Eldest Brother

"Did I call you at the wrong time?" Han XiGuang questioned her.

A little taken aback, she shook her head despite knowing he wouldn't know her reaction, "No, I had just arrived home. Why do you ask that?"

"Hm," his deep voice tickled her ears deep enough to make her nervous again. "You sound a little down. Did something upset you? You can talk to me, of course, if that what you wish to do."

Wu SuYi always felt grateful to Han XiGuang who would give her a choice in either replying to his question or to refuse. In her life, there was too little things that she could control by herself. This action of her was subtle and yet gentle.

"I had just came back from the police station maybe that's why," she whispered. Pursing her lips, she took the chance, "How is Rui?"

"He is slowly adapting," Han XiGuang, answered her. "It seemed to me he blamed himself a little for Aunt Liu's sudden disappearance in the family's gathering. But I have explained to him that nothing is more important to me than his safety. He is a bright child, I'm sure he knew what I want to tell him."

Wu SuYi nodded her head gently, "I am glad if he is happy. I hope you can spend more time with him."

"For now, I decide to work from home. I think it's the best approach for Rui. On that note," Han XiGuang chuckled after a thought, "I hope I am not too forward. If you are free this weekend, would you like to go out with me?"

Wu SuYi's eyes widened. Expectation caused her heart to race, "Yes!" Shocked by her own eagerness, she cleared her throat as if to salvage her slipped out. It was the first time for her to agree on a meeting without checking her schedule. "I mean, I would like to. In the afternoon I might be a little busy."

"In the afternoon weekend? Are you meeting your boyfriend?"

Wu SuYi wondered if she had heard it wrong. There was a hidden fierceness on Han XiGuang's tone as he had asked the second question as though she had stepped on the wrong foot.

But Han XiGuang hadn't exposed his displeasure too obviously.

"I don't have a boyfriend," she chuckled. "My work is more important to me right now. Also I enjoy being alone."

"Until the right person becomes more important than your work arrive, I assume?" Han XiGuang cheekily questioned.

Wu SuYi couldn't help but giggle at his words. "I don't know about that. I am not sure if there is anyone who would treasure me so much that they could become my most important person. That day, I have to visit a person's grave. It's the anniversary of their death."

Han XiGuang seemed to be taken aback as silence prevailed for a full one minute after her words. His eyes sauntered across his room at the family picture he placed on his desk. In the picture half of the portrait had been burnt but as though it was a precious treasure, Han XiGuang had kept it on a glass picture frame.

"I see. You can tell me whatever time you'd like to meet."

"Sure," Wu SuYi answered firmly. A smile continue to stay on her cheeks as she thought how she would spend her weekend with people unlike the usual day.

"Also," Han XiGuang spoke before they ended the call, "I am sure in one close future, there would be someone who treats you like the diamond you are. When that happens, it is up to you to decide on making that person as your most important or not. Personally for me, I never mind being the second. Being loved isn't the matter of rank but to stay longer with that person."

Wu SuYi's cheeks reddened. She didn't want to translate his words to her own wishful thinking. But it did sound as though his words were uttered for her.

When the call ended, Han XiGuang with his mouth covered by his hand stared down at the empty desk holding a fierce gaze.

"But it is possible for a person to raise their rank. From the second loved of all to the first," Han XiGuang chuckled again, in his mind his plan seemed to work well on capturing the beautiful butterfly that fluttered her wings in front of him.

When a knock resounded, a woman entered his room. She stared at Han XiGuang and clicked her tongue, "You look so amused right now. It's so scary to see you smile like that. I feel pity for the person you are thinking in your mind right now."

Han XiGuang raised both of his eyebrows and looked at the woman, "YueLuan, how do you think I can spice up this relationship? Being friends is great but I need more than that."

YueLuan stared at him and her fists clenched. Who is this woman that had been plaguing Han XiGuang's mind for weeks now? She wanted to question but didn't see the right opportunity. Han XiGuang might not aware of her feelings toward him but he was a man with a very keen sense.

"I don't know," YueLuan replied with a smile, hiding her thoughts, "But you do know being a friend is the first steps to form a relationship. It's best to take it slow. Do you want me to do a background check on her?"

"No," Han XiGuang dismissed, "I only do background check on those that doesn't interest me. But to what interest me, I want to take it slow to know the person by myself."

His words struck a chord on YueLuan who had been once ran a background check before working on his company.

"Maybe you need an exciting accident," YueLuan flicked her finger, "Maybe put her in a small accident on purpose and be her dashing knight?"

Han XiGuang tilted his head, "Won't that instead be breaking the trust she have to me right now? I can tell she doesn't trust people easily and I don't want her to lose all her trust in me."

YueLuan sulked. She thought it was best to bring up ideas that could ruin their relationship as she knew it was Han XiGuang's ever first time to love a person. The first time would be his weakness that she could take advantage. But much to her displeasure, Han XiGuang always kept his most gentle action for Wu SuYi.

"But an exciting accident," Han XiGuang hummed. "That is indeed what I need right now."

When the weekend comes, Wu SuYi was released from all her work. Although she enjoyed all that she do as a lawyer, she also find the need to take a breather from all the heavy cases that piled up everyday on her office.

She woke up early in the morning and arrived to a flower shop, ordering a bouquet of white lilies to the florist before making her destination to arrive in a small private graveyard.

In silence, Wu SuYi placed the flower to the graveyard, staring at her mother's name for a good five minutes.

"Hello, mom," she greeted, mustering a smile. It made her remembered the time when she had ran away for the first time to visit her mother's graveyard.

Since younger, no one allowed her to visit her mother's graveyard. Even when she asked, they would all reject her cold heartedly. One day when the loneliness was unbearable, she decided to ran away from home to visit her graveyard. Thankfully to one maid who had gave her the address without thinking she would visit the graveyard daringly without permission, she arrived to her mother's graveyard.

But the expected warmth she wanted to feel was gone as all that greeted her was the tombstone.

Although she didn't feel any different watching the stone now, she could feel her heart in comfort being to the only person who was connected to her once in the past.

She never heard anything about her mother. How she looked, how she spoke, and what kind of person she was. But sitting near the graveyard, Wu SuYi would imagine her mother to be similar to what other people's mother would be.

As silent let her relax her mind, a crunchy noise came from behind her. The footsteps stepping on the dry leaves before winter wasn't loud but for the place that was deadly silent, it was enough to take her attention.

Her eyebrows quickly knit together seeing who it was.

"Why are you here?" She snapped. It was JingYi. Him again. These five years without meeting anyone in her family was the happiest. But who would think after meeting them once they would continue to haunt her?

JingYi's eyes narrowed. Anger evident on his face with her rude words. Since younger, JingYi was a person with a strong believe that woman should keep their mouth shut in the family, which never sit right with Wu SuYi. It was his way to be in control. Being in control make him feel like a king which was disgusting to her eyes.

"It's my mother's grave, I have the right to visit it."

"Spoken like a very filial child," Wu SuYi would like to stay longer but she didn't want to be near JingYi now. She wouldn't want to fight in her mother's death anniversary in front of her grave.

Making her way out, JingYi's tight grip latched on her wrist. His eyes that stared on her evidently filled with fury.

"When will you stop behaving like a child? The appointment to your engagement have been sent—"

"Are you deaf? I won't get married for anyone's sake but mine," Wu SuYi swatted his hand away. "And I wouldn't fight in front of my mother."

JingYi's eyes continue to narrow. He held her hand again, refusing to cooperate to bring peace into their dead mother's grave.

"Do you think you can continue to roam around? The freedom you have right now isn't given to you by a choice. It is something that we gave to you for a limited amount of time and that time had ran out. We gave you the freedom, we can take it as well."

Wu SuYi's eyes widened. Fear shook her core. How can she not? Since her childhood JingYi and her father was the most frightening figure of her life.

Their warnings have always to be heed. Because she know their threats had never been an empty one.

She didn't want her freedom to be taken away! But she refuse to be engage with anyone now.

"The lawyer license you have. It will take me five minute to take it away." JingYi saw how his threats work and smiled widely, "Let's move to a better place and talk about this." Before Wu SuYi could protest, he glared at her warningly, "I am not giving you a chance. Refuse me and I should show you what I can do which I am sure you will regret it deeply, SuYi. Use your head."