, Richa suddenly got up, causing Kyle to look at him with confusion.

"Just going to the bathroom," Richa said, gently ruffling Kyle's hair before heading towards the bathroom.

Kyle felt a little embarrassed and pulled the blanket over his face, leaving only his large, curious eyes peeking out as he watched Richa's silhouette disappear into the bathroom.

When Richa returned, having washed his hands and dried them, he pulled Kyle back into his arms and kissed his forehead, urging him to continue sleeping.

Just then, Kyle's phone beeped with a new message.

Thinking it was from Mark, Kyle reached for his phone on the nightstand. But when he opened the message, his eyes filled with panic. The message read: "Are you still taking assignments?"

Kyle's heart raced as he immediately blocked the sender and quickly put the phone back on the nightstand, his hand trembling.

"What's wrong?" Richa asked, noticing Kyle's sudden change in demeanor.

"N-nothing," Kyle stammered, forcing a smile, though his hand clenched tightly around his robe.

"Are you upset?" Richa asked, seeing Kyle's unease.

Kyle was now more anxious and furious than ever. He had made it clear that he was out of that world, so why were they still contacting him?

He bit his lip, struggling to control his emotions, not wanting Richa to notice anything amiss. The room was dark, so Richa couldn't see the full extent of Kyle's distress. He simply wondered why Kyle, who usually seemed so gentle, was sometimes so bold. Was he like this with everyone?

But Richa didn't voice these thoughts, feeling it would be childish to ask.

In reality, Kyle wasn't bold with just anyone. Though he had a preference for men, it was the person who mattered to him. Even though Alex and Rick were handsome and wealthy, Kyle had no interest in them—they were just ordinary men to him.

Richa was different. His kindness and respect had made Kyle want to be close, to be proactive. It wasn't something he felt for just any man.

"About the trip you mentioned… Were you hoping it would just be the two of us?" Kyle asked, suddenly changing the topic.

He had been thinking about it all day, realizing that when he suggested bringing Mark along, Richa had seemed a little disappointed. It dawned on him that Richa might have wanted to go alone with him, which made him curious enough to ask.

"If you want to bring Mark, that's fine," Richa replied, having already decided not to make an issue of it. He knew Kyle had said he'd never gone on a trip with Mark and felt bad for his friend. For Kyle's sake, he could tolerate that bit of discomfort.

Kyle hesitated, then blushed as he said, "Let's just go by ourselves this time. We can bring Mark along next time."

Kyle had finally understood that Richa wanted some alone time with him, so he compromised.

A subtle smile tugged at Richa's lips. "Alright."

He ruffled Kyle's hair again and kissed him. Kyle's face flushed as he nestled deeper into Richa's arms.

---

### Chapter 120: Unexpected Patience

Downstairs, in another room, Noah was taking a bath, all the while cursing Feder's entire lineage, seething with anger.

"That bastard," Noah muttered as he sank into the bathtub, trying to wash away his frustrations.

Splashing water over his face, Noah leaned back against the tub, staring up at the ceiling. But as he continued to soak, his expression darkened, his eyes growing dull.

Slowly, he drifted into a blank stare before closing his eyes altogether. The aches in his body were relentless, the warm water doing little to ease the pain.

"Damn it," Noah whispered, covering his face with his hands, his voice trembling as he bit down on his lip. He sucked in a breath, and his shoulders shook slightly, as if he was crying.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" he murmured, hugging himself tightly as tears blurred his vision.

Back at his own home, Feder slammed his bedroom door shut and threw himself onto the bed, pounding his pillow in frustration. The image of Noah crying only made him want to punch himself.

He sat up in bed, lighting a cigarette and taking deep drags, his mind still unsettled. One cigarette after another, he smoked until more than half the pack was gone. Finally, he lay back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, exhaling clouds of smoke.

After a while, he pulled out his phone and found Noah's number.

Without hesitation, he called.

Noah, just out of the bath, had just reached his bed when his phone started vibrating. Seeing Feder's name on the screen, he frowned and immediately declined the call, not wanting to hear anything from him.

"That bastard," Feder cursed when the call was rejected, fuming as he redialed the number.

Noah, drying his hair, saw the phone vibrating continuously and felt his anger boiling over. "What the hell does he want now?" he muttered coldly, glaring at the phone.

He thought that if he ignored the call, Feder would give up. But after the calls stopped, his phone began dinging with a barrage of text messages.

Noah had had enough. Tossing his towel aside, he snatched up his phone and called Feder back, shouting into the receiver, "What the hell do you want?"

Feder, finally hearing Noah's voice, sat up straight, a smile tugging at his lips.

"I'm bringing you some medicine," Feder said calmly, as if all his previous anger had vanished.

"No need," Noah snapped, his tone harsh.

Feder frowned at the rejection but remained calm, exhaling smoke as he replied, "You shouldn't mess around with your health just because you're mad at me."

"Who's messing around? If you dare show up here, I'll kill you," Noah shouted, his voice full of anger and fear. He still thought Richa was unaware of Feder's visit, which made him terrified that Feder might show up again.

"Can you stop being so stubborn?" Feder asked, feeling frustrated. He stubbed out his cigarette and threw the butt into the ashtray on the nightstand.

"That's just how I am. If you don't like it, then leave me the hell alone," Noah snapped back, his rage flaring. If Feder disliked his temper so much, why did he keep coming back? It made no sense.

"Fine, I'm not going to argue with you," Feder said, trying to avoid another fight.

Noah was stunned into silence. How was it that he always ended up feeling like he was the one starting the fights?

"Go to hell, you bastard!" Noah yelled before hanging up the phone.

Feder frowned in annoyance, muttering to himself, "Is telling me to die all the time supposed to be funny?"

But despite his grumbling, he couldn't shake off his irritation. He had called to check on Noah's health, and now they had ended up arguing again.

"Why can't anything ever go right?" Feder growled, hurling his pillow at the wall in frustration. He was fed up with everything.

Meanwhile, Noah angrily blew his hair dry before throwing himself into bed. He kicked at the blankets furiously, trying to vent his anger.

He had been exhausted before, but now, thanks to Feder's harassment, he couldn't sleep.

After about an hour, Noah finally began to drift off.

But at some point during the night, he felt a presence nearby.

What's going on?

Noah opened his eyes, peering into the dimly lit room. He saw a shadowy figure beside him.

Rubbing his eyes, Noah blinked, thinking he must be imagining things.

After a moment, his vision adjusted to the darkness, and he realized it was Feder. He shot upright in bed, kicking at Feder and pulling the blanket over himself, shouting, "What the hell are you doing?"

Feder calmly replied, "I'm just here to apply some medicine."

Noah frowned in disbelief, but when he looked at Feder's hands, he saw that he was indeed holding a jar of ointment.

Has he lost his mind? Coming here in the middle of the night just for this?

Noah didn't feel grateful at all—instead, he felt even more annoyed.