Godzilla wanders through and orders a macchiato.

(While the above has nothing to do with the story, I am, for some inadequately explored reason, loathe to remove it so it becomes random food for thought. Please do with it as you will. 😁)
-----

Yiling had slept late but instead of feeling refreshed, he felt restless. Out of sorts. He had dreamed of the detective again. He had been walking with Lan Wangji. Oak leaves and maple in their rich gold and reds were drifting downward. They had laid on the leaves talking until Yiling realized Lan Wangji was gone. Startled, he had sat up looking around but the detective wasn't anywhere to be seen. The imprint of his body was on the leaves. That was all. He called but his voice echoed into nothingness. No answer. He felt deserted. Abandoned. Alone. Even in all the beauty of this place, his heart had felt smaller. Colder. Emptier.

He had woken curled into a tight ball. His chest aching and tight.

Standing in the shower, he tried to wash away the empty. The cold. Tonight, he would play his dizi. His soul needed it.
~~~~~

Lan Wangji's favorite poem was written by a Tamil poet named Manu**. She had a wisdom that was as applicable now as when she had written it in antiquity. The poem, Integrity, had spoken to his heart. It came down to one thing: believing in the whisper of dreams.

While he didn't want to believe in the nightmare, he believed it was a message. Maybe from his inner self. He didn't know. It was important to find the flute player. He needed to.  Why didn't really matter. 

Tonight, he would be searching in the area he had previously heard the song. It was at least a possibility that he would see him or her.

He stripped down and got in the shower.

Sluicing the sweat off his body, he enjoyed the warmth and tried to believe in the whisper of dreams.
~~~~~

Jin Guangshin was on his way to the board meeting. He was pissed to his core. His bastard son had resigned out of the blue after having access to the most secret of the family's finances. And his second son was being blackmailed for a sadistic murder he had enjoyed committing. What had he done to the gods that they hated him this much?

He ran a shaky hand over his face. His oldest son barely spoke to him. After Jin Zixuan had run across some of his shady deals, he had silently looked at his father then politely excused himself. He had moved out of the house the next day.

Jin Zixuan had been twenty-two when he began his computer consulting company. He had worked his ass off and made it into an impressive business. Lately, he had begun expanding into security in a variety of arenas and it was quickly becoming lucrative.

He had worked hard for the past eleven years. Despite the time constraints of running Jin Computers, Jin Zixuan had managed to woo then marry for love.  He had found a woman that was both intelligent and determined who adored him.

Jiang Yanli was Madame Yu's oldest child and only daughter. Jin Guangshan couldn't have done better for his son if he had arranged the marriage himself. She was a picture perfect wife. Kind, loving, and absolute iron when it came to protecting those she loved.   She even managed to do it without being impolite. He had watched her once cut Jin Zixun down to quivering shreds after he made a particularly vicious statement about her brothers. She had frowned slightly at him and, in a firm tone, took him to task. Jin Zixun had left in a hurry, mad as hell, but he never mentioned her brothers again either. Jin Zixuan had worn a proud smile for a week.

He had a wonderful son who avoided him when ever possible.

He had a son who was as sick and twisted as they get.

He had a bastard son who was, unquestionably, brilliant but who had disappeared with who knew what information.

Jin Guangshan began to have the sneaking suspicion Karma had caught up with him.
~~~~~

Madame Yu watched Jin Guangshan enter the board meeting. His smile was stapled to his face.

'Something isn't going his way.' she gloated. 'The question is what? And can I use it to get a bigger piece of the profits?'

She smiled. There was blood in the water.**

~~~~~

Nie Huaisang was in his office, still smiling from the days events and sipping the remnants of a caramel latte made specifically for him by Yu Bin. His phone rang. He noticed in passing it was noon. 'Lunch... mmm' was the first thought that passed through his head followed by the image of Yu Bin sweaty and shirtless. His ears went red but he was grinning when he answered the phone.

"Wei?"

"It's Song Lan. I have a question for you. There is a new report by the way. I sent it to both of the emails you gave me."

"Thank you. What is the question?"

"I want you to send undercover police into the Koi Tower Youth Shelters."

"Why?"

"Because there is something odd going on there. Their numbers of teens served is impressive but if you look a little harder, they are reporting approximately half the amount they should be for food and other supplies to care for that number of people. Call it a hunch but something is off." Song Lan paused. Waiting for The Spider to consider.

"I have two operatives that can pass as teens so it's a possibility. Do you have anything else to back up your hunch."

"Madame Yu has suddenly joined their board of directors. It seems completely out of character for her to show charity much less to the impoverished. She is quite clear in expressing her loathing of the 'lower' classes."

"Tax dodge?" Nie Huaisang pondered.

"I don't believe so. The tax breaks only require the money or goods be donated. This is a level of involvement that is totally unnecessary if that is her goal. I believe there is something going on at these youth shelters that is in some way profitable to her but what that might be I cannot say."

"I'll read the report and see what I can do to arrange for an undercover op."

"Thank you. I will contact again if I have any additional information not already included in the reports."

When he had gotten off the phone with Song Lan, Nie Huaisang was disturbed. There wasn't much there for him to justify an undercover operation but at the same time, Song Lan had excellent instincts. Madame Yu was a bitch of the first degree. There was no way she would be sitting on the board of a charity for homeless youth no matter how prestigious it might be. It was amazing that a woman like that had managed to produce a son who was a truly excellent police officer.

'Perhaps he took after his father?'  The Spider mused.

There was a knock on his door. He glanced up, "Come in!"

It was one of his officers. Xin Di** was the second youngest officer in Undercover and frequently passed as sixteen. She had a healthy dose of common sense, a right jab that could drop you to your knees and an ability to drink beer that was legendary in the department.

She blew an impressive bubble with her gum. "I drove past that warehouse Wen Chao's cover company bought. It's a dump but there's a sign on it saying it's the future site of a Koi Tower Youth Shelter. Never heard of them." Another bubble. She had been practicing for a week as part of building a new persona for undercover.

That got The Spider's attention. "Are you sure it said Koi Tower?"

She pulled out her phone and flashed up a picture. A run down building with a sparkling new sign. Written in flashy gold letters. No way to miss that.

"Ouyang Zizhen? Come in here, please."  The secretary looked up. That was one thing he sincerely appreciated about Nie Huaisang. He never snapped. He was always polite. Even at his scariest.

"Yes, Boss?"

"I'm sending you and Xin Di in to a Koi Tower Youth Shelter. Siblings will be best, I think." The Spider tapped his chin with his third favorite fan. "Abusive family, been on the streets for a month... protecting each other, hungry..." He glanced up at them. "I'm not sure how dangerous this is because I'm not exactly sure what Wen Chao is up to so be alert. We'll pull in a team. Charlie** will run comms."

At this news, they both smiled. Charlie was not only damn good on comms but she insisted that everyone have a piece of chocolate before they went out into the field. Said it brought luck. Lindt was her favorite to pass out which could be difficult to get in Beijing**. As far as everyone was concerned, it was a win win situation.

"Let's move! There's paperwork before you get that chocolate!"

~~~~~

Meng Yao closed his security deposit box. Safely deposited within was one of the thumb drives he had made of all the information he had gathered. Another was in a small bank in the working class neighborhood he had grown up in. One was with his lawyer with strict instructions. Copies of it were to be delivered to the police and the prosecutor's office in case of his death.

He put nothing past his father and his associates. There was simply too much money involved. The risks were obvious but he felt he had no choice. He couldn't live with the knowing anymore.

The final copy was in his pocket.

Just in case.

It had a been a busy morning. He had decided to deliver the three boxes himself. His plain black suit, black mask and sunglasses should mark him as an average business man. So repetitive in the buildings as to be insignificant. It seemed to work. He had scrawled an illegible mess for a signature on the delivery sheet, handed over the box and walked out.

At the last delivery, he walked out all smiles. Hidden by the mask, he could indulge himself. Let every bit of relief and exhilaration flow on to his face. He walked for two blocks before ducking into a large store. He wandered, got himself lost in the crowds and slid out a side exit.

He finally slipped his mask into his pocket and went to meet his brother for their two o'clock lunch. They were going to discuss his new position in Jin Zixuan's company. Hailing a cab, he slid into the back seat and gave the address of the restaurant

Meng Yao's dimples were showing all the way there.
~~~~~

Jiang Cheng stood in front of the door. He punched in the code and closed the door behind him. The apartment was quiet. Unnaturally still. Its breath held waiting for the return of its owner. The black sofa was still covered in deep red pillows. The armchair still had an afghan crumpled in a corner of it. A lotus pattern woven into it in deep purples. It was the only thing out of place in the whole apartment. The only remaining sign he had been there.

Jiang Cheng couldn't bring himself to pick it up. Shake it out. Fold it up. Put it away. It felt like he would disappear if he did.

After he had realized he was missing, he had come to his apartment often. Somehow always hoping he would open the door to his scolding about knocking. It had been a running fight both of them had enjoyed. They had a strange relationship in some ways but it didn't mean they loved each other any less.

On the wall, across from the sofa, was the self-portrait so many had tried to own. It could no more be owned by another than the man who created it. The red curving from his right cheek around the orbital socket to his brow bone and forehead left both of his eyes clearly visible. The mischief that lurked in them. The intelligence that twinkled. The love that shone. He didn't know how many times he had just stared into those eyes and wished.

Wished that he had realized sooner. Wished he had brought in help faster. Wished he would come home safe and sound.

Jiang Cheng noticed the portrait's name plaque had dulled. That would not do. He got a cloth from under the sink and gently polished the silver oval. When he was done, it was gleaming.

A last check through the apartment. Just in case. But nothing had changed. He hadn't been back.

He took out his phone. He picked a contact and clicked on it.

"Wei?"

"Nothing. He hasn't been back."

A moment of silence

"We will find him. We will." There was quiet determination in the woman's voice.

"We will. I'll call if I hear anything."

"Take care of yourself, please. I worry about you."

"I'm fine. I'll take care of myself." The lie came easily. Tonight, he would once again be at the station. Burying himself in work. Tearing the world apart if necessary to find him.

Jiang Cheng quietly left.

Behind him, the rays of afternoon sunlight lit up the name plaque. There was a single word engraved on it.

Yiling

~♡~♡~♡~
To:

ManuAndhale for her wisdom, willingness to share it and her loving heart 😘🐼❤️

CynthiaBorrego  for her courage to step out and experience life 😘🥰❤️ 

NebulusCharlie for bringing us together and her love of chocolate and the luck it brings 👍😘❤️

Blood in the water is a shark reference. Totally appropriate for Madame Yu, I believe.

I have no idea how difficult Lindt chocolate is to obtain in Beijing. It worked for the story.

Happy Easter and Blessed Ostara!
❤️🍫🫖❤️