Yunxi stepped off the plane with Roulan asleep in his arms, one hand gripping the little boy's trolley while Zhan followed quietly behind them. By the time they reached the taxi stand, exhaustion already showed clearly on Zhan's face.
Yunxi glanced at him and smiled faintly before looking away again.
Zhan puffed his cheeks lightly and folded his arms across his chest.
After loading the luggage into the taxi booth, Yunxi climbed into the back seat. Zhan followed after placing his own bag inside. Once the doors shut, Yunxi finally told the driver,
"Bridge Street."
The entire ride home, Zhan kept his eyes closed, barely awake.
When they arrived, Yunxi stepped out first and carefully carried the still-sleeping Roulan into his arms. Only then did Zhan slowly open his eyes.
"If the cab driver had driven off with you, you probably wouldn't have noticed," Yunxi teased softly.
Zhan opened his side of the door and stepped out without answering.
Yunxi brought out their luggage and paid the driver while Zhan picked up his own bags and silently followed him inside. Reaching the front of their apartments, Yunxi turned toward him.
"You didn't forget your keys, right?"
Zhan opened the small handbag in his hand and searched for them. Yunxi unlocked his own apartment first before taking Zhan's keys from him and opening his door as well.
Zhan stretched his hands toward Roulan, wanting to carry the sleeping child, but Yunxi raised a brow.
"Hey. It's not like I'm going to run away with him, mister."
Zhan shot him a look before walking inside and shutting the door behind him.
He had planned to clean the apartment before resting, but exhaustion weighed too heavily on him. He simply took a bath, changed clothes, replaced the bedsheet with a fresh one, and collapsed onto the bed.
Sleep claimed him almost instantly.
Somewhere in the middle of his deep sleep, he felt someone gently shaking him.
Slowly opening his eyes, he found Roulan standing beside the bed.
"Uncle," the little boy said softly, "Uncle Yunxi said I should wake you up so you can eat."
Zhan sat up slowly and glanced at the clock.
It was already past seven in the evening.
He looked at Roulan.
"Have you eaten?"
Roulan nodded eagerly.
"Yeah. Uncle Yunxi bought food for me. Yours is in the living room."
Zhan stayed quiet for a moment before asking,
"Did you take a bath?"
Roulan nodded again.
Zhan climbed off the bed.
"Let me wash my face first."
By the time he came out of the bathroom, Roulan was nowhere in sight.
He immediately began tidying the apartment instead, cleaning from the bedroom all the way to the living room. He swept, wiped everything down, and mopped the floors before finally returning to his room to grab his phone, already knowing Xixue would have been calling nonstop.
There were two missed calls.
One from Xixue.
The other from Attorney Yang.
He called Xixue first.
After exchanging greetings, she asked gently,
"Did you arrive safely?"
"We did, Mommy."
"And where's Roulan?"
"He's with Yunxi right now."
"Send my greetings to him. And take care of yourself too, alright?"
Zhan nodded unconsciously even though she couldn't see her.
"I will."
"Good. Rest well."
After ending the call with Xixue, he called Attorney Yang back.
The call rang briefly before Yang-Yang returned it himself.
Zhan answered quietly.
Attorney Yang's voice came immediately.
"Where did you disappear to, Meiqin?"
"I fell asleep."
"Oh. How was the trip?"
"We arrived safely. How's my little namesake?"
"She's good. Where's my son?"
A faint smile appeared on Zhan's face.
"He's outside."
"Outside? Isn't it cold?"
"It is, but not too bad."
"Still, buy him a lot of sweaters. The weather's going to get much colder starting next week, I think. Get some for yourself too. I'll send the money."
Zhan smiled softly but said nothing.
"Alright then," Attorney Yang continued. "Sleep well, dear."
"Thank you. Send my greetings to little Meiqin."
"I will."
The call ended shortly after.
Zhan lay back against the bed and closed his eyes, memories of his moments with Attorney Yang drifting through his mind one after another.
Eventually, he sat up again, feeling strangely restless.
Quietly, he walked into the living room and opened the food Yunxi had bought for him. After staring at it for a few seconds, he clicked his tongue lightly and closed it again before heading to the kitchen.
He decided to cook noodles instead.
As he turned on the stove, movement outside caught his attention.
Curious, he peeked through the kitchen window.
Yunxi sat outside on a chair wearing glasses, a thick sweater, and a neck warmer. A large textbook rested open before him while he scribbled down notes seriously.
Roulan stood behind him bundled up in a sweater with matching head and neck warmers, leaning lazily against Yunxi's back while watching whatever he was writing.
At that moment, Yunxi slowly turned toward the kitchen after noticing the light.
Their eyes met briefly.
Zhan immediately looked away.
Yunxi returned his attention to the textbook and calmly asked,
"So... you're starting again?"
Zhan glared at him.
"Starting what?"
"You know better than I do."
Zhan ignored him completely and went back to making his noodles.
After finishing the noodles, Zhan carried the bowl into the living room and sat down to eat while reviewing one of his study materials.
⏭ ⏭
Around a few minutes to ten, the doorbell rang.
He stood up and walked to the door before stopping in front of it.
Quietly, he asked,
"Yes?"
Yunxi's voice came from outside.
"Hmm..."
Zhan opened the door.
Yunxi gently guided Roulan inside before saying,
"Alright then, good night."
"Good night."
Yunxi turned and returned to his own apartment while Zhan shut the door behind him. Holding Roulan's hand, he switched off the living room lights and led him into the bedroom.
"Why didn't you sleep over there?" Zhan asked softly.
Roulan looked up at him.
"Because I wanted to come back to you."
Zhan said nothing after that. He simply closed the bedroom door behind them.
The next morning, while Roulan was still asleep, Zhan went to the supermarket.
Even after he returned, the boy still hadn't woken up.
After putting away the groceries, Zhan began preparing breakfast when he suddenly heard Yunxi's voice from outside.
"Good morning."
Zhan froze for a second, not realizing Yunxi was nearby.
Eventually, he replied,
"Morning."
"How come you went out so early in this cold weather?"
Zhan narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Are you monitoring me now?"
Yunxi chuckled softly.
Zhan slowly peeked through the window.
Yunxi stood outside wearing three-quarter pants and a hooded sweater. He couldn't fully see what he was doing, but he found himself staring at him anyway.
At that exact moment, Yunxi turned.
Zhan quickly looked away.
Yunxi walked toward the window and stopped there.
"Where did you go?"
For a moment, Zhan didn't know what to say.
Finally, he lowered his gaze.
"To the market."
"What did you buy?"
Zhan frowned.
"How is that your business?"
Yunxi smiled....one of those annoyingly handsome smiles....and removed the hood from his head.
"Alright then."
Then he turned and walked away.
Zhan fried potatoes and eggs alongside a cup of Lipton tea brewed with spices.
Just as he was about to leave the kitchen, he paused.
For nearly two minutes, he stood there debating something silently in his head.
Eventually, he grabbed a food warmer and packed some of the potatoes and eggs into it. Then he poured the tea into a small flask and placed both items aside before leaving the kitchen.
He entered the bedroom and woke Roulan before taking him to the bathroom to brush his teeth and bathe him.
After getting him dressed, Zhan said,
"When you're done, meet me in the living room."
A short while later, Roulan walked out happily.
"Uncle, I'm done. Good morning."
"Morning, sweetheart."
Zhan went back into the kitchen, picked up the small flask of tea, and handed it to him.
"Take this to Uncle Yunxi, then come back for the other one."
"Okay!"
Zhan opened the door for him.
He walked over and rang Yunxi's doorbell and hurried back inside.
Roulan stood patiently until Yunxi opened the door.
Yunxi crouched down with a smile already on his face.
"Good morning, handsome."
"Good morning, Uncle. My Uncle said I should bring this to you."
Yunxi accepted the flask, studying it for a second before pulling Roulan gently inside.
"Uncle," Roulan added seriously, "there's still another one."
Yunxi shut the door.
"Leave it. Your Baba will bring it himself."
Zhan waited for Roulan to return.
And waited.
Still no sign of him.
Eventually, he stood up and cracked the door open carefully. Yunxi's apartment door was closed.
"Roulan!" he called several times.
Inside Yunxi's apartment, Roulan immediately stood up from where he'd been eating bread and butter with tea.
"Uncle, My Momy is calling me!"
Yunxi calmly pulled him back down onto the chair.
"Don't worry. He'll come in himself soon."
Outside, Zhan finally got tired of waiting.
He returned inside, staring at the remaining breakfast he had packed for Yunxi, unsure what to do with it.
In the end, he went into the kitchen, picked it up, wore his jacket, and stepped outside.
A white woman standing near Yunxi's apartment smiled warmly at him.
"Good morning."
Zhan immediately looked away, answering stiffly,
"Morning."
He was about to return inside when Yunxi suddenly opened the door.
His gaze first landed on Zhan before shifting toward the smiling woman.
"Good morning, Dr. Luo..."
Before she could finish, Zhan turned around and disappeared into his apartment, shutting the door behind him.
Yunxi glanced at the woman again.
"Morning, Lydia. How did you know I was back?"
"I ran into Dr. Lee earlier. He told me."
Yunxi rubbed the back of his neck lightly.
"Oh. Alright. We'll talk later today....I'm heading out now."
"Do you mind giving me a ride?"
Yunxi shook his head immediately.
"You can get a taxi."
Then he closed the door.
He remained standing there silently for nearly five minutes before reopening it after confirming Lydia had already left.
Stepping outside, he stared quietly at Zhan's apartment door.
Then slowly, he turned the knob.
It was unlocked.
Without hesitation, Yunxi stepped into the living room.
He stood in the living room for over five minutes, waiting to see where Zhan would appear from, but Zhan stubbornly stayed hidden.
Eventually, Yunxi walked over to the couch and sat down slowly, leaning his head back against it while closing his large eyes.
After a while, Zhan finally emerged from the bedroom.
Yunxi immediately stood up and looked at him, though he said nothing at first.
Without any expression, Zhan asked,
"How may I help you?"
Yunxi gently ran a hand through his soft hair before replying,
"Where is... the food?"
"The what?" Zhan answered flatly. "It's not like i cooked with you."
Yunxi stared at him for a few silent seconds before casually walking toward the kitchen.
Zhan followed him with his eyes.
Moments later, Yunxi returned holding the warmer containing the potatoes and eggs.
"This."
Without another word, he opened the door and walked out.
Zhan glared after him and clicked his tongue in annoyance.
:
:
Around ten o'clock, Zhan heard Yunxi leaving the building with Roulan.
By eleven, he had finished everything he needed to do around the apartment. Although he had planned to go to school, he decided to postpone it until the next day.
Unable to sleep, he picked up his study materials and continued reading for hours until sometime after midday.
Eventually, exhaustion forced him to stop.
He took a bath, returned to bed, and this time sleep quickly overtook him.
Several hours later, Zhan slowly opened his eyes.
His body felt strangely weak, and the dream he had just woken from still clung heavily to his chest.
Then the doorbell rang.
The sudden sound startled him slightly.
After a few seconds, he forced himself up, still unsettled by the lingering dream. When the bell rang again, he slowly made his way to the door, almost as though he were counting every step.
He opened it carefully.
Standing outside were Vanessa, Angela... and Mian-Mian.
The moment Zhan saw Mian-Mian standing there, his heart dropped hard.
At first, he simply stared at her.
Then he forced out a smile and greeted them before stepping aside so they could enter the living room.
Even as they walked in, confusion filled his mind.
Why would Mian-Mian come here?
They weren't classmates.
They weren't even friends.
After exchanging greetings and condolences for Rouxue, Zhan excused himself and went into the kitchen to bring water and some cakes he had bought earlier that morning.
While watching him, Mian-Mian suddenly asked,
"My Aunt said you came back with the other twin, right?"
Without looking at her, Zhan answered,
"Yeah. We came together."
"Where is he?"
"He went out."
Mian-Mian nodded and said nothing else.
The conversation soon shifted back to school topics as Vanessa and Angela chatted with Zhan. Nearly thirty minutes later, they finally decided to leave.
Zhan escorted them outside to help them get a cab.
Just then, another taxi pulled up directly beside them.
The door opened, and Yunxi stepped out carrying Roulan in one arm and a shopping bag in the other.
Mian-Mian stared at him openly.
Yunxi widened his eyes slightly in surprise.
"Isn't this Mian-Mian?"
She laughed softly.
"So this is your neighborhood, Dr. Yunxi?"
"Apparently." He smiled faintly. "What are you doing here?"
She pointed toward Zhan.
"My friend. We came to visit him after he lost his son."
Yunxi glanced toward Zhan.
"Oh. That's nice. So you know him from school?"
"Yeah, we met at school."
"Good."
Mian-Mian then walked over to Roulan and crouched slightly.
"Hello, little guy."
Roulan greeted her politely.
She smiled immediately at the sound of his voice...it reminded her so much of Yibo's.
Vanessa and Angela joined them too, and Roulan greeted all of them politely in English.
Meanwhile, Zhan simply stood there quietly.
Yunxi looked back at Mian-Mian.
"Alright then, I should head inside. See you later."
"Sure, Doctor. And how's your woman doing?"
Yunxi had already started walking before stopping mid-step.
"You mean Tieh?"
"Yeah."
Yunxi looked at her briefly.
"You should be the one telling me. You two are closer."
Mian-Mian laughed.
"Oh? So that's how you're putting it now?"
"Yes," Yunxi replied calmly. "I'm sure you two still talk all the time. She hasn't even called me."
Mian-Mian folded her arms dramatically.
"Wow. So now you expect her to call you first? Anyway, she and her sister are coming here for vacation soon."
Yunxi glanced at her again.
"Really?"
Mian-Mian shook her head.
"That's just what I heard my dad say too."
Yunxi looked away and started walking back inside with Roulan in his arms.
"Hope they arrive safely."
The same taxi Yunxi had arrived in was the one the girls entered. Zhan waved at them lightly.
"We'll meet at school tomorrow. Thank you all."
Then he turned and headed back inside.
Zhan was in the kitchen preparing lunch when Yunxi walked over and stopped by the window, watching him quietly.
"How are you?"
Without looking at him, Zhan replied,
"I'm fine."
Roulan, standing beside Yunxi, suddenly said,
"Momy, I missed you."
Yunxi glanced toward the door.
"Open up and let him in."
Zhan looked at Roulan for a moment before setting down the knife in his hand and walking over to unlock the door.
The moment Yunxi pushed Roulan inside, he suddenly grabbed Zhan by the wrist and pulled him hard enough that he nearly lost his balance.
Before Zhan could react, Yunxi shut the door behind them.
Then he leaned close, trapping Zhan lightly against the door while staring directly at him.
"So now you're acting cold toward me?"
Zhan instantly grew nervous.
"I-I don't like this... let go of me, please."
He couldn't even look Yunxi in the eyes. His scent surrounded him completely, making his heartbeat lose rhythm.
Quietly, Yunxi asked,
"What exactly are you angry at me for?"
Zhan's voice trembled slightly.
"What would I even be angry at you for, Doctor? Please let me go."
Yunxi tilted his chin upward.
Zhan immediately shut his eyes tightly, his heart pounding uncontrollably.
For a few seconds, Yunxi's gaze lingered on Zhan's lips before he finally released him.
"Where do you know Mian-Mian from?"
Zhan hurriedly tried opening the door, but Yunxi held the handle firmly.
"Oh? I'm talking to you and you're trying to leave?"
Zhan turned back looking almost ready to cry.
"We're not close at all. I just know her from school. She's friends with my course mates."
"Hmm."
Then Yunxi added calmly,
"Don't get close to her for certain reasons, okay?"
Zhan looked at him quickly before immediately looking away again, his heart racing under Yunxi's intense stare.
His eyes were genuinely dangerous.
Yunxi smiled faintly.
"Tell me... what is it about my eyes that you don't want to look at, Zhan?"
Zhan frowned stubbornly.
"I don't like them."
A low amused smile crossed Yunxi's lips.
"I'll teach you how to."
Then he unlocked the door.
Zhan instantly rushed back into the kitchen and locked the door behind him, face completely stiff.
:
:
That night while eating dinner, Roulan suddenly said,
"Momy, Uncle Yunxi said I'll start school tomorrow. We even visited the school today. My uniform is at his place. Should I go get it?"
Zhan stared at him.
"I didn't send you."
"Okay," Roulan replied obediently before continuing his meal.
***
The next morning before dawn, Yunxi handed Roulan's school uniforms to Zhan through the kitchen window.
For a moment, Zhan didn't know what to say.
Eventually, he accepted them quietly.
"Thank you."
Yunxi didn't even look at him before walking away.
A little before eight, Yunxi dropped Roulan off at the school he had enrolled him in.
Zhan sat in the back seat, watching Roulan wave happily at him until the boy disappeared inside the school building.
Afterward, Yunxi drove toward the university and parked in his usual spot.
He turned to look at Zhan.
Zhan quietly opened the door and stepped out without saying a word.
The moment he shut the door, Yunxi drove off.
Zhan slowly made his way toward his department building with only a few minutes left before lectures began.
A little before noon, Zhan left his lecture hall.
Seeing Mian-Mian sitting with Vanessa and the others, he chose to head to the cafeteria alone.
He sat by himself with a glass of lemonade in front of him, scrolling absently through his phone.
Suddenly, the chair opposite him moved.
Zhan looked up quickly....And immediately froze.
The moment his eyes met Yibo's, his heart sank heavily.
He instantly looked away.
Yibo sat down quietly across from him.
"Hi, Meilin."
Zhan couldn't answer at first. He couldn't even lift his head.
After a few seconds, he finally forced himself to look at him.
"Hello."
Yibo smiled slightly.
"How's school?"
Zhan couldn't answer.
Instead, memories of little Rouxue flooded into his chest so painfully that it physically hurt.
Seeing his silence, Yibo simply took out his phone and began scrolling through it.
After a while, Zhan quietly asked,
"How's your mom?"
"She's fine. How's Roulan?"
"He's at school."
Yibo looked up.
"You already enrolled him here?"
"Yeah."
Silence settled between them briefly before Yibo suddenly asked softly,
"How much did you spend, Meilin?"
Zhan looked at him instantly, his expression hardening.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Yibo shook his head quickly.
"Okay. Sorry for asking."
Zhan said nothing.
Eventually, Yibo stood up slowly.
"Alright then, I should get going now, Meilin. Send my regards to Roulan."
Zhan watched him silently.
But after taking only a few steps away, Yibo suddenly stopped and hurried back.
"I think I've got something here."
He slipped a hand into his pocket, pulled out a single chocolate bar, crouched slightly beside the table, and held it out toward Zhan.
"Please give this to Roulan for me."
Zhan slowly lowered his eyes from Yibo's face and accepted the chocolate quietly.
"Okay."
"Thanks."
Then Yibo finally left.
Zhan kept watching until he disappeared from sight.
Afterward, he looked down at the chocolate in his hand before placing it carefully inside his bag.
Resting his chin against his palm, he found himself wondering why every single time he saw Yibo, memories of little Rouxue surfaced immediately.
Maybe it was because of the resemblance.
Just then, his phone started ringing.
Slowly, Zhan lowered his gaze to the caller ID on the screen.
💚💙❤🖤