Afterlife Department

Chapter 159 – Clone

Peng Li heard his question and paused. Then, he raised his head to meet Luo Ying's gaze. "Wasn't it because you're beautiful?" he smiled.

"Answer me honestly." Lin Shu said, his face serious as he stared at Peng Li's eyes.

Peng Li didn't answer for a long time. However, when he finally spoke, he awkwardly moved his gaze and stammered. "I thought, that time, I wanted you to become mine." He answered. He looked away, only to reveal his ears that reddened.

Lin Shu. "…" for real? He thought as he watched Peng Li's face, only for Peng Li's face and ears redden more.. Then, at that moment, he remembered something important that he forgot.

That time, he looked wretched with soaked clothes and his hair is stuck to his morbid pale face with sunken cheeks and bloodless lips. His injured body was profusely bleeding because of his wounds he got from the wrecked ship and the monsters in seas he crossed.

So, how can Peng Li fall in love with him at that time with his horrifying appearance? However, despite his weakened and injured body, when he heard someone was walking towards him in the shore, his eyes opened and he vigilantly looked around… only to meet the sympathetic gaze of a handsome young man who was Peng Li.

Ah… now he understood. It was his eyes, that are the windows of his soul, that Peng Li had fallen in love with, as he had fallen to Peng Li's eyes that mirrored the purest sincerity.

Seeing Peng Li shying under his gaze as he sat across the table in front of him, a smile formed on Lin Shu's lips. "Let's eat." He said, gone is the coldness in his voice.

"En." Peng Li happily answered after he noticed the change in Lin Shu's tone. A smile bloomed on his face. "Oh, right." he said when he remembered something. "I have another reason why I went home this lunch." He said.

"What is it?" Lin Shu asked.

Peng Li took something out from his coat. "Here." He said as he gave it to Lin Shu. Lin Shu immediately opened the invitation addressed to him. 

It was the wedding invitation of Luo Ying and Jing Li. 

S City, Hao Baiyun's villa, basement.

Huo Ling watched as Jiang Ce made an anguished expression as his nails dug into his palm and his hand bled. He doesn't know how to feel, nor what to say to Jiang Ce.

His father was just a clone created from a human experimentation project of the Walter family. Then, he became alive with Harry Walter's soul. Added with the flesh and blood, Harry Walter is his biological father through and through. He belongs to the Walter family, who were loathed by the yao and monsters, in which what his other half blood is.

His face can't help but register a complicated expression. In front of him is his father's lover – his true love, and he is the child born between his father and mother – his father's 'mistress' rival. Then, he found out his father's soul return to his 'authentic' father, which is rational. However, his father's lover is unwilling for all these to happen and wanted to 'take back' his father's soul, so he wanted him – the child, to help him.

What should he, the child involved, do? Waiting for answers, ASAP! Huo Ling took a deep breath and turned to look at Yi Bing, his face sporting a helpless expression. 'uncle' Liu, won't you help me? He flashed a sarcastic smile at Yi Bing.

As expected, Yi Bing's cold face registered an awkward expression. He didn't forget he had deceived Huo Ling. And looking at Huo Ling's smile that's not a smile… he's screwed.

Suddenly, Huo Ling remembered something. "Your job in the Walter family, specifically, is…?" he asked as he looked at Jiang Ce, then his impeccable white coat. They always refer to him as a doctor, but what kind of doctor, they don't know.

Jiang Ce recovered his twisted expression and unclenched his fists before he turned to Huo Ling. "Oh. Haven't I told you?" he asked.

They all shook their head as an answer.

"I'm the head scientist of the cloning research." Jiang Ce answered as he placed his hands inside the wide pockets of his impeccable white cloak.

Everyone. "…" what the hell is this plot?! They all screamed in their head as they incredulously looked at Jiang Ce. They initially thought that Jiang Ce is just a small doctor working as the physician of the Walter family. Then, he fell in love with Harry Jackson and took Harry Jackson from the Walter family who were doing atrocious acts to keep Harry Jackson pure from this world.

But, what did they just hear? Jiang Ce isn't a cannon fodder nor a mob character… he's actually a BOSS! The villain chief of the scientists working in the Walter family!

"No wonder your name is familiar…" Hao Baiyun muttered in aghast as he stared at Jiang Ce with widened eyes. "You're that famous scientist of our country in bioengineering!" he exclaimed as he pointed at Jiang Ce.

Jiang Ce's brows raised as he turned to Hao Baiyun. "That's right." he affirmed. "And that fame of mine landed me in trouble." He said as his eyes narrowed.

"You don't mean…" Liu Lin gasped when he realized something.

"That's right." Jiang Ce said as he sneered. "The Walter family abducted me… well, not really abducted." He said as he smiled a self-deprecating smile. "They 'invited' me to their doorstep. Usually, it would be a snake being led to one's yard. But this time, it's a sheep." He said then smirked as if he can see the Walter family's enraged expression. "A black sheep." He smiled smugly at them.

Everyone. "…" an eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. They abducted Jiang Ce, and Jiang Ce did the same to them by abducting Harry Jackson. The Walter family had it coming.

"Ah. Now, I remember." Fei Xuli spoke as his brows wrinkled when he tried to recall. "When we were in the underground prison, we heard the lich guards that a genius scientist 'joined' the Walter family." He looked at Jiang Ce who sneered at the word 'joined'. A clear disgust on his face. "And his name is 'Jackson Jackson'…" his voice fell.

Such a really ridiculous name, must be the prisoners' thought. They all thought as they looked at Jiang Ce with a meaningful gaze.

"What you said is true, but I prefer to refer myself as a 'doctor' now, thank you." Jiang Ce flashed a smile that is not a smile.

"…" he's clearly pissed. They thought as they looked away.

The atmosphere turned awkward once again. "Wait." Feng Er spoke.

They looked at her.

"What's with this cloning project, anyway?" she asked as she frowned. "Wasn't the Walter family a big family? Why would they make a clone?" she looked at Jiang Ce with a puzzled expression.

That's right. The Walter family is a powerful family. They have many servants at their beck and call, and many would like to be under their roof.

Hearing the question, Jiang Ce's face darkened and the atmosphere became heavy to the point its suffocating once again. "That's…" he said.

Pennsylvania.

CRASH! The glass windows broke when the goblet crashed to it after it was thrown. The glass shards fell on the floor and the red liquid was spilled, dyeing the glass shards red.

"ARGH… HAH… hah…" Harry Walter heavily breathed as he clutched his chest. His handsome face twisted in both pain and anger. "You… be quiet – " he said through his gnashed teeth as he clutched his chest tighter. He regretted cloning himself.

"No! I wanted to go back! I want to return to Jiang Ce!" the voice inside his head screamed.

"UGH…" Harry Walter's teeth grinded when he felt a head-splitting pain. He had fallen to his knees and held his head tight. "STOP – " he said as he closed his eyes tight. "That puny doctor…" he muttered.

"Jiang Ce! Jiang Ce!" the voice, Harry Jackson, called.

"Heh… hahahaha…" Harry Walter laughed. "Do you think it's you he likes? He loves?" he asked as he opened his eyes and saw his reflected in one of the broken mirrors. "He never loved you." He told the man who has the same face as him but wore a different expression.

"What do you mean?!" Harry Jackson asked.

"It's because you just have the same face as me and loves him that's why he 'loved' you." Harry Walter said as he smiled a malicious smile.

"No! I don't believe you!"

"Then, did you go to bed with him?" Harry Walter asked. Seeing Harry Jackson stiffened and didn't answer, he laughed. "He didn't sleep with you, since I'm the one he loves." He said as he picked up the glass shard, disregarding his hand bleeding. "You're just my clone. You're his ideal me. However – " he said as he walked to the balcony. " – you can never be me, so he won't ever love you. Farewell, my other self." He said as he threw the glass shard to the darkness, and Harry Jackson's stunned face disappeared.

The glass shard fell to the ground and broke to tiny pieces.