MUTED Chapter 21

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Chapter 21


Edited by Planetes

 

 

WARNING: ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

 

Yi Tian stood where he was for a long time, and Liao Fei had to call out to him quite a few times before he came back to the present.

 

“Don’t let anyone in,” Yi Tian instructed before going in.

 

The person on the bed had his eyes open, looking out into the distance with a blank, unfocused gaze. The doctor said that he had severe self-harm tendencies, and he was so weak to the point where he could not be prescribed any more medication. As such, they had tied his uninjured left hand to the bedpost, preventing him from touching his injury.

 

It had only been a few days since Yi Tian saw him, but the man had already turned terrifyingly skinny, his face so pale it looked bloodless. If not for the slight rising of his chest, Yi Tian would not even dare to believe that this person was still alive, that he was still breathing.

 

He stood there, silently watching Mu Ran. Only a moment later, did he then walk forward. With an aloof expression, and without saying anything, he undid the knot tying Mu Ran’s hand. Upon noticing that the restraint around his hand was gone, Mu Ran’s fingers twitched a little, before immediately reaching out to pull at the wound on his right wrist.

 

Seeing what he was doing, Yi Tian hurriedly grabbed his hand, holding it underneath him. He said angrily, “What are you fucking trying to do?!”

 

Mu Ran still had a blank look on his face, not reacting. However, his restrained hand was struggling to free itself.

 

Seeing how lifeless he was, Yi Tian felt a swell of fire rising within him, and he sneered, “You can no longer play the blackmail game, so you started self-harming? Who are you acting pitiful for?” He had not wanted to say such things to agitate the person in front of him, but he could not control himself. He had long forgotten how to have a proper conversation with Mu Ran. Scolding, mocking, and looks of disdain were pretty much how he usually interacted with him.

 

Mu Ran’s body started trembling lightly, the degree of trembling very minute. If Yi Tian was currently not holding onto his hand, he would pretty much not have noticed it. Mu Ran’s pupils shifted, and he finally looked up, meeting Yi Tian’s eyes.

 

“It…” Mu Ran opened his mouth, his voice hoarse. “… hurts…” It took him a very long time to squeeze these two words out.

 

Instantly, Yi Tian froze there.

 

During these three years, this was the first time Mu Ran had said something like this to him. The first time he had been beaten up by Yi Tian, landing in the hospital, he did not say it. When he had been humiliated to the point where his whole face flushed red and he could not say a word, he did not say it. When Lin Han had privately made a fool out of him, making him so embarrassed that he could not lift his head, he did not say it. Yi Tian himself had been curious, did this person not feel any hurt at all? After that, it was as though he had found a new, interesting game, and along with being able to vent those inexplicable feelings within himself, time and time again, he did things that would hurt Mu Ran. He prodded at the bottom line of this person, trying to see what exactly could he endure.

 

Now that he had finally said it out loud, Yi Tian instead did not feel the slightest bit of happiness. He bowed his head, silently grabbing onto Mu Ran’s hand and tucking it back under the blanket, not wanting to meet Mu Ran’s almost pleading gaze.

 

Just like this, he sat there for a very long time. Up until he left, Yi Tian did not pull his hand away.

 

The next day, Yi Tian brought Mu Ran out of the hospital, into his home.

 

Ever since Yi Tian had moved out from his family home, he had been staying alone. He did not have much of a young master’s temperament that he needed people to take care of and wait upon him. At most, someone would come by periodically to clean his place up. Su Wenyang asked if there was a need to find someone to take care of Mu Ran. However, as Yi Tian had recently just finished up the Wu family’s business, and given himself a long vacation to rest at home, he was not afraid that something would happen to Mu Ran, and so he rejected the query. Upon knowing of this, He Xudong wanted to stop it. Yet, when he saw Xu Ran’s expression, he could only try his best to swallow his words back. He no longer objected, and had no choice but to conceal this matter from Lin Han.

 

Their first day together was actually quite awkward.

 

In the past, when the two lived together, it was always Mu Ran who would take the initiative to speak. If Yi Tian was feeling impatient, he would hide in the kitchen, studying on how to make some of Yi Tian’s favourite dishes. However, this time, Mu Ran only sat there blankly, not speaking, expressionless, just like a puppet. At first, Yi Tian was a little frustrated, but he too slowly calmed down. He had already taken him home, even lowering himself down to accompany him. He did not believe that Mu Ran would continue being indifferent.

 

In the evening, after dinner, seeing that Mu Ran wanted to rest, Yi Tian held onto him, wrapping the bandage on his wrist with cling wrap. Only after he saw the man quietly holding onto his change of clothes and going into the bathroom did he then turn away and headed downstairs. Giving Xu Ran a call, they discussed about tomorrow, where Xu Ran would come over and provide Mu Ran with psychotherapy.

 

After agreeing on a time, Xu Ran was a little busybody, and asked, “What is Mu Ran doing now? How was he today?”

 

Yi Tian nodded at the cleaning auntie who after washing the bowls and cleaning up, was gesturing at him. When he saw her leave and close the door behind her, he then answered casually, “He’s showering. He didn’t say a word today.”

 

“He’s showering? You’re not with him?” Xu Ran’s pitch rose by quite a bit.

 

Yi Tian frowned deeply. “He’s showering. Why do I have to be with him?”

 

Xu Ran inhaled deeply, speaking coldly. “Go immediately to the bathroom now. He’s definitely locked the door, so bring the key. Remember to call for a doctor.”

 

Hearing Xu Ran’s tone, Yi Tian too felt that something was not right. He turned and ran towards the bathroom. When he reached the door, he twisted at the doorknob, and it was really locked. Pounding on the door, he called a few times, but no one answered, and he could not even hear a single sound. Yi Tian had no time to get the key, and he straight away lifted his foot and kicked at the door. Within a few seconds, the door slammed open, and when he saw the scene within, he was so alarmed that he forgot to breath — Mu Ran was sitting in the bathtub, in a trance. The cling wrap and bandage had been ripped off by him, abandoned on the floor. The wound on his right wrist, that had yet to heal, was exposed in the water, red, swollen and inflamed, while the water in the bathtub was tinged slightly pink.

 

Yi Tian snapped back to his senses, quickly rushing over to pick the man up from the water. Yanking a towel free from the rod on the wall, he pressed it tightly against Mu Ran’s wound. After he contacted a doctor, and upon hanging up, he lifted his hand, giving Mu Ran a slap.

 

The force behind this slap was immense, and Mu Ran’s head jerked to the side with it, a red handprint immediately raising up from the skin of his cheek. As Yi Tian had discovered him quickly, his blood loss was not too severe, and he was still conscious. However, he was silent, not saying a word, and did not even react in the slightest. Seeing how unconcerned he looked, Yi Tian took a few deep breaths, suppressing the rage in his heart, stopping himself from reaching out and offing the man in front of him.

 

Lao-He was the family doctor of the Yi family. After receiving Yi Tian’s call, he hurried over at the fastest speed possible. Seeing Mu Ran’s condition, he did not ask many questions, and just started working on him, bandaging the wound. Yi Tian stood by the side and saw how Mu Ran’s wound that had been mangled from the glass, crisscrossing his wrist, was now horrific looking after being immersed in water, and his heart actually clenched for a moment.

 

Instead, it was the one lying on the bed, being bandaged up, whose brows did not even crease at all, nor did he make a single sound. It seemed as though he could not feel the pain at all. Even Lao-He glanced at him a few times in slight surprise, as this was the first time he had seen someone remaining so silent after slicing their wrist to this state.

 

After taking care of the wound, Lao-He was about to leave. From behind, Yi Tian said quietly, “Uncle He, I have to trouble you to help me keep this matter a secret.”

 

As one of the Yi family’s people, each time anyone from the Yi family had any sort of ailments, they would all seek his opinion first. Furthermore, Yi Tian’s mother loved asking Lao-He about her son, and if he were to accidentally reveal anything, Mu Ran would definitely not be able to continue staying here.

 

“I understand.” Lao-Hu nodded at him. Having been able to stay in the Yi family for so long, he knew what he should say, and what he should not say.

 

“Thank you, Uncle He.”

 

Remaining where he stood, Lao-He hesitated for a while, finally still deciding to say something. “Get someone to see him, his mental state isn’t quite right.”

 

Only when he saw Yi Tian nod then he then took his things and left.

 

The house again returned to only having the two of them there. Looking at the still silent man, Yi Tian was about to say something. But the phone rang in that moment — It was Xu Ran.

 

After hearing Yi Tian narrate the whole matter, Xu Ran sneered. “You let a severely depressed who had just attempted suicide to shower alone in the bathroom? Why don’t you straight away just let him have a knife, and allow him to play with blood? Are you really that negligent, or did you do it on purpose?”

 

Yi Tian allowed her sarcasm. He was neither angry, nor did he respond.

 

He had truly never considered that Mu Ran would actually dare attempt suicide while he was there with him. In all honesty, even after returning to the country, and hearing about his actions, including the depression or whatsoever that had been diagnosed by Xu Ran, he did not believe any of them. Yi Tian even felt that all these were only methods Mu Ran was using to attract his attention. Bringing Mu Ran home could actually be considered that Yi Tian was indulging him a little. He was waiting to see Mu Ran recover in about a couple of days, and start clinging onto him again, back to how he was before, as though he loved him to death. As for once he exposed the truth, whether he would throw the man out, or keep the man by his side, putting up with him and making use of him, Yi Tian had yet to decide.

 

He had thought a lot, and the only thing he did not think of, was that this person truly did not want to live anymore.

 

“Watch him properly tonight when you’re sleeping. I’m not sure if he would go into hysterics, or he would attempt suicide again. Right now, this person is like a bomb that can go off any moment, so don’t you treat him like a little pet or something, thinking that it’s fun to raise him at home.” Having said so much, Xu Ran was not angry when she did not get a response, only sternly giving Yi Tian some instructions.

 

“Mn.” Yi Tian hung up.


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Alex PT
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11 thoughts on “MUTED Chapter 21

  1. Why is he looking after Mu Ran after what he’s done in the past? He should just let him stay in a mental institution to complete his scumbag character. Yi Tian, you are also fickle minded.

    Thanks for the trans! I wish to read more frequent updates from this story as I love it so much.

  2. Xu Ran must be the only one with brain left in the story…. I love her the most.
    Apparently the ml thinks too highly of himself.
    Excuse me, the guy attempted suicide twice – and would succeed in his first try if not for the guy who monitors him – and still the idiot thought it was all fine since it was all done to get his attention. Yeah, right. Why bother consulting Xu Ran if you don’t bother to believe her?
    Our mc is not counted for anything as he obviously mentally unstable at the moment.
    I sincerely believe mc deserves someone better rather than continuing this toxic relationship.
    Thanks for the chapter!

  3. Tysm for the chapter, somehow I think about this several times between updates. Its like its the one I wait for the most.

    Yi Tian is the kind of person to say just get over it to patients like Mu Ran. What a scum.

  4. I feel so bad for mu ran 🙁 i wonder if he’ll ever recover. Thanks for continuing the translation!

  5. Ah! You updated and I missed it! I’m so glad you updated this one, it’s very addictive – thank you so so much x

  6. I don’t know how much I wanted to drag out YTs character here and slap to his face, “How’s that YT? Didn’t you say you want to prod how much he can endure? Congratulations, you did it. Now look and feast. He can only endure this much. If you want to keep this charade, you have to spend every minute and every second with him. Mind you, it’s very taxing. If you don’t put your heart to it, you might as well just kill yourself to save yourself from the stress. It’s all thanks to you and your good friends. Indeed, what goes around comes around.”

  7. I can’t take it anymore….Mu Ran, my baby😭😭😭 Yi Tian better keep a close eye over Mu Ran….I won’t spare him if he again treats Mu Ran harshly…Idiot Yi Tian how could he slap MuRan when he came to realise that his mental condition is not normal😠😠😠

  8. Re reading this again and had new thoughts.

    For three years YT hurt him by “killing him bit by bit” and now he is damaging him by “keeping him alive” (albeit in the worst way possible). He is still torturing him albeit in a different way and I wonder if our guy thinks of it like this or just thinks of other things.

    I’m going to assume it’s the magic of endgame pairings what keeps our guy from havinf an episode the moment he sees YT. I would.

  9. I think Yi Tian’s arrogance comes from the fact that he harassed and tortured Mu Ran for three years but Mu Ran kept staying in the relationship with him. He over-estimates Mu Ran’s love for him (which is not surprising..Mu Ran did love him beyond what normal people can take. Maybe, his low self-esteem and the origin of the relationship allowed him to tolerate more than people can tolerate).
    But now I hope to see Yi Tian realise that Mu Ran is gone. And he needs to do everything he can to get him back!

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