The man with green eyes was not only straightforward but also had his likes and dislikes clearly written on his face. However, when he truly got angry, he would hide it, revealing nothing at all.
Yan Chuan looked at his knees, then at the mottled dust on his white palms. The numerous stains on his face were also covered in grime. Hesse had wiped the dust off his face casually when he pulled him out, and the remaining dirt must have been even worse. The once-beautiful Eastern thief now looked quite disheveled. His former supporters didn’t even pay him any attention.
The abandoned room was left with only Yan Chuan and Hesse. The jailer assigned by Ariel attempted to fight back by drawing his weapon but was outnumbered. The only ally he seemed to have was a weak and delicate Eastern thief, who was immediately dragged aside by the leader of the prisoners. Soon, he was taken away, and the remaining inmates were ordered out one by one.
Yan Chuan stared at the ground in distress, nervously wrinkling the hem of his clothing. He wanted to ask Hesse about the injuries on his face. Hesse’s face was bruised, and there were scratches on his nose that looked like they were made by someone’s fist. Yan Chuan remembered that Hesse was quite skilled; otherwise, he wouldn’t have defeated the previous leader upon entering the isolated prison and gained the prisoners’ support. But just a few days later, he had ended up like this…
Yan Chuan hesitantly glanced toward Hesse, being careful, but their eyes met immediately. Hesse seemed to be staring at him intently, not even blinking, with a fierce look in his eyes. Yan Chuan quickly lowered his gaze. He hesitated to ask any further questions.
In the prison, the only ones that could collide with Hesse were the jailers; who else could it be? And he himself had vanished for four days, having only told Hesse that he needed to find something, tricking him with a few vague words before leaving and never returning. Ariel would not inform the other prisoners about how this Eastern thief had been caught stealing from the warden.
Hesse must have been worried when he saw Yan Chuan was missing, leading to his conflict with the jailers. Yan Chuan felt guilty. It was highly likely that Hesse had gotten hurt because of him. He had no idea if Hesse’s current conflict with the jailers was related to his disappearance.
After taking over the prison, they searched room by room, not even sparing the abandoned ones. Hesse had looked both angry and expectant upon seeing him.
“You face…” After holding it in for a while, Yan Chuan could no longer bear the oppressive atmosphere, attempting to break the silence. When he met Hesse’s gaze, he instinctively lowered his voice, almost whispering, “What happened to your face?”
His delicate fingers grasped at the rough fabric of his coat and then fell away in frustration. Hesse didn’t respond, so Yan Chuan continued on his own, “Does it hurt… Have you had it treated?”
“Doesn’t hurt… Not treated yet,” Hesse replied tersely after a moment.
After saying this, Hesse fell silent again, his gaze fixed on Yan Chuan’s pale face. His imposing figure provided no comfort; in fact, it only increased the sense of fear in the fragile Eastern beauty.
Yan Chuan didn’t know how to respond. Hesse’s demeanor was cold, yet he blocked the door, preventing Yan Chuan from retreating or escaping. But Yan Chuan was unsure where he would go. This pitiful little thief could only stay in the cell at first, but now that the prisoners were clashing with the jailers, he couldn’t return to his cell or approach the warden.
Even if he went to the warden, he would only be treated as a “guarded” prisoner, a disobedient little thief. Yan Chuan felt a sense of unease in his heart.
He was uncertain about how to carry out his tasks, was stuck in this abandoned room with an enraged Hesse blocking his way, examined with distrustful eyes. Yan Chuan felt his knees throb with pain. The abrasions burned and itched. The wounds weren’t severe, but they were situated at the joints, causing pain with movement.
Yet there was no way to treat it now. Yan Chuan bit his lip, pulling up his pant leg to at least avoid further irritation from the fabric. He wasn’t that delicate; he could withstand this minor injury. But he didn’t want to prolong the confrontation with Hesse in this dusty cluttered room.
There was too much dust here, the air was stuffy, and he was covered in dirt. He wondered if the conflict inside the prison had affected Dr. Navi’s clinic. Yan Chuan thought he might not be able to move far, but at least he could find a faucet to wash off the dust from his face.
“Where are you going?” Hesse asked suddenly. He didn’t move an inch, still blocking the door, leaving Yan Chuan with no choice but to squeeze past him if he wanted to escape.