His Majesty began a long, heavy speech, and immediately, the entire room fell silent, everyone giving him their full attention... those who understood the gravity of what had brought them there and those who did not. After a brief pause, His Majesty cleared his throat, his eyes fixed firmly on Yibo, then he began to speak.
For Queen Zhaiye, every word felt like it was stealing the air from her lungs.
"Yibo… as far as I know....and I stand by my words....we've done everything a parent should do to raise you properly. We've provided you with the upbringing, care, and guidance fit for someone of your standing. We've sacrificed everything to ensure your life was set on the right path. I personally showed you right from wrong. I showed you what's acceptable and what isn't. Despite the enormous responsibility I carry for this kingdom, I never neglected my duty to guide you and your siblings."
His Majesty paused, disappointment creeping into his voice.
"But now… now I find myself wondering if it was all for nothing. Blinded by wealth and power, you seem determined to disgrace us. Yibo, what exactly do you want to become.... or rather, what have you already become?"
The disappointment in his tone was unmistakable.
"Look, there are things happening around him that are unacceptable. I've kept quiet for too long.... perhaps to avoid misunderstandings or public humiliation... but Sikong… he couldn't bear it. They both live under the same roof in New York. He's told me everything.... everything he's seen and heard. Still, I told him to turn a blind eye, to stay out of it… but now, I can no longer pretend." Princess Dongzhi said.
His Majesty raised his hand toward her without even looking in her direction, signaling her to remain silent. He didn't want her adding fuel to the storm already brewing in his heart, nor did he want suspicions or paranoia clouding his judgment. Calmly, he reached beside him, retrieving the photographs Xueyin had handed him earlier. He stretched them toward Yibo.
"Who is this, Yibo?"
Xueyin, who had been quiet since the start of the discussion, finally seized her moment. This wasn't exactly how she had hoped to reveal everything....ideally, she'd preferred this scandal to unfold in front of the full royal council and extended family....but even now, if His Majesty lost respect for Yibo, it would be enough.
"The whole thing shook me to the core," Xueyin added dramatically. "The moment I saw those photos, Sikong walked in. He confirmed it—they've been together for quite a while now, since back in New York."
She deliberately intensified her words, eager to cement her place in His Majesty's heart as the one bringing him truth.
"It's Zhan. And he's my husband."
The words escaped Yibo's lips for the first time since the conversation began. His voice was calm, controlled... but layered with quiet strength and defiance. His gaze darkened as he looked at Xueyin, the raw hatred he'd never allowed himself to express for her now simmering just beneath the surface. For years, he had heard his mother speak of Xueyin's bitterness, but now, he saw it firsthand...in her eyes, brimming with malice.
The entire room seemed to freeze. Not one of them expected such bold, straightforward words from Yibo. His rivals had hoped he would stammer or deflect, that they could control the narrative, twisting his words into an admission of scandal. But Yibo had left no room for that. His declaration had stunned them all.
Even now, they refused to believe him fully. Most were convinced he only claimed Zhan as his husband to downplay the situation....to soften the consequences in His Majesty's eyes.
For a few tense seconds, the sitting room was dead silent...until the sound of Princess Dongzhi's feigned gasp of shock filled the air, followed by her tearful, overly dramatic wail.
"And you, Zhaiye… how could your own son....your own flesh and blood....do such a thing without you knowing?" she exclaimed, clutching her chest in exaggerated horror as she turned toward Queen Zhaiye, who remained frozen, confused and overwhelmed by everything unraveling around her.
"Unbelievable. It's gone so far they've even married…"
His Majesty swiftly raised his hand, cutting her off mid-sentence.
"That's enough." His voice, sharp and commanding, silenced the room instantly. His gaze swept across those present, his authority leaving no room for argument. He dismissed everyone from the sitting room except his wives and Princess Dongzhi.
Finally, his eyes settled back on Yibo. His tone lowered but carried even greater weight.
"Do you understand the gravity of what you just said, Yibo?"
Yibo nodded, lowering his head for the first time, his expression touched with something unfamiliar...shame, but not regret.
"I understand. But I stand by my words. He is my husband. And he still is."
Queen Zhaiye lifted her eyes toward him, her expression unreadable, her heart racing.
His Majesty exhaled slowly, heavily. The tension in the room thickened.
"Leave us," His Majesty finally instructed. "I only wish to speak to Yibo."
No one liked the command, especially Princess Dongzhi and Xueyin. But neither dared defy him. They stood reluctantly, brushing down their clothes, their steps heavy with frustration. Last to rise was Qinnu, her mind spinning, her heart weighed down with bitter realization.
Everything she had invested...financially and otherwise....in ensuring Yibo's future went exactly as planned… it was slipping away before her eyes. She had been promised: only one woman would ever be in Yibo's life and bear Yibo's child. Only one daughter. No son. No other heir. His life would remain under her control. But now, standing here hearing this… everything was crumbling.
She walked away, her steps weak beneath the crushing weight of her shattered plans.
Only Queen Zhaiye remained in the room. His Majesty looked directly at her.
"You too… leave us."
Like a startled bird, she stood quickly. But after stepping outside, she couldn't bring herself to go any further. She sat quietly in the first sitting room, overwhelmed by the feeling that her entire world was unraveling. Deep down, she already knew.... today, there would be no more secrets, no more hiding. Everything would be exposed.
She thought to herself how Yibo had inherited his father's intimidating presence. It was clear His Majesty had dismissed them all because he wanted the truth.... straight from Yibo's mouth. And knowing His Majesty, once he cornered you, it was nearly impossible to hide anything from him. But strangely, some part of her heart still felt protected, as though she had narrowly escaped complete humiliation.... especially since this whole ugly mess wasn't exposed in front of Xueyin and Qinnu.
Inside, Yibo finally spoke, his voice calm but laced with emotion.
"Even if you hadn't asked me… even if none of this had come to light today… I intended to tell you everything. But I ask for your forgiveness.... from both me and Mom.... for everything you're about to hear."
His Majesty's voice was steady, but his eyes sharp.
"Tell me everything. I don't need you hiding anything from me."
Inside, His Majesty prayed silently that what he was about to hear wouldn't be something so devastating it destroyed their reputation entirely.
Yibo didn't hold anything back. He laid out every detail of what had happened.
His Majesty's only response was to lower his head, exhaling heavily. The room fell into a suffocating silence, each man lost in his own thoughts.
Yibo could feel the weight pressing on him.... shame, the crushing burden of his father's disappointment. Yet, strangely, another part of him felt light for the first time in years. The heavy secret he had carried was finally off his chest. But that relief was mixed with a creeping fear… fear of what His Majesty would decide now.
Yibo knew his father too well. His Majesty wasn't easily swayed, and when it came to wrongdoing..... no matter how close you were to him....there were always consequences.
They remained in tense silence for nearly twenty minutes before His Majesty finally broke it.
"Get out, Yibo. Leave me alone."
There was no other option. Yibo stood, his steps heavy, his eyes red-rimmed, his throat visibly bobbing as he swallowed down the emotions rising in his chest.
As he exited, Queen Zhaiye sat frozen. She wanted to speak to him, but the words wouldn't come. He passed by without even noticing her presence. Only when he was out of sight did she rise, her steps shaky as she slowly made her way back inside.
Before she could say anything, His Majesty raised his hand, signaling her to leave as well. She turned silently, a tight knot lodged in her throat.
ZHAN
They headed straight to Papa's hometown after landing at Beijing International Airport....their first visit to Jianghu and Jiangji since they were children. The journey stirred up new memories, and the entire car ride was filled with wide-eyed wonder as they stared out the windows. Eventually, they dozed off.
Papa's family home was grand and serene....the kind of estate reserved for those with quiet power. It housed his parents and grandparents, though his grandfather had passed years ago. His grandmother, Jianmen, still lived there.... a sharp-witted, respected matriarch known for her wisdom and authority.
Zhan had been close to her since childhood. Despite the distance, they often spoke, even when he was in Washington.
When they arrived at Papa's mother's quarters, they were warmly received. She was a kind, gentle woman, though clearly still recovering from illness. Fortunately, she seemed to be improving.
Hungry from the journey, they were quickly served food by the household staff. Once they had eaten, Zhan headed to Jianmen's wing.... whom they all called Nainai.
Nainai greeted him with joy, teasing him the way she always did with her grandchildren. Zhan laughed along and sat beside her as they chatted for a long while. Eventually, she instructed a housekeeper to prepare a room for him within her quarters... only two guest rooms were in her wing, the other occupied by another granddaughter who often stayed with her.
As Zhan stood to go rest, Nainai's voice stopped him.
"So, my son… still no news? I've been waiting to hear that you've finally brought home a husband/wife. Even now, when I saw you arrive, I thought perhaps something had finally happened."
Zhan simply smiled, his expression unreadable.
Even last month, Papa had brought up the same conversation. Marriage.... the only topic that could truly rattle him these days.
How could he face everyone and justify the choices he had made....when the entire world, especially his family, believed otherwise?
"Just pray for me," Zhan replied, giving the usual response he'd grown used to saying. Deep down, he knew people wouldn't just sit back and let him remain like this forever. But how would this whole situation turn out? What would tomorrow bring? These were the countless questions spinning in his mind.... questions he had no answers to.
Lost in thought, he entered his room and took a shower to ease his fatigue. He sent word to the staff to call Jiangji so they could shower too, but they informed him they had already done so. He let them be and headed out to buy a new SIM card since his actual one was still at Aunt Anu's place here in Beijing. He'd retrieve it once they arrived there, but for now, he just needed to make a few calls.
The first person he called was Que, informing her that they had arrived safely and would be in Beijing in a few days. She was so excited she nearly burst with joy.
"I'm going straight to tell Baba! He'll be so happy," she exclaimed.
Zhan simply smiled, still amazed at how quickly his father had changed. It almost felt like a dream. He never imagined his father would change his stance.... yet here they were.
After his chat with Que, he called his close friend to let her know they had arrived safely as well. They talked and laughed for a while before hanging up. Just as he was about to put his phone down, he remembered Nanjue. He knew Nanjue had been patiently waiting for his number. Zhan hadn't met anyone with Nanjue's level of patience.... not even Dr. Adrian compared to him. So, he searched for the number and gave him a call.
Nanjue was beyond thrilled to hear from him. He couldn't hold back his teasing.
"I had already given up, thinking you were just too proud to reach out. Have mercy on me, please, be gentle!"
Zhan laughed genuinely for the first time in a while. The two chatted casually, and eventually, Nanjue let him go to rest.
No matter what, Zhan held deep respect for Nanjue. Even though he never felt romantic love for him, Nanjue was one of the few people who had cared for him sincerely, offering help when he needed it most. He would never disrespect him for that.
***
Two days later, in Papa's hometown, Papa's younger sister gave birth. The next day, Aunt Anu gathered everyone and insisted they all accompany her to visit and congratulate the family.
They spent nearly the entire day there, as it had been so long since everyone gathered together. By late afternoon, they began their journey home. The car was filled with laughter and noise from the children when suddenly, a herd of cows crossing the road forced them to stop. The cows marched by slowly, seeming like they'd never finish passing.
"These cow people, they're something else," Zhan chuckled. "You'd be shocked if you knew the millions these cows are worth. But still, they'd rather slave away for them in the fields their whole lives and never touch the meat. Even if a cow is sick and dying, they'll sit by it crying rather than butcher it."
Aunt Anu laughed heartily at his words, though Zhan wasn't surprised. He understood their devotion to their animals. But then again, their cows produced pure, fresh milk... a blessing on its own.
His laughter slowly faded as memories of his sister "Chao-fairy" crept into his mind. That girl had been stuck in his heart for years, haunting his dreams, filling him with longing. By now, she must have grown into a full teenager. He only prayed fate would reunite them under better circumstances.
Sliding open the car door, Zhan turned to Aunt Anu with a grin.
"It's been ages since I had real fresh milk like ours. Give me five minutes.... I'll see if they'll sell me some. I've been craving it."
"Go ahead, but make sure you take cash with you. You know how they are... the moment they see you step out of this car, they'll double the price. Let's just hope they'll sell it to you at all," Aunt Anu teased.
Zhan chuckled as he stepped out of the car, teasing her back.
"Careful, Aunt, what if Papa bring a cow girl as his second wife."
"Ah, Papa won't dare even started that!" Aunt Anu said and laughed, adjusting her little boy on her lap.
Zhan followed behind the tail-end of the cow herd, weaving his way toward a small makeshift camp nearby. From a distance, he could see people tying and organizing the cows, the calves staying close to their mothers.
That's when he spotted her.... a young woman standing with a milk container in her hand. Though her back was turned, he couldn't see her face. She seemed focused on the cows.
Zhan approached her quietly, stopping just behind her before speaking.
She turned, responding in a broken, thick rural Mandarin accent. Zhan's eyes lingered on her face, a sense of vague familiarity creeping over him.
"Hello," he greeted.
"Hello," the girl replied, her expression blank with no recognition.
"I was hoping to get some milk," Zhan explained. "We're on the road and need a quick refreshment."
The girl scratched her head for a moment.
"Ah… well, we just returned from the fields… not sure if there's enough milk right now. But my sister milked some earlier. If you want, I can bring you that."
"Yes, please, I'd like that," Zhan replied politely.
"Alright, follow me," she said, leading him toward a small hut. Zhan followed closely behind.
He waited outside the hut as the girl lifted the cloth curtain and stepped inside. But from where Zhan stood, he could hear the muffled sound of an argument inside.... a different dialect mixed with rough Mandarin. As he focused, he realized they were arguing about marriage.... someone clearly didn't want it.
The sound of a woman's voice, choked with tears, reached his ears, drawing his full attention. It wasn't his habit to eavesdrop, but curiosity got the better of him. Quietly, he inched closer, peering around the curtain.
What he saw next made his heart clench.
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛