It was late at night and the heavy rain from earlier had slowed down and began to release at a pace that was light yet, heavy enough to drench. The droplets of fog painted the city in a cold, silvery hue, the atmosphere bitter and clammy. A young brown haired man wearing casual plain clothing made of expensive material stepped onto a bridge, footsteps echoing in the empty night. A thick mist curled over the water below, swallowing the city's distant neon glow.
Ming Yuan stood by the railing, his back rigid, hands tucked into his pockets. He didn't look up as the young man approached him. He continued to only stare out into the river, shoulders tense.
When Kei Yun had gotten close enough, he stopped a few paces away, the damp air pressing in. "You said it was urgent. What is it Ming?"
For a long moment, Ming Yuan stood in silence and didn't answer. His voice, when it did appear, was flat and stripped of any his usual warmth. "I used to think you were my only salvation, you know that?"
Kei Yun stared at his childhood friend in confusion, the end of his brows knitting tightly together. "Ming, what are you talkin—"
"Don't." Ming Yuan turned around, eyes rimmed red and hollow. "Don't call my name like we're still friends."
"Ming are you drunk?" Kei Yun replied in concern. "You're an influential figure now, you can't be out here like this. I'm your manager, how would Lei Feng feel if he finds out I let you wander the city late at night in this rain."
"Lei Feng?" A low snicker rolled off his lips in ridicule. "That cheating pig of a man wouldn't give a damn if I died." Ming Yuan looked at Kei Yun with eyes that were dark and full of ridicule. "He'd be too focused on your well being to care about mine."
What?!
"Lei Feng would never-"
"What do you know?" Ming Yuan snarled his tone uneasy and borderline uncomfortable, putting Kei Yun on edge. "Emotional cheating is still cheating. It hurts you know. Yet you walk around carefree when you've taken everything from me."
Reaching an arm out in an attempt to calm his friend down, Kei Yun's hand was fiercely knocked away causing the other to hiss in slight pain. "Ming!"
Ming Yuan's fist's clenched. "He's my boyfriend. So why... why do I fell like the fucking outsider when we're all together!" A storm began to brew within Ming Yuan, unleashing an anger Kei Yun had never seen before. "Why?! Why does it have to be you? Why is his gaze always on you, even when I'm around. Why?! It isn't fair!!!"
Kei Yun watched in utter shock as Ming Yuan gazed at him with eyes of hatred. These pair of eye's were deeply unfamiliar to him, he instinctively took a cautious step back. "Ming, let's just go back to the hotel. We can talk about everything there, okay?"
What in the hell, is going on right now?
"I don't wanna talk things out. Fuck!" Ming Yuan gripped his hair, violently pulling at his strands, his voice emotional and livid. He appeared to be losing all of control. "You don't know anything. I hate you! I hate you! I hate you dammit!! Just fucking disappear. It's your fault he doesn't completely love me."
Ming Yuan released a hollow laugh, low and cold. "You took all of it. My spotlight, my peace, even him. There's nothing left for me to lose." He stepped closer, a vicious smile carving its way onto his lips. "I've made up my mind now. I want it all. The money, the attention, the awards. And all of him. But I can't have any of it if you're still here. As long as you exist, I'll never be truly happy Kei Yun. Never."
"Ming Yuan," Kei Yun called pleadingly. "I don't know what's gotten into you or what's going on, but I'm not your enemy. I would never do anything with Lei Feng or rob you of your spotlight."
"..."
"Ming Yuan you have to listen to me, I would never hurt you."
"That's sad to hear. Because I wanna hurt you. In fact I wanna get rid of you." Ming Yuan retorted matter-of-factly. He moved immediately, the glint of a blade flashing in his fist. He lunged, burying the knife deep into Kei's Yun abdomen with a single, vicious thrust.
Kei Yun's breath hitched, frozen by shock.
"Ming-?!" He gasped, clutching at the sharp weapon embedded in him. He watched, stunned, as Ming Yuan mercilessly yanked the knife free and then brutally drove it into his abdomen again.
Ming Yuan, someone he had known since middle school was trying to kill him. The same person he walked to school with everyday, the same person he would readily jump into fire for, the same one he protected and willingly got dragged in the media just to protect his image. The same god damn man who vowed to follow him till the end of time. But in the end was attempting to murder him. Was their 15 years of friendship worth nothing?
He's trying to kill me... n-no w..way.
The initial shock only lasted for a second before Kei Yun had quickly come to his senses. His survival instincts kicked in and he hurriedly pushed Ming Yuan away.
I n-need...t-to leave... I need to g-get away!
He needed to escape as quick as possible but his body would not listen to him. No matter how hard he willed his legs to move they would not leave. Kei Yun's vision flickered in and out and his breathing became rigid and heavy. he was losing too much blood.
Gritting his teeth, Kei Yun grasped at his wound, clutching his hand over the blood that spilled through his fingers. He looked up, searching for any flicker of the friend he once knew, but found only cold, cynical eyes devoid of any remorse staring back at him.
Ming Yuan looked at Kei Yun's staggering form that seemed to be holding on by a thread and released a condescending laugh. "You're nothing Kei Yun, why try to fight it?" He took one final step closer. "Just die already."
With one final, brutal shove, Ming Yuan sent him crashing over the railing. The world began to spin and the wind howled in Kei Yun's ears as he tumbled backward over the railing. He fell fast and he fell hard. The last thing he saw was Ming Yuan dark silhouette, rain dripping down his face, his expression empty and unreadable.
SPLASH!
Tragically, he plunged into the dark depths of the of the cold river. The strong current pulling him further down to the bottom as he spent each passing moment becoming completely engulfed in the water. The unfiltered hatred on Ming's face being the very last thing he saw in this life.
Why?..Just why?
It was all Kei Yun could think about, the thought continuously looping through his mind as he fought to swim with all his might, desperation overcoming him.
Flailing his limbs continuously through the harsh currents, he swam to the top and burst from beneath the service, clawing at the water as he gasped for air. With what little strength he had left, he dragged himself to the riverbank, slowly crawling onto a patch of wet grass. He began to cough violently, throwing up a ton of salt water that sat within his lungs. Weakly, he collapsed onto the ground and rolled over onto his back, chest heaving with exhaustion.
He looked up at the night sky, his breaths hurried and shallow. Dripping soak and wet his hair and tethered clothing clung tightly to his skin. A shiver ran through him but despite the night's cold air his body burned heatedly as if gripped by fever.
Laying flat on his back his eyes were cold like glaciers as he stared off toward the bridge he fell from. He couldn't believe what just happened, it was hard to come to terms with it. But there was no other way to process it, Ming Yuan had indeed tried to kill him. He clenched his jaw until it ached.
"Ming Yuan," he growled through gritted teeth. "You bastard..."
He couldn't let this go. No, he wouldn't let this go.
How dare he?! How fucking dare he try to kill me?!!
A deep rage bubbled within him, dark and volcanic, pushing him to his feet despite the pain. He staggered up the embankment, trailed toward the small staircase under the bridge and climbed the steps slowly one by one before standing back on top. Gazing down the empty deck of the bridge his legs wobbled and moved slowly as he walked along the left railing. He soon stumbled, tripping over what seemed to be a pile of books.
"What the-?" He looked down and saw a school bag with notebooks, pens, and an ID card spilling out. Kei Yun bent down and picked up the card.
The photo on the ID was striking. A beautiful young man, with silver-moon like hair, light stormy grey eyes. Skin doe and pale as milk, long white eyelashes, and two small beauty moles under his right eye, trailing down his cheek like tear drops. The young man's beauty was worthy enough to be on the front cover of a grade A magazine.
"Min Jun," Kei Yun murmured, reading out loud the info on the ID. "Twenty-one years old, a student of X University."
It was an ID card belonging to a college student. Yet there was no college student in sight. The only one here on this empty bridge was him.
He peered over the railing into the pitch-black water, a strange foreboding feeling settling in his gut.
Did he...?
But just as the thought crossed his mind, a vivid memory struck him, the fleeting sensation of the rush of air, the shock of icy water engulfing him face first as if he himself, had voluntarily jumped to his death. The jolt startled Kei Yun so badly that he dropped the ID card and it fell into a puddle and through it he glimpsed a face that wasn't his own.
Staring back at him through the puddles reflection was the exact face of the college student whose belonging's he had stumbled upon.
Heart pounding, Kei Yun slowly raised his trembling hands to his face, pulling at his cheeks. "Ow!," he hissed, startled by the pain and the unfamiliar features. He pinched, slapped, and pulled at his arms and hair, but every jolt of pain confirmed it.
He wasn't imagining it, everything was real. This, was real.
"This can't be...." Kei Yun looked at his pale thin hands, his shoes and the wet clothes he now wore. The tie, the college uniform shirt, the off branded cheap dress shoes. None of these things were his. Yet here he stood wearing them as if it was. Even the stab wounds on his abdomen had completely disappeared.
No way, no fucking way!
The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. He wanted to vomit, nearly choking on his own fury.
He had actually died and Ming Yuan had succeeded in killing him after all.
Kei Yun was beyond angry.
All of his life's work and accomplishments were gone. Everything he had worked for, everything he had earned through sweat and blood. Were all gone. He now couldn't benefit from any of it.
Why?.... WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY?!!!
Hadn't he given everything? After all he's done, after everything he had sacrificed, this was his reward?
Death?
How could this be? Why is it like this? Why should Ming Yuan live and he dies? Weren't they brothers through think and thin? Didn't they always have each other's back?
Or was it all a lie? Was everything just a lie?!!
Kei Yun's reflection stared back at him with eyes as cold as death, features sharp and almost beautiful in their chill. He felt the urge for revenge crystallize inside him, fierce and uncompromising. He didn't care how'd he go about it, who he had to hurt along the way or how long it was going to take. He wanted Ming Yuan to repay him in kind. He wanted an life for an life.
Ming Yuan had murdered him. He would now pay that back ten fold. With this second chance at life he was going to make sure of it.
But first, he needed to survive. His body was burning up and the wet clothes he wore didn't help. He had noticed it before hand but didn't think much of it. It seemed the new body he had possessed was malnourished, frail and weak. He needed to get off this bridge and to a nearby hospital before he passed out in the middle of nowhere.
He grabbed what was now his belongings and pushed himself to walk. After two blocks, his vision began to blur, and his head throbbed with pain. He stumbled against the side of a building, struggling to steady his breath.
One dive and I already feel like I'm dying. What a useless body.
He couldn't even lift his head, his gaze glued to the ground, watching strangers pass by, oblivious.
Just then, at that very moment there was the sound of the door of the building he was leaning against, opening and closing, footsteps pausing at the entrance.
He hated asking for help, but if he collapsed here on the sidewalk, it was late at night, anything could happen. He wasn't going to take that risk.
Gritting his teeth, he reached out and grabbed the forearm of the person leaving. "Excuse me, can I trouble you to take me to the hospital?"
The footsteps stopped. With his gaze lowered all Kei Yun could see was the stranger's lower body, a pair of long straight legs, wearing black trousers.
His grip on the other's arm fell weakly as dizziness overtook him, and he slumped into the stranger's chest. "Hospital. Please," he whispered, barely conscious.
After a long pause, the other finally moved, slipping an arm beneath Kei Yun's legs and back, lifting him bridal-style and carrying him toward a sleek, expensive car.
Kei Yun's foggy mind wondered if he was being kidnapped, but he didn't have the strength to care. He forced his eyes open, catching a glimpse of a devastatingly handsome face with striking blue eyes. Their gazes met for a split second and Kei Yun could swear he had met this man at some point but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
But it didn't matter now, he didn't have the strength to care.
"Thank you," Kei Yun managed weakly, before his consciousness slipped into darkness.
"Master Zhao?" A middle-aged man stood by the car, eyeing the young man in his master's arms. Knowing how much his employer hated physical contact, he offered to carry the young man instead, "Master Zhao, allow me?"
The blue eyed stranger shook his head as the car door swung open. "No need. For now, just take us to the hospital."
"Right away, Sir."