Xiao Yu's aunt looked up at the sky that nignt. She sighed when she thought of Xiao Yu.

[Flashback to Chapter 27]

She was dusting the old piano in her home. She hated how it got so dusty so quickly, the last time she had cleaned it was just a few days ago. Suddenly her elbow accidently hit a rogue key and an odd sound came out. "You haven't been played ever since that boy moved out," she muttered as she wiped its surface, "I should throw you away, you're a waste of space. But you're the only thing I have left of my brother," she then sighed again. "It's funny how I hate the piano and managed not to sell you off at a boot sale." She smiled faintly as she looked around her empty house before there was a ring at the door. She put down the duster and towel and headed over to the front door.

When she opened the door, she saw a man dressed in black with a large cloak covering him. He had a hat pulled down low and his collar covered his mouth so only his eyes were visible - and they looked strangely familiar. She felt uneasy at the presence of this mysterious man but painted over it with a small smile, "Uh... may I help you, sir?" she asked.
The man didn't reply but instead forced himself in.
"Uh, sir?" she repeated as she turned around and followed him, "May I know who you are?"
"Ding Yu Ming?" he said.
"That is me," she replied, "And you are?"

He didn't reply but instead showed her a photograph. As soon as her eyes landed on the photo of a man beaten up and tied up in chains, a gasp escaped her lips, "Zhao Hou!" she exclaimed.
"Is this man your husband?" he inquired.
She quickly nodded, "He's supposed to be working abroad, how do you have that photo? Is he okay?" she stammered, nervously and anxiously.
The man tucked the photo away into his coat, "He will be if you are willing to cooperate with me."
"Cooperate with you?" she repeated, "Who are you?!"

He ignored her and then walked over to the untouched piano and put his hand down on its surface, "Your husband owes me 1,000,000NT$," he began, completely ignoring her questions.
Her eyes widened in shock. "I will pay you back as soon as I can!" she responded.
"No," he interrupted, "I want that nephew of yours, Ding Xiao Yu, to pay it all back on his own. And I want you to withdraw him from Zhong Ji Yi Ban if he cannot by the end of my deadline," he explained.
"What? I'm sorry?" she asked, confused, "Why ask him? He doesn't have any money. I don't understand."
"I want to crush him by making him suffer," he answered bluntly.
"Why? What do you have against him?" she asked him, trying to look at his face, "Making a child pay so much money on his own is cruel!"
"Abandoning a child is cruel too, no?" he snapped back at her.
"But I do help him, I pay his tuition fees-" she was cut off.
"Cut the tuition fees. Make him pay them himself," he spat.
"But he's just a child!" she exclaimed.
"A child who is a burden on your shoulders!" he barked at her before he walked closer to her and backed her into the wall, "Who's life matters more to you? Your beloved husband's or a burden's that has been thrown at your feet?" he hissed at her.
"Of course it would be my hus-" she was cut off once again.
"Then I'm glad you understand," he spoke up, turning away from her. "I will come see you regularly and keep an eye on you. I don't care how you do it, but make that boy suffer or your husband will get it," he threatened before storming out of the house.

She stood there dumfounded and puzzled as she watched this man leave. She shivered before watching him disappear into the distance.

[Skip to the Day Xiao Yu Didn't go to School – Chapter 33]

"You're on your own now," she said to her nephew as they sat in her living room. "I'm going to stop paying your tuition fees," she announced abruptly.
"What?" Xiao Yu blurted out.
"You heard me," she stood up with her cup of tea and walked over to the window. "I've been borrowing money from loan sharks to pay them and now I can't be bothered to pay them back. So now you have to pay them back with interest."
Xiao Yu stood up, "Aunty, this is so sudden! Why would you be so reckless-"
"How dare you speak to me like that?" She barked at him, "It's not my duty to pay for your education. You're not my child," she spat at him.
"But the money Uncle is sending us every month-"
"Why should I use my husband's money on you? You're old enough to fend for yourself," she shrugged.
"Aunty, why are you suddenly doing this?" he asked her.
She then threw her teacup at his head and it smashed upon impact. Tea dripped down Xiao Yu's face mixed with fresh blood and shards of the tea cup slid down his hair. "Because I want to get rid of you, okay?!" she yelled at him, "There's nothing else to it. Pay me 1,000,000NT$ or I'll withdraw you from Zhong Ji Yi Ban!"

Xiao Yu's eyes widened, "1 million?!" he repeated, "Aunty, that's unfair - I don't even dream of having that much money."
"That's not my problem, now scram!" she screamed, "I don't want to see your face until you bring me that money!"
"You're being unreasonable-"
She threw a rolling pin at him and it him right in the face, bruising him instantly. She then began throwing other things at him, trying to get him to leave which eventually he did after receiving several bruises and a bleeding skull.

 

~*~*~

[Present]

Yu Ting sighed as she looked at the girl before her. She was to be Yu Yan's replacement at Zhong Ji Yi Ban: Jiang Yu Jing. She looked very similar to Yu Yan - yes they were all clones but they all had defining features as a result of small mutations or physical changes such as hair style or hair colour. Yu Jing was the closest in appearance to Yu Yan, almost 100% identical. It was now Yu Ting's turn to inform Yu Jing of everything she knew about Yu Yan's character and personality so that she could successfully impersonate Yu Yan. Yu Tang and Yu Tong had already had their turn and now it was hers.

She sighed as she read through Yu Jing's notes. Alot of things about Yu Yan's character had already been said but she knew more about Yu Yan than anyone else, especially how she acted when those close to her heart. Yu Jing sat in front of her and took back her notepad. "Jiang Yu Ting, can you tell me already?" she asked.
"Well... Yan Yan Jie... is a very loyal person. Even though she betrayed father that time, she's still loyal to him and is on our side," she began slowly as she thought through her words. "She's very close to Wang Da Dong, Ya Se Wang and Ding Xiao Yu. Wang Da Dong is like an older brother, Ya Se Wang is like a best friend and Ding Xiao Yu... well... they're close."

Yu Jing raised an eyebrow and she jotted it down, "Close?" she repeated, "In what way? You have to tell me everything between them."
Yu Ting bit her lip, wondering how much she should say. She was loyal to her father and wanted their mission to succeed, but helping someone to impersonate her favourite sister just felt wrong in her heart. She felt that there was no reason to send someone in her place. She looked at her new sister, "They're really good friends. When father punished her, he took her in and looked after her..." she muttered.
"That it?" Yu Jing asked, "Yu Tang said that Jiang Yu Yan likes that boy and you seem to know more about that." She looked at Yu Ting seriously and suspiciously, causing Yu Ting to avert her gaze.

"She does," Yu Ting replied, But I don't want to you to cause trouble and ruin their relationship... I hate their relationship, I hate how Yan Yan Jie betrayed us for a stupid boy... but I want her to be happy. I'm sure she'd want to protect him so I must do it in her place and make sure you don't break down the relationship they worked hard to build. I can't let you take advantage of her feelings and let you do whatever you want to him. So I'm sorry Yu Jing Jie, I can't tell you everything. I want him to realise the truth so I have to keep some things from you.
"Yu Ting?" Yu Jing spoke, but Yu Ting did not hear as she was deaf. Instead, Yu Jing shook her shoulder gently, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry," she shook her head quickly before she looked at Yu Jing's notepad, "Yan Yan Jie likes to eat a lot of food. After father stopped controlling her diet, she's been eager to try new food. In Zhong Ji Yi Ban, she doesn't really get along with Sha Jie and after school, she normally joins Ding Xiao Yu in the music room."
Yu Jing slowly nodded, writing it all down. "Is that all?" she asked.
"I guess so," Yu Ting muttered, looking down at the uneaten lollipop in her hand, "And Yan Yan Jie has really good echol-" she paused suddenly with eyes wide, "Never mind, it wasn't anything important."

Yu Jing then smiled and nodded before she got up to leave. "I'm going to go and practice how to be a blind girl," she laughed before she pretended to bump into the wall. She burst out laughing, "How do you manage to even like a blind person?!" she laughed as she left the room.

Yu Ting watched her leave, "Yan Yan Jie..." she whispered, looking down at the lemon flavoured lollipop in her hand.”I'm trusting those friends of yours to spot a fake..." she muttered, before heading outside.