Little Fish. Chapter 10

Gun Wen was obediently waiting in the car where he’d been left. Gu Lang’s arm was sporting numerous scratches from being repeatedly attacked. If not for the child, then the cat would have been left behind. However, he wasn’t nearly as cruel as people believed, and the cat meant something to Wei Zangchen’s son.

Seeing them arrive back, Gun Wen grew animated. The little boy grew just as animated as the guide used the tip of his boot to open the back door.

“Xiao Li!?”

Pathetically, Gun Wen hadn’t been able to free himself. His arms were still behind his back as he was attacked by the small boy.

“You said… He… What did you do to Xiao Li?!”

Before Gun Wen could keep complaining, the cat was forced into the back of the car. The pair were likely to give him a headache if they kept their arguing up.

Opening the front passenger door, he slung Wei Zangchen down into the seat. Being so considerate, he paused to buckle the esper’s seatbelt, then opened the glove box, took out a prepared syringe, and smoothly injected the man in the neck. It was a standard high-strength relaxant mixed with a sedative, issued by the military for emergency use only. Glaring at the back seat, he wasn’t in the mood to deal with his tagalongs.

“I’m only going to say this once. If something happens to that damn cat, I will skin you alive.”

“You’re horrible! You haven’t even untied me. Xiao Li is hysterical. And where the hell did this cat come from?!”

“It’s the kid’s. Can’t go bringing the whole family in if I leave it behind. Right. I’ve got an army of pissed-off grandparents bearing farming tools, and an esper going into mania. Keep your mouth shut if you don’t want me taking it out on you.”

His words finally got through to Gun Wen, who lost his anger to instead look worried. Gu Lang wasn’t sure which was better—being insulted or listening to repeated questions.

“He can’t be going into mania…”

“Didn’t you see the fireball? He tried to light it all up. I’m going to have to guide while I drive.”

“Quickly, untie me. I’ll calm Xiao Li down and explain things to him. Wei Zangchen acts in his sleep when he’s manic. He’s especially good at knowing Xiao Li’s distressed.”

With how much sedative was in Wei Zangchen’s system, Gu Lang didn’t see the esper waking soon. However, he did need to consider the esper’s paternal connection to his son.

“Make sure the cat doesn’t get out.”

Gun Wen couldn’t hold the damn cat. Gu Lang pinned it before it could leap from the car. With his free hand, he took his pocketknife back out. Gun Wen cooperated by turning, letting the guide cut through the flimsy rope that had held him. Coldly, he shoved the cat back at the pair, closed the door, then got into the driver’s seat.

“You’d better explain things properly to Xiao Li. He’d like to stab me right now. I did tell him I would help his father, but I don’t think he likes me.”

“No one in this car likes you. I’ll explain, so focus on Wei Zangchen.”

For a long time, Gun Wen fussed over Xiao Li, talking to the little boy in whispers while holding him in his lap. Their bond was clearly very close as the boy lost his anger, then his fight to stay awake.

Seeing Xiao Li finally asleep, Gu Lang wanted to understand more.

“For all his crying, he didn’t say a word. He’s a strong kid.”

The seemingly innocent comment earned him a glare from Gun Wen.

“Haven’t you done your research? He was born mute. Or at least, he’s been mute since he came into our care. How could you be so low as to capture a child?”

Gu Lang ignored the jab.

“He’s mute?”

“The doctors thought it was a combination of physical and emotional trauma. He and Wei Zangchen have a bond that only they understand. I could buy our little prince the whole world, but at the end of the day, he’d still choose Wei Zangchen.”

Jealousy hung over Gun Wen’s words like a pout. Good. The man deserved it.

“Is that why you chose to keep only him?”

“That and the children said they shouldn’t be separated. They didn’t want Xiao Li ending up in the foster system. They were scared he’d be harmed.”

“So it’s better to let him run around with an emotionally fragile grade S esper?”

“Wei Zangchen would never consciously harm Xiao Li. He often says he only wants to live so he can watch Xiao Li grow and pursue his happiness. He was never very good at telling Xiao Li no. Xiao Li would always be running away to find him. They’d spend hours together, drawing or Wei Zangchen reading to him. It was like they both knew their broken parts were better together.”

Gu Lang doubted such a small child could be that emotionally smart. Gun Wen clearly let his feelings for the child get in the way.

“I’ll have him medically assessed.”

“He doesn’t need to be medically assessed. He’s quite astute at making his desires known. When will Wei Zangchen wake?”

“Hard to say. He’s in a disgusting condition.”

Since pulling onto the main road, Gu Lang had been performing gentle radiant guiding. Wei Zangchen couldn’t handle proper guiding—more likely to go insane than feel any benefit. The guide’s intention was to stabilise him as much as possible before he had him confined.

“In the box next to you is a bunch of cat stuff. See if it’ll eat something.”

“You knew he had a cat?”

“No, I have a fetish for cat food. If you’re tired, then sleep. Now that Wei Zangchen is in my custody, I can guarantee your safety.”

Gun Wen threw him a dirty look.

“You truly are a piece of shit.”

“Thank you.”

Seeing he’d driven for most of the 16-hour drive, been knocked out, reunited with Wei Zangchen and Xiao Li, Gu Lang wasn’t surprised that Gun Wen fell asleep. Using his second mobile phone, he disobeyed road rules, fiddling with the device and placing a call before setting it on the car dashboard. Using the car system would have been easier, but it also would have been logged.

After half a dozen rings, his call finally connected. The woman on the other end snapped after having her sleep ruined.

“Gu Lang! Do you have any idea what time it is?!”

The guide glanced at the clock, his reply calm.

“4:32 a.m. I’m bringing in a VIP patient. I need a level six holding room. His identity is a matter of national security.”

Chi Ren groaned, a soft rustling coming from her side of the phone.

“What are we looking at?”

Gu Lang glanced at the sleeping Wei Zangchen. Chi Ren was the only doctor he was prepared to trust the man to. She had been pivotal in helping him deal with his own condition for the last decade. Unlike her useless nephew, Wang Bu, she wasn’t military. Instead, she had her own small medical practice for retired espers and guides.

“He’s dirty, malnourished, and verging on mania. There seems to be physical disfigurement and possibility of post-pregnancy complications. I’m conducting radiant guiding—his mind isn’t strong enough for anything advanced, yet he cannot take guiding from any guides below A-class.”

“You do know I run a legitimate medical practice?”

“And who allowed you to experiment on his mental cloud when you needed to test your guides’ training? Besides, your nephew conned me.”

Chi Ren knew it wasn’t the first time Wang Bu had made a mistake. She also knew he was lucky that there was something in him that Gu Lang liked.

“That’s what you get for keeping him around. I told you to return him.”

“You know we need him to keep the peace. He’s the only one not affected by our infighting.”

“Then you’ve brought it on yourself. When are you bringing him in?”

Zooming the GPS out, Gu Lang smiled preemptively.

“Around 2 p.m.”

Chi Ren sounded murderous.

“Are you crazy?! What the fuck are you doing calling me this early?! I hope you crash and die!”

Laughing lightly, Gu Lang threw his own jab back.

“You’re going to be completely shocked when you see who it is. Don’t allow anyone into the lower clinic that you don’t want to see made disappear.”

With that, he ended the call. His prey was in worse condition than he’d chosen to believe, but not so far out of the realm of possibility that he hadn’t already mentally adjusted his plans. Wei Zangchen was finally in his hands, and he wasn’t going to let go until he got his answer. It was great to be a guide.

Proceeding to drive through the night, he stopped twice to fuel up. The second time, he found two small eyes watching him from the backseat. Tapping on the window woke Gun Wen up. Xiao Li needed the bathroom, and seeing his night had gone so well, Gu Lang had purchased snacks for the pair while Gun Wen had taken him. He didn’t really want the kid to hate him. If his father was Wei Zangchen, then he owed the child for detaining his father. Once he’d settled things, he’d let Gun Wen take over nannying the child. It seemed all the man was good for, given the condition he’d let Wei Zangchen fall into.

Almost at exactly 2 p.m., Gu Lang guided the white sedan into the underground parking of Chi Ren’s office. There was an open secret with the staff that his presence would be ignored, as he’d assisted in the past. Seeing his visits weren’t always booked, the woman had installed a sensor in his designated parking bay that would alert her.

Grinning as he looked to the back seat, Gu Lang couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this happy. They’d had a smooth run since collecting Wei Zangchen, and Chi Ren would soon be giving him answers he’d waited years for.

“Bring the cat. We’re getting off here.”

With Gun Wen holding the cat, and Xiao Li holding Gun Wen’s pants, Gu Lang had Wei Zangchen thrown over his shoulder again. Leading the group to the private elevator, the doors opened as they reached them, Chi Ren prepared with a gurney and a glare.

“What trouble have you brought me now? Who’s this? And who are they?”

“That’s no way to talk to a national hero.”

Sliding Wei Zangchen down, Gu Lang laid him out flat. Chi Ren’s eyes went comically wide.

“No. No way.”

“It’s him. He’s messed up. I need a full work-up on everything from head to toe. Keep him sedated—he’s barely together mentally.”

Chi Ren let out a shaky breath.

“I thought he was gone… I know you were searching all this time…”

Before the doctor could make things more complicated, Gu Lang gave a cough.

“This is Gun Wen and Xiao Li. Xiao Li is a survivor. He can’t speak. He’ll need a full medical. Gun Wen knows Wei Zangchen’s medical history.”

Chi Ren frowned.

“Why do I know that name?”

Gazing down at Wei Zangchen’s sleeping face, the man was now on the edge of returning from behind a ghost… just like his friend had done weeks ago.

“Because Wei Zangchen wasn’t the only one to die that day. Let’s get him inside. You three, follow us.”