Chapter 152 - The Fox Gets The Shock Of His Life

In Chu Yun's mind the image of his brother as a sticky child, with chubby cheeks and grasping arms who clung to him wherever he went was so clear as to be almost sharp. He could still hear Chu Hean call him 'gege' in a childish voice, and then more self-consciously, as he grew up.

Chu Yun never treated him with anything but utter affection and patience. He made sure to include Chu Hean in everything, at an age other children wouldn't have been bothered to drag around a younger brother. Especially an omega younger brother, who his parents constantly reminded him was more fragile than him, and who he couldn't roughhouse with. 

But to Chu Yun the only thing that mattered was enjoying Chu Hean's company, seeing the world through his innocent eyes. And even though there were only four years of difference between them, he had always felt a keen sense of responsibility over him.

It wasn't until Chu Yun was well into his early teens that he had finally understood there were some things he and his brother couldn't do together. 

When Chu Hean first started taking lessons in the Academy, Chu Yun took it worse than him. Despite his father's insistence that it was necessary for Chu Hean's future, he didn't understand why he needed to go somewhere else.

Now, standing only a few paces apart from him, and looking into a pair of eyes so like his own, Chu Yun felt they had never been more distant. Not even in those first few days when Chu Hean left and Chu Yun had to get used to his absence.

"We omegas need to look after each other," Chu Hean said, meeting Chu Yun's gaze head on. "That's what Harmonious Radiance teaches some of us. The ones who don't want to wait patiently around for an alpha to tell us how the rest of our life should go."

Maybe it had taken Chu Yun too long to realise his brother was no longer a child -- hadn't been one in a long time.

But one thing Chu Yun was still sure of. "They haven't thought you anything you couldn't have come to me for help with."

Chu Hean shook his head, as if Chu Yun wasn't getting it. "That's the point, we shouldn't have to depend on any one's benevolence to go through life."

They were talking in circles now. "Fine, Chu Hean, it's your life, I won't tell you what to do with it, I'm glad you found meaning in some shady organisation," he scoffed. "I won't tell our parents, and you can leave here with the Crown Prince of Su, who absolutely doesn't want anything from you, or isn't trying to tell you how the rest of your life should go."

Ru Long gave Chu Yun an unimpressed look, his head tilted to the side in open defiance. "Do you know who your brother is?"

Before Chu Yun could even process that question, three small flying daggers flew past him. Each of them hit the wooden post behind him, piercing through his sodden robes and immobilising him.

For a split-second Chu Hean flashed three other daggers held tightly between his knuckles, before loosing them towards Hua Nanyi. Each one hit the wooden door behind her, pinning her just as firmly as they had Chu Yun.

Only Xiao Zai wasn't standing in front of anything that could be used to immobilise him. 

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he hissed, jumping in front of Chu Yun and shielding him with his body.

Chu Yun could only stare in shock at the quivering dagger securing the collar of his robes to the wooden beam, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. 

Chu Hean sighed and calmly tied his long hair in a ponytail on top of his head, securing it in place with a silver cuff he grabbed from the side of the cot. "I'm showing you what I've spent the past years learning." He smiled winningly at Chu Yun. "You can tell mother and father that the tuition money wasn't wasted." 

Incensed, Chu Yun could only grit out, "Chu. Hean." through clenched teeth like a warning.

His brother ignored him, as he and the Ru Lang started getting dressed. Xiao Zai tried to pry the daggers out of the wood, being careful not to nick Chu Yun in the process. His fingers trembled on the thin handles of the flying daggers.

An annoyed sigh sounded near them, and then Chu Hean reached with his slender fingers -- musician fingers -- to pry the dagger free with practised ease. "They aren't toys you know?"

Chu Yun glared at him. "So what are you? Some kind of assassin? A spy?"

His brother met his eyes with a superior smile. He was proud that he had managed to surprise Chu Yun. "Nothing so pedestrian," he said, but didn't elaborate further.

Hua Nanyi struggled inefficiently against the daggers pinning her, while Ru Long went around the room shoving belongings at random into travel bags. "Almost ready," he told Chu Hean, ignoring Xiao Zai's hateful look.

Slowly, Chu Hean pulled out the dagger pinning one of Chu Yun's sleeves in place. The moment his arm was released, Chu Yun clutched it to his chest, avoiding his brother's touch. The sleeve slid down his arm and Chu Hean's eyes caught on the braided red bracelet around his wrist.

Recognition flashed in them, but he said nothing. 

"Like I said before, none of this is personal." He cleared his throat and slid the daggers back into the hidden straps under his inner robes. "We'll be on our way, and if you don't bother us--"

Ru Long cut in, "Say...by contacting the King of Su, for instance."

Chu Hean nodded. "Then we'll stay out of your way."

Chu Yun bit back everything he wanted to say and looked instead towards Xiao Zai, still hovering protectively next to him.

"I'll go back for my box, I know you probably have it," Chu Hean said.

Again, Chu Yun didn't answer him.

Chu Hean shook his head with a sigh, as if Chu Yun was being a particular difficult child. He rummaged into a nearby bag and took out a crumpled letter that he handed to Xiao Zai. "Here, I think you might find this useful."

Xiao Zai closed his fist around the letter. Chu Hean smiled and pulled back the last dagger holding Chu Yun in place at the same time Ru Long kicked out one of the windows. Destroying shutters, frame and all. "Let's go," he said, and Chu Hean grinned, just like he used to back when Chu Yun took him out on adventures.

"Goodbye, dage, we'll see each other soon.." And then he was gone, jumping out of the window after Ru Long and disappearing into the night.