Xu Ran woke up from the pain.
He blinked blankly, trying to sit up straight. My whole body was in excruciating pain, my joints were so hot that my bones creaked when I moved them. It took him a while to realize that he had a fever.
I was too scared to sleep last night, but I couldn't stand it in the second half of the night, and fell asleep at some point. It wasn't summer yet, the basement was too cold, and the perennial cold air penetrated into his body through his thin clothes.
The surrounding environment seems to be a little different from what I saw last night. It seems that the room has been changed. Xu Ran can't turn his head now, so he can only look around desperately, as if he wants to find something in this dark room. what. Until the end, he didn't know what he was looking for, he just stared straight at a certain dark place, afraid that some monster would suddenly appear there
There was a creaking sound of the door, but it was not from the top of the head, but directly in front of him, a gap opened in the darkness, and a person walked towards him with the light behind him.
The pale light hurt Xu Ran's eyes, his eyes were red, and he flinched back desperately.
"Woke up?"
The strange man's teasing tone made him feel dazed for a while, as if he had had such a conversation in the early morning, but the scene was at He Cheng's house, and the tone was only cold and alienated, except that the physical cold was similar, which caused him to feel cold when the man walked away. The moment he entered, Xu Ran had an illusion, as if the person standing in front of him was not a stranger, but He Cheng.
"What the hell are you trying to do?"
Xu Ran forced himself to come back to his senses, and asked in a hoarse voice.
The man threw the thing in his hand to him, "I have to ask Brother Mai. Don't worry, we are not an underworld society, and we won't kill you."
Xu Ran could only smile wryly. Sometimes he really hoped that Mai Xing could kill him directly, it was much better than being tortured all the time.
The man threw him a bag of bread, but Xu Ran's mouth was dry and he had no appetite to eat. He put the bread aside and asked, "Is there any water?"
The man went out and brought him a bottle of mineral water. There is no temperature at all, and the drink is cold in the mouth.
The fever made him dizzy, and his eyes barely adjusted to the light in the room before he found a sofa and sat down. The man probably saw that he was sick and didn't stop him.
Xu Ran lowered his head and fiddled with the mineral water bottle, and said softly, "It's useless to threaten He Cheng with me."
The man didn't answer.
He continued on his own, "He Cheng... He hates others threatening him the most. You know, that kind of person has been in the top position for a long time, and he always has a weird temper. If you want something from him, He shouldn't have been forced from the beginning, let alone for me."
He laughed self-deprecatingly, "That man didn't know what 'compromise' is in his life. If he used the wrong person, He Cheng would only find you ridiculous."
The man probably thought that he was rambling like a psychopath, so he ignored him and left.
The surroundings returned to darkness, Xu Ran lay down slowly on the sofa, stared at the ceiling whose height could not be clearly seen, and closed his eyes for a while.
What he wanted to say to that strange man, even he himself didn't know. The only thing he is sure about now is that He Cheng will not accept such a threat from them.
He knew that he never had the capital to make He Cheng's heart beat, even if he was tied up and pushed down from the roof, He Cheng might not even take a look.
The words spoken are a sharp sword, the hilt is held in the hand, but the tip of the knife is directed at himself.
Xu Ran has always felt that he lived very clearly. From the very beginning, he recognized his position. After all these years, he never crossed the line for a moment, but even so, he did not wait for He Cheng to turn around after all. He didn't know what use value he had for such a self, or did Mai Xing think that He Cheng would let go because of his past affection? It was so ridiculous that even Xu Ran felt sad about Mai Xing.
The scariest thing about He Cheng is not how good he is at doing business, but when he decides on one thing, no one can make him change his mind.
Heart of stone.
After lying down for a while, the nausea and dizziness gradually improved, Xu Ran got off the sofa and came to the window.
Opening the curtains, the outside was like a bloody sun, and he fell asleep straight into the evening of the next day.
Thinking of the agreement with He Yuxuan, Xu Ran couldn't help feeling a little worried. The child was already walking on thin ice because of the matter between him and He Cheng, and now that he couldn't contact him anymore, he was afraid that he would go crazy.
His stomach, which hadn't eaten for more than ten hours, protested. He could only get the piece of bread, tear open the package, and swallow it bit by bit with cold water. The mouth was so hot that the sweet bread was hard to taste, and the tongue seemed to have lost its function, and every bite tasted like chewing wax.
As soon as he swallowed the last bite of bread, it was as if the room had been installed with surveillance, and the man from just now entered the room again.
"Come out." The man said.
Xu Ran followed behind him and left the room.
This is a two-story villa, and the room he stayed in just now is on the second floor. The two came down the stairs, and someone immediately pulled Xu Ran into the living room.
The decoration was beautiful and clean, but there were five or six rough-looking men sitting inside. Seeing him coming in, one of them yelled strangely, "Is this He Cheng's concubine?"
Xu Ran frowned in disgust. The living room was filled with the choking smell of cigarettes and an inexplicable pungent male body odor. Everything about this group of people and the words they uttered made Xu Ran feel nauseous.
Ah Wen sat in the innermost place, playing with a small knife in his hand, and looked at Xu Ran with an unkind expression.
Xu Ran took a deep breath and asked him, "Where's Mai Xing?"
Ah Wen raised his chin and gestured with his eyes, and the person next to him immediately took out his mobile phone and stuffed it into Xu Ran's hand.
"Ask yourself." Awen said.
Xu Ran hesitated for a moment, but suddenly there was a bang behind him, which made him tremble with fright.
Everyone around laughed, Xu Ran turned around and saw the man who just gave him bread picked up a box of mineral water and smashed it on the table.
These people looked at him as if they were looking at a frightened hamster, with undisguised ridicule and disdain, taking advantage of Xu Ran's inattention, they kept stimulating his nerves in clumsy ways.
"...your phone needs to be unlocked."
Xu Ran handed the phone back again, and while Ah Wen was slowly unlocking it, he hurriedly looked around.
It is impossible to run out with my own legs and feet, unless Mai Xing gives the order to release people, or these people get tired of playing, or someone's conscience finds out...
Xu Ran's eyes fell on the man just now. His words are not as harsh as others, and his attitude is also kind. Maybe we can start with him.
Until Xu Ran saw that the man opened a bottle of mineral water and threw two white pills into it.
Amidst the laughter of other people, the man took the water and walked towards Xu Ran step by step.
Facing Ah Wen's playful gaze, Xu Ran realized what kind of expression he had now.
Frightened, puzzled, angry... everything turned into a kind of helpless despair, he kept backing away, and the man pressed on step by step, trapping Xu Ran in a corner of the sofa with ease.
"Drink it."
Without any emotion, the man holds the water up in front of him.
Xu Ran was shaking, he didn't even realize that he was shaking all over, he just thought about what would happen if he drank it.
Then he found that he didn't even have the strength to speak, so he hated this self who was slaughtered even more.
Someone laughed and said, "Don't scare him, you see he has a limped leg, how pitiful."
That being said, there was no trace of pity in his tone.
The man pulled Xu Ran's chin, ignored his resistance, and pressed the water bottle to his lips.
Xu Ran struggled desperately, and the water flowed into his nasal cavity, causing a sore pain. He gritted his teeth and refused to open his mouth. Most of the water in the bottle drenched his shirt down his chin.
The man lifted his foot and kicked, right on Xu Ran's right knee.
Xu Ran's head froze for a moment due to the pain, and his mouth was opened by the man.
"Don't mess around," the man's voice was vaguely amused, "so as not to get hurt."
After pouring the remaining half bottle of water into it, Xu Ran knelt on the ground and almost coughed up blood from his throat. The place where the man pinched was purple with pain, but what was more serious was the burning flame in his chest, scorching his heart.
Xu Ran couldn't tell whether it was because of the effect of the medicine or because of the fever.
He couldn't stand up, the man dragged him to the sofa by his collar, Awen handed over the phone again, "Call."
Xu Ran's hand was a little disobedient, he took the phone tremblingly, and dialed the number engraved in his mind.
Ah Wen didn't tell him who to call, but Xu Ran only had one thought in his mind, to call He Cheng, and beg He Cheng to take him home.
He didn't dare to think about anything anymore, He Cheng would do what he said in the future, even if he was not allowed to show up again, Xu Ran could go bankrupt and change his life in the city.
Just today, just this once, please, save me.
The phone rang three times and was picked up by He Cheng.
"Hey."
Xu Ran's eyes were reddened by the deep voice that he hadn't heard for a long time.
"say."
He Cheng's voice sounded a little impatient, Xu Ran thought, is he angry again? Who messed with him, the new secretary, or... Mai Xing
The inability to let go tore at his heart, Xu Ran opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Anyway, before He Cheng hung up, he called out, "He Cheng?"
"It's you?" He Cheng sounded a little surprised.
As if grabbing the last straw, Xu Ran shouted desperately, "He Cheng, I'm in Mai Xing's house, can you..."
"The signal is not good there, go to another place and talk."
Xu Ran was stunned for a moment, and looked up at A Wen, only to see a bright smiling face.
"Xu Ran?"
"He Cheng." Xu Ran murmured, the words he wanted to say rolled around on the tip of his tongue, and finally turned into—
"Be careful, Mai Xing wants to attack you. Mai Xing said..."
"I have something to solve by myself, I don't have time."
Xu Ran closed his eyes. The fever made him have a splitting headache, and he could barely hear what He Cheng was saying.
"not me… "
"I'll talk about what I want later, I still have a job."
With a beep, cutting off the phone also cut off Xu Ran's last hope.
The mobile phone was taken away by Ah Wen, and Xu Ran was kicked off the sofa amidst laughter and fell to the ground.
Can't run, can't run, it's the first time Xu Ran hates this body so much, he doesn't even have the spare time to desperately.
Arvin squatted beside him, blocking the dazzling light above his head.
"Is that why He Cheng doesn't want to see you?" Ah Wen smiled, "You've messed up really badly."
Xu Ran's eyes were red, he raised his body and punched Awen, but was easily dodged and slapped back.
"I'll give you one last chance." Ah Wen threw the phone in front of him, "Call again, I'll let you go if He Cheng accepts."
Chance
There was a hole in his mouth, his mouth was full of fishy sweetness, Xu Ran grabbed the phone, his eyes were bleak and determined.
He has been by He Cheng's side for ten years, no one knows He Cheng's temperament better than him.
He Cheng wouldn't accept it.
But he dialed it anyway, and as expected, he heard the notification sound of shutting down the phone. Xu Ran suddenly wanted to laugh, and then that smile turned into a kind of crazy self-mockery.
Xu Ran, Xu Ran, look at you, what you look like.
Even if you encounter a stray cat on the side of the road, it is injured or sick, and you will always feel sympathy. But what about you, have you ever let someone look at you more
It's okay, Xu Ran licked the wound on his mouth, thinking, the signal here is not good, He Cheng couldn't hear what he said, it's not his fault.
Just like all the pains and blunders in the past ten years, he is not to blame.
The only one to blame was Xu Ran, who was unable to resist. While giving everything for He Cheng, he also lost himself.