Zhan quickly got up and rushed upstairs, while Ning Li scoffed and refused to move, even lying back on the couch. Nainai watched Yibo, who stood silently, and asked, "Did you come out because they aren't home?"
Slowly, Yibo replied, "I don't know."
Nainai stepped inside the sitting room, frowning. "Where would they go on a Sunday, leaving the door unlocked like fools? Or maybe they're just sleeping too deeply..."
Her eyes landed on Ning Li, who was still lounging. "Oh, Ning Li? But he just told me no one was home. Are you sure Yibo is okay? Where's Zhan?"
Ning Li sat up, forcing a smile. "Welcome, Nainai."
Nainai settled into a seat. "Thank you, Ning Li. Just relaxing, I see. Don't you feel the heat? Good thing there's air conditioning. I can't stand too much heat either. When it gets unbearable, I sit around in my camisole in the sitting room—just me and my comfort..."
Just then, Zhan returned to the sitting room, dressed in a milk-colored shirt, his gaze lowered. Nainai grinned at him. "Good afternoon, Zhan."
He walked closer, glancing around the room. "Good afternoon," he replied.
"Everything okay? No work today?"
"Not until the evening," he answered.
"That's good. I just came back from visiting A-Ji's house. We had a little chat, and I thought I'd stop by to greet you before heading home."
She was speaking, but Zhan's attention was entirely on the door.
Nainai frowned. "And that boy told me you weren't home. How rude..."
Before she could finish, Zhan abruptly asked, "Where is he?"
Nainai shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't come inside. He's been acting strange since we left, and when a rickshaw driver dropped us earlier, he rudely ran off, leaving me behind."
Zhan didn't reply. He stood and headed for the door, while Ning Li watched him with narrowed eyes.
Outside, Zhan looked around but didn't see Yibo. He walked up to the gate and asked the security guard, "Did the boy who came in with my grandmother leave?"
The guard nodded. "Yes, he left."
Zhan stepped out and spotted Yibo in the distance, nearing the main road. He stood still for over a minute, watching him, before sighing and turning back toward the house.
Nainai noticed him return. "He didn't come back in, did he? Just leave him be. He knows the way home."
Zhan didn't answer and walked upstairs. Ning Li, her face set in a hard expression, followed him with her eyes.
About thirty minutes later, Zhan came back downstairs, dressed casually and holding his car keys. Nainai was seated with a plate of chicken soup in front of her, chatting with Ning Li, who looked uninterested. Seeing Zhan, Nainai asked, "Where are you off to?"
"I won't be long," he said as he headed toward the door.
Ning Li quickly got up and followed him outside. "Wait! Where are you going, sweetheart? You promised you wouldn't go out today," she whined.
Starting the car without looking at her, he replied, "I won't be gone for long."
"Then let me come with you," she suggested.
For the first time, he turned to her. "I don't think that's necessary, Ning Li."
She gave him a look, but he ignored it. "Forget the previous meal plan. Since Grandma is here, just make rice with vegetable soup. I'll be back soon."
She stared at him blankly before scoffing. "I'm not cooking anything. If you want rice, bring it back yourself."
Zhan didn't acknowledge her tantrum. His mind was already elsewhere. He closed the car door, warmed up the engine, honked, and drove off as the security guard opened the gate.
Upon arriving at his family's home, Zhan parked outside and walked into the compound, glancing toward Yibo's section of the house before heading inside. He rang the doorbell, then opened the door and stepped in.
Yuting peeked out from the kitchen, surprised to see him. He greeted her, and she responded warmly, stepping into the sitting room.
He remained standing. "I just stopped by to say hello."
"That's kind of you," she said. "How's everything at home?"
"All good," he replied.
"That's good to hear," she said with a smile. Then, sensing something, she added, "Yibo isn't home."
Zhan turned sharply to look at her. "He's not?"
"I just sent him on an errand to take something to Zihan," she explained.
He exhaled softly, relieved. "Alright. I'll see you later."
"Take care," she said as he walked out.
Back in his family's section of the house, Yichen was sitting in the sitting room with Mengxi, speaking in hushed tones. Seeing Zhan, Yichen smiled.
"Well, well, look who's here. I was just telling Mengxi that once our driver returns, we're heading to Fang's house. Then we'll drop by yours since I haven't visited since you moved in."
Zhan sat down and greeted her, to which she responded kindly.
"Where's Ning Li?" Yichen asked.
Zhan stood. "She's home. She sends her regards."
Yichen watched him curiously as he made his way upstairs. "Where are you off to?" she asked.
"I need to grab some documents from my room," he said, disappearing upstairs.
Once he was out of earshot, Mengxi leaned toward Yichen and murmured, "Honestly, Mian Mian doesn't care about anyone. Just wait until Meiling gets back.... you'll hear all about it. They're in the same class, after all."
Yichen sighed. "Has Yibo ever even been to Mian Mian's house?"
Mengxi nodded. "He goes often with Meiling. Quite a lot, actually."
Yichen smirked. "I see. If he never went, they wouldn't know him well enough to treat him so kindly at the speech event. Even taking pictures with the boy's mother and her co-wife."
Mengxi scoffed. "Yibo barely even talks to guys, but the moment he saw a rich kid, he didn't hesitate to befriend him. Maybe they even met at his house."
Yichen smiled knowingly, lowering her voice. "So, will you do what I asked?"
Mengxi hesitated. "We're not that close, Mom. It'd be better if Meiling handled it."
Yichen nodded. "She'll be back soon anyway..."
Zhan opened Zihan's room door and glanced inside. Meiling was sitting on the floor beside Zihan, who was perched on a stool, gently massaging her scalp with oil. Yibo sat cross-legged on the rug, watching them. The moment he saw Zhan, he quickly looked away.
Zhan stepped in, closing the door behind him while keeping his gaze fixed on Yibo.
Meiling greeted him, and he responded with a nod. Zihan let go of her hair and said, "Welcome, son."
Yibo stood up. "Alright, Yimei, I should get going."
Zihan raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you're backing out of the oiling after all? I knew you wouldn't go through with it. Just tell Yuting that I'll be coming over later."
Yibo, smiling faintly.... because he knew he'd only agreed to the oiling out of obligation.... felt his expression falter when he noticed Zhan stepping out of the room. His mood darkened instantly, and instead of leaving, he sat back down. "Well, since you're going over, I'll just wait, and we can go together."
Zihan shrugged. "That works."
Zhan lingered in the corridor for a couple of minutes. When Yibo still hadn't come out, he pushed the door open again.
Zihan smiled. "What's with all this sulking today, doctor? Are you alright?"
Zhan let out a small smile. "How are you, Yimei?"
"Oh, so now you're greeting me properly?" she teased. "You walked in, ignored my welcome, and just left."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I got a call and had to step out."
Zihan chuckled. "I see. How's Ning Li?"
"She sends her regards."
"Well, tell her we send ours," Zihan replied.
Despite how intensely Zhan stared at Yibo, the younger man refused to meet his gaze. Even after Zhan turned and left, Yibo remained seated. He didn't leave until Zihan and Meiling were done, walking alongside them toward their quarters. Zhan was still sitting in the living room when they passed through. He watched them go, but Yibo barely glanced his way before quickly looking down and pouting, staying close to Zihan.
▫️▪️🔸🔹
That night, Yibo was in Nainai's room. She sat on the floor, blowing on the coil burner while Yibo stood there, looking miserable as if he was about to cry.
Setting the burner aside, Nainai clicked her tongue. "Stop making that face, Yibo. I swear, if you keep giving me trouble, I'll throw your entire situation in the trash. How can you act like this when I'm just trying to help you? Take off your shirt and kneel down. Honestly, Quentin's child turned out to be the most stubborn one."
Yibo huffed. "Did you forget that I hate smoke? What if it triggers my asthma?"
Nainai scoffed. "What asthma? You keep calling sickness upon yourself. Just a tiny bit of the fumes, and you're running like I set you on fire. If you drop dead from this, I swear I won't waste a single tear on you."
Yibo crossed his arms. "I don't care. I'd rather bathe in it than breathe it in. The last thing I need is another asthma attack."
Nainai sighed dramatically, resting her chin in her palm. "I swear, you're nothing but trouble. As if I wasn't struggling enough already." She got up, grabbed a bundle of herbs, and headed to the bathroom. "Take off your shirt. If I have to rub this medicine on you myself, I will. I'm not wasting my money for nothing."
Yibo pouted as he began taking off his pants and boxers. Just as he was pulling his shirt over his head, the bedroom door suddenly swung open. His eyes widened in shock, and he let out a startled scream before dropping to his knees.
Nainai rushed in, exclaiming, "That's it! He's fallen into the fire, Quentin! He's left me behind!"
She darted her eyes between Yibo and the coil bunner to ensure he hadn't actually stepped into the coil. Then, pointing at him, she asked, "Yibo, are you sure you'll make it through life in one piece?"
Curled up in a corner, Yibo muttered, "Just tell him to leave, Nainai."
Nainai turned toward the door and saw Zhan standing there. Her eyes widened. "What on earth am I witnessing? Why would you barge in like that without knocking? Can't you see he's undressed? When did you become this way, Zhan?"
Zhan said nothing and simply turned on his heels to leave.
Nainai clapped her hands together in exasperation. "I've seen enough for today. But honestly, did he just saw you standing there, naked?"
Yibo nodded miserably.
"Well, that's his problem, not ours. Now, get up and go take your bath. Zhan has seen enough to give him nightmares," Nainai added with a teasing smirk.
Yibo grabbed a towel, wrapped it around his waist, and marched to the bathroom, still pouting.
Nainai shook her head. "Look at this man. What kind of nonsense is this? Since when did getting a woman mean you have to start acting reckless? Well, that's on him now."
With that, she locked the bedroom door behind her. "Not my problem anymore."
:-*:-*:-*:-*:-*
From that day on, Yibo started avoiding Zhan, going out of his way to take a different path whenever he saw him. His face remained in a constant frown around him.
One evening, Nainai sat in the sitting room, one leg crossed over the other, watching a movie. Xinyi had just finished tidying up the room and was sitting beside her, eating fried meat from a plate Nainai had given her.
Nainai, completely engrossed in the film, kept cursing the villain loudly, her voice filling the entire sitting room. Xinyi burst into laughter at her antics.
A knock at the door interrupted them, and Nainai called out, "Come in!"
Sen Wen stepped inside, carrying a plastic bag.
Nainai immediately got up, her face lighting up. "Oh! Welcome, Sen Wen! What a surprise visit in the evening. Come in, come in!"
He smiled as he approached and took a seat.
"How's your family?" Nainai asked.
"All doing well. They send their regards," he replied.
"That's good to hear. Xinyi, go fetch him some water and juice from the fridge. If you won't, I'll do it myself!"
Xinyi, who had been stealing glances at Sen Wen from the corner of her eye, quickly got up and headed to the kitchen. She returned shortly and placed a tray with a drink and water in front of him.
"Thank you," he said, meeting her gaze briefly before she sat back down.
Nainai glanced at Xinyi and muttered, "Well, don't just sit there gawking. Move along now. We're done here. May you be blessed."
Xinyi frowned but stood up and walked toward the door. Even without being told, Sen Wen could tell she was Zhan's sister... there was no mistaking the resemblance.
Once Xinyi left, Nainai clicked her tongue. "Why was she sitting around like an elder? That's not proper."
Sen Wen chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Actually, Nainai, I wanted to talk to you about something."
She adjusted her position. "Go ahead, I'm listening. Hopefully, it's good news."
"It's nothing bad. My father has been urging me to settle down for a while now. I mentioned my intentions here, but he seems to think I'm just making things up."
Nainai cut him off. "Ah, it wasn't you who delayed matters....it was Zong and the Quentin. But honestly, everything happens at the right time. I'll speak to them today, and by this weekend or early next week, we'll set a date for you to bring your family over. Just relax, Sen Wen. If all goes well, everything will be settled soon."
She then added with a laugh, "And don't worry about his high school. If anyone dares to mention it, I won't hesitate to send you straight to Hanba in Shanghai to handle matter with your family."
Sen Wen gave a small smile, but Nainai said, "This is no laughing matter. If we keep following Zong and Quentin, we'll end up doomed. They keep prioritizing worldly matters over marriage."
Sen Wen sighed and said, "Thank you, Grandma. May you live long."
Nainai responded, "Alright then, I'll call you tomorrow."
He nodded. "Alright, I'll be on my way now."
"May you be blessed," she said.
He placed a small package on the table and said, "I brought you some perfume, Grandma."
Nainai chuckled. "It's like you knew my dressing table is empty except for some old perfume bottles."
Sen Wen let out a small laugh and walked toward the door. Just as he opened it, Xinyi quickly stepped back, as if startled. Without stopping to put on her shoes, she turned and hurried away. Sen Wen watched her curiously but said nothing as he stepped outside, put on his shoes, and left.
At the gate, he nearly bumped into Yibo, who was entering the compound, holding a pack of bottled water. Yibo quickly took a step back. Sen Wen raised an eyebrow and lowered his voice. "Baby?"
Yibo lowered his head slightly. "Good evening."
Sen Wen smiled. "Good evening. Where are you coming from?"
"I went to buy some water."
"Oh? You drink bottled water now?" Sen Wen asked with amusement.
Yibo smiled faintly but said nothing.
"Here, let me help you carry it inside," Sen Wen offered.
Yibo quickly shook his head. "No, thank you."
Sen Wen frowned slightly. "Please, just let me help."
Before Yibo could protest further, Sen Wen reached out to take the pack from him. As soon as their hands touched, Yibo instinctively let go of the water, and Sen Wen pulled his hand back just as quickly. The bottles fell to the ground.
Sen Wen immediately crouched down to pick them up. "Oh, sorry!"
Yibo forced a smile and walked inside while Sen Wen followed behind.
As Yibo entered the sitting room, he saw Yichen and Xinyi seated on the white sofas in the balcony area, their full attention on them. Yibo quickly looked away, and Sen Wen did the same. They continued walking until they reached Yibo's section of the house.
"When did you arrive?" Yibo asked.
"A few minutes ago. I'm tired, Yibo. So I came to see Grandma. Please, let me get permission to send my family over for a proper proposal. Even if the wedding won't be right away…"
Yibo said nothing, simply kneeling to pick up the water bottles. "Alright, thanks. We'll talk later."
With that, Sen Wen left. He turned back once to glance at Yibo before walking away with a smile.
🔹🔸▪️▫️
Zong sat in the sitting room with Zhan, having just arrived at the house. Nainai had been speaking for a while, but Zhan simply stared at her in silence. Zong, on the other hand, had his head lowered.
When Nainai finally paused, Zong looked up at her and said, "Well, the final exams are in a month and two weeks, AYi."
She waved him off. "That's your concern, not mine. Stop treating me like a fool in front of this boy. This time, I don't want to argue too much because I don't want to get upset. If you truly fear the consequences of your actions, what is a month and a half, Zong?
Are you afraid of marriage now? You people cling to education as if it's the only thing that matters. Why are you like this? If it were up to me, we would arrange the wedding alongside Seth's, since his dowry is almost finalized."
Zhan, who had been silent, finally spoke up. "I don't see the problem with waiting a month. What exactly is the rush for?"
Nainai scoffed. "You know what, Zhan? If I have to speak the truth, I don't want you in my sitting room anymore. Stop bringing him here Zong."
Zhan gave her a sharp look.
Still looking at Zong, Nainai continued, her voice rising. "This boy is full of bitterness, Zong! He moved with a woman to enjoy his life, but when it comes to his brother, he's suddenly full of resentment? What does he want Yibo to do.... stay at home like a prisoner?"
Zong stood up and said, "Alright then, we'll give the boy a date to send his elders."
Nainai asked sharply, "When?"
Zong replied, "In three days, if all goes well. The wedding can be held alongside Seth's, just as you suggested."
Nainai smiled. "May we live to see it. May it be a blessed union."
Zhan watched as Zong headed for the door, responding to Nainai's words with a quiet "Amen." Then he turned to her, seeing her stand up and start dusting the chairs.
"So, you're in a hurry to get Yibo out of the house, huh?" he asked.
She shot him a glare. "That's none of your business! And tell me, what do I have to do with you, Zhan? I gave birth to Zong, but I don't know where you came from. Just go live your life and leave me alone! How dare you bring misery to my grandson?"
Zhan stood up with a smirk. "That wedding you're so eager for? It won't happen. And I'll make sure of it."
Nainai gasped, staring at him in shock before bursting into tears. "It won't happen? You must be out of your mind, Zhan! What has Quentin's son ever done to you? Why would you wish this on him?"
Zhan didn't bother replying. He simply walked out of the sitting room, his steps slow and deliberate, even he unsure of why he had just said that.
Meanwhile, Zong called Quentin to inform him about the conversation with Nainai. Quentin remained silent for a moment before exhaling deeply.
"So, I've set Sunday as the day for him to send his family over," Zong continued. "You should return by Friday or Saturday."
Quentin sighed. "Alright. May everything go smoothly, and may this be for the best."
"Amen," Zong agreed before ending the call.
The next day, Zong called Sen Wen and gave him permission to bring his family over on Sunday. Sen Wen was overjoyed.... happier than he had ever been in his life. He kept thanking Zong as if he had just been promised a place in heaven.
Zhan, meanwhile, sat in the sitting room, having been called there by Zong earlier that morning. But apart from scrolling through his phone, he paid little attention to anything else.
At one point, he looked up and locked eyes with Sen Wen. Almost immediately, he looked away with a smirk, stood up, and lifted his phone to his ear as if taking a call. "Excuse me," he muttered, walking toward the door.
Both Zong and Sen Wen watched him go, their gazes following him in silence.
Zhanxianyibo ❤️💚💛