Chapter 37

Aunty Bella gently placed her hand on Zhan's shoulder, looking at him. He was still lost in thought, shock clearly written all over his face. Zhan suddenly looked up at her, his eyes filled with tears. Swallowing hard, he gathered his courage and shook his head. "No one ever told me these things. I didn't know... You're only telling me now," he said, his voice trembling.

Aunty Bella responded softly, "And I hope you've realized what I'm saying?"

Zhan nodded, tears streaming down his face, and then broke down sobbing. Looking at Aunty Bella through his tears, he said, "I didn't know she didn't care about me, Aunty. When one of my boyfriends said his parents were coming to our house, I told her, and she told me not to say anything to anyone, not even to my mom. She said she would tell my father herself. Then, just a few days later, my video got leaked online, and he blocked me."

Aunty Bella was speechless as she listened to him. After a moment, she asked in a low voice, still shocked, "Are you gay?"

Zhan, who was crying hard, suddenly became quiet as the realization hit him. His mind was now piecing everything together. Though it took a moment, he nodded and admitted, "Yes, I am."

Aunty Bella stared at him in disbelief, then asked, "Does YiBo know you're interested in men?"

Zhan looked confused. "YiBo? Don't tell me he lied about his name too?" she asked. Aunty Bella laughed slightly and replied, "Ahh, YiBo... Ahh, I mean the one you came to Shanghai with."

Zhan said, "Oh! You mean Lee? Yeah, he knows."

Aunty Bella nodded and said, "Let me tell you his real name. His full name is Lee Wang YiBo, but he usually goes by Wang YiBo. His English name is Leo."

Zhan went silent, repeating the names in disbelief, and instantly thought of Leo, his boyfriend. Aunty Bella interrupted his thoughts, saying, "I'm listening."

Zhan continued, "When my father kicked me out, she didn't say a word."

Aunty Bella gasped in shock. "He kicked you out from where?" she asked.

"In a weak voice, Zhan replied, "Our house. He said he never wanted to see me again, and she just stood by the door without saying anything as I left." He burst into tears again, overwhelmed with pain. He had never seen Aunty Bing from this perspective before. Everything was now so clear, but he had never realized it.

Aunty Bella struggled to compose herself. "Are you saying he sent you away from your own home?" she asked.

Zhan nodded while crying. Aunty Bella couldn't close her mouth in disbelief. "So that's why YiBo brought you here?" she asked.

Only then did Zhan realize that he had said more than he should have. He stopped crying and swallowed hard. He tried to cover up, stammering, "No, Aunty... It's just... for school..."

Aunty Bella, seeing through his lie, said, "Don't lie to me."

Zhan dropped his head in shame, tears falling quietly. Aunty Bella felt an immense sadness wash over her. So that was the reason YiBo had brought him to Shanghai? But Lily had told her that it was YiBo's father who order him to comeback. Now she was utterly confused. Looking at Zhan, she said, "That's enough. Stop crying. Go to the bathroom, wash your face, and lie down before morning comes."

Zhan didn't say anything in response. Aunty Bella urged him, "Get up." He stood up slowly, dragging his feet to the bathroom. After washing his face, he came out, and Aunty Bella said, "Lie down, and I don't want to hear you crying again, understand?"

Zhan nodded and lay on the bed. Aunty Bella stood up, left the room, and locked the door behind her.

That night, Aunty Bella didn't sleep. Zhan's situation weighed heavily on her heart. She felt deep sympathy for him and his mother, but she was also heartbroken over the cruel betrayal he had suffered, a stain that would follow him for the rest of his life. The pain was overwhelming. She cursed Aunty Bing over and over again. It had been a long time since she had heard of such heartless injustice. She was now certain that some people were nothing but trouble, pure evil.

At 7:45 a.m., she called YiBo. He was lying in bed in his on bedroom, deep in thought, feeling utterly confused and unsure of what to do next. Everything was in disarray, and he was trying to figure out the next steps. Even last night, his mom had reminded him to make sure Zhan accepted his admission letter, preferably by today, before the weekend began. If Zhan did, he could fly home tomorrow. She was eager for Zhan to leave, and his father had also remained him his business trip to Korea, for which YiBo would be leaving China in two days, on Sunday.

When Aunty Bella's call came in, it threw YiBo further off balance. He quickly sat up, staring at his phone, hoping Zhan hadn't told her anything. He let it ring until it was almost about to cut off before answering. Composing himself, he said, "Good morning, Aunty."

She replied, "Morning. If you're not busy, come over right now. I'm waiting for you."

His heart sank. Trying to stay calm, he asked, "Is everything okay, Aunty?"

She simply repeated, "I said I'm waiting."

Summoning all his courage, he answered, "Alright."

She hung up. Despite the air conditioning, YiBo began sweating profusely. He couldn't bear to imagine Zhan telling her that they had gotten married. Pushing that thought aside, he quickly got up, took a shower, and prepared to leave.

Within a few minutes, YiBo finished getting ready, sprayed on his perfumes, grabbed his mom's car keys, and headed out. Without even entering his mom's quarters, he made his way to the compound, lost in thought. Ever since he'd known Zhan, there was no situation where he couldn't break through Zhan's defenses and get him to open up.

When he parked in Aunty Bella's driveway and turned off the car, he walked up to her living room with his heart racing. He knocked on the door, and the housemaid opened it. YiBo didn't bother to answer her greetings; he walked straight in and sat down, leaning back against the chair. His phone rang, and it was Aunty Bella telling him to come upstairs. He stood up and turned to the maid, asking, "Where is the guest staying?"

The maid, politely, responded, "In the guest room."

Instead of going upstairs like Aunty Bella had instructed, YiBo went directly to the guest room. As he opened the door, Zhan was sitting on the edge of the bed, wrapped in the towel Aunty Bella had given him after his shower, applying lotion. His eyes were still swollen from crying all night, as the pain caused by Aunty Bing weighed heavily on his heart. He had never seen her in this light until now, thanks to Aunty Bella. If only he could turn back time, he thought, as his mind replayed the moments of deception and manipulation.

When Zhan turned swiftly at the sound of the door opening and saw YiBo, he quickly averted his gaze and continued applying the lotion, deliberately ignoring him. YiBo approached, his chest rising and falling with frustration, and said, "Hey, what did you tell Aunty Bella?"

Zhan briefly glanced at him and then returned to what he was doing, choosing not to answer. Seeing his silence, YiBo's face tightened with annoyance, and he snapped, "I'm talking to you."

Zhan replied, "Well, you're already in the house, go ask her yourself."

YiBo stood there, stunned, staring at Zhan. Frustrated, Zhan stood up and grabbed his lotion, intending to leave the side to another far away from YiBo, but YiBo grabbed his arm, pulling him close and giving him a stern look.

Zhan's eyes widened, and he said, "Let go of me! You're not just going to ask me; you need to ask her too."

YiBo glared at him for a moment before sitting him back down on the bed and saying sternly, "Let me be clear with you. If you've told her anything about our relationship or the reason we came to this city together, I'll have no choice but to sign the divorce papers right in front of her. I've had them ready for a long time."

Zhan's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Then go ahead and sign them, you think I care?. I didn't even know I was married. And thank God, despite all the nonsense, no one has ever caught me in any compromising situation, and please stop torching me with those unpure hands of yours. After you've finished divorcing me, just drop me off at the station and send me back to my mother's family. They love me, after all." Zhan glared back and scowled.

YiBo stared at him, not blinking. Zhan felt a strange sense of courage rising within him, likely from the conversation he'd had with Aunty Bella. She had understood and supported him in ways no one else had before.

Zhan stood up and moved to the other side of the bed, continuing to apply lotion to his legs, while YiBo, shocked at how confident Zhan had become, simply watched those slander hairy long legs. Suddenly, his phone rang, snapping him out of his weird thoughts. He glanced at the screen and left the room, heading upstairs to Aunty Bella's living room.

When YiBo reached her, she was sitting quietly, and he found it hard to meet her gaze as he sat down. "Good morning, Aunty," he mumbled.

Aunty Bella, watching him closely, replied, "Good morning."

Only then did YiBo muster the courage to look at her. She sighed and said, "Tell me the truth, YiBo. Did you really come back because of your father's order, or was it to bring Zhan here?"

YiBo, trying to keep calm, replied, "Aunty, if my father hadn't allowed me into his house, you know I wouldn't have entered. It was just a coincidence..."

He trailed off, lowering his head because he didn't know exactly what Zhan had told her and didn't want to say something that contradicted it. After a few minutes, Aunty Bella asked, "What did you make of Zhan's aunt since you stayed at their house?"

YiBo looked up quickly, then lowered his voice and said, "If you're talking about Aunty Bing, she's a wolf in sheep's clothing, a snake hiding in the grass..."

Aunty Bella shook her head in disgust. "I was shocked by Zhan's story, I Bo. I'm horrified by what that woman did to him. She didn't do right by him; she betrayed him and ruined his life."

YiBo closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, remaining silent. Aunty Bella continued, "Why did you tell him to accept the admission letter here when that wasn't the plan?"

YiBo stiffened, and Aunty Bella added, "He told me his father threw him out of the house."

YiBo's heart sank. If Zhan had told her that much, then he had probably also mentioned the marriage. Gathering himself, YiBo asked, "Is that all he told you, Aunty?"

Aunty Bella replied, "That's all he shared with me. Oh, and he told me he's gay, and that you already knew. Now, it's your turn to tell me the rest. He also mentioned that he has no idea how the video got released online. I believe him because there was no sign of deceit in his words."

YiBo just stared at her, releasing a quiet sigh. At least he now knew the full extent of what Zhan had told her. In a low voice, he said, "That's right, Aunty. But I don't know how to break this to my mom. And as for Zhan's father, I owe him for the kindness he showed me. I can't stand by and watch him suffer because of something that wasn't his fault. Zhan's aunt is behind everything that's happened to him, but he hasn't realized it yet. She's a manipulative woman, and she ruined his life, pushing him into things that were never his choice. She raised her own son differently but did this to Zhan."

When the incident first occurred, his father didn't kick him out of the house, but that woman found a way to get him kicked out almost a month after it happened. I'm telling you, she didn't handle things directly. I know his father wasn't in his right mind when he forced him out. Coincidentally, I was also preparing to leave the house and head to Shanghai after Dad called me. I just couldn't leave him to go somewhere else. And you know what, Aunty... I never really got along with the boy all the time I lived there, but because of his mother's kindness, I took pity on him, and we came here to Shanghai together."

Aunty Bella let out a deep sigh and asked, "What about his mother's family?" YiBo shook his head and said, "They're not here." Aunty Bella remained silent, filled with sympathy for Zhan. After a while, she asked, "So, what's your next plan, I Bo?" He shook his head, looking confused. "I don't know, Aunt. I'm confused. I don't know how I'll convince Mom to let him stay here until his father cools down. Last night, she even told me that he should take what he can and leave today because tomorrow's the weekend."

Aunty Bella said, "Don't even mention anything to her; she might not understand. Just say that his admission letter hasn't come through yet if she brings it up again. Zhan has to stay here until we find a real solution. He's too young to handle this trauma at his age, and his aunt didn't treat him fairly. Plus, I'll probably be traveling in the next two weeks."

YiBo remained silent for a moment, then quietly suggested, "Aunty, why don't I just arrange for his admission here? He can stay in Shanghai and continue his studies." Aunty Bella nodded. "Yes, that's actually a good idea, but which school are you thinking about?" Softly, he replied, "New York University Shanghai..." Aunty Bella looked at him in surprise and asked, "Do you know the tuition fees for those universities?"

He chuckled a little and said, "Oh, how much could it be? I think Ru is attending one of them." She replied, "Unless your Dad will cove all the expenses, he pay for almost everyone though, you know." YiBo smiled and said, "I'll process the admission as soon as possible." Aunty Bella said, "That's a good plan, especially since they'll be starting a new session soon." He didn't respond, and Aunty Bella remained quiet, deep in thought. Then she let out another sigh and said, "So, there's no way to trace how that video of his got out?"

"It shouldn't just be brushed aside with no investigation. There should be a thorough investigation until the person behind this is found. Even though I have no doubt that woman had a hand in it, I also suspect some of his friends. He told me who they are."

YiBo stayed quiet, and Aunty Bella added, "But I know that, eventually, the truth will come out, and we'll learn how everything unfolded."

~~~~~

Around 10 p.m., YiBo came downstairs from Aunty Bella's living room. There was no one in the living room, so he headed to the guest room where Zhan was staying.

He opened the door quietly and saw Zhan lying there, peacefully asleep. For the first time in almost four days, he was sleeping soundly. YiBo walked over, watching him silently. Without making any noise, he approached the bed, bent down, and kissed Zhan's forehead, lingering for a few more moments before finally leaving and locking the door behind him.

Throughout the day, Zhan had started to feel more comfortable in Aunty Bella's house. He really felt at home. Aunty Bella didn't let him stay alone either. They even went out together in the evening when she went shopping. She gave him a face mask to wear because there were people who could easily recognize him.

Aunty Bella gave him a lot of advice, telling him not to stress over those who wronged him because their secret would be exposed, and he would see how his aunt would meet her end. This eased Zhan's worries, and he felt much better. After they returned from the shopping mall, Aunty Bella laid out the things she had bought for him. Zhan took them quietly and said, "Thank you, Aunty."

He returned to his room, then came back and sat in the living room where Aunty Bella was feeding her son, Owen. Zhan spoke softly, "Aunty, please, can I borrow your phone to call my mom?" Aunty Bella handed him her phone. Zhan dialed his mother's number and called her, but when he heard the phone was off, his heart sank. He handed the phone back to Aunty Bella and said, "It's switched off."

Aunty Bella replied, "Try again later."

Zhan nodded. Just then, Aunty Bella's phone rang, and she saw it was Lily calling. She picked up the call, and after exchanging greetings, YiBo's mom asked, "So, has there been any progress, Bella?" Aunty Bella responded, "You know it's a new session, sister. So, I think it might take until next week for them to start giving out the letters. He hasn't received anything yet."

Lily asked, "Which school is it, anyway?" Aunty Bella replied, "To be honest, I'm not sure." Lily said, "But I was hoping he could go home today or tomorrow." Aunty Bella chose not to respond.

YiBo's mom then asked, "Is YiBo at your house, Bella?" Aunty Bella said, "No, he's not." Lily replied, "Oh, okay. He left the house early, and I haven't seen him back since." Aunty Bella said, "Maybe he's at his girlfriend's house." Lily said, "Alright, give my regards to Owen." Aunty Bella replied, "He will hear." With that, they said their goodbyes and ended the call. Aunty Bella started thinking about how they would handle her sister.

***

Meanwhile, Aunty Yu was sitting in Fang's section of the house, looking frustrated. She said, "Now, you've seen for yourself that Lily knows exactly what she's doing, right?" Fang quickly replied, "Yes, I believe you..."

Aunty Yu interrupted, "Imagine, today Ge had the nerve to tell me to leave his living room just because I suggested he shouldn't send YiBo to Korea. How long has YiBo even been back for anyone to know if he's changed or not? Yet he's already trusting him enough to put millions of his money into his hands. That's all I told him, and Ge had the audacity to shout at me and tell me to leave his living room!"

Fang asked, "So, what did the spiritual guide tell you when you spoke on the phone?" Aunty Yu sighed with frustration. "The plan has been ruined, and it was destroyed with witchcraft." Fang held her cheeks in shock. "But that plan was worth almost a million!"

Aunty Yu let out a deep breath of irritation. "It was ruined just at the moment he tell him to come into the house, and nobody stopped him from entering. He walked in confidently, and the witchcraft worked on Ge. He hasn't said anything yet, but now he's talking about sending him to Korea to handle a business."

Fang added, "I also heard he didn't come back alone. And I still haven't seen the boy they said came back with him. I even went to their side of the house today and entered Lily's room directly. But I didn't see him there." Aunty Yu said, "Xia told me he's not at the house. Ever since they found out the boy was involved in that video incident, YiBo threw the boy out of the house. That's proof of his mischief. He probably went out into the world and got up to no good, and now he's returned, no doubt with his boyfriend."

Fang remarked, "By the way, did you see the mother of the girl they want to tie him to come by earlier today?" Aunty Yu laughed mockingly. "Even if she dies, he won't marry her daughter-not if my name is still Yu. What's her name again, Nia? Well, he's not going to marry her. They're only after my brother's money, and they think they're clever. They imagine they can arrange this marriage and loot his fortune from all sides, have a grand wedding, and bring all their friends and red-faced relatives to feast on the wealth. But I'll see how they manage. I'd rather he remain unmarried for life than let him marry that girl."

Fang replied, "If he marries, it's no joke... the money involved will be enormous. Can you even imagine how much they'd take for themselves to fulfill their desires? Even millions would be a blessing." Fang continued, "So, you won't speak up and make sure he marries either Xia or Fen? At least it's better to keep the wealth in the family than give it to outsiders."

Aunty Yu just laughed again and didn't say a word. Fang added, "If he marries inside, at least we'll still have some control and know it's all in the family." Aunty Yu, shaking her leg and smiling slyly, said, "Do you really think they're going to marry him off to Nia anytime soon? He'll keep telling them it's not the right time until he leaves this house."

Fang replied, "Well, now he's back, and the girl's mother has already started making visits to the house." Aunty Yu smirked. "She can come and go as much as she likes. He's not marrying her daughter, or any other girl for that matter."

Isin't Aunty Yu correct here? YiBo will never marry any Girl...For that matter 😉

Zhanxianyibo❤️💚💛