Chapter 29: Wanting the stars in the sky, wanting… Huo Zong, wanting to…

Chapter 29: Wanting the stars in the sky, wanting... Huo Zong, wanting to...

"Jiang Fengmian, I just remembered, I have a meeting."

Huo Zong glanced at his wristwatch, nervously preparing to gather his meeting notes. He had only taken a few steps when Jiang Fengmian grabbed him from behind.

Jiang Fengmian held his waist with one hand, stubbornly staring into his eyes. Certain thoughts seemed to be laid bare, all seen through Jiang Fengmian's clear, water-like gaze.

"Brother, Chen Chen said there's nothing going on today."

"Huo Zong, do you think I can't hear? Bad brother, is there something you don't want to tell me?"

"You said I was cute, but now you're not cute at all."

Jiang Fengmian pouted, as if Huo Zong pushing his arm away would make him cry in the next moment.

"Chen Chen didn't mean anything, you're overthinking it."

"Liar, big liar. Huo Zong, do you also think I'm silly?"

Jiang Fengmian's eyes instantly reddened, leaving Huo Zong at a loss. After a few seconds of hesitation, he cupped Jiang Fengmian's face, his thumb gently brushing the corner of his eye.

"Not silly, very cute." Huo Zong sighed, trying to phrase it delicately: "It's what Dr. Li said, it's love."

Jiang Fengmian let out a soft "ah," suddenly understanding. He nuzzled his cheek against Huo Zong's palm, his ears slightly red, murmuring, "Brother, can you sleep with me again tonight?"

Huo Zong: "..."

Silence was the bridge tonight. He just wanted to know how the conversation had jumped to such a twisted place in an instant.

*Thud.*

Huo Zong lightly tapped Jiang Fengmian's head with his knuckle, firmly refusing.

"Jiang Fengmian, you can't just say things like that, not even to me. It's dangerous."

"But Huo Zong is different." Jiang Fengmian's tone was filled with innocence and childishness, his eyes full of Huo Zong.

"How am I different? I'm human too."

Moreover, he wasn't as good as Jiang Fengmian thought. Holding onto Jiang Fengmian, he couldn't help but want to drag him into the abyss with him.

He was almost drowning in the fleeting pleasure of skin contact. Every touch made him want to meld Jiang Fengmian into every inch of his bones and blood.

But Jiang Fengmian knew nothing, treating him as the most special person in the world, which was unfair to Jiang Fengmian.

In truth, he should push Jiang Fengmian away now, but Jiang Fengmian's hand gripped his cold wrist, the overwhelming itch instantly suppressed, and he couldn't bear to let go.

"Jiang Fengmian, if you ever feel uncomfortable, you should stay away from me immediately."

The arm around his waist tightened suddenly. Jiang Fengmian shook his head, poking Huo Zong's chest, "Huo Zong, with you here, I won't feel uncomfortable. I won't run, I'll hold you."

"There's a chain at home, brother. I want to tie you up. If you don't run, I won't run either."

Huo Zong suddenly felt that his dark thoughts might not mean much to Jiang Fengmian, and perhaps even desired.

The chain that occasionally tied him up had never been thrown away. Huo Zong, afraid of bringing up sad memories, never mentioned it, but now Jiang Fengmian could calmly talk about it.

"Brother, do you think I'm annoying?"

Jiang Fengmian hurriedly wiped away his tears and forced a smile. Every time he pretended to be pitiful, his tears would fall non-stop, but when he was truly sad, he would put on a brave face.

"No, I’m not annoyed with you, I’m just worried about you."

"How about I take you out to play? You can do whatever you want."

Jiang Fengmian responded softly, secretly hooking his pinky finger with Huo Zong’s. When he wasn’t pushed away, he boldly held on.

Huo Zong glanced at their intertwined hands. Well, all that talking was for nothing. Not only was it ineffective, Jiang Fengmian had become even clingier.

***

In such a big city, Huo Zong had never really explored it properly. He had the driver drop them off at a random parking lot, then followed half a step behind Jiang Fengmian, aimlessly wandering.

"Brother, I didn’t bring any money when I came out. What if I want to buy something for you?"

Following Jiang Fengmian’s gaze, Huo Zong noticed he was staring at a massive exhibition cabbage, vibrant green, with what seemed like water droplets still clinging to it.

"I have money. You can take whatever you want, but that cabbage is off-limits. It’s a model for the agricultural product exhibition."

Jiang Fengmian looked quite disappointed, lingering reluctantly before being pulled away by Huo Zong, muttering, "I thought it was jade. It’s so beautiful."

Jade, there seemed to be a whole box of it in the warehouse. If Jiang Fengmian liked it, he could dig it out and give it to him tonight.

Passing through the exhibition hall, Jiang Fengmian realized they had arrived at Huo Corporation’s mall.

Among the towering buildings in this area, more than half were constructed by Huo Corporation. In the busiest commercial street, Huo Corporation’s mall stood quietly, a landmark and a symbol of extravagance.

"Jiang Fengmian, do you still want a plushie? There’s a claw machine at the entrance."

The moment their eyes met, Huo Zong awkwardly looked away. From Jiang Fengmian’s questioning gaze, he clearly remembered his last attempt, where he had to buy out all the coins to barely manage a catch.

"Brother, I just want one."

Jiang Fengmian thought it would be better to set a smaller goal, saving Huo Zong a bit of face.

"Jiang Fengmian, I’ll allow you to get a bunch."

Wow, now that sounded like a domineering CEO from a novel.

"Okay, okay, I’ll take a bunch."

Huo Zong still bought a hundred yuan’s worth of coins in one go. His knuckles gripped the joystick, and Jiang Fengmian stared at Huo Zong’s Adam’s apple from the side.

There seemed to be a faint pink hue on it, something he had left there. He wondered what it would feel like to bite it. Last time, he should have been bolder and gone straight for the Adam’s apple. What a missed opportunity.

Jiang Fengmian licked his lips, tilting his head slightly. Taking advantage of Huo Zong’s focus on the claw machine, his gaze wandered freely over Huo Zong’s body.

The novel said Huo Zong had no heart, but Jiang Fengmian always felt that the person who wrote that story had given their heart to someone else.

Huo Zong’s heart was probably snow-colored, like the frost-covered peaks of a mountain. With just a light touch, it could turn crimson.

Click.

Huo Zong handed the first plushie he caught to Jiang Fengmian. It looked strange.

"Brother, don’t you think…"

"Yeah, it’s a bit odd."

Jiang Fengmian stared at it for a long time before realizing—it was a shark!

The atmosphere suddenly became a bit awkward for a moment. Huo Zong, with a cold expression, looked at the plush toys in the claw machine, including but not limited to, shark forks, shark bees, shark cats, shark dogs, shark melons, shrimp and pig hearts, and dinosaurs fighting wolves.

Huo Zong seriously examined the entire row of plush toys, all of which were these, keeping up with the latest trends.

"Ahem, Jiang Fengmian, do you still want them?"

"Yes, they're cute, I like them."

Huo Zong hummed in acknowledgment and proceeded to grab every type of plush toy, achieving a 100% success rate.

Jiang Fengmian went from initial shock to complete numbness. His arms couldn't hold them all, so Huo Zong even had the staff bring over a few shopping carts. One might have thought they were there to stock up on plush toys for resale.

With the last coin inserted, Huo Zong grabbed yet another one.

Jiang Fengmian forced a smile, "Huo Zong, that's too many, I really can't carry them all."

"Alright, no more grabbing."

Huo Zong's gaze swept over the pile of plush toys several times, his invisible tail practically wagging with pride. He nonchalantly pushed the shopping cart, subtly showing off.

"Brother, you're really amazing, I love them all."

"Hmm, it's alright, just got lucky."

Huo Zong's smile was harder to suppress than an AK, practically writing his joy all over his face.

Jiang Fengmian hissed, seriously suspecting that Huo Zong had brought him out just for this—to redeem himself and make a grand impression, forcing Jiang Fengmian to see him in a new light.

Thinking this, Jiang Fengmian pushed the cart closer to Huo Zong. When their shoulders touched, his adoring gaze fixed on Huo Zong's face, and he said in an exaggerated tone, "Huo Zong, you're so great, can we get closer?"

"Jiang Fengmian, there are people around."

"Hmph."

Jiang Fengmian let out a soft cry, pressing his head against Huo Zong's neck, his nose lightly brushing against it before quickly pulling away.

His heart pounded wildly, but he didn't dare to let his lips linger.

"Huo Zong, no one saw."

The voice was very, very low, but Jiang Fengmian spoke it right next to Huo Zong's ear, his warm breath brushing against the reddened tip of Huo Zong's ear, like a fleeting, gentle kiss.

It was tingling and warm, sticky.

Huo Zong's grip on the shopping cart tightened, and a flicker of amusement passed through his lowered eyes.

He felt inexplicably happy, though what exactly he was happy about was unclear. He seemed to grasp something, but it quickly slipped away.

"Brother, will they fit in the car? There are so many."

The trunk couldn't hold them all, so the remaining plush toys had to sit on the car seats.

"Let the driver take them back first. Aunt Wang is home at this hour."

"Yay, yay."

The bustling street was packed with people. Jiang Fengmian struggled to navigate through the crowd. There must have been some event today, as the small square seemed to be filled with a billion people.

He had just sighed when, in the next moment, he was enveloped in Huo Zong's warm embrace.

Huo Zong held him, creating a small space just for him.

Jiang Fengmian looked up, staring at Huo Zong's suddenly gentle expression, as if holding him in his arms was just a trivial, everyday matter.

After squeezing through the crowd, the sky was slightly darkening. Huo Zong's immaculate suit had a few specks of dust on it, right on the arm that had been holding him. The dust was a light gray, and it was hard to tell exactly what it was.

"Brother, let me blow it off."

Huo Zong stood there in a daze, only hesitating about whether to use a handkerchief to wipe it off. In that moment, Jiang Fengmian had already grabbed his arm, stood in the direction of the wind, and blew hard a few times.

The dust seemed to disperse, leaving only a faint mark.

"Brother, what should we do? It's dirty."

Jiang Fengmian was extremely upset, his brows furrowed.

"Jiang Fengmian, it's okay. This is a medal for protecting you. It's not dirty."

"Then, is this dirty?"

Jiang Fengmian deliberately used the finger that had touched the dirty spot on Huo Zong's sleeve to scratch his chin, as if teasing a majestic wolf, his eyes full of laughter.

"It's not dirty, Jiang Fengmian. As long as it's you, it's never dirty."

With a flicker of his gaze, the smile in Jiang Fengmian's eyes spread. What Huo Zong gave him was always blatant favoritism, though perhaps even he himself hadn't realized it.

"Huo Zong, I want the stars in the sky."

"Okay."

Huo Zong's gaze fell behind Jiang Fengmian. His arm slid down, hooking Jiang Fengmian's wrist through the thin fabric of his clothes. His steps grew faster and faster as they passed through the lush tree-lined path, breathing in the scent of freedom in the wind.

The air carried the fresh scent of soil, the sound of flowers gulping down water.

Huo Zong didn't say where they were going, so Jiang Fengmian didn't ask. Only when they stopped at the next intersection did Huo Zong glance at his watch, silently counting to ten. From across the intersection came an old man selling balloons.

"Hello, I'll take all of these balloons."

"All of them? There are over a hundred here, and each costs twenty-five yuan."

"Yes, I'll take them."

The old man was overjoyed. He had just set up his stall and already had a customer who wanted everything. He immediately handed the balloons to Huo Zong.

"Young man, that'll be two thousand seven hundred and twenty-five yuan. Just give me two thousand seven hundred, and I'll throw in an extra one for you."

"Thank you."

Huo Zong took the large bunch of balloons, pulling them down and handing them to Jiang Fengmian.

"Jiang Fengmian, here you go. Next time, I'll give you the stars. Look, these balloons have stars on them too."

Jiang Fengmian took the balloons, his eyes still fixed on Huo Zong.

He thought to himself that he already had his own star, a unique star.

"Huo Zong, I want to take a photo, me and the stars."

"Okay, stand under the streetlight. I'll take the photo for you."

The dim yellow light hid beneath the tree shadows, casting mottled patterns on Jiang Fengmian. His dimples slightly indented as he firmly tied the balloons to his wrist, waving at Huo Zong, who had already snapped several photos.

"Brother, come here."

"What's wrong?"

Jiang Fengmian clung to Huo Zong's arm, leaning his head against him, signaling Huo Zong to take the photo just like that.

At the moment the camera clicked, Jiang Fengmian's gaze met his. In the background, the balloons blurred, leaving only the two of them in sharp focus.

Huo Zong suddenly realized something. He stuffed his phone into his pocket, his heart inexplicably stirring.

Jiang Fengmian, beside him, curved his lips and poked at Huo Zong's chest, saying, "Stars."

Huo Zong's deep and captivating eyes lit up for a moment, then stiffened abruptly upon meeting Jiang Fengmian's clear, misty eyes, before he looked away with a hint of panic.

Wanting stars, he was the star, so Jiang Fengmian wanted him...

Huo Zong dared not think too deeply. Reason told him Jiang Fengmian didn't mean it that way, yet he couldn't help but indulge.

He treaded on the floating duckweed of a lake, rising and falling with Jiang Fengmian's closeness and distance.

They said he was a calamity star, destined to bring misfortune to anyone who cared for him. The woman he had never met was like that, the uncle who had taken care of him since childhood until he was seventeen was like that, and the aunt who loved him like her own son was also like that.

Perhaps, Jiang Fengmian would be the same.

Huo Zong blinked, gripping Jiang Fengmian's mischievous hand, placing it gently by his side. His heart ached faintly, yet he spoke in a firm tone, "Jiang Fengmian, in the future, there will be even more beautiful stars."

"I already have the most beautiful star."

Jiang Fengmian poked at the balloon, his reddened eyes fixed on Huo Zong as he mumbled, "The most beautiful star in the whole world."

Jiang Fengmian couldn't remember when the crowd around them had dispersed. Huo Zong seemed to keep a slight distance, no longer holding his wrist.

Jiang Fengmian trailed behind Huo Zong, carefully stepping on his shadow. Only when he merged with the shadow did he feel closer to Huo Zong.

Thud.

Jiang Fengmian's head bumped against Huo Zong's chest. He heard Huo Zong say, "Jiang Fengmian."

"Brother."

A warm hand cupped his chin. Huo Zong hooked his ear, seemingly sighing.

"Why are you crying so quietly again?"

Was he crying?

Jiang Fengmian blinked, and a hot tear instantly fell onto Huo Zong's hand. He stubbornly wiped the corner of his eye, whimpering, "The star is too far, I can't reach it."

Huo Zong was silent for a few seconds, then grabbed Jiang Fengmian's wrist and pulled him forward.

"I should tie you to my belt, otherwise I wouldn't even know when you get taken away."

"How would you tie me? Go ahead, tie me."

Huo Zong's fingers slowly interlaced with Jiang Fengmian's, forming a perfect hand-in-hand gesture.

"Like this. If someone tries to take you, I can hold onto you."

Hmph, Huo Zong, who says one thing and means another, is more honest with his body than his words.

"Huo Zong, why is it so dark here?"

Is this the way we came before? It feels a bit off.

"Because someone wants to play dirty."

Huo Zong walked into a dead-end alley. He looked at the wall in front of him, shielding Jiang Fengmian behind him, and casually picked up a piece of wood from the ground.

He swung it casually, and a sharp whistling sound followed. He whispered, "Jiang Fengmian, stay behind me."

"Okay."

Huo Zong noticed something was wrong when he was taking photos earlier. He raised his phone, and a few suspicious-looking thugs suddenly appeared in the frame, peeking around. They seemed to notice his gaze and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Coincidentally, Jiang Fengmian had said something suggestive, which made Huo Zong nervous. Jiang Fengmian was secretly upset, and without holding his hand, Huo Zong was afraid something might happen to him.

"You've been sneaking around for a while now. Come out."

*Spit.*

A thick glob of phlegm landed at the corner of the alley. The sound of the man's raspy breathing made Jiang Fengmian feel nauseous just listening to it.

The man, around thirty years old, was wearing cropped skinny pants, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He stepped on the phlegm he had just spat out and ground it under his foot, looking defiant.

Behind him, a group of lackeys were holding iron rods, clearly prepared for trouble.

"Wow, you’re really generous, buying a balloon worth two or three thousand just like that. What a sucker. How about lending us some money?"

"You two look soft and tender. I’m sure you don’t want to get hurt, especially your little boyfriend. He’s crying, so he must be afraid of pain. We’re just short on cash, nothing else."

The man in the cropped pants took a deep drag of his cigarette, and the small alley was immediately filled with smoke.

Jiang Fengmian coughed, leaning on Huo Zong’s back, trying to catch a whiff of his woody scent.

Huo Zong frowned slightly, patting Jiang Fengmian’s hand and whispering, "Stay safe."

"It seems you’re not just here for money. Let’s save time—come at me all at once."

*Spit.*

Another glob of phlegm.

The man in the cropped pants narrowed his eyes, flexing his wrists, clearly not taking Huo Zong seriously.

"Brothers, let’s go."

The sound of iron rods scraping against the cement ground was almost suffocating.

Jiang Fengmian’s eyes darted around, and he spotted a short stick in the corner of the alley. While Huo Zong charged forward, he quickly picked it up and held it tightly.

The balloon moved up and down with Jiang Fengmian’s actions. His sharp gaze fixed on the thugs, guarding Huo Zong’s back.

The thugs clearly had no professional training, relying solely on brute force as they swung their weapons wildly. Huo Zong kicked the first one, a guy with dyed hair, sending him flying and taking his weapon in the process.

He had deliberately chosen a dead-end alley—narrow, so they couldn’t all rush at once, and it allowed him to protect Jiang Fengmian from harm.

"Damn, boss, he seems pretty tough."

"Stop talking nonsense, can't I see that?"

The red-haired guy got slapped by the guy in cropped pants, feeling quite aggrieved. He held the stick but didn't dare to charge forward. The fourth brother had already been knocked down by Huo Zong, and he could hear the sound of bones cracking from the punches. It was brutal, really brutal.

The guy in cropped pants gave the red-haired guy a look, signaling him to attack Jiang Fengmian behind Huo Zong. That kid looked delicate and tender, probably couldn't take a punch. Once he was down, they could threaten Huo Zong, which would be better than fighting him head-on.

The thugs quickly came up with a plan through exchanged glances. A few of them would hold off Huo Zong while the red-haired guy went to grab Jiang Fengmian.

"Brother, watch your head."

Huo Zong grunted in acknowledgment, blocking the iron rod aimed at his head with a backhand motion. He swiftly kicked the green-haired guy who had approached him, the force so strong that the guy's shoulder hit the wall, leaving him howling in pain and unable to get up.

Huo Zong fought like a man possessed, not even blinking. Every punch he threw landed with a solid thud. After fighting for so long, only the green-haired guy managed to hit his shoulder once.

He showed no signs of weakness, his punches becoming even more precise and powerful. The thugs could only flee in panic, covering their heads.

The red-haired guy seized the opportunity, darting in from behind Huo Zong. He let out a sinister laugh, as if he was about to catch Jiang Fengmian.

Huo Zong was still some distance away, held back by four or five people, unable to reach them.

"Why are you making this so difficult? Just hand over the money. You, with your good looks, it's a shame to be with that ugly guy."

Jiang Fengmian scratched his ear. Ugly guy? Who, himself?

"Big brother will have some fun with you today."

Huo Zong's eyes sharpened, and he completely lost his restraint. He glanced worriedly at Jiang Fengmian, adopting a no-holds-barred attitude, striking the thugs with the rod one after another.

Meanwhile, as soon as the red-haired guy finished his threat, Jiang Fengmian swung the stick at his head.

The nearly rotten wood didn't have much force, but the red-haired guy felt dizzy. Before he could react, Jiang Fengmian had already snatched the stick from his hand and kicked him in the chest, even more ferocious than Huo Zong.

Jiang Fengmian didn't speak while fighting. He grabbed the red-haired guy by the neck, pinned him to the ground, and punched him repeatedly.

The balloon floated in the wind as the red-haired guy, gasping for air, looked at Jiang Fengmian, unable to connect the beautiful, delicate young man with the one who was beating him bloody.

Coughing violently, the red-haired guy could barely breathe, his legs struggling with less and less strength.

Over there, Huo Zong had already taken down all the other thugs. The guy in cropped pants dropped his cigarette, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

Damn, what kind of devil is this?

They were just after money, not their lives.

"Jiang Fengmian, that's enough."

Jiang Fengmian was panting heavily, his fists still bleeding. Huo Zong pulled him up by the waist, and Jiang Fengmian's gaze was fixed on the tattoo on the red-haired guy's neck, as if he wanted to carve it out inch by inch.

He couldn't hear Huo Zong's words, only instinctively looking at the ones lying on the ground. Without exception, they all had that tattoo.

A ghostly skull.

When Huo Zong had the car accident, the truck driver who hit him had half of that ghostly skull tattoo on his neck.

After killing Huo Zong, the truck caught fire, and the driver was burned beyond recognition. Only half of the tattoo remained for the family to identify him as their so-and-so.

A nameless so-and-so, who, after drunk driving, lost control of the vehicle and crashed into Huo Zong's car, leaving the body unrecognizable.

Jiang Fengmian never believed it was an accident. What kind of coincidence was that? The out-of-control vehicle just happened to crash into Huo Zong, and there were no clues to be found.

It seems now that these people had planned it all along. It wasn't a coincidence that they encountered Huo Zong when he was generously buying balloons; they followed him with the intention of beating him up.

This place is a blind spot for surveillance, so no matter how severely they fight, no one would notice.

Jiang Fengmian was visibly losing control of his emotions. His gaze, filled with hatred, was fixed on these people. He was trembling all over, trying to calm his emotions, and leaned into Huo Zong's arms, asking, "Brother, have you called the police?"

Jiang Fengmian suspected that the ghost-faced skull was a symbol of an organization, and these were just small fry. Even if they could only catch one, there was still hope.

"Yes, I have."

He had called the police before coming to the alley, and they should be arriving soon.

The red-haired man looked at Jiang Fengmian in terror, instinctively backing away, but the pain in his body made it impossible for him to stand up. He could only watch as the boss took a few who could still move and ran away.

The wailing sound of police sirens rang out, and the few who had run away were caught and brought back together.

The red-haired man actually felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, it wasn't just the three of them who were caught; it was all of them.

"Come on, take them all to the police station."