Just like what they agreed upon, the couple spent their Sunday with Elder Zhou. They stayed there until the afternoon and left before 4 p.m. to pick up Zhou Yuexi's cousin at the airport.
"So this is your cousin that you told me about before you met my family? The one who's in Harvard?", Zhang Yixing asked while driving.
"Yes. He's just older than you by a year or two and he's taking up medicine. We're really close since he took care of me when I stayed there for my studies and we still keep in touch.", Zhou Yuexi answered.
"But you haven't told him yet that you are already married?"
"He was busy for the past month as he took the licensure exam. Whenever he has something important to do, he takes it pretty seriously and cuts contact with everyone until the whole deal is done.", Zhou Yuexi explained. "He finished the test yesterday and he called me right away. I told him I wanted to tell him something but I wanted to do in person so... Yeah, he doesn't know yet."
The whole car ride, they only talked about Zhou Yuexi's cousin. Zhang Yixing was really interested about him as he stood as a father figure to Zhou Yuexi ever since she lost her biological father.
Zhou Yuexi was just 10 years old when the accident happened. Dealing with the stress of losing both her parents at the same time really took a toll on her and the only person who made her feel better then was her only cousin, her father's only sister's son, Dylan Parker.
Dylan is a half American half Indonesian, but at the time the accident happened, he was staying in Indonesia with his mother for a vacation at his grandparents'. He was there when their grandparents pushed the blame on Zhou Yuexi and he witnessed all the emotional rollercoaster that Zhou Yuexi went through. He was already 15 by then, and was old enough to understand the kind of situation his cousin was in, so he told himself that he would make up to the horrible way their grandparents treated Zhou Yuexi and promised to take good care of Zhou Yuexi from the on.
He lived up to his promise and did the very best he could to make Zhou Yuexi feel that she isn't like how their grandparents told her she was. He spoiled her the same way her father would have done to his only daughter, supplying her with luxury items most teenage girls would die to have and giving her a huge amount of spending money so she could buy anything she wanted. He always allotted a part of his money for Zhou Yuexi to spend.
...
By the time the two got to the airport, it was already seven in the evening. However, Dylan's flight was delayed so they still needed to wait for a while before he arrived.
"Darling, it's already past seven and you haven't eaten anything since lunch. I'll just go grab something for you to eat on the café outside, you wait here for your cousin.", Zhang Yixing told his wife before heading out of the airport.
It was half truth, as they really haven't had anything besides lunch but it was also partly because he was feeling somewhat stuffy. He wanted to have a cup of coffee to ease his nerves.
Though it may seem laughable to all who knew him, the Mighty Ice King also knows how to feel tensed. He was a bit nervous to meet the one who took care of his wife like his own daughter for more 10 years. Just from the stories his wife told him, he was sure that her cousin wouldn't be too pleased to know that his princess was already someone else's queen without his knowledge.
Zhang Yixing could understand what he would feel as he too would feel the same way if he were on his shoes. It didn't help him feel better nonetheless.
He didn't evem feel this way when he first met Zhou Yuexi's grandfather. Now that he's meeting someone who is only older than him by a year or two, but he could feel his hands and back sweat a little.
While Zhang Yixing went away, Dylan's flight finally arrived and he got out in less than half an hour. The moment he stepped foot on the arrival's waiting area, a slim figure immediately ram towards him and gave him a hug.
"I missed you bro!", Zhou Yuexi said to him as she let go of the hug.
Dylan just chuckled at her and playfully patted her head, messing up her hair. "I knew you would kiddo. So where's my gift?", he asked while lending out his hand as if waiting to receive something from Zhou Yuexi.
Zhou Yuexi slapped his hand in response and said, "Nah, I don't have one now. I'll give you something when the results of the exam are out and with the condition that you fare as the top notcher.".
"You cunning little devil... You better give me something good.", he answered while looking at his cousin through squinted eyes. "Right, you said you have something to tell me, what is it? And there is also someone you want to introduce me to."
As if on cue, Zhang Yixing then arrived with a few paper bags on one hand and three cups of coffee on the other. "Darling, this is for you. Croissant and coffee, decaf.", he said as he handed over a paper bag and a cup to Zhou Yuexi.
Zhou Yuexi beamed as she gladly received her food then sniffed the coffee's fragrance. "Thanks darling!", she gratefully said.
"Erm!", Dylan fake coughed. "Who are you?", he questioned while scrutinizing Zhang Yixing.
Feeling Dylan's examining gaze on him, Zhang Yixing smiled at him and greeted with a bow, "Good evening! I'm Zhang Yixing, nice to meet you.".
After hearing Zhang Yixing's self introduction, only then did Zhou Yuexi remember that she still needed to introduce her husband to her cousin who was looking at her with questioning eyes and a raised brow, telling her to explain what was going on.
"Oh! Darling, this is my cousin Dylan Parker.", she started then took a long breath. "Bro, this is Zhang Yixing, my husband."
Dylan whose eyes were squinted for looking questioningly at Zhou Yuexi, widened when he heard her declaration. He was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out of it's sockets and he felt like he couldn't hear anything. His eyebrow which was already raised, went up even higher.
"What did you just say?! Your what?!", he exasperatedly asked. It was such a surprise to him as he never thought that his cousin would get married out of the blue. He haven't even met one boyfriend yet as Zhou Yuexi never dated anybody before, but now what he met was already a husband, something even more frightening than a boyfriend.
"My husband.", Zhou Yuexi quietly replied.
"A husband?! As in spouse... groom... better half... mate... that husband?", Dylan continued to ask, trying his hardest to let the information sink in.
Zhou Yuexi slightly nodded. "Yes, spouse, groom, better half, mate. Whatever you want to call it."
Dylan was mad when he finally concluded things in his mind. "You mean you got married without even bothering to tell me?! You better explain yourself right now young lady!", he fumed.
"As in now? Right here?", Zhou Yuexi asked as she looked around them, trying to tell Dylan that they were still at the airport. However, Dylan was still unfazed and gave a look that said 'you ain't escaping anywhere lady'.
Zhang Yixing knew that his wife never liked being in public places with a lot of people so he tried to convince Dylan otherwise. "Maybe we should have dinner first. Yuexi haven't had anything since lunch and it's already nearing eight. You can continue your conversation in the car.", Zhang Yixing offered
Dylan didn't want to concede but still did when he heard that Zhou Yuexi still haven't eaten yet. "Fine.", he relented.
Knowing that he finally had Dylan let his guard down a little bit, Zhang Yixing stroke while the iron was still hot[1] and the opportunity to curry some favor from his "father-in-law".
"You must be tired from travelling for a long time. Please have some croissants and a cup of coffee as well.", Zhang Yixing offered as he handed over a paper bag and a cup to Dylan.
He was hesitant to accept Zhang Yixing's offer at first but couldn't resist the inviting smell of the coffee assaulting his nostrils. He was indeed a little exhausted and hungry from the long flight. Sure he ate something on the plane but it wasn't enough for someone like him who had a big appetite. "I'm hungry that's why I'm accepting this. However, this doesn't mean that I approve of you already nor would it earn you any brownie points, if that's what you're trying to do.", he warned as he took a sip of the coffee.
"I know. That's decaf, by the way."