Su Pu had moved out of the apartment over a year ago, never seeing Zhang Da since.
Their lives barely intersected, and Zhang Da had lost a lot of weight, face darkened, gaunt and somewhat unsettling.
Instinctively, Su Pu recoiled.
“Shh…”
Noticing his fear, Zhang Da placed a finger to his lips, signaling quiet to avoid waking others.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m getting you out.”
He quickly untied Su Pu’s hands and feet, draping the rope loosely over his shoulders.
“Move your ankles first, or running later will be difficult…”
Zhang Da asked, “Do you remember this place?”
Streetlights filtered in, revealing the room. Su Pu felt a strange familiarity.
“This is my room. You used to live next door,” Zhang Da explained.
Su Pu blinked, taking it in.
No wonder it felt familiar—though the room smelled of smoke and alcohol, old apartments share a certain worn character.
Through the thin curtains, Su Pu recognized the building across the way; his eyes lit up.
The hushed voices disturbed a sleeper, who murmured and demanded to know who was speaking.
Zhang Da hushed him. Su Pu held his breath.
Eventually, the snores resumed, blending into the room’s dreamlike symphony.
Now was the chance to escape!
Zhang Da helped him up, supporting his arms.
They tiptoed, slowly opening the door.
The old door creaked, but Zhang Da had Su Pu go first. He lingered to ensure no one noticed, then quietly shut the door.
The corridor was empty; over the year, other tenants had moved on.
Everyone had started a new life, only he remained.
When Zhang Da reached the front door, he saw it open—the little mute was gone.
This departure was even more decisive than a year ago; not even the hallway sensor lights registered.
Zhang Da stood in the doorway, watching the dark hall, smiling wryly.
So Su Pu’s departures were always silent.
Of course—he was the bastard who kidnapped him, heading to prison. He had no right to a proper farewell.
After a moment, the door quietly closed.
Zhang Da stepped inside, ready for the storm awaiting him.
Consider it repayment…
Cloud City cooled from that night onward, winter countdown beginning.
The last forecasted drop had found Su Pu and Li Jichuan sharing a sofa, eating cantaloupe.
Su Pu always felt the cold in his feet first; summer ended, and they became ice-cold.
Li Jichuan lifted his pajamas, generously offering his belly to warm Su Pu’s feet. Su Pu’s expression embarrassed, body comfortably enjoying it.
Watching TV, Li Jichuan teased, pinching his toes.
“Xiao Pu, work hard—we need a bigger place before winter!”
Su Pu frowned, confused how cold weather related to moving.
Through his cotton pajamas, Li Jichuan rubbed his instep.
“It’s already this chilly. By winter, we’ll need a stove to warm these little ice blocks.”
Su Pu rubbed his toes against Li Jichuan’s abs, signaling he could use them too.
Li Jichuan’s gaze darkened. “You sure my abs are only for that?”
“Kind of a waste otherwise…”
He pressed closer; Su Pu laughed uncontrollably, feet warming quickly…
Li Jichuan… Li Jichuan…
At this moment, Su Pu kept repeating the name in his mind, inching forward step by step.
Whenever fear gripped him, his legs felt as heavy as lead—a conditioned response that had haunted him throughout his twenty-plus years.
But tonight, he had to run!
He had to push through, had to survive!
He knew that somewhere in this city, the person who loved him so deeply must be pacing anxiously, desperate for any sign of him.
He couldn’t let Li Jichuan shed another tear over him…
Move, run, get going!
Biting his lip, Su Pu forced his legs forward, pounding them with his fists, trying to wake them up.
Make them move faster, faster… toward the one he loved.
He still didn’t understand why Zhang Da had helped him, but he knew that if the others realized he was escaping, one man alone could never stop them.
If they caught him… there would be no second chance.
It was now well past midnight. The old district felt even more desolate; not even night-shift taxis dared come here.
He was alone on the street, helpless, unable to call for help, dragging every ounce of strength in his body to move forward.
Li Jichuan… Li Jichuan…
Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his temples; in truth, his entire body was drenched. His vision flickered between blurry and sharp, ears ringing.
Overcoming instinct was a war of will against body and mind.
His body resisted with abnormal reactions; his mind conjured the darkest fears, urging him to give up, to surrender.
Li Jichuan… Li Jichuan…
Still, Su Pu pressed on.
Perhaps his body was already depleted of fluids. After crossing one street, he noticed the sweat on his skin had dried.
The wind made his cheeks feel tight and itchy.
Warmth slowly replaced the biting cold, and his legs grew lighter, moving faster.
The little mute felt disoriented—was he on the verge of death? Or had they recaptured him, and this was just the hallucination of despair?
Li Jichuan… Li Jichuan…
No matter what, he had to keep going, keep moving forward.
His husband was waiting for him; there were still so many things to do, so many wishes yet unfulfilled.
In this world, Li Jichuan had only him, and he had only Li Jichuan—they could not be separated.
No one could tear them apart…
Li Jichuan… Li Jichuan…
He bit his lip, suddenly blinded by several bright lights.
The beams flashed across him before softening, sweeping over his calves.
A car accelerated and stopped in front of him.
In the next second, someone stepped out, the tap of a cane on the pavement audible at first before it was discarded.
The person strode forward, hugging him tightly, letting out choked, tearful sighs.
“Xiao Pu, Xiao Pu…”
“Sorry, I’m late. Sorry I left you waiting by the roadside…”
“Sorry… I let you get hurt again…”
Li Jichuan’s embrace was so warm that Su Pu’s exhaustion hit him; he slumped down entirely.
Tears welled in his eyes again, mingling with Li Jichuan’s, merging into the extraordinary night.
The little mute tilted his head, looking up at the pitch-black sky, blinking hard—
Was he seeing it right?
Countless white ice crystals were drifting down.
Snow.
The first snow.
Though temporarily safe, they could not relax yet.
The kidnapping had been meticulously planned; Su Hui had clearly prepared. Letting it go now would be inviting disaster.
Half an hour later, the door of the old apartment was forcefully kicked open, and the gang stumbled out, cursing.
“Damn it, Zhang Da… how dare he pull one over on me…”
“We shouldn’t have trusted him in the first place! Damn it! But now what, bro? He’s been gone so long, where do we even start looking?”
“Hey, wait—who’s that?”
“Heh heh, you didn’t even have a chance to run. Knocked out right here!”
“Don’t blame us—you didn’t run yourself…”
They lifted the person on the ground, turning around—and saw a completely unfamiliar face.
A foreigner.
John’s thin lips curved into a mischievous smile.
“Caught ya!”