Three Years Later...
A year ago from the present (That is, a year before Chapter 9).
"Officer Chi, your wife is to see you.", one of Chi Muchen colleagues informed him. Immediately, he ran to the waiting hall for visitors.
He knew it was Yun Lui that his colleague was referring to. Over the course of the three years that Yun Lui has been with them, his colleagues have been teasing him with him.
Luckily the may is not even aware of this. He doesn't want him to feel uncomfortable in any way.
"Lui.", he called out. He sometimes called him that or Lulu or his full name.
Yun Lui stood up and met his adopted brother halfway.
"Are you here to bring my lunch?", Muchen asked him with a smile plastered on his face. His normal countenance is that of a stoic expression.
The only time that his colleagues and bosses will ever see a smile on his face was whenever he was with this may, whom he claimed was his adopted brother.
They don't buy that. They didn't believe that, that was how he truly felt towards the may. Maybe he himself has not realised it but with a smile like that one his face, one can easily tell at first glance that he had a different kind of affection towards the may.
Yun Lui nodded in affirmation as he raised the flask containing his lunch. Chi Muchen took it and went back into his office to put the flask there.
He rushed back to Yun Lui's side and escorted him out of the office building.
"Brother, do you think I will be allowed to go to an academic institution in my situation?", Yun Lui asked him as they were standing by the walls of Muchen's work place.
"Hmm, how do you mean?", he asked Yun Lui.
"I am referring to the fact that I still do not have my memories nor an identification tag. Can I be admitted into an academic institution should I pass their entrance examinations?", he explained.
"You want to go to an academy?"
"Yes I do brother. I had postponed doing any thing when I was pregnant and also had to pause on my plans because it will affect with their nursing.
Now that they're two years and I can leave them with mom, I want to start with my plans and the first part of it is my enrolling for some studies. Even mom is in support of me with this plan."
"Okay. I am not so sure about that so let me find out more. I'll tell you of my findings when I return from work. Okay?"
"Yes please. Thank you. I will take my leave now. See you at home.", Yun Lui said and waved him as he leaves.
"Yes. See you later. Be careful on your way home okay?"
"Okay, brother."
Chi Muchen watched as Yun Lui's back disappeared into the distance still smiling.
"And he'll say that they're only brothers. Tsk", Chi Muchen's senior teased. His other three colleagues who were secretly observing him and Yun Lui burst out laughing from their corner.
Teasing Chi Muchen with Yun Lui has become their favourite pastime. Today his senior boss that he Muchen, is under his supervision had even joined in. He felt quite embarrassed.
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Yun Lui bought a few essentials at the all-needs shop owned by one older may whom everyone called Mama Gu or Papa Gu and went home carrying the items.
At home, he took the huge bowl with bottles in it that was placed outside their kitchen. He was thinking that perhaps Mama Chi has forgotten to take it inside because of the twins. They can worry her endlessly. He took it and placed it in the kitchen.
His attention drifted to the bottles in the bowl. They contained grinded dry pepper, ginger, turmeric and rosemary. He was the one that transformed the raw spices into their powdered forms.
This way, it was a lot more convenient, easy to store, lasts very long and most importantly, they're faster to cook with and even cheaper in this form as compared to the raw ones, when these spices are scarce.
When he had first tried and succeeded with the idea of drying out the spices and grinding them into powdered forms, he himself was shocked.
It did not seem like a new thing to him, it was as if he had done it all his life. Mama Chi had told him that maybe it was a family trade of his. Since then, they stopped using the raw ones and used the powdered ones instead.
Yun Lui stared at the contents of the bowl once again as an idea dropped in his mind.
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Muchen called Yun Lui into their living room to continue with their conversation from earlier this afternoon.
"Lulu, I checked with others about the issue we discussed today. Unfortunately, the answer is negative. It would have been possible if you had your identification tag.
Or we could have gone for a new one if only you could provide the detailed informations needed. Without your memories that will be impossible now.", he explained.
Yun Lui had expected something like this. After all he will need his identification tag to register for anything official. Yet he couldn't help but to feel sad after getting the already expected response.
This identification tag issue has been worrying him a lot. 'What happens if he never gets his memories back or that his family never finds him?
Or what if he's even an orphan,' that last question was a possibility which has now been added to his list of concerns.
He was not able to get a birth certificate for his twin boys because the clinic could not confirm his identity and other details.
They only issued temporary birth certificates for his them, which expires in a year, so he has to renew them every year.
They will only change it to a permanent one if at least one of the two parents of the children can affirm their identities. He sighed thinking about all that stress.