Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 714: Three Tombstones

After Mu Yuze finished getting ready, he and He Juan departed from the villa by car. It took He Juan almost half a day of driving before they arrived at their destination – the cemetery.

It was a serene area located in the suburbs. In spring, the scenery would look absolutely breathtaking with rows of plum blossom trees adorning the stone path, but now that it’s winter, the atmosphere appeared somewhat bleak and melancholic, especially with the falling snow. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Getting out of the car, He Juan gazed at the familiar yet foreign landscape before him.

It was familiar in a sense that the layout still remained exactly as he remembered, but foreign because so many things had changed. The wooden gate had been replaced by a steel and sturdy one, and the walls had been heightened. In He Juan’s memory, there were only a couple of plum blossom trees in the area, but now there were so many that he couldn’t count them with his eyes alone.

"Let’s come here again sometime during the spring, when the weather has turned warm," Mu Yuze muttered beside him, holding bouquets of fresh lilies. "It will be so beautiful."

He Juan liked it very much when the omega made plans for them in the future, and he agreed without a second thought, "Sure."

Fetching the bag he had prepared beforehand from the backseat of the car, he locked the vehicle before turning to Mu Yuze, "Let’s go."

The two of them walked side by side into the cemetery. As this wasn’t anywhere near the Tomb Sweeping Day, the area was nearly deserted, with only a couple of workers diligently sweeping the snow.

With each step, He Juan’s feet left a trail of footprints in the snow, and the closer they got to the destination, the heavier his heart became. As far as he remembered, he had always come here together with He Xie, but who could have guessed that fate would be so cruel, forcing him to come here to visit the young man instead?

It was supposed to be He Xie’s seventh death anniversary soon, yet this was the first time He Juan had paid a visit...

Lost in thought, He Juan unknowingly reached the destination. Up ahead, in the familiar area where a pair of tombs were supposed to be, there was now a new addition.

He Juan halted on his tracks, unable to bring himself to take another step forward. He began to feel out of breath as if a noose was tightening around his neck bit by bit.

Surprisingly, it was Mu Yuze who took the lead, placing the three bouquets he had bought on each tomb. After that, he took a step back and bowed deeply, "It’s such an honor to finally meet you. My name is Mu Yuze. I’m twenty four this year, and I’m very lucky to be your son and big brother’s true mate."

He articulated each word clearly as though afraid that the other party would miss it. His attitude was sincere and somber, as if he was really meeting his in-laws face-to-face.

Gazing at his straight and slender back, He Juan finally felt like he could breathe a little easier, and a tiny smile broke out on his face. Clenching his fists, he took his first step forward, then another and another, until he arrived beside Mu Yuze.

"Mom, Dad," he greeted his parents, before turning to the last tombstone. His voice held a slight tremor as he called out, "A–Xie..."

He Juan felt his breath hitching in his throat as he gazed upon the black and white portrait of He Xie. The young man looked exactly as he remembered – gentle, refined and a little delicate. There was a slight smile on the corner of his lips, as if he was returning He Juan’s greeting. For some reason, He Juan could almost hear his voice calling out softly ’Ge’ but then he realized that it was all the product of his imagination, and what he heard was merely the whisper of the wind.

Mu Yuze reached out and squeezed his hand. "I will be waiting for you down there..." he observed He Juan’s expression carefully. "...okay?"

"Of course," He Juan forced a smile on his face and handed him the car key. "Here, you should wait inside the car and turn on the heater if you’re feeling cold."

Mu Yuze nodded, took the key, and turned back to the direction they had come from, leaving He Juan behind. Once he was out of sight, He Juan set down the bag he was carrying and took out the dishes he had asked Chen Youzhi to prepare. For He Xie, he had bought a small and exquisite cake which he knew the young man would like.

After arranging the dishes, he directly sat down cross-legged on the ground and produced a bottle of white wine and four delicate ceramic cups, filling them with the clear liquor.

"It’s still more than half a month away from A–Xie’s death anniversary, but it’s okay if we do this sooner, right?" He asked the three cold tombstones before him as he placed the three cups down, creating a crisp sound. "I’m glad to see that the area is well-maintained. You must have liked it here. I guess Doctor Jia has paid a lot in advance to keep it this way, huh?"

Having said that, he tipped his head back and downed the liquor, then he reached out to pour the wine in the three ceramic cups to the soil. His movement was neat and smooth, yet upon closer inspection, one could see that his arm was trembling ever so slightly.

After pouring away the first round of wine, he refilled the cups again. He did it all silently, quietly, and in front of him, his three family members were gazing at him with a faint, perpetual smile on their faces – a fixed expression that would never change anymore.

Without warning, He Juan’s hand shook, causing the wine to spill outside the cup.

"Ah, my bad," he said, placing the bottle beside him. He forced a regretful smile on his face. "My body is not as strong as it used to be anymore. After all, it has been seven years..." his voice trailed off.

A moment of delicate silence lingered before he abruptly reached out for the overfilled cup and downed it all in one gulp. A grimace crossed his face from the burning sensation in his throat.

"It has been seven years," he continued in a slightly hoarse voice. "How quickly time flies, huh? Were you surprised that I didn’t come to visit at all? You must be wondering where I’ve gone and what I’ve been doing..." his voice cracked as tears suddenly spilled down his cheeks.

He Juan covered his eyes with a palm, choking out the words through his constricted throat, "Sorry, these past seven years... I’ve been living a good life. I ate well, slept well, and I forgot about the three of you. I’m so sorry... for coming so late... for being such a coward. I don’t know... I don’t know if I am still worthy to face you..."