Submission IV: A Love that Circled Back [BL]

Chapter 2 – “Professor Xiao’s case. I’ll fight it for him.”
Lu Cheng never called Qin Mu by his name, yet had repeated those two words over and over in his heart. If he were an ascetic, the way he devoted himself to those two words, like holy scripture, surely would have attained him Bodhi by now, yet he had arrived at neither fruition nor final enlightenment.
What he had with Qin Mu was a contractual relationship - every right and every obligation was spelled clearly in black ink upon white paper. But feelings, those were not things that could be written or spelled out.
When he was first introduced to and stepped into Eastern Shore, he was spellbound by Qin Mu's mastery of rope bondage. Without much forethought, he tried to strike up a conversation, but only after being rejected did he realise Qin Mu was a true elite in the scene – Mr Pharaoh. From that moment, he spared no effort to find connections that could introduce him, and it was finally through Fang Mingyan that he was able to become his Sub.
Qin Mu was an almost flawless Dom. Superbly skilled, versatile, creative, professional and had perfect control over the boundaries of play. After just two sessions of discipline training, Lu Cheng was already thinking of ways he could maintain the intimate relationship for the long term. Yet it had been clear to Lu Cheng that Qin Mu only took him on as a favour to a close friend. For Lu Cheng, their weekly Friday sessions were the stuff of his deepest longings, but for Qin Mu, they were probably just a matter of conducting routine business.
Lu Cheng was well aware of the principle that to arouse a man, he had to first grab his attention. But no matter how much he threw himself in, entirely and wholeheartedly, he was rejected. Each Friday, Qin Mu would arrive as per the contract, conduct the discipline training and then disappear. In real life, he ignored all his advances. In play, he never crossed any boundaries. Lu Cheng felt utterly defeated and blamed it on his own lack of appeal. It was only later that he came to know that Mr Pharaoh was famously abstinent – he rarely had full sexual relationships with his Subs.
Lu Cheng didn't know where to start with someone who seemed to give no weakness. He hung the whip back on the wall and sighed, frustrated, resigned.
*
The days were getting shorter in late autumn; it was completely dark by the time Qin Mu arrived at his apartment. Upon entering, motion sensor lights gradually opened one after the other. Stirred by the noise, two cats poked their heads out of the cat tree. A blue-eyed white furred Ragdoll leapt to the floor, walked over to him and gave a soft meow as greeting. The other rather chubby orange tabby flicked its tail and flopped back again.
Qin Mu changed into slippers and hung his suit jacket on the coat rack by the entryway. He then dropped two handfuls of cat food into their bowls. The Ragdoll came over and curled its tail around his leg. Qin Mu petted its head, and the cat purred loudly. Its name was North*. Someone gave it to him as a gift five years ago. A very friendly creature. The other large orange one was called East*. He took it in as a stray a year ago. It was all skin and bones, and the left ear had a chunk bitten off by feral cats. It was covered in ringworms. By now, it had long healed, its coat of orange fur shiny and its body undeniably fat. Perhaps because it had once been abused by humans, it was only friendly with the other cat, North and ignored Qin Mu altogether. Even when it was food time, it didn't bother with any shows of affection. But Qin Mu was a hands-off kind of owner and just let it roam around to do as it pleased and never forced any pets on it. Thus, there was harmony between the four-legged and two-legged creatures of the house.
Having taken care of the cats, he turned to his own dinner.
Qin Mu tied on an apron, rolled up his sleeves and started washing the vegetables he had taken out of the fridge.
Though he lived alone, he believed in taking care of the small things in life, and he ate well for each meal. Mushrooms, onions, bacon were diced, then sauteed with peas and tomato into a thick sauce, then poured over al-dente pasta. Topped with a layer of mozzarella cheese, the dish was placed in the oven.
220 degrees Celsius. 15 minutes. A steaming dish of baked pasta was ready. Attracted by the smell, North jumped onto the table, curled up right next to the bowl and quietly watched him eat.
Outside the window was the Jia Lan River and a sea of city lights.
He lived right in the busy centre of K City, in a single-level apartment that stretched over 200 square metres, on the fifteenth floor with an open terrace overlooking the river. The darkened surface of the river divided the sea of glimmering lights into two shores, and the motley of boats upon its surface appeared as stars that had fallen upon the earth.
He ate dinner, scrolled through the news, reviewed documents sent over by his legal assistant and secretary, studied a few case precedents, exercised for an hour, showered, and was in bed by 1030. Sometimes he read a bit, sometimes he played a few games. When there weren't cases or social events, his life was orderly and routined, like a train that ran smoothly upon its tracks, that neither hurried nor was late, always measured and on time. For him, time alone meant having everything under his control. Without the need to waste effort dealing with the noise of the crowd, without the need to navigate the thoughts and feelings of others, it was a state of ease and freedom.
Just as he was reading a book with a cat upon his lap, his phone rang.

A familiar client had called to consult with him on the acquisition of a private securities investment firm. By the time he combed through the details of cost and regulatory changes, and then tactfully suggested against the acquisition, half an hour had passed. The client trusted him and decided to put the proposal on hold.
During the consultation, he had received several other calls that were all from Zhou Yi, his law firm partner. When Qin Mu called back, Zhou Yi picked up immediately. Zhou Yi's voice came through a confusion of background noise; his voice was shaking, his panic palpable.
"It's Professor Xiao. He's just been taken into ICU. Skull fracture. It's not looking good."
Qin Mu went blank for a few seconds before jumping to his feet. The mug of coffee in his hand spilled, and his pants were stained with the brown liquid. Without giving it any attention, he grabbed a coat and rushed out the door.
Xiao Chengzong was his and Zhou Yi's professor at K University, a legal expert of great renown. He was 68 years old and had no children. Two years back, his wife suffered a stroke and was left debilitated and in need of constant care. The elderly gentleman was a modest man greatly respected within the legal field. Outside of lecturing, he dedicated his time to a constant stream of pro bono cases, believing in giving those who couldn't afford legal representation an equal chance at justice. During his student years, he was a great benefactor to Qin Mu, and so Qin Mu frequented the elderly couple, helping them where he could with their daily needs. Just a few days ago, the elderly gentleman was still joking and laughing with him, yet now he was suddenly hit by this disaster. Qin Mu was completely on edge. As soon as the car stopped, he jumped out and rushed towards the elevator door.
Second City Hospital was one of the best in K City. Even at night, the halls were packed with patients waiting for their turn. Everywhere he looked were the faces of tired, sick people. Qin Mu grew impatient waiting for the slow-moving elevator and sprinted up the stairwell. Just as he reached the entrance to ER, he heard a loud cry of raw pain.
He felt a flash across the skin of his scalp and froze in his steps.
"Oh Old Xiao! Xiao…" A lady with a head of white hair was almost completely collapsed in her wheelchair, her face wet with tears, and her voice trembled all over the place as she repeated the name. There were a few friends and family that were crouched beside her, seeking to comfort her. Zhou Yi was clutching a piece of paper. His face was grey as he spoke with the doctor and the two policemen who stood at the side.
Qin Mu felt as if all the oxygen within the air had drained °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° away, he couldn't catch his breath. It wasn't until someone gently laid their hand on his shoulder that he broke free of the drowning sense of suffocation.
"He's gone." Zhou Yi's face was clouded over by gloom.
Qin Mu stared at him and asked, "How did it happen?"
"Car accident. He was covered in blood when he was brought in. Mainly head injury. I called in the best surgeon… He couldn't be saved."
"The perpetrator?"
"Fled. The police pulled the CCTV footage. It was a CRV with fake plates. All we know for the moment is it headed for the southern outskirts. The exact location will take time." Holding back the pain within him, he patted Qin Mu's shoulder, "You… you should go check on Madam Xiao."
Qin Mu nodded and headed over to the wheelchair.
Each step was exceptionally heavy.
In front of Mrs Xiao, he knelt and held onto her gaunt hands and softly called: "Madam Xiao".
The formidable lady who had still joked with him after the stroke now looked emaciated. She used a trembling voice: "Little Qin… He didn't leave me even a single word."
Aggrievement. Resentment. Grief. Anguish. Despair.
All these emotions were entangled within this single sentence and clanged violently upon Qin Mu's heart.
The ground beneath his feet has just fallen away.
The worst thing about death wasn't losing the person but watching someone you loved trapped in anguish, yet powerless to help.
The eyes behind the glasses glistened with a muted red. Qin Mu held onto her gaunt hand tighter and softly said, "Professor didn't say it, but you know he would want you to be well. You must stay strong. You still have us."
"I want to see him. Let me see him." She was crying.
"Ok."
Qin Mu went with her.
The elderly gentleman who had dedicated his life to teaching now lay pale in the cold morgue. The blood stains on his face had been cleaned, and he looked as if he were in a peaceful sleep. Qin Mu stood there without a single word. He drove Madam Xiao over to her relatives and instructed his assistant to find a caregiver overnight. Having taken care of her temporary accommodation, he headed over to the police station to check over the investigation results with Zhou Yi.
When the two left, it was already deep into the night. The moon was obscured by a veil of clouds. A sky without stars or light.
Qin Mu didn't get in the car and asked instead: "Do you have a cigarette?" He had quit smoking a long time ago, so he didn't have any with him.
Zhou Yi pulled out a China brand cigarette from his pocket.
Qin Mu held it between his lips, lowered his head to let Zhou Yi light it from his lighter. He took a deep drag but choked slightly before blowing out a cloud of smoke.
They stood in silence for a while. Zhou Yi hesitated before saying: "I know what you're thinking, but this really could be just an accident…"
"Three days before the trial, fake plates, a fled perpetrator, and that threatening letter left on their doorstep, none of this is coincidence. Their goal was to kill him."
"Qin Mu…"
"While I'm away, please help me take care of the cats."
"Qin Mu!" Zhou Yi snapped, his brows in a deep furrow, eyes widened, "That's J City! You have no idea how deep the water runs with Kuang Mu. This is far beyond what we can imagine. Stay out of it."
Qin Mu held his head back, and through the cloud of smoke, he stared into the abyss of the night sky. His eyes were cold as ice. "Do you still remember the words carved into the entrance of our department? The law our sword, justice the land we defend." He snuffed out his cigarette and spoke without much change in his voice, "Professor Xiao's case, I'll fight it for him."
 
*************
 
Translator’s note:
The cats are actually named Bei Wei (Northern Latitude) and Dong Jing (Eastern Longitude). The translator has taken the liberty of simplifying the names for smoother reading in English