The next morning, it was almost 10 a.m. before Zhan realized he hadn't spoken to Dr. Kexing since he brought him home the day before. He finished the dishes he was washing in the kitchen and stepped out. Only Sabira was in the sitting room, busy dusting.
Zhan headed upstairs and entered Yibo's room. Yibo had left for work around 8, and after he left, Zhan had cleaned the room and washed the bathroom.
Zhan sat at the edge of the bed and picked up his phone, dialing Dr. Kexing's number. It rang until it disconnected with no response. He was about to call again but changed his mind when he heard the door open. It was Lan Yi.
She walked in and looked at him. "What's wrong with your own room that you've suddenly migrated to this one?"
Zhan gave a faint smile. "Oh, it's nothing really. I just want Shu Jie to feel comfortable, that's all."
Lan Yi frowned. "I don't like that. And don't let me catch you doing it again. Pack your things and go back to your room right now. Just because Shu is staying here doesn't mean you abandon your room. As long as she's in this house, you'll both share it."
Zhan lowered his eyes and softly replied, "Okay."
Lan Yi continued, "Would you feel good if she treated you like this? She's your cousin sister, isn't she? It's not like you two have ever even had an argument. So what's the reason for all this? Besides, it's only a few more days you'll be in your room."
Zhan murmured, "I'm sorry, Mama."
"Go back to your room now," she said before turning and walking out. Zhan watched her leave.
He quietly opened the door to his room and stepped inside. Shu was getting dressed and didn't even glance his way...instead, she just scowled. Zhan entered the room, placed his phone by the bed, and grabbed his shower gel and towel before heading into the bathroom. Shu watched him from the corner of her eye until he shut the door, then scoffed and continued applying her cream.
Less than five minutes later, Zhan's phone vibrated where he had left it. Shu turned to look, quickly grabbed it, and checked the caller ID. The number was saved with an emoji instead of a name. She snapped a photo of the screen with her phone and quickly returned the phone to its place. Then she used Truecaller to identify the number.
Dr. Kexing.
The name alone made her heart drop. Silently, she finished applying her cream, got dressed, and sat on the bed lost in thought.
Around twenty minutes later, she heard Zhan leave the bathroom. She grabbed her phone and walked out of the room. Zhan watched her go, noticing she hadn't closed the door behind her. He walked over and shut it.
----
Meanwhile, Dr. Kexing entered his mother's sitting room and sat across from her.
"I'm here, Mom," he said.
"Why aren't you answering your brother's calls?" she asked.
He buttoned his shirt as he replied, "I wasn't near my phone."
"Well, call him now. I know you won't unless I say so."
"I will," he muttered and stood.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked. "Sit down and call him now. I know you're not going to unless I watch you."
Dr. Kexing sighed and sat back down, leaning against the chair.
"Call him," she repeated.
He frowned. "Mom, that guy never calls just to check in. I'm sure he has something annoying to say."
"Why can't you just respect the fact that he's your older brother?" she said.
Kexing didn't respond. He dialed his brother's number... it wasn't even saved in his phone....and put it on speaker. His mom watched silently as the line rang and was finally picked up.
"Good morning," Kexing greeted.
"You saw my call and didn't pick up?" his brother...whom the family referred to as "Daddy".... asked.
"Yeah, I just saw it now."
"I want to have a personal talk with you about your upcoming marriage."
There was a short pause.
"I'm listening," Kexing replied.
"First of all, I want to know...do you have a problem with Teng?"
"Who's that?" Kexing asked flatly.
His mother glanced at him.
"You don't know Teng?" His brother repeated.
"Oh. Why are you asking me this?" Kexing said.
His brother continued, "In the first place… why did you start dating someone else when your cousin has all the qualities too?"
Without realizing it, Kexing stood up. "Is that so? Well, since I didn't, maybe you should marry her yourself...it's not too late. Look, Gege, I knew from the beginning that you never call unless it's to lecture me. And I'm telling you now, I don't want anyone involved in my relationship....not even you. Even Aunt Jin has no say in who I marry. I'm not a child to be handed a wife by committee. If you want to marry Teng, be my guest...you know her better than I do."
With that, he ended the call.
His mom stared at him in shocked silence. He turned and walked out of the sitting room.
She had never supported the idea of him marrying his cousin like the rest of his father's family insisted. Honestly, she wasn't interested in that match at all. Only God knew what his relatives had fed his brother to make him call with such nonsense.
Then her own phone rang... it was his brother.
She picked up and held it to her ear.
"Mom," Daddy said, "from this moment on, I'm done involving myself in anything related to Kexing. He can do whatever he wants. I won't even attend the wedding. I regret the money I sent to his house, regret coming to town just for a man who doesn't respect anyone…"
"Now what kind of talk is that, Daddy?" she interrupted. "Do you think you have anyone like him in the world? He's not a child that we must choose a wife for. He was only wrong in the way he said it.... but he was right. He called you in front of me. Why force him to marry Teng?"
"I knew you'd support him," His brother snapped. "Fine, let him go marry whoever he wants. But I won't attend the wedding, not after the way he disrespected me."
She rolled her eyes. "Do you have a younger brother better than him that you can talk like this? Please don't spoil my mood, you and him both."
She hung up and went to find Kexing. He was about to leave his room.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
He glanced at her. "Out."
"Kexing, how could you talk to your brother like that in front of me?" she demanded.
"You didn't hear what he said to me, Mom. He just wants to control me... and you told me he's only two years older! He doesn't even have a girlfriend. Why can't he date Teng and marry her?"
She grabbed his hand gently. "I know they were wrong, but that wasn't the right way to respond. He deserved some respect, at least for the sake of peace. All you had to say was you're not interested. That's it."
Kexing said, "Mom, as long as you're not against my marriage, then no one else has the right to stop me from doing what I want... not Daddy, not Uncle, not even Aunt Jin. No one."
Wu let out a deep sigh and asked, "And what about the shopping? You didn't tell me anything yesterday."
He replied, "I decided to give him the money so they could buy the items themselves."
She asked, "How much did you give him?"
"Seven million," he said.
She raised a brow. "Why not just make it ten million?"
"I'll add more," he replied.
"You make sure you told him not to buy the ring, right?"
"Yeah, I told him."
🟢🔴🟡
Shu sat in Min's room, wiping tears that wouldn't stop falling. Her voice trembled as she said, "You just sent me back to that Mansion for no reason. I don't even see the point of going back. It's been two days now, and the moment I arrived, Zhan packed up and moved into Yibo's room. I've got no useful information... just his phone number that I snapped earlier when he called Zhan while he was in the bathroom. And as you saw, we've been trying to call him, but it keeps going straight to voicemail because of his phone settings. If your number's not saved, you can't reach him."
Min said, "Maybe it's his private line. But honestly, no doctor would set their phone like that. He must have another line for people to reach him on."
Shu leaned against the bed, sobbing. "I'm exhausted, Min. The wedding's just a month away now."
Min sighed. "You're telling me? After everything that happened between me and Yibo, I'm just as stuck in this mess as you are. If things had gone differently, you and I would be busy with wedding prep right now. But no... here we are, and you're not even a part of it."
Shu didn't respond, just kept crying. Min lowered her voice and added, "It's your stubbornness that's killing us here. Just the other day, Zully suggested a solution, and you dismissed it outright. That was our only option, Shu."
Shu snapped, "I'm not giving my money to some fraud who claims to be spiritual. What result did I ever see from all the times I tried that? It's all scams and people profiting off others' desperation. Do you know how many so-called spiritualists I've paid in my 26 years? Over 50. Since I was 15! And what have I gotten from it? Nothing. So I'm not wasting another cent. I even bribed my lecturers just to scrape together a degree, and see how many times I've been withdrawn from one university to another. It wasn't until I met Dr. Kexing that I realized I wasn't stupid... I just wasn't focused. It's shocking that I, Shu, am now in my final year of Nursing Science. Back then, I couldn't even pass Microbiology."
Min gave a weary smile and shook her head. "Oh, Shu. You probably just never found the right spiritutrying to help with a suggestion. I don't know anyone."
Shu wiped her eyes and muttered, "Fine. I know what I need to do."
Min asked, "What are you going to do?"
Shu stood, grabbed her handbag, and said, "Just watch."
Min said softly, "I hope it works out. When are your final exams starting?"
As Shu headed to the door, she replied, "Who's thinking about final exams right now?"
Min warned, "Shu, don't throw everything away. Better to finish your degree successfully. Five years of work is no joke."
Shu turned with a scowl. "Let Zhan be the one who ends up with no degree and no husband. He crossed the line with me… and as long as I'm breathing, I'll do whatever it takes to ruin this wedding. And when it does fall apart, it'll mess him up so badly he won't even be able to finish his final exams."
With that, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Min just shook her head. She'd tried suggesting the one spiritualist she knew could actually get results...he was the reason Yibo had started drifting toward her. But now that Shu had rejected the idea, what if something happens and Shu exposes her to there family? Everyone knew Shu had a reputation for spilling secrets when angry...
----
Around 7 p.m., Shu returned home. Lan Yi was sitting in the living room with Yibo. Shu greeted her politely, then greeted Yibo in a flat, disinterested tone. As she was about to leave, Yibo said, "Come here."
She froze, then slowly turned to face him. He said, "Should I be the one coming to you instead?"
She walked back and sat on the edge of the couch without a word.
"Where are you coming from?" he asked.
With a stiff expression, she replied, "From Min's place... we were planning the wedding."
Yibo said, "This should be the last time you stay out this late. This is not Grandma's house where you come and go as you please. And this house doesn't operate without rules. We're not animals. This is your first and final warning."
She turned her face away, seething. If not for Min and Zully pushing her into this, how dare this man speak to her like some wayward daughter? How many years older than her was he, really... Just two?
Lan Yi didn't say anything. Shu abruptly got up and stormed upstairs. Lan Yi looked at Yibo and said, "I hope she find guidance."
Yibo replied, "She's just acting out because no one puts her in her place. Grandma's completely spoiled her, and her father's side of the family isn't helping either. The moment anyone speaks up, it becomes, 'She's just an orphan.'"
Zhan was sitting in his room studying when Shu barged in without even a greeting. Zhan looked up and said, "Welcome back." Shu shot him a cold, nasty glare, then began stripping off her clothes and tossing them onto the bed.
Zhan continued studying silently. When Shu entered the bathroom, Zhan stood up and left the room. On the staircase, he ran into Yibo and followed him to his room, on the verge of tears.
"Gege, please," Zhan said, "talk to Mama and let me move downstairs. I can't stay in the same room with Shu. Even when I talk to her, she ignores me. She's taken over the entire space and honestly, I'm scared of her. I just can't sleep in the same room. But Mama insists I stay there."
Yibo responded, "Leave Mama out of this. Just come to my room and do whatever you need to. In a few weeks, you'll be moving out anyway... leave the room to her and Mama." He then entered the bathroom, leaving Zhan to quietly sit at the edge of the bed.
At 7:00 a.m., Zhan slipped out of Yibo's room before Lan Yi could notice where he had spent the night. He quickly headed to his own room and carefully opened the door. The room was empty. He assumed Shu was still in the bathroom.
Zhan took out clothes for his 9:00 a.m. lectures and sat on the bed waiting. But minutes passed and there was no sound... no water running, no movement... nothing to indicate someone was in the bathroom. He glanced at the clock and realized he had been sitting there for 30 minutes.
Suspicious, he scanned the room. The day Shu arrived, she had brought three boxes. Now there were only two.... the middle one missing. He looked toward the vanity and saw none of her perfumes or skincare items. Even her phone charger and power bank from the bedside drawer were gone.
Worried, Zhan slowly pushed open the bathroom door and peeked inside. It was empty.
He rushed to Hai Kuan's room, where he knew Yibo had slept. He knocked until he got a reply, then entered.
Yibo was still lying down. Zhan hurried over and said, "Gege, Shu's not in the house."
Yibo blinked. "How?"
"I don't know," Zhan said. "I went to the room thinking she was in the bathroom, but after waiting and looking around, I noticed one of her bags is gone."
"So why wake me up over that?" Yibo grumbled.
"Maybe she went to Grandma's?" Zhan suggested.
"Well, that would be best for everyone," Yibo said, rolling over.
Zhan pouted a little, then finally said, "I'll go tell Mama."
Yibo didn't respond, so Zhan left the room.
Panic rising, Lan Yi rushed to Zhan's room after he informed her of Shu's disappearance. Zhan stood by the door as she examined every corner of the room. She opened the wardrobe.... Which is completely empty. Shu had taken all her clothes.
"In heaven's name…" Lan Yi muttered. "When did you realize she was gone?"
Zhan's heart thumped; he didn't want Lan Yi to know he hadn't slept there. "I just woke up and didn't see her. I assumed she was in the sitting room at first."
Lan Yi left the room and hurried to her own. She grabbed her phone and tried calling Shu, but the line was switched off. At a loss, she called Grandma.
After greetings, she asked, "Mother, did Shu come to your house?"
"Who's Shu?" Grandma asked, puzzled.
Lan Yi fell silent. She immediately regretted calling. "I'll call you back, Mother," she said and hung up.
She then rushed to Yibo's room. Not finding him there, she went to Hai Kuan's room. Yibo was half-asleep when she burst in, calling his name.
He sat up slowly. Lan Yi, clearly anxious, said, "Yibo, Shu's not in the house."
"And what, is Shu a child?" Yibo asked irritably.
She frowned. "What kind of thing is that to say? The girl is gone and you're asking if she's a child?"
"Well, that's all I know. Maybe she went to her grandmother's. We scolded her last night, maybe she got upset and left."
"I already called Grandma. Judging from her reaction, Shu didn't go there."
"Then she just left," Yibo said bluntly.
Lan Yi, disturbed, said, "Her phone's switched off, Yibo."
"Please, Mama, don't stress yourself. Shu's not a kid. If she didn't want to be scolded, she shouldn't have stayed. Now she's done what she wants."
Lan Yi stood silently for a moment, then turned and left the room. Yibo lay back down.
🟢🔴🟡
An average old woman stood outside her house in a drooping, oversized dress that kept slipping off her shoulder. She wore a large, loosely tied headscarf and held a broom in one hand. She ranted loudly, pacing around as she gestured dramatically.
"In the end," she declared, "may justice be done between me and you all! May what you did to me be repaid! You people aren't even my relatives! That tree over there is older and wiser than your entire bloodline. I swear I won't forgive... until the end of time!"
A woman passing by with a bundle of her belongings said, "Ms. Ai, good morning. Has something happened to upset you again?"
Ms. Ai turned and replied, "You even have to ask? Those kids...everyone knows they were cursed from birth, no blessings at all. Tell me, have you ever seen anyone chewing on sugarcane under the tree?"
"That tree wasn't even planted by their lazy parents in this village. I inherited it through my husband, who got it from his parents, who inherited it from their own! That tree has meaning, it's not just any tree. I've been sweeping this compound since dawn and only just finished, and now this? They've betrayed me. In the dead of night, some sneaky little devils camp under my tree, eating sugarcane and groundnuts like it's a picnic spot!"
"But I swear, I'm going to surround that tree with wooden fencing. Let's see how those useless rascals will sit under it then."
The woman scratching her head as she listened to Ms. Ai replied, "Honestly, I think you're right. Just fence it off. But you'll need a lot of wood...it's a big tamarind tree, after all. Still, that'll put an end to their nonsense and stop them from loitering around your tree."
A motorcycle pulled up in front of the house, and someone climbed down holding a suitcase. Ms. Ai fell silent, narrowing her eyes at the figure stepping off the bike. After a moment, she muttered, "Who's that?"
The girl didn't even glance at her, simply dragged her suitcase into the small courtyard. The woman with Ms. Ai grinned, showing a few brown-stained teeth. "Looks like someone came visiting from the city, Ms. Ai!"
Ms. Ai scowled and said, "You and your gossip, Delu. You were just here advising me to fence a whole tree like I was born for that nonsense alone. Do you think I'm so petty I can't let people enjoy the breeze under my tree and get some virtue for it? You're the one always poking your nose into people's business. Can't you smell yourself? You stink, your husband stinks... may the heavens protect us! Now leave my sight, hypocrite."
Delu scurried off.
Ms. Ai walked back into her home, clutching her waist. "Who gave you this house address, Shu?" she asked.
Shu, already half-undressed and throwing her clothes on the floor, said, "This is the only place I could think of, Gran-aunt, so how could I not recognize it?."
Ms. Ai replied, "Hmm, I see. You never come here alone...it's always with Jie. And even then, you barely stay an hour before rushing back, while Jie can spend a whole week here. But you, you act like you can't handle even a day."
Shu grumbled, "Right now I just want to shower. This town feels like an oven..."
Ms. Ai said, "The boy who fetches my water from the river isn't back yet, but I have some stored water. I'll bring you some." She stepped out of the hut. Shu watched her open a big blue drum, draw a full bucket of water, and say, "No one else would make me open this reserve if not you...this water has been stored for six months. No matter how dry it gets, I never touch it. But I always knew it would come in handy one day. Well, today's that day."
Shu grabbed her sponge and soap and headed to the tiny bathroom in the courtyard. After bringing the water, Ms. Ai muttered, "Oh, the things I've seen. She's just like her mother. She was the only one who didn't look down on me... used to come here for weeks even before she got married. God rest her soul. That's why I always save a little something for Shu. If I meet anyone trustworthy going to their city, I send it with them."
When Shu came out of the bath, she found a tray of millet porridge and rice cakes waiting for her. She freshened up and began to eat..lunch would be at 2:00 p.m., after all. Ms. Ai even laid out a clean bedsheet for her on the iron bedframe.
Ms. Ai returned and sat beside her. "You didn't mention whether Jie sent any greetings?"
At that, Shu broke into tears like she had been holding it back. Alarmed, Ms. Ai gasped, "Oh no! Did my sister pass away? Don't tell me she died!"
Still sobbing, Shu said, "No, she's alive, nothing happened to her. I just came to tell you what I've been going through. Because I have no one...my parents are both gone."
Ms. Ai's face darkened. "What? What have they done to you, Shu? People still don't understand the value of caring for orphans. That's why so many of them will burn. Who told them they could treat you like this? Don't they know because of you alone they've brought sin upon themselves?"
Shu sat up and began to recount everything that had happened...some truths, mostly exaggerations. Ms. Ai sat silently, jaw slightly open, then slowly nodded. "Jie did mention the wedding to me. I even said if God wills, I'll attend.... Even Lan Yi called to tell me about it. I thought, at least I'll get the blessing of witnessing his big day. But when I found out it was Yibo too, that's when I changed my mind. Because Yibo is mine. And now I find out they stole him from you and handed him to Zhan? Unbelievable. People no longer fear consequences."
She shook her head in disbelief. "But Lan Yi surprised me most. Jie I won't even blame her.... she only listens to Lan Yi anyway. Maybe it's because Lan Yi brings her rice in those little fancy bags. But even Jie wouldn't have accepted this if she thought for herself. What did you even do to deserve being replaced by Zhan? What makes him more important in their eyes? You're her niece, same mother, same father. Is Zhan suddenly better than you?"
Shu, now quiet, looked up and asked, "Are you sure you know which Zhan I'm talking about?"
Ms. Ai squinted. "Of course I know. Isn't he Lan Yi's last boy? That tall, pale one with the pointless pen-like nose?"
Shu scowled. "Exactly. Him. He took my boyfriend. They're getting married in a month."
Ms. Ai scoffed and held her waist again. "Heavens above! Just when you think you've seen it all..."
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛