As the illusion continued to change locations, Yetao understood one thing.
"Now I understand who the owner of the memory is", Yetao was sure about it.
"It's Barcode, isn't it?", Jeff's face saddened at the thought.
"You knew him before?", Yetao was puzzled and within he could get an answer, the scene changed to Linda's funeral.
Jeff tried to control his tears, but the tears escaped his eyes unable to be held. He saw himself crying in a far land unable to go near her.
"My father said my mom hated me. But I always believed that no mom would hate her son enough to not see him even once. I used to watch her secretly all the time. She was the most beautiful and kindest woman I've ever seen. I.... always longed for that kindness to be directed towards me but.....", Jeff bawled his eyes out by witnessing the scene again.
Yetao cried along with him to see the tragedy that has happened to his mom. Just then, Yetao saw the Jeff inside the illusion is giving a different aura around him. An aura so bright.
"What's happening to you there?", Yetao was confused of seeing an unknown occurrence.
"That's my heart scale", Jeff answered.
The Jeff in the illusion, let out a scale which traveled in the air and reached Linda's body which was observed by everyone on the funeral hall.
Jeff ran in fear that anyone might see him and Barcode followed him. He didn't notice that he's being followed and went into a greenhouse. Barcode watched at Jeff silently from the shadows who was taking his time to calm down from all the sadness his mother left him with.
Jeff picked up a stick that was laying on the ground and started to draw something in the soil. He left after a while and Barcode checked what that might be. He was shattered to see the imperfect art. It was not so great, but Barcode understood what it meant.
It was an art of a son, wanting his mother's love. Barcode felt an urge to comfort the lonesome soul, but didn't know how.
The scene changed to the guest palace. Barcode was sneaking into the palace and they both followed him to stop before a certain room.
"This is.....", Yetao was surprised to see the room where he is currently staying.
Barcode went inside the room after checking that no one saw him. He took out a paper and a coal stick to sketch something.
Jeff carefully observed the sketch and got surprised by the familiar art.
"He's the one who drew all those?", Jeff was shocked.
Barcode completed his sketch draft in a paper and made a final one in his book which was a few pages. He took the draft papers and offered it to the flowerbed.
"I'll make your son happy madam. I promise", Barcode took an oath and left.
Barcode kept offering his drafts to the flowerbed and making a story in his book without knowing that Jeff is actually collecting his drafts for a few days.
One day, when he was leaving his annex, some palace guards started to bully him and threw him into a river.
Yetao was anxious but he gave a perplexed look towards Jeff, who seemed serious but calm, like he already know what happens. Just when Barcode was struggling in the water, the Jeff in the illusion helped him out of the water.
Jeff made sure that the boy is alright and helped him up.
"Who did such a thing to a kid? Just tell me, don't be scared", Jeff was curious but Barcode kept looking at Jeff like he's admiring an art which made Jeff flustered.
"I know I'm handsome. People tell me all the time. You don't have to look at me like that, you know?" Jeff's statement made Barcode to snap back to reality. Barcode thanked him and immediately left from there leaving Jeff alone. Jeff shrugged and left the place.
The scene kept changing to different occasions where Barcode kept being bullied by the palace guards since he's a weak guy from wolf clan. And most of the time, Jeff was the one who took care of it without even knowing why he gets hurt all the time.
"Barcode was a kind kid. He always takes care of everyone around him even if the person is someone who bullied him. I tried to solve the situation in my own way, but he won with his kindness at the end. He was like a little brother to me", Jeff stated with a hint of smile but clenched his fist in worry and Yetao noticed that.
"But I thought he went back to his clan. If we're in his memory then....", Jeff hesitated in fear to admit the truth and Yetao understood.
As time went by, Barcode started to feel an emotion far from gratitude, for which he kept reminding himself to be in reality.
"I only want to fulfill madam's wish. Nothing more, nothing less", Barcode slapped his cheeks and started to draw. But as he kept drawing, the plot of his story started to change into an unexpected genre which he couldn't take control of. He slowly swayed away from a mother's story to his story.
Even though he denied it at first, he started to accept his feelings. He loved Jeff.
From then on, he created two versions of the story. One describing his mother's love for him and the other describing his love for him. He offered the drafts of the first version to the flowerbed and the drafts of his version were burned in fire.
"I guess what I read is the second story he created. Then what happened to the first one?", Yetao was confused in his thoughts.
One day, Barcode saw Jeff when he went to offer his final drafts to the flowerbed. He stopped and hid behind a tree and waited until Jeff leaves. But Jeff kept waiting there.
"Young master, I don't think the artist will come today. We already searched the whole garden and we didn't see any paper of drawing anywhere. You already waited for hours. If we don't go now, master will know about this and be furious", a servant urged Jeff which made him leave in disappointment.
"What artist are they talking about? Could it be....", Barcode was lost in his thoughts.
"Did he see my sketch? But how? I always bury it before the flowerbed. How did he get a hold of it?", Barcode was bewildered. He went near the flowerbed, buried the draft sheets and waited to see who's taking it.
To his surprise, it was a mole.
"Seriously? You kept doing this for how long? Just how mush did he see? I wanted to give him the original completed book altogether", Barcode spoke to himself as he took the drafts that was scattered by the mole's digging.
"Seems like the gardeners just cover it up like nothing since they'll be scolded. But how did he see my drawings then. Did those people show him?", Barcode thought as he walked by and a group of people suddenly covered his face with a bag and tied him up. Despite Barcode's struggles, they kidnapped him.
Both Jeff and Yetao were anxious but were unable to do anything.
The kidnappers threw Barcode in a hut and in a while, Jeff's father arrived there.
Jeff felt choked and his body felt stiff all over unable to process the scene he's seeing.
"Did you think I don't know what's happening in my palace?", Jeff's father glared at Barcode who was already glaring at him on his arrival.
"I just left you to do whatever, since you meant no harm to Jeff. But Jeff's acting strange these days. Like he can't live without your drawing. Isn't it concerning?", Jeff's father gave him a threatening look but Barcode was unfazed.
"I usually see all your drawings before placing it in the garden since Jeff felt happy about it. And you just drew something about a mother's care for his son. So, I saw no threat in it but...", Jeff's father stopped.
"It's different if you give it directly to him. Don't you think? Where is the original book that you spoke of a while ago?", Jeff's father threatened Barcode.
Barcode was shocked to hear that he knows about it.
"Like I said, I know everything that's happening here in the palace. Hand it over to me and I'll leave you. I don't want to kill you, since my wife loved you dearly. I'll hand him the book myself", Jeff's father assured him and Barcode led him to room in the guest palace, where he hid the book. Barcode didn't want to believe him, but he had no choice.
He quickly hid the second version under the bed and gave him the other book.
Jeff's father looked at the book carefully and turned the pages trying to interpret what it means.
"You're a good artist. Unfortunately, you can't draw anymore", as his father said those the guards captured Barcode.
"You promised me you'll hand it over to Jeff gege. Why're you doing this then?", Barcode was furious and he struggled to break free from the guards.
"I can give it to him. Then what? He's already an emotional fool. If he gets this book, he'll definitely act up. I don't want to tame an unruly kid all over again. He's my heir and he needs to focus on being a heir. You understand?", Jeff's father burned the book by summoning fire in his hands.
Barcode was shattered and felt betrayed for believing the evil man.
"Why are you this heartless? Can't you even love your son like a normal father? He did not receive madam's love. Yet he managed to grow up into a great man by himself despite your coldness. Can't you at least let him know that his mother loved him deeply?", Barcode cried and the guards shut him up by beating him.
"I was actually going to cut of your tongue and hands so that you won't pull this again. But, I guess that won't do now", Jeff's father signalled the guards and the guards understood their mission.
"No, don't", Jeff panicked watching this but couldn't do anything to change his fate.
Just when the guards were about to stab him, a dragon's scale arrived the room. It sparkled like a twinkling star and struggled it's way to find Barcode.
"That was the scale that left me when I was thinking about the artist. If only I followed the scale all the way here", Jeff's heart was heavy and he closed his eyes tightly unable to watch Barcode getting killed.
Yetao felt some strange sensation suddenly and tried to touch the scale. To his surprise he actually touched the scale and started to exist in the illusion.
Barcode and all the guards were shocked to see an unknown man suddenly came out of thin air. But Jeff couldn't touch anything and he was still an invisible entity who's just watching.
"Huh? Can you see me?", Yetao was also confused since everyone could see him and Barcode nodded.
"How did you get in?", Jeff panicked.
"Even I don't know. Wasn't this a VR movie? Now I can even go into a movie?", Yetao was confused out of his wits.
The guards tried to attack Yetao but he escaped everything by dancing.
"Hey, shouldn't we talk before going straight into action?", Yetao was so pissed and he grabbed whatever was beside him and beat the crap out of the guard guy.
"Wow, I beat him with a wooden plank? Jeff Gege, did you see that?", Yetao was excited and looked at Jeff who was signalling to save Barcode first.
Barcode was confused since he didn't see anyone there.
"Oh yes, I forgot", Yetao slid on the ground and reached Barcode. He grabbed his hands and ran out of the room, but the guards kept following them.
"Go get me. I was near the flowerbed at this time after I followed my scale", Jeff shouted and Yetao ran as fast as he could towards the flowerbed holding Barcode's hand, but the world started to crack down.
Everything started to disappear but Yetao held Barcode's hand tightly in fear of losing him in the illusion forever.
"No matter what. Grab on to me tight ok?", Yetao was concerned about Barcode.
"But....who are you?", Barcode was confused.
"Um.... someone who watched you grow up from the sidelines?", Yetao gave a vague answer and a huge light appeared before them like a portal.
Yetao closed his eyes and took Barcode with him running towards the light blindly. And they fell out of the illusion, back to the present.
Jackson, who was standing there waiting for them was shocked to see Yetao suddenly appear along with another boy out of thin air.
"Yetao, where did you disappear to? You were gone for almost an hour. Bambam is wrecking a havoc in the palace", Jackson checked upon Yetao.
"One hour? We were actually there for 20 years or so", Yetao stated which shook Jackson.
"20 years? Just where did you go?", Jackson was worried.
"I don't know. But I know I went there to bring my boy back", Yetao felt happy that he brought back Barcode alive.
Barcode thought for a while who it might be. After a deep thinking he got to a conclusion and dropped a bomb.
"Are you perhaps..... my Dad?", Barcode asked Yetao which almost gave him a heart attack. Jackson coughed hearing the surprising statement.
"Dad? You became a dad within an hour?", Bambam arrived in fury and grabbed Yetao's hands which hurt him.
"Bambam, leave me and I'll speak ok? Why are you always fast with your actions rather than words?", Yetao snapped at him and broke free from his grip.
"How can I stay calm when you disappeared just like that? Do you know how worried I was? Now, you're here after enjoying your life in a Lord knows where place with a son?", Bambam snapped back at him.
"Why are you jumping to conclusions on your own? He is not my son ok? Just let me explain, will you", Yetao shouted at him.
Bambam finally calmed down knowing that its not his son letting out a deep sigh.
Just when they were in a heated argument, Jeff arrived with a flash of light.
"Jeff gege?", Barcode was surprised to see him and Jeff hugged him immediately.
"You've endured a lot. I'm sorry I couldn't save you Barcode", Jeff consoled him but he himself started to cry profusely.
Barcode also started to bawl his eyes since so much happened. They both cried in each other's arms for a while keeping the other two in suspense.
Yetao cried in relief that it did not end in tragedy.
Jeff wiped his tears and left Barcode to go to Yetao.
"I don't know how much pain I would've felt if he died there. Words can't define the gratitude I'm feeling towards you right now. But, thank you so much", Jeff held Yetao's hands and became emotional that a scale in him left his body and chose Yetao.
As soon as the scale reached Yetao, he felt a headache. Some unknown memories started to appear again like what happened at the time when his aunt tried to revive his memories.
He saw a huge lizard-like tail which was half black and half white. And he saw someone flying midair above the sea. He couldn't see the face clearly since the memory wasn't clear. He then saw himself holding a man in his arms, but couldn't see the man's face clearly.
As he tried to remember, he lost foot in the ground and was about to fall when Bambam held him.
"Taotao, what's wrong? Are you ok?", Bambam panicked so much that his eyes started to turn red in fear.
Seeing that he's safe from falling, Yetao closed his eyes and went to a deep sleep.