Chapter Text
Chapter One
Shen Yuan had lived his life comfortably thus far. He lived the life of a modestly wealthy, easy going, complacent 24 year old. He had a chance to compete for shares in his step father's company as the eldest among his half siblings, but he had no interest in inheriting the family business. He preferred to spend as much time as possible doing leisurely activities, like reading. His guilty pleasure was trashy harem novels--for the plot!! He swears. His mother had left him enough money to live a comfortable life. He figured he would never have to burden himself with hard work, unfortunately, he was wrong.
He had his nose stuffed in his latest purchase from the local bookstore as his driver rounded the corner towards his family home. His nose truly slammed itself between the pages as the driver quickly hit the breaks. Shen Yuan dropped his book and looked up towards the driver’s seat. His eyes were drawn past the driver to an inferno of smoke and fire just ahead, alarmed he opened the door and jumped out. Before his eyes his home was ablaze, windows shattered, the heat was intense. Ash blew in the wind and smoke burned his eyes. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed EMS, but he was unable to connect. He tried again, something seemed to be blocking his signal. He hesitated to go near the flames, but everything he owned was inside. All of the memories he shared with his mother, all of her things, her collection of fans, all burning and leaving nothing behind. Before he could take ten steps towards the burning building, he was held back by his driver.
“A Yuan! You can’t, we have to get away from here immediately!” yelled the driver as dragged Shen Yuan back and threw him into the car.
“What are you doing!? My house is burning! Everything I own--everything I have left!”
“Our signals are being blocked, when we get out of range we will be able to contact EMS, and they are likely already on their way due to the smoke.”
“Yeah they will be here when everything is in ashes!”
“At least you will be in one piece. I can’t let you endanger your life by running into a fire. I already failed to protect your mother— not you too!”
“How are you so calm! Did you expect this? What’s going on? Why would someone be blocking the signal, that doesn’t even make sense? All my mom's things are still inside!” Shen Yuan screamed as he tried to climb back out of the car, still blocked by the driver.
“I’m sorry A Yuan, I was given strict instructions by your mother in case anything like this happened,” the driver said sympathetically as he held Shen Yuan back.
“What are you talking about? Instructions? I need to get in there… I need something...” Shen Yuan yelled pushing the driver aside and running towards the home. If he could just save one fan… one of her journals… anything.
“Sorry about this,” the driver said as he struck him, catching him unconscious in his arms.
When Shen Yuan awoke he was laying on a bed, staring at a blank white ceiling. His eyes were sore from the ash and tears. He immediately sat up when he smelled the remnants of smoke on his clothing. Immediately he realized where he was. It was the room he had lived in when his mother was still married to his step father. He swung his feet over and stood up from the bed wondering how long he had been out. That driver was in for it, once he got his hands on him. He made his way towards his ex stepfathers office hoping to get some answers.
“Oh, A Yuan, you’re awake, I’m so glad you’re okay,” his step father said standing up and walking towards him. His name was Wang Yong, he was a tall middle aged man with a kind face and salt and pepper hair.
“What the hell happened? The house was on fire and I couldn’t even call for help!? Imagine if I was inside!” Shen Yuan said as his step father searched him over for injuries. “And where’s that damn driver, I have some words for him!” Shen Yuan’s usually soft and bright green eyes sparked with rage and his entire body seemed to shake with anger. It wasn’t a familiar emotion to Shen Yuan who prided himself on his ability to stay calm… at least externally.
“A Yuan, your mother passed away last month, I had meant to have a talk with you… but honestly I had been in denial about it. It was my own carelessness that almost led to the worst case scenario. And please give Li Wei a break, he has worked for you and your mother for a long time. You should be grateful that he stopped you from running into a burning building?” the middle aged man's face was twisted in pain as he looked away from Shen Yuan as if he couldn’t bear to look at him.
“Dad, I understand. I have been in denial as well. I also am not ready to face the fact that she’s gone. And I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. I don’t have anything left of her now. What kind of talk? Does it have anything to do with the fire?”
“You’d better sit down,” he said as he walked over to one of the empty chairs. Shen Yuan let out a sigh and shuffled over to another empty chair, anxious to hear what the man was going to tell him.
“When I met your mother 18 years ago she was on the run.”
“On the run? On the run from what?” Shen Yuan couldn’t help but think it sounded like a sentence taken straight from a drama, this was reality wasn’t it?
“She was on the run from an organized crime syndicate,” he said gauging Shen Yuan’s response.
“Like the mafia?!,” shock painting his face. Okay apparently now he was living a movie--wait did that mean?! “Was my mother murdered?” He couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to harm his mother. She was just your average woman, but apparently his image of her was completely wrong according to what he had just been told.
“I am not sure, but I do suspect it. Your mother ran away from that life with you. She had always done her best to stay out of the public eye, but she may have been recognized after all this time. It was my fault, the divorce of the president of a huge corporation is considered big news in some circles. As hard as we tried her identity was exposed. Who would have thought someone was still looking after all this time.”
“This is crazy, who would believe this?” Shen Yuan said in disbelief. Even if she did run away from the mafia, would they really chase her this far and for this long?
“Listen, as much as I wish I could say this was made up it’s reality. If it was just your mother who had been killed I would only be suspicious. But after the fire I can’t deny it anymore. They found her, they found you.”
“Why would they have to kill her? Just because she ran away. It seems like too deep of a grudge to still be searching for her so many years later. What am I missing?”
“Your mother was involved in a political marriage with one of the high ranking chairman of the Cang Qiong group. She came from a family who owned a lot of valuable property in Cang Qiong. They were hoping to seize once her father died. What they didn’t count on was your mother running away with you the night after her father passed.”
“Shit,” was all that Shen Yuan could say, still unable to process this outrageous tale.
“Shit indeed. We may have bought some time with the fire, they likely think you’re ead. I have some sway with the law in this city. I convinced them to say they are still searching for your body. But I’m not sure what to do from now on. It’s going to be hard to hide you, they will find out sooner or later no body was found. And I am sure the first place they would look for you is here.”
The shock Shen Yuan felt began to shift into anger as he processed all the information he had received. “I want to know what happened to my mother. I want to know if she was murdered.”
“I was afraid you might say that,” his step father said, “I just don’t know where to even start looking for answers. I can definitely hire some people.”
“I can’t wait that long. I need to go to Cang Qiong and investigate myself,” Shen Yuan said.
“A Yuan, I love you, but for the last few weeks you have barely even remembered your meals without one of your siblings coming over to force feed you, and now you want to travel all by yourself?”
“You aren’t suggesting I bring one of them with me are you? I just lost mom, and no one else is involved. Let’s keep it that way. You are already endangering yourself by bringing me here.”
“I was married to your mother for 17 years knowing all of this, you think all of the sudden I would push you away? You are my family and any one of your siblings would gladly go.”
“No. I know you are worried, but no,” Shen Yuan rejected his step father, his words meant so much to him, but that just solidified his decision even more. He knew his family had always underestimated him, but he really was more capable then he seemed. He had purposely hidden away his talents because he didn’t want to end up having to work hard. All the novels he has read and the random hobbies he had picked up over the years had to count for something? Right?
“Well if you are going to reject all help at least take these,” his step father said as he slid a card and a cell phone across the desk.. Shen Yuan took it and slid it in his pocket. He figured the Cang Qiong group had the police in his pocket, if they saw his card or cell phone being used they would know he was still alive, and in their city no less.
“Thanks, dad. I’ll pay you back when this is all over,” he smiled.
“As much as I wish you would just stay here safely and leave this up to the authorities, we both know that those responsible would never be held accountable. Be careful. Call me and I will help you with whatever I can,” the man pulled Shen Yuan into a comforting hug.