Zhan never told Yu-Bin what had happened between him and A-Bo...not even as a joke. Still, he couldn't find peace of mind. It felt as if A-Bo might return to the apartment at any moment. Despite his uneasiness, he didn't regret what he had said to him. The truth was, A-Bo had already been irritating him.
Yu-Bin studied him for a moment and said, "You've been unusually quiet these past two days. You haven't complained about anything Yuming has done to you. Has he started changing or something? This is so unlike you. Even if you don't tell me directly, whenever he does something to upset you, you're always moody at school. That's how I usually know."
Zhan powered on his laptop and shrugged. "I don't have time for that right now. My exams are coming up."
Yu-Bin nodded with satisfaction. "Well, I'm glad you finally took my advice and started ignoring him. Now there's just one more step left."
Zhan looked up at him. Yu-Bin adjusted his seat and continued, "You should start answering him back. If he says one thing, you should reply with five."
Zhan didn't respond again. Instead, he focused on searching for the soft copy of the course material they planned to study together.
After Yu-Bin left, Zhan washed the utensils they had used and returned to his room. He picked up his phone and opened WeChat to see if his mother had replied to the message he had sent earlier.
:
:
Around ten-thirty, just as he was preparing to sleep, his phone began ringing. When he checked the screen, he saw that Yuming was calling.
He stared at the phone for a while.
Ever since his mother mentioned that she had heard Yuming might be trying to register their marriage papers for them, Zhan had felt an unpleasant resentment growing inside him.
Yuming hadn't even bothered to confirm whether the rumor was true or not to him. His mother herself hadn't been certain either; it was simply something she had heard from others. That was the main reason Zhan had call Yiming....to find out the truth himself.
Just before the call disconnected, he finally answered and placed the phone to his ear.
His voice sounded sleepy as he greeted him. Yuming responded.
Quietly, Zhan asked, "How was work today?"
"Everything went well," Yuming replied.
Zhan fell silent.
Lowering his voice, Yuming said, "I don't know why… but I've been missing you today. I want to be with you, baby."
Zhan looked away as if the man were standing right beside him. "Mm," he murmured.
"When do your exams start?" Yuming asked.
"In about a month," Zhan replied.
"Alright," Yuming said softly. "Good night then. You sound like you're already half asleep."
"I just want to wake up later and study, so I went to bed early," Zhan explained.
"Then continue resting. We'll talk later."
The call ended.
Zhan tossed the phone aside and returned to chatting with his mother.
The next morning, Sunday, Zhan was sitting in his room, quietly finishing his morning routine when he heard a knock on the apartment door.
He picked up his phone and checked the time....it was a little past seven.
He reluctantly stood up and walked slowly into the living room. When he reached the door, he asked calmly,
"Who is that?"
"Good morning," came his housemate Sean's voice from outside.
Zhan opened the door and stepped aside to let him in.
I-Bo glanced at him briefly. "How was your night?"
"All good," Zhan replied as he locked the door behind him.
I-Bo placed the materials he was holding on the single-seater couch before stretching out on the long sofa.
Zhan watched him quietly as he closed his eyes and adjusted himself as if preparing to sleep.
Without saying anything, Zhan returned slowly to his room, finished what he had been doing, and lay down as well.
It was already around one in the afternoon when Zhan was awakened by a knock on his bedroom door.
I-Bo was calling his name.
Zhan sat up but didn't leave the bed. Calmly, he replied, "I can hear you."
"Are you alright?" I-Bo asked. "I noticed you didn't have breakfast."
Zhan stayed silent.
A moment later, the door opened slightly, and I-Bo stepped in. Zhan pulled the blanket around himself and looked at him.
I-Bo remained standing by the doorway. "Is something wrong?"
Zhan lowered his head. "Nothing."
"Then why didn't you come out for breakfast? Or are you fasting? Besides, today is Sunday."
Zhan looked away. "It's just…"
He stopped speaking.
I-Bo walked further into the room.
"Just what?"
For a moment it seemed like Zhan wouldn't answer. Then he said quietly, "My leg hurts."
"Your leg hurts?" I-Bo asked with concern. "Does that happen often?"
"Once in a while," Zhan replied softly.
I-Bo fell silent for a moment before asking, "Do you know what causes it?"
Zhan glanced at him briefly and then lifted his hands slightly, indicating he didn't know.
"Have you ever gone to the hospital for it?" Sean asked.
Zhan remained silent again. Finally he said, "It's fine. I'll feel better before evening."
I-Bo turned slightly, as though trying to figure out the cause without any real examination. His eyes briefly moved toward the dressing mirror before he looked back at Zhan.
"Alright," he said. "I understand you are...that..kind of rare males . I hope it gets better soon."
Zhan looked at him quietly.
"Try taking a hot shower," I-Bo suggested. "It might help."
With that, he turned and left the room.
Zhan slowly leaned back against his pillow. At the moment, even standing up felt difficult. Perhaps after resting for a while the pain would ease enough for him to move around.
Just then Yuming called again, but Zhan flipped the phone face down and refused to answer. He didn't feel like talking.
A few minutes later there was another knock, and I-Bo walked into the room holding a mug of hot chocolate.
Zhan lowered his gaze as I-Bo approached the bed.
He knelt slightly beside Zhan and handed him the mug. "Try drinking this. I'll get you some pain relievers soon."
Zhan accepted the mug without meeting his eyes. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," I-Bo replied before leaving the room.
Zhan watched him go without blinking.
Soon Yuming's call came again, but he still ignored it. Eventually he silenced the phone completely.
After finishing the hot chocolate, Zhan placed the mug in the bedside drawer and lay down again, resting his head on the pillow. He almost called Yu-Bin around noon, but he decided against it, hoping the pain would fade on its own.
He had begun drifting into sleep when I-Bo knocked again at around two in the afternoon...almost twenty minutes after leaving earlier.
After Zhan answered, he opened the door. Zhan didn't turn to face him.
Walking around the bed, he asked gently, "Are you sleeping, Sean?"
Zhan opened his eyes and shook his head.
I-Bo placed a bag of food and some pain relievers on the bedside drawer.
"You didn't take the hot shower I suggested, did you?" he said.
"I will," Zhan replied.
"Alright. Here's the medicine. Eat something first, then take it."
Zhan sat up slowly without looking at him. "Thank you."
"I'm going out," I-Bo said. "But I'll be back around six."
Zhan looked at him. "What about the apartment key?"
I-Bo smiled slightly. "You left it in the door this morning after letting me in."
"You're not taking it with you?"
"Come and lock the door yourself behind me," I-Bo replied.
Zhan looked at him silently.
I-Bo chuckled lightly. "As for A-Bo, I'm sure he has already forgotten what happened between you two. Maybe he'll remember the next time he sees you. But for now, I promise he's forgotten. He's busy preparing for his upcoming defense. Besides, you misunderstood him. A-Bo is actually a very calm and decent person. He doesn't usually cause trouble. It was probably just bad luck that things went wrong the first time you met."
Zhan pursed his lips. Even if his entire body turned into ears, he would never believe that explanation.
I-Bo noticed his expression and asked, "You don't believe me, do you?"
Zhan widened his eyes slightly. "Why should I?"
I-Bo simply laughed.
"Take care of yourself, Sean. Eat first and take the medicine. Let me get you some bottled water."
He walked toward the door, and Zhan watched him until he left.
A moment later he returned with a bottle of room-temperature water and placed it beside the food and medicine.
"See you later," he said.
"Thank you," Zhan replied softly. "And please don't mishandle the key."
I-Bo smiled, nodded, and left the room, closing the door gently behind him.
Zhan lowered his gaze.
After a few minutes, he slowly picked up the bag I-Bo had left and began opening it to see what food he had bought for him.
:
:
At a few minutes before six, Zhan was sitting on the floor of his room with his head resting against the bed while sending voice notes to his mother. By then he was feeling much better. He had already cleaned his room, washed the bathroom, and taken a shower. The only place he hadn't managed to tidy was the living room.
Around four o'clock, he had been chatting with Yu-Bin, who said he would come over at seven.
Zhan paused when he suddenly heard the apartment door open. His heart skipped a beat at the thought of A-Bo. Slowly, he set his phone aside and stared at his bedroom door.
A few minutes later, someone knocked.
He felt slightly relieved.
Calmly, he said, "I can hear you."
His housemate's voice came from outside. "Can I open the door?"
"Okay."
He opened the door but remained standing at the entrance.
"Good evening, housemate," he said. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Zhan replied.
"Are you sure?"
Only then did Zhan raise his head to look at him before resting it lightly against the side of the bed again.
"It's better than before."
"Good. I'm glad to hear that," I-Bo said. "Were you able to go to the kitchen?"
Zhan nodded.
"Alright."
I-Bo was about to close the door when he paused.
"How about we take a short walk around the neighborhood for some exercise? It might help you feel even better."
Zhan looked at him.
"I'll be waiting for you in the living room," I-Bo added. "Make sure to wear your jacket. It's really cold outside."
With that, he left the room.
Zhan remained seated, thinking quietly. It took him almost five minutes to decide before he slowly stood up. He wrapped his scarf around himself, picked up his phone, and walked out of the room.
I-Bo was leaning against a pillar near the study area, scrolling through his phone while holding a jacket in one hand.
When he saw Zhan, he asked, "Ready? Where's your jacket?"
He stepped closer. "It's cold outside."
Then he placed his own jacket on the chair beside Zhan.
"Use this. I'll grab another one."
He returned to his room. Zhan watched him leave.
A moment later he came back wearing another jacket over his shirt.
"Let's go."
Zhan lowered his gaze and picked up I-Bo's jacket. I-Bo headed for the door, and Zhan followed him out. After locking the door, I-Bo looked at him and said,
"I've noticed you really like perfume."
Zhan shook his head. "I'm not wearing any right now."
"Oh," Sean said.
They walked side by side in silence. Before they had gone far, Zhan began to feel the cold more intensely. He glanced briefly at I-Bo before putting on the jacket.
"I thought you wouldn't wear it," I-Bo said teasingly. "Acting like a tough guy."
Zhan only smiled faintly.
The scent of I-Bo's cologne lingered on the jacket and surrounded him.
I-Bo kept his pace slow so they could walk together comfortably.
They continued walking quietly until they were quite far from home.
Finally, I-Bo broke the silence.
"Snow will start soon."
"Hopefully our exams will be finished before that," Zhan replied.
Just as I-Bo was about to respond, his phone began vibrating. He pulled it from his pocket to check the caller.
Zhan glanced sideways and saw A-Bo's name.
I-Bo silenced the phone and put it back in his pocket.
Zhan frowned slightly. "Does he have to call you all the time? As if you're carrying one of his kidneys."
I-Bo laughed. "Kidney? You should say it's like his life depends on me. If I'm not careful, he'll call me twenty times a day."
Zhan pursed his lips.
The phone rang again.
I-Bo answered this time and put on hands-free while walking.
"What is it now?"
From the other end, A-Bo said, "I need your laptop. I want to check some of your references. I forgot I'm going to school tomorrow. I'm outside with a friend right now."
"I brought the laptop with me," I-Bo replied. "And I'm not going back home anytime soon."
A-Bo scoffed. "So you went back to that rude kid's place again? Are you even okay, bro? What are you doing living with that boy? Don't tell me you've started behaving badly. And if you have, why with that local brat?"
Trying not to laugh, I-Bo said, "Don't annoy me."
A-Bo continued seriously, "If you don't stop going to that apartment, I swear I'll report you back home. You know it's easy for me to do that."
I-Bo shook his head. "Go ahead if you want. You and your noisy friends filled that house with chaos, and I never complained. I left so there could be peace, and now you want to report me? And forget about the references. Figure it out yourself."
He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
Zhan said nothing, but inside he felt annoyed with A-Bo. He disliked arrogant people...those who were overly proud of themselves.
"He doesn't study much," I-Bo said casually. "But if it's work, he'll watch you do it first, then do his own later...and sometimes it turns out even better than yours."
"Then why hasn't the university expelled him yet?" Zhan asked.
I-Bo burst out laughing.
"Not studying doesn't mean he's stupid, Sean. Have you heard of a genius? That's A-Bo. He's naturally gifted. During our degree and master's programs in this state, he graduated as one of the top medical students. People like us have to work hard to pass, but he doesn't."
Zhan made a small dismissive sound.
"Well, at least you study and earn your results. He just gets everything easily."
I-Bo laughed again. "That's exactly why I left the house to him. If I stayed with him and his friends, he'd outrun me academically without even trying. Honestly, I feel sorry for the friends who try to compete with him."
"So that's why you chose co-living?" Zhan asked.
"Exactly. This is our final year. I need privacy so I can focus and earn my PhD. If you live with A-Bo, you won't get anything productive done...especially studying. And he barely lets me sleep. He's a real nuisance and clinging."
Zhan watched him quietly before lowering his gaze.
"What year are you in?" I-Bo asked.
"Year three," Zhan replied softly.
"Pharmacy, right?"
Zhan nodded.
"You're almost done too, then. Soon you'll graduate."
Zhan remained silent as they continued walking slowly.
After almost ten minutes, Zhan spoke again.
"You and him are like that back home?"
"You mean A-Bo?" I-Bo said. "Yes. He's actually my favorite. I'm even looking for a girlfriend for him. He doesn't have a single serious relationship."
Zhan frowned.
"He'll probably never find one," he said. "He's too rude and full of himself. What woman would agree to marry him unless she was forced into it?"
I-Bo laughed while watching him.
"What about your boyfriend?"
Immediately Zhan's mood changed. He said nothing and kept walking.
"I noticed you went quiet," I-Bo continued. "Are you comparing us in your head? Tell me...how does your boyfriend measure up?"
Without looking at him, Zhan said quietly, "It's getting dark."
They soon reached a roadside bench, and Zhan sat down.
"Are you tired?" I-Bo asked.
"Of course I'm tired. We've been walking for almost an hour."
"There's a restaurant nearby," I-Bo suggested. "Let's have dinner before heading back home. It's not far."
Zhan hesitated. He knew the place. He had once gone there with Yiming, and the food had been extremely expensive.
"Let's go," I-Bo said, already starting to walk.
Zhan stood and followed him. He waited until Zhan caught up before they continued together.
When they entered the restaurant, I-Bo suddenly grinned as if he had spotted someone familiar.
Zhan followed his gaze.
There sat A-Bo at a table with a foreign woman, speaking to her while a variety of dishes were spread before her. In front of him was only a bottle of water.
Zhan immediately looked away.
"I think I'll just go home," he said calmly. "I'm not really hungry anyway. I'll order a ride."
He turned to leave, but I-Bo caught the sleeve of his jacket.
"Come on, Sean," he said. "If you leave now, he'll think you're afraid of him. And he'll enjoy that. Just keep a straight face and sit down."
Zhan paused, thinking about it.
I-Bo was right.
If he left now, A-Bo would definitely think he was scared.
So Zhan walked forward and sat down at the chair I-Bo pulled out for him...directly facing A-Bo's table.
I-Bo sat down as well and waved at A-Bo with a cheerful smile.
A-Bo looked at them without any expression and then turned away as if he didn't even know him.
I-Bo only shrugged and smiled before handing the menu to Zhan.
"Take a look. Order whatever you want."
Within a few minutes, their food arrived.
Although Zhan was sitting directly across from A-Bo, he refused to look at him even once. He behaved as if he hadn't noticed him at all.
Meanwhile, I-Bo focused entirely on his meal. From time to time, Zhan glanced at him and realized something amusing....he took food and sleep very seriously.
It made Zhan want to laugh.
He himself ate slowly.
When I-Bo noticed that Zhan hadn't touched much of his crab potato chips, he asked, "Should I help you finish some of that?"
Zhan looked at him. "Do you have an extra stomach?"
I-Bo blinked. "An extra stomach?"
Zhan said calmly, "You've nearly finished everything on the table."
I-Bo widened his eyes dramatically.
"That's slander. What exactly did I eat?"
Zhan rested his chin on his hand and smiled, his dimples appearing clearly.
At that moment he accidentally looked up...and met A-Bo's eyes.
The smile vanished instantly.
I-Bo didn't even notice because he had already resumed eating, even reaching over to take some of Zhan's food.
Just then Zhan's phone began vibrating on the table.
His heart sank when he saw Yiming calling.
I-Bo glanced up.
"Isn't someone calling you?"
"I know," Zhan replied quietly.
"Then why aren't you answering?"
Zhan said nothing.
Only then did he remember that Yiming had already called several times earlier.
"Is it your boyfriend?" I-Bo asked.
Zhan looked at him with wide eyes.
"You should answer," I-Bo said. "Don't get yourself into trouble."
Zhan lowered his gaze, picked up the call slowly, pressed the phone to his ear, and spoke in a soft voice…
From the other end of the call, Yiming said sharply,
"What's wrong with you these days, Zhan? What's going on with you?"
Zhan hesitated, thinking about what he should say. He stayed silent, his heart beating uneasily. Even he didn't understand why he had been avoiding Yiming's calls lately. For some reason, he simply didn't feel like talking to him anymore.
Across the table, I-Bo raised his head and looked at him when he noticed the long silence while the phone remained at his ear.
Before Zhan could react, I-Bo reached over and took the phone.
Zhan's eyes widened in shock and fear as he watched him.
I-Bo calmly switched the call to hands-free, lowered the volume slightly, and placed the phone on the table before continuing to eat as if nothing unusual had happened.
From the phone, Yiming's voice came again, irritated.
"Did you hear me? Or is something wrong with you?"
Zhan spoke quietly, trying to sound normal.
"I heard you. I forgot my phone at Yu-Bin's place. I just got it back now."
Yiming sounded even more annoyed.
"You think I'm a fool? You're telling me you left your phone at Yu-Bin's place since yesterday?"
Zhan frowned slightly and looked away.
"So what if I didn't answer your call? Why can't you just give me a little understanding?"
Yiming's voice grew colder.
"Wait, Zhan. Where are you suddenly getting this courage from? Who's giving it to you? Since when did you start talking back to me like this?"
Zhan replied, trying to keep his voice steady.
"What did I even do? I told you my phone wasn't with me, and you're making an issue out of nothing. Our exams start in a few weeks. I'm already under enough pressure. Please try to consider that."
I-Bo glanced at him again, a faint smile appearing on his face as he opened a bottle of water and took a sip.
Yiming scoffed.
"So your exams are the most important thing in the world now? What's so special about them? Or is it Yu-Bin who's encouraging you to behave like this? Is he the one giving you the courage to talk back to me?"
Then he added sharply,
"Switch to video call now."
Zhan's heart dropped instantly.
Across the table, I-Bo was still smiling calmly.
Slowly, Zhan said, "Alright… but give me a moment. Let me get dressed first."
"Forget it," Yiming snapped angrily.
He ended the call immediately.
Zhan stared silently at his phone.
I-Bo finished chewing his food and said casually,
"Finish whatever you want to eat, Sean. It's already past six."
Zhan lifted his eyes and looked at him.
"Or should we pack the rest of your food to go?" I-Bo asked.
Zhan lowered his gaze just as his eyes briefly met A-Bo, who had stood up from his table.
I-Bo turned slightly toward him and called out,
"Hey, man. Add my bill to yours?"
A-Bo ignored him completely, as if he didn't even know him.
I-Bo simply waved over one of the restaurant staff instead. He asked her to pack the food Zhan hadn't finished.
Zhan still hadn't said anything. It was clear he was a little disturbed.
I-Bo watched A-Bo leave the restaurant with the foreign woman he had been sitting with. In truth, I-Bo didn't even know who she was; A-Bo always had different companions around him.
When the waitress finished packing the food, I-Bo asked for the bill.
She informed him that A-Bo had already paid for everything....including their table.
Zhan raised his head in surprise when he heard that.
"Alright then," I-Bo said casually.
He stood up, picked up the bag containing Sean's packed food, and looked at him.
Zhan stood as well and picked up his phone.
I-Bo walked ahead while Zhan followed him out of the restaurant.
The ride I-Bo had ordered arrived just as they stepped outside. He opened the back door for Zhan and waited for him to get in.
Zhan felt slightly surprised by the gesture. Whenever he went out with Yiming, he had never been treated that way. Usually Yiming would get into the car first before Zhan followed.
After Zhan got in, his housemate entered the car as well.
They were almost home when Zhan's phone began vibrating again. He didn't even check who was calling, assuming it was probably Yiming again.
I-Bo, who had been scrolling through his phone, glanced at him.
"Someone's calling you."
Zhan didn't reply. When he looked at the screen, he saw that it was Yu-Bin.
He answered quickly.
"Hello, Bin."
"I'm at your door," Yu-Bin said. "I've been knocking but there's no response."
Zhan glanced quickly at I-Bo before replying softly,
"Oh… I stepped out for a while. I'm on my way back now."
"You went out?" Yu-Bin sounded surprised. "Where did you go?"
Zhan stayed silent.
Yu-Bin paused before asking,
"Were you with your housemate?"
"Mm," Zhan replied quietly.
"I see," Yu-Bin said thoughtfully. "Well, if you're not close to home yet, I'll just head back."
"No, wait," Zhan said quickly. "Please wait for me. I'm almost there."
He ended the call and let out a small sigh of relief. For a moment he had thought Yiming might have contacted Yu-Bin.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the apartment building.
Zhan got out of the car first, followed by I-Bo. He headed toward the apartment entrance but slowed down when he noticed what looked like Hailong's car nearby.
His housemate followed behind him.
At that moment, Yu-Bin stepped out of Hailong's car. Smiling brightly, he walked toward them and greeted I-Bo.
I-Bo stopped briefly to return the greeting before heading inside.
Yu-Bin then turned to Zhan.
"Go greet Hailong-Gege," he said. "I cooked for you. I thought you were still too sick to get out of bed."
Zhan forced a small smile.
"Alright. I'll greet him."
He walked around to Hailong's side of the car and noticed that Hailong had been watching I-Bo until he disappeared inside the building.
Zhan lowered his head politely and greeted him.
Hailong looked at him carefully.
"Who is that?" he asked.
"My housemate," Zhan replied quietly.
Hailong turned to Yu-Bin.
"Didn't you once tell me his housemate was a woman?"
Yu-Bin nodded.
"Yes, but she moved out. He's the one who moved in afterward. He hasn't been staying there very long."
Hailong looked back at Zhan.
"Why are you living in the same apartment with a strange man under the name of co-living? Why don't you move into my house and stay with Yu-Bin instead?"
Yu-Bin gave him a look and quietly clicked his tongue in annoyance. It was as if he had just protected him enough from his husband's...yet he was still trying to take more.
Zhan remained silent, absentmindedly playing with the edge of his scarf.
Hailong then asked,
"What language does your housemate speak?"
Yu-Bin quickly answered before Zhan could.
"He's from Tanzania. He speaks his native language. Besides, he barely stays at the apartment anyway. He only comes occasionally to study."
Hailong looked at him sharply and said,
"I wasn't asking you."
Yu-Bin stepped aside and didn't say another word.
Hailong turned his attention back to Zhan.
"Where are you coming from at this hour, Zhan?"
Zhan replied quietly, "I wasn't feeling well since morning, so my housemate took me out to buy some food."
Hailong studied him carefully for a few seconds before speaking again.
"I'll talk to my husband about it. You should move into my house and stay with Yu-Bin until your exams are over. I believe your exams are coming up soon."
Zhan only smiled politely and did not respond.
Yu-Bin then said, "Come inside. I'll give you the food I brought for you."
He opened the back of the car and took out the food container. Zhan told Hailong goodnight, and then he and Yu-Bin headed toward Zhan's apartment.
Once inside the living room, Yu-Bin placed the food on the table. Lowering his voice, he looked at Zhan with curiosity.
"I don't understand this outing you had with your housemate, Zhan. Where exactly did you go?"
"He just took me out to buy dinner,"
Zhan replied. "I wasn't feeling well."
He placed the bag of takeaway food on the table and sat down on the edge of the couch, letting out a quiet sigh he had been holding in.
Yu-Bin, still smiling slightly, looked at him with interest.
"So how did he know you weren't feeling well? And how did he know what was wrong with you?"
Zhan shook his head slightly.
"That's not even my main concern right now. While we were at the restaurant, Yiming called me."
Yu-Bin frowned.
"So? What happened after he called?"
Looking troubled, Zhan explained everything...how the call went and how he had ignored Yiming's calls since the previous day.
Yu-Bin listened and then said teasingly,
"Well, look at you finally trying to stand up for yourself. Honestly, it seems like that housemate of yours is the one giving you the courage to act this way. Otherwise, since when did you ever dare talk back to Yiming like that?"
He finished speaking with a laugh.
Zhan glared at him slightly, annoyed that he was turning it into a joke.
Yu-Bin shrugged.
"If I were you, I wouldn't call him either. It's better if everything just falls apart so everyone can finally breathe."
"But did you forget what happened last time?" Zhan said anxiously. "When he suddenly showed up? Even now, it wouldn't be difficult for him to find a way here."
Zhan held his head in frustration. He looked completely confused.
Yu-Bin was quiet for a moment before clicking his tongue.
"Well, that's true. If he wants to come, he probably will. He's not exactly short of money."
Then he waved his hand dismissively.
"Just call him later and tell him something that will calm him down. You can't even say you're sick...that's enough reason for him to come running. Honestly, sometimes I wish he'd cause some kind of trouble in America so they'd revoke his visa and everyone could finally be free."
Despite his worries, Zhan couldn't help laughing a little.
"I'm serious," Yu-Bin continued. "If he ever comes here and tries to cause a scene, I'll personally call 911 on him."
Zhan only gave a faint smile.
At that moment, Yu-Bin's phone began to ring. When he checked the screen, he saw that Hailong was calling.
He made a face.
"This man is making my life stressful here," he muttered. "I only said I'd bring you some food, and he followed me. Then he starts talking about you moving into his house. One day his husband might even poison our food if we stay there."
Zhan sighed but didn't respond.
Yu-Bin continued complaining,
"He barely even talk to me anymore. But just because I stepped out with his husband, it suddenly became his problem. Now he's probably waiting for him like some angry guard."
He rolled his eyes.
"Anyway, I'll just convince Hailong-he to take me out for ice cream so it looks like we actually went somewhere."
Zhan simply watched him quietly.
Yu-Bin stood up.
"I should go. I'll see you on Monday."
Zhan walked him to the door and said softly,
"Thank you, Yu-Bin."
"No need for thanks," Yu-Bin replied. "Just tell your housemate I've left."
Zhan nodded.
After Yu-Bin left, Zhan closed the door slowly. He took the food Yu-Bin had brought and placed it in the refrigerator along with the takeaway food his housemate had ordered earlier.
⏭ ⏭
Later that night, Zhan had just finished showering when he heard a knock on his bedroom door.
He opened it to see his housemate standing there with a laptop in his hand.
"Good night, Sean," the housemate said. "I'm going to sleep."
"Good night," Zhan replied. "And… thank you for dinner."
"No problem," he said casually. Then he asked, "Did you call your boyfriend?"
Zhan didn't answer.
The housemate continued, curious,
"But I've been wondering… where did you meet that guy? I think I asked you before."
Zhan leaned against the door without looking at him.
"Back home," he said simply.
The housemate nodded.
"I see. At first I thought you weren't Chinese. I actually assumed you might be Japanese or Korean...maybe even a foreigner."
Zhan looked at him.
"Why?"
"You just look like someone from there," he replied.
Zhan lowered his eyes without responding.
"Well, I'll let you rest," the housemate said. "Good night."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Zhan closed the door and leaned against it quietly. He stood there for almost five minutes before finally walking over to the bed and changing into his sleeping clothes.
After lying down, he nervously dialed Yiming's number.
Just as he expected, the call rang until it ended without being answered.
He tried calling again, but Yiming still didn't pick up.
So Zhan opened WeChat and sent him a message.
A reply came almost immediately.
"I don't have time for you. Don't bother me."
Zhan sighed and put his phone down. He turned off the lights, lay back on the bed, and closed his eyes. Sleep came quickly.
✴✴✴
The next morning, after finishing his usual tasks, Zhan picked up his phone slowly.
Since waking up, he had felt uneasy.
He had dreamed that Yiming suddenly showed up again, just like he had before...and in the dream he had also run into his housemate.
The dream had left him unsettled.
He opened WeChat, deciding to send Yiming an apology message, even though he didn't expect a reply.
But as soon as he entered the app, he saw that Yiming had sent him about five photos three hours earlier.
His heart started pounding as he opened the messages.
There was also a text from Yiming.
"So now you're trying to show me that letting you go to America to study was my mistake? Have you forgotten who you are? Have you forgotten where you came from? If you continue taking me for granted the way you've been doing lately, you'll regret it. I promise you that."
Tears filled Zhan's eyes as he looked at the photos.
The first picture showed him kneeling by his mother's door four years ago, placing a cup of water in front of Yiming.
Yiming must have secretly taken the photo then.
Zhan looked so young and timid in the image.
The second picture was taken when he was fetching water in his neighborhood. His clothes were soaked, and he hadn't even known Yiming had taken the photo.
The third photo showed him in the courtyard of his home, pouring food his mother sold into a container.
Again, he hadn't known a picture was being taken.
The fourth photo was from the day Yiming took him to sit for an exam he never ended up using.
The last photo was from the day Yiming first brought him to the United States.
Looking at those pictures and comparing them to how he looked now, the difference was striking.
Now he looked healthier, more mature, and far more beautiful. His skin even seemed to glow. Anyone who didn't know him would never believe the person in those photos was the same Zhan.
Without realizing it, Zhan burst into tears.
He buried his face into his pillow and cried hard.
Yiming had never deserved this attitude from him… but at the same time, did he really deserve the way Yiming treated him?
The truth was, Yiming had always treated him like that.
Zhan cried uncontrollably for nearly thirty minutes.
Finally, he forced himself to sit up and pick up his phone again.
He didn't even know where to begin.
He started recording a voice note for Yiming. His voice trembled as he tried to apologize...but he broke down in tears before finishing.
He sent one voice note… then another… and then a third.
Even after sending them, he was still crying. Feeling guilty, feeling he doesn't deserve to be happy in his life, not when he was sold to Yiming.
💚💙❤🖤