THE OCEAN WAVE

"Is that the new release?" Lin Jing was stunned as he stared at the thin tin box in Zhao YunLan's hand.

"New release?" Da Qing lifted one of his eyebrows. "What release?"

"Vaccine box." Lin Jing explained, as his eyes kept looking at the box. "That box seems so thin but it can keep ten ampuls of serum. You can enlarge the capacity by pulling the side up and if the power is almost down, you can charge the battery anywhere anytime." He said in excitement. "But..." Lin Jing shifted his eyes to Zhao MingAn. "Why did you buy that box?"

"That is what I want to know too." Zhao YunLan kept his eyes on his younger brother. "What is this box for?"

Zhao XinChi poured the tea into his cup and like Shen YongZheng, he acted as if nothing happened. "Why don't you tell your brother the truth?" He asked.

"You knew?" Zhao YunLan asked his father. "You knew what this idiot did and you just keep quiet?"

"Zhao YunLan... Zhao MingAn experiments with the serum under my knowledge." Shen YongZheng answered. "He believes that Ma TiHua's serum is not perfect so the effect could be reversed."

"Did he tell you that he perfects the imperfections?" The audience's shock was not yet finished when YunLan smacked them with another surprising question.

"That's... I don't know." Zhao XinChi answered.

"But we kind of have a feeling about it." Shen YongZheng added.

"And you let it slide?!" Zhao YunLan thundered.

"Wh... Why do you do that?" Lin Jing asked Zhao MingAn.

"Because I thought that will be useful." Zhao MingAn answered.

"Care to tell me why it will be useful?" Zhao YunLan asked.

"We don't know what going to happen in this place. And I'm tired to be the useless one."

"So you think to use this serum for yourself?" Zhao YunLan asked. He did not need to listen to the next explanation.

"That will be the last effort."

"You say what?" Now, the room fell eerily silent. Not only Zhao YunLan, everyone froze as they heard the answer. Zhao YunLan lost his cool. The scary image of the past when Ouyang Zhen used a similar serum on himself flashed in his mind. All they heard next was a slapping noise.

"Zhao YunLan! Are you out of your mind?" Zhu Hong caught Zhao MingAn before he was thrown to the floor.

"Boss!" Not only Lin Jing but Guo ChangCheng also protested.

"Zhao YunLan, that's too much!" Da Qing scolded his leader when he saw blood oozing from Zhao MingAn's lips.

"Now all of you stood for him?" Zhao YunLan could not believe his ears.

"Zhao YunLan, you forget that MingAn is also my brother. How could you do that?" Zhu Jiu wiped Zhao MingAn's lip corner.

"Zhu Ge. Do you realize what he just say?"

"I'm not." Zhu Jiu answered fast. "But it doesn't mean that you may hit him."

"He-"

"Enough!" Zhao XinChi climbed his walking stick, cutting the arguments. "YunLan. Let's talk." He strode outside.

"Shen Wei." Shen YongZheng stood up, beckoning his eldest son to follow him to the backyard.

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"Pa. Don't stand for him, that child-"

"That child is also my child. Just like you." Zhao XinChi cut his eldest son's words. "YunLan. Don't you think what you did is too much?"

"Me? Too much?" Zhao YunLan was shocked. "Pa..."

"I know that you only know this reckless side of your younger brother. But do you know that in his whole life he is always a responsible young man?"

"Pa..."

"He even took your share of responsibility." Zhao XinChi's tone turned heavy. "That's what kind of boy MingAn is."

"..."

"I still remember when the old you yelled at me because the old you want a new sound system. You were around eighteen at that time and MingAn was eleven. He didn't say anything to me but he took a job as a milk deliverer. He begged the shop owner to let him work. He woke up at three in the morning and deliver the milk with my old bike." Zhao XinChi took a deep breath. "Both I and your Ma would never know about it if he never got the accident."

"Accident?" Zhao YunLan's voice was stuck in his throat.

"He was still a little kid, he had to go to school yet every three a.m. he drove my old bike around the neighborhood. He was so sleepy at that time and bumped into a dump truck that passed by. When we asked him why he did all of that, he told me that he wanted to help me find the money to buy the new sound system for you." Zhao XinChi turned his eyes to look at his eldest son. Zhao YunLan was speechless as tears welled up in the corner of his eyes. "He never says a thing because he knew that I would stop him. He also never complains about his broken wrist because of the accident.

"He is reckless, indeed. But all that he does, he does for his family." Zhao XinChi lowered his gaze. "This whole time we try to understand you. We know that you are not the old you. But don't you think you should learn to understand about MingAn too? When he decided to infiltrate Ma TiHua's headquarters. You saw it as recklessness but did you see it from his perspective?" Zhao XinChi asked. "He did it because he wanted to help you. His way may be reckless but if he never does it would we find Ma TiHua? Would we find YeZun? If he never learns Ma TiHua's shield could YeZun be saved before he jumps into the ravine?"

"He can discuss it with me..." Zhao YunLan trailed off.

"Would you allow him?" Zhao XinChi returned the question.

"But that serum... That serum is too dangerous-"

"Do you hear him? He said that will be the last effort. When there is no way out to defeat Ma TiHua but to use the serum, can you stop him? If you don't want him to use the serum, then don't give him a reason to use it. We can't change how MingAn is. Rather than beat him up, why don't we take our share of responsibility?" Zhao XinChi glared at Zhao YunLan. "And one more thing, I never hit my son in my whole life. You have no right to hit him." He said before he walked away.

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"Don't you feel sorry for how you and Zhao YunLan treat that poor boy?" Shen YongZheng asked soon after they have been far enough from the others.

"Sir, Zhao YunLan is just acting like an elder brother who disciplines his younger brother."

"Disciplines? Who do you think Zhao MingAn is? A soldier?" Shen YongZheng asked his eldest son.

"Sir..."

"Shen Wei, despite their brotherhood in this life, Zhao YunLan just knows Zhao MingAn for a few years. But you and me, we know him since he was a little boy. We know what kind of person he is."

"He is so reckless since his childhood."

"Indeed. But all that he does, he does with genuine purpose." Shen YongZheng stood for Zhao MingAn.

"All he did is just about how to get YeZun's attention."

"What do you mean?"

"Sir, do you remember when he delivered the milk to our house, he was still eleven years old at that time but he already flirted with YeZun."

"What? How can you say so?"

"Every morning he delivers the milk with an envelope filled with photographs of him smiling all stupid."

"It wasn't his pictures. It sceneries around the neighborhood." Shen YongZheng was agape.

"He didn't have to do that, YeZun can go out himself."

"Ah Wei, YeZun was still traumatized by Zhang Tian's death at that time. He didn't dare to see outside until Zhao MingAn showed him his picture with his father when they were fishing and playing football on the hill near the lake."

"But because of him taking YeZun out, YeZun's pneumonia was relapsed." Shen Wei retorted.

"Zhao MingAn was just an eleven years old boy, how can you blame him for that?" Shen YongZheng was desperate.

"That such recklessness and clumsiness keep following him until now."

"Ah Wei, you have power, Zhao YunLan has experience but that kid only has his brain. For your approval, Zhao MingAn tried his best to be your equal. In this entire HaiXing, where will you find someone with his guts? He brought the serum with him, don't you realize that all he wants is just to prove that he is willing to go to that extent to protect YeZun? Don't push him too hard. If YeZun cries because of you, I will not hold back." Shen YongZheng shook his head and left his eldest son.

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"I don't believe he hit you." Zhu Hong grumbled as she treated Zhao MingAn's lips.

"I deserve it." Zhao MingAn answered.

"Don't be stupid." Zhu Jiu answered back. "As a brother, he should know that you never do something without thinking. Well, indeed you do that many times but at that time you just want to support him." Zhu Jiu corrected his words after thinking a little.

"That's maybe because Zhao YunLan is not your brother in the real sense." Da Qing chirped in as he ate some popcorn. Everyone fell silent as they heard the yashou. "Even though they are brothers, Zhao YunLan just knows Xiao Zhao for quite a while. How could he knows what kind of person Xiao Zhao is?" He proceeded nonchalantly.

"Deputy." Guo ChangCheng glared at the insensitive yashou when Zhao MingAn lowered his gaze.

"What?" Da Qing asked. "I just state the truth. If Zhao YunLan knows him since he was born just like other siblings, Zhao YunLan will understand his brother, like Director Shen and Professor Shen." He proceeded uncontrollably. "I thought sometimes Zhao YunLan treat him more like his subordinate than a brother." Chu NianZhi and Chu ShuZhi glanced at each other, in that case, they could not say that Da Qing was wrong.

"It's alright. It was not GeGe's fault. We don't know what kind of life he came through in his past life. I suppose to be grateful that I have a good elder brother who always constantly cares about me." Zhao MingAn ended the debate. "Is the bruise visible?" He asked Zhu Hong.

"Not really."

"Please, don't say anything about this incident to Professor Shen. He can throw a tantrum about it." Zhao MingAn smiled and climbed the stairs.

Zhao YunLan who listened to their conversation realized that he could not join them, he walked outside the motel complex. His feet brought him to the stoned path. The familiar view brought him to the past, making him contemplate how different the present life was. He missed his old friends, his old life. If only he could back to the past. Even though he was lonely but he would not be trapped in this uncomfortable situation.

Zhao YunLan drowned in his mind too deeply so that he lost count of time. "It's almost dark," he sighed as he peered at the rubescent sky. He wanted to go back, but he was confused about how he would face his younger brother. Zhao XinChi did not say anything but Zhao YunLan knew that his father was furious.

"Ge!" Zhao YunLan was still busy with his mind when Zhao MingAn's voice echoed.

"Ah Ming?" Zhao YunLan turned around and saw his younger brother with a panicked expression.

"Ge, where have you been? Are you still angry with me? I'm sorry..." Zhao MingAn squeezed Zhao YunLan's shoulders.

Zhao YunLan stared at his younger brother. Was this young man never had a resentment even a bit? "No. I just see around." Zhao YunLan answered.

"You missed breakfast and lunch-"

"What are you so worked up about? There are several taverns here." Zhao YunLan lied as he patted his younger brother's head.

"Oh, okay. Let's go back. It will be dark soon." Zhao MingAn turned his body when Zhao YunLan stopped him.

"Ah Ming, how about we talk? It's been so long since we have had mutual time together," Zhao YunLan said.

Zhao MingAn blinked. "Oh, okay." He nodded. "I'll call Pa to tell him that you are okay."

"Mhm." Zhao YunLan nodded.

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"Boss, we want two bowls of noodles and tea." Zhao YunLan answered the tavern owner when she approached them. Zhao YunLan chose the nearby tavern. It was a humble tavern with bamboo nuance.

"About the serum-"

"I dont want to talk about the serum." Zhao YunLan cut his younger brother. "I realize that we never talk about my past. The reason that makes me act too harshly to you."

"I know that you've been through so much."

"Ah Ming, I told you once that Ma was dead in my past life, didn't I?" Zhao YunLan took a clay jar prepared on the table and pour plain water into the cup.

"Mhm."

"She was killed because Pa was too adamant to catch the criminal who held her hostage at that time. The criminal blew his body along with Ma... In front of my eyes."

"What?' Zhao MingAn was agape. "She died in front of you?"

"Mhm." Zhao YunLan nodded. "I'm still a little boy at that time." Their conversation halted when the waiter brought them their order. "I resent Pa for the whole of my life." He mixed the noodles. "When I woke up in this life, I'm so happy when I saw Ma is alive and Pa is different from what he was. Now you understand why I'm so hard on you."

"Mhm." Zhao MingAn nodded. "It traumatized you. To see Ma die. You don't want to through the same trauma again. But Ge-"

"And about your serum," Zhao YunLan cut the young man once more. "In my past life, that crazy Ouyang Zhen made the same serum. But when he injected the serum into his body, something terrifying happened and I have no choice but to kill him." Zhao YunLan lifted his eyes. "The idea of you using the serum made me lose my mind. I don't want to be pushed into a situation where I have no choice but to kill you."

Zhao MingAn lowered his gaze, playing with his noddles. "I understand your pain." Zhao MingAn answered. "But Ge, don't you think that you should have faith in me too?" Zhao MingAn lifted his eyes. "I'm not Professor Ouyang. And I have Professor Shen. I promise him that I will take care of him. I can't fulfill my word if I die."

Both of them glanced at each other, Zhao YunLan could not help but snort as Zhao MingAn smiled. "You." Zhao YunLan shook his head. "How can I forget about it." Zhao YunLan glanced at his younger brother who happily ate the noodles. Dear Heaven, how he could regret living the present life? Turbulences would always come but in this life, he had a wonderful family and solid companions. Unknowingly, Zhao YunLan smiled in gratefulness.

The ocean waves were disturbances in the surface of the ocean. The causes were vary. Wind, gravity, or other displacements of water.

Every relationship would experience this to some extent. Some survived, some broken. If there were strong compassion, pure love, and mutual understanding as the foundation, no disturbances could shake the affinity...

**********THIS STORY IS STOLEN BY NOVELHD, PLEASE JUST READ THE ORIGINAL IN WATTPAD OR AO3 **************Picture credit to New Scientist.