Take My Breath Away

Suddenly, a car swooshed past in a blur, running over Sheffield's cell phone and crushing it under its wheels almost instantly. "Sorry, but the number you've dialed is currently not in service..."

Evelyn pulled her face away from her cell phone and stared at the screen in confusion as it was just ringing a few seconds ago.

She tried calling him again, but when she found that Sheffield's phone was switched off, a concerned frown appeared on her face.

Meanwhile, Sheffield snapped at the sight of his cell phone being pulverized. Incandescent with rage, his face contorted and foam flecked his lips as he rasped at his foe. In one swift motion, he drew his scalpel and slashed the man's stomach.

The man responded to the agonizing pain with an unearthly howl, accompanied by a berserk rage with which he threw himself at Sheffield. As he spun back around, with a clean right-footed roundhouse kick, he disarmed Sheffield of the scalpel.

Then he quickly picked up the scalpel and disappeared in the darkness.

"Ouch..." Sheffield shook his wrist, massaging it with the other hand. It was too late to run after the man now. More importantly, as he was in a lot of pain, it would do him good to retreat and live to fight another day.

Nevertheless, the man was very meticulous. He knew that he had to take the scalpel because it was stained with his blood. This reasoning implied that this wasn't the first time he had done this.

Sheffield turned around to look for whatever was left of his phone and he picked out the SIM card before going back to his car.

His right wrist was still painful from the kick, and the cut in his left shoulder needed immediate medical attention. He took out the first aid kit and wrapped some gauze around the wound to stop the bleeding before he drove away without hesitation.

At the suburbs

Sheffield's car stopped in front of a traditional Chinese courtyard house. He rang the doorbell and spoke into the video intercom. "Master, it's me, Sheffield. It's been a while."

There was no response at first, but then suddenly, a voice came over the intercom. "Fuck off!"

"Master, I'm hurt, again. It looks pretty bad," Sheffield said in embarrassment, rubbing his nose.

"Fuck off!" the man shouted again.

Sheffield was speechless. His master's remedy would help him recover rapidly, and he himself was too lazy to make the ointment. Leaning his back against the gate, Sheffield feigned weakness and said, "Master... Ah... my blood is running out..."

This time, he heard the clicking sound of the lock. He sighed with relief as he cheerfully opened the gate and entered the compound.

He walked a few hundred meters from the gate to a brightly lit living room.

In the corner was Vernon, dressed in an all-white Chinese suit, sitting in an armchair and smoking a cigarette. When he saw Sheffield in a pretty good state, he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and strode towards him, slapping the young man in the back of his head. "I thought you said your blood is running out. You sounded like you were gonna die!"

Sheffield hugged Vernon and gave him a flattering smile. "Master, I'm in a lot of pain, I kid you not! Look at my wrist and my shoulder. Help me, please!"

"No, I'm not your master! Get out of my sight!" Vernon spat and sat down in his armchair. "You show up here, unannounced, and you expect me to take care of you? When was the last time you came here to see me when you didn't need anything? You're nothing but an ungrateful wretch. Just get out!"

Sheffield trotted towards him and apologetically said, "I'm here now. I could have gone to the hospital, but I came all the way here to see you, didn't I?"

Vernon snorted, "You came all the way here to see me? Then where is my gift? Your blood?"

"What do you mean? Master, what could I possibly give to you that you don't have? You have everything! Right?"

"Wrong! You know nothing! I hoped that perhaps one day you would come to me with a gift, as a token of your gratitude. To be honest, it's not about the gift, you idiot. It's the thought that counts!" Vernon glared angrily at Sheffield and was about to hit him again when Sheffield hastily took a step back this time. "Master, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I'll bring you a gift next time. I'm in a hurry now. I have to—"

"What do you have to do?" Vernon interrupted him.

"I... I need to go and see my girlfriend."

Vernon, however, grew angrier upon hearing that. "What? So you only have time for your girlfriend, but you don't have time for me? Get out!" Vernon started to push him out as he spoke.

"No, it's not like that. I did something stupid. I have hurt her. I'm going to apologize to her and I need to go as soon as possible!"

"What did you do? Did you cheat on her?"

"Why would you say that? I'm not that kind of a person!" Sheffield was ashamed to be thought of as a playboy after he started seeing Evelyn.

Vernon, however, said, "You are exactly that kind of a person! Do I have to remind you of all your past conquests and romantic escapades? The women?"

Sheffield was rendered speechless. After thinking for a while, he said, "That was a long time ago! I'd like for you to meet her. I think I actually have serious feelings for her."

"You want me to treat you? Fine!"

Vernon suddenly gave in, and a bad feeling rose in Sheffield's heart. "What do I have to do in return?" asked Sheffield.

"I want you to stay here tonight with me, and tomorrow you can leave when you want to."

"No way. I'm flying out to France tomorrow afternoon. I've just told you I am in a hurry to apologize to my girlfriend. But, after I come back from France, I'll come here to visit you and bring you a gift, I promise. What do you say?"

"Stop talking nonsense. Come with me."

Sheffield followed Vernon into an inner chamber. "Master, I'm serious. I can't hang around with you tonight," he said.

"Shut up!"

Sheffield had no other choice but to sew his lips shut. Vernon took out his medical kit and demanded, "Take off your shirt."

Sheffield took off his shirt obediently, exposing his injured shoulder.

Vernon unwrapped the bandage and surveyed his wound. "Was it a dagger cut?"

"Yes."

"Because of a woman?"

"No way!" Evelyn was the only woman he had eyes for. And there was no other woman.

Vernon scoffed at him and began to take care of his wound. At the Waterside Mansion

Evelyn tried calling Sheffield's cell phone many times, but no one answered. So, she decided to go back to her apartment first.

Just as she was about to jump into the shower, Evelyn received a call from Matthew. "Hey, where are you?"

"In my apartment. What's up?"

"Is Sheffield with you?" he asked curtly.

"Sheffield?" Evelyn continued honestly, "He said he wanted to meet me this evening, but his phone is switched off and I can't reach him."

"He already knows that you had an ectopic pregnancy."

After a short pause, Evelyn asked, "You told him?"

"Yes.

I gotta go, talk to you later. Good night." With these words, Matthew hung up the phone.

Now he just wanted to know if Sheffield would go to Evelyn and apologize to her.

Sheffield, on the other hand, was still stuck at Vernon's place. Soon after the ointment was applied to his shoulder, Sheffield leaned over the table and fell asleep.

A night had passed.

When Sheffield fluttered his eyes open, he looked at the bright sky outside and suddenly sat up straight. He looked around and indeed he was in his master's guestroom.

Taken by curiosity, he looked under the quilt and felt relieved to see that he still had his pants on.

"Master, my dear master..." Sheffield cried, as he dashed out of the guestroom. He cried bitterly in his mind, 'I'm so screwed. Evelyn must have been waiting for me the whole night.'

In the yard outside, Vernon was practicing Tai Chi, and the boy next to him was airing out the Chinese herbs. When Sheffield came out, the boy greeted him, "Mr. Tang, good morning!"

"Good morning!" Sheffield waved at the boy and then rushed to the old man in front of him. "Master, you tricked me!"

Needless to say, Vernon must have made him smell some kind of medicine which took away his consciousness.

"Yes, I did!" Vernon didn't deny it.