He Betrayed the Heir, Then Returned to Save Him novel · Chapter 17 of 24

Chapter 17: What He Asked For

Morbius touched two fingers to the red cord.

Su Ye drew in a breath and went rigid, and his eyes rolled back.

Lu Chen caught him before he fell.

He held him against his chest on the stone floor of the pavilion, one hand under his curls, and waited.

It seemed a very long time.

When Su Ye opened his eyes they were wet and wide and unfocused.

"Oh," he said. "Oh, I remember."

He sat up slowly.

Morbius had gone. There was only the pond, and the pale moon over it.

"It was so cold in there," Su Ye said. His voice was thin. "I was on my knees on this black floor, and my mouth tasted of the wine. I could still feel my mother's fingers."

Lu Chen did not speak.

"He asked me what I wanted. I thought I'd say the poisoner's name. That's what the others did." Su Ye looked at his hands. "Then I thought about you instead."

"Why?"

"You were at the bottom of the table that night, and you were so white, Chen. You'd laid your hand flat beside your plate and it was shaking. I saw it when I lifted my glass."

"You knew something was wrong."

"I knew you were frightened. I thought you were frightened of me. I thought, he's twenty-two and nobody ever read him a book." Su Ye laughed, and it cracked. "I wanted you to have another try. That was all. I wanted you to have a morning where nobody was using you."

Lu Chen's eyes burned.

"So I asked. I knew what it'd cost. I knew about the seal." Su Ye lifted his wrist and looked at the thread. "And then I asked him to take it away, so I'd walk into the second life as a fool who liked you for nothing."

"You were never a fool."

"I was a fool who liked you for nothing. It was beautiful." He turned and took Lu Chen's face in both hands. "I'd been so afraid, up on that roof. I thought, it's the chain. It's the guilt. It's not him. It was never a sign that I was wanted, only a thing done to him."

← Chapter 16 · All chapters · Chapter 18 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend