《Beneath the surface - ZhanYi version》

《Chapter 7《part 2》》

"I won't lie to you and tell you life will be better for doing the right thing, but you will be a better person . . ."

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{Trigger warning: mentions of attempted assault (nothing happens, but be aware, I will mention if before it begins and after it ends in case people feel uncomfortable!)

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Chen Jie's eyes pierced through me as she spoke, her voice calm and unwavering, "I used to think that the strongest bond in the world would be between found family, but I was wrong because there is nothing to tie you but memories that haunt you. No matter the time that has passed, sometimes I will still wake up screaming, bathing in sweat."

"Chen Jie, you're not making sense," I said, scrunching my nose as she smiled softly, her eyes a window to pain as she shook her head, "I will explain it all."

"I used to know Song Jiyang and Wang Haoxuan like no other." The forced smile left her face as she stared at her cup of coffee, her gaze seeming far away.

"What were they like?" The little prince asked, and Chen Jie took a shuddering deep breath, "They were going to change the world. They were so different that it seemed like they were on different planets, unlikely to meet."

The little prince raised an eyebrow as I turned to him, and he smiled, "You were the bridge between them, and when you left, they broke apart?" It was more a statement than a question, and Chen Jie looked up, chewing her lip.

"Yes and no." Chen Jie took another few seconds of silence before she continued, "Song Jiyang used to be a bright student, the top of his class, so smart and yet so lonely."

"And Wang Haoxuan was the opposite?" I joked, recalling all those Korean dramas I had watched with the little prince on rainy nights hidden under warm blankets.

Chen Jie let out a little laugh, nodding, "Once again, yes and no, Haoxuan was quite the rebel and social butterfly, but he did excel in his studies, and looking back, I think that if he tried, he could've outscored Jiyang by miles. But back to the point, they were on different paths in life. Jiyang worked hard to get into a good college to become a psychologist and help people, whereas Haoxuan was uncaring of the school; Haoxuan just wanted to leave the place behind and see the world."

Chen Jie nodded to the map in the middle of the table, "My past got swept under the rug when I started working for your father, and as I climbed the social ladder, I got access to more and more files and deleted my past from databases. I wanted to be like a living ghost."

"But why?" I asked; the little prince leaned back, listening attentively.

"I wanted to take my life with me to the grave, but when I heard about the case Miuka and Ice received, I knew that inevitably, it would end up on your doorstep, so I had no choice but to come clean."

The little prince cleared his throat before he spoke up, "Things from childhood will always come back to haunt us, no matter how well we bury them on the surface." Chen Jie nodded her expression under wraps.

"Getting rid of my past was easier than I expected, although I should've known; I had always lived my life as a ghost even before meeting Haoxuan and Jiyang."

"Chen Jie, please stop talking in riddles," I said as the little prince reached for my hand.

She smiled, nodding as she started her story.

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"Rumours say that centuries ago, a young girl our age and a student of our school died here-".