Quentin looked at Yibo, who was wiping his face like he was about to cry, and asked, "Are you crying just because your brother took some apples, Yibo?"
Yibo pouted and replied, "But Fu Qin, you didn't buy them for him. He took 4 of them, and he doesn't even like apples."
Quentin chuckled and said, "Did he tell you he doesn't like them?"
In a trembling voice, Yibo answered, "I just know. He's never liked them."
Quentin smiled. "Alright then. I'll buy you more later."
Quietly, Yibo said, "Thank you."
Quentin continued, "But really, what's going on between you and your brother all of a sudden?"
Yuting, who had just entered the sitting room, remarked, "I'm still wondering about that too. They were fine before."
Quentin added, "Did you do something to him, perhaps?"
Yibo pouted further and moved closer to Quentin. "I just realized he's become mean, so I stopped talking to him."
Quentin laughed, while Yuting said, "Well, he barely comes here these days."
Quentin replied, "Let's hope things get better."
Yibo pleaded, "Fu Qin, please get me my own personal driver."
Quentin responded, "Your Bobo Zong will handle getting you a driver. I already discussed it with him after the last driver left."
Yibo insisted, "No, Fu Qin. I want my own driver. Besides, the new driver isn't even here yet. Today, Zhan-ge didn't let me get in the car because I was late, so I had to walk to my lessons. That's why I've been aching all over since I got back. Mu Qin had to rub some ointment on me before I felt better."
Quentin simply smiled, got up, and said, "Let me go take a shower, son." He then headed to his bedroom.
Yuting commented, "Don't forget to take food to your Nainai, or are you skipping again today?"
Yibo quickly retorted, "Mu Qin, she said she doesn't want to see me in her part again. If I go, she'll tell Bobo."
Yuting responded, "Get up and take the food to her anyway. I told you to."
With that, Yuting left the sitting room. Reluctantly, Yibo went to the kitchen, preparing a basket with food for Nainai, making sure to include everything his Mu Qin had prepared for his father.
When Yibo reached Nainai's part of the house, he had a sulky expression on his face. He stared at the shoes near the door before opening it and stepping inside. Zhan was sitting there, listening to Nainai tell a story. He barely reacted, offering only a faint smile, as laughter erupted from Mengxi and Meiling.
Nainai gestured with her hand and said, "And then we suddenly heard rat-tat-tat! Your Grandpa hid under the bed, leaving me to handle everything alone. Quentin was screaming behind me, and Zong was so scared he wet his pants three times."
Noticing Yibo, Nainai fell silent and picked up one of the four apples Zhan had brought her, taking a bite. Mengxi and Meiling continued laughing, while Yibo set the basket down and glanced at the chocolates Mengxi was holding...his own chocolates that Zhan took earlier from him. He stole a glance at Zhan before turning to leave.
Nainai smiled and said, "Your fried chicken is in the room. I put it there for you, so don't make a fuss."
Without turning around, Yibo replied, "I don't want it."
As Nainai continued eating her apple, she muttered, "So who's wasting food now?"
Zhan asked, "Where is it I will eat if he don't want them?"
Suddenly, Yibo turned back and rushed into the room. Nainai sighed and said, "How can you ask where it is when you've already had your share and more? I even gave you more of what I saved."
Zhan replied with a chuckle, "Come on now."
Nainai scoffed. "you'll not eat his share."
Yibo emerged from the room holding the container of fried chicken and made his way to the door.
Nainai teased, "Is this a feast for Quentin? Is he back?" refraining for the basket of food Yibo brought.
Yibo replied, "He's not back yet." He then left without further comment.
Nainai remarked, "He's so thin like he doesn't eat at all."
Mengxi chimed in, "Please, Nainai, continue the story!"
Nainai adjusted her position and prepared to continue, while Zhan stood up and left the sitting room.
▫️▪️🔸🔹
When Yibo returned to their part, he found Seth visiting Quentin. Seth gave Yibo a glance, prompting him to hide the bowl behind his back and widen his eyes at Seth.
"I know you've already had your share," Yibo muttered.
Quentin came out of his room and Seth greeted him, "Engineer, you're in town?"
Seth smiled. "Yes, Shushu. I hope you're all doing well."
"All good, my son. How's work?"
"Thank God, everything is going well, Shushu," Seth replied.
Quentin sat down and nodded. "That's good to hear. Everyone else is doing well too, I hope?"
Seth confirmed, "Everyone's fine."
Not staying long, Seth stood to leave. Quentin asked, "Won't you stay for a meal?"
"No, thank you, Shushu. I've already eaten," Seth replied before heading out.
Yuting was in the dining room arranging the dishes when she said, "Are you sure, Seth?" He laughed and replied, "Aunty, I'm full." She nodded and said, "Alright then." After bidding goodbye to Quentin, Seth left.
Later in the evening, Quentin was preparing to visit Nainai. He did everything he could to convince Yibo to join him, but he refused, which left him puzzled. He ended up going alone. When he arrived, Nainai was cleaning the tiles in her living room. As he walked in, she stood up and said, "Honestly, Quentin, you need to talk to your son Yibo and stop him from lying. He told me you hadn't returned."
Quentin sat down, smiling. "Good evening, A Yi. How are you?"
"I'm fine," she replied, sitting back down, she continue... "But lying is pointless, and honestly, Yibo has become very good at it." Quentin said nothing.
"So, how was the journey?" she asked.
"Perfect, we arrived safely," he replied. "This time, it feels like you're not planning to come back," she remarked.
"There's just too much work, A Yi," he explained. "May the universe make it easy for you, protect you wherever you are, and bless your efforts," she said.
"Ameen, A Yi," he responded.
She sighed. "What can I do? The heavens has destined your responsibilities elsewhere. Otherwise, if you were living here, you would have wiped away the tears from the suffering I endure."
Quentin looked at her, confused. "Suffering? What do you mean, A Yi?"
"Suffering, Quentin," she repeated with emphasis. "Your brother won't leave his part to greet me until late morning, and even then, it's a rushed greeting at the door before he moves on. I won't see him again all day unless I'm locking the doors at night. And even then, he barely spares two minutes before saying goodnight and walking off.
"As for his wife, Yuchen-Zhan's mother-she hasn't stepped into this part to greet me for over two months. The only time I see her is if I bump into her outside or at her section of the house. And the other one, that fair-skinned woman-what's her name again? Your wife? The mother of that boy, Yibo? She used to help me with the laundry, but now she's completely abandoned it. If your son, Yibo, decides not to bring me food, then I'll go hungry in this house. Yuting, of course, thinks she's too important to bring it herself. Tell me, Quentin, isn't that enough to make anyone miserable?"
She continued, "Your children have no respect for me. They've reduced me to nothing. Even that tall-thin boy Zhan-your lanky nephew-and that messy little Xinyi, they've all ignored me as if I don't exist. If they saw that you weren't watching, they would just walk past me without a word.
"Seth is the only one who still shows me kindness in this house, along with that little girl, Meiling. But Yibo? If he starts arguing with me, I just stay silent. Even Zhan, whom I watched grow up in front of me, now treats me with disdain. Why should I have to endure this? Despite my status and everything I've done for this family, they treat me like garbage just because of the food they grudgingly toss my way."
Quentin, who had been listening intently, finally looked up and said, "Please, A Yi, forgive them."
But Nainai, now visibly upset, snapped back, "I'm tired of hearing that cursed word-forgive. It's always about forgiveness while I'm being mistreated. I've had enough. Everyone should just leave me alone. And if my anger pushes me too far, you'll hear that I've disappeared abroad, and you'll have to go searching for me!"
Quentin said, "I'll talk to Zong. You should forgive them all. As for Yibo, I'll handle him now, and I'll deal with Zhan too." She replied, "Alright then, but sit them down and ask them directly. Find out if they don't want me to stay here. Ask them why they always make a mess in the house, especially in my space. You need to show them your disapproval, my son."
Quentin smiled and said, "I will." They chatted for a while, mostly her complaints. Eventually, Quentin told her he had to leave for the evening exercise.
When Quentin returned, he saw Yibo sitting in the living room, eating. He sat down and said, "Yibo, have you turned Nainai into your personal toy in this house?"
Yibo looked at him, his eyes welling up as if he was about to cry. Quentin's face hardened. "Take your eyes off me, silly boy! Is this how you treat your elders? I warned you last time, and yet you repeated this foolishness?" Yibo lowered his head. Quentin shook his head and said, "I know how to deal with you. Get up and leave the sitting room."
Without a word, Yibo got up quickly, leaving his food behind, and retreated to his bedroom, banging the door. Yuting, his mother, remained silent. Quentin said, "I don't like this nonsense behavior of his. Does he think Nainai is his playmate? And you, honey, you've not kept him in check. Why does he keep disrespecting her? I'll teach him some manners soon."
Yuting sighed, got up, and took Yibo's food to the kitchen, where she began washing the dishes.
▫️▪️🔸🔹
The next morning, around 7:30, Yibo came out wearing his school uniform, his head bowed. He greeted Yuting, who was setting breakfast on the dining table. She looked at him and said, "Oh, so now you cry all night and come out with puffy eyes? Was the scolding that bad?"
Yibo pout. "Mu Qin, please don't make me take food to her again. Every time I do, she accuses me of things I didn't even do."
Yuting replied, "Whether I tell you to take her food or not, you always go there yourself. If she sends you away, fine, but you'll still go."
Yibo scowled. "Yesterday was the last day I'll ever go to her part of the house. Never again."
Yuting shrugged. "Alright then. Go tell your father; he's coming."
Quentin entered the room and asked, "Why hasn't anyone taken breakfast to A Yi yet?"
Yuting replied, "Breakfast? She doesn't even want it. Every day, she insists her millet porridge are enough. She even said she doesn't want breakfast brought to her, calling it 'childish.'"
Quentin sat down and turned on the news channel. Yuting continued her chores in the kitchen.
Yibo finished his breakfast and got up, kneeling to greet Quentin, who barely glanced at him as he answered. Yibo stood, went to the kitchen to collect his pocket money from Yuting, grabbed his bag, put on his shoes, and walked to the door. He muttered a goodbye without looking at Quentin and was about to leave when Quentin called him back.
"Take these air fresheners to A Yi before you leave," Quentin said, pointing to two cans on the table. Yibo hesitated, looking at him with tearful eyes, but said nothing. He knelt, picked up the cans, and left for Nainai's parts.
When Yibo entered Nainai's part of the house, she was busy dusting and cleaning. The room smelled of incense, and everything was spotless. He placed the air fresheners on the table with a stiff expression and greeted, "Good morning," before turning to leave.
"Wait," Nainai called out. "What happened to your eyes, Yibo? Did someone scold you?"
Yibo paused at the door, turned back, and burst into tears. "As if you're not the one tell Fu Qin that I was rude to you again. I haven't even been here in days, but you always accuse me of things I didn't do!"
Nainai watched, stunned. "Who scolded you?"
"Fu Qin did," Yibo cried. "He said he'd deal with me."
Nainai left her room and walked into the Quentin living room without even announcing herself. Both Quentin and Yuting looked up at her when she entered.
"Quentin," she started, "a child isn't meant to be bullied like this. We talked earlier, and then you go and unleash your temper on the boy? I'd rather have Yibo misbehave a thousand times than deal with others. Yes, he's spoiled, but he's not a bad boy. You're the one giving him unnecessary stress. If something happens to him after crying all night, what will you tell the world?
"You've taken things too far this time. He's all I have, and instead of nurturing him, you keep breaking him. What exactly did he do to deserve this treatment? And you-Yuting! You're the mother; why aren't you defending him? What, are you trying to make him suffer because you couldn't give him siblings? Or because of the issues with his father? Let me tell you, Quentin, I won't stand for it! You brought me cheap air fresheners instead of proper incense, and you expect me to be grateful? Tell your wife to go to the market and buy me something worthy of my space!"
With that, she stormed out and locked the door behind her.
Yibo walked directly toward the compound, refusing to follow the path near their part of the compound. Seth dropped them off after their lesson, and at noon, Yimei picked them up.
Slowly, Yibo opened the door to their living room, peeking inside. Seeing no one, he entered quietly, locked the door behind him, and hurried to him bedroom. As he started removing his uniform, his mother entered the room. Yibo greeted her with his head lowered.
His mother said, "Buy me a tissue from outside before you change."
Yibo nodded, looking at her. "Mu Qin
, where's Fu Qin?"
"He's in his room," his mother replied.
Yibo hesitated before explaining, "I didn't say anything to Nainai about what he scolded me for. She only saw my expression and assumed."
His mother shrugged. "That's between the two of you. Just bring me the tissue quickly."
Yibo left. The small shop was just a house away from theirs. He collected the tissue and returned home, noticing Zhan's mother standing near the parking space as if she were about to leave. Zhan arrived, opened the backseat door for her, and then got into the driver's seat.
When Yibo caught her gaze, he quickly looked away and walked past them. Zhan noticed this through the rearview mirror, and his mother, getting into the car, said, "If you ever greet that boy's mother in this house, even by mistake, I will never forgive you. I've told all your siblings the same, and they know better."
Zhan glanced at her in the mirror. "Come on, you know I wouldn't..."
She interrupted sharply, "You wouldn't, right? That's what I thought. This boy is Quentin son, but he's no better than a stranger to me. A thoughtless boy who doesn't even know how to respect his elders. I endured years of schemes from his mother and your Aunt that led to your father divorcing me. After years away, I came back to find that you've aligned yourself with them, turning Yuting into your mother figure. You've ignored everyone else in this house to make that boy your only brother.
"Do you know what it feels like to raise someone who doesn't value you? Sometimes I wonder if they swapped you with someone else at the hospital. You're so drawn to my enemies, Zhan. Do you even realize what that makes you?"
He remained silent, and she shook her head in frustration. Stepping out of the car, she said, "From now on, gather your things and stay on their side of the house if you want."
In a soft voice, Zhan responded, "I've avoided many things in this house for your sake. You know I don't want to upset you. Please, let's not make this worse..."
She walked away, ignoring him, and he quickly followed her out of the compound.
▫️▪️🔸🔹
The next morning, even after the breakfast was ready and his mother had finished in the kitchen, Yibo hadn't come out of his room. His mother checked the clock-it was already 7:15. Concerned, she went to Yibo's room and found him curled up under the covers.
His mother approached and gently removed the blanket. "Are you okay, Yibo?"
Yibo opened his eyes, tears threatening to fall. His mother touched his forehead, feeling the heat radiating from his skin. "What's hurting you?" she asked softly.
Yibo pointed to his legs and, with a trembling voice, said, "Mu Qin, my whole body aches. I couldn't sleep at all last night."
His mother held his hand gently. "Did you take your medicine?"
Yibo gestured toward the side table. "I did, Mu Qin."
His mother stood up, heading to the bathroom. She prepared a warm bath and returned. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. You can take more medicine afterward."
With his mother's help, Yibo got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. After brushing his teeth, he bathed with his mother's assistance. When they finished, his mother helped him get dressed before going to prepare tea for him.
His father was sitting in the living room, focused on his laptop. She paused behind his chair. "I'm worried about Yibo's condition. Should we take him to the hospital? The doctor isn't around."
His father looked up. "He's not feeling well?"
"I just checked on him," his mother replied. "His fever's high, and he said he didn't sleep at all."
He frowned. "His condition had improved recently, but now it's getting worse again. The fever, the headaches... He's been taking his medication, hasn't he?"
"Yes, he has," Yuting confirmed.
"Alright," he said, standing up. "Let's take him to the hospital."
Yuting nodded and went to prepare the tea. Yibo, now lying on the couch, sipped it slowly before his mother wrapped him in a shawl and handed him a mask. She helped him to the car, where his father was waiting with the keys.
He helped him into the front seat, saying, "Let's go, sweetheart."
As they were leaving, they ran into Zong near the other part of the compound. After exchanging greetings, Zong asked, "Is he still unwell?"
Quentin nodded. "We're heading to the hospital now."
Zong frowned. "Has he been taking his medication?"
"I believe so," Quentin replied.
"Well, if Zhan is available, he could check on him before you go to the hospital," Zong suggested.
Just as he said this, Zhan appeared. Zong put his phone away and gestured toward him. "Zhan, can you examine Yibo? He's not feeling well."
Zhan's heart sank when he saw Yibo leaning weakly against the car, looking frail...
Zhanxianyibo❤️💚💛