PBMM CH50

At this moment, He Qing was lying on the bed covered in cold sweat. His lips were pale, but a flush dyed his cheeks. With a pained expression, he clutched his stomach, unconsciously letting out low cries of pain.

He was only wearing pajamas. The inadvertently exposed parts of his body bore ambiguous pink marks. The room was clearly not cold, yet he was breaking out in cold sweats wave after wave.

It was already late at night. Lu Linguan had already left. He had left behind food, but it was already cold, and the youth absolutely could not eat it.

Stomachache, the pain deep within his body, the cold wind he caught today—all these factors added together caused him to develop a high fever. He Qing was burning up severely, yet he still clearly knew that he must be sick.

Right by his hand was a phone Lu Linguan had left for contact. He could reach it just by lifting his hand slightly, yet the youth allowed himself to tremble all over from the pain, refusing to contact him.

Anyway… there was no point in living anymore…

His stomach hurt terribly. The familiar pain made him feel as if he had returned to his childhood. He hid in the closet but was easily found by his mother. His stomach hurt from hunger, and his mother kicked his stomach over and over. It hurt so much, it hurt so much…

“Mom… don’t hit me… don’t hit me…”

Forcing the door open, this was the scene Zheng Chenke saw.

The person on the bed had bruised hickeys all over his neck. He struggled to reach out and protect his head, tightly closing his eyes in a desperate attempt to defend himself, murmuring pleas for mercy, “A-Qing knows he was wrong… A-Qing won’t eat…”

His heart seemed to skip a beat. The man strode forward and scooped the person up in his arms. Only when he held him did he realize that the clothes on the youth’s back were entirely soaked through.

Being picked up, He Qing had no reaction at all. His consciousness was already hazy. The accompanying doctor hurriedly wanted to step forward to examine him, but was dodged by the man holding the youth. He quickly placed the person back on the bed, covered him tightly with the blanket, and hid those marks.

If the face-saving He Qing knew that his unbearable side had been seen, he would definitely be very sad, right? Zheng Chenke’s hands trembled as he tucked in the blanket, only leaving the youth’s uneasy face exposed.

“Thirty-nine point nine degrees Celsius. We need to lower his temperature immediately. Take him out to the car first…” As the doctor spoke, he waved for someone to bring the stretcher, but was stopped by the man. He leaned down and picked the person up, blanket and all. “I’ll do it.”

The butler had run slower and only just arrived. Seeing the youth wrapped in the blanket with a face flushed red from fever, his tears fell instantly. “Little Young Master!”

He ran over tremblingly, his large, wrinkled hand touching the scorching forehead. Looking at Zheng Chenke, he asked with a trembling voice, “Little Young Master, has the Little Young Master eaten anything?”

“He is most afraid of starving… The moment he goes hungry, his stomach hurts terribly…”

These words whipped the tip of the man’s heart like a salt-water-dipped lash. His grip on the youth tightened, his voice hoarse, “I haven’t had time to check yet.”

The butler paced around the room. Seeing the bowl placed by the bed, his hands trembled as he picked it up. Looking at the soup inside with a layer of congealed yellow fat on the surface, his body shook with anger.

“Who is it! Who is it!”

Who exactly locked someone up to abuse them like this! The butler hadn’t seen the marks on He Qing’s body and only thought he had been locked up, but even just this was enough to infuriate him.

“We only found the owner of the car. Let’s settle He Qing down first.”

The person in his embrace kept murmuring something non-stop. Watching the cold sweat break out on his forehead drop by drop, he thought: if he hadn’t kicked him out, He Qing would still be that little young master chauffeured everywhere. How could he have been kidnapped?

And been humiliated… like this…

Although Zheng Chenke didn’t like attending certain venues, business inevitably involved socializing. He had more or less heard of beautiful boys and girls being kept in captivity, with all sorts of endless methods used on them. But he had never imagined that one day, He Qing would be treated like this too.

While feeling angry and heartbroken, he also clearly knew that the person who targeted the youth dared to do so most likely because they saw his attitude. It could be said that he was an indirect accomplice.

Why hadn’t he thought of it? He Qing, besides being a little young master, was also a youth with exquisite looks. Why did he just kick him out like that, leaving him alone outside, even driving him to suicidal thoughts?

The moment he thought of the youth dying quietly in a place he didn’t know, or being wantonly toyed with like a captive plaything as he was now, Zheng Chenke’s face grew darker and darker.

No matter who it was! He would definitely make those people pay the price!

————

“The chicken soup is already warming on the stove. I put a few ginseng roots in it; if I put too much, I’m afraid the little young master’s body is too weak to handle the nourishment.”

The butler nodded. “Very good. Remember to be careful when you serve the soup later. The little young master only drinks clear soup, so don’t bring out the ingredients inside. Cover it with a lid when you bring it up, don’t let it get cold on the way.”

“Yes, I will stay here and watch over it. As soon as the little young master wakes up, I will go serve the soup.”

Seeing the cook leave, the butler tiptoed upstairs. Even though he was still a long distance away from He Qing’s room, he was terrified his footsteps would wake him up.

It wasn’t just the butler. Ever since the person was brought back, the entire mansion had fallen silent. Even when speaking, people whispered, terrified that speaking too loudly would wake the little young master.

The butler went upstairs and quietly opened the door. Seeing the youth sleeping peacefully on the bed with a calm expression, he breathed a sigh of relief and carefully pushed the door open to enter.

At this moment, He Qing had already been changed into clean clothes, and his body had been washed. The butler sat gently by the bed. Thinking of how Young Master Zheng refused everyone’s help and washed the youth himself, he felt a slight sense of comfort in his heart.

Although he didn’t know why Young Master Zheng had previously misunderstood that the little young master killed his parents, seeing Young Master Zheng care for the little young master again now, in the future, the little young master would be able to live like he did before, right?

The quietly sleeping youth frowned uneasily and shifted his body, causing the blanket to slip down. The butler hurriedly pinched the corner of the blanket, wanting to cover him up again, but froze when he saw the youth’s flipped-up pajama shirt.

Bruised marks… was he injured somewhere?

Ever since He Qing was brought back, Zheng Chenke had been taking care of everything. The butler didn’t overthink it, merely assuming he had bumped into something. He stood up and carefully dug out some medicinal liquor from the first-aid kit, preparing to apply it for the youth.

Gently lifting the pajamas, the old man’s weathered hand froze. The smooth, fair waist was covered in ambiguous bruised marks.

This couldn’t possibly be from a fall or bump; rather, it looked like… marks left from being sucked and bitten by someone…

— Clang!

The medicinal liquor dropped to the floor. The youth was jolted awake. Like a startled bird, he got out of bed barefoot and scrambled around in a panic trying to hide. On the floor were the broken glass shards from the smashed medicinal liquor bottle. His fair, tender feet stepped on them, and crimson blood soon flowed out, yet he acted as if he couldn’t feel the pain, continuing to look around in sheer panic.

“Little Young Master…” The butler reached out with tears streaming down his face, but He Qing let out a shriek and practically scrambled and crawled his way to hide inside the closet.

“He Qing!” Zheng Chenke hadn’t slept all night. He had kept watch over the youth for the whole night and had only gone to fetch something. Just as he reached the door, he heard the youth’s shrill, terror-filled scream. Zheng Chenke’s heart immediately skipped a beat.

Pushing the door open, there was no sign of the youth, only the butler crying with a face full of sorrow, and shattered glass all over the floor.

“Where is He Qing?” Zheng Chenke’s face was very ugly. His gaze fixed on the crimson bloodstains on the floor, and instantly darkened.

The butler beat his chest as he cried. Seeing him enter, his wrinkled face was filled with extreme grief. “The Little Young Master… the Little Young Master, was he…”

Zheng Chenke’s face sank. “Where is He Qing?”

Seeing him counter-question instead of answering, the butler already understood the truth. He felt both heartache and hatred, wishing he could hack that person into ten thousand pieces. But right now, the most important thing was to soothe their poor little young master.

Realizing the little young master still needed his comfort, the butler quickly wiped his tears, stood up, and walked toward the closet. Zheng Chenke followed behind him, watching the elderly butler try to open the closet door, but couldn’t pull it open no matter what. It was obvious He Qing was holding the door shut from the inside.

“Little Young Master, it’s me, the butler. You haven’t eaten yet. Today I specifically asked the kitchen to make truffles, your favorite. Come out quickly…”

The butler coaxed softly and gently for a long time, but He Qing had no reaction at all, refusing to make even the slightest sound.

Seeing the butler still talking, Zheng Chenke supported him to step aside. “Let me.”

“He Qing.” The handsome man’s deep voice said calmly, “Come out, and I will return everything Uncle He left behind to you.”

“I can convene a shareholders’ meeting right now. As long as you come out, I can transfer the shares today.”

— Quiet, without the slightest movement.

Zheng Chenke frowned slightly and continued, “I will move out. From now on, you will still be the little young master of the He family.”

There was still no sound from inside. The man felt something was wrong. Ignoring the resistance from inside, he forcefully yanked the door open. The moment the light poured in, the youth curled up in the closet shrieked hoarsely.

“Ah!! Ahh!!”

So shrill it cracked his voice, like a lamb that had finally managed to hide only to be found by the executioner, full of despair.

“He Qing! He Qing! He Qing!!” Zheng Chenke called his name, but the youth acted as if he couldn’t hear him, continuing to scream miserably in fear.

It was clear he was terrified, but he didn’t make any aggressive moves. Instead, he hugged himself tightly, curling up to protect his head, his eyes squeezed shut.

But the moment the man reached out to touch him, his entire body stiffened, burying his head even deeper, as if as long as he did this, he wouldn’t be hurt.

A slender hand landed on his hair. As the youth trembled in fear, he gently stroked it. With a rare softness in his voice, Zheng Chenke called him softly, “A-Qing…”

The screaming came to an abrupt halt.

Just as both the butler and Zheng Chenke breathed a sigh of relief, the youth, who had curled himself into a tight ball, timidly raised his head. His beautiful eyes were full of timidity and panic. “Mom… don’t hit me… A-Qing will be good…”

While both of them were stunned, the youth was still sobbing and trying hard to promise, “A-Qing won’t eat… A-Qing will be good…”

Hearing these words, the butler instantly burst into tears, rushing forward to hug the youth tightly. “Oh, my Little Young Master!!”

Zheng Chenke clenched his fists tightly. Looking at the youth like this, a dull ache started in his heart. If… if he hadn’t kicked him out…

If he had investigated a little more carefully…

A servant stood at the doorway, hesitating at the sight of the current scene, but still knocked on the door.

“Young Master Zheng, Young Master Lu is here. He says he’s looking for the Little Young Master.”