Chapter Text
Date: Year 2013, 05/29, Wednesday*, at Ye Household, Ye Qiu, Age: 16
“Young Master? Your breakfast is served.”
“En.”
“Anything else, Young Master?”
“That would be all.”
“Very well, Young Master.”
“Ahh...where are Father and Mother?…”
“Master Ye has already gone out to meet a client over golf. Madam is preparing her overseas trip later in the afternoon.”
“…Ah... What time is the flight, Old Li?.”
“ETD 1800hrs, to Amsterdam, Young Master.”
“...I…see...Will Father be back in the evening for dinner?”
“Master has informed the cook not to prepare his serving.”
“...En…”
“Young Master?”
“Yes, Old Li?”
“The staff have prepared a dessert for you. Shall I have it serve after you are done with your breakfast?”
Blinks. “...Yes, please.”
“Understood, Young Master.”
------------
Date: Year 2016, 05/29, Sunday*, at Ye Household, Ye Qiu, Age: 19
“Young Master? Your breakfast is served.”
“En.”
“Anything else, Young Master?”
“That would be all.”
“Very well, Young Master.”
“Old Li, I will be out today. Let Father and Mother know if they asked.”
“Understood, Young Master”
“Will you be back for dinner?”
“No, I will be back late, tell the rest of the staff not to wait for me.”
“They will be informed, Young Master.”
“Oh, one more thing, Old Li.”
“Yes, Young Master?”
“Ask Cook to prepare two more servings of desserts and have them packed to go.”
“May I inquire about your whereabouts, Young Master?”
“I’ll be with Bai siblings for the rest of the day.”
“Very well, Young Master. Have a peaceful day.”
Ye Qiu didn’t give any verbal reply, just a wave of his hand to dismiss the old butler. Internally sighing, he thought this year would be different. That he would be able to see one of his parents, if he’s lucky, maybe both of them. But he was always doomed to be disappointed. When they were much younger, their parents were always there to celebrate, making a big fuss. Everything was twice the fanfare only because they were twins.
Once they hit elementary* school, everything starts to change. The gatherings were less boisterous, the cheers were very toned down. His brother has always been the one who could ‘read the room’ better than him. He wanted to ask his parents during their tenth birthday, but a slight nug from the older twin stopped him from asking. Later, Ye Xiu explains why in their shared room.
‘It’s because we’re older now. They think it's time to be more focused on developing our strengths and improving them. Eradicate all weaknesses that will hamper our future. Mark my words, they will start small. Then it will come a day when they will compare us.’
‘Xiu-ge, does that mean more lessons, more reading, more of everything that we are doing now?’ Ye Qiu cannot wrap his head over this scenario.
‘Yes, and you know what? I hear the servants have refurbished another room. Seems like our days of sharing of space will come to an end.’
‘Nooo!!! I will not allow that! The current arrangement is good enough. Why must they separate us?!’
‘They want us to compete among ourselves...I’m not very keen about it, but it will be done. You know, the survival of the fittest…’
‘...Gege...’
Sure enough, one month after their tenth birthday, Ye Xiu moves out to another room, down the hallway, to the other wing, while he’s stuck here. Everything that belongs to his brother was moved over. Nothing was overlooked. Ye Qiu feels like they are trying their best to erase his brother’s presence from this place. That made him feel very antsy, his body twitching as he fought to run after the servants for taking away his older brother. His twin.
Since birth, they have always been together, even if one of them needs to be away, it has always been a few minutes, at most a couple of hours. This is the first time they will be away from each other for a prolonged period. Ye Qiu didn’t like it one bit.
This, of course, starts to affect his studies. For Ye Xiu, nothing much change for him. Everything is still status quo. His father starts to compare the two of them, just like how his brother predicted. The pressure mounted and soon he started to feel resentment towards the one person he shouldn’t. It finally boiled over after their fifteenth birthday. And the outcome was something he could never take back. Looking back now with the eyes and wisdom of a young adolescent, Ye Qiu understood the motivation behind his brother’s constant perfect results. Their father has always been result-oriented, he didn’t care too much about the process, as long as the results are to his expectations. His father is also a reasonable man, he firmly believes in results reap rewards and Ye Xiu works towards that goal. He wished he was informed of the plan his devious twin had mapped out. It was only after a month after the runaway that he overheard the servants murmuring about his brother’s planning.
‘...It is a pity First Young Master Ye ran away from home. The next year would be the deadline for their agreement.’
‘Yes, yes. A pity indeed. I couldn’t believe the First Young Master actually proposed that should he fulfill all the tasks and obligations required from him, the master will grant him a boon. Anything within his power, no question asked...’
This is the first time he has ever heard about it, and the servants in this household are not that discreet with their surroundings when they gossip. What had his brother had planned that even the nosiest of maids never dare bring it up? Ye Qiu decides to ask the only person his brother would have confided to.
‘Old Li, what was my brother’s agreement with Father?’ The man blinks at the sudden question thrown at him by the young master. He paused his chores and turned his full attention at him.
‘I’m sorry I cannot share the details with you, Second Young Master. Even though First Young Master Ye is not here anymore. I will still abide by the promise I made... I could, however, let you know one thing. All the things he has done, it’s never for himself. Now if you would excuse me, I need to bring this to the parlor.’ reveals the butler once he saw how disheartened the young teenager looked.
...never for himself...what’s the one thing that his twin cherishes the most other than their pet dog, Little Dot? Ye Qiu stood frozen when he realized it. Oh, how his heart aches as his guts twisted in self-regret. Tears brimming at the edge, the younger twin swore at himself for being too blind. Ye Xiu has always looked at the big picture, the grand scheme of everything. Once he sets a goal, he will work towards it, step by step, one task at a time. And his ultimate goal is never for himself…...
Blinking away the ache in his heart, Ye Qiu quickly finished his food and went up to his room to change.
------------
Ye Qiu steps into the familiar parlor of the Bai family. Since their agreement, the Bai siblings have extended their welcome to him. No longer did he need to attend those meaningless gatherings held bi-weekly by their socialite circle of peers. Everything that happens during those meet-ups is all summarised by Musu, who filed it into important facts and gossip rags. Both are equally important. It’s just that he lacks the patience to deal with these air-heads over who did what and what’s the latest trend in fashion or gossips on which relative cuckoo with someone outside their circle.
“What’s that in your hands? Puddings? What’s the occasion?” asked the older male. Ye Qiu gives him a side glance before passing it over to the young girl, Linyan.
“Su-ge, it’s Qiu-ge’s birthday today, remember? I think he wants to share it with us. That’s why he prepares three servings.” tsked the young mistress of the Bai Family. As she is about to ring for a servant to fetch some serving plates, her elder brother jumps up from the chair he was lazing in.
“I know that! I was just trying to get a raise out of him, Yanzi. Wait, don’t ring the bell. We’re going out. And don’t forget to let the servants know we’re not coming back tonight.” With that, Musu grabs his jacket and heads for the door. Ye Qiu is a bit mystified with the guy’s behavior. Even Linyan doesn’t know what plans are being concocted in the mind of Bai Musu.
The two of them shrug their shoulders and follow the older one out, forgoing the chauffeur for the day. After hailing a cab to bring them to the metropolitan train station, Musu bought three tickets to Hangzhou, much to the surprise of Ye Qiu. Are they going there to see his brother? But Xiu-ge didn’t know about his existence... Soon, they all boarded the train and sat down in one of the empty cabins. As the day was early, not many passengers were present. Some of them gave the trio searching glances as if puzzled to see well-dressed individuals like them sitting in the normal cabin rather than those private ones.
“After we've reached the city, the first thing we should do is get a new set of clothes to wear. We stand out too much in these.” The younger ones nodded their heads. After the explanation given in their early encounters, they know it was for their own safety if they want to move around the seedier side of the city. Musu told them that he’s going to bring them to the place where he used to stay with Ye Xiu and his sister, Mucheng, before the accident happened. With the permission of their parents, Musu manages to purchase the unit the moment Ye Xiu releases it into the market. He just recently got the keys and is excited to see if there were any changes done. Linyan and Ye Qiu were curious about the place that the former Su Muqiu used to live in. For Linyan, it is to better understand the circumstances her brother used to lead, for Ye Qiu, it is to see how his older brother lived since he disappeared four years ago.
They quickly enter a thrift store that sells all kinds of items inside and after two hours of choosing and haggling with the store assistant, they walk away with a clean set of worn street clothes and a new sense of appreciation of the teenager that used to make a living among the streets. With one feeling odd and out-of-place in his clothes and the other, all hype and eyes sparkling with excitement, the former Gunner King bring them to a food mart and the Bai siblings push Ye Qiu to negotiate for their purchase. Using Linyan, who’s petite stature and puppy eyes reactions as their bargaining chip, the born Childe of Beijing socialite drove the price down to the minimal profit and walked away with freebies for Bai Linyan and Bai Musu.
“Wow! I’m impressed, A-Ye. You took to it like a duck towards water!” Musu slaps his palm on the back of the Ye heir several times. Unlike his older twin, who would have staggered under such an onslaught, Ye Qiu just bumps it off with his left arm and retaliates back at the senior. Linyan, who is walking behind, looks at the two males and wonders if that’s how Su-ge would have behaved with the mysterious Ye Xiu and Su Mucheng. She notices the change in her sort of older brother after they changed their clothes. Bits and pieces of rough around the edge behavior and gestures are more pronounced the more they wander around the neighborhood.
All too soon, the trio stands in front of the place where the Su siblings used to rent. Feeling a bit nervous, Musu hands the keys to Linyan. “Here, you open it.”
Eyeing at the fidgeting male, the girl inserts the key and turns the lock. Despite the dust that had settled on the surfaces of the furniture, the flat looks like a time capsule suspended in the moment that Ye Xiu has left it after he finally locks it up. Excluding the personal items that Ye Xiu and Mucheng might have taken, the rest of the household items and furniture are left in its original place. Even the beddings remain untouched; the sheets dusty and smells a bit moldy.
“Right, we have a lot to do. A-Ye, you come and help me with the changing of the beddings. Yanzi, go check if the lights and water are up and running. Tonight, we’re sleeping here and celebrating A-Ye’s birthday!” Ye Qiu gapes at him as the girl runs off to check. When Musu realizes that the other male is not following him, he just shakes his head and pulls him along. That also happened to Ye Xiu too, when he first arrived to stay with him and Mucheng.
There is a lot of clanging and banging coming from the kitchen. Linyan, after making sure all utilities are still operational, checks the stove and nods when there is fire. She quickly finds a pot and starts preparing lunch. As to how a young lady of the house learns how to operate a stove, it's indirectly because of Su Muqiu. His midnight craving and the reluctance of waking the servants up just for a bowl of noodles resulted in Linyan learning how to cook for the older male. All those secret trips to the main kitchen with just the two of them are among the few things that makes Musu feeling nostalgic of his carefree lifestyle. The servants, of course, found out about it and informed the master and mistress, whom they decided after a long lecture on safety and social norms, got the head cook to teach them the proper way to prepare their meals.
After a quick cleaning session, Ye Qiu was aching all over, Musu was beaming in delight as Linyan brought the food she prepared for them to the table where they were sitting. Ye Qiu blinks at the small bowl of thin strand noodles and a pair of red eggs that was placed in front of him. “Eat up, Qiu-ge. After that, try my mala tofu stew and trio egg spinach!”
“What’s this?” asked Ye Qiu as he pokes at the noodles suspiciously. Musu curiously looks at the bowl of noodles and tries to sniff out the flavour. “A bit salty and smells like wheat flour?”
Linyan nods in reply, “It is called Mee Sua or mian xian. I talked with Cook last week when we were deciding what to do on Qiu-ge’s birthday. He told me about some traditional cuisine served for birthdays. These noodles represent longevity and the red eggs represent a new birth or start for this case.”
“Huh, I did not know there are still families that celebrate their birthday in this manner. So Yanzi, do I get a chance to eat that too?” Musu asked as he watched Ye Qiu tentatively try and saw his eyes widen in delight and quickly slurp up the rest of the noodles. Linyan looks at the older male and coughs her reply.
“Provided you stop pulling me into dangerous situations when we play Glory.” “But that’s the only way to train your reaction speed...” Ye Qiu quirks his lips at their argument again as he continues eating his noodles, this time with the red eggs, shelled and inside his bowl. He wonders if his brother ever eats with the people that care about the person itself rather than the statues they can give since the sudden rise to fame.
“Brother, I’m serious...” Her eyes pleaded with him. Musu stops his sentence midway, sensing something that she’s not telling him. He gives a quick dart at the other person, who has already stopped consuming his food. Ye Qiu, being sensitive to the mood, gives Linyan a solemn look.
“What happened with the results from the latest doctor’s appointment?”
------------
Outside the building of Excellent Era
Three bodies, one of them with a mask covering the lower part of his face as the other two stands on each side of him. “This is the place then?”
Musu nodded, and Ye Qiu stared at it, the sunglasses he wore didn’t mask his glinted look. Linyan peeks at him before huffing out. “Are we going to just stand here like idiots and look at the building until it surrenders Xiu-ge?” Musu shook his head, “Not yet. They just won the championship, and sponsors just started to pour in. I remember Tao-ge said once they have enough money, he’s going to expand the floor space until he can accommodate everything under one roof. Of course, he also said that he always has a contingency plan in case Excellent Era Pro-team ever fails.”
“He sounds very ambitious and cautious at the same time. How is he as a people person?” Ye Qiu asked as they continued their conversation without moving away from their current position. Musu hesitated, before grimacing. “Although he’s a nice guy and a great friend, I cannot help but feel sometimes he always has one foot outside of the door. Like he’ll abandon you once he thinks the situation is unsalvageable.”
“...unlike my foolish brother, who will go down with the ship, fighting.” Given the drastic personalities of the two, without Mucheng’s brother as the middle person, one cannot help but wonder what the future would be like? Linyan’s stomach chooses that moment to warn everyone that it's time for dinner. With that, the grim atmosphere was broken, the boys teased the teen girl about her stomach being a black hole and they headed for the nearest fast-food restaurant to grab something back to the apartment.
As the trio steps through the entrance; the males in front as usual with the girl looking on from behind, and a couple walks out. The female, all wrapped up in her scarf and woolen cap, is pulling a pale-looking guy along by his arm. His listless look hides the burnished gleam in his eyes, as he trods away, his attention on finding his cigarette pack. A passing encounter, not to be seen or known by the concerning parties except by the young teen girl whose eyes nearly popped out when she saw the doppelganger. But before she could get the guys’ attention, the couple had already walked away.
...Next time, I will definitely make sure they meet up...
QQ chat: Private chatroom
Ye Qiu @叶秋 v: idiotic brother of mine, for once answer my reply!!!
Ye Qiu @叶修 v: Yo… (:
Ye Qiu @叶秋 v: Could you change your ID? It’s confusing!
Ye Qiu @叶修 v: ...nah...too lazy…
Ye Qiu @叶秋 v: ...You...
Ye Qiu @叶秋 change to The Real Ye Qiu @叶秋
The Real Ye Qiu @叶秋 v: ...Happy Birthday, shameless brother of mine...and...never mind...
Ye Qiu @叶修 v: ? Are you alright? Since when have you decided to hide things from your elder brother?
The Real Ye Qiu @叶秋 v: W-what do you mean by hiding? I-I have nothing to hide!!!
Ye Qiu @叶修 v: You’re stammering...
The Real Ye Qiu @叶秋 v: Sheesh, whatever...just that...I missed you! Okay? Happy now?!
Ye Qiu @叶修 v: …...I’m shocked...Are you my brother? And not someone who hacked into his QQ account?
The Real Ye Qiu @叶秋 v: Darn you!!! I take back those words! Moron older brother, stupid reckless delinquent! Get back here and take over the family business!!!
Ye Qiu @叶修 v: Ahh...that’s more like it. Never change, Qiu-di...Happy Birthday, 弟弟
The Real Ye Qiu @叶秋 v: ...En...take care...and remember to eat the cake I sent you.
Ye Qiu @叶修 v: En...ciao...