A-Bo was eating strawberries beside him, his attention fixed on the movie playing on the television.
I-Bo watched him for a while before suddenly grabbing the remote and switching the TV off.
Immediately, A-Bo turned and looked at him.
"Do ears listen, or eyes?" he asked lazily. "I'm hearing you, I-Bo."
I-Bo frowned.
"If you're not paying attention to me, then I'll leave this living room. I've been talking all this while, and your mind is somewhere else. What is all this, honestly?"
A-Bo clicked his tongue, then finally turned fully to look him straight in the eye.
Still chewing on a strawberry, he said,
"Alright then. Be fast."
I-Bo instantly stood up as though to leave the room.
But A-Bo quickly grabbed his hand.
"You are a problem yourself, useless heart," he muttered. "Look, I'm listening to you."
I-Bo narrowed his eyes.
"Don't mock my intelligence, sir."
A-Bo sighed dramatically.
"You turned off the TV already. I'm listening."
Only then did I-Bo sit back down.
For peace to reign, A-Bo finally gave him his full attention and listened properly as I-Bo explained everything to him.
When he finished, A-Bo smiled faintly, pulled the bowl of grapes closer to himself, and began eating again.
"This is strange," he said thoughtfully. "All of a sudden, you're saying you can't stay in the same house with him anymore. Why exactly? What changed?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Weren't you both living together some months ago? Even I didn't know you were sharing an apartment until the day you got sick. So what suddenly changed your mind?"
I-Bo replied firmly,
"Well, now I won't stay with him. Period. If you have a solution, then suggest one. That's all I'm asking."
A-Bo continued chewing his fruit.
"No. I want to know the reason."
"My reason is none of your business," I-Bo replied calmly. "I'm looking for a solution, not interrogation. Just tell me what you think should be done since we already agreed we won't make the mistake of accommodating him in this house again."
A-Bo stayed quiet for a while as if considering it carefully.
Then he finally said,
"You should stay in the apartment with him. That's the only sensible solution for now since exams are close."
He adjusted his sitting position.
"Even if you get him another apartment, that ex-husband of his will still find him there too, just like he found this one. If we had known all this would happen, we would've paid for campus accommodation from the beginning."
Then he scoffed lightly.
"And that foolish friend of his will only make matters worse if we send him there to stay. Besides, nobody enjoys being inconvenienced in this state."
I-Bo released a frustrated sigh.
After a while, he grabbed the remote just as A-Bo was about to turn the television back on.
That alone made A-Bo stare at him.
"I've already given you the solution you came for," A-Bo complained. "Let me continue my movie."
"I told you staying in the apartment with him is not an option, A-Bo," I-Bo said. "That's exactly the problem."
A-Bo blinked slowly.
Then a teasing smile appeared on his face.
"Is it because you're afraid you'll keep hugging or doing naughty things to him if you stay in the same house with him?"
I-Bo stared at him silently.
A-Bo laughed.
"Well, that's normal for you two since hugging seems to be your specialty."
I-Bo kept staring at him without saying a word.
A-Bo adjusted himself comfortably against the chair and continued,
"Or better yet, just call home and have the marriage arranged already. Then I can accompany you to the apartment."
I-Bo frowned deeply.
"What exactly are you saying?"
A-Bo only laughed and continued eating his grapes without answering.
For a while, I-Bo simply looked at him.
Then A-Bo shrugged carelessly and said,
"Or... if his Aunt has a passport, get her a visa. If Heaven wills and she gets approved quickly, she can come stay with him until exams are over."
I-Bo fell silent, clearly thinking over the suggestion.
After a few seconds, he said,
"But what if the visa process takes too long? Before everything is approved, his exams might already be underway."
A-Bo shrugged again.
"Well, that's the only advice I have. I don't know what else you expect me to do. Stop stressing me with your problem, please."
Then I-Bo suddenly said,
"Why don't you stay in the apartment with him until his aunt can come?"
Immediately, A-Bo lifted his head slowly and looked at him.
"Who should stay in the apartment with him?"
"You," I-Bo answered calmly.
At once, A-Bo put the fruit down completely.
"You must be mocking my intelligence."
He stared at him in disbelief.
"I'm the one who should move into his apartment? Am I his bodyguard?"
He scoffed loudly.
"Can you even hear yourself? You want me to go and become his security guard because apparently I have nothing else to do with my life?"
Then he waved his hand dismissively.
"If you truly need someone to stay with him, let Sanxing move in instead. He's already done with his master's program anyway. Besides, before you met him in this country, Zhan was already sharing apartments with people. So let Sanxing become his new housemate."
I-Bo froze.
He kept staring at A-Bo without blinking.
But inside his chest, something twisted painfully.
Just imagining Zhan sharing an apartment with Sanxing made irritation rise inside him immediately.
Sanxing had done absolutely nothing wrong to him.
Yet somehow, hearing his name connected to Zhan annoyed him deeply.
Without another word, I-Bo suddenly stood up and stormed out of the living room as though he would fly through the wall itself.
A-Bo clicked his tongue.
Then he calmly picked up another strawberry, grabbed the remote control, switched the television back on, and continued watching his movie as though nothing had happened.
✳️✳️✳️
Zhan was sitting with Bin after their lectures ended around six in the evening. He sat quietly watching Bin, who was busy complaining about Hailong-ge.
"Hailong-ge said he'll go find Yiming himself and apologize to him because he doesn't want trouble in a foreign country," Bin said with obvious frustration.
"Honestly, he's going to ruin our family's reputation. People will start thinking we're cowards. This thing has really stressed me out. He even said that if I ever confront Yiming again, he'll call my father and report me. And honestly, I'm afraid of my old man."
Zhan simply looked at him-not because he was paying attention to what Bin was saying. Truthfully, he hadn't heard half of it. His mind kept drifting back to last night.
Even during lectures earlier that day, he hadn't understood anything that was taught. He had only attended physically while his thoughts wandered elsewhere.
Anyone looking at him could tell he was unusually happy today.
Bin narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Today, you look so happy, as if someone paid for your bride prize. What's the secret, my friend? I thought when I came to school this morning I would find your eyes swollen from crying, since that's your habit. But instead, you're glowing. Today, you even greeted our coursemates in the hall as though you're not the same Zhan."
Zhan smiled unconsciously while playing with the ring on his finger.
"Well, why would my eyes be swollen from crying?"
"Because of the Yiming issue," Bin replied immediately. "I know you. You would normally cry all night."
Zhan clicked his tongue softly, still smiling.
"That was before. I don't have time for that anymore, Bin. I'm not even afraid of him now. There's nothing he can do to me."
Bin burst into loud laughter.
"Thank goodness! Please, which market did you buy this beautiful courage from?"
Zhan laughed too without realizing it.
"I'm no longer afraid of him, Bin."
Bin grinned proudly. "That's how you've always been deep down. Nothing truly keeps you down, my friend. But I'm grateful to whoever sold you this courage."
Suddenly, Bin fell silent.
Zhan lifted his head and noticed Yiming walking toward them.
The smile disappeared from his face instantly. He frowned and immediately began packing his reading materials into his bag.
Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he looked at Bin and said quietly, "Let's go, Bin."
They both stood up.
Bin clicked his tongue irritably.
Zhan had barely started walking when Yiming suddenly grabbed the edge of his shirt.
Looking directly at him, Yiming pleaded softly, "Please give me five minutes so we can talk, Zhan."
Zhan turned sharply, his expression twisting with anger.
"Let go of my shirt, Yiming."
Yiming lowered his voice further.
"Please, Zhan. I only want to say one or two things. Please give me some time...not for my sake, but for yours."
Angrily, Zhan snatched his shirt away and turned to leave again, only for Yiming to move quickly and block his path.
"Please," he begged again. "I'm begging you, Zhan. Even if it's only two minutes."
Bin had already stepped aside, watching the scene with amusement.
Truly, Yiming had become pitiful. The distance between him and Heaven had reduced him to publicly begging Zhan.
Zhan turned away, his heart pounding, intending to leave from another direction when suddenly Yiming grabbed his hand.
What happened next shocked everyone.
Zhan turned around and slapped him hard across the face.
The sound echoed sharply.
Angrily, he snapped, "Don't you have any sense, Yiming?"
Yiming slowly released his hand, seemingly only then realizing he had grabbed him.
Calmly, he said, "I'm sorry, Zhan. I didn't mean to."
But Zhan had already turned away and was walking off as though he would fly.
Bin stood frozen with his mouth hanging open.
Of all things, slapping Yiming was the last thing he had ever imagined Zhan capable of doing.
He stared at Yiming, who had quietly sat down where Zhan had been sitting, one hand over his face.
Still stunned, Bin hurried after Zhan.
Meanwhile, Zhan continued walking as though nothing unusual had happened.
After they had gone some distance, Bin finally asked in disbelief, "Zhan... did you just slap him?"
Without looking at him, Zhan replied coldly, "He asked for it. Why would he hold my hand? Doesn't he have any sense?"
Bin clutched his cheek dramatically.
"Please, who taught you this behavior? You mean you've always been capable of this, but you kept allowing people to step on you whenever they wanted? I still cannot believe what I witnessed, Zhan. Oh my God."
Zhan suddenly stopped walking when his phone vibrated.
He pulled it out and saw his housemate's number flashing across the screen. He had already been expecting the call since I-Bo told him he would come pick him up.
He answered and placed the phone against his ear.
After listening briefly, he said, "Yes, we finished a while ago."
Bin continued staring at him in surprise until the call ended.
Then Zhan looked at him and said, "He came to pick me up. Let's go.... he'll drop you off too since it's the same route."
Bin touched his cheek again dramatically.
"I still can't believe you actually slapped Yiming. Honestly, even with all my madness, I wouldn't dare slap him."
Zhan frowned deeply.
"Please, let's just go. He keeps following me around school and disturbing my peace for no reason. There's nothing between us anymore. Why won't he let me live my life normally? I'm tired of this."
As he spoke, tears gathered in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away while continuing to walk.
Bin fell silent and followed after him.
Because today, Zhan had shattered every image he once had of him.
Soon, they reached where I-Bo had parked the car.
I-Bo noticed them approaching and stepped out from the passenger seat where he had been sitting.
Bin immediately bared his teeth in greeting.
I-Bo smiled warmly in response.
"How were the lectures? Or should I say revision classes, since exams are already around the corner?"
"All good," Bin replied.
I-Bo's gaze shifted toward Zhan.
The moment he noticed the expression on Zhan's face, the smile disappeared from his own immediately.
Meanwhile, Bin narrowed his eyes suspiciously after spotting A-Bo sitting calmly in the driver's seat.
:
:
A-Bo stayed silent for a long while, his eyes fixed ahead through the windshield. The inside of the car became quiet again, except for the faint sound of vehicles passing on the road outside the apartment building.
I-Bo kept watching him patiently, waiting for him to say something.
After a while, A-Bo released a tired sigh and said, "Honestly, I still think this is a terrible idea."
I-Bo lowered his eyes briefly and said, "I know."
A-Bo turned and looked at him. "No, I don't think you do. You are asking me to go and stay in the same apartment with someone who cries every two business days, has an ex-husband following him around like a detective, and keeps bringing trouble to his own doorstep."
I-Bo almost smiled. "You exaggerate too much."
"I am even reducing it," A-Bo replied immediately. "If I wanted to say the full truth, you would get offended."
I-Bo leaned back against the seat and said calmly, "It's just for a short while."
A-Bo laughed softly without humor. "Nothing in this life is ever 'just for a short while' with you people. One problem enters, then ten more follow behind it."
Silence fell between them again.
Then quietly, I-Bo said, "Please, A-Bo."
A-Bo looked at him immediately after hearing the softness in his voice. It was rare for I-Bo to beg anyone for something. He clicked his tongue and rubbed his forehead.
"You really love him that much?"
I-Bo didn't answer immediately.
But that silence alone already answered the question.
A-Bo shook his head slowly as if disappointed in life itself. "This is serious."
Still calm, I-Bo said, "I know."
A-Bo stared at him for a few seconds before saying, "So what exactly are you afraid of? You keep saying you can't stay in the same apartment with him anymore. What will happen? Will the ceiling collapse.?"
I-Bo lowered his gaze and said quietly, "I don't trust myself around him anymore."
For the first time since the conversation started, A-Bo became completely speechless.
He just stared at I-Bo.
I-Bo kept his eyes lowered as he continued calmly, "Before, there was nothing in my heart toward him. But now... even sitting close to him is becoming difficult for me. If I continue staying there with him alone every day, I don't know what might happen."
A-Bo blinked twice slowly.
Then suddenly he burst into laughter.
Real laughter.
He leaned back against the seat laughing so hard he almost dropped his phone. "Oh my God. So this is the problem? I thought maybe the apartment was haunted."
I-Bo frowned. "This isn't funny."
"It is funny," A-Bo said immediately, still laughing. "You mean the great I-Bo is afraid of himself because of one shy little boy?"
I-Bo looked away from him and said, "Forget it. I shouldn't have told you."
"No, no, continue," A-Bo said, trying to control his laughter. "So now you're avoiding him because your heart is no longer pure?"
I-Bo gave him a cold look.
A-Bo raised both hands. "Alright, alright. I will stop."
But even then, he was still smiling.
After calming down, he sighed and said, "Honestly... now I understand."
I-Bo stayed quiet.
A-Bo looked outside through the windshield and said, "Then the issue is more serious than I thought."
After a few seconds, he added quietly, "Because from the way he's behaving too... that one is already deeply gone."
I-Bo's eyes lifted to him immediately.
A-Bo shrugged. "Please. Even a blind person can see it now. The way he acts around you? The way he keeps blushing and hiding his face? That boy is finished."
I-Bo lowered his eyes again, unable to stop the small smile that appeared on his face.
A-Bo saw it and pointed at him immediately. "Look at you smiling like an idiot."
I-Bo shook his head lightly.
Then A-Bo sighed again and said, "Fine. I will stay with him until his exams finish."
I-Bo looked at him immediately. "Really?"
"Yes, unfortunately for my peace of mind," A-Bo replied. "But if he starts crying at midnight because of Yiming, I will pack my things and disappear."
I-Bo laughed softly for the first time since the conversation started.
A-Bo looked at him and said, "Also, let me make this clear....I am not doing this because of him."
"I know." I-Bo said quietly.
"I am doing it because you look like someone whose life has already ended."
I-Bo smiled slightly and said quietly, "Thank you."
A-Bo clicked his tongue immediately. "Don't thank me yet. I still might change my mind."
Then he opened the car door and stepped out.
I-Bo followed behind him silently, feeling some of the heaviness in his chest lessen for the first time that day.
💚💙❤️🖤