A.N: That's a loonngg chapter. I really appreciate all the comments I get💜 Thank you so much!
Small request, don't forget to let me know if there are grammatical mistakes and confusing statements.
Happy reading!
***
Yuan's nanny was starting to get worried because his temperature wasn't going down at all. She went running to the head maid who was in charge of managing the manor and finances for Bai Yuan at that time. She pleaded with her to call for a doctor. The head maid ignorantly pretended to write a letter to the doctor. The reply came soon enough saying the doctor was out of town at that time.
But in reality, the letter was never sent to the doctor. It was handed to Zhao Shinyu. She had the Head Maid already bribed. Zhao Shinyu was one year younger but more cunning than Zhao Keyu. From the day she entered Bai Mansion, she had her greedy eye set on it. Bai Yuan was young and weak to begin with. On top of that, she was jealous of his beauty and fortune. So, she never left any occasion to cause him trouble anyhow.
Thinking that sending someone to the next city and bringing a doctor would cost a lot of time. Finding no other choice, Yuan's nanny decided to take him to another city's doctor immediately. Otherwise, it'd be too late to save him. She hurriedly called a carriage and set off with Yuan. Before Yuan's nanny left, Zhao Shinyu didn't forget to send a guard with them. The foolish nanny thought it was her big-heartedness to think about their protection.
The carriage kept moving for all day and then reached the next city in the evening. The nanny finally understood Shinyu's wicked plan when the driver and guard fled, abandoning the carriage in a random alley. Yuan's nanny was scared to death. She kept hugging Yuan tightly and cried at her helplessness. Yuan, on the other hand, was hardly understanding anything happening around him. His world was blurry and full of noise. He felt cold even though his nanny was trying her best to keep him warm.
The nanny looked outside at the night market. Seeing it was bustling so much, she hesitantly took a step ahead in hopes of finding someone to their aid.
"Young master, I swear on my life, I will be back with the doctor real quick. Till then don't let anyone know of your presence in the carriage. Please."
She properly sat him down in a corner and tugged him in a blanket. She turned the lights off and went running to find a doctor nearby.
Little did she know, the predator had already sensed his prey's scent. The moment she left the carriage, two unknown people entered silently. One crouched before Bai Yuan and complimented his beauty. The other kept searching around for valuable items.
"Master, nothing more than a few gold coins."
"It's okay, Junkai. I found something more valuable."
"Are you planning to take him with you?"
"Why not? But he seems a little weak, don't you think?"
Junkai crouched down beside Song Xu and stretched his hand to touch Yuan's forehead. But his hand was swatted away.
"Don't touch. I get upset when someone touches what I've set my eyes on."
"Sorry, master. But we need a doctor soon."
Song Xu touched Yuan's face with his cold hands, "He's warm. Let's bring the doctor to my place."
Song Xu picked Yuan up on his back and started getting off the carriage. On their way to Song Xu's hideout, Yuan once came back to his senses and asked Song Xu weakly, "W-where are you taking me?"
Song Xu lazily replied, "To my place."
Yuan felt as if his world was slightly trembling so he instinctively wrapped his thin arms around Song Xu's neck. Song Xu could feel Yuan's heartbeat next to his back and his shallow breaths against his neck. It felt......
Finally, they reached a rundown godown for rice. It looked abandoned but it was clean and tidy. Junkai brought a mattress to help Yuan lie down and meanwhile, Song Xu rummaged around to find a blanket for him. Even after tugging him inside the blanket, Yuan kept shivering and weakly complained, "Cold ....I feel like freezing...."
Song Xu was starting to get worried seeing Yuan's plain complexion, "Junkai, bring the doctor!"
Junkai jumped out of the window while Song Xu sat beside Yuan and touched his freezing hand.
For a brief moment, Yuan opened his eyes and saw Song Xu for the first time.
"Your....hands....warm...."
Watching Yuan's pain subside for a brief moment, something moved inside Song Xu. He went ahead and scooped Yuan up in his arms while he was still wrapped in the blanket ( like a burrito).
Yuan again fell asleep and Song Xu stayed that way.
Song Xu kept hugging Yuan for all the time before finally Junkai forcefully kidnapped the doctor and took him to them. After the doctor reluctantly treated him and gave him some medicine, Yuan's temperature started to go down slowly.
The next day, Yuan finally came to his senses and asked Junkai,
"Who are you guys?"
Junkai enthusiastically replied, "I'm Junkai and the other person who went to bring your breakfast is my master, Song Xu."
"Junkai. Song Xu. Why do leave in a place like this?"
"We don't have anywhere to go. To stay alive sometimes we steal little things and sell them in the night market."
"But, why did you bring me here? Where is my nanny?"
"Well...that....um...My master wants you to join our team."
Bai Yuan felt shocked. He wanted to run back to his home but he had no strength in him. Tears escaped his big azure eyes.
Song Xu just then entered the godown and saw him cry, his mood instantly turned bitter.
"Who made him cry?"
Junkai nervously replied, "I didn't expect him to cry when I said, you wished him to stay with us."
".....He will stay with us."
Yuan immediately replied, "No, I want to go home...."
Song Xu sat down beside him and started to open the boxes of breakfast, "No, unless you become healthy again, I won't let you go anywhere." He was lying obviously. He had no intention to let him go.
"So.... what's your name?"
"Yuan."
"It's a nice name. Round baby."
"Hey."
"Puhahahah."
***
After the third day, Yuan could sit up on his own and even occasionally talk to Junkai and Song Xu. Song Xu was just around eighteen at that time. Having someone other than Junkai was slowly affecting him as well. Yuan stayed with them for about a week or so until he was found out by Bai Yusheng.
Seemed like the doctor filed a complaint about getting abducted in the middle of the night and the patrol guards were finding traces of Junkai. Moreover, getting the missing news of his son Bai Yusheng had to take everything into his hands.
Yuan seemed reluctant to part from his new friends when he was being taken away by Bai Yusheng to where it was his home and Zhao brother-sister waiting for him. Even though at first he badly wanted to go home because he was scared of getting harmed by Junkai and Song Xu, later they took very good care of him, not to lie, that one week had been the best one week of his entire childhood. However, he had no choice because Song Xu and Junkai were put in jail for not only the abduction of that doctor but also the abduction of Yuan and thefts in various locations.
When they were being taken away, Song Xu desperately shouted from afar, "What's your Surname name? Where can I meet you again?"
Yuan shouted back in his weak childlike voice, "I live in the next city! My name is-"
Nanny grabbed his small hand from his side, "Young master!"
Bai Yuan couldn't tell him his name in the end. His mind said that his father would be more disappointed if he knew he was friends with the thieves. He was already so weak and helpless that he got abducted so easily. He didn't want to cause more worry. Thus he was rescued and taken back