It's difficult to live a normal life when nobody else can see your 'friends' and everybody thinks you're a crazy man who speaks to himself.
Wei is a lonely man with a special talent and an unexpected crave for sweets.
After helping a stranger he fi...
Yunlan's struggle became more difficult and weaker. He couldn't breathe, his neck hurt like hell and the man's grip on it kept getting stronger, like he was dedicating to the task every last bit of energy in that body.
Yunlan felt like he would faint any second now. He made another attempt at freeing himself, without much success, and the blunt movement caused the pendant to move slightly against his skin, reminding him of its existence.
It made Yunlan think of Wei. Would this be how it would end? He would never see Wei again because he had been too careless, because he had let his guard down allowing this man to get the upper hand?
He had internally scolded Wei's worries, he was a cop and had dealt with worse individuals many times, after all. But he had been a fool. He had acted like he was rescuing a victim, not confronting someone dangerous, and as it turned out Wei had been right all along. Now Yunlan was indeed in danger, and it was his own fault.
If you're ever in danger, call Takeo.
Wei's voice echoed in his head. He had promised with the purpose to indulge him, to make him happy, but the idea was simply ridiculous.
It doesn't matter if you believe in him or not.
Well, he didn't. He couldn't. Ghosts didn't exist. There had to be another, more logical explanation for the strange things that kept happening.
Call him and he will find you and help you.
He trusted Wei though, and he wanted to believe in him. That was the compromise he had reached with himself, if he couldn't believe in ghosts he could believe in Wei.
Please.
He had promised to him that he would. Yunlan had given his word while looking him straight in the eyes. Nobody would ever know that he was about to make a fool of himself, but if he was going to die he wanted at least to do it keeping his word.
He tried to call but no sound came out and his neck hurt even more for trying. He couldn't call anyone, couldn't articulate any sound.
I promise. I will. Those were his own words. The last words he spoke before Wei kissed him tenderly, and were going to be the last words he could ever say to him.
Yunlan cursed inside his mind. It wasn't like anyone could actually hear him even if he could shout, and he had promised. He would keep his last promise if it was the last thing he managed to do.
Feeling his strength leave him, he screamed inside his mind the name of Wei's so-called friend.
Takeo!
Deep inside him there was a smirk wanting to come out. It was the last act of his existence, he might as well make it big, a tribute to the lovely man he would never see again. He searched his mind for Wei's words and remembered something.
Luca! Huang! Gelan! DongMei! Liling!
He would have laughed, if he could. It gave him a foolish sense of satisfaction, to know that he had done it, that he had kept his word and Wei's kiss would be the last thing on his mind before the end.
The satisfaction lasted three full seconds before he felt a weird kind of strong wind pass through his body pushing the man off him.
He breathed needed air into his lungs, coughing strongly before he could open his eyes and focus them on the body on the ground.
The young man was now moving legs and arms like a turtle on his back. His futile attempts gained him nothing, he couldn't move an inch.
Yunlan couldn't do much more, but he stumbled forward and put handcuffs on the man's wrists. He thought better of it and put a new pair, joining a wrist to the street metal railing.
Now he could stop and take a breath. He sagged down sitting on the sidewalk, and didn't move for several minutes. He opened his mouth trying to get back his ability to speak, monitoring his improvements until he felt he was able to manage a brief conversation.
He took his phone out of his pocket and called Ling. He succeeded in telling him his exact location plus the words: "Send someone," before his throat hurt too much to continue.
"Hong and Chu are already on their way. I'll give them your exact position."
Ling's words puzzled him but were also welcome. He waited for them resting where he was. When they arrived, Hong knelt down to check on him while Yunlan pointed a finger at the young man.
"Take him away, have him checked out but leave the handcuffs on," he told Chu before turning his attention to Hong.
"Why were you two already on the way here when I called Ling? Was he watching me on the security cameras?"
"No, once you found the guy he thought his job was done and turned his attention on finding the others. He was very upset about this."
"Then how..."
"That Shen Wei called the station shouting like a madman that you were in danger. I thought, better safe than sorry, so I tried to call you but you didn't answer. Ling checked the cameras and saw you putting handcuffs on the guy. You looked hurt, so we rushed here to check."
Yunlan smiled.
Wei.
Somehow Wei had rescued him again. It was his job to protect the people, and he had been saved twice already by an accountant.
He tried to laugh then regretted it when he felt pain. He got up and walked with her to his car. She took the keys off his hands and sat in the driver's seat. Yunlan didn't argue, he sat with his head back and closed his eyes. Something he didn't understand had clearly happened, and he was sure that Wei had saved him somehow.
It strengthened in him the firm belief that he could have faith in Wei, if nothing else.
He didn't say a word until they reached the station, but to his surprise he didn't see Wei there, he wasn't waiting for him. He had thought that Wei would rush there to see if he was alright. After all, he had called sounding very worried, so why wasn't he here?
Hong opened her car door but Yunlan stayed still.
"We've arrived," she told him.
"I know. You go in, I'll be back later."
"You need to be checked as well, those marks on your neck don't look too good."
"Yeah yeah, I'll do that later, I need to talk to Shen Wei first."
He extended an arm to take the keys but she snatched them away. "Are you sure you can drive?"
"Of course I can drive. Give me the damn keys, I need to talk to him now."
She studied him for a second, then she sat back in and started the car. "You're not driving until I'm sure you're fully recovered."
He didn't say another word, but he checked the road to be on the safe side and noticed with relief that she had taken the right route to Shen Wei's house.
In a few moments, he would get there and find out what had delayed Wei, what could be more urgent than making sure if he was dead or alive.
More importantly, he would be with him again.
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