Chapter 6: Can’t Endure Love’s Hardships

By the time Jian Ruochen arrived back at the hilltop villa in Regent’s Park International Garden, riding in Butler Luo’s Porsche, Guan Yingjun’s flat “No” was still ringing in his ears.

Would any normal person just say ‘No’ in that situation?

Lost in thought, Jian Ruochen stepped through the front door of the sprawling villa. Lights flickered on automatically, illuminating opulent crystal chandeliers that cast a dazzling web of light across the entryway. As he kicked off his sneakers, a pair of slippers in just the right size materialized at his feet.

Luo Binwen stood beaming in the foyer. “Welcome home, Young Master.”

The butler launched into an explanation of the villa’s layout. “The main bathroom is upstairs – turn left, last door on your right. I’ve already drawn a bath for you. Feel free to head straight to bed afterwards; one of the maids will clean up the bathroom.”

While speaking, Luo Binwen deftly presented a tray. “A change of clothes for you, Young Master. Dawn is still about an hour away. Given how exhausted you must be, attending classes today would be inadvisable, so I’ve taken the liberty of notifying the university you’ll be absent.”

Jian Ruochen accepted the tray and drifted upstairs in a bit of a haze. Sinking into the steaming bathwater, fragrant with teakwood essential oil, he stared absently at the white petals floating on the surface, pushed apart by gentle ripples.

He plucked a petal from the water and slowly crushed it in his palm, murmuring to himself, “See? Guess I’m just not cut out for love’s hardships… but the ‘burden’ of wealth? Yeah, I think I can manage that.”

Jian Ruochen meticulously scrubbed his wrist clean, then gave his entire body a vigorous wash, employing a scrubbing technique reminiscent of the public bathhouses in Liaoning. Afterwards, he draped himself over the edge of the enormous, almost pool-sized bathtub, lost in thought once more. The bathing area was equipped with every conceivable amenity, including, he noticed, a small hand mirror resting in a corner niche.

Jian Ruochen picked it up, glanced at his reflection, and froze in astonishment. This body… it looked exactly like his original face. Except… the hair was white. And longer than he used to keep it. But everything else, down to the tiny red mole on the cartilage of his left ear, was absolutely identical.

A clear, unshakable certainty settled over him. There’s no going back.

Jian Ruochen paddled to the edge of the tub, located a pair of nail clippers among the toiletries, and methodically trimmed off the perfectly manicured fingernails. Then he stood and moved under the shower spray to wash his hair.

While clumsily lathering his unfamiliar long hair, his mind raced. Lu Qian returned empty-handed. Jiang Yongyan is arrested, no coming back from that. Jiang Hanyu didn’t get his blood transfusion… What state is the Jiang family in right now?

---

Jiang Ting Residence, the Jiang ancestral home.

Jiang Hanyu huddled on a plush sofa, eyes swimming with tears, looking utterly terrified. “Lu Qian…” he stammered, “you said… Brother… inherited his mother’s fortune… Is-is it really true?”

Though slim, the youth exuded an aura of delicate softness that only immense wealth could cultivate; even his fingertips, trailing over the armrest, looked pampered and perfect.

Lu Qian knelt beside the sofa, taking the limp hand in his. Fatigue lined his features. “It’s true.”

Jiang Hanyu bit down hard on his lower lip.

Lu Qian reached up, gently brushing away a tear tracing down Jiang Hanyu’s cheek. “Don’t call him ‘Brother’,” he said softly. “He never once treated you like family! Even with that inheritance, he’s insignificant. Don’t worry, we’ll find you a blood source.”

Jiang Hanyu gently tugged his hand free. “I’m not afraid,” he whispered. “Brother Lu Qian… please don’t hold my hand. Brother Ruochen will be upset.”

Lu Qian scoffed. “Angry? What right does he have? He chose the money; he gave up the engagement!” Recalling the Jian Ruochen of the past, the one who used to follow him around devotedly, a shadow of melancholy touched Lu Qian’s face. “He won’t be able to take anything from you ever again.”

Fat tears rolled down Jiang Hanyu’s cheeks. “Th-then… does that mean… I don’t have an older brother anymore?” He choked back a sob. “It’s alright… As long as Brother Ruochen is happy… it doesn’t matter about me.”

Lu Qian opened his mouth to console him, but was cut off by the sudden ringing of his phone. Mobile phones in the 90s lacked a vibrate feature; the abrupt, loud ring made Jiang Hanyu jump with a tearful hiccup.

Lu Qian’s first instinct was to soothe Jiang Hanyu, but a quick look at the caller ID revealed the number for the Sham Shui Po Police Station. Giving Jiang Hanyu’s hand a reassuring squeeze, he answered, “Hello?”

There was a pause, then Lu Qian shot bolt upright. “Jiang Yongyan?! Suspected of contracting a murder?!”

Jiang Hanyu pressed his lips thin, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the leather upholstery.

“I’m on my way,” Lu Qian snapped into the phone. “Tell Yongyan not to say a single word more.” Then, presumably to someone else in the room with him, “Go get cash from the safe. Deal with the paparazzi camped outside the gate.”

---

Meanwhile, back at the Regent’s Park villa, Jian Ruochen had barely burrowed under the covers when Luo Binwen gently extracted him. Gently gathering Jian Ruochen’s damp hair, the butler fussed, “Young Master, we must dry your hair before you sleep.”

“No hairdryer…” Jian Ruochen mumbled sleepily. Wait, did hairdryers exist in the 90s?

“Of course we do,” Luo Binwen replied, tenderly combing out the tangles. A pang of sympathy struck him as he remembered the paltry rent for the Young Master’s former lodging – likely less than the cost of a decent hairdryer; the boy probably couldn’t have afforded one.

“We have everything one could possibly need right here,” he added softly.

While the hairdryer whirred, Luo Binwen relayed, “I received an update, Young Master. Apparently, Lu Qian paid off all the reporters who were camped outside the Sham Shui Po police station.”

Jian Ruochen blinked away his drowsiness. “News travels fast. How did you find that out?”

Deftly maneuvering the hairdryer, Luo Binwen explained, “Perhaps you didn’t peruse the inheritance documents thoroughly, Young Master? Konrat Times Media is among your holdings. You are now the owner of one of the world’s largest media conglomerates.”

The name didn’t ring a bell for Jian Ruochen. “…And its headquarters are located…?”

“Adjacent to Hollywood. Oh, and our Hong Kong division operates under the name Polaris Media.”

Jian Ruochen was momentarily stunned. Just what kind of inheritance did I sign for? After mulling it over for a second, he asked, “So, you said Lu Qian used money to get rid of the reporters?”

“Indeed.”

A sly look entered Jian Ruochen’s eyes. “In that case, let’s leak a little something ourselves. Tell the Polaris Media folks to go lie in wait.”

Luo Binwen caught on instantly. “Capture some compromising photos of the Jiang family and Lu Qian, then print ten thousand copies for maximum exposure?”

Over the hum of the hairdryer, Jian Ruochen shook his head. “No, nothing that overt. We just need to keep up appearances. After the first wave of our people takes Lu Qian’s money, immediately deploy a second team. Make sure they have some plausible fake IDs from rival outlets. Whatever cash they manage to extract can be considered… performance bonuses for the staff. How much they pocket is up to their own ingenuity.”

Luo Binwen paused, processing this. Huh. The Young Master earns his employees’ loyalty without lifting a finger. The staff get bonuses, funded entirely by Lu Qian. And if Lu Qian seeks retribution later, the confusion over media affiliations will make it difficult, if not impossible, for him to identify the actual culprits or lead him to blame his actual rivals.

An absolutely brilliant scheme! The Young Master is remarkably clever!

Suppressing a grin, Luo Binwen confirmed, “Excellent, Young Master. Consider it arranged.”

Having set this little trap for the scumbag Lu Qian, Jian Ruochen burrowed back under the duvet with deep satisfaction. The down duvet was incredibly fluffy and soft, imbued with a fresh, subtly sweet fragrance. Closing his eyes, he sank into its embrace, feeling as if he were enveloped in sun-warmed cotton.

He slept dreamlessly through the night and woke feeling boneless with relaxation.

Jian Ruochen glanced at the silent clock on the nightstand. 2:00 PM. It was the first time in his memory he’d ever slept past eight in the morning. It felt positively decadent, but undeniably wonderful.

Jian Ruochen freshened up and headed downstairs. It seemed the entire villa sprang to life the moment he awoke; the downstairs dining table was already impeccably set. Luo Binwen pulled out a chair for him. “Young Master,” the butler informed him, “Mr. Chai and his son, Jinwu, stopped by this morning.”

Jian Ruochen took his seat, puzzled. “What for?”

“Mr. Chai wished to express his gratitude personally for your assistance in clearing his son’s suspicion. I mentioned you were resting, and he kindly requested I not wake you.” Luo Binwen placed a thick manila envelope on the table beside Jian Ruochen. “He left this as a token of his appreciation.”

Jian Ruochen opened it. Inside was a thick stack of crisp, new Hong Kong dollar notes – a very sincere gesture indeed. Jian Ruochen paused.

Alright then. I’ll just consider it my consulting fee for cracking the case.

He counted out roughly half the cash and passed it to Luo Binwen. “Thank you, Butler Luo, both for convincing me about the inheritance and for staying with me through the night. Please consider this your overtime compensation.”

Accepting the money, Luo Binwen thought warmly, Such a thoughtful young man! Who could possibly fail to appreciate him? His thoughts immediately soured. Ah… except for Lu Qian, that classless oaf!

Jian Ruochen wiped his hands and started his meal. Once satisfied, he picked up a newspaper that had been placed beside his setting. It was, surprisingly, the HKU student paper. Luo Binwen really is remarkably considerate.

In the 90s, personal computers were far from ubiquitous, and effective internet search engines didn’t exist. Newspapers and television were the primary sources of information for most people. Jian Ruochen scanned the pages rapidly. Besides some standard commendations for university staff, one article immediately caught his eye.

[Headline: Former FBI BSU Elite Agent, Professor Li Changyu, to Launch New Criminal Behavior and Psychology Department at HKU]

[The article continued: This new department, under the Faculty of Social Sciences, is offering a special transfer opportunity for current first-year students. As the first institution in Hong Kong to offer this program, HKU will hold three days of introductory trial lectures beginning Sunday. Interested students should contact their academic advisors for transfer details…]

Jian Ruochen flipped the page and saw a photo of the professor seated at his desk. Li Changyu appeared to be a diminutive older gentleman in a striped polo shirt. In the picture, his eyes were squeezed into smiling crescents behind oversized glasses. A traditional tea tray sat on his desk. He looked amiable and easy-going, someone likely to make a good first impression.

Jian Ruochen folded the newspaper. He turned to Luo Binwen. “So, what was the outcome yesterday? Did our people manage to collect their ‘bonuses’?”

Lu Qian must have coughed up a significant amount, right?

Luo Binwen chuckled, picturing the staff’s glee. “Close to fifty operatives went in total, working in shifts. Each managed to walk away with five thousand dollars.”

Five thousand HKD in the 90s was a decent sum. Still, Jian Ruochen sniffed, “Lu Qian’s pretty tight-fisted.”

He gave a slight huff. “Alright, instruct the staff who collected the cash to run a story. Have them ‘reluctantly’ report on how some paparazzi were successfully bribed yesterday. Make the tone really sour, you know? The kind that screams ‘we’re super jealous we missed out on that easy money’.”

Luo Binwen observed him. Jian Ruochen was lounging back in his chair, long silvery-white hair falling loosely around his shoulders, legs casually crossed at the ankle. He looked exquisitely beautiful, almost soft enough to make one’s heart flutter. The words he spoke, however, contained not a shred of that softness.

“Don’t mention Lu Qian by name,” Jian Ruochen instructed. “The angle should be… ‘Jiang Minghan Suspected of Bribing Media to Shield Suspect’.”

Lu Qian had wanted to keep the public gaze away from both the Jiang and Lu families. But now, with this fabricated story about Jiang Minghan buying off the press gaining traction, public interest would inevitably swing right back to the core incident. Jiang Yongyan himself would become the first wedge driven between the Jiang and Lu clans.

The HKU woods murder case was solved. Jiang Yongyan was headed for jail. Now, if he could just sort out his academic major, his own life might finally start moving in the right direction. It was nearing the end of the academic term.

Having never studied medicine before and possessing none of the original body’s knowledge, taking the final exams for the medical program would inevitably see him plummet from the top of the class rankings to the very bottom.

The mere thought was intolerable! He resolved to visit Professor Li Changyu tomorrow and explore the possibility of transferring departments via faculty intervention.

---

After a day spent resting and recuperating, Jian Ruochen woke early the following morning. From a walk-in closet roughly the size of a ZARA outlet, he selected an outfit he hoped would appear appropriately respectful to an older academic, added a pale-yellow scarf, and headed out.

His first stop was a high-end tea shop in a nearby mall, where he chose a moderately priced, handcrafted persimmon tea pet. Gift bag in hand, he then made his way towards the HKU campus, stopping periodically to ask for directions.

Finally, at precisely nine o’clock, he located the office allocated to Professor Li Changyu within the Faculty of Social Sciences building. Feeling slightly flushed from the walk, Jian Ruochen loosened the scarf at his neck before knocking firmly on Professor Li’s door.

After three knocks, the door swung open.

Jian Ruochen looked up, a polite smile starting to form on his lips, only to freeze as his gaze met a pair of chillingly cold eyes. “…Guan sir?”

What is he doing here?

Guan Yingjun acknowledged him with a noncommittal grunt. His eyes flickered to Jian Ruochen’s nose, pink from the cool morning air, then he stepped aside slightly. “Come in.”

A wave of warmth immediately flowed out from the room. Jian Ruochen walked in, removing his scarf. Looking towards the desk, he called out a greeting, “Good morning, Professor Li.”

But before his eyes could focus on the figure behind the desk, his attention was snagged by an image projected onto a white screen off to one side.

—It was footage of him questioning Huo Jinze in the interrogation room!