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Noticing the direction Zhan was staring... frozen and unmoving—Ning Li quickly turned to look too. She dropped the remote from her hand and slowly stood up, her eyes wide, staring at Yibo in utter shock and disbelief. Her heart pounded in her chest as she turned to face Zhan, panic spreading across her face.

Zhan walked slowly into the sitting room, sat on the couch, opened the takeaway bag, and calmly dished the food onto a plate. Then he looked up and met Ning Li's stunned gaze. She suddenly burst into uncontrollable tears, her body shaking as she rushed to him, grabbing onto his arm.

"Tell me," she cried out, voice trembling. "What is he doing in our home, Zhan? Why is he here? Who is he looking for?"

Yibo, frowning, turned to head back upstairs. Zhan called out, "Don't go back. Come here."

But Yibo didn't stop. He quickened his pace.

Raising his voice, Zhan called again, "Yibo!"

Yibo froze mid-step, his face tense, but he refused to turn around. The sight of Ning Li made his stomach turn, and a nervous flutter hit his chest.

Zhan stood up, looking directly at him. "I said come back here, Yibo."

Ning Li clung tightly to Zhan, still distressed. "Zhan, answer me. Tell me why this boy is in my house. Tell me! Who is he here for?"

Yibo turned around slowly and walked back into the sitting room, his expression hard as he stared directly at Ning Li. She stared back, her heart still racing, her grip on Zhan unrelenting. Yibo sneered at her, then looked away, waiting for Zhan to speak.

Ning Li stormed toward him, her lips trembling in anger. "What are you doing in my house?!"

Crossing his arms, Yibo replied coolly, "The same thing you're doing. And for the record, this isn't your house. It's mine."

Ning Li let out a sharp, almost hysterical cry, her whole body trembling. "Lies! You're lying! This is my husband's house...it's my home! You don't belong here, boy. You have no place in this house!"

Yibo gave her a mocking smile. "Is that so? Then maybe you should ask your precious fake boyfriend why he brought me here."

He glanced briefly at Zhan, who refused to look in either of their directions. In a low voice, Yibo added, "Because this… is my husband's house."

Before he could even close his mouth, Ning Li lunged at him, grabbing him roughly, her whole body shaking. Zhan rushed over and quickly pulled Yibo away, shooting Ning Li a harsh glare. He yanked her back, shouting, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? YOU COULD'VE HURT HIM!"

Staring at him in disbelief, Ning Li collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. "This is a nightmare. Zhan, PLEASE...just tell me what he's doing in our home. Please, I'm begging you!"

Yibo let out a loud, frustrated sigh and rolled his eyes, turning to walk away. But Ning Li leapt to her feet and charged at him again. Zhan grabbed her for the second time, this time his grip even tighter. The look he gave her was so cold it made her stomach drop.

In a firm, warning voice, he said, "This better be the last time. I won't tolerate this kind of behavior again. What exactly do you think you're doing to him?!"

Still crying, Ning Li wailed, "I can't live under the same roof as that boy...I swear I'll die first! Please help me, just tell me why he's here, what's going on...please!"

Zhan released her, his voice calm but unyielding. "He's here because we're married. He's the one I chose, just like you my mother's choice for me. Back then, I never said no to my mother...not even once."

Yibo, who had paused near the stairs, let out another long, irritated sigh before continuing upstairs, as if he might fly away altogether.

Zhan watched him walk away. Ning Li collapsed to the floor and burst into loud sobs, trembling in panic. "Oh no… I've ruined everything. Please, Zhan, don't do this to me, not after everything. You know how much I love you. No woman in my family has ever accepted a co—partner...please don't tell me he's your husband. I can't take it. My heart feels like it's going to explode…"

Zhan knelt down, looking at her with a calm, almost amused smile. "Congratulations. You just broke a record for having one."

Meanwhile, since Yibo had gone back to the room, he hadn't been able to sit still. He kept staring at the door, pacing around nervously. Finally, he stood by the window, tears silently falling down his cheeks though he didn't know why. Something heavy was pressing on his chest. He stayed there, frozen, for nearly ten minutes before the door finally opened. He quickly turned his back and wiped his eyes, pretending to look outside, his face stiff and unreadable.

Zhan shut the door behind him, watching him. "She's in shock, Yibo. And besides that, she's much older than you. Don't ever roll your eyes at her like that again....it's incredibly disrespectful."

Yibo turned to face him, a storm of emotion in his expression. Before Zhan could say anything else, Yibo snapped, "Oh, so just because she's older she gets a free pass? What next...she gave birth to me too? I don't care how shocked she is! Why should I? What's any of this got to do with me?"

Then he broke down again, rushing toward the bathroom, but Zhan caught his arm gently.

"I'm just reminding you, Yibo," Zhan said softly.

Yibo suddenly collapsed against him, sobbing hard. "I don't want to be here, Gege. I hate this house. I hate her. I can't stand seeing her every day. She almost hit me! And you...you've just been apologizing to her the whole time like she's the victim…"

He cried even harder, hiccuping as he buried himself in Zhan's arms. Zhan held him, quietly listening, surprised by the intensity of his emotions. After a moment, he smiled softly and asked, "So… what do you want us to do?"

With a trembling voice, Yibo replied, "Let's go. Let's find another place to live… and make sure she doesn't follow us."

Zhan looked at him and asked, "So… does that mean you're finally willing to live with me now?"

Yibo hesitated, then quickly pulled away, turning his back on Zhan as if trying to erase what he had just said. Zhan continued smiling, watching him with warm amusement.

"I'm not living with you," Yibo muttered with a pout before darting into the bathroom and slamming the door shut.

Zhan chuckled to himself and quietly left the room, still smiling.

Zhan did everything he could to comfort Ning Li, even though he feel like chocking her to dead....But right now...he's using one stone to kill two birds, he'll use Ning Li to get back at his stobborn baby husband, at the same time to prevent her from coursing them any harm.

But still... He had always hated to see a woman cry... especially because of him... but it felt like everything he said just made her worse. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she had brought this chaos upon herself by pushing Zhan into marrying someone else, just to please Yichen. The idea tormented her. It felt like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from, and it was tearing her heart apart.

Only now did she truly understand what it meant to be jealous of someone you love.

She couldn't even bring herself to call her mother...afraid her mom would tell her to come home. Deep down, she knew she couldn't leave Zhan. The very idea of being separated from him felt like death. To her, losing Zhan would be the end of everything.

Ning Li clung to Zhan, crying uncontrollably. "I love you, Zhan. I want to be with you...but I can't live with that boy. If I'm going to break my family's record for having a rival, it can't be for someone like him. Please, let him go and marry someone else. I'm serious...I don't even want to see his face for a second. Are you seriously sharing a bed with that boy now?"

Zhan gently pulled away from her and stood up. "Then you clearly don't want to see me either...because he is me."

Without waiting for her response, he walked into the bathroom, leaving her sobbing on the floor like she'd just lost a loved one.

When he came back out, she was still crying in the same spot. He glanced at her, emotionless, then left the room quietly and made his way to his bedroom.

Yibo had just come out of the bathroom. Zhan stare at him then he locked the door from the outside, pocketed the key, and walked out of the house.

▪️🔸▫️🔹

Later, Zhan returned and stepped back into the room where Ning Li was. She hadn't moved an inch. It was as if time had frozen around her. He stood in the doorway and asked calmly, "Still not done crying?"

She ignored him, tears still running down her cheeks. Zhan shrugged. "We're going out to buy him a few clothes. Yibo didn't bring anything from home."

Ning Li stood up quickly, eyes wide. "You're going out with him? Zhan, is this how you start humiliating me? You're taking him shopping now?!"

Zhan didn't flinch. "You heard me. We're going to the mall or a boutique. And don't forget...he's my legal husband."

Ning Li just stared at him like her heart had stopped. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, as if it couldn't keep up with the panic inside her. Zhan didn't wait for a response. He turned and locked the door behind him as he left.

Yibo was sitting on the bed, his head resting against the headboard when Zhan entered.

"We're going out," Zhan said.

Yibo immediately looked up, frowning. "I'm not going anywhere. Please."

Zhan stood there silently for a moment, then said casually, "It's just shopping. If you don't want to go, I'll take Ning Li to pick some things out for you."

Yibo instantly stood up, offended. "She'll do what for me? What's my business with her? Why was she going to buy clothes for me?"

Without waiting for Zhan's reply, Yibo stormed out of the room. Zhan smirked and followed him outside, finding him leaning against the car.

Zhan unlocked the gate. As Yibo opened the passenger side to get in, their eyes met with Ning Li's... she was peeking through the window, still crying like her world had ended.

Yibo felt strangely satisfied. He looked back at Zhan, then rushed toward him. "Hey hubby, you didn't even finish buttoning your shirt properly."

Before Zhan could say anything, Yibo began fixing the buttons for him. Zhan stared at him in surprise, watching the boy pout and avoid eye contact until he was done. Then Yibo turned away without a word, got into the car, and shut the door, sneaking one last amused glance toward Ning Li's window.

A tiny, smug smile played on his lips.

Zhan opened the gate and returned to the driver's seat. Glancing at Yibo, he spoke in a soft voice, "Let me fix your collar too."

Without waiting for a reply, he pulled Yibo closer and adjusted his shirt collar, even though there was nothing wrong with it to begin with.

Yibo was about to push him away but suddenly remembered that Ning Li might be watching them. That thought made him stop. He shifted closer to Zhan but avoided making eye contact.

Then, out of nowhere, he felt Zhan's lips on his. Eyes wide in shock, Yibo tried to pull away, but Zhan didn't let go.

Zhan didn't hold back when it came to shopping...he bought Yibo everything from innerwear to suits and casual clothes. Yibo was the one selecting most of it, trailing behind with a sulky expression. His face was stiff the whole time, clearly still upset about the unexpected kiss earlier. Every time the memory hit him, he would pout a little more.

Occasionally, he would find an item he liked and spin around quickly, showing it to Zhan. "Gege, this would look good on me, right?" Then he would suddenly remember the awkwardness between them and turn away again, sulking and walking off with a pout.

Zhan just smiled quietly, going along with him, amused.

After finishing up at the boutique, they headed to the shopping mall. Yibo went straight to the perfume section while Zhan made his way to the tea aisle to pick up a few things for the house.

While Yibo was browsing perfumes, his eyes suddenly met with someone unexpected...Li Na, who was also checking out a fragrance nearby. His eyes widened in surprise and he quickly approached her. "Li Na Jie!"

She hugged him immediately, her face lighting up. "Yibo! What are you doing in Tianjin?"

Yibo beamed. "I'm here with Gege. Wait...is this where you live?"

Li Na's smile faltered slightly, and she replied more quietly, "Yeah, I live here. What about you? What brings you here?"

Yibo's smile faded a bit too. The question clearly caught him off guard. He quickly recovered and said, "Oh! Gege brought me here. Let me go call him so you two can say hi!"

Before she could respond, he hurried away, leaving her standing there, staring after him, then slowly looking down.

Meanwhile, Zhan was reading tea labels, knowing full well that Yibo loved tea. Yibo approached him and Zhan looked up. Yibo's eyes were wide with urgency. "Gege! I just saw Li Na Jie!"

"Li Na? Where is she?" Zhan asked, surprised.

"Over by the perfumes." Yibo then grabbed Zhan's hand, almost like he was about to cry. "Please, Gege...don't tell her we're married, okay?"

Zhan stared at him in disbelief, fighting back a laugh. "Why not?"

Yibo looked genuinely distressed. "It's embarrassing, Gege! Everyone knows you as my older brother. If she finds out you're my husband, I'll die of embarrassment. Please don't tell her. I'm begging you."

Zhan chuckled softly. "Okay, fine. Let's go."

Still holding his hand, Yibo led Zhan to where Li Na stood. Zhan followed silently, watching him closely.

Yibo forced a cheerful smile as they approached. "Shi Jie, here's Gege! He also got married a few months ago. I just came over to spend a couple of days with him and his wife."

Li Na smiled at Zhan and said, "Good day, Doctor."

Zhan returned her smile and replied, "I'm well, Li Na. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

She nodded. "Yes, it has. How's work?"

"All good. So, you live in Tianjin?"

Li Na nodded again. "Yes, I do."

Zhan gave a small nod. "That's good to hear. And your husband?"

"He's fine. We come together...he just stepped out."

"That's great," Zhan said warmly.

Yibo was standing quietly beside them, faking a smile while glancing at Li Na.

She turned to him and asked, "When are you heading back to Beijing?"

Yibo blinked, startled, and quickly answered, "In about a week."

"You'll stop by my house before you go, right?" she asked.

"Of course. I'll ask Gege to bring me. Just send us your address."

Li Na smiled and said, "Okay, give me your number."

Yibo replied, "I left my phone at home. Let me save your number on Gege's phone."

He took Zhan's phone and handed it to her. Li Na entered her number and gave the phone back.

Yibo saved it under "Li Na Jie" and said, "Thank you, Shi Jie. I'll see you soon."

"Thanks, Yibo," she said with a smile. Then she waved goodbye to both of them and left.

Yibo continued picking out perfumes he liked while Zhan kept watching him silently. When Yibo turned around and their eyes met, he pouted slightly and walked away. Zhan chuckled and followed him. At the counter, Zhan paid for everything they had bought, and it was all sent to their car. The entire ride back home was silent; neither of them said a word.

When Zhan parked the car, he turned to Yibo and said, "Aren't you even a little ashamed? You told her you came here to visit me and my wife?"

Yibo didn't even look at him. He picked up the shopping bags...perfumes, body cream, toothbrush, and toothpaste...and was about to get out when Zhan added, "So you've come to my house for a vacation, huh?"

Yibo ignored him and walked into the house.

Zhan stepped out, locked the gate, and entered the house. Yibo went straight upstairs and ran into Ning Li standing in the hallway, her eyes red from crying. It was clear she'd been waiting for him. As soon as their eyes met, Yibo looked away with a cold expression.

Ning Li looked at him carefully and asked, "So, you've accepted that my husband is yours now?"

Yibo turned to her with a sharp glare and said, "Your husband? No way. You're not his wife, and you never will be. I'm not the type of man to share what's mine, especially not my husband. Sooner or later, you'll have to pack your things and leave. He's not a king, and this isn't a royal court for me to tolerate him taking in a concubine like you."

With that, he stormed into the room and locked the door behind him.

Ning Li stood frozen, burning with anger and humiliation, thinking of how she could get back at Yibo. A bitter smile tugged at her lips as she turned and went back to her room.

Meanwhile, Zhan was downstairs in the sitting room when his phone rang. He stared at the screen for a moment...it was Quentin calling. He sat on the couch and answered in a low voice, "Hello?"

"Zhan, how are you?" Quentin's voice came through the other end.

"I'm fine, Shushu. How are you?"

"I'm well. Beiting will be bringing some items over to your place for Yibo. Do you have the key to the house?"

"Yes, I'll drop it off," Zhan replied.

"Alright. Beiting said you haven't been answering her calls. Why?"

Zhan just smiled silently.

"Well, don't worry. Just answer her next time and hear what she has to say. Maybe she and AYi will be visiting on Sunday."

"Okey, thank you," Zhan said.

"No problem. Everything else alright?"

"Yes, all fine."

"If anything comes up, let me know. Oh, and did you hear your mom's been admitted to the hospital?"

Zhan went quiet, then said, "No, I didn't know."

"It's okay, she's doing much better now. She'll be discharged soon."

"Thank you, Shushu. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome."

After the call ended, Zhan dialed Yichen's number. When she picked up after a few rings, he greeted her softly. She responded, and he said gently, "I heard you weren't feeling well, Mom…"

She said briefly, "This isn't your concern, Zhan. And don't mistake my silence for acceptance of your marriage to that cursed boy and everything that comes with it. I'm only getting better now, but I swear I'll come to Tianjin myself and end this once and for all. Whatever is going to happen, let it happen...but as long as I'm breathing, you will not marry Yuting's son. Even if I'm dead, you still won't. And just so you know, I never agreed to you sharing a room with him in the first place..."

As soon as she said that, she ended the call with a sharp click.

Zhan remained seated for over ten minutes, his head resting against the back of the couch, eyes closed. Eventually, he stood up and went upstairs. He walked into Ning Li's room and found her packing her bags. She didn't even glance at him as she zipped her suitcase and started dragging it toward the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked. When she didn't stop or respond, he grabbed her arm.

She broke down in tears, as if she'd been holding it all in, and cried out, "Let me go, Zhan! I'm going home. I can't live in the same house with that boy...I can't do it. I hate him. I hate him!"

Zhan cut her off coldly. "So you hate me, then? Good and Fine. But let me make this clear: if you dare walk out of this house and head back to your family, then you and I are done for good. Forever. You heard me...I swear it."

With that, he let go of her and walked out, hoping his threat would scare her into staying. To him and Yibo, her return home would only bring more trouble.

Ning Li stood there, stunned, her mouth slightly open. Then she sank to the floor, sobbing as if her heart was being ripped apart.

Zhanxianyibo❤️💚💛