Wang Mu Chen was lying on the bed with Xiao Bo in his arms. He was stroking the younger's hair gently as he recollected the horrible scenes he saw in the strange place when he lost control over his body.
Those were terrifying. One scene he saw occurred in the same room they were now staying. He was strangling Xiao Bo who was all naked with bruises all over his body and accusing him of something.
He couldn't hear the voices. Then the scene changed to an unknown road where he caught Xiao Bo and slapped him ruthlessly, who was looking at him with hopeful eyes.
The scene changed again to the basement he was familiar with. It was his family's old mansion which he always used to deal with dirty works not known to the world.
But why would he take Xiao Bo there? However, when he saw what he had done to the younger, his blood curdled in shock. His stomach churned unbearably.
Witnessing Xiao Bo writhe in pain because of the inhumane things done to him under his watch fazed him so much that he felt revolted and nauseous.
The sight was petrifying and then the scene changed for the last time where he fired the bullet and killed Xiao Bo who was in a miserable state that he couldn't bear to see the younger that way... with limbs cut off and blood all over his body looking like a pile of flesh.
When the scenes stopped he saw the fearful eyes of Xiao Bo looking at him and the way the younger went into panic made Mu Chen die a thousand times in his heart.
He tried so hard to take over his consciousness and control his body not to hurt his Snowball again. He felt heavy chains wrapping around him not letting him move.
But the more he saw the tears of Xiao Bo the more enraged he became and broke off those shackles with mere mental strength and gained control over his body again.
It wasn't the first time it happened to him. He lost control a few times before but he didn't think much about it. Crossing it out a mere dream. Nonetheless, it was different this time, it involved Xiao Bo, and hurting him in anyway was not allowed under any circumstances.
Mu Chen has no idea if the scenes he saw occurred for real or not. He couldn't believe it cause he would never hurt Xiao Bo that way with his own hands.
He couldn't say it was a premonition of the future too cause he'd rather die than do such terrible things to the younger. Then what were they?
Now that he pondered over it, Xiao Bo has always been so scared of him from the start. Even when they accidentally bumped into each other at the university, which was the first time he saw the younger.
At that time he observed how Xiao Bo panicked seeing him and ran away with all his might. Also, the other incidents where the younger flinched when he slightly approached him and also the mumblings when he was experiencing nightmares, begging him not to kill...
Mu Chen felt it was all connected. Xiao Bo knew more about the situation and more about the other Mu Chen who was taking over his consciousness.
If anyone said this all was happening to them he would think of them as mad people but it was happening to him and it was all real.
First of all, he had to figure out more about that other Mu Chen and the relationship he had with Xiao Bo. When it happened and why the other him was so cruel to his Snowball.
He couldn't directly ask the younger seeing how much he panicked. So he had to talk with the other Mu Chen himself, directly. But was that possible? What if he got trapped in his own consciousness when he tried to talk with him and the other him took control over his body again?
It would do no good to Xiao Bo. Mu Chen was in a state of confusion... He never expected that he'd experience such a bizarre thing in his life.
Just when he was deep in his thoughts, his phone rang bringing his senses back to him.
He carefully took the phone which was on the table beside the bed without disturbing Xiao Bo's sleep.
"Hello?"
"Mu Chen..."
Hearing the serious voice of his friend Mu Chen knew something was up.
"What is it?"
"..."
Feng Mian stayed silent for a while. His friend would never have such a gentle tone when talking with him. He would've asked, 'What is it, bastard?' or threw some other curses at him and mocked him by now.
So, he understood his friend's soul hadn't took control over the Mu Chen of this timeline yet like him.
"Have you found any clues about where Wei Chen is at?" Feng Mian asked. After the unsuccessful talk with Wei Chen, he called him again and again but his number was blocked.
Then he called his men to enquire when they told him Mu Chen was also investigating the whereabouts of Wei Chen and according to them, his men found out something useful.
So, not to sound like another person and raise suspicions Feng Mian questioned about Wei Chen.
"..." Mu Chen sighed, "...my men called me this morning informing me that Wei Chen appeared at the state bank in Q-city last night along with his old butler who attended the funeral."
"...old butler...? That old Pei?" Feng Mian queried.
"Yes. If we could track the transactions of the old Pei couple then we can find the exact location of Wei Chen. But..." Mu Chen paused.
"But?" Feng Mian frowned.
"...why are you trying to find him? If you're thinking of taking revenge or trying to make him suffer like last time then forget about it. I won't let you hurt him because my Snowball doesn't want anything to happen to Wei Chen."
"Your Snowball? Who is that?"
Feng Mian was not familiar with that term and Mu Chen never called anyone 'his' not even his lover Xin Yi so who was he talking about and what was the relationship between that person and Wei Chen?
Mu Chen snorted, "... Xiao Bo. Your younger brother and my fiance, idiot. Have you lost your mind, finally? You very well know I call him Snowball. Why are you asking again as if you never heard me calling your younger brother by that nickname?"
"Xiao Bo... your fiance and my younger brother?" Feng Mian was surprised by the new information.
Where he came from Xin Yi was the fiance of Mu Chen and he never had any younger brother. Also Xiao Bo was Wei Chen's younger brother not his, so what was happening in this timeline? He was befuddled.
"Are you high on drugs or something? If you called me to just spout nonsense then hang up. I am already having a headache with all the weird things happening around me."
Mu Chen was annoyed and cut the call. He then looked at the sleeping Xiao Bo in his arms. He placed a gentle kiss on the younger's forehead and rubbed his soft hair.
"No one will believe you're that stupid man's younger brother, Snowball. You and him have no similarities..." Mu Chen mumbled snuggling closer to Xiao Bo.
He put away all the complicated thoughts aside and decided to be in the warmth of Xiao Bo for now.
...
Feng Mian was surprised to find out that Song Xiao Bo was his younger brother. He immediately opened his phone and checked what he missed.
He got to know that Li's youngest son was found and all his family shifted to S-city to stay with him which was all over the news these past days. There was no mention of Xiao Bo being the youngest heir of Li's anywhere.
However, he knew it was Xiao Bo as Mu Chen mentioned it to him. Then he looked through his phone and saw the documents of DNA results and the video his father sent to him.
Where Song Yi Ming gave the whip to Wei Chen to hit Xiao Bo who was on the floor crying and Wei Chen mercilessly abused him.
Feng Mian was shocked beyond words. He remembered the conversation he had with Wei Chen in the past where the other told him how he was forced to physically abuse his younger brother by his father and how much Wei Chen was hurt by it.
>>>That damn Song Yi Ming and his wicked roundabout ways! It's all because of him that my Wei Wei had to go through all those things and in the end he...
Feng Mian held the phone tightly and then recollected the talk with Song Yi Ming before he came here and now everything made sense to him.
>>>So, that's why... Xiao Bo is not his son... he is my younger brother that we lost...
"Ahh, fuck!" Feng Mian felt frustrated.
He now understood that the two brothers who were bound by fate, Xiao Bo and Wei Chen got killed brutally though they were innocent. They had such bad endings because of the conspiracy woven by those cunning people.
Nevertheless, now Feng Mian was determined to protect the both with his life. Especially, his past lover Wei Chen for whom he took the risk of coming here without even a second thought when the chance was presented in front of him.
But all his hopes of meeting with Wei Chen, giving him all the love and spending all his time with him now... All those wishes of his came crashing down as he the CCTV footage of his villa when the other Feng Mian captured Wei Chen and tortured him.
"Ugh, this fucking bastard! How dare he lay his hands on my Gerry! Not even I touched him inappropriately in our five years of relationship with him..." Feng Mian punched the wall continuously until his knuckles bled.
"Is that why Mu Chen said that..." Feng Mian muttered, "...no wonder Wei Wei ran away... all because of this shitty bastard. He ruined my character in front of him... Ahhhhhhhh! Fucking HELL!"
Feng Mian's screams of vexation echoed throughout the apartment.
"You trash!" Feng Mian pointed at himself in the mirror, "... stay in that damp place forever! I won't allow you to come back ever! You have some nerve to hurt my Wei Wei!"
...
Celestial space...
The Goddess of souls, Valeria was anxious. She looked at the golden light beside her which had the silhouette of the tree.
"How come that child resisted him? If the past Mu Chen can't maintain his consciousness then all our plans will go haywire."
"..." The Golden light remained silent for a moment, "It's an impossible feat... It shouldn't happen... the Mu Chen of this timeline having such enormous mental strength to resist against my powers... this is troublesome yet a good thing."
"Good thing you say? Have you gone nuts? If the Mu Chen of the past can't change the fate by intervening then our doom is not far," Valeria had a frightened expression on her face.
"No, the past Feng Mian had already taken over complete control of the body. He is the actual key to change everything. Mu Chen was sent there to do another job but if he can't we must obliterate his soul and let the current Mu Chen handle the situation cause he is more dependable and see that innocent child Xiao Bo is happy with him."
Valeria let out an exasperated sigh, "I hope so. We can't let any variable occur this time. It's already time for the Supreme Being's return. I am already having a hard time collecting the scattered soul of Yi Ming... if he returns before that... no one can stop him from destroying this universe..."
"I'm aware of it. It's either the birth of a new universe or a complete destruction of everything including you and me... our fate now lies in the hands of these children."
The Golden Light looked at the pictures of Mu Chen, Xiao Bo, Feng Mian, Wei Chen, and another mysterious person's picture which was not clear, and hazy.
"Hope everything ends well..." Valeria stared into the pitch black universe shining with stars here and there through the window of her palace, "... it's a fight against themselves no matter who wins the result is-"
Loud thunders and lightnings occurred around the celestial space suddenly. The palace of Goddess of souls shook. All the walls and floors had cracks indicating the arrival of someone powerful they were fearing all this time.
Valeria and the Golden Light were petrified. They were on their knees feeling the immense pressure of the power. Their fears became reality.
*****