Around nine o'clock, Zhan was in the kitchen about to serve food when Yibo walked in. He kept dishing out his meal without even glancing at him. Yibo locked the door quietly and approached him.
"Baby," he said softly, "pack the food into the warmer so we can go home. It's getting late."
Zhan replied without looking at him, "I'm staying here tonight."
Yibo blinked, unsure of what to say. After a moment, he lowered his voice and said, "But that's not what we agreed on. You're not supposed to sleep here, Baby."
Zhan gave a small, indifferent smile. "I'm only trying to make things easier for you. This way, you won't have to sneak out early in the morning or lie about going somewhere else just to come here."
He walked toward the door, turned back briefly to pout at Yibo, and then left. Yibo just stood there watching him, not even blinking, before rubbing the back of his head with a faint, helpless smile. A few seconds later, he followed him out of the kitchen.
In the sitting room, Lan Yi was cradling one of the twins, while Bing held the other. The babies had started drinking the milk Lan Yi bought for them. Min was alone in her room, her milk still flowing uncontrollably, her heart heavy with pain.
Lan Yi glanced up at Yibo and asked, "Zhan say you're both spending the night here?"
Yibo lowered his gaze and answered quietly, "Yes."
Lan Yi said nothing more. Yibo stood and went upstairs. When he tried to open Zhan's door, he realized it was locked. He stood there for over a minute, then knocked gently.
"Who's there?" Zhan's voice came from inside.
Yibo didn't answer. When Zhan didn't open the door...clearly knowing who it was....Yibo simply turned away and left.
- - -
The next morning, Hai Kuan had already booked a 10 a.m. flight for Granny Ai and Min. Granny Ai was fully dressed in her elegant new outfit, complete with a matching scarf and expensive shoes. Her new travel bag sat by the door. She looked like she was heading to a grand celebration rather than the airport.
She sat confidently in the sitting room, waiting for Min to come out. After her suitcase had been placed in Hai Kuan's car, she checked the clock impatiently.
"If we keep waiting for that woman, we'll miss the flight," she snapped. "Bing, go see what on earth she's still doing in that room."
Zhan sat beside Lan Yi, feeding one of the babies with a bottle, while Lan Yi nursed the other. Yibo sat at the dining table, a cup of coffee in front of him.
Min finally emerged from the room with Bing behind her, head bowed, eyes red and swollen from crying.
Granny Ai turned to Bing. "Where's her suitcase?"
"I already took it to the parking space," Bing replied.
Granny Ai nodded curtly, then turned to Lan Yi. "Well, I'm heading from Beijing straight to Tianjin. Take care of the babies and raise them well. With Bing here, everything will be easier for you."
With that, she headed for the door. Zhan and Lan Yi both wished her a safe trip. Yibo stood and quietly followed them out of the sitting room.
Min knelt before Lan Yi, tears streaming down her cheeks as she said goodbye. Lan Yi couldn't bring herself to look into her eyes. Zhan couldn't either... his heart clenched pityfully. No mother ever wanted to be separated from her children, especially so soon after giving birth.
Min stood up slowly, wiping her tears as she followed Granny Ai out, her sobs quiet but unending.
Zhan sat in Lan Yi's sitting room, holding one of the babies and feeding him from a bottle. The other twin lay asleep on the bed nearby. Lan Yi had bathed them around five in the evening, and they had been sleeping since then...until the second twin woke up crying. Lan Yi quickly prepared milk and handed it to Zhan, who had spent the entire day helping to take care of the babies in her sitting room.
After feeding the baby, Zhan cuddled him gently and looked up at Lan Yi.
"Mama," he asked softly, "they still don't have names?"
Lan Yi smiled faintly. "Didn't Yibo tell you what he plans to name them?"
Zhan shook his head.
"They're named after your father and Hai Kuan," Lan Yi said.
Zhan's eyes widened a little, then he smiled. "Then may they grow up strong. We'll call them A-Yuan and Ai-Muan."
Lan Yi chuckled. "Alright, which one is A-Yuan, and which one is Ai-Muan?"
Zhan looked at the baby in his arms. "This one's the first, right?"
"Yes," Lan Yi confirmed.
"Then he's Ai-Muan. The second one will be A-Yuan."
Lan Yi smiled warmly. "Those are beautiful names. Where did you get them from?"
Before Zhan could answer, the door opened and Yibo walked in, making Zhan fall silent immediately.
Lan Yi said, "Pass me the baby, then go get ready. You two should head home...it's getting late."
The brightness faded from Zhan's face. He turned to Yibo and asked, "Didn't you say we'd spend the night here?"
Yibo glanced at him from the corner of his eye but didn't respond.
"I said pass me the baby and go get ready," Lan Yi repeated gently but firmly.
Zhan got up slowly, handed the baby over, his face now blank, and turned to leave. Just then, Lan Yi's phone began ringing. Zhan picked it up from the couch and handed it to her before Yibo quietly slipped out of the room.
Lan Yi checked the screen...Granny Ai was calling. She answered and put it on speaker.
"Aunty," Lan Yi greeted calmly, "I've been trying to reach you. Marquis said you left her at the station, and when I called Aunt Yisue, she said you never showed up."
Granny Ai frowned slightly. "Who's Aunt Yisue?"
Lan Yi said "I thought you branched in her house"
"What do you mean stayed?" Granny Ai replied, sounding slightly annoyed. "You said you thought I went to her place. Please, don't make things up."
Lan Yi sighed. "Never mind. How's traveling, Aunt?"
"I'm fine," Granny Ai replied briskly. "How are your grandsons? Are they drinking their formula well?"
"Yes, they are," Lan Yi answered.
"That's good," Granny Ai said. "They're better off now. When they grow up, they'll understand how lucky they are to be cared for properly and not by that troublesome woman. We sent Min back home safely, thank goodness. Turns out her mother is a decent woman...calm and respectable. She even thanked us sincerely and supported our decision to keep the babies. You should've seen how scared Min was; she was trembling in front of her mother! Her mother handled everything quietly and even had Min stay in her maid room. I'm telling you, it's for the best. She's out of the house now with nothing.... no marriage, no babies, nothing. If I hadn't sent her away, who knows what kind of trouble she might've caused next?"
"Anyway," Granny Ai continued, "you should let Qiren go back to Beijing to be with his new wife. You need enough time to take care of the twins properly. Raising two babies isn't easy... especially for someone like you who hasn't done it in over twenty years."
Lan Yi cut in quietly, "Alright, we'll talk later." She ended the call and set her phone down.
Then she turned to Zhan, who had returned to his seat and sat silently watching the twins. "I said get ready," she repeated calmly. "You're both going home tonight."
Slowly, Zhan stood up. Seeing how his mood had shifted, Lan Yi softened her voice.
"If it's about the twins," she said gently, "Yibo will bring you here every two days so you can see them, alright?"
Zhan forced a small smile and headed toward the door. He picked up his bag, slipped his phone inside, and stepped out, walking toward Lan Yi's part.
In the living room, Yibo sat on the couch holding baby Ai-Muan while Lan Yi went into her bedroom to fetch their medicine after Yibo mentioned that the baby felt warm.
When Zhan saw him, he frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Gege, tell her we're staying here tonight."
Yibo looked up at him and replied quietly, "Only if you agree to let me sleep in your room."
Just then, Lan Yi returned with the medicine. She handed it to Yibo, who gave it to the baby before she laid Ai-Muan down and picked up A-Yuan, who had just woken up. Feeling his forehead, she realized his temperature was even higher. Yibo handed her the medicine, then went to return the bottles to her room.
"I'll see you in the morning, Mama," Yibo said as he came back out.
"Sleep well, both of you," Lan Yi replied kindly.
Zhan hesitated before murmuring a soft "Good night" and heading toward the door, his expression tight. Lan Yi could tell he didn't really want to leave. They left the house quietly, Zhan refusing to say a word to Yibo the entire time.
On the way home, Yibo stopped to buy roasted chicken, but Zhan didn't even glance at him. When they arrived, Yibo parked the car, and Zhan suddenly felt his heart start to race.
Yibo got out first, moving slowly toward the entrance. Zhan followed behind and leaned against the wall near the door while Yibo unlocked it. When Yibo handed him the bag of chicken, Zhan took it silently, opened the door, and let him in first.
Zhan set the bag down on the living room table and was about to leave for his room when Yibo said, "It's for you, Baby."
Zhan wrinkled his nose slightly. "I already ate at home. Maybe tomorrow."
Yibo replied lightly, "Well, you didn't give me any food at home either."
Zhan didn't respond. He walked into the kitchen, grabbed a plate, and was about to serve Yibo some chicken when Yibo said, "No, I'll take a shower first."
"Alright," Zhan muttered as Yibo walked off toward his room.
By the time it was almost nine, Zhan had finished getting ready for bed. He slipped on a long coat over his sleepwear and walked out of his room. The living room was quiet... Yibo was nowhere to be seen. His eyes drifted to the bag of roasted chicken still sitting on the table.
He walked over, crouched down, and served some onto a plate. Then, carrying it, he headed to Yibo's room. When he opened the door, he found it empty. He turned back, set the plate down in the living room, and sat.
He waited, knowing Yibo was probably in the master bedroom. But minutes passed...ten, twenty....and still, no sign of him. Finally, Zhan stood, picked up the plate again, and quietly made his way to the master bedroom.
He pushed the door open a little and saw Yibo leaning against a pillow, phone pressed to his ear. He looked calm, his voice low and tired.
When he ended the call with a quiet "Good night," Zhan asked sharply, "Who were you talking to?"
The question slipped out before he could stop himself.
Yibo blinked, then grabbed his phone and handed it over. Zhan glanced at the screen...he had been a call with Lan Yi.
Yibo smiled faintly, took Zhan's hand, and pulled him gently into the room. The faint warmth of Zhan's cologne made Yibo's pulse quicken, his body suddenly heavy with fatigue.
Yibo took the plate of chicken from his hand, set it aside, and looked him over from head to toe. His fingers grabbed the long coat Zhan wore.
"And this long jacket," he murmured, his voice soft but teasing. "What's it for, hmm?"
Zhan pouted, pulling his jacket tighter so he wouldn't take it off. "Please, I feel cold," he said. Before he could even finish speaking, he felt Yibo snatch the jacket from his body and throw it on the bed. His scent immediately filled Yibo nostrils. Zhan quickly sat down on the carpet as if he was about to cry, looking at him. "Gege, why are you doing this?"
Yibo looked at him with half-closed eyes. "You're asking me?"
Zhan whispered to him, "Please, let me go to sleep. I'm sleepy."
In a low voice, Yibo said, "What are you hiding on your body that I haven't seen now, Baby? I've even seen that part over there." Quickly, Zhan hugged his knees, feeling as if he was sinking from embarrassment. Yibo kept looking at his smooth lap. His pajamas were just shorts. Just hearing Yibo's sound beside him, he quickly looked up, wide-eyed. "Gege, your chicken will get cold."
Yibo said in a low voice, "Here is what's better than the chicken." He gesture Zhan's body, Zhan started trying to get up from the spot, but Yibo quickly pulled his body back. From there, the story changed. At this moment, Yibo wasn't even after his own urge; he just wanted Zhan to relax and be comfortable with his touch, and then... He want the memory of the moment stuck in Zhan's brain. Soon, Zhan relaxed his body; the fear that had filled him initially was lost.
It was only after Yibo made sure he had taken Zhan to cloud 9 that he let him go without fulfilling his own need. Soon, sleep had overtaken Zhan on his body...
---
In the morning, Zhan couldn't make eye contact with Yibo because they had slept in the same room due to the rain. Yibo just kept looking at him, a smile spreading across his face. Zhan had a certain shyness about him. He moved closer to him as if whispering, "Good morning, Hubby."
Zhan covered his face on his shoulder and slowly said, "Good morning." Yibo gave him a side hug. "How was your night Baby?" He just shook his head. They were like that for almost 10 minutes. Yibo moved his lips to Zhan ear and said in a very low voice, "I love you."
Zhan couldn't say anything; his face was still on his shoulder. Yibo picked him up, and they moved to the top of the bed. He covered them with the duvet. Zhan buried himself in his body, his eyes closed. Soon, sleep had taken him...
At half past ten in the morning, Zhan was in the kitchen washing the utensils they had used for breakfast. By the time he finished washing, he didn't even realize he was done until he saw the sink was empty. The memory of their moment last night kept coming back to him; he couldn't get it out of his mind. He turned and leaned against the kitchen cabinet, closed his eyes, and opened them. Gradually, he felt a soft spot for Yibo as his husband developing in his heart, unlike before when he saw him as his brother.
Walking slowly, Zhan came out of the kitchen, his whole body tingling just from remembering last night. Yibo, who was sitting in the sitting room, looked up and watched him until he entered the sitting room and sat on the carpet without looking at him. He still couldn't make eye contact with him, as if he was his weakness. Zhan felt a special shyness towards Yibo. He said in a low voice, "Baby."
He looked up and their eyes met. Quickly, Zhan covered his face with the chair, smiling. Yibo laughed, came back down close to him, sat down, brought his lips to his ear, and teased him. Zhan felt like sinking into the ground from embarrassment. Quickly, he covered his face with his body as if he was about to cry, full of frustration. He said, "Stop teasing me, Gege." It was one of the phrases he had repeatedly said to Yibo last night, which he himself didn't even know how they had come out of his mouth. Yibo teased him in his ear.
Yibo looked at him, smiling. "Well, I'll stop, Baby boy."
Calming himself, Zhan slowly said, "Gege, call Mama and ask her about the babies...."
Yibo, actually, since daybreak, the twins had been on his mind, but he had restrained himself and hadn't called Lan Yi because he was with Zhan and didn't want anything to ruin his mood. He picked up his phone from the chair and handed it to him. "Call her yourself."
Zhan took the phone while still lying down and dialed Lan Yi's number. As it started ringing, Zhan said in a low voice, "You should greet her first, then give me the phone." Just then, Lan Yi answered the call. The phone was in Zhan's hand; Yibo greeted her. Lan Yi responded, and they exchanged greetings. She said, "How is Baby?" Slowly, he said, "He is fine, Mom."
He still couldn't ask her about the twins. Lan Yi said, "Well, thank goodness. We spent the night at the hospital yesterday, Yibo."
Yibo said, "The hospital? Who is unwell?" Lan Yi said, "The twins. I saw it was late at night, which is why I didn't call you. Around one o'clock, Hai Kuan took us to the hospital. They are all very sick. Right now, some tests have been scheduled for them; I don't even know which one yet."
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛