Remember me...

36. You are dead, Yongjie...

"Hey, you are awake." A hand came to wipe Zhan's sweaty forehead and Zhan moved his head to avoid the touch. He tried to back away but couldn't go anywhere because he was tied to a chair. His hands and feet were bound and the gag in his mouth was soaked through by his spit. Zhan could still feel the remaining effects of the drug he was given, the need to retch everything he had eaten that day and the pounding in his head unbearable. The hand hovered in front of his face and Zhan's lips curled when Yongjie palmed his cheek. "Don't be difficult, Xiao Zhan. I don't want to hurt you. Don't make me." The threat caused Zhan to freeze and Zhan's eyes glinted with fear seeing the gun strapped to Yongjie's waist. Yongjie wiped the sweat from Zhan's brow and pulled his hair back from his face while Zhan eyed Yongjie with trepidation. He mumbled incoherently around the gag, asking Yongjie to let him go but his frustration only increased when Yongjie made no move to free his mouth. Zhan turned his eyes around and guessed that they were in an old building and from the looks of it, it was an abandoned place. He screamed and screamed until his throat hurt but it was of no use. He saw Yongjie go to the table and the man brought a water bottle to Zhan, pulling the cloth out from Zhan's mouth.

"Here. You must be parched." The bottle was placed on his lips and Zhan drank the water greedily, the cold water soothing his hoarse throat. "Let me go", he gasped as soon as he regained his voice and Yongjie laughed. "As tempting as you look begging, I can't follow all your orders, sweet thing. I can't let you go." "Yibo will find me", Zhan threatened and Yongjie smiled at him. He sat before Zhan again and softly caressed Zhan's head as if one would do to soothe a child. "I know he will, Zhan. That's what I am counting on. I have heard how much he loves you. Now, it's finally time for us to see how much truth those words hold." "Why are you doing this? The club belongs to Yibo", Zhan asked and Yongjie's eyes became cold and his features hardened. "No it doesn't! He stole it from us. It was a hub for all sorts of people. The club's takeover by Yibo angered a drug dealer my brother worked with. Yibo got my brother killed! I had to see my brother die that horrific death and it was all because of Wang Yibo! He will have to pay for it. I will take everything that was ours and then I will kill that Wang Yibo.  He chose to steal from the wrong people." Zhan stared wide eyed into Yongjie's crazy eyes and when the darkness melted away, something even more terrifying shined in Yongjie's eyes. His hands moved to Zhan's chest, lust visible in the man's eyes and Zhan was afraid. Afraid of what the bastard would do to him if he didn't escape him. Some of that fear must have been reflected on his face because Yongjie's eyes turned soft. "I won't touch you, Zhan. At least not now. I might be a bad person but I prefer my partners willing. I will go call your Yibo now. Call him here alone. Once he is dead, I will let you go. Or maybe not." Yongjie leaned in and mouthed the skin on Zhan's throat, making Zhan squirm and yell all sorts of obscenities in the empty building. "You taste as sweet as I imagined. Trust me, Zhan. Once Yibo is out of the picture, I will take good care of you." "Fuck off, you bastard! LET ME GO!!!", Zhan yelled struggling violently, uncaring as the zip ties dug into his skin drawing blood. He felt a rush of adrenaline and as Yongjie got too close Zhan rammed his head hard into Yongjie's nose. "Fuck!!", the man cursed and Zhan glared at him as he wiped the blood off his nose. "I should have known you will fight me." The lunatic laughed softly and Zhan doubles his efforts, hissing when the cuts on his wrists caused him pain. "Struggle all you want, Xiao Zhan. I will fuck all that fight out of you once I've killed your Yibo." Gagging him again and throwing Zhan a scowl the man left Zhan behind.

"How many are there?", Yibo asked Rong Shan and the man answered in a bland tone. "Just around thirty. Who did he think was coming? I am Rong Shan. He should've called at least fifty men." Yibo pulled his gun out and stood up from where they were hiding. "Cover my back. I will find out where Zhan is. Don't start shooting until I put him in a safe place. Don't be late. You find Yongjie and you tie that fucker up. Don't touch him, wait for me. That man will die at my hands, Rong Shan." "Fine." Spitting the gum he was chewing, Rong Shan loaded his own gun and nodded at Yibo. Both of them kept their eyes and ears open as they disappeared in the shadows.
Yibo eyed the tall building before him and walked inside, his gun ready to shoot anyone that was a threat. He moved silently, keeping an eye on all corners as he proceeded with extreme caution. The place was almost empty, no sign of anyone but Yibo was on his guard knowing all too well that Yongjie would be waiting for him. Yibo was already a step ahead of Yongjie but until Zhan was by his side, Yibo couldn't be reckless. It was hard to ignore the haze of wrath that was ready to blind Yibo. Yongjie had taking his baobei right from their fucking home. Had touched someone he shouldn't have and Yibo vowed that today would be Yongjie's last day.

Yibo checked the empty rooms carefully but found no sign of Zhan and he could feel his heart thundering because of fear. Taking another turn, Yibo took a step forward but halted when he heard a sound coming from down across the hall. Yibo focused on the sound and the faint grunting as well the sounds of a chair scraping across the floor had him running across the hall. Yibo stopped in front of the room and found Zhan struggling on the chair and frustrated grunts escaping him because of his unsuccessful attempts. "Baobei", Yibo said on an exhale and ran into the room tucking his gun away.  Zhan's eyes coming to meet his across the room and he ceased struggling, saying something that Yibo couldn't understand. "I'm here." Yibo whispered softly and Zhan shook his head violently kicking his legs as a tears slid off Zhan's eyes. Yibo untied the gag from Zhan's mouth and then worked on the ties, his eyes blazing with fury as he saw the blood on Zhan's hands. "You need to leave, Yibo. He said his brother died because of you. He will hurt you!", Zhan begged but Yibo patiently cut the ties and smoothed his hands over Zhan's face. Yibo joined their foreheads sighing in relief and pulled Zhan up. "I'll get you out of here."

Zhan stood up on his numb legs, his knees trembling and Yibo muttered a curse seeing his baobei's condition. There were faint bruises on Zhan's upper arms probably due to the struggle in the penthouse and the ties had marred Zhan's wrists, the red bands glaring back at Yibo, screaming his failure to protect Zhan again. Yibo grasped Zhan's wrists softly and was leaving when he heard the sound of a gun cocking behind them. Turning around Yibo's eyes met Yongjie's dark ones and his jaw clenched at the sight of the bastard. "You are dead, Ling Yongjie", he promised darkly, not afraid in the slightest of the gun pointed over his head. A sneer came on the Yongjie's lips as he glared at Wang Yibo. "Not so soon, Wang Yibo." Yibo's hands clenched into fists and he would've shot the fucker dead right there if he didn't worry about Zhan. "He has nothing to do with this, Yongjie. Let Zhan go." The words had Yongjie snickering as he trained the gun over Zhan's head smiling. "He has everything to do with this. He is my key to get what I want. I think it's a good bargain Yibo, you hand over that nightclub and your life to me and I will let your lover go. Or else you can leave and forget all about your baobei", the man mocked and Yibo brought Zhan closer to himself. Zhan was trembling slightly in his arms and Yibo cursed lowly under his breath. "Fine. I will do what you say. Let Zhan leave first." "N-No. Yibo!" Zhan started to struggle again and Yibo crushed his body to Zhan's whispering softly in his baobei's ears.

"Just go. Hide somewhere. I will come to you." Zhan was shaking his head, clutching Yibo's shoulders and Yibo's heart ached seeing his baobei so afraid. "Nothing will happen, Zhan-Zhan. Please, just go." "He won't go anywhere", Yongjie announced suddenly and Yibo saw him and Zhan get surrounded by Yongjie's men. "So many against a single person. Aren't you a coward, Ling Yongjie?", Yibo sneered and Yongjie smiled. "Your boyfriend might be blind to your true self but I know who you are, Yibo. Do you know whom you are sharing your bed with, Xiao Zhan? Your boyfriend has made a lot of people disappear in the past and he wouldn't hesitate to hurt someone again. It could be you for all we know. Do you want someone like him with you, sweet thing?" Yibo's hand tightened around Zhan and when Zhan's hands curled around Yibo's waist, his form froze when he touched the gun tucked at Yibo's back. Yibo felt Zhan trembling with fear but he rubbed Zhan's back, his eyes not moving away from Yongjie. "Your issue is with me, Yongjie. Zhan has nothing to do with this. Let him go or else-" "Or else what?", Yongjie interrupted with a smirk and Yibo's eyes went cold. "No one will find out what happened to you. You have already earned a painful end by dragging my Zhan into this. Don't make this worse for yourself." "What are you guys waiting for? Kill him." Yongjie's voice boomed in the hall and just as the men took a step forward, Yibo took Zhan with him to the ground. Shots rang out from all directions and Yibo held Zhan close beneath his own body, covering his baobei's ears as Rong Shan rained bullets on Yongjie's men.