Sunday, the whole family is at the cottage for the usual picnic. He was even more surprised when there was a lot of food being cooked.
"That's a lot of fish and meat to grill, Mom. I thought you and Daddy would celebrate your anniversary later in the evening..."
"Your Uncle Quiren and Aunt Carmen are coming. They're going to have a picnic. And the formal dinner will be at home later... oh, they're already here," she smiled when he saw the couple's car. Yizuan immediately greeted them.
"I thought it would take us a while, Yizuan," said Carmen when she got out of the car. "Yibo came last night from Beijing. And when he knew we were having a picnic here, he wanted to come along. The case is that Cheng Xiao came and insisted on coming along. Yibo didn't want to bring her, so the two were still arguing when we left.."
From where he was, Zhan could hear it. He smiled bitterly and reluctantly walked towards the beach. His feet played with the waves as the memories of his and Yibo's youth flowed.
"If I catch you, I'll tear you apart!" shouted Yibo.
"If you can run fast," Zhan challenged Yibo, laughing. "You are fat!"
"Who's fat? You saw how the girls at GU call me..."
"They're just teasing you. I'm the one you should ask. After all, I'll tell the truth because I'm your friend."
"That would be the day," Yibo stopped chasing him. "If I didn't know you were insecure about me being handsome. Admit it I'm more handsome than you."
He smiled at the memory. And again, felt sad. He hopes they stay that way. He hopes the world doesn't spin and time gets old. He hopes what happened in the hut never happened... He wishes... there are many wishes.
He took a deep breath and returned. He had walked a long way and it was getting hot. When he lifted his face, he saw a familiar figure approaching. Zhan couldn't take his eyes off him as they approached each other. Yibo was staring at him as he walked.
Three feet away from each other they stopped.
"How are you?" they said together. Both looked away and spoke again almost at the same time. "I missed you, friend—" and then they laughed together.
Yibo approached him, grabbed his arm, and pulled him into the shade. Yibo sits him on a broken coconut tree.
"Do they already know?"
Zhan shook his head. "Do you think you can face Daddy if they know?"
"Just a few days, right?" Yibo glanced at his stomach. Yibo sat on the sand and felt his stomach. "Is he moving now?"
"I-I don't think so," he said, feeling his stomach as well. Yibo's hand covered his hand. When Yibo looked at him, he met his eyes staring at Yibo. It was too late for him to avoid Yibo's eyes.
"I want to kiss you," Yibo said huskily as his eyes caressed his lovely face.
"Ge..."
But Yibo's hand went up behind his head and brought it closer to his face. Before he knew it, Yibo's mouth was on him. Yibo was kissing him gently, tenderly. Giving him the chance to move back. But he was too shocked to even move. He was in a daze and involuntarily clutched Yibo's shoulders.
Yibo's kiss deepened. Yibo's tongue delved into his parted lips. Yibo groaned and would have wanted to pull Zhan closer against him if Zhan hadn't moaned because he was squeezing his stomach. "M-my stomach..." Zhan eyes wide as she stared at Yibo.
"Oh, lord," Yibo washed his face with his palm at the same time. "What have I done again?"
"Yibo!"
They turned to the caller at the same time. It's Cheng Xiao. Yibo groaned even more. He forgot that Cheng Xiao was with him when he went there.
"I've been looking for you for a while now. What the hell are-" She stopped whatever she was going to say when she noticed Zhan sitting on a rock. "Oh, is that you, Xiao Zhan?" She raised her eyebrows and her eyes swept over him and stopped at his stomach.
No voice came out of Zhan's mouth. He was still stunned by the kiss. And Cheng Xiao almost caught them.
"You're pregnant!" She said in shock. And turned to Yibo. "Darling, Xiao Zhan is pregnant."
"Cheng Xiao!" Yibo scold her.
"Gosh," Cheng Xiao continued. "I thought you were into women. It turned out to be --"
"Cheng Xiao, shut up!" said Yibo angrily.
Cheng Xiao immediately stopped in anger at Yibo's voice. But frowned. "Don't yell at me. Come on. I've changed my mind. I don't want to swim. Just take me home." She pulled Yibo's arm.
Yibo looked at Zhan with his eyes asking for understanding. "Go back to the hut," Yibo ordered. "I'll be back and we'll talk."
"Oh, no, you won't. Come on, Yibo." Cheng Xiao was in a hurry and mockingly glanced at Zhan who still didn't say anything.
💚💛❤️💚💛❤️💚💛❤️💚💛❤️
Zhan is due to give birth in just a few days. But his stomach is not that big. Yibo's parents and his parents think he is the most beautiful pregnant they have ever seen. He was wearing a one-of-a-kind white preggy dress that Yibo bought him. It was made of expensive cotton laces eyelets and fine ribbons.
The Wang couple was still there for the simple and formal dinner for his parents' wedding anniversary.
Yibo wasn't with his parents and he didn't expect Yibo to come. He just wanted to go upstairs and sleep. He was about to say goodbye to the Wang couple when he heard the arrival of Yibo's car. Zhan hurried out to the garage.
"Am I late?" Yibo asked with a smile. He was holding a big gift box for his parents.
"You're just right on time," said Fengmian, looking behind Zhan. "The table is ready." He reached for the gift that Yibo handed over. "Come on and eat," he said before going inside.
"We'll be there later, Uncle," said Yibo staring at Zhan. Admiration is reflected in his eyes. "You're prettier every day."
Zhan smiled. A simple compliment from Yibo but it was nice to hear. "With my condition?" He looked at himself. "That's a very obvious joke."
"You are the most beautiful pregnant I have ever seen in my entire life, Sweetheart," continued Yibo. "Your belly isn't that big. And your face is cheerful despite our problem. Mom said our child might be a girl."
"That's what they all say," Zhan laughed.
"Have you had an ultrasound yet?"
Zhan shook his head. "I don't want to know if my child will be a girl or a boy. I want to be surprised. You, do you want to know the gender of the child?"
"Just whatever you want. The important thing is that you and the baby are healthy. I'm always worried about you because I know you're always stress."
"I can do it. Besides, I'm always at the doctor."
Yibo nodded. When Yibo reached out his hand. "Zhan... that... that thing that happened earlier at the beach-"
"Please," Zhan quickly bowed his head and pulled his hand. "I don't want to talk about it."
Yibo filled his chest with air and looked up at the sky. Like their situation, the sky is also dark. Not a single star is present.
"Do you know how excited I am about our child?" Yibo said after a few moments of silence between them. "And I want to shout to the whole world that I'm going to be a father."
Zhan swallowed painfully. "Y-You and Cheng Xiao will also have children..."
Yibo's face darkened but he ignored what he said. Instead: "I want our child to use my name."
Zhan looked up at Yibo. "You know that's impossible because we're not married. And our parents don't know the truth."
Yibo took a deep breath at what he said. "How long are we going to hide from our family that I am the child's father? Isn't it good that they know it now?"
"There are things that should be kept secret so as not to hurt anyone, Ge," Zhan spoke almost in a whisper. Their parents are just in the living room. "Many people will be hurt, first of all, Cheng Xiao. And me too, you will hurt me because—"
"Alright!" Yibo was very angry. "Why am I being stubborn? You've rejected me so many times but I still push myself. Sometimes, I really want to bang myself against the wall."
That's when Mrs. Wang comes out of the house. "Are you two fighting?"
"N-no, Aunt..." Zhan answered.
"I heard you raise your voice, Yibo," Carmen said. "Well, in Zhan's condition, you should not be fighting with him."
Yibo didn't answer and just shook his head. Disgust was on his face for Zhan.
"You two come inside so we can eat together," she said. Zhan was forced to follow.
Yibo didn't immediately follow the two. He looked at the surrounding darkness as if there was the answer to his and Zhan's problems.