Chasing You (Arcs 1-7)

Silence (X)

After that day, Chen Ming made sure to get acquainted with Liu Jiao and would treat her much warmer than he did with the rest of the people at school. They soon became friends and Chen Ming would come and eat lunch with her.

The Principle also made a surprising announcement at school. Seven students were expelled from their school. Because it was a school for the prestigious and wealthy family, the school had to act with caution as to not offend either families involved. They had wanted to settle things quietly as to not ruin their reputation, but Yu Zian didn't let them.

Once he got wind of the wanting to do that, he contacted one of his 'friends' and had things taken care of. By the end of the week, all the bullies had been dealt with. Yu Zian was merciless. He crippled the families and their relatives ruthlessly, for their lack of educating their children.

Their list of 'deeds' were also very long, it would take at weeks to finish reading off. It was only being helpful and getting rid of the unwanted vermin.

He blacklisted them from many places, leading them to have fundamentally have no where to go. They were turned away the hospitals, hotels, apartments, and even stores. His friends' men also played 'roughly'with the bullies who dared to touch Chen Ming. *cough* As in making them experience what they did to Chen Ming by at least 10,000x.

---

The rest of his school days were peaceful. Even though the other students still kept their distance from him, the plague that had stuck onto him at school was gone. The original Chen Ming was already very intelligent despite how he may act, so Chen Ming didn't have to worry about 'degrading' his intelligence.

In the next two months, Chen Ming's life was relaxed. At school he could focus on work, at home he had to deal with.... Yu Zian. After the incident inside of the car, Chen Ming became more weary of Yu Zian but he didn't run away and hide. He just paid more attention to the man's moods.

He noticed how some of his actions made the man happy or at times mad. He noted down on what to do to avoid a 'angry' Yu Zian.

Chen Ming also tried painting more portraits of themselves in their prior lives, but to his disappointment Yu Zian showed no other signs of recovering memories. He even tested him to see if he was just putting on a false front or not. His heart sunk, he really was too hopeful.

---

In their agreement, Chen Ming was only to stay for a couple of months. His time staying over at Yu Zian's was coming to an end. Sheng LiRong has to kiss her lucky stars as she was the only one that remained behind. Cao LiXuan didn't remove her because she had been apart of Chen Ming's life for so long and she had a great reputation at the orphanage that she worked at.

Yu Zian wanted to smash Cao LiXuan's head, he had warned him that Sheng LiRong was a deep scheming woman. Whether she had hurt Chen Ming or not, she would soon become an obstacle and a thorn to his side. His friend refused to listen to him, which made him give Cao LiXuan and ultimatum: In the time that Chen Ming is in his care, if he comes to harm or suffers even a little bit, Cao LiXuan will lose his rights and give up custody over him.

He didn't care whether Cao LiXuan agreed or not. He wasn't willing to let his Mingming come to any harm. He will pluck them out at the roots and get rid of them before they even come near. This was the type of man he was. He only gave Cao LiXuan this chance for their long years of friendship.

The night before his departure back to the manor, Yu Zian noticed that Chen Ming was a little apprehensive and jittery. When he questioned him, Chen Ming just replied that he was nervous about the manor having new servants. He also took this chance to ask about Sheng LiRong.

Yu Zian had asked various amounts of question, such as:

"Do you dislike Sheng LiRong?"

In which Chen Ming replied, "No." He loathed her very existence.

"Did she hurt you?"

"No." She also raped and physically and sexually assaulted him.

.....

(A/N: Remember CM has been traumatized by the years of physical and sexual abuse by SL, his mind has turned her words into something that is almost like gold. So after being threatened by her so many times he naturally won't say anything against her.)

They arrived at the manor in the morning the next day. The servants were already outside and help take the luggage to his room. After Yu Zian stayed for three hours before he finally had to leave. He admonished Chen Ming before he left, "Mingming, remember that dage is always here for you. If you ever feel uncomfortable or if anyone tries to hurt you tell dage. I will come to you."

Only after Chen Ming gestured that he understood for the nth time did Yu Zian drop the topic. From the window in his room, he watched Yu Zian's car disappear.

It was only Chen Ming who was home at the moment, as Sheng LiRong wasn't home at the moment, she was out doing whatever she usually does. Chen Ming left the portraits and scenic painting behind at Yu Zian's place. He might recall something more later, who knows?

He took out a canvas and laid out his paints and brushes. He squeezed out some paint and mixed some of them to color to create a shade or another color. He dipped the tip of the brush in the paint and then gently swiped it at the blank canvas.

It started off with different shades of green blotches on the canvas and then colors bloomed on there. Purple, brown, white, yellow, blue, the colors began building a picture. A field of lavender with a forest of trees in the background, the hint of haze floods the scene, the sun peaking out from behind the trees, and a young boy sitting in the middle of that beautiful scene.

He was glancing down at his hands which held a single lavender flower. His soft umber eyes held joy and happiness in them, but carefully hidden deep within it's depths is a sea of desolation and longing. The young boy was also surrounded by thorns, it pricked his tender and delicate flesh but the boy remained smiling. Amongst the beauty in life as bright and cheery as it seems, underlining, it shelters the grievances and painfulness.

Chen Ming set down his brush and picked up a smaller brush with a finer point. He made adjustments onto the painting as needed. Just as he was about to dip the brush in paint again, Bao Bao notified him of someone's arrival.