Yibo glanced at his wristwatch, which showed midnight, then looked over at Hai Kuan, who was busy tapping on his phone.
"It's getting late. Aren't you going home?" he asked.
Hai Kuan lifted his gaze. "I should be asking you that. You're the one with a wife waiting at home."
Yibo stayed silent, saying nothing more. From time to time, he looked at Zhan, who had been asleep for hours. Finally, seeing how late it was, Yibo stood up, picked up his car keys, and, without looking at Hai Kuan, said, "Good night."
"Yeah, good night," Hai Kuan replied casually as Yibo left the ward, locking the door behind him.
Hai Kuan barely slept that night. He kept an eye on Zhan, watching his chest rise and fall just to make sure he was okay. Around 5 a.m., the ward door opened and Yibo walked in carrying a bag filled with Zhan's clothes, toothpaste, and a toothbrush. He dropped the bag by the bed, Zhan's shoes, and walked back out again. A few minutes later, Hai Kuan left too.
By 7:30 a.m., Zhan was discharged from the hospital.
In the parking lot, Zhan stood there awkwardly, seeing both of his brothers' cars. He didn't know which one to join. Hai Kuan got into his own car, started it, and drove off without a word, leaving Zhan and Yibo staring after him. Eventually, Zhan quietly opened Yibo's car door and got in.
They arrived home almost at the same time, though Hai Kuan had reached the house before them.
Inside the sitting room, Hai Kuan and Granny Ai sat comfortably, stuffing bread with fried eggs while sipping tea. She muttered, "So apparently, they were at the hospital all night. Who even knows which hospital? For all I know, she might have wandered into the street and gotten herself knocked by a car. Since four in the morning, Lan Yi has been gone...Sabeera, the maid, told me. I said to myself, let me eat and be full before going anywhere. Starving myself won't solve anyone's problem, and I don't want to collapse and be blamed for my stomach acting up tomorrow."
When Yibo and Zhan entered, she looked up. "Oh good, Yibo. What's going on? Sabeera said Lan Yi left at dawn."
Yibo walked over and sat down on a chair. "I see Sabeera's been talking," he said, trying to keep calm.
Zhan moved quietly behind him, glancing at Granny Ai curiously. She tore a piece of bread, stuffed it in her mouth, and continued, "I went to bed early last night, after a good meal. I had no idea what was going on until Sabeera told me Shu was taken to the hospital."
Before she could finish, Lan Yi entered, holding a basket with a flask and tea items. Yibo and Hai Kuan both turned to look at her, as did Zhan, who stepped forward to take the basket.
"Welcome back, Mama," Zhan said softly.
Lan Yi ignored him and didn't hand over the basket. She walked past and said sharply to Yibo and Hai Kuan, "I'm waiting for you upstairs." She set the basket down and headed up, leaving everyone staring after her...including Zhan, who stood frozen in place.
Granny Ai gulped her tea and said, "I guess we're raising money for Shu's treatment. After all, everyone knows her father's people are poor. Since childhood, Lan Yi has done everything for her. Even Fang Yu Jie and I helped raise her. But now? You boys have stepped in with strength and money. Just give them a hundred thousand and cut ties, before this ruins your peace of mind. It's not like anyone sent her to get hurt on purpose…"
Hai Kuan stood up and walked upstairs. Yibo followed right behind him. Zhan still hadn't moved far into the sitting room, feeling strangely heavy-hearted.
Granny Ai stood, grabbed her tea and bread, and said, "So I'm just left down here like I'm some stranger?" She glanced at Zhan and added, "Come carry this for me, boy. We're going upstairs too. I don't want to get halfway and hear someone say there's no milk for tea. Everyone scattered and left us as if we've wronged someone."
Still unsettled, Zhan picked up the tea tray and followed her.
In Lan Yi's upstairs sitting room, Hai Kuan was already in. To his surprise, Min was there too, seated stiffly on one of the chairs. He greeted her curtly and stepped into Lan Yi's bedroom.
Seconds later, Yibo entered, freezing when he saw Min sitting there. His eyes locked on her, and she quickly looked away, stiff-faced and defensive. Rage surged inside Yibo, but he forced himself to stay calm, ignoring her completely as he walked into Lan Yi's room.
Inside, Lan Yi stood by the window, waiting. Hai Kuan paused at the doorway, sensing from her expression that she was in no mood for pleasantries. Yibo forced himself to approach her, but neither he nor Hai Kuan greeted her. The tension in the room was thick; even speaking felt impossible.
Granny Ai walked into Lan Yi's sitting room with Zhan following behind her. She froze, startled at the sight of Min.
"You? How are you here? Weren't you the one who left yesterday? I even escorted you to the car. How come you're here again?"
Min lowered her head slightly and said, "Good morning, Granny Ai."
Granny Ai muttered under her breath, "This is unbelievable," and went straight into Lan Yi's bedroom.
Zhan placed the tea tray he was holding gently on the floor and sat on the carpet, avoiding Min's sharp, judgmental stare. Min scoffed and looked away, tapping her foot impatiently.
Yibo, gathering his courage, looked toward Lan Yi. "Good morning, Mama," he said.
Lan Yi turned to him sharply, her face full of anger.
"Good morning? There's nothing good about it," she snapped.
Yibo remained silent, but his eyes stayed on her.
Pointing at him, Lan Yi said coldly, "Before we even get to the main issue, I want you to return your wife. Immediately."
Yibo lowered his head, but she barked, "Are you deaf? Did you not hear me?"
He looked up slowly. "I'll do that."
Granny Ai, who had just stepped into the room, gasped. "What's going on here? Why are voices raised? Which wife are we talking about returning?"
Lan Yi ignored her completely and focused on Yibo. "Now I see it clearly," she said, shaking her head. "All this time, I didn't understand what Ayi was trying to show me, but now I do. Zhan is nothing but trouble in this family. You divorced your wife barely three weeks into marriage because of him. Your brother Hai Kuan has once again gone after Shu, beating her mercilessly...all because of Zhan, without even checking the facts. Because of that boy, my own mother has refused to answer my calls or speak to me peacefully. Is this how he repays us? By tearing us apart? Well, that ends today."
Her voice rose. "From today onward, he's not staying in your house, Yibo. He will not set foot there again, do you hear me?"
Yibo could hardly believe his ears. He stared at her, his chest tightening. "Where do you expect him to stay then?" he asked quietly.
"That's not my concern, and I don't care," Lan Yi said coldly. "You and Hai Kuan need to focus on yourselves. Do not involve him in anything anymore. He is not your blood, and I will not allow family ties to be ruined because of him. Shu may be difficult, but she's your blood relative. Your wife is your priority, not him, and you will never again bring him into your household."
Hai Kuan stood frozen, staring at Lan Yi in disbelief, as if hearing her words in a dream. Granny Ai's eyes widened as she processed everything, and even though much of Lan Yi's speech was in English, she understood perfectly. Dropping onto the floor in shock, Granny Ai shook her head.
"What is this? These are harsh words, Lan Yi, harsh against Zhan. What happened to you at that hospital to make you talk like this? We're ruined, finished! Is this how an orphan is to be treated?" She broke into sobs.
Yibo kept staring at Lan Yi as she turned to leave. He said gently but firmly, "Fine then. Since you've said we have nothing to do with him and he isn't our blood, I accept that now. Before, I doubted it, because you never told us outright. It was hard to believe. But after hearing you today, I fully accept it. Which is why I'll marry Zhan myself, give him his own home, and end all of this chaos."
Lan Yi turned sharply, staring at him in shock, as did Hai Kuan. A cold smile crept onto her face. "Not with my blessing. And if you go ahead on your own, I promise you....you'll regret it."
Hai Kuan quickly left the room, heading upstairs.
Out in the sitting room, Zhan sat silently, head bowed, having heard every word. Min only smirked at him with a satisfied expression, clearly pleased that everything had been exposed in front of him.
Granny Ai, still weeping, stood and faced Yibo. "Zhan, gather your things. We're leaving for Yantai. Have you ever seen a deer run while her fawn crawls behind? No. Come on, boy, hurry and pack." She didn't wait for his reply but walked out of the bedroom and into the sitting room again. Looking at Zhan, she said firmly, "Get up, collect your belongings. We're leaving, this is not a home any longer."
Zhan finally lifted his head, staring at Granny Ai with wide, shocked eyes.
"Are you just going to sit there until Lan Yi throw your things out onto the street?" she said sharply.
He stood slowly.
"Come on, let's go," Granny Ai said. "I know you still have more belongings here. We'll gather everything and pack them in my suitcase."
Zhan quietly followed her out of the sitting room and into his room. Granny Ai opened his wardrobe, pulling clothes and personal items, stuffing them quickly into her suitcase. Zhan stood there, frozen like a statue, watching her.
Yibo walked in, looking drained and confused.
Granny Ai straightened up after closing the suitcase and said to Zhan, "That's everything you need. Stop standing there like a stone and do something. Haven't you heard what's happening in this house?, your mother cut ties with you and kick you out"
Zhan couldn't speak. It was as if his mind couldn't process what was unfolding.
Yibo looked at Granny Ai and said softly, "He has an exam soon, Granny Ai."
Without saying more, Yibo took Zhan's hand and led him out of the room. Zhan followed silently, all the way downstairs. Yibo guided him to the balcony, gently pressing him to sit down. He sat beside him, burying his head in his hands, overwhelmed by everything. It all felt unreal, like a bad dream he couldn't wake up from.
Zhan just watched him quietly. After a moment, Yibo looked up, noticing Zhan's eyes fixed on him. He held Zhan's hand and whispered, "Baby."
Zhan lowered his gaze and answered softly. Yibo's heart ached deeply; seeing his dry eyes unsettled him even more. He knew Zhan had heard every word Lan Yi said from the bedroom because the door had been open, and he also knew Zhan was quick to tears. Yet now, there wasn't a single tear in his eyes...just emptiness.
Meanwhile, Min had never felt such joy in her life...not even on her wedding day with Yibo. She couldn't sit still or keep calm in Lan Yi's section of the house. Alone in the sitting room, she basked in her triumph.
Suddenly, the door opened. She turned quickly and saw Qiren coming downstairs. She bent her head slightly. "Good morning, Dad," she greeted.
He gave a curt nod and headed straight for Lan Yi's room, only to find it empty. He stepped out, went downstairs again, and found Lan Yi seated in the sitting room, her expression stern.
Pointing at her, Qiren said angrily, "Lan Yi, I think you and your people have completely lost your sense of reason. I've gone along with everything you've wanted just to keep peace, but now you've pushed me to the wall. I will not tolerate this nonsense any longer. Nobody tells me what to do or not to do in my own house. This is my house!"
Lan Yi cut him off sharply. "Oh, so you're insulting me and my family because of Zhan? Tell me, is that what this is? Nobody forced me to care for him all these years; nobody pressured me to raise him. And you...of all people....you think you have the right to speak up now? Have you forgotten what we went through because of him when he was just a baby?"
Qiren snapped back, "That's your issue, and you won't drive Zhan out of this house because of it. He stays here because this is my house, not yours. Take it or leave it, Lan Yi. Zhan is going nowhere!"
Lan Yi stood up, a cold smile on her face. "Oh, I see. So now it's between him and me. Well, I choose me. And since this is how things stand, I won't live in this house with him another day, no matter what happens. No one forced me to stay here before, and no one will now. You and your children can stay with Zhan if you want. They can look for another mother, because it won't be me."
With that, she turned sharply and stormed upstairs.
Granny Ai, who had rushed in upon hearing the commotion, began to cry. She turned to Qiren, weeping. "Send her back to her mother, the one who's poisoning her with all this. Let her go and take her trouble with her. I won't stand by wrongdoing. I stand for what's right, Qiren, and you know it...because I was raised by a good mother myself."
Qiren, boiling with anger, just turned and walked out of the sitting room.
Yibo had heard every word exchanged between Qiren and Lan Yi, as had Zhan sitting quietly beside him. Yibo never imagined things could turn out like this; it was beyond his worst expectations. He glanced at Zhan, who was staring blankly at the gate, lost in thought. Pulling him into his arms, Yibo gathered his courage and whispered, "Everything will pass, Baby."
Zhan finally looked up at him, and for the first time, Yibo saw tears gathering in his eyes. He hugged him tightly, his own eyes stinging as well. Zhan's voice trembled as he whispered, "Where will I go, Gege?"
Author
Come to my house Baby Zhan, I will adopt you. 😭😭😭
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛