Yibo stood there, watching as Zhan finished washing the bedsheet, holding the clothes he had taken off. Zhan placed the bedsheet in a bucket and walked out. In a low voice, Yibo asked, "Gege, what about cleaning the bathroom?"
Zhan shot him a sharp glare, picked up his phone and car keys from the bed, and headed for the door. Yibo's eyes widened. "Gege, please wait! I can't hang the bedsheet alone!"
Zhan didn't bother looking back, let alone responding. As he reached the sitting room door, he ran into Nainai. She narrowed her eyes at him. "So, have you cleaned my bathroom yet?"
"No," Zhan replied, still trying to leave. "I was just stepping out to get some antiseptic."
Before he could take another step, Nainai grabbed his wrist. "Oh, so you think you can fool me like you fool Quentin or Zong? Didn't I tell you I have antiseptic here?" She dragged him back into the bedroom, ignoring his protests.
Yibo, who had been hiding behind the door, used the opportunity to slip out quickly.
Once inside, Nainai pushed Zhan toward the bathroom and threw two bottles of antiseptic at him. "Didn't you say five bottles earlier?" Zhan asked, raising a brow.
"I'm not wasteful, Zhan," she snapped. "And I have no money to throw away buying more. I had to ask Seth to get these for me!" She then grabbed a large bag of detergent and tossed it his way. "Scrub every inch of those tiles! And from now on, Yibo better not step foot in my room again, or else there will be trouble! His mother isn't there right now, otherwise, I would ask her if she sent him to mess up my room and stain it with blood! These kids today have no shame—they let the whole world know when they're bleeding! Look at him, ruining both the bed and the bathroom! From now on, he is only allowed in the sitting room, nowhere else! And if he hasn't finished his bleeding, he better not come near my room! I will throw him out myself. My sitting room is for clean people!"
Zhan said nothing. He rolled up his sleeves and started scrubbing the bathroom, letting the antiseptic foam up.
"Don't rush through it!" Nainai barked. "Pour more detergent everywhere, scrub the walls and corners, and use all the antiseptic!"
Zhan shot her a look. "Why am I the one cleaning this? I was only helping."
"I don't care! It's your fault for opening the door for him!" she retorted. "If he wants to bleed all over the place, let him do it in his own section of the house, not mine!"
Zhan ignored her and kept scrubbing, while she stood at the doorway, criticizing every move. Finally, after what felt like forever, the bathroom was spotless.
"Now, please take the mattress outside and put it in the sun," Nainai ordered.
"Why don't you ask Seth to do it? I'm not carrying that thing outside," Zhan protested.
"Oh, you're not leaving this room unless that mattress goes out with you!" she declared, locking the door behind her. "I refuse to sleep in filth tonight!"
Zhan glared at her, but he had no choice. He pulled the mattress off the bed and carried it outside, placing it exactly where she told him. When he returned for his phone and keys, he found them missing.
Nainai stood there, arms crossed, watching him smugly. She pointed at the bucket of washed bedsheets. "If you want your phone and keys, go hang the sheets first. I have nothing to do with this; Yibo is the one who tricked you into all this work. May the heavens deal with him."
Zhan stood still for a moment, fuming. He knew arguing was useless. With a deep sigh, he picked up the bucket and stormed outside to hang the sheets. When he returned, he tossed the bucket onto the floor of the sitting room. "Give me my phone," he demanded.
Nainai tossed him the wardrobe key. "Open it, take your phone, and lock up my things when you're done."
Zhan snatched the key, went into the bedroom, and yanked open the wardrobe. He grabbed his phone and car key but left the wardrobe wide open as he stormed out like he was ready to fly.
Behind him, Nainai muttered, "Oh… serves you right."
:-*:-*:-*:-*:-*
It was already evening when Yuting went to wake Yibo, who had been asleep since taking his medication again.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Better," he replied softly. "Mu Qin, has Fu Qin returned?"
"Yes, he's back," Yuting confirmed.
Yibo's eyes widened as he quickly got out of bed and walked toward the door. Just before stepping out, he turned back. "Mu Qin, I hope all the guests have left?"
Yuting chuckled. "Of course not, the wedding is tomorrow."
Yibo sighed. "So, is Fu Qin in his bedroom?"
"No, I think he's with Zong," Yuting answered.
Just as Yibo was putting on his shoes by the door, the sitting room door swung open. He looked up and saw Nainai standing there.
"How are you feeling?" she asked. "I noticed you hadn't come out for a while, so I thought I'd check on you. Did you go to the hospital?"
Yibo frowned slightly, refusing to look at her. "I'm fine now."
Nainai exchanged greetings with others in the sitting room before turning back to Yibo. "Well, I hope you recover quickly," she said. "But honestly, wouldn't it be better if Quentin just got you married already? That way, everyone—including you—can finally have some peace."
Yuting, who had been listening, greeted Nainai as well.
"How's your husband? Did he return safely?" Nainai asked.
"Yes, thankfully," Yuting replied.
"Good, good," Nainai muttered. "Not that it matters to me, of course. It's not like he ever brings me anything when he travels. You and your son just keep everything for yourselves. But that's not the issue right now." She sighed dramatically. "I actually came to check on Yibo. Earlier, he had stomach pain, and before I could prepare some herbal medicine for him, he disappeared."
"He's better now," Yuting assured her. "But if you want, he can come over and take the medicine at your place."
Nainai's eyes widened in shock. "Come over where? No, no, he should stay put. I'll go prepare it and bring it here." She turned to leave, muttering under her breath, "Like I'd let him come and make a mess in my house again. He's already caused me enough trouble. Only heaven knows who will make him pay for all this nonsense."
Yibo pouted and left the sitting room without telling Yuting what had happened earlier. He headed toward Meiling's section of the house but hesitated when he saw there were still people inside.
After standing there for over five minutes, he heard Seth's voice.
"What are you doing here, Yibo?"
Yibo turned to look at him. "There are people inside. How am I supposed to go in?"
Seth stood beside Zhan, who had his arms crossed with an unreadable expression. Yibo glanced at him but quickly looked away, resisting the urge to laugh at Zhan's serious face.
Instead, he pouted again before walking past them and entering the room.
Seth chuckled. "Do you want me to guide you inside?"
Still grinning, Yibo replied, "Is Fu Qin in Bobo's sitting room?"
"Of course," Seth answered.
"Alright then, go in first, and I'll follow behind you," Yibo said, positioning himself to hide behind Seth.
With that, they entered, and Yibo stayed close behind him. A few of Yichen's friends in the sitting room glanced at him curiously as he tried to stay out of sight. Eventually, they made their way into Zong's sitting room.
Yibo ran toward Quentin and hugged him tightly. "Fu Qin, welcome back!"
Quentin smiled and asked, "Didn't you greet Zong?"
Yibo glanced at Zong, who was watching him, and quickly hid his face. "Good evening, Bobo."
Zong chuckled. "I'm well, son."
Quentin then said, "And you haven't greeted your Gege either."
Yibo looked at Zhan, who was sitting in the room. "We already met outside."
Quentin nodded. "Good, good."
Then Yibo turned to him. "Fu Qin, I want to go to Xi An for the holidays, since we've already had a break"
Zong asked, "Who are you visiting in Xi An?"
Quentin smiled. "His mother's younger sister."
Zong nodded. "Oh, if I recall correctly, you went there last holiday as well, right?"
Yibo nodded.
"Then there's no need to go again," Zong said. "Besides, your grandaunt in Luo River is unwell, so it's better if you visit her instead. You can go with Meiling and the others."
Quentin agreed. "That's true. It would be a good idea."
Yibo's eyes widened. "The countryside?"
Zong chuckled. "Of course. You'll gain new experiences. It's not like the village is a bad place."
Yibo pursed his lips and didn't say anything.
"I bet A Yi would be happy to hear you're going," Zong continued. "Zhan can drive you all there since he's been there with us before."
Zhan quickly turned to him. "Papa… I might not remember the way."
Zong raised an eyebrow. "Last time, weren't you the one who drove us?"
"That was almost a year ago," Zhan muttered hesitantly.
Yibo suddenly stood up without looking at them. "I'll go help Mu Qin with something," he said and left the room before they could stop him.
Zong laughed. "But seriously, they need to visit YongDan. She couldn't make it to the wedding because of her health."
Zhan stood up as well. "I have to go. Someone's calling me outside." With that, he left the sitting room.
Quentin shook his head with a smile. "They think they're so smart. But really, they should visit YongDan since she couldn't come for the wedding."
Zong nodded. "I'll make sure they go on Tuesday if everything is settled by then."
"Good," Quentin said.
The Next Day
On Saturday, Yu's wedding with her groom, Lei Hai, took place.
During all the celebrations at home, Yibo remained in his room, fast asleep. He didn't attend a single event. Yuting didn't pressure him to join the gathering, knowing he still wasn't feeling well. She didn't want him to stress himself and fall sick again.
Since the family followed traditional customs in everything, it wasn't until the bride was about to be taken to her new home that Yuting finally woke Yibo. Nainai had been looking for him for hours.
Yibo groggily got up and went into the bathroom to freshen up. He took a shower, brushed his teeth, and dressed in one of the matching suits they had prepared for the occasion. He applied a bit of powder, used an eye pencil, and added a touch of lip glow.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a missed call on his phone. It was from Sen Wen.
He sat back down and redialed. The call disconnected, but almost immediately, Sen Wen called him back.
After exchanging greetings, Sen Wen asked, "Where have you been all day?"
Yibo smiled and said, "I was sleeping."
Sen Wen chuckled. "Oh? No worries. How's your mother?"
"She's doing well."
"Earlier, Mian Mian told me there's a wedding at your house."
"Yeah, that's right."
"And you didn't invite me?"
Yibo hesitated. "Uhmm…"
Sen Wen teased, "You really did well, huh?"
Yibo laughed softly. "Sorry, next time."
"Who's getting married next? You?"
Yibo's eyes widened before he burst into laughter. "Me? A kid like me?"
Sen Wen chuckled. "Come on."
"I'm serious!"
"How old are you again?"
Yibo tilted his head playfully. "Almost 19 soon."
Sen Wen laughed. "Yeah, you're still just a kid."
"You see?"
"Even if you got married now, you wouldn't be able to handle it."
Yibo widened his eyes but said nothing, just smiled.
Sen Wen continued, "Where are you off to now?"
"We're taking my cousin to her new home."
"Which neighborhood?"
"I'm not sure."
"Alright, call me when you get there."
"Okay, I will."
Sen Wen said his goodbyes and ended the call.
Nainai stood in the middle of the courtyard, wearing a long, traditional dress. The entire household was in motion, preparing to escort Yu to her new home. More than six cars were parked in the compound, all set to take the bride and her entourage.
From a distance, Yibo could already hear Nainai scolding people.
"I've seen enough nonsense for one day! Move back from the cars! Don't crowd around like this. We don't want to block the way for the rich folks, do we?"
She muttered under her breath, shaking her head. "Honestly, the way women behave, it's exhausting. It's like a curse!"
She turned to Meiling. "Didn't I ask you to find Yibo? Or is he still sulking somewhere? I haven't seen him among the guests all day. Is he upset about his cousin getting married? I wouldn't be surprised."
Yibo pouted as soon as their eyes met.
Nainai clicked her tongue. "I'm tired of talking about you in this house."
Yibo looked away and walked toward the car.
Just then, one of Yichen's friends stepped forward and announced that Yichen wanted some people to leave first before bringing out the bride.
People started getting into the cars.
Nainai suddenly gasped, eyes wide, as she spotted a large woman covered in gold jewelry trying to squeeze into one of the vehicles.
In a loud voice, she exclaimed, "Oh my goodness, what is this?!"
The woman froze.
Nainai continued, "Please, step aside and let the slimmer ones get in first. We don't want any trouble here. Are you seriously trying to force your way into that car? Do you want to break the seat?"
Yibo quickly hid his face, stifling his laughter, while some of the onlookers chuckled quietly.
The woman hesitated before reluctantly stepping out of the car, looking embarrassed.
Nainai walked up to her, shaking her head. "Honestly, dear… do you have no shame? You're squeezing yourself into a car like that while others are waiting. Where are the rest of us supposed to sit? Or do you think there's no one else your size?"
A woman approached Nainai and lowered her voice. "Leo shi, she's the bride's mother's best friend."
Nainai's eyes widened. "The bride's mother's best friend? And yet she's trying to crush people's intestines in the back seat? Did she come here for a wedding or to commit murder? This is like a giant bear trying to fit into a car! And you have no shame?"
The woman quickly backed away, embarrassed.
Nainai clicked her tongue. "Alright, let the slimmer ones get in first. I don't want any complaints later that someone got squashed before we even dropped off the bride! And don't even get me started on all that fake gold jewelry—she wants us to believe she doesn't have her own car?"
She then turned to Yibo. "Yibo, that's the car we'll be taking with Yu. And listen, I don't want just anyone driving us. Only Zhan will drive. I don't trust those reckless friends of the groom. I'm not about to let some fool speed off and dump us in a ditch!"
Yibo opened the car door and got into the back seat, still smiling.
Meiling was about to get in too when Nainai stopped her. "And where exactly does that skinny one think she's going, huh? There are plenty of other cars over there!"
Meiling quickly stepped back.
Yibo burst into laughter, unable to hold it in.
Just as Nainai demanded, Zhan was the one who ended up driving them... her, Yu, two of Yu's friends, and Yibo.
As soon as they got onto the main road, Nainai started speaking again.
"Well, Yu, today is the day we're finally taking you to your husband's house. Now, even though your groom is a bit… odd, try to be as obedient as you can. But let me be clear—I'm not telling you to be so patient that he ends up killing you! No way. We already suffered enough in silence, but you don't have to.
"If he ever does something you can't tolerate, come back home. You can stay in your father's quarters, his brother's, or even mine. We'll support you as far as we can. Honestly, I lost all respect for him the moment I saw the bride gift he put together for you. Cheap and unimpressive!"
Frustrated, Zhan finally spoke. "Nainai, are you giving her a good advice or a bad one scaring her half to death?"
Nainai frowned. "Listen to this boy! The same one that born while I'm standing outside a hospital door from morning till night! Now he thinks he can teach me about life? Do you really think I don't know what I'm saying, Zhan? Let me tell you something—if you ever get married, this is exactly what I'd tell your wife too, because I speak the truth.
"Why should a woman have to endure mistreatment in her husband's house? Why should she suffer in silence just because people keep telling her to 'be patient'?"
She shook her head. "I swear, I must have been born in the wrong era. And don't get me wrong—I never said she shouldn't respect him. But if he ever tries to step all over her, she should come straight home. What's so wrong with that advice?"
Yu's friends were glancing at each other, unsure how to react.
Nainai clicked her tongue. "Of course, none of you agree with me. That's because the devil has a firm grip on men's hearts these days. You're all the same! Tell me, Zhan, if a man ever dared to mistreat your sister, wouldn't you grab that scrawny fool under your armpit and knock some sense into him? Just look at him... He looks like a toothpick! You could take him down with one hit."
Yu, who had been trying to hold back her tears, suddenly burst into laughter, and Yibo joined in.
Zhan, on the other hand, said nothing. He just sat there, wondering how fate had given him such a fierce grandmother.
Zhanxianyibo❤️💚💛