Until Then...

Chapter - 44

One step, two step...He Tian didn't bother to apologize to a woman he knocked into as he rushed into the hospital with large strides. His bodyguards ran after him, trying their best to do the job but it was hard with the boss who paid little attention to their existence. Just when he was having a good time talking with Jian Yi, suddenly he was surrounded by a group of men in black suits led by their head of security. The few words whispered into his ear were enough to blow away his former happiness into dust.

His brother was shot. He Cheng was shot on their soil, Beijing. No matter how you looked at it, it was something that fell directly under his responsibility. The two teams sent to welcome He Cheng were also eliminated. In their line of work, losing a few lives and getting shot was not something to fret over but it was still his responsibility. Because his head was not in the right place, because he was busy flirting and chasing his own pleasure and desire that this happened. His brother, his subordinates all of this happened because of his negligence.

He pushed a doctor in white coat out of the way, making the people startled by his action but no one dared to make a complaint for the red in his eyes was enough to repel even Death himself. After ran up the emergency stairs instead of taking the elevator, he arrived at the operation theatre where He Cheng was currently taken in. In front of the formidable steel door was tattered and bandaged muscle mass called Qui. He had his head in his hands as he sat slumped on waiting chair.

Upon hearing the noise, he looked up and saw disheveled He Tian with sweat clinging on his dark hair. He shakily got up from the chair but he didn't look up to meet He Tian's eyes, instead stared at the pair of polished black dress shoes that inched closer to him. "...Is he in there?" He Tian's voice was curt and cold without a shred of emotion in them. It took a few seconds for Qui to find his voice and when he spoke, he felt the air scratched his dry throat and burnt it along the way. "...Yes. I...I am sorry." His head dropped further downward.

Even though he was a few inches taller than He Tian and bulkier than him, now he seemed like a five year old kid facing a giant. There was quiet in the narrow hallway and the guards glanced at each other for this was their first time seeing the infamous Qui looking so small and feeble. He Tian pressed his lips into a fine line making his jaw clenched tight and the muscles in his face twitched from rigid pressure. He stared at Qui's head bowed before him and the longer he spent watching his hair whorl, the more rage built up inside him. The veins on his temple throbbed fiercely and as if a stopper flew off from top of Champagne bottle, He Tian's fist flew pass Qui's head and slammed into the wall behind him. "Boss!" the guards readied to hold him down if he started going rampage but after they saw the fist was buried in the wall instead of Qui's face, they stopped themselves but more like the scene halted them from making any move out of pure fear. Who could say it wouldn't be their faces next?

He Tian's face didn't change a bit as he put his now bleeding fist down by the side and walked past Qui toward the theatre door. "The master is on death bed and the dog is safe. What a fucking joke." Qui trembled slightly but he didn't say anything. He Tian stood tall in front of the door with his hands on the hips. "How is Ran?" He asked after several minutes of uncomfortable silence. "...He is in HDU. His operation was successful but he hasn't gained conscious yet." Qui said in a very flat tone, almost robotic. "You get a room and stay there too. I don't want you bleeding in public." He still didn't look back at Qui or the men but at the door. "No...I will wait here. I will wait till I can see Cheng." "I said I don't want you here." Only then he turned around to face Qui who now got courage to stare back him squarely with determined look in his hardened eyes.

"...Get this fucker out of my sight. Put him in some room. Patient should act like one. Stop being a nuisance." He waved at the guards and turned back to peer holes into the steel door. "No! Boss! Please let me stay here." Qui protested and struggled as the guards tried to take him away from He Tian. "Brother Qui, don't be stubborn. Master Cheng is not someone who will give up easily and do understand Master Tian's sentiment." The head of security was the one who tried to calm Qui down without using force because he was smart enough to know if the fight broke out here, it would not be pretty. Not for anyone.