Zhan parked the car in front of a small eatery and said, "Wait here while I go in."
Yibo quickly protested, "But I haven't eaten anything too!"
Zhan turned off his phone and, as if ignoring him, said, "One meat pie should be enough for you." Before Yibo could reply, Zhan opened the car door to step out.
"Gege, wait! I'm not wearing shoes," Yibo exclaimed, looking down at his bare feet.
Zhan glanced at Yibo's feet and smirked. "Good. Then you can stay here while I eat," he teased, closing the door behind him.
Yibo pouted and whined, "I haven't eaten since lunch, except for that porridge you forced me to steal!"
Zhan gave him a stern look. "And what do you want me to do? Parade you into the restaurant like this?"
Yibo sighed dramatically, marshalling his best pitiful look. "Can't you at least buy me a pair of slippers first?"
Zhan crossed his arms, unmoved. "You can wait. I won't be long."
Not one to give up easily, Yibo opened the car door and stepped out, barefoot.
Zhan spun around in surprise. "What are you doing? Stay right there and don't come near me!"
Yibo stuck out his bottom lip. "Fine," he grumbled, leaning against the car.
"Good," Zhan said, heading into the eatery. "Just stay far away enough that no one thinks you're with me."
Once inside, Zhan found a table and made sure Yibo had taken a seat at the far end of the restaurant. He watched discreetly as Yibo tried to make himself invisible while sitting down, ignoring the curious glances from other patrons.
Zhan ordered fried rice with half a chicken, fresh orange juice, and bottled water. As the waitress set his food down, he asked, "You have meat pies, right?"
"Yes, along with burgers, pizzas, and sausage rolls," she replied.
"Great. See that boy sitting at the far end?" Zhan asked, gesturing toward Yibo.
The waitress glanced at Yibo and nodded. "Yes, I see him."
"Take one meat pie and a bottle of water to him. I'll cover it," Zhan instructed.
The waitress smiled and left to fulfill the request. A few moments later, she placed the food in front of Yibo, who blinked in surprise. He glanced toward Zhan, who quickly turned his chair to face away, hiding a small smile as he focused on his meal.
Yibo stared at the plate for a moment before standing up and walking straight to Zhan's table. He placed the meat pie and water in front of Zhan, grabbed Zhan's plate of fried rice and orange juice, and marched back to his seat.
Zhan looked at the plate in front of him, dumbfounded. Slowly, he turned to look at Yibo, who was now happily digging into the rice. Their eyes met briefly, but Yibo ignored his glare, taking a big bite of chicken.
Zhan sighed, shook his head, and finished the meat pie before paying the bill. As he walked back to the car, he noticed Yibo following close behind, sipping on the leftover orange juice.
Once at the car, Zhan opened the driver's side door and got in. Yibo slid into the passenger seat, grinning.
"Get out and finish your food," Zhan said, glaring at him.
Yibo laughed nervously. "I knew you'd leave without me, so I brought the juice just in case."
Zhan frowned. "I said get out."
"But I'm already full," Yibo replied cheekily. "Didn't you see? I finished the chicken!"
Zhan shook his head in exasperation, started the car, and drove off.
After they got on the highway, Zhan said, "I'm taking you home now, and don't you dare mention my name in this whole porridge mess, or I'll make you cry."
Surprised, Yibo asked, "Where are you going now?"
"My house," Zhan replied curtly.
Yibo immediately started crying. "So you're just going to drop me off at home? I'm telling you now, don't even bother because I'm not getting out of this car!"
Zhan widened his eyes. "Then where do you want me to take you?"
Pouting, Yibo said, "Let's go to your house together."
Shaking his head, Zhan responded, "If you're crazy, I'm not."
Yibo glanced at him and muttered, "But I always go there."
Zhan threw him a sharp look. "That's not happening today."
Yibo fell silent when he realized they were heading toward home. He grabbed Zhan's arm in a panic and pleaded, "Please, Gege, don't take me home now. Mu Qin will probably hit me. She already warned me not to bring back any drama."
"And where else should I take you?" Zhan asked, amused.
Yibo started tearing up again, prompting Zhan to smile and say, "Tomorrow, don't you dare touch Nainai's porridge again. I'm staying out of this entirely."
Yibo buried his face in his knees, quietly crying. A few minutes later, Zhan sighed and said, "Here's what you'll do: when I drop you off at home, you'll run straight into Yimei's room and stay there overnight."
Yibo lifted his head, wiping his tears. "But what if Bobo sees me? And Yimei will definitely tell him I'm hiding there."
Zhan shrugged. "Papa won't hit you, and his scolding doesn't leave marks."
Zhan parked the car. "Now, out of my car. Goodnight."
Tears streamed down Yibo's face as he opened the door, glaring at Zhan. "I'll tell Papa everything from start to finish! How we shared the porridge, how you told me to sneak into Nainai's room to grab it because she didn't give you enough!"
Before Zhan could respond, Yibo ran off crying, leaving him sitting there, stunned. He watched as Yibo slipped through the gate, ducking and weaving past the courtyard until he reached Zong's section of the house. Somehow, he managed to sneak into the sitting room unnoticed.
Yibo rushed into Yimei's room. She was sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair. She turned to him, raising her brows as Yibo dove under her duvet on the bed.
"Where's Zhan?" Yimei asked with a curious smile.
Yibo sat up, looking on the verge of tears. "He said he's not coming back tonight! And he's the one who made me take Nainai's porridge, but he drank most of it and left me to deal with everything!"
His voice cracked with frustration, and tears welled in his eyes. Yimei chuckled. "You two really invited trouble today. A Yi is still making Yuting and Da-ge apologize to her. I got tired of all the drama and left."
Yibo pouted and flopped back onto the bed, pulling the duvet over his head.
:-*:-*:-*:-*:-*
The next day, Saturday, Yibo was sitting in Zihan's room, applying lotion in front of the vanity after taking a bath. Zihan sat nearby, reading a book, when the door suddenly opened.
It was Zong standing at the doorway. Yibo almost fell out of his chair in panic. Zong glanced at Zihan and said, "You didn't tell me this boy was here."
Zihan replied casually, "I only saw him last night when I woke up briefly."
Zong turned to Yibo, who looked like he was about to cry, and said, "Meet me in my sitting room right now."
Panicked, Yibo stammered, "But what about Gege?"
Zong shot him a sharp glare and said, "Foolish boy. You'll all learn your lesson today." Then he turned and walked out.
Yibo burst into tears, turning to Zihan. "See? They're going to scold only me because Gege ran away!"
Zihan laughed and said, "Well, you made me lie to cover for you. You better hurry and meet him before things get worse."
Reluctantly, Yibo left the room.
Zong was waiting in his sitting room when Yibo entered. Standing, he said, "Let's go."
Yibo followed him, wiping his tears as they made their way to Nainai's wing. From a distance, they spotted Zhan sweeping the front yard for Nainai.
As soon as Zhan saw his father, he put down the broom and stood respectfully. "Good morning, Papa," he greeted politely.
Zong ignored him and walked into the sitting room.
Nainai came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "Oh, Zong, what brings you here so early?"
Zong sat down and greeted her, and she replied warmly. When Nainai noticed Yibo lingering at the door, she frowned.
"Why did you bring him into my sitting room, Zong? He should stay outside! Honestly, I'm scared of that boy now. It wouldn't surprise me if he kidnapped me one day," Nainai said sharply.
Zong turned to Yibo and commanded, "Stand back at the door."
Yibo shuffled to the doorway and stood quietly.
Zong asked, "When did Zhan arrive here?"
Nainai sat down, shaking her head. "Not even five minutes ago. Turns out, I accused the poor boy wrongly yesterday—he wasn't even aware of what happened since he was at the hospital. I just finished telling him about what that boy Yibo did to me yesterday. Zhan felt so bad he started helping me sweep the yard, even though I know he's not much of a sweeper."
Zong chuckled softly but lowered his head to hide it.
Nainai continued, "That child Yibo made me go to bed hungry yesterday, Zong. If this doesn't stop, I'll leave this house and go anywhere—even abroad—because I've had enough of his antics. Just last night, I was on the phone with Quentin, who kept apologizing on his behalf, but I told him I wouldn't forgive easily."
From the door, Yibo burst into tears and wailed, "But Gege was the one who made me take the bowl of porridge!"
Nainai stopped mid-sentence and stared at Yibo, her mouth agape. Zong turned to her. "And you believed Zhan when he said he didn't know what was going on?"
Zhan, who had set down the broom, tried to sneak away, but Zong caught him. "Don't even try it. Come in here now."
Zhan reluctantly walked into the sitting room, his head down.
Nainai stood up and threw her hands up in frustration. "Zong, it seems you've raised a storm you can't control. Look at this—Zhan came here, pretended to be helpful, and still managed to scheme with Yibo to steal my porridge and milk! I can't believe it. And now, Zhan is sweeping the yard as if to make up for it. Does he think I'm a fool?
"This is my final word—until they replace my porridge with the same quality and buy me proper milk, I won't rest! And let me tell you, Zong, whatever consequences follow will touch even you if you don't address this immediately!"
Nainai stared at Zhan intently and said, "You're nothing but a worthless fool. I swear, today if I say 'may you face the consequences' for what you and that wild boy Yibo have done to me, it will stick. You both left me to go hungry last night. What am I to do now? I'll just let you enjoy the grace of Zong and Quentin because I want nothing to do with you. You're neither from my side of the family nor your grandfather's. You only thrive because of the children I gave birth to—your parents. Otherwise, no stranger would treat me this way. Even my own children wouldn't.
"But Zong, I demand you to keep them both away from my space. I don't want either of them coming here again. Seth is enough for me in this house."
Yibo glanced at Nainai from the corner of his eye, while Zhan kept his head down.
Zong said firmly, "I don't want to hear of you or Yibo going near her side of the house again."
Nainai quickly interjected, "Not just for a while—forever. If they come near here again and drag you and Quentin into this nonsense, I'll pack my things and leave this house. Yibo should stay on their side, and Zhan on his. If I see them here again, I'll leave."
Zong asked, "Do you both understand?"
Zhan replied quietly, "Yes."
Nainai added, "And before tomorrow, I want my porridge replaced and a proper carton of milk bought for me."
Zong nodded. "They'll handle it."
Nainai turned to Yibo and scolded, "I hope you choke on all that stolen food before you cause even more trouble! You're nothing but trouble!"
Yibo burst into tears.
"Get out of my sitting room!" she shouted.
Yibo ran out, sobbing loudly. Nainai turned to Zhan and said, "You too—get out! And don't you ever step foot here again. Go steal from your mother next time if she makes it."
Zhan shot her a glare from the corner of his eye before leaving silently.
Zong sighed and said, "Please, be patient. I'll speak to them again."
Nainai replied, "I've made my decision, Zong. They can stay away from me and cause trouble elsewhere. Let them be disrespectful to their mothers—not to me."
Zong smiled faintly but didn't respond.
On his way out, Zhan saw Yibo sitting by the waterfall, crying bitterly as if his world was ending. He stepped over him and kept walking.
When Zhan reached their section of the house, he headed straight to his mother's room. She was sitting on the bed and had been staring at him since he entered.
He sat down and said, "Good morning, Mom."
She replied coldly, "It's not a good morning. You don't seem to care if your actions drag my name through the mud. You willingly let that Nainai of yours humiliate me over and over again. And for what? You couldn't resist taking her porridge, knowing it would stir trouble? Were you so desperate for a food?
"But that's not even my biggest issue. What concerns me the most is when you and that Yibo decided to team up to steal her porridge and milk. Tell me, Zhan—when did you start plotting with him?"
Zhan widened his eyes as he looked at Yichen and said, "What plan, Mom? I didn't share the porridge with him. I was the one who took it and drank it myself."
Yichen raised an eyebrow and replied, "Well, I heard that you sent Yibo to get it, and then you split it between you two."
Zhan shook his head. "No, that's not true."
Yichen crossed her arms and asked, "And where were you last night when we were all looking for you? Even that boy wasn't home in the evening."
"I went to the eatery for dinner. I came back around eleven, but you were all already asleep," Zhan explained.
Yichen gave him a pointed look. "And Yibo? Where was he?"
"I have no idea," Zhan replied, his voice flat.
"Zhan?" Yichen said, her tone growing sharper.
He hesitated before meeting her eyes.
"Zhan?" she repeated. "How many times do I have to call you before you answer me?"
Zhan lowered his gaze.
"Listen," she continued, "if you don't get yourself together in this house, I swear I'll put you in your place. And as for Nainai, you're done going to her side of the house. Don't step foot there again since she's not my sister. If you want to visit your grandmother, you can pack up and head back to my hometown—your grandmother is still alive there."
Zhan chuckled lightly but said nothing.
Yichen continued, "I've been meaning to talk to you for a couple of days now. But when you came back from work, instead of seeing me, you were busy chatting with that woman in the other sitting room, and by the time you came here, I was already asleep."
Zhan raised his head and said, "I'm listening, Mom."
She asked, "Do you know Sun Yue?"
Zhan shook his head. "No."
"You do. She's the woman whose house you drove me day's ago. Remember, you picked me up later in the evening after it started raining? She even invited you in to eat, but you refused," Yichen reminded him.
Zhan thought for a moment. "Oh, I remember now. I didn't know her name."
"Well, she's Sun Yue," Yichen confirmed. "She has a daughter, Ning Li—she's 21 and currently studying in the US. I heard they came back for a holiday last week. You didn't see her? She's beautiful, tall, fair-skinned, and has a calm and sensible demeanor. I've been thinking—why don't you get to know her?"
Zhan remained silent.
Yichen pressed on, "Her name is Ning Li. I know you'll like her because she has everything you'd want in a partner. And on top of that, her father is ridiculously wealthy."
Zhan gave a small smile but didn't respond.
"This isn't a joke, Zhan," Yichen said firmly. "She's finishing her studies in four months. When I visited their house last week, I met her. She made a great impression on me. I even talked to Sun Yue about it, and she liked the idea. She respects your character and thinks it's a good match.
"So, here's the plan," Yichen continued. "I want you to get ready and visit their house on Sunday since you're off work in the morning. I'll even give you something to take to Sun Yue as a token. You'll get a chance to meet Ning Li too."
In a quiet tone, Zhan said, "Alright, Mum. I will see to it."
Mum replied warmly, "okay, son."
He added, "I'll go have breakfast now, Mum."
"Alright then," she said as he stood up, left the room, and gently shut the door behind him.
:-*:-*:-*:-*
By 8 a.m., Zhan stepped out of the house, heading for the gate. Just outside, he noticed Yibo standing next to the car, waiting for Meiling so they could leave for their lesson. Yibo's eyes were puffy and red, clear evidence of heavy crying.
As Zhan walked closer, Yibo fixed his gaze on him, visibly upset. His expression grew tighter, and it seemed like he was just seconds away from breaking down.
Zhan glanced at him briefly before looking away, but that was all it took—Yibo suddenly burst into loud, uncontrollable sobs. Startled, Zhan turned to look at him, but before he could say anything, Yibo bolted into the house.
Yibo ran straight into Zong's sitting room, where he found him alone, watching the news. Without a word, Yibo collapsed onto the floor in the center of the room, crying hysterically as though the world were ending.
Zong immediately stood up, alarmed. "Oh my God, what happened, Yibo?"
Through heavy sobs, Yibo managed to say, "It's Gege, Bobo. He's making fun of me!"
"Making fun of you? About what?" Zong asked, utterly confused.
Still sobbing, Yibo replied, "I don't even know, Bobo!"
Zong sighed, sat back down, and said gently, "Come here son."
Yibo stood up and shuffled closer to Zong, still crying. Zong pulled him into a comforting hug and said, "It's okay, it's okay. Don't cry, alright?"
But Yibo kept sniffling. "You'll stop crying now, won't you?"
Barely audible, Yibo said, "I'll stop."
Zong handed him a handkerchief. "Here, wipe your tears and calm down."
Yibo took the handkerchief and wiped his eyes, though fresh tears continued to fall.
Just then, Yichen entered the room, holding a steaming mug of tea. She had been observing the scene quietly since she stepped in, her expression a mix of curiosity and irritation as she watched Yibo cling to Zong.
As she set her mug down and moved to sit, Zong said, "Please go find Zhan for me."
Yichen raised an eyebrow and said, "Zhan? Is everything alright? I hope it's not his usual issue. Maybe it's better to take him to the hospital if he's not feeling well."
Zong ignored her comment, pulled out his phone, and dialed Zhan's number.
Zhan was sitting on a small bench at a stall just two houses away, unwrapping a lollipop. As his phone vibrated, he looked at the screen and saw it was his father calling. He quickly answered.
Before Zhan could say a word, Zong's voice came through the line, firm and commanding. "Zhan, come to my sitting room right now."
After ending the call, Yichen stood watching Zong, her face tight with disapproval. It didn't take long for Zhan to enter the sitting room, offering a polite greeting. His heart sank when he saw Yibo sitting close to Zong and Yichen standing nearby, her expression stern. Lowering his gaze, Zhan knelt down slowly and said, "Papa, I'm here."
Zong looked at Yibo and asked, "What exactly did he do to you, son?"
In a trembling voice, Yibo replied, "He laughed at me, and I don't even know if he knows Mu Qin hit me."
Zong's eyebrows furrowed. "What?! She hit you? Why would she do that?"
Tears began to stream down Yibo's face again as he answered, "She said I drank Nainai's porridge and bring her trouble, so she slapped me and hit my back."
Zong shook his head, his tone firm. "That wasn't right. I'll go talk to her right now. And you, Zhan, why were you laughing at him?"
Yichen shot Zong a pointed look, but Zhan shook his head, keeping his gaze lowered. "Papa, I didn't even see him, let alone laugh at him."
Yibo, still sniffling, argued, "You did! You saw me and kept looking at me sneakily." Tears continued to fall as Yibo wiped them away.
Zhan sighed and said, "If he says I laughed at him, then I apologize, even though I didn't."
Yibo pouted and turned his face away. Zong said, "Alright then, you forgive him, don't you?"
Yibo stayed silent, still pouting.
Zong sighed. "Alright, calm down. I'll speak to Yuting about this right now. Now hurry and get to your lesson before you're late."
Yichen left the sitting room with a frustrated expression. Quietly, Yibo said, "Bobo, I'm sure Meiling and the others have already left."
Zong replied, "Then I'll drop you off." He stood, grabbing his car keys.
Zhan got up quickly and said, "Let me drop him off, Papa."
Zong took out ¥2,000 and handed it to Yibo. "Here's your lunch money."
Yibo bow slightly, accepting the money with both hands. "Thank you, Bobo."
Zhanxianyibo ❤️💚💛