After

Chapter 07 - After (the) Truth

"First." He Tian wavered. "I should tell you about my family."

"Go on."

"Metaphorically, Jian Yi's family can be considered the King, while my family can be considered the Queen."

"So, you are also from the Mafia?"

"That's the point, Redhead. My family is, I am not."

"How?"

"When Jian Yi was only a baby, his mother took him away from the business. She did the same with me, in some sort of way. She knew the He family had more than one heir, and me being the same age as her son only worked perfectly for her."

"What do you mean?"

"She snatched me. Not completely, nor forcefully. I still had contact with my family, especially my brother, but I didn't work for Mr. Jian, like them."

"And why did she take you?"

"Mrs. Jian needed someone to protect Jian Yi. I was always watching him from the shadows, since I can remember." He took a deep breath. "As I got older, my orders were getting different. On the first day of the third year, his mother told me to become his friend."

"He still doesn't know?"

"That I'm his bodyguard? He doesn't have a clue. But even though everything started because I had to, I don't hate Jian Yi, nor blame him because of the life I had to live. It isn't his fault."

"And what about this apartment? You said it was your uncle's."

"Right, I lied. Actually this apartment is Jian Yi's. He doesn't know either. His mother lent it to me and pay for my expenses. She also gives money sporadically. I used it to buy take outs, or order food, but now I use it to give you a payment and buy groceries."

"Do you have anything else to tell me?"

"I'm not trying to justify, you know, but I am this way because of my job. When Mrs. Jian heard about the time you attacked him, she asked me to kill you."

"What?" Redhead was stunned.

"That was the first time I disobeyed her. I told her I couldn't kill you, because you were not like me. The way you looked to Zhan Zheng Xi when he dropped unconscious, anyone would've forgiven you. You didn't know something like that would happen, and you were as afraid as Jian Yi."

"You had to kill me..."

"I told Mrs. Jian I would play with you. That's why I made you a scared cat. But then that happened. I wasn't planning to use it to mess with you; it was something in the spur of the moment. If I knew you'd react like that, I wouldn't have done it."

"You regret it?"

"The part of being forcefully, I do. The part of doing it, I don't."

"You are really blunt."

"You were the one who asked me to tell you everything, so I am telling. There is anything else you want to ask?"

Redhead thought for a moment, and then said: "You really want me to work for you again?"

"Yes, I do."

"Fine, I'll come back. What do you want me to do?"

"Mostly cook. But if you want, you can clean, do laundry, take out the trash, those kinds of things."

"The full maid service, you say?"

"Yeah, you can call it this."

"When do you want me to come?"