Lihyun sat there for a while letting himself soak in the silence.
Jinhai was the light in his dark life. His sweet little brother. He would do anything for him. And here he was, at it again, for his brother.
Just when Shin, the girl he loved so dearly had entered his life as a bright light that had brought him back to life, his father had so cruelly extinguished it once again.
He closed his eyes briefly as he steadied his breathing, while he stood in the middle of his chamber, tall and composed.
His brother's words echoed in his head, "I've kept this one since then. Because that is what you were to me. Someone who knew how to rise even when things were unbearable."
His insides churned. What if he was tired of getting up time and time again. What if he just wanted to give up everything for once.
But he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. No, he would do this. If not for him, but his brother. He had to set an example for his brother.
People always mistook his silence for coldness. But, in truth, it was discipline.
Years and years of torture had done that to him. He had trained himself to keep, every thought, every feeling, locked tightly behind a wall of control.... because it was easier that way than to confront his emotions.
He glanced at his phone screen.
His wechat thread with Shin Ling lay open as he had glanced at it every fleeting second for the past two days. Wondering what she was doing. What she was thinking, whether she was fine or eating properly.
But she had left his hoard of messages on read.
He tossed his cell on the bed as he cupped his face in his hands, trying to breath.
He hadn't wanted to look weak and disheveled in front of Jinhai so he had gone to extra lengths to hide the concerning amount of wine bottles he had finished over the course of two days.
He dipped under his bed and felt for his bottle of wine. He lifted it up and downed it in one sip.
It burned. But it didn't compare to how he was burning from the inside.
After downing the whole bottle, he painstakingly stripped off his clothes that smelt of his lover's perfume from the last time he had held her.
Wearing it made it feel like she was still with him.
But alas, he knew the truth. To make sure nobody washed that shirt, he quietly tucked it behind his drawer in his wardrobe.
He padded his way to the bathtub that Jinhai had filled with the brim with Luke warm water.
He bent down and unplugged the stopper and watched as the water drained from the tub.
He stepped into the bathing tub, turned the knob to the extreme and let the shower roar to life. Steam rose instantly, curling against the mirror. He stepped beneath the cascade, the water scorching hot, beating against his back like punishment and release at once.
He tilted his head back, eyes closing as the water streamed down his stern face. Here, beneath the torrent, he could finally breathe. No board meetings. No fiancée waiting in the dining hall. No younger brother with too much light in his eyes. Just him — stripped of titles, stripped of expectations.
The water pounded down, and in its rhythm he found both solitude and clarity. He thought of his responsibilities — the empire he was destined to run, the lives dependent on his competence. He thought of his father's gaze, sharp and measuring, a gaze that had forged him into steel. And then, fleetingly, he thought of her — the woman he loved — and he let the thought linger, just long enough to sting, before letting the water wash it away.
When he finally opened his eyes, steam clung to the air like a veil. He pressed his palms against the cold marble wall, grounding himself.
He wasn't a man who indulged in dreams. He was a man who carried burdens. Who endured. Who rose when others faltered.
And tonight, he decided that when he descended those stairs, it would not be as a brokenhearted groom-to-be. It would be as Lihyun — heir, commander, eldest son, the pillar his family leaned upon.
But still, somewhere deep inside, hidden like a secret flame, the crooked paper crane remained.
_________________
He got out of his shower and slipped on the grey suit Jinhai had picked for him. He strided across the room to the bed where his mobile lay discarded. He pulled up his secretary Mr. Peng Lee and dialed his number.
His assistant answered the phone.
"Hello sir, hope you're fairing well. I got some leads on Shin Ling's wearabouts. I was about to share it to yo-"
He was cut off but Lihyun's clipped tone.
"Bring me everything on Lily Liang. Right now. You have 15 mins."
He cut the call and tossed the phone on the bed once again.
In no time Mr. Peng Lee arrived crawling towards his door, looking as if he were about to pass out due to exhaustion.
It had been 14 minutes since the phone call.
"Good" he crooned as he shut the door in Mr. Peng's face.
He sat down at his study and opened the case file.
(Age : 19)
(Daughter of Xinyu Liang. The head of Liang Group. Illegitimate daughter.)
"Interesting..." He muttered.
He didn't exactly remember how she looked. But he was aware that that day at the hotel she had seen him run after Shin. And break down. Jinhai had told him. And he had brushed it aside back then in the middle of his rage.
Now the thought hit him once again. She had seen him. He was pretty sure she knew by know. That her fiance was in love with another. He was intrigued how she would behave at tonight's dinner party.
Whether she would give her all and strive for his attention like a pathetic fool or simply keep her distance. That would decide his first impression of her.
Meanwhile he would think of ways to end this sham of a marriage. Even though Jinhai had said he would talk to father. Both of them knew that it would be useless. Once father decided something, it was final.
But that didn't mean he couldn't try.
He tapped a line in the report on his desk.
( Persuing a degree in arts. Aspiring actress. Rejected from Shanguang High International School of business and arts.)
That was it.... the card up his sleeve.