25

As soon as Zhan reached the hospital parking lot, he headed towards Hai Kuan's car. He opened the front door and got in without even looking at Hai Kuan. Hai Kuan started the car, and they drove off without saying a word to each other. The silence stretched as they drove further and further. Zhan's eyes kept darting around, trying to figure out where Hai Kuan was taking him.

After several minutes, it finally clicked... he recognized the route. Instantly, his body tensed, and everything that had happened recently came flooding back to his mind, fresh and heavy. Hai Kuan pulled into the compound of his family house, parked, and turned to look at Zhan before stepping out of the car.

Zhan couldn't bring himself to move. It felt like Granny Fang Yu would be waiting inside. He remained frozen until Hai Kuan walked around, knocked on the car window, and asked, "Or should I help you out of the car?"

Lowering his head, Zhan finally stepped out. Hai Kuan locked the car, and they walked into the house together. The sitting room was empty. Zhan sat on the couch like a complete stranger. Hai Kuan looked at him in surprise.

"Are you okay? Aren't you going upstairs to greet Mama?"

Zhan didn't reply. He simply stood up and slowly made his way upstairs. Hai Kuan watched him, confused. Zhan stood outside Lan Yi's sitting room door for nearly two minutes, unable to bring himself to go in. His heart was pounding in his chest. Hai Kuan was coming upstairs, but before he could reach him, Zhan quietly opened the door and slipped inside.

Granny Ai was sitting on the floor with a food tray in front of her. She immediately grinned and raised her hands.

"Look who's here....Zhan, Zhan is here!"

Zhan's eyes met Lan Yi's, who was sitting beside Granny Ai. Lan Yi couldn't look away. Zhan approached, knelt down gently beside her, and said softly,

"Good afternoon, Mama."

Lan Yi quickly pulled him into her arms before their eyes could meet again.

"How are you, Baby? How's your health?"

Zhan lowered his head, "I'm feeling better."

Granny Ai chuckled, "Look at this boy, just a few days away from this house and see how much better he looks. His skin is glowing, he looks healthier, yet people outside act like the world is ending because of him. Everyone's gossiping....old and young alike....some saying he's this, others saying he's that."

Lan Yi simply held Zhan tighter, like she wanted to pull him back inside her womb. It felt as if all her worries had melted away in that single moment. A wave of strength, the kind she'd been missing for days, returned to her. Zhan, too, felt a wave of relief in Lan Yi's embrace. For the second time since everything happened, he couldn't bring himself to believe that Lan Yi wasn't his biological mother. To him, there was no mother on earth but Lan Yi.

Meanwhile, Hai Kuan walked into the sitting room downstairs and greeted Qiren, who was seated there. Qiren responded, studying him closely.

"How's he doing?"

Hai Kuan replied, "Better. He's upstairs with Mama."

Qiren fell silent for a moment, then sighed heavily.

"Hai Kuan, how do you suggest I even begin to talk to Zhan about his background in a way that won't completely shatter him? I really don't want to hurt my son. He's already hurting. What if bringing all this up again reopens his wounds? At this point, shouldn't we be helping him heal, giving him hope....not dragging him deeper into this mess? Honestly, even if I wanted to tell him, I don't know where to start."

Hai Kuan lifted his gaze to Qiren and said, "Baba, there's no point hiding the truth about his background anymore. What's done is done. The reason he's hurting this much is because he didn't hear this from you....his parents. You've all kept silent, and look how it's turned out...his engagement was called off because of it. As if that wasn't bad enough, Granny Fang Yu threw in her own drama, which made things worse. So how can we keep pretending everything is okay when it's clearly not? This silence is hurting him more than the truth ever will. You need to talk to him, Baba. Mama can't do it alone."

Qiren sighed and said, "I will, but I don't think I'll be as open with him as I was with you."

Hai Kuan replied, "Baba, just tell him everything once and for all. Even if you don't, eventually, he'll hear it somewhere else. You've seen it yourself....he's already started hearing bits of it from outside."

Qiren exhaled deeply.

"Alright… we'll wait until later, before he leaves."

Meanwhile, Zhan was sitting quietly beside Lan Yi on a soft carpet . He ate slowly from the food Lan Yi had asked Sabira to bring him. Granny Ai shut her suitcase with a loud snap and grumbled,

"Three days here is enough for me. I didn't come to spend eternity in this house. And on top of that, Shu took her bra I was supposed to have, yet I'm the one packing outfits just to leave."

Lan Yi wasn't even listening to Granny Ai. Her full attention was on Zhan, watching him eat quietly. He had lost so much weight....it hardly looked like the same Zhan. And anyone could tell, just by looking at his face, that the weight of the world still sat on his shoulders.

Granny Ai glanced at Zhan, "So, is that room they gave you at Yibo's house the one I picked for you?"

Zhan lifted his eyes to her and gave a slight nod.

"I told you it was yours from the start," Granny Ai continued. "And the room is just as big as Min and Yibo's. You see....they're over on one side, and you've got your own corner with no business concerning that woman. I can see she's a complete disaster, showing off in different views."

Lan Yi turned to look at Granny Ai, eyes sharp with warning. Granny Ai widened her own eyes right back.

"Oh yes, she's trouble....Yibo's wife. She's already caused me enough headaches. What? You're giving me that look now?"

Lan Yi kept silent.

The sitting room door creaked open, and they all turned. Hai Kuan entered, eyes settling on Zhan.

"I'll be waiting for you in the corridor."

Zhan glanced at Lan Yi, who spoke softly, "Why not leave it until around ten?"

Hai Kuan answered, "Baba wants to talk to him."

Lan Yi nodded.

"Alright, let him finish eating first."

Hai Kuan turned and left the sitting room. Granny Ai rolled her eyes.

"See how desperate he looks to get Zhan out of this house? Honestly, Lan Yi… are you sure you know what's going on with these children of yours?"

Lan Yi stayed quiet. Zhan pushed the food aside, though he had barely eaten.

"You haven't finished," Lan Yi pointed out gently.

"I'm full," Zhan replied, shaking his head.

Granny Ai stood, dragging her suitcase toward her.

"Come on, wash your hands. We're going."

Lan Yi looked at her in confusion.

"But it's Qiren who called him, Aunt Ai."

Granny Ai waved her hand.

"Oh, that? Fine. Go and come back...I'll wait."

Zhan washed his hands and left the room, finding Hai Kuan waiting for him in the corridor, sliding his phone into his pocket. They both walked toward Qiren's sitting room.

From the moment Zhan entered, Qiren's eyes were on him. Zhan quietly sat down, his voice low and respectful.

"Baba, good afternoon."

Qiren let out a deep, hidden breath.

"Good afternoon, son."

Hai Kuan left them alone and returned to the sitting room, where Lan Yi was waiting. She signaled for him to step outside. Meanwhile, Granny Ai stretched out comfortably on the couch, waiting for Zhan to return from seeing Qiren.

After a few minutes, Lan Yi stood up.

"I'll get Qiren's food from the kitchen," she announced.

"Good, no problem. Go," Granny Ai replied.

Lan Yi left the sitting room, finding Hai Kuan waiting by the stairs. She approached him, concern heavy in her voice.

"Hai Kuan, you can see for yourself.... Aunt Ai's packing a suitcase, claiming she's following Zhan to Yibo's house. Tell me, what business does she have there? The girl's barely been there five days....what sense does this make? Even Zhan himself, by the grace of life, will be back here within two weeks. Do you think I want him living at Yibo's house? I don't have a choice right now. It feels like part of me isn't with me anymore… But at least I know Yibo won't let him suffer while he's there.

And now this old woman insists she must follow him there. Min was treated unfairly? Honestly, Hai Kuan, does that sound reasonable to you? From the very start, it wasn't right for Zhan to move in and expect everything to be okay with Min."

Even though Hai Kuan had clearly seen Granny Ai pressed against the wall near the metal staircase railings, he didn't say a word until Lan Yi finished speaking. Hai Kuan adjusted his stance and asked,

"So, what exactly do you want me to do, Mama?"

Lan Yi replied calmly, "Just tell her she's not going with you. She'll complain for a while, get tired, and go lie down. Or tell her Yibo himself is coming to pick Zhan up. That way, when you both leave, she won't even know."

Hai Kuan only smiled, rubbing his face. Granny Ai suddenly jumped out from her corner and narrowed her eyes at them.

"So, it's not just Marquis who knows how to play dirty games Lan Yi."

Hai Kuan chuckled, turned away, and walked downstairs, leaving them there. Lan Yi stood there like a drenched kitten.

Granny Ai sneered, "I honestly didn't expect this from you. And for the record, I never said I wanted to visit your mother Fang Yu's house. I said I'm going to Yibo's house, and no one's going to stop me....not even you. I'll find the house even if I have to walk barefoot. There's no way I'll sit by and watch that woman mess with Zhan while we all act blind. Everyone knows by now Zhan was found abandoned in front of a church inside a box. And yet, you've been favoring that old woman of Yibo's like she's some angel. Who told you Yibo's wife is a child? She's older than him, in case you didn't know. The very first day she arrived and greeted us, I thought she was a divorced woman. But I kept my mouth shut so people wouldn't say I talk too much."

Lan Yi replied, "Aunt Ai, please…I'm sorry, that's not what I meant…"

Granny Ai snapped, "Keep your explanations and sorry to yourself. I'm going to Yibo's house, like it or not."

With that, she turned and walked off, leaving Lan Yi standing there.

Meanwhile, Qiren watched Zhan, who sat silently, tears streaming down his face. Qiren gently patted his head.

"Next week, Yibo will bring you back home," he assured softly. "Everything will be okay, my boy."

Zhan couldn't speak. He simply nodded, tears falling freely down his cheeks.

Back in the living room, Granny Ai sat with her suitcase in front of her, waiting impatiently for Zhan to come downstairs. Hai Kuan still hadn't returned since he left earlier.

Soon, Zhan quietly descended the stairs. Granny Ai immediately stood up.

"Grab this suitcase. Let's go. Hai Kuan is outside waiting in the car already."

In a quiet voice, Zhan replied,

"I'm going to the kitchen."

Granny Ai frowned.

"Are you people pretending you can't see the clock? It's already half-past eight."

Zhan simply said, "I want to make tea for Mama."

Granny Ai sighed and sat back down.

"Few days back, when she followed Fang Yu Jie around, no one made her tea unless she wanted gossip."

Zhan ignored her, slipping into the kitchen and locking the door behind him. He quietly opened the back door, exactly how Hai Kuan had instructed, slipped out, closed it gently, and made his way to the compound gate, slipping out quickly.

Hai Kuan was already waiting in the car outside. Zhan got into the front seat, and without a word, Hai Kuan started the car and drove them out of the street.

Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛