Yibo stared fixedly at Nangui, who sat in front of them explaining everything.
He had always known fear. He could even say fear was one of the first emotions he truly understood in life. But among all the fear he had ever faced, he had never known terror like the one that flooded his heart when his mind finally accepted that Zhan was missing.
From that moment, he lost all sense of calm. Something inside him shattered. Thoughts he had never considered began racing through his mind, spiraling in every direction until it felt as though the chaos in his head was spilling into his vision, blurring the world around him.
His mind kept circling the streets of their neighborhood, searching endlessly, repeating the same questions like a curse:
Where could he have gone? Where is Zhan?
The questions clung to his life like a lifeline, echoing until his own thoughts drowned in them. And yet, darker, more terrifying possibilities kept creeping in...thoughts that tightened around his chest, threatening to suffocate him.
How could Zhan have left the house without him knowing?
When did he leave?
Did he go on his own, or was he taken?
What if his worst suspicion was true?
What if Peng had outplayed him?
That thought alone struck his heart so hard that he had to sit down while waiting for the Police team Duan had sent. While sitting there, memories began flooding him like a dream...everything he and Zhan had shared, every conversation, every moment in the home they had begun to call their new life. He could hear Zhan's voice in his head, see his expressions, feel the weight of those memories pressing against his chest.
He remembered Zhan's eyes...always full of trust he felt he never deserved.
He remembered how hard he had fought for Zhan, how much he feared losing him. And in that moment, he finally understood something he had long felt but refused to acknowledge.
His life and Zhan's life had become one. He could never imagine a future without him. Their souls were already intertwined, and he couldn't imagine any force strong enough to separate them.
๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
He realized that perhaps he had lived this long only because he had to met Zhan.
And as everything unfolded....police investigations, people coming and going...he felt like he was slowly dying inside. When Duan arrived the next morning and their eyes met, it felt like the last fragment of hope he had been holding onto shattered completely, leaving him suspended in uncertainty, barely able to breathe.
He hated himself. He blamed his own carelessness for everything that had happened, despite Duan's attempts to comfort him.
If he lost Zhan forever, would that be the end of everything?
Would their story end just like that...Without Zhan ever knowing who he truly was, or how deeply he truly loved him?
He had always treated everything he said and did as part of a plan to gain Zhan's trust. He had never once told him the truth about his feelings...not even when they were laughing together, not when Zhan was lying beside him, not when they shared quiet moments.
Maybe if he had told him earlierโฆ
Maybe if he had told him long agoโฆ
His mind replayed every moment they had spent together, each memory more vivid than the last...the way he held Zhan, the way Zhan's body reacted to his touch without even realizing it, the tremble in Zhan's voice when he called his name, his quiet nature, his soft smile when he looked at him. In that moment, he realized he had memorized everything about Zhan without even knowing it.
His anxiety worsened when Zhan's relatives found out about his disappearance. The panic doubled when Bai also went missing. His fear intensified, layered with guilt and dread.
That was when both he and Duan became certain of what they had been trying to avoid: Peng was behind everything. And even Malo was unreachable. But the biggest question remained.....Where would they find Peng?
Where would they even begin?
Yibo himself didn't even know where Malo was, let alone where Peng could be hiding. Whenever he met Malo, it was always in different places.
They spent the night in that state of fear. The only small relief he felt was that none of Zhan's relatives had told Nainai what was happening. They all claimed Bai was staying over at Zhan's house, so she wouldn't worry.
When he saw Sanxing talking to Aunty Shui about informing Nainai, she panicked, thinking Nainai already knew. But Sanxing later explained that she was only complaining about why Bai had gone to stay over at Zhan's place without informing her first.
The night passed in tension on all sides...panic, investigations, frantic searching, and Duan's relentless coordination with the police. Yet, in the middle of all that chaos, there was a strange stillness in Yibo's heart and mind...a cold, hollow quiet, like someone walking while already half-dead, clinging to a fragile, desperate hope that fate might still grant him another chance.
Please heaven'sโฆ look at me.
Give me another chance.
Let me fix this. Let me try again.
That was Yibo prayer.
So when Nangui suddenly arrived at the house, claiming he knew everything that was happening and what they were searching for, Yibo swore the air that entered his lungs felt different...different from any breath he had taken the day before.
He watched as Duan and several police officers bombarded Nangui with questions, trying to confirm the information he brought. Inside, Yibo felt nothing but quiet gratitude that his desperate wish had not been ignored.
Once Duan finished making preparations, he warned Yibo not to follow them. But Yibo didn't listen. He got into his car and waited outside, ready to move the moment they did.
****
๐๐๐ง๐ -๐ ๐
"๐๐๐ง๐ -๐ ๐โฆ"
That was the first thing Bai said when he saw him. His eyes were filled with hope, like a lost child who had spent the entire day searching and finally found someone familiar. Peng remembered how Bai had run toward him when his men brought him in...how relief had lit up his face at first, believing he had been saved...
Peng dragged on the cigarette in his hand and exhaled slowly, closing his eyes as Bai's voice echoed in his mind.
"๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข, ๐๐๐๐-๐๐! ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข, ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก! ๐๐๐ข'๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ! ๐๐๐ข'๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ!"
If curses truly worked, Peng would have been long gone by now. He remembered how Zhan had tried to stop Bai at first, until he eventually gave up. No matter the threats, Bai never stopped shouting and cursing him.
That was why Peng ordered his men to buy an injection to knock him out.
He needed silence.
He opened his eyes again, feeling the heaviness in his injured hand...the only thing preventing him from carrying out his plans immediately. Delaying had two advantages: the news would eventually reach Xiao Die, and his hand would heal enough for him to do everything he intended. Still, he worried about what delaying might cost him.
The door opened. The two men he had sent returned, one of them nodding to signal success. Peng stood up, dropped his cigarette, and headed toward the room where Bai's voice was still echoing.
"๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข, ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐-๐๐! ๐๐๐ข'๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ!"
Zhan closed his eyes, listening to Bai's voice. Bai had been shouting nonstop since he understood what was happening. And he couldn't stop him no matter what he says to him, Bai was crying and shaking at the same time cursing Peng.
The room smelled like rust and damp cement...an odor that clung to the throat and refused to fade. There was only a single weak bulb hanging from the ceiling, casting shadows everywhere. His hands and feet were tied. He barely felt anything anymore except the cold concrete beneath him.
He opened his eyes and looked at Bai again. Bai's hands and feet were also bound, yet he still struggled, still shouted, still fought.
"๐ต๐๐โฆ ๐ต๐๐โฆ"
Zhan called his name over and over, but Bai didn't respond. He only continued screaming, cursing Peng, whether Peng could hear him or not.
Then the door opened.
Peng stepped in first, followed by three of his men.
Zhan's heart dropped instantly at the sight of him...the same deceptive expression on his face, the same false calm that still unsettled him deeply.
Bai's shouting grew louder when he saw Peng. Zhan wished he could break free and grab his brother to make him shut up, but the ropes held tight.
"๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐ โ๐ข๐ก ๐ข๐," Peng said, rubbing his temple in irritation.
"๐ท๐๐'๐ก ๐ก๐๐ข๐โ โ๐๐! ๐ท๐๐'๐ก ๐ก๐๐ข๐โ โ๐๐....๐๐๐๐๐ ๐!"
Zhan shouted in panic as two of the men moved toward Bai. He lunged forward, forgetting the pain in his injured arm, and threw himself in front of Bai, trying to shield him.
Peng didn't even look at them. His gaze shifted to one of the men standing beside him.
"๐บ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐," he said in a voice that sounded nothing like his own.
Something inside Zhan's blood froze. He lifted his head slowly to look at them. The man opened the metal case in his hand and took out a long syringe filled with a milky liquid.
Bai froze too. Then he started screaming, struggling wildly, searching for any way to escape.
Zhan turned back to Peng.
"๐๐๐๐๐ ๐, ๐๐๐๐โฆ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐. ๐ท๐๐'๐ก โ๐ข๐๐ก โ๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐."
"๐ป๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐. ๐ท๐๐๐'๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข โ๐๐๐ โ๐๐?" Peng snapped coldly.
"๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ. ๐ผ๐ก'๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐คโ๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข'๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ผ'๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก ๐๐ข๐ก โ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐ก๐๐."
Zhan's heart shattered. Sleep? What kind of sleep? He shook his head frantically.
"๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐โฆ ๐ต๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก ๐ ๐โ๐๐๐. ๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐ค ๐กโ๐๐ก...."
He tried to shove the man with the syringe away, while Bai kept screaming and fighting for his life.
Two other men grabbed Zhan and dragged him back. He fought them like someone drowning, clawing and twisting desperately.
"๐ฟ๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐! ๐ฟ๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐! ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐, ๐๐๐๐, ๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐!"
Bai's screams were even louder than his. Zhan watched helplessly as the man drove the needle into Bai's arm.
Bai let out a short, broken cry. His body trembled, then within seconds his strength faded, his eyes fluttered, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.
The man holding him dropped him to the floor like a lifeless doll.
Zhan felt his heart turn to stone.
"๐ป๐๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐," Peng ordered.
The man gripping Zhan's shoulder tightened his hold, his fingers digging painfully into his skin. Warm tears streamed down Zhan's face as his breathing grew heavy.
"๐ผ ๐๐๐๐ค ๐ฆ๐๐ข'๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ โ๐๐," Peng said calmly. "๐ผ'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ . ๐๐๐ข ๐ โ๐๐ข๐๐๐'๐ก โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ค๐๐ก๐โ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ."
Before Zhan could respond, he felt the sharp sting of the needle in his arm. The cold liquid burned through his veins, crawling into his mind, heavy and suffocating. His vision blurred.
The last thing he saw was Bai lying motionless on the floor.
His legs gave out. His body went slack. The world spun...and darkness swallowed him whole.
๐๐๐ง๐
Peng stood where he was, watching Zhan's chest rise and fall slowly. Then he turned to Bai. The room was completely silent. In his eyes, they were no longer Zhan and Bai. They were only Xiao Die's sons. The sons of the man who had destroyed his life before he even understood what life was.
He saw his father's corpse.
His mother's body.
The story of his sister's death.
All because of their father.
Seeing them lying there, lifeless and helpless, felt like balancing the pain he carried every day...like restoring something broken inside him.
He walked toward Zhan, knelt in front of him, and spoke softly.
"๐โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐ก โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐...."
Suddenly, a gunshot exploded in his ears. Peng turned sharply, startled, looking at his men.
"๐โ๐๐ก โ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐? ๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐?"
Two of them rushed toward the door.
"๐๐ ๐๐๐'๐ก ๐๐๐๐ค. ๐ผ๐ก'๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ..."
Another gunshot cut him off.
Peng jumped to his feet and rushed out of the room...just as the main entrance was kicked open.
Police flooded the building.
Gunfire erupted. Objects shattered. His men panicked...some grabbed their weapons, others tried to run.
Peng stood frozen...not from fear, but from shock.
How?
How did the police find him?
Who told them?
Who brought them here?
His thoughts shattered when a bullet slammed into his leg, throwing him backward near the room where Zhan and Bai lay.
He knew that pain. He had felt it before. A gunshot.
He forced himself to turn, his vision blurring, and looked back into the room...at Zhan lying unconscious.
A twisted part of him whispered: At least I had this....
But then another bullet ripped through his other leg.
His vision darkened, and through the haze, he saw the man who shot him walk straight into the room, wearing police gear and a face mask. The man paused beside Zhan, then beside Bai, touched Bai's face briefly, and finally walked toward him.
He stopped right in front of him and removed the mask.
Peng's eyes widened, his vision blurred, but he would never forget that face.
๐๐ข๐๐จ ๐๐ข๐.
Xiao Die stared at him coldly.
"๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐กโ๐๐ข๐โ๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐? ๐ผ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐ค๐๐๐๐'๐ก ๐ค๐๐๐กโ ๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐๐๐. ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ โ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐. ๐ผ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐'๐ . ๐โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐....๐กโ๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐, ๐ผ'๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐."
That's all he had said and put his mask back on, turned away, and walked toward the exit, telling the officers that the hostages were inside and unconscious.
As Xiao Die disappeared, Peng's ears filled with distant voices and gunshots, fading farther and farther away...until everything dissolved into silence.
โตโตโต
The world returned to Zhan slowly.
First, he felt a cool breeze brushing his skin.
Then, a bright light flooded his vision. His eyelids felt heavy, his lashes stuck together as though glued, but he forced them open.
A hospital room.
White ceiling.
A drip bag attached to his hand.
And then...Yibo.
He was slumped beside the bed, his head resting on the edge, hair slightly messy. His eyes were closed, faint shadows beneath them, as though he hadn't slept in days. Zhan blinked, closing and reopening his eyes to be sure it wasn't a dream.
What happened?
What happened to him?
How did he get here?
His mouth felt dry, his head throbbed, but he tried to sit up. At the same moment, Yibo's breathing shifted. He noticed the movement and sat upright instantly.
"๐ป๐๐ฆโฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ," Yibo murmured softly.
He grabbed Zhan's hand, lifted it, and pressed two fingers against his pulse, his brows furrowing as he concentrated.
"๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐โฆ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ค."
His voice grounded Zhan in reality. This wasn't a dream.
Yibo gently brushed a strand of hair away from Zhan's forehead.
"๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข โ๐๐๐ ๐๐? ๐ท๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐ค ๐คโ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐?"
Zhan nodded slowly, still staring at him.
"๐๐๐ข'๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐. ๐ต๐๐ ๐๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐," Yibo said quietly.
"๐๐๐ข'๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค. ๐๐๐ข'๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐."
Zhan nodded again.
Yibo adjusted the IV drip, then cupped Zhan's cheek, his thumb resting there for a moment.
"๐ด๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ฆ?"
Zhan shook his head.
"๐ป๐๐๐๐๐โ๐?"
He nodded slightly. "๐ด ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐."
Yibo reached for a small flashlight, lifted Zhan's eyelids, and checked his pupils.
"๐๐๐ข ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐ก๐ค๐๐๐ฃ๐ โ๐๐ข๐๐ . ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ โ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ก๐๐, ๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข'๐๐ ๐๐โ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅโ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐. ๐๐๐ข'๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ข๐โ ๐ ๐๐๐ก."
He placed both hands on Zhan's shoulders.
"๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ ."
Zhan moved them slowly.
"๐บ๐๐๐. ๐ด๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ ?"
He moved those too, carefully.
Yibo exhaled in relief, leaned forward, and pressed a soft kiss to Zhan's temple. Without saying another word, he stood and walked out of the room.
Zhan watched him leave, then slowly closed his eyes. Memories began flooding back.
Where was Peng?
How were they rescued?
How did Yibo find them?
His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened again. He opened his eyes to see Aunt Shui walking in with Noni.
"๐โ๐๐โฆ ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐," Noni said softly as Aunt Shui held his hand.
From that moment, the entire story unfolded. Aunt Shui told him how someone had reported Peng's location, how the police stormed the place, and how a masked man...whose face no one saw...had done more to rescue them than the officers themselves.
Peng and all his men were arrested. Two of them died during the operation; the rest were detained.
He had been unconscious for a full day before waking up. Bai had regained consciousness earlier, and they joked that Bai had always been stronger than Zhan.
Zhan didn't fully process everything until he saw Uncle Elder, Uncle Ruobing, and even Uncle Nanjing at the hospital. It turned out his uncles had rushed over as soon as they heard something was wrong.
That same day, Uncle Sanxing finally told Nainai everything.
Aunt Shui explained that they had tried to keep the truth from Nainai, but she sensed something was wrong. She kept asking for Zhan or demanding that Bai return, confused about how he could have gone to Zhan's house during school hours.
When they finally told her the truth and brought her to the hospital after Zhan woke up, she didn't panic. Everything had already happened, and both boys were alive in front of her. She only says that Peng had destroyed his own life for nothing.
Later, she begged Zhan to forgive her for trying to force him to marry Peng in the past.
Zhan found himself respecting Uncle Elder even more for the firm stance he had taken against that marriage.
Aunt Shui also mentioned that Uncle Elder's wife was furious, insisting that everything was a lie....that Peng was innocent and being framed. She and Anmei (Yufei's sister) had always resembled their mother in temperament, constantly complaining. Uncle Elder ignored them completely.
Deep down, he had long suspected something was wrong with Peng, but whenever he tried to warn his wife, she accused him of bullying an orphan. To protect his family's peace, he withdrew entirely and focused only on his own children.
Even Peng's marriage proposal hadn't been officially arranged through him. They had simply gathered around him, informed him of the decision, and told him to act as the guardian for the ceremony. When he heard about it, he didn't even argue with his wife. His only effort was to stop Zhan from marrying Peng. Even back then, he had felt that Zhan's calm nature and gentle temperament were completely incompatible with someone like Peng.
So, although the news shocked him, deep down it didn't hurt as much as he expected. It was as if a part of him had already anticipated something like this. That was why he ignored everything his wife said afterward. He even declared that he would never set foot wherever Peng was, and that since the matter was now in Yibo and Duan's hands, everyone should let them decide Peng's fate however they saw fit.
That evening, Bai was brought into Zhan's room in a wheelchair, and they all shared the meal Aunty Weizu had prepared for them.
They were staying at Primecare Hospital....Yibo's decision. After they were rescued from Peng, he insisted they be taken there immediately. At first, familiar hospital staff came to greet Zhan, but eventually people started dropping by just to peek...some out of concern, others purely out of curiosity.
"So this hospital is full of gossip about you, Zhan. At reception I heard them saying you were pregnant by him. They were saying all sorts of nonsense about you and your husband. They didn't even notice Bai...since the two of you were admitted together, not just you alone."
(๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ, ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ ?๐)
Aunty Shui told him this on their second day in the hospital. By then, Zhan was exhausted and desperate to be discharged. He hated being there, wishing they had been taken them somewhere else...anywhere but the hospital where everyone knew him and where the rumors about his marriage hadn't even died down.
What surprised him most was that he hadn't seen Yibo since the moment he woke up. He only saw clothes delivered and was told Yibo had sent them. Aunty Shui passed on Yibo's messages. Sometimes Uncle Sanxing came in and mentioned him.
Even though Zhan could feel his body gradually recovering, his heart was in turmoil.
Peng's words echoed in his mind, tearing him apart, replaying again and again.
How would things be between them now?
How could he look at Yibo the same way again?
He closed his eyes, replaying every moment and every word that now made sense in a painful way. Everything he thought he understood suddenly felt uncertain. The only thing he didn't know was the truth of Yibo's feelings for him.
Had everything Yibo done been part of a plan?
Had every word he said been calculated?
After all, he had been told many times that someone like Yibo was far above someone like him. There had to be a reason Yibo had drawn him close...had even married him.
The thought tightened around Zhan's chest, squeezing the air out of him. It felt like someone had wrapped a hand around his throat. The memories kept returning like poison that hadn't finished its work. Maybe that was why Bai had already been discharged while he was still stuck in the hospital.
He remembered Yibo that morning...his tired eyes, the way his hand had cupped his face, as if he wanted to pull him into an embrace but restrained himself.
Zhan curled into himself on the bed, feeling a dull ache spread through his entire body.
How was he supposed to face Yibo?
How could he tell him he had heard everything?
His mind spun with endless questions.
Did Yibo even care?
Did he truly care about him?
Or was everything just part of his plan?
Every kindness, every smile...was any of it real?
He hated how conflicted he felt. Some moments he wanted to get out of bed, walk out of the room, find Yibo wherever he was, stand in front of him and ask:
"๐โ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐? ๐โ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐'๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐?"
Other times, he thought that if Yibo came in, he would turn his back and shut him out completely.
Yet, despite everything, a part of him still missed Yibo...missed how he used to hold him, how their hands used to fit together, how Yibo's voice used to whisper reassurances in his ear. That part of him imagined Yibo holding him again, telling him he loved him sincerely.
He hated that part of himself.
He hated how deeply Yibo had engraved himself into his body and heart.
Now he saw Yibo in two ways:
The man who saved his life.
And the man who broke him.
Which one was real?
Which one did his heart want to believe?
He didn't know.
So he remained trapped in that confusion until the third day, when he was finally discharged. Bai had been discharged the night before, but he stayed with Zhan, sleeping in the same room with Aunty Shui who had been caring for them.
After the doctor signed Zhan's discharge papers that morning, Uncle Sanxing took them home...back to their real home. They said Yibo hadn't been at the hospital at all.
Zhan didn't realize how much he had missed home until he stepped into Nainai's room. He collapsed onto her bed, curling up and breathing in the familiar scent of the mattress that felt like comfort itself.
Aunty Shui barely managed to get him up, insisting he had rested enough in the hospital and needed to sit in the living room.
Nainai fussed over him nonstop.
Bai's friends came to visit too, filling the house with chatter and laughter.
When Zhan looked at Bai, he seemed nothing like the boy who had screamed and cursed Peng that night...a memory Zhan didn't even want to dwell on.
"๐ผ ๐๐๐'๐ก ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ก, ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐โ๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐'๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ?"
Aunty Shui asked while watching Nainai drink her porridge.
"๐ป๐๐ค ๐ โ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐ค? ๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐, ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ฆ โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ค๐๐กโ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐. ๐โ๐๐ก ๐ค๐๐ ๐ผ ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ? ๐ผ ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฆ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ค๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐ ." Nainai replied, shrugging.
"๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก?" Zhan asked, confused.
"๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐น๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐. ๐๐'๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ . ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐๐, ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐."
She shook her head. "๐ผ ๐๐๐'๐ก ๐ก๐๐ข๐ ๐ก ๐กโ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐."
Nainai set her cup down. "๐โ๐๐ ๐๐๐'๐ก ๐ก๐๐ข๐ ๐ก ๐กโ๐๐. ๐๐๐ค ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ก ๐คโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐คโ๐๐ โ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ข๐. ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐, ๐๐ข๐ก โ๐'๐๐ ๐๐ โ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฆ."
As she adjusted the blanket over Nan, who was sleeping beside her, Zhan's phone rang. He picked it up and saw the name on the screen.
๐๐ข๐๐จ.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โค๐