Meanwhile – Somewhere Dark
Dr. Shen lay on the cold floor. His body was naked, bruised, broken. Marks covered him everywhere his arms, his chest, his legs. His face was swollen. His eyes were empty.
His feet were chained to the wall. He couldn't move far.
He didn't want to move.
He just stared at nothing. Thinking of Guo Lian. Thinking of that small hut. Thinking of those last moments.
Then silence. Then cold. Then nothing.
A door opened. Heavy footsteps.
A man walked in, carrying a small bowl of food. He was big, ugly, with a cruel smile.
"Hey, old man. Time to eat." He threw the bowl on the floor. Some rice spilled out. "Eat up. Boss wants you alive. For now."
Dr. Shen didn't move. Didn't look.
The man frowned. He walked closer and grabbed Dr. Shen by the hair, yanking his head up.
"I said EAT. You deaf or something?"
Dr. Shen's eyes moved. Blank. Dead. They landed on something a gun, tucked into the man's waistband. Just inches away.
Something sparked inside him. Not hope. Not fight. Just... an end. A way out.
His hand moved fast. Years of being a doctor, of quick reflexes, still there. He grabbed the gun.
The man's eyes widened. "Hey—!"
Dr. Shen pressed the gun to his own head. His finger found the trigger.
"NO!" The man lunged forward, grabbing the gun, yanking it away.
SLAP!
The man's hand hit Dr. Shen hard across the face. Dr. Shen fell to the floor, head ringing, blood dripping from his lip.
"You crazy old man!" the guy shouted, breathing hard. He pointed the gun at Dr. Shen, then thought better and tucked it away. "Try that again and I'll break your hands!"
He kicked the bowl of food closer.
"Eat. Or don't. I don't care." He spat on the floor. "But you're not dying that easy. Boss has plans for you."
He turned and walked out, slamming the door. The lock clicked.
Dr. Shen lay on the cold floor, alone again. The food sat beside him, untouched.
He closed his eyes. Guo Lian's face appeared in the darkness behind his lids. Smiling. Warm.
"I'm sorry," he whispered to the memory. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't save you. I couldn't even join you."
Tears leaked from his closed eyes, mixing with the blood on his face.
"I just wanted to be with you."
Yichen was driving fast, his men following in another car. When his phone rang.
"Boss, we found him. Guo Lian."
Yichen's heart jumped. "Where? Is he okay?"
"He's in a hospital. Someone found him in a hut in the forest. He was... he was barely alive, boss."
Yichen's grip tightened on the wheel. "Which hospital? Send me the location."
He turned the car sharply, tires screeching. Minutes later, he arrived at the hospital. He ran inside, his men behind him.
A doctor was waiting near the emergency room. Yichen rushed to him.
"Guo Lian. Where is he? Is he alive?"
The doctor nodded slowly. "He is alive. But it was very close."
Yichen let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "What happened? Tell me everything."
The doctor spoke calmly, professionally. "He had a deep stab wound in his abdomen. Someone tried to stop the bleeding by tying cloth around it. That probably saved his life initially."
Yichen listened, heart pounding.
"But," the doctor continued, "he lost a lot of blood. A lot. The external bleeding was partially controlled, but there was internal bleeding we couldn't see. By the time he got here, his blood pressure was very low."
"How low?"
"Low enough that his brain and heart weren't getting enough oxygen. He was unconscious when they brought him in. His heart... it stopped."
Yichen's face went pale. "Stopped?"
The doctor nodded. "Cardiac arrest. From blood loss. When you lose that much blood, your body goes into shock. The heart can't pump properly. It just... stops."
"But you saved him?"
"We performed CPR immediately luckily his heart beat returned we gave him fluids, blood transfusions. Rushed him to surgery to stop the internal bleeding.
Yichen leaned against the wall, relief flooding through him. "So he's okay now?"
The doctor smiled slightly. "He is stable. Out of immediate danger. But we will monitor him closely. The next 24 hours are important."
"Can I see him?"
"He's unconscious still. Resting. But yes. You can see him."
The doctor led Yichen to a room. Through the window, Yichen saw Guo Lian lying in a bed, tubes everywhere, machines beeping. Pale but alive.
Yichen's eyes burned. "Thank you, doctor. Thank you."
The doctor nodded and left.
Yichen stood there for a moment, then pulled out his phone. He called Miss Zhang.
"Guo Lian is alive," he said quietly. "He's in hospital. But... we still don't know where Dr. Shen is."
Miss Zhang's voice shook. "Thank god he's safe"
Yichen looked at Guo Lian through the glass. "I just hope Dr shen is safe"
He hung up and walked into the room. Sat beside Guo Lian's bed.
"Wake up soon," he said quietly. "Dr. Shen needs you. We all need you."
The machines beeped steadily. A small sign of hope in so much darkness.
Meanwhile – At the Mansion
Zhiyuan woke up suddenly. His head was still heavy from fever, but something pulled him from sleep. His phone was ringing.
He looked around the room. Empty. Yichen was gone.
His heart sank a little. He left again.
He picked up the phone. Unknown number.
"Hello?"
A voice came through, low and careful. "Liang Zhiyuan?"
"Yes. Who is this?"
"I know who killed your father Zhenlong."
Zhiyuan sat up fast, his head spinning. "What? Who are you? How do you know?"
"I can't say over phone. Meet me Tomorrow. I'll tell you everything."
Zhiyuan's mind raced. "Wait—who are you? Why should I trust you?"
The voice got quieter, scared. "Don't tell anyone. Anyone. If they find out I'm talking to you, he'll kill me. He'll find me and kill me. Only you can help me. Only you."
"Help you how? Who is 'he'?"
"I'll explain tomorrow. Come alone. No police. No bodyguard. Just you."
"Wait—"
The line went dead.
Zhiyuan stared at his phone. His heart was pounding. Someone knew the truth. Someone was willing to talk.
But why alone? Why secret?
He looked at the empty spot beside him where Yichen should be. Don't tell anyone.
His hand shook.
Meanwhile – At the Underground Fighting Area
Yichen and his men reached the building. It was an old warehouse, hidden in a bad part of the city. The sign outside said "Fighting Club" but it looked abandoned.
Too quiet. Too empty.
Yichen raised his hand, signaling his men to stay alert. They moved slowly, carefully.
The door creaked open. Inside, it was dark. Only a few lights hanging over a fighting ring in the center.
Yichen's eyes scanned the room. Then he froze.
In the ring, hanging by a rope around his neck, was Dr. Shen.
He was standing on a small stool, barely balanced. His hands were tied behind his back. His body was bruised, naked, marked. His head hung down, unconscious.
"DR. SHEN!" Yichen yelled, running toward the ring.
But before he could reach it—
Men dropped from the ceiling. Slid out from behind walls. Emerged from shadows.
Masked men. Professional fighters. Surrounding them.
Yichen's men pulled out weapons, getting into fighting stances.
Yichen looked from Dr. Shen to the men around them. His jaw tightened.
"You want a fight?" he said quietly. "Fine. Let's fight."
The first man lunged. Yichen moved fast, blocking, hitting back. His men engaged the others.
The warehouse exploded into chaos—fists, kicks, weapons clashing.
And in the center, hanging by a rope, Dr. Shen swayed slightly, barely conscious, waiting for someone to save him before the stool fell.
Yichen fought hard. His fists moved fast. His kicks were strong. But these men were trained. Professional. They kept coming.
He could see Dr. Shen in the ring, swaying on the stool. Unconscious. Dying.
"Keep them off me!" Yichen shouted to his men.
They tried. But there were too many.
Then one of the masked men walked into the ring. Slowly. Deliberately.
Yichen's blood ran cold.
The man looked at Yichen. Even through the mask, Yichen could see his eyes smiling.
Then he kicked the stool.
CRASH!
The stool fell. Dr. Shen dropped. The rope went tight around his neck.
His body jerked. His feet kicked. His hands, tied behind his back, couldn't reach the rope.
"NO!" Yichen screamed.
He tried to run. A man blocked him. Yichen punched him. Another came. He kicked him. More came. They surrounded him.
Through the gaps, Yichen watched Dr. Shen struggling. Gasping. Choking.
He's dying. He's dying right in front of me.
Something snapped inside Yichen.
For years, he had held back. Trained to kill but chose not to. Chose to be better. For Zhiyuan. For love.
Not anymore.
His hand grabbed a knife from a fallen man. The next attacker came Yichen didn't block. He stabbed. Deep. Hard. The man screamed. Yichen pulled the knife out and stabbed again.
Blood sprayed. Something fell from the man's stomach. Organs. On the floor.
Yichen didn't stop. He turned to the next man. Stabbed. The man's eyes went wide. He fell.
Another. Stab. Another. Stab.
His men watched in shock. They had never seen Yichen like this. He was a demon. A machine. Nothing human left in his eyes.
The remaining attackers hesitated. Fear in their eyes.
Yichen didn't give them time to run. He moved through them like death itself. Knife flashing. Blood flying. Bodies dropping.
When the last man fell, Yichen ran. Ran to the ring. Jumped inside.
Dr. Shen was blue. Not moving. The rope deep in his neck.
Yichen grabbed the rope, cutting wildly with the knife. It snapped. Dr. Shen fell into his arms.
"No, no, no," Yichen whispered, laying him down. "Dr. Shen! Wake up! Please!"
He checked for breathing. Nothing.
He started CPR. Pressing on his chest. Counting.
"Come on! Come on! Breathe!"
He tilted Dr. Shen's head, pinched his nose, breathed into his mouth. Once. Twice.
More chest compressions.
"Please! Don't die! Guo Lian is alive! Do you hear me? GUO LIAN IS ALIVE! He's waiting for you!"
Nothing.
Yichen kept going. Tears mixing with blood on his face.
"Don't you dare leave now"
Another breath.
Dr. Shen's body jerked. A cough. A gasp. Air rushing into his lungs.
He choked, coughed, breathed.
"Yes!" Yichen turned him on his side as Dr. Shen breath hard. "That's it. Keep breathing. Keep fighting."
Dr. Shen's eyes fluttered open. Confused. Scared. Then he saw Yichen.
"Y... Yichen..."
"I'm here. I've got you." Yichen held him, shaking. "You're safe now. You're safe."
Dr. Shen's hand grabbed his arm weakly. "Guo... Guo Lian..."
"He's alive. In hospital. He's alive because of you. You saved him."
Tears rolled down Dr. Shen's bruised face. "Alive..."
"Yes. Now we need to get you to him. Can you stand?"
Dr. Shen tried. His legs gave out. Yichen caught him.
"Okay. I'll carry you." Yichen lifted him carefully. "Clear a path! We're leaving!"
They ran out of the warehouse, leaving behind the bodies, the blood, and the nightmare.
Dr. Shen clung to Yichen, barely conscious, whispering one name over and over.
"Guo Lian... Guo Lian... Guo Lian..."
They ran out of the warehouse, leaving death behind. Yichen carried Dr. Shen to the car, his men covering them. Doors slammed. Engines roared. They sped away into the night.
On the top of the stairs, hidden in shadows, a figure watched everything.
Louis stepped forward, a wide smirk on his face. His one good eye sparkled with twisted amusement.
"Oh, Yichen," he whispered, chuckling softly. "I was dying to see this sight of you."
He watched the cars disappear, then laughed louder.
"That was hot. So much blood. So much rage." He touched his eyepatch. "I can't wait to ruin you"
He turned and walked back into the darkness, his laughter echoing in the empty warehouse.
At the Hospital – Waiting Area
Yichen sat on a hard plastic chair. His hands were covered in dried blood. His clothes were ruined. He stared at the floor, not moving.
One of his men walked over. "Boss. Mr. Liang has been calling for so long. Maybe you should call him back."
He handed Yichen his phone. Yichen's hands were trembling. He looked at the screen. 17 missed calls. All from Zhiyuan.
He took a deep breath and called back.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Zhiyuan's voice screamed through the phone. "I woke up and you were GONE! Again! Do you know how scared I was?!"
"Zhiyuan, I'm sorry, I—"
"Sorry?! You left without telling me! Again! After you promised! You promised you wouldn't leave!"
"Zhiyuan, listen to me. I found Dr. Shen."
Silence.
"What?" Zhiyuan's voice changed. Softer. Shocked. "You found him? Is he okay? Where is he?"
"I'm at the hospital. He's alive but—"
"Which hospital? Tell me where."
"Zhiyuan, you're sick. You have fever. You should stay—"
"TELL ME THE LOCATION, YICHEN!"
Yichen closed his eyes. He knew that voice. There was no arguing.
He told him.
Minutes later faster than should have been possible Zhiyuan walked through the hospital doors.
He stopped dead when he saw Yichen.
Yichen was covered in blood. His shirt was dark red. His hands were caked with it. His face had splatters.
Zhiyuan's face went white. His voice shook. "Is that... is that Dr. Shen's blood? Or yours?"
Yichen shook his head quickly. "No. It's not his. Not mine either. Don't worry, bao bei. I'm okay."
But Zhiyuan's eyes were wide, staring at all that red. His mind was running wild with horrible images.
Yichen looked at one of his men and gestured. The man brought a long coat. Yichen took it and wrapped it carefully around Zhiyuan's shoulders.
"You should have worn something warmer," Yichen said softly, trying to sound normal. "You know you're not well. You have high Fever. You'll get worse."
Zhiyuan just stared at him. At the blood. At his face. At his eyes.
Then he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Yichen tightly.
Yichen froze. Surprised. Then his arms came up, holding Zhiyuan close. One hand stroked his back gently.
"I got so scared," Zhiyuan whispered into his chest. "I woke up and you were gone. Again. I thought... I thought maybe you weren't coming back."
"I'm sorry." Yichen kissed the top of his head. "I'm so sorry. I should have woken you. Told you."
"Yes. You should have."
"I know. I'm sorry."
They stood there for a long moment, holding each other. The blood didn't matter. The fear didn't matter. Only this. Only them.
Finally, Yichen pulled back gently. "Sit down. Please. You need to rest."
He guided Zhiyuan to a chair and sat beside him. Zhiyuan leaned against him, exhausted.
"Dr. Shen?" Zhiyuan asked quietly.
"Doctor's are checking. He was..." Yichen's voice caught. "He was hurt badly. But he'll make it. He's strong."
"And Guo Lian?"
"In another room. Stable now. He woke up for a few minutes."
They sat together in the hospital waiting area, holding hands, waiting for news. The night was long, but they had each other.
And for now, that was enough.
Hours passed. The sun rose outside.
Finally, a doctor walked toward them. She looked tired but calm.
"Family of Dr. Shen?" she asked.
Yichen stood up quickly. Zhiyuan followed. "Yes. How is he?"
The doctor nodded. "He's stable now. We've treated his injuries. Bruises, cuts, some minor internal bleeding. He's dehydrated and malnourished. But physically, he will recover."
Zhiyuan let out a breath. "Can we see him?"
"Yes. But..." The doctor hesitated. "He's in shock. He hasn't spoken much. Be gentle with him."
Yichen nodded. "We understand."
The doctor led them down the hall to a private room. She opened the door and stepped aside.
Dr. Shen lay in the hospital bed. Small and broken. His face was bruised, his arms covered in bandages. An IV dripped fluids into his hand. He stared at the ceiling, not moving.
Zhiyuan's heart broke. He walked slowly to the bed.
"Dr. Shen?" he whispered.
Dr. Shen's eyes moved. He looked at Zhiyuan. For a moment, there was nothing. Then recognition flickered.
"Zhiyuan..." His voice was rough, barely there.
Yichen came closer. "We're here. You're safe now."
Dr. Shen nodded weakly. Then his eyes darted around the room. Searching.
"Where..." He tried to sit up, winced. "Where is he? Where's Guo Lian?"
Zhiyuan gently pushed him back down. "Easy. You need to rest."
"Guo Lian." Dr. Shen grabbed Zhiyuan's arm with surprising strength. "Is he... did he... please tell me..."
Yichen stepped forward. "He's alive."
Dr. Shen froze. His eyes filled with tears.
"He's in this hospital," Yichen continued softly. "Different floor. He's in surgery. But he's alive. He made it."
Dr. Shen's face crumbled. Tears spilled down his bruised cheeks. He covered his mouth with his hand, trying to hold back sobs.
"I thought... I thought he died in my arms," he choked out. "He was so cold. So still. I begged him to wake up and he just... he didn't..."
Zhiyuan sat on the edge of the bed, taking his hand. "He's alive. He's fighting. And he's going to make it because he has you to come back to."
Dr. Shen shook his head, crying openly now. "I need to see him. Please. I need to see him."
Yichen looked at Zhiyuan.
"Dr shen you need to rest " Yichen said. "I'll take you there later"
Dr. Shen grabbed his hand. "Please zhiyuan...yichen
"He's not going anywhere you know that" Zhiyuan said quietly. "Please listen...for once."
Dr. Shen looked down before nodding "okay"