It was a calm and pleasant evening... the kind that always seemed perfect for study sessions at home. Today was no different. Zhan sat with a book open before him, flipping through page after page as he reviewed its content. He was waiting for Lao to return from checking on dinner so they could continue their joint revision. Bai Wuxia wasn't home today... she had gone out briefly to buy some fruit, as they'd run out, though the market wasn't far from their Mansion.
Zhan was dressed in a soft, traditional royal-style outfit made from butter-colored fabric. The ready-made clothes suited him perfectly, highlighting his good looks.... thanks to both healthy eating and a peaceful lifestyle.
Just then, Sikong stood outside their door, smiling to himself as he stroked his neatly trimmed beard. He was in an indescribably good mood, knowing today might finally be the day he exposed Yibo.... the one person who had proven more difficult for him to deal with than anyone else. Slowly, he pressed the doorbell.
The chime rang twice in quick succession. Zhan looked up from his book and then toward the kitchen, where Lao was. He doubted Lao had heard it, and maybe it was Bai Wuxia returning. There was no point calling Lao.... it would waste time, especially since Bai Wuxia had been having some leg trouble lately. Zhan closed his book and quickly walked toward the door.
He was smiling faintly when he opened it, but that expression disappeared the moment his eyes met Sikong's unfamiliar face. Zhan stared at him with a hint of confusion while Sikong took the opportunity to size him up....from head to toe.
"Wow... wow," Sikong blurted out, unable to help himself. In his mind, he muttered bitterly, "Damn it, Yibo... everything about you has to be top-tier, huh? Why?" He hadn't expected to see someone this striking....young, dignified, and beautiful....in Yibo's mansion.
Zhan turned to head back inside, seeing as Sikong hadn't introduced himself even after being asked twice. He gave Zhan a strange, invasive look....exactly the kind of gaze Zhan hated the most. To make matters worse, he immediately felt uneasy around Sikong. Something about him just didn't sit right.
"Hey babe," Sikong suddenly said, causing Zhan to freeze and turn back around sharply. His expression was tense, and that only made Sikong find him more attractive.
"Sorry, baby… you don't know me, right? Let's go inside, I'll explain everything. I guess the Prince didn't tell you about me."
Zhan felt a chill ripple down his spine. First, the creepy vibe, then that name....Prince. It left a sour taste in his mouth that the Prince had shared some familiarity with such a person, everything comes from that royal family... Zhan hated it. He didn't say a word and turned to walk back inside. Sikong followed behind slowly, continuing to watch him with unsettling intensity, licking his lips like some old drunk. After everything, he was already imagining that he could somehow claim this stunning boy for himself. He's straight, but for someone like this? Maybe he could be flexible...
Zhan returned to his spot and resumed reading. Sikong settled on a chair, but his eyes never left Zhan.
"So this is what Yibo's been hiding, huh? Where did he even find someone like this?" he thought to himself. "And this is just the face and hands....what about the rest?" He licked his lips again, swallowing hard, greed swimming in his gaze.
He opened his mouth to speak, but just then, Lao stepped out of the kitchen. With deep respect, she knelt slightly to greet him....she knew exactly who he was. He returned her greeting, though inwardly he wondered what she was doing in the house. What brought her here? When did she even arrive in the city? He didn't recognize her face well, but he was almost certain she was from the Tianjin Palace...he could vaguely place her.
He hadn't finished processing that surprise when another knock came at the door. Lao quickly stood up and rushed to open it. It was Bai Wuxia, holding a few shopping bags. Lao took them from her and stepped aside so she could come in.
Sikong and Bai Wuxia stared at each other for a moment, both clearly surprised, though they tried to hide it. Bai Wuxia masked her reaction with a polite smile and greeted him warmly, asking Lao to serve him some drinks and the fruit she had just brought in.
Now his mind was racing. He couldn't make sense of any of it...Bai Wuxia and Lao, both from the Tianjin Palace, living here? And then there was this unfamiliar face...Zhan....someone he couldn't identify. Yet all signs pointed to the fact that none of them had just arrived recently. They seemed settled. So what exactly was Yibo doing here?
Sikong spent nearly thirty minutes in the house, carefully observing everything with his eyes while listening to Zhan and Lao's study session. Bai Wuxia remained cautiously courteous, but inwardly she was uneasy. She was almost certain that neither Queen Zhaiye nor the Prince had any idea that Sikong had shown up. As one of the closest people to both, she was always in the loop about major developments....and this, she was sure, wasn't one of them.
Her concern didn't ease until Sikong finally stood up to leave. His eyes lingered on Zhan, who never once looked back at him...not when he entered, and not even as he left the house.
Bai Wuxia let out a sigh of relief. She'd noticed the way Sikong had been eyeing Zhan with something that made her deeply uncomfortable. She couldn't ignore it. As far as she was concerned, the only thing left to do was inform Queen Zhaiye about Sikong's visit....whatever it meant, something needed to be done. She absolutely didn't want any trouble falling on Zhan.
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Later that day, Sikong sat idly, hoping to catch Yibo when he returned home. But he was out of luck. After school, Yibo had gone straight to Bai Wuxia's house, and even there, he hadn't arrived early... he'd stayed back to review some materials at the school.
It wasn't uncommon. Yibo was the kind of student whose name stood out anywhere. His presence alone brought energy and admiration.... never just because of his striking looks or composed demeanor, but also because of his intelligence. His sharp mind and relentless focus had elevated him far beyond his peers. Often, he was baffled when people called others "slow" or claimed they couldn't understand things. From his perspective, he believed no human was created unintelligent...some simply learned at a different pace. Learning, to him, required discipline and perseverance, and that was something he took seriously. If something mattered, he gave it his all.
Now, resting on his soft bed and just settling into his break, phone in hand talking with Qiantang. His other phone began to ring. It was his mother, Queen Zhaiye.
On her end, she stood in her grand, elegantly decorated sitting room. Despite the plush chairs and ornate décor, she couldn't bring herself to sit. She was simply waiting.... waiting for Yibo to answer.
"Good evening, Mom," he said calmly.
"Yibo, are you in your right mind?" Her tone was sharp, worried.... and Yibo immediately knew something was wrong. His expression darkened with concern as he sat upright, not wanting anything to upset her. To him, Queen Zhaiye was above every woman in the world. He quickly switched lines and whispered to Qiantang, "I'll call you back. Give me a few minutes." Then he ended the call and focused on his mother.
"I asked.... are you in your right mind?"
"Mom... what's going on?"
"How could you allow Sikong....Sikong, to walked into your hause Yibo, huh?
He exhaled softly, making sure she wouldn't hear it. He had expected something serious.....this, in his view, wasn't a major problem.
"Mom, is it really that bad that he came over?"
Her voice, now more agitated, cut sharply through the receiver. "Is it bad? Yibo, you know exactly what's going on. You know how well I understand this family....especially Sikong's mother. You also know the kind of person Sikong is. Are you really going to let everything fall apart when we're not even ready for the consequences?"
Yibo closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. He understood exactly what his mother feared....that someone might piece things together and report to his father, His Majesty.
"Relax, Mom… please calm down. I wasn't even home when he came. And even if I had been, I'm certain he wouldn't have figured anything out. It's not like it's written on my forehead that I married that boy. You forget that, don't you?"
There was a moment of silence, indicating that his words had slightly reassured Queen Zhaiye. Picking up on that, he continued, "But even so, I'll take this seriously. I'll make sure he never steps foot in this house again. Are you satisfied with that?"
She shook her head as if he could see her.
"My mind is restless, Yibo. I know Princess Dingzhi is one of those who despise me. They don't want to see me, or what I gave birth to. And now this? I'm not at peace… maybe it's time I get you both a new house."
Yibo felt unsettled by her decision. Once again, he was being pushed around just to continue hiding the boy. Gently, he said, "Believe me, Mom, nothing will happen. Sikong can't do anything. Besides, there are only about three months left before everything will be ended. You remember that, right?"
With effort and persuasion, he managed to calm her down... though not before enduring a string of warnings to be extra cautious.
As for Sikong, after waiting around for Prince Yibo till about 2 a.m. with no sign of him, he finally stood with a sigh and went to his room. Sitting at the edge of his bed, he pulled out his phone, about to call his mother. He hadn't spoken to her yet today, and he knew she must be waiting to hear from him. Judging by the time, he made the call.
Princess Dingzhi answered after the first ring, as if she had been waiting for it.
"What's the situation?"
Rubbing his head, he wished he could say he'd caught Yibo in some compromising position.
"I went, Mom… but I didn't find much. Nothing unusual, except for a boy with an unfamiliar face."
With eagerness to find fault, she snapped, "What do you mean, unfamiliar? That must be the boy he's hiding, even if I haven't seen him!"
Sikong rubbed his forehead, recalling the boy's calm voice as he read aloud to Lao and how his handsome face seemed so composed.
"I don't think so, Mom. It looked like they were having a tutoring session. Probably just a private teacher Yibo hired for his servants."
Princess Dingzhi fell silent. His explanation untangled her fears a bit, and she finally relaxed with a sigh.
"And who else was in the house?"
"They said they're from the Tianjin Palace. A woman and a girl. I think I heard them call the girl Lao. The older woman… I think her name was Bai Wuxia."
There was another pause as she nodded thoughtfully on her end.
"Good. I'll arrange for someone to investigate their presence. I want to know exactly who they are and why they left the Tianjin Palace for New York."
Sikong ended the call there. Unbothered, he tossed the phone aside and ran a hand over his head. That boy...Zhan....kept flashing in his mind. Sikong smiled faintly, baffled by how quickly he'd grown fascinated with the boy. Was he seriously entertaining the idea of being bisexual?
At exactly 4:40 p.m. New York time, Prince Yibo entered the house. He was in a rush, planning to grab some paperwork before heading back to school for a lecture at ten.
Sikong happened to be in the sitting room at that moment, sipping black tea with one hand and watching the news.
He looked up as Yibo entered and greeted quickly, heading straight to his room. A smile tugged at Sikong's lips. He felt it was time to speak...time for Yibo to know he'd visited the house. And maybe, just maybe, Yibo would offer some information about the boy. So after giving it a few minutes, he stood and followed him quietly.
Yibo turned sharply when he heard his door open without warning. It surprised him...he was strict about that. Everyone knew he didn't tolerate people entering his room without permission. Likewise, he never entered anyone's room without a valid reason.
When he saw it was Sikong, he turned back to his desk to organize his documents. Even if Sikong hadn't come to him, he'd planned to talk to him eventually. He was starting to suspect Sikong was trying to track him, which he wasn't going to tolerate.
With an upbeat expression and a casual swagger, Sikong entered the room, eyeing the decor.
"Damn… everything in here just has to be different. It's like he's building his own world," Sikong muttered to himself. But out loud, he mustered his calmest voice: "Hey, man."
Yibo ignored him at first. Only after finishing what he was doing and holding his papers firmly did he turn to face him. He stared directly into Sikong's eyes, his intense gaze asserting his authority. For a few long seconds, they stared at each other...Sikong trying to push a conversation, and Yibo shutting it down with sheer presence.
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛