The road was empty. The journey was smooth. It wasn't the street in a big city where there are buildings and skyscrapers at the side of the road with busy small business at the ground. It was just a countryside road with forests, farmlands, Savannas and other landscapes to see as the sceneries. Only a few vehicles passed by the road.
The morning breeze swayed the green leaves and dropped the brown ones. The dew still hung low at the edge of the leaves and slowly it fell on the ground carpeted by the thick and dried brownish leaves.
Zhan sat inside the car on the front passenger seat next to the man who was driving. His eyes wandering around the landscapes. His mind, however, flew to the other side of the scenery. Another beautiful scenery. The most beautiful one that he has ever seen. The beauty of the man he met a few months ago through the hectic encounter.
He smiled to every memory he had with Yibo. But his eyes were teary. Zhuo Cheng who was driving glanced at him.
"Tsk! Do you want to go back?' asked Zhuo Cheng, gushing.
Zhan a little bit startled. He turned to Zhuo Cheng after he wiped his tears. He shook his head.
"You better decide now. If tomorrow you changed your mind, I make sure I won't come to pick you up!" said Zhuo Cheng, warned the boy.
"Why?" asked Zhan. innocently.
"Why, you say? What why? Do you mean you really feel want to go back to Beijing tomorrow??" Zhuo Cheng screamed.
"I don't say that...!" Zhan pouted. He averted his gaze to the road.
"You don't say that. But your action does!" Zhuo Cheng glared at him.
Zhan didn't answer him. Zhuo Cheng gushed and glared at him. Then he focused again on the street.
"Why do you help me?" asked Zhan, after a while they were in silence.
Zhuo Cheng glanced at him.
"I like your smile!" replied Zhuo Cheng with face like didn't want to admit it.
"Huh?" Zhan dumbstruck.
"Heyy...! Don't look at me like that! I'm not gay! What I mean like, just like. No hidden meaning....!" Zhuo Cheng scowled.
"That's it? Because you like my smile?" asked Zhan.
"I see you as a good person and innocent. So naive. You listen to your boyfriend's step mother more than your boyfriend himself. He loves you so much, yet you leave him just because his stepmother asked you to do so. Eh! I tell you, Zhan! I don't think he is stupid enough to announce your relationship. He has thought about it. He already came out before you, right? And he wants you to do the same! It's no way you will keep hiding it from your father if it already aired globally. His followers are everywhere...!"
Zhan kept quiet.
"Why do you obey the woman?" asked Zhuo Chneg when he noticed Zhan kept quiet.
"He's a nice lady..." Zhan mumbled without glancing at Zhuo Cheng.
Zhuo Chneg scoffed.
"Only that? You only live under the same roof with her for a few days and you can decide that she's a nice lady? And you want to proof to your boyfriend that he was wrong about his stepmother all this time? Who has lived with her for 7 years?" Zhuo Cheng laughed mockery.
Zhan looked scowling at him.
"I'm sorry to say this, Zhan! You are stupid! There is not without reason your boyfriend dislike her, ok?" Zhuo Cheng said after he controlled his laugh.
"But his brother seemed nice to her!" cried Zhan.
"Of course! He's mature enough to control his emotion. Unlike your boyfriend who was very close to his mother!"said Zhuo Cheng.
"How do you know if he close to his mother? I don't even know...!" Zhan scowled.
"Sometimes that is the reason why a child dislike someone else who replaces someone who very special in his life...!" replied Zhuo Cheng.
"I lost my mother when I was very young. And I miss to be with her. I wish I could find a mother in her, too..." mumled Zhan.
"That's why you listen to her more?" Zhuo Cheng raised one of his brows.
Zhan didn't answer.
"Do you miss him already?" asked Zhuo Cheng.
"Who?' asked Zhan back, looked at Zhuo Cheng.
"Your boyfriend," replied Zhuo Chneg.
Again Zhan didn't answer. Zhuo Cheng glanced at him and heaved a sigh. Then he didb't want to ask him anything anymore. He turned the car to the left side. and there was a small road which only could fit with one pick up truck. The road also not as smooth as the highway. The car kept bumping on the rocks that spread on the soiled road.
They arrived at the land, where there was a single house around, surrounded by the fence and small garden.There was a horse stable too a few meters away from the house. Zhuo Cheng entered the huge yard of the small house and stopped before the wooden porch.
"Here we go!" Zhuo Cheng clenched his hands on the steering wheel.
Zhan leaned forward on to the dashboard and scanning the place.
"Your uncle is living here?" asked Zhan, still scanning the place.
"Yup!" replied Zhuo Cheng.
"Alone?" asked Zhan again. This time he turned to Zhuo Cheng.
Zhuo Chneg nodded. He unbuckled his seatbelt.
"Is he dangerous?" asked Zhan again.
Zhuo Cheng glanced at Zhan and scowled.
"He's not a pedophile, right? Or a serial killer. Or the devilish sect members...!" Zhan being annoying.
"If you changed your mnd, I will bring you back to the city right away!" Zhuo Cheng retorted.
"I'm just asking, ma? I need to make sure if I'm at the safe place and with good people...!" Zhan grumbled, pouted. He unbuckled his seatbelt. Then he jumped out of the car.
"Hey! Your bag!" shouted Zhuo Cheng.
"Bring it out for me, please!" Zhan replied. He ran to the fence, where there were rabbits running around in it.
Zhuo Cheng glared. Then he shook his head. He turned to the rear seat and grabbed Zhan's duffle bag. When he carried it, something dropped from the bag. Zhuo Cheng looked at the object and picked it up. It was a photograph of Zhan with his father.
Zhuo Cheng looked at Zhan who was playing with the bunnies. His laughed echoed in the farmland. Zhuo Cheng's smiled. Then he walked to the porch to put the bag down there.
"So he will stay here?" asked a mid-aged man who suddenly appeared beside Zhuo Cheng.
Zhuo Cheng turned to the man.
"Only for a few days. I will bring him back to his owner after he calms down....!" replied Zhuo Cheng, turned again at Zhan.
"He'll be alright here.... Rest asured," said the man.
Zhuo Cheng looked at the man and nodded.
"Xiao Zhan!" he shouted at the boy.
Zhan turned to the men. He stood up and put a bunny down. Then he walked over to the porch.
"This is my Uncle. Da Zhangwei. You can call him Da Laozi. People commonly call him like that...!" said Zhuo Cheng.
Zhan looked at the mid-aged man and smiled. He extended his hand for a handshake.
"Xiao Zhan," said Zhan when the man shook his hand.
"You can help me to take care of the house and the livestock here. I don't really go anywhere if I don't go to the city to sell the veg and chicken," said the man.
"Owh!You have chicken too??" cried Zhan
"Not a lot...!" replied the man.
"Ok! Zhan. I leave you here with my uncle. I will comeback to visit you a few days later. Call me if you need anything that my uncle can't do for you...!" said Zhuo Cheng.
"You're not stay here a little longer?" asked Zhan. He felt worry left alone with a totally stranger.
"I can't leave my mother alone in the cafe. Da Laozi will take care of you....!" replied Zhuo Cheng.
Zhan cringed and nodded hesitantly. Zhuo Cheng hit Zhan's arm softly then he left to his car. Zhan and the man looked at him as he off.
"Alright, Kid! Are you ready?' asked the man.
"Huh?' Zhan turned to the man.
"You are here to help me, not for holiday, right?" the man smirked.
"Ahh... ye-yeah...!" Zhan looked shock and fear, too.
The man laughed.
"Don't be scared of me. I don't bite! Let's go! I'm making cake in the kitchen before it burned!" said the man, pushing the door which half glass and half wooden.
The man ushered Zhan to come inside the house. Still hesitant, Zhan took his bag and entered the house with alert.
Da Laozi was a funny man as Zhuo Cheng described him. In short while, Zhan was be able to adjust with the man. Da Laozi was a caring and homey man. He had a wife once, but she left him for another man after they for married for about three years. He said his wife didn't like to stay in the countryside with ranch surrounded the house.
Zhan felt comfortable with the elder. He helped the man taking care of his garden and the livestock. He also went to the land where Da Laozu had a vegetable farm. Zhan didn't come from a rich family, but he still a city boy. He didn't get use with the farmer's works. He got blisters on his palms after he did clear up the hay in the horse stables, some minor cuts on his hands and legs, mosquito bites.
In the end of the day, they came back to the house and cleaned up.
"Tomorrow don't follow me to the vegetable farm already. You stay at home and look after the rabbits. The horse and the chicken I will take care of them in the morning and when I get back home. Just do a little care on the herbs I planted in the backyard. And cook dinner. Do you know cooking?" asked Da Laozi.
"Fry egg?' Zhan cringed.
Da Laozi rolled his eyes.
"Fine. Fried egg will do. I hope you also can put some rice inside the fried egg. Make the egg fried rice with garlic!" said Da Laozi.
Zhan smiled and nodded enthusiastically.
"Now I'm going to heat up the lou bak. Can you cook rice?" asked Da Laozi.
"Yes!" answered Zhan.
Da Laozi glared at him lightly then walked to the kitchen.
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Yibo rode his motorbike in the street, tried in finding his boyfriend. The police wasn't be able to get help from in finding Zhan, because they said the evidence told them that Zhan was not missing, but he went off at his will. So, Yibo decided to trace Zhan with the track left he had. He found out that the tracker on Zhan's phone ended in a shopping mall in Forbidden City. So he headed up there. And Dave got the bank information that Zhan had withdrawled sum of money lastly in an ATM machine in the same shopping mall.
Yibo straight away went to the specific place when he arrived in the mall. He entered the cafe which was just opened. He went to the cash girl.
"Excuse me!" Yibo greeted the girl.
"Yes, Sir? What do you want to order?" asked the cash girl.
"Have you seen this boy?" asked Yibo, instead, showing a photograph in his hand.
The girl took the photo to see a better look. Her brows knitted.
"Did you see him? Maybe around two days ago, he was here...!" said Yibo.
The girl raised his head and give the photo back to Yibo. She shook her head.
"Ahh... No. I don't think so. Two days ago was my off. So, I never come to the cafe...!" said the girl.
Yibo glared at her and snatched the photo from the girl's hand.
"Maybe Boss knows...!' said the girl.
"Where is your Boss?" asked Yibo.
"She's inside. I can't disturb her...!" the girl cringed, feels bad for Yibo and herself. He pointed at the door in the corner of the cafe.
"Let me see your Boss. I'll go there!" said Yibo. He walked over to the door pointed by the girl.
"Eh! Sir! Sir! Boss is busy!" the girl chased Yibo to stop him.
But Yibo had banged the door hard.
A few seconds later, the door flung open.
"Who the hell bang my... Who are You?" a woman came from behind the door.
"Have you seen this boy?" asked Yibo, didn't answer the woman's question.
The woman glanced at the photo and turned her gaze at Yibo.
"No! I never see him. Even if I do, I don't remember. I have a lot of customers in my cafe!" replied the woman.
"Take a look nicely!" said Yibo.
"I don't need! I don't bother with stranger's matter!" retorted the woman.
Yibo stared at the woman with jaws clacking.
"You won't get the answer if the way you ask people like that, Man!' a voice took the attention of three people in front of the manager's door.
A man came over and smirked at them. He glanced at Yibo intimidately. And suddenly Yibo had a memory that he had seen the man.
"You're the one who disturb my boyfriend!" hissed Yibo.
"Huh?? Bo-boyfriend?" the girl who still standing between them was shocked and she collapsed. No one bothered her.