“Nice to meet you, Qiyu.” Chen Jinxuan was not bothered by the fact that the man in front of him did not tell him his surname. It did not matter because they would never meet again. Chen Jinxuan had something more important to deal with—something pertaining to Fang Yaowei.

“Jin-ge, can I have your number?”

“I have given you my name card.”

“Jin-ge, we all know that a name card does not mean being acquainted. I think some of your advice will help me in my career. Will you give me your number?” Qiyu’s eyes curved, smiling knowingly under the medical mask. The eyes were clear and dark, as if they could see through Chen Jinxuan’s thoughts.

Chen Jinxuan did not find this surprising. He initially thought this man would step back appropriately, but he did not think that this man would behave so shamelessly persistent. Chen Jinxuan made a polite smile but said no approval or rejection.

“It is the truth that I took a hit on behalf of your sister.” Qiyu added, looking at Chen Jinxuan with pleading eyes. However, instead of finding them adorable, Chen Jinxuan found them sly and loathsome because they reminded him of a certain someone. Still, what he said was true.

Chen Jinxuan could only pull out his phone and hand it to Qiyu. By normal circumstances, anyone would take his phone, input their phone number, and return the phone, then be forgotten by Chen Jinxuan. Qiyu took out his phone too and used Chen Jinxuan’s phone to call his phone.

“Thank you, Jin-ge.”

“No problem. Send me a message when you are free.” Chen Jinxuan said and turned around, leaving. Mounting his motorcycle, he pulled out his phone and blacklisted Qiyu’s number. He had absolutely no reason to let a man, who wouldn’t even take off his mask, pester him under the pretence of ‘career advice’. After that, he rode to his parents’ house.

Chen Zhuoheng lived in a three storeyed house in the elite residential area. The area was slightly further away from the central city, so it was still green with trees. Housewives that had nothing else to do also contributed to nature by making a garden of trees and grass in their courtyard. The Chen family was no exception.

Seeing Chen Jinxuan approaching, the housekeeper pulled open the gate and let him in. Chen Jinxuan parked his motorcycle and dismounted from his ride.

“Second young master, welcome back.” The housekeeper, whose hair was white, said politely as he shut the gate and rushed to the entrance of the house.

Chen Jinxuan removed his helmet and walked towards the entrance. The housekeeper opened the door and Chen Jinxuan entered. The moment he took a step in, Chen Jinxuan was astonished. His older brother, Chen Junhuan, stood in front of him. Behind him in the living room was their parents and Chen Ling whose eyes were red.

“Ge—” Before Chen Jinxuan greeted, what greeted him was a slap on his face.

Chen Jinxuan felt his cheek burn. If this was someone else, he would have retaliated, but this was his brother, his family. For a moment, the entire house fell in silence.

Chen Jinxuan wanted to ask when Chen Junhuan came back. Chen Junhuan was a researcher who worked overseas in the United States and he only came back usually during the Chinese New Year. The distance naturally drew their brotherhood apart even though they were only three years apart.

“Why haven’t you fixed this bad habit of yours? How many times are you going to involve Chen Ling into your indecent mess?” Chen Junhuan reproached. He did not raise his voice, but his voice was cold and distant.

“Ge, when did you come back? Aren’t you supposed to come back next year for Chinese New Year?”

“If I don’t come back, you don’t have to suffer this, right? You are no longer a child. Can you be more mature? Look at Chen Ling with all the scratches on her. What is a college student doing, getting involved in a gangster’s fight? You are the CEO of Xiuyan Real Estate. Why are you out there making a fool out of yourself?”

“Junhuan, it’s enough. As long as both of them are safe and sound…” Xie Linrong spoke carefully, her voice was small and timid.

“Mother, this happened because you spoiled him since he was young.” Chen Junhuan spat as he threw his mother a glare.  Xie Linrong no longer made any remarks.

Compared to Chen Zhuoheng, the hatred Chen Jinxuan bore towards his older brother was greater. Honestly, Chen Junhuan might not deserve being hated because he did not know what happened between Chen Jinxuan and Chen Zhuoheng. Yet, his obliviousness was exactly the reason why Chen Jinxuan despised him. He only listened to his father’s side of the story and could not be bothered to ask his side of the story. Chen Junhuan carried out his duty as the oldest brother and taught him a lesson without understanding the whole picture.

Chen Jinxuan felt his tongue turn bitter, feeling repulsive even.

Sometimes Chen Jinxuan wondered why Chen Junhuan did not enlist in the army instead. He was such an obedient dog that he would certainly be a loyal and forever faithful soldier to the nation. What a waste of talent, he thought.

“Are you listening?!” Chen Junhuan growled.

Chen Jinxuan raised his eyes, staring at Chen Junhuan disinterestedly as a response.

“I think you really should find someone to keep you in line.” Chen Junhuan sighed. He sneered at Chen Jinxuan as he went to the living room and sat on the sofa next to Chen Zhuoheng.

Chen Jinxuan balled his fists as he followed inside and sat across from them. He clenched his jaws, bracing for what was to come.

“Jin-ge…” Chen Ling looked at him with remorse.

Chen Jinxuan did not turn to look at Chen Ling. From Chen Ling’s red eyes which he noticed when he entered the door, he knew immediately that she must have been reprimanded too. He did not want to cause her to receive any unnecessary lecture. His blank stare fell on the trinkets on the marble table.

Under the censuring gaze of Chen Zhuoheng and Chen Junhuan, Chen Jinxuan’s ears were jammed full of another round of tongue-lashing. Throughout the session, there was no change of expression on his face. He remained collected and his face remained indifferent. He had gotten used to it ever since he became a juvenile delinquent at the age of fifteen. No matter how hard he worked, no matter how much effort he put in, he could never compare to the academically talented Chen Junhuan in his parents’ eyes, so he decided to walk the opposite side and be different.

He had no intention to form a group in the beginning. He was smoking secretly in an alley near his school and some senior delinquents passed the area by chance. At the age of fifteen, he still had a pretty face and a slim body. Due to his good looks, he attracted those senior delinquents that try to stir up trouble—like trying to get him on four under them. He refused and a fight followed. He was a member of the aikido club and so, they could not get any easy advantage. In the end, Chen Jinxuan had them knocked down.

Starting that day, students from his school, especially boys, started to follow his steps. It was only a matter of time before they flocked around him. He did not reject them because they trusted him, and it was as if he had found another family. Instead of going home to be compared to his brother, he’d rather stay at school and do pointless things with his teammates.

Because of the increasing number, the rivalling group found them a nuisance.

One could say that the one who brought Chen Ling up was Chen Jinxuan. After Chen Ling turned three, Xie Linrong went back to work in the office and let Chen Jinxuan watch over his sister. From age thirteen until eighteen, he handled everything for Chen Ling from waking her up, preparing her breakfast, sending her to school and even fetching her from school. Hence, little Chen Ling had a stronger attachment to Chen Jinxuan than their mother who always came home late at night.

When Chen Jinxuan was seventeen, he brought Chen Ling along to grocery-shopping. In a blink of an eye, Chen Ling had gone missing and in exchange, there was a note that stated where Chen Ling would be brought to.

Chen Ling was kidnapped. 

Angered, Chen Jinxuan informed all of his comrades to raid the rivalling group. It went without saying, they succeeded, and Chen Jinxuan was greatly relieved that nothing happened to Chen Ling.

One of his teammates, however, got his legs broken in the affair. The news shook the entire neighbourhood, and Chen Jinxuan as the leader was sent to the detention centre to explain to various parties including his homeroom teacher, his parents, and his teammate’s father.

When they knew what had happened, from the kidnapping of Chen Ling and the fight between delinquents, Chen Zhuoheng gave him a beating in front of the others before apologising to them. Chen Zhuoheng negotiated so that his son could continue his studies because he would soon graduate and proceed his study to university. That was the first day he saw his father kneel down. That was the first day he realised the gravity of his actions. That was when he realised he would forever be a disappointment to his father.

For university, he was transferred to the next town. He had to live in the dorm and had to care for himself. Although he was unwilling to part with his friends, he was also relieved to have a distance with his parents. Throughout his years away from town, Chen Ling maintained communication through phone with him. Chen Ling would stealth at night to give her brother a call from the living room with the house telephone.

How time had flown…

“Enough… He is old enough to take up the consequences of his actions. Junhuan, you just came back today, go to your room and rest. You must be exhausted.” Chen Zhuoheng patted Chen Junhuan’s shoulder as he smiled. “Linrong and Chen Ling too, go and prepare lunch. I will have a talk with Jinxuan.”

Chen Junhuan gave a light nod at his father and walked upstairs. Xie Linrong and Chen Ling obediently went to the kitchen to cook.

The living room was thrown into silence yet again.

Chen Zhuoheng sighed heavily as he looked at Chen Jinxuan. He showed his palm to his son, asking for something.

Chen Jinxuan took a file from his jacket and passed it to Chen Zhuoheng. It was a copy of the agreement he and the other two investors had signed. When Chen Zhuoheng read the financial plan, he suddenly asked, “Are you serious about firing Fang Yaowei?”