Chapter 74: Rescue

Chapter 74: Rescue

Yun Fan counted the sunrises and sunsets, realizing he had been trapped on this desolate island for two days. Liu Erxing knew he couldn't win Yun Fan's heart, yet he had no intention of letting him go either, as if this prolonged standoff held a peculiar fascination for him.

But Yun Fan had no desire to humor him any longer. He missed Wen Zhaofu dearly and yearned to know the outcome of his surgery. He still needed to accompany Wen Zhaofu through his rehabilitation—a process that promised to be quite lengthy.

He hadn't even given Wen Zhaofu a proper birthday celebration or enjoyed a carefree outing with him. So many things remained undone, and he refused to let them become lifelong regrets.

Yun Fan's lips had slowly begun to scab over. Liu Erxing no longer touched him, merely observed him from a distance, his brows furrowed in deep thought.

And so they remained, locked in this silent struggle, from daybreak until nightfall. At night, Yun Fan barely dared to sleep, his senses heightened, wary of Liu Erxing.

Liu Erxing, for his part, did not repeat any outrageous acts. He often sank into contemplation, then spent long periods simply staring at Yun Fan.

On the third night, after turning off the lights, Liu Erxing lay on the floor as usual. This time, however, he wasn't lying stiffly but curled up into a ball.

In the profound darkness, Yun Fan could hear the roaring waves. He kept his eyes open, struggling to remain vigilant. He was utterly exhausted, his body feverish and weak, fighting to maintain consciousness and stay alert.

Liu Erxing suddenly let out a soft chuckle and began to speak, as if to himself: “I haven’t told you about my childhood, have I?”

“When my parents divorced, neither of them wanted me. In the end, my grandmother said she would raise me, and that’s how I finally had a home.”

“Tell me, if they didn’t like each other or me, why did they have me? They all spoke so nicely, citing many unavoidable circumstances, but what did any of that have to do with me?”

“No one cared about what I thought. My father only cared about my relationship with Wen Tingwang and how many shares of Wenming Entertainment I could secure.”

“My so-called friends only cared about what exciting projects I invested in, so they could tag along. Who ever asked if I was happy?”

“Do I not care about anything? Ha, it’s all an act.” Liu Erxing laughed self-deprecatingly. “Zhaofu saw through it long ago and even warned me not to be too extreme.”

“I’m grateful to Zhaofu; he helped me a lot. I could yield on everything else, but when it comes to you, I can’t.”

Before this, Yun Fan had never heard Liu Erxing speak with such earnestness. He was always cynical and rarely spoke properly. These were words Liu Erxing had suppressed for a long time, finally choosing this ill-timed moment to confide in Yun Fan.

But the utterly exhausted Yun Fan had no desire to serve as his emotional confidant.

“Liu Erxing, but I haven’t wronged you,” Yun Fan said coldly. “I owe you nothing, so there’s nothing to repay.”

“I know,” Liu Erxing smiled. “But I can’t control myself anymore. I’m about to lose you.”

“You never possessed me, how can you lose me?” Yun Fan’s voice remained flat. “I used to think we had things to talk about. Zhaofu admired you too. We could have been friends.”

Liu Erxing was surprisingly calm now. After a moment of thought, he asked, “If it weren’t for Zhaofu, would it have been me?”

“No,” Yun Fan replied immediately. “You can’t control yourself, but you want to control me. That makes me very uncomfortable.”

Whether it was Cheng Yu, Wen Haochen, or even the seemingly carefree Liu Erxing, openly or covertly, they all wished Yun Fan would conform to their expectations. But Yun Fan refused; he only wanted to live according to his own heart.

No one ever asked Yun Fan what he wanted. They only focused on their own desires. Was that truly love?

Hearing Yun Fan’s answer, Liu Erxing’s expression softened for a moment. It seemed that losing to Wen Zhaofu was acceptable, as he knew Cheng Yu and Wen Haochen never stood a chance.

Yun Fan’s unwavering resolve in matters of love surprised Liu Erxing. Yun Fan adapted to circumstances but knew precisely what he wanted. In contrast, Liu Erxing, like a free-flying wild goose, had drifted aimlessly through every step of his life.

“Liu Erxing, let me go,” Yun Fan sighed in the darkness. “Zhaofu will find this place sooner or later. I don’t want you two to have a falling out.”

“Are you pitying me?” Liu Erxing chuckled softly.

“You don’t need it,” Yun Fan stated matter-of-factly. “Let’s end this now. Only by ending early can we truly begin anew.”

*

Another dawn arrived. The door of the island cabin was kicked open. Yun Fan released his hands from his knees and squinted toward the entrance.

A not entirely familiar figure walked in through the misty morning light. Then, Yun Fan saw Liu Erxing being kicked to the ground by that person.

“Liu Erxing! Is this how you treat me and the Wen family?” Wen Tingwang’s voice boomed in the small, cramped cabin.

Liu Erxing curled up in pain, offering no defense. Wen Tingwang kicked him again before turning to Yun Fan.

“Child, Third Granduncle is here to rescue you,” Wen Tingwang said softly, as if afraid of startling Yun Fan or unsure of his condition.

Yun Fan managed a weak smile and said, his voice barely a whisper, “I’m fine. What about Zhaofu…”

“He’s fine too. The surgery was successful. He wanted to come, but my mother persuaded him to stay,” Wen Tingwang replied quickly.

Yun Fan nodded, glanced at Liu Erxing, threw off the thin blanket, and slowly moved to the edge of the bed. He tried to stretch his legs but found himself too weak, so he looked up at Wen Tingwang pleadingly.

“Ah, you’ve suffered,” Wen Tingwang waved his hand, and two people entered from outside, supporting Yun Fan on either side.

Over the past few days, Liu Erxing hadn’t deprived Yun Fan of food or drink, but Yun Fan had little appetite, spending most of his time worrying about Wen Zhaofu, leaving him very weak.

“Head back to Hong Kong without worries. I’ll deal with Liu Erxing,” Wen Tingwang said. “I’ll make sure to…”

“Let him go,” Yun Fan spoke slowly. “President Wen, let him go.”

Yun Fan stood while Liu Erxing remained on the ground, tilting his head to look up at Yun Fan. It was another perspective he had never experienced, but it would also be the last time he saw Yun Fan this way.

When Yun Fan said to let him go, Liu Erxing knew it wasn’t forgiveness or reconciliation but a permanent farewell.

There were no vehement accusations or frantic scolding. Yun Fan spoke calmly, and Liu Erxing’s heart sank like a stone.

He knew he could never stand before Yun Fan again. Yun Fan was saying, “It’s nothing major. Let’s not see each other again in this lifetime.” The final words were about letting each other go.

Perhaps it was because he had never truly cared that he could speak so calmly. Liu Erxing rolled onto his back, smiled bitterly, and a tear fell from the corner of his eye.

Yun Fan glanced at him, then turned and left. If they were never to meet again, perhaps it was just as well—maybe they should never have met in the first place.

They first took a helicopter to the nearest large island, where Shi Ning, who had been waiting, was on the verge of tears. Wasting no time, he quickly examined Yun Fan.

After hooking him up to an IV, Shi Ning looked at Yun Fan and let out a long sigh. “Zhaofu is fine. He’s resting. The surgery went smoothly.”

“He’s not okay,” Yun Fan shook his head, his eyes reddening. “He must have been worried sick.”

Shi Ning looked at Yun Fan, pausing for a long moment before saying, “Yes, he couldn’t sleep at all.”

“Let’s hurry back,” Yun Fan raised his hand to wipe the corner of his eye.

Shi Ning lifted his hand, wanting to offer some comfort but feeling that nothing he said would be as effective as reuniting the two quickly. So, he checked Yun Fan’s condition again and notified the pilot to take off immediately.

It had been raining in Hong Kong for days. They circled the airport several times before finding a gap to land. Yun Fan was swathed in layers, ensuring he wouldn’t be photographed by reporters. Shi Ning accompanied him all the way to the hospital, directly to Wen Zhaofu’s room.

Having received Wen Tingwang’s message earlier confirming Yun Fan’s safety, Wen Zhaofu’s tense nerves finally eased, allowing himself to nap.

He slept lightly, waking up the moment Yun Fan entered the room. Their eyes met, and neither spoke.

Just looking at each other quietly, a thousand words surged in their hearts. Despite all they had been through, at this moment, they were speechless.

“Come here, Xiao Yun,” Wen Zhaofu said, his voice thick with emotion.

Yun Fan hurried over, finally unable to hold back his emotions, throwing himself into Wen Zhaofu’s arms. He embraced that warm, sturdy body once again—the love of his life.

He had never seen Wen Zhaofu cry before, but now the man before him couldn't stop his tears from flowing, streaming down into Yun Fan's heart, drowning out his sorrow.

"Sir, you crybaby," Yun Fan forced a smile, cupping Wen Zhaofu's face. "If your father ruins the Wen Group, will you cry like this too?"

"No," Wen Zhaofu kissed Yun Fan's palm. "That's nothing. Even without the Wen Group, I have enough money to last us two lifetimes."

Yun Fan paused, studying Wen Zhaofu intently. He wiped the corners of Wen Zhaofu's eyes with his thumb. "One lifetime is enough. Let's live well, together for a lifetime."

"Okay, I'll listen to you, Xiao Yun. Whatever you say." A faint smile finally appeared on Wen Zhaofu's weary face.

Even after Wen Zhaofu left the hospital, Yun Fan never spoke about what happened during the days he was taken by Liu Erxing. He didn't want to talk about it, and Wen Zhaofu didn't ask.

The harm had already been done, and constantly reopening the wound would only bring more pain.

Liu Erxing cut off all contact with everyone, and no one could find him. His father, Liu Jun, was desperate, searching everywhere and asking everyone, but those who want to hide always find a way.

In the end, it was a complete disaster. Liu Jun lost Wen Tingwang's trust and couldn't even get through the doors of Wenming Entertainment.

Wen Tingwang scolded Liu Jun for treating his child as a tool, driving a perfectly good young man to such extremes. Liu Jun refused to admit he was wrong, making excuses until Wen Tingwang cut him off completely.

After this, Wen Zhaofu and Yun Fan moved into a spacious high-rise apartment in the city. Neither of them wanted to return to Wen Yanlan's estate, unwilling to face the questions, preferring instead to stay together quietly, just the two of them.

Clearly, Yun Fan became quieter. Wen Zhaofu held him, both watching the clouds outside the window. Yun Fan pressed closer to Wen Zhaofu, lifted his head to kiss Wen Zhaofu's chin, and smiled again.

"Wen Zhaofu, don't blame yourself," Yun Fan said softly. "It's not your fault, and it's not mine either."

Wen Zhaofu stilled for a moment, looking down at Yun Fan. He kissed Yun Fan's lips and said in a low voice, "I know, but..."

Yun Fan turned to embrace him, kissing him hard. "No 'buts,' Wen Zhaofu. Look at me."

Wen Zhaofu licked his lips, tasting the faint metallic tang of blood. He looked at Yun Fan and saw himself reflected in his eyes.

"I'm here to love you, not to make you suffer. We've been through so much—heaven wants us to be together. If you keep drowning in self-blame, we can't be happy."

Wen Zhaofu stared intently at Yun Fan, realizing how completely Yun Fan saw through him. The outside world said Wen Zhaofu was too complex to decipher, but Yun Fan saw through every part of him.

Yun Fan didn't stop, continuing to unravel Wen Zhaofu's heart: "You're afraid I'll suddenly disappear, so I'll stay with you every day. As long as you don't get tired of me, I won't get tired of you. Anyway, I've decided—I'm sticking around here, and no one can tell me otherwise."

"Good," Wen Zhaofu finally replied, as if he could finally let go. "Xiao Yun, don't leave me. I need you."

Yun Fan nodded eagerly, holding Wen Zhaofu's head and kissing him passionately. In times of uncertainty, such intimacy seemed to hold the most primal strength.

When his smooth back touched the fluffy blanket, Yun Fan couldn't help but laugh at the ticklish sensation. Wen Zhaofu was still hesitant, even though Yun Fan had already tangled with him, stripping off his clothes.

"This blanket..."

"If it gets dirty, you wash it."

"Okay." Wen Zhaofu laughed, his laughter making them both tremble.

The vast sky and sea were not far away, but neither of them wanted any of it. Because at this moment, this embrace was everything.

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Author's note: Final chapter tomorrow!