There was a head-splitting pain running along his scalp and broken pieces of reality and dream mixed into a hazy illusion.

“Wake up Ruo Chen!”

Jun-er… I feel tired and my head is spinning… 

“Don’t you dare to cross the yellow river now!”

What are you talking about?

“Ruo Heng wants to get rid of you, don’t trust him!”

En, I know. I already dealt with him. 

“No... don’t... I’m scared...sob, sob”

What is threatening you?! Where are you?

“Live with a smile on your face.”

I will as long as you’re with me.

 ”Goodbye, I love you...”

No, not again... Jun-er? Li Junyao!!!

 

The voice of his beloved reverberated in his head as Ruo Chen slowly slipped into unconsciousness...

 

***

 

It happened in an instance.

 

They were speculating about the turmoil, that should have broken out since they left.

 

Ruo Chen didn’t know whether it was god or another higher being, that forced the things to be similar to his first life, but the day of the party remained as his life-changing point. 

 

Since he was born, a life full of privileges was already prepared for him. At least on the surface. 

 

As a member of the elite, his life was strictly dictated and harsh, since everyone fought for a higher position. 

 

However, with the tender age of six, he lost his mother in a car accident. Afterwards his training was loosened and only few months after her funeral a big sister came into the house with a young boy. 

 

They seemed friendly and helped him overcoming the grief of his loss. He liked them and they soon became his new family. 

 

It was weird at first to call the big sister “Aunt Du”, even though she was still young. His younger brother called her mother. So he once tried it too, but her smile fainted instantly and she rebuked disdainful, “Don’t call me that, I will never be your mother.”

 

The little Ruo Chen was confused, he was the child of his father and she was his father’s wife, that would make her his mother, right?

 

When he asked his little brother, he answered simply, “Every child has only one mom. She is my mom and you have your own mom, so my mom can’t be your mom ah.”

 

It made sense for him back then, however, the older he got, the more he understood the real meaning. 

 

He was unwanted. 

 

But it was okay, being unwanted also meant, that he could do whatever he wanted. Also, there was still his dad, who had love for everyone— his late mother, Aunt Du, the ever-changing secretary or the random club hostess. 

 

He was never stingy with money. From the most popular toy in his childhood to the newest car for his 18th birthday and later the member cards to any high-class club. 

 

Only once was he dissatisfied with their parenting.

 

That was the engagement with Li Mengyao— six years younger, fresh out of school. From a nouveau riche family he never heard of. Was this a scam?

 

Didn’t conglomerates usually care for a match equally in power and influence?

 

Ruo Chen asked the reason and the answer was, “Du Hua and Li mother know each other. They always wanted their children to marry, if the gender is right ba.”

 

They know each other, when their age gap is ten odd years? Your Sister! 

 

But he couldn’t refuse, his dad already heeded his stepmother more than him. “En, I will meet her, but I won’t promise anything.”

 

The first meeting and there was already a grand party organized, which took the proposition of engagement as a matter of fact. The subtle addition of red¹red: the color of love and wedding in china in the decor was dazzlingly striking in contrast to the rest that was clear like jade²clear like jade: imagine a modern furnishing with white as base color.

 

Ruo Chen’s eyes twitched at this beautiful sight, he felt like the daughter in his thirties that needed to be married off like cancer.

 

Just what was their deal? Did they have to rush things, when he was just 24 years old... Moreover, the other party merely turned 18 of this year!

 

He prefered to avoid those young misses. They were such a hassle, a tiny flirt and he was already labeled as their boyfriend. 

 

As he entered the lobby, four new faces greeted him along with the usual make believe family of his. His gaze traced over the seven faces— one averted his gaze, one showed her bright bleached teeth, two put on their best business smile, one stared dumbly at the girl on the opposite, who looked genuinely innocent and had a timid smile on her lips. That was his appointed fiancée.

 

The memory of the last face was blurred, but Ruo Chen focused desperately to remember. He wanted to treasure their first meeting, no, he had to.

 

His efforts came to fruition and a face similar to the girl’s appeared. The facial features were delicate, but the bulging cartilage disclosed his sex clearly.

 

Back then, he had his hair short, unlike the tragic Jun-er in his time as a junky later. Those piercing peach blossom eyes stared at him with badly hidden resentment. 

 

The past Ruo Chen didn’t like his fragile and girly appearance. Thus, the initial first impression was negative on both sides. 

 

It worsened, after Li Junyao accused him of forcing this connection. First of all, he didn’t know Li Mengyao to this day. Secondly, how did everybody regard this matter already set in stone?

 

Ruo Chen was pissed— at his parents, who wanted to get rid off him, at Li Junyao, who humiliated him and at Ruo Heng, who spectated everything with glee. 

 

Hence, he wanted to retaliate against them by dumping Li Mengyao, after he played with her. 

 

What he didn’t expect, was her character to be a true holy mother. There was attraction to her natural pureness, which gave him a sense of home and security that he lacked in his family.

 

Without the meddling of third parties, they could have had a future together. But fate wasn’t this merciful and under Ruo Heng’s instructions, Ruo Chen came in contact with highly addictive drugs.

 

From that point onwards, everything began to wither— his social life, status and health. Under the influence of the drugs his temper also underwent a drastic change and the relationship with Li Mengyao suffered.

 

He began to resent everything and anyone, especially her.

 

She was the epitome of what he wasn’t. Someone naive, untainted and caring, but above all she was cherished by everyone. Be it her parents, brother or friends. Out of jealousy, he broke up with her in the shortest, yet cruelest way. He abandoned her, before she could leave him just like his mother.

 

“Get lost, I’m already tired of you. Don’t try to get close to me anymore!”

 

In the remorse of shunning away the only person, who cared for him, he drowned himself in alcohol and stimulants. That threatened his status in the Ruo family even more until Ruo Heng snatched his place.

 

The brother he trusted actually coveted his position and hated him all this time.

 

Then, another person entered his life. Li Junyao demanded to get back together with his sister. For Ruo Chen, it was complete derision. In his prime, he treated him like a disease and now, that he was down, he became hot shit?!

 

He let out all his held back agitation, blurted his selfish plan out and blamed Li Junyao for everything to make himself feel less miserable. 

 

If they got into a fight, then it would have been even better, but they didn’t. Li Junyao didn’t get angry, he despaired instead. Then, the aphrodisiac in Ruo Chen kicked in, which was secretly slipped into his drugs by Ruo Heng.

 

The worst happened and they did the deed. 

 

Their relationship should have ended by then. However, credited to his mad behavior and Ruo Heng’s helping hands, people alienated Ruo Chen. Only Li Junyao remained as his option, since he was an outcast to begin with. 

 

Thus, their unhealthy and forced “friendship” began. Ruo Chen didn’t feel guilty, Li Junyao was unlike Li Mengyao, not pure and bright. At least he tried to talk himself into it. 

 

When the first killing attempt of Li Junyao failed, Ruo Chen flew into a rage and ravaged him roughly until he became docile. He ignored his pitiful pleadings, “No... don’t... I’m scared...sob, sob...”

 

However, the retarded person tried it over and over again, with every move turning stupider than the previous one. It was literally losing the war along the soldiers and giving away one’s wife to the enemy³Losing the war along the soldiers and giving away one’s wife to the enemy: pulling the short stick in every possible way (don’t know, if I got the idiom right). 

 

Ironically, somewhere along the line Ruo Chen began to look forward to this silly person’s next bait. He would gladly take it to feel the warmth of that person. 

 

Contrary to his presumption, Li Junyao wasn’t a greedy and two-faced bootlicker like his parents. He was naive just like his sister, maybe even more gullible than her. 

 

With time, the subtle expression of concern in his actions and attentive nature melted Ruo Chen’s guard. Thus, Ruo Chen unwittingly grew a certain dependence on Li Junyao and gradually opened up to him.

 

All the bigger was the shock when he learned from Ruo Heng, that Li Junyao was a mole. 

 

“Brother, haven’t you realized, that Li Junyao was on my side all along?” said Ruo Heng with a smug face. 

 

Ruo Chen felt betrayed. In his sorrow, he didn’t check things properly and easily believed Ruo Heng. 

 

He disregarded Li Junyao’s confession like some old rag and disclosed their affair to Li Mengyao. But he regretted his actions very soon.

 

On the day of the party in his first incarnation, he not only lost his place in the Ruo family entirely, but also something he would never regain ever again.

 

Ruo Heng instructed Li Junyao to poison Ruo Chen. He was sure, that the wedge between them was already enough to kill each other. He would get rid off the nuisance and witness with one blow.

 

Little did the Ruo brothers know.

 

“Ruo Heng wants to get rid of you, don’t trust him!”

 

Li Junyao didn’t follow the plan and exposed Ruo Heng’s farce. However, Ruo Chen didn’t believe him and turned his back on him as Li Junyao was dragged out by the security.

 

With every move of him rendered futile, he took the poison meant for Ruo Chen at the roadside near the Thousand Blossom Villa as tears of fear fell down from his face. 

 

He called Ruo Chen for the last time and left a voice message, “Goodbye, I love you… sob, sob… Chen.”

 

The boy died the same day.

 

Before Ruo Chen processed what happened, his body already turned cold. 

 

In the hospital, only his death could be confirmed and his relatives were called. Apart from Li Mengyao, nobody else came. Tears fell endlessly from her pale face.

 

“Ah Jun, Ah Jun! No don’t, please wake up! Big sister is not mad, it’s okay if you love him… hic, hic… you didn’t do anything wrong, your feelings were sincere… sob, sob…”

 

Ruo Chen stood blankly outside, her words were like a sword pierced through his heart, that was twisted mercilessly. 

 

“Were his words real after all…” 

 

Several days passed, when realization finally hit Ruo Chen as he listened to the message left behind— Li Junyao called him “Chen” for the first time. 

 

Teardrops flowed out of his bloodshot eyes, “He is dead…”

 

The truth oppressed him. Thus, he took the final golden shot⁴Golden shot: the deadly dosage of certain drugs (eg. heroin), never take drugs for non-medicinal purpose to alleviate himself from the pain. 

 

He should have died, but was given a second chance instead.

 

The next thing he saw, was a seductive woman glad in nearly nothing. Her pungent perfume was unforgettable. 

 

That was the first trap orchestrated by Ruo Heng. She deliberately prepared faulty condoms to conceive a child from Ruo Chen or to fake it at least. That gave Madam Du all the more reason to rush the wedding in the first incarnation.

 

The reborn Ruo Chen felt a meat pie falling from the sky. This second life was his opportunity to mend his past mistakes and find out the truth.

 

Hence, he ruthlessly dealt with the paws of Ruo Heng.

 

When he surprisingly met Li Junyao again, while he interrogated the drugging b*tch, his feelings were in turmoil.

 

Was it really a coincidence or did he already colluded with Ruo Heng from the very beginning? If so when did he betray Ruo Heng… when did Li Junyao fell in love with him?

 

He scrutinized the younger male profoundly and softened. The shy yet stubborn traits remained the same. A sudden urge to tease the other overcame Ruo Chen and they kissed.

 

The retreating Li Junyao looked especially endearing and when they met again in the mall, he wanted to spoil the boy silly.

 

Ruo Chen did his homework and concluded, that the Li household was only after the Ruo family influence. Hence, they only began to collude with Ruo Heng, after he fell from grace. He wronged Li Junyao and wanted to cherish him this time. Him and his sister, who he hurt too. Those twins… whose love was too fast and unsophisticated. 

 

Their destruction lay solely in meeting him.

 

This feeling of guilt particularly deepened towards Li Junyao, after his thorough investigation of the male. What spoiled young master, that boy was pitiful from the moment he was born.

 

No affection from his parents, the lonely struggle between death and life in the hospitals, bullying throughout his school life and then the endeavor to make it through university without support.

 

What he did to Li Junyao was unforgivable. Keeping out of his life was not enough for atonement, he had to protect and shield him from every harm. 

 

Or so he thought. Leaving him alone and support the boy from the shadows, would have been the safest route. But he couldn’t separate himself from this lovable person, he couldn’t suppress his yearning for Li Junyao.

 

Ruo Chen loved him dearly. Perhaps, he already fell for this person in his first incarnation.

 

So, he selfishly took the gamble.

 

It all started, when Ruo Heng made his move against Zhang Ze. Since Ruo Chen never dated Li Mengyao, he wasn’t the sole target to be destroyed.

 

They designed a plan together to unmask Madam Du and Ruo Heng. Their dark side should be laid out for the public to be seen.

 

With the brainpower of a handful of computer experts and the inside information provided by Ruo Chen, the simultaneous dispatch of their crime-list to all guest and the police was a piece of cake.

 

The investigation proved Du Hua to be guilty. Father Ruo divorced her immediately. Thanks to her excellent acting the death sentence was not imposed on her, but she was lifelong imprisoned for orchestrated murder. Her life in the prison was hard and ruthless. Any contact to other people was also strictly regulated, so that she couldn’t instigate anything from within.

 

Ruo Heng was dealt with internally. His failed plans were not enough for a punishment by law. Thus, all his inheritance rights were stripped away from him and his adoption was revoked. He had no place in the Ruo family anymore. Ruo Father gave him a decent amount of money to live a life in the middle class as the last duty of a father. 

 

After that, Ruo Heng was on his own. His multiple attempts to make a comeback were always suppressed from the shadows until he gave up and settled with the ordinary.

 

As for the Li parents, their trading firm eventually went bankrupt. Nobody wanted to trade with people, who were tightly knotted with a murder. Furthermore, their moral character was questionable. They were entangled in a trial regarding child abuse of their son. 

 

Their precious daughter, Li Mengyao, was a founder and spokesperson for one of the biggest charity organizations known around the world, yet she never mentioned them or tried to help them. Rumors said, that she was the one going to court against them. They ignored several of their summons and were found guilty by default. It seemed like they completely vanished from earth. 

 

Many tried to illuminate that paradox, but were hindered by the skillful lawyer, co-founder and husband at her side. Aside from him, another powerful backer seemed to support them and their organization.

 

It was the unspoken open secret, that the identity of the hidden supporter was most likely their common friend and head of one of the biggest world concerns, Ruo Chen.

 

He was a legendary playboy. But after the affair with his stepmother and the following car accident, which happened at the same time, he stopped showing himself.

 

When everybody nearly forgot him, he rose from the ashes like a phoenix and expanded his clan rapidly— from China and its neighboring countries to all Asia and finally the whole world.

 

Everything seemed to lay right at his feet.

 

At least on the surface, because Ruo Chen paid a heavy price for the prestige.

 

***

 

Tick, tock~

 

It was silent as usual on the hospital floor for VIPs. Only the clock on the wall could be heard.

 

A man with obvious wrinkles on his face strode along the corridor. He greeted the nurse with a slight nod of his head and walked steadily to his destination wordlessly. 

 

This corridor, he already followed this path dozens of times and could walk on it with closed eyes. 

 

In his arms was a bouquet of pink flowers. They didn’t match his handsome and mature image at all. 

 

He opened the door to the spacious room, which resembled a hotel room more than a hospital. 

 

In the center lay a young man, his skin pale like jade. The concept of time didn’t seem to apply to him. Rather, he looked like an outer-worldly fairy, untouched by the pollution from the outside as he serenely slumbered on the bed. 

 

The man went to the cupboard at the side and took out a fine vase. Following that, he skillfully arranged the camellias into it and put them onto the table opposite the bed. He washed his hands afterward. 

 

Pitter, patter.

 

Besides the sound of running water, it was awkwardly quiet in the room, but the man was already used to it. 

 

He sat down and hesitated to speak up. After he collected his thoughts, he opened his mouth. 

 

“How are you?” asked he. 

 

Silence. 

 

There was no ripple in The man’s tone as he continued, “Are you mad, that I was away for so long this time? I’m sorry, the European branch was expanding and needed my presence…”

 

“The next trip won’t take this long. I promise!”

 

“Don’t look so sullen. You know, I wouldn’t ever cheat on you ba.”

 

“See, I always wear our couple rings. It’s really worn out and has lost a bit of its cluster, while your ring still looks brand new.”

 

“Your sister and senior are going to celebrate their wedding anniversary soon. Let’s go together ba.”

 

He paused and waited for an answer, that never came. A soft sigh escaped his lips.

 

“You won’t open your eyes today either, will you?”

 

Silence. 

 

Only the occasional beeping of the measuring instruments was audible. 

 

The man looked at his love for a long time and gently stroked through the silky hair patiently. 

 

Sometimes he would talk about his trip to Europe, inform him on his sister’s status or simply tell him about the changing world. 

 

They spend their time like this until the visitor hours ended. 

 

The man whispered softly the other’s name as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on the younger male’s forehead, “I’ll come visiting you again…”

 

After that, he left the hospital. 

 

The new intern nurse stared at his retreating back and couldn’t resist her curiosity. She asked the head nurse about the identity of the mysterious middle-aged man, “Jie ⁵Jie: big sisterah, who was that man just now? I’ve never seen him before, but he seemed overly familiar with this place ba!”

 

The head nurse nudged the other’s head lightly, “Curiosity kills the cat!” 

 

Both chuckled quietly. 

 

Before the head nurse continued, she gave a long sigh, “He is here for the comatose patient in the last room down the hall ah.”

 

“You only started, after he had to go on a long business trip, but for over a decade he comes to visit at least once a week.”

 

“I heard they got into an accident in their younger years. There were three people in the car and they actually weren’t wounded seriously. However, the comatose patient had an asthmatic attack from the impact, while the man and their common friend were unconscious.”

 

“When the paramedics arrived, the patient was already on death’s door. Since then he didn’t open his eyes again.”

 

“But he is truly pitiful. He was just a university freshman, when the accident happened and his parents didn’t bother to visit him, let alone paying his hospital fees. Only his twin sister cared for him. If it weren’t for his sister’s pleadings, then he would already be dead.”

 

The intern nurse gaped in surprise and asked eagerly, “How is he still alive then?”

 

The head nurse gave the gossip lover a reprimanding glare, but still continued her story. “His lover, the visitor just now, turned out to be from a wealthy family. When he woke up, he was outraged. Without batting a lid, he paid the fees five years in advance for a VIP room.”

 

The intern was even more amazed. “Ai, ai, what a rich and faithful lover… wait aren’t they both male, didn’t his family oppose them?”

 

The head nurse looked helplessly at the young nurse, “Haven’t you realized his identity yet? It’s the world tycoon Ruo Chen! After the murder case of his mother, who in the Ruo family had the right to oppose his wish? I say, if they haven’t chased him out on the day of the accident, this would have never happened!”

 

The eyes of the intern nurse widened, “Ah, that’s too cruel. First his mother, then his lover.”

 

“Truly pitiful. Now let’s get back to work. Mr. Li needs a room purification ba,” said the head nurse. 

 

The intern was baffled. 

 

The head nurse immediately guessed her thoughts, “Mr. Li is the patient we talked about. He has asthma and needs special care ba.”

 

The intern thought a bit and found it a bit strange. “Then, why did he bring camellias⁶Camellia: symbolizes young sons and daughters in China. in the first place? Placing them in the room is rather dangerous and purely a waste of money ah! That aside, what’s with the girlish color!”

 

The head nurse rapped her forehead, “That’s why you lack life experience. Don’t pry into other people’s business and do your job. You can search for the meaning at home ba.”

 

The intern felt wronged, but still did her work meticulously. When she got back home, the words of her Jie bounced back into her thoughts and she opened her laptop. After a while, she found the answer on a western site. Then closed it with a sigh. 

 

Pink camellia symbolize a longing for someone and is given to someone who is missed.

 

Many years later, Ruo Chen never married or got any children. He donated most of his fortune to the charity organization of Li Mengyao and Zhang Ze after his death. 

 

The nurse, who was in charge of Li Junyao, still remembered the moment, when Ruo Chen peacefully closed his eyes beside his lover. 

 

“Jun-er, I’ll wait for you on the other bank of the yellow river…”

 

Only half an hour later, Li Junyao had suffered a heart attack and followed his lover. 

 

Up until his death, Li Junyao never regained his conscience. 

 

The nurse lamented those faithful yet tragic lovers as she brought flowers to their grave. This time weren’t their pink camellias, but white lilies⁷Lilies: stand for 100 years of love White: death, mourning.

 

[World 1 Main Story complete]

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