Even after Yibo's call ended, Dr. Kexing didn't pick up. He eventually tossed his phone onto the bed, his expression darkening. "I don't see why he should be calling me just because you're missing. What's that supposed to mean?"
Zhan didn't say anything. He simply curled up on the bed, watching him quietly.
The phone started ringing again. Kexing glanced at the screen....it was his mother, Wu, this time. He sighed deeply. He waited until the call was about to end before answering and put it on speaker, leaving it by the side of the bed in silence.
Wu's voice came through, gentle but filled with concern. "Kexing?"
Softly, he replied, "Good evening, Mom."
Her voice tightened with worry. "Why have you had your phone switched off for three days now?"
He didn't answer at first.
"I'm talking to you, Kexing."
"I just needed some rest," he said quietly.
Wu sounded frustrated. "You should face challenges with strength, Kexing. You're the eldest....can't you see how much you're adding to my worries? Sleepless nights, constant anxiety… Why would you just switch off your phone like that? Do you even know how many times I've called you every day?"
He lowered his voice. "I'm fine, Mom. Please don't worry. I'll take care of myself. I just needed a break."
"Where are you now?" she asked.
He hesitated, then said, "Shanghai."
"Come home, Kexing. I won't be at peace until I see you. This isn't the end of the world just because you've been separated from someone you care about. Maybe it just wasn't meant to happen right now. There's always a reason for everything, even if we don't understand it. And if he's truly meant to be in your life, no matter how long it takes, nothing will stop you two from being together in the end. Please, don't rush into things. Be patient. And if you can reach out to him, calm him down. Don't let the five years he spent studying go to waste. Nursing science isn't easy. He needs to graduate and build a future for himself. His foster parents have done so much for him....he should be able to stand on his own, not depend entirely on anyone else."
She paused, then added gently, "If it's meant to be, he'll find his way back to his biological family someday. Everything is just a matter of time. You've handled so much loss before....you can handle this too. Find a way to talk to him, reassure him. Don't give up so easily, my son…"
Quietly, Kexing said, "Thank you, Mom."
"Please come home tomorrow, Kexing. I want to see you, okay?"
"I will."
"Good. And you've eaten?"
"I have."
"All right. Please, don't switch off your phone again, promise me."
"I won't."
They ended the call. Kexing turned to look at Zhan, who had buried his face in a pillow. His mother's words had softened him. He sat down beside Zhan and said gently, "Baby…"
Zhan sat up, tears streaming down his face as he looked at him. The sight of him crying broke Kexing's heart.
With a trembling voice, Zhan said, "What your mom said is true. Maybe now just isn't the right time for us to get married. I've felt it in my heart, even before all this happened… like it wasn't meant to be now." And with that, he broke into sobs.
Kexing turned away for a moment, then looked back at him.
Zhan wiped his tears and said, "But I don't have anywhere else to go."
Kexing said, "Zhan…" His own tears started to fall as he continued, "I keep telling you, don't be ungrateful. Mr. and Mrs. Wang have been the best parents to you. They never failed you. They raised you well, gave you a good education, protected you, gave you the kind of care that even some with their birth parents don't get. You had everything you needed. Even when I said we could run off and get married somewhere else, I never intended to separate you from them forever. I know they wouldn't agree to our marriage right now after everything that's happened, and I can't handle that. You heard what my mom said....it wouldn't be right to let your five years in university go to waste. Please, be patient, baby. After your final exams, we'll get married. And we won't come back until you've given me two beautiful children, just like you."
Zhan just stared at him. Dr. Kexing gently took his hand and said softly, "Yes, dear. If I leave with you now and stop you from finishing your studies, I won't be doing right by you. You'll need that degree someday....it will be your weapon against all odds in the future."
Tears welled in Zhan's eyes. "Where will I stay to finish my exams?"
Lowering his voice, Dr. Kexing said, "At home....with your Mama and Baba."
Zhan looked away, shaking his head. "That won't work. Mama won't go against her mother. Granny Fang Yu already made her choose between me and herself. I don't want Mama to disobey her own mother because of me."
Dr. Kexing sighed. "Then please, just stay there until you finish your exams. That doesn't mean you're abandoning the house. Your Baba wouldn't want that either. And I'm sure your Mama....no matter what her mother says.....wouldn't want you to leave the house when they know you have nowhere else to go. Trust me, Zhan, Granny Fang Yu didn't mean everything she said..... even though I don't know exactly what happened."
Zhan broke down in tears, unable to respond. Kexing's voice softened even more. "Promise me, when you're done with your final exams, we'll go and get married, Zhan. Promise me you won't change your mind when the time comes."
Wiping his eyes, Zhan said, "I won't change my mind unless you change yours. Unless you're the one who gives up on marrying me, sir."
Kexing managed a faint smile. "The last thing I'd ever do on this earth is deny you, Zhan. If you see me not marrying you, it's because I'm no longer breathing. That's a promise."
Just then, his phone started ringing. They both turned to look....it was Yibo calling again. Kexing let out a hidden sigh and glanced at Zhan. Zhan lowered his gaze, saying nothing. Kexing picked up the phone, but Zhan quickly grabbed his hand, his voice trembling. "What are you going to say to him?"
Calmly, Kexing replied, "I know what to tell him." He stood and walked to the door. Zhan watched him go. After a few minutes, Kexing returned to the room, looking at him.
Zhan kept his head down. Quietly, Kexing said, "Let's go, baby."
Zhan didn't move. He said nothing. Kexing came closer, offering his hand. Zhan turned his face away, tears filling his eyes. He climbed down from the bed and looked at Kexing. "What did you tell him?"
Kexing smiled slightly. "You know I'd never tell him you were at my place. There's no need to worry."
Shortly, Zhan said, "I wouldn't be worried, even if you did tell him that." He grabbed the yogurt Kexing had left for him, took a sip, then headed for the door. Kexing watched him leave, sighing deeply. He picked up Zhan's phone and medications, grabbed his car keys, and followed.
In the sitting room, Zhan stood waiting. Kexing approached him. Zhan looked at him and asked, "How comfortable are you in a dusty house?"
Kexing lowered his head. "I was sick."
Zhan didn't respond. Kexing handed him his phone, which Zhan accepted, and they left the house together. Outside, Zhan stood by Kexing's car while he started it to warm up. Kexing came around to face him, voice low. "I still want to remind you how insecure I feel about your brothers, Zhan."
Zhan looked at him, puzzled. "Insecure? In what way?"
Kexing said, "Right now, there's marriage between you and them."
Surprised, Zhan asked, "Do you think I could ever marry one of the people I grew up seeing as my own blood brothers? That I'd marry them as husbands? I don't understand."
Just thinking about it sent a chill through Zhan. How could that ever happen? Shaking his head, Zhan said, "It would be unthinkable.....for me and for them."
Zhan stepped back, wide-eyed, as Kexing leaned toward him. Kexing quickly caught him, pulling him close.
Zhan asked, "What are you doing?"
In a soft voice, Kexing said, "Not even a goodbye kiss, baby?" Zhan didn't reply. The memory of the kiss Kexing had given him that day at his house flooded back. Zhan wanted to resist, but Kexing left him no space to do so.
They left the neighborhood in silence. In the car, Zhan said nothing; only the scent of Kexing's cologne filled his clothes. After about twenty minutes, they reached the area near Zhan's school. Kexing found a spot and parked. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. After a few minutes, his phone rang. Seeing it was Yibo, he answered. "Yeah, just pass the traffic light....I'm parked in front." He hung up and turned to look at Zhan, who still hadn't said a word. Gently, he took his hand and asked quietly, "Are you still angry, baby?"
Zhan didn't answer. Kexing gave a small smile and stroked Zhan hand gently. "I'm sorry, baby. You know I love you. That kiss.... it was just my way of showing how much you mean to me."
Zhan was the first to spot Yibo's car. As soon as Dr. Kexing saw it too, he picked up his phone and called Yibo, telling him where to park. Turning to Zhan, he said, "I told him I met you at school…"
Zhan shifted his gaze to the other side, avoiding Kexing's eyes. Kexing asked, "Will you be coming to school tomorrow?"
Zhan turned to look at him. With a hopeful tone, Khe asked, "Are you coming, sir?"
Kexing smiled softly. "Sure."
Zhan replied quietly, "Okay."
As Yibo parked, Kexing stepped out of his car. Yibo walked over, and they exchanged greetings with a handshake. Zhan remained in the car, unwilling to get out. Kexing walked around, opened the car door for him, and looked at him closely. Zhan struggled to keep the tears in his eyes from falling as he stepped out.
Kexing picked up the yogurt Zhan had opened earlier and the bag of medicine, handing them to Zhan. Zhan accepted them, head bowed, and said in a low voice, "Thank you."
Kexing glanced at Yibo, who was watching them. Forcing a smile, Kexing said, "I'll be on my way, Doctor."
Yibo responded, "Thank you so much, Dr. Kexing."
Looking at Zhan, Kexing said softly, "Take care of yourself." Then he got into his car and drove off. Yibo took the bag and yogurt from Zhan and said, "Let's go."
Zhan didn't dare meet his gaze. He wiped away tears as he walked toward Yibo's car. Yibo opened the back door for him, and Zhan got in. Yibo started the car, and they left. The silence between them stretched on, Yibo unsure of what to say, while Zhan kept wiping tears with the sleeve of his shirt.
Zhan was filled with confusion when Yibo finally parked.....not at the school dorm or thier family house, but at his Yibo's compound. Yibo got out, opened Zhan's door, and watched him. Summoning his courage, Zhan asked, "Why did you bring me here, Gege?"
Yibo said quietly, "No one's home."
Zhan fell silent. He knew Yibo wasn't being honest. At that moment, Granny Fang Yu's words from that morning echoed in his mind. Of course Mama would choose him over her own mother. So that was it....Granny Fang Yu had succeeded in separating him from his Mama. That was the end of living in the house he had always thought of as his true home. He glanced at Yibo, who was also at a loss for words, knowing exactly what Zhan was thinking.
Suddenly, all strength seemed to drain from Zhan. His voice shaking, he said, "Gege, I can't stay here with Min Jie. You know she doesn't like me. Should I ask Ji Li if I can stay at their place until I finish my exams?"
Yibo gently took his hand and helped him out of the car. "Min can't stop you from staying in my house, baby. It's mine, not hers. If she wants to stay here, she'll have to learn to live with you."
Zhan broke down crying. Everything felt like a nightmare....how could it be true that Lan Yi and Qiren weren't his real parents? Maybe this was all just a cruel joke. How could they say Mama and Baba weren't his parents? Was this some kind of prank?
Yibo couldn't stand the sound of Zhan's sobs anymore. He hugged him tightly, feeling the pain of Zhan's tears deep in his own heart. "Please stop, baby. Your tears are tearing me apart…"
Zhan cried until he had no tears left, clinging to Yibo. Yibo lifted his chin and looked at him, but he was lost for words, not knowing how to comfort him. Finally, he managed to say, "I'm sorry, baby. None of us ever expected this…"
Zhan just nodded. Yibo wiped his eyes, took his hand, and led him into the house. Yibo didn't stop in the sitting room....he took Zhan straight to a bedroom he had furnished for him just that day, with all his things moved over from the other house with Hai Kuan's help.
Zhan sat on the edge of the bed, wiping his eyes, exhausted from crying. Yibo knelt in front of him. "What can I get you to eat, baby?"
Zhan said nothing, just stared at him, not even blinking.
"Anything?" Yibo asked. Zhan nodded silently.
Yibo stood up. "Alright, take a shower. I'll be right back."
Without thinking, Zhan asked, "You're leaving me alone with her?"
Yibo shook his head. "She's not here. And even if she were, nothing would happen."
Then he headed for the door, and Zhan watched him leave.
Since morning, Yibo hadn't felt at ease. Even after speaking with Dr. Kexing, who assured him he was with Zhan, he couldn't rest until he saw him with his own eyes. As he drove out to get food for Zhan, Hai Kuan's call came through on his phone.
Meanwhile, Zhan, tired of sitting still, stood up and quietly looked at his suitcases in the room. He went into the bathroom, checked, and saw everything he might need was there. He took a shower and came out, opened one of the suitcases, pulled out some clothes, and got dressed.
When Yibo returned home and parked in the lot, his phone began ringing again. He checked the screen....it was Min, who had been calling him nonstop. He had refused to answer until now. Since the day he'd dropped her at her family's house, this was the first time he picked up, even though she had called more than ten times a day. At last, he answered, lifting the phone to his ear. From the other end, Min burst into tears, her voice frantic.
"Yibo, did you really go to my parents' house and disgrace me over something I've never done in my life? What did you tell them that they've been calling me since morning?"
Yibo listened calmly and replied, "Min, when I dropped you at your gate, did I ask you to go somewhere else?"
Crying harder, she said, "How could you expect me to go inside, Yibo? What would I even tell them? Do you know who and how my mum is?"
"Where did you go?" Yibo asked.
"I was confused, so I went to a friend's house. I didn't know what to say if I went home."
"Give me the address of your friend's house so I can come pick you up now," Yibo said.
Panic filled Min. She quickly tried to change the subject, still sobbing. "Yibo, just tell me what you told my parents so I can have some peace of mind. I've been so restless since morning. I've even been avoiding their calls. What did you say to them?"
Yibo answered, "I simply went to ask for their support in talking to you for letting my baby brother Zhan stay at my house during his final exams. I tried discussing it with you, but you made it clear you didn't agree, so I had to speak to them directly in order to ask you. This could cause unnecessary problems in our marriage, and that's not what I want. Besides, you're not even at my house right now."
Min fell silent, shocked, trying to make sense of his words. Finally, she asked, "I don't understand....Zhan is moving into our house? Which Zhan? Has Zhan been living at your place all along?"
Yibo said, "Look, Min, I'm not forcing you to stay under the same roof with Zhan. The truth is, I know I can choose to part ways with you if I have to, but I can't ever turn my back on Zhan. He's my blood. And if you truly care about me, you have to accept him too. I'm not saying this out of pride; I'm simply asking you to let my brother stay at my house for a while so he can focus on his exams. But if you feel you can't handle that, then I honestly don't see how I can keep living with someone who rejects my own blood. It's your choice now. I'm asking, not commanding."
Min's heart burned with frustration, but since she was desperate to return home without causing a scandal, she held herself together and said, "Fine, as long as he's not staying in my space, I don't care, Yibo. It's not like he's staying in my room."
Yibo replied, "Glad you see it that way."
She stayed silent, lost in thought. Yibo asked, "Where are you so I can come get you now?"
"I'm not ready yet. Maybe tomorrow," she said.
Yibo nodded. "Alright. Tomorrow it is."
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛