The Stranger’s Homeward Journey - Chapter 9

Translator: Rin    Editor: Ayangjie    Proofreader: Celare

Shen Mucheng was sitting in the car. His eyes were closed, seemingly resting, however, he was actually thinking. The existence of the person called Luo Shaoheng made him feel confused; he was sure that he had never met him before, yet he felt subtle familiarity when he saw him and heard his name, as if there was an invisible force pushing him to get closer.

This felt strange to him; it was dangerous as well, but it piqued his interest.

This was the first time he had this kind of feeling towards someone in so many years. When he thought of that distinct pair of eyes, he had an indescribable feeling. Especially when tears filled Luo Shaoheng’s eyes, and when his eyelashes trembled as he looked at him, it was as if he was intentionally provoking him, which made Shen Mucheng unable to ignore them.

His fingers tapping against his knees stopped. Shen Mucheng opened his eyes and ordered, “Help me investigate Luo Shaoheng.”

“Yes.” Shen Yu answered as if he had expected it.

On the other side, Luo Shaoheng was overjoyed when he was notified of Shen Mucheng’s coming. He was thinking about how he could introduce himself in a way that leaves a deep impression on Shen Mucheng.

His joy was so vivid on his face that it had even influenced Shen Yun who was one seat away from him. He saw him looking outside the window and reminded him, “They just departed, there’s still some time before they arrive. Don’t be in a hurry.”

“I’m not in a hurry,” Luo Shaoheng smiled embarrassingly; even he himself felt that what he said wasn’t true. He had been waiting for ten years, how could he not be anxious? He’s so anxious he wanted to get out of the car and wait by the streetside.

After waiting for about half an hour, he finally saw Shen Mucheng’s car approaching. Luo Shaoheng didn’t hesitate to push open the door and get out of the car. The obvious anxious expression he showed right now was all but consistent with whatever nonsense he spouted earlier, Shen Yun really didn’t have the energy to comment on  him anymore.

Shen Mucheng saw him walking towards him, so he told the driver to stop the car. But he didn’t get out of the car and only looked at Luo Shaoheng waving towards him through the car’s window. He then winded down the window after a few waves, facing him directly.

“Shen Mucheng.” When Luo Shaoheng saw the lowered window, he smiled brightly and waved towards him again.

He looked so much better when he was smiling than crying.

Shen Mucheng thought in his heart. After looking at him silently for a few seconds, only then did he ask, “What’s wrong?”

“Where are you going later? Can I come with you?” Luo Shaoheng asked straightforwardly.

“Reason?” Shen Mucheng looked at him calmly, waiting for him to give a reason that could convince him.

“I wanna be with you and look at you everyday.” Luo Shaoheng answered without any hesitation, just like how directly he confessed to Shen Mucheng that year.

When he heard this sentence, Shen Yu’s shocked eyes frantically moved left and right between the two people. Meanwhile, when Shen Yun who was at the back heard it, he inwardly gave him a like for his straightforwardness. Such a public confession that was as passionate as flames, made an audience like him embarrassed. I wonder how the person involved feels? Let me tell you, it’s lucky that you guys are out of the country now! If you act like this in the country, you’re going to appear on the hot search!

Honestly, not only them, but even Shen Mucheng also had a subtle feeling. Due to his status, there was no one daring enough to talk to him like that. Even if it was He Shuyu, she would only hint about it. However, this person whom he had met only once, directly expressed his desire to be with him at all times with those affectionate eyes?

He looked at Luo Shaoheng’s anticipating black eyes that were filled with love that wasn’t hidden at all, it was so hot that it was going to melt him, his heart felt ticklish as though a small animal was scratching at it with its soft paw .

However, his expressionless face didn’t betray his thoughts as he responded with a monosyllabic reply, “Oh?”

Luo Shaoheng was as passionate and direct as he was back when he was dating Shen Mucheng, it was probably the characteristics of most people who learnt arts. He wouldn’t hide his affection towards Shen Mucheng; every morning when they woke up, the first thing he would do was to give Shen Mucheng a morning kiss, he would prepare surprises for him when he came back from business trips, he would draw beautiful paintings for Shen Mucheng with the brush in his hand… He did everything he thought that a lover should do, he was willing to give everything he had to Shen Mucheng.

Towards his affection, Shen Mucheng also gave back the equivalent. He would kiss him over and over again and whisper to his ears that he loved him, he would rush back from another city just because he got a flu, he would carry him and walk back home one step after the other just because he asked him to do so.

But he never once questioned him back with curiosity and scrutiny like this before. He froze for a moment and blurted out, “Did you really forget about me?”

His words were filled with disappointment, and his playful eyes were suddenly clouded with sorrow. Shen Mucheng felt even more confused towards this change, but he still looked at him silently, the answer to that question was obvious.

Luo Shaoheng knew what he meant; his face turned pale, the hand that was grasping the car’s window loosened, and lastly, his whole heart sank into despair.

— He had really forgotten about me. 

Even though he had prepared mentally before, Luo Shaoheng still felt uncomfortable. The days they spent together, the love they shared, were now things remembered by him alone.

Shen Yun looked at Luo Shaoheng’s pale face, then at his boss’ calm expression; he suddenly thought that this was indeed what would happen if ex-lovers met but one side had forgotten about the other. He couldn’t help feeling bad for Luo Shaoheng, and just when he thought that Luo Shaoheng would say ‘You’re heartless’ and storm off like they do in dramas, Luo Shaoheng’s actions made his eyes widen.

He looked on as Luo Shaoheng went around the car and tried to pull open the door. He then knocked on the window when he found out that the door was locked. After Shen Mucheng asked the driver to unlock it, he directly sat into the car.

Shen Yun, “…”

Shen Yu, “…”

Shen Mucheng tilted his head and looked at Luo Shaoheng who was sitting beside him, and was slightly shocked by this series of events. He’s quite daring, huh?

“It’s fine if you forgot about me, let’s just get to know each other over again.” Luo Shaoheng said so and paused, he then stretched out his hand towards Shen Mucheng, “Hi, I’m Luo Shaoheng.”

Shen Mucheng raised his eyebrow slightly, his sight landed on the hand stretched out to him. Luo Shaoheng’s hands were pretty, they weren’t slim but not rough either, they were delicately-shaped and his bones were slender. They were a pair of hands that people would look at for a long time subconsciously.

Shen Mucheng’s gaze lingered on his hand for a few seconds, then slowly stretched out his own hand to hold Luo Shaoheng’s. When both hands touched, those slender fingers  suddenly took a turn and interlocked themselves with Shen Mucheng’s.

They only held each other’s hands for one second or maybe even shorter before Shen Mucheng suddenly pressed his hand and quickly used his other hand to choke his neck, pressing him against the back of the carseat.

The force pressing on his neck made Luo Shaoheng have difficulties breathing, and his throat ached slightly. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief as he looked at Shen Mucheng who was just in front of him.

Ever since Luo Shaoheng was rescued from an abduction that occurred when he was young, he was tenderly taken care of and carefully protected, he was also admitted into private middle and high schools. Although everyone knew the Luo family had a son who studied arts, only a few had seen him before. The public was only familiar with his parents, his eldest brother Luo Zongcheng, and his second sister Luo Qiongshu.

However, now, he was choked by Shen Mucheng in such a dangerous manner just because of a simple touch.

This person in front him was the person that he had loved for more than a decade; he was the person who felt pained for him when he accidentally cut his hand while sharpening the pencil, the person who hugged him and said that he would be with him after he was kicked out of the house, the person who would block in front of him without hesitation when a boiling pot fell so as to protect him.

But why was he so strange now? Other than the same appearance, there wasn’t a hint of the past that could be found.

The tightening pain in his neck and the inability to breathe made him really uncomfortable, but all these were not worth mentioning to Luo Shaoheng compared to Shen Mucheng’s pair of cold eyes.

— He really had completely forgotten about me. 

Luo Shaoheng once thought that he had endured the most painful moments, that there was nothing that could defeat him anymore, but now, he knew what could — it was reality.

Shen Mucheng didn’t really intend to do anything to Luo Shaoheng, it was just that he was somewhat suspicious due to Luo Shaoheng’s sudden appearance, and combined with his fast reflexes, he choked him instinctively without thinking.

When both of them met each other’s eyes, the heavy emotions that filled those distinct black pupils almost flowed out, layers of moisture could be seen accumulated in his reddened eyes, making his eyes even more attractive. Shen Mucheng’s hands loosened their grip, his thumb caressed the veins on Luo Shaoheng’s neck as he asked lightly, “Say it, who do you take me for?”

The emotions in Luo Shaoheng’s eyes were too heavy, if it weren’t for the fact that he didn’t have any impression of Luo Shaoheng, he nearly thought that everything Luo Shaoheng did was because of him.

This made him feel like Luo Shaoheng was looking at another person through him. Once he thought of that possibility, he felt really displeased.

After he loosened his grip, Luo Shaoheng could breathe better. However, he didn’t struggle out of his pressing grip and remained in the same posture as he looked into his eyes. He then smiled, “If… I say that I’m not taking you for another person, that I’m very sure that you’re Shen Mucheng, do you believe it?”

When he was talking, he paused for a few times, probably because Shen Mucheng’s clutch slightly choked him. However, his expression did not show a hint of resistance. He was probably not resisting because he knew it was useless, or maybe he knew that even though Shen Mucheng had forgotten about everything, he still wouldn’t harm him.

Do you believe it? 

Of course, Shen Mucheng didn’t, but he didn’t make it hard for Luo Shaoheng anymore. He retracted his hands and sat back in his original place.

Luo Shaoheng held his own throat and coughed lightly, the itchiness and pain in his throat made him uncomfortable.

Shen Mucheng noticed that his face was slightly reddened due to coughing, he swept his gaze over him once then quickly looked away, “I don’t want to look into your intentions, there’s still time for you to leave.”

Leave? Luo Shaoheng laughed lightly. He had waited for ten years before he finally got the impossible encounter he longed for just when he was about to give up, how could he leave now?

“No.” Luo Shaoheng raised his head and looked at him intently, he then said word by word, “Shen Mucheng, I won’t leave. Give me a chance, let me prove my sincerity .”

His determined eyes were filled with tenderness, as if he was looking at the most precious person to him, saying words that would make people’s heart pound, just to have a chance to be with the person he loved.

The words ‘I wanna be with you and look at you everyday’ resurfaced in Shen Mucheng’s mind. He knew that they were unbelievable, but he surprisingly didn’t want to reject him now.

As Shen Mucheng’s silence stretched, Luo Shaoheng’s heart was not as calm and confident as he looked on the outside, his heart was thumping rapidly. If Shen Mucheng were any closer to him, he would have definitely heard his frantic and irregular heartbeat.

— Please, don’t reject me, give me a chance to let you fall in love with me once again. 

He prayed in his heart silently.

“Go up and take your stuff.” After a moment of silence, Shen Mucheng spoke suddenly.

“En?” Luo Shaoheng froze.

“Didn’t you say you wanna come with me?” Shen Mucheng finished saying so, then talked to Shen Yu in the driver seat, “Accompany him to go get his stuff.”

“Yes.” Shen Yu answered.

“You’ve agreed?” Only now did Luo Shaoheng realize that his wish came true. He stood up suddenly, and a loud Bang was heard as his head banged into the car ceiling directly. The people inside the car were scared by him, while he wailed in pain as he hugged his own head.

“Are you okay?” Shen Mucheng frowned as he pulled him closer, he stretched out his hand and touched his head. Just as he touched it, he heard him gasp, then he felt a large bump under his hand, he then asked with raised eyebrows, “Why is it so big?”

“Sss… lighter, my head is going to break, don’t you feel distressed for me?” Luo Shaoheng grasped his hand reflexively while saying so with a complaining tone. As he said those words, both of them were stunned.

Luo Shaoheng’s tone was too natural, as if that was what he should say. If the person he was talking to was the Shen Mucheng in the past, he wouldn’t feel that it was inappropriate, Shen Mucheng would definitely hug him and coax him for a whole day.

But the current Shen Mucheng couldn’t remember their past, so the words he said might just be him being sentimental. Even he himself felt that it was awkward.

Fortunately Shen Mucheng didn’t say anything, he just loosened Luo Shaoheng’s hand and said, “be careful.”

He was scared that Shen Mucheng would regret his decision, hence he didn’t dally any longer, he pushed open the door and went back to the hotel to get his stuff. Shen Yu followed him in as well. Shen Yun was outside and didn’t know what happened in the car, but when he saw Shen Yu helping Luo Shaoheng carry his stuff down, he was shocked.

He did it?! 

He looked at Luo Shaoheng getting into the car, then at the window on Shen Mucheng’s side slowly winding up, he couldn’t help it and shouted in his heart: This development is so scary!! So you were this kind of boss all along?

—

T/N: Sorry for late update! I will be doing sporadic updates as I’m really busy! But don’t worry I won’t drop this, I will increase updates once I’m done with exams and after I settle down in Japan!