Yibo stood by the car, refusing to look at Zhan. From the corner of his eye, Zhan kept glancing at him. He opened the driver's door, pulled out a paper and a pen, and leaned the paper against the car to begin writing. Yibo stole a glance, and upon realizing Zhan was writing something, his heart dropped. He looked away immediately, lowering his head and nervously fidgeting with his fingers. Deep down somewhere in his heart he feels restless and afraid that Zhan ge will really divorce him.
Zhan finished signing, carefully folding the paper before looking at Yibo. "I hope you're happy now?" he said.
Yibo didn't look up but gave a small nod. Zhan was silent for a moment before saying, "But I want to tell you one thing before I hand over these papers."
Yibo kept his eyes down. When Zhan didn't continue, he looked up slightly and saw Zhan watching him. Startled, he quickly looked away again, his heart pounding.
Zhan opened the car door and said softly, "Come inside. I want to say it where you can see my face."
Yibo shook his head. "Just tell me here."
Zhan replied, "I want to say it while looking into your eyes... so you'll never forget it, even if we're no longer together. Think of it as advice."
Yibo frowned. "Just give me the paper. I want to leave."
Zhan shook his head. "I won't give it to you unless you come in and hear me out. I promise you, what I'm about to say will matter to you someday."
Yibo looked at him but didn't say a word. Zhan didn't get back in the car; he stood there waiting. Then he said, "Whenever you're ready to hear what I have to say, I'll give you the divorce papers. But not today."
He began closing the car door. Suddenly, Yibo burst into tears and grabbed the door. "Fine! Then write down whatever it is you want to tell me and give it to me along with the papers!"
Zhan frowned. "What do you think I'm going to do to you if you get in? I won't give you these papers unless you come and listen."
Yibo turned his face away in frustration but then slowly made his way to the other side. Zhan gave a faint smile, closed his door, and leaned back in his seat. As Yibo reached the front, Zhan opened the passenger door, and Yibo quietly got in. He sneaked a look at Zhan and saw him smiling. At first, he stayed still, then looked again. Suddenly, he moved as if to leave the car, but Zhan grabbed him and pulled him back in, locking the doors.
Frightened, Yibo began tugging on the door handle. "What are you doing?!"
Zhan didn't respond. He started the car and drove off. Yibo, panicking, cried, "Please! Where are you taking me? Stop the car, let me out!"
Zhan remained focused on the road. Yibo grabbed him, shaking his arm through his tears. "Please let me out! Where are you taking me?"
Zhan pushed him back into his seat with one hand, not taking his eyes off the road. "If you touch me again, I'll slap you."
Yibo froze, realizing Zhan wasn't joking. Terrified, he stopped trying to escape and broke down crying, calling for Nainai and hitting the seat in front of him.
They drove for a while before Zhan finally reached over and placed a neatly folded paper on Yibo's lap.
"As I promised, here it is."
Yibo was still crying, staring at him as if his world was ending. Zhan said, "Take it. Open it. You wanted a divorce....well, there's your condition."
Yibo didn't touch the paper.
Zhan turned to him, face stern. Yibo quickly picked it up, tears streaming down his cheeks as he sobbed. Zhan said, "Open it. Now."
With shaking hands, Yibo slowly unfolded the paper and read what Zhan had written:
"I will divorce you on one condition: you must give me five children, each one looking exactly like you. Any child that resembles me doesn't count. Just five little versions of you—nothing more."
Yibo clutched the paper tighter, heart pounding. He looked up at Zhan, who stood calmly, eyes fixed on the road ahead, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Yes…" Zhan said softly, "You should start preparing… because everything changes tonight. Actually, it already has." He turned his gaze slightly toward Yibo. "You're going to be a father. I don't know if you've realized that yet."
Yibo's eyes widened in disbelief. His knees buckled slightly, and he dropped to sit back in the seat, overwhelmed. Tears brimmed in his eyes. "Nainai…," he whispered under his breath, voice trembling.
Zhan didn't say anything further, just quietly drove them toward a hotel. When they arrived, he parked the car and stepped out, circling around to open Yibo's door. "Come on," he said gently.
Yibo shook his head, eyes down, tears still flowing freely. When Zhan moved as if to lift him, Yibo quickly blurted, "No, Gege, I'll come out on my own."
Zhan stepped back, giving him space. Yibo slowly climbed out, glancing up at the unfamiliar surroundings. His voice trembled as he spoke, "Why here? Why a hotel? Please… don't forget that you've always been like a big brother to me. That's how I saw you even before I truly knew you."
Zhan's smile faded. His voice was low but firm. "Then let me remind you that I am not your brother, Yibo. And after today, I don't think you'll ever see me that way again. That day, you forced yourself on me...wanted to be pregnant, congratulations! you are....Tonight, I want to show you how much you matter to me. But only if you're agree to my condition."
Yibo stood frozen, startled by his words.
Zhan took a breath and softened his tone. "If you're not ready, say so. I'll take you back home. But no divorce...not now not while I'm alive, the choice is yours Yibo, and if otherwise...then come with me."
Yibo hesitated, his heart pounding. Then, slowly, he nodded.
Inside the hotel lobby, Zhan led the way with quiet confidence. He offered Yibo a seat, and though Yibo resisted at first, Zhan gently guided him down and sat him down. The reception was quiet, filled only with the hum of distant voices.
After checking them in, Zhan returned and crouched in front of Yibo. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to do. But I need you to hear me when I say I love you. And I want to build a life with you...a family. But only if you agree to my conditions."
Yibo looked into his eyes, lips quivering. "Please…But I'm scared, afraid of you, i don't know why I just fell like that this two days...and at the same time, I'm scared of you leaving me behind, I don't understand anything anymore."
Zhan reached out and took his hand gently. "Then let's take this one step at a time. No pressure. Just trust. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."
🔹🔸▪️▫️
Nainai was sitting in the sitting room of Quentin's part, her face tight with displeasure. As soon as Quentin walked in and greeted her cheerfully, she didn't return the gesture. Instead, he walked over and sat beside her, asking, "How are you, AYi?"
She looked at him and replied, "I'm well, Quentin… but are you listening to me?"
He frowned slightly. "I hear you."
"Well then… You know I raised you and love you like my own, even if I didn't give birth to you, right? And you, in turn, are the father of Yibo, aren't you?"
Quentin remained silent.
"I said something, Quentin. Or am I wrong?" she asked sharply.
"You're right," he said quietly.
"Good. Because if not for you, I wouldn't have tolerated this child, Yibo, for this long. I've always known you as my son, and fate gave him to you. What else could I do, since your child is my grandson?"
Quentin just stared at her, quiet.
Nainai's temper flared. "Can you believe it? Yibo walked out of my wing today... didn't even wait for me to finish cleaning up the bathroom! He just left not even mutter a goodnight.' Like I was some stranger! He even left the door wide open, and the entire mess from the soup Zihan made for him spilled everywhere in the sitting room...such filth! And to make matters worse, he left the front door open for mosquitoes to feast on me. I'm livid! This isn't how I was raised, and certainly not how I raised you either. So who does Yibo think he is to treat me like this? Leaving the door wide open like that.... Quentin, that's what really stung!"
She caught her breath and continued, "So I've made up my mind. Yibo must leave my quarters. I never forced him to stay there anyway! He can pack all his belongings from my wardrobe before I throw them out onto the street. He dared disrespect me....The audacity! I had a bad feeling since the evening, especially since it was Zong who pushed this ridiculous idea of marrying him off to that giant of a boy. Now I'm the one suffering in my own space?"
Quentin finally spoke. "But he didn't come here…"
Nainai paused, glanced toward Yibo's room, then asked, "He's not here?"
"No, he hasn't come this way," Quentin confirmed.
Shocked, Nainai stood up and headed straight out the door. Quentin watched her leave without a word. She marched over to Zong's wing and stood at the doorway, spotting Zihan just as she stood up from the couch.
"Zihan, has that boy come here?" she demanded.
"You mean Yibo?" Zihan asked.
"Yes, him!"
"No, he hasn't come here at all."
Nainai's eyes widened. She rushed inside and repeated, "He hasn't come here?"
Hearing her voice, Zong stepped out from his sitting room. Nainai approached him quickly. "Zong, I haven't seen Yibo since earlier!"
"Yibo?" Zong echoed.
"Yes! I stepped away to clean the bathroom, and when I came back, he was gone....only the spilled soup left behind in the sitting room!"
Just then, Meiling came out along with Suyue, who had been staying away from Nainai's side of the house since Friday. Zihan looked toward them, and quickly said, "Go check their apartment. Maybe he's over there."
They all rushed out of the sitting room. Zong, observing how distraught Nainai was, said, "Let them look in his place. But where could he have gone, AYi?"
Nainai followed behind Meiling, heart pounding, and waited anxiously at the door. Meiling was the first to return, shaking her head.
"He's not there, Nainai."
A loud wail burst from Nainai. She dropped to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. "He's not inside?? You're sure??"
Zong and Zihan rushed into the courtyard, alarmed. Even Beiting came down after Suyue ran upstairs to tell her what was happening.
Quentin stood on the balcony, watching his mother in the middle of the compound. Nainai had both hands on her head, crying loudly.
"I'm doomed, someone please help me! Oh heaven, don't let Quentin lock me up until the end of time! Where could Yibo have gone in the middle of the night? I swear I only stepped out to clean the bathroom, came back and he was gone... only his half-eaten soup was left. I'm finished! Someone help me before they start saying he disappeared from my sitting room!"
Beiting rushed over to her. "Oh mother, what's all this? Who said Yibo disappeared? Come on now, please."
Through her sobs, Nainai wailed, "Then where is he, Beiting? The whole house has been searched... he's nowhere to be found! If he wasn't staying in my section, I wouldn't be this worked up. But everyone knows he was with me. Now what will I tell the police if they come asking questions?"
She broke into louder cries, collapsing to the ground. Zong said nothing, and neither did Quentin...he remained frozen on the balcony, staring.
Nainai rose again, tears streaming down her face. She turned toward the gate and shouted, "It's all Zong's fault! He's the one who forced that boy into this marriage! If anything happens to my grandson, I swear I'll forget I ever gave birth to him!"
At that moment, Yichen returned from her visit to Xulin's house. She paused in the parking area, her eyes darting around, already sensing something was wrong from the tense air.
Nainai grabbed the gatekeeper outside, shaking him. "Did you see Yibo leave?"
The man blinked, startled. "No, Lao shi. I didn't see him at all."
Nainai's eyes widened. She pushed him aside and ran out the gate, straight toward the main road, wailing and muttering to herself. Beiting ran after her, calling her name, but Nainai didn't stop.
🔹🔸▪️▫️
Ten minutes to ten, Zhan stood up from the edge of the bed where he'd been watching football on the wall-mounted hotel TV since they arrived. Yibo was still crouched on the floor, where he'd collapsed hours ago. His body ached all over... head pounding, joints throbbing, sleep calling... but he refused to move. He was exhausted from crying, from begging Zhan, who hadn't said a word....just kept his gaze cold and steady.
Zhan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and noticed his lids drooping. The boy was falling asleep just like that. He picked up the remote and switched off the TV, then rose slowly and walked over. Kneeling, he gently lifted Yibo up.
Yibo stirred, startled. About to scream, Zhan quickly clamped a hand over his mouth and held him close. His body trembled. Yibo struggled briefly, but Zhan didn't let go until he laid him on the bed.
Just as he was about to move away, Zhan furrowed his brow and said calmly, "Lie still."
Yibo nodded fearfully, eyes wide. Zhan stared at him, unwavering. Yibo reached out and grabbed his hand, shaking his head pleadingly. "Please, Zhan-ge… Take me home. They're probably looking for me."
Zhan pulled his hand away, his tone flat. "Just because you think you're in Beijing doesn't mean I'll take you home. Tomorrow morning, I'll wipe that idea from your head."
Yibo stared at him, heart pounding. Zhan walked over to the switch and turned off the lights.
In the dark, Yibo sat up, panic rising in his chest. "Zhan-ge…" he whispered.
Zhan gave a faint smile as he approached the bed. Yibo quickly stood up and stepped back, his heart racing in the darkness staring at Zhan's shadow.
Zhanxianyibo❤️💚💛