Chapter 4 (1/2)

Rand has always felt that perhaps Vincent has some kind of an Anxiety Neurosis disorder even though the person with anorexia nervosa is Rand, but as far as his mental state is concerned, Vincent is more like the person who has issues.

(TN: Some disorders that would fall under Anxiety Neurosis are panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, separation anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder.)

Vincent has done this before, he would wake up one night and then start to inexplicably fall into a panic. It seems that as long as Rand is not in his line of sight and such, Rand, a man who has lived independently for nearly 30 years, will be met with some kind of accident like an unattended child, and this time too, Vincent was sure to send his own people, bodyguards, or even hire the mercenaries to take Rand back to him.

”I only wanted to make sure that you were alright.”

Vincent incessantly repeated this line to the wrathful Rand.

Rand thought that those people would bring him back to Vincent's large house in the capital. But the night of this return from the Blue Moon Coast is destined to be different from the past. The people sent by Vincent actually brought him straight to a place he is familiar with.

The helicopter landed in the parking lot of the cheap apartment he rented out. Rand didn't question for once as to why there was not a single car in the parking lot.

Between the two bodyguards, Rand saw one with a Marine Corps dog tag on his wrists who then delivered Rand back to his apartment building.

When he left Vincent, Rand received a large sum of money, but due to some kind of indescribable repulsion, Rand did not intend to use Vincent's money. So he only had a small amount left of savings. This apartment is in the downtown area, despite being right next to a parking lot and a subway, it, however, is already the best apartment that he can afford⁠— despite it only having one room, a kitchen (refers to a second-hand espresso machine and an alcohol stove, which he has no way to use) that is in the cupboards, close to the closet, and furthermore there is also a dreadfully narrow bathroom where even the cat couldn't turn around in.

Rand actually thought the house wasn't too bad, but when he opened the door and saw Vincent, he still unavoidably felt very poor.

Lookswise, Vincent does not resemble Rand at all.

In a sense, Vincent's appearance even has a sense of horror that transcends beyond humanity. His facial features are almost impeccable, but his skin as deathly pale as a corpse, his hair is white, his eyelashes are also white, only his iris and pupil are the same b.l.o.o.d.y red.

There is no mistake, Vincent suffers from a severe case of albinism. When this kind of abnormal appearance is combined together with his elusive personality, it takes the shape of one who makes Rand feel exceptionally uneasy... His older brother.

Rand found it difficult to define his position on Vincent.

At this time, Vincent was sitting on Rand's bed, with a bottle of a 1940-year-old Romanée-Conti red wine, there was no gla.s.s of red wine, Vincent used Rand's coffee cup, and that d.a.m.n cup even had the logo of a low-cost supermarket emblazoned on it, naturally, it was a freebie.

After hearing the noise, Vincent looked up and his red eyes fixed on the rigid Rand.

”Rand.”

He called out Rand's name and stood up to approach him.

He reached out and gently stroked Rand's face in a way that one would caress a six-year-old child, examining Rand all over.

Rand sucked in a deep breath, that familiar feeling came again, a sense of nausea mixed with a feeling of terror, his back immediately erupted in tiny gooseb.u.mps.

But in his experience of interacting with Vincent in the past compelled him to have no choice but to endure Vincent's ”examination.”

”I'm good, Vincent, there's nothing wrong with me, I swear.”

He cautiously avoided Vincent in a subtle way, but G.o.d knows how Vincent found him out, he accurately grabbed Rand's hand.

”You're hurt.”

He spoke.

Rand felt his nerves tense up immediately, he quickly pulled his hand away.

”I just wasn't careful... I...”

”But you're hurt, Rand, you promised that you would take good care of yourself, but you haven't.”

Vincent forcibly dragged Rand's hand over and pried open Rand's clenched fist finger by finger.

The cut was not that serious at all, only some of his epidermis was scratched, but Vincent stared at it like half of Rand's head was blown off by a bullet.

”This is just a little cut, It's all right, I-I was a little careless, but this is really nothing...”

Rand stammered in an attempt to ease Vincent's nervousness, but he was not even finished speaking his words when they came to a sudden halt.

Because Vincent caught him off guard and lowered his head, sticking his tongue out to lick at the palm of his hand.

”You f.u.c.king⁠—”

Rand jumped up uncontrollably, he shrieked and only after he recoiled back two steps did he calm down.

Vincent stood there shakily swaying, biting his lips nervously.

”I'm really sorry, Rand, I'm really sorry. I just saw that you were hurt.”

He repeated this, he then drew back, sat down on the bed, and lifted the bottle and poured the wine into his mouth.

He looked to be a bit calmer.

Rand opened his mouth and he wanted to say something but in the end, he found himself unable to say anything.