The phone was vibrated on the nightstand. The sound of its vibration was louder than the ringtone itself, and it made the boy who was lying on the bed with eyes shut deeply in a sleep awakened.
Zhan turned his head at the nightstand and saw his phone was moving throughout the vibration. He slowly got up and looked at the surrounding. He was in Yibo's room. His sleeping position still hadn't change since he flopped his body on the bed once he entered the room. He crouched down to grab his phone. It's Yibo who called him. A video call. Zhan hit the accept button with glimmering eyes.
""Wei?" he answered the call.
"Baby... Sorry, I just able to call you now. Just now when I reached Tianjin, the people from the partner company already fetched us for the meeting...!" said Yibo.
Zhan smiled.
"It's ok... I understand. I also have a lot of things to do in the office today. I have to summon Mr. Tseung to come back to the office to help me. I was really troubled him so much...!" Zhan frowned.
"Don't worry...! Mr. Tseung likes to work with you. He told me that he wants to keep teaching you, but you are too smart already, so he doesn't need to teach you hard about the work...!"
"You flattered me...!" Zhan was flustered.
"No, it's true! He himself who told me!" cries Yibo. "By the way, how's your day today?" asked Yibo.
"Good," replied Zhan.
"Anything happened at home?" asked Yibo again.
"Umm... Not sure. I wasn't at home the whole day. I just came back at..." Zhan glanced at his wristwatch. "An hour ago. I fell asleep until your call wakes me up...!" And Zhan pouted.
"Awh... So sorry, Baby...! But I miss you so much!" Yibo frowned.
Zhan chuckled.
"Ohh... How much I miss to see that smile. My Bunny's smile is so beautiful...!" Yibo complimented.
"Shut up! Stop flattering me!" cried Zhan.
"Hwa Lin treats you good?" asked Yibo.
"She's nice...! She asks me to have dinner together. Your brother won't come back for dinner tonight...!" replied Zhan.
"Good! So, he won't have his time to flirt with you...!" rejoiced Yibo.
Zhan glared at him and shook his head. But then he chuckled.
"Ah, ya! Just now your former teacher came over! I met her when she was going to leave the house...!" said Zhan.
"My teacher?" Yibo furrowed his brows.
"Yeah! Your tuition teacher. Ms. Heung...!" replied Zhan.
"Ahh... Bitch! You better don't close to her. Or even... Don't talk to her...!" said Yibo. His face was express the unhappiness.
"Hey...! She's your teacher, ma?" Zhan scowled.
"Just don't talk to her. She's not a good influence for anyone. If anyone ever like her, then they are stupid!" said Zhan.
"But your mother likes her so much!"
"Yeah... Because she's stupid! And she's not my mother, ok?"
"Yibo..."
"Sorry. But... I don't like them!"
"Umm... How's the work there? Is everything alright?" asked Zhan, changing the topic.
Yibo didn't answer immediately. He heaved a deep sigh.
"What happened?" asked Zhan again.
"Nothing. Only a little problem. But, it will well soon. We are trying to clear everything up here. Dad a little bit upset, but he'll be alright....!" said Yibo.
Zhan bit his lower lip. It reminded him of Ms. Heung had said earlier.
So it's true. There are companies that end the partnership with Absolute Corporation?
"Babe? Are you okay?" YIbo's voice startled him.
"Ye-yeah! I'm fine... Just thinking about the problem...!" replied Zhan, stuttered.
"Don't think about it! It's gonna be alright! We have been in this business for a long time...!" said Yibo, convincing his bae.
Zhan nodded with the hesitant lingering in his chest.
"I wish you are here...! I really want to hug you, kiss you...! Miss you, Babe!" Yibo blew a flying kiss at zhan.
"Miss you too," Zhan smiled.
At that time, Zhan heard a knock on the door. Zhan stared at the door.
"Zhan Zhan! Let's have the dinner!" Hwa Lin's voice.
" Coming!" Zhan shouted, answering her. "Ah! Mother is asking me to go down for dinner...!" said Zhan.
Yibo rolled his eyes and his face was frowning.
"Why she always come between us?" whined Yibo.
"I'm hungry. I haven't even bathe. You also, go to take your dinner first!" said Zhan.
"Alright. Eat more...! Like you ate the sample products!" Yibo chuckled.
"Shut up! I didn't know if that was for business...!" Zhan blushed.
Yibo laughed.
"Ok. Go eat! Then bathe and rest. Take care of your health, Babe...!" said Yibo. "Love you...! Muach!"
"Love you too...!"
Zhan ended the video call. Then he got up and walked to the door.
Zhan came to the dinning table. He smiled when Hwa Lin stared at him.
"Sit down, Zhan...!" she ushered the boy.
Zhan pursed his lips and nodded. He pulled the chair, then he grabbed the chopstick.
"Let's eat....!" Hwa Lin said. and she started to pick up the dishes. She placed the veg on Zhan's bowl.
"Thanks....!" Zhan mumbled. He started to eat.
"How was your work today?" asked Hwa Lin.
"Good," Zhan answered. Then he smiled.
"Does Bo call you today?" asked Hwa Lin again.
"En," Zhan nodded his head.
"That's good..." Hwa Lin mumbled. She picked up some veg for herself.
Zhan looked at her with the unanswerable questions in his mind. He lowered his head again when Hwa Lin glances at him.
"Did he say anything about work?" asked Hwa Lin.
"Yes. A little....!" replied Zhan.
"What is it?" asked Hwa Lin, curious.
"Umm... He had the meeting right away when they put their feet in Tinajin. Tyen... he said, they have a little bit of problem to be solved over there...!" Zhan said.
"What problem?" asked Hwa Lin again, feels interested with the topic.
"Umm... I don't know. He didn't tell me specifically...!" replied Zhan.
Hwa Lin sighed. Zhan looked at her again. Hwa Lin put her chopstick and rice bowl on the table. Zhan felt uncomfortable. He stopped eating, though he didn't put his bowl down. Hwa Lin propped her chin on her hand. She stared at Zhan.
"Zhan Zhan... How old are you now?" asked Hwa Lin.
"I just turned 20 four months ago...!" Zhan answered, He felt confused and awkward however with Hwa Lin's question.
"Have you been in relationship before?" asked Hwa Lin again.
And it made Zhan's heard thumping rapidly. He was nervous. He was worried what he was fear about was gonna be happen. He shook his head slowly. He stared at Hwa Lin with a confuse look.
"I see..." Hwa Lin mumbled, turned her gaze on the dishes,
"What's the matter, Mada...Ma?" asked Hwa Lin.
Hwa lifted his attention again at Zhan. She heaved a deep breathe.
"Do you love Bo?" asked Hwa Lin.
Zhan swallowed the bile that suddenly choked his throat. He nodded hesitantly. He felt want to cry at that time. He was asking in his heart, why this woman suddenly asking about his feeling toward Yibo. He put down his chopstick and bowl.
"Do you know what's going on in the company recently? Like a threat to the company?" asked Hwa Lin.
Without leaving Hwa Lin from his sight, Zhan shook his head. Hwa Lin sighed for the umpteenth times. She extended her hand and grabbed Zhan's hand. But Zhan pulled his hand to the back of the table. He didn't care if the lady was feel hurt. His heart was more pain for the upcoming words she was gonna tell him.
Hwa Lin took her phone that she placed at her side of the table. Then she showed Zhan a photo which was the screenshot of a post from the social media. She got it from the woman earlier who sent her the screenshot.
Zhan glance at Hwa Lin.
"This is what happening to our company now, Zhan...!" said Hwa Lin. She ushered Zhan to take a look of it.
Zhan took the phone from Hwa Lin's hand and read the post screenshot. His grip on the phone tightened when he reads the words. He couldn't hide his broken heart after he reads it. He didn't want to drop his tear in front of Hwa Lin. He tried to hold back his tear as hard as he could. He put the phone down on the table than pushed it to Hwa Lin's side. He lowered his head and didn't lift his face again for quite some time.
"Now you know why my husband brought Yibo along to Tianjin. It's not because the construction matter. But because our company is in danger...!" said Hwa Linn. Then she continued which made Zhan's heart scattered in pieces."Because of your relationship with our son...!"
Zhan gasped. He lifted his face and looked at Hwa Lin.
"I'm sorry... But I have to tell you this. I don't want what my husband had built for years is destroyed only because of your presence..." said Hwa Lin.
Zhan bobbed his dead. "I- I understand... I under... stand...!" he stuttered, fighting the verge of crying he felt inside.
"Zhan... I do like you. But... It's not right. And I hope you'll understand about Bo's feeling to you. It might be only a temptation. Because Bo loves everything that seemed beautiful in his sight...!" said Hwa Lin again, putting salt on Zhan's wounded heart.
"Ok... I understand what you mean, Mdm. Wang...!" replied Zhan. His voice was shaken.
"I am so sorry... But family comes first...!"
Zhan nodded. He gazed on his unfinished rice. He loves to eat. It was the first time he felt that the food wasn't tempted him anymore.
"Can I excuse myself now?" Zhan asked and lifted his face, looking at Hwa Lin.
Hwa Lin nodded.
Zhan got up from his chair. He walked away after pushed his chair back and went to Yibo's room. He slammed his butt on the bed and thought about his convo with Hwa Lin. He glanced at his phone that lied on the bed. At this time, he wished that he could call Yibo and find a comfort from him. But he couldn't do that. He was the source for all of the mess that happened to the family. He made his bae to work harder to gain trust from their business partner once again.
He just wanted to help his bae and family. And the only thing he can do to get them out of this mess was only by disappear from Yibo's life. He loved the man so much and didn't want to make him through the hardship which caused by him.
But then he was thinking, If he has to go, where would he go? He could't just go back to his father's house. For now, he really can't do that. Yibo will definitely find him and blames his father for his leave. No, he must go somewhere else that Bo wouldn't expect to find him there. But where?
I have to go...