Morning sun found its way to Yetao's eyes through the window, which tingled it to open. Yetao woke up stretching his hands out and greeted the pleasant morning.
He saw the book near his bedside and tilted his head in confusion.
"Did I keep it here?", Yetao was puzzled.
"A black dragon and a wolf huh? Whatever, that was one satisfying story. If only it had a happy ending...", Yetao felt sad.
"Who even thought of writing such a beautiful bl? I thought this world only has homophobes", Yetao thought about Bambam.
"He's from my world too. But people here are more normal than him", Yetao sulked.
Just when he was lost in thoughts, Jackson and Bambam knocked his door and entered the room.
"Did you interpret the book?", Jackson asked in curiosity.
Meanwhile, Bambam couldn't meet Yetao's eyes and acted suspicious after entering the room.
"I've read it. It's just a b....b.....", Yetao hesitated as he was conflicted whether to tell them or not but thought of an idea and rephrased the word.
"Bromance!!!", Yetao's eyes sparkled as he handled the situation well, but Bambam coughed suddenly.
When Yetao met Bambam's eyes to see what's wrong with him, he averted his eyes from Yetao.
"What's with that old man? Did he eat something wrong?", Yetao squinted his eyes in suspicion.
"What's bromance?", Jackson was filled in his own confusion and spilled it out.
"It's just... a strong kind of friendship like brothers", Yetao explained.
"It's a friends story then. What did you interpret in it?", Jackson kept bombarding with questions which made Yetao to struggle.
"That's ..... wait. Why are you asking me so many questions on that story? You're hiding something from me, aren't you? I'm not going to tell you unless you tell me the reason", Yetao was stubborn.
"I'm sorry Jackson Gege. Even though I'm your fan, I can't help but be suspicious of everything here", Yetao thought to himself.
Jackson let out a deep sigh.
"You know you need to obtain the black dragon's heart, right? We found a way", Jackson explained everything that Jeff said about the dragon's scale and the condition for it to have an owner. He also explained about the second owner of the scale who Jeff had no chance to meet.
"So, I believe this book is the one Jeff spoke about. And this book's owner has Jeff's piece of heart. Now, what we need is for you to interpret this book so that you can have a chance to make a close bond with Jeff. He might feel a connection to you after hearing the whole story, right?", Jackson stated.
"No", Yetao and Bambam yelled at the same time and looked at each other. Bambam averted his eyes again which made Yetao feel more wary. But he needed to clear the main obstacle that's coming his way.
"Anyways, no. This story... I can't interpret it to Jeff Gege", Yetao was determined.
"He's calling everyone Gege except me", Bambam was annoyed for his own separate reasons.
"But I don't see any other way for him to get connected to you", Jackson was stubborn.
Yetao thought for a while and got an idea.
"I don't know whether it'll help me. But I feel like I must do this", Yetao thought in his head.
He quickly picked up the book and turned to a certain page. He showed the page to Jackson pointing a picture.
"Do you know a place like this here?", Yetao asked with curious eyes.
"What do you mean? All I see is some scratches and some flowers. Moreover, why are you asking about it?", Jackson was confused.
"It might just be a theory. But from what you said, I believe this book's owner loved.... I mean cared for Jeff Gege as a brother. The top... I mean, the male lead was a black dragon, and his friend is a wolf. The wolf must be the one who made this book. Here, this page is their usual meeting point. This is like a garden or a flowerbed. Do you know this place now?", Yetao explained and Jackson remembered what Jeff said.
"He said he always saw these pictures scattered in the flowerbed his mother made. I guess that's the place", Jackson stated and Yetao smiled in happiness.
"Then what are you waiting for? Take me to that place", Yetao pulled Jackson's hand in excitement.
"But, what are you going to do after going there?", Jackson was confused.
"I'll tell you after I go there. Just take me there, please", Yetao pleaded making a puppy dog eyes which made Jackson to clear throat in hesitation.
Jackson gave in at the end and took Yetao there.
Yetao was excited to actually see their meeting place in person that he closed his mouth with his hands in surprise and squealed in excitement.
"But Jeff said that he doesn't even know who the person is. How could it be a meeting then? Did you make a mistake?", Jackson was puzzled.
Yetao smirked and went near the flowerbed. He suddenly started to dig in with his hands which made the other two shocked.
"Yetao? If Jeff knows about this, he'll be furious", Jackson was worried.
"Why will I be furious?", Jeff arrived the scene hearing the conversation and was shocked to see his mother's flowerbed getting torn apart.
Yetao didn't notice his arrival and kept digging in excitement.
Jeff went near the flowerbed and pulled Yetao up by his hand, which made Yetao surprised.
"What are you doing? That's my mom's flowerbed" Jeff was annoyed.
Bambam, who couldn't tolerate Jeff's behaviour went and pulled Yetao towards him hiding him behind his back.
"He's just a playful kid. I'll restore the flowerbed to its original state. Just leave it here", Bambam was serious.
"Now is not the time to play daddy Bambam', Jeff was furious.
"I'm sorry I've ruined your mother's flowerbed. But I believe you should see this", Yetao let out his hand, which carried a pouch and a letter, that he obtained by digging through the soil and moved forward towards Jeff.
The moment he went near Jeff, he slipped on a rock and a gem slipped out form the pouch. Both Jeff and Yetao tried to catch it and disappeared from the garden with a flashing light. Jackson and Bambam was shocked.
Bambam started to panic and searched the whole vicinity. Jackson tried to process what happened and stood there in case they might appear again.
Meanwhile, Jeff and Yetao got sucked into an illusion that happened 700 years ago.
"I came to another world now? Just what the **** is wrong with this game?", Yetao cussed at the game.
Jeff carefully observed the surrounding and understood what this might be.
"This is an illusion", Jeff stated.
"Illusion? Like a state of mind creating false atmosphere? So if I walk forward, will I bump into Jackson gege or Bambam?", Yetao blabbered and Jeff sighed.
"This is a projection of a someone's memory. We are just seeing what happened already. This is my mom's palace when she was alive. Now, it became a temple. If it's still a palace, then this memory is from when she was alive", Jeff kept looking around to see who the memory belongs to.
"Like a recording? Is this like a video projection? More like a VR", Yetao spoke to himself as Jeff kept looking around in confusion.
Jeff saw a lady and started to follow her. Yetao followed Jeff in fear of getting lost. The lady stopped before a room and knocked it.
"Why are you following that lady? Is she your crush or something?" Yetao asked in suspicion.
"She was my mother's personal maid and....that's my mother's room. I've only seen her from far. I want to see her near now", Jeff followed the lady into the room and stood there frozen by seeing the scene happening inside the room.
Jeff's mother was teaching a kid around 3 years to draw something. She was happy even though the kid drew some alien.
"See this, Maria? My Jeff is talented at everything? What am I going to do with this cute boy", Jeff's mom tickled the kid and laughed along with him.
Jeff started to well up tears seeing a scene of him he doesn't even remember.
"That kid must be Jeff gege", Yetao understood the atmosphere.
"I know, madam. Who did you think he took after? Definitely not that evil man", Maria was annoyed thinking about something.
Jeff's mom sighed.
"My Jeff would never become a monster Maria. I'll be there to protect him at all costs", Jeff's mom was determined which made Jeff to be confused.
"But she never met me even once as far as I remember. What made her do that?" Jeff was lost in his own thoughts while he heard another baby's voice from the sideline.
Maria took the baby and tried to calm him down but the baby kept crying.
"I'm sorry, madam. I should've took care of him beforehand to not disturb you", Maria apologised.
"What's there to apologise for? Don't separate your son from my son. According to me, they're both my kids", Jeff's mom stated.
Jeff stopped drawing and held the baby's hand which made the baby to stop crying instantly making everyone shocked.
"Would you look at that? My jeff is taking care of his younger brother already", Jeff's mom was excited and the room was filled with happiness.
Suddenly, the scene changed to a garden.
"What's happening? A bug in the video? Is it crashing?", Yetao was confused.
"The memory just saves the significant moments", Jeff stated and looked around the garden to see his mom with a small boy.
"You have a green thumb", Jeff's mom said looking at the boy warmly and the boy just smiled since he can't speak as a 2 year old.
"Madam, I told you I'll take care of planting. Why did you ruin your dress? Please allow me to do it madam", Maria was worried that Jeff's mother would hurt herself by the thorns.
Jeff's mom didn't care and continued to plant saplings happily and the small boy helped her too.
"Not you too, Barcode. You're taking part in this crime too. Why are you not listening to me when I'm your mom?", Maria shouted at the kid.
"Barcode?", Jeff was shocked to hear the name.
"I've heard this name somewhere too. But, where?", Yetao thought for a while but couldn't remember.
"My Jeff have to grow up looking at good things. Carnations are said to resemble a mother's love. Jeff is my only joy and reason to live. As these flowers grow, my love will also grow for him. I hope he gets all the joy in the world", Jeff's mom smiled and looked at Barcode who was looking curious at Jeff's mom.
"Why are you looking like that? If I'm planting these flowers, then of course it's for you too. Since you're my son too, right?", Jeff's mom poked Barcode's nose which made him flinch cutely and everyone burst out to laughter, except the grown up Jeff who's watching a version of his mother he always longed for.
Jeff stood there holding his tears and clenching his fist in anger that why she couldn't show this love to him if she cared for him so much.
Yetao was worried to see Jeff and held his hand to comfort him.
The scene changed suddenly to the palace's main hall.
Jeff's father and mother were arguing about something.
Jeff went close to them to hear what they're fighting at.
"You think I'll give YOU the right to raise MY heir? I just left him in your care until he learns some basic things. Now, he can walk and speak well. He's already 6 years old. I don't see a reason for you to be near him anymore", Jeff's father yelled.
"I'm not leaving Jeff to your hands. You'll make him a monster just like you, with greed washing away your sanity. Just like you destroyed my entire clan to marry me", Jeff's mom snapped at him.
Jeff was shocked to hear the whole conversation.
"I know. It's been 200 years now, Linda. Why are you still holding a grudge over it? Then what should I have done. Watch you getting married to that fox? I just took what I wanted like a man would do", Jeff's father shouted.
"That fox was the man I loved, you bastard. I'm not your property. Jeff is also not your property. I'm not handing him over to you. Only over my dead body you'll have him", Linda was determined.
"This is the problem here Linda. I'm not saying I'll take him with me alone. I'm just giving you a choice. You can raise him all you want. I'm just asking you to love me back", Jeff's father pleaded.
"Even looking at your face is making me feel disgusted. You think I'll love you. Maybe in your dreams. I'm taking Jeff with me. Nobody should stop me. If they ever try to get near me, I'll definitely create a havoc in this place", Jeff's mom was furious.
When she tried to leave, Jeff's father threw a needle, which penetrated Linda's neck and she fell unconscious.
"Mom?", Jeff was trying to catch her but his hands went through her since its only an illusion. Jeff cried at his inability to change the past and Yetao held Jeff's shoulders comforting him since he was worried at the situation.
"I'm sorry Linda. But I can't lose you. That was the last chance I gave you to come to me by your own will. I'm tired of waiting for you", Jeff's father carried Linda out of the main hall.
Jeff followed them and Yetao tried to catch up, but stopped when he saw that little Barcode was actually watching this whole scenario. Within he could process, the scene changed to Linda's palace, but a few years forward.
Linda was staring blankly at the flowerbed without any expression.
"Madam, do you know the meaning of these flowers?", Barcode grew up to be an adult.
"Wait... I've seen him before", Yetao was lost in his thoughts but still couldn't remember.
Linda just stood there still tilting her head slightly.
"It's called Carnations. You planted this to wish your son to have a happy life", Barcode stated but Linda got confused.
"I... have a son? My husband did not say that to me though?", Linda asked innocently.
Jeff was shattered.
"You have a son, madam. His name is Jeff. Do you remember now?", Barcode asked in a soft tone.
Linda's heart tingled hearing the name.
"Jeff? I know him, but...", Linda was trying hard to remember him.
"I... how could I forget about it?", Linda started to cry and panted. She eventually fell unconscious as she tried too hard. Barcode held her.
"It's alright madam. I'll make you remember no matter how much you forget. After all, that was the cruel job you gave me. To make you suffer from this pain each and every day", Barcode tried to control his tears and put her to sleep in her bed.
Jeff got confused by the whole thing that's happening in front of him that he's barely staying sane. Yetao kept comforting Jeff in case he might break down.