Yibo sat in the sitting room after coming in, glancing at Lan Yi. Not seeing Min, he asked, "Did she come downstairs?"
Lan Yi replied, "No, she's in my room easing herself."
He was a bit surprised since he knew she'd already eased herself before leaving home. He started wondering to himself...what exactly could she be doing? He didn't say anything, just kept quiet. Granny Ai, who was observing Lan Yi, said, "You let that girl upstairs all alone in your room?"
Lan Yi pretended not to hear, knowing Granny Ai's tendency to poke into things. Granny Ai said again, "Hmm, interesting. Let me go say hello to her then."
She headed to the room, gently opened the door, and walked in. A sharp gasp escaped her lips, her eyes widening. Yibo and Lan Yi both turned immediately toward the noise. Granny Ai came walking back, waving her hand and saying, "She's facing the wrong direction! If she was confused, couldn't she ask someone?"
Lan Yi replied calmly, "She didn't know, Aunt Ai."
Yibo stood up, looking at Lan Yi. "When Baby Zhan comes in, tell him to get ready. We'll be leaving." With that, he exited the sitting room.
Back in Lan Yi room, Min ended her silent moment and turned toward Granny Ai, her smile fading as anxiety crept in. Her hand trembled slightly where it rested beneath her outfit, but with effort, she asked, "I didn't know, Granny Ai… which way is it?"
Granny Ai pointed, then returned to the sitting room. Sitting beside Lan Yi, she lowered her voice and said, "Honestly, you shouldn't have let her go into your room. A mat could have been laid out for her here in the living room to do whatever pray she want. It hasn't even been that long since the wedding, and you already trust her in your space? I've had a strange feeling about her since the first day I saw her all wrapped up…"
Lan Yi stood, clearly not wanting to entertain the topic. "Excuse me, Aunt Ai," she said, and walked out.
Granny Ai clucked her tongue and muttered, "Well, I guess I've been made irrelevant."
Later that evening, just before they left, Lan Yi followed Yibo downstairs and stood beside him. "Yibo, please be gentle with Baby. He's still recovering. Don't upset him again, I beg you. And if it's about Dr. Kexing, please don't stop them from interacting. He's still Baby's lecturer, and they're still in school. It's nobody's fault this happened. Just because a relationship ends doesn't mean ties have to break too."
Yibo just listened. He didn't even know how to respond.
"I'm talking to you and you're quiet," Lan Yi said firmly.
He finally replied quietly, "Okay, Mama."
Granny Ai escorted them all the way to the car, smiling brightly after Yibo promised to come pick her up on Friday. She was planning to stay a week at his place.
Min chatted away happily with Yibo after they left the house. A few minutes into the ride, she burst out laughing. Meanwhile, Zhan sat quietly in the backseat, scrolling on his phone.
Yibo glanced at Min, amused but puzzled by her laughter. "What's making you so happy?"
She giggled and said, "I'm just glad I got to visit Mama. She's like a second mom to me."
He didn't say anything else. When they got home, she stepped out of the car as he parked. Zhan also got out and reached for the food warmers they brought from Lan Yi's place.
Min offered, "Let me help with one."
Both Zhan and Yibo were surprised. Zhan handed her one, and Yibo carried the other. They headed inside together.
***
The next morning, around 10 a.m., Zhan was in Dr. Kexing's office explaining a course that had been giving him trouble. He didn't have any materials in front of him, but the way he explained it in detail made it seem like he was reading from a textbook. Dr. Kexing watched him closely, clearly impressed. This man is truly brilliant, he thought.
There was a knock on the door. Both turned to look. Dr. Kexing asked who it was, and a female voice answered. Zhan immediately recognized it.
Dr. Kexing gave permission for her to come in. As soon as she did, her perfume filled the office. Today again she wore a skirt and blouse with a shawl draped over her shoulders. She greeted respectfully, bowing her head slightly.
He responded, "Good morning, Shu. How are you?"
"I'm fine, sir. I just wanted to ask you something if you're not too busy."
Dr. Kexing looked at Zhan, who had started tapping away at his phone without looking up. Then he turned back to Shu.
"Can you come back in thirty minutes?"
She nodded politely. "Sure, sir. Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said, watching her leave with a smile.
Then turning back to Zhan, he said, "Go on, dear. I'm listening."
Zhan turned off his phone without lifting his head. "I think I'll stop here for today. I need to do more reading before continuing."
"Oh, come on," Dr. Kexing replied. "You can finish the rest. I know you studied this during the test period."
Zhan grabbed his handbag. "I'm serious. I'll continue reading now."
Dr. Kexing stared at him for a moment, then said, "Okay. If you see Shu around the premises, tell her she can come in."
Zhan got up without looking at him. "Alright," he said, and walked out.
Once outside, he felt suffocated by the entire school environment. He couldn't even stay in the department. Eventually, he found a quiet spot under a tree and sat down.
Suddenly, tears welled up in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away and pulled out his phone. Since exchanging numbers with Ma~Liyana, they had only chatted but never called. Today, for the first time, he dialed her number.
She answered after a few rings. After a brief greeting, Zhan asked softly, "Are you at school today?"
Ma~Liyana replied, "No, I'm at home."
"Oh… I thought you'd be in school," Zhan said.
"Why not come over?" Liyana offered. "It's not far from your school."
Zhan smiled faintly. "Maybe next time."
"No, please," Liyana insisted. "Since you already planned for us to meet, don't change your mind now."
Zhan fell silent. Liyana added, "Just get a taxi. I'll give the driver our address. We're very close....you'll see."
"Okay, I'll come," Zhan finally agreed.
Within fifteen minutes, he arrived at Liyana's house. She was delighted to see him. They sat in the living room...just the two of them and their housemaid. Her parents were at work.
Spending time chatting with Liyana made Zhan feel a lot better. He felt relaxed and at peace. He stayed until 2 p.m. He hadn't planned to eat, but Liyana insisted, and he eventually gave in.
While they ate, Zhan said, "Please don't tell Hai Kuan-ge that I came here today."
Ma~Liyana stayed quiet, simply watching him, then gave a small smile and said, "It's been a while since we last spoke to each other."
Zhan lifted his head and looked at her, then asked, "How come?"
Ma~Liyana replied, "Nothing serious… he's just a friend, really. He's my brother's colleague, so I got to know him through him. Occasionally, he visits our house."
Zhan asked, "You two aren't dating?"
Ma~Liyana chuckled. "Not at all. Just because he happened to bring me food at school that day? My brother and he were in the office together. I called to ask for food, but my brother was busy, so Hai Kuan got it instead. That doesn't mean we're in a relationship. In fact, we haven't even chatted in a long while."
Zhan fell silent.
Softly, Ma~Liyana added, "But I'll admit something to you, Zhan. I love your brother… though he doesn't know it."
Zhan smiled at her and said, "Then why not take a chance and tell him?"
Ma~Liyana sighed. "I'm scared…"
Zhan leaned back and said gently, "You don't need to be. Honestly, I'd be happy if you two ended up together."
Ma~Liyana changed the subject, brushing it off with a lighthearted chat.
Around twenty minutes to five, Zhan left Ma~Liyana's house and headed home. Since stepping out of her place, his mood had shifted. He suddenly remembered that Dr. Kexing hadn't call him all day. He tried to push the unease away. Upon arriving, he noticed Yibo's car wasn't parked outside.
Zhan sat outside in the compound for a while, feeling reluctant to enter the house. He was too unsettled to sit still; all he wanted was to lie down and clear his mind.
Eventually, despite the tightness in his chest, Zhan walked up to the balcony and used the spare key Yibo had given him to open the sitting room door. Inside, he found Min and Shu lounging on the couch. They both turned to look at him. Avoiding their eyes, Zhan stepped in, removed his shoes, and made his way toward his room.
Min stood abruptly, blocking his path, eyes sharp and cold. "Do you think this is your father's house that you can just stroll in without a word and walk past us like we don't exist? Are you crazy?"
Zhan said nothing, just looked at her.
Shu laughed cruelly and stood up. "Do you know what I can't stand? When people with nothing act like they're better than everyone. We're your elders, and you just ignore us? After everything people know about your background, you still act proud? If I were you, I'd walk around with a mask. Seriously. Everyone in the department knows you're a bastard."
Zhan turned, intending to leave the sitting room.
Min grabbed his jacket violently. "Are you walking out on us while we're talking to you? What are you on? Pills?"
Zhan looked her straight in the eye. Calmly, he said, "You know I could knock you out without even trying. I may look delicate, but I'm still a man. I avoid drama and I don't want to be that guy who hits women. So take your hands off me."
Before he could finish his sentence, Shu slapped him hard across the face.
Min added another slap to the opposite cheek. "You're threatening us now? You've got some nerve."
Shu untied her headscarf, wrapped it around her waist like she meant business, and dragged Zhan back toward her. "I never got the chance to repay Hai Kuan for hitting me because of you, so today's my moment. I'll beat you up just like he did, and no one will do anything."
Zhan began to remove his jacket, realizing he couldn't just stand there and take it. Shu took advantage of the moment, grabbed him by the jacket, and began to beat him, shouting, "You're not getting out of this!"
Min stepped back, laughing loudly and cheering Shu on.
Eventually, Zhan managed to pull free from the jacket and started fighting back. The scuffle escalated into a full-on brawl. It soon became clear that Shu wasn't as strong as she pretended to be. Min, realizing Zhan could overpower her any moment, ran to the kitchen. She turned on the gas stove, poured oil into a pan, added onions, and turned the flame up until smoke filled the kitchen. Coughing, she returned to the sitting room, circling the fight with the hot pan.
Zhan, who didn't want to hurt Shu, began struggling to breathe from the smoke. Shu coughed too, but continued hitting him. She eventually grabbed a flower vase and smashed it on his head. Zhan collapsed. Even as his breathing slowed and he lay motionless, Shu didn't stop.
Seeing this, Min dropped the pan behind the couch and ran to her room. She grabbed her phone and called Yibo, sobbing as he answered.
"Baby, where are you? Please come home quickly...something bad has happened!"
Yibo had just left the hospital. He turned down his car stereo and asked, "What happened?!"
Still crying, Min said, "I was sitting down when Shu dropped by to pick up a charger she left the other day. She was about to leave when Zhan came home and bumped into her. Then they started arguing. And now...he's not breathing properly…"
Yibo hung up immediately.
Min returned to the sitting room and was shocked to see Shu standing there, heaving, staring down at Zhan, who lay on the floor, still and nearly lifeless.
Clutching her chest, Min gasped, "Oh no… I don't think he's breathing!"
Panicked, Shu threw on Zhan's jacket over her torn clothes, grabbed her phone and bag, and bolted from the house.
Min ran to the windows, flung the curtains open, turned on the fan and AC to clear the smoke, and rushed the pan back to the kitchen, dumping the oil into the sink. Her hands shook as she cleaned up, then rushed back to Zhan, still lying limp.
She tried calling Yibo again, but he didn't pick up.
Frantic, she fetched water from the kitchen and poured it on Zhan, trying to wake him, shaking him desperately.
Still panicking, she ran outside and screamed at the security guard, "Please come quickly...check on him, I think he's not breathing!"
The security guard rushed into the sitting room, freezing in place when he saw Zhan on the floor. Shocked, he kept muttering, "Oh my god, oh no…"
Min clutched her stomach in fear, placing her hands on her head as she trembled. "Is he dead, Martin??" she asked in horror.
Just then, Yibo burst into the room. He had no idea how he even got to the house...his instincts had simply taken over. He knelt by Zhan, lifted him gently, and called his name in panic. Seeing no response, he immediately began chest compressions. Then, without hesitation, he gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Even in her distressed state, Min scowled when she saw Yibo's desperate attempts to revive Zhan. Disgust crossed her face before she abruptly turned and walked to the balcony, her expression hard and unreadable.
She stood there for over five minutes, refusing to re-enter the sitting room. In her mind, she even began wishing Zhan would die, hoping this would finally eliminate him. As these dark thoughts consumed her, Yibo came out of the house, carrying Zhan in his arms, heading quickly for his car.
Min scoffed at the sight, noting how Zhan's eyes were still closed. She followed them to the gate, suddenly putting on a fake worried look. Flailing her hands, she asked, "Yibo, is he breathing now? Did you manage to revive him?"
Yibo didn't respond. He got into the driver's seat and sped away, leaving the neighborhood. Min watched him go with a small, sinister smile, then turned back inside, resuming her silent wish for Zhan's demise.
~**~
Later that night, around 9 p.m., Yibo sat quietly by Zhan's hospital bed. He leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, visibly exhausted. Zhan was now off oxygen and breathing normally. Every now and then, Yibo would stand to check on him, unable to rest.
Hai Kuan entered the ward and walked straight to Zhan's bed, staring silently. Neither he nor Yibo said a word to each other. It had barely been twenty minutes since Yibo called him...he hadn't even informed Lan Yi yet.
After standing silently for five minutes, Hai Kuan finally turned to Yibo and asked, "What was Shu doing at your house? How could she do this to him?"
Yibo didn't reply. Hai Kuan shook his head, turned, and left the room. Yibo watched him go with a mix of frustration and pain in his eyes.
Just fifteen minutes after Hai Kuan left, Zhan opened his eyes. Yibo rushed to his side, held his hand, and whispered, "Baby, how are you feeling?"
Tears streamed down Zhan's face. Yibo's heart sank....he was speechless.
Meanwhile, Shu lay dramatically on the couch as Granny Fang Yu gently rubbed her hand with warm water. Shu screamed like she was in unbearable pain, though there wasn't a single visible injury. The moment she arrived home, she told Granny that Zhan had beaten her at Yibo's house. According to her tale, only Min had managed to pull him off her.
All lies. The truth was that Zhan had caught her at school flirting with a lecturer who had once rejected him. Enraged, she concocted a story to play the victim and gain sympathy. Granny Fang Yu, believing every word, was immediately enraged and called Lan Yi in a fury, forgetting to filter her words entirely.
Granny then boiled more water to massage Shu's "injured" hand. Amid her fake sobs, Shu declared she was moving to Yantai. Granny snapped, "Move? You're not going anywhere. If Lan Yi doesn't take action over what was done to you, then she should find another mother for her, not me! She let Yibo take that boy into his home, and now this is the result. It ends today... they can choose either me or Zhan. It's obvious who controls Yibo!"
Breathing heavily, Granny stormed off to get her special ointment, but couldn't find it. She told Shu, "Let me run to the shop and get it."
As soon as Granny left, Shu dashed to her room, packed a few clothes and toiletries into a small bag, her hands trembling. Deep down, she feared Zhan might actually die. The way she had left him haunted her. Just as she stepped into the sitting room and headed for the door, it swung open.
She assumed it was Granny, but when she looked up, her expression changed completely.
In less than six minutes, Hai Kuan had done what he came to do.... and left her on the floor. Shu didn't even twitch. The beating had stunned her into silence.
At around 10 p.m., Yibo stood beside Zhan, who now sat up on the bed. He had been gently trying to coax Zhan into telling him what happened, but Zhan remained silent. That's when Hai Kuan walked back into the ward.
Yibo eyed him warily. He didn't need to be told where he had just come from.
Hai Kuan calmly took a seat, as if everything was normal. Yibo glanced at Zhan, who finally broke the silence and said quietly, "It was Min... and sister Shu."
Yibo's face changed. "Min?" he asked, stunned.
Zhan nodded, tears falling freely. Without another word, Yibo stood up and left the ward.
Min was at home, eating noodles with fried eggs. She had grown tired of wishing for Zhan's death. Truth be told, she regretted not smothering him with a pillow while he was unconscious. At least then, it would have been over by now.
She continued eating and thinking. It was already past 10:30 p.m., and she assumed Yibo wouldn't be back anytime soon... after all, his Baby brother was in the hospital.
Just then, Yibo burst into the sitting room. Min quickly got up and rushed to him. "Baby, how's he doing? I've been calling you all day, but you didn't answer. I even just managed to cook noodles…"
Yibo threw the papers in her direction and turned to leave without a word. Confused, she stared at the documents. Her stomach dropped. With trembling hands, she knelt to pick them up and unfolded them.
A loud scream escaped her lips as she chased after him, yelling, "Yibo, you signed the divorce papers? What do you mean? You're divorcing me?!"
But Yibo had already gotten into his car and driven off.
Martin, the security guard, stood there wide-eyed in disbelief.
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛