Chapter 164
The entire afternoon, Allen was restless, his thoughts consumed by Su Bin.
Ever since the conflict at Jin Fei’s house over the “life and death” issue, Allen had been planning everything. Now, nearly two years had passed since they got together, from Su Bin starting to show jealousy, attempting to act cute, learning how to say sweet words, gradually depending on him, to thinking about him constantly, even drunkenly confessing his love… Every change in Su Bin had been within Allen’s control and expectation.
Despite this, whenever he faced Su Bin, Allen would occasionally lose control of his overwhelming emotions, always desiring more, craving deeper intimacy, never feeling satisfied no matter how close they were. During these times, Su Bin would become a little afraid of him, but Allen was doing his best to restrain himself.
Watching Su Bin slowly walk toward the cage he had built for him, Allen felt a sense of satisfaction.
It was just one final step. Allen stood inside the cage, repeatedly coaxing Su Bin from the outside — “Come in, come to me. It’s the safest place here.”
Once Su Bin stepped inside, there would be no turning back. He would be forever bound to Allen, inseparable, living and dying together, unable to escape.
But at this moment, Su Bin had started to hesitate! He kept a step of distance from Allen, indecisive, distant…
It wasn’t until yesterday’s confused confession that Allen finally revealed his final card.
Yet, Su Bin hesitated! And his words had even frightened him into a fever!
Was Allen too eager to close the trap? No, Su Bin would eventually have to face this reality.
—So why hesitate? You can’t escape me, can you?
Allen tried to calm himself, fiddling with the reagent in his hand, but his mind was filled with increasingly crazy ideas…
For example, creating a potion that could shrink a person, making Su Bin as small as the size of his hand, attaching a fine chain around his neck, then placing him in the pocket of his watch, with the other end of the chain attached to the button on his coat; or preserving him as a living specimen, housed in an exquisite box, only provided with the nutrients needed for life, and kept with him at all times; sometimes, when Su Bin hesitated, Allen even thought about biting his neck, ripping out his heart, and swallowing it…
…
His assistant, trembling, watched Allen with growing fear as he prepared vial after vial of black liquid, looking like a terrifying sorcerer. The assistant couldn’t help but nervously remind him, “Dr. Louis… are you feeling alright? Do you need to rest for a while?”
Allen paused, setting the test tube down and sighing. “Yeah, I suppose I’m a bit… I’ll head back now.”
Assistant: “No problem, I’ll handle things here.”
In Robert’s car, Allen pressed his fingers to his throbbing temples. The thought of Su Bin alone at home made him uneasy… he should have locked the door when he left.
He didn’t know if that fool was feeling better, or if he had made up his mind… but even if he hadn’t, Allen wouldn’t let go.
—Fool, do you think you’ll have freedom after following me?
…
He arrived home about an hour earlier than usual, a strange feeling creeping over him. Maybe it was the absence of Su Bin’s shoes by the entrance, or the eerie silence in the house, but his heart sank.
He carefully controlled his steps as he went upstairs. When he opened the door and saw the empty bed, Allen’s heart sank further.
He calmly checked the bathroom and then Su Bin’s original bedroom, but there was no sign of him.
Returning to his own room, the blankets were disheveled, but the mattress was already cold.
Su Bin’s phone was quietly resting on the nightstand, with two missed calls from him displayed on the screen.
Allen’s anger surged, his veins bulging as he clenched his fist and paced back and forth through the room, even squatting down to look under the bed, his face darkening with irritation… Very well, so you think you can run away without telling me? Let’s see how I deal with you when you get back!
…
From anger to panic, then to confusion, Allen finally sat expressionlessly on the edge of the bed, waiting for Su Bin.
But he waited the entire night.
From sunset to dawn, Allen’s heart sank little by little. Eleven, twelve, one… Su Bin must have just gone out for some fresh air, or maybe he went to talk to his friend Jason, Allen thought.
But deep down, he already had an answer, though he didn’t want to believe it.
Until the morning light broke, and the sound of Su Bin’s phone vibrating to signal the battery running out broke the silence. Allen’s hand brushed over the sheets Su Bin had slept in, and his heart felt as if it had been submerged in ice water.
—Why run away? Didn’t you say you loved me?
He gently tugged at the blanket, burying his face in it, taking a deep breath, not realizing that his body was trembling uncontrollably…
…Fool, you’re so afraid of me, you’re so eager to run away?
Allen patiently gave Su Bin a full day to return, but still no sign of him. No news at all. In the end, his face darkened as he dialed a number—“Simon, it’s me…”
On the other end, Simon responded respectfully, “Good morning, Your Grace. How can I assist you?”
Allen wearily replied, “Help me find someone. Su Bin.”
Simon: “Huh? Isn’t he always with you?”
Allen: “He’s run away from home.”
Simon: “Uh… (=_=)…”
Allen: “Most of the people Su Bin knows are in M city, so there aren’t many places he could go. I’ve already sent you the information on these people. Besides that, I need you to check L city and D city, starting with Su Bin’s branch stores, especially L city. There’s a high school friend of his there…”
After hanging up the phone, Allen called Robert to pick him up and take him to the lab. On his way downstairs, he bumped into Qi Xin.
For some reason, maybe an instinctive warning from animals, Qi Xin always felt that Allen was a bit dangerous. Plus, Allen was more handsome than him, which made Qi Xin feel some competition. Therefore, they rarely interacted.
Now, seeing Allen with a pale face, dark circles under his eyes, and his cold, lifeless green gaze, Qi Xin couldn’t help but greet him. “Good morning… You look terrible. What happened?”
Allen glanced at him, and Qi Xin instinctively took a step back.
“Has Su Bin been in touch with you recently?” Allen’s voice was hoarse with exhaustion.
Qi Xin: “No… no, I haven’t seen Su Bin these past couple of days. Where is he?”
Allen didn’t answer, coldly saying, “If you hear from him, let me know.”
Qi Xin: “Oh…”
Watching Allen leave, Qi Xin shuddered… My God, this guy could play a vampire without needing makeup!
Su Bin was gone, but Allen continued to work, going through his usual routines of going to and leaving the office.
However, he hadn’t slept for two days and had lost his appetite. Throughout the journey, Allen sat silently in the car, and Robert had never seen the young master in this state before. He was so worried that he nearly shed tears.
“Young master…” When they arrived, Robert couldn’t help but urge, “You should rest at home. Let me go and find him for you.”
Allen closed his eyes and smiled bitterly. “I’ve invested a lot of manpower and resources into the research project on blood diseases. I can’t let my emotional state delay the project or keep a whole team waiting for me.”
Robert, who had watched Allen grow up, knew that once Allen made up his mind, no one could change it. He sighed. “I’ll be on standby.”
Another day passed, and Jin Fei returned from A city. He tried to contact Su Bin, but it was Allen who answered the phone.
From Allen, Jin Fei quickly learned about Su Bin’s “disappearance.” Having some understanding of the relationship between Allen and Su Bin, Jin Fei seriously asked Allen to meet him.
When he saw Allen, Jin Fei was stunned. He wanted to ask something, but the words got stuck in his throat, and he only managed to say, “Are you alright?”
Allen had a sickly flush on his face, looking like he had a fever. His breath was a little quick. Despite it being early December, he was wearing clothes much thicker than usual. “It’s nothing serious. Just a slight fever.” Allen’s voice was weak and low.
“What exactly happened?” Jin Fei recalled the last time he saw Su Bin before he went to A city. Su Bin had been asking him how to confess to Allen about Huang Zhengxing. Could his advice have caused problems between them?
… Damn! He shouldn’t have interfered in their relationship just to get a few days off for Plymouth!
But now that things had come to this, Jin Fei couldn’t stand by and do nothing. He spoke frankly, “I’ve heard from Su Bin about your relationship…”
Half-jokingly, he added, “I gotta say, you’re a bit too domineering. Seeing Su Bin as such a softie, you really take advantage, huh? Oh, and about Huang Zhengxing—there’s nothing between them, right? You didn’t run off and make a scene over this, did you?”
Allen: “…”
“It’s good if it’s nothing!” Jin Fei read the expression on Allen’s face and quickly added, “That kid is sincere, and he really cares about you. I shouldn’t have gotten involved, but I see Su Bin as a brother. If I see him sad or hurt, I can’t stand it… Hey, hey, hey! Why are you glaring at me so fiercely? You’re not mad that I care about him, are you?”
A faint smile appeared on Allen’s lips as he whispered, “Yes, I’m upset.”
Jin Fei: “You…”
Only Allen could say such things with such a warm smile! -_-#
Allen: “If I could, I’d lock him up so that no one could see him—no one but me, not you, not anyone he’s ever known.”
Jin Fei: “…” (＝口＝) This man’s possessiveness… it’s too much!
“That’s unrealistic…” Jin Fei groaned.
“For me, nothing is unrealistic. If I want to, making him disappear from your world is easy,” Allen lowered his eyes, a look of melancholy overtaking him. “But he doesn’t want that. He’s different from me. He still has curiosity about this world. He would rather give me up for you all…”
Jin Fei: “Allen…”
Allen sighed, smiling bitterly, “Don’t try to persuade me. Don’t worry about him. I won’t force him to do anything.”
Jin Fei didn’t know what to say.
Allen’s gaze fixated on some point in the air, and he spoke softly, “Since I fell in love with him, I no longer have the right to choose.”
