The next chapter is the last one. Expect it sometime next month. Enjoy
"We all grieve differently my love" Xiao Zhan lays his head on his mother's lap while she brushes his hair. "Nobody is going to judge you on how you grieve or not it's your personal loss"
"Thank you Mom" Xiao Zhan closes his eyes to feel the comfort
"I heard you and Wang Ren are getting acquitted" Xiao Zhan's mom Cangse tries to get information out of her son
"Mn" Xiao Zhan nods "One way or another we need each other"
"What happened to the Wang's estates" Cangse stops brushing Xiao Zhan's hair.
Xiao Zhan takes her hand putting it back to his head. "He gave me everything"
"Everything as in" she drags it
"Everything from the dust in his house to the large notes in his bank account" Xiao Zhan starts to draw circles on his sofa. "But I haven't let the lawyer transfer the ownership to my name yet I don't want to"
"And you're not ready yet"
"That too" he clears his throat.
"As someone who grew up in the same environment as Yibo and you know when something like this happens you can't stall it you have to take charge"
"It's scary you know" Xiao Zhan stops for a second "Everything around me is scary right now and it has been like that for the past few years"
"How when did it start"
"When I had to operate on Yibo that time, then the divorce then there was the earthquake, also there was the virus and now he's gone" Xiao Zhan tears up "I feel like I haven't had a rest you know at this point I am just surviving or trying to you know. I haven't had the time to close my eyes without worrying about something. I don't want to feel like any moment I have a shut eye I am not going to survive"
"That's a lot" Cangse sighs
"That's what the therapist said" Xiao Zhan jokes
"Have you thought about what you're going to do with Yibo's estate?" his mother asks him
"I can't give them up" Xiao Zhan contemplates it "he left it for me and Bina, which is weird you know as if he knew he wasn't gonna come back. He only had Bina for 6 months at most where did he have the time to change all that and isn't it weird that he didn't leave any to his relatives lol or the will basically stated anything he owned under his name was to be mine and Bina's"
"You have to protect it," Cangse tells him "That's what your beloved gave to you and you have to protect it if not for you do it for Bina"
"And how am I supposed to do that," Xiao Zhan asks
"By showing everyone why you have the inheritance and what you can do, you are a Xiao, and the Xiaos always protect what's theirs"
"They are having a board meeting tomorrow to denounce Yibo as the rightful heir and to discuss whose to take the inheritance" Xiao Zhan informs his mother
"Board meetings are ruthless" Cangse informs him "It's a cold-blooded mortuary up there and their favorite word is no"
"I don't care about that Yibo write everything is to go to me and Bina" Xiao Zhan sits up
"Here's what the hoard is most likely to do, since Xicheng denounced himself as the heir it went directly to Yibo and now he's dead without any biological legitimate heirs, and the little kid he hasn't yet adopted him under the law the board will provide their own heir and you have to stop that" Cangse holds Xiao Zhan's hands
"I don't want to go there" Xiao Zhan pouts
"Are you going to let Yibo's hard work go to waste if you let it go it's like you're letting his legacy disappear" Cangse shakes his head "I didn't raise you like this Zhan you have to go there tomorrow and make your presence known you have to make them pay for the years of disrespect they gave to the two of you make them pay"
"Mom" Xiao Zhan looks at her with a blank stare
"Okay I am sorry that you have to let this poor mother of yours have dreams too" She dusts off the imaginary dust from the throw pillows
One year later
"Don't you want to take a break from that thing?" Xiao Zhan asks from the kitchen.
"No" Bina shouts back
"Why are you so fixated on trying to play it" Xiao Zhan places the fruits on the table.
"Bobo played it" Bina mutters "I want to try it too"
"We are going to his house tomorrow to clean it And to pay our respects" Xiao Zhan sighs "It's time we do so"
"If I learn the song I'll play it tomorrow to pay our respects" Bina bites his lips to focus on playing the Guqin.
"I have never heard him play anything on this one" Xiao Zhan's hand grazes the Guqin "It feels old"
"It's a family heirloom" Bina answers.
Xiao Zhan aahs leaning back in the chair enjoying Bina plucking a few wrong notes. "I used to play an instrument too"
"You did" Bina stops midway
"Mn" Xiao Zhan nods
"What instrument," Bina asks
"Flute, I even got invited to shows and stuff but I had to focus on being a doctor" Xiao Zhan leans to the right to see Bina. "I am glad I had parents who supported my endeavors"
"Are you gonna support my endeavors?" Bina curls himself beside him.
"Anything you do I will support you as long as you are not being a clown" Xiao Zhan pinches his nose.
The next day Xiao Zhan and Bina got ready to go clean out Yibo's place and to honor Yibo since it has been nearly a year since his funeral. They had spent the day before going around buying stuff Yibo liked or enjoyed. Yibo's family (his brother and father were going to be there) Yibo's friends too were coming and Xiao Zhan too, it was going to be a long day.
"Ready" Xiao Zhan asked Bina once they packed
"Mn" Bina nods, looking around the compound, it being the first time he's ever been there.
"Okay" Xiao Zhan ruffles his hair as he opens the trunk
They were an hour or two early to prepare everything as the others joined them.
"Are you excited to play in front of the others?" Xiao zhan asks as he opens the door
"No" Bina shakes his head no
"Why you have practiced for so long, you're ready for this" Xiao Zhan opens the door looking around the entryway and seeing neatly stacked shoes "Shh" Xiao Zhan places the products down "Stay there" He stops Bina from following him "If I don't call you inside in a minute call your grandfather" he gives Bina his phone.
Xiao Zhan treads carefully inside the house picking up the lamp that he had always complained to Yibo to have it removed it. "Hello" He calls out looking around ready to hit in case anyone or something jumps out. "You're trespassing on private property"
"How is it..."
Xiao Zhan screams swinging the heavy metal across "Holy shit" he looks down to be met with Yibo's face.
"Oh," he whimpers falling down and moving away from Yibo's body.
"Blessing" Bina rushes into the house "Are you okay" He looks at Xiao Zhan "Why are you crying"
"I am fine" a voice comes behind them making Bina flinch turning himself so fast "Bobo" he gasps "you're here"
Bina looks between the two "How" he keeps pointing back and forth "B-but... we" he passes out.
The both of them rush forward to hold him only for them to bump heads
"Ouch" Xiao Zhan moves back tears clouding his eyes
"I am sorry" Yibo approaches Xiao Zhan after making sure Bina was okay he cups Xiao Zhan's face "Are you okay that must've hurt"
Xiao Zhan tears up looking into Yibo's eyes "You're alive" he whispers "How"
"Uhm that" Yibo drops his hands
"Like how" Xiao Zhan kneels down having his hands hover over Yibo making sure it was flesh and bones "I can't believe this"
"You need to breath" Yibo lets Xiao Zhan do whatever he was doing with his body
"How can I breathe when you're" Xiao Zhan stops talking "When you are .... Oh God" he sits back down not believing what he was seeing.
"Love am here am alive" Yibo takes Xiao Zhan's hands holding them
"You're really here," Xiao Zhan asks
"Mn" Yibo nods Xiao Zhan does a do-over skimming Yibo once more now noticing the difference "Bo what happened" He takes a look at the burn scars on the neck giving a guess that it goes further down than what its seen. He looks down at the hands covered in cut scars and spots of burn scars, he sees the way Yibo coils to try and hide himself. "Nothing matters I am just glad you are here" Xiao Zhan hugs Yibo tightly
Yibo returns the same affection not wanting to breathe hug afraid that if he lets go the reality will seep in.
Xiao Zhan sobs when Bina joins in the hug, "It must have been hard for you, were you scared"
Yibo feels the lump growing more in his throat, this was very painful and heartwarming and safe and everything he had lacked the last year.
"I missed you" Yibo sniffles "I really missed you" he repeats it.
"I waited for you too, every day I waited for you"
"I'm happy you're back bobo" Bina throws himself across Yibo making the latter laugh.
"What about the others," Xiao Zhan asks after a couple of minutes and they were calm.
"What about the others," Yibo asks
"Today is one year after your" He stops speaking and glances at Yibo nervously for a second "Uhm a year after we had your memorial of some sort and today were going to have a Jichen for you and they are going to be here in like the next 10 minutes or so, you know how they are with keeping time"
They both lightly laugh at that, the friend group was meticulous with their timekeeping.
"Your dad is coming too," Xiao Zhan notices how Yibo stops for a moment looking at him nervously "Aah am okay," Xiao Zhan waves to dismiss his worry "You'll find it hard to believe but your father and I are friends nice friends"
Yibo tilts his head trying to understand and picture the situation. Xiao Zhan laughs behind his hand "I know, everyone had a hard time believing that I can now tolerate your father without throwing lawsuits at each other"
"I'm here where's my grandson" A voice comes from the front door
"Dad" An embarrassed voice comes next
"Don't blame me Xichen, we could've been here if you didn't drive slowly"
"I was following the traffic laws"
"Who drives a 45 at a split highway, you're supposed to go 60" The voices come closer and closer bickering until they met with silence
"Xichen am I hallucinating or is that your brother sitting there" Wang Ren looks back at his son "Please tell me you see your brother there"
"Dad I think we are seeing the same thing" Xichen looks straight at Yibo
"Okay the possible explanation is that we are high which I know we are not which means" Wang Ren turns to look at Yibo "That's really Yibo oh God" His legs give out