Chapter 19

Zan Jin and the others exchanged quick glances as Yi Bo turned his car around, preparing to leave. Lian, with a stern face, approached and said, "He's going to get another key." Zan Jin put his hands on his hips and scoffed, "This is a real problem. That guy is such a liar; he just doesn't want to open the house for us."

Zhan arrived at the gate, confused. "What happened?" he asked. He Peng was still speechless, staring after the car with his mouth hanging open, while Xin chuckled. "That guy's something else. You all wanted to see him, didn't you? It's the audacity for me."

Wide-eyed and confused, Zhan asked again, "Can someone please explain? Did he come back?" Zan Jin sighed, walked over to the flower bed, and sat down, shaking his leg. He Peng, visibly frustrated, finally burst out, "If I don't get a group of thugs to teach that driver a lesson, don't call me He Peng! Who does he think he is, treating us like this? With our status? What's he even so proud of, struggling as he is?"

Zhan started to piece together what had happened, tears filling his eyes. He felt personally affected by how Yi Bo kept treating him. Zan Jin sighed again, stood up, and said, "Zhan, we need to leave. It's clear now—this guy has no respect. Today just proved it. He's a total scoundrel, leaving us stranded at the gate like we don't matter. Who does he think he is?"

Tears streaming down his face, Zhan said, "Didn't I tell you all? You thought I was exaggerating, but he's capable of much worse. Where's Lian?"

Lian stepped forward. "Here I am." Zhan demanded, "Call Aunty Bing and tell her what he did."

Reluctantly, Lian pulled out her phone and dialed Aunty Bing. Once the call connected, she relayed the situation. Aunty Bing was in disbelief. "What a rude man! So, you're all still at the gate?" "Yes," Lian confirmed. "Where's Zhan's phone?" Aunty Bing asked. "Mr. Lee took it, saying he'd give it to him," Lian explained.

Aunty Bing scolded her harshly, "Who told you to give it to him? I sent you to deliver it to Zhan, and now you hand it over to someone else? Go get it back! You foolish girl!" Lian, pouting, protested, "But he took it from my hand; I didn't just give it to him." Aunty Bing snapped, "Do you think I care? Don't come home without that phone in its case, you worthless girl!" Then, she ended the call in frustration.

Zhan, still confused, turned to Lian. "You gave him my phone?" "He took it from me, saying he'd give it to you," Lian replied, panicking. Zhan, now furious, cursed under his breath. "Go get my phone back! What business do I have with him to be handing over my phone?"

Lian, nearly in tears, insisted, "Young Master, he took it from my hand. I didn't just give it to him."

Zan Jin chimed in, "Even if she hadn't given it to him, he probably would've snatched it anyway. He's done shady things before. He didn't disrespect us for nothing today—he'll regret messing with us."

He Peng, still the most agitated, paced angrily. "I need to meet Yi Bo face-to-face and end this disrespect once and for all."

Xin joked, "Do you think he approached Mr. Xiao for Zhan's hand in marriage just to humiliate him?"

Zhan clenched his fists. "If he dares to beg Paa for my hand, he'll be begging again soon to call off the wedding. I'm going to make his life miserable. He'll know I'm not someone to mess with, let alone marry. Does he even deserve to marry me? I swear, he'll go running back to Paa soon, begging to call it all off."

Zan Jin nodded in agreement. "Exactly! Stop wasting your tears on this. It's time to make him suffer. Use everything we know from our clique. By the time we're done with him, he'll never work for the rich again. He's worthless."

Zhan's resolve hardened. From that moment on, he was determined not to waste another tear on Yi Bo. He would make sure the driver left the house for good, running back to his village.

Zan Jin added, "And tomorrow, no matter what, we're getting inside that house. That guy? He's just a nobody. I swear, tomorrow we're going in, and I hope we meet him face-to-face."

Zhan sighed in relief, starting to feel more confident. "Lian, let me borrow your phone for tomorrow." Lian frowned. "And what am I supposed to use?"

Frustrated, Zhan snapped, "Just lend it to me, woman! You're the one who handed my phone to that fool, after all! I'm not going to eat it, just give it to me."

Zan Jin interrupted, "Forget borrowing phones. Tomorrow, I'll bring you a brand-new one, a touchscreen." Zhan, unconvinced, asked, "How, when that guy is acting like the house is his father's?" Zan Jin smirked. "Don't you trust us?"

He Peng grinned. "By tomorrow, we'll be inside, no problem. Just wait until after school." Zhan, calming down, nodded. "Alright, tomorrow it is."

Xin asked, "What's that guy's name again?" Zhan replied, "I heard them calling him Lee."

They all burst out laughing, and Zan Jin said, "We're going to give him a piece of our minds tomorrow!"

After that, they said their goodbyes to Zhan and drove off. Zhan sighed in relief and headed back inside the house

~~~~~

After six o'clock, Zhan heard Yi Bo return home. His anger, already simmering, intensified the moment Yi Bo entered the living room. Zhan stormed out of his room, expecting some confrontation, but Yi Bo didn't even glance his way. Instead, he set down the bag he was carrying, sat on the sofa, and casually turned on the TV with the remote, completely ignoring Zhan's presence.

Seething, Zhan marched over and snatched the bag, assuming it contained his phone. Yi Bo watched him silently as Zhan rummaged through it, only to find it filled with fruit. Furious, Zhan tossed the bag aside and, with a sharp tone, snapped, "Listen carefully! Today will be the first and last time you lock me in the house when you leave. I'm not your prisoner. Where's my phone? Give it to me now!"

Yi Bo continued watching the TV, completely unbothered by Zhan's outburst. Zhan, his anger rising, shouted louder, "Didn't you hear me? I'm talking to you!" But Yi Bo remained indifferent. Infuriated, Zhan marched over and yanked the TV plug out of the socket, glaring at him.

Yi Bo's phone rang, and without acknowledging Zhan, he answered it calmly, "I'll call you back later." After hanging up, Yi Bo stood and headed toward the bedroom. Zhan quickly stepped in front of him, blocking his way. "I'm talking to you! You think you can just walk away?" Zhan shouted, his voice shaking with frustration. He moved as if to grab Yi Bo's collar but hesitated, something in Yi Bo's gaze unsettling him.

In a firm, low voice, Yi Bo said, "Move." Zhan, despite his racing heart, stood his ground. "I won't! Give me my phone back. You didn't buy it!" But the coldness in Yi Bo's eyes made Zhan's confidence crumble. Tears welled up as he sank to the floor, overwhelmed by a sudden fear he couldn't quite explain.

Yi Bo walked past him without a word, entered the bedroom, and locked the door behind him. Zhan, now crying, banged on the door, shouting, "Give me my phone! You didn't buy it, so why do you have it? You have no right to mingle into my business!" But there was no response.

Five minutes later, the door opened, startling Zhan, who quickly stepped back, but Yi Bo simply brushed past him and headed to the kitchen. Still fuming, Zhan followed, standing in the doorway as Yi Bo began preparing to boil water. Zhan, in tears, threatened, "If I curse you, it will follow you and your entire family. Give me my phone!"

Yi Bo, ignoring him, rinsed a pot and placed it on the stove to boil water. Zhan didn't stop, hurling insults and accusations from the doorway. Yi Bo glanced at him briefly before focusing back on the stove. Zhan, his anger boiling over, snapped, "If you've sold my phone, just say so!"

Suddenly, Yi Bo flinched, pulling his hand away from the pot's handle after burning himself. Zhan, seeing this, burst into laughter, kneeling on the floor as if he had no cares in the world. Yi Bo gave him a brief, amused glance, rubbed his hand and a corner of his lips curved, he then walked out of the kitchen.

Once Zhan had laughed enough, he stood up, wiped his face, and his expression hardened once more. He decided to take matters into his own hands. Gathering the food Aunt An had cooked, along with some plates and utensils, he carried it all to his room. Afterward, he returned to the kitchen, locked the door with a key, and pocketed it. "Let's see how he manages to cook or drink tea now," he muttered to himself, satisfied with his small act of revenge.

He hid the key deep inside a box in his room, beneath his clothes, and locked it before settling in for the night.

The next morning, after his usual routine of meticulously cleaning his bathroom, Zhan ate the cold leftovers from the previous night..... out of spite. He brushed his teeth, grabbed his school bag, and quietly exited his room.

Yi Bo was lying on the long sofa in the living room. Zhan shot him a glare before stopping behind the two-seater couch. Trying to remain calm, he said, "You're taking me to school." Yi Bo lifted his head to look at him, sat up, and replied, "Which school?"

Zhan rolled his eyes. "The one you always take me to," he snapped. Yi Bo nodded, "Okay," then laid back down.

Zhan, growing impatient, snapped, "You're wasting my time! I have morning lectures. Either take me now or give me the car keys so I can go myself!"

Without looking at him, Yi Bo calmly replied, "Wait until you go back to your father's house. Then you can go to school. But while you're in this house, you won't be leaving—not even to the gate—unless it's by divine intervention. I've canceled your schooling permanently."

Zhan stared at him, wide-eyed. "Who the hell do you think you are to say that? Who are you to cancel my schooling?" Yi Bo, still composed, said, "Call your father and ask him."

The weight of those words hit Zhan like a punch to the gut. Tears streamed down his face as he stammered, "You can't… you can't just decide that for me!" Yi Bo stood up, looked him in the eye, and said, "The little you've learned is enough."

With that, he walked into his room, leaving Zhan devastated and sobbing on the living room floor. How could a mere driver decide his future like this? Canceled school? WHAT?

Zhan cried uncontrollably before dragging himself back to his room, feeling as though the world was collapsing around him.

~~~~~

Throughout the day, Zhan lay in bed, crying. He desperately wanted to talk to Aunt Bing, the only person he could confide in, but without his phone, there was no way to contact her. He needed to tell her everything.

By 4 o'clock, Zhan finally sat up, his head heavy with pain. It had been since yesterday that he last took his medication, and he didn't feel like taking it now. He hadn't heard any signs of Yi Bo moving around. Slowly, he stood up and stepped out of his room, glancing around the living room. The absence of Yi Bo's shoes by the door confirmed that he had left without Zhan noticing. Returning to the corridor, Zhan placed his hand on Yi Bo's door handle, gently turning it.

Peeking into the room, he saw no one. His eyes shifted to a phone on the bed, but before he could act, Yi Bo emerged from the bathroom. Zhan gave him a cold stare, then swiftly turned and retreated to his own room.

Later, Yi Bo was sitting outside in the compound, enjoying the evening breeze, when a knock echoed from the gate. He watched for a moment before walking over to it. Even as he approached, the knocking continued. He asked calmly, "Who is it?"

Aunt Bing's irritable voice responded, "Are you going to open the gate or keep asking stupid questions? Do you think this is your father's house, locking it up like you own the place? Hurry up and open the gate..... it's the real owners waiting outside!"

Yi Bo stood there for almost 40 seconds before opening the gate. Aunt Bing stood there with Zan Jin, her eyes squinting in irritation. "I didn't ask for a 'Good evening,' I asked 'How are you,' you disrespectful fool," she snapped when Yi Bo greeted her.

Zan Jin, He Peng, and Xin stood behind her, all eyes locked on Yi Bo. Zan Jin asked, "Aunt, is this the driver?" Aunt Bing scoffed, "You're looking right at him, aren't you?"

The three exchanged glances, disbelief clear on their faces. Zan Jin clapped his hands mockingly and said, "So you're the one who disrespected us yesterday at the gate. Think you're someone special, huh?" He Peng pointed at Yi Bo, "A poor man acting like he's important. Do you know who we are? And you think you can treat us like this?"

Yi Bo remained silent as Zhan came running out, joyfully hugging Aunt Bing, followed by Zan Jin and the others. Tears of happiness streamed down his face. Without a word, Yi Bo turned and left as though he were vanishing into thin air.

Zan Jin shook his head. "Finally, we get to meet the rude driver."

Aunt Bing asked, "So he still hasn't returned your phone?" Zhan shook his head. "No, he refused." She huffed, "Let's go inside. I'll figure out what's going on. This man acts like Mr. Xiao put him in charge of everyone here, as if we're beneath him. If he wants to marry you off, doesn't he have any friends' son's?"

Inside the living room, Aunt Bing continued to curse Yi Bo, with Zan Jin and the others echoing her frustrations. Yi Bo had already locked himself in his room.

Zan Jin surprised Zhan with a new phone, saying they just needed to get a SIM card. Zhan's earlier worries melted away as he beamed with joy.

"Now you can relax. They've seen the house and will be back soon," Aunt Bing said. But Zhan sulked, "Aunt, he locks the gate and keeps the key with him."

He Peng said, "It seems like he left the key in the gate after opening it for us."

Zan Jin responded, "If that's the case, we'll just take it and get a spare made."

Xin got up, saying, "Let me check." Moments later, he returned holding the key. "Here it is," he announced.

Aunty Bing sighed with relief. "Thank God! Since it's still early, why not go and get a spare cut now?"

He Peng stood up. "Yes, we'll pay them extra, and they'll get it done tonight."

He Peng and Xin left with the key to have the spare made. Meanwhile, Zhan handed the kitchen key to Zan Jin, intending to prepare spaghetti for everyone. But as he did, a deep sadness flickered across his face. He looked at Aunt Bing and said, "Aunt, I was ready to go to school today, but he stopped me and canceled everything."

Aunt Bing's mouth dropped open in shock. "He has no right to cancel your education! No one can stop you from going to school. Once they get that spare key, calm down. As long as I'm alive, no one will harm you, Zhan. I've told you before.... forget about this driver business and live your life the way you want. Once you have that key, take control of your own life."

Zhan sighed. "Okay, Aunt."

Aunt Bing sighed too, before asking, "Has Leo reached out to you at all?"

Zhan's eyes immediately filled with tears. He shook his head, his voice trembling. "No, Aunt. He blocked me, and I even broke my SIM card... I don't know who did this, who separated me from Leo."

His tears fell harder now as he sobbed, "I swear I love him, Aunt, but they've torn us apart."

Aunt Bing spoke softly, "Don't say you've been separated. Once you're back at school, you'll find a way to reach him. Didn't you say one of your friends has his number?"

Through his tears, Zhan nodded. "He Peng has his number. They've known each other since the UK."

"Then ask him for it," Aunt Bing advised. "But when you reach out to Leo, don't you dare mention that marriage your father arranged."

Zhan remained silent, lost in thought.

As night began to fall, Aunt Bing and Zhan sat in the living room while Zan Jin served the spaghetti he had prepared. They all ate together, except for Yi Bo, who stayed in his room the entire time.

At 7 o'clock, He Peng and Xin returned with the spare keys. Aunt Bing smiled and said, "Thank you, my dears. Here they are, three in total. Well done." She handed one key to Zhan, kept another in her bag, and gave the last one to He Peng.

"It's getting late," she said. "I should head home now. See you all soon. Or are you planning to spend the night here?"

2-3 more chapters to leave this boring part... 🙄Not to lovey-dovey yet tho. 😂

Zhanxianyibo ❤️💚💛