Still Four Years Ago. At The Capital...
Chi Yuan became alert. His mom only uses this tone of voice when what she was about to say seem to be a very serious matter to her. "What is it mother?"
"I want to know if by any means your brother might be seeing someone?"
Chi Yuan was quietly thinking of what his mother just asked. As far as he knew, he has never seen his brother's lover nor had he seen him showing any of such interest in anyone. "No mother. None that I am aware of. Why, have you seen him with someone?"
"No. Not at all.", Mama Chi answered worriedly.
"Oh okay. Then there shouldn't be any problem, right?", Chi Yuan asked. Though his parents do not force anything on them and allow them to be with whomever they like unlike most parents, he doesn't think that they would accept anyone of questionable character.
He had thought perhaps his mother has found out that his younger brother was dating someone of bad character and has come to inform him. Since there was no such thing, then that was a relief. Yet why does their mother look troubled still?
"Chi Yuan, what do you mean by saying that 'then there's no problem'? That is exactly the problem here."
"What do you mean, mother?", he asked quite confused.
"Yuan, I have never seen your brother with anyone. You might think since you just got married, he has more time to figure out his own. Which is alright and I have no problem with that.
The only issue here is that I don't think your will ever get to settle down with anyone if he remains the way he is. I believe he is scared of rejection and thus he's unable to propose to anyone.
Do we your parents have to make a match for him? I want you to call and find out what his plans are concerning this. I want to see him too have someone by his side even if he wants to marry later.
I do not care for whoever that person may be as long as they're good people. Your father will also agree with me on this one. So talk to him and let me know what he says, so I will know what to do at my end.", Mama Chi said and got up.
Chi Yuan also got up and followed his mom out of the door. Chi Lan rushed to them and asked Mama Chi if he should bring the two bags and accompany her home.
Mama Chi told him that one was for them, so Chi Lan took only a bag and accompanied his mother-in-law to their main house just a few houses away.
At The State Clinic ...
The accident patients were taken to the capital's state clinic for medical treatments. A few of them have been discharged since they did not sustain any serious injuries.
By the following week, everyone else was also discharged with the exception of one. That one was the one who had come on a stretcher. His injuries were really severe but he was doing great now.
The physician in charge had said that he could be discharged in three days' time but there was a slight problem. The problem was because usually, the family of severely injured accident patients are called to come for them upon their discharge.
That way, there will be someone around them on their journey back home should anything happen to them. Unfortunately, this particular patient does not remember anything about himself except for his name.
Three days came and the clinic decided to discharge him anyway because they have to tend to other patients and they have limited beds.
Luckily, because some good people had informed the officials about the accident and the officials had arrived there faster, there was no looting of their things. Hence everyone who got discharged were given their stuffs back.
Yun Lui was given his belongings upon his discharge from the state clinic. All the costs were borne by the state.
After walking for some time, he found a corner and decided to sit and check through his things, maybe he could find something that may help trace his family.
He managed to untie the many knots and was finally able to open his stuff. They weren't much. Just a few clothes, some money and jewelleries.
He also saw a folded paper and picked it up. He opened it and saw that it was a note.
The note reads, "I'm sorry to do this to you. Last night was a mistake. I got drunk and did not know how I got into your room. This will never happen again. I am sorry."
He stared at it quietly. He could not tell whom the note was for or who had written it. It had no address but seeing that it was among his things, he guessed it could either be from someone to him or maybe from him to someone too.
He folded the paper back and tied his stuffs back. He was about to get up and leave when he felt a cold object on his chin.
He saw a big man with a thick mustache holding a small knife under his jaws and pressing it against his flesh with the tip almost about to seep into his skin.
All the while making him uncomfortable and unable to look at the sides because any mistake, and that knife will become one with his jaw.
"Hand that over to me now, and I'll let you go.", the stocky man demanded. Yun Lui was so scared but he couldn't just turn over the only things he has right now. How will he survive without that?
So instead of handing it over like his mind was telling him, he held it tightly instead. The resistance he showed annoyed the tanned and burly criminal. He slashed Yun Lui's right arm.
The action scared Yun Lui so much so that he subconsciously threw his belongings and tried to cover his right arm with the left. He pulled the tip of his clothing to cover the cut area in order to slow down the bleeding but that proved futile.
The cut was indeed deep. He doesn't think he will survive it. He felt too weak to even shout for help since he hadn't even eaten for the day yet. He lost his senses and collapsed. The thief was long gone with his things while he laid in a pool of his own blood.