Zhenlong sat in his usual chair, the one facing the window that overlooked the garden he no longer saw. The room was dark except for the orange glow of his cigarette, burning slowly between his fingers. Smoke curled toward the ceiling in lazy spirals, joining the haze that had become a permanent fixture in his study.
His phone lay on the table beside him. He hadn't touched it in hours. There was no point. No one he wanted to hear from ever called.
The door burst open.
Zhenlong's jaw tightened. He didn't turn around. "How many times do I need to tell you to knock first"
Hua Cheng's footsteps crossed the room. "Zhenlong, did you see the news?"
Zhenlong took a long drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly. "I don't care about the news."
"You'll care about this one."
Hua Cheng grabbed Zhenlong's phone from the table and turned it on. He searched for a moment, then thrust the screen in front of Zhenlong's face.
The headline was bold and impossible to miss.
LIANG FAMILY SCANDAL: YOUNGEST SON WENHAO ARRESTED FOR FRAUD AND EMBEZZLEMENT
Zhenlong froze.
He read the article quickly. The words blurred together. Financial misconduct. Missing funds. Arrested earlier today. Currently in police custody.
His cigarette fell from his fingers and burned a small hole in the carpet. He didn't notice.
"Is it true?" Zhenlong's voice was hoarse. "Is it really him?"
Hua Cheng nodded. "It's him. He's back. And he's in jail."
Zhenlong was already moving. He buttoned his shirt with trembling hands. He grabbed his coat from the back of the chair. His heart was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears.
"Get the car," he said. "Now."
Hua Cheng was already on his way out.
The drive to the police station was the longest of Zhenlong's life.
He didn't speak. He didn't move. He just stared out the window and tried to breathe. Four years. Four years of searching. Four years of silence. And now Wenhao was back, sitting in a cell, accused of something he couldn't have done.
Zhenlong didn't know the details. He didn't care. All that mattered was getting him out. By the time they arrived, the paperwork was already being processed.
Zhenlong stood in the police station lobby and waited.
Minutes stretched into eternity.
Then the doors to the holding area opened and Wenhao walked out.
He looked terrible. His clothes were rumpled. His face was pale. His eyes were red and swollen. He walked slowly, like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
And then he looked up and saw Zhenlong.
Wenhao froze.
His eyes went wide. His lips parted. His whole body went still, as if he had forgotten how to move.
Zhenlong smiled. A small, tired, broken smile. "Let's go, Wenhao."
Wenhao didn't respond. He just stared, like he was seeing a ghost.
Zhenlong walked toward him and placed a hand on his back. Gently. Carefully. "Come on. You're safe now."
Wenhao let himself be led out of the station and into the cold night air.
Hua Cheng was waiting by the car. He draped a coat over Wenhao's shoulders without a word and got into the driver's seat.
Zhenlong opened the back door and Wenhao climbed in. Then Zhenlong slid in beside him.
The door closed.
And Wenhao broke.
He threw his arms around Zhenlong and buried his face in his chest. His body shook with sobs that he couldn't control. His hands fisted in Zhenlong's coat like he was afraid to let go.
"I'm sorry," Wenhao gasped. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to disappear. I didn't have a choice. My father sent me away. He locked me up. He took my phone. I couldn't reach you. I tried. I tried so hard. Please believe me."
Zhenlong held him tighter. His arms wrapped around Wenhao and pulled him close. He didn't speak. He just held on, his cheek pressed against Wenhao's hair, his eyes closed, his heart aching.
"I believe you," Zhenlong whispered. "I believe you."
Wenhao cried until he had nothing left. His sobs quieted to hiccups, then to shaky breaths. He didn't let go.
Neither did Zhenlong.
The drive back to the mansion was silent except for the soft sound of Wenhao's breathing.
Inside the villa, Zhenlong led Wenhao to the living room. The space was warm and dimly lit. A fire crackled in the fireplace. A servant brought tea and set it on the table.
Wenhao sat on the couch with his hands wrapped around the warm cup. His eyes were still red and his face was still blotchy, but he was calmer now. More present.
Zhenlong sat beside him, close enough that their knees touched.
"Tell me everything," Zhenlong said quietly. "From the beginning."
Wenhao took a shaky breath and started talking.
He told Zhenlong about his father finding the photos. About the confrontation in the study. About being locked in his room and sent abroad like a prisoner. About the guards who followed him everywhere. About the phone calls he was only allowed to receive, never make.
Zhenlong listened without interrupting. His face was hard but his eyes were soft.
"I tried to reach you," Wenhao said, his voice cracking. "I asked Xinyi to tell you. I begged her. But she refused. She said it was for the best. She said I needed to move on."
Zhenlong's jaw tightened. "She was wrong."
"I know. I know she was wrong. But I couldn't do anything. I was trapped. I thought about you every single day. Every single night. " He looked down at his hands. "I thought you would forget about me."
Zhenlong reached out and took Wenhao's hand. "I could never forget you."
Wenhao looked up at him. "You stopped texting after three days."
Zhenlong's eyes flickered with something painful. "Because I thought you didn't want me anymore. I thought you had chosen to leave. I thought... I thought I had scared you away."
Wenhao shook his head. "No. Never. I wanted to come back. I wanted to call you. But I couldn't. I was so scared you would hate me."
Zhenlong pulled him closer. "I could never hate you."
Wenhao's tears started again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Zhenlong wiped his tears with his thumb. "Please don't leave me again."
Wenhao nodded, unable to speak.
Zhenlong let out a breath he had been holding for four years. "You need rest."
Wenhao hesitated. "I don't want to be alone."
"You won't be."
Zhenlong called for a servant to prepare soup for wenhao. Then he took Wenhao's hand and led him upstairs.
The room was warm and comfortable. Soft lighting. A large bed with fresh sheets. A tray of soup and bread and tea sat on the table.
Wenhao showered and changed into clothes the servants had provided. Zhenlong's clothes. They were too big but they smelled like him.
When he came out, Zhenlong was sitting on the edge of the bed with the tray of food beside him.
"You need to eat," Zhenlong said. "You look like you haven't had a proper meal in weeks."
Wenhao sat down beside him. His hands were still shaking. He looked at Zhenlong and his voice was small. "You're not mad at me?"
Zhenlong was quiet for a moment. His eyes dropped to the tray. "I was mad at first. When you disappeared. I was angry and hurt and I didn't understand. But then I started looking for you. And I realized that none of that mattered. All that mattered was finding you."
He looked up and met Wenhao's eyes. "Now all that matters is that you're here. Alive. Safe."
Wenhao's eyes burned. "Zhenlong..."
Zhenlong picked up the spoon and scooped some soup. "Eat."
Wenhao hesitated, then took the spoon from his hand. He took a bite. Then another. The warmth spread through his chest.
Zhenlong watched him eat, his expression soft and relieved.
"Do you have insomnia?" Wenhao asked after a while.
Zhenlong's face tightened. "How did you know?"
"I just saw a bottle of sleeping pills" Wenhao reached out and touched Zhenlong's cheek. "You haven't been sleeping?"
Zhenlong leaned into his touch. "I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see you. And then I wake up and you're not there."
Wenhao's throat tightened. "I'm here now."
"I know." Zhenlong pressed his hand over Wenhao's. "I know."
They talked for hours after that. The food was finished. The tea grew cold. They lay on the bed, side by side, their fingers intertwined.
Zhenlong asked about Shen Wei. Wenhao told him that they had lost touch.
Zhenlong asked about Ruifen. Wenhao hesitated. He told him about the painting room. About the meeting. About his suspicions.
Zhenlong's eyes grew dark. "You think she's behind the fraud?"
"I don't know what to think. I just know something is wrong."
Zhenlong was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I'll help you. Whatever you need. I'll help you get to the bottom of it."
Wenhao looked at him. "Why? After everything I put you through, why would you help me?"
Zhenlong pulled him closer and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Because I love you. I've loved you for four years and I never stopped."
Wenhao's breath hitched. "I love you too."
Zhenlong smiled. It was the first real smile Wenhao had seen on his face in years.
They held each other in the silence of the night and for the first time in four years, neither of them felt alone.