CHAPTER 351: FROM FLIRTY ESCAPE TO EAR TUG ARREST

Micah shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat, his back pressing against the cool leather while his knee bounced up and down without a pause. He tried to sit still, but the nerves had gotten to him.

During the past week, his exchange with Clyde had dwindled down to just a few messages at night, always simple, always ordinary. Not once did either of them dare to voice that they missed each other. There were no sweet words. Just mundane things: how class went, whether Micah had eaten, what Clyde had cooked for himself. Nothing related to feelings.

Now, sitting beside Clyde again, Micah felt awkward. Almost like the closeness from last week had been nothing but a dream. A distant memory. Whatever fragile intimacy they had gained had retreated, bringing them back again to the starting point. It felt like an invisible wall as unbreakable as the Great Wall of China stood between them.

The car slowed, then rolled to a stop. Clyde shifted the gear into park in front of Ramsy’s mansion.

"Huh? Why are we here?" Micah asked, disappointment slipping into his voice.

Clyde loosened his grip on the wheel, his gaze calm as ever. "I arranged for Uncle Lin to come here. Go inside. Lin Heye should be near."

Micah’s mind processed slowly. "Why?"

"Didn’t you say your grandma’s health was failing? That your grandpa was searching for a famous Chinese medicine expert?" Clyde said evenly.

"You remembered?!" Micah exclaimed, surprised by Clyde’s attentiveness.

"Yeah. Go ahead. I’ll see you tomorrow."

Micah’s hand on the door froze. For a moment, he didn’t move. He, the grandson who lived under this very roof, had completely forgotten about it, but Clyde remembered. His chest filled with warmth. Slowly, he turned back to Clyde. "Thanks," he said softly.

Before his nerves could betray him, Micah leaned over, pressed a quick peck against Clyde’s cheek, and immediately bolted out of the car like a demon was chasing him. His ears burned crimson, his heart hammering wildly as he slammed the door shut behind him.

Inside the car, Clyde remained still. His stern face softened as his hand instinctively rose, brushing the spot where Micah’s lips had grazed his skin. He gave a quiet chuckle. The boy was too sweet, too soft-hearted, too unbearably cute.

He stayed where he was, his gaze following Micah’s retreating figure until it vanished inside the mansion. Only when Lin Heye’s car appeared at the gates did he finally start the engine again. The quiet hum filled the vehicle as he drove away.

Maybe he had been too hard on Dean and Jacklin earlier. Truthfully, he had been more frightened than either of them could imagine. He had made the dormitory rules loosen, yet never dared to tell Micah to use it to stay with him. The ball was always in Micah’s court. Clyde had simply made things easier, never expressing his own desire or wants. He had held himself back, fighting the nightmares every night. But he never asked Micah to help him through the long, suffocating hours of darkness. Yet still, the dreams came, hunting him. Every night, he chased after the same faceless shadow until morning arrived. He never knew what it was about. Only that it left him empty, a lingering loss, yearning for something he couldn’t grasp.

With someone this broken, Micah was better off staying away. Those two dreamless nights together had been an exception. What if it was just luck? What if he did something to Micah? Hurt him?

If he ever brought Micah to his home, there would be no boundaries left. He could never refuse the boy. And if he did, Micah would be the one wounded.

He needed to see that master again. Uncle Lin had promised to find him. He should just wait a bit more. He tugged at his wooden player beads. They had become useless, just as the master had warned. He had let himself feel. And all those nightmares came rushing back, relentless and consuming.

****

Meanwhile, Micah entered the Ramsy mansion in quick steps. "Mum!" he yelled, practically kicking his shoes off at the entrance and shoving his feet into the slippers.

Elina walked out of the living room. "Ah, my! What a lovely surprise!" she said warmly, a radiant smile on her face.

"Hi, Mum!" Micah greeted breathlessly, his excitement too obvious to hide. "Where are Grandma and Grandpa?"

"Like always," Elina replied, tilting her head. "In the back building. Why?"

"Quick! Call them," Micah urged. "The expert I told you about is coming here to see Grandma!" His eyes lit up.

"What expert?" Aria’s head popped out from behind the wall, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

"You know, the one who treated my stomach problem." Micah blurted out, totally selling himself out.

"Micah!" Elina called sternly. "Did you hide something from me?"

Micah’s face twisted in bewilderment. "What are you saying?"

"Hah! Figures," Elina huffed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "You don’t come home often. Of course, you were hiding something."

"My little brother. When did you ever have a stomachache that needed treatment?" Aria asked, her lips twitching into a smirk.

Micah scratched his cheek nervously, his fingers fiddling with the frame of his glasses. "That wasn’t something serious. It got healed already."

Elina’s patience snapped. She knew her son like the back of her hand. She reached out, tugging sharply at Micah’s ear. "You! I should have known better! Avoiding coming home, of course, you have messed it up. Spill everything now!"

"Ah, ow...ow! It was long ago!" Micah yelped, trying to pry her hand off. "During the military training, okay? I didn’t tell you because you couldn’t do anything until the ten days were over."

Before Elina could scold him further, the doorbell rang.

A housekeeper hurried over, bowing slightly. "Madam, there are some people here asking for young master Micah."

"Mum, let’s talk later, okay?" Micah pleaded, giving her his most pitiful look.

Elina released his ear with a long sigh, though her glare promised retribution later. "This isn’t over," she warned, pointing a finger at him.

She took a moment to brush her hair into place, smoothing out her clothes and straightening her posture. Then, with all the grace of the household matriarch, she turned and walked toward the entrance.