As YiBo entered his father's living room, he avoided making eye contact. Walking slowly, he sat on the soft carpet and, gathering his courage, said, "Good evening, Dad." His father's silence made him glance up to see that he was only focused on the newspaper in his hands. YiBo lowered his head. After almost two minutes, his father put the paper down, gave him a brief look, and said, "There's an international joint venture for one month that you'll handle in Korea. The business isn't new to you; you know everything about it. You can choose to stay in Korea or come back to China weekly. Once you've sorted everything out, you can return to wherever you came from and continue your life since that's what's best for you. And don't expect me to beg you to stay here!"
After saying this, his father stood up and went into his room. YiBo watched him leave, only for him to return with some files, which he threw onto the floor. "Everything you need is in there. You can leave my sight now," his father said. YiBo picked up the files slowly, replying, "Okay. Thank you, Dad." He stood and headed for the door. Before leaving, he looked back and their eyes met, but his father quickly turned away and entered his bedroom.
Back in the living room, YiBo's mom stood restlessly, pacing the room as worry clouded her mind. She was anxious about what his father had called him for, hoping it was for something good. As soon as she saw YiBo enter, she rushed to him and asked, "What did he say to you?" YiBo handed her the files, which she quickly skimmed. Then, looking up at him, she asked, "What is this?" He replied, "He wants me to take charge."
She stared at him, not blinking. After a moment, she smiled, hugged him tightly, feeling a mixture of emotions, and tears filled her eyes. Letting him go, she asked, "When will you leave?" YiBo said, "I need to prepare."
With a worried tone, she said quietly, "I want you to be ready first thing in the morning and leave the house before anyone notices you're here. No one knows you're around yet, and I'm sure your father hasn't told anyone." YiBo couldn't bring himself to respond. She wiped her tears and said, "Come in and eat now. I'm so happy with this good news." She held his hand and led him toward her bedroom. As they reached the door, she paused, surprised to see Zhan, still sitting motionless where he was, not having touched the food that had been served to him.
His mom lowered her voice and asked YiBo, "Are you sure he'll agree to stay the night? He hasn't eaten anything yet. Are you sure you don't want to check if there's a flight to Beijing and get him a ticket?"
YiBo simply looked at Zhan. His mom said, "Please do it before it's too late. You know how some people can't relax unless they're at home. We don't want to make him uncomfortable." She left the room, and YiBo knelt next to Zhan, looking at him. Zhan avoided eye contact, but YiBo noticed tears welling in his eyes. In a soft voice, YiBo asked, "Did something offend you?"
Zhan glanced at him, then burst into tears. Struggling to speak through his sobs, he said, "Please... forgive me. Just take me to the bus station and let me go back to Zhuo Ge. Please, just grant me this last favor." Crying pitifully, he lowered his head to his knees.
YiBo watched him for a moment before asking, "Has something happened here to make you want to leave?" Zhan shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "No one's done anything to me," he whispered. YiBo gathered the untouched food his mom had placed in front of Zhan and took it back to the living room. When he returned, he said, "Come and eat." Zhan replied, "I'm not hungry." YiBo repeated, "Come out and eat."
Reluctantly, Zhan stood, holding back his sobs, and followed YiBo into the living room, sitting down where the food had been placed. With great effort, he swallowed back the lump in his throat and began to eat slowly. YiBo watched him for a moment before leaving the room.
Alone, Zhan struggled to eat. His appetite was completely gone. This was the third major shock of his life, but this one felt the most devastating, almost giving him a heart attack. Of all the shocks, this one made him feel like he had no hope left in the world, as if he was utterly alone. It had been less than a month, and his life had been shaken three times. The way he felt in his heart made him believe he had no more support left in the world. Everything felt like a dream, but he knew it wasn't. This was his reality. He had never felt such hatred for himself and everything that had happened until today.
Forcing himself, Zhan stood up and slowly returned all the food to the warmer, knowing he could never eat it. He sat down again on the floor, leaning against the chair, unaware that tears were streaming down his face.
YiBo sat in the living room while his mom was on the phone with her sister. She was happily telling her that he was back. Afterward, she called her friend from the same country, who was always there for her. YiBo just watched her quietly until she ended the call. His mom stood up and asked, "Did you find a flight, son?" He shook his head, "No, Mom." She responded, "Okay, first thing tomorrow, book a ticket for him before you leave, alright?" YiBo didn't reply, and his mom went inside. It didn't take long before she came back with a plate of food. They ate together, but YiBo only ate the peppered chicken, ignoring the pork soup, saying he was full. His mom called Li Mei to clear everything from her part of the house.
***
At 9:30 p.m., YiBo's mom entered the living room where Zhan was. She looked at Zhan and said, "Why don't you take a shower so you can feel better?" Zhan stood up without meeting her eyes. She watched him as he headed towards the door and said, "There's a guest bedroom here. You can use it." Zhan shook his head and said, "I'll just stay in the living room." She insisted, "No, go to the bedroom." Zhan entered the bedroom. YiBo, who was on his phone, glanced up as Zhan walked by, but Zhan avoided eye contact and went inside the room.
YiBo's mom came into the living room and called him. He stood and followed her to the first living room. She said, "Do you think he will settle down there without feeling out of place?" YiBo replied, "No, Mom. Just make the bed for him in the guest room." She nodded, "Alright. I'm leaving my bedroom for you, so you can sleep there. I'll sleep elsewhere." He smiled and said, "No need to leave your bed for me, Mom. I'll sleep in the living room, you know I prefer the couch, or I can use another guest room." She relented, "Okay, let me grab your pajamas for him."
She left and returned shortly after with a new set of pajamas for Zhan. She placed them in the room where Zhan was staying, along with two expensive sprays, then left. When Zhan came out of the shower, he walked into the living room where YiBo was still on his phone. Zhan sat quietly by the chair. YiBo's mom came out and saw him, saying, "Baby, go inside and get dressed. There's a sleeping dress and perfume on the bed for you."
Zhan quietly responded, "Thank you," and went back to the room. YiBo's mom prepared YiBo's bed in the second living room while he watched her. He realized how much he had missed all this, how much he had missed his mom. Even back then, she would come into his room to tidy things up. When she was done, he got up, approached her, and gave her a gentle side hug. In a soft voice, he said, "Thanks, Mom."
His mom looked up at him and said, "You're going to take a shower, right?" He nodded, "Sure." She added, "Let me get you your pajamas." She left the room, and YiBo smiled as he went into the bathroom for his shower.
Zhan, who was still in his room, hurriedly covered himself with the sleeping dress he was trying to wear when YiBo walked in. Startled, Zhan crouched down, covering his face. YiBo averted his gaze and walked out of the room, heading to his mom's bathroom instead. His mom had laid out his pajamas after she left the room where Zhan was staying. When she returned, she noticed Zhan crouched near the dressing mirror, dressed in the sleeping gown. It amused her, and she said, "Come on, get on the bed and sleep."
Zhan looked up in surprise, not expecting that, and then said, "No, I'll sleep on the floor." His mom insisted, "Come on, get on the bed and sleep, baby." Zhan hesitated but finally got up and slowly made his way to the large bed, which was a sight to behold with its grand furniture. YiBo's mom pulled the duvet over him, and he thanked her. The air conditioning made the room quite cold.
It was nearly 1 a.m., and Zhan still hadn't fallen asleep. Memories overwhelmed him, and tears began to roll down his face. He wished he could rewind time and undo many things. Feeling the need to cry out, hoping for some relief, he quietly got out of bed and tiptoed to the second living room. YiBo was lying there, unable to sleep himself, and watched as Zhan went into the other living room.
YiBo couldn't explain why he was still awake, perhaps it was the excitement of being back home with his mom after so many years. After about seven minutes, he quietly got up, didn't turn on the lights, and followed Zhan into the other room, where he could hear quiet sobbing. Zhan suddenly noticed something standing over him, and in fright, he jumped up to run, but YiBo caught his arm. Realizing it was YiBo by his familiar scent, Zhan buried his face in his chest, crying softly.
After a few moments, YiBo asked, "Did you come here just to cry?" Zhan didn't say anything, just shook his head, still sobbing. YiBo gently pulled him back and said, "Sit here." Zhan felt a chair behind him and sat down slowly. YiBo, still standing, said in a low voice, "Listen to everything I'm about to say because it's for your own good."
Zhan sat silently, his heart pounding. YiBo lowered his voice even more and said, "Under no condition should you tell anyone in this house about our relationship. This is a secret between us until we fulfill the promise we made to each other in the past."
Zhan kept his head down, and YiBo added, "I've told the family you're here to collect an admission letter. That's all you need to tell them too." Zhan wiped his eyes and nodded. YiBo turned on the living room light, glanced at Zhan, and said, "Goodnight." Without making eye contact, Zhan stood up and headed back to the second living room. YiBo waited until he had gone before following him.
When Zhan woke up, he found himself alone in the room. As he began making the bed, Li Mei entered with a smile, saying, "Good morning." Zhan lowered his gaze and replied, "Good morning." Li Mei said, "You should have left it for me. I was going to come in and tidy up. It's my job." Zhan didn't respond as Li Mei got to work. He left for the living room, and as he opened the door to the first living room, he saw YiBo and his Mom sitting there. He greeted her respectfully, and she responded warmly. Zhan glanced at YiBo, meeting his eyes. He couldn't leave without greeting him, especially with his Mom present, so he said, "Good morning." YiBo replied, "Good morning. Your breakfast is ready."
YiBo's Mom suggested, "Why don't we serve him breakfast in the other living room so he'll be more comfortable?" YiBo disagreed, saying, "No, he'll have it here." Zhan said nothing, walking slowly into the room. YiBo pointed to the tray with his breakfast, and Zhan picked it up as YiBo showed him where to sit. YiBo's Mom couldn't help but watch him closely, thinking how cute and timid he was. She then turned to YiBo and asked, "Isn't he the son of the man whose house you stayed in sometimes?"
Before YiBo could respond, the living room door opened. Ru and Tin entered, both squealing in excitement when they saw YiBo. They ran over to hug him, thrilled to see him. A second set of girls, Xia and Fen, soon followed, also rushing to embrace him, clearly overjoyed. YiBo smiled, happy to see them as well.
Mom chuckled at the scene. Ru looked at her mother, tears welling up, and asked, "Mom, why didn't you tell us our brother had returned? Dad said he's been back since last night." Then she burst into tears. YiBo pulled her to his side, smiling as he said, "What difference does it make whether it's last night or now?"
Ru replied, "Of course it matters! If I'd known you were here, I would've stayed the night. I missed you so much, brother!" She hugged him again, tears streaming down her face. Zhan observed the family dynamic, realizing they were clearly rich kids. Ru bore the most resemblance to YiBo, while Tin had fair skin, but Fen and Xia were not as light as Ru.
Fen kept glancing at Zhan curiously. Then she turned to Mom and asked, "Mom, who is he?" Mom responded, "He's our guest." Fen's question caught the other girls' attention, and they all looked at Zhan. Tin rolled her eyes slightly, saying, "Oh, he looks familiar." Xia stared at Zhan without blinking, as if trying to figure something out. Then she grabbed Tin and pulled her out of the living room, wide-eyed, saying, "Do you remember the guy from that viral video a few weeks ago?"
Xia's eyes widened as she recalled the video. "Oh, yes! They look so much alike. I think I still have that video in my trash bin," she exclaimed. Since YiBo noticed that his sister's were all fixated on Zhan, he said, "Alright, I need some rest. We'll meet later in the main living room..." Ru interrupted, "Brother, who is he? I feel like I know him too." Mom laughed, saying, "Where would you know him from? Stop making things up, Ru."
Ru glanced back at Zhan, who had lowered his head, heart pounding. The only thing that came to his mind was his nude video. YiBo stood up and said, "Ru, we'll meet later in the main living room. I said I need rest. Now go."
Just then, Xia and Fen rushed back into the living room, followed closely by Tin. Xia hurried over to Mom, stumbling as she handed her, her phone. "Mom, do you remember this?" he asked. Mom took the phone and, upon seeing the video Xia was showing her, said, "Didn't I tell you to delete that video, Xia? Why is it still on your phone?"
Xia's eyes bulged as she pointed at Zhan. "Isn't that him over there?" Mom quickly looked at Zhan, then back at the phone. YiBo was silent, unsure of what to say. Zhan, feeling as if cold water had been poured over him, couldn't move. He looked at them like someone who had been caught in a lie, then lowered his head, tears brimming in his eyes.
Mom glanced at YiBo and then back at Zhan. Meanwhile, Fen had left to gather more girls. Soon, two more arrived, standing by the door, each holding their phone. Every time one of them looked at the video, they'd peer back at Zhan with open mouths. Mom, shaken by the realization, glanced again at YiBo, who remained silent. She swallowed hard and muttered, "No, no, it must be a resemblance. It's just a resemblance, right?"
Xia and Fen widened their eyes, exclaiming in unison, "Mom, we swear it's him! The video is so clear. It's not blurry at all. Look again—it's definitely him!" Tin rushed forward, offering her phone for Mom to inspect the video more closely. She refused to take the phone and remained quiet. One of the girls, Sisi, commented, "Who brought him here anyway? They said he's a student at Tsinghua University."
Ru, still standing by YiBo, softly asked, "Brother, who is he?" He didn't respond, instead pointing his sisters toward the door, saying, "Leave." Fen pouted, and Tin followed suit as they all turned to leave. Xia also walked out, while Ru took one last look at Zhan, who was still crying, before leaving the living room herself.
Mom sat in stunned silence. After a while, she stood up and walked to her room, sitting on the edge of her bed, visibly shaken. She wondered how YiBo had met this boy and why he had brought him to their home. Just then, Li Mei emerged from the bathroom and noticed her expression. Concerned, she asked, "Are you okay, ma'am?" she forced a smile and said, "I'm fine. You can go, Li Mei. I'll call you if I need anything." Li Mei nodded and left the room.
Meanwhile, YiBo remained standing, unsure of what to do. Zhan buried his face in his hands, quietly sobbing. After Li Mei left, YiBo walked into his mother's room and closed the door behind him. She stood up, looking at him accusingly. "Ai Bo, who is that boy you brought into our house? What is your connection to him?" she demanded. Summoning his courage, YiBo replied, "Mom, please calm down. He's the son of the man whose house I stayed at in Beijing. I've already explained why we came here together. That's all there is to it."
She sighed, "Then I'll transfer money for a plane ticket. He can go back now, right? He's done what he needed to do?" YiBo didn't know what to say. His Mom tone grew sharper. "Did you hear me?" she asked. In a low voice, YiBo replied, "Mom, he hasn't finished yet. He hasn't even received his admission letter."
She asked, "What are you saying, Ai Bo? What do you want me to do about this? Are you forgetting the nature of this household? Wait a second… is he the guy from that video or not?" He lowered his gaze, unable to respond. She snapped, "I'm talking to you, Ai Bo!" Finally, he mustered the strength to say, "Yes, it's him."
She sighed in frustration, "How much is the plane ticket? I'll transfer the money to you right now."
Shaking his head in distress, YiBo said, "Mom, we already spoke with his father. He agreed that he could stay here until he receives his admission letter. We can't repay their kindness like this. His father is one of the nicest people I've ever met. He trusted me, welcomed me into their home, and treated me like family for almost ten months. Mom, we can't just throw him out. His parents are good, humble people. They did something for me that I'll never forget. And Mom, all the kids in their house are well-mannered, ans and that vedio it's not his fault, someone framed him…"
He trailed off, unsure of what to say next. Mom burst into tears, "Is this the kind of conversation we're having now, Ai Bo? What do you expect me to say about this? Don't you realize everyone in this house knows he's the guy from the video? Even your father saw it and was so disappointed that he prayed for our family. And now he's here, in our home, brought by you? You've had enough trouble in this household, and now you've brought even more upon yourself? Listen, Ai Bo, how long has it been since your father asked you to come back? And now you return with this issue? Please, do us all a favor and take him out of this house before anyone else notices him. Take him out, Ai Bo."
Oh! My poor baby Zhan... 😭
Zhanxianyibo❤️💚💛