Chapter 41

Zhan got up after remembering the phone Aunty Bella had given him. He climbed off the bed and went to check his empty bags. Searching through the first bag where the phone should be, he didn't find it, which left him puzzled. He stared at the bag, then checked the second one, but again, there was no sign of the phone.

There was a knock at the door, and Zhan quickly stood up, looking at it. He opened the door and saw Ru standing there. Ru said, "Come out, let's have lunch." Zhan replied, "Alright." She added, "In Mom's living room." Zhan nodded, and Ru left the doorway.

Zhan returned to his room, glancing at the clock. It was almost noon—so this was when they had lunch at this house? He made his way to YiBo's mom's living room slowly. Ru was already seated with three different dishes in front of her. Zhan approached, eyeing the food, and Ru gestured for him to sit down. He sat, and shortly after, a maid entered carrying cold water and drinks. She placed them on the table, then asked Ru, "Shall I bring the fruit salad and dessert?"

Ru looked at Zhan and asked, "Would you like fruit salad?" Zhan shook his head. Ru turned to the maid and said, "No need." The maid left, and Ru served herself some food from the dishes in front of them. She signaled Zhan to take some as well. Zhan took a plate and scooped some rice with side dishes. Both of them ate silently, with Ru occasionally checking her phone. Eventually, she got up, glanced at Zhan, who was surprised she had already finished, and said, "I'll go brush my teeth."

Zhan nodded, and she left the room. Soon after, Tin entered the living room. She gave Zhan a quick glance before heading to their mother's room. Finding it empty, she turned to leave, and Zhan watched her until she was out of sight.

When Ru returned to the living room, she called the maid to clear the remaining food.

Zhan spent the afternoon in YiBo's mom's living room, still bothered by the missing phone. He couldn't stop wondering who could have taken it. From time to time, Ru would come into the living room briefly, as it seemed they didn't spend much time on this side of the house unless their mom called them or they came to greet her.

In Ru's final visit to the living room, she said, "Please come with me to the salon; I'm getting my hair done." Zhan replied, "Okay." Ru waited while Zhan changed clothes, and then they left the main living room of the house. Zhan couldn't help but marvel at the sheer size of the place as they walked through it. The house was truly massive.

When they arrived at the main living room, Aunty Yu, who was on the phone, gave them a long look. After hanging up, she asked, "Ru, come here." Ru turned back toward her. Zhan felt uncomfortable under Aunty Yu's intense gaze.

Aunty Yu asked, "Who's this?" Ru looked at Zhan, who was standing awkwardly, and replied, "Aunty, he's a guest." Aunty Yu pressed further, "Whose guest?" Ru gestured vaguely and said, "Mom's guest."

Zhan mustered the courage to say, "Good afternoon." Aunty Yu gave him a once-over and said, "Good."

Ru quickly took Zhan's hand, and they left the room. Just as they were leaving, Fen entered the living room and glanced at Aunty Yu, saying, "Mama, he's the one."

Aunty Yu replied skeptically, "Are you sure? He's so fair-skinned."

Fen insisted, "I'm telling you the truth, Mama, it's him. Let me show you on my phone." She rushed to get her phone and played a video, handing it to her mother. Aunty Yu commented, "Didn't you say he was with that troublemaker? You said he brought him to the house."

Fen replied, "We're not sure. We just saw him sitting in Mami's living room when we arrived. Maybe he's a relative, because today when Aunty Bella left, he came back to the house. He's been staying at her place all this time."

Aunty Yu sighed, "If he were a relative, I would know him. It's more likely YiBo brought him here. If not, how did he come back, and why was he here again? But no worries, I'll ask your brother when he returns. No one would bring a stranger to this house without his knowledge."

Meanwhile, outside, Zhan was watching as a man dressed in camouflage parked a car in front of them, right where Ru was standing. The man opened the back seat for them. Ru's attire—a stylish English outfit, dark sunglasses, and a designer bag—caught Zhan's attention. She looked so cute and beautiful. For the first time, Zhan felt like someone outshone him. He had always considered himself above others, even at university, where he rarely spoke to anyone unless necessary, thinking they weren't on his level. But now, seeing Ru, he felt inferior.

Noticing how Zhan had stepped aside, Ru said, "Get in." Zhan got into the car and gently closed the door. The man drove off, and as they exited the house, Zhan noticed another black car following them... probably bodyguards.

Ru put down her phone, glanced at Zhan, and said, "Here's a question for you, friend." Zhan stared at her intently, not blinking. Ru continued, "How do you know my brother?"

Zhan cautiously asked, "Which one?"

Ru paused briefly before answering, "My brother, the one you arrived with this morning."

Zhan responded, "Oh, he's your brother?"

Ru widened her eyes in amusement and said, "Yes, he's my older brother. We have the same mother and father. Lily is our mother. Tin is my older sister, but YiBo is much older than her... he's seven years older. I'll introduce you to her when we get back; you probably haven't met her yet."

Zhan looked at her closely, noticing how much Ru resembled YiBo, especially in their nose and eyes. Slowly, he asked, "Tell me the truth, is this really YiBo's house?"

Ru's eyes widened in surprise, and she laughed. "That's funny. He's the first and only male child of our father. Did he tell you this isn't his house?"

Zhan kept staring at her, feeling more confused. Now that he had seen the actual size and beauty of the house, he couldn't believe it belonged to YiBo. He had always thought YiBo was just a nobody, as he had been paid to drive Zhan around for almost a year, even to his village. So why would someone like that live in such a house? Zhan started to suspect this might be his father's cousin's house, or maybe YiBo was just staying here temporarily.

Ru, still observing him, interrupted his thoughts. "What are you thinking about?"

Zhan replied briefly, "I find it hard to believe. I don't think I will."

Ru smiled. "Now I get it. He acted like he's nobody, right?"

Zhan remained silent, just staring at her. Ru opened her phone's gallery and handed it to Zhan, showing him over a hundred pictures of her brother.

The first photo Zhan saw was of YiBo wearing a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck. He swiped to the next picture, where YiBo was seated on a private jet in an unaware shot, legs crossed, staring seriously at his phone. Expensive non-alcoholic wines sat in front of him, and he was dressed in designer clothes. Zhan stared at the photo in disbelief. It was impossible to see the picture and not look twice, because YiBo looks so handsome. He didn't even realize he had zoomed in, trying to confirm it was really him. It was tho.

If anyone could see into Zhan's heart, they'd see how shocked he was. Slowly, he swiped to the next photo, seeing YiBo in New York, then in Los Angeles, Paris, and finally in the United Kingdom. Most of the photos were taken abroad, some with foreigners, some with Arabs. Zhan was overwhelmed by everything he was seeing. Then he came across some pictures of YiBo and Nia. He stopped scrolling after the third picture of them together, glancing at Ru, who was engrossed in her second phone.

Zhan tapped her and handed back her phone. "Are you done?" she asked. He nodded, and she took the phone, returning it to her bag and continuing with her other phone.

Before Zhan knew it, they had arrived at the salon, lost in his thoughts. Ru took his hand and said, "Dear."

Startled, Zhan snapped back to reality. Ru smiled and said, "We've arrived."

Zhan noticed the man who had opened the door was waiting for them to step out. He got out of the car, followed by Ru. As they approached the salon, Zhan couldn't help but marvel at how big and beautiful it was. Seeing how he stood in awe, Ru said, "Let's go."

Zhan followed her, unable to stop looking at the salon as they entered. He noticed that it was frequented by wealthy clients, including foreigners. Just one glance at the place told you it was high-end. Ru said, "You should get your hair done too." Zhan didn't say anything at first, but when Ru spoke again, he finally responded, "Okay."

They spent nearly an hour and a half in the salon before leaving. The driver and bodyguards who had brought them were still waiting outside. As they drove home, Zhan was lost in his thoughts, wondering about YiBo.

"Why did he disguise himself and come to their house as a driver? What could his mission be? Who were those villagers he introduced as his parents?" These were the questions swirling in his mind, but he had no answers. And then he wondered, "Does Lu Jie know who he really is? Is that why she's been paying him so much attention, even exchanging numbers?"

Memories of his time with YiBo at their house came flooding back vividly, but Zhan quickly brushed them aside. He didn't want to think about it anymore. By the time they arrived home, he was still deep in thought.

When they got home, no one was in the main living room. Ru escorted Zhan to the guest room where he was staying. Zhan glanced at her and quietly said, "Thank you." Ru simply smiled and turned to leave, but Zhan stopped her. "Wait, please. I want to ask you something."

She turned back and said, "Okay."

Zhan hesitated for a moment before saying, "I have this female friend. A guy came to stay at her house, but he disguised himself, hiding his true identity. During his stay, he acted arrogantly toward her and showed her no respect, despite being there as a worker. In return, she treated him rudely, and he was condescending and mean to her. Long story short, he left her house, and now she's at his family's home for a while. She discovered that he's not who she thought he was. What would you do if you were in my friend's shoes?"

Ru burst out laughing and sat on the edge of the bed, still smiling at Zhan. "Really?"

Zhan, his expression neutral, said, "Tell me, how would you handle it?"

Ru sighed, still smiling, and nodded. "Okay, if I were in her shoes, honestly, I would feel really embarrassed."

Zhan added, "Mind you, while he was staying at her house, he disrespected her constantly. He was rude, and no one in her family took her side. They always believed he was right, and she was the one getting scolded."

Ru, still smiling, asked, "But did she mistreat him or insult him while he was there?"

Zhan replied briefly, "She did, but he started everything."

Ru couldn't stop smiling as she said, "Alright, if it were me, I'd go to his room, apologize, and tell him that we just misunderstood each other, and I'd ask him to let bygones be bygones."

Zhan interrupted, "What if she can't bring herself to apologize?"

Ru answered, "Then, I'd avoid him as much as possible while staying at his house. Every time I see him, I'd probably be reminded of everything that happened, and I might feel guilty. So, if it were me, I'd prefer to apologize and move on. Otherwise, I wouldn't have peace of mind staying there."

"But he never apologized to her for what he did either." Zhan added.

Ru laughed again and said, "Well, then she should just avoid him. That's the best solution."

Zhan smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for your advice to her."

Ru responded, "You're welcome, dear." With that, she turned and left the room. Zhan sat down slowly on the edge of the bed, deep in thought.

~~~~~

Around 6 p.m., Zhan went to YiBo's mother's wing, after Ru had come to tell him that their mom was asking for him. He found YiBo lying on the couch, talking on the phone. Zhan looked at Ru as she entered the next living room. He approached YiBo, trying to remain calm, and said, "Can I have the phone Aunty Bella gave me?"

YiBo didn't even look at him. From the way YiBo was talking, Zhan could tell who he was on the phone with. Frustrated by the silence, Zhan said, "I'm talking to you."

YiBo ended the call and sat up, asking, "Why are you interrupting my call?"

Zhan didn't respond, and YiBo got up, leaving him there in the room. Zhan watched him walk away before heading into the other living room.

Lily greeted Zhan when he entered, asking, "Is everything alright? I hope you're comfortable in your room?"

Zhan nodded and replied, "Yes, Aunty, thank you."

Lily smiled. "Good. If you need anything, just let me know."

Zhan thanked her again and left the room after they finished talking.

***

The next morning, Zhan had just finished showering when there was a knock on the door. He got dressed and went to open it. Ru smiled at him and said, "Good morning, friend." He returned the smile and asked, "How was your night?" She replied, "Perfectly fine. Aunty Bella wants to talk to you on the phone." She handed him the phone and added, "When you're done, find me in Mom's living room."

Zhan nodded and went back inside the room, feeling a surge of happiness hearing Aunty Bella's voice. After greeting each other, Aunty Bella asked, "Where is the phone I gave you, Zhan?" Surprised, Zhan responded, "I haven't seen it, Aunty." Aunty Bella asked, "You haven't seen it? Didn't you put it in your bag?" Zhan replied, "Yes, I checked, but it's not there."

Aunty Bella was silent for a moment before asking, "Who packed your bag?" Quietly, Zhan answered, "He... YiBo." Aunty Bella said, "Oh, alright. We'll talk later." She ended the call.

Immediately, she called YiBo. When he answered, she didn't even allow him to greet her. "Mister, why did you take the phone I gave Zhan?"

YiBo, who was lying down, sat up, wide-eyed. "What phone? Did he tell you that? Besides, Aunty, I didn't even know about any phone."

She cut him off, "Don't insult my intelligence, I Bo. No one else could have taken it but you. Now, I just want to know why you did it. Period."

YiBo lay back down and said, "Because he should be focusing on his studies right now, not distracted by a phone..."

Aunty Bella was speechless, letting him continue until he stopped talking. Then she said, "Alright, return the phone to him immediately. I'll call in ten minutes..."

YiBo remained silent, not saying a word. "Did you hear me?" she asked.

"I heard you," he replied.

"And if you want to make trouble with me, go ahead and take that phone away from him again. I've already told you, I gave him Ryan's number for a reason, and here you are acting like you can just take his phone. Is Zhan a child who can't handle a phone? Has anyone ever gone to university without a phone?"

YiBo didn't say anything, so she added, "Like I said, I'll be calling the phone in ten minutes, and it better be on, with him answering it."

After hanging up, YiBo sighed in frustration. A few minutes later, he got up, put on his shirt, grabbed the phone, and left.

As Zhan finished getting ready, he headed towards the living room, and just as he reached the corridor, he saw YiBo coming from the opposite direction. Zhan avoided eye contact, but as he was about to open the door, YiBo grabbed his hand and pulled him aside.

Startled, Zhan glared at him and said, "What are you doing?"

YiBo ignored him, dragging him along to the balcony. Zhan looked around the spacious area, which looked nothing like they were still in the country. "Why are you dragging me here?" Zhan asked.

YiBo coldly replied, "I don't speak that language."

Zhan rolled his eyes and looked away, staring out at the street. YiBo continued, "I'm giving you the phone like I was told, but I want to remind you that marriage... whether it's for love, hate, or arranged... is something of value. It's not a joke."

Zhan looked at him in surprise, mouth slightly open. YiBo didn't give him a chance to speak, continuing, "I've only respected your parents, which is why I haven't ended our marriage yet. I've been waiting for the right time to do so. But I have a conscience; I couldn't leave you in the state you were in a few days ago. When your father said he didn't need me with you in the city, that's when I should've left and gone my own way. But I didn't. I stayed out of pity for you, and that's the only reason we're still married."

"If you think you can go around talking to other men, thinking they're courting you, I'll end this marriage to make things easier for you. I was planning to wait until you were closer to finishing your studies, reconciled with your father, and made efforts to fix the damage you caused yourself. Until you better understood life and the people around you. But it seems none of that will be possible if you're being handed a phone and starting to communicate with some guy..."

Zhan just stared at him, listening in silence.

"So, however you want to handle it is up to you. I've done a lot for you, not because you deserve it, but out of respect for your parents..." YiBo finished, pulling the phone out of his pocket and handing it to Zhan. "I'll decide what to do in the next few days."

Zhan took the phone from him, and YiBo turned to leave.

Zhan chuckled softly. "Not so fast, Mister. Since I stood here and listened to your mean words without interrupting, you'll stay and listen to mine."

He continued, "You kept saying you're only with me because of respect for my parents, not because I deserve it, blah blah blah... Do you think I fucking care about that anymore?"

"In the first place, if you knew I didn't deserve you, who told you to marry me? Nobody forced you. You had the right to say no if you didn't want it. Don't ever throw that nonsense at me about doing it because of my parents. I've had enough of your crap, Mr."

Zhan stepped closer to YiBo, who was now frozen with shock, staring at him with wide eyes. Zhan leaned in, his face inches from YiBo's, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "Do you see this body?" He motioned from head to toe of his own body, then pointed to his face. "And this beautiful, handsome face of mine?" He grinned. "All of me is way above your so-called life."

"Do you think you're so amazing and handsome that someone would fall head over heels for you? Nah, Mr. Wang YiBo. You're nothing in my eyes, because I deserve better... better than you in every way."

Zhan leaned in and lightly licked YiBo's lips, then winked at him before walking away, leaving YiBo standing there, stunned and speechless.

Zhan entered the living room and found Ru waiting for him to have breakfast. After sitting down, all he managed to drink was tea and eat a little Irish. While he sat there, his eyes on the TV, YiBo's words kept replaying in his mind. He frowned as the door opened, and both he and Ru looked up. It was Aunty Yu who walked in. She didn't respond to Zhan's greeting and immediately addressed Ru, saying, "Where's your mother?"

Ru quickly got up and went to Lily's room. Aunty Yu glared at Zhan, who, feeling uneasy, stood up quietly and left the living room, not wanting to be near her. She kept her angry gaze fixed on him as he left. She stood there until Lily emerged from her room. Lily greeted her, "Good morning, Yu."

Aunty Yu, clearly irritated, replied, "That's not why I'm here. I just want to remind you, Lily, that the way you would have respected your husband's mother when she was alive is the same way you should respect me. I'm not someone you can ignore. Your husband is my brother, but it seems you don't think much of me. Now, this boy who arrived yesterday and stayed overnight... don't you think he should have been sent to greet me and Fang by now? If Fang doesn't matter to you, does that mean I don't matter either? A boy comes into this house and doesn't acknowledge the people in it. He just walks past without a word, not even looking at us. On what basis?"

Lily glanced at Ru and said, "Ru, take him to greet them."

But Aunty Yu, in a huff, interrupted, "No, we don't need it now. Who would he even greet? I'm just advising you, Lily, to stop with this behavior. If you feel disrespected in this house, don't bring it near me, because I'm not here for your petty quarrels." With that, she stormed out of the room like a gust of wind.

Ru turned to her mother and said, "Why is she always creating problems out of nothing? From one thing to another—is she okay?"

Lily sighed, "Just take him to greet them. I don't have the energy for this drama this morning. If I had known that's what she was here for, I would have ask you to told her I was still asleep." With that, she headed back to her room.

***

YiBo sat in his father's living room, waiting as he finished his phone call, which lasted nearly ten minutes. When his father finally looked at him, he simply said, "How can I help you?"

YiBo adjusted his position and replied, "I need my CV, the keys to my houses, their documents, my land titles, and my cars. I also want my business accounts to be unfrozen."

His father stared at him for a moment, then stood up and said, "Until you repay your $800 million debt, all of those assets you've listed will be sold off. And even then, they won't cover the debt. As for your CV, I'll burn it. After all, I paid for your education."

YiBo looked at his father in disbelief as Mr. Wang continued, "Now get out before I shoot your legs."

YiBo stood up and headed for the door but turned back, saying, "But Dad, I can't pay for something I know nothing about…" Then, he left the room.

He went straight to his mother's quarters. As soon as she saw him, she asked, "What's wrong?"

Fuming, he replied, "Mom, why does Dad keep blaming me for the $800 million? Where could I possibly get $800 million?"

Calmly, his mother responded, "Because he gave it to you, and he believes you know where it is."

Frustrated, YiBo said, "But I don't know anything about that money! Why won't he believe me?"

She asked, "So what brought up the topic of the money today?"

He replied, "I went to ask for my things back, the ones he took from me."

His mom sighed, "But I told you not to. What are you lacking without them?"

Shaking his head, YiBo said, "Mom, I can't keep going on without working. He had me fired from my job. Can't he at least give me my CV so I can apply somewhere else?"

His mother shook her head, "If you had listened to me, you wouldn't have gone to him asking for your CV. What do you need that you don't already have? You're living better than most people with jobs. Every month I send you 300Y, and that's not counting what my siblings and your grandmother give you. So why do you need a CV now?"

Still fuming, YiBo said, "I don't even want Dad involved in asking for Nia's hand in marriage anymore. I'll get my uncles to handle it."

His mother raised her eyebrows but said, "We talked about that yesterday, and he said he'd send a representative next week to propose. Don't go stirring things up if you don't want trouble."

But YiBo had already stormed out of the room.

Fang entered Aunty Yu's section of the house and asked, "Sister Yu, did you hear what the boss said earlier?"

Aunty Yu, curious, asked, "What did he say?"

Fang replied, "He said next week he's sending someone to propose for YiBo's marriage to Nia. Lily was the one who brought it up."

Aunty Yu's eyes widened in surprise, "Really?"

Fang nodded, "Yes, I heard it myself. He announced it before leaving."

Aunty Yu shook her head in disbelief. "Well, he didn't tell me, when I went to greet him earlier."

Fang said, "That's why I came to inform you."

Aunty Yu stood up quickly, grabbing her phone, and headed to her room. She dialed her friend's number, and as soon as she answered, she said, "How can you disappear on me like this, saying you were coming and then nothing?"

On the other end, her friend burst into laughter and replied, "I got caught up in things! I was supposed to come today, but then something came up. How's everything at home? How are Fen and the others?"

Aunty Yu replied, "Everything's fine, but we're about to face a setback. My brother's son is back, and this time, it seems he's ready to fight us. He even has his father on his side. I think this time he's prepared to go against everyone. I'm planning on making sure his father cuts ties with him completely and shifts everything to my son."

She continued, "This isn't something to discuss over the phone. We need to meet up and figure out what we'll do next."

Zhanxianyibo❤️💚💛