Soul Search [靈魂搜索]

Chapter 1.3

As the new school year was set to start in a day's time, most of the boarding students had already been arranged by their families to move into the premises of the school grounds in the last week. Hua Lin Academy was on the outskirts of Weiqi's capital city, Weizhong, but conveniently only 15 minutes drive away from the city's centre due to the specially built highway, which lead directly to the academy. Thus, the majority of the private Academy's students were 'daytime' students who were dropped off and picked up promptly daily.

The Academy itself was situated within a forest and consisted of three major sections; Primary Junior, and Senior divisions, that were heavily guarded and separate to each other within the expansive woodlands. Most had entered the elite institution in primary school and a solid dynamic had already laid foundation in the social circles of the adolescents who attended the elevator academy. Yun Wuqiong, as an outsider, knew that his mysterious identity and entrance into the academy in the Senior division would be heavy talk within the cohort.

Plastering a slight gentle smile as he followed behind Yun Xinwei, Wuqiong nodded in greeting to the other inhabitants of Boarding Building 3, which consisted of only Senior school students. The first two boarding buildings were naturally situated near the Primary and Junior divisions, housing their corresponding students respectively. Wuqiong already knew that his room would be No. 10 and that his roommate would be the 3rd prince of Weiqi, Lin Yinze.

Stopping at the door of No. 10, Yun Xinwei wearily sighed as he gently stared upon his quiet but docile adopted 'son', fully aware that this may be the last that he sees of the tender boy standing in front of him- or at least, as his father. Knowing that the head planned to slowly acquaint himself with this son, Xinwei tried his hardest to distance himself from the boy, to make it easier for them both once Wuqiong finds out the truth.

"Wuqiong.. be good. If you run into any trouble, make sure to call Alfred," he said with a sad grimace, 'so it goes straight through to him'.

Wuqiong looked up at the middle-aged but handsome man who the original never got to know as a father and smiled softly, his voice trailing out like silk, "Yes, father. I hope that the family remains healthy and safe while I am gone."

Stunned, Xinwei's eyes widened slightly as his throat felt caught by surprise. Not knowing how to react, he uncharacteristically placed a gentle hand on Wuqiong's soft, black head of hair and rubbed it to hide his moistening eyes. Turning around to face away from the youth, the awkward man gulped before signalling for the bodyguards to leave first.

His head still facing away from the boy, Xinwei whispered out faintly before leaving, "Father will be going now."

Wuqiong silently watched Yun Xinwei's figure leave the hallway as his soft smile slowly drooped from the sculpted, angelic face. In fact, Yun Xinwei's family had treated the original soul incredibly well and had they not been under constant supervision of the family head, or his supposed father, they probably would have dared to act more personally in front of him.

However, Wuqiong had lived millenniums as a system and was used to parting- 'no use crying over spilt milk' as they say. Though it was a shame that the original's soul never felt the familial love all those years, it didn't mean that it wasn't there. Despite hiding behind a shroud of fear, the current Wuqiong could feel the genuine care that the surrogate family had gradually nurtured towards the youth. Thus, he will definitely try his best to search for the original Yun Wuqiong's real family and help him nurture the familial love he always lacked and craved. 

Turning around to face the oak door with the number plate 10, Wuqiong quickly placed on a docile look- his doe-like eyes, framed by sheets of feathery, long lashes, widened slightly and curved on the corners. Luscious peony pink lips slightly upturn, the sweet looking youth's change from the earlier melancholy gaze was on the level of a professional actor. Knocking on the door softly, he heard a youthful, energetic voice call out, "Come in!", before slowly opening the door to step in.

Facing the dazzling smile of the shoulder length blond haired, blue-eyed youth greeting him upon entrance- he sneered mentally in disgust. 

'Finally, we meet.'

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Just to clarify, it's not that the family head threatened Wuqiong's surrogate family to act distant to him but you can sympathise with Yun Xinwei, it's like if the boss of yo boss suddenly told you to take care of his kid or else and kept an eagle-like watch on your supervision of the child- it'd be pretty hard to not subconsciously be distant and treat him more like someone above you (rather than your own family). They were never bad to him, the original soul could just feel that somehow he did not feel like he was part of the family- thus he never saw the signs of their care for him (since you kinda have to 'read between the lines' to). 

Also, he finally meets the world's ML, Lin Yinze, for anyone who forgot ヽ(　￣д￣)ノ