10. Sneaking In The Night

"But Li Jie, being in the medical field will be too tiring for you. Treating patients is not simple and it requires hard work." Jin Ping said, there was no expression that have been shown on his face. But if you could distinguish it by immersing one's self to his emotions, one could tell that he was worried and his eyes shone deliriously.

Being with his brother for so many years, of course Jin Ping would worry sick. His little brother is weak, had a petite body, pale, and had low immune system. One sneeze and he could catch a cold, one push and his body would break. That's why his overprotectiveness was way beyond normal than anyone.

"Brother, I'm not that weak as you thought I would be. Look! I even survived even when I got lost! Brother, I know that you were worried about me. But, I'm not a little kid anymore. One day, I will live with my own life when you all got your own family. At least, I have my own occupation and I can live my life to support myself!" Li Jie said with his eyes full of determination. Jin Ping could only sigh and pursed his lips, afraid to reject his younger brother or he will cry if he disagreed.

"A-jie, why did you choose to be a doctor? There are so many things that you could possibly do, but why do you want to be a doctor?" Cheung Chao asked softly, not showing any signs of opposition. His heart could not agree to Li Jie's decision but he can't make his brother upset.

'Why would I leave my little brother?! If that's the case then I will not marry at all!' he thought.

"I want to help people. I want to cure and help those people who are in need. If possible, I want my own clinic when I have enough money to earn. I will help my brothers! I will not going to let my brothers sick!" This time, Li Jie set his goal into his one deep thought. He wanted to protect his brothers. Seeing them getting hurt, he couldn't bear it. Besides, they should consider marrying now since they came up to the right age of marrying. He doesn't want to be the reason why his brothers grew up to be old single dogs.

"Ahem! He has a point. If that is what Li Jie wants then this brother of yours will support you wholeheartedly." Tu Fai couldn't hide the happiness within those eyes and mirthfully dragged him to the kitchen. The remaining brothers fell silent and sighed heavily.

They followed the two from the kitchen and chatted happily while eating supper. The night was harmonious for the brothers' get-together, until their youngest brother spoke something that made their mouths shut.

"When will you all get married?" Li Jie asked innocently while looking at his brothers with a wide smile on his face. Jin Ping, who was quietly munching his noodles, instantaneously dropped his chopsticks with a noodle hanging on his lips. Tu Fai cleared his throat bashfully and immediately spoke to their lovely little brother.

"Jie Jie, why do you ask?"

"It's just that, the other masters have a lovely wives when they came in the same age as you all, but my brothers doesn't have one. You all don't have a certain lady to fancy with?" Li Jie asked, his muffled sounds and puffy cheeks made him looked like a chipmunk eating acorn. The brothers couldn't find a way on how to answer such question. It's not that they wanted to live alone. It was because this brothers of him was a coward in love.

They could still remember how their father abandoned their mother for another woman who came from a prestige family, leaving their mother perished and filled with agony. Li Jie was just so little at that time, he was innocent and doesn't have any idea of what was happening in the outside world. Unlike his brothers, they all witnessed how their father ruthlessly left the family. Their mother almost went insane and neglected all her children, including the puny little baby in the cradle. After a year, their mother died with regret of why she didn't care of the innocent child who was always resting on Cheung Chao's arms. She cried and asked all her sons to take good care of the youngest son of the family before he released her last breath.

That imprinted a big scar left on their hearts. After that tragedy happened, they abhorred that kind of feeling. In their minds, love and commitment was just a child's play. Why do you have to love if you will going to hurt yourself in the end?

"Being with myself is enough." Jin Ping said coldly with a deep frown printed on his face. Li Jie wrestled with his thoughts and slanted his head out of confusion.

Cheung Chao looked at Li Jie and forced himself to smile. Li Jie resembled their mother a lot. For these past years, Cheung Chao took the role as Li Jie's mother and gave him all his love and care. As he grew up, he looks more and more like their mother, as well as their mother's heterochromia eyes. He was just like a duplicate version of their mother. How their mother smiles, how their mother cries, it was just like him. That's why, he was the apple of his brothers' eyes.

Tu Fai was thankful enough that Li Jie was small back then, he doesn't have to endure the pain they went through and at the same time, he couldn't help but to be sorry for him since he grew up without their parents' care. At least, all of them was always on his side. They will never let Li Jie cry and endured pain just like them.

Li Jie noticed that the table went gloomy. He couldn't help but to ask himself,

'They want to be a monk?' Li Jie shook his head and proceed to devour his noodles. If they won't get married, then there's no reason for bringing up the topic. In Li Jie's mind, his brothers were just too shy to mention their love fantasies in front of him.

Jiang Hua left the table first, telling them that he finished his meal. He then went inside his room and locked the door. Inside, he couldn't bear the pain that clutched his chest. He recalled all the scars that was meant to be forgotten. He doesn't even know that his tears dribbled from his cheeks. He gripped his clothes that was sticking to his chest, emotions swirled up inside him.

'Damn. I'm too old to cry.' Jiang Hua thought as he wiped his tears. So what if their father abandoned them? So what if their mother left them? In his heart, he couldn't suppressed the hatred from their parents, especially their father.

'If I ever saw that rotten old man's face, I swear I will forge a mark on his ugly face.' Jiang Hua cursed, shooing all the pain away.

On the other side of the city, Minister Steward Liu held a banquet for a friend gathering. On the table, a mountful of delicious dishes and pastries lying in the big plate. Sitting beside the table are the three respectful people in the palace. The minister of education Zhang Wei, the minister of coachmen Chun Fai, and the Chief Censor Chen Guang discussed a lot of affairs regarding from the palace as the quiet Minister Liu kept fidgeting his fingers.

The Chief Censor Chen Guang noticed the wary face of the Minister and smirked silently. Actually, he has been monitoring this few weeks without him knowing. Although he doesn't say a single word, but almost all of his men were dressed as a servant or a guard and also stationed them into one of the ministers' residence, except for the General-in-chief. Well, he can't fully infiltrate the General's manor since a few servants were selected only by the General himself. He knows all of the people's faces and names that went in and out of the manor that's why insinuating the place would be too risky.

Besides, the General is an upright man. He never do anything reckless.

Chen Guang took a sip from his tea, his fine and gentle aura remained graceful and his meek demeanor made the other ministers looked down on him. Though in his head he mocked all the ministers' fate that were dancing on his palm. He looked at the Minister Steward with a plastic smile etched on his face.

"Minister Liu, I heard that your daughter have betrothed to the General. Is it true?" Chen Guang said with ease, and the other ministers gasped for for such information.

"Minister Liu, is it true? Why haven't we heard such news from this meaningful event?" Zhang Wei asked, shocked at Chen Guang's statement. Minister Liu clenched his fist and smiled stiffly at Zhang Wei.

"Well that's just rumors. My daughter was in the house with her mother." Minister Liu was about to panic when he suppressed the anger towards the Chief Censor.

'I can't with his brain. Why did he became a Minister anyway? Oh well, not that I care. He'll be eliminated sooner or later.'

"Oh I see. Hmm, well I also heard a rumor residing in the Capital lately. Someone told me that a concubine escaped in the General's manor and knocked all the General's shadow guards. Quite funny isn't it?" Chen Guang said with a hint of amusement was shown to his face. Minister Liu's veins was likely to burst in anger and fear. The corner of his lips twitched as he looked at Chen Guang with his eyes full of resentment.

Minister Liu, "Oh, may I know where did you hear such rumors Chief Censor?"

Chen Guang, "Hmm, just nearby. Minister Liu seems to know the rumor. Did you hear it too?"

"Nonsense! I didn't heard such rumors everywhere!"

"Oh well it seems the Chen Guang was well informed with this rumor. As expected from a Chief Censor." Zhang Wei applauded as Chun Fai nodded silently while sipping his tea.

Chen Guang chuckled and ate the pastries that was served on the table. Minister Liu Ming was shaking from fear when Chen Guang muttered such words.

"Minister Liu seems unwell. Is the master alright?" Chun Fai asked as he looked at the pale minister. Chen Guang smiled gently and spoke to Minister Liu 'innocently'.

"Minister Liu should rest. He seemed overwhelmed by the banquet." Chen Guang said with a frown showing on his face telling that he was worried---just like a theatre act.

Chen Guang really didn't like the Minister Steward because of his despicable acts, and he didn't like seeing his ugly face either. Who would dare send a commoner to be his daughter's substitute and worse of all, a man? But, well to the commoner's luck he still managed to escape. The commoner came off to know martial arts. Hell! That was the General's bodyguards! Yet he grappled to beat the shadow guards that was about to capture him, and Chen Guang was shocked at the news he heard from one of his servants.

At first, he was doubting if the information was reliable. However, seeing one of the General's guards that had a black eye on his face. He was convinced that the commoner was indeed strong.

He also hated the Minister Steward's guts since his soul seemed so hungry about reputation and money. Seeing his face was too ghastly for him.

Chen Guang's gaze followed Liu Ming, as if he wanted to chop him into pieces. The ministers sighed as the servants helped Minister Liu to balance his steps because he was about to fall from the misery. But after he stepped out from the pavilion, an arrow with a paper wrapped below the head was about to shoot the Minister's ears. The minister was frightened to death that he lost balanced to the ground. His butt met the dusty floor of the pavilion as he looked at the arrow that was buried within the wooden wall of the pavilion.

The ministers, including Chen Guang was taken aback from the surprise. He then stood up and took the paper that was wrapped in the arrow. As he opened it, he was stunned upon seeing the letter that was written on the paper.

"If possible, I'll feed you to the dogs. But first, I'll cut your head off and turn it into a roasted meat. How's that Minister?"

Chen Guang read it out loud resulting loud gasps that escaped from all the people who was present in the banquet.

Chen Guang looked at the direction where the arrow was released. His chest feels stuffy, seeing the heterochromia eyes with all of his body was wrapped in a black cloth. No one saw him, except Chen Guang. He gawked at the rushing figure as he held a bow from his hands and escaped. Somehow, the latter was familiar from him.

Or maybe it's just an imagination. . . .

Li Jie rushed quickly after he released the bow from his hands, but he was surprised seeing the master who found him. His thoughts were messy and unexplainable.

He was sure, that man wasn't his brother Chang Bao, but after he saw him, he was just like an older version of his brother. Li Jie shook his head and went home quickly. He shall avoid being found out by his brothers. After all, he was just sneaking in the night and having fun.

'I'll tease the minister for a while.' Li Jie thought.