Since it was Thursday, Yibo returned from school, took a quick shower, ate a little, and went back to his bedroom to change. Shortly after, he came back into the sitting room. Yuting watched him closely, noticing from the small amount of food he ate that something was wrong.
"What's wrong with you?" Yuting asked, concerned.
Quietly, Yibo replied, "Mu Qin, I think my stomach is about to start hurting."
Yuting frowned. "Alright, I hope it eases up. Was the food enough for you?"
He nodded and sat beside her. "Mu Qin, I'm going to see Nainai."
"Okay, but make sure you don't bring back trouble when you return," Yuting said, giving him a small smile.
Yibo laughed lightly, put on his shoes, and left the sitting room, closing the door behind him.
When he arrived, he found Nainai sweeping outside. She looked up and sighed, "I've been working nonstop since morning without sitting down! Work, work, work—if someone doesn't do it, filth will pile up. Do you think I'd let that happen?"
Yibo grinned. "What exactly are you sweeping here? The ground looks clean to me."
Nainai glared at him, pointing at a patch of dust. "And that dirt on the ground? Is it invisible, or do you need glasses to see it?"
Yibo chuckled. "Well, keep sweeping then." With that, he walked inside, leaving her grumbling outside.
About ten minutes later, Nainai entered the sitting room to find Yibo shifting uncomfortably on the couch. She frowned. "What's wrong now?"
"My stomach," Yibo muttered weakly, looking as though he was about to cry.
Nainai sighed, shaking her head. "Go back to your wing then! I'm not dealing with your stomach troubles. And it better not be that same stomach pain from last time."
"It's not serious," Yibo replied. "It just hurts a little."
"Then go have your mother take you to the hospital," Nainai said sharply. "The last time you scared me half to death! From now on, if you're sick, stay home until you feel better. Don't come here to stress me out!"
Yibo didn't respond, his face stoic. Nainai pressed on. "Did you hear what I said?"
"It'll pass in five or six days," he said with a sigh. "It's always like this."
Nainai clicked her tongue, standing up. "Fine, but don't come complaining to me and giving me a headache." She walked off to her bedroom, muttering, "I don't want to be disturbed with nonstop illness."
After twisting and turning on the couch, Yibo eventually fell asleep.
Around six o'clock, Nainai was in her room, sorting and folding clothes from her closet. Hearing the door open, she set the clothes aside and peeked into the sitting room. There stood Zhan, triedly returned from work. His tie was still on, and his white shirt had creases from the long day. He glanced at Yibo sleeping on the couch, then toward Nainai's bedroom door.
Quietly, Zhan walked over to Yibo and knelt beside him, gently placing a hand on his forehead to check his temperature. Then, he touched Yibo's neck to feel his pulse. The movement woke Yibo, who opened his eyes to see Zhan leaning over him.
"What's wrong?" Zhan asked softly.
Yibo pointed to his stomach, his face scrunching in discomfort.
From her room, Nainai's voice rang out. "Oh, for goodness' sake, Zhan! Must you assume the worst? What do you think you're doing, touching him like that? Does he have a fever? No! He's perfectly fine. His stomach is just bothering him a little. Stop acting like he's at death's door!"
Zhan turned his head toward the bedroom, his expression unreadable. Nainai emerged, waving a hand dismissively. "He's fine, I tell you! It's just a little stomachache making him look weak like that. And you, with all your checking and prodding, will probably give him some new illness with your theatrics."
Zhan stood silently, staring at Nainai with a stern expression. After a moment, he turned and headed for the door.
Nainai called after him, "So, you're not even going to greet me? Just back from work, are you?"
He didn't respond and walked out of the sitting room.
By 6 p.m., Yibo was feeling much better, but he still didn't leave Nainai's house until nearly 10 p.m., with Seth accompanying him. As Nainai watched them, she said to Seth, "You know, ever since I told Zhan the truth earlier, he hasn't come back. What more does he want from me? Does he think I owe him something I can't give? Honestly, if it's just to sulk or stir trouble, I don't want him coming here anymore."
Seth smiled but said nothing as he walked out with Yibo, who was focused on the movie playing on the screen.
"Should I just leave, Yibo?" Seth asked.
"No, wait. It's almost over," Yibo replied.
"Then why don't you just spend the night here?" Seth suggested.
Startled, Yibo jumped to his feet and hurried out of the sitting room, nearly tripping over himself. Seth burst into laughter, and Nainai sighed. "If it's just to mess up my couch and leave me with more work, what's the point of him staying overnight, Yibo?"
Seth locked the door behind them, and as they walked, he asked, "Why don't you like staying at Nainai's house?"
Yibo shrugged. "If she wakes up at 3 a.m., she won't let you sleep. She'll talk endlessly until you're wide awake."
Seth laughed. "Well, you're staying there tomorrow. It's Friday, after all."
"Not a chance—you stay there instead," Yibo replied as he waved goodbye, heading to their wing. Seth smiled, watching him. "Good night," Seth called out before walking away. Yibo waved back and stepped inside, locking the door behind him.
:-*:-*:-*:-*:-*
"You won't pull that nonsense in this house again—going to exams without studying!" Yuting declared as she turned off the TV in the sitting room.
Yibo stared at her as if he was about to cry but didn't say anything. Yuting sat down, scrolling on her phone.
"Mu Qin," Yibo said softly, "the exam isn't until Monday. I still have Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning."
Yuting replied sharply, "Take the food to Nainai right now. No more TV for you until these exams are over—I promise you that. I don't know when you became so obsessed with watching TV."
Yibo gaped at her in disbelief. "But Mu Qin, I've never taken lower than second place in school!"
"Your precious second place is meaningless if you're not studying," Yuting retorted. "This time, I want to see what you achieve if you actually prepare."
Yibo looked away, close to tears. "I don't even watch TV that often—only occasionally. And if I were in fifth place, then maybe you'd have a reason to tell me to stop watching."
Seeing her stern glare, Yibo stood, grabbed his cap, and walked to the kitchen. He picked up the basket of food that had been sitting there for Nainai and left the house, feeling like crying all over again.
When he reached Nainai's place, he found her sitting comfortably with a bowl of millet porridge in front of her, one leg crossed over the other. Seth was also in the sitting room, holding his own bowl of porridge. Xinyi was there, sipping hers as well. Meanwhile, Zhan was sitting nearby, his eyes glued to the TV, with his bowl resting on the table beside him.
Nainai frowned as soon as she saw Yibo and pushed her bowl of millet porridge behind her. "I'm done with this nonsense. Every time someone has something, you all rush over like vultures. Well, I've had enough."
Yibo set the food basket down and replied, "Did I say I wanted your porridge?"
Nainai glanced at Xinyi and said, "Take this porridge to my room."
Xinyi got up, took the bowl, and carried it inside. When she returned, Yibo pouted and muttered, "As if I said I wanted it."
Nainai looked at him and smiled. "Well then, why don't you just leave?"
But Yibo stayed put. Deep down, he loved Nainai's special porridge—especially when she prepared it herself with fresh milk. Nainai turned her gaze to Zhan, who was focused on the TV. "Look, even this boss here didn't want his. I don't know what I'll do with the portion I set aside for him. As if he think Yichen went through so much trouble to prepare the millet and even bought the milk for me! But he said he didn't want any, so I guess you can have it."
Seth chuckled as he watched Yibo. Yibo stole a glance at Zhan, who hadn't even looked up from the TV, and then eyed the half-filled bowl of porridge near him.
Nainai added, "Once he says he won't drink it, that's final. You might as well take it—it's your luck today. I have no one else to give it to, and I can't waste food."
Yibo scoffed. "Did I ever say I wanted it?"
As he spoke, he eyed the door and quickly grabbed the bowl in front of Zhan and bolted out of the sitting room. Seth burst into laughter, knowing exactly what would happen next. Nainai grinned, watching Zhan. "Well, looks like it worked out for him," she said with a chuckle.
Zhan stood up, his face set in a stern expression, and walked out after Yibo. Nainai broke into laughter, tears forming in her eyes, and turned to Xinyi. "You better lock the door with the key now that they're out."
By the time Yibo made it halfway down the courtyard, most of the porridge had spilled because of how fast he was running. Before he could escape, Zhan caught up to him and grabbed his hand.
"Ahh! Gege, please don't be mad—it was Nainai who told me to take it!" Yibo cried, clutching Zhan's arm in desperation.
Zhan looked at him in disbelief. "Since when do I play games with you in this house?"
Shaking, Yibo stammered, "Please, Gege, I'm sorry!"
Zhan's face remained stern. "You're going to replace that porridge right now. If you don't, I swear I'll make you cry."
Yibo started a fake crying, though no tears came. "Gege, it all spilled—I didn't even drink any! Please, I'll go buy more for you."
Zhan frowned deeper. "I don't want the kind from outside. I want that exact porridge."
Yibo pleaded, "But Gege, how can I get more now? Nainai didn't even give it to me in the first place."
Zhan glanced back toward Nainai's house and then at Yibo. In a low, threatening tone, he said, "You know what we're going to do now?"
Yibo softened his tone, shaking his head as he pleaded with Zhan. "You're going back to her room, and you're going to sneak out that bowl of porridge just as quickly as you ran off with mine earlier," Zhan said firmly.
Yibo's eyes widened in shock before he burst out laughing. "Gege, you know she won't let me!"
Zhan frowned and retorted, "The same way you tricked me and got mine, you'll figure out how to get that one too."
Yibo laughed so hard he nearly doubled over. Zhan grabbed his ear gently and said, "Are you going to stop laughing like a lunatic or not?"
Yibo stifled his laughter with difficulty and said, "Okay, okay! But will we share it together?"
"Of course," Zhan replied.
Yibo smiled mischievously. "Alright, I know exactly what to do."
The two returned to Nainai's part, and Zhan gestured toward the window of her bedroom. "I'll wait for you there. Bring it to me," he instructed.
Yibo nodded and said, "Got it." Zhan left, glancing back at Yibo with a smirk.
Yibo dashed into the sitting room, shouting dramatically, "Nainai, tell Gege not to hurt me! I'll tell Bobo! Nainai, stop him, or I'll call Fu Qin!"
Zhan chuckled quietly as he stood by the window, running a hand through his hair. Nainai jumped up in alarm, worried Yibo might run into her, but then sighed and sat down again. "Go fight outside! Don't bother me in here. You kids are as wild as roosters!"
Meanwhile, Yibo slipped into her room, laughing softly to himself. He carefully picked up the bowl of porridge, secured the lid tightly to prevent spilling, and tiptoed toward the door. Then, like a flash, he bolted out of the sitting room at full speed.
Nainai squinted in disbelief, trying to process what she had just seen. "Seth, was that Yibo with my bowl of porridge in his hands?" she asked, getting to her feet in shock.
Xinyi burst out laughing and said, "It's him!" Seth couldn't hold back his laughter either, while Nainai suddenly broke into tears, staring at them in frustration.
Yibo didn't stop running until he reached Zhan, who was waiting for him. Smiling, Zhan took the bowl and said, "Good job. You did well."
Yibo beamed. "Thank you!"
Zhan sat on a nearby bench, opened the bowl, stirred the porridge with the ladle, and began drinking. Yibo's smile quickly faded, and he knelt in front of Zhan, pouting. "Gege, are you going to drink it all by yourself?"
Zhan glared at him. "And who else am I supposed to share it with?"
Yibo's eyes widened. "No way! I worked hard to bring this here. Do you know how fast I had to run? My chest still hurts!"
Zhan ignored him and continued enjoying the porridge, savoring its rich flavor. Nainai's porridge was always the best.
Yibo, frustrated, burst into fake tears, watching Zhan drink. Zhan finally sighed, dipped the ladle halfway into the porridge, and brought it to Yibo's mouth.
Yibo pouted. "That's barely anything! Look how much you're drinking compared to me!"
Zhan raised a brow. "Are you going to drink or not?"
Reluctantly, Yibo opened his mouth, and Zhan fed him a small spoonful before saying, "Now go away."
Yibo, waiting for this moment, protested immediately. "I'm not leaving! Do you know what I went through to bring this here? No way, Gege. If you're not giving me more, I'm taking it back to Nainai."
Zhan smirked. "Taking back to Nainai or runaway with it to your part."
Yibo burst out laughing but quickly stopped when Zhan shot him a look and continued drinking. Determined, Yibo whined, "Gege…"
Zhan glanced at him, sighed, and scooped another spoonful. Yibo reluctantly opened his mouth and swallowed. Zhan ignored him and resumed drinking.
On the verge of real tears, Yibo suddenly snatched the ladle from Zhan's hand. Startled, Zhan stared at him. "Are you playing games with me now?"
Yibo ignored him, but when he saw Zhan reaching for the bowl, he quickly pleaded, "Please, Gege! Just let me drink some. I swear I won't finish it all."
"Fine," Zhan said. "Let's see how much you can take."
With exaggerated care, Yibo filled the ladle, taking a big gulp. Before he could finish swallowing, Zhan grabbed the bowl and quickly drank what was left.
Yibo, shocked, grabbed the bowl back and drained the remaining drops. Just as they were about to argue, they heard Nainai's voice from the house, wailing dramatically, "Zong, if no one gives me justice tonight, let the heavens strike me down in my sleep!"
Zhan stood abruptly, ready to leave, but Yibo jumped up, panicking, and grabbed his arm. "Gege, wait! You were the one who told me to get it!"
Zhan widened his eyes in mock shock. "Me? Are you out of your mind? Don't drag me into this mess!" He brushed off Yibo's grip and hurried away, clearly trying to avoid the brewing chaos.
Yibo ran after him, desperate. They reached the front of the house when Zhan suddenly stopped and frowned at him. "Why are you following me?"
Yibo, nearly in tears, pleaded, "Gege, you told me to do it!"
Zhan glared at him. "Oh, so if I told you to jump into a fire, you'd do it? Don't you dare mention my name in this mess again!" His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Yibo pouted and shot him a glare of his own. "But you did tell me to grab it and run!"
Before Zhan could respond, they heard voices approaching. Nainai's unmistakable tone carried over as she exclaimed, "I'm certain it's that troublemaker Zhan! He's the only one bold enough to send Yibo to steal my porridge! Yibo wouldn't dare steal food unless someone put him up to it. They've even finished it and left the empty bowl by the window! What did I ever do to deserve such disrespect?!"
As her words grew louder, Zhan turned pale, while Yibo looked utterly guilty.
Nainai continued, her voice breaking into a sob, "What wrong have I done to these kids? They've eaten my food and left me with nothing but an empty bowl! I won't let this go today!"
Zihan tried to calm her down. "Please, A Yi, it's not worth getting upset over. Let's handle this peacefully."
But Nainai snapped back furiously, "I swear, I'll raise hell if I don't get justice! They've crossed the line this time. Yibo's nothing but trouble. His mother gave birth to a trouble puppy, Zihan, he's a bundle of chaos. Call Quentin this instant! If I don't turn this house upside down tonight, it won't be a day to remember!"
Zhan hurried toward the gate while Yibo, on the verge of tears, cried out, "Gege, wait!" Just as Zhan reached the gate, he turned back, glancing at Yibo with a smile, chuckling quietly to himself.
Yibo ran after him, desperate, and found him at his car parked by the house entrance. Zhan was about to open the driver's door when Yibo caught up, looking panicked. Zhan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why are you following me?"
Breathless, Yibo replied, "Gege, it's not fair to punish just me when it was both of us who drank it! If Mu Qin catches me, she'll scold me for hours or even beating me!"
Zhan's expression hardened as he said, "Turn around and go back inside."
Yibo's face crumpled as he began to cry. He slumped against the car, refusing to move. Zhan climbed into the driver's seat, but Yibo quickly opened the passenger door and slid in beside him, pouting silently.
"Do you even know where I'm going?" Zhan asked, glancing at him. Yibo didn't reply, staring stubbornly out the window.
The gate creaked open, and Seth appeared. Zhan quickly shut his door and started the car, zooming off before Seth could say a word. Seth chuckled, watching them leave, while the gatekeeper shook his head with a smile.
Once they were on the main road, Zhan glanced at Yibo. "If you dare mention my name when they ask about the porridge, I swear I'll make you cry for a week. And don't you dare tell them I drank it all!"
Yibo looked at him from the corner of his eye and replied, "I'll just say I had one and a half ladles. The rest? I have no idea who finished it."
Zhan frowned. "Keep saying that, and I'll drop you off right here."
Yibo immediately softened, giving him a pleading look. "I'll say I ate it all, okay? Just don't leave me."
Zhan raised an eyebrow. "Swear it."
Yibo hesitated, his lips trembling as if on the brink of tears. "I won't swear to something that's a lie because we both drank it all!"
Zhanxianyibo❤️💚💛