[曦澄 | XiCheng][MDZS Modern AU]: All The Things I Never Told You [~PART 1~]

〽️👁‍🗨 Chapter 14: At War.

He was driving home, or so he thought. 

Tonight it seemed that the Porsche  had a mind of its own, and took him rather to his work, or rather  –  to the bar.

Dammit.

His mind was still veering towards the pretty sulking bartender... Although... Last time he had been quite... nice  to him.

Slow snow was falling on the dirty, hectic streets. He parked in front of the bar and sighed. Should he go in? It was supposed to be Bobby's shift starting at 6 p.m., but lately the old work schedule that he knew by heart had been jumbled up too many times. He really didn't know... which bartender he was going to find inside.

Was he ready to join his colleagues if they were already having a drink after work, in there? Was he ready to see Jiang Cheng hugging... that... girl?

No, he wasn't. But he had to be. He had to get over this. It was pointless. He had to be stronger.

He waited until his watch showed 6:30, and got out of the car. He was crossing the street and was just about to push the tall glass doors open, when he suddenly heard a cry from the alley that ran on the side of the building. 

He hesitated what to do, but then he thought he heard a gun shot, and looked around, worried. Nobody else seemed to have noticed  –  it was the car noise filled rush hour and everybody was in a hurry to get back home  –  the heavy street traffic was deafening.

He clenched his teeth  –  he could not just let this slide, he had to check it out. He turned the corner and hid in the shadows.

- Where's my money, babyboy?   –  a male voice purred nastily, dripping with sarcasm.

Someone whimpered, and next there was the sound of a thud  –  the butt of a gun against someone's face. Lan Xichen peeked a little  –  he saw two men pressing a thin boy against the wall, hissing threats at him and hitting him after each sentence. But what made his blood freeze was the boy's voice:

- Please, Johnny... Please... Just a couple more weeks... Please... I'm making good money now...  -  the boy whimpered.

- Yea, been listenin' all that for a good full month now, A-Cheng! Now should we cut out another kidney? Or maybe your pretty little sis can spare an eye? Or a liver? Heeeh?

Both men giggled merrily, and there was another blow and a new grunt.

Lan Xichen felt he couldn't breathe.

What was this? Was he dreaming all this? It looked like a cheap movie. He clenched his teeth and his hand moved up to feel the inside pocket of his coat. Ever since the multiple-murder case got such sickly horrifying media outcry, he never left home without his gun.