Chapter 12：Fire by Gavin DeGraw

Du Xu Lang was one when his mother threw him at the door of an orphanage. He was still small, so his memory is limited, he did not even remember the woman's looks. He did not know who his father was, the only thing the woman left him was a name and a black raven tattoo on his left shoulder.

Later he found out that the raven was the symbol for J country's largest underworld community, Du chaebol.

The orphanage was not a good place. There was not enough food, but there was an increase in abandoned children. They often had to compete for cold bread, they even hurt each other for the privilege. From age one to age five, his body was always scarred, his stomach was always hungry, and his heart was always foggy.

But in this dark place, there was a ray of sunshine shining on him, so he was able to support himself each day. The girl was named Ang, she was ten years older than him, and always gave him every means of care. If he was starving, she would leave him her last meal. Du Xu Lang didn't know what it felt like to be loved by a mother, but he always quietly thought that that warm feeling was what it would feel like.

In his last year in the orphanage, a woman surnamed Yang donated a lot of money and sent new clothes and toys to all orphans on New Year's Eve. Ang got a pink jacket, she wore it in front of him and turned around in a circle, and said grateful words to Ms. Yang.

He got a Transformers, something he always wanted. He had even thought to steal money to buy it. When it was sent to him, he was very happy, almost every night he slept with it in him arms.

Not long after, Du family sent for him. Du Xu Lang was happy to follow them to J country. He'd thought it was the beginning of a happy life, but he was instead pushed into hell. Children with no ability had no place in Du family, and the only way out was death. His brothers were like mad dogs biting at each other, like insects fighting for a few extra minutes of life.

In the countless cold bloody nights, Ang's quiet smile grew more and more vibrant, and his only toy had long been forgotten in the corner.

When he finally secured his position in Du home, he had the chance to breathe so he decided to put away all his business and traveled to C country to find his loved ones.

What he found was a quiet mess of a boy named Zhou Wenjing in a clinic. He was beaten and broken, his pair of dark eyes were cloudy, not a trace of sunshine.

Ang was a kind woman who laughed even when facing adversity, why did her son become like this? Du Xu Lang was angry, and with the information from Zhou Wenjing, his anger turned into overwhelming hostility.

He did not think that Ang was suffering from depression and committed suicide, he felt that she was forced to kill herself in that woman's bath. He did not have to personally see it, he could imagine that red and tragic scene.

Zhou was really deceiving!

He did not try to take his nephew away. Since Zhou family was so arrogant, he decided to help his nephew take over all of Zhou family. With a malicious, but also mocking mind, he concealed his identity and became an assistant of Zhou, and soon won the trust of Zhou Hao.

As a personal assistant, he had the qualifications to enter and leave Zhou house. He began to secretly observe the other two sons. Zhou Yunsheng was the eldest son, his character looked very calm, and his learning was always among the best. Zhou Wenang was two months younger than Wenjing and had a lively and cheerful personality, he also looked the most like Zhou Hao.

Wenjing and Zhou Wenang had a good relationship, but with Zhou Yunsheng it was like fire and water. But in Du Xu Lang's view, Zhou's two children were not worthy- one had a bad personality, the other was honey mouthed yet black hearted, they both had some book smarts but no wisdom. Wenjing, with his strong character, tolerance, and clever mind was a diamond in the rough.

Du Xu Lang decided to take this diamond and carve it into a dazzling work of art. In the process of teaching, Zhou Yunsheng frequently bullied him, making him want to teach the child a little lesson.

But that child in turn severely taught him a lesson. If he had not denounced him, if he had not shown his deep-seated hatred, maybe he would've never thought that her suicide was not a retaliation, but an atonement. His impression of her every moment was with a gentle smile, she was virtuous and beautiful. How could she be filled with such hatred?

He seemed to be wrong about the cause and effect. And until that moment, he would've never linked the Ms. Yang who gave him a New Year's gift to Zhou Yunsheng's mother. He'd investigated Zhou, he should've realized, but it was as if there was a layer of fog blindfolding his eyes, causing him to hate but not see.

But as Zhou Yunsheng said, did he and Jing have the qualifications to hate? The one who should hate was him all along.

Perhaps out of guilt, perhaps out of pity, since then, he began to take care of Zhou Yun Sheng, and became secretly concerned about his actions. Slowly, he learned Zhou Yunsheng hates eating carrots, when bored he'd caress his wrist. He was very proficient with computer and every day before going to bed he'd drink a glass of milk...

He knew every little detail about his life, but he ignored the reasons behind his concerns.

When Zhou Wenang had finally personally acted against Wenjing, but Wenjing poured his hatred on Sheng's head instead, Du Xu Lang was very unhappy. The more he grew concerned about Yun Sheng, the more he understood his character. He hid under an impulsive personality to hide his tolerance and strength. Compared to him, Jing was pretty mediocre. He couldn't even find his real enemy, how could he move forward in the future?

Du Xu Lang did not alert him- only people who had fallen could learn to fly. He'd walked out of Wenjing's room, and was invited into Sheng's room. They were separating soon, he would feel lonely.

Whenever Du Xu Lang thought he understood the boy, he'd always bring him a greater surprise. He'd found out his strong cover, and the relationship between Wenjing's mother and himself. He indirectly showed him that still waters ran deep [watch out for the quiet ones].

Compared to Jing who was still waiting to be carved, he was a ready to bloom light. Du Xu Lang was full of expectations for his future, and it grew more intense the more he got to know him.

He'd sent several bodyguards to protect him, made them monitor his movements and send his photos every other week. His attention on him gradually formed into a habit. On his birthday, he came back to his empty room and opened an e-mail with a photo of Yun Sheng.

The boy was holding a chocolate cone, he'd stretched out his tongue to wrap around the sweetness. He seemed to have felt that someone was taping him, his peach eyes held a question and implied vigilance. That charming look pierced through the computer screen to hook into Du Xu Lang's heart, his breaths quickened.

He stared at the screen for a long time, then he finally called the boy.

"Are you free to chat with me?" He requested, eager to see the teenager.

Sheng agreed.

Since that day was his birthday, he opened a music box on his desk, filled with many rivets, screws and pieces, and assembled a Transformers.

His expression was focused, his flexible fingers as if creating another world. Du Xu Lang unknowingly worked too long, so the screen went into standby mode and his strongly throbbing heart finally calmed down.

The boy seemed to like his gift, the next day he sent an express package to the company. Du Xu Lang couldn't help but laugh after opening the package, he played with it for a long time before placing it on his desk, then he put it into his briefcase to take home after work. He first put it on a shelf, but he couldn't see it at a glance, so he put on his desk, then he thought about sleep and finally placed it on his bedside table.

That was the second toy he'd received in his life, but it was his first birthday gift. He loves it.

His relationship with the juvenile gradually grew closer, as long as he was free he would call him to video chat, anxiously waiting for his young and handsome face to appear. The boy was very busy, even when on the phone he'd also be writing a program, if the other party did not speak, he would be immersed in his own world, forgetting everything around him.

In order to stare at him longer, Du Xu Lang would deliberately remain silent, fascinated by the view the boy's concentrating face. He could watch him for hours before getting tired. His gazing was occasionally interrupted by an assistant or a secretary, but when he had finished dealing with business and came back, he'd find that the boy was still quietly sitting at the computer, flexible fingers moving on the keyboard.

He felt that he should always be here, waiting for him to return. Du Xu Lang's heart jumped at that sudden idea.

But gradually, things went beyond his control. He'd inadvertently get a glimpse of his flexible waist, a peek at his pair of slender straight legs, a shadow of his toned back. He would toss and turn in his sleep, and wake up to his body and soul throbbing. He couldn't cheat his heart any longer.

After looking through the photos he'd collected over the years, he did not hesitate to start the chase. He was initially hesitant of scaring him off, so he was always careful and prudent, but after dating for a while he threw caution to the wind. He'd fallen into a quagmire that he couldn't escaped from, but it was filled with sweet, lovely, jelly.

——————–

Zhou Wenjing was sitting in front of a window anxiously smoking when a patrol guard came over and snapped at him to snuff it out. He thought of Zhou Yunsheng who always ordered his uncle to put out his cigarettes. Uncle would always compromise, with a helpless and loving expression.

He obviously enjoyed being ordered around by Zhou Yunsheng.

Zhou Wenjing pinched off his cigarette with a sneer.

At this time, a skinny gray faced man was escorted by the prison guards to the sit, his nameplate read 'Zhou Wenang'. Without it, it would've been impossible for Zhou Wenjing to recognize that this person was his high-spirited brother.

"How are you doing?" Zhou Wenjing asked, the other side did not answer. He continued speaking, "Today Zhou Sheng and Du Yun Xu Lang are getting married. In a few days you should be able to see the news reports on the television."

This finally got him a reaction, he cried and burst into tears, "Wenjing, please speak to big brother for me, let him get me out! I know I was wrong, as long as he was willing to let me out, I'd even become his cattle! I can't stand it anymore, these people are simply not human, they've exhausted every means to torture me … …"

Zhou Wenjing did not have the patience to listen to him, he let out a steely growl, "You want to compromise? You want to throw in the towel? Zhou Wenang, you're really fucking useless!"

Throwing away the handset, Zhou Wenjing stepped out of the prison, his stuffy chest not only did not ease up- it actually became heavier. Over the years, he had only smooth sailing, but now that he lost Du Xu Lang's shelter, he was feeling the pressure. Because of his hostility with Zhou Yunsheng, he was ridiculed by his enemies and treated like an easy target to squeeze.

He'd thought of fighting back, but clashing with Noah Group was tantamount to an egg hitting a stone, not to mention the other side had Du chaebol's backing. A few days ago, he'd tried to bid for a project in Noah's subsidiary, but before the bidding opened, Noah's secretary had sold it at base price to a company that was hostile to him. Before he even started the war, he'd already suffered a crushing defeat.

He never felt so small, so helpless. Those words he said was not scolding Zhou Wenang, he was scolding himself. In this life, he would never be able to catch up to Yun Sheng.

Somewhere he had a feeling – he was not supposed to be so useless. Zhou Yun Sheng's current position should've been his. He wondered what event caused the world to change its course.