By the time Zhan reached the spot where the car was parked, he couldn't stop staring at it...as if trying to confirm whose it was. His heart raced when the car door opened and the person inside stepped out. The man locked the door, crossed his arms, and looked straight at Zhan without blinking.
Zhan's expression tightened. He lifted his chin and continued walking as if determined to soar past him. But as he was about to pass, the man called out sharply,
"Sean."
Zhan spun around in fury.
"Why are you following me? And how did you even get here?"
The man met his eyes directly.
"Because from the very first day Daniel brought you to the hospital sick, I knew much of what you said was a lie. That night, when Daniel gave you his phone to call your family, you dialed numbers you knew were disconnected. I still have those two numbers...every time I call them, they're dead. Who exactly are you? Why did you build up so many lies around me?
"Look at yourself. You don't resemble someone who has truly suffered in life. You don't look like a man from a family that must scrape together tuition before sending you to school. And with your level of knowledge and awareness, I refuse to believe you didn't know your admission had been terminated before you came to Guangzhou.
"You never showed me the admission list. You never told me the school. Yet you claim you struggled to gather tuition, but somehow could afford an expensive hotel...and even boasted about being able to rent an apartment for 150,000 yuan in Guangzhou.
"Too many lies. Maybe your name is really Zhan, not Sean...you think I would forget? And worst of all, you live alone in the house you're going to now, though you told me it belonged to your stepmother. I even shared details of my own life just to help you relax, hoping you would open up. But you never did.
"I don't know what your mission in Guangzhou is, but you don't strike me as someone from a bad background. You look decent, well-raised. As a doctor, I can see depression in your eyes. Worry is part of what drives your low blood pressure.
"I tried to get you into hospital work so maybe it would change your perspective, but you showed no real interest. You weren't desperate for the job, and you didn't care about being fired. And still...you carry plenty of cash with you."
Zhan could no longer hold his gaze. His eyes filled with tears, and before he knew it, he leaned against the car and broke down, sobbing hard.
"And how is that your concern? Who are you to demand answers about my life? Who gave you the right to interrogate me about who I am?"
The man studied him quietly, then exhaled.
"I'll leave for now. Go inside. When I return, I'll call you out."
Zhan only nodded, tears streaming down his face. He went to his gate, fumbled his keys from his bag, unlocked it, and disappeared inside. Only then did the man tear his gaze away, return to his car, and drive off.
Inside, Zhan collapsed onto the sofa. His sobs refused to stop; they tore open wounds buried deep in his chest. He had never once considered sharing anything about himself with anyone. He just wanted to exist, to breathe, without dragging out painful memories. His phone vibrated. He wiped his eyes and picked it up.
"I'm waiting for you," came Dr. Jing's voice.
Zhan hung up without a word.
Minutes later, he forced himself outside again, moving slowly toward the car parked nearby. Dr. Jing sat in the driver's seat, the door left open. Zhan circled around, slid into the passenger seat, and sat with his head lowered, nervously fidgeting with his fingers. Dr. Jing's eyes never left him.
Finally, he spoke.
"Zhan."
Zhan raised his eyes.
"Please… tell me who you really are. What brought you to Guangzhou?"
Tears brimmed in Zhan's eyes again.
Dr. Jing continued gently,
"If I had any bad intentions toward you, I would never have brought you to my own house...or rather, to my wife's family home. Everything I've done for you is only because I don't want you to stumble into trouble. I'm a compassionate man; everyone knows that. I have no ill will toward you.
"Tell me who you are. At the very least, if I can advise you, I will. And if it's help you need, as long as it's within my capacity, I'll help you. Trust me, Zhan."
Zhan wiped his tears, nodded faintly, and whispered,
"My name is Wang Zhan…"
Dr. Jing gave a slight nod, encouraging him.
"I was born and raised in Beijing," Zhan continued, before breaking down again.
"Be strong," Dr. Jing murmured softly. "Say what you want to say."
Zhan nodded, tears spilling freely, and began to talk. This time, he hid nothing. He told Dr. Jing everything...his entire life, up to the day he left Beijing.
Dr. Jing listened without interruption, his eyes filled with sympathy. Only two things in Zhan's story truly struck him with sorrow: first, that the people Zhan had always believed to be his parents turned out not to be, a devastating discovery after twenty-two years; and second, that his engagement had been broken off solely because no one knew his true origins.
And yet, despite all this, Zhan's upbringing had been full of love and care, richer than what many children with their real parents ever received. His life had been comfortable...until that calamity struck.
At last, Dr. Jing lifted Zhan's chin gently.
"Zhan…"
Zhan lifted his red, swollen eyes and looked at him. Dr. Jing said,
"Your story isn't enough reason to leave your home. You haven't given your father the respect he deserves, nor your mother the excuse she needs. If you remembered how deeply she has loved you since before you even knew yourself, nothing would push you to walk away. And your brothers, too...you haven't given them their due."
Through tears, Zhan replied,
"Maybe you're saying this because you're not in my shoes. Everyone thinks it's easy, but I promise you it's not...it's painful. I tried my best to live peacefully with them, but in the end I realized if I stayed, my heart might stop at any time. I can't bear my mother ignoring me in the house, not after how she raised me. And then, my brothers started avoiding me too. My father even married another woman because of me…"
He broke down, unable to continue, sobbing harder. Dr. Jing lowered his voice.
"You'll go back home, Zhan. You must go back."
Zhan wiped his eyes and stared at him.
"I won't go back...not anytime soon. And if you force me, I'll leave Guangzhou altogether… I promise you that."
Dr. Jing looked at him in surprise, then said,
"So this is the gratitude you'll show them? Do you even know the condition they're in since you left?"
Zhan shook his head.
"I'm not being ungrateful. I'll never forget their kindness. They'll always be my parents...no one else can replace them. I just want to give everyone some space, let the anger cool down. I want everything in my family to return to normal. But since my broken engagement, everything has been falling apart. I blame myself for it all."
Dr. Jing fell silent, deep in thought. Then he asked,
"You mentioned your older brother is a doctor, what's his name?"
Zhan frowned.
"I don't think that's necessary to discuss."
Dr. Jing gave a faint smile, just enough to touch his lips.
"Alright then. Have you heard about your school results?"
Zhan slowly shook his head.
"I don't have contact with anyone anymore."
Dr. Jing sighed.
"Very well."
Neither of them spoke for almost three minutes, each lost in thought. Finally, Zhan said softly,
"It's getting late, and you have to return to Guangzhou."
Dr. Jing adjusted his seat, exhaled, and said,
"You're right. But please, I want you to stop coming back to Foshan. In your condition, you shouldn't live alone in this house. People are watching, and soon they'll label you as someone who abandoned everything."
Zhan looked at him.
"How did you even find out I was here?"
Dr. Jing replied,
"I told you before... I never once believed your lies, not even for a second. You may deny things confidently, but your face gives you away every time. Take my advice: stop lying, it doesn't suit you, and people will see through it in minutes."
Zhan lowered his head in shame.
Dr. Jing continued,
"I tracked you down through your neighbor's husband... the one whose daughter passed away recently in the hospital. That day, while they were coming to collect the girl's body, he kept calling me but I was busy, so he sent a text instead. I traced the message to get his number."
Zhan's face darkened.
"So people have nothing better to do than spy on me?"
"No," Dr. Jing said calmly, "he just mentioned that according to his wife, you're a university student and only come home on weekends."
Zhan stayed quiet.
"And one last thing," Dr. Jing added. "I'll be stopping by MD's house tonight to plead on your behalf. Earlier, after you left, he came to my office, furious. I told you to go and apologize, but you refused and just stood at his door. Why, Zhan?"
Zhan's face tightened.
"How could I apologize when he ordered me out of his office?"
Dr. Jing gave a half-smile.
"When he says 'get out,' you don't just storm away. You first bow your head, offer an apology, then leave respectfully... not simply walk out."
Zhan turned his face aside.
"You don't care about the job," Dr. Jing went on, "because the position itself doesn't matter to you. But I won't let you waste this chance. I don't want you stuck in Foshan with no future. I don't see the discipline in you yet to live alone without guidance."
Zhan said nothing.
"Go inside and rest," Dr. Jing instructed at last. "Tomorrow, come to the hospital."
Slowly, Zhan opened the car door, stepped out, and walked into the house. Dr. Jing didn't leave until he saw him safely inside. As he drove away, he kept repeating in his head the name "YIBO," which Zhan had mentioned earlier. By the time he reached Guangzhou, it was nearly nine.
Parking by MD's gate, his phone began ringing. It was Zhe. He smiled faintly and silenced it...knowing she was calling because she noticed he hadn't returned. Lately, she had been showing signs of insecurity toward him.
Greeting from the security guard, Dr. Jing entered the house and found MD in the sitting room, surrounded by textbooks and a laptop.
Dr. Jing said, "We should start calling you professor soon."
MD looked up. Dr. Jing grinned and sat opposite him.
"So, how's everything going?"
MD closed his laptop.
"Next week, she'll arrive. I think her plan is to meet the workshop."
Dr. Jing widened his eyes.
"Really? I thought you said her university was about to start exams."
"That's what she told me," MD replied casually.
"So, some secrets then?" Dr. Jing teased.
MD shrugged. "That's between her and Dr. Ajay. It's been a while since I've seen him at the hospital, but she knows where to find him."
Dr. Jing chuckled.
"Alright then. MD, I came to ask you a favor."
MD's expression darkened instantly.
"Don't tell me this is about that troublesome boy."
Dr. Jing shook his head.
"You're misunderstanding him, MD. He's capable and hardworking."
MD frowned.
"Hardworking? Wasn't he the one who failed to give a simple injection to a patient? And in the theater, he contaminated the equipment. How is that hardworking? Don't spoil my mood, Jing. And besides...you know we don't have any vacancies."
Dr. Jing said, "I know, that's why I'm asking you for this favor, please."
With surprise, MD asked, "Wait… is that boy your boyfriend?"
Dr. Jing laughed. "What kind of question is that? I'm married. You know very well I don't have anyone else besides my wife."
MD clicked his tongue. "I hate dealing with difficult people. You're really pressuring me, Jing."
Dr. Jing replied, "Just be patient with me, please."
MD let out another annoyed sound, then after a few seconds said, "Where's his CV?"
Jing rubbed his head. "It's coming."
MD said, "Until then."
Jing pressed further, "Please, before the CEO and the others return to the country, give him this job. You know if they're here, it will be harder to arrange."
MD frowned. "Don't treat me like I don't know what I'm doing, Jing. How can I offer a job without a CV?"
Jing countered, "But even Hannah submitted hers later. And really, what's the difficulty? He has graduated, hasn't he?"
MD shook his head. "Listen, I'm done for tonight. If it's about that boy, I won't give him a position without documents. Besides, I'll need to interview him. And if I find he isn't qualified, I won't hire him, no matter what you say. Even if he passes the interview, he'll have to start as an enrolled nurse."
Dr. Jing went quiet, studying him. Then slowly he said, "An enrolled nurse… really, MD?"
MD started gathering his textbooks, intending to leave the sitting room. Jing sighed heavily and said, "Alright, fine. No problem. But at least let the interview happen first, please."
MD said, "Then he must come with an apology letter within two days. Tomorrow I don't have time for him, same for the day after. Let him wait until Sunday when I'll be at the hospital." Finishing his words, he stood. "I'm going to bed, Jing."
Dr Jing smiled faintly, stood up, and said, "Alright then, thank you, sir." With that, he left the sitting room.
~**~
Yibo sat quietly in Hai Kuan's room, watching him close his hand luggage. After a pause, Yibo asked, "When did you notice the debit alert?"
Without looking up, Hai Kuan replied, "Not long ago."
Yibo frowned. "So, where are you going now?"
Hai Kuan said, "I contacted my account officer. He confirmed the withdrawal happened in Guangzhou."
Shocked, Yibo blurted, "Guangzhou?"
Hai Kuan stayed silent.
Yibo pressed again. "You're going to Guangzhou tonight?"
"Yes."
"But… how do you expect to track him in a city as big as Guangzhou?"
Hai Kuan replied coldly, "If you can't, then watch me. I've been waiting for this day."
Yibo let out a hidden sigh of relief. Ever since Hai Kuan told him that Zhan had withdrawn money from his account, he felt strangely comforted. The long silence had been too much, raising fears that something had gone terribly wrong. But now that Zhan had touched the account, it meant he was alive and surviving. Perhaps his money had simply run out.
Still, Yibo said, "But you should first visit Granny Fang Yu. She still hasn't said anything since this happened. She's in shock."
Hai Kuan gave him a sharp look. "Did something happen that I need to go see her?"
Yibo stared at him, speechless. Of course Hai Kuan knew about the entire chaos that unfolded...he was very aware...but he chose to ignore it. Yibo stood, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said, "Do it for Mama, brother. That's the only reason I'm even involving myself. Otherwise, I wouldn't. Come on, let's go together."
Hai Kuan didn't reply, but followed him out of the house.
Yibo entered the sitting room of Granny Fang Yu first, with Hai Kuan behind him. Granny Fang Yu lay weakly on the bed, a drip in her arm, her eyes scanning everyone as her shallow breaths came slowly. Beside her sat Granny Ai, fanning her, lips pressed tight. Lan Yi sat on the floor, her eyes red and swollen from endless crying. Aunt Marquis leaned on her palm, face dark with worry. Qiren sat quietly as well...he had only just returned less than five minutes before Yibo and Hai Kuan arrived.
Yibo went straight to Granny Fang Yu, examining her carefully. Suddenly, Granny Ai burst into tears. "Yibo, please, let's take her to the hospital so she can be properly checked. Look at her...her mouth seems to be twisting. She's all I have left in this life. Please, I beg you, let's go to the hospital!"
Yibo said gently, "Even if we go, this same treatment is what they'll give her. She'll recover, I believe."
Hai Kuan stood silently near the door.
Qiren exhaled deeply, his eyes landing on Lan Yi for the first time. Then he asked, "Where is Shu?"
Granny Ai snapped, "Don't bring up that girl now, Qiren. Who cares about her when my sister's life is on the line? She doesn't even care about her grandmother's state. Right now, these men should drag her out of her room and make her say who's responsible for her situation. I've been telling Lan Yi and Marquis to question her, but they refuse. Their focus is only on their mother's health."
Qiren bowed his head, muttering, and suddenly, tears rolled down Granny Fang Yu's cheeks.
Granny Ai cried harder, wiping her sister's tears with her scarf. "She's been like this all day, silently crying, tears falling from the corners of her eyes. Shu has ruined us. She's destroyed everything!"
Qiren looked at Yibo and said firmly, "Bring Shu to me."
Yibo hesitated. He didn't want this task, because even he hadn't seen Shu since earlier and suspected she might have run off. But he didn't argue; instead, he went to her room.
Opening the door, he found her lying on the floor, pale as if she'd been sick for months. Clearly, she hadn't eaten or even had water. When she saw him, she broke into sobs, struggling to sit up. "Gege, please, save me. Give me medicine to end this pregnancy."
Before she finished, Yibo struck her hard across the face, sending her reeling. "You're asking me to help you end it?!" he shouted. He pointed furiously toward the door. "Get out there. Tell them who's responsible before I break you myself."
Trembling, she crawled toward the doorway, too weak to stand. She clung to a pillar in the corridor, tears streaming down her face, staring into the sitting room where everyone sat.
Only Qiren and Granny Ai kept their eyes on her. Lan Yi turned her face away, unable to look, and Aunt Marquis sat rigid, her heart burning. Granny Ai pointed at Shu angrily. "You've shamed us all! No one in this family has ever brought disgrace like you. We will never forgive you. Now tell us, how can we face our relatives? How can we face the world?"
Then she burst into loud, bitter weeping. "If not for being tied to Qiren, how would we look him in the eye after this disgrace?"
Qiren's voice was calm but cutting. "Who is responsible?"
Shu clung tighter to the pillar, wide-eyed, clearly panicking over what to say.
"Who is responsible?" Qiren repeated, his eyes fixed on her.
Finally, Shu lifted her head slowly and looked at Yibo.
At that moment, everyone in the sitting room turned their gaze on Yibo.
NB
I'm sorry, my wi fi have some issue.
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛