In a weak voice, Ning Li said, "Zhan, why won't you listen to me? Why aren't you answering my calls? You said you would call me back but you didn't... You don't even know why I....."
Yibo, who had been silently listening, suddenly cut her off sharply, "You, shut up! What business do you still have with my husband?"
Ning Li went silent upon hearing his voice. Then, furious, she snapped, "Who the hell are you to pick up my call? I called my husband, not you!"
Yibo let out a cold laugh and said, "Oh, now I'm even more convinced you're completely insane. You've seriously lost it. You think Zhan-ge is your husband?" He laughed again, bitterly, and added, "Let me make something very clear to you....even in your wildest dreams, you could never have Zhan as your husband. He's far beyond your reach. All you'll ever have is the pathetic memory that you once share a home with him. And let me warn you.... stay far away from my husband, Ning Li, or whoever the hell you think you are. Stay out of his life! Even by accident, don't you dare call him again. He has absolutely no ties to a crazy, delusional mess like you. Before I show you exactly who I am, delete my husband's number from that cursed phone of yours. You're nothing but a desperate, heartless woman.....you just marry a borrowed man in the first place. Keep searching for another now!"
Ning Li couldn't stop the tears spilling down her face, but instead of breaking down, she let out a shaky laugh and said, "Well, I actually have more of a connection to Zhan than you think... because right now, I'm carrying his child. His son or daughter. Do you get it now, or should I spell it out more clearly?"
Yibo froze, his eyes flying wide open at her words. But the shock didn't stop him from snapping back, "Go find whoever the real father is because it's definitely not my husband. You're nothing but a liar, you ignorant fool. Let me tell you again: you and Zhan-ge, It'll never happen.... not now, not ever. Heaven itself wouldn't allow someone like you to share blood with him. All your wicked plots and dirty tricks will blow up right in your face. And let's see how you'll manage to ever contact him again, you pathetic lunatic."
With that, Yibo ended the call, blocked Ning Li's number immediately, then switched to WhatsApp, blocked her there too, and deleted her number completely from Zhan's phone, fuming with anger.
Just as he was about to set the phone down, he heard Zhan's voice behind him, saying, "Wow. Impressive. Now, give me my phone."
Yibo widened his eyes but didn't turn around. Zhan repeated, more firmly, "I said, give me my phone, Yibo."
Finally, Yibo turned, his face stony. He glared at him and said, "I'm not giving it back. Or do you still have business with that useless woman? You still want to keep answering her calls after everything she did to your own mother? Or have you forgotten? Just because you didn't see it happen doesn't mean it didn't. I won't let this slide. If you insist, I'll tell Bobo everything...."
Zhan stepped closer to snatch the phone from him, but Yibo grabbed it and stormed out of the room before he could. Zhan stared after him, stunned.
Yibo rushed back to his own room, his chest tight with burning frustration. The moment he locked the door behind him, he broke into tears, covering his face with a pillow to muffle the sound.
After a moment, the room fell silent. But then he heard the door creak open. Zhan's voice called softly, "You know you just yelled at me, right, Yibo?"
Yibo ignored him, refusing to look up. Zhan walked over to the bed and said again, "Yibo."
Still furious, Yibo sat up sharply to leave, but Zhan grabbed him roughly. Yibo struggled, pushing against his chest, shouting, "Let me go, leave me alone!"
Zhan tightened his hold and said lowly, "Listen to me. I don't like you speaking to me that way. You don't even know why I answered her call. And honestly, you don't have the right to judge. Yes, Ning Li disrespected my mom, and I hate her for that. But you know the kind of heart I have, Yibo.....I don't hold grudges against anyone."
Yibo cut him off bitterly, "Yeah, I know your 'kind heart', but I also know you don't seem to care enough about your mother! I don't even know if you understand how serious this situation is, or if you realize what a danger keeping that madwoman close is! She's ignorant, Zhan-ge, and her ignorance already hurt your family once."
Zhan gripped him even harder and said through clenched teeth, "So now you're teaching me how to respect my own mother? Is that what you're doing? You think you know better than me about what's right? Listen.....Ning Li is carrying my child. Whether you like it or not, I have a responsibility toward her. You understand that, Mr. High and Mighty?"
Yibo stayed silent, just staring at him without even blinking. Zhan finally let go of him, turning to face another direction. After a while, he turned back, grabbed Yibo again....Yibo tried to pull away, but Zhan locked him tightly in his arms, pressing soft, romantic kisses all over his neck. Tears started streaming down Yibo's face. He struggled to break free, but Zhan's grip was firm. In a low voice, Zhan whispered, "I have to listen to her... for the baby's sake."
Earlier, the atmosphere between them had been full of heat, but this time Yibo didn't respond at all. He stayed stiff and silent, the tears still falling, his breath hitching with suppressed sobs. Seeing that, Zhan finally let him go, turning away and lying down with his back to him.
Since their marriage, this was only the second time Yibo thought about Sen Wen.... Yibo knew he would never have treated him this way. The thought hit hard, and Yibo broke down crying even more. Zhan, however, said nothing, just lay there in silence.
That night, Yibo couldn't sleep at all. Around two in the morning, he got up and went to the bathroom. When he came back, he lay down on the sofa. Zhan turned off the air conditioning before lying down again and quickly falling asleep.
At dawn, Zhan opened the bedroom door, waking Yibo up before heading back to his own room. After some time, Zhan left the house without saying a word. When he returned, he sat silently at the edge of the bed, occasionally glancing at Yibo from the corner of his eye. After a while, he got up and left the room again.
It wasn't until the sky began to lighten that Yibo finally rose and carefully slipped out of the bedroom. He crept to the sitting room door, making sure not to make any noise, and approached Zhan's room, which wasn't fully closed. He stopped just outside when he heard Zhan speaking calmly on the phone.
His heart dropped as he listened to Zhan's voice:
"What do you mean, Ning Li? Of course, I'll take care of you. I'll take care of the child you're carrying. After that... there's nothing else between us..."
Yibo's heart slammed against his chest so hard he almost couldn't stand. Then, to his horror, he heard Zhan say,
"Marriage?? Do you even realize what you're saying?"
Yibo's knees buckled, and he leaned heavily against the wall. Sensing movement, Zhan got up and headed towards the door. Panicked, Yibo pressed himself flat against the wall, but it was too late. Zhan opened the door, and their eyes met. Zhan's face hardened immediately.
"We'll talk later," Zhan said curtly before hanging up the call. Then he stared coldly at Yibo and added, "Why do you find it so enjoyable to stick your nose into my business, Yibo? It's already morning. You can't even open your mouth to greet your husband properly, but you have the time to spy and act jealous. What's the point of your jealousy, huh?"
Yibo just stared at him without a word, his chest heaving.
Zhan shook his head in frustration. "I don't want you snooping around in my matters anymore. And honestly, it's not necessary for you to come bothering me early in the morning if you can't even greet me first."
"Fuck you, Zhan-ge. Fuck your damn affairs. And to hell with the both of you," Yibo snapped furiously before turning and storming out of the sitting room, heading straight for his bedroom.
Even Zhan was a little stunned by Yibo's outburst. His chest tightened painfully, but he forced himself to ignore it.
When enter his room he stripped off his clothes, brushed his teeth, prepared his bath, and then wrapped himself in a towel before stepping out again. After getting fully dressed and spritzing himself with cologne, he fixed up his room and left the room.
Later, while wiping down the sitting room, Zhan came downstairs, fully dressed and smelling of expensive cologne. He watched Yibo for a second and asked, "What would you like for breakfast, Yibo?"
Without looking at him, Yibo muttered, "I'll sort it out myself."
Zhan just sighed, headed for the door, and left. Yibo watched him go from the corner of his eye, waiting until he heard the car drive off completely.
Only then did the tears come.... silent but endless, burning trails down his cheeks. He cried quietly, wiped down the last of the furniture, and went upstairs to lie down again, skipping breakfast altogether. Even though he felt a dull ache in his stomach, he didn't have the appetite for anything.
▪️🔸🔹▫️
Later, around noon, he was in the kitchen making noodles when he heard the sound of Zhan's car pulling into the driveway. He tensed as he heard the door open and Zhan's footsteps entering the house.
Zhan made his way to the kitchen, drawn by the smell of food. He stood at the door, studying Yibo.... who was only wearing a small three-quarter pant and a loose shirt.
"You already had breakfast?" Zhan asked.
"I did," Yibo replied shortly.
"Oh," Zhan said. "I brought you lunch, but it looks like you're already cooking. Newly Grooms aren't supposed to be doing kitchen work, you know."
Yibo didn't answer. Zhan shrugged and left the kitchen.
Once Yibo finished cooking, he carried his plate upstairs, not even glancing Zhan's way where he lounged in the sitting room. Sitting in his room, Yibo found himself unable to eat more than a few bites of the noodles. Instead, he sipped a little orange juice and pushed the plate away, feeling nothing but that burning pain in his chest again.
After a while, he forced himself up, carried the plate downstairs..... where Zhan was still lounging in the sitting room..... and brought it into the kitchen. He didn't say a word and went straight back upstairs, locking himself in his room for the rest of the day.
That night, Yibo was standing in front of the wardrobe, pulling out a pair of pajamas, when Zhan walked into the bedroom. Yibo didn't even glance at him. He kept rummaging through his clothes as if Zhan weren't even there.
Zhan quietly locked the door and walked over, setting down a small bag.
"I brought you food," he said.
Yibo said nothing.
Zhan stepped closer, wrapped his arms around him from behind, and murmured softly, "Are you ignoring me now?"
Without waiting for an answer, Zhan slipped his hand under Yibo's bathrobe, running his fingers against his bare skin.
"Stop it, Zhan-ge," Yibo said sharply, pushing at his chest.
Zhan didn't listen. He turned Yibo around and kissed him, slowly and deeply, pulling at the robe even as Yibo tried to resist.
They spent a long time like that, but Yibo refused to relax into him, struggling as he tried to free himself. In the end, Zhan let him go and sat at the edge of the bed, his eyes dark and stormy.
Yibo wanted to get down from the bed, but Zhan grabbed his wrist roughly and said coldly, "You're only good at throwing jealous tantrums. But the one you're so jealous of never once stopped me from touching her, even if it was ten times a day. I know exactly what I'm saying."
Furious, Yibo snapped, "Then go to her right now! You're standing here, daring to say that to my face even though we were already married back then! You had the guts to slap me just because Sen Wen held my hand, yet here you are confessing you cheated on me with someone else!"
Without waiting for a reply, Yibo stormed toward the door. Zhan just watched him leave, then slowly shook his head.
▪️🔸🔹▫️
The next morning, Zhan didn't come into Yibo's room like he normally did. Yibo finished all his morning routines alone, made himself a cup of black tea, and sat in the sitting room. After a while, Zhan came downstairs, looking sharp in a cream-colored suit. Yibo glanced at him once, then quickly looked away.
Zhan picked up his car keys while eyeing Yibo, who was still in his sleepwear. He asked, "Just getting up now?"
Without looking at him, Yibo answered, "Yeah."
Zhan nodded. "Alright, I'm heading out. I'll be back later."
"I'm going to visit home too," Yibo said flatly.
Zhan frowned. "No. Wait until next week. I'll take you then."
Yibo scowled at him, but Zhan just chuckled, rubbed the back of his neck, and sat beside him, admiring Yibo's bare legs where his pajamas barely reached his knees.
"You'll go next week," Zhan said again.
Yibo said nothing, just grabbed his tea. When Zhan reached out to pull him close, Yibo yanked his arm free and moved away. Zhan stood and walked toward the door.
"What do you want for lunch?" Zhan asked casually.
Still not looking at him, Yibo said coldly, "I'll sort that out myself. I have my own money. I can buy whatever I want."
Zhan shrugged, placed his keys and phone down, and headed upstairs. Yibo watched him out of the corner of his eye, then heard the door to Zhan's room close.
Suddenly, Yibo rushed to his Zhan's phone, quickly locking it after seeing Zhan's earlier calls. Meanwhile, Zhan came downstairs holding his ATM card, phone, and car keys. He called out, "I'll be back," and left.
Yibo didn't say a word. His heart was a tangled mess of anger and sadness, imagining that Zhan had gone to Ning Li. Tears welled up in his eyes as he leaned against the chair, a heavy pain growing in his chest.
Around 4 PM, Zhan returned. About thirty minutes later, he entered Yibo's room, finding him lying down with his eyes closed. Zhan sat beside him, gently stroking his face.
"Lil bro," Zhan whispered.
Yibo refused to open his eyes. Zhan smiled knowingly.... he could tell Yibo wasn't sleeping. He leaned down and whispered near his ear, causing Yibo to quickly sit up and turn away.
Zhan chuckled and said, "Nainai sent food for you. It's downstairs."
Yibo moved to sit at the far end of the bed and said seriously, "Stop touching me, Gege. I don't like it."
Zhan froze for a moment, then asked, "Why?"
"Because I don't want you to," Yibo said bluntly.
Zhan nodded silently, stood up, and casually added, "Oh, by the way, Li Na called earlier. She sends her greetings."
Then he left. Yibo glared after him, his face crumpling as if he were about to cry.
:-*:-*:-*:-*:-*
Life settled into a cold routine. Zhan stopped trying to touch Yibo altogether. He would simply buy food and drinks for him, sometimes grilled chicken, sometimes fruit, and leave them by his door. Yibo stayed in his room most of the time, while Zhan spent his days downstairs in the sitting room. Every night, Zhan would briefly check in to make sure Yibo took his medication before retreating to his own room.
Monday came, and Zhan resumed work. Around 7:50 AM, he entered Yibo's room and found him still asleep, exhausted from his sleepless night. Zhan stood over him, admiring how radiant Yibo's skin looked in the soft morning light. He crouched down, watching him for minutes before finally whispering, "Yibo."
Yibo opened his eyes, then quickly sat up and moved away.
Zhan smiled and said, "I'm heading to work. There's tea and bread downstairs. If you want eggs, I can fry some before I go."
Yibo shook his head. "I'm not eating."
"Alright..." Zhan handed him a spare phone and said, "If you need anything, call me. But don't call anyone else with it."
"I'll call Mom," Yibo muttered.
Zhan left the room, locking the door behind him.
Zhan returned home around 4:30 PM and went upstairs. He found Yibo sitting in front of the mirror, brushing his hair.
"Did you eat anything?" Zhan asked.
"Yes," Yibo replied, still focused on his hair.
"What did you eat?"
"I just ate," Yibo said, brushing off the question.
Zhan sighed. "Tomorrow, we'll have a housemaid. She'll handle the cooking.... you'll supervise."
Yibo turned and said firmly, "No need. I can handle it."
"It's not my idea. Your dad insisted," Zhan said before leaving the room.
Yibo finished brushing his hair and lay down, but his mind kept replaying the words his mother had told him. He felt like crying all over again, especially thinking about his mother's words, who had said Ning Li and her pregnancy is none of it concerned him.
Even though he doubted Ning Li was really pregnant, he couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal. There was no way to check if Zhan and Ning Li were still talking, because Yibo had stopped entering Zhan's room after that night.
Later that evening, Zhan came back into Yibo's room with a bag of food. As usual, Yibo had just finished bathing. Embarrassed, Yibo turned back toward the bathroom and changed.
After Yibo dressed, he saw the bag of food, sighed, and carried it downstairs.
He found Zhan sitting in the sitting room. Seeing Yibo head toward the kitchen, Zhan asked, "Did you eat it?"
"I'm not hungry," Yibo replied.
Zhan immediately stood up and followed him. When Yibo set the bag down and turned around, they nearly bumped into each other. Flustered, Yibo stepped back.
Zhan picked up the food, grabbed a plate and a cup, then caught Yibo's wrist. "You must eat. I'm not letting you go to bed hungry."
Surprised, Yibo said, "Since when do you care if I eat or not?"
Zhan didn't answer. He sat Yibo down, plated the food, poured him a drink, and placed them in front of him.
"Eat. I'm watching you," Zhan said seriously.
Yibo stared at him in disbelief.
"I already said I'm full," Yibo protested.
"I'm not joking, Yibo. Either eat the food or at least drink something," Zhan insisted.
Reluctantly, Yibo picked up a spoon and started eating. Every bite was forced, but he tried. Eventually, he put the spoon down and said, "I'm done."
Zhan grabbed the drink. "What about this?"
"I don't drink juice at night," Yibo said.
"Drink it now, Yibo," Zhan said, his face dead serious.
Yibo almost laughed at how grave he looked but held back. "Have you ever seen me drink juice at night?" he asked.
"Well, you'll drink at least a little tonight," Zhan replied.
Pouting like a child, Yibo took the cup and sipped, almost looking like he would cry.
Zhan watched him with a hiding smile until he finished half of it, then finally let him go. Yibo placed the cup down and watched as Zhan silently climbed the stairs, disappearing to his room.
NB
Less than 7-8 chapters remaining.
Zhanxianyibo❤️💚💛