It was Zhan's sister, Lu, calling. Yi Bo stared at the phone as it rang but didn't answer right away. When she called again, he finally picked up.
In a quiet voice, Yi Bo said, "Good evening, Mrs. Cao."
Lu asked how he was doing and once again apologized for Zhan's behavior.
Yi Bo smiled faintly and replied, "Don't worry, Mrs. Cao. Zhan is like a brother to me."
After the call ended, he lay back on the bed, feeling, for the first time since he arrived, a pang of homesickness.
Later that night, Zhan was sitting on his bed and decided to call his sister. When she answered, they exchanged greetings, and Zhan asked how his nephew was. Then he got to the point. "Jie, can you call that driver and tell him he needs to take me to the dormitory tomorrow morning?"
Lu Jie, sensing something, teased him. "Why don't you tell him yourself? Are you afraid of him, or did you disrespect him again?"
Zhan rolled his eyes. "Why would I be afraid of him? I'm not even afraid of Paa. It's not that—I just don't want to talk to him anymore. He's so disrespectful, and ever since Mama slapped me in front of him, he thinks we're on the same level."
He sighed dramatically. "Mama is the reason for all of this. I swore I wouldn't get into the car with him again, but now I have no choice. I don't want Paa or Mama to know that I stopped riding with him."
Lu chuckled. "So, he's the one being rude? It's not you, huh? Zhan, I'm not going to talk to him for you. If you won't, then just take a taxi."
Switching topics, she asked, "How's your boyfriend, Loe? You've been talking to him, right?"
Zhan perked up. "Yeah, we just got off the phone before I called you."
"When is he coming back?"
Zhan smiled. "You know he's always busy with his father's business overseas. They also have companies here, but he has to manage things over there."
Lu laughed. "My little brother is going to marry a young, handsome billionaire, huh?"
Zhan laughed too. "He's his daddy's favorite."
"Just like you," Lu teased.
Zhan chuckled and ended the call, taking a deep breath and smiling to himself afterward.
The next morning, after Yi Bo returned from dropping Paa at the company, Mrs. Xiao met him and informed him, "You'll be taking Zhan and his belongings to the dormitory today." Yi Bo nodded, his head slightly lowered, and replied, "Okay."
As instructed, around 9 a.m., Zhan started bringing his belongings out to the balcony. Once everything was piled up, he walked over to the gate, where Yi Bo sat, seemingly oblivious to his presence. Zhan scowled, trying to suppress his irritation, and said, "Those are my suitcases. Put them in the trunk. They're on the balcony."
Yi Bo didn't even glance in his direction. His dark brown eyes remained fixed ahead, as if Zhan wasn't even there. Zhan, feeling his patience wear thin, snapped, "I'm talking to you!" But Yi Bo still didn't respond.
Yang, who had been quietly observing the tension, stood up and walked over to the balcony to handle Zhan's luggage. Zhan's eyes followed Yang, then flicked back to Yi Bo, fuming but unwilling to say more.
Once Yang had finished loading the suitcases into the car, Yi Bo finally stood up, walked to the vehicle, and sat in the driver's seat, waiting. Zhan felt a surge of frustration, practically boiling inside. "What the hell does this villager think he is?"
He couldn't believe he had wasted his breath talking to Yi Bo, only to end up relying on Yang anyway. As Yi Bo started the engine, Zhan suddenly remembered that he hadn't said goodbye to his mother.
Without a word, he rushed back inside the house. Yi Bo remained in the car, waiting for over fifteen minutes, aware that Zhan was deliberately taking his time. It was only after nearly twenty minutes that Zhan finally emerged, clearly unbothered by the delay.
Zhan sat in the back seat, locking the car door as he glanced at Yi Bo, who had leaned back in the driver's seat with his eyes closed as if he were sleeping. Zhan felt the urge to say something, but he quickly remembered the vow he had made—to never speak to Yi Bo again.
Five minutes passed, and Yi Bo hadn't moved or opened his eyes, let alone started the car. Zhan frowned, growing more frustrated.
Another ten minutes went by, and they were still sitting in silence. Zhan struggled to keep his composure, biting his tongue and suppressing his rising anger, determined not to break his vow.
Yang, watching from a distance, couldn't help but laugh. Yi Bo was making Zhan wait, just like Zhan had made Yi Bo wait earlier.
Zhan was fuming in the back seat but stayed put, refusing to get out or say a word. After twenty-five long minutes, Yi Bo finally opened his eyes, adjusted his seat, and calmly started the car. They left without exchanging a single word.
When they arrived at the dormitory, Yi Bo didn't ask for directions—he didn't want to talk to Zhan either. He drove straight to the dorms without concern for whether it was the correct destination or not. The ride was filled with tense silence, both of them with frowns on their faces. Zhan occasionally stole glances at Yi Bo but said nothing.
Yi Bo parked at the gate of the dorms and turned off the car. Zhan got out and went to find the security guard. "Please come help me with my things in the car," he requested.
The security guard followed Zhan, opened the trunk—Yi Bo had already unlocked it from inside—and began unloading the suitcases. As the guard was pulling out the last one, Zhan turned to him and said, "Tell that driver he can leave now."
The guard went over to Yi Bo and relayed the message. Yi Bo simply said, "Okay," and proceeded to take the last bag out of the car, locking the trunk before driving off without a word.
Zhan glared after him, muttering, "Like it's his father's car. I'll be the reason he loses his job at our house." He left the security guard to carry the rest of the bags to the reception by himself and walked inside without lifting a finger.
At the reception, Zhan sat down, ignoring everyone around him as he talked on the phone. About ten minutes later, Zan Jin arrived. They loaded Zhan's luggage into Xin's car and headed to the apartment where they would be staying.
~~~~~
Zhan was relieved. He was free now—no one watching over him, no one to stop him. Whenever his mother called, he would sneak into the restroom and lock the door, making sure she couldn't hear the noise of his friends in the background.
Life was good—full of night parties and clubbing. The one thing Zhan refused to do was take drugs, even though his friends constantly tried to influence him. Once, Zan Jin tricked him into taking drugs by slipping them into Zhan's cocktail. Zhan spent the whole next day struggling to stay awake, which made them drop the issue after that.
Then, his friends started suggesting they spend the night at hotels with their boyfriends and girlfriends. Zhan, however, always refused to stay out overnight, choosing to return to the apartment instead.
Zhan was careful about where he went, making sure no one from his family, especially Paa or Zhuo Ge, ever saw him. When the exams started, Zhan was the only one among his friends who actually focused on studying. The others didn't even bother to open a book.
Meanwhile, his mother kept asking him to come home, but Zhan lied, saying he was too busy studying for his exams.
After the exams, Zhan continued his deception, inventing stories about practical work so he could extend his time with his friends, engaging in all sorts of mischievous activities.
He only returned to the dorms twice when Leo was in the city, as Leo took him out on dates during those visits.
~~~~~
Zhan had not returned to the dormitory or home during the entire two-month holiday, despite his mother and father calling him every day.
He was always asking his father for money, and without fail, his father would send him more than he asked for, no matter the amount. Lu Jie also called him almost daily, all the while both Mr. and Mrs. Xiao were under the impression that Zhan was still staying at the dormitory.
Every day, Mrs. Xiao prayed for Zhan, worried about him ever since he left home. She couldn't put her mind at ease, feeling restless and uneasy, but there was nothing she could do about it. Whatever she tried to tell her husband, he wouldn't understand, dismissing her concerns by saying, "Zhan is a big boy now; he's already 18."
Whenever she called Zhan, she would advise him to take care of himself and avoid hanging out with his troublesome friends.
But Zhan would always reply, "Mama, I don't know anyone in this city, and we don't go anywhere. I'm just studying for the next semester." This was the same thing he told her every day.
One Friday, Zhan and his friends prepared to visit a sick friend of Xin's. He Peng was driving, and Zan Jin suggested, "You guys should call him first and check if he's still at the hospital so we don't go all the way for nothing."
Xin picked up his phone, called his friend Wei, and put it on speaker. When Wei answered, Xin asked, "Are you guys still at the hospital?"
Wei replied, "Hospital? I was discharged yesterday. I'm at the hotel now, enjoying the AC."
"My boyfriend, that old businessman, paid for four nights, but he had to leave in a hurry this morning. He said he'd be gone for three days, so I thought I'd just stay here till he gets back," Wei added.
Xin laughed and said, "Sounds good. Let's head to the hotel, then."
Wei replied, "Come on over! There's food, drinks, and AC, 24/7."
Xin hung up, and He Peng drove towards the hotel. Zan Jin joked, "Let's all go and enjoy the free AC."
They all laughed, but Zhan asked, "How long are we staying? You know I don't like being in these kinds of places in broad daylight."
Zan Jin reassured him, "We're just going to hang out in a room. Nothing to worry about." Zhan didn't say anything more and continued scrolling through his phone.
When they arrived at the grand hotel, He Peng parked the car. At that moment, Zhan's phone started ringing, and seeing it was his father, his eyes widened.
Zan Jin noticed and asked, "Who is it?"
Zhan showed him the screen. "Okay," Zan Jin said, "let's go inside while you stay here and take the call. Once you're done, lock up and call me for the room number."
"Alright," Zhan agreed.
They all got out of the car, and He Peng handed him the keys before they headed inside. Zhan's phone had already stopped ringing, but soon after, his father called again.
He answered, "Paa, good evening."
"How are you, dear? When do you resume school?" Mr. Xiao asked.
"In two weeks, Paa," Zhan replied.
"Okay. When are you coming home?"
"I'll come home just before school resumes in two days."
"Alright, take care, dear," Mr. Xiao said.
"Alright, Paa. Bye."
After hanging up, Zhan got out of the car, locked it, and walked toward the hotel entrance while trying to dial Zan Jin's number.
He suddenly heard someone call his name. He turned quickly and saw an ex-boyfriend of Zan Jin approaching him.
"Hi, Zhan," the man said.
Zhan smiled faintly and replied, "How are you, Chen?"
"Been a while," Chen said with a small laugh.
"Yeah, I'm cool," Zhan replied.
Chen chuckled and asked, "Do you have an appointment here today?"
Zhan glanced at him and said, "I'm with my friends. They're inside."
"Oh, okay. How's school?"
"Fine," Zhan said as they walked together into the hotel lobby, with Chen chatting with him along the way.
Meanwhile, Yi Bo was sitting in the hotel courtyard under a shade, talking with someone his age. He noticed Zhan and Chen walking by and, at first, thought it was someone who merely resembled Zhan. But the way he walked gave him pause.
Yi Bo stopped drinking from his bottle water and stared at Zhan without blinking. Startled by his reaction, his friend banged the table and exclaimed, "Hey!"
Yi Bo snapped out of it and turned to his friend, who asked, "Why are you staring at him like that? Does he fascinate you, or what?"
"Look at that boy with his boyfriend. They're here to have fun, and you're just sitting here watching them?" the friend added with a laugh.
Yi Bo didn't respond. He was still in shock, having seen the boy they claimed was studying in the dormitory now at a hotel.
His friend, Rui, noticed his silence and said, "Come on, man. You have Jia, and with her parents' wealth, she's a decent girl. You should relax."
Yi Bo only managed a small smile. Rui continued, "Have you been talking with her all this time?"
Yi Bo nodded. "Does she know you're in Beijing?"
Yi Bo shook his head in response.
"What about your engagement? Any updates?" Rui asked.
"It's still on," Yi Bo said.
"You should think about what I've told you, Yi Bo. Please do," Rui urged.
Yi Bo took a deep breath and said, "I will, and I appreciate your advice."
"I'm grateful you took the time to listen to me," Rui said as he stood up.
Yi Bo smiled and walked him to his car. After Rui left, Yi Bo returned to his seat, still deep in thought.
By 6 p.m., Yi Bo was still sitting there, and neither Zhan nor the other man he saw with him had come back out.
Yang phone him, and Yi Bo pulled out his phone, answering as he held it to his ear. Yang said, "You've been quiet since you said you'd be back from the street."
Yi Bo responded, "I'm almost back now."
Yang added, "Zhan's grandma dropped off some big mangoes for you."
Yi Bo smiled and said, "Thank you, I'll be there soon." With that, he hung up.
As night began to fall, Yi Bo sat where he was, waiting for Zhan to come out of the hotel, but there was no sign of him. The only person who came to his mind was Zhan's mother. He felt sorry for her—a kind woman who treated everyone with respect. She didn't deserve a child like Zhan...
Yi Bo sat there until nearly 8 PM, but seeing that Zhan wasn't going to show, he stood up, headed to where he parked Zhan's house car, he got in the car, and drove off.
He went straight home, determined to erase everything from his mind as if it had never happened. After all, it wasn't his problem, and it never would be.
~~~~~
Two weeks later, Zhan returned home in the evening with just one trolley of his belongings. From the moment he entered the gate, Yi Bo's eyes were on Zhan. He had completely forgotten about Lee being the family driver until now, and seeing him suddenly changed his mood.
"So, I'm back in this miserable house with that driver again?" Zhan thought bitterly. "There's no way I can stay here; I'll need to make another plan to get out of this place."
With an air of arrogance, Zhan walked toward the main entrance of the living room. He looked radiant, and you could tell just by looking at him that he had no worries in the world. What made him look even more refreshed was how much time he spent sitting around in the AC.
Yi Bo watched him as he entered the house. Yang, speaking in a lower tone, commented, "Look at how he's glowing, like someone in the early stages of pregnancy."
Yi Bo said nothing, but he truly felt sorry for Mr. and Mrs. Xiao. He hadn't met such kind and generous people in a long time. During his nearly Eight months in their home, Mr. Xiao had treated him like a son. He even trusted Yi Bo enough to give him his ATM card to withdraw money for him—something not even Zhan's own brother was allowed to do.
Mr. Xiao admired Yi Bo's calm, respectful demeanor and often tested him. For example, he would send Yi Bo to buy something, giving him three times the required amount, only for Yi Bo to return the change every time. Mr. Xiao tested him in various ways without Yi Bo even realizing it.
No one in the house had any issues with him—except for Zhan. Zhan had developed a strong dislike for him and treated him with open disdain.
Even Zhuo, when he had free time, would prefer to sit by the gate just to chat with Yi Bo. It seemed like they had known each other forever. Zhuo enjoyed talking with him because of his vast knowledge and the fact that he was always up to date with world events. They often spent long hours talking.
Then there was Zhan's grandmother, who trusted Yi Bo more than anyone else in the family. She even sent the driver from her own home to call for Yi Bo whenever she needed something, preferring him over the rest of the family.
As soon as Zhan entered his mother's section of the house, Mrs. Xiao was watching him closely. Zhan, on the other hand, was lying on the couch, engrossed in his phone. After a few moments, Mrs. Xiao asked, "Where are the rest of your things?"
Zhan replied, "I left them at the dormitory, Mama."
Mrs. Xiao responded sternly, "Get up and have the driver take you to collect them now."
Zhan tried to soften his voice, "But, Mama, I don't need anything from there."
She raised her voice, "I said, get up!"
Zhan stood reluctantly, almost on the verge of tears, and said, "Mama, I'll go get them."
Mrs. Xiao asked, "Aren't your classes starting tomorrow?"
Zhan nodded slowly.
"Then make sure you don't come back here without your luggage," she warned before walking off to her room.
Zhan pouted as he got up and left, confused as to when the last time was that anyone had scolded him like this—it had been so long.
The next morning, after he was dressed for school, Mrs. Xiao reminded him again to bring back his suitcases. As he walked out into the compound, his mood soured once more at the sight of Yi Bo still being the driver. He didn't feel like taking a taxi today, but the thought of Yi Bo ruined his mood.
At the gate, their eyes met, and Yi Bo gave him a disgusted look, glaring at him up and down. Zhan snapped, "What are you looking at me like that for?"
Yi Bo just rolled his eyes, making a loud, exaggerated sigh. Frustrated, Zhan decided he would rather take a taxi, as just seeing Yi Bo's face was enough to ruin his day.
After Zhan left the gate, Yang muttered, "Oh great, trouble has returned. I had almost forgotten about him."
Yi Bo remained silent.
Two days after Zhan's return home, he was lying in his mother's bedroom, recounting to her what had happened with Leo the previous night. Mrs. Xiao, sitting on the edge of the bed, asked, "When did he say they're coming?"
"In two weeks," Zhan replied.
Mrs. Xiao asked again, "But you haven't told anyone else, right?"
Zhan shook his head. "No, I only told you and Zan Jin."
Mrs. Xiao's tone sharpened, "And who is Zan Jin? Why did you tell him they're coming to discuss your engagement? Didn't I forbid you from associating with them?"
"Don't tell anyone else about this. If they're serious about coming, we'll inform your father when the time is right."
Zhan just laughed, and Mrs. Xiao said, "Well, just keep yourself together and don't pay attention to anyone else. Now that you're going to be engage, focus on that."
Despite his mother's warning not to tell anyone about Leo's engagement plans, Zhan still told Zhuo Ge. They were chatting when Zhan broke the news, and Zhuo immediately called him. As Zhan picked up, Zhuo said, "Are you serious?"
Zhan replied, "Yes, Gege."
"That's good," Zhuo said. "But Paa didn't tell me."
Zhan widened his eyes in surprise. "Gege, Mama said she would tell him."
"Okay, till next week then, but I'll be back the day after tomorrow," Zhuo said before ending the call.
When Zhan returned to his chat, he saw a message from Lu Jie congratulating him. It seemed Mrs. Xiao had already told her. Zhan smiled and replied, "Thanks, twinny Jie."
The next day, as Zhan left for school, Yi Bo gave him a disgusted look as usual. The night before, Lu Jie had told Yi Bo about Zhan's engagement plans for next week, including the prestigious family that was coming. Yibo genuinely pitied the family and the man who would marry Zhan.
Seeing the way Yi Bo was staring at him, Zhan stopped in his tracks and snapped, "What's your problem? Have I committed some great sin against you that you look at me like that every time I come out? As if I've done something, I don't know about it! I swear, if you ever give me that disrespectful look again, I'll slap you."
Yi Bo, staring back at him calmly, said, "Who are you going to slap?"
Filled with arrogance, Zhan replied, "You. Who else? Do you think I can't slap you just because of who you are? After I leave this house, I'll forget you even exist. So why do you keep giving me that look?"
Yi Bo didn't respond. The sight of Zhan made him feel feverish and uneasy, and his heart seemed to boil with frustration. Seeing that Yi Bo stayed silent, Zhan clicked his tongue in annoyance, muttering, "What a waste of time," before storming out of the house.
Yang, who had been watching from a distance, shook his head and muttered to himself, "This boy hasn't changed at all."
Four days before Leo and his family were scheduled to visit, Zhan was napping in the afternoon since it was Saturday and there were no lectures.
His phone started vibrating—Leo had said he would call. But when Zhan checked, it wasn't Leo. It was one of his coursemates, Song Jia, someone he didn't talk to often.
He hesitated but eventually answered the call. "Zhan, what is this I'm seeing on social media?" Song Jia asked.
Zhan blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Go on Weibo," she said before abruptly hanging up. Almost immediately, another call came in, this time from Mei, a high school friend.
Zhan stared at the phone, unsure whether to answer, but then picked up. "Zhan, what's going on?" Mei asked, her tone urgent.
"I don't understand. What's happening?" Zhan replied, now sitting up in bed.
"Go on Instagram," Mei said before hanging up too. Just as Zhan was about to check Weibo, another call came in from a classmate he often did practicals with.
Zhan's heartbeat quickened. Something felt wrong. He answered the call, and Bowen's voice came through, sounding panicked. "Zhan, what on earth happened?"
Zhan, now alarmed, said, "What's going on?"
"Turn on your data," Bowen replied.
Shaking, Zhan did as instructed, his hands trembling as he opened Weibo. His phone was flooded with messages, but the first one that caught his attention was from a classmate who had sent him a video asking, "What is this, Zhan?"
With shaky hands, Zhan opened the video. His heart sank. There he was, wearing only Gucci boxers, on a bed—not sleeping, but tossing and turning. Four muscular men then appeared, shoving him back onto the bed. They hovered over him, touching him everywhere.
Zhan dropped the phone, his whole body trembling as he stared wide-eyed at the floor. He let out a scream, jumped off the bed, and collapsed to his knees. His phone kept ringing, but he couldn't bring himself to move.
The door opened, and Zhan looked up quickly. His mother entered, her eyes wide with panic. "Zhan, what is happening on social media? Lu called me, crying, and she said you won't pick up her calls."
Zhan couldn't speak. He had never felt so weak, so powerless, as he did in this moment. It was as if his entire body had stopped functioning. Mrs. Xiao's phone rang, and she answered quickly.
Lu was on the other end, sobbing. "Mama, check your chat. I've sent you something."
Mrs. Xiao opened the chat, watched the video, and threw her phone onto the bed in shock. "Zhaaaan??"
For the rest of the day, Zhan's phone didn't stop ringing. Calls came from Zan Jin, He Peng, Xin.... just constant calls. But Zhan remained frozen, unable to move or pick up a single one. He closed his eyes and opened them repeatedly, as if he were trapped in a nightmare he desperately wanted to wake from.
His mother, pacing with tears streaming down her face, wailed, "Zhan, who did this to you? How could this happen?"
The door opened again, and Zhan's grandmother entered, her face pale with worry. Mrs. Xiao broke down once more, sobbing uncontrollably. With a shaky voice, Zhan's grandmother said, "Zhan?" Tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head in disbelief. Zhan, too, broke down, crying out, "I didn't do it... It's a trap... It's all a well-planned trap..."
Seeing the perfume bottle on the dresser, Zhan's grandmother grabbed it and stormed toward him. Zhan rushed into the restroom and locked the door, while Mrs. Xiao held onto her mother-in-law, both of them weeping in frustration and heartbreak.
By evening, it was as if a funeral was taking place in the house. Mr. Xiao's elder brother's family had arrived, as had Mrs. Xiao's relatives. The entire house was filled with an atmosphere of grief.
Yang, observing the continuous flow of people, was confused. No one had died, but the mood was grim. Yi Bo, who usually eavesdropped on everything, had left earlier in the day and hadn't returned. Everyone who entered the main living room was solemn.
Lu Jie flew in from Guangzhou, and Zhuo rushed back from Shenzhen, where he had been handling a small branch of the Xiao Empire. Zhan's grandmother had been crying non-stop, using four handkerchiefs throughout the day.
As for Mrs. Xiao, if you saw her, would break your heart—she looked utterly devastated. Her two sisters had lashed out at Zhan, but no one else in the family had tried to confront him or say a word.
Zhan's panic doubled when he realized that Leo had blocked him everywhere—Weibo, Instagram, phone calls, Twitter, everything. At that moment, Zhan wished he could just disappear. He still had no idea where or when the video had been recorded...he hadn't been asleep, and yet it had happened.
End of flashbacks... And now the Present, let's us continue 😊
Zhan slowly opened his eyes, scanning the room. He was lying in the middle of the living room, on the carpet, and the place felt unfamiliar. There was no one else around.
Suddenly, the door to one of the rooms opened. Zhan turned and locked eyes with the person standing in the doorway. His breath caught, and for a few seconds, he couldn't breathe. Memories flooded back to him, and his body started trembling violently. He let out a loud scream and, without a second thought, dashed toward the kitchen like a madman.
The person stood still for a moment, as if unsure whether to follow, but upon seeing the kitchen door locked, he quickly rushed after him.
When he entered, he found Zhan holding a table knife, crying uncontrollably and pointing the knife towards his wrist. His eyes swept over him from head to toe.
Without a word, he calmly stepped further into the kitchen, picked up a real knife, and walked up to Zhan. Extending the knife towards him, he said coldly, "If you're serious, use this."
Zhan squeezed his eyes shut, crying as hard as he could, his hands trembling. The other man grabbed Zhan's hand, guiding the knife into his grip before stepping back towards the door. Leaning against the wall, he crossed his arms and watched Zhan with a scornful expression, daring him to act.
Giggling... Please enjoy 🌷🌻
Zhanxianyibo❤️💚💛