Chapter 20

"Chen Dulan, you're one of the few people who know about my brother." Yao Jianguo whispered into his ear. He was holding Chen Dulan by his collar. "You've done nothing to deserve such private information about our family, you were just unlucky enough to have met Father before you met me."

That was true; because Boss was far more kind than Yao Jianguo. The boss would smile at him kindly, but to Chen Dulan, the one who truly took him in and raised him would always be Yao Jianguo. He was the one who made all the decisions in his life; raised him from a child to... whatever animal he had become.

"Sir... I'm sorry. It hurts... please... I've learned my lesson." He spoke with a trembling voice. "Sir... you are the only one.... I'll follow. I- I don't care about your brother..."

"How will you follow me when you can't take a weak punch?" Yao Jianguo let go of his collar and he fell on his knees, coughed loudly and spat out blood. "You pass out when I start talking to you, and you get a nosebleed so often. You're so sickly and useless!" Chen Dulan was born with a weak body, and it only got worse as pressure increased from the organization with him growing up.

"You killed someone today, for the first time. It was needed for MinYao. Do you really hate your duties to the point of throwing up?!" Yes, he had panicked and passed out in Yao Jianguo's office while he was talking, a clear sign of disrespect, and thus he was beaten so hard and scolded.

"I'm sorry... I just- he stopped breathing- I checked his pulse and he was really dead-" Chen Dulan didn't realize when he had started crying, he was after all, only fourteen. "I really ended a life, and there was so much blood..."

"When I had killed for the first time, I had taken some time off of work and collected my thoughts sincerely. I was about to give you rest time too, but you have no patience." Yao Jianguo was harsh, but he was the only one to take care of Chen Dulan. "It feels horrible, I know. But... we don't get a chance to change our paths. That is why, even if Father treats the matter casually, Chen Dulan, you will keep my brother away from this path. You will make sure he hates killing and violence as much as you do."

"...Yes." He was still sobbing, but the thought was clear in his heart. Chen Dulan cared for Yao Jianguo, and Yao Jianguo cared for his little brother. Chen Dulan had to protect the Second Young Master with his life, if it came to it.

And for Yao Fang to truly hate violence, he needed a taste of violence first.

‎

"Chen Dulan, are you in there?!" Someone's voice was barely audible to him, but it was there. He tried to sit up, but instead fell on his chest. He was insanely cold, and light headed, as if someone had thrown him in a pond. Minus the water.

"Chen Dulan!" A door swung open with a kick, and light fell on his face again. There were two people, one seemed to be the Young Master, the other he didn't recognize. He tried to open his eyes, but his vision was too hazy. Chen Dulan really had a useless and weak body.

"There's so much dried blood around him... we need to take him to the hospital." The man, perhaps a teacher spoke worried. "Who threw him here!?"

Yao Fang had placed his arm around his neck and held him up. Chen Dulan made a noise, something akin, "I'm fine, just dizzy." and Yao Fang got it. "Teacher, head wounds bleed more, but they're not so harmful, he'll be fine. Could you just drop us to my place?"

"How can I just-"

"Teacher, I know you don't want any troubles. There's no surveillance camera in our school, so just do as I say, and clean up this area, no one will have to know." The teacher had reluctantly agreed. It was already way past school hours, and they were searching every single room in the building. No one would know if such an accident happened.

Yao Fang dragged Chen Dulan to their teacher's car and waited till he had cleaned up and locked the room. They then sat at the back seat quietly as Yao Fang tried to look for the wound on Chen Dulan's head.

"Yo-ung Mas-ter... cold... I'm cold." Chen Dulan leaned his head against Yao Fang's shoulder and breathed hot air onto his neck. Yao Fang almost slapped him away but Chen Dulan was far from conscious, so instead he tried to rub his hands warm.

"Yao Fang, I don't think he's your friend." The teacher looked at them with discomfort. "You are a good student, and he is... no one. His parents probably kicked him out, that's why he's here all on his own. You don't need to associate with him, he's only leading you away from the safe route... considering your history of fights."

The car stopped and Yao Fang dragged Chen Dulan outside.