He quickly cut Zhan off by shaking his head
"๐บ๐๐๐โฆ"
Then he said the words that had been spinning endlessly in his mind.
"You look breathtakingโฆ!"
But the way Zhan simply stood there staring at him made Yibo realize that he hadn't heard it. Truth be told, Yibo himself wasn't even sure whether he'd said it out loud or only inside his head.
"I just got my phone back now.... that's when I saw the missed call."
Zhan finished his explanation when Yibo didn't respond after interrupting him.
Yibo nodded absent-mindedly, clearly not processing much, then asked, "What did you say earlier?"
"The time you called me, my phone was inside Sima's bag. They were all in the same car. We were coming from the makeup place, and there wasn't any space left in the other car, so I joined this one. It was only when she handed me my phone just now that I saw your missed call."
Yibo nodded again, this time in understanding. He hadn't even realized he'd called.
Earlier, while sitting in his car, he'd been going through his emails. Among them was one from the CMO announcing a hospital board meeting scheduled for the next morning. At the bottom of the message was a contact number for further details. That was what had triggered the call.
He remembered attending a previous meeting with nothing but a bottle of water in hand. Even though his contribution had been well received, he now felt the need to get more detailed information.... especially since he hadn't spent much time in the SRRI department this month due to the number of surgeries at the hospital.
The call hadn't gone through, so he'd continued checking his emails until Duan called to say they had arrived.
"I didn't even realize I was calling you. How did you get that number?" Yibo asked.
Zhan nodded slightly.
"Yes. It's one of the official numbers given to us at the hospital. All information is sent through it."
"Zhan-geโฆ Zhan-ge"
A young teenager rushed over, fully dressed up, before Yibo could say anything else. At the same time, Yibo realized this was Zhan's younger sibling.
"So you're here already? Wow... Gege, you look amazing. Where's the bride?"
Zhan didn't answer him directly. Instead, he asked,
"Where's your jacket?"
Bai looked a little sheepish before replying,
"We left it in Aunty Wei's car."
(Readers, if you want to picture Bai.... Then picture a teenage Zhan but not chubby ๐ because they looked exactly the same)
Zhan softened his tone immediately.
"Then go back and get it now. You can't stay dressed like this...you'll get cold."
Hearing that, Yibo turned to look at Zhan properly.
Zhan was wearing a ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ซ purple shirt, ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐๐ญ tailored perfectly, cinched at the waist with a belt that highlighted how slim he was. A shimmering ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐ญ๐ shawl was draped over his ๐ง๐๐๐ค, catching the light beautifully. (๐ฐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐)
Yibo watched as Zhan gestured for his sibling to greet him. Even while returning the greeting warmly, Yibo couldn't tear his eyes away from Zhan. Bai soon turned and headed toward the bride's car, leaving the two of them alone again.
"I called because I was told I could get the meeting information from you," Yibo said.
Before he even finished speaking, he noticed the change in Zhan's expression....realization dawning...before Zhan shook his head.
"It's on the tablet I use for workโฆ and it's at home. With all the wedding chaos, I completely forgot."
"The meeting is at 8 a.m.," Yibo said, still watching him closely.
"How do you expect me to get it by then?"
"I'll send it to you as soon as I get home."ย Zhan replied.
Yibo shook his head slowly, glanced at the guests walking into the venue, then back at how Zhan seemed to glow under the lights.
"Come with me. Let's go get it now," he said. His real goal was simple....to get Zhan away from this place.
Surprise flickered clearly across Zhan's face. He didn't speak, just stared at him.
Yibo nodded again, pressing his point.
"You'll give me the entire tablet. There are a few things I want to check on it anyway."
For a few seconds, Yibo couldn't tell what Zhan was thinking. Then Zhan nodded slowly.
"Let me go inside first. I need to pass a message to my aunt."
Yibo nodded.
"Five minutes. I'll be outside."
With that, he turned and walked toward the area where the bride and groom had just exited.
Zhan watched him for a moment, then turned toward the hall entrance. It wasn't really about the message....something inside him urged him to step inside before leaving.
The hall was beautifully decorated, everything arranged with care. It was clear that Yufei's mother had truly put her heart into organizing her daughter's wedding.
He went looking for where Aunty Shui was seated, and before he knew it, the truth slipped out of his mouth.
"Is the doctor you work with the one who came here?"
Aunty Shui asked, raising her voice over the music playing at the venue.
"Yes, he's the groom's friend,"
Zhan replied, lifting his voice slightly as well.
She handed him Nan's baby bag, stuffed full of essentials.
"Alright then. Take this bag with you. Zhong Gege said he won't be bringing us back, so we'll have to find another ride."
When Zhan stepped outside, preparations were already underway for the bride and groom to enter. Bai was already visible among Yufei's cousins wearing matching outfits. Without stopping, Zhan walked straight out.
That was when he saw Yibo, pulling up in a white car and stopping right in front.
From the way Yibo turned and looked at him from inside the car, Zhan felt an unease he couldn't quite explain. He didn't know what the doctor intended to do with the tablet. Yibo had never taken it from him before, and Zhan couldn't think of anything specific he might need from it. The real issue was his own mistake...he hadn't sent the document containing the meeting information he compiled the night before. It wasn't even a matter of making excuses for missing the event; Yibo had clearly forgotten everything Zhan told him about his schedule.
Because of that, Zhan had a strong feeling he wouldn't be returning to the reception anytime soon.
Sure enough, after picking him up, Yibo asked if they could stop by a few places since there was no rush....he'd already seen the bride and groom anyway. Zhan had no choice but to agree.
They stopped at a shop where Yibo bought a few things and put them in the back of the car. After that, they made several brief stops for reasons Zhan didn't even understand. He simply stayed in the car the entire time, waiting.
Aunty Shui and Aunty Wei both called him separately, and he had to tell each of them that they still hadn't arrived home yet.
So by the time they finally got home, it was already past 9:30 p.m. As soon as Zhan entered the house, Nainai and the others were shocked to see him.
After hearing the reason, Nainai firmly said she wouldn't allow him to go back out again that night. If he'd already saw the bride and groom, that was enough...he should stay home.
Zhan was upset. He stood in front of the mirror for a moment before going out, staring at his flawless makeup....the makeup Yufei had insisted he get done at the same studio as hers, together with Sima. She had even paid for it herself. All of it went to waste. He hadn't stayed at the reception, no one saw him properly, and he didn't even take a single photo.
(๐ฅน Ah Zhan! Zhan!! Don't be so hurt... Your Dr Yibo was jealous of anyone seeing your beauty)
So when Zhan turned back and told Yibo that Nainai said it was too late for him to go back out, Yibo simply gave a brief smile. That smile confirmed Zhan's suspicion.... Yibo had already known there was a good chance he wouldn't be allowed to return, considering how long they'd been on the street.
By the time Zhan got back inside, his thoughts were in complete turmoil, trying to understand why Yibo hadn't wanted him to stay at the reception. He unpacked Nan's bag, wiped off his makeup with baby wipes, changed his clothes, and finished up his routine before bed. By then, people had already started returning.
Everyone kept asking why they hadn't seen him at the venue....especially Bai, who couldn't understand why Zhan had come home early. No matter how Zhan explained it, Bai just didn't get it.
People also commented that neither Zhan nor Fuyue had been seen much, and that no photos were taken with them. Some thoughts even grabbed Zhan briefly wondering where Yufei had gone, but he brushed it off.
Later, in the room, Aunty Shui found him again and asked a question that threw him back into deep thought.
"Tell me honestly.....what is going on between you and that doctor? Isn't he the one who brought you things a few days ago?"
"There's nothing between us aunt," Zhan replied truthfully.
"He just helped me return to work when there was that patient incident. This time, he only came to collect something work-related that I forgot to send him."
Aunty Shui nodded.
"Continue making yourselves fools. But honestly....if he didn't say it directly, wouldn't you even realize he likes you?"
Zhan just stood there, staring at her. He didn't know what to say. Her words only confused him further, his mind filling with tangled thoughts. He had once considered that possibility himself....but too many things afterward had convinced him otherwise. And deep down, he believed it was something that could never happen between them.
Even Yufei, who teased him about Yibo the day he gave him a ride, had been told clearly by Zhan that nothing like that would ever exist between them....and she had dropped it.
So what troubled him was how moments like this could make him think one thing, only for countless other signs to suggest the opposite. In the end, Zhan shut down every thought crowding his mind and resolved to let life take its course. As for Peng.... after the conversation they had the day before, Zhan still didn't know what Peng was thinking. Peng hadn't called again, but Zhan knew him well enough to be certain that one rejection wouldn't be enough to make him give up.
After all the chaos in the wedding house.... the endless preparations for the marriage ceremony scheduled for the next day....Zhan finally finished everything and went to bed. Just as he picked up his phone, a message from Yibo appeared on the screen.
Short. Just one line.
Yet the weight of every word filled his chest with something he couldn't explain.
I'm sorry for making you miss the eventโฆ
And just like that, Zhan felt his heart lighten instantly. All the bitterness he had been holding onto vanished into thin air. His thoughts began to drift, his mind spinning in a way that felt dangerously soft.
โจโจโจ
"I don't understand what you meanโฆ"
Fuyue said, staring at Peng, who sat across from him. The words Peng had just spoken were so shocking that they instantly erased every trace of fear Fuyue had been carrying.
It was around 9:30 p.m. Peng had picked him up after Yufei's reception, saying there was something important they needed to discuss.
They were inside a massive, old building....one glance was enough to tell how aged it was, despite the darkness and poor lighting. It looked like a place that had been built decades ago and then forgotten, either by its owner or by the people who later turned it into a shelter for themselves. Neglect and constant misuse had only worsened its decay.
The structure was huge, with a wide open hall that clearly wasn't designed as a home. It looked more like an abandoned company building or government office meant to house hundreds of workers. Now, it was filled with questionable characters....one look at them was enough to tell they weren't exactly respectable people.
Even before they stepped inside, fear had already wrapped itself tightly around Fuyue. It felt like they had crossed into a completely different world. Still, Peng kept telling him to calm down, reassuring him all the way inside. A table and chairs were arranged for them, and bottles of water and orange drink were placed in front of them. Fuyue didn't touch any of it....he only sat there, quietly observing his surroundings.
The only thing keeping him calm was the fact that he had told his mother he was going out with Peng. Aunty Hsiao had simply smiled and wished him well. She already assumed Peng was probably interested in him, and honestly, she wouldn't have minded....Peng was financially stable, after all.
Still, two things unsettled Fuyue deeply.
First, the moment they sat down, Peng pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Fuyue barely knew him. Back when they were younger, Peng rarely visited Uncle Elder's house. All Fuyue knew was that Peng was related to Uncle Elder's wife, someone he occasionally saw at family gatherings.
Yet despite everything, Fuyue had never had a bad impression of him. Peng had always seemed calm, composed....nothing about him screamed danger.
But then Peng began to talk.
And with every word, Fuyue felt his thoughts shatter completely. His expectations collapsed all at once, forcing him to stare at Peng in disbelief and ask the question he truly didn't understand.
Peng took another long drag from his cigarette, exhaled slowly, and turned slightly away.
"Let me be clear," he said. "I don't like going in circles."
Fuyue nodded, listening closely.
Peng's eyes were sharp, filled with impatience and suppressed anger.
"I've known for a long time that you and Zhan don't get along. I knew it years ago, and I know nothing has changed. That's why I want to know...has your resentment toward Zhan reached the point where you're willing to help me marry him?"
Fuyue said nothing. Peng continued, repeating his point more bluntly.
"There's a reason I want to marry Zhan. That's why I brought you here....to show you who I really am. This marriage has nothing to do with love or goodwill. I can guarantee you that nothing but pain and suffering will come out of it for Zhan."
Peng watched closely as Fuyue's expression slowly changed.
"You'll get exactly what you want....his downfall. And at the same time, your account will be full."
Peng leaned back slightly.
"I'll give you two million Yuan. One million tonight as proof of commitment, and the remaining million on the day my marriage to Zhan is finalized. And you won't tell anyone."
For nearly ten seconds, Fuyue just stared at him, stunned. Then, unexpectedly, a slow, unsettling smile spread across his face.
He reached for the glass of orange drink, took a long drink, and swallowed hard.
After setting the glass down, he looked directly at Peng and spoke.
"Act like this conversation never happened. And act like you already married Zhan and finished everything....because I assure you, I've already spent money to make sure he gets pushed out of his job. I don't want to see him succeed."
Then he leaned forward slightly.
"So tell me.....what do you want me to do?"
At that, Peng let out a low, dangerous laugh. The sound was loud enough to draw attention from a few people nearby. He dropped the cigarette, placed both hands firmly on the table, and locked eyes with Fuyue.
"You see that old woman?"
"Nainai?"
Fuyue asked immediately.
Peng nodded.
"Yes. Her. We'll convince her first."
Fuyue kept staring at him, confusion written plainly across his face. Then he shook his head.
"I don't understand. What do you mean by convincing Nainai? How exactly are we supposed to convince her?"
Peng smiled, leaned back into his chair, and kept his eyes on him.
"I mean we go through her. We align her thoughts with ours, shape her thinking until whatever we want becomes what she wants. That's why the first thing you need to do is get a strand of her hair. That's what we'll use to control her mind."
"If I understand you correctly," Fuyue said slowly, "you're saying we'll use charm on Nainai so she forces Zhan to marry youโฆspiritually?"
Peng pointed at him with one finger, nodding.
"I'll enjoy working with you, Fuyue. You're sharp....your mind works fast."
Without hesitation, Fuyue broke into a wide smile and reached for the glass of orange drink front of him.
"You've thought this through well. If Nainai gives an order in that house, no one dares to question it."
He lifted the glass again, but Peng watched him closely and smiled.... cold, dangerous.
"You're about to finish that drink. I hope you're used to being heights?."
Fuyue froze mid-sip. He stared at the glass, then back at Peng, suddenly feeling as though the room was tilting....like he was being lifted and turned upside down.
โจโจโจ
๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐, 12:30 ๐๐
๐ป๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐
๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐!
๐๐๐๐
Yibo slowly unwound the bandages wrapped around both his hands. He was still wearing the long white suit trousers he'd worn to Duan's wedding....he'd come straight here afterward.
Truthfully, it had been a long time since he'd been here. He couldn't explain why, but over the past few months, he hadn't felt that familiar heaviness in his chest....the kind that only eased when he came here. His mind simply hadn't been sinking into that depth of thought anymore.
Work had increased. Surgeries had multiplied. His schedule had become packed.
It reminded him of his student days....when studying consumed him so completely that there was no room left for overthinking.
But another thing had quietly grown as well: his thoughts of Zhan.
He had noticed it clearly now....there wasn't a single day when Zhan didn't appear in his thoughts. Especially at night. As soon as he lay down, every image his eyes had captured of Zhan throughout the day replayed endlessly until morning.
Yibo already knew the truth. His heart had made space for Zhan....an important one.
He simply refused to admit it.
Because admitting it would lead nowhere. It wouldn't benefit him. It might only complicate things.... especially if it planted hope in Zhan's heart that Yibo already knew would never materialize.
That was why he stayed careful. Professional. Distant....especially at the hospital.
Once work ended, he never allowed anything to pull them together again. And yet, instead of easing his thoughts, the distance only made them grow stronger.
Even in the operating room, something would remind him of Zhan. Sometimes, when he turned toward the nurse beside him, he'd almost expect to see Zhan standing there....tablet in hand, recording every word he spoke, lashes lowered as though his eyes were closed, yet fully focused, writing with unwavering attention so he wouldn't miss a single detail.
Yibo finished removing the bandages, clenched them together, and tossed them into a small trash bin ahead. Then he sat down on a long bench near the lockers, his gaze fixing on the wall across from him. His mind drifted back to the night before.
Zhan....standing there in that outfit.
The way he had captured his attention in an instant. The way every thought, every promise Yibo had made to himself about keeping distance, had collapsed.
He remembered how many of Duan's friends' eyes had followed Zhan that night. Even people just passing by couldn't help but look.
One man in particular....Zhan had arrived in his car. He'd stood aside, watching, as though waiting for their conversation to end.
That alone had been enough.
That was why Yibo had done everything possible to leave early with Zhan. And strangely enough, the plan had worked....because when Zhan told him he won't go back, he felt an unexpected relief.
Still, when he got home, he couldn't stop himself from sending that message.
After sending it, he sat there, rereading the words over and over, hoping Zhan would understand exactly what he meant.
He didn't want to give him hope.
He didn't want to place thoughts in his mind.
Because none of this....none of what was happening....had ever been part of the life Yibo planned for himself.
So how could he ever think of dragging someone else into the chaos of his life? The way he saw himself, he was like a sinking ship....and what kind of person pulls someone else down to drown with them? He didn't even like the state he was in. His world felt dark, and he was afraid that anyone who came too close would be stained by that darkness. That was why, aside from Duan....whose path had crossed his by coincidence....he never allowed anyone else close enough to matter, let alone to stay.
The phone in his trouser pocket vibrated. He rubbed his face with both palms before pulling it out.
Duan's name flashed on the screen.
"Yibo, seriously? You know there's a reception after the wedding. Why did you leave right after the ceremony?"
Duan spoke before Yibo could even say a word. Yibo reached up and held the back of his neck, surprised that Duan still found time to think of him despite the crowd surrounding him. Even the night before, when Yibo had left the dinner early, Duan had called him again after getting home, asking why he hadn't seen him there....without knowing that Yibo hadn't even gone inside. He had only come, seen Duan briefly, then turned around and waited in his car for Zhan.
And now again....despite the sea of people around him....Duan was calling. Duan didn't know that it was precisely that crowd that had driven him away. For the first time in a long while, the weight in his chest had returned when he saw so many people gathered for Duan: family, friends, laughter everywhere, cameras flashing.
He had stood off to the side, watching it all like it belonged to another world....one that would never be his. Not because he was different from everyone else, but because life had singled him out in its own quiet way, even among people born to the same parents.
That heaviness had pushed him through the crowd, out of the venue, and here....nearly thirty minutes later....he was finally starting to breathe again. So when Duan brought up the reception, Yibo didn't even know how to respond. He simply leaned his head back, listening as Duan complained.
Eventually, he excused himself, citing work, and Duan promised to visit his house later with a few friends after the reception.
Yibo ended the call, gathered his things, slipped his jacket back on, and walked out of the gym.
But just as he reached his car, a voice called out a name that hit him like a blow.
"Lion!?"
The name sounded both like a question and disbelief.
Yibo turned instantly....and froze.
Malo.
His eyes locked onto him as Malo approached, grinning just as widely, staring back with equal shock. Apart from the sharper lines of age, Malo looked almost exactly the same as he had fifteen years ago.
"Lion? You're really alive? You're still breathing?"
Malo sounded like he expected Yibo to deny it. Instead, Yibo smiled and replied with the nickname that had followed Malo since the first day their lives collided.
"Maloโฆ Malon Malaye. Not a teacher, yet your students fill the streets."
Malo burst into wild laughter, loud enough to draw stares from passersby. He pulled Yibo into a hug, then slapped his shoulder hard.
"You bastard! So it really is you Lion. Is this what life turned you into?" He stepped back, studying him. "I wish the Balandi crew could see youโฆ" He muttered another insult, then added, "Though honestly, no surprise. Ashero always said you didn't belong with us."
Yibo only smiled faintly.
Malo's laughter slowly faded as he kept staring.
"Since that night, Lionโฆ has it really been this long?"
Before Yibo could answer, another young man stepped out of Malo's car and called his name, clearly waiting. Malo glanced back, ran a hand through his hair, then turned to Yibo again.
"There's a lot to talk about, Lion. I'll find you."
His gaze dropped to Yibo's license plate, memorizing it, before lifting again.
"I will find you."
He repeated it, then turned and followed the other man.
Yibo's eyes trailed after them....and then stopped.
The other man walked ahead toward the gym entrance, wearing shorts, a cigarette smoking lazily between his fingers.
Where have I seen him before?
Then, all at once, a conversation he'd once had with Zhan rushed back into his mind.
"Who is that?" Yibo asked Zhan that time.
"Peng Ge,
Yufei's relative."ย Zhan replied.
And what Yibo didn't yet know was that Peng and Malo being here had everything to do with Zhan....the very reason fate had placed them back in his path.
๐ป๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ 6 ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
2026
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โค๏ธ๐