The reaction was immediate.
Gou Feng's entire body stiffened.
"Let go..."
His voice shook violently.
"Let me go. Let go!"
His breathing turned ragged as panic surged through him once again.
"Let go! Let me go!"
His hands pushed weakly against Hei Bao's chest, desperately trying to free himself.
Every word was soaked in fear. It was obvious he still hadn't recognized who was holding him.
Hei Bao frowned but didn't loosen his hold. Instead, he tightened his embrace just enough to keep the young man from hurting himself in his panic.
"It's me."
His voice remained low and steady. But the words never reached Gou Feng, as the nightmare still held him too tightly.
"Please... let me go..." The plea came out broken.
His body trembled harder, his breathing growing more frantic with every passing second.
Hei Bao's expression darkened.
Without another moment's hesitation, he released the embrace and gripped Gou Feng firmly with both shoulders.
"A-FENG!" His voice rang sharply through the room.
The command carried the unmistakable authority of the Pact Leader.
Gou Feng flinched violently. His trembling stopped for a brief second.
Wide, unfocused eyes slowly lifted to meet Hei Bao's.
Cold sweat drenched his forehead, and tears clung to his lashes.
His breathing remained uneven, but the panic in his eyes gradually began to settle.
Hei Bao held his gaze without looking away.
"It's me."
This time, his voice softened. Gone was the sharpness from moments ago.
Only calm certainty remained.
"Look at me."
Gou Feng stared blankly for several long seconds.
Slowly, the fear clouding his eyes receded, and recognition returned little by little.
"Ge..." The broken whisper barely escaped his lips.
Hei Bao gave a small nod.
"I'm here."
The simple words seemed to break the last barrier holding Gou Feng together.
His tense shoulders slumped.
Without thinking, he leaned forward and buried himself against the pact leader's chest.
Hei Bao's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
For a brief moment, he didn't know where to place his hands. Then, as though acting on instinct, he slowly wrapped his arms around Gou Feng once more.
One broad hand rested against the back of the young man's head while the other gently rubbed slow circles across his back.
"I'm here."
The words taste unnatural on his tongue. Yet they carried complete sincerity.
"No one is going to hurt you."
Gou Feng's grip tightened around him.
Little by little, the violent trembling eased, and his breathing gradually found its rhythm again.
A shaky breath escaped his lips.
Then, without warning, tears slipped silently down his cheeks.
At first, they fell soundlessly, one after another.
Soon, quiet sobs followed, soft and restrained, almost as if he were trying not to cry too loudly.
Hei Bao's brows furrowed.
He didn't speak. Instead, he simply stayed where he was, allowing the young man to release the emotions he had been holding back.
His hand continued its slow, steady strokes along Gou Feng's back, offering silent reassurance rather than empty words.
"I'm here," he murmured again.
It had been many years since he had spoken those words to anyone.
Even so, he meant every one of them.
As though afraid Hei Bao might disappear if he let go, Gou Feng's fingers unconsciously tightened around the fabric of his nightshirt.
The pact leader noticed the small movement but didn't pull away. He quietly tightened his embrace as well, offering nothing more than his steady presence.
Gradually, the young man's whole body relaxed.
Hei Bao instantly noticed the change.
"...Feeling better?" His voice remained gentle, so unlike his usual tone that he carries everyday.
Gou Feng gave a faint nod without lifting his head.
"I'm sorry."
Hei Bao blinked.
Sorry? For what? He hadn't done anything wrong.
"...Nightmares aren't something you need to apologize for. Calm yourself first." The words came out a little stiff, but he didn't care.
Awkwardly, he patted Gou Feng's back.
The motion still felt unfamiliar to him.
But years ago, it had once come naturally.
Now, such actions of his, felt almost foreign to him. Even so, he didn't stop.
The room gradually fell silent.
Only the quiet rhythm of their breathing remained.
Nearly a minute passed before Hei Bao noticed Gou Feng's breaths becoming slower.
He lowered his gaze, and saw the young man had fallen asleep once more, still leaning against him.
A quiet, almost helpless sigh escaped his mouth.
He remained seated for another moment, allowing Gou Feng to rest undisturbed before carefully easing him back onto the bed, mindful not to wake him.
The young man barely stirred.
After tucking the blanket securely around him, Hei Bao picked up the handkerchief from the bedside table.
With practiced care, he wiped the beads of sweat from Gou Feng's forehead, temples, and neck. Then he rested the back of his hand against the young man's forehead.
His expression immediately darkened.
Just as he suspected…
Gou Feng was running a fever.
A quiet sigh escaped him.
His gaze lingered on the sleeping figure before him.
The pale complexion, nightmares, and now the fever.
None of it felt like simple exhaustion to him.
What exactly happened to this kid?
These past few weeks, he had noticed the young man seemed more fatigued than usual, but he had dismissed it as the result of work, training, and university life.
Now he realized how careless that assumption had been.
The room fell into silence, broken only by the faint ticking of the clock and Gou Feng's slow, even breathing.
How long has this been going on?
Days?
Weeks?
Or had Gou Feng been quietly enduring it for much longer?
The thought left a bitter weight in Hei Bao's chest.
He reached over and gently brushed a few damp strands of silver hair away from the young man's forehead.
In sleep, Gou Feng looked calm.
Almost peaceful, but Hei Bao knew appearances could be deceiving. The deepest wounds were often the ones no one could see.
"Just what have you been carrying by yourself, kid?" he murmured.
No answer came, only the quiet rhythm of breathing.
Eventually, Hei Bao adjusted the blanket one last time before reaching over to switch off the bedside lamp.
The room was immediately swallowed by darkness.
Carefully, he lay down beside Gou Feng, making sure not to disturb the young man's peaceful sleep.
Yet even after closing his eyes, one image refused to leave him.
Gou Feng's frightened expression.
The fear in those trembling eyes lingered stubbornly in the darkness, replaying over and over in his mind.
Hei Bao frowned.
No matter how he tried to empty his thoughts, he couldn't fall asleep.
Minutes passed, and many more. Still, that same expression haunted him.
Eventually, he let out a quiet sigh and opened his eyes again.
Sleep clearly wasn't going to come tonight.
He slowly sat up and rubbed a tired hand across his face.
The room remained silent, broken only by the soft hum of the air conditioner and Gou Feng's steady breathing beside him.
After sitting there for a while, Hei Bao reached for the phone resting on the bedside table.
He quietly slipped out of bed and walked toward the door.
The bedroom door clicked shut behind him with barely a sound.
He made his way down the quiet hallway before stepping onto the terrace.
A cool night breeze greeted him at once, brushing against his face and stirring his dark hair.
Below, the city stretched endlessly beneath the night sky, countless lights flickering like distant stars.
Hei Bao rested one hand against the balcony railing and remained there for several moments, silently watching the sleeping city.
Only then did he unlock his phone.
His thumb paused briefly over a familiar contact before pressing the call button.
The line rang several times, before this got connected.
Instantly, deafening music burst from the speaker.
Heavy bass, drunken laughter, clinking glasses, and the unmistakable noise of a packed nightclub flooded the quiet night.
Hei Bao closed his eyes for a brief moment. A vein twitched near his temple.
Of course.
Where else would his younger cousin be at this hour?
If Cheung Qi wasn't working, he was almost certainly in some nightclub, insisting he was "building connections" while everyone else called it causing trouble.
Without any greeting, Hei Bao asked,
"Did you bring Shen Jiu and Huan Zhan with you again?"
A familiar laugh came from the other end.
Cheung Qi sounded thoroughly relaxed, and unmistakably drunk.
"Hah! I learned my lesson after last time. The elders nearly skinned me alive. I'm not volunteering for another lecture."
A faint chuckle escaped Hei Bao before he could stop it.