Yu Han and Li Hao sat side-by-side, their minds occupied with the glossy menu.
Suddenly, a sharp, familiar voice sliced through the dining room, which jolted Yu Han.
"YU HAN, YOU BASTARD."
The words,which were laced with fury , echoed in the silent resturant and immediately grabbed attention to every diner.
Yang Zi, like a cyclone made a landfall in the restaurant as he strides towards them.
Seeing Yang Zi like this,Yu Han frozed, his blood turned to ice. Yang Zi, his "best friend," his protector, his parental figure, looked like a thundercloud about to unleash its fury.
With a swift and forceful movement, Yang Zi's hand clamped around Yu Han's wrist. He yanked him to his feet. Yu Han remained silent, like a statue of guilt.
"What the fuck are you doing with him huh?Let's go home," Yang Zi's voice was tight and strained.
Yu Han, caught as if he'd been discovered cheating his lover, he could only stare at the damn floor.
As Yang Zi began to pull him away, another hand,which was large and possessive, seized Yu Han's other arm. Li Hao tugged Yu Han back to his side.
"He's not going anywhere," Li Hao's voice was a low growl, possessiveness radiating from him. "He'll go when he wants. Nobody can force him."
"You..." Yang Zi's words caught in his throat as Shi Wang stepped between them, a peacekeeper amidst a brewing storm.
He saw the raw tension, the animosity between Yang Zi and Li Hao, knowing Yang Zi's deep-seated dislike for Li Hao.
"Yang Zi... please stop. This is a public place," Shi Wang pleaded, trying to douse the flames.
He glanced at Li Hao, then at Yu Han, whose eyes met his with a silent plea: Please, control Yang Zi.
"Shi Wang, you don't dare come between us," Yang Zi snarled, his anger now directed at Shi Wang. "He left me. Not just left, he eloped with this vile man."
"Yu Han," Li Hao gently pulled Yu Han back to his chair, "let's eat dinner. After it, I'll drive you home."
Yu Han's pale hand clutched Yang Zi's forearm.
"Yang Zi, please, calm down," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I'll tell you everything. We... we just met. I was on my way home."
"Are you coming home with me or not?" Yang Zi's voice dropped to a dangerous low.
Li Hao's voice rose, sharper now. "Yang Zi, Yu Han is not a child. You can't control him like this. He has his own life. He can choose who he wants by his side."
Yang Zi's gaze snapped to Yu Han, his heart pounding with a desperate hope for a sign, for support.
But Yu Han stood there, like a silent statue, his face still ashen. The silence was deafening. This made Yang Zi's world fractured.
The friendship forged in childhood, the unwavering support and protection, felt like a cruel joke. His heart, which had always found a strong foundation in Yu Han's loyalty, was now crumbling on a thin thread.
Tears welled in Yang Zi's eyes, which blured his vision of Yu Han, who remained fixated on the floor.
"I'm sorry," he choked out, his voice hoarse with unshed tears. He turned and fled the restaurant, the weight of Yu Han's silence crushed him.
He ran, with his heart heavy, the streets a blur. Alone, broken by Yu Han's unresponsiveness.
He could stand his ground, but he had yearned for Yu Han to stand with him, to humble Li Hao.
Instead, he was left with nothing. The one person he held dear had turned away, his care, his protection, his family, all seemingly in vain.
Yang Zi ran on, lost in his grief, tears streaming down his face. Suddenly, a grip on his wrist halted his desperate flight.
It was Shi Wang.
The touch startled Yang Zi, and he stumbled and collapsed into Shi Wang, who caught him with practiced ease.
Tears still flowed freely, and Shi Wang immediately pulled him into a tight embrace.
Yang Zi collapsed into Shi Wang. He didn't just bury his face; he clung, desperatly burying himself so deep into the crook of Shi Wang's neck that he could feel the pulse beneath his skin, smell the familiar, grounding scent that was Shi Wang.
His shoulders convulsed with each silent sob, his frame wracked by an agony he could no longer contain.
"I have nobody," he choked out,"Nobody on my side."
Shi Wang felt the tremors run through Yang Zi's entire being. His heart ached, as he felt physical pain. He held yang Zi tighter.
"Shhh," Shi Wang murmured. He pulled back just enough to look into Yang Zi's tear-streaked face,"You have me," he said, "And I'm not going anywhere."
Yang Zi saw Shi Wang with a blurry vision as he lifted his head. Shi wang brushed every tear from Yang Zi's face.
"Take me to your home, Shi Wang." he pleaded to Shi Wang.
____________
Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, Yu Han stumbled, but Li Hao's hands were there to steady him.
"Yu Han, I'm here with you," Li Hao murmured, trying to calm him.
"I want to go home, Li Hao," Yu Han whispered, tears finally escaping the corners of his eyes.
Li Hao immediately pulled him into a hug, stroking his hair. "Okay, Yu Han. As you say. I'll take you back. Don't cry, please."
He helped Yu Han to his feet and guided him towards the car.
As Li Hao settled into the driver's seat and reached to buckle Yu Han's seatbelt, Yu Han suddenly wrapped his arms around him, and the dam broke.
His body shook violently, his shoulders heaving with sobs that wracked his core. Hot and unstoppable tears soaked Li Hao's shirt, and Yu Han's own cheeks felt raw.
"I'm not a good person, Li Hao," Yu Han choked out, his voice thick with despair.
"I'm a terrible friend. Yang Zi... he's been with me since childhood. He supported me, he protected me, he cared for me. And look what I've done to him. I've broken him, Li Hao."
Li Hao held him, stroking his back gently.
"Don't cry, Yu Han. We'll sort this out, okay? I'm so sorry, Yu Han. It's all because of me. I promise you, I'll make everything right."
Li Hao's own words had ignited the blaze. He had let his mouth run wild, spewing accusations that only fanned the flames of Yu Han's pain.
And now, as the boy's shoulders trembled against his chest, the heat seemed to lick back, searing Li Hao from the inside.
"Yu Han," Li Hao whispered,"trust me. I'll apologise to Yang Zi. I'm a bastard—this all happened because of me." He pressed a gentle hand along the boy's back, feeling the tremor of a heart that was trying to beat again.
Yu Han's eyes were red‑rimmed, his lashes clinging to the tears that dared not fall.
He pressed his forehead against Li Hao's chest, as if the proximity could somehow douse the inferno inside him.
"We're going home," Li Hao said.
The car pulled up in front of the apartment
Yu Han turned the key in the lock, and they were welcomed by darkness and silence.
"You… you think Yang Zi isn't here?" Yu Han's voice trembled, barely louder than a whisper.
Li Hao glanced into the darkness of the empty living room. The curtains were drawn, the furniture cloaked in shadows.
He could see the strain in Yu Han's face, the way his jaw clenched as he tried to hold back a sob.
He lifted a hand, brushed a stray lock of hair from Yu Han's forehead.
"He must be with Shi Wang. I know it."
"How could you know that?" Yu Han asked, his eyes widening in a mixture of disbelief and hope.
"Because I'll call him right now," Li Hao said, already pulling his phone from his pocket.
The decision felt like a betrayal of his own hatred, but love—raw, desperate love—pushed him forward.
He dialed Shi Wang's number, each digit reverberating with a strange mix of defiance and desperation.
Ring… ring… ring…
A voice which was ragged with surprise, crackled through the speaker.
"What the hell is happening? Am I dreaming? Is this really Li Hao?" Shi Wang sounded both startled and surprised.
"My tone can wait," Li Hao snapped, his voice low and dangerous. "Tell me— is Yang Zi with you or not?"
There was a pause. Then Shi Wang's tone softened, almost paternal. "He's with me. Tell Yu Han not to worry; I'll keep him safe."
Li Hao felt his jaw tighten, his mouth formed a low growl. "I'm warning you, Shi Wang—if anything happens to him, I'll find a graveyard for you, understand?"
A hurt flickered across Shi Wang's voice. "Do you think I'm an animal? When will you stop talking like this? We're brothers, Li Hao. Can't you trust me at least once?"
"Trust?" Li Hao scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping. "I'll trust my enemy, but you… I know you by your blood. You've always chosen your own side."
He ended the call with a decisive click.
"Li Hao? You really called him?" Yu Han asked, his voice trembling like a candle flame in a draft.
"Yeah," Li Hao replied, his tone suddenly gentler. He placed a reassuring hand on Yu Han's trembling shoulder.
"He's with Shi Wang. He'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to him."
"Yu Han," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "I know I've been a fool. I've hurt you, and I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I'm here now. I'll stay until the fire burns out, even if it means standing in it myself."
Yu Han's lips quivered, then a faint smile broke through the tears.
"You're… you're the only thing left that feels like home."