Chapter 28

The vial went in an envelope, along with a sheet of paper. His handwriting was clean and Chen Dulan went inside to deliver it. He didn't know what tests his mother would run on it, but he only waited patiently for an explanation. Next thing he knew, they were sneaking away from the mansion. They were headed towards 18 lane, near Chen Dulan's residence. "Young Master, were you truly disturbed by the sight today?"

"Of course I was disturbed. It was horrible. I had only ever seen a dead body in movies, and in news such things are blurred out. It was disgusting." Yao Fang rubbed his own arms as if comforting himself after the bad sight.

"But you reacted much better than I had expected." Chen Dulan said with a straight face and Yao Fang felt anger rise in him. What the hell was his problem? "Most people would've thrown up at the sight, or even cried or screamed. But Young Master controlled his temperament well, and didn't cause any inconvenience."

"I am not used to corpses, and I don't want to be. Is that some necessary criteria for MinYao members? If not, then I'll prefer to stay away from such disgusting things."

"It's not necessary for you, but someone has to do the dirty work." He spoke and stopped walking in front of a two storey shabby building. It was quite a noisy neighborhood, Yao Fang noticed. "Young Master, it will be messy inside." He warned before climbing up some old stairs. Yao Fang thought it couldn't take the weight of two people so he waited till Chen Dulan was done climbing.

Chen Dulan opened the door to his current home. "Young Master, come inside please." He was offered some shabby looking slippers that looked like bathroom slippers, and Chen Dulan himself was barefoot. Yao Fang felt awkward wearing them but he didn't bring it up. They had better things to talk about anyway.

"Young Master, I'll tell you some things now. It's true that bringing you today wasn't really needed, but I only want you to see for yourself the kind of work I do. It is different from what your brother does so you need not worry, everyone has different roles. Today we were late, even I hadn't expected him to be killed so soon."

"Chen Dulan, just who are you?" Yao Fang asked and Chen Dulan's eyes softened. As if he had a thousand different things to say, but something around his throat was stopping him from speaking. Chen Dulan would think of it, as Yao Jianguo's viper gaze choking him till he was silent and cold and asleep forever.

"I am no one, Young Master." He said finally. "Proceeding with the case, let's find the mastermind tomorrow. I have an idea where he may show up."

"He will show up in the karaoke, he hasn't gotten a hint of us yet, but the police will still take some time to find the dead body, till then he should be carefree. He will try to sell again nearby, in a private room maybe where we'll need access to enter. And I am that access, isn't that right?" Yao Fang finished speaking. Chen Dulan's expression was shocked and amazed hearing Yao Fang's deduction of the case.

"Young Master... you're just like your father." He couldn't help but let a small smile creep up his lips and Yao Fang thought it was the most pleasant thing he'd seen all day. They looked away from each other basking in the awkward silence following, Yao Fang couldn't help but notice the poor condition of the room. It was clean but very empty. He realized that he was really not used to poverty, and Chen Dulan was tragically poor.

"Chen Dulan, I don't hate you... I don't want to hate you and I don't want to be in a situation where I'd have to hate you ever. Just please honestly tell me, you aren't my father's bastard child? Tell me he's loyal to my mother, and never looks at any other women. Tell me, all the truths behind the rumors, I don't want to hate you."

"The rumors are baseless. Young Master, don't you remember how we met? No... maybe the wound on your forehead really did make you forget about it." The stitch on his forehead... how did Chen Dulan know about that? "Young Master, don't you remember when you were caught up in a gang fight when you were ten? Your father picked me up before I had to turn to begging. How can I be his bastard son?"

Yao Fang felt flashes of the event returning to his memory. "No way, you're that kid whose father they were searching for!? How did I not know that?"

"Young Master, never fear that you aren't the Boss's son. Your ideas and ideals are just like him. No one sees it, but you're kind, just like him. And you have his eyes. Fierce Amber eyes that make your enemies shudder away. He has never looked at another woman and your mother has never looked at another man, they truly love each other."