Chen Linyun went straight to his study room to finally unveil the mystery of his ident.i.ty.

Xue Jinxu joined him there, still a bit groggy from her afternoon nap.  Lately, the young Chen madame had been, more often than not, defeated by sleepiness.

Chen Linyun sat at his majestic chair behind his equally gargantuan desk.  The missus placed herself on the armrest, perched like a bird on a branch, one foot stayed on the ground to maintain stability, while the other leg was swamped on the armrest.  Her hands wrapped loosely around her husband's shoulders and neck.

"It's out?"

"Mhmm."  Chen Linyun squeezed the lady's hand that was dangling on his left shoulder.

"That's fast."

"I requested its expediency."

"I see."

Xue Jinxu temporarily stood up as Chen Linyun dived onto his drawers to retrieve his Swiss knife.  Once done, she returned to her initial position.

Though nervous, Chen Linyun maintained such a calm demeanor, but the wife knew too well how rattled he truly was inside.  His eyes infinitesimally flickered as his Swiss knife smoothly slid against the flap of the A4-sized white catalog envelope.

The couple both braced themselves for whatever truth there was inside the letter.

Chen Linyun's gaze scanned it once, twice, thrice.

At first, his calm face became perturbed, which eventually turned into a frown.  He pa.s.sed the letter and the envelope to the expectant wife.

"What is it?"  

Pulling his hair through his fingers, he exclaimed frustratedly, "AAAAHHHH!!!"  He rested his elbows on the desk as he did so.

Xue Jinxu, on the other hand, was speechless at first.  But when it dawned on her, she gasped and gaped at the results, "Negative?  How can it be?"

Dazed, Xue Jinxu shook her head in astonishment.  "!!!!"

Absent-mindedly, and almost automatically in a protective manner, her arms soothingly tighten around the deeply disappointed husband.  

Somehow, he had already accepted within himself that this Han Lan was his mother.

Now...

It turned out otherwise...

The wife could sense her husband's heartbreak.  She bit her lower lip as she, too, shared his grief.

Chen Linyun removed his eyegla.s.ses from his face and then brusquely rubbed the palm of his right hand on it, and ended the small routine by cupping his head on both palms after ma.s.saging his temples.

After a while, he caught Xue Jinxu in his embrace.  "I thought that she's my mother."

"I bet this is exactly how Sola felt when she had expected Father to be our dad, but he did not confirm it."

"I feel like the ground had melted, and it's sucking me to h.e.l.l."

"Jinxu."

He buried himself on her bosom and wept.  The wife stroked his head through his hair lovingly, understandingly.

"I don't even know who I am, Jinxu."  His voice came out m.u.f.fled.

"I had overestimated this circ.u.mstance.  I thought I had the answer at the palm of my hand."

Xue Jinxu closed her eyes as she gathered her strength.  At times such as now, one of them should provide the other consolation and much-needed comfort and warmth. 

And undeniably, more frequently, it was her on the receiving end.  This time, it's her turn to give back the unconditional and bottomless love and compa.s.sion her husband deserves.

"Hush, hush, my love."

"We're just beginning to dig into this."

"We have more time and chances in the future.  At least we were able to eliminate what's false, right?"

Xue Jinxu lifted his face and began talking in gibberish baby-talk.  "Oohhh, look at that face.  Stop crying, okay, love?  I'm here.  I will always be here."  She wiped his tear-stricken face with her thumb.  "Even if everyone else leaves, I'll still be here beside you.  Even if, just in case, we fail to locate your mother,  I will still be here, just like today."

"Even when you discover who you are - your true ident.i.ty which will complete you, and even if you don't,  I will still be here.  I will understand you, and hold your hand."

"I hope to be your strength, too, Chen Linyun.  Rely on me.  Lean on me."

"Ooohhh, my baby, Chen Linyun.  You're cute when your face turns red like this!  You're even cuter when you cry.  But, don't cry now, okay?"  She cradled him in her loving embrace.

Xue Jinxu stroked his head some more, and once in awhile kissed his head, as if pacifying a kid that had just fallen and who had sc.r.a.ped his knee open.

"Hush, hush, love."

But the truth was that her heart sensed his pain as if it was her own.  She would never fascinate nor enjoy seeing him in misery.

Never.

She closed her eyes and whispered a soft prayer to the wind.  "We will know the truth soon."

---

The next day was the fifth of March - Kang Sola and Xue Guangxi's birthday.

The birthday boy had spent the previous night at the Xue Mansion where his extravagant party would be held, upon the insisting of Zhao Feiyan, his mother.

"You are my youngest child!  It would be the last time I will be hosting this party!  And would you believe, the last time before this was a long time ago, and it had never repeated.  After the twins' eighteenth birthday, our lives dived into misery upon learning your brother's accident and false death!"

"Oh, it felt like it happened only yesterday!  The twins' birthday party was such a happy event, then the very next thing..."

"So, dearest son, please allow this little worldly caprice to be enjoyed by your mother."  

The youngest child was incessantly battered by his mother's hugs and kisses pouring in every direction on his cheeks.

During the convincing period, Mother Xue truly treated Guangxi like a king.  It was frowned upon by Father Xue, but at least now, the young master was there to laugh it off and balance the master's foul mood.

And so, the party proceeded as planned by Mother Xue.  Xue Guangxi could only helplessly sigh.  He wanted just a small, intimate gathering.

The party was supposed to start at six in the evening.  Because it was also Kang Sola's birthday, Chen Linyun gave her the option to get her own birthday party, one day prior or later, which the girl turned down immediately.  

"No need, Linyun-ge!"  With matching waving of his arms animatedly.  "I don't have that many friends, and those whom I consider close are you guys, and you're also going to his party."  She pointed a thumb at her best friend's direction who was just around the corner in the Chen house at the time.

"Also, it would be just a waste of resources.  Let's not celebrate... But... Linyun-ge..."   She hesitated a bit before continuing... "you promised the family dinner..."

Head bowed down, she tugged at her older brother's sleeve, looking embarra.s.sed.  She didn't want to request or burden anyone for anything, but somehow, she truly wanted the family dinner - and only that - for her eighteenth birthday.

Chen Linyun had initially decided to convene anyone and give the girl the 'family' dinner that she had wanted.

However, in the middle of the fun and enjoyment and laughter, accompanied by overflowing, unlimited booze, Chen Linyun received an intelligence - a message from an anonymous contact through his cellphone which made him speed out of the Xue mansion towards his younger sister, who, by the way, was nowhere to be found at the party.