Loveless 'solitaire' {YiZhan FF}

.9.

"A' Zhan did something good happen to you these days?" asked Jay, finally breaking the silence.

Sean turned his head towards Jay, slightly surprised, "What do you mean, ge?"

Jay responded a bit reluctantly, "I mean... you were so out of everything all these years... but the past two days, seemed a bit different... and today all of a sudden... you are back to your old self... and you joining me like now...you know... It's hard to believe... this is kind of like... a dream."

"I know... and like you asked, something good really happened, I'll tell you everything, once everything is settled," Sean said calmly with a pleasant smile.

"Ge, it's more like someone has piqued my interest, enough to force me out of my shell." he added as his mind wandered back to the mysterious 'Mr. lion'.

Jay did not pry further. After driving for a while, they reached the Xiao Group's new office building, stunningly traditional with Xieshan-style roofs. 

Jay Xiao Cheng had broadened Xiao Group's wings to the 'Eco' and 'Medical' tourism industries. The new office would mainly focus on these projects.

Jay proudly introduced Sean to all. They were in awe seeing their boss's younger brother, the gorgeous second young master of the Xiao Family.

As Jay got busier, Sean went to explore the whole place. As he relaxingly sat under the peach blossoms tree, planted at the center courtyard, his heart grew more and more impressed with his brother.

His phone buzzed, it was Juan. "Man, where are you?"

" Hey buddy, I'm with Cheng ge, touring his new office!" he said.

"What the... okay leave it, so you want me to pick you up, from there?...  then I'll be there in thirty minutes... and I don't want to meet mister 'volcano'" Juan answered in his usual carefree tone.

"Great! then I'll wait for you outside the building, see you buddy" Sean ended the call.

He messaged his brother to inform him that he is leaving with Juan, as Jay was in a meeting with a client, and left the building.

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After an hour-long drive, both of them reached an urban holistic medical research facility.

The atmosphere around the facility was quite calming, even had a large Zen garden.

Juan was quite familiar with the place, after a bit of harmless flirting with the receptionist, who was occasionally stealing glances at the gorgeous young man standing beside Juan, he steered Sean to the director's room.

Dr. Charles Meng Yao, age 30, very handsome man and a genius in the field of Genome research.

Dr. Charles looked up and smiled at Juan, as soon as he saw the person behind him, his smile dropped.

Sean was kind of expecting this reaction and kept a cool face, waved at him and took the seat in front of him. Juan cleverly slipped from the room pretending to take a call.

"Why are you here?" asked Dr. Charles curtly.

"Meng Yao, this how you welcome an old friend?" Sean pretended to be hurt.

"Old friend... I wonder about that, recalling, what you said a few years back... Mr. Sean, I have a busy schedule today... kindly take your leave." The doctor replied holding his anger.

"It's Zhan, for you... that's what you used to call me... and I'm sorry... I know, I'd been a jerk all these years... I pushed everyone away... whatever I say now won't justify much... I need your help... Yao, can't we be friends again?" Sean asked wholeheartedly.

Dr. Charles sighed. They had been very close like two peas in a pod, since their research years.  Six years back, the man in front of him heartlessly cut him off from his side.

After that Dr. Charles went to Harvard Med School, to continue his research in Genomics. He came back to china only last year.

" For the old time's sake, I'll hear you out just this once... what you want to say, Mr. Sean?" keeping his face blank and looking straight into the latter's eyes.

"I'm thinking of resuming my research, I want to start over, can you help me ?" Sean asked pleadingly.

"I don't get you... I mean you loathed this... last time you said, choosing this path was the biggest mistake of your life... Why now?" Dr. Charles queried finding it hard to believe his ears.

Sean took out the picture of the five children he received and placed it in front of him, "Because of this!". He spoke to the latter about 'Mr.Lion' and showed him the messages he received.

Dr. Charles suddenly felt sweaty all over, "Impossible!... aren't they dead?... If this is true, then is someone trying to dig up the forgotten past? replied slowly.

"Yao, how about we join forces?... you and I just like in the past?...  you know an alliance." Sean extended his hands toward the other person expectedly.

To his surprise, the latter got up from his seat instead and walked towards him, and hugged him tightly.