At dawn, Zhan heard Yibo leave the house. He sat up slowly. His heart was pounding from the experience. Although this time he felt no pain...not even a headache, let alone body aches...there was fear in his heart. As time passed, he stood up with courage. The pain wasn't as much as he had expected.
He crept out of the room, returned to his own, and locked the door. He bathed, and came out. He sat on a chair getting ready. After finishing, he heard the door being opened. He looked at the door but didn't move from where he was.
Yibo knocked gently. "Meilin, are you alright?"
Zhan was silent. He heard Yibo open his own door and go in. After a while, Yibo came out. Zhan put his head to his knees. He heard Yibo opening his door with a key. After opening it, Yibo stood at the doorway, looking at him. He slowly entered the room and stooped close to him, trying to lift his head, but Zhan refused.
Worried, Yibo said, "Look at me, please, Meilin. Are you okay?"
Seeing that Zhan wouldn't lift his head, Yibo stood and lifted him. Zhan screamed at him, hid his face in his body, and said, "I don't want to."
Yibo laughed as he hugged him. "What don't you want, Baby husband?"
Softly, Zhan said, "Leave."
In a low voice, Yibo said, "Are you feeling shy?"
Zhan nodded gently. Yibo laughed deeply, carried him to the bed, and laid him down. Zhan covered his face with the pillow. Yibo sat beside him, smiling. "We'll bathe together later, and then you'll know what shame really is."
Zhan didn't know when he lifted his head, widened his eyes, and looked at Yibo. "What???" Then he quickly turned back, smiling, feeling shy...
Yibo began showing a different style of love on Meilin, as if he wanted to turn him inside out. They were always clinging to each other. Zhan had never imagined Yibo to be like this...he had no shame, even in public. If someone had told him Yibo could do what he did to him, Zhan wouldn't have believed it, because Yibo looked so innocent in the face.
Zhan was shy and kept refusing him until finally he gave up. Inside the house, he surrendered to him. The house became like something out of India drama's. In daylight, Zhan always feel shy to show or allows Yibo's to romance him, but in the dark. He set aside. He himself never knew he had a soft spot for Yibo until now. He felt him in his heart. And he didn't want him to leave even for a minute. Wherever they went, they went together.
On the day they completed two weeks after getting intimate in the house, Zhan was lying in Yibo's lap in the living room while Yibo operated his laptop. Softly, Zhan said, "Gege..."
Yibo looked at him, pecked his cheeks, and said, "Baby husband."
Zhan pouted. "I'm going back to school, you know."
Yibo said, "I thought as much. In two days' time, we are going back there."
Zhan said, "Ok."
Yibo stroked his face.
That day, they went to greet Mumy in the evening. Zhan was sitting with Baby in her room when he saw the Attorney call her three times. He didn't say anything to her, they kept chatting.
Around five o'clock, they entered Mumy's room to greet her before going to Xixue's house and Tieh's mother's house. Mumy said, "Safe travels."
Zhan, who was sitting close to her, said, "Thank you, Mumy."
Mmy said, "Don't forget to come back for the wedding in a few months."
Yibo said, "Whose wedding, Mumy?"
Mumy started laughing before saying, "Your sister's."
Zhan said, "Mumy, Baby?"
Mumy said, "Yes."
Zhan widened his eyes. "Oh, Mumy, we didn't know."
Yibo sat down. "Mumy, Aihui's?"
Mumy smiled. "No, not that one. Your father arranged a different one. Not Aihui. That one was apologized for."
Yibo frowned slightly. "A different one? Then who?"
Mumy said, "Attorney Yang-Yang."
Zhan started laughing so much that Mumy and Yibo stopped and looked at him. He quickly stood up and went to Baby's room. "So it involves hypocrisy, Baby? You didn't tell me, did you?"
Baby smiled because she knew the situation. Softly, she said, "He said I shouldn't tell you. He would go to your house as a big brother to tell you."
Zhan was smiling. "I am so happy, I swear. May God make it good and show us the time of peace."
Baby accompanied them to the car. They went to Xixue's house. After Xixue greeted Yibo, she followed behind Zhan, who had gone inside. Seeing how beautiful he looked, she pinched his cheek and smiled. "So you have calmed your heart, son."
Zhan just smiled and bowed his head. Xixue sat close to him. "Is there any problem?"
Zhan said, "No, Mommy. We just came to greet you. We are going back to the UK."
Xixue said, "God is great. The holiday is over since. May God take you safely, my son."
Zhan said, "Amen, my Mommy."
Xixue said, "But go to Tieh's mother's house and greet her too."
Zhan said, "Yes, we are going there, Mommy."
Xixue said, "That is good. You know your uncle keeps calling to greet us."
Zhan looked at her quickly. "Situ's father?"
Xixue said, "No, not him. The one after him. Huan"
Zhan widened his eyes, then laughed. "Mommy, that's Mamo's father. Their mother passed away three years ago, they told me."
Xixue said, "Oh, so their mother passed away? May God have mercy on her."
Zhan just laughed. Xixue just watched him. Finally, Zhan pouted. "Mommy, please don't say no to him."
Xixue opened her eyes wide, then laughed. "Don't you have any shame, this boy?"
Zhan stood up and left the room laughing. They spent thirty minutes at the house. As they were about to leave, Xixue pulled Zhan into a room. "Son, you should go to Jincai with Yibo to greet your father's brother."
Zhan was silent at first, then said gently, "Okay, Mommy, we will go."
Xixue said, "Good. May God protect you on the road. Take care of your husband more than you think you can. And maintain your cleanliness, because I know you have it. May God bless you."
Zhan smiled. "Thank you, Mommy."
With that, they left the house and headed to Tieh's house. They didn't stay long there either. After greeting Tieh's mother, they returned home.
***
At night, when Yibo tried to get close to him, Zhan kept pouting and pulling away from his body. Yibo brought his lips to Zhan's ear. In a low voice, he said, "Don't you want us to leave here with our baby, Meilin?"
Zhan apologized to him. "Just let me be. I feel sleepy."
Yibo said, "Please."
Zhan started crying childishly, which confused Yibo. He didn't let him go until he saw that Zhan was truly falling asleep. He held him for over an hour, always feeling intact. He smiled, planted a kiss on Zhan's lips, finally laid him down, and went into the bathroom.
The next morning, as they ate breakfast, Zhan looked at Yibo. "Roulan's Daddy, I want to go to Xi'an to greet my uncle."
Yibo looked at him. "When? You know we are leaving tomorrow morning."
Zhan said, "Then after we come back for Baby's wedding, we'll go?"
Yibo said, "No, if you say we should go now, we'll go now."
Zhan tilted his head gently. "Please, let's go."
Yibo said, "Alright, then baby."
At eleven o'clock, they left the house, took a flight to Xi'an. By the time they entered Xi'an around half past one in the afternoon, Zhan's heart was sinking. The taxi dropped them right at his uncle's house. Zhan himself was surprised at how he recognized the house.
Yibo got out, and Zhan also got out, looking at him. "Let's go in."
Yibo followed behind him, and they entered the compound. There was no one there. The compound looked like a house fifty years old. Zhan reached the living room with a greeting. Yibo stood behind him. Zhan looked at his uncle, who was sitting on the floor on one side of the living room, suffering badly from a leg ailment.
He looked at Ming, who had come out of the kitchen upon hearing the greeting. She greeted him gently. From her to the children in the living room, they all kept looking at him as if they didn't know him. Zhan knew they didn't recognize him.
He reached close to her and said gently, "Mama, it's Zhan."
Ming opened her mouth and looked at him with a kind of surprise. Zhan lowered his eyes. Not only her...even Uncle Jincai opened his mouth, and his stomach churned because he had been living and waking with the threat of Attorney Yang-Yang every day.
Yibo sat close to him. "How are you, Uncle?"
Uncle Jincai looked at him, struggling. "Fine. From where? Who are you looking for?"
Yibo lowered his voice. "I am Zhan's husband. We just came to greet you, Uncle."
Quickly, Uncle Jincai said, "Well, congratulations... just a greeting?"
Yibo nodded. "Yes, Uncle."
Zhan approached him, knelt with his head down. "How are you, Uncle?"
Uncle Jincai said, "Fine."
You could see how uncomfortable he was; he was clearly afraid. Yibo smiled. "Calm your heart, Uncle. It was just a bond of kinship that made me bring him to greet you."
Uncle nodded like a lizard. "Congratulations."
Zhan couldn't say anything. He had never expected to see his uncle and his family in the condition he found them. Seeing that everyone was uncomfortable, Yibo said, "Uncle, we will go now. Because we are leaving for the UK tomorrow morning. That's why he said I should bring him..."
Uncle couldn't look at Zhan. He just nodded, saying "Congratulations" like a programmed robot. Yibo placed five thousand in front of him. Uncle took it, looking at him. His eyes filled with tears. "God is great. Thank you, thank you, thank you. May God bless you."
Yibo said, "Amen."
Softly, Zhan said, "May God give you health, Uncle."
He saw tears in Uncle's eyes, but Uncle kept hiding them, not wanting them to see. He said, "Okay, amen. May we meet again..."
Zhan gave a forced smile. "Forgive me too, Uncle. May God forgive us all."
Even Ming had to say goodbye to Zhan and they left. Not seeing his cousin sister, Zhan said, "Mama, where is your co-wife?"
Ming said, "She received her divorce papers and left about a year ago."
Zhan didn't say anything. His whole body went cold until they left the house to find a car.
After they went out. Zhan was making a face, clearly tired. Yibo tilted his head. "We still have 20 and the half more hours of journey, and you're making a face, baby?"
Zhan widened his eyes and looked at him. "I swear I'm tired. Honey"
Yibo smiled. "Just reserve this comment. It will be useful for you later when we get home at night."
Zhan just looked at him, as if trying to understand the meaning of what he said. Finally, he said, "Like what?"
The driver who had stopped for them gave an instruction. "I will take you to the airport."
Zhan pouted and got in. Yibo got in and gently squeezed his thigh. Zhan screamed and looked at him. Yibo quickly looked away, smiling.
They reached the airport. Yibo's eyes were on his phone, which he was pressing. He bought them tickets to Beijing. At half past four, the plane took off. Within a few minutes, they landed in Beijing.
Tired, Zhan entered the living room, went straight to his room, and fell onto the bed. After about five minutes, Yibo opened the bedroom door and looked at him. "What about the bath?"
Zhan looked at him gently. "I will bath later."
Yibo said, "Get up and do it now."
Only after Zhan glare at him did Yibo go to an eatery and buy them food. When he returned, he entered Zhan's room and found him sitting on a chair. "Come down, let's eat."
Zhan said, "Let me bathe first."
Yibo said, "Then wait for me so we can do it together."
Zhan quickly stood up, went into the bathroom, and locked it. Yibo laughed, turned, and left the room.
At ten o'clock at night, Zhan was lying in the living room on the three-seater. Sleep took him. He felt himself being lifted like a baby. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at Yibo. Yibo planted a kiss on his lips, carried him into the bedroom, laid him on the bed, and lay down, pulling him into his body.
As if about to cry, Zhan said, "I feel sleepy."
Yibo lowered his voice. "Don't you want us to leave with a baby that looks like you to the UK?"
Zhan glared at him, turned his back to him, and pouted. Yibo plead. "Please, Roulan, Momy."
Zhan started crying childishly as usual, confusing Yibo even more. Zhan was as if waiting to surrender completely. They couldn't get enough of each other. He held Yibo tightly as if trying to merge into his body and become one.
Yibo brought his lips to Zhan's ear. In a low voice, he said, "I love you, Meilin."
Zhan was silent, his eyes closed. After a while, he lay on Yibo's chest and gently said, "I love you more, Gege."
Yibo started kissing him, and that really turned him on.
At dawn, they bathed together, and Yibo pulled him. Gently, Zhan came close to him. In a low voice, he said, "Good morning, Roulan.s Daddy"
Yibo pulled him into his body. "Morning, Roulan's Momy..."
Zhan smiled. "I miss him."
Yibo said, "You better not. He has so many Uncle's and Angie's. So don't even think about him."
Zhan was silent. Yibo said, "Pack the things you know you will need. Later we will go to the airport."
Zhan said, "But I have everything back there, at my house..."
Yibo looked at him before smiling. "You think I will go to your house and stay there, baby?"
Zhan was silent, looking at him. Yibo laughed a little. "Indeed, I would rather rent a new apartment, let alone we have an apartment there. I just prefer staying at my aunt's because of loneliness."
Zhan smiled and didn't say anything, but he agreed with that because he didn't think he could share a house with Yunxi. It just wasn't possible.
Yibo pinched his nose. "You prefer being there because of our son and your sister?"
Zhan quickly said, "Not at all. Your wish is my command, sir..."
Yibo hugged him. "That's sweet of you, baby."
Two years and a half later...
Zhan had been cooking various dishes since morning, despite the nausea that had plagued him for the past two days. Anyone who looked at him could see he had a small belly. Even now, he was determined to finish the cooking, even though the aromas were making him dizzy...but he had no choice.
Yibo entered the kitchen, holding little Xinran. The girl was not more than a year and a few months old. She was just a duplicate of her mother; there was nowhere she didn't resemble Zhan. She was an exceptionally beautiful little girl.
Zhan looked at them. "Dear, you know that now she will start crying, and you won't help me with any work?"
Yibo laughed a little. "I'm afraid that if I go out with her, she will scream at me in the car. I'm going to the airport to pick up Mommy Xixue. They came on the same flight as Baby."
Zhan said, "Oh, really?"
Yibo said, "Sure. Anjun also refused to come with me."
Zhan said, "Ah, I realized earlier that he just wants to leave because he's tired of us."
Yibo laughed. "Ah, he's just being stubborn. He refused to let me even pick him up."
Zhan wiped his hands, took Xinran, and gave Yibo a kiss on the lips. "Then may heavens protect my big baby husband..."
Yibo said, "Uh, you're looking for trouble, aren't you?"
Zhan laughed a little and winked at him. "I didn't even give you a French one."
Yibo widened his eyes. "Then let's go to the room so you can give me one."
Zhan glared at him. "Go on, you rascal."
Yibo turned and left, smiling.
That day was a day of happiness for Zhan, because on that day he would become a qualified pharmacist. That was the day of their convocation.
Before Yibo and the others entered the house, Zhan had finished everything and was waiting for his mother, who was now married to his maternal uncle....Mamo's father...along with Baby, who was now the wife of Attorney Yang-Yang.
Zhan came out to the living room and noticed that Anjun was too quiet. He saw the little boy sitting stiffly on a chair as if waiting to start crying. Zhan approached him, smiling, set his daughter Xinran down, picked him up, and hugged him.
"Oh, sweetheart, if I cook you some noodles, will you eat them?"
He returned to the kitchen holding him, put water on for noodles, knowing exactly what Anjun liked to eat. He stood until it was cooked, poured it onto a plate, returned to the living room, sat Anjun down, sat beside him, and started feeding him.
Anjun looked exactly like his father Dr Luo Yunxi, from his beauty to the hair on his head. Even his eyes were just like his father's. Zhan smiled as he continued feeding him the noodles. After finishing, he took him to the room, changed his clothes even though they weren't dirty, got his favorite toy, gave it to him, turned on cartoons for him, and sat him next to Xinran, who was lying on the chair.
Then Zhan entered the room to bathe. While he was getting ready, he heard a car pull in. He finished putting on his clothes quickly and came out. Anjun saw that he was about to leave, so he climbed down from the chair and start crying. Seeing this, Zhan returned and picked him up. Xinran also burst into tears. Zhan laughed, picked her up as well, and carried both of them out to the compound.
He stood smiling as he saw that it was Yunxi's car. Tieh got out. Anjun saw her and started rejoicing. Zhan set him down, and he ran and hugged his mother. She lifted him, laughing. "Oh, Zhan, look how you've made my boy grow! What kind of food are you feeding him?"
Zhan laughed. "He's actually thin. These days he just sits in the house. I think he misses you."
Yunxi got out of the car, smiling, and approached Zhan. "Roulan's Momy, good morning."
Zhan smiled back. "Morning, Doctor."
Yunxi took Xinran, stroked her long hair, his eyes on Zhan. "Congratulations once more. May God make it good, our pharmacist."
Zhan said, "Thank you very much, Anjun's Papa."
Before Zhan could close his mouth, Yibo's car entered the compound. Baby was the first to get out, with little Meiqin. Zhan widened his eyes, looking at them, and quickly went to them. Attorney Yang-Yang got out from the front of the car with Roulan. Then Xixue got out, carrying little Fangze, the baby who was not more than seven months old, whom Baby was carrying on her back.
Zhan hugged Baby, full of joy at seeing her, and they burst into laughter. Then he went to Xixue and hugged her as well. Overwhelmed with happiness, he couldn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. He held Xixue again, then lifted Xixue's handsome son, Yumei hugged him, and he started kissing his face, very happy to see him.
Yibo got out of the car, leaned against it, folded his arms, and watched them. Just as Attorney Yang-Yang and Dr. Luo were watching them, smiling as well.
THE END...
Epilogue
Few years later...
The house was filled with the sound of children's laughter. Roulan, now thirteen years old, was chasing his younger siblings around the large living room while Xinran, now seven, sat quietly on the sofa reading a book, ever the calm one between the two. Little Rouxue, five years old and still the spitting image of Yibo, was attempting to braid his Daddy's hair as he lay on the floor pretending to be asleep.
"Daddy, stop moving!" Rouxue commanded with the authority of a tiny Prince.
Yibo opened one eye and smiled. "Yes, my prince."
From the kitchen came the rich aroma of Zhan's cooking. He had become an exceptional cook over the years, though he still insisted he only did it because the children refused to eat anyone else's food. The truth, everyone knew, was that he loved it.
The doorbell rang, and Roulan raced to open it. Baby stood there with her husband, Attorney Yang-Yang, and their two children. Behind them were Yunxi and Tieh with Anjun, who immediately ran inside to find his best friend, Xinran.
"Congratulations are in order, I hear it," Baby said as she entered, embracing Zhan tightly.
Zhan smiled, his hand instinctively going to his growing belly. "Number four," he said with a mix of exhaustion and joy. "I think we need to stop now."
From his spot on the floor, Yibo called out, "Let's discuss that later, dear."
Everyone laughed.
Xixue arrived shortly after with Mumy, both women carrying enough food to feed an army. The family had grown so large that gatherings required planning worthy of a military operation. But no one minded. These moments had become sacred.
Later that evening, after the children had been put to bed and the guests had gone home, Zhan and Yibo sat together on the balcony, watching the stars emerge over Beijing.
"Are you happy?" Yibo asked, his arm wrapped around Zhan's shoulders.
Zhan leaned into him, considering the question. Eight years ago, he couldn't have imagined this life. The pain, the betrayal, the years of carrying wounds that seemed too deep to heal...it had all led him here. To this man. To these children. To a family that had chosen him long before he knew he was chosen.
"I am," Zhan said softly. "I didn't think I deserved this."
Yibo kissed his forehead. "You deserved it all along. You just had to let yourself believe it."
Below them, the house was quiet except for the distant sound of Xinran sleep-talking and Roulan's soft snoring. Somewhere in the city, Baby and Yang-Yang were whispering to each other, and in another apartment, Yunxi was reading Anjun a bedtime story.
This was what healing looked like. Not the absence of scars, but the presence of love strong enough to grow around them.
"Thank you," Zhan whispered.
"For what?"
"For not giving up on me."
Yibo pulled him closer. "I could never give up on you, Meilin. You were always my beginning and my end."
They sat in comfortable silence as the night deepened around them. In the distance, the insects crying began to rise, a reminder that some things...faith, family, love....were eternal.
And somewhere in the house, little Rouxue woke from a dream and smiled, though no one could say why. Perhaps he already knew that in this family, happiness was not a destination but a home they had built together, one day at a time, one forgiveness at a time, one love at a time. Maybe that's why he had been reincarnated again...
The end and the begging...
💚💙❤🖤