Wu was speechless. All the strength seemed to drain from her body, and she just sat there staring at Chengfeng. Chengfeng continued, "That's why we've informed him that everything taken to the boy's house in the name of the wedding must be retrieved. The money we gave must also be returned, and Yiping will go and collect it."
Wu shook her head, clearly troubled. "There's no need to take anything back. Just let them keep it, even if it's only for...."
But Chengfeng cut her off sharply, scowling. "Why should we let them keep it? Are we afraid of them? People who have no sense of respect, who tricked and humiliated us like fools? They don't deserve to keep a single pin! Everything must be returned...if not willingly, then through legal means."
Wu gave him a long look, unable to hold back. "You always go too far. What if the person who bought the items with his own money says to let them keep it?"
Chengfeng stood up. "Then he can enjoy the mess he made. He's not in charge anymore. And I swear....yes, I swear....everything will be taken back. We'll send Jun and the others to retrieve it, since they were the ones who took it there in the first place. Let them go do something useful for once." With that, he stormed out of the sitting room in a fury.
Wu was now overwhelmed. Her thoughts were a mess. Her greatest concern was Kexing. She didn't know how he would handle this.... she had seen how attached he was to the boy. Secondly, she herself had never been someone who could tolerate humiliation, whether directed at her or anyone else. She deeply detested disrespect.
And now, she knew a crowd had already gathered at the boy's house, and Jun and her crew were being sent there to create a scene in front of everyone. She got up, took her phone, and dialed Mr. Shangxian....the oldest in the family, who lived in Guangzhou and whose words carried weight. When he picked up, after greetings, she began explaining the situation.
He cut her off, saying, "I already know. I've been informed. These people turned out to be liars and small-minded. And we will not allow our son to marry someone with no background, especially someone transgender. We won't let someone like that enter our bloodline. Some non-binary individuals can even carry children, and who knows where that might lead? If we even had some information about the child's real parents, it might have been manageable. But no....we will not allow such a person into our lineage."
Softly, Wu replied, "I understand. But now Chengfeng has left, saying Jun and the others will be sent to the boy's house to retrieve the wedding items. I don't think that's right, because I know who Jun is, and I know what she might do there. Public humiliation isn't something anyone deserves."
Shangxian said, "Fine. Then Yiping, who is collecting the money, will also retrieve the boxes. I'll call them and make sure no one else is sent."
With that, he ended the call.
Wu felt some relief....at least no one would be disrespected on Kexing's account. She tried calling him again, for what felt like the hundredth time, but his phone was still off. She sat on the sofa, cradling her head in her hands.
***
Lan Yi had been restless since entering the sitting room, disturbed by the call she received from Qiren. He had watched her closely as she sat down beside him. With great effort, she asked, "Is everything okay, dear?"
Qiren couldn't answer. He looked away from her. She instantly felt her heart race...just one look at him told her something was very wrong.
Unable to bear the silence, Lan Yi pressed, "Please tell me what's happening. Did the boy say he's calling off the wedding?"
Still, Qiren didn't answer. He never liked upsetting her, especially knowing her fragile condition. But this time, he had no choice...she had to know.
Seeing how distressed she already was, he finally said, "Yes. He did."
Lan Yi stared at him in shock, unmoving. Her eyes filled with tears as she asked, her voice trembling, "You mean… he really ended it?"
Qiren nodded.
She broke down crying. "Why? Why now, on the eve of the wedding, when guests are already arriving? What did we do to deserve this?"
Her sobs filled the room. Qiren remained silent, his heart already broken. He was trying to stay composed, but he knew... if he told Lan Yi the real reason behind the cancellation, she would collapse. She simply wouldn't be able to bear it.
He steadied himself and said, "That's enough, Lan Yi. Maybe it was meant to be. Maybe Zhan was never destined to marry that boy. That's why it all fell apart at the last moment. Please calm down. Whatever happens, it's for the best. But don't tell anyone yet. I don't want this spreading before we sort it out."
Still crying, she replied, "What's left to hide, Qiren? The wedding is tomorrow! What's the point of keeping quiet? People need to know and adjust their plans. My biggest worry is Zhan... what happens to him when he finds out? I don't even think he knows yet…"
She couldn't control herself. Her sobbing grew louder and more painful. Qiren's heart sank even deeper. He wished the boy hadn't told Zhan anything....especially not the reason for canceling. Because anything that hurt Zhan also tore at him. He had never even realized how deeply he loved that boy until now. It didn't matter that Zhan wasn't his biological child.
In a low voice, Qiren said, "I told you not to tell anyone. And don't forget....there are another wedding planned for tomorrow. There's still Yibo's. So, for now, please keep this quiet. I beg you. Go back to your room and try to carry on."
Lan Yi cried for nearly five minutes before finally wiping her tears and leaving the room in silence.
Qiren, now completely consumed by thoughts, muttered to himself, Who revealed this? Who told the boy's family that Zhan wasn't our biological son?
Whoever did it, he knew he would never forgive them. If he ever found out who it was, he would make sure they paid for it....no matter the cost.
Zhan's origins had been kept a tightly guarded secret for over twenty-two years. Besides him, Lan Yi, Granny Fang Yu, and his own parents (before they passed), no one else knew....maybe Marquis and Ms. Ai. Not a single friend or relative. Even among Lan Yi's closest companions, none knew she hadn't given birth to Zhan.
When Qiren bought properties in Zhan's name, Lan Yi would go quiet and moody for days. It always reminded her of the truth. Still, she had been the one to suggest it when Zhan was just twelve. And even though Qiren loved Zhan dearly, he knew it couldn't compare to how much Lan Yi loved him. She had poured all the love in her heart into that child....more than even Yibo or Hai Kuan ever received, especially since Hai Kuan had always been strict with Zhan and never gave him space to be spoil.
Qiren could no longer sit still. He stood and began pacing the sitting room. In all of Beijing, no one knew the truth about Zhan...not a soul. As far as he knew, only a few in the world carried that secret.
And now… someone had betrayed them.
Qiren had been pacing the sitting room for almost fifteen minutes, clearly more restless than he had ever been in his life. This situation had struck him like lightning from a clear sky....so sudden, so unexpected. In the end, he picked up his phone and dialed Yibo's number. It rang almost to the end before Yibo finally answered, saying nothing.
Qiren spoke first. "Please, come back so we can talk, Yibo. We really need to talk."
Without waiting for a reply, Qiren ended the call and sat back down, his mind racing. Eventually, Yibo entered the sitting room. Qiren's eyes followed him, noticing how different he looked in such a short time. Yibo walked straight to the far end of the room and sat down, avoiding eye contact. Qiren felt a deep sense of guilt. Had they told everyone the truth years ago...when Yibo and Hai Kuan had matured....they wouldn't have had to hide anything.
Qiren didn't know where to begin. Yibo kept his head down, clearly overwhelmed. It was as though he were living in a dream....one that had suddenly turned into a nightmare.
In a quiet voice, Qiren finally said, "I want you to understand our side, Yibo. We did what we did for Zhan's sake. We loved him like our own, like any other child. How could we let a boy like him grow up burdened by the truth that we weren't his real parents? How would he even cope with that? We often forgot ourselves that we didn't give birth to him… that's how deeply we accepted him as ours."
Yibo said nothing, still unable to lift his head.
Qiren continued, "I didn't call you here just to tell you how we got Zhan. Sooner or later, everyone will know who Zhan really is and how he came into our lives. We hid it because we felt it was the best thing to do at the time, but hiding isn't an option anymore. Yibo, what I need you to understand is that Zhan is not your biological brother. You're only brothers because we raised him. There is no blood relation between you two, and if you were to marry...then you can marry him instead"
Yibo suddenly looked up at him, shocked. He stood up quickly, shaking his head. "Baba, there will never be any marriage between me and Zhan. And even now, I'll continue to see him as my blood brother. That won't change. I can't see him in any romantic way...he will always be my little brother."
Qiren fell silent, disheartened by Yibo's firm rejection of what had been on his mind. He had hoped Yibo would agree to marry Zhan. After a few seconds, Qiren lowered his head and said quietly, "That's fine. And I'm glad you said that."
Yibo added, "Since his wedding has been called off, mine should be postpone too. I can't get married tomorrow knowing the kind of pain my brother is going through."
Qiren shook his head. "No. Your wedding is still happening tomorrow."
In Lan Yi's room, Aunt Marquis was pacing, agitated, after being informed of what had happened. "Why would he call off the wedding? What reason could he possibly have? This is a disaster!"
Lan Yi, in tears, replied, "All Qiren told me was that it's been canceled. He didn't say why."
Tears welled up in Aunt Marquis's eyes. "Unless it's those so-called relatives who came with gifts... they're the ones who ruined this wedding, I know. Now what? Where do we even start, sis Lan Yi? And what about Zhan....does he even know what's going on?"
Lan Yi's anxiety intensified. How would Zhan take the news? Through her tears, she said, "I don't even know if he's been told yet… but they've broken my son's heart. That's all I know."
Aunt Marquis wiped her tears, stood up, and left the room. She headed to Zhan's room but found only Ji Li there.
"Where's Zhan?" she asked.
Ji Li replied, "I think he went to Yibo's ge room. He stepped out to make a call... it was too noisy here."
Aunt Marquis, unsettled, turned away and went straight to Yibo's room. She found him alone, sitting at the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. Closing the door behind her, she asked anxiously, "Yibo, why did they say the wedding is off? Did something happen?"
He looked up at her, eyes red and swollen. "Auntie…" he began, then stopped, unable to go on.
Aunt Marquis, heart sinking, could barely speak. Her chest felt tight as she waited.
Yibo, summoning his strength, finally asked, "Auntie, who is Zhan?"
The question hit her hard. She stared at him, stunned. Her lips trembled as she said, "What do you mean, Yibo? What kind of question is that?"
Standing now, Yibo tried to stay composed. "Auntie… did Mama and Baba not give birth to Zhan?"
Aunt Marquis sat down heavily, feeling like her heart had split in two. Struggling to answer, she asked, "Yibo? Where did you hear this?"
With difficulty, Yibo swallowed hard. "That's the reason the wedding was canceled…" he said, then walked out.
Aunt Marquis clutched her chest, unable to move from where she sat, trembling with shock. Nearly ten minutes passed before she stood, as if she'd been drained of all strength. She walked slowly back to Lan Yi's room and found her sitting on the bed, silently crying.
It was clear to Aunt Marquis that Lan Yi didn't know the full story. Unable to go inside, she turned away, went to Hai Kuan's room, grabbed her phone and purse, and headed straight to Granny Fang Yu's house. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about how Sis Lan Yi would react when she found out the truth behind Zhan's canceled wedding. And Zhan himself...how would he cope?
What hurt the most was that this tightly kept secret...only four people in total had ever known....was now somehow out. Who had let it slip after 22 years?
She kept muttering under her breath as she walked, not even realizing when the taxi driver said, "Ma'am, we're on your street."
Startled, she handed him some money and walked the rest of the way to Granny Fang Yu's house. As soon as she entered the sitting room, she sat on the floor, looking helplessly at Granny Fang Yu and Granny Ai, who were laughing loudly as they helped Granny Ai try on an old bra, probably for the upcoming wedding. Shu, having much of a boobs, had apparently given Granny Ai a bra that fit her perfectly, and they were making a scene over it.
Granny Fang Yu noticed Aunt Marquis's expression. "What's wrong, Marquis?"
Fresh tears rolled down her face as she replied in a trembling voice, "They canceled Zhan's wedding."
Shu froze mid-preparation to go to Min's house, remembering how rudely Min had brushed her off when she called her earlier. She hadn't answered, and eventually, her phone went off completely.
Granny Fang Yu and Granny Ai both jumped up in shock. Granny Ai widened her eyes and exclaimed, "Wait... what? The wedding is off? Zhan's wedding has been called off?"
Granny Fang Yu, equally stunned, said, "I don't understand....Zhan's wedding is off? Marquis, what's going on?"
Aunt Marquis broke into sobs, unable to say a word. Granny Ai shook her head in disbelief. "Who just calls off a wedding like that for no reason? Tell us what happened. Did he lose his mind? He suddenly decides to cancel the wedding just a day before the ceremony? After all the guests have traveled from far and wide just to attend? What does that make us... fools who came here for nothing? He should have at least faced us and said it to our faces. And let me say this....may misfortune match the blessings that should've come his way."
Granny Fang Yu, too anxious to sit or stand, stormed toward the door, visibly shaken. Granny Ai threw a scarf over her shoulder and followed her out. Aunt Marquis was left alone on the couch, weeping silently.
Meanwhile, Shu was overwhelmed with joy. She didn't even realize when she leapt onto her bed and started dancing, clutching her chest in pure elation. She had never felt such happiness in her life. As soon as she heard the gate slam... a sign that Granny Fang Yu and Granny Ai had left....she rushed after them.
Shu peeked into the sitting room. It was quiet... no one was home. She quickly put on her shoes, trembling with excitement, and headed to Min's house to break the thrilling news. As she stepped outside, she spotted the two older women already far down the street. She waited until they were out of sight before changing direction and hopping into a taxi straight to Min's house.
Min sat in her room surrounded by her friends, overwhelmed with stress. She hadn't told them that the gold inside her purse had gone missing, especially because her cousin was also in the room. Saying anything out loud could be as good as her mother hearing it.
She glanced at the clock... it was 5:30 in the evening. Despite everything, what bothered her more was that Yibo hadn't called her since dropping her off that morning. She had two phone, but only one phone, Shu had known. If Shu had tried to call her, she wouldn't have known. Letting out a long sigh, Min picked up her phone and dialed Yibo's number, hoping that just hearing his voice might ease her heart. It rang out. No answer. She tried again. Still nothing.
The door suddenly creaked open, making her jump. She'd expected Shu to burst in, and that's exactly who it was... she entered without even a greeting, as if flung by the wind. Min quickly composed herself, already thinking of what lie she could spin to cover everything up.
But Shu grabbed her hand, her grin stretching ear to ear. "Come on, my friend... I've got hot news for you!"
Seeing Shu's face glowing with excitement, Min stood and followed her to the maid's room. She looked at Shu in amazement and asked, "Why do you look like you just won the lottery or something? What's got you this excited?"
Shu let out a loud cheer. "The wedding between Zhan and Dr. Kexing is off!"
Min's eyes widened. "Are you serious?!"
"I swear it's true!" Shu exclaimed. "Aunt Marquis just came to Granny Fang Yu's house and broke the news."
"Wow... I mean, congratulations to you, I guess?" Min said with a smile. "So what now?"
Shu beamed. "Now I shoot my shot. Forget marriage....I just want to see that arrogant boy's face right now. I know those eyes must be puffy from crying."
Min stared at her in awe. "Seriously, girl... how did you even pull this off? I'm starting to be a little afraid of you."
Shu let out a triumphant laugh. "Breaking news, babe...I told you I wouldn't say anything until I completed the mission. Turns out, Zhan isn't really Lan Yi and Qiren's biological child. He was found abandoned, possibly born out of wedlock and left in the street. The moment I found out, I started trailing Dr. Kexing's relatives. I had anonymous letters sent to them...one by one. Even Dr. Kexing's own house got a few copies. That's why the wedding was cancelled."
Min fell silent, trying to absorb what she had just heard. It all sounded so surreal, like it was in another language. Shu laughed again.
"Why are you so stiff? Trust me, I was in shock for four days after I found out. At first, I didn't even want to tell you, but in the end, I figured you had a right to know. Zhan has no blood ties to anyone in that family. I didn't tell you sooner because I was afraid you'd run and tell Yibo. Even he probably didn't know until now. Lan Yi and Qiren kept that secret hidden for twenty-two years."
Min held onto Shu for support, sinking to the edge of the bed. "Wait... are you telling me there could've been a marriage between Zhan and Yibo?"
Shu froze. Her eyes widened as realization dawned. "Wait...you're right. Yibo's now known he's not his actual brother. He might have feelings he's never understood."
Min began to cry. "You've ruined me, Shu. You didn't do this to anyone else....you did this to me. You've hurt me, and now it all makes sense why I always hated that boy without knowing why."
Shu rolled her eyes. "There you go again with the dramatics. How can you say Yibo would fall in love with someone he thought was his brother? That's absurd. Even if he did turn out to be a stray, I know Zhan would never agree to such nonsense....and neither would Yibo. These are just your silly thoughts. What if tomorrow someone told you Shan wasn't your brother....would you suddenly want to marry him?"
She stood up, brushing herself off. "Anyway, don't ruin my happiness. I need to go plan my next move." With that, she left the room, so caught up in her joy she even forgot about the missing gold.
Min stood, clutching her head, pacing the room and muttering, "I'm ruined. Shu has destroyed me..."
Meanwhile, Zhan sat quietly in Dr. Kexing's car, trying to keep calm. They had been driving for nearly 35 minutes in complete silence. Finally, Zhan broke down, his voice trembling as he said, "Please, sir, just say something. Why aren't you talking? And where are you taking me? No one even knows I've left the house....it's already six o'clock."
Still, Dr. Kexing said nothing. He kept his eyes on the road, driving fast and tense, in a way Zhan had never seen before. That alone made Zhan's heart pound with fear. He kept stealing glances at him, tears running down his cheeks. But Dr. Kexing was lost in thought, not even aware of the words being said to him.
He knew Zhan still had no idea what was really going on. And if he did, it would destroy him. The moment he found out, he'd break down. So Dr. Kexing had already made a decision...to make sure Zhan had no other choice but to stay with him. Forever. As his husband.
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛