Chapter 30

🚫🚫🚫☠️☠️☠️ WARNING: Talking of dark magic and native Doctor, if you're uncomfortable skip it please.

Zhan remained silent, watching YiBo as he didn't respond. After a few seconds, YiBo mustered the strength and said, "Aren't you going to get it for me?" Zhan hesitated, fidgeting nervously. "But I told you, I'm scared. There's no way I'm going out there alone, especially after Zan Jin said there were ghosts in this house."

YiBo struggled to sit up and pointed weakly to his bag. "Hand it to me." Zhan, still anxious, grabbed the bag and handed it over, all the while watching him. YiBo leaned against the bed, clearly drained of energy. After a few moments, he opened the side pocket of the bag, pulled out a notepad and a pen, and began scribbling. He wrote down four lines, followed by a four-digit number, before dropping the pen and lying back down, breathing heavily.

Zhan took the note, looking at it curiously, then back at YiBo. "Who taught you to write prescriptions like this?" YiBo pointed at his car keys. "Take this to the pharmacy. My ATM card is inside. The PIN is written here. It's a current account."

Zhan looked at him skeptically, then at the note in his hand. "Really? You're writing your own prescription now? How do you even know what medicine to get? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

YiBo, annoyed, snatched the paper back. "Forget it, just leave it."

Zhan rolled his eyes and grabbed the note again. "So, where did you learn how to prescribe your own meds, Dr. Lee?" He half-joked, still concerned. YiBo, barely able to answer, muttered, "The doctor gave it to me last night."

"The same one who came to check on me the other day?" Zhan ask.

YiBo held out his hand, "If you're not going to go, give it back."

Zhan groaned and stood up, picking up the car keys and ATM card. Then he paused and asked, "Savings account?"

Without opening his eyes, YiBo replied, "Current."

Zhan looked at him suspiciously. "Do you even know what a current account is?"

YiBo, slowly opening his eyes, said, "Give it back, you don't have to go."

Zhan pouted, "Well, it's not my fault if I go, and they freeze your account because of this 'current' thing." He headed to the door, then suddenly turned back, visibly anxious. "I'm still scared, though."

YiBo simply closed his eyes, too exhausted to reply. Zhan stood there, hesitating, before finally summoning the courage to leave the room. A few moments later, he was outside, breathing heavily, relieved to be in the open. He approached the car, got in, and started it. After warming it up, he hesitated at the gate, realizing he couldn't open it alone. Almost turning back to ask for help, he muttered to himself, "Well, he's not going to do it in his condition."

He finally managed to open the gate, drive out, and flagged down a passerby to help him close it. Once outside, he thanked the man and drove to the pharmacy.

At the pharmacy, Zhan handed over the prescription, watching skeptically as they prepared both pills and injections. He handed over YiBo's ATM card, debating whether to say "savings" but eventually said "current" as YiBo instructed. After the payment was processed, he gathered the medicines and left.

Upon arriving home, Zhan once again asked the man to open the gate for him. After parking, he looked around nervously, still haunted by Zan Jin's ghost story. He shook off his fear and hurried back into the house, heading straight to YiBo's room. He was still lying there just as Zhan had left him. He placed the bag of medicine on the floor beside him, kneeling down. "I got the medicine."

YiBo opened his eyes slowly, looking at him. Zhan put down the keys and ATM card and then left the room for the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned, holding a cup of tea. "Here," he said, offering it to YiBo.

YiBo sat up, opened the bag of medicine, and began sorting through the contents. Zhan watched as he took the tea from him, occasionally stealing glances at him. He caught his eye a few times, and they both quickly looked away. YiBo finished the tea, placed the cup down, and started preparing an injection. Zhan's eyes widened in disbelief.

He lowered his trousers, and Zhan, shocked, quickly turned his head away, covering his face with his hands. A few seconds later, he cautiously peeked and saw the empty syringe. He sprang up, alarmed. "Why did you give yourself an injection?"

Without looking at him, YiBo swallowed some of the pills with the remaining tea and lay back down. Zhan sat back down, staring at him in amazement.

Zhan leaned closer to YiBo, carefully placing one of his trembling hands on YiBo's chest. His heart pounded nervously as he gently started rubbing his chest. YiBo quickly opened his eyes weakly and asked, "What are you doing?" Zhan pouted, replying, "I just want to help you. Somehow, I blame myself since I know Zan Jin drugged you, and he's my best friend… or so I thought."

YiBo grabbed Zhan's wandering hand and said, "No need to do anything for me. The injection and medicine I took will help. But do you know what really happened to me?" "Yes," Zhan replied, "Not exactly, but I suspect it. I know how Zan Jin can be; he'll do anything to get his way." He thought to himself, "That's why I follow him around all the time."

They fell silent for a moment, with YiBo lying down and Zhan sitting beside him, one of Zhan's hands still resting on YiBo's chest.

"What can I do to help you now?" Zhan asked. YiBo replied, "If you really want to help me... Why not a kiss?" Zhan immediately covered his lips with his free hand, eyes wide. "No, I… I've never kissed anyone in my life." When YiBo didn't respond, Zhan slid down slightly, lying beside him and looking at his face. In a whisper, he asked, "Are you asleep?"

YiBo opened his eyes briefly before closing them again. In a weak voice, he asked, "Not even with your boyfriend?" "Ah, Leo?" Zhan answered. "The furthest we've gone is holding hands and giving pecks on the cheeks and temples." Zhan blushed. YiBo smiled with his eyes closed and said, "Why not, though? Aren't you two in love with each other?"

Zhan rested his head on YiBo's chest, slowly moving his hand down to YiBo's abdomen, gently rubbing the area. Despite YiBo being weak, he felt slightly better from Zhan's touch.

Zhan continued, "Of course we love each other, but I don't know why... I just feel uncomfortable with anyone touching me... except you," he murmured the last part.

YiBo smiled as sleep began to take over him. In a soft whisper, he asked Zhan again, "I'm curious, why do you hate me so much? If I remember correctly, I've never done anything to you that would make you hate me this much."

Zhan was silent for a moment, thinking before he sighed and said, "I don't hate you. When I first saw you, you were so handsome and hot to be poor and working as someone else's driver. And you were so calm and patient with my rudeness, no matter what I did or said to you. You were always calm, and that annoyed me. As the days went by, I just started feeling like I couldn't be myself with you around..." Zhan pouted and shrugged, whispering, "Maybe I just needed your attention somehow."

After about ten minutes of silence, Zhan noticed that YiBo hadn't opened his eyes, and it seemed like he had fallen asleep. Zhan quietly got up and left the room, heading to the living room.

He hadn't been there for even fifteen minutes when he heard someone knocking at the gate. He rushed back to the bedroom, where he saw YiBo was fast asleep, breathing heavily. He grabbed the house keys and went out to open the gate.

Standing there was Lian, who handed him a phone. "Good morning. Here, Aunty Bing wants to talk to you." Zhan took the phone and placed it to his ear. From the other end, Aunty Bing asked, "Have you reached the house yet Lian?" In a quiet voice, Zhan responded, "Good morning, Aunt." Aunty Bing continued, "What's going on, Zhan? I've been waiting since yesterday, and I've tried calling Zan Jin, but he's not answering his phone. Did he leave the house?" Zhan replied, "Yes, he's gone, Aunt."

Aunty Bing scolded, "But didn't I tell you not to let him leave the house until we finished talking?" Zhan said, "I woke up and found that he had left." Aunty Bing sighed in frustration, "Did you ask him about it?" Zhan nodded, "Yes, Aunt, he said his mother's name is Zhan."

Aunty Bing clicked her tongue in disapproval, "You really are stupid, aren't you? So, you just sat there silently when he told you that? Didn't you question him?" Zhan answered softly, "That's what he told me."

Aunty Bing, now irritated, said, "You're really not smart at all. And I don't see any signs of you getting smarter. Just continue living with the driver if that's what you want. I'm giving you advice that even your own mother wouldn't give you, even if you were dying." In a quiet voice, Zhan responded, "I'll ask him again, Aunt. I'm sorry."

Aunty Bing sighed, "We'll talk later," and ended the call angrily. Lian took back the phone and said, "Are you done?" Zhan didn't say anything. Lian added, "See you later," before getting into a taxi that would take her home with the money Aunty Bing had given her for the fare.

Zhan slowly turned and walked back into the house.

~~~~~

Aunty Bing sat with Ms. Tu in front of a tall, imposing man. Shaking her head, Aunty Bing said, "We haven't been able to get his parents' names. You know the boy is clueless, and he's the last-born child, not very smart." The man, his red eyes fixed on them, replied, "I told you from the beginning, I can work with just his name, and the spell will work swiftly like a knife cut. Just make sure I get paid."

Aunty Bing shifted in her seat. "That's not a problem. You know money is no issue." The man smirked, his lips twitching, "What's his name again?"

"Lee," Aunty Bing replied.

The man tapped his foot thoughtfully, then after a minute, gave her a sidelong glance with a smile. "He's a handsome one, tall and well-built, with a broad chest."

"That's exactly how he is, just like you said," Aunty Bing confirmed.

The man burst into laughter, "Well, there's dark magic on him already, and it's no joke. He's been cursed, jinxed even." Both Aunty Bing and Ms. Tu fell silent, watching him intently. The man tilted his head as if deep in thought, then nodded. "He's also a half-caste, from either his mother's or his father's side."

Aunty Bing agreed, "No doubt, maybe his grandmother was from abroad." The man chuckled and nodded again. Aunty Bing asked, "But where did the curse come from?"

The man gave a sinister smile, "You said he's from some village, right?"

Aunty Bing shook her head. "No, my brother-in-law would know the exact name since he went there to arrange the marriage. I don't know."

"Well, the curse came from his village. Someone is envious of his success, even the little he has." The man nodded again, deep in thought. "He's been hardworking since he was young and has a good reputation. People like him naturally, which is why they cursed him... strong magic, I can tell."

Aunty Bing sighed, "I see, and now that he's come to the city, it's obvious that success is following him."

"Exactly," the man replied. "And like I said, he's charismatic. Whoever comes near him likes him genuinely and would even trust him with their wealth."

Aunty Bing frowned. "Well, I want you to make sure that my brother-in-law's money never lands in his hands again. Cast a spell so my brother-in-law will hate him deeply, never wanting to see or interact with him again."

Ms. Tu, listening closely, interjected, "But if you do that, he might demand a divorce of his son."

Aunty Bing fell silent, considering the possibility. Suddenly, her phone rang. She quickly fished it out of her bag and glanced at the caller ID. "Give me a minute," she said, stepping outside to the courtyard to answer. "Good morning, Native Doctor," she greeted, continuing, "We haven't gotten the name yet, but we'll be there within the hour. Please wait for us. You know we're coming from far away."

Inside, Ms. Tu continued speaking with the man. "You see, Native Doctor, we want him completely separated from the driver and his son. Also, the house he planned to build for the boy in his husband village? We need to make sure that plan is entirely erased. We want him to despise all of them, never wanting to see them again. As for the boy, just let him be gone from his life. Lastly, make sure the driver feels a strong urge to return to his village. Make city life unbearable for him so that he and the boy can return to where he came from."

Aunty Bing returned and sat down. Ms. Tu turned to her, "I've explained everything to him."

"Good," Aunty Bing sighed in relief.

The man laughed heartily. "Money... your request is a heavy one, and it'll need proper funding. You see, before we can start working on him, we'll need to break some of the magic already on him. We can't combine spells. If I don't weaken the existing one first, it will conflict with mine, and that's why my work won't have full effect until I break theirs."

Aunty Bing leaned forward, "We don't care how, just make sure we win this time. You know we've been at this for years. Help us out here, and don't ask for an outrageous amount."

Ms. Tu chimed in, "Yes, Native Doctor, be reasonable with us this time."

The man hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "Just leave me 150,000 Y. If my spell works, you can pay the remaining 50,000 Y."

Aunty Bing opened her bag, took out a gold ring, and placed it on the table. "Here, this is worth 180,000 Y. Take it and start the work."

The man nodded, accepting the ring. "Consider it done."

Aunty Bing asked, "When can we expect results?"

The man grinned. "I'll head to the forest right away and begin the work. By tomorrow, you'll see the effects.... swift and sure."

Smiling, Aunty Bing said, "Thank you, Native Doctor. We know your work is reliable. I'll call you later." With that, they bid him farewell and set off for another village.

***

Meanwhile, Zhan sat in the living room until nearly noon. Finally, he got up and went to check on YiBo, who was still asleep in his room. Quietly, Zhan closed the door and went to his own room to shower and get dressed. After folding some clothes that Zan Jin had washed for him, he returned to the living room and then entered the kitchen. He looked around. There were all the ingredients he needed except meat, so he went to YiBo's room, retrieved his ATM card, car keys, and house keys, and headed out.

Within thirty minutes, he was back with two frozen chickens and some spices. After another couple of hours in the kitchen, he was exhausted, having cooked for what felt like a crowd of ten people. Collapsing onto the couch, he thought about how long it had been since he had cooked, as Aunty Bing never allowed him to lift a finger at home.

As he sat there, he suddenly remembered Lu Jie, a chef who always taught him different recipes whenever she visited. Thanks to her, Zhan was still able to cook decently. Getting up, he went back to YiBo's room, but he was still asleep. He stood by the side of his bed and lightly tapped his pillow. He opened his eyes weakly and asked, "What is it?"

Pouting, Zhan replied, "I was just checking on you. You should be grateful I even bothered." Rolling his eyes, he turned to leave, but YiBo watched him as he walked away. "I want some hot water," he said faintly.

Zhan shot him a sharp look. "And why are you telling me? Do I look like your house help?"

With that, Zhan left the room. YiBo closed his eyes, wanting to get up but lacking the strength to do so.

After nearly twenty minutes, he drifted back to sleep until the sound of the door opening startled him awake. Zhan walked into the bathroom without looking at him and on the heater, he left the room again. YiBo sat up, got out of bed, and went into the bathroom.

When he came back out, he saw food placed in the room. He got ready, sitting on the carpet and staring at the dishes. After a while, he pulled one dish closer and opened it. The aroma hit his nose immediately. He opened another container and saw it was rice. His gut told him that it wasn't meant for him, so he closed it and pushed the food aside.

By 4:00, with a few minutes past, Zhan still hadn't come back to the room. By now, YiBo was feeling much better. He left the room and found Zhan asleep on a two-seater couch. He approached him quietly and tapped the chair. He woke up suddenly, about to scream, only to realize it was him. He had thought it was a ghost coming for him. YiBo looked away without saying a word and returned to the room. Picking up his phone, he sat on the bed and saw four missed calls from Nia, two missed calls from Mr. Xiao, and a message showing a debit of  thousands for the drugs he had bought for him earlier that morning, and another twenty-five. He stared at the debit before getting up and heading out of the room.

Zhan was still seated on the couch when YiBo stopped and asked, "What did you do with the twenty-five thousand?"

He frowned and replied, "Well, I bought chicken for ten thousand and made lunch. I'm not going to keep eating without meat. Besides, I know my father gave you money for groceries. I spent five thousand on spices and ten thousand on gas for the car. If you're running low on money, just call your account and tell them."

YiBo stared at him for a while. Zhan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, then pouted and got up, walking to his room. YiBo followed him with his eyes. He returned to his room, opened the food he claimed to have cooked, and stared at it. Even though he hadn't eaten, he still didn't believe he had prepared it. Finally, he picked up a spoon and tasted the stew. That confirmed it...it wasn't him cooking. Despite his hunger, he refused to eat it.

Later that evening, after going outside, YiBo saw two beggars. He stopped them, returned to the house, brought out the food, and gave it to them. Then he went to the kitchen, washed the containers, and left the house. Zhan, hearing him leave, quickly ran to the balcony, still dripping from the shower. He had only thrown on a towel after hearing the car start. In a panic, he hurriedly grabbed his shirt and pulled it over the towel. Fear gripped him, especially as darkness began to fall, and he remembered how unsettled he had been since Zan Jin told him about the ghost in the house.

Zhan went to sit on the porch, tears welling up in his eyes. He stayed there for over an hour, swatting mosquitoes and even nodding off at times. It wasn't until after 8:00 that YiBo returned. After parking, he locked the gate and walked past him without saying a word. Zhan hurried after him, saying, "Please don't leave me alone in this house at night again! You didn't see what happened with Zan Jin before he left! That's why you're so comfortable leaving me alone and taking the keys with you."

YiBo turned and asked, "Who's Zan Jin?"

He frowned and replied, "My friend who came to spend the night."

"Oh, he left already?" YiBo asked casually.

Zhan scowled at him, YiBo said, "Well, you better make sure the ghost don't come back for you, since your friend left you behind."

With that, he turned toward his room. Zhan burst into tears and ran after him, shouting, "Why would you say something like that? What did I do to make them come after me?"

Ignoring him, YiBo entered his room, and Zhan followed, still crying. YiBo said calmly, "I'm going to sleep. Go to your room. I'll see you in the morning."

Zhan widened his eyes at him dramatically, but then silently walked to the far side of the room and sat on the edge of the bed. YiBo watched him for a moment before saying, "Alright, I guess I'll leave the room for you and sleep somewhere else."

Before he could leave, Zhan burst into tears again, pleading, "Please don't leave me alone! I'm scared, and I can't sleep by myself in my room."

He curled up, resting his head on his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. YiBo said nothing more, just locked the door and returned to his bed.

A little later, Zhan got up to use the bathroom, then came back to find YiBo lying on one side of the bed, speaking softly into his phone. Even though his voice was low, Zhan could tell who he was talking to. He rolled his eyes, climbed onto the bed, snatched the duvet, grabbed one of the pillows, and spread the duvet on the floor before lying down. After tossing and turning for a while, he huffed, got up, and switched off the lights before returning to the duvet.

YiBo kept talking on the phone for nearly an hour. Finally, feeling the breeze of an approaching storm, he sat up. The windows were still open, signaling the weather change. He switched on the lights, which made Zhan quickly sit up as well. He stared at YiBo as he got up, and as YiBo noticed him watching, he told the person on the phone, "I need to sleep now. You know I'm still recovering. We'll talk tomorrow."

Ending the call, YiBo turned to him and asked, "Why are you following me around?"

Zhan said nothing, just glaring at him, annoyed that he wouldn't let him sleep in his room. Refusing to speak, he silently followed YiBo as he locked all the windows, room by room, until they returned to his bedroom. He locked the windows, turned off the lights, and lay down again. Not long after, rain started to fall, and Zhan, still lying on the floor, was filled with fear. He slowly got up and sat, glancing at the bed. Finally, he picked up his pillow and duvet, climbed onto the bed, and lay down. YiBo heard him but said nothing, turning his back to Zhan and closing his eyes.

As the rain fell harder, Zhan crept closer to YiBo's back, curling up behind him. He couldn't sleep, and neither could YiBo. When lightning struck, Zhan scooted closer, trembling in fear, until he finally drifted off to sleep.

Much later, Zhan was startled awake, feeling someone touching him. Terrified, he was about to scream when YiBo quickly covered his mouth with his palm...

Zhanxianyibo❤️💚💛