Within just one week, Zhan was hit with a kind of tormenting illness that completely drained him, though he had no idea what it really was. Aunt Anu refused to tell him the truth and had made sure no one else said a word either. She believed it would overwhelm him.
He couldn't keep any food down... his stomach rejected everything. Even drinking water took effort, and most days, he had to be on IV fluids just to stay hydrated. His body grew pale and gaunt, and he became visibly thinner. None of his clothes fit him anymore; they hung off him loosely. Eventually, Aunt Anu had to buy him smaller clothes that would sit properly on his shrinking frame.
He couldn't tolerate noise or bright light. The strange, intense illness wore him down so much that Aunt Anu often cried in secret, watching him suffer helplessly. To anyone who saw Zhan, it would seem like he was hanging by a thread, barely alive. Deep down, Aunt Anu even found herself wishing the pregnancy would terminate on its own....she simply couldn't bear seeing him suffer this way.
"This cruel fate… Zhan, why were you given such a burden?" she would whisper often, distressed by how much pain he was in, all while being completely unaware of the pregnancy growing inside him.
They spent a whole three weeks in the hospital before things began to improve. Even by then, Zhan still didn't know he was pregnant. He had been too unwell, too disoriented to notice any changes in his body. Everyone had told him he was suffering from typhoid and malaria.
One evening, Zhan woke from sleep with an intense urge to urinate. Aunt Anu was dozing in the chair beside him. Whenever she was there, she always accompanied him to the bathroom, and her constant attention stirred feelings of gratitude and affection in his heart. The care she gave him....he couldn't imagine anyone else, not even Yunjun, his mother, doing so much. She had put everything aside...her work, her home....just to be by his side. She only went home briefly, now and then, always returning quickly to the hospital. Her entire focus was on him.
Feeling a bit stronger that evening, Zhan quietly lowered his legs from the bed, slipped on his slippers, and walked toward the bathroom. He thought maybe this time he could ease her load a little.
While relieving himself, he noticed blood. He didn't panic...he assumed the typhoid must be worsening, maybe it had started to eat into his intestines. "I did think it was taking longer to knock me down this time," he muttered to himself as he washed his hands. But as he stood up, a sharp cramp seized his lower abdomen. He winced, biting his lip. Wait, cramps too? Since when does typhoid cause abdominal cramps? he wondered, puzzled as he stepped out of the bathroom, moving slowly.
By the time he emerged, Aunt Anu was awake and sitting up. She stared at him with concern as he hunched over.
"What's wrong, my son?" she asked quickly.
He sat down at the edge of the bed and replied, "It's my lower abdomen… it's cramping badly. I think it's the typhoid again."
"Typhoid?" she echoed, anxiety rising in her voice. He nodded.
"You saw blood?" she asked, standing up in alarm. Zhan nodded again.
"Oh my goodness…" she breathed and rushed out of the room in a panic, leaving Zhan blinking after her, confused. Wasn't it normal to see blood sometimes? he asked himself silently, with no answer.
When the doctor arrived and examined him, he informed Aunt Anu that Zhan's uterus was starting to open due to the stress his body had endured. He would need to be placed on bedrest again...possibly for another month...just to be safe.
While they explained this, Zhan just stared at them, his mind frozen. His thoughts raced. Whose uterus? Who's pregnant? And who needs bedrest?
But even with all the questions swirling in his head, he couldn't bring himself to ask a single one. He simply kept watching in silence until the doctor finished and left, leaving him alone with Aunt Anu.
Aunt Anu noticed the confusion written all over Zhan's face. The way he kept glancing at her said it all...his mind was full of questions. She had known this moment would come eventually, especially after he overheard a few things from the doctor that he couldn't quite make sense of.
She dragged a chair over to his bedside and sat down, her eyes focused on him as she carefully planned the words she was about to say. She knew she had to explain it in a way that wouldn't further disturb him, considering his already fragile condition. Keeping the truth from him any longer wouldn't help; it would only drive him deeper into anxiety and confusion.
"Son… from the moment I came into your life until now, you've faced a lot. You've lost much, too. But you've endured it all with strength. Life moves in stages, and each stage comes with its trials. If you're patient, you'll get through them...they'll pass, as if they never happened. Everything that starts must eventually end. Please… be strong, Zhan. You're pregnant. The baby growing inside you is what's been causing your pain."
Zhan felt a lump rise in his throat. If there had ever been any room for jokes between him and Aunt Anu, he would have thought this was one of them....but he knew better. This wasn't a joke. The weight of her words pressed down on him, swirling in his mind like a storm. His thoughts scattered. His eyes squeezed shut as he mentally grasped at any calming thoughts he could find. He didn't say a word after that. Something heavy settled in his chest, and it didn't lift, not even on the day he was discharged from the hospital.
Later that night, alone in his room, Zhan lay on his bed thinking about the reality growing inside him.
Is it really a full human child? Or something else entirely?
Where's the father?
Would he even have the decency or courage to admit he's the one responsible for this?
A silent, weighty cry broke from him....one that came from deep in his chest and heart. So this is how it feels… To carry a child without knowing or being sure who the father is. This is how people end up… completely lost.
What would he say to the child when he/she grew up and started asking questions? Would he be able to explain any of this? Had he done right by he/she...by bringing it into the world like this?
Was this really how things were supposed to happen?
What kind of people were these so-called Tianjin royals? Was there no dignity, no conscience running in their blood? What sort of cruelty made them tear his life apart like this? What had he done to deserve it? Why did they always stand in the way of his happiness, his dreams?
Every time he tried to move forward, they blocked him. They were the reason he lost his education before, and now, all signs pointed to them being the ones behind this new disaster too.
Zhan cried....harder than he had in two whole days. He wept until dawn. His eyes were so swollen by morning that Aunt Anu instantly knew how long and how deeply he'd cried. She scolded him harshly, unable to hold back her anger. She herself was still seething....furious that Zhan had to carry such pain, while the Tianjin royals remained unaware and untouched.
Only after letting out her frustration did she soften. She sat beside Zhan, gently comforting him, explaining how damaging it was to his health to hold on to so much pain and grief.
Aunt Anu truly gave her all to help Zhan through the emotional wreckage. Days passed before she saw him slowly start to come back to himself. Once she was sure he had regained enough strength, she asked Papa for permission to go speak to Xiao Yun, so they could inform the Royal Palace. Where the trouble began is where it must be addressed, she believed.
Papa agreed without resistance.
She chose to visit in the evening, knowing there was a higher chance Zhan's father would be at home. She told Zhan to get ready.
He dressed in a simple yet elegant purple shirt...an Italian cut. He wore a light fragrance that lingered on his skin. He looked striking, almost as though he'd undergone a transformation. But he was still very slim, with no weight to him at all. He slipped on open sandals. He didn't even take the new phone Aunt Anu had gotten him for the visit.
He simply followed her out.
In the back seat, Zhan held little Han Li on his lap while Aunt Anu drove. It was just the three of them...on their way to a house that might hold answers, or perhaps only more pain.
They arrived at the house just past 6 o'clock. As they parked the car and entered the compound, Xiao Yun was stepping out of the house. The moment he saw Aunt Anu, his heart sank.
"What now? What kind of trouble has she brought this time?" he muttered to himself. Still, deep down, he couldn't help but feel relieved when he noticed how much better Zhan looked...far more composed than he had appeared back at the hospital.
Aunt Anu was the first to speak.
"We came to see you. And just when you were about to go out, it seems," she said firmly, her face unreadable. Her blunt remark made Xiao Yun's chest tighten even more.
"Of course. What a surprise," he thought bitterly.
"Come in and wait. I'll be back shortly."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and went inside. Zhan offered a respectful greeting, which Xiao Yun acknowledged with a nod before following her in.
Yulou and Ao were in the sitting room. As soon as they saw Zhan, they rushed to him with excitement, each trying to reach him first. They wrapped their arms around him joyfully, and he returned the hugs with equal warmth. He had missed them deeply.
Since leaving Aunt Anu's house, he hadn't been allowed to visit, but Anu had made sure to fulfill every promise she made to the children. Zhan had even seen real change in them...growth, understanding. He never imagined that fate would separate them again, or that they would be allowed to reunite like this.
Their excitement brought Que out of the bathroom, where she had been washing their school uniforms. She too lit up with joy when she saw Zhan and hurried to greet him. Everyone wanted to catch up with him, talk to him, ask questions.
Aunt Anu sat quietly on the couch, observing the affection between them. She was touched by how much they loved each other and how familiar they all were. She couldn't help but smile and shake her head gently when she realized they had already pulled Zhan into their bedroom to talk more privately.
Her smile faded quickly when the "New Bride" entered the room. Anu's expression hardened immediately....she had everyone in this house figured out. The New Bride clearly didn't come to play either; she completed what brought her into the room and left just as quickly.
Not long after, Fenghua entered the sitting room, beaming at the sight of Aunt Anu.
"Well, well. Is that really Anu in our house?"
"It is," Anu replied curtly.
"You didn't even bother to say a word when you came. I guess we're not familiar anymore?" Fenghua teased.
Aunt Anu shot her a flat look, her lips curling slightly in irritation. Fenghua's sarcasm was thicker than ever, but Anu was past caring. She was no longer in the mood for games, especially when it came to how these women treated the children. Their possessiveness was rooted in nothing but ignorance and selfishness.
Anu didn't bother to respond further. She let Fenghua ramble on with her dramatic monologue, which honestly sounded more like a public embarrassment than any real conversation. She made room for her when Xiao Yun came back into the sitting room, asking for water. Cunxin, who was in charge of the kitchen that day, got up to fetch it for him.
Aunt Anu took the moment to call out to Zhan. He heard her and stepped out, walking slowly toward her before sitting down beside her, head lowered. He didn't know how his father would react to what they had to say...or how this mess could even begin to be untangled.
Anu noticed that Cunxin was still sitting nearby. Judging by her posture, it seemed like the conversation was going to happen right in front of her. Anu glanced toward Xiao Yun and said,
"You don't seem to be ready for a proper talk. I can see people who have no business in this matter sitting here."
Xiao Yun understood her clearly. He turned to Cunxin.
"Cunxin… please excuse us."
Annoyance flared in Cunxin's chest. She was irritated with Anu and her attitude. She always made them feel irrelevant. Cunxin stood up reluctantly, muttering,
"Whatever it is, we have a right to hear it too."
"That's for later," Aunt Anu replied coldly. "No one gives out charity to strangers and calls it family."
Once Cunxin was gone, Anu turned her gaze back to Xiao Yun. Frustration and disappointment tightened her expression.
"Xiao Yun, the seed you planted....it's time for you to reap it. And don't pretend you weren't expecting this. Maybe it wasn't planned or calculated on your end, but here it is."
He looked at her, confused and frowning. But her tone didn't budge.
"What do you mean? What are you trying to say?" he snapped. "You always bring drama. If you have something to say, just say it clearly."
Anu shifted in her seat, keeping her voice calm.
"I'll say it now." She glanced at Zhan, realizing it wasn't fair to continue in front of him. "Zhan, please go back inside."
With deep hesitation and a heavy heart, Zhan rose and left the sitting room.
Then Anu faced Xiao Yun squarely and said:
"Your son...yes, your son and the son of my sister Yunjun.... The one you basically rented him out, because 'renting' is the only word that fits that disgrace of a marriage. He left and returned with a 'gift'... you're going to be a grandfather. He's pregnant."
A wave of hot sweat broke out on Xiao Yun's forehead. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"What do you mean, Anu? What are you saying?"
"Exactly what your ears just heard," she snapped back, her voice laced with contempt.
He didn't even realize when he snatched off his cap in shock, muttering "Holy Spirit."
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛