Zhan didn't look at him. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and sat down on the bed, turning it on. Yibo stood nearby, watching him with a sinking heart. Zhan dialed a number and leaned against the bed.
Ning Li, who was lying down on her mother's bed after her IV had been removed and was just drifting into sleep, slowly sat up, squinting at her phone on the vanity mirror as it began to ring.
Yezhen, her mother's sister, said tiredly, "If you can't stay off that phone for a while, at least try to sleep and forget it…"
Softly, Ning Li replied, "But what if it's him, Aunt?"
Sun Yue, her mother who had been sitting nearby, shot her a sharp glare. Her older sister, Jie Dan, added sternly, "If you stress yourself into another health crisis, don't expect any more sympathy from us. Honestly, what's so special about Zhan that you're ready to ruin yourself over him? He hasn't even called you once! Who knows, maybe he knew and approve of the marriage. His mother always controls everything."
Ning Li quickly said, "No, he didn't know about it. I know he didn't. That's why he's been silent. He must be overwhelmed."
Sun Yue scoffed. "I don't understand this madness. Why would you fixate on a man to the point of hurting yourself?"
Ning Li, struggling to stand, noticed no one had plans to hand her the phone, so she dragged herself to the mirror. Her eyes widened when she saw the caller ID.
"It's him, Mummy…" she whispered, then picked up the call before it could end, pressing the phone to her ear. Almost instantly, she broke into tears.
Zhan remained silent for a few seconds, listening. Then he said, "Should I assume you didn't want to hear from me?"
Through her sobs, she cried, "Why did you keep your phone off for so long, Zhan? Didn't you care what state I might be in? Please, tell me it's not true. Tell me you didn't marry someone else. Tell me I'm still your only woman, Zhan. I can't imagine sharing you with anyone. I won't. I'm the only one meant to be with you."
Zhan rested his head on the pillow beside him and lowered his voice. "The same way you found out about this marriage is the same way I did, Ning Li. I knew nothing about it. Papa called me in and had me sign the papers... that's all."
She cried even harder. "Zhan, I'm enough for you... what do you need with anyone else? Please don't do this. Don't bring another one into our home. Please tell me the marriage isn't real…"
Zhan couldn't help but smile a little. "Marriage or no marriage, Ning Li, you'll always hold the same place in my life. So why worry?"
Yibo, who had been standing silently the whole time, turned away with a hard expression. He couldn't bear hearing those words.
Ning Li sobbed like her heart would break. "So you really did marry someone else, Zhan? And your cousin, the one who always belittled me? I can't share you with him. I just can't. You're meant for me, only me. Please tell your parents you don't want another partner. I've given up everything for you…"
Zhan chuckled softly. "Well, thank God you know I don't want another partner. So again, why stress? I'm just doing what my parents told me to, that's all."
Yibo slowly turned to look at him as Zhan added, "I'll call you tomorrow. Be ready before 9 a.m. I'll come over."
He ended the call and stole a glance at Yibo. Then he noticed six missed calls from Beiting. He'd seen them come in while he was on the phone. Smiling faintly, he opened his messages and typed:
"I'm sorry, Aunty. I know what I did was wrong, but I think this is the only way. I can't let go of Yibo. Don't worry, we're fine."
He sent it and switched off his phone entirely, lying back down on the bed and closing his eyes.
Yibo wiped away a tear still clinging to his cheek, but he kept watching Zhan. When he remembered what Zhan had said to Ning Li, more tears came uninvited.
He stood there for nearly thirty minutes. Eventually, his legs began to ache and sleep tugged at him. He crouched and touched the floor... cool tiles met his hand. He pulled back and stood up again, still watching Zhan.
After a few minutes, he quietly sat at the edge of the bed, sneaking glances at him. Zhan hadn't moved, and even though he couldn't see his face, Yibo guessed he was asleep.
Carefully, Yibo lay on the far edge of the bed, turning his back to him and closing his eyes.
Zhan shifted slowly and looked at Yibo. After a few moments, he turned toward him. In his sleep, Yibo had instinctively inched closer.
Zhan opened his eyes in surprise and tried to move, but Yibo stirred. In a panicked voice, he muttered, "Please, Gege, stop... What are you doing?"
Zhan asked softly, "Who's your Gege?"
Yibo trembled. "No one," he whispered.
Zhan's voice dropped as he gently pulled him closer. "Then who am I to you now?"
Tears welled in Yibo's eyes, but he didn't answer.
Zhan pressed his forehead to Yibo's. Yibo shut his eyes quickly.
"Talk to me," Zhan said.
"My head... it's been hurting since earlier, and my back too…" Yibo whispered.
Zhan carefully laid Yibo's head on his chest and spoke in a low, soothing voice. "Tell me… why do you want me to let you go when fate clearly brought us together, Yibo? Don't you think maybe we were meant for each other? Isn't it strange, how everything happened so fast? Doesn't that make you wonder if this is something bigger? Why do you want me to let go?"
Hot tears streamed down Yibo's cheeks. He shut his eyes tightly but said nothing.
"Please talk to me," Zhan pleaded, his eyes open now.
Yibo finally whispered, "Because I've always seen you as my big brother…"
Zhan fell silent for a moment, then asked, "So you're saying we're not really married?"
Yibo's voice quivered. "We are..."
"Then why do you act like we're not?"
"Because I grew up seeing you as someone I shared a home with...as family. I never imagined us living together like…" He trailed off.
Zhan smiled faintly. "Well, I never saw you as a brother. To me, you're my cousin...someone I could marry, someone who could give me beautiful children. Spoiled, clingy kids just like you. With long noses and small lips, just like yours. Even the asthma…"
Yibo hit him lightly on the chest, close to tears again. "I don't want that…"
Zhan smiled and hugged him tightly. In a soft voice, he said, "Our kids will be more than healthy…"
Yibo quickly lifted his head and looked at him. "I'm not going to stay with you as your husband. I just can't… Not after everything, especially knowing you told that woman you didn't even want this marriage."
Zhan just stared at him, not even blinking. His heart told him to kiss him, but he stopped himself. He let go of Yibo and lay back down, smiling to himself, thinking about the day he'd show Yibo that he wasn't really his brother. That day would come soon... but not in a hotel room.
Yibo sat on the floor, sulking and pouting as he watched him. Eventually, he curled up at the edge of the bed. Zhan turned to look at him, then reached out and gently pulled him up onto the bed. As Yibo was half-asleep, he mumbled, "Gege, I'm cold…"
Zhan lay beside him, and Yibo instinctively snuggled closer. Zhan smiled, holding him tighter. The scent of Yibo filled his senses, and he closed his eyes, trying to force himself to sleep. But the thought of Yibo, this close… as his legal husband, wouldn't let him rest. Every time he tried to adjust and make space between them, Yibo would only move closer.
He wished everyone had been happy about the marriage. If they were, he would've been the happiest man alive. But thinking about his mom made his heart sink. No matter what he had told her, he knew she wouldn't just accept it quietly.
It was nearly 2 a.m. before he finally fell asleep. Despite the cold in the room, neither of them felt it.
🔹▫️▪️🔸
At dawn, Zhan woke up. He looked over at Yibo, adjusted his position carefully, and tried to get up. But Yibo held onto him. Zhan switched on the dim lights and stared at his face ... he was still asleep. As he moved again, Yibo tightened his grip. Zhan smiled, tugged gently at his long nose, causing Yibo to slowly open his eyes. Zhan reached out to brush his forehead, but Yibo frowned and quickly rolled away from him. Zhan stepped off the bed and went into the bathroom.
Yibo sat up, pulled the duvet over himself, turned off the air conditioning, and scooted to the edge of the bed. He started thinking about how he even ended up lying beside him. When Zhan came out, he glanced at Yibo and asked, "Aren't you getting up?" Yibo didn't respond and kept a stony expression. Zhan left the room.
Only then did Yibo stand and head into the bathroom. By the time he came out, Zhan had returned and was sitting on the bed, watching him. Yibo didn't even glance at him.
Zhan moved closer and said gently, "Good morning, hubby."
Yibo frowned. "I'm not your hubby."
Zhan widened his eyes, pretending to be hurt. "Oh? Just because I didn't show you how much of a husband I can be last night?"
Yibo turned his face away, refusing to reply.
Zhan chuckled softly. "Don't worry. I'll deal with you... just wait for the next long night." With that, he lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.
They left the hotel shortly after 7 a.m. Yibo kept staring at the road, waiting to see where Zhan ge was taking him. But when he realized they were leaving town, his eyes widened in panic. He turned to Zhan, almost on the verge of tears. "Gege, please, stop. Where are you taking me? I know everyone's probably looking for me. Just take me back home, please…"
Zhan kept his eyes on the road and said calmly, "Right now, there's no one in that house who has control over you. They all need to understand that you're with your husband now. They can keep watching... we'll return with cute little kids someday. We'll give one to Mom, two to Aunty Yuting, one to Yimei, and maybe, just maybe, we'll pity Nainai and give her one too. Even if she did ruin her/him like she did with you."
Yibo's tears fell as he looked at him. "Please take me home, Gege. This isn't funny anymore."
Zhan's voice was quiet, but firm. "You think I'm joking? You'll be surprised."
Yibo stopped crying, noticing how serious he was. Zhan didn't even glance his way again... just kept driving, steady and calm.
Yibo whispered, "Please don't do this to me, Gege. Don't separate me from my Mum…"
Then he burst into tears.
Zhan replied, "If I don't separate you from her now, she'll end up separating me from you. And I won't let that happen. I want to live with my little brother under the same roof."
After about an hour and a half, they entered Tianjin. Yibo was still in shock. He hadn't believed Zhan was serious until now. Zhan pulled into a large house and got out, unlocking the front gate. He returned to the car, drove into the spacious compound, and parked in one of four car slots. Turning off the engine, he looked at Yibo.
Yibo stared at the house, almost fearfully.
Zhan closed his door, walked around, and opened Yibo's side. "Come down."
Yibo crossed his arms and shook his head. "I'm begging you. Please take me home. Don't do this…"
Zhan sighed, gently pulled him out of the car, locked it, and held his hand as they approached the entrance. He unlocked the door and led him into a massive sitting room... fully furnished, though everything was slightly dusty. He locked the door behind them and headed upstairs.
Yibo dropped to the floor, trembling, unable to even cry. But then, as if startled, he shot up and screamed, "Gege!" before running toward the stairs, calling out Zhan's name repeatedly.
Zhan came rushing down, and they nearly collided. Yibo wrapped his arms around him, shaking. "I think I saw something move, Gege. I saw an insect!"
Zhan quickly led him upstairs, opened a bedroom, and said, "Go take a shower. I've prepared warm water for you."
"Gege, I think it was a cockroach," Yibo said, scared.
Zhan laughed softly and took his hand, walking him toward the bathroom. "Alright, come on. I'll wait while you shower."
Yibo followed behind him, glancing at the floor, hoping not to see it again.
"Alright, take off your clothes," Zhan said casually.
Yibo removed his jacket and placed it on the bed. He started unbuttoning his sleep shirt but froze when he saw how Zhan was watching him. He paused, then slowly looked at him.
Seeing Zhan's gaze, Yibo let out a small yelp, dropped to the floor, and knelt down, embarrassed. "Please, Gege, don't look at me like that…"
Zhan smiled and knelt down too. "like how?"
Yibo didn't answer and didn't dare meet his eyes. Zhan eventually stood and went to sit on the bed.
"Go on. Take your shower. I'll be waiting right here."
Yibo locked himself inside the bathroom, bolting the door behind him. Zhan stepped out of the bedroom and walked into the sitting room. He opened the front door, locked it from the outside, and left the house. He did a bit of shopping and picked up breakfast before returning home. He dropped the bags in the sitting room and went upstairs.
Opening the bedroom door, he saw Yibo standing by the window, phone pressed to his ear, tears streaming down his face. As soon as he heard the door, Yibo turned to look at him, quickly ending the call with a sob. Zhan paused at the door, watching him intently. Slowly, Yibo wiped his tears. Zhan walked in, snatched the phone from his hand, and checked the screen... Quentin's number.
Yibo tried to walk past him, but Zhan grabbed his arm, his face tense.
"What did you tell him?" he asked sharply.
Yibo burst into tears. "Please, Gege, I beg you… let me go home. I don't want to stay with you, I don't want to be here…"
Zhan checked the call duration...almost seven minutes. His expression hardened further.
"I said, what did you tell him?"
Yibo shrugged, his voice trembling. "I told him to come get me… I told him I don't want to stay here with you. I told him I don't love you."
Just then, Quentin called again. Yibo quickly wiped his face and reached for the phone, but Zhan gave him a cold stare and walked out. Yibo watched him go, tears falling freely now.
Outside the room, Zhan hesitated before answering the call, his voice low.
"Good morning, Shushu."
"Good morning, Zhan. How are you two?" Quentin asked.
"We're fine," Zhan replied quietly.
"But why did you take him with you without informing anyone, Zhan?"
Zhan fell silent for a moment before replying, "I'm sorry, Shushu… but no one would have allowed me to take him."
"And what about the other woman?" Quentin asked. "Don't wrong her. You need to talk to her. You know what's right."
As Zhan descended the stairs, his voice dropped even lower. "I'll talk to her today, Shushu."
"Alright, good. There's no need to rush back. I hope everything goes smoothly."
Zhan smiled faintly. "Thank you, Shushu."
"You're in Tianjin, right?"
"Yes."
"Alright. I hope there's no problem?"
"No, everything's fine."
"And your work?"
"I'll be going from here. I took a two-week leave."
Quentin paused before saying, "I don't like that, Zhan. The place is too far."
"It's only for three weeks, Shushu," Zhan replied.
"Well, that's better. May everything go well. If you have any problems, let me know."
"Will do," Zhan said, then ended the call.
He sat down on the couch, closing his eyes, hoping everyone would accept the marriage. But then he heard footsteps upstairs and looked up to see Yibo. Zhan opened one of the bags he brought.
"Breakfast," he offered.
Yibo didn't even look at him, his face cold and closed off. Zhan stood up and went upstairs, holding his phone, leaving Yibo alone in the sitting room.
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Meanwhile, in Nainai's sitting room, Zong was sitting with Quentin and Beiting. Nainai sat on the carpet, her head in her hands, eyes swollen from crying. Suddenly, she burst into tears again.
"Since the day my mother gave birth to me, I've never seen someone as heartless as Zhan. What have I ever done to him except show kindness? How could he repay me like this? Do you know how many times I went to the bathroom last night because I couldn't sleep? Over fifty! I spent the whole night lying on the carpet because of the stress. And to think he snuck in and took my grandson without a shred of shame. Why would he take him? I said he's too young for marriage! What business does he have running off with someone's child?"
She wiped her tears aggressively and continued, "Wherever he's taken him, he better bring him back. Or give me the address... I'll go there myself and bring Yibo back. How old is he anyway that Zhan thinks he can just steal him away because he's shameless? Zong, you're unlucky with this one. I've never seen a man as shameless as Zhan. I'll get dressed now. Take me to his house so I can give him a piece of my mind and come back with Yibo. He's not the one who gave birth to him, Quentin did."
She stood up abruptly to go to her room. Beiting watched her, then quietly said, "They're not even at his house, AYi…"
Nainai turned around quickly, looking alarmed. "He's not at home? Then where did he take Yibo?"
Beiting replied, "They spoke on the phone, but he didn't say where they were."
Nainai sat down on the couch, her mouth open in disbelief. "How could he leave without saying anything? And why would he take Yibo and leave me behind like this?"
Beiting glanced at Quentin, who was silently watching his mother. Nainai, still stunned, shook her head. "Has Zhan forgotten everything I went through for him? He took Yibo and left me behind?"
No one answered her.
Meanwhile, Zhan had just finished cleaning the entire house. Every speck of dust was gone, and everything looked spotless. He checked the clock....ten forty-five. Then he went upstairs, opened his bedroom door, and found Yibo still sleeping. The sleeping pills he gave him after forcing him to eat breakfast had clearly taken effect.
Zhan entered the bathroom to take another shower. Afterward, he changed into something casual, grabbed his car keys, and glanced back at the sleeping boy. He walked to the bed and sat gently on the edge, leaning close until their faces almost touched.
Yibo slowly opened his eyes, feeling the soft breath against his face. Zhan whispered, "I'm heading out now, but I'll be back soon, little bro."
Seeing how sleepy Yibo was, Zhan pecked his forehead. Yibo closed his eyes again without saying a word. Zhan stood up, quietly locked the bedroom door, then left the house, locking it from outside. He got into his car and headed straight to Beijing.
He drove directly to Ning Li's house. As he entered the city, he parked in front of her home and walked inside. The sitting room was empty except for Jie Dan, who glanced at him briefly before returning her focus to her phone. Zhan sat down without acknowledging her and pulled out his phone. He dialed Ning Li.
When she answered, he said, "Come out to the sitting room."
Ning Li had just stepped out of the shower and was startled, looking at her mom, who was on the phone. She hadn't felt this kind of excitement in a long time. After getting dressed, she sat on the bed, watching her mother speak. "Yes, that's the first thing I want to be done for her. Yes, her name's Yichen. We'll talk again later." She ended the call.
Ning Li widened her eyes. "Mom, Zhan is in the sitting room!"
Sun Yue frowned. "Zhan? What's he doing here?"
Ning Li made a face and stood up, spraying perfume all over her body in front of the mirror. "He came to take me back, obviously. If he wasn't here for that, he knows I wouldn't let him leave peacefully. I don't care about that marriage...he belongs to me. He needs to get rid of that sickly cousin of his and marry me. If he's not here to leave him for me, then Mom, you better hire a professional to get rid of both him and that Yichen. If you won't, I'll do it myself...maybe I'll sneak in one night and trigger his asthma. Let him die and everyone will finally rest."
Sun Yue responded calmly, "You know Zhan won't let this go if you harm his cousin. He'll retaliate."
Ning Li smiled coldly. "Exactly. If he wants to kill me, fine. Let's all go down together. But I will never let him be with that lowly thing."
She stormed out.
What Ning Li forgot was that she never ended her call with Zhan after he told her to come out, and neither did he. So he heard everything.... every single word. Including what her mother said once Ning Li left the room:
"Go on. Keep chasing after a man who doesn't want you. I don't care about his cousin, but Yichen will regret messing with me. Even if I don't kill her, I'll destroy her life. Let's see who stands by her then."
Zhan had come with the intention of apologizing and asking Ning Li to leave him alone. But after hearing their entire plan, his mind changed completely. No matter what his mother had done, he couldn't allow anyone to harm her or Yibo. These people were rich and dangerous... they could do anything and walk away free. He needed to be smart and keep Ning Li close.
When Ning Li walked into the sitting room and saw him sitting there, she ran to him and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly as she burst into tears. "I missed you so much, Zhan. Please, let's go home together...just the two of us?"
He said simply, "Go pack your things."
Her eyes widened. "Really?"
"I'm waiting."
Yezhen and the others had already taken her things from Zhan's house after the incident. She jumped up and rushed upstairs, telling her mother, "He said I should pack my things."
Her mom responded coldly, "You're not going anywhere until the task is complete."
Ning Li started crying. "Mom, please! Let me go. We're just going back home, and I think he's finally left that cousin of his. Please let me go."
Sun Yue insisted, "I said no. You're blinded by love and can't see that he doesn't want you."
Ning Li looked like she might cry harder. "Then let me go now and I'll come back when the work's done. But if you haven't paid for Yichen yet, don't worry....I'll handle her myself. I swear, I'll take her child and make sure she loses everything. That marriage? It's already over."
She stormed into her room, packed her bags in just a few minutes, and dragged them downstairs.
Zhan watched her silently. Jie Dan gave her a strange look, tapping her foot. Zhan asked, "Where's your mom?"
Ning Li quickly ran back upstairs, walked into her mother's room, and smiled sweetly. "Mom, he says he wanted to greet you."
Sun Yue scoffed. "He's not worth that. And haven't I told you... we don't mix with the likes of Yichen? Everyone knows what she is. If she dared to cross me, I'll make sure she pays. Once the job is done, I'll come to that house myself to deal with your Co-partner."
Ning Li turned away, muttering, "There's no marriage now, so what co-partner? Let's see who breaks first." She came back to the sitting room and told Zhan, "She's in the bathroom. Let's go, dear."
He got up and headed for the door. She followed behind and turned to Jie Dan. "We'll talk later, Jie Dan!"
Jie Dan didn't even glance at her.
Once they were inside the car, Zhan said, "We're going to Tianjin."
Ning Li's eyes lit up with excitement. "Even better, darling! It's best we stay far away for a while. After a few months, we'll return and no one will bring up the past again. This is so much better....I finally feel at peace, sweetheart."
Zhan said nothing. His mind was still on Yibo, who was sleeping back at home....
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛