"I thought Prince could do whatever he wished," said Noah.
"They can, but there are always some kinds of restrictions and limitations that we need to follow. One day I just wish to run away from here just like my elder brother."
It was the first time Jake opened himself to his friends, and they decided to listen to him.
"You have a brother, but you never mentioned him," Noah asked curiously, and Lu Lijun still waited to hear it.
"Hmm, his dreams were different, and he ran away from here to follow them." Saying Jake looked at Lu Lijun as he informed him, "He is in China now. His father was Chinese while we have the same mother, the only princes of my family."
"The princes married someone that far?" Lu Lijun finally spoke, as just like Noah, he was curious too.
"I am not sure, but they say he was my mother’s first love, and after his death, my mother married my father, the European man. My stepbrother is the first husband’s child while I am the child of the second one."
"You have a typical royal family with so many twists and turns," Noah concluded as he laughed a little.
"Hmm, I think the same," Jake replied.
"Your stepbrother must be an incredible person," Lu Lijun commented as he felt amazed that someone could really run away by giving up on the royalty.
"He is, but I hate him for not coming to see me often. He is the only person who can understand me and..." Jake sighed as he informed, "Anyways, he is here, so I’ll introduce him to you both today."
As these friends talked for a while, one man came there, "Seems like you all are enjoying her."
Jake stood up to greet the man, and Noah followed him, thinking the person must be one of the royalties while Lu Lijun left shocked as he saw the man.
"My elder brother, who I told you about," Jake informed as he introduced his friends to his brother, "Brother, meet Noah and Lijun, my friends."
"Good evening, elder bro..." Noah stopped, thinking if it was right to call the royal person as a brother while Lu Lijun had nothing to say, feeling shocked.
The man smiled at Noah, "It’s okay; you can call me an elder brother, and I am sure Lu Lijun would like it too."
"Brother, An Tian."
Lu Lijun finally snapped out of the daze as he realized why An Tian looked European and not Asian. He heard from Lu Qiang that An Tian’s mother was European, and he is from one good family, but never in his dream, he thought An Tian to be a Prince of one royal family.
Jake and Noah looked at these two surprisingly as Jake asked, "You two know each other?"
"Hmm! Can you guys give me some time alone with Lu Lijun?" An Tian asked, and the other two agreed though they were curious to know about these two.
Once Noah and Jake left, An Tian sat in the chair opposite to Lu Lijun only to hear the mocking conclusion from Lu Lijun.
"Well, Yes and No," An Tian replied as he added, "If my reason were to just check on you, then I wouldn’t be here after three years."
"Then?"
"I came here to see my family and you too, but this time I didn’t come as your doctor but as an elder brother. You are doing good that you don’t need a doctor now, so I took my time coming here."
"Hmm!"
"How are you doing? I am glad that you and Jake are friends," said An Tian.
Lu Lijun nodded, agreeing to it, and said, "Jake told us about you just a while ago, but I didn’t expect that person to be you."
An Tian laughed, "I too didn’t expect I would be a runaway prince one day."
"Why did you do so?" Lu Lijun asked curiously, and it seemed like for the first time he took an interest in An Tian’s personal life other than thinking of him only as his doctor.
"My father died when I was around six years old. I had just a few memories of him and always wished to visit his home in China. Once I grew up, I visited there, got to know my father’s way of living, and I wished to follow it. Just like my father, I too am not interested in these royal things, but only one common royal thing we both liked, and that’s my mother."
An Tian laughed as he said it, and one could see the love for his mother in his eyes. "I wish if my grandparents had allowed my mother to leave and follow my father to China, so things would have been different."
"Why so?" Lu Lijun asked.
"My grandparents wanted us to be here while my father wished to go back. When things didn’t happen what my father wished, he alone moved to China, leaving us here, and next year we got the news of his death in an accident. Drunk and drive, I think he missed us a lot and couldn’t bear with it."
"Sad to hear it," said Lu Lijun.
"Hmm, but he showed me how to get out of here and follow my dreams," An Tian added.
"What was your dream?" Lu Lijun asked.
"To live a free life without any restriction," An Tian informed as he added, "Being a doctor or a fashion designer were just things that came along my way, and I found them interesting."
"So, will you be always away from here?"
"Hmm, that’s the plan, but let’s see as there are always variables to what we plan."
"True and those variables are hateful," said Lu Lijun, and An Tian could sense what he referred to.
"You didn’t visit your home. When are you planning to go to China?" An Tian asked.
"Never," came the cold and firm reply from the young guy.
"Hmm, take your time." An Tian didn’t insist, knowing how stubborn Lu Lijun could be and instructed, "We should go back now as the birthday celebration will start soon."
Lu Lijun agreed, and both went inside the mansion.