After a week of staying in the hospital, Jua was finally discharged and allowed to return home. He should have felt relieved at the thought of leaving the sterile hospital room behind, but the moment he saw who had come to pick him up, whatever relief he had felt vanished.
It was Ying Di.
Just seeing the man was enough to stir an innumerable amount of rage in Jua's heart. He had encountered twisted men like him in his previous life—men who enjoyed preying upon and tormenting children. The mere thought of being alone with someone like that made every instinct in Jua scream at him to stay away.
"I'm glad you're feeling better, Jua." Ying Di stepped forward with a smile and opened his arms, seemingly intending to hug him.
Jua immediately stepped back.
His expression turned cold as he stared at the man. Just the thought of those slimy hands touching him made his skin crawl.
For a brief moment, Ying Di simply gazed at him.
There was something almost snake-like about the way the man looked at him, as though he were patiently observing his prey. After a moment or so he merely stepped aside and allowed Jua to get into the back seat of the car.
The moment Jua settled inside, however, he was suddenly engulfed by a soft warmth.
"Ying Mao?"
He looked down in surprise at the fluffy head rubbing affectionately against his stomach. The little boy had apparently been waiting for him the entire time.
"Why aren't you at school?" Jua asked, his expression softening immediately. He gently cupped Ying Mao's face in his hands. "You can't keep cutting classes like this."
The young boy merely smiled up at him, his dazzling green eyes glowing with innocent happiness.
"I wanted to welcome you home."
Jua couldn't help but feel his heart soften at those words.
"You should have stayed home and waited for me," he said gently as he watched Ying Di get into the front seat.
Traveling alone with that snake was obviously a bad thing for Ying Mao. Jua didn't trust Ying Di for even a second. A man like that could lose control at any moment and hurt the little kid sitting beside him.
Without thinking any further, Jua pulled Ying Mao into his arms and hugged him tightly.
I won't let that man hurt these kids anymore. Nope... I'll protect them both. Haisin and Mao.
He tightened his arms around the little boy, silently making that promise to himself.
Ying Mao, however, had a completely different reaction to the sudden embrace.
His entire face slowly turned red.
The feeling of being hugged was strangely wonderful. Of course, he had been hugged plenty of times before. His parents hugged him, and even his brother had embraced him countless times. But somehow, being hugged by Jua felt different.
His heart began beating faster, and warmth spread across his cheeks.
He didn't understand why.
He only knew that he liked it.
He liked being this close to Jua.
"Both of you, get on your seat belts," Ying Di said from the front, his voice carrying the pretence of a concerned and responsible older brother.
Pouting slightly, Ying Mao reluctantly returned to his seat and fastened his seat belt. He still wanted to keep hugging Jua. If he had his way, he would have stayed nestled in his arms for the entire journey home.
Jua noticed the pout and couldn't help but smile faintly. Then his gaze fell upon Ying Mao's flushed face. "Why is your face so red?"
He gently caressed the boy's cheek, his brows knitting together with concern. "You're not running a fever, though."
He leaned closer, checking Ying Mao's temperature once more just to be certain.
The soft touch only made Ying Mao's cheeks heat up even more.
"I... I'm fine," the little boy mumbled, his voice suddenly shy. "I'm good, Brother Jua."
Even as he spoke, however, Ying Mao leaned into Jua's palm and nuzzled against it affectionately.
Jua smiled softly at him, completely unaware of the strange fluttering feeling his simple touch had caused in the little boy's heart.
Back at home, only the servants were there to greet him. With the masters away, the house felt strangely quiet. All of the servants seem to listen only to ying di and care only about him. Still, he didn't pay much attention to it. His body was already aching from the journey, and all he wanted was to reach his room and lie down.
He slowly made his way toward the room on the first floor, each step requiring more effort than it should have. His unusually sensitive body made even the slightest pain feel far more intense, turning every ache into something sharper and more irritating. What might have been nothing more than a mild discomfort for someone else felt almost unbearable to him.
Thankfully, he had a very cute little helper by his side.
Ying Mao eagerly tried to guide him toward the stairs, his small hands doing their best to support Jua even though his tiny frame could never hope to bear an adult's weight. Every few steps, the boy would glance up at him anxiously, as though worried Jua might stumble.
Despite knowing the little boy couldn't actually support him, Jua found his efforts incredibly endearing.
A small smile appeared on his lips as he gently reached out and caressed the top of Ying Mao's head.
Ying Mao immediately looked up at him with a bright, adorable smile.
"Are you tired, Brother Jua?"
Jua simply shook his head and continued climbing the stairs.
Neither of them noticed the pair of cold, snake-like eyes watching them from a distance.
Ying Di stood silently nearby, his expression unreadable as he took out a cigarette and bit it between his lips. His gaze remained fixed on the two figures climbing the stairs together, watching the way Ying Mao happily stayed beside Jua and the way Jua occasionally smiled down at the child.
Something dark flickered in Ying Di's eyes.
So this is how you want to do it, Jua...
The corner of his lips slowly curled upward.
Well and good.
I'll show you exactly what I can do.
His grin widened, carrying a chilling edge that didn't reach his eyes.
After all, both his parents were currently abroad on a business trip. There was no one in the house who could interfere with him, and no one who would stop him from getting whatever he wanted.