MAFIA BOY and MASK MAN: Live to Love

CHAPTER #34

Lu He was in a foul mood, because Chyou had gone to the USA earlier than expected.  She was part of the exchange program already, but had left early to get an apartment and being working with the modelling agency.  Lu He loved her and was sure she loved him, but the distance between them was becoming bigger and bigger.  They remained loyal to each other, but now he had too much time on his hands.  It did however allow him to focus on getting Suyin out of all their lives.  He and Ping seemed to be the only ones aware of what a back stabbing liar she really was.  Both of them had tried to make Qihe see the truth, but there was never any solid proof.   Lu He used his brilliant mind to plot a trap, that would force his twin to acknowledge that Suyin was a traitor.

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Qihe couldn't believe his eyes, but there was his girlfriend Suyin and Lu He, just like his gang had reported.  They were holding hands and flirting.  Still he gave them both the benefit of the doubt, not wanting to jump to conclusions.  As he came closer, he saw his twin take off his mask and kiss Suyin.  Maybe she thought it was him and didn't realize it was Lu He.  Maybe Lu He was pulling a fast one to test her.  Still he refused to doubt his twin, but there was no way to deny it after what Lu He said next.

"Last night you were wild.  Dump Qihe and date me.  I use words and not my fists in a fight."

"I know you're good with your mouth," she giggled and kissed him again.

Qihe felt sharp intense pain and burning rage, worse than anything he had ever felt before.  He ran forward, grabbed his brother's shirt and punched him in the face as hard as he could.  Suyin screamed.  Lu He fell down and barely remained conscious.

Qihe managed just a few words, "I hate you both!  I no longer have a twin brother and I'm now single.  You're both dead to me."  He ran off, towards the waiting motorcycle.

Lu He realized he had gone too far, but it was too late. "Qihe! WAIT! It's not what you think! BROTHER!"

Suyin helped him up, "you don't need him, you have me."

"Wrong.  I never wanted you.  Going to the club and dancing last night, was the easiest way to make you interested in me.  I saw you following him, taking pictures.  That time when you saw Mafia Boy walking with a friend, you took a photo with your cell phone and the friend was going to confront you, but you handed over a love letter... that was me, pretending to be my brother.  I said to you and I quote myself, 'make me look better next time'." Lu He's eyes grew devilish as she sucked in a shocked breath.  He continued, "I also heard you telling someone about Mafia Boy and his connection to Mafia Boss Crane.  I know you're a tabloid reporter.  I was going to expose you when I had solid proof.  I was trying to protect him from you."

"When, when did you find out I wasn't a high school student?"

"The day you met your boss and he yelled at you about the quality of the pictures."

"So you knew all along, even before Qihe introduced us?" Suyin was incredulous.

"Yes.  You being saved by him from those guys harassing you was just too perfect.  I found out later, that you paid them to do that in front of him.  Then I saw you taking pictures of him fighting.  When you asked to have dinner with our father, that was the final tip off."

"Well it doesn't matter anymore now does it?  He ditched us both.  Maybe I'll write a story about how Boss Crane's sons hate each other."

"I don't hate him and once I explain everything, he will forgive me too.  My mother is a lawyer, we will sue you and your news company for character defamation at the very least."

"Are you threatening me?"

Lu He laughed without humour, "I'm just stating a fact.  You're done."  Turning on his heal he walked away and tried to call his brother.

The girl screamed profanities at him and he held up his middle finger, but didn't look back.  Lu He texted his brother, since the calls were going to voice mail.  It came back as undelivered. He tried social media and then realized that Qihe had blocked him on everything.  Lu He decided to check with their mutual friends and see if he could find him at the usual hangouts.  He also contacted their sister and left a voicemail.  Next he called their half-brother and explained he was looking for Qihe.  No one seemed to know where he had gone.  Finally Lu He went home and checked his brother's room.  That's where he saw that a tornado had gone through the closet and drawers.  Qihe had left home.  Worried, Lu He called his Mom, but she wasn't available.  As a last resort he called his father.

"Dad, I had a bad fight with Qihe and now I can't find him.  It also looks like he moved out, even his laptop is gone.  Did he go to you?"

"I thought you knew, Qihe has his own apartment.  He was planning to move out over summer break, but I guess he did it now."

"Stop paying for the apartment and force him back!"

"Son, he's paying for it himself.  These days I can't force him to do anything, you know that.  You two will have to sort things out on your own, there's nothing your mother or I can do.  Time to grow up."

Lu He hung up on his father, not even caring if that caused problems later.  Why was this all happening?  As he sat on Qihe's bed, the realization hit him harder than his brother's fist.  He'd broken his brother's trust and heart, when it looked like he had betrayed him.  Lu He began to cry, the last thing he had wanted, had happened.  Maybe all this time, Qihe hadn't forgiven him for talking to their father about the fighting, back before Xiang Shao was made known to the rest of them.  Had he planned to move out all along?  Is that why Lu He was initially told he was going to a different senior high school than Qihe?  Why was this happening?

After his sobs had ended, Lu He wandered around the house aimlessly.  It felt so empty compared to before.  Sure there were a lot of times Qihe didn't come home or was super late, but his presence was still lingering.  Now not even that was here.  No one but Lu He was left. Making a decision, he made a call. "Mom, it's Lu He, I don't want to live here anymore.  I'll get an apartment by my senior high school.  Qihe moved out, but you already know that I guess.  Call me back when you get this message."

His family had abandoned him.  Sure Xiang Shao would visit if he called him over, same with his friends, but eventually they would leave too.  Chyou was still in the USA and wasn't returning in the near future either.  His sister wasn't expected back until maybe the middle of next year.  It had been the twins against the world, now that was gone too.  The pain in his heart was so intense, that Lu He fell to his knees and just screamed.  No one heard it, because the house staff had left for the evening.  He had never felt so alone as he did now.