A/N: A whole new story from Loli, enjoy! (All the foreign words are translated in a glossary at the end of the chapter. I may have made mistakes (I'm not a pro at Mandarin), in which case, please inform me so I can correct all errors!)

"..." - dialogues

'...'- thoughts

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS.

Pandora's Box

Chapter One

Prologue

The night was still young and in full swing when, in a small hotel room, the front door burst open. Not bothering to turn on the lights, enter two men locked by the lips and enlaced in a passionate embrace of strokes and caresses. As they tumble inside the room, the younger man carelessly kicks the door closed.

Driven by lust, the two men fumble inside, knocking down vases, chairs and tables as they blindly search for the bed. When they finally find it, they collapse, indulging in its warmth and softness. For a moment still they keep their lips intertwined, tasting and teasing each other with their tongues.

Finally, the younger man slowly breaks the embrace. He has the elder man, who is red faced and panting, pinned down by the shoulders. The young man's chestnut hair, styled in a slightly overgrown crew cut, glistens under the weak light coming from the lone window. He slowly licks his lips. Outside, the moon reveals its face from the clouds. Its silver light suddenly shines inside the room, casting malevolent shadows over the young man's face. Under the young man's gaze, the elder shudders. Those amber orbs scrutinizing him with gluttony suddenly remind him of a hungry wolf eyeing its prey.

Uncomfortable, the man shifts, but lust is stronger than fear. Already, in his trousers, his member is erect and waiting. The younger man dives in, hungrily pressing his lips against his partner's. His tongue skilfully darts inside the older man's mouth, caressing the man palate.

The older man trembles once more, but the wolf enjoys toying with his prey; he begins by kissing the side of the man's mouth and then trails down his neck, nibbling the skin and leaving a multitude of love and bite marks. As he kisses the base of his partner's neck, the young man giggles against the flesh, sole action that betrays his drunkenness. With expert hands, the younger man strips his partner of his overcoat and, button by button, undoes his dress shirt. He strokes the bare chest, lays playful kisses down his partner's trunk.

The wolf slides his tongue around a nipple which he licks, suckles, savours. The older man gasped under the touch. His member, hard as rock, is starting to get painful.

"H-Hurry... Take me... Please..." he begs his voice hoarse with desire.

The wolf only smirks and shushes him.

He strips the older man of his trousers and for a moment simply stares down at the man's protuberance hidden under the one layer of underwear.

The wolf's smirk is gone.

Here he is.

Once again, here he is, at the crossroad between right and wrong, good and bad. Right here, in this stranger's pants lies his greatest pleasure, his greatest shame. He has but a step to take, a hand to extend and he will have crossed the line.

Does he dare set free his lust, his passion?

Does he dare break the seal to his restraint, to his self-control?

Will he cross the line like he has done so many times before?

Will he, once again, open Pandora's Box?

As the wolf ponders so, the other man is getting impatient and sends a hand to stroke his awaiting member. The wolf laughs with condescendence and slaps the man's hand away. He lowers his head to the man's crotch and takes the hardened member in his hand. He ponders a moment more before slowly sliding the cock in his mouth.

Of course he will.

As came dawn, the Hong Kong night scene lost its magic and the nightlife slowly dissipated. It was replaced, as soon as the sun rose, by the lively, buzzing city that is Hong Kong by day.

For Syaoran, morning came too soon. When sunlight penetrated the interior of the small hotel room and hit him in the face, he rolled to the side and groaned himself out of a peaceful slumber. Dizzy with sleep, he finally hissed himself in sitting position, the sheets only covering his lower half. After giving his eyes a quick rub, scratching his bare chest and giving the world a yawn or two, he finally noticed the unfamiliar surroundings.

'Ah. I did it again.' he mouthed silently while pulling his knees towards his chest.

Syaoran sat back on the soft pillows and sent a careless look to the man sleeping soundly by his side. He was a man in his early to mid forties, not exactly good-looking but not ugly either; a wealthy salary man judging by the expensive suit sprawled on the floor and married too, judging by the ring on his finger.

Syaoran scanned the floor for his pants, which he found along with a used condom, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his front pocket. Resting his head on his knees, he slowly lit the stick and took a long drag.

As he exhaled, he tightly shut his eyes and rubbed his temples. Judging by the splitting headache, a monumental hangover was already at the horizon.

Beside him, his partner moaned and shifted in his sleep, but Syaoran barely spared him a glance. Having finished his cigarette, he firmly crushed the bud in an ashtray set on the night table. For an instant, he simply indulged in this moment of silence and stared into space.

Things often happened like this recently. He would go out, get drunk, and wake up, come morning, in bed with a total stranger. It didn't really bother him; neither did he dislike the thought of having sex with a stranger. In fact, commitment-free sex and fleeting one night stands had become his specialty.

Syaoran tossed the sheets off his body and climbed off the bed. Naked, he strolled across the room with the arrogance of youth and headed towards the bathroom. He emerged a few moments later; hair still dripping wet and a towel wrapped around his waist and began gathering his clothes, spread at various corners of the room. By the time Syaoran was fully dressed and already putting on his shoes, the man woke from his sleep.

"Leaving so soon?" He slid his arms around Syaoran's chest and buried his nose at the nape of Syaoran's neck.

"Uh huh."Syaoran replied simply. Unfortunately, this man's appeal had dissipated with the night and minus the darkness and the alcohol, he held very little charm to the little wolf.

"Last night was amazing. Can I see you again?"The man whispered to Syaoran's ear.

"I dunno. Maybe I'll see you around some day." Syaoran coldly undid the man's embrace and, grabbing his jacket hung at the foot of the bed, made for the exit.

As he was about to step out of the room, Syaoran turned around to see the man lazily getting out of bed.

"... Zaijian..." he finally said before exiting the room, closing the door soundlessly behind him.

Soon, a handsome dark-haired young man walked out of the classy hotel by the front door. As he melted into the crowd, no one could have guessed where he had been or what he had just done.

It was already almost seven when Syaoran turned the key in the door of the Li mansion. Trying to make his return as unnoticeable as possible, Syaoran softly closed the door behind him and stepped into the entrance. He carefully removed his shoes and slipped out towards the lobby. The house was eerily quiet and no other noise could be heard but the quiet sound of Syaoran's muffled footsteps.

Syaoran tiptoed across the lobby towards the staircase.

"Xiao Lang." a stern voice called from behind him. Syaoran momentarily froze in his steps before releasing a sigh of defeat.

"Mother." he replied. Syaoran slowly turned, coming face to face with his mother, a tall and dignified woman bearing an unyielding porcelain face. He bowed. Yelan stood, proud as always, in the middle of the lobby and wearing a lavender kimono. Somehow, signs of aging had crept up in her features. Her pale doll face now bore a few wrinkles under and around the eyes and her thick, silky black hair was now streaked with gray. Yelan eyed her son and frowned slightly.

"Make yourself presentable. I would like a word with you in my study when you're ready." she said before disappearing behind a wooden door.

Syaoran's lips flattened and he held his gaze to the floor until his mother left the room.

On top of the flight of stairs, the four Li sisters giggled.

"Ara ara, is that the sound of a debauched child getting busted trying to sneak back into his quiet home after a promiscuous night of debauchery and wild, wild profligacy?" asked Fuutie innocently.

"Oh, shut up." grumbled Syaoran as he climbed up the stairs.

"Well, someone's stillgrumpy after a night of debauchery and wild, wild profligacy." pouted Fanren.

"Yeah, I thought sex was supposed to help one relax." grinned Feimei.

"Don't you have children and husbands to attend to?"Syaoran growled at the pack of sisters.

"Kyaahh!" screeched the quartet before running away and disappearing somewhere inside the mansion.

Syaoran sighed and nervously ran a hand through his short hair. It was certainly going to be a long day.

He walked down the hallway and opened the door to his bedroom where he was greeted by a familiar decor. This wide room was bare and contained very little furniture; however, the walls, covered with soft green wallpaper, were the sole testimony to the owner's individuality.

On the length of the northern wall were placed three sets of Victorian windows and a heavy wooden worktable was set against the wall under the second set of windows. On the eastern wall, a large floor to ceiling French window gave way to the balcony, while on the western wall a door gave to the bathroom. Against the southern wall, a tall dresser rested along with a large double bed, sandwiched between two wooden nightstands each carrying a lamp.

Syaoran headed straight to his wooden desk and threw his jacket on the back of the chair. At the center of the table was set, in a small golden frame, a picture of four children, two lions and two winged humanoids. Syaoran briefly lifted the frame before replacing it and walking towards the bed. Face first, he crashed heavily on the mattress and remained motionless for a good minute or so. Finally, he lazily lifted an arm and opened one of his nightstand's drawers. Quietly rummaging through, he ultimately pulled out a small bottle of acetaminophen caplets, two of which he popped inside his mouth. Not minding the bitterness, he leisurely chewed the medicine and as the accumulated fatigue finally began taking its toll on his system, Syaoran slowly began drifting to sleep...

"*BANG BANG BANG*Shushu! *BANG* Xiao Lang Shushu! Are you there? Shushu!" a small voice cried from behind the door. Syaoran jumped, suddenly pulled out of his torpor. He momentarily stared at the door before covering his ears with a pillow in a poor attempt to smother the irritating noise.

"Xiao Lang Shushu!" the voice cried once more, this time even louder.

"Shi, shi!" Syaoran finally shouted, exasperated.

The door then shyly opened, revealing an adorable teenage boy with grey eyes and dark brown hair, styled in a short Asian bob. Despite the ruckus he had just previously made, the boy timidly stayed in the doorstep staring at his uncle of his big pitiful grey eyes.

"It's fine Junren, you can come in." Syaoran sighed as he rose from the bed.

"Zaoshang hao, shushu!" The boy beamed and jumped on the bed. He had soft feminine features and a fairly small frame for his age. Syaoran headed for the dresser near the bed and pulled out, from a drawer, a clean shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Good morning Junren. Where's Fuutie?" Syaoran asked absentmindedly 'And more importantly, why are you awake at this hour? Don't kids sleep these days?'

"I don't know. Mother's probably taking care of Feiyen. I was upset when we arrived last night and shushu was nowhere to be seen. It's not often that we come to visit you from the main house. Why weren't you there shushu? Where were you?" Junren asked, both curiously and accusingly, staring at his uncle with big round unforgiving eyes.

Images of the previous night flashed in Syaoran's mind, but he violently shook his head.

"I was out. Besides, it's not exactly like you came to see me. You came to see your grandmother remember?" Syaoran dropped his clean set of clothes on the bed.

"I only came to see shushu!" cried Junren defensively, Syaoran chuckled.

"You'll soon be fifteen; don't you think it's about time for you to grow up? Men must be men. You have to stop behaving like a love struck little girl Junren." Syaoran removed his pants. Behind him, Junren's face turned crimson red.

"You used to say that I was your favourite nephew." the boy pouted suddenly staring intently at a spot on the bed as Syaoran pulled off his shirt.

"That's because you used to be my only nephew." Syaoran teased.

"..."Junren bit his lip and lowered his head, trying to hide the color on his cheeks.

"Hei, I'm joking, I'm joking." Syaoran laughed as he pulled on his clean pants and shirt. "Now I have to get going, your grandmother awaits to lecture me." Syaoran headed towards the doors.

"Try to mature just a little by the time I get back, hao?" Syaoran ruffled Junren's hair before stepping out of the room.

"A love stuck little girl...huh?"Junren silently pondered when Syaoran was out of sight. He slowly reached for the clothes his uncle had left behind and felt the material with the tip of his fingers: they were still warm. Junren gathered the clothes in his arms and hugged them tightly against his chest, inhaling their musky scent.

"I love you shushu." Junren whispered to himself.

On the other side of the door, Syaoran pretended not to hear.

Syaoran silently walked down the hallway towards his mother's study, but as he walked past the kitchen doors, an old man appeared.

"Ah! Good morning, Young Master." Wei smiled.

"Good morning Wei." Syaoran calmly turned and smiled at his old butler. Oddly enough, the old man had hardly changed or aged in the last decade.

"When you are done talking with Madam, please come this way, I have your breakfast ready. The rest of the family has already eaten."

"Hao, thank you Wei." Syaoran nodded.

"Ah, did you see Young Master Junren?" Wei questioned as Syaoran was about to go his way.

"Yes, why?" replied Syaoran.

"Hmm. The boy looked forward to seeing you yesterday and was very upset when you were nowhere to be found. Therefore, when he heard you had arrived this morning, he ran to your room even though I had warned him against disturbing you." said Wei looking troubled.

"It's fine Wei, I didn't mind his company." Syaoran silently replied, blankly staring at the hallway wallpaper.

"Then all is well. Since childhood, that boy has always been very fond of you, hasn't he, Young Master?" Wei laughed as he disappeared back into the kitchen.

"....Yea..." Syaoran replied to the empty hallway, moments later, but he was running late and though his mother was a rather patient woman, it was best not to test her given her current mood.

Syaoran knocked on the door to his mother's study. A muffled voice beckoned for him to come in. He opened the door slowly and soundlessly closed it behind him. At her desk, surrounded by neat piles of documents, his mother didn't spare him a glance and continued working as if he were not there.

Syaoran walked towards his mother and bowed from a polite distance.

"Zao'an , Mother." but the woman still didn't look up. Instead, she picked up a magazine from her desk and handed it to her son.

"You may sit down." the woman replied coldly, but Syaoran knew better than to sit down. To sit down was to show sign of weakness, to show sign of weakness was death; hence, sitting down was death.

"No, I'm fine."Syaoran rigidly took the magazine from his mother's hand.

"Suit yourself." Yelan returned to her workload.

Syaoran simply held the magazine for a moment, but finally turned his eyes to the cover page and paled. His picture was at the front page of one of Hong Kong's most famous tabloids.

' "Li Xiao Lang's promiscuous taste for men?: A story of illicit affairs and homosexual relationships"...Oh, fuck.' Syaoran swallowed painfully and scanned the first page of the article.

' "Over the few months, the renowned heir of the Li clan was spotted, usually at night, in company of a variety of men..." Goddamnit.' Syaoran flipped through the pages.

' "4 men this month were even married, but that didn't seem to bother our young bachelor as, by the end of the night, he would always disappear, along with his most recent conquest, in a classy hotel of the central district..." Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.'

Syaoran frantically browsed through the magazine. Besides dead accurate dates and places, the article also incorporated numerous compromising pictures of him with a number of different men. Even though most of the pictures were blurry and of bad quality, there was no doubt his mother could tell it was him.

"Well? What is the meaning of this?"Yelan finally parted from her work and asked in a dangerously low tone. She calmly removed her work glasses. Aside from a slight frown, her face bore its usual placid expression. Syaoran, however, knew the extent of his mother's anger.

"I-I don't..." Syaoran stammered clutching the magazine in his hands.

"This is utterly disgraceful Xiao Lang!" Yelan raised her voice and slammed a hand to her desk. The piles of paper trembled and Syaoran flinched at the noise. "You, better than anyone else, should know that such foolish, careless behaviour is unacceptable to the clan. How dare you, you, our heir, bring us such shame?" Yelan spoke vehemently. Syaoran only clenched his fists by his sides. In his left hand, the wrenched magazine was getting all crumpled up.

"Mother... I'm sorry."Syaoran whispered.

"Your apologies will not save the clan's reputation Xiao Lang."Yelan spoke with disdain, "And I do not remember raising my son to be such a man-whore."Yelan sighed, squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples "But really child, what on earth possessed you to do such a thing?"

But Syaoran simply remained silent. Thin-lipped, he merely stared intently at a spot on carpet. Yelan sighed once more and after opening a drawer at her desk, she reached for a plain white envelope.

"In any case, you are already twenty-one, Xiao Lang, and the time for you to take on the leadership of the clan is drawing near. You simply cannot afford to show such dishonourable behaviour."

"Here."Yelan handed the envelope to her son. Bearing a look of confusion, Syaoran seized the piece of paper and examined it briefly. On the back of the envelope could be read his name and address and the return address was, much to Syaoran's surprise, set in Tomoeda, Japan.

"I didn't originally intend to give you this, but I believe a little time away will do you much good."

Syaoran tore the envelope open, pulled out the letter it withheld and read:

" 'You are cordially invited to Tomoeda Elementary Academy's 2009 class reunion'... Eh?"

Glossary

Zaijian – Goodbye (Mandarin)

Ara ara – My, my (Japanese)

Shushu – Uncle (Mandarin)

Shi – Yes (Mandarin)

Zaoshang hao – Good morning (Mandarin)

Hei – Hey (Mandarin)

Hao – Ok (Mandarin)

Zao'an – Good Morning (formal) (Mandarin)

A/N: Yay! This was the first chapter of Pandora's Box! How was it? I know this chapter focused mainly on Syaoran but worry not, Eriol will soon be there!

In the next chapter, Syaoran heads to Japan and makes quite a few meaningful encounters. See you in chapter two!