Gold Cage - Chapter 25

Xie Ming hurried out of the elevator, heading toward Mu Hanxiao's apartment near the company, where he usually worked. Officially, Xie Ming was no longer part of the company, so even meeting with the boss had to be done discreetly.

But he did have urgent matters. Just a few nights ago, he had been in a meeting with Mu Hanxiao and several key associates, discussing crucial international trade chains that the Mu family needed to secure as soon as possible.

However, the meeting was abruptly interrupted. The boss had disappeared without a trace, leaving everyone waiting for the finalization of the plan. Xie Ming had a hunch and, using his usual methods, did some digging. He discovered that Mu Yu had recently gone overseas and seemed to have attended some high-profile party. The event was packed with celebrities and wealthy figures, and though many had their photos leaked, Mu Yu's were nowhere to be found—whether because he wasn't captured or because the images had already been scrubbed.

Xie Ming could only sigh in resignation. Fortunately, the boss reappeared a few days later. During their conversation, Xie Ming observed Mu Hanxiao's expression—he seemed calm enough.

But truthfully, Xie Ming had long since lost the ability to read Mu Hanxiao's true emotions. The current head of the Mu family was far more adept at concealment than his predecessor, his thoughts and feelings never betraying themselves. Sometimes, Xie Ming worried whether such an excessive reliance on masks might eventually disrupt the balance of one's true nature.

Because in his eyes, his current boss needed equilibrium more than most.

At two in the morning, Mu Hanxiao left his apartment. His energy was terrifyingly boundless—even late at night, he showed no signs of fatigue. His car glided through the neon-lit streets, the roads nearly empty at this hour.

Another vehicle appeared behind his. Mu Hanxiao acted as if he hadn't noticed, casually dialing Mu Zeju's number.

Mu Zeju, woken in the dead of night, answered with a groggy voice. "...Big brother? What's going on?"

Mu Hanxiao's tone was indifferent. "Come get your celebrity. Make sure he never appears in front of me again."

There was a stunned silence on the other end. Mu Hanxiao had no patience for it and ended the call. The car tailing him suddenly accelerated, cutting sharply in front of his own, forcing him to brake.

Mu Hanxiao stopped the car. He took out a cigar, lit it, and exhaled a slow stream of smoke, momentarily obscuring the flash of fury on his face.

Then he stepped out. Xia Ge, who had been in the other car, was already standing before him, gripping his phone tightly. Calls from Mu Zeju had been flooding in nonstop, but Xia Ge ignored them all.

Instead, he met Mu Hanxiao's gaze fearlessly, demanding answers. "Mr. Mu, I apologize for stopping you like this, but I had no other choice. You wouldn't answer my calls, you refused to see me—but I need to know, where is Mu Yu?"

Mu Hanxiao's reply was cold. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"I can't reach him! I've gone to his company, his home—even Sister Huo and Brother Lu are looking for him! You're the only one I could find!"

Xia Ge was on the verge of losing his composure. The morning after that party, he had been dragged out of bed by force—his first encounter with Mu Hanxiao, and the first time he had ever seen such a terrifying expression on the face of Mu Yu's so-called "big brother."

Yet the man hadn't harmed him. The host of the party had politely escorted him away, disregarding his protests, and arranged for a car to take him straight back to his hotel. Shortly after, his boss, Mu Zeju, had called from overseas, ordering him to return to the country immediately—no excuses.

After that, Xia Ge could no longer reach Mu Yu. He knew it was the man before him who had taken Mu Yu away. He knew Mu Hanxiao was the elder brother of his boss and the CEO of the Mu Corporation, but he didn't believe Mu Hanxiao had any right to interfere in Mu Yu's life, let alone sever all his means of contact.

"I saw you take Mu Yu away," Xia Ge said, instinctively sensing the danger radiating from this man. Over the past few days, he had even begun to fear for Mu Yu's safety. Rumors about Mu Yu's background had reached him, and both Huo Shiyin and Lu Hao had been searching for news of Mu Yu just like him. They told Xia Ge that Mu Yu's relationship with the Mu family was strained, which made him deeply suspect that Mu Hanxiao might have harmed Mu Yu. The fact that Mu Hanxiao had been avoiding him only strengthened this belief.

Mu Zeju had warned him to stay home and not go out during this time, and Huo Shiyin and Lu Hao had also urged him not to confront Mu Hanxiao. But Xia Ge didn't listen. He waited outside Mu Hanxiao's company, determined to see him.

"It was me," Mu Hanxiao said.

"I want to see Mu Yu," Xia Ge said firmly.

Mu Hanxiao smiled faintly in response. "No."

"What exactly do you want? Mu Yu hasn't done anything wrong why are you treating him like this?!"

"That's none of your concern."

"Mu Yu, he—"

"Don't speak his name again." Mu Hanxiao took a deep drag of his cigarette, his piercing gaze cutting through the haze of smoke. "I won't waste my time on a brat. Mu Zeju has failed to discipline his employee, and I'll see to it that he's punished for his negligence."

Xia Ge froze. Behind them, the roar of a sports car engine shattered the silence—Mu Zeju had arrived. He had sped all the way here, and the moment he stepped out of the car and saw Xia Ge's vehicle blocking his elder brother's, he wanted nothing more than to tie the reckless fool up and throw him into the river. "Xia Ge!" he snapped. "Didn't I tell you to stay put at home?!"

Xia Ge shot back, "None of us can reach Mu Yu! Boss, he's your brother too aren't you even the slightest bit worried?!"

Mu Zeju dragged him aside impatiently. "This has nothing to do with you."

Xia Ge muttered under his breath, "So it's true what they said—none of you care about him."

"Have you lost your damn mind?!"

Mu Hanxiao finally spoke again. "A'Ju, take him back."

Mu Zeju pulled Xia Ge away and said to Mu Hanxiao, "Big brother, he's just a kid—still in school. It's my fault for not keeping him in line. From now on, I'll—”

Mu Hanxiao gave a dismissive hum, cutting him off. He took another slow drag of his cigar, his expression unreadable in the darkness, all emotion receding like the tide.

"Then focus on your studies," Mu Hanxiao said. "There's no need for you to sing anymore."

Xia Ge's face drained of color. Mu Zeju's heart sank, but Mu Hanxiao had already returned to his car and driven off.

He returned to the basement beneath Yunhai.

Late into the night, the artificial lights simulating the ocean dimmed. Mu Yu lay asleep within the curtains, his body beneath the sheets covered in marks from their lovemaking. The man had taken him like a beast in heat, relentless day and night, pinning him down to spill inside him before carrying his exhausted, pliant body to the bath to wash him clean. His entrance, swollen and red from being stretched by dildos, had been worked open gradually—starting with smaller sizes before moving to larger ones, until he couldn't take it anymore and passed out. His tight hole had been pried open bit by bit, now so sensitive that the slightest touch made it wet.

Mu Hanxiao held a box in his hand. He sat down by the bed and placed the box beside the pillow.

Inside the box was a diamond necklace left to Mu Yu by his mother. That woman had left Mu Yu with very little. By the time she sent Mu Yu to the Mu family, her funds were nearly depleted. A woman accustomed to lavish spending, even in her downfall, had no idea how to raise a child alone. She exhausted her savings, and without a steady income, a single serious illness of the child nearly wiped out what little she had left.

For a long time, Mu Yu couldn't forget his birth mother. As a sickly child, he often suffered from fevers and colds. Whenever the fever burned unbearably, he would curl up in bed, crying and muttering words the servants and doctors couldn't understand. Whenever Mu Hanxiao entered the room to check on him, he would find the boy clutching the diamond necklace tightly, murmuring about why his mother had abandoned him and why she never came to see him even once.

Mu Yu giving the necklace to Liu Shuyan in front of him was a desperate act of defiance—a child's tantrum. But such behavior couldn't be indulged every time. The necklace belonged to him and should remain in his possession alone.

Mu Hanxiao lay down beside Mu Yu, pulling him into his arms. He breathed in the scent of Mu Yu's hair, silently threading his fingers through the younger man's and closing his eyes.

On the day Zhao Mengling left Yushi for her new post, Mu Hanxiao and Mu Zeju came to see her off. Mu Zhiye, unable to defy his parents' orders, had no choice but to leave with his mother. Heartbroken, he clung to Mu Hanxiao, unwilling to part with his two older brothers.

Mu Hanxiao was patient with his youngest brother, comforting him for a while. Mu Zeju, however, seemed distracted. He had been plagued by troubles lately—one among them was Xia Ge, who had stirred up a mess for him. He couldn't fathom how the guy had taken a liking to Mu Yu, let alone dared to block Mu Hanxiao's car. The audacity was beyond belief. Mu Zeju had dragged him back and ordered him to reflect in seclusion, but the eldest brother had already decreed that Xia Ge would never perform on stage again. As a singer signed to his company, how was he supposed to make a living without singing?

What troubled Mu Zeju even more was that just last week, a prime film and television distribution deal he had nearly secured slipped through his fingers. It was obvious this was a warning from his eldest brother—ruthless as ever. Mu Zeju was left swallowing his bitterness, frustrated by this unexpected blow.

As Zhao Mengling and Mu Zhiye prepared to board their flight, the younger boy said sorrowfully, "You must come visit me, brothers."

Mu Zeju patted him. "Of course we will. No long faces—chin up, little man."

Zhao Mengling said, "Xiao Ye, go ahead inside first."

Reluctantly, Mu Zhiye bid them farewell and walked away. Zhao Mengling turned to the two brothers. "My journey is long, and from now on, the family's affairs both inside and out—will rest on your shoulders."

The two acknowledged her words. Zhao Mengling looked at Mu Hanxiao. "I had hoped to have a proper talk with you and Shuyan before leaving, but time never allowed for a proper meal with you two. Please convey my regards to Shuyan and her grandfather for me."

Once, Zhao Mengling and Liu Shuyan's grandfather had both been high-ranking officials in Yushi. Back then, Zhao Mengling was still young, while Liu Shuyan's grandfather was already the provincial leader. Their political views clashed, and their ideologies were fundamentally opposed. At the time, both factions held deep grievances against each other, but Liu Shuyan's grandfather himself had never truly cared about Zhao Mengling's challenges to his authority.

Zhao Mengling and her group had left. Mu Hanxiao and Mu Zeju departed from the airport. On the way, Mu Zeju couldn't hold back and brought up the already-lost channel resource.

"Brother, this channel was really important to me. I had all the personnel and funding ready. If we miss this chance, we'll have to wait until next year," Mu Zeju asked. "Could you give me another opportunity?"

The two brothers sat in the back of the car. Mu Hanxiao said, "Your work ethic has been too lax. Constantly neglecting official duties, only knowing how to have fun—you can't even manage a half-grown newcomer kid. It shows how chaotic the internal management execution in your company is. When you resolve these internal issues, the opportunity will naturally return to you."

Mu Zeju had no choice but to accept this and drop the subject. As the car neared Mu Zeju's company, after much deliberation, he tentatively asked, "Brother, where's Mu Yu? I've called him several times, but no one answers. It's quite worrying."

Mu Hanxiao replied flatly, "What do you need him for?"

Mu Zeju was taken aback, taking a moment to process the question. "...Just some small matters. Lan Mo's been looking for him too and asked me about it."

"He's fine. No need to worry."

That familiar unease crept in again. Mu Zeju instinctively asked, "Where is he?"

Mu Hanxiao's tone turned cold. "You're very concerned about him?"

Mu Zeju fell silent. As the car pulled up to the building, he suddenly said, "Brother, it's you who cares too much about him. I grew up following you, and I've never seen you care about anyone this much before."

This time, it was Mu Hanxiao who didn't respond. Mu Zeju recalled a particularly memorable incident from the past: "When Mu Yu was little, he got into a fight with Xiao Ye, and Mother locked him up as punishment. He was confined for three days, and you searched for him all that time."

Back then, Mu Hanxiao and Mu Zeju had scoured everywhere for Mu Yu, inside and outside the house. Mu Zeju had almost thought their mother had thrown Mu Yu away. His feelings were conflicted—on one hand, he cursed Mu Yu in his heart for provoking their younger brother, and on the other, he wondered why their mother had to be so harsh, punishing one child so severely while spoiling the other. This inner conflict peaked when they finally saw Mu Yu after his confinement: a child so ill he was barely alive. Did he really deserve such cruelty and severity?

He didn't know what his eldest brother had felt at that time. Mu Hanxiao had told him not to mention their search for Mu Yu to anyone, especially their mother. It became a secret between the two brothers, and afterward, Mu Zeju had assumed Mu Hanxiao's protectiveness toward Mu Yu was compensation for the neglect and mistreatment Mu Yu suffered in the Mu family.

—Was his eldest brother still compensating Mu Yu even now?

In the end, Mu Zeju didn't voice this question.

The underground door opened silently. A jellyfish suddenly darted to one side in the water, drifting aimlessly. Mu Hanxiao walked to the bed and drew back the curtains—Mu Yu was asleep.

He had expended a lot of energy these past days, thoroughly exhausted by Mu Hanxiao's demands, to the point where he couldn't even muster anger anymore. Despite this, he still tried to escape. Mu Hanxiao hadn't restrained his hands or feet, but within this sizable room, Mu Yu had exhausted every possible method without finding the slightest chance to break free.

The room had everything, even his favorite out-of-print records and DVDs. He'd spent the entire day watching movies, occasionally glancing at the surveillance feed—not only had he eaten properly, but he'd also spent considerable time observing the jellyfish.

Mu Hanxiao got into bed when suddenly there was a rustling sound. The figure beneath the sheets pressed close, a hand sliding over his waist.

"Brother," Mu Yu's voice was soft, tender. Mu Hanxiao lowered his arm, bracing it beside Mu Yu's head. In the dim, shifting light, Mu Yu hooked a leg around his waist, his eyes warm and full of emotion. "Did you miss me?"

Mu Hanxiao kissed him, and Mu Yu yielded, parting his lips to offer his tongue. The kiss was rough, teeth grazing his chin as Mu Yu arched with a soft moan, his toes trailing teasingly along the man's calf.

Then, abruptly, Mu Hanxiao caught Mu Yu's wrist as it slipped into his robe pocket. The heated kiss ended just as suddenly. Mu Hanxiao met his gaze. "Too bad. Getting out of here requires more than just one key."

Mu Yu's expression turned icy in an instant. He wrenched free, trying to leave the bed, but Mu Hanxiao hauled him back by the waist. Fury erupted—Mu Yu struck him across the face with all his strength. The force snapped Mu Hanxiao's head to the side, his teeth cutting the inside of his cheek. Blood seeped slowly into his mouth.

"Mu Hanxiao, have you completely lost your shame? What was the meaning of giving me that necklace? Who I give it to is my business—who asked you to interfere?!" Mu Yu's eyes burned with hatred, fingers twisting in the man's collar. "What the hell do you take me for? Your fucktoy? A pet that just wags its tail for you? I've never met anyone as sick in the head as you—how dare you pull this shit after getting married? Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

He kicked, punched, hurled every insult he could think of, his voice raw with fury. He wanted nothing more than to destroy the man in front of him. "You better keep me locked up forever, because if I ever get out, your life will be hell!"

Then he was slammed back onto the bed. Mu Hanxiao gripped his flushed face, breath heavy, his hardened length pressing obscenely against Mu Yu's stomach. Panting, Mu Yu glared up at him, nails digging into the man's arms, leaving angry red marks.

Mu Hanxiao didn't even flinch. "Feel better now?"

His voice was cold, shadows swallowing his expression. "If not, keep hitting me. When you're done, I'll fuck you."

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