One fateful meeting on a lone raining day will change Yezun's life completely. Not only he meet with his long-lost brother, but also finds out a secret running through their family. There, in between white roses and blood, he finds answers to his lo...
To erase the existence of Shen Yezun was easier than one might think. It happened in the same way as the disappearance of Zhao Xinchi. They have created a fake accident where Yezun 'got injured' and did not survive. His passport, ID card and even birth code ceased to be valid, yet he was able to work and travel thanks to his new position at the institute.
Yezun moved into the residence permanently, claiming one apartment as his own place to live in. He did not have many things to move with him. Before the personal belongings from his old life were destroyed completely he was allowed to go through them and keep what he wants. The only item worth keeping, his most treasured possession, was a photo of him and his brother when they were young. It now stood in a simple frame on his new coffee table.
His days were filled with studying and medical check-ups. He received a special badge which did not even have his photo, just several codes and a micro-chip. At first it only replaced a key to his apartment, but he knew he will be able to open all the doors he saw sooner or later. On his way around the complex he saw floors upon floors inside of the mountain dedicated to one purpose only - Shen Wei's safety, tracking of Envoys and keeping the world peace. He marveled upon seeing all the different sectors named in the elevators – study rooms, experiment rooms, laboratories, armory, research department, archives, control center... He only had access to his room, visited Zhao Xinchi's office and was allowed inside of the archives, but he could not wait to explore the whole complex to the fullest.
The medical check-ups showed Yezun was in a poor physical condition, so he started working out, which truly made him change from that sluggish and lazy man into someone who can protect the one he cares about. They tried to trace some remnants of the powers in him, but it showed Shen Wei truly used it all to save Yunlan. And when Yezun's hair started to grow white suddenly, the medical team concluded Shen Wei even used a bit of his life force. It was nothing to worry about, they said and started giving him more vitamins to boost the immune system. Soon, Yezun's results came to a norm, but his hair remained the color of snow.
When Mr. Zhao took him to the control center for the first time, Yezun was very nervous with thrill. A huge room filled with screens on two sides and workers typing something in computers frantically; Yezun imagined the place to look just like that. It was there where, for the first time, he saw and experienced to what extend this organization works. Each screen showed a different part of the world and within a few clicks one could watch the sunset in Tokyo, while see the sunrise in Boston. It was incredible. The whole world laid in front of him on a few monitors.
Yezun exhaled in astonishment. „So, this is how you keep track of the world?"
Mr. Zhao smiled and explained: „The control center is great for an overview of events. We are working with branches around the world to really keep track of things. As you can see we have a team of people communicating with others abroad, so if you need to know something about a recent event this is the place to go to."
Yezun watched the screens for some time and a question appeared on his tongue: "Do you also have cameras in his home?"
"We used to have small surveillance cameras in Shen Wei's flat." Mr. Zhao walked Yezun out of the room and made his way to the common kitchen area. When making sure no one was nearby he continued "He used to have a few cameras in his flat. In the living room and kitchen. But after he got close to Yunlan we decided it was for the best to remove them all."
Yezun nodded. "Because Yunlan was basically watching over him every time he was visiting."
Mr. Zhao cleared his throat. "And we also value the privacy of our Envoys..."
For some reason Yezun's cheeks flushed in light pink when hearing Mr. Zhao's words.
"Can... Can Yunlan ever tell Wei he has been watching over him all those years?"
Mr. Zhao only shook his head. „It is up to that boy whether he will tell him one day or not."
As time shoved, Yunlan took his oath to the institute very seriously and as a proper agent. He never told Shen Wei about his work, guarding his secret till the very end. A few months after they were both discarded from the hospital, Yunlan officially handed over his resignation letter. By ending the long pretense of being a travel businessman it seemed he could finally face Shen Wei without a worry. He knew there were people still watching over them, but all he wanted was for Shen Wei to be with him. And he knew working in the field was not the job securing that.
When the copy of his letter of resignation arrived to Yezun's hands he smiled and carefully closed the paper into the folder he kept at the bottom drawer of his desk. This folder hid all the information he received from the archives and those he personally found about Zhao Yunlan.
„Shen Wei's life is mine to protect," he whispered to himself and switched on the TV in his personal study room, watching the LIVE drama of a couple who just moved into their new home. Mr. Zhao decided it was for the best to keep a closer eye on them until Shen Wei fully recovers, and so he made sure three hidden cameras are placed in the house.
Yezun got quickly used to his new lifestyle of going through reports each day, studying and leaning more about the life his brother led after he left him at that muddy school field. As busy as his days became, Yezun cherished the few moments he could actually spent watching his brother on the monitor screen. He read the complex medical reports stating the condition of Wei was getting better, but to see him slowly gaining more energy was more than the graphs and blood tests could ever show him.
At first, he was not fond of Yunlan, but sooner or later he found himself feeling thankful towards that mischievous man for loving his brother through thick and thin. And when he received the information Wei decided to work off field based on Yunlan's wish Yezun only agreed.
A year passed by quicker than Yezun noticed and what a life-changing year it was! He got familiar with the people around him and slowly learned to trust them. He settled in within the complex and despite the isolation didn't feel lonely, abandoned or depressed. Though after they removed the cameras form Wei's and Yunlan's home he spent a few days replying the old tapes which gave him the feeling of closeness. He became an invisible guard to his brother and his soon-to-be-husband. He threw away his life to start anew as Wei's guardian angel and for all the gold in the world he would not change that.
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Author's note:
Originally, this story ended when Yezun arrived to Mr. Zhao's office and I do know this chapter is not in the same nice tone as the first ones and it rather rushed. It basically goes over the happenings after Yezun accepted Mr. Zhao's proposal. If you read this story up until this moment I thank you so much! There will be one epilogue following ;)
