Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 108

The day after being transferred to a regular ward from the treatment pod, Alois woke up.

He felt like he had been suddenly yanked out of water after drowning, his lungs feeling uncomfortable. He took several deep breaths before realizing he could breathe. The sunlight was blinding, the window wide open, and the curtains drawn back, letting all the light flood in. Although it might have been a beautiful sight, it was extremely dazzling.

Alois closed his eyes, but the sunlight still pierced through his eyelids, creating a dark red haze in front of his eyes, like blood spreading out before him. He tried to cover his eyes, struggling for a long time without success. Then he remembered that his left hand was gone—broken under torture.

There was a rustling sound as someone pulled the curtains closed, darkening the room. Only then did Alois open his eyes, feeling parched and dizzy.

The mattress shifted and sagged slightly as someone sat down next to him. “You’re awake?” the person said gently.

“…Joshua?” Alois was startled by his own hoarse voice.

Joshua brought a cup of water, lifting him up slowly to help him drink. Alois felt a bit better. He grabbed Joshua’s sleeve with his only hand, stubbornly pulling him closer. “Joshua, is it really you?” he asked. “I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“You’re not.” Joshua set the cup aside, gently brushed a lock of hair from Alois’s forehead, and leaned down to give him a kiss. “Thank God, you finally woke up.”

Alois’s heart trembled. Joshua was really there beside him, looking a bit tired and haggard, but his hands and lips were warm. This wasn’t a dream. He had left that hellish place and returned to Joshua’s side.

“I…” Tears almost spilled from Alois’s eyes. “I thought I would never see you again…”

Joshua lifted him slightly, holding him close to his chest. “It’s all over,” the assassin whispered. “Don’t be afraid. I will always be here to protect you. No one will ever take you away from me again…”

The door to the ward was rudely pushed open, and Dominic entered, holding a large bouquet of flowers.

“Why is it so dark in here?” He nonchalantly pushed Joshua aside, placed the flowers in the vase on the bedside table, and then took it upon himself to open the curtains, letting bright sunlight flood the room.

“Now it looks like a proper ward!” he said, satisfied.

“What are you doing here?” “Who are you?” Joshua and Alois asked simultaneously.

Dominic’s face scrunched up. “Who am I?” He stared directly at Alois. “I’m your savior. I personally pulled you out of that damn collapsing building, and you dare ask who I am?”

Alois felt very awkward under his gaze. “Uh… thank you…”

Dominic tossed his golden head. “It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Didn’t you just ask for my thanks? And now you tell me not to worry? What do you mean? Alois screamed internally. He wanted to defy the decorum of a patient, jump up from the bed, and shove that golden head into the flowers—if he still had his left hand.

“And you.” Dominic turned to Joshua. “I’m here on behalf of Mr. Fairmont. Can’t you be a bit more polite?”

“I’ll visit personally to thank you another day.”

After a while, Joshua added, “Thank you, Dominic.”

Only then did Dominic leave, satisfied.

Not long after he left, Jolene and Kepler arrived, almost as if they were taking shifts. The moment Jolene saw Alois, she threw herself on him like a mother leopard reuniting with her cub, bawling loudly. Alois was utterly confused, his eyes darting between Joshua and these unfamiliar people, trying to find answers in their expressions but failing.

Joshua, unsure how to explain this complicated situation, sought help from Kepler. The loan shark smiled shrewdly and said to Alois, “Do you remember me, kid?”

In fact, Alois found the man somewhat familiar but couldn’t quite place him. Joshua whispered a hint in his ear. “Noe Venice.” Finally, he remembered the man’s identity.

“Ah… the loan shark!”

“My name is Erwin Kepler,” the loan shark said, making a gesture toward the still-sobbing Jolene. “This is Jolene Cavendish. We are friends of your father.”

Alois blinked. “My father’s… friends?”

“Yes, though you probably don’t know us.” Kepler gave a somewhat bitter smile.

Jolene looked up with tearful eyes. “We searched for your father for a long time after he disappeared…” She sobbed. “I had almost given up hope, but then we found you… Child, you…” She took Alois’s face in her trembling hands. “You look so much like your father…”

The young man was at a loss. “I… actually, I…” he stammered. “I don’t really remember what my father looked like… He passed away when I was very young, and there are no photos…”

Jolene hugged him tightly. “Oh, you poor child!” She pulled out her communication terminal from her bag, tapped a few times, and a holographic photo appeared. “Look, this is a picture of us with your father.”

In the photo, a group of young people stood in a row. Alois immediately recognized Jolene and Kepler; they hadn’t changed much, just aged. Jolene pointed to a young man in the corner. “See, this is your father.”

The young man was looking off to the side, seemingly distracted, like a solitary bird, not quite fitting in.

Alois touched his own face. The young man in the photo did bear some resemblance to him. Was this really his father? He couldn’t remember his father’s face, nor his mother’s. Her image was just a blurry shape behind frosted glass. Was this what his father looked like when he was young?

“Can I have a copy of this photo?”

“Of course, child.” Then Jolene took his hand and began recounting the past. Learning that his father was a famous master thief, Alois was quite shocked. But once he accepted it, it all seemed to make sense. Jolene spoke with tears streaming down, and Alois kept comforting her, making it seem as if she was the patient and he was the visiting family member.

If not for the attending doctor barging into the ward and ordering everyone to leave to avoid disturbing the patient’s rest, Jolene would have gladly talked for three days and nights. Under the doctor’s stern gaze, Jolene reluctantly left with Kepler, reminding Alois to rest well before departing.

Joshua was allowed to stay since Alois needed care. The assassin, who had probably never taken care of anyone in his life, was initially clumsy, prompting Alois to tease him for a long time.

“I can do this,” Joshua retorted. “I’ll take care of you from now on.”

“What about after I get the prosthesis?”

“That won’t change. Don’t even think about refusing me.” The assassin pushed him back onto the bed. “How do you feel? Tired?”

Alois shook his head. “I’m so happy,” he said. “I have two more family members now.”

Joshua ruffled his hair. “Get some rest. The surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday. They say it will be tough.”

“Can it be tougher than losing a hand?” Alois tried to joke, but Joshua’s face darkened. He quickly changed the subject. “I feel a bit cold.”

“Should I turn up the heat?”

“No.” Alois shifted to make space on the bed. “Come up.”

“…If the doctor sees, he’ll probably punch me.” Despite his words, Joshua removed his outer clothes and shoes, climbed onto the bed, and held Alois in his arms. He accidentally touched the left stump, causing a faint gasp of pain.

“Sorry.” Joshua quickly adjusted his position, embracing the young man’s back. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Alois nestled into his chest like a wounded animal. “It just hurts a bit.”

“It’s all my fault. I didn’t protect you. I’m sorry.” He kissed the black hair scattered on the pillow. Apologizing was all he could do; he didn’t dare ask for Alois’s forgiveness. Because of his negligence, Alois had suffered so much. He felt he deserved to die a thousand deaths.

Joshua felt as if something had struck his chest, making it hard to breathe. His heart felt repeatedly stabbed, dripping blood. When Alois was injured, he had felt as if he wanted to rip his own heart out. But even that wouldn’t bring any relief. He couldn’t turn back time to correct his mistakes, nor could he defy nature to restore Alois’s hand.

Alois had once said that if Joshua got hurt, he would be sad. Joshua felt the same way. Every time he saw Alois’s prosthetic, he would remember those words and feel immense pain. Joshua told himself that compared to what Alois had suffered, his own pain was nothing. He needed to remember this pain to avoid repeating his mistakes.

He felt Alois’s body tremble slightly in his arms. He touched the young man’s shoulder blade, shocked to find how thin he had become—in just a few days, he had lost so much weight. This realization hit Joshua hard. He moved his hand down to Alois’s waist, gently feeling it. Indeed, he had grown thinner.

Joshua felt like crying.

Suddenly, Alois pushed him away, exasperated. “Stop touching me, Joshua! What are you doing!”

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