-17- Relief
Zhan held the transport box with Lan Zhan tightly against himself and did not understand at all what was happening. All he knew was that he was suddenly scared and was on the verge of panicking. And although he would have preferred to hide in the car on the floor, he just couldn't look away and kept his eyes on the driver and his gun.
They were on a bypass road, which was actually built once, when for a while there were plans to build a new factory complex, so that the many trucks could take this road so as not to obstruct normal traffic. But that was over ten years ago. The factory complex was never built and this road is rarely used by motorists. Zhan wondered why the Wang's driver took this road. There was actually no reason for that.
The driver slowly approached the first of the two cars. He held his gun in front of him. He reminded Zhan of an agent, like he often saw in movies.
Nobody moved in the first car. The driver walked towards the second car and even then there seemed to be no movement at all. So the driver took his phone, called someone, Zhan couldn't hear him, and then turned around to get back to the car.
When the driver was back in the car, he said to Zhan, "All right. Obviously just an accident after all. Out of one car came a strong smell of alcohol and he drove on the wrong lane. I assume he is drunk and therefore caused the accident."
"What made you think it could be any different?" Asked Zhan, who still had a heart ache from all the excitement.
"Because influential businessmen like Mr. Wang have many enemies. They want his money or power, and are not afraid of kidnapping." Said the driver.
Zhan had no idea that Yibo and his family are exposed to such dangers. He wondered how they could drive to an amusement park in peace and quiet. If Zhan were in their place, he would certainly not go anywhere where danger could threaten him.
"Don't worry. It's not often that we have to intervene. And we are trained to do so. Besides, everyone in the Wang family is good at defending themselves. Maybe you should learn this too. It' s never wrong to be able to defend yourself in case of danger."
Zhan nodded. Maybe he would like to learn something like that, too. But when should he do that? He has neither time nor money for that. And if he asked his stepmother, she would not allow him to do it anyway.
When the first ambulance and the police arrived, the driver made his statement and then he brought Zhan home. Instead of letting him out at the bus stop as previously agreed, the driver brought Zhan directly in front of the house. Of course, this did not go unnoticed by his stepmother. She came running out of the house immediately and asked what was going on. The driver explained to her: "Due to unforeseen difficulties, the school project has been postponed to next weekend. I was just helping to bring some of the students home."
Zhan was really amazed at this ability to lie and to do so without blushing. He got his backpack and tent out of the trunk, thanked the driver for the ride and went to the garden first to put Lan Zhan in his cage. Zhan could literally see that the little guy was happy to come out of this little transport box.
When he was up in his room with his backpack and tent, he lay down on his bed and wondered if he had been too hasty in declining the invitation to the amusement park. He still saw the sad look of Yibo in front of him and suddenly felt sorry for leaving Yibo like that.
On the other hand he could spend the day comfortably in his room. Because his stepmother reminded him not to want to see him downstairs in the house today, because she gets a visit from her boyfriend. Although Zhan would like to take a look at her new boyfriend, it was not necessarily important to him.
Since his stepbrothers are also not at home because they spend the weekend with friends, it was very quiet in the house. Quiet enough that Zhan almost fell asleep, if his cell phone hadn't rung. It was Chuyue who once again complained to Zhan about his girlfriend. Besides, Chuyue had some new rumors.
"At school they say that we will get two more new students soon. And imagine Zhan, they are supposed to be the best friends of Wang Yibo. Their parents are working for Wang Yibo's father and are moving here now too."
"Mmm, amazing." Zhan replied. But he thought that if the two of them really moved here, Yibo would soon have less time for him and spend more time with his best friends. And somehow, Zhan was disturbed by the thought. Although Zhan didn't know what the future would hold for him and Yibo. But he didn't like the fact that Yibo would soon hardly spend any time for or with him.
But Chuyue had picked up a few more rumors about Yibo's best friends, which were largely uninteresting for Zhan. Except the one that the two best friends are supposed to be a couple. Zhan wondered once again where Chuyue always gets this information from, but didn't ask him because he knows that Chuyue didn't tell him his source anyway. Not even when Zhan reminded him that after all they are best friends.
When Chuyue was done with his rumors, Zhan told him that his plan for this weekend changed at the last minute and he is now alone at home with his stepmother. And Chuyue suggested that they could meet. After all, they haven't done anything together for a long time. And since they no longer work together, they spend even less time together.
"I would like to YueYue. But if I leave now, my stepmother won't let me back into the house afterwards. She is awaiting her boyfriend at our house and has even settled the twins out." Zhan explained.
"Well, then you' II spend the night at my place. Or we can go to the forest cabin and sleep there." The forest cabin that belongs to Chuyue's family was often the retreat for Zhan and Chuyue when they were younger. They spent a lot of time there and Chuyue's parents even made it look like a playhouse just for them.
As Zhan grew older and had more and more household chores to do, the visits to the forest cabin became less and less and at some point they were no longer there at all. Zhan calculated shortly after, when he had been there the last time and simply could not remember. "That would be an option." Zhan finally said after Chuyue told him that the cabin looked very different now than it did then.
Zhan immediately promised to talk to his stepmother and ask her if he could stay with Chuyue in the cabin. To his astonishment, she immediately agreed. The new man at her side seemed to be more important to her than having control over Zhan, he thought.
An hour later, Zhan was picked up by Chuyue and his mother. Luckily, Zhan had not yet unpacked his backpack. Chuyue's mother dropped them both off at the forest road and then they went together to the forest cabin. Zhan was very excited to see how much it had changed in the past years.
When they reached the forest cabin, Zhan saw that it had new windows and a new coat of paint. The forest cabin now has a small fireplace, two single beds and a huge TV. Much more did not fit into the small living area either. The small kitchen got some new electrical appliances and in the bathroom there is finally running water, even warm water.
They spent the first hours watching some movies on the huge TV. Zhan loved watching movies incredibly, but unfortunately he came to see them far too seldom. And so he was happy that it finally happened again today. For dinner they put a pizza in the small oven and while darkness slowly fell over them and they ate their pizza, Zhan thought maybe he should tell Chuyue about himself and Yibo. After all, they are best friends and it would be great if he could talk to someone his own age about it.
But Zhan was still unsure as he does not know how Chuyue will react. Although Chuyue had never spoken disparagingly about homosexual couples, that didn't necessarily mean anything.
More hours went by and around 10 pm Zhan couldn't stand it anymore and said: "He kissed me."
Chuyue looked at Zhan and said, "Who? What are you talking about?"
"Wang Yibo. He kissed me on Tuesday and a few other times too."
Chuyue stared at Zhan with eyes wide open and the time that passed until Chuyue said something on it seemed like an eternity. "So he likes you?"
"Well, he told me he loves me yesterday after the motorcycle race. But it could be that he only said that because he was so happy at that moment."
"Do you like him?" Asked Chuyue, without responding to what Zhan had said before.
"I think so. I mean, yes, I do. But, I'm insecure and I don't know what to do now?"
Chuyue nodded and said, "Well, it's quite simple. If you like him and he likes you, then try it together. What do you have to lose? It's better than wondering later what would have happened if you had given him a chance."
"Yeah, but he's a boy, just like me."
"ZhanZhan, we're all almost 18 years old and it sounds strange to be talking about boys. And who cares that he's a man? Your heart doesn't seem to care."
"No, not that. But..."
"But you're afraid of what others might think of you if this came out. All right, ZhanZhan. But be honest. You're just looking for an excuse why you can't be with him. What kind of excuse is that to say he's a man? If you love him, it doesn't matter."
Zhan thought about these words and he told Chuyue the details about himself and Yibo and the past days. And also that he had actually made a date with Yibo for a special day today and why it didn't work out that way.
Chuyue shook his head and said: "ZhanZhan, sometimes I want to slap you. You are welcome in his family and Yibo even asked you not to go and you left anyway. It's like a kick in the ass for them all. Besides, you could've had the evening with Yibo."
Now that Chuyue told him so, Zhan was very angry and ashamed. Once again, he had gotten in his own way and once again, he had only used an excuse not to deal with his feelings for Yibo. He was afraid that if he would spend a day with Yibo, he would not be able to stop liking him and would want to be with him. He told himself that this would only lead to further problems that Zhan doesn't want to deal with.
But now that even Chuyue told him how stupid he was and that it was only because of his fear of standing by his feelings. He was just embarrassed. He was angry with himself again and wondered when he would finally stop sabotaging himself?