Zhan had been sitting quietly on the rug since Yibo left. He hadn't moved an inch, lost in thought, until he suddenly heard the door open. He turned quickly toward the door as Yibo walked in, holding a plate and a takeaway food bag in his hands.
Yibo smile softly as he approached, knelt beside Zhan, set the items down, and unpacked the food. He looked up, met Zhan's eyes, and smiled gently. "Your favorite."
Zhan lowered his gaze and muttered, "Thank you."
"Did you shower?" Yibo asked.
Zhan nodded.
"Alright, let me go put your clothes in the wardrobe while you eat," Yibo said, standing up and heading toward the three suitcases in the room. He opened one.
Zhan turned back to the food in front of him and started eating slowly. He wasn't really tasting anything....it was all mechanical. After a while, he turned and saw that Yibo had opened a suitcase with his inner garments in it. Flustered, he quickly put down his spoon and said, "No, leave that one for me. I'll do it myself."
Yibo turned to him. "Okay." He closed that suitcase and opened another. Zhan quietly resumed eating. Even though the food was in front of him, he couldn't finish even a quarter of the rice. When Yibo returned to sit beside him, he said gently, "You're not eating, Baby. Don't you feel like eating fried rice today?"
Zhan slowly pushed the plate aside. "I'm full."
"Should I bring you some milk?" Yibo offered.
Zhan shook his head. "I'm full."
Yibo took the bag of medicine that Dr. Kexing had brought, pulled them out, and checked the labels. Zhan just watched him quietly. After reviewing them, Yibo handed the pills to Zhan and said, "Take these."
Zhan took them and swallowed them with bottled water from beside him.
"Since you won't eat, give me the plate I will finish it" Yibo said.
Zhan handed it to him. Zhan stood and went to rinse his mouth in the bathroom. As he moved, Yibo eyes fell on Zhan's jacket lying nearby. He stared at it for a few seconds, then picked it up and brought it to his nose to smell the scent.
Just then, Zhan came out and said, "Gege, there's no toothpaste in the bathroom."
Yibo froze mid-sniff and quickly dropped the jacket. "Oh, alright. Let me get one for you." He set the plate down and left the room.
Zhan walked to the bed, picked up the jacket, and brought it to his own nose, inhaling the familiar scent. Then he set it down gently, his gaze falling to the floor. Slowly, he returned to where he had been standing. After a moment, he went back, picked up the jacket again, took it into the bathroom, dropped it into a bucket, added detergent, and turned on the tap.
When Yibo returned, he knocked on the bathroom door. Zhan opened it and accepted the toothpaste before locking the door again. Yibo picked up the food and left the room.
After Zhan brushed his teeth, he returned and lay on the bed. He closed his eyes, and after many thoughts rushed through his mind, he eventually drifted off to sleep.
Around 10 p.m., Yibo came into the room. He walked to the bed, looked at Zhan, and asked, "Did you brush your teeth before sleeping, Baby?"
Zhan simply nodded, his eyes still closed.
"Alright, adjust yourself properly," Yibo said.
Zhan shifted to the middle of the bed, and Yibo pulled the duvet over him. "Don't forget to sleep well," he added with a small smile.
Zhan nodded again. Yibo turned down the AC, switched off the room lights, and quietly left, closing the door behind him.
***
The next morning, just before dawn, Yibo came into the room to wake Zhan for his morning workout. But he wasn't surprised to find him already awake; back home, Zhan was used to rising by five. Without saying much, Yibo left for his exercise.
Zhan lay back down. For the past four days, he hadn't had restful sleep until the night before. He suspected that one of the medications Dr. Kexing gave him was a sedative. Around 8:30 a.m., he woke up suddenly, remembering he had school today.
He quickly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to shower. By 9:30, he was fully dressed and ready. He sat on the edge of the bed, eyes scanning the room....it was simple, but beautifully arranged.
Realizing time was slipping, and with a 10 a.m. lecture ahead, he stood up, quietly opened the door, and walked into the main sitting room.
He looked around. The space was elegant, designed in cream with touches of gold. After a moment, he turned toward the kitchen and opened the door. Inside, he found Yibo peeling Irish potatoes.
Yibo turned, smiled, and said, "Good morning, Baby."
"Good morning, Gege," Zhan replied softly.
"How was your night?"
Zhan nodded slightly. "It was fine."
"Did you sleep well?"
He nodded again.
"Great," Yibo said as Zhan stepped closer. "Let me help you peel those."
"No, you're still recovering. Just go relax....I'll bring you breakfast in bed."
Zhan gave a faint smile. "You're just wasting my time Gege. If I wait for you, I'll be late."
Yibo turned and asked, "Are you hungry?"
"No," Zhan replied. "I'm heading to school."
Yibo hesitated. "No, Baby. Wait until Wednesday. You're just recovering. Don't stress yourself."
"Please, I need to go. I've missed a lot. Exams are just four weeks away," Zhan insisted.
Without waiting for Yibo's response, he gently took the peeler from his hand. Yibo stepped aside and watched him quietly as he continued peeling the potatoes.
By 10:15, Zhan had finished fraying...he fried eggs, boiled water for tea, and brought the meal into the sitting room: a simple plate of fried Irish potatoes and egg. Not seeing Yibo in the room, he placed it on the dining table, pulled out a chair, and waited for his tea to cool.
Soon, Yibo entered the room and walked over to the dining area. He looked at Zhan's plate, barely five pieces of potato and a small egg, and said, "What's this?"
Zhan looked up at him. Yibo picked up Zhan's plate, emptied it onto his own, and brought it to the middle of the room. Then he returned with Zhan's tea and sat down beside him.
"Come here, let's eat together," he said.
Zhan pouted slightly but didn't move.
Zhan glanced at the clock....time was slipping. He stood and sat beside Yibo. He began eating the Irish potatoes. Eventually, Zhan ate a little and drank his tea.
By 10:40, Yibo drove him to school.
Yibo parked in front of their department building and looked over at Zhan.
"What time will your lectures end?"
"4 p.m.," Zhan replied.
"Okay, I'll be back by 4," Yibo said.
Zhan looked at him and quickly said, "No, Gege, I'll just get a taxi."
Yibo shook his head. "No, I'll come back to pick you up today." He pulled some cash from his wallet and said, "In case you want to get something to eat at the cafeteria."
Zhan shook his head. "I won't eat anything."
"Still, take it," Yibo insisted.
Zhan took the money quietly. "Thank you."
Yibo said goodbye and left. Zhan headed into the department building. He knew lectures had already started, so he just went to their usual spot where they waited when there were no classes and sat down.
Time passed, but Dr. Kexing still hadn't shown up by noon. Zhan's mood darkened. He didn't even bring his phone, so he couldn't call him. Soon, his coursemates began to exit the lecture hall.
Ji Li spotted him and quickly approached. "Zhan! I didn't know you came today!"
Zhan gave a small smile. "Yeah, I came. How were the lectures?"
Ji Li sat beside him. "They were fine. But why didn't you come into the hall?"
"I thought it was already too late to enter," Zhan replied.
Ji Li sighed and said, "Let me show you the notes." "How are Aunty and Uncle?"
"They're doing well," Zhan replied, eyes dropping to the floor.
It seemed Ji Li didn't want to bring up the broken engagement, so he just kept flipping through his notebook and said, "This is everything we covered. I'm sure you'll catch up."
Zhan took the notebook with a grateful smile and started scanning it. Some of their other classmates approached, saying hello and catching up with him. Yet, no one mentioned the called-off engagement. They all returned to their second lecture.
Throughout the day, Zhan remained quiet and withdrawn. He hadn't imagined Dr. Kexing wouldn't show up, especially after saying he would. But he didn't keep his word.
Lectures ended just past 4 p.m., and Zhan walked out of the department with Ji Li.
He spotted Yibo's car parked in the same place it was that morning.
Turning to Ji Li, he said, "Yibo ge came to pick me up. Come along so we can drop you closer to your place."
"Thanks," Ji Li replied as they headed to the car. Zhan opened the front door while Ji Li slid into the back.
As they got settled, Ji Li greeted Yibo, who returned the greeting with a friendly smile.
"How were lectures today, Ji Li?"
"They went well."
"And how's exam preparation going?"
"We've been trying our best."
"Wishing you all the best, then."
"Thanks so much."
Zhan greeted Yibo too, and after returning the greeting, Yibo drove off. At the junction where Ji Li could catch a rickshaw, Yibo stopped, gave him 5000 yuan for transportation, and continued home with Zhan.
On the way, Yibo made a stop to get some takeaway meals before finally heading home.
When they reached the parking space, Zhan picked up the food bag and got out of the car. Yibo also stepped out and looked at him.
"Min is back."
Zhan felt his chest tighten, but he didn't say anything.
"Come on," Yibo said, walking toward the house. Zhan followed quietly until they reached the sitting room door. He opened it and stepped inside.
Min was sitting there, looking fashionable in her long dress and chewing gum. She had already come out to wait once she heard Yibo's car arrive.
Zhan glanced at her and said, "Good afternoon."
She glanced past him to Yibo and responded curtly, "Fine."
Zhan set the takeaway bag down and went to his room. Yibo walked into the sitting room and sat down, staring at Min. "I really hate that gum you're chewing, Min. Don't you get tired of making that awful sound?"
Min stood up and walked off toward the stairs without saying anything. Yibo watched her for a moment, then got up and followed her.
He found her sitting on the edge of the bed, her headscarf tossed aside. As soon as he locked the door, she burst into tears and sobbed loudly.
"Yibo," she cried out, "I've never heard of a new bride who, barely three days into her marriage, has a strange, handsome man dropped into her house to live with her! Do you think this is fair to me? What kind of treatment is this? I can't even enjoy my honeymoon in peace! And now you've brought him back to live here?"
"My wedding was ruined because of him...right after the ring exchange, you disappeared, no celebrations, no moments together...and now this? You're bringing him to stay here permanently?"
She collapsed onto her pillow, sobbing even harder.
Yibo stayed silent, watching her. Eventually, he let out a quiet sigh, came closer, and sat beside her. He gently lifted her up and said softly, "I'm sorry, Min. This wasn't the plan. I didn't do this to hurt you, I promise. I never imagined Zhan would end up staying here either. Things just… turned out this way."
"But he's only here temporarily, not forever. Please, just let him stay for now. He can even help you around the house...he's not a troublemaker. Whatever you ask him to do, he'll do it. I'm begging you, for the sake of the love you say you have for me, please be patient. He's just staying here for a little while, I promise."
Min didn't respond. She just wiped her tears and pouted angrily. Yibo hugged her, running his fingers through her hair.
"You understand, right, dear?"
Through her sniffles, she added, "And what about how you humiliated me three days ago?"
Yibo looked away, lowering his voice. "That was a moment of weakness. I don't even know what came over me… Please forgive me."
****
It was nearly 6:30 p.m. when Yibo came out of thier room. He paused, surprised to see the takeaway bag they had bought earlier still sitting on the center table. Quickly, he turned and headed to Zhan's room.
He found Zhan sitting on the rug with study materials spread in front of him. Zhan looked up at him. With concern, Yibo asked, "You didn't eat anything, Baby?"
Zhan said nothing, just looked away.
Yibo returned to the sitting room, went into the kitchen, and gathered a plate and a bottled water from the fridge. He picked up the takeaway meal and brought it back to Zhan's room.
Min, who had just come out of the sitting room wearing a short casual dress and a small damp towel over her head, gave Yibo a sharp look, pouting before scoffing loudly.
Yibo knelt in front of Zhan and dished out the food for him. Without meeting Zhan's eyes, he said, "I'm sorry, Baby. I must have dozed off. I didn't realize you hadn't eaten."
Zhan remained silent. Yibo stood up and left the room without another word.
In the sitting room, Min was scrolling through her phone when Yibo walked out of their bedroom.
"I'm stepping out for a bit," he said.
With a sweetened tone and a hint of childish coaxing, she replied,
"Baby, I'm really craving grilled chicken."
Yibo asked, "Where am I supposed to get grilled chicken at this hour?"
She pouted. "That's for you to figure out. Please get it for me."
He stood still for a moment, then turned back to the room, grabbed his car keys, and left. Min rushed to the window, watched him drive out of the compound, then returned to the sitting room and dialed Shu's number.
As soon as the phone rang, Shu picked up and snapped, "Seriously, Min? You've been ignoring my calls! I don't understand what you're trying to pull... running around with my gold watch and refusing to give it back? You know how I am, Min! I've been asking nicely and you're playing games with me! I said forget selling the gold, just return my stuff! Or what, is it by force now?"
Min cut in quickly. "You really have no patience, Shu. Your gold is safe. Relax. You know I'd never cheat you....we're friends."
Shu huffed. "This is getting ridiculous. It's been nearly a week now and you've been messing with my head. I had to sell my two ring to clear some debt, and now I'm broke again. I've been calling you non-stop, and you kept ignoring me. Just tell me...where are you right now?"
Min said slyly, "Let me give you the hottest tea."
Shu asked, "Wait, did Yibo go to Wuhan?"
Min laughed. "Wuhan? Girl, I'm literally in his house right now. We've even slept together. And you know what? It's true what you told me....Granny Fang Yu really did go to that house and kicked Zhan out!"
Shu said, "What, you thought I was joking? I've been fueling her with everything she needed to hear, telling her not to listen to anyone. Even Aunt Lan Yi tried to calm her down, but Granny Fang Yu told her to choose....either her or Zhan. Uncle Qiren left the sitting room earlier, and you know how much he respects Granny Fang Yu. He doesn't like anything that upsets Aunt Lan Yi."
"Even with Uncle Qiren's visit, Granny Fang Yu hasn't backed down."
"Right now, no one knows where Zhan is. Who knows....he might be anywhere. Maybe he's already disappeared from this world. Honestly, people always saw me as 'just that girl,' but now maybe he'll be the one to vanish like smoke. My deepest wish is that he ends up in the worst hands possible....maybe some troublemaker or a manipulative woman in Shanghai or Shenzhen ruins him. That would be the perfect ending."
"May he never find kindness again. And hopefully, he never looks back. As for Dr. Kexing....he's all talk and no action. Zhan can dream about marrying him."
Min burst into laughter.
"What world are you living in? Zhan is in my house!"
Shu practically jumped out of bed in shock.
"In your house?!"
"I swear to you, Shu," Min said confidently.
Completely baffled, Shu asked, "Your actual house, Min?"
Min replied, "Would I lie to you? I just got home and found him already here. Yibo brought him back himself. The room is furnished like a bride's...everything you can imagine, even the bathroom's stocked. His clothes are neatly arranged in the wardrobe."
Shu blinked hard. "Damn… And you allowed this, Min?"
Min scoffed. "So you don't trust me, Shu? I had to play along and act like I was fine with it. That's how I got Yibo to bring me back so easily. Do you think Yibo would have kept sleeping next to me otherwise?"
"I have to stay calm....for now. But believe me, I'm not going to just sit back and let Zhan stay here like it's nothing. I've hated him from the beginning....even before I knew who he really was. And now that I know he's got no real connection to Yibo, that he's just a stray... there's no way I'll let him settle here peacefully."
Shu added, "So this is Yibo showing Granny Fang Yu that he's not afraid of her, by bringing Zhan back under his roof....and you let it happen just so you could get back in?"
Min said, "Do you really think I could ever live peacefully under the same roof with Zhan, the one person in this world I can't stand? Come on, Shu, even you know that's impossible."
Shu asked, "Has Yibo started going back to work?"
Min replied, "I heard him say he's going tomorrow."
Shu nodded. "Alright then. I'll call you tomorrow."
Min muttered, "I promise you, Zhan would probably prefer disappearing into the world than staying in this house."
Shu laughed. "We'll talk more tomorrow." With that, she ended the call.
Min kept tapping her foot, her mind racing with thoughts. Then a sly smile formed on her lips as she glanced toward Zhan's room.
"You'd rather disappear from this world than live in my house," she muttered, standing abruptly and heading for the bedroom, locking the door behind her.
✨✨✨
Around 7:30 p.m., Yibo entered the sitting room. Min, who had been waiting since she heard his car, watched him closely. He placed one takeaway bag on the center table. She waited to see what he would do with the second one, watching as he headed toward Zhan's room.
Immediately, she blocked his path, giving him a sharp look.
"I don't get it, Yibo. Did he send you or something? What are you taking to him now?"
Yibo frowned.
"Min, don't start with me. Do you think I'd eat and not feed my brother? Are you serious right now? If you want peace in this house, you need to stop monitoring everything I do for Zhan. I've been trying to stay calm, but don't push me."
He walked past her as she stood stunned. When he reached Zhan's door, he found it locked. Zhan had locked it earlier when he heard the car moving out. Yibo knocked.
"Baby, open the door."
Zhan got up from where he had been bent over his books. His stomach had been aching for a while. He walked over and opened the door.
Yibo handed him the bag and asked,
"Do you need anything else?"
Zhan was silent for a moment, then quietly said, "I need sanitary pads."
"Oh… alright," Yibo responded and turned to leave.
Zhan locked the door again. Min, still in the sitting room, watched as Yibo left the house once more. She sat back down, her stomach turning, trying to calm herself. It was almost 8 p.m. when Yibo returned. Hearing the car, Min slipped into thier room and locked the door.
Yibo knocked on Zhan's door again. When he opened, Yibo handed him another bag.
"There's some medicine in there too. I figured you'd prefer that over injections."
Zhan replied softly,
"This'll work. Thanks."
"I'll get you some hot water," Yibo said.
Zhan nodded.
Yibo went to the kitchen, boiled water, poured it into a flask, and returned with a cup.
Zhan took it gratefully.
"Thanks, Gege."
"Take care of yourself," Yibo said before leaving. Zhan locked the door behind him.
That night, Zhan didn't sleep much due to intense cramps. Yibo lay in bed, mind completely occupied with worry for Zhan. He knew exactly how painful those cramps could be for his baby brother. If they were back home, he and Lan Yi would take turns checking on him all night. But now, with Min sleeping beside him, he didn't want to start another fight.
Still, he couldn't take it anymore. Eventually, he sat up, looking at Min who was fast asleep. He gently tapped her shoulder.
"Dear…"
She slowly opened her eyes as he switched on the closet light. Sitting up, rubbing her eyes, she glanced at the clock. It was 2:30 a.m.
"Baby, is everything okay? Why are you awake?"
"I need you to check on Zhan. He's not feeling well. I'd go myself, but I know you'd make a scene."
"He's sick? Is that why you can't sleep? What's wrong with him?"
Yibo gave her a look. "There you go again…"
"Fine," she said. "What's wrong with him?"
"Just go check on him."
She got off the bed, dressed in barely-there sleepwear. As she was about to leave the room, Yibo asked,
"Are you seriously going out like that?"
She turned, irritated. "It's not like I'm going to a stranger."
"Please cover up, Min," he insisted.
Rolling her eyes, she threw on a robe and left the room.
Zhan was curled up in his room, head resting on the mattress. His phone started vibrating. He reached out with effort and answered, saying nothing.
From the other end, Dr. Kexing asked,
"Did you manage to drink the hot water?"
Zhan nodded silently.
"Still no sleep?" the doctor asked.
Zhan nodded again.
"You're so quiet. Are you trying to sleep, Baby?"
Almost in tears, Zhan whispered,
"No."
"I wish I could take the pain away from you," Dr. Kexing said softly.
Zhan didn't respond, overwhelmed.
"Should you try taking more medicine?" he asked gently.
"I already took it three times," Zhan managed to say.
Dr. Kexing went quiet, filled with concern. After a moment, Zhan said with effort,
"I'll be right back."
"A stomach upset?" the doctor asked.
"Yes."
Zhan put the phone down and rushed to the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Min had done a quick round along the corridor, checking each door. After a few minutes, she returned to their bedroom and saw Yibo still sitting upright. She turned off the closet light.
"He's asleep. You can rest now," she said. Without waiting for a reply, she crawled into bed and clung to him.
By 4 a.m., neither Zhan nor Dr. Kexing had slept. The doctor kept calling every few minutes just to check on him. Around 4:45 a.m., he called again, but this time, Zhan didn't answer.
That's when Dr. Kexing knew...he must have finally fallen asleep.
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛