Chen Linyun rushed out of the Xue Mansion in the middle of the Second Young Master, Xue Guangxi"s eighteenth birthday party. Amidst the conflicting external jovial mood and his internal turmoil, he managed to wear a poker face and a calm demeanor. Although in a rush, his actions were deliberate, although a little brisk, that no one – not even Xue Jinxu – would have suspected that something could be unusually off. On his way out, he told his wife that he had some urgent matters to attend to and that he should head out first, but she need not go with him. Rather, she should stay at the party, safe and surrounded by family and friends.
"Oh… Is that so?" Pondering, Xue Jinxu nodded in agreement. "Take care, alright? Update me."
"En." Chen Linyun brushed his lips on her crown as he stood up, and left immediately afterwards.
In his car, he checked the message that he had received.
It stated the name of the restaurant, the meeting time, and phrases that were somewhat descriptive of an event. It said, "Kang Sola"s eighteenth birthday celebration with family. Eight o"clock in the evening. Orchard Piazza, Peach Road."
The following statement that followed was, "You are cordially invited."
He was having a bad feeling about it. He should be the one to fulfill his little sister"s birthday wish. They had talked about it and somehow made some initial arrangements.
Then, all of a sudden, he would receive a cryptic message from an anonymous number telling him – no – inviting him for the exact same dinner!
He could feel his stomach turn upside down. His gut rebelled against him.
He checked the number again. "It"s somewhat familiar."
Though he had this absurd practice of not saving mobile numbers in his phone"s memory even the numbers of people he knew, he had a system of remembering it perfectly in place. This time, too, he was able to tell.
Still on his car, already buckled up, he took some more seconds to double-check the number of the anonymous sender.
"It"s the same number who advised me that Sola is my sister."
"d.a.m.n it. Someone"s pulling the strings."
He felt uncomfortable; however, he couldn"t allow Kang Sola to spend any more time with whoever strangers she was currently with.
Chen Linyun abruptly pulled down the emergency brake and stepped on the gas. Eyes on the road, but mind wildly wandering and exploring all the possibilities, he sped up at a safe rate.
As he parked his car in front of the venue and disembarked, he braced himself with a deep sigh.
"I"m here for Sola."
"But I feel that if I go inside, I would discover something else…"
"…Open the Pandora"s box that was meant to stay closed forever… Or if disturbed, would wreak irrevocable chaos… Reach a point of no return."
His heart went berserk as if it wanted to leap out of his chest. He was sweating profusely now, somewhat sensing a dark ominous essence lingering even inside his car. His ears could only hear the drumming of his heart, and his mind, blank.
At this very moment, he could attest that the saying "Ignorance is bliss" could be true to some extent.
He felt sick and felt the urge to vomit, experiencing mult.i.tudes of an ever-changing spectrum of emotions, with fear of the future dominating all else.
As he sharply sighed, a bead of sweat trickled from the side of his forehead down his temple. What would be weird was that the temperature inside his car wasn"t too hot, and the airconditioning worked fine, but his forehead and back still soaked in sweat.
He closed his eyes for a short while, trying to devise a plan.
Chen Linyun pulled out his mobile phone from inside his suit and dialed a number.
"Hi dear. What"s wrong? Where are you?" The voice of the female he loved the most reverberated inside the silent car. He closed his eyes again.
"Outside. It"s nothing. I just want to hear your voice. It"s pacifying."
"Is there… anything wrong?"
"Nothing to worry about. Don"t worry. I love you."
"I love you, too." At the other end of the line, at Xue Guangxi"s party, the lady pursed her lips as its corner curved up. Xue Jinxu always treasured this sweet little exchanges with her husband. Perhaps because of this saccharine coating, she failed to sense the shakiness in his voice.
"Okay, go back to the party now. Make sure you enjoy Guangxi"s party tonight. Indulge and have fun. Double your enjoyment, for me, okay?"
"Okay."
After hearing Xue Jinxu"s voice, some sense came back to him. He realized that he had been unusually impulsive and reactive and that there was another action item he could have done first prior rus.h.i.+ng out of the Xue Mansion.
Chen Linyun dialed another number. Another female"s voice answered this time the owner of the voice was apparently younger. "Linyun-ge."
"Sola. Are you okay? Where are you? Why did you sneak out of Guangxi"s party? It"s dangerous outside. Let"s go home."
"But, Linyun-ge–"
The voice was cut. Chen Linyun heard a somewhat rusting voice, followed by a man"s.
"Did you receive the address? Why don"t you join us? You owe your sister this dinner. You promised her, right?"
"It"s her birthday." The voice of the man who just spoke reflected age. It was deep, and seasoned, and displayed authority.
"Who are you?" Chen Linyun nervously, tentatively asked. His sister"s wish was specifically to have dinner with family members only. Family members.
It meant that this person was… family or someone Kang Sola considered as one.
"Who else? I"m your father. Your REAL father. Just go to the address and join us for dinner. Let"s get to know each other as father and son, and as one big happy family."
"It"s a pity your mother couldn"t join us."
"Come, and fulfill your promise to your sister."
Chen Linyun tightened his grip around his mobile phone and gritted his teeth. The man sounded casual as if their relations.h.i.+p as a family was a given from the very start, and it was nothing too complicated or to fuss about.
The man"s att.i.tude irked him more since he seemed to be at his wits" end already while solving the puzzle of his ident.i.ty but this man still appeared so cool about it. He seemed to know all along while he didn"t.