The vacation estate in the hills outside Hong Kong was shrouded in the deep velvet of the nightRayn
He dressed and walked into the grand dining room. He saw his mother, Valeriegolden lights
The cool evening breeze, carrying the sweet fragrance of blue liliesdark hair
On the table, a feast awaited: succulent roasted chicken and an array of fragrant Chinese meat dishes.
The elegant dinner was finally set up on the balcony, A perfect, inspiring backdrop for the evening's pleasure; Rayn
Valerie, her black hairRaynRayn's red eyesKenAfter the meal and the music concluded, Valerieblack chairsRayn lifted his glass of ruby wine, the liquid reflecting the startling color in his eyes.
"Hey, Ken," Rayn began, his voice lowered. "Do you ever think about how far we've come? That we became this rich, and made our mother proud? Do you ever think about how incredible it is that she, a beautiful woman, chose me and treated me like her own son?"
Ken, grounded in the life he knew, replied immediately: "No! Because before I knew everything, I was simply in the home that I felt warm around. You were just my brother."
Rayn’s gaze sharpened, the intensity behind his red eyesWho is my mother? Who is my father?"She’s sleeping now," Rayn said, his voice profound, / "Our mother, Valerie, where true love is found. She gave me life when I had lost all plea, / Pulled me from silence and obscurity." He tapped the railing, smooth and cold and bright, / "This view, this palace, glowing in the night—/ They are not gifts, Ken. They are what I bought, / With every dollar I myself have wrought."
He continued, his confession stark and absolute:
"We built this empire from a single dime, / we stole the hours back from passing time. We fought the market, battled through the strife, / Because this wealth is the machine of life
"You know the truth, the core of my old scar: / Not in a cradle, but beneath a star, / She found me, Ken, abandoned in the dirt, / A pile of trash, a baby meant to hurt. That is the launching pad of all this power—/ To prove I was worth more, in every hour.
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"Now I am richer than the kings of old. / I hold the influence, the power, and the gold. / And every single cent is consecrated / To asking why I was so fiercely hated, / Or simply worthless, to my birth kin. I built this billion-dollar wall to win / The right to ask the question, loud and clear: 'What did I lack? Why did you disappear?'
He finished his wine. "Do you think I became rich not for money or not to earn something? No. I did it to make Valerie, our mother, happy, and also because I had a small reason: to find my family. When I become rich, I am going to introduce myself to the world, and then, if any of my family members saw me on television, they might come to me and tell me who they were and why they abandoned me. That is also one of my reasons."
Ken, digesting the weight of his brother's ambition, asked a critical question: "Why are they going to know that small boy is you, and how would they understand who you are now?"
Rayn revealed the final, painful detail, his voice almost a hiss. "Yes! The only thing they can find me by is the name and the red eyes
Ken paused, the sudden realization filling his mind with curiosity. "What are you talking about? Your name was put by our mother!"
Rayn replied: "You don't know this. When I was found by Mom, there was a single sheet of paper on me, and in that paper, the only thing written was my name: 'Rayn.'Just as Ken was about to ask more, Valeriechocolate cake
"Happy Birthday, Rayn, darling!" she announced, her voice ringing with joy.
The sheer, overwhelming force of this simple act of love—the fact that he didn't even remember his own birthday (December 31stred eye
Ken instantly comforted him with a warm hug. Rayn quickly regained his composure, cut the cake, and blew out the candle.
Before they could eat, a lady emerged from the shadows of the garden. Rheabrown hairblack eyeswhite dress
Rayn immediately focused his red eyes on her, his face snapping into its straight, businesslike mask. "Why is she here?"
Valerie looked confused. "Who is she?"
Ken, beaming, announced: "Mom, she is my girlfriend."
Valerie gasped, her shock dissolving into playful scolding: "Ken! Rayn! Why didn't anyone tell me? This is inexcusable!" She quickly composed herself and introduced herself.
Rhea, poised, gave the flowers to Valerie and the expensive watch to Rayn. Ken then demanded his gift.
"Where is my gift?" Ken asked.
Rhea smiled, stepped forward, and gave him a deep kiss on his lips
The public display was too much. Rayn and Valerie immediately exchanged a look of shared, profound cringe
"I think we've had enough excitement for one night," Valerie muttered, pulling Rayn toward the hallway.
As Rayn and Valerie quickly made their escape from the balcony, the residual energy of Ken and Rhea's moment lingered, lending a surreal quality to the luxurious hallway. Valerie, fanning herself dramatically, leaned against a carved wood pillar.
"That," she whispered to Rayn, "is precisely why you prioritize data integrity over reckless human variables. That level of spontaneous, public affection is unquantifiable and frankly, terrifying."
Rayn, already retreating into his professional detachment, simply nodded, his red eyes
Once alone, Rayn walked to his room, his mind finally free to confront the terrifying reality. He stood before his mirror, looking into the unnatural color of his eyes. The single, undeniable marker of a life he never lived. The visions of war happening right now in Aetheleongray smoke figureRayn Li Zhang
He needed more than money; he needed a map. The wealth was the key to global data access, to finding a faint whisper in the digital noise that could lead him back to the people who shared his eyes. He really wants to find his own family.
