Yibo, his entire body trembling, opened the bedroom door after they had rushed upstairs. In the blink of an eye, they were inside. Yichen had nearly been grabbed by Yezhen, but she managed to slip into the room just in time and slammed the door shut behind her. Yibo helped her lock it quickly.
Outside, Yezhen was pounding on the door like a madwoman, hurling curses at Yichen and shouting that she would ruin her today.
Yibo stood frozen, staring at the door, heart pounding as he tried to steady his breathing. After about five minutes, he slowly turned around and saw Yichen sitting at the edge of the bed, holding her head in her hands and breathing heavily as well. Yibo turned away and walked to the window.
Even then, Yezhen and Sun Yue hadn't stopped banging on the door as if they were going to break it down. They continued cursing at Yichen, daring her to come out if she was brave enough.
Yibo kept his eyes fixed on the door, afraid it might burst open any moment. Then he heard the gate open. He rushed to the window and looked outside.
Zhan had just parked his car and stepped out, a shopping bag in his hand. Yibo let out a breath of relief. His heart instantly calmed.
But the banging continued. The curses kept coming. Yibo headed toward the door and shouted, "You people really are a family of lunatics! We're not crazy like you, so we're not going to stoop to your level. Your intentions will destroy you."
Ning Li's voice rang out, loud and furious: "Your wretched mother might give birth to another child today, you dare touch me again, I swear I'll destroy your face. I promise you that!"
Yibo let out a sarcastic laugh, even clapping his hands. "I know the value of my parents, so I won't insult yours, even though they've already thoroughly humiliated themselves in my eyes. I've never seen such useless, jobless people in one family before. You've reached the peak of shamelessness, and clearly, I've seen enough."
With that, he turned around and walked back to the window, rolling his eyes.
The insults continued in unison, as if they were barbaric performers in a chorus, each one spewing a different threat at Yibo. Meanwhile, Yichen remained seated, still clutching her head.
Then suddenly, Yibo heard Zhan's voice, shocked and demanding, "What's happening here?"
No one responded. The room fell silent, except for the sound of gum popping in their mouths. Su Yue, her friend, and Yezhen moved aside, all fuming in silence.
Zhan's face was tight with fury as he glared at Ning Li. In a raised voice, he said, "I'm asking you, Ning Li....what exactly is going on here?"
Ning Li stood there with her lips pursed, giving him a hostile glare. She snapped, "I don't know, Zhan."
He turned quickly toward the bedroom and knocked on the door. "Yibo? Yibo?"
Yibo burst into tears and stepped close to the door. In a trembling voice, she said, "They said they were going to kill me, Zhan-ge."
Zhan spun around and shouted at Ning Li, "What?! Have you gone completely insane?!"
Su Yue butted in, yelling, "Your mother Yichen is the real lunatic, not my daughter! She's the crazy one, Zhan! I said your mother is mad!"
Zhan just stared at her, not even blinking. His eyes darkened with rage.
He turned back and called, "Open the door, Yibo."
Slowly, Yibo twisted the lock and cracked the door open just a little.
As soon as Ning Li saw it, she rushed toward it in a fury, trying to grab him. But in one swift motion, Zhan shoved her away with force and yelled, "What do you think you're doing?!"
He entered the room without thinking, just as Sun Yue and Yezhen were rushing toward the door. Quickly, he shut it and locked it behind him. Yibo clung to him, his heart pounding in his chest. Zhan turned and caught sight of Yichen sitting at the edge of the bed, clutching her head.
"Mom..." he said in surprise.
Only then did Yichen lift her head and look at him. With tears already streaming down her face like a faucet had been opened, she said, "Zhan, I don't want Ning Li to stay a minute longer in this house. Tell her to leave right now..."
She burst into sobs before she could finish.
Zhan move Yibo gently and rushed to her in shock, kneeling in front of her. "What's going on, Mom? What did Ning Li do to you?"
Yichen just cried, shaking her head, overcome by frustration and pain. Confused and panicked, Zhan stood up quickly and turned to Yibo, who was still stood, silent.
"Tell me what happened, Yibo. What's going on?"
Yibo lowered his gaze, hesitating for a moment before quietly saying, "Ning Li got into a fight with Shengjie..."
"WHAT?!" Zhan shouted. "Ning Li hit Mom?!"
Yichen cried out, "Yes, Zhan! She insulted me, raised her hand, slapped me, and then physically attacked me!"
The crying overtook her again, her body shaking as she held her head.
Zhan's eyes flared with rage. He spun around, stormed out of the room, and descended the stairs quickly. Meanwhile, Yibo quietly approached Yichen and gently said, "I'm so sorry, Shengjie."
Yichen didn't look at him, didn't stop crying, only shook her head in silent devastation. Yibo dropped his head and slowly made his way to the door. At the bottom of the staircase, he paused and peeked into the sitting room like someone hiding in guilt.
There, Yezhen sat with Sun Yue and her friend, while Ning Li continued to rant, shouting all the cruel things she wanted to do to Yichen that very day. As soon as she spotted Yibo, Ning Li sprang to her feet like a madwoman and charged at him.
Yibo turned quickly to run back upstairs and slammed straight into Zhan, who was coming down behind him. He immediately grabbed hold of Zhan, his body trembling. Zhan continued down the stairs slowly, one arm wrapped protectively around Yibo.
Ning Li stood frozen, panting, watching Zhan closely. She had never seen his expression like this before. As he approached, his eyes locked directly with hers, burning with fury, and his face unreadable. She dropped her gaze as he stopped in front of her.
Looking into her wide, fearful eyes, Zhan spoke in a voice colder than she had ever heard from him:
"I don't want to see you in this house after the next thirty minutes, Ning Li."
Even Yibo looked startled by the sharp finality in his voice.
Sun Yue jumped to her feet and stormed toward him. "You're kicking my daughter out? You're throwing Ning Li out like trash?!"
Without waiting for a reply, she slapped him....hard.
Zhan didn't flinch. He just stared at her.
She slapped him again, then grabbed his collar, yelling insults in his face. "You're lying! You don't have the right! There's no way this relationship is ending!"
Then she shoved him away and released her grip.
Zhan lowered his eyes for a moment, then turned to Ning Li, who was still frozen like a statue, watching him with disbelief.
He reached for her hand and, in a calm, cold voice, said,
"I hate you. I never loved you...not even once. And I never will. You have thirty minutes to pack everything and get out of my house. We'll meet in court...for insulting my mother."
Yibo kept staring at Zhan, completely stunned and unable to blink. Then, from the stairs, Yichen's voice was heard, soft and shaking. "Bless you, my son," she said.
Suddenly, Ning Li screamed in panic and rushed toward them, yelling, "I swear I love you, Zhan! Please listen to me, let me explain why I did what I did. It was your mother....she's the one who ruined everything for me. I've never been involved with any shamans or fortune tellers! She deceived me, she took me there to break off Yibo and Sen Wen's marriage. And now look, fate turned everything around....you ended up marrying him! She's the reason for everything that's happened here! Please, Zhan, listen to me. I can't lose you. I swear I'll die without you. I love you, Zhan!"
Zhan replied calmly, "Even if she did take you to someone like that, it doesn't change who she is...she's still my mother, I can't change her."
Sun Yue had originally intended to rush at Yichen in a fit of rage, but when she saw Ning Li collapse to the floor, she stopped and knelt beside her daughter, lifting her up and letting out a loud, pained cry. Yezhen and Sun Yue's friend both rushed over in a panic.
Zhan, whose eyes now burned like glowing embers, gently took Yibo's hand and led him away, leaving the chaos behind. Upstairs, Yichen was already sitting by the bed, silently wiping away the endless tears falling from her eyes. Zhan approached her and knelt beside her.
"I'm sorry, Mom," he said softly. "I'm really sorry all this happened. Please... forgive me."
She only cried harder, unable to say a word.
Yibo, standing near the mirror, lowered his head as tears welled up in his eyes. Zhan stood up and looked at him. "Get ready. We're leaving now," he said quietly, before walking out of the room.
Yibo slowly approached Yichen, who was still sobbing, and knelt down. "I'm so sorry, Shengjie," he whispered. But Yichen didn't respond.
Sun Yue and her companions rushed Ning Li to the hospital after she fainted, pouring water over her with no success.
Meanwhile, once Yichen had left the room and gone to sit in the sitting room, Zhan entered again to find Yibo zipping up his bag.
Zhan sat on the edge of the bed. Sensing his mood, Yibo slowly approached and sat beside him. Before he could say anything, Zhan took his hand and whispered, "Please, Yibo, let this stay between us. Don't tell anyone what happened here. Please."
Seeing how bloodshot Zhan's eyes were, Yibo gently wrapped his arms around him and said, "I won't tell a soul, Gege. I'm sorry about everything."
They stayed like that for over two minutes before Yibo slowly pulled back. Zhan stood up quietly. "I'll be waiting for you outside," he said before heading to the door. Yibo watched him go, heart aching.
Yibo knew that, Zhan was the only one who truly understood what he felt deep down. To witness your own mother behave like that and to know, despite everything, that Ning Li had told the truth.... it was unbearable. But in the end, a mother is still a mother.
A few minutes later, Zhan left the house with Yibo and Yichen, after making sure nothing of Ning Li's was left behind. Everything of hers was dumped in the compound, and he locked the main gate behind them.
Yibo sat in the front seat, memories of what had just happened flashing through his mind. Yichen sat quietly in the back, and Zhan, though focused on driving, was clearly carrying a heavy burden. The silence in the car was thick as they entered the city of Beijing around 4 PM.
Yibo didn't even notice when a small smile appeared on his face... relief blooming in his chest as they entered their neighborhood. When Zhan reached their gate, he honked, and the guard waved as he opened it. Zhan didn't respond, just drove in and parked. Yibo opened the door quietly and stepped out, followed by Zhan, and then Yichen, who kept her head lowered.
Yibo stood still, staring at their apartment, the only thing on his mind was seeing his mother. No one else mattered in that moment.
Just as the gate was about to close, three more cars drove into the compound. Zhan turned to look, as did Yichen, who slowly raised her head.
The first car door opened, and Sen Wen's mother stepped out, elegantly dressed, followed by a few women who were clearly her friends.
Yichen stared at her, not even blinking. Her stomach twisted at the sight. Yibo felt a cold chill run through his body the moment he saw them. Without a word, Yichen turned and headed straight for the entrance of the sitting room in a rush.
Beiting was about to step out of the sitting room when she almost bumped into Yichen at the door. She paused and watched Yichen quickly walk past her with her head down, disappearing into the room without a word. Beiting clicked her tongue and walked out into the compound.
Meanwhile, Yibo couldn't even glance in the direction of Mom Sen Wen and the others. As if his legs carried no weight, he quietly headed toward their apartment, his heart thudding heavily. Zhan greeted them politely, and Mochen gave a curt nod in return. Without another glance, Zhan walked inside slowly.
Beiting, watching him, responded to his greeting, but he didn't stop and closed the door behind him. She turned to Mochen and her friends, who she didn't recognize, and greeted them warmly. "Oh, you're welcome. Please come in."
Mochen replied, "We're here to see the man of the house. Hopefully, he's around."
Beiting raised a brow and asked, "Is everything alright?"
Mochen answered, "All is well. We just came to speak with him."
Beiting said, "Ah, well... he's not around at the moment."
Mochen went quiet for a moment before asking, "What about his older brother?"
Beiting furrowed her brows. "Is everything alright, ma'am? I'm their sister."
Mochen apologized, "Sorry, I should've introduced myself. I'm Sen Wen's mother. Do you understand now?"
Beiting's eyes widened. "Oh! I see! You're very welcome, ma'am. Please, let's go inside. You're most welcome."
Mochen smiled politely. "Thank you very much. But since they're not here, maybe we can go see Yibo's grandmother instead?"
Beiting nodded. "Yes, let's go. She's around."
"Thank you," Mochen said, and together, they all headed toward Nainai's quarters, led by Beiting. Beiting was the first to step into the sitting room, greeting loudly as she entered, followed by Mochen and her friends.
Nainai came out of her room, holding a broom, giving them a long stare. They all greeted her politely, but she said nothing. She walked to the door, picked up the doormat, and shook it off outside. "You're welcome," she finally muttered. "Though you look like someone who's unwell."
Beiting spoke up, "AYi, this is Sen Wen's mother..."
Nainai quickly straightened up and looked at Beiting. "Who? His mother?" Beiting pointed toward Mochen. Nainai gasped, "Welcome, dear woman. You truly are blessed. So, you're the mother of that kind, respectful young man? May you continue to be proud of him."
Mochen greeted her respectfully, and her friends did the same. Nainai smiled and replied, "Welcome, everyone. Let me get you something to drink." She went to the kitchen and returned with a tray holding two sodas and two glasses of water. She set them down and said, "Please, take one each and drink. May you be blessed."
Mochen said, "Thank you, Grandma. We actually came to see the head of the house, but he's not in. I was also told Yibo's father is in Shanghai."
Nainai was quiet for a moment, then replied, "Why exactly are you looking for them? Haven't your wedding gifts been returned and you asked to leave things as they are? Your belongings are still untouched in the room."
Mochen waved her hand. "No, that's not why we came, Grandma."
Nainai smiled. "Then what brings you here?"
Mochen sat forward slightly. "I've come because of the madam of this house, infront of her husband, Yibo's parent, and every elder in this house to ask her... did either Sen Wen or I ever do something to her that made her interfere with their marriage? And if she says no... I'll take serious action. As long as I'm breathing, I won't let this go. She'll know she's the reason for my son's heartbreak. But before that, I came to ask... did Sen Wen ever hurt her in any way?"
Nainai, puzzled, asked, "I don't understand. Which woman in the house are you referring to?"
Mochen calmly answered, "The wife of Yibo's uncle. She's the one I'm talking about."
Nainai chuckled quietly. "Well, finally you realized she was the one who ruined your son's marriage with Yibo. I'm glad you came, and I admire your dedication to your son. Now here's what we'll do. You'll have to wait until Sunday. I'll call Yibo's father to return, so everything will be discussed openly. Ah Zong will also be here. We'll gather together... you, me, my last born Beiting Yibo's parent, the woman you came looking for, and my third daughter Zihan. Then she will speak with her own mouth and explain what she did to destroy such a blessed marriage."
Mochen nodded. "Thank you, Grandma. May you live long."
"Thank you, my dear," Nainai replied. Mochen stood up and respectfully said goodbye to Nainai and Beiting, who remained silent, still overwhelmed. Her friends followed her out. Nainai watched them go, smiling, and then turned to Beiting.
"Well, thank goodness I wasn't the one to bring up this issue first. Yichen is in serious trouble now. If that woman opens her mouth in front of everyone, even Quentin will hear it. I want to see what Zong will do next. And Quentin... I'll watch how he'll react to this shocking truth, especially since he never believed Yichen had such a cruel heart."
Then, suddenly, Nainai burst into tears. "Yichen has truly wronged us. She's hurt us deeply. And now the person she wronged is non other than herself."
Beiting let out a deep sigh. She couldn't utter a word... her whole body felt cold. At that moment, she understood why Yichen had been in such a hurry earlier.
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Ever since Yichen entered her room, she had been crying like her heart was about to give out. Her chest felt like it was being pounded from the inside. She peeked through her bedroom window into the compound, trying to count the people there, but she didn't see any sign of Sen Wen's mother or Beiting. She guessed they were probably at Nainai's side of the house. That thought made her stomach churn even more. She was certain Sen Wen's mother had gone straight to Nainai and told her everything... and worse, had probably told Nainai how she came to her house to speak ill about Yibo and his mother.
Yichen paced around her room, tears streaming down her face. Then she remembered... at least Zong and the others would hear everything from Nainai and not directly from Sen Wen's mother. That brought a small bit of relief. Better to hear it from Nainai's lips, who was known to exaggerate but not be outright cruel...
Yuting had been watching Yibo since he entered the sitting room. With curiosity and surprise, she asked, "Where are you coming from?"
Yibo rushed over and hugged her with a smile. "From home, Mu Qin. How are you?"
Yuting lifted her head, looking at him. "Where's Zhan?"
"We came together. He went inside," Yibo replied.
She kept watching him for a moment before letting him go. "Well, welcome."
Yibo sat on the couch, still smiling. "I missed you, Mu Qin. Is Fu Qin still in Shanghai?"
"Yes, he is. Let me dish out some food," Yuting said as she headed to the kitchen.
Yibo stood up quietly and made his way toward his room.
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That evening, while Yibo sat eating, his thoughts were consumed by Zhan. He couldn't understand why. Maybe because he knew Zhan was still hurting, and no one was there to comfort him. Even though he had missed Yuting's cooking, he ate without appetite, forcing it down.
Yuting stepped into the sitting room from her bedroom, phone in hand, and sat down across from him. "Yibo, what's going on?"
Yibo looked up quickly. "What do you mean, Mu Qin?"
"Why did you both come home?" she asked.
Yibo widened his eyes slightly. "He just dropped me off, Mu Qin, that's all."
"He brought you to do what?"
"Nothing really. We'll be going back soon," Yibo replied.
"Quentin just called me. Nainai called him and told him to come home on Sunday."
Yibo fell silent, staring at her just as Zhan walked into the sitting room and greeted politely. Yibo looked up at him.
Zhan approached and sat, his gaze lowered. "Good evening, Aunty."
"Good evening. Welcome," Yuting replied.
"How's everything at home?"
"Everything's fine."
"Is Shushu still in Shanghai?"
"Yes, he left yesterday."
"May he return safely," Zhan said.
"Amen," she replied before getting up and returning to her room.
Zhan looked over at Yibo, who was staring back. Yibo dropped his gaze and softly asked, "Have you eaten?"
Zhan nodded. "Yeah."
Yibo frowned. "I know you haven't."
Zhan chuckled lightly and rubbed his head. "I ate, really."
Yibo kept watching him. Zhan stood up. "I only came in to greet Aunty."
"Are you going to Nainai's?" Yibo asked.
Zhan shook his head and headed toward the door.
Yibo glanced toward Yuting's room door, then quickly stood and followed him outside.
As Zhan reached the balcony, Yibo called, "Zhan-ge."
He turned around to face him. Yibo walked up to him, looked him in the eye, and softly asked, "Please, let me get you some food. Will you eat?"
Zhan pulled him closer gently and playfully tugged his nose. "But I told you I already ate."
Yibo pouted. "You didn't. Just wait for me... I'll get it."
Zhan smiled faintly. "Okay, bring it."
Yibo turned and hurried inside. Zhan watched him go, then Yibo went straight to the kitchen, opened the warmer with the rice Yuting had cooked. Though it wasn't much, he served enough for Zhan and added stew, side dishes with four pieces of meat. As he was about to leave the kitchen, he froze....Yuting was standing at the door, watching him.
Yibo wished the floor would open and swallow him whole. He couldn't even meet her gaze. His lips trembled as he stammered, "I... I was just getting some food for Gege."
"He asked me for it, Mu Qin," he added quickly.
Yuting said nothing and walked into the kitchen. Yibo didn't dare look back. He quickly left and returned to the sitting room, knelt by his own plate and added two more pieces of meat from his food before heading out again.
But he didn't see Zhan anywhere. Yibo scanned the compound, but there was no sign of him. He headed toward Zhan's section of the house, counting his steps. He entered the sitting room, where only the TV was on.
Relieved, he quietly climbed the stairs and reached Zhan's room. He looked around and opened the door... Zhan was sitting on the edge of the bed, scrolling on his phone. He looked up at Yibo.
Yibo walked in, locked the door behind him, approached Zhan and placed the food beside him with a frown. "So you just left, huh?"
Zhan pulled him gently into a hug. "But you still brought it up here, didn't you?"
Yibo tried to get up. "I need to go before Mu Qin starts looking for me."
Zhan refused to let go. "You're sleeping here tonight."
Yibo widened his eyes and laughed. "What? Let me go, Zhan-ge."
"If you leave, I'm not eating," Zhan said with a pout.
Yibo stared at him. Then Zhan added, "If you don't sleep here, and you don't feed me yourself, I'm not eating at all."
Yibo blinked. "But there's no spoon. Let me get one from the kitchen."
Zhan pulled him closer. "You just want to run away."
"I know if I leave, you won't eat, so I will just grab a spoon and come back" Yibo insisted.
"Okay, go," Zhan finally agreed.
Yibo stood and walked to the door, then turned back with a mischievous grin. "You can also come and sleep in my room too."
With that, he left the room laughing at Zhan.
Zhanxianyibo❤️💚💛