chapter 5

Yang glanced at Lee as he finished hanging the soaked clothes that Zhan had drenched with water. The garments, once pristine, now bore the weight of a needless altercation. "You just have to be sorry, but that boy... he's really not kind," Yang remarked, shaking his head in disapproval.

Lee remained silent, his face stoic as always, not letting his thoughts betray him. His silence was his shield, a barrier against the chaos that had become his world since stepping into the Xiao mansion.

Yang sighed, knowing better than to press further. "Here, this is the food brought to us," Yang said, placing a small tray on the table. "I'll leave yours here for you."

"I'm full," Lee responded quietly. His voice was steady, but the exhaustion was evident. "I just want to take a shower."

Together, they headed towards the chalet. Yang, ever considerate, carried a small bag that Lee had left in his room since his arrival. The two men entered the living room, which was a stark contrast to the grand mansion they served. The air was thick with the scent of men's work, and the room itself was a mess, a clear sign of the hard day they'd both endured.

Lee went straight to his room, closing the door softly behind him. He needed a moment to himself, a reprieve from the relentless demands of his job and the humiliation he'd suffered at the hands of the young master.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Xiao continued recounting the events to her husband, her voice a mixture of frustration and concern. Paa listened in silence, his expression unreadable, letting his wife vent her feelings before offering any words of his own.

"He took water from the fruit shop and threw it on Lee, with no reason at all!" Mrs. Xiao exclaimed, her indignation palpable. "Lee was so patient with him, but even the other workers in the house are starting to lose their respect for Zhan. He wasn't like this before. I don't understand where these bad habits and manners came from."

Paa remained quiet, letting her words sink in. He knew his wife needed to express her concerns, but he also knew there were deeper issues at play.

"And then," Mrs. Xiao continued, her voice tinged with regret, "I slapped him in front of everyone. But what else could I have done? He needed to be shown that his actions have consequences. If I'd waited until we got home, it wouldn't have had the same impact."

Paa finally spoke, his tone calm but firm. "But that doesn't mean you should have humiliated him in public, my dear. Discipline is important, yes, but it should be done in a way that preserves dignity. You could have spoken to him in private and punished him at home."

Mrs. Xiao frowned, her resolve unwavering. "So, I should support him in his misbehavior? Let him continue to act as if he's above everyone else? No, he needed to be corrected then and there."

Paa sighed, knowing there was no changing her mind. "I'm not in support of humiliating anyone, whether they're right or wrong. It's not the way I would have handled it."

Mrs. Xiao fell silent, realizing that her husband's perspective, though different, wasn't entirely wrong. "Can I excuse myself?" she asked, feeling the weight of their discussion.

Paa nodded, watching as she left the room.

As the day waned, Paa stepped out into the compound, needing a breath of fresh air after the tense conversation with his wife. That's when he saw Lee emerging from the chalet. Their eyes met, and Lee quickly approached, greeting him politely, his demeanor respectful despite the earlier altercation.

Paa observed the young man for a moment before speaking. "Lee, please bear with Zhan's behavior. He's... going through something, but that doesn't excuse what he did. Whenever Zhan asks for the car keys, just call me. If I give the go-ahead, then you can hand them over. I don't want him driving himself for security reasons."

Lee nodded, his head lowered in a gesture of respect. "There will be no repeat of the issue, sir," he assured, his voice carrying the weight of his commitment.

Paa gave a brief nod of approval before turning to leave, trusting that Lee would handle future situations with the same quiet strength he'd shown today.

As Lee returned to the chalet, he allowed himself a moment of reflection. The events of the day had shaken him, but he knew that maintaining his composure was crucial. This job, with all its challenges, was his lifeline, and he wasn't about to let anyone or anything jeopardize it.

***

The next day, Monday, at nine o'clock, Zhan was lying in his room, staring at the ceiling. At half-past nine, the door creaked open, and he turned to see his mother, Mrs. Xiao, stepping in. He slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Don't you go to school, Zhan?" Mrs. Xiao asked, her voice carrying a hint of impatience.

Zhan yawned and stretched. "I see today is Monday," he muttered, then added, "Lectures start at ten o'clock. Is Zhuo Ge at home, Mama?"

"No," she replied curtly and left the room.

Zhan sighed and dragged himself out of bed, heading to the bathroom.

After about forty minutes, he was dressed and ready. He went downstairs to find his mother in the living room, engaged in a phone conversation. He removed his shoes at the door, as was customary, and walked in, seating himself on a chair opposite her.

When Mrs. Xiao finally finished her call, Zhan greeted her, though she answered without looking at him. Sensing her coldness, he stood up and said, "I'm off to school, Mama. Please give me your car keys."

His mother glanced sideways, barely acknowledging him. "What about the car with Lee?" she asked.

Zhan pouted, a habit he had when things didn't go his way. "Mama, I don't want Lee to take me anymore."

Mrs. Xiao remained silent, not sparing him another look. Frustrated, Zhan left the room without another word. But as he was leaving, a mischievous thought crossed his mind. He quickly slipped into his mother's room, snatched her car keys, and darted out before she could catch him.

As he exited the mansion, he spotted Yang, the gatekeeper, standing with Lee at the gate. "Hey Yang, open the gate for me. I'm heading out."

Yang, always obedient, rushed to open the gate while Zhan swirled the car keys in his hand. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Lee watching him closely. Ignoring the driver's gaze, Zhan got into the car, revved the engine, and sped off, waving back at Yang as he left the compound.

While driving, Zhan dialed Zhu Jin's number. It rang a few times before Zhu Jin answered. "Are you at school?" Zhan asked.

"Why did you turn off your phone all night?" Zhu Jin replied, sounding slightly annoyed.

Zhan sighed deeply, "It's a long story. But why do you sound like that? Are you okay?"

Zhu Jin hesitated before replying, "Partially."

Concern laced Zhan's voice as he asked, "Where are you now?"

"Nearby hotel," Zhu Jin replied.

"Really?" Zhan perked up. "Let me come there. Send me the location. I'm not in the mood to attend lectures today anyway."

"Okay, I've sent it. Come over," Zhu Jin said before hanging up.

Zhan turned the car in the direction of the hotel, following the location Zhu Jin had just sent him.

Zhan arrived at the parking lot and immediately called Zhu Jin, who gave him the room number.

Zhan got out of the car, entered the hotel, and made his way to the designated room. He knocked on the door, and it was He Peng who answered. Zhan's eyes quickly darted to the bed where Zhu Jin was lying down, wrapped up in a blanket. Concern filled Zhan's face as he looked at He Peng and asked, "Is he okay?"

"Come in and lock the door," He Peng instructed, his tone serious.

Zhan stepped inside and walked over to the bed, sitting down beside Zhu Jin. He gently placed his hand on Zhu Jin's forehead. "Are you okay, Zhu?"

Zhu Jin sat up slightly, rubbing his eyes. "Is Leo a bad boy we all don't know about?" he muttered, his voice laced with frustration.

Zhan's eyes widened. "What happened?"

Zhu Jin sighed heavily. "He took his pills yesterday and tried to assault me."

Zhan rolled his eyes, half-expecting some exaggeration. "Really?"

"If he had just asked for permission, I wouldn't have denied him," Zhu Jin said with a shrug, as if it were a casual thing.

Zhan frowned. "Where was He Peng during all this?"

"He Peng was with his girlfriend," Zhu Jin replied, then smirked, nudging Zhan's shoulder. "Your crush was asking about you too. But honestly, I'm glad you weren't around...the party lasted until early morning."

Zhan pulled a face, trying to mask his hunger. "I'm starving. I didn't have breakfast. What's on offer here?"

He Peng reassured him, "Don't worry, I ordered some food. It should be delivered soon."

Zhu Jin continued, "We spoke to Xin earlier...he's in town and might drop by later. But I'm curious, what kept you from coming yesterday?"

Zhan let out a long breath and began recounting the events of the previous day. "This new driver Paa hired for us...," he started, detailing everything from the incident with Lee to the public slap his mother gave him.

He Peng sighed and patted Zhan's shoulder. "Do you want us to kidnap him and beat the hell out of him? So that he learns not to mess with you?"

Zhan chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't think you could beat him even if you tried. Did you see his muscles? He must be working out. But it doesn't matter; I'll figure out how to get him to leave the house."

"Calm down, bestie," Zhu Jin said, trying to soothe him. "We'll deal with him. Our clique is more than enough."

He Peng made a face and asked, "Which village did he even come from?"

Zhan scoffed. "How would I know? He has no dignity. He doesn't speak much, and whenever I say something to him, he just stays silent, like he's deaf. It's like he's disrespecting me with his silence. He acts like someone famous or rich, but he's just a driver."

After the food arrived, they all ate together. As they were finishing up, Zhu Jin's phone rang. It was Xin, calling to let him know he had arrived and was in room 102. "Send Zhan over; I want to talk to him," Xin said before hanging up.

Zhu Jin looked at Zhan and said, "Xin wants to speak with you."

Zhan frowned. "I'm not going. Can't you just say I'm busy?"

Zhu coaxed him, "Come on, it won't take 10 minutes. Please go, and behave like a big boy."

Zhan sighed in frustration. "I really don't feel like talking to anyone right now."

But Zhu persisted, and after some convincing, Zhan finally got up and headed to room 102.

He knocked on the door and waited. Xin opened it, smiling warmly. "Welcome, Zhan."

Zhan walked past him into the room and sat on the one-seater chair, eyeing Xin, who took a seat on the bed. "I'm all ears," Zhan said, his tone indifferent.

Xin was silent for a moment, looking at Zhan intently. Zhan turned his head slightly, growing impatient. "You're quiet again," he remarked.

Xin smiled. "I don't know where to start. You know, you have a certain beauty, Zhan."

Zhan glanced at his wristwatch and sighed. "Then start from the end."

Xin chuckled and leaned in slightly. "Alright, I'll get to the point. I want you to let me date you."

Zhan's eyes widened in shock. "But you know, Xin, I... I have a boyfriend, and I don't intend to double date."

Xin moved closer, his voice smooth and persuasive. "What's the big deal about double dating, Zhan? And I know you're not even that serious about him."

Zhan shook his head firmly. "No, Xin, you're wrong. I have a boyfriend, and we love each other. So, what's the point of dating elsewhere?"

Xin reached out to hold Zhan's hand, but Zhan quickly stood up, stepping back. "Sorry, Xin, I can't. You're not even my type."

Xin chuckled softly, "We're not talking about types here, Zhan. I just want you, even if it's just once in a while. I can provide for all your needs, and I'm not talking about petty things."

Zhan looked at him, bewildered. "What exactly are you talking about?"

Xin gazed directly into Zhan's eyes, making Zhan uneasy. "Did Zhu ever tell you about me? You probably just see us together, wherever they are, I'm there too. But let me tell you something, Xin... my obstinacy has its limits, and it hasn't reached the point where I would consider something like this. Sorry."

With that, Zhan turned and walked to the door. Xin watched him go, a look of frustration on his face. Zhan stepped out, closing the door firmly behind him.