As the black sports car raced steadily towards the city center, the environment inside it was silent but calm. Riding shotgun was Pei Zeyan, who was forced to follow his friends back to the city to have a casual night out.
Driving beside him was his former student council member, Shi Yuan. Another bright yellow sports car bypassed them with a playful honk as it drove and led the way to the famous high-end club, Damarcia, which was their favorite place to hang out. The shiny, golden Mclaren suited Qi Xifeng's hair color so well that people wouldn't think it wasn't his in the first place.
"Sure, take my car home. Tell them I'll be back later in the night," Pei Zeyan hung up after giving his order to his assistant.
Shi Yuan remained silent for a while and when he saw his friend hanging up the phone, he sorted out his question and finally said, "How did you come to know him?"
Pei Zeyan glanced sideways and immediately knew who 'him' was as he simply answered, "Remember that one guy that got all his average scores around the 70s throughout the semester? That was Li Shaoze,"
"When... ah, in high school?? You still remember him? What's this, love at first sight?" Shi Yuan smiled.
"Shut it. It just caught my eye at the time but now that we have talked, I found him contrary to the rumors. It's strange," Pei Zeyan said, not hiding his opinion towards Li Shaoze at all.
"Well... he does act nothing like Li Junfeng at all. Even if their faces hold some resemblance," Shi Yuan stated as he continued driving after a red light.
Pei Zeyan went quiet for a while as he pondered. Would it be good to keep in touch? They were now new neighbors in the same area. And they both knew Li Junfeng at a personal level. Besides, his curiosity wasn't yet satisfied. In this aspect, he admitted that he was a bit nosy.
"Do you mind if I invite him over sometimes when we hang out?" he then asked for his friend's opinion.
Shi Yuan blinked once and said, "Well, I don't mind. We've invited Li Junfeng over a couple of times in the past,"
"Then it's settled," Pei Zeyan laughed as in good mood.
***
The next few days came by faster than one expected, Li Shaoze worked from home and sometimes he would attend a meeting with local clients. He often held teleconference in his study to keep pace with his company that he left behind in Country E. Thank goodness he had some reliable executives there that he could count on.
Some of them were recruited directly from Quze Industries' other branches and subsidiaries. Most of them didn't hold extraordinary degree or experience but he chose them due to their working capabilities.
That was why he could rest assured in leaving Country E for a few months. Despite Li Shaoze not having a deep bond with his executives due to his personality, they were nevertheless very loyal to him.
Li Shaoze finally finished reviewing his last email as he sighed and shut down his laptop. He looked to his side and found Li Junfeng staring at his closed computer, seemingly in a daze. He didn't know since when the other party had been there.
"What?" he asked, bewildered.
"Brother, I really admire the way you do your work," Li Junfeng praised sincerely with stars in his eyes. It seemed he wasn't depressed anymore. His spirit was back.
"It's nothing," Li Shaoze didn't get why Li Junfeng was acting as if he once wasn't an important figure in a top conglomerate company himself.
"Well, I did my work too but sometimes it's hard to coordinate, you see. I always made mistakes and my assistants would help me with the aftermath," Li Junfeng explained, feeling slightly embarrassed. He still remembered his incompetence in the first few months when he took office.
He had seen his brother work for so long after being a soul. He was accustomed to it and he realized Li Shaoze was indeed on another level. He still felt it was natural since it was Li Shaoze. But he also felt a bit embarrassed that he wasn't as capable as his brother.
"You and I are not from the same industry so we can't compare," Li Shaoze stood up to go to his bedroom for a wash.
When he walked a step though, he felt a blackout. Darkness overwhelmed him in a split second. The next moment he opened his eyes, his surrounding was still the same. He blinked twice to determine where he was but nothing changed.
"What's wrong?" Li Junfeng flew to the opposite side and tilted his head. He didn't seem to notice Li Shaoze's sudden change.
"... Nothing," It was just a hunch, but Li Shaoze suddenly felt the need to consult his doctor about this bizarre condition someday. He realized he had been having a momentary lose of sight for a while after he came back to this country.
***
Several days gone by and it was finally the death anniversary of Qin Meili. Li Shaoze didn't intend for it but he actually found himself waking up early for the occasion.
Feeling unsettled, he got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Li Junfeng who wasn't sleeping all night saw him waking up early and asked.
"Do you have an important meeting today?"
Li Shaoze paused for a moment before he said, "No. But I want to see someone,"
"Who?" Li Junfeng flew closer to him, curious. Who would he want to see at this crack of dawn?
"You'll know once you follow me," Li Shaoze didn't know how to explain to Li Junfeng about Qin Meili but he figured it shouldn't be too late to open up the story now. Since he was just about to visit her for the first time, he ought to share the story with Li Junfeng.
Li Junfeng nodded after a brief moment and decided to not ask anything. Soon, they departed from home. Zhu Zijin was the one driving and he drove silently for a few hours towards the outermost province far east of the city.
The mountains were split haphazardly and the surroundings were full of greenery, unlike the capital city where the tall buildings were. Here, the peace of the earth was preserved and Li Junfeng who followed along felt puzzled by the destination they were going.
He didn't know his brother was going far east but it seemed like he had a destination in mind. Moreover, Li Junfeng noticed that Li Shaoze was too quiet. He knew his brother wasn't a talkative person in the first place but his silence today was a bit too obvious. As if he was dreading going to the place.
Li Junfeng had decided to stay silent and observe so he swallowed his curiosity and worries in thought that he would know about it soon.
Suddenly, Li Shaoze ordered Zhu Zijin to stop at a flower shop nearby. He personally got down and brought back a bouquet of white lilies.
Li Junfeng's eyes widened.