Zhan lowered his eyes, avoiding A-Bo's gaze.
For nearly two minutes, A-Bo didn't even notice he was there. All his attention remained fixed on the football match playing on the television.
Finally, in a quiet voice, Zhan greeted him.
A-Bo turned sharply, and their eyes met briefly.
He adjusted his posture from where he had been lounging carelessly on the couch, then immediately straightened his expression and continued eating grapes, his eyes returning to the television.
Zhan walked slowly into the sitting room and stopped beside one of the chairs, trying to gather the courage to speak.
"Good evening..." he said softly.
A-Bo glanced at him briefly.
"Yes?"
Zhan tightened his grip on his bag and lowered his head slightly.
"I want to talk to you... please."
Without taking his eyes off the screen, A-Bo replied flatly, "I'm busy, as you can see."
Zhan looked toward the football match, then nodded quietly.
"Alright then. I'll leave for now."
He turned to go.
"You,"
A-Bo suddenly called out.
"Will it take you an hour to say what you came here for?"
Zhan stopped.
"Say it quickly," A-Bo continued. "I'm listening."
Zhan hesitated before slowly walking around and sitting on a single chair nearby.
Even then, most of A-Bo's attention remained on the match, as though he refused to miss a second of it.
Several minutes passed in silence.
Eventually, A-Bo looked over and frowned slightly, as if he had forgotten Zhan was even there.
"You," he said impatiently. "Speak already. Stop staring at me like that."
Quietly, Zhan replied, "You were watching the game."
A-Bo snorted.
"Do ears stop hearing because eyes are watching television?"
Zhan clicked his tongue softly under his breath.
This was exactly why he disliked speaking to A-Bo directly. Everything with him turned into an argument.
Lowering his gaze again, he finally said quietly, "Yiming followed me to school today."
Immediately, A-Bo turned fully toward him.
"Who is Yiming?"
Zhan hesitated before answering softly, "My ex-husband."
Silence filled the room again.
Then A-Bo said impatiently, "If you came here to explain something, then explain it properly instead of wasting my time."
Zhan swallowed nervously.
Carefully, he began repeating the version of the story Bin had instructed him to tell.
As he spoke, A-Bo lowered the volume of the television and listened attentively, though he still avoided looking directly at him.
When Zhan finally finished, silence settled over the room once more.
For almost a full minute, A-Bo said nothing.
He seemed to be processing every word carefully.
Finally, without looking at him, he asked, "So what exactly do you want me to do?"
Zhan froze.
Truthfully, he didn't know.
Then A-Bo asked another question.
"How did he divorce you?"
Zhan lowered his eyes again.
"He only made me signed," he said quietly. "Later, papers were sent from his family's house saying legal court registered had been issued. But...I know that wasn't his doing."
A-Bo glanced at him.
"Was it yours then?"
Zhan immediately lowered his head further without answering.
A-Bo's eyes drifted toward the sparkling ring on Zhan's finger.
Zhan noticed the look and instinctively curled his hand slightly.
A-Bo looked away again.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then A-Bo finally asked, "So after telling me all this, what exactly do you expect me to do?"
Zhan slowly lifted his eyes toward him.
The moment their gazes met, his entire body went cold.
A-Bo leaned back slightly and said bluntly, "Do you want me to tell you to move back into this house?"
Quickly, Zhan shook his head.
"No," he replied softly. "I'll manage somehow. I just came to tell you."
Then he slowly stood up.
"Thank you. I should go now."
A-Bo immediately frowned.
"Are you alright?" he asked sharply. "I'm speaking to you, and you suddenly stand up? Did I tell you to leave?"
Zhan quietly sat back down again.
Immediately, tears filled his eyes.
If he had known this conversation would become this difficult, maybe he should have spoken to his housemate instead, regardless of Bin's warnings.
A-Bo continued eating grapes calmly.
"What stopped your guardian from handling this instead of coming to me?" he asked. "Aren't you closer to him?"
Zhan remained silent.
"You skipped over him and came here," A-Bo continued. "Am I your bodyguard?"
Zhan quickly wiped the tears gathering in his eyes.
A-Bo noticed but said nothing.
For nearly half a minute, silence hung between them again.
Then A-Bo finally looked at him and asked, "When do your exams start?"
"In less than a month," Zhan replied softly without lifting his head.
A-Bo rubbed slowly at his forehead.
"But your foolish friend," he muttered, "is going to land himself in serious trouble one day."
Zhan lowered his eyes again.
"That idiot stood there arguing publicly with someone like Yiming," A-Bo continued coldly. "No sense at all."
Zhan said nothing.
The room fell silent once more.
A-Bo's expression gradually darkened as he thought through everything Zhan had told him.
It had been a long time since he had encountered someone as troublesome as Yiming.
But he already knew one thing for certain....He would deal with him.
Quietly rubbing at his temple, A-Bo began thinking through where to start.
For now, though, there was another complication.
They couldn't immediately suggest Zhan stay in the house with them because His Majesty had traveled to Toronto several days earlier. It had already been four days since he left, and no one knew whether he planned to return to America anytime soon.
In truth, they knew His Majesty would eventually return. Whenever he traveled overseas, no matter how far he went, if he came to America, he always stopped in Maryland to check on them. Because of that, they couldn't risk letting Zhan stay in the house permanently.
If the semester hadn't already been so far along, they would have simply arranged campus housing for him at the university.
A-Bo lifted his head when he noticed his stepbrother, Moran, walking toward the sitting room.
In a low voice, Moran said, "His Majesty is with me."
Before A-Bo could fully process the words, he looked up and locked eyes with his father, who was walking in behind Moran.
He froze instantly.
What terrible timing.
His Majesty entered the sitting room wearing a broad smile, behaving as though he hadn't even noticed Zhan sitting there.
A-Bo lowered his head immediately like someone caught doing something forbidden.
For a moment, he couldn't even find his voice.
Finally, gathering courage, he said quietly, "Welcome home, Dad. May Heaven lengthen your life."
Zhan slowly lifted his head and looked at His Majesty before immediately lowering his gaze again and kneeling respectfully on the carpet to greet him.
Only then did His Majesty turn his attention toward him.
Still smiling warmly, he returned the greeting.
Moran quickly moved a chair closer for him, noticing he had not yet sat down.
"I'm fine, Moran," His Majesty said casually.
Then he turned toward A-Bo.
"Where is I-Bo?"
Quietly, A-Bo replied, "I think he stepped out not long ago."
His Majesty nodded.
"Alright."
At that moment, Zhan carefully rose to his feet with the intention of leaving the room.
But His Majesty looked directly at him and said gently, "No, sit down, boy."
Zhan paused immediately.
"What is your name?"
Slowly, Zhan sat back down again and answered softly, "My name is Zhan, Xiao Zhan."
His Majesty nodded approvingly.
"That's wonderful. You're from China?"
Zhan smiled faintly and adjusted the edge of his shirt nervously.
"Yes."
"That's good," His Majesty said warmly. "Which part of China?"
"Chongqing," Zhan replied softly.
At that moment, sweat began forming at A-Bo's temples.
Without saying another word, he quietly stood and walked out of the sitting room.
His Majesty settled comfortably into his chair, still focused on Zhan.
"Are you studying here in America, Zhan?"
"Yes, Uncle," Zhan replied politely. "I am."
"That's good," His Majesty said. "Which university?"
Quietly, Zhan answered, "Johns Hopkins University."
His Majesty nodded slowly in approval.
"Very good. And where does your family live in Chongqing?"
Zhan tell him the neighborhood.
Moran remained standing nearby, silently amazed.
It was rare to see His Majesty pause and speak so warmly with someone at length, especially while lowering himself to such an informal level of conversation.
Meanwhile, Zhan himself still didn't realize he was speaking to a king. He simply assumed the man was a respected elder from the family.
His Majesty smiled gently.
"May Heaven grant you success in your studies, Zhan."
"Thank you, Uncle."
Zhan began standing again, intending to leave.
Then His Majesty turned toward Moran and said calmly, "Give him five thousand dollars, Moran."
Morgan bowed his head respectfully.
"As you wish, Your Majesty. May Heaven lengthen your life."
Zhan looked stunned.
Then he lowered his head respectfully and said softly, "Uncle, thank you. May Heaven reward you abundantly and continue to elevate your honor. But I can't accept it..."
His Majesty simply waved a hand dismissively with a smile.
"You have to accept it son, you called me Uncle, so accept it as a gift from your Uncle."
Zhan finally stood and followed behind Moran toward the exit.
But before they could leave the sitting room, I-Bo entered through the doorway.
The moment he saw Zhan standing there-and His Majesty seated inside-he stopped abruptly.
Moran greeted him casually with a raised hand.
Zhan looked at him quietly.
I-Bo lowered his head and walked farther into the room slowly.
Quietly, Zhan said, "Goodbye for now."
I-Bo forced a faint smile but said nothing.
Then Zhan followed behind Moran, and together they left the sitting room.
I-Bo entered the sitting room and sat respectfully on the carpet, greeting His Majesty politely.
His Majesty returned the greeting and asked, "Where is A-Bo?"
Without delay, I-Bo rose and left the room to call him.
A few moments later, the two brothers returned together.
A-Bo still couldn't bring himself to meet his father's eyes. He sat beside I-Bo on the carpet, then quietly gathered the courage to ask, "How was your journey, Dad? May Heaven lengthen your life."
"All is well," His Majesty replied calmly.
After that, silence settled over the room.
I-Bo and A-Bo both remained still like men awaiting judgment.
After some time, His Majesty turned his gaze toward A-Bo and said, "So this is the boy whose apartment you visited?"
A-Bo immediately looked up before awkwardly scratching the side of his head with a strained smile.
"Dad... he is I-Bo's boyfriend. He came to see him, not me."
His Majesty shifted his attention to I-Bo, who still hadn't raised his head.
"I-Bo's boyfriend," His Majesty repeated slowly. "Yet I find the two of you sitting together in the sitting room?"
A-Bo adjusted his posture uneasily.
"May Heaven lengthen your life, Dad, but what I said is the truth. He didn't come to see me. He came to see I-Bo."
His Majesty looked directly at I-Bo.
"I-Bo."
Slowly, I-Bo lifted his head, though he still couldn't meet his majesty's gaze.
The silence that followed told him enough.
His Majesty was waiting for an explanation.
Calmly, I-Bo said, "He is telling the truth, Dad."
His Majesty remained silent for nearly a minute before finally speaking.
"What about Tian?"
I-Bo could not answer immediately.
Clearly, His Majesty did not fully believe them. He suspected I-Bo was merely covering for his brother.
After another pause, His Majesty said wisely, "So this is why you keep delaying the matter concerning Tian."
Quietly, I-Bo nodded.
His Majesty exhaled softly.
"So now, how am I meant to trust you, I-Bo? I have begun doubting you. Before this, you never lied to me."
Gathering courage, I-Bo said quietly, "May Heaven help you believe me, Dad. I did not lie."
"That is exactly the issue," His Majesty replied. "How am I to believe it now? Should I arrange your marriage to this boy once I return to China, simply to remove my doubts?"
I-Bo slowly raised his eyes and looked at him.
"I would be honored by that, Dad. May Heaven lengthen your life."
His Majesty nodded slightly.
"And what of Tian?"
Again, I-Bo fell silent.
After several moments, he finally said, "I would be grateful if I were permitted to withdraw from the matter of marrying Tian."
A faint smile touched His Majesty's face.
"I will not force you, I-Bo. The choice is yours. Tell your mother and the women of the family to let go of the matter concerning Tian since there is someone else you wish to marry."
Then he added calmly, "And if you choose to marry both, that is also acceptable, as long as you are fair. That way, your mother and the others will not take the matter too bitterly, considering how attached they have become to the idea of Tian joining this family."
Quietly, I-Bo said, "I fear they may reject him, Dad."
"Not while I am alive," His Majesty replied firmly. "Whatever you want, I will do it for you, if Heaven wills."
"May Heaven increase your honor and lengthen your life," I-Bo replied softly.
Then His Majesty turned toward A-Bo.
"And you... I am still waiting to hear from you."
With that, he rose to his feet and left the sitting room.
The moment he was gone, silence swallowed the room again.
Both brothers remained seated, each trapped in his own thoughts.
Eventually, A-Bo glanced sideways at I-Bo and broke the silence.
"May Heaven place blessings in it. Two spouses."
I-Bo shot him a look immediately.
A-Bo stood to leave, but I-Bo suddenly stretched his foot out.
A-Bo stumbled hard against the chair.
He turned around with a deep frown while I-Bo burst into laughter.
It had been so long since the brothers had shared even a moment like this together.
Their conversations lately had barely lasted more than a few words.
When his laughter faded, I-Bo asked quietly, "So what do you really think about all this, bro?"
"About what?" A-Bo replied.
I-Bo only stared at him.
A-Bo smirked faintly.
"You mean marrying that spoiled brat.?"
I-Bo continued staring silently.
A-Bo sighed.
"All this time, with the way you've been acting in this house, did you honestly think I wanted him?"
He shook his head.
"Why would I? Do you think my standards are that low? He isn't my type at all. I don't like anything about him-especially that ridiculous crying habit."
He folded his arms.
"Everything I did for him, I did because of you. If not for you, I would never even have known he existed. There's nothing in this world that would naturally make our paths cross."
Then he added bluntly, "So relax, bro, he's all yours."
A-Bo walked a few steps farther before continuing.
"What I do foresee are the challenges waiting for you in this family. He was married before. On top of that, he comes from nothing. And our family has never welcomed nobodies-especially divorced ones."
He glanced back over his shoulder.
"So tighten your belt and prepare yourself for everything coming your way."
Then, with dry amusement, he added, "Wishing you the very best of luck."
He turned again and continued toward his room.
I-Bo watched him quietly.
Then A-Bo suddenly stopped once more and said without turning around, "And one more thing. His ex-husband is following him around. That's why he came here earlier."
This time, A-Bo left for real.
I-Bo slowly stood after hearing those words.
A-Bo entered his room and walked straight toward the window overlooking the quiet neighborhood.
Everything outside was calm and still.
After standing there for a while, he turned, picked up his phone, and returned to the window.
He dialed Zhan's number.
The call connected after a few rings.
"Where are you?" A-Bo asked immediately.
Zhan, who was sitting inside a taxi, answered softly, "I'm in the car."
"Where are you going?"
At that moment, another call flashed across Zhan's screen-I-Bo was calling.
Zhan placed the phone back against his ear and answered quietly, "I'm going to Bin's place."
"Good," A-Bo replied. "Once you get there, stay there. Don't return to your apartment."
Then he hung up.
Zhan immediately answered I-Bo's incoming call.
"Where are you, Sean?" I-Bo asked.
"I'm on the road."
"Don't go back to your apartment. Stay somewhere and wait for me. I'm leaving home now."
Quietly, Zhan replied, "I'm actually heading to Bin's apartment."
"Alright," I-Bo said. "Go there. I'll meet you there."
"Okay. Thank you."
The call ended.
Zhan slipped his phone back into his bag and leaned against the seat quietly.
At this point, he had no choice except to stay at Bin's apartment for a while.
Even if he had to endure Peng's attitude, he would simply apologize if necessary and ask to stay there temporarily.
Soon, the ride arrived.
Zhan stepped out, walked to the apartment door, and rang the bell.
Eid Mubarak.
💚💙❤️🖤