Chapter 32 32.

32 32.

Happiness and relief came too suddenly to him.

Chen Kai failed to see the confusion in the little boy's eyes and the flicker of hope before it was covered once more. He brought the child into a tight but comforting hug.

"It's really you Vance. It's really you."

~~~~~~~

The voice. The appearance. It's all new and strange. But... his name. This person knows his name. How?

Why is this person mimicking his older brother?

He's not Vincent.

The child calls him Chen Kai.

This doesn't make sense.

Distance. He must put this person at a distance.

Focusing the little energy he retained from earlier to his hands, 'XiaoYan' pushed at Chen Kai's chest to form a safe distance. He frowned when the man only took one step backward. Upon instinct, he untangled his legs from his meditative posture and assumed a low striking pose. His small body was stiff from laying in bed for too long. He grits his teeth when he feels the muscle pain.

His right hand moved to the left side of his waist for his weapon - this was muscle memory. Prince Vance was always armed and carried his favored Tang sword everywhere he went.

But.

There was no sword.

Where...?

This is .....

[Caution! Host, please proceed with caution! Subject: Prince Vance Deluge is in a high state of confusion on the cusp of paranoia. Proceed with caution!]

Chen Kai smirked. He raised his hand lazily and snapped his fingers. An intermediate sound barrier spell was constructed, sealing both him and 'XiaoYan in.

'XiaoYan' lost focus when he felt his brother's energy and saw the spell being made. He turned to the man but was suppressed when he did. His body was pressed against the bed and his eyes never left Chen Kai's.

He struggled to get free but his body was too weak. The spiritual force kept him in place, he couldn't hide nor turn from the man's look.

What 'XiaoYan' didn't realize at first was how blurred his vision was becoming. The stinging of his eyes became noticeable. The tears fell from his eyes and onto the white sheets, he couldn't help it. This was the lingering emotions of the previous soul and his current soul's tied to this person.

Chen Kai crouched beside the bed and gently caressed 'XiaoYan's' head.

The doting and care could not be mistaken. 'XiaoYan' whimpered. He wanted to call out to Vincent but his mind and tongue refused to cooperate. Things needed to be confirmed.

"What did I tell you about practicing restraint? You dare to neglect your big brother's teachings?"

There was no admonishment like the past. It was full of care and unconditional love for kin.

That was enough for 'XiaoYan.' "Big.. Brother. How?" He didn't care that he was crying like a baby. He only cared about this anchor he found in this foreign physical world. The concept of time was lost when he died and returning to the land of the living messed with his psyche. He needed this anchor.

"Your mental and emotional state is in disarray. Big Brother will take care of everything. Take a rest...." Chen Kai was about to put 'XiaoYan' to sleep forcefully. He saw the fear in the child's eyes. "When you wake, I'll be by your side. I promise." His tone was soft and alluring, leading 'XiaoYan's' chaotic mind to follow the quiet stream that was created.

Second, by second, the child's eyes closed, reluctant to go back to sleep. "Big Brother." The soft whisper was the prelude to light breathing of a deep sleep.

"So troublesome." The words said didn't match the smile on Chen Kai's lips. He dutifully shifted the child's body and tucked him under the sheets.

Now that he was seated beside 'XiaoYan', he could get a better look at the child. He was tall for his age of twelve but his body mass didn't support his frame.

Malnourished?

On his exposed arms were faint bruises that were healing and a visible scratch marks on his forearms.

Chen Kai frowned. Led by conjectures coming at the forefront of his mind, he hastily looked under the hospital gown only to find well placed bruises on his chest and back.

Bullied?

"Sister Jia I wonder how many things you've kept from me." His tone was degrees colder than the one he used for 'XiaoYan.'

Tucking him back under the sheets, Chen Kai retrieved his phone to contact Xiao Wei and the others. That's when he realized his phone was in silent mode. The numerous notifications made his anger dissipate gradually. They were from the girls and few from the Villa.

After giving the girls a short version of what happened, he switched to another group chat.

Sleeping Dragon Villa - Master Group

>Commander Liu: Is the young master returning home?

>Chef Mu: He said not to prepare dinner. Maybe he's eating out. Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m

~~~~~~~

At XXX University and many others around the country, the dorms are being emptied slowly but surely as the seniors prepare to enter the workforce. Some are already working and waiting for available apartments and some are reluctant in leaving due to their uncertain future. There are few who are waiting for graduation to return home and do a better job search in a familiar place.

Zhu Dong was one of the few. He was currently watching an idol drama on his phone, waiting for the days to go by. He kept to himself since the Chen Kai incident. It was a collection of clumsiness and mistake on his part but the guilt was there. He ruined Chen Kai's laptop, an important tool for him to finish his graduating projects.

Later on, he heard through the grapevine that Chen Kai completed his work and the teachers were crazily impressed.

Zhu Dong's guilt eased.

Then, Lin Shen's slandering act came up.

He wanted to speak out but kept his mouth shut. Who was he? He had no power with his average family background, his grades were a bit above average and his social skills were limited to a 'stand-by friend.' Zhu Dong opted to watch everything from afar and keep his head down.

The door opened but he didn't pay attention to the person who entered. It was Li Feng. News of him and the other two circled around the campus. Li Feng had the best results out of the trio. He can still graduate and have the name of the university. The only hindrance will be the report on his school record. He'll be lucky if the employers don't do a thorough check.

Zhu Dong burrowed deeper into his blanket. Going back to Zhejiang Province was his only thing to focus on.

Li Feng also ignored Zhu Dong. He returned from a job interview at a fitness center in one of the high end districts. It went well and can be considered a success but Li Feng didn't become complacent. He had another interview at a hotel the next day, hopefully, his luck can get him the job.

After taking a shower, he climbed into bed and followed Zhu Dong by watching a few shows on his phone.

The two didn't speak to each other. Whatever piece of friendship they had, died the night they plotted against Chen Kai.

In the deafening silence of the dorm room, a ringtone pierced it violently.

It was an incoming call on Zhu Dong's side.

Annoyed that his drama was interrupted, Zhu Dong answered the call abruptly. "What is it?"

"Hey! What kind of greeting is that, Brother Zhu? Is it because of the years you spent in Nanjing that you forgot me?"

"Brother Tang. Its you. Your call paused my drama, what are you going to do about it," Zhu Dong's mood lightened immediately. It's been a while since he spoke to his classmates. Many of his classmates graduate from University and working in suitable companies, its 4year graduates like him that are trailing behind.

"My bad. I called because I was given the job to contact all members of Class 2. The monitor is planning a reunion. Everyone is finished with studies, its only right to touch base with everyone. What do you say? Interested?" Brother Tang, named Tang Yue is a charismatic guy that everyone gets along with. He's a people person and can make connections by saying a few words. He decided to stay in Zhejiang Province to develop himself and he acquired a bit of reputation.

"Time."

"Class Monitor decided on next weekend. It's best to meet everyone during this transition," Tang Yue commented.

Zhu Dong thought about it carefully and decided to go back home early. He can get some help from his old classmates. "Sure. I'll be there."

"That's great. Oh, can you help me confirm something. Classmate Chen Kai's number is x4x -xxx-xx1, right?" Tang Yue knew this was the right number, he simply wanted to know how close Zhu Dong is to Chen Kai. Years of being the same school and being away from home should create a level of friendship, right?

"Uh, yeah. That's it," Zhu Dong answered.

"I heard he's your dorm mate, can't you just ask him about the reunion?"

Zhu Dong should be answering "Sure" but the answer Tang Yue received, "He's not living at the dorm no longer. He moved out a few days ago."

"Wow! The class allrounder is still amazing huh?" Tang Yue commented with a mocking laugh.

It was no secret that Chen Kai was ill-treated at home. They found it to be fitting, its like a balance. He should bear misfortunes to counter his God-given good looks and excellence in sports and academics.

Many males in their class year envied him and took turns to suppress him when he gained a lot of attention from their crushes. The females only looked and didn't indulge themselves. What's the use of good looks and good academics when your net worth is barely acceptable?

When he aced the college entrance exam and got into XXXX University, the majority of the class had green eyes.

Why was God so good to him?

"I don't know. He moved out a few days ago. Someone said he's driving a Lamborghini...." Zhu Dong began.

He didn't get to finish because Tang Yue was laughing so loudly.

"What a crock! Where will he get money for a Lamborghini much less a rental? That cheap ass idiot was messing with you all. This is the greatest joke I've ever heard."

Hearing Tang Yue's words, Zhu Dong believed him. Where would Chen Kai have so much money to 'rent' a car of that brand?

"Probably he wanted to show off before leaving," Zhu Dong joked.

"I have to tell everyone this. I have to add him to the group. Look out for your invite."

~~~~~~~

At XXXX Hospital, Chen Kai checked his phone when he heard the WeChat notification. The nurses were settling in XiaoYan and he was having a very unpleasant talk with the doctor.

"I will suggest to you a nutritionist to help XiaoYan and a counselor if needed...." The doctor went on to give his opinion on the injuries and what happened in the past three days.

Tied with the report he received from Commander Liu, Xiao Wei's report on Sister Jia, and the doctor's words - Chen Kai was not in a good mood.