Around nine in the morning, Zhan finally came downstairs after getting ready for school.
He dropped heavily into a chair, leaned his head back, and pressed a hand against his forehead.
A dull headache throbbed behind his eyes.
Even if there hadn't been a test that morning, he probably still would have gone to school just to escape the apartment. Ever since the events of the previous night, he had felt completely unsettled in the house.
He hadn't even been able to eat breakfast.
When it was almost ten o'clock, he finally took his phone out of his bag and ordered a ride to campus.
By the time he arrived, Bin still hadn't shown up.
Zhan tried calling him several times, but the calls wouldn't connect.
Just before the test began, Bin finally rushed in.
After the exam ended and they stepped outside, Bin let out a dramatic sigh.
"Just because I put a little makeup on that kid's face," he complained, "his mother suddenly wasn't feeling well, so his father dragged me there and abandoned me with the child."
Zhan looked at him quietly without responding.
Bin adjusted himself on the bench and continued grumbling.
"That little menace completely destroyed my bags and even his mother's bag. Makeup everywhere." He groaned loudly. "From the moment I came out of the bathroom, I smacked him nonstop. If his father wants to get angry, let him. Those bags were expensive."
A faint smile finally touched Zhan's lips, though he still said nothing.
Bin suddenly stopped talking and narrowed his eyes at him.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked. "Why do you look like this?"
Without answering immediately, Zhan slowly opened his bag and took out the small ring box.
He handed it over silently.
Bin frowned in confusion before opening it.
The second he saw the ring inside, his eyes widened dramatically.
"Oh my God," he breathed. "Who gave you this?"
He stared harder at the diamond ring before looking back at Zhan in disbelief.
"This is a diamond ring. And not just any ring....Forevermark." He looked scandalized. "Please explain yourself properly. Who bought this for you?"
Quietly, Zhan replied, "My housemate."
Bin instantly shot to his feet.
"Don't tell me he proposed to you!"
Zhan burst out laughing despite himself.
"It wasn't a proposal," he said. "He just gave it to me as a gift."
Bin let out an exaggerated noise.
"Oh my God, you hopeless man. He absolutely proposed to you. You're just too dense to realize it." He sat back down beside Zhan, staring at the ring again. "Do you even know how expensive this brand is?"
Then he leaned closer with growing excitement.
"Tell me everything. How did he give it to you? Were you standing? Sitting? What exactly did he say?"
Zhan shook his head slightly.
"He didn't even wait for me to thank him," he murmured. "He just left."
"In your apartment?"
"No. He took me to dinner first. Then he gave it to me in the car after bringing me home."
Bin slapped his own thigh and burst into loud laughter.
"And you still want to claim that man isn't in love with you?" he said between laughs. "You still think he's just being kind?"
Zhan shot him a look.
Bin continued grinning shamelessly.
"It honestly doesn't surprise me that you still don't realize it. But listen to me carefully... your housemate is completely gone over you." He pointed toward the ring. "This level of care is not normal."
He lowered his voice dramatically.
"Even for his own sibling, he probably wouldn't go this far. Forget ordinary relationships...even people dating seriously don't always receive this kind of treatment."
Zhan lowered his gaze quietly while Bin kept talking.
"You don't understand how lucky you are," Bin said. "He knows your past, knows you were married before, and still treats you like this." He shook his head. "And think about who he is. He comes from an influential family. If you stopped hiding your feelings and admitted you care about him too, that man would probably give you the entire world."
Zhan remained silent for several seconds.
Then quietly, he said, "Bin..."
Bin immediately leaned closer.
"I'm listening."
After another pause, Zhan finally said softly, "Yiming came to my apartment last night."
Bin stood up so abruptly the bench screeched beneath him.
"WHAT?"
Shock completely overtook his face.
"You mean Yiming?" he asked slowly. "Your ex-husband?"
Zhan couldn't even answer.
Bin sat back down heavily, staring at him as though trying to process what he had just heard.
"How did he even find your apartment?" he asked. "And what exactly did he come there to do?"
Zhan exhaled shakily.
"Honestly, I still don't know how he found the place," he admitted. "I'm still in shock myself. I couldn't even eat this morning because of fear." He rubbed at his forehead tiredly. "I feel completely unsettled."
Bin immediately pushed his bag aside.
"We belong to Heaven and return to Heaven," he muttered dramatically before leaning closer. "Now explain everything properly."
His expression hardened.
"What did he do after he came? And wait...did you actually open the door for him?"
Zhan nodded weakly.
"After my housemate dropped me off and left, it was raining heavily," he explained. "About ten minutes later, the doorbell rang." He swallowed hard. "I had forgotten my bag in my housemate's car, so I thought he had come back to return it."
Bin narrowed his eyes carefully, listening.
"So what happened next?"
Zhan released a long breath and said quietly, "When I opened the door and saw him, I was terrified. After he came inside, I ran straight into the kitchen. My phone was already in my hand, so I called A-Bo. But Yiming followed me there and took the phone away."
Bin stared at him in disbelief, fear clearly written across his face.
In a low voice, Zhan explained everything that had happened in the kitchen....everything Yiming had said, how frightened he had looked, and how A-Bo had unexpectedly arrived at the apartment afterward.
He hid nothing.
When he finished, Bin shook his head slowly.
"You honestly shock me, Zhan," he said. "Out of everyone in this world, you chose to hide Yiming in your apartment?"
Quietly, Zhan replied, "He told me to remember the good side of him, Bin. And... he looked afraid too. He really didn't want A-Bo to see him. That's why he begged me to keep it secret."
Bin immediately became angry.
"What good side?" he snapped. "Which good side are we talking about exactly?"
He leaned forward sharply.
"The harassment? The lies? The humiliation? The disrespect?" His voice rose. "Just recently you were telling me how you spent three months in that man's house surviving on instant noodles because he barely cared whether you ate properly or not. You told me how he insulted you, hit you, and threw you away after getting what he wanted."
Bin pointed at him in frustration.
"And that's the man you pitied?"
Zhan lowered his eyes quietly.
But Bin wasn't done.
"So let me understand this clearly," he continued. "You hid your ex-husband upstairs all night while A-Bo stayed downstairs protecting you?"
He shook his head slowly.
"Honestly, you frightened me today, Zhan. I'm serious."
Zhan looked up at him, his face pale.
"Bin, don't forget this is America," he said softly. "We're not back home anymore."
He hesitated before continuing. "I've noticed A-Bo has a very quick temper when it comes to people he cares about. What if he had found Yiming and done something terrible to him?"
His voice trembled slightly.
"I know for certain he wouldn't have let him go if he'd seen him in the apartment." He looked directly at Bin. "And if something happened, the law here wouldn't ignore it. Do you really think they would overlook violence just because of the situation? No, I can't put him in danger or let him go to jail for protecting me."
Bin gave him a hard look.
"If you understood all that," he asked, "then why did you call him in the first place?"
Zhan fell silent.
"You called him because you were scared," Bin continued. "You wanted him there."
Tears gathered again in Zhan's eyes.
"At that time, I didn't know why Yiming had come," he admitted quietly. "If he had come to hurt me, that would've been different. But he wasn't threatening me." He lowered his gaze. "He was scared too."
Bin scoffed loudly.
"He begged me not to tell anyone he was there," Zhan continued softly. "That's why I..."
Bin cut him off with a bitter laugh.
"Well then, maybe you should just remarry him," he said sarcastically. "Since you pity him so much. Let him pay another bride price and take you back to his home."
Zhan frowned immediately.
"Stop that, Bin."
"No, I'm serious," Bin said. "Since you already accepted his repentance in your heart...."
"I did not," Zhan interrupted firmly.
He looked away, his expression tightening painfully.
"Even if they dragged my body back to him, I still couldn't forget what I went through." His voice dropped lower. "I don't want him back. I don't even want to see him."
Bin stayed silent for a moment.
Then Zhan continued quietly.
"It was just... the way he spoke. And the way he looked." He exhaled shakily. "I'm not ungrateful, Bin. I can't pretend Yiming never did anything good for me."
Bin stared at him carefully.
"If not for him," Zhan said softly, "I probably never would've come to this country. I never lacked anything while I was studying here under his support." He swallowed hard. "Compared to some people whose parents struggle for them, I had comfort."
His eyes lowered again.
"So I can't stand there and say he never once did good things for me." His voice became quieter. "That doesn't mean I want him back. Because honestly... seeing him only reminds me of pain."
Bin clicked his tongue loudly.
"Since you protected his secret once, don't be surprised if he's already waiting outside your apartment again today," he muttered.
Then his expression darkened again.
"Honestly, if I were in your place, I wouldn't have hidden him for even one second." He shook his head. "Yiming scares me. That man isn't normal."
He leaned closer.
"And whether you realize it or not, you betrayed A-Bo's trust."
Zhan looked up immediately.
"You hurt him," Bin continued. "If he ever finds out you hid Yiming in that house while he stayed downstairs protecting you, I promise you he'll never forgive you."
Then Bin frowned.
"And if you were truly afraid A-Bo would hurt Yiming, why didn't you just call the police instead?"
Zhan fell silent.
His eyes drifted distractedly around the courtyard where they sat.
Then suddenly, his breathing stopped.
Bin noticed the expression on his face and turned around.
Yiming was standing directly in front of them.
Zhan froze completely, staring at him without blinking.
Bin slowly stood up, eyes narrowing in disbelief.
"You again?" he snapped. "Do you enjoy haunting people?"
Without answering him, Yiming stepped forward and handed two phones to Zhan.
One belonged to I-Bo.
The other belonged to A-Bo.
Frowning deeply, Zhan looked at him.
"Yiming," he said carefully, "I don't want a scene here. Please stay away from me. Why do you keep following me?"
Bin immediately grabbed his bag and reached for his own phone.
"If I don't call the police on you today, then I deserve trouble myself," he muttered angrily.
But before he could dial, Yiming swiftly snatched the phone from his hand.
Looking directly at him, he said coldly, "I came here peacefully, and your first thought is to call the police on me?"
Bin hurled an insult at him before turning toward Zhan again.
"You see this man?" he said furiously. "This is the same person you pitied enough to hide upstairs all night!"
Then he pointed directly at Yiming.
"You can't trust someone like him. Never."
Yiming shot him a warning look.
"Watch your mouth," he said quietly. "Or I'll teach you how to respect people."
Then his gaze shifted back to Zhan sharply.
"You called A-Bo last night, didn't you?"
Yiming let out a cold laugh.
"Let him come and try," he said. "I'm not some helpless statue standing around waiting to be beaten. Ask anyone in Chongqing who I am."
Before Bin could lunge at him again, Zhan quickly shoved the ring box back into his bag, grabbed Bin's phone from Yiming's hand, picked up both bags, and started pulling Bin away from the scene.
But Bin refused to stay quiet.
"You disgusting hypocrite!" he shouted over his shoulder. "You came back acting all calm and pitiful because you know Zhan is soft-hearted. You think you can fool him again after everything you did?"
People nearby had already begun turning toward the commotion.
Still being dragged away by Zhan, Bin kept yelling.
"You even dared to thank him for protecting your secret? I swear I'll expose you myself. Someone needs to beat sense into you until you buy a ticket back home!"
Yiming smiled coldly.
"You'll regret every word you just said," he replied. "I promise you that."
Bin laughed bitterly.
"You think anyone is afraid of you? You're nothing but a manipulative coward."
Zhan's entire body trembled as he finally managed to pull Bin completely away from the area.
The moment they stopped, Bin yanked his arm free angrily.
"You see this man you pitied?" he snapped. "He came back pretending to be humble just to get your sympathy again."
Zhan sat down heavily and covered his face with both hands.
Quiet tears slipped through his fingers.
He was terrified.
Completely terrified.
Even the thought of returning alone to his apartment now frightened him.
Looking at Bin helplessly, he whispered, "Should I ask Hailong-ge if you can stay with me until exams are over? Honestly, I'm scared to stay alone now."
Bin crossed his arms.
"You're only scared now?" he asked sharply. "You weren't scared while hiding that man in your apartment overnight?"
Zhan lowered his eyes.
"Bin..."
"No," Bin interrupted. "You saw exactly how he behaved just now. That man never changes."
Quietly, Zhan asked, "Should I tell A-Bo the truth before he finds out himself and gets angry with me?"
Bin immediately groaned.
"I'm angry with you already," he muttered. "Imagine A-Bo, who stayed awake downstairs guarding you while you secretly hid your ex upstairs."
Zhan's chest tightened painfully.
"You hurt him, Zhan," Bin continued more quietly. "Whether you meant to or not."
Zhan wiped at the corners of his eyes.
"Then should I go explain everything to him in person?" he asked softly. "I don't want him misunderstanding me over the phone."
Bin nodded after thinking briefly.
"Face-to-face is better," he admitted. "But listen carefully....don't you dare tell him Yiming spent the night inside that apartment."
Zhan stared at him.
"If you tell him that," Bin continued, "he'll throw you out before you even finish speaking."
Then Bin leaned closer conspiratorially.
"Tell him you thought you saw Yiming outside the kitchen window last night and panicked. Say you weren't sure because you had a headache and thought maybe you imagined it."
Zhan frowned slightly.
"And today," Bin added proudly, "you saw the same person again here on campus, so now you realize you weren't hallucinating."
He pointed at himself smugly.
"You see? My version makes sense."
Quietly, Zhan murmured, "Let me order a ride to the house."
"And when you get there," Bin warned, "thank him first for staying with you all night before you start talking nonsense."
Zhan took out his phone to book the ride.
Before confirming it, he hesitated and looked at Bin.
"Will you come with me?"
Bin immediately clutched his chest dramatically.
"Me? Go there so that rude man can chase me out of the house?" He shook his head rapidly. "Absolutely not."
Despite everything, Zhan almost smiled.
"I-Bo is easier to deal with," Bin continued. "But honestly, don't involve him in this. He's too soft-hearted. That man would probably end up apologizing to Yiming instead."
Then he pointed decisively.
"A-Bo is different. He doesn't tolerate nonsense."
Zhan lowered his voice.
"Then maybe I should just tell my housemate instead?"
Bin looked horrified.
"No! Don't do that." He waved both hands immediately. "Your housemate would probably sit down and have a peaceful discussion with Yiming."
Then he muttered, "A-Bo is the real problem-solver."
Zhan finally said nothing more and completed the ride request.
Suddenly Bin grabbed his wrist.
"Wait....where's your ring?"
Zhan blinked before laughing softly.
"It's still in my bag."
Bin sighed dramatically in relief.
"Good. For a second I thought Yiming stole it."
Then he shook his head.
"That man looked terrible today. Thin like someone who hasn't eaten properly in weeks."
Zhan remained quiet.
Bin nudged him.
"Put the ring on."
Zhan looked startled.
"Now?"
"Yes, now. Did he buy it for decoration?"
Rolling his eyes affectionately, Bin took the ring box from the bag and handed it to him.
Smiling faintly, Zhan slipped the ring onto his finger.
It fit perfectly.
For a moment, he couldn't stop staring at it.
Bin grinned so hard it looked painful.
"It's beautiful," he declared. "Honestly, your housemate is ridiculously romantic."
Zhan laughed softly.
"If it's love," Bin continued dramatically, "leave it to your housemate. If it's fighting and protecting territory, leave it to A-Bo."
That finally made Zhan laugh properly. And it make Yu-Bin smiled, he truly hate to see Zhan in distress like this.
A few minutes later, they walked together toward the waiting car.
Bin waved enthusiastically through the window, still admiring the sparkling ring on Zhan's finger as the car drove away.
During the entire ride, Zhan kept glancing nervously behind them, terrified another car might be following.
Now that Yiming had found his apartment, he no longer felt safe anywhere.
Fortunately, no suspicious car appeared behind them.
By the time he arrived at the house, it was almost four in the afternoon.
As soon as he entered the compound, he noticed both A-Bo's car and I-Bo's car parked outside.
That meant they were both home.
His stomach tightened immediately.
Walking slowly toward the entrance, he barely reached the door before it suddenly opened.
Startled, he stepped back.
I-Bo stood there looking equally surprised to see him.
Instinctively, Zhan hid the ring beneath the sleeve before I-Bo could notice it.
Forcing a small smile, he said quietly, "Good evening."
"Evening, housemate," I-Bo replied warmly. "Come in."
Lowering his gaze, Zhan followed him into the living room.
He sat carefully on the edge of a chair while I-Bo sat across from him, quietly observing him.
Something about Zhan's expression immediately made him uneasy.
"Is everything alright, housemate?" he asked gently.
Smiling quickly, Zhan nodded.
"Everything's fine. I just came to greet A-Bo."
I-Bo fell silent for a few seconds.
Then he nodded slowly.
"He's upstairs."
Zhan lowered his eyes again.
"Okay... I'd like to see him."
"He's in the upstairs sitting room," I-Bo replied. "You can go up."
Quietly, Zhan asked, "Should I go now?"
I-Bo stood up.
"He's there." Then he added casually, "I'm heading out anyway."
Zhan silently watched him walk toward the exit.
I-Bo gave him one last small smile before leaving the house completely.
Even after he was gone, Zhan remained seated for several minutes, trying to steady his breathing.
Finally, he stood up and slowly climbed the stairs.
When he reached the upstairs sitting room, he stopped near the doorway.
A-Bo was sitting on the couch watching a football match on television, completely absorbed in the game.
A bowl of grapes rested beside him.
He hadn't even noticed Zhan standing there.
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