The sound of the tray slipping from Zhan's hands drew Yibo's attention, snapping him back to reality.
"Oh no…" he muttered, gently setting Jianghu and Jiangji down from his lap. He had been asking them endless questions, trying to get them to loosen up around him.
Zhan had seen him approaching but found himself frozen in place, unsure if he was imagining things again. Before he could react, Yibo had already knelt down beside him, calmly picking up the fallen items and placing them neatly back onto the tray. Then, he stood, eyes locking onto Zhan.
They were standing dangerously close. If Yibo took even one more step, he would practically be pressed against Zhan's body.
"Be careful next time," Yibo spoke, his voice low and laced with that smooth, teasing undertone. His warm breath grazed Zhan's neck, causing a wave of goosebumps to rise along his skin and sending his heartbeat racing.
"Let me see your hand… Hope you didn't hurt yourself," Yibo added, gently taking Zhan's hand into his own without waiting for permission. His large palm enveloped Zhan's, his thumb rubbing slow, reassuring circles over it.
"It's fine… nothing happened," Zhan managed to say, his voice tight as if snapping out of a trance.
Like someone jolted awake from a vivid dream, Zhan quickly pulled his hand away, intending to escape the sitting room. But Yibo was faster, his hand reaching out and grabbing Zhan's slim waist, which his fitted shirt did little to conceal. The curve of his waist, the delicate structure of his body...it all made Yibo's heart tighten.
Yibo stepped even closer, voice dropping to a near whisper, "Thank you… for what you did. For carrying my children in your womb, for birthed them, for keeping them safe, for raising them… despite everything. Thank you…"
With all the strength he could muster, Zhan shoved him backward, eyes wide with panic. Then, like a startled child, Zhan darted toward Aunt Anu's room, his heart pounding so hard it almost hurt.
Yibo watched him retreat, his gaze lingering on the spot where Zhan had disappeared. His eyes drifted shut for a moment, then opened again as he whispered under his breath, "Oh my god…" A small, amused smile crept onto his lips.
He had completely forgotten about the twins until he heard Jianghu's small voice,
"Uncle…"
Yibo turned his gaze back to them, realizing they had witnessed the entire scene. He smiled at them, crouching down to their level and gently pinching Jianghu's cheek.
"Not uncle… it's Daddy, right?" he corrected softly.
Jianghu nodded, a smile breaking across his little face.
Yibo spent the next moments enjoying time with his children in the sitting room, surprised at how naturally they warmed up to him....as if they'd known him all along. But then again, blood never lies. Eventually, he led them outside to his car, taking dozens of pictures as if he had bought the phone just for this purpose.
Meanwhile, Zhan had burst into Aunt Anu's room, breathless and clearly shaken. Aunt Anu, folding her clothes at the time, dropped the garment and turned to him.
"I saw him, Aunt… he's here… he's with Jianghu and Jiangji… Aunt, how did he get in? What if he takes them away from me?"
Zhan's words poured out, his voice trembling with fear.
Aunt Anu placed her hands firmly on Zhan's shoulders, "No one is taking them anywhere. Calm down."
She paused, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. Zhan's panic, the way he couldn't even stand still...there was more to this than fear of losing the children. It was obvious now. Something deeper was haunting Zhan every time Prince Yibo appeared in front of him.
Zhan finally noticed Aunt Anu watching him closely, saying nothing, just staring with curiosity. Forcing himself to calm down, Zhan sat down, trying to steady his breathing.
Seeing that he was starting to settle, Aunt Anu simply turned away, returning to her tasks without another word, giving him space to collect himself.
Yibo drove the kids straight to the nearest mall, showering them with gifts. He let them pick whatever they wanted, even though they lacked nothing. He bought them toys, clothes, and plenty of unnecessary things, spending a small fortune without so much as blinking. By the time they finished, the car was packed full with shopping bags... only space for themselves remained.
He was desperately trying to fill the empty space he had left in their lives eight years ago. The guilt gnawed at him. They had been carried, born, and raised without him. Fed meals in another man's house, dressed in clothes he never provided, all while he lived surrounded by wealth and comfort. It tore at his heart. But he hoped, little by little, time would rewrite that painful history.
When Ao and the others carried the shopping bags into the house, Aunt Anu froze in shock. She stood there, one hand covering her mouth, staring at the mountain of items. The children were oblivious to the tension; they were busy showing each other their new things, everyone excitedly picking out what was theirs.
Zhan, still in his room, had no idea what was happening until he came out to check on the children, wary because of his distrust for Yibo. That's when he saw the shopping bags.
His mood darkened instantly. He wanted nothing more than to gather the items and set them on fire, especially when he noticed Aunt Anu didn't even seem concerned. Why had she allowed those things into the house? Why hadn't she stopped him?
"Do you know him so well that you followed him and accepted gifts? Did you beg him, Jiangji?"
Zhan's voice was sharp as he scolded the children, trying to pour his frustration with their father onto them.
The kids, startled, shook their heads, frightened....they had never seen their Baba this angry before. Zhan's harsh words continued, his eyes practically shut from the overwhelming emotions, until Aunt Anu called his name, snapping him out of it.
"Take those things to their room. Niu, help them arrange everything properly. If there's anything perishable, put it in the fridge," Aunt Anu instructed calmly.
"But Momma…" Zhan tried to protest.
"That's enough," Aunt Anu cut him off firmly.
No one said another word as the children quietly left the sitting room.
"Sit," Aunt Anu ordered in a composed tone.
Zhan obeyed, sitting down as she observed him for a moment before finally speaking.
"When they rejected the pregnancy, when they denied those children's existence… you know well it wasn't him...it wasn't Yibo who did that. It was his mother. She took matters into her own hands. Zhan, no one in this world, aside from you yourself, feels the pain of what you went through more than I do. Even now, that pain still burns in me. But do you know something?"
She raised a finger.
"First… from me, you, and anyone who truly loves you...none of us want those children to grow up not knowing who their father is. Not knowing their roots, their bloodline. If some see them as legitimate children because they knew when your marriage happened, many others will label them as bastards. That word will tear your heart apart far worse than anything you've endured already. No matter how much I want revenge, or to express anger over what happened, I cannot bear for Jiangji and Jianghu to grow up not knowing who their father is."
She paused, watching Zhan quietly before continuing, "Second… everything I've observed and suspected....it's clear. Yibo's mother orchestrated all of this. She planned it, arranged it, because she believes her power, her influence, her control can manipulate everything to fit her desires. I don't know whether Yibo was aware of it all, whether he supported her or not… but what I believe most is that this was her doing."
She smile and look at Zhan "That's why I think now it's your chance... Chance to show her, her place, to show her she can't do what she wants all the time, to show her you're still in her son's life and she can't do anything about it."
A sharp pang shot through Zhan, causing him to shift uneasily in his seat, shaking his head.
Aunt Anu smiled softly, motioning for him to sit properly again.
"Relax, sit down. These are just my conclusions. What you decide to do is up to you...it's your choice now."
Zhan sat down again as she continued,
"One thing I want you to understand clearly, Zhan....the only reason I allowed Yibo into this house and to see the children was for their sake. So they would know their roots, their real father. Nothing else. But I want you to also stop displaying so much hatred for Yibo in front of them. Because children… they bond easily, they love easily. And the more they bond with their father, the more they'll begin to notice your bitterness. They'll ask questions. They may one day follow him, drawn by that bond. And whether you like it or not, that's not their fault. So I need you to be careful, to hide your anger when it comes to them."
She paused, her expression firm.
"That said… nothing has changed in my heart about the royals. I hold no softness, no forgiveness for them. But what happens from here is entirely your choice."
***
YIBO
Today, he felt different. It was as though something inside him had shifted. A wave of happiness flooded his chest, and anyone who truly knew him would be stunned to see the expression of calm joy resting on his face.
He drove with ease and quiet determination, his mind busy mapping out how to win Zhan over. He believed that if the kids bonded with him, that bond would help soften Zhan's heart too.
A soft smile crept onto his face as he pictured himself and Zhan together, lost in their own little world where no one else existed...just the two of them.
His pleasant thoughts were abruptly cut short when his phone started ringing. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, irritated that the call had ruined his beautiful daydream. He regretted not switching off his phone.
Meanwhile, in the palace, the Queen stood in the middle of her lavish sitting room, pacing in distress while Bai Wuxia called the Prince on her behalf.
Yibo was nearly home, so he ignored the call, focusing on parking. But once he switched off the car, his phone lit up again.... the name Bai Wuxia flashing on the screen.
Curious, he answered the call without stepping out of the car. But to his surprise, it wasn't Bai Wuxia's voice he heard....it was the Queen's.
"Good even...." He began to greet her politely, but.... "Enough, Prince!" Her voice sliced through the speaker, sharp and commanding, ringing harshly in his ears and rattling his mind.
"Today, I've finally come to terms with the fact that I mean absolutely nothing to you. I see now that I'm irrelevant. The lies you've fed me for years about Zhan… today, fate has exposed everything. I saw it with my own eyes....clear, undeniable. But here's what you need to know: you've made a mistake that will ruin everything. Your honor, my honor, our family's entire reputation… all of it is at stake now."
Her voice cracked with rage as she continued, "Photos of you… with that boy… they're already circulating within the palace. You and him, caught in a disgraceful situation, an embarrassment to our family. A true son of this household should never have been seen like that. I'm warning you, wherever you're... I ask you to meet me in Tianjin. And as of right now.... if you ever go near that Man again, I will never forgive you."
"Mom!!!…" Yibo's voice broke with disbelief and panic.
"Please don't do this. There are things you don't know… things you need to understand."
"Yibo! You are not talking to your equal. I'm your mother, never forget that," she snapped coldly. "I don't care to understand anything. You will obey my orders, or face the consequences. My word is final."
And with that, she cut the call and handed the phone back to Bai Wuxia. Her face was taut with fury as she turned to Ms. Bao.
"I want thirty of my most trusted maids searching every corner of the palace. They will track down every single copy of those photos, wherever they've been scattered. Day and night, I want them recovered and destroyed. This… this is a coordinated attack against our family. They've been planning it, shadowing us, waiting for the right moment to tear us apart. But like always, I'll make sure their plans fail."
She paused, the severity of the situation sinking in.
"Before His Majesty hear or sees them, execute this discreetly. There can be no mistakes."
"Understood," Ms. Bao replied firmly as she and Bai Wuxia left the room.
Bai Wuxia, however, walked on in deep thought, her mind racing as she pondered how this would all end. What was the real conclusion to this tangled mess?
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛