The Long - Awaited Return

Beep.

"Xiaomo, have you arrived home yet? Remember to have dinner. Brother Ye and I are going to a seminar. Do you want to come? It's going to be very lively... Xiaomo, don't stay up too late, okay? I'll bring you some late - night snacks, but I'm not sure when I'll arrive. If you're asleep, lock the door. I'll take the things back... Xiaomo, are you still... Well, that's it, then."

Beep.

It was the same room, yet with different furnishings. Unlike two years ago, it was much neater.

The originally shabby furniture had been replaced with new ones, and a new layer of wallpaper had been pasted.

It was spotlessly clean, and even the air was serene.

The noisy voices outside the house, the impatient honking of horns, the blinking power light of the answering machine, and the slightly rotating ceiling fan, accompanied by the man's soft breathing, were all the sounds there were.

The man lying on the sofa quietly watched the constantly rotating fan blades.

Two years... No, it had been two years and one month... One month and three days, and he still hadn't come back...

The man covered his eyes.

Beep.

"Xiaomo, this is Brother Ye. I'm at the seminar with Bihua now. You... Don't stay up too late, okay? I'll bring you something to eat... Have you had dinner yet... Tsk... Actually, there's not much to say. Just remember to go to bed early. Bihua and I will come to see you tomorrow. Remember to prepare breakfast for us."

Beep.

There was not a single piece of news, not a single trace, as if he had disappeared from the face of the earth...

The police couldn't find him, the detectives couldn't find him. No one had seen their faces, and no one knew where they had gone.

You said you would come back to me even if you were reduced to ashes, didn't you!

Chen... Chen...

Have you forgotten me, or are you unable to get away? Is the you in my dreams really you, or just my imagination?

Where are you...

Beep.

"Xiaomo, there's a lot of traffic on the road. It's been congested for a long time. I see it's getting late, and you should be asleep by now, so I won't come to your place. Brother Ye said he would go to see you tomorrow morning, so I'll go with him then. Did you hear? If you heard, go to sleep right away. If you go out on the street with panda eyes again tomorrow, I'll tie you up and make you live with me. Got it?"

Beep.

Holding the box tightly, inside was the only thing he had left behind that day.

A pull - ring, a rusty beer pull - ring, a ring given when he was slightly tipsy.

Apart from this, all his things had been taken away, anything he might have touched.

Finally, when they pointed their guns at himself and the other two people, how desperate his expression was.

The cold muzzle of the gun pressed against his forehead could take his life in an instant. In just one instant, he would never see him again...

"I understand. I'm willing to cooperate." He closed his eyes. "Damn it. If you harm any of them, you'll take back a corpse!"

"...Good." The muzzle of the gun was withdrawn.

He didn't say when he would come back...

"Wait for me! I will definitely come back! Xiaomo... Xiaomo!" As he was being dragged away, he shouted towards him.

He didn't say where he was going or what he was going to do...

"You're lucky. He didn't leak a single word just now." A cold voice.

Only now did he know how painful and helpless it was to wait for someone...

Will he come back? Won't he come back? Is he still alive? Does he still remember me?

With just one sentence asking me to wait for him, it had been two years, one month, and four days, without a single word.

Beep.

"Teacher, we want to discuss our graduation theses with you. After class the day after tomorrow, can we make an appointment? By the way, we just went to see the administrator. He said the laboratory hasn't been tidied up yet. Please wait for two more days before using it... Well, that's it."

Beep.

What had he done? Before being taken away, what on earth had he done?

A discovery so earth - shattering that the leader was willing to offer his entire fortune.

A discovery that led to the leader's entire family being killed.

A discovery that blew up the entire villa, with the fire spreading two kilometers.

A discovery that forced the experimental center to close for an entire week.

Even though they searched through all the computers, all his previous data had been destroyed. As if he had never appeared in this world, as if he had never appeared in front of himself...

Chen...

Ring...

Slightly opening his eyes, the sky outside the window was already bright. Again, another night had passed like this. He still hadn't returned...

...Window?

Xiaomo, who sat up from the bed, looked at the furnishings in his room with a hint of surprise.

Everything was there, but the room was different.

It was much larger and brighter. The thick curtains had been drawn open, and the clear blue sky and lake outside the French windows sparkled with crystal - like light. His mobile phone was in the pocket of his suit jacket. The suit jacket he had casually thrown on the back of the chair the night before was now quietly hanging on a hanger not far away.

Ring...

He was wearing a clean off - white pajamas.

Walking up to the dressing mirror, the person in the mirror was indeed himself.

What happened? Am I dreaming? Who brought me here?... The Count of Monte Cristo?

Heh...

How could I still laugh?

Ring...

Hmm, even in my dreams, someone is calling me?

Just as he was about to turn around, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a conspicuous hickey on the nape of his neck in the mirror. Xiaomo was startled and pressed his hand on it.

Hurrying closer to take a look, he realized that even his lips were slightly swollen and tinged with red.

So, his other hand pressed on his lips.

Ring...

Ring...

After being stunned for a while, he realized that the ringing of the mobile phone still hadn't stopped. Was the other person really that persistent...

Walking over, he picked up the phone.

"This is Xiaomo."

"Good heavens! Where have you been! We've been looking for you for two days!" It was Bihua's extremely anxious voice.

"...Two days?" His mind seemed to clear up a bit.

"...Where are you? Stop running around. We'll come and pick you up right away."

"..."

"Come home, Xiaomo. Don't you want to wait for Yichen to come back?" Bihua's voice was very gentle. "You've waited for two years. Don't give up so soon. Also, the students you're teaching haven't graduated yet. Do you want to abandon them?"

"..."No, you misunderstand. I don't know where I am right now..."

"..."Don't know?..."Were you kidnapped?" Bihua's voice rose three octaves.

"..."Can a kidnapped person still answer the phone? I don't think so." Xiaomo looked at the lake outside the window. It was turquoise.

"I only know that there's a lake outside the window..."

Beep...

Xiaomo brought the mobile phone in front of him, and his face turned slightly pale.

Was someone eavesdropping? So, was he really kidnapped?

Ring...

He picked up the phone again.

"Xiaomo? Oh, thank goodness, you're still there. My phone must have broken just now. I borrowed someone else's phone to call. Fortunately, it got through..."

"Xiaomo? Are you still there? Where are you? Xiaomo?"

The mobile phone in his hand fell onto the thick carpet. Xiaomo looked at the person in the mirror, who was slowly walking towards him.

Wearing the same off - white home clothes, with a nostalgic smile and a hint of sadness.

Xiaomo slowly turned his head. His Chen was standing right in front of him.

Taking out two cards that shone with a faint white light, his Chen had blazing eyes.

"Xiaomo, the mansion is ready. The platinum cards are here. We'll go look at the boat later..."

With eyes as if still in a dream, he could only watch as Chen approached. Xiaomo stood there in a daze as Chen embraced him and started a passionate kiss.

"...Xiaomo? Xiaomo?" The mobile phone on the ground was still ringing with anxious words.

Stepping on the chattering device until it was broken, Chen's deep voice kept repeating.

"I missed you so much... I missed you so much..."

Dizzying, fascinating, the exchanged saliva was so hot that Mo weakly grabbed onto Chen.

"Did I hurt you?" Gently brushing aside the sweaty hair on Mo's forehead, Chen said, and his own sweat dripped onto Mo's face.

Shaking his head slightly, Mo just closed his eyes wearily. "This dream is so real this time..."

"You fool, I'm really back." Chen gently kissed Mo's hair. "At least, I won't leave for a while."

When he opened his eyes again, Chen's gentle breathing was caressing his face.

Closing his eyes, he fell asleep in the afterglow of love. Chen hadn't changed at all. He always slept so contentedly.

"Where have you been for the past two years? Why did you come back only now, and why in such a way..." Mo buried his face in his chest, a slightly sticky chest. He didn't know if it was his sweat, his own sweat, or perhaps both.

"..."You never carry me to take a shower first." Mo sighed softly and fell asleep again.

Yawning, Chen skillfully fried the egg - fried rice, the only dish he could cook.

Lying on the table, lazily watching Chen, Mo also kept yawning.

After taking a shower, his stomach was empty. Although he was extremely tired, his growling stomach seemed determined not to let them sleep in peace.

In the huge kitchen, there was everything one could want. However, when Mo looked at Chen expectantly, Chen just scratched his head and nervously picked up two eggs.

Hmm, at least this means that no other woman has taught him how to cook in the past two years. Mo thought to himself as he yawned again.

While Chen was sweating and struggling, Mo squint,looking out of the window. The dark night had only a few lights on the lake, and for no apparent reason, there were the soft sounds of several people walking, stepping on the dead leaves on the ground, passing by the window like ghosts.

The low growl of a dog, even the deafening chirping of cicadas couldn't drown it out. The evening breeze blew the big trees by the lake, making a rustling sound...

"Mo... Mo? Don't sleep. Get up and have some food before going back to sleep." Chen came over, holding two large plates of egg - fried rice... with a little ketchup, showing off.

Even though the kitchen was only a dozen steps away from the dining table.

Mo raised his eyes, feeling listless. "So tired..."

"Smack!" Playfully, Chen blew a big kiss in the air towards Mo and placed the two still - perfect plates of egg - fried rice on the table. "Dear Mo, you eat first. I'll go to the cellar to get some wine."

Hmm, there's a cellar too? Mo thought somewhat dazedly.

When Chen reached the door and just opened it, out of the corner of his eye, Mo saw two black figures.

Speaking in low voices, not knowing what they were saying, Chen was gesturing, struggling to communicate.

A few minutes later, Chen lowered his shoulders. He ran away alone, and within a few minutes, Chen took a large bottle of wine, smiled helplessly, and walked over.

"Wait a minute. Let me see what kind of wine this is." He walked towards the living room.

Picking up a pair of glasses from the sitting room, Chen was concentrating on reading the tiny tadpole - like words. Suddenly, a warm body pressed against him from behind.

Hugging Chen from behind, Mo whispered, his face against his back.

"Are you nearsighted?"

"Yeah, but only two hundred degrees." Chen took off his glasses and gently rubbed his eyes.

"Was it very hard?"

"..."It's okay. As long as I can see you, no matter how hard it was, it was worth it, Xiaomo..."