Gold Cage - Chapter 14

Two men were responsible for abducting him. One held him in a vice-like grip while the other roughly blindfolded him, gagged his mouth, and handcuffed his wrists.

Mu Yu only struggled briefly before giving up. With limited stamina, he avoided futile efforts. His limbs felt weak, his body feverish—only his mind remained clear as he mentally listed possible suspects. He recalled the bartender; an ordinary person wouldn't dare drug his drink so brazenly. Who was behind this, and why?

Nausea from the drugs wracked him. Instead of being taken outside, he realized they were dragging him upstairs into one of the rooms.

He Cheng jolted upright, tossing his phone aside as he leapt from the bed. His cousin and driver hauled their captive in and threw him onto the mattress. Blindfolded and gagged, Mu Yu's pale cheeks flushed crimson as he panted rapidly, limp and immobilized by the drugs' effects.

The cousin had briefly touched Mu Yu earlier, lingering over the memory of that sensation. But he'd never dare ask He Cheng to share the prize. Notorious in their family for being unruly, He Cheng always took what he wanted—crossing him meant endless trouble.

All he dared was tease: "Damn, kid, you've got taste—picking such a beauty."

Confirming Mu Yu was completely incapacitated, He Cheng felt blood rush to his head just from staring, exactly like when he'd first seen Mu Yu by the pool.

After getting Mu Yu's social media from Mu Zhiye, he'd discovered Mu Yu followed minor celebrity Xia Ge's music. Learning about tonight's concert in Yushi, he'd stationed people at the bar on a whim—never expecting Mu Yu to actually show.

Kicking out his cousin and driver, He Cheng locked the door. Fidgeting nervously—this was his first time targeting someone so much older—he cracked his knuckles. At the sharp pops, the figure on the bed stirred with a pained whimper.

That voice nearly made He Cheng's legs go weak. He climbed onto the bed and saw Mu Yu making soft, dazed sounds, as if trying to say something. His heart pounded wildly, craving to hear Mu Yu's voice, so he impulsively removed the cloth gagging him.

He Cheng asked eagerly, "Do you know who I am?"

Under the dim, suggestive lighting, Mu Yu's body resembled warm, delicate white jade—his black hair and red lips creating a breathtaking beauty. The corners of his lips curled into a faint, elusive smile. “Does it matter who you are? As long as I know what you want, that's enough."

He panted heavily, fine beads of sweat trickling down his temples and neck. He Cheng, as if bewitched, inhaled his scent and gripped his waist, kneading it roughly. Mu Yu squirmed under the touch, laughing weakly, his demeanor unbearably wanton. He whispered in He Cheng's ear, "What are you rubbing at? Master... at least be a little gentler. Couldn't you undo the handcuffs first?"

The way he called him "Master" sent a shiver down He Cheng's spine. "You—how many men have fucked you before?!"

Mu Yu only laughed, breathless and submissive, raising his bound hands. His voice was soft and weak from the drugs. “Does it matter...? I'll make sure you enjoy it, Master..."

He Cheng's mind was already clouded, his cousin and the driver's warnings long forgotten. He had never seen Mu Yu so seductive—it was enough to steal his soul. Frantically, he searched for the key and unlocked the handcuffs.

The next moment, a sharp kick landed between his legs. He howled in pain and tumbled off the bed. Mu Yu tore off the blindfold, struggling to sit up—the first attempt failed, the second barely succeeded. When he slid off the bed, he collapsed onto the floor.

He had bitten his own tongue, the metallic taste of blood flooding his mouth. His head buzzed sharply, his vision nearly failing him. His entire body burned, his heartbeat so frantic it felt like he was dying. That kick had drained all his strength. Trembling, he clutched the bedsheet and forced himself up. He Cheng writhed on the floor in agony, while outside, his cousin and the driver pounded on the door—locked from the inside.

Cursing, He Cheng scrambled up and lunged at Mu Yu, slamming him back onto the bed and choking him. "Who the hell do you think you are, kicking me?!"

His brute strength turned Mu Yu's face crimson, even the corners of his eyes red with strain. His fragile throat was crushed, his words broken. "If you dare touch me... I'll make sure you... cough... regret it for the rest of your life..."

Blood seeped from the corner of his lips, staining the sheets. He Cheng, humiliated like never before, ignored the shouts outside and glared at Mu Yu. “Bullshit! Who in your family even cares about you? You're just a whore's bastard, a fucking bitch's spawn—ah!"

In the struggle, Mu Yu sank his teeth into He Cheng's hand. He Cheng screamed, stumbling back as he clutched his mangled flesh, crashing into a wall-mounted painting. Mu Yu's mouth was full of blood, his stomach churning violently. Clutching the torn bed curtains, he retched, spitting up bile and blood.

His entire body was burning with fever, his face flushed an unhealthy red. He Cheng truly couldn't fathom where Mu Yu kept finding the strength to resist him again and again. He'd never encountered someone so troublesome. Burning with rage, he grabbed Mu Yu and slammed him against the wall. Mu Yu collided with a hanging painting, causing it to loosen and crash straight down onto He Cheng's head. Cursing wildly, He Cheng flung the painting aside.

With a clatter, something flew out from behind the painting and fell to the floor.

Mu Yu saw clearly—it was a gun.

He Cheng saw it too. He stood frozen for two seconds, barely able to believe his eyes, but Mu Yu was already kneeling to pick it up. Without hesitation, he released the safety catch, raised the gun, and pulled the trigger at He Cheng!

"Bang!" The deafening shot grazed He Cheng's face and pierced through the bathroom door. He Cheng stood stunned for a second before collapsing onto the floor, screaming incoherently: "Fuck! Fuck!"

Mu Yu's vision flickered between darkness and light. Forcing down the nausea churning in his gut, he pressed a hand to his wrist, numb from the recoil, and smiled strangely. "So it's a real gun after all."

He felt a surreal detachment, as if his soul had been squeezed out of his drug-ravaged body by its violent convulsions, floating coldly above to observe everything happening in the room. When He Cheng lunged to stop him, he raised the gun and fired again.

This shot hit He Cheng's thigh. Howling in pain, He Cheng began scrambling toward the door on his hands and knees, screaming for help. Outside, people pounded and threw themselves against the door. Mu Yu laughed until he coughed up blood, splattering the carpet. Strangely, the pain seemed distant now as he watched He Cheng crawl like a dog toward the exit, his laughter shaking him to the core.

"You fucking brat..." Mu Yu muttered. He shook his head, his trembling hand vaguely aiming the gun at the back of He Cheng's skull, his unfocused eyes wavering between clarity and blur.

He Cheng finally managed to unlatch the door. It burst open as two men rushed in, freezing at the gruesome scene and the sight of Mu Yu holding the gun. He Cheng, dragging his injured leg, roared furiously: "Take the gun from him! Kill him!"

His cousin, enraged at seeing his younger brother wounded, charged forward to wrestle the gun from Mu Yu. But in the next instant, another figure swept into the room like a gust of wind, swiftly locking the cousin in a chokehold and flipping him onto the floor in one fluid motion.

"Mr. Mu!"

Li Bing, dressed in black—a stark contrast to his usual casual family doctor attire—stood with his normally neat short hair disheveled. The driver immediately grappled with him, revealing unexpected combat skills. Distracted by Mu Yu's dire state, Li Bing struggled to break free.

Mu Yu could barely recognize anyone now. Ignoring the chaos, he saw He Cheng crawling out of the room. Leaning against the wall, he stood up—somehow—still clutching the gun tightly. He hadn't even thought he could still stand.

"Mr. Mu!" Li Bing called out desperately while fending off the driver's relentless punches. "Stay close to me, Mr. Mu!"

Mu Yu paid no heed, staggering out of the room. The dim hallway stretched before him. Spotting He Cheng limping ahead, dragging his injured leg, he fired another shot. He Cheng screamed again and tumbled down the stairs.

The gunshot finally disrupted the concert downstairs. Screams erupted from the dance floor on the first floor as panicked crowds scattered upon hearing the gunfire. Xia Ge also heard it, halting his performance in alarm as he looked toward the second floor. Security reacted swiftly, jumping onto the stage to escort him away.

Mu Yu had been gone for too long. Initially, Lu Hao grew uneasy and went to check the restroom, but found no trace of him. After asking staff members with no luck, suspicion crept in. He turned to fetch Lan Mo, and the two searched outside the bar before checking the underground parking lot-—Mu Yu's car was still there. Forced to return to the bar, they were about to conduct a more thorough search when the gunshot rang out from the second floor.

Lu Hao's instincts screamed danger, and he immediately sprinted toward the stairs.

Inside the room, the three men spun around at the sound of the gunshot and rushed out. The driver and He Cheng's cousin, aware that Li Bing was no ordinary man, tried to block his path. With a furious roar, Li Bing threw them both to the ground.

Mu Yu staggered unsteadily to the stairwell. He Cheng had tumbled down the steps and now lay groaning in pain at the bottom. Unable to stand steadily, Mu Yu braced himself against the railing with one hand while raising his gun with the other, swaying as the barrel wavered over He Cheng's head. The chaotic screams of the crowd flooded his mind like erratic background noise. He thought he heard someone calling his name, but he no longer cared.

***

"Brother, where should I aim?"

A much younger Mu Yu, wearing earmuffs, clutched a gun with pale, inexperienced hands, wobbling as he pointed it at the human-shaped target in the distance. The target was lifelike, marked with bullseye at critical points—the head, throat, chest, and limbs. It was his first time shooting, and he didn't know which spot to focus on.

He had pestered Mu Hanxiao to take him along, and so his elder brother brought him to the shooting range.

The tall man stood behind him, one hand resting on the counter while the other steadied Mu Yu's grip. The pistol had a built-in laser sight, the red dot rising steadily until it settled on the bullseye at the target's forehead.

Mu Hanxiao leaned down and whispered in his ear, “Aim for the center of the forehead.”

Mu Yu pulled the trigger.

The next instant, Li Bing lunged forward, tackling him to the side. The bullet veered off course, grazing He Cheng's ear. He Cheng shrieked in terror. Lu Hao, who had just reached the corridor, immediately turned and shielded Lan Mo, pushing the girl behind him.

He Cheng's cousin and the driver lay half-conscious on the floor. Gasping, Li Bing lifted Mu Yu into his arms. Drenched in cold sweat, Mu Yu dropped the gun, and Li Bing swiftly snatched it up, tucking it into the back of his waistband.

"Mr. Mu, can you hear me?" Li Bing cradled Mu Yu's face urgently. "Did they drug you?"

Mu Yu, dazed and barely conscious, rasped out a weak "Yes." By then, Lu Hao and Lan Mo had also rushed past He Cheng. Lan Mo dropped her purse and knelt beside Mu Yu. "Yu-ge! What—what happened?"

There was no time for explanations. Li Bing propped Mu Yu up slightly, then slid his fingers into Mu Yu's mouth, pressing against the back of his throat. Mu Yu convulsed violently, one hand clawing at Li Bing's clothes as his teeth instinctively clamped down on the intruding fingers. Li Bing hissed but pushed deeper, and with a choked sob, Mu Yu curled forward and vomited.

He trembled like a frail kitten. Lan Mo's heart ached as she held his hand, hastily pulling out a handkerchief to wipe the blood and grime from the corner of his mouth. Lu Hao had already made a quick call for backup. After hanging up, he turned to Li Bing and Lan Mo and said, “Hurry and take Mu Yu to the hospital. I've called an ambulance—I'll stay here to keep an eye on these guys."

He had no idea why Li Bing was here, but as Mu Yu's longtime family doctor, Li Bing was the only one he could entrust Mu Yu to now. As for the three men lying on the ground, Lu Hao had to make sure they didn't go anywhere.

Li Bing and Lan Mo quickly took Mu Yu away. Lan Mo hurried into the driver's seat and started the car, while Li Bing held Mu Yu in the back, trying to get him to drink some water. Mu Yu managed a few sips before refusing any more.

Mu Yu's body was burning up alarmingly. He vomited several more times in the car, trembling weakly as he curled up in Li Bing's arms. Lan Mo glanced at him through the rearview mirror, her voice uneasy as she asked, "What on earth did he eat to have such a severe reaction?"

Li Bing had no intention of explaining further. "Mr. Mu has always had a delicate constitution. He's prone to adverse reactions to many foods and medications, so his diet is heavily restricted."

Lan Mo didn't press further, much less dare to ask about the gunshot they'd heard. She drove steadily, reaching the nearest hospital in record time, then rushed with Li Bing to get Mu Yu into the emergency room.

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