Chapter 16

He slowly dropped the knife and slumped to the floor, exclaiming, "Oh no, I'm finished!" He placed his hands on his head and let out a loud scream. The man standing nearby stared at him in disbelief before turning away, giving him space.

Even when his video leaked, Zhan never imagined it could cause the kind of panic he was feeling now. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Another distressed scream escaped his lips before silence followed.

"Could it be that someone sent him to the house?" The thought briefly stopped his tears, though his heart continued to pound. He tried to reassure himself that the man was merely a messenger, perhaps sent by Paa, his mother, or even Zhuo-ge.

With great difficulty, Zhan stood up, his legs trembling as he tiptoed to the kitchen door, cautiously peeking into the living room with a racing heart.

There he was, sitting calmly on the couch. As soon as their eyes met, Zhan's face hardened, though his heart raced faster. Mustering his courage, he spoke, "Mister, even if someone sent you here, does that give you the right to barge all the way inside someone's home? What kind of behavior is that? Was the entire yard not enough for you?"

The man stared back at him with a stern expression, saying nothing. Zhan's face grew even more rigid as he sneered, "Or did the Man who was forced on me give you permission to invade my home?"

Still, the man remained silent, showing no intention of responding. Instead, he simply looked away. Frustrated, Zhan stepped fully out of the kitchen and snapped, "Can't you hear me? Or are you planning to be disrespectful here as well?"

Finally, the man responded with a simple "Okay," before standing up and heading for the door. Zhan felt a wave of relief wash over him as his heart began to settle. He collapsed onto the couch, resting his head and exhaling deeply.

Of course, he knew from the beginning that the driver had only been sent to the house. That's why he had entered the living room.

After Yi Bo left, Zhan locked the door to the living room, wiping his tears slowly as he continued to wonder where his supposed husband was. He hadn't seen him yet. Getting up, he moved toward the bedrooms, opening one door cautiously, but it revealed nothing but a bed with mattress.

So where was this so-called husband?

Slowly, he returned to the room where he had spent the night and sat down on the edge of the bed, lost in thought. If what he had imagined earlier in the kitchen was true, maybe it would be better to end his life and spare everyone the trouble. But why would he even think that way? He, Xion Zhan, young, handsome, and full of potential, marrying a mere driver? That was something that could never, ever happen.

Glancing at the clock, he realized it was almost 11 o'clock, yet he still didn't feel hungry. He couldn't even remember the last time he had eaten a full meals.

After some time, Zhan weakly made his way back to the living room. Approaching the window near the exit door, he looked out at the compound.

It was a small yard, just big enough to park a car. To his surprise, the driver was sitting on a small bench in the middle of the yard, his head in his hands. Zhan's heart skipped a beat.

But seriously, what was this man still doing here? Why hadn't he left yet? Could it be that his supposed husband had told him to wait?

At this point, Zhan's mind was spinning, his body trembling. Yet he refused to let himself fully grasp what his heart was trying to tell him. "No, it can't be. It will never be," he thought. He was certain the driver had just been sent to the house…

Some days earlier, between Yi Bo and Mr. Xiao

After gathering the shoes Mr. Xiao had asked him to take to Yang for polishing, Yi Bo still felt the weight of Mr. Xiao's gaze. As he prepared to leave the living room, Mr. Xiao called out, "Lee."

Yi Bo turned around, and Mr. Xiao gestured for him to sit. Yi Bo slowly took a seat, his eyes meeting Mr. Xiao's expectant stare. Paa took a deep breath and asked, "Lee, do you have a wife?"

Yi Bo paused for a moment before quickly shaking his head. "No," he replied.

Mr. Xiao lowered his voice, "Okay. Is there a reason you haven't married yet? Or is it just your personal choice?"

Yi Bo looked down and said quietly, "I was, but not anymore. Actually, this summer, my father said I would remarry."

"Do you have anyone in mind, Lee?" Mr. Xiao inquired.

Yi Bo glanced at Paa, who was still watching him closely, before lowering his head again. "No, I haven't found anyone yet," he admitted.

For a moment, Mr. Xiao remained silent, as if choosing his next words carefully. His gaze swept over Yi Bo, even though he was seated, which made Yi Bo uneasy. He slowly turned his hand to conceal the ring he wore.

Then, Mr. Xiao's voice broke the silence. "I would like to arrange a marriage for you. If you don't mind the gender, I'll take care of everything, including giving you a home. I admire your calm and composed nature, Lee, and I'm confident you won't disappoint me.

"But I wouldn't do this without your consent or your parents' approval. I'm humbly asking for this favor."

For about ten seconds, Yi Bo felt as if time had frozen. A wave of heat washed over him, but he forced himself to meet Mr. Xiao's gaze. Mr. Xiao looked genuinely concerned, his emotions plain to see.

Yi Bo's mind raced. What kind of chaos would this arrangement bring into his life? He was already dealing with enough. How could anyone live peacefully in such a marriage?

If he agreed, how could he ever explain this to his family? He knew there was no way he could introduce a man as his spouse to them. His father would kill them both. And what about the person he was already…

"Lee?"

Yi Bo snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Mr. Xiao, forcing a smile. "Thank you very much, Mr. Xiao," he replied.

Mr. Xiao seemed pleased, as though he had expected Yi Bo to refuse or give an excuse. Letting out a relieved sigh, he said, "Alright then, we'll visit your family today to discuss it. I hope they'll agree too."

Yi Bo swallowed hard and nodded. "That's fine, Mr. Xiao. But we can only meet my grandmother and my father's friend when we visit the village."

He offered no further explanation, and Mr. Xiao didn't press for more details about where Yi Bo's parents were.

"Prepare yourself within the next two hours, and we'll leave," Mr. Xiao instructed.

Yi Bo nodded again. "Okay, Mr. Xiao."

As Paa smiled, he added, "But you didn't ask me who I'm marrying you to."

Yi Bo just stared at him.

"It's my son," Mr. Xiao said. "I admire everything about you, which is why I want to unite our families. I made this decision on my own, and I believe I'm not doing anything that will harm you in the future.

"You'll be happy with this arrangement one day. All I ask is that you be patient with him. He's young, but I know he'll one day appreciate the choice I made for him. My only hope is that your family will agree."

Yi Bo was deep in thought and hadn't even processed what Mr. Xiao had said. Thousands of thoughts crossed his mind in that moment..... why him, of all people? This would mean disappointing all of his relatives. Even though Mr. Xiao hadn't told him which of his sons was involved, Yi Bo already knew. No! They were not, and would never be, compatible. How could that even be possible?

He suddenly heard Mr. Xiao's voice in his head, saying, "You can leave now." Yi Bo stood up, picked up Mr. Xiao's shoes, and left the living room.

His demeanor changed instantly, and he began sweating profusely. As soon as he exited the compound, he handed the shoes to Yang. Seeing the state he was in, Yang quickly stood up and asked, "Are you alright? What happened?"

Yi Bo didn't answer and instead headed toward the chalet. His eyes were already turning red... Zhan's voice pulled Yi Bo out of his thoughts as he crossed the courtyard. He looked up, his face tight, and stared at Zhan.

Zhan, clearly angry, shouted, "Didn't you hear what I said? Tell me what brought you to this house!"

Standing up, Yi Bo said, "Call your father and ask him, because he's the one who should give you that answer." Zhan froze, staring at him, his heart pounding.

As Yi Bo began to walk away, he suddenly turned back and said sternly, "And let me give you a piece of advice: never raise your voice at me again, and don't ask me any more questions while you're in this house." With that, Yi Bo left him standing there and walked briskly back inside.

It was clear now. What Zhan had been struggling to understand was finally confirmed. His worst fears had become reality. He collapsed to the ground in a fit of sobs, overwhelmed with sorrow. He clutched his head and screamed, "I'm ruined, I'm done for! My life is over, everything is finished!"

"What did I do for Paa to do this to me? Why would Paa do this to me? What have I done to deserve this from my own family?" He cried uncontrollably, sitting there on the interlock for over twenty minutes, unable to move. He was more than shocked....why him?

It all felt like a nightmare, but Zhan's tears eventually exhausted him. He glanced toward the gate, then quickly got up and rushed over to it. As he tried to open it, he learned it's close. He collapsed again, still crying, shaking his head in disbelief. He sat there for another fifteen minutes, realizing fully, for the first time, how much his family hated him. His head throbbed with pain, and his strength was fading due to the intensity of his crying. With great effort, he stood up and staggered back inside.

He went into the kitchen and looked at the knife he had thrown aside earlier. He approached it, hot tears streaming down his face.

He leaned against the cabinet, weeping softly. If he killed himself, it would only hurt his parents and siblings, not this driver. Eventually, he threw the knife aside and left the kitchen, entering the living room, where he glanced around, his eyes still wet with tears.

He spotted Yi Bo's small phone on the sofa. He quickly grabbed it and rushed into the room where he had spent the night.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, tears falling freely, he dialed Lu Jie's number. Mrs. Cao's name flashed on the screen as it rang. It wasn't long before Lu Jie answered.

Zhan couldn't bring himself to speak. He sat there, quietly sobbing, his eyes closed. Hearing no response, Lu Jie spoke softly, "Hello?"

Zhan burst into tears and cried out, "I'm ruined, Jie! Did you see what Paa did to me? So Paa doesn't even love me? I never knew they all hated me this much!"

"My heart feels like it's about to burst, Jie! I can't take this anymore. Why would Paa do this to me? Do they even understand what marriage is?"

He sobbed uncontrollably, and Lu Jie remained silent.

Still crying, Zhan pleaded, "Please, Jie, send me Zan Jin's number right now. I know you have it. Send it to me, please..." He ended the call and fell onto the bed, resuming his weeping.

Within a minute, he heard his phone ping with a message. He sat up quickly and saw that Lu Jie had sent him Zan Jin's number. Without wasting time, he dialed it, and when it rang, Zan Jin picked up, saying, "Hello?"

Zhan broke down in tears again and said, "Zan Jin, it's over for me. Paa hates me. Maybe they aren't even my real parents!"

Zan Jin, startled, lowered the volume of the music playing in the background and said, "Calm down, Zhan. Don't hurt yourself. We don't want any accidents, please. I've been avoiding your house because of your brother, and I haven't had any contact with anyone there. Your sister, who I had a number for, she has gone back to her husband's house this morning. When I called, she told me that."

With some effort, Zhan asked, "Zan Jin, do you know who Paa arranged for me to marry?"

Zan Jin, sitting up straighter, widened his eyes and asked, "No, who?"

Lying on the bed, tears streaming down his face, Zhan answered, "Zan Jin, of all people, it's the driver of our house that Paa has arranged for me to marry."

Zan Jin jumped out of his seat and shouted, "What?!"

At that moment, the door to the room swung open. Zhan sat up quickly, his expression turning cold. Yi Bo entered, giving him a hard look as he walked further into the room, his face stern. He said, "Don't touch my phone again in this house."

Zhan shot him a nasty look, threw the phone aside, and said sarcastically, "This piece of junk? You call this a phone?"

Yi Bo stood there, watching him silently, doing his best to stay calm. Zhan clicked his tongue, stood up, and walked to the far end of the bed, sitting down with a scowl. "You actually have the nerve to call that thing a phone?" he sneered.

Yi Bo just nodded, bent down to pick up the phone and its battery, reassembled it, and then left the room.

Zhan broke down into fresh sobs, cursing everyone involved in marrying him off to the driver.

~~~~~

At exactly twelve-thirty, Zhan, exhausted from crying, heard a knock on the gate. Almost as if expecting it, he quickly stood up, wiping his eyes, and left the room.

At the same moment, Yi Bo emerged from his room. Zhan scowled, but Yi Bo didn't even glance at him, heading straight to the door to leave.

A deep resentment stirred inside Zhan toward this driver, a man whom he couldn't fathom calling his "husband." How could a driver ever become his husband? It was even too strange to imagine. He went and stood at the entrance to the living room, his face stern.

Yi Bo opened the gate, allowing in one of Zhan's mother's sisters. Yi Bo bowed slightly, saying, "Welcome, Ma'am."

She gave him a brief glance before scoffing and walking past, leaving him in his bowed position. When Zhan saw her, he rushed over and hugged her, bursting into tears, crying loudly, "Aunty, I'm ruined! Why would Paa do this to me? Why would he destroy my life? Aunty, it turns out no one in this family ever loved me, and I never knew!"

His aunt hugged him tightly, worried, and said, "Hush, let's go inside, Zhan. Please stop crying." With that, she led him into the living room. Yi Bo, who had been watching them, returned to his usual seat.

Once seated with Zhan in her arms, his aunt said, "Didn't I tell you to stop crying, or should I leave and go back?"

Zhan shook his head, still sobbing softly as he wiped his eyes. She asked, "So, have you accepted the fact that you've been married off?"

Zhan looked up at her, his eyes swollen and his face flushed red. She sighed, "Oh, so you've really accepted that they married you off to the driver?"

Zhan shook his head in disgust, saying, "God forbid!"

His aunt continued, "Exactly, just like any other young man living his life, you will continue living yours. There's no need to think about being married to anyone. Don't you ever agree to consider anyone your husband, especially not him. He's no more than your servant, still just your driver. You need to remember that you are a young man too, free to go wherever you please. Continue living your life as you always have."

"Also, don't show him any mercy, or he might think he can disrespect you. He's nobody, just the driver in your household, and even now, he's still just an employee and a servant."

Zhan responded, "But Aunty, how are we supposed to live in the same house together? I can't imagine it! How can we be under the same roof?"

His aunt replied, "Don't be ridiculous. What does it matter? What business do you have with him? Just live your life as if you're in your father's house. Don't ever allow even a decent look to pass between you and him. Remember, he's still just a worker in your home, so he's beneath you."

Quietly, Zhan said, "But Aunty, does this mean I won't be able to continue my education?"

His aunt answered, "Why not? Calm down, Zhan. After this, I'll head straight to your house. Since they've married you off, they should allow you to continue your studies."

Zhan let out a deep sigh of relief, saying, "Thank you, Aunty."

She added, "And don't you dare cry over such nonsense again. You've now gained your freedom. From now on, whenever you want to leave the house, you can just go without needing anyone's permission. You'll return when you want, and no one will question you."

Zhan, feeling much more at ease, replied, "That's true, Aunty."

She continued, "Exactly. Now all your friends can come over, stay the night, and spend time with you. You can do whatever you want here, and no one will say a thing."

Zhan burst out laughing, "That's true, Aunty, but my only concern is seeing him around the house all the time. Wouldn't it be better if he just moved out entirely, and I stayed here alone? I hate seeing him, I despise him, I loathe him."

His aunt said, "Oh, come on now. He'll continue his job as the driver. Every morning, he'll go to the other house and probably return only after driving your father home from the office. Only then would he come back here."

Zhan made a face, and his aunt added, "Meanwhile, you could be out, only returning home late at night."

Zhan smiled, "Exactly. Now I'll just tell Zan Jin and He Peng to pack their things and come stay here with me."

His aunt said, "Of course."

Zhan let out a deep sigh of relief. His aunt asked, "Have you eaten?"

Zhan shook his head. "Why not? Get up and head to the kitchen. Even if it's just ramen, go cook something."

Zhan replied, "Okay." Energized, he stood up and headed to the kitchen. After the conversation with his aunt, he felt much more at peace. He prepared the ramen and then came back out.

His aunt said, "I'll be going now. I need to catch your father at home."

Zhan said, "Aunty, I don't have a phone."

His aunt replied, "I'll make sure they bring one to you later today."

Zhan smiled, "Thank you, Aunty."

After finishing his ramen, his aunt asked him to walk her out. Zhan got up, and they both walked out into the compound. Yi Bo was still sitting where he had been earlier. When he saw her, he stood and said, "See you later, Ma'am."

She glanced at him again and scoffed before continuing on her way, with Zhan walking beside her. Yi Bo sat back down, watching them as they left.

At the gate, his aunt said, "Call me as soon as you get the phone. Buy a SIM card and reach out."

Zhan replied, "Okay, Aunty."

She added, "Now go take a bath, then rest." After bidding him farewell, she left.

Zhan locked the gate, his face stern as he headed back inside.

~~~~~

By 6:00 PM, Zhan was still waiting for his phone, but there was no sign of it. He had no way to contact his aunt, even though he had her number memorized, which only deepened his frustration.

At eight-thirty, he got up slowly and stepped out of his room. At that moment, Yi Bo also emerged from the living room. Zhan's heart skipped a beat, and he hesitated but quickly scowled.

Yi Bo, not even glancing at him, walked through the living room. Zhan followed him with his gaze, noticing Yi Bo was likely heading outside, as his scent filled the room. Zhan didn't care for the fragrance at all, and he listened closely to hear if Yi Bo would open the gate. As soon as he heard it, Zhan rushed into Yi Bo's room and locked the door.

The room had nothing but Yi Bo's scent. Zhan went to the side of the bed, picked up the small phone, and dialed his aunt's number. When she answered, Zhan spoke in a soft voice, "Aunty, it's me, Zhan."

His aunt replied, "Ah... Zhan, whose number is this? It's all zeros."

Zhan explained, "It's that boy's phone, Aunty. He just left, so I quickly grabbed it to call you before he comes back."

His aunt said, "I see. I didn't get a chance to buy you a phone, but I'll send it tomorrow."

Zhan replied, "Alright then, Aunty. Until tomorrow."

After hanging up, Zhan scrolled through the call logs, intending to call Zan Jin since he had dialed his number on the phone earlier, but it wasn't there.....indicating that Yi Bo had deleted it. Instead, he found Lu Jie's number and noticed Yi Bo and her had spoken less than an hour ago.

Zhan stared at the number without blinking. The door to the room opened suddenly. Zhan's eyes widened, and he let out a terrified scream, dropping the phone from his trembling hands.

Yi Bo stood at the door, watching him with a strict expression. Instantly, Zhan's face tightened as well. He backed up against the wall, his heart still pounding, though he kept his expression neutral.

Yi Bo walked further into the room, and Zhan swallowed the lump forming in his throat, his heart beating wildly as he pressed harder against the wall.

When Yi Bo bent down to pick up his phone, Zhan bolted for the door. With one swift motion, Yi Bo grabbed him by the arm. Zhan screamed, trying to yank his arm free, "I swear I'll bite you if you don't let go! I don't know how your phone ended up in my hands. I didn't even notice it until now."