After laying a bit, Zhan stepped out of the hostel, answering Yibo's call. Even then, he hadn't fully recovered from the shock of what Shu had done to him earlier that day in the exam hall. He had been unusually quiet since then, barely drinking even the tea he usually had after exams...today, he only drank water.
He sat at their usual meeting spot where his brothers always came to see him. Yibo studied him for a moment, then asked in a soft voice, "What's wrong? You look upset."
Zhan's eyes immediately filled with tears. For almost four weeks now, Yibo hadn't seen him cry, despite only visiting about five times during that period. Alarmed, Yibo turned to face him fully. "What happened?" he asked anxiously.
Voice trembling, Zhan said, "They caught Shu Jie cheating in the exam hall today… and when she realized she was caught, she threw the cheat sheet at me."
Yibo's eyes widened in shock. He shot to his feet, staring at Zhan. Zhan broke into tears, wiping them with his sleeves. Yibo asked, disbelief written all over his face, "She threw the paper at you? How? And then what happened?"
Zhan raised his head slowly, tears still in his eyes. "A security officer saw it… and one of my classmates behind me too. They both told the lecturers what she did."
Yibo exhaled sharply and sat down again. After a moment of silence, he asked gently, "Were you able to finish your paper?"
Zhan looked down, avoiding his eyes. "I wrote what I could remember," he murmured. Then he added bitterly, "Shu's malpractice form was filled because she left her ID card behind and ran out of the hall. Isn't there something they can do? Otherwise, she'll be expelled, and you know what that means."
Yibo gave him a sharp look. "And why should you care if she's expelled? She tried to implicate you, Zhan. If no one had seen what happened, they might have made you fill that form too, and both of you would've been expelled. I told you long ago... school was never Shu's path. I don't know why everyone insisted she keep studying. Maybe now, after her fourth expulsion, people will finally stop pushing her and just find her someone willing to marry her."
Zhan stayed silent, head lowered. Yibo studied him for a moment and said softly, "I know you haven't eaten."
Zhan nodded slightly, and Yibo sighed. "Let's go, I'll buy you something."
Zhan muttered, "Cho isn't in the room... he's still at school. The door's open."
Yibo frowned. "Didn't he give you a spare key? Never mind, just close it. Let's go."
Zhan got up and locked the door before heading to the car. Yibo was already in the driver's seat, waiting. Zhan climbed into the front passenger seat, still quiet as they drove off. Yibo, meanwhile, was shaking his head, thinking about Shu. I've never seen anyone so shameless, he thought. She'll go to any length to save herself, even throw someone else under the bus. He stole a glance at Zhan, who sat silently, lost in thought.
"So she actually ran out of the hall?" Yibo asked.
For the first time that day, Zhan smiled faintly at the memory of Shu's panicked dash. Yibo was stunned...he couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen Zhan smile. Seeing that smile made his heart soften, and he silently wished Zhan could always smile like this.
Zhan, unable to hold it in, let out a small laugh. "Gege, you should've seen how she jumped and ran out of there! And, guess what? On our very first exam day, Dr. Kexing caught her with a phone while cheating but covered for her....he just confiscated the phone quietly without anyone noticing."
Yibo's brows furrowed. "He covered for her? What kind of lecturer does that? He catches her cheating and then protects her?"
Zhan stayed quiet.
Yibo pressed further. "And why were you even sitting near her in the first place?"
"She just… sat next to me on the first exam day and kept doing so every day after that," Zhan explained softly.
Yibo shook his head. "She needs to explain to those who insisted she study why she chose to throw her entire future away during her final paper. Maybe she should just go learn tailoring or something....if she can't find someone to marry her now."
Zhan said quietly, "She'll probably tell you herself what happened today."
"Why would she tell me anything?" Yibo frowned.
Zhan hesitated. "Well… isn't she staying at your place now?"
Yibo snapped his head around to look at him, then quickly turned back to the road. "Who told you she's staying at my house?"
Zhan gave a small, strained smile. "It's not a big deal Gege. She's your cousin after all, your blood."
Yibo didn't answer; he didn't want to talk about it. He parked at a food joint, turned to Zhan, and said, "Let's go."
Zhan shook his head. "I'll wait here, Gege."
"Why?" Yibo asked, confused.
Leaning his head against the seat, Zhan muttered, "I'm tired."
Yibo sighed. "Fine, what should I get you?"
"Anything," Zhan replied faintly.
Yibo nodded and stepped out of the car, heading inside, while Zhan watched him quietly, hurt by his silence from his last words. That silence spoke volumes: Yibo hadn't denied Shu was his blood.
By a quarter to nine, Yibo dropped Zhan at the hostel. He stepped out of the car holding the bag of food Yibo had bought him and Yibo said softly, "Good night, see you tomorrow."
Zhan simply nodded, still silent since they had left the food place. As Zhan turned to head inside, Yibo called after him.
"Wait, Baby," Yibo said quietly.
Zhan turned.
"How's your project going?"
"I'm done. I'll submit it on Monday."
"Okay. Don't switch off your phone, I'll call you later."
Zhan nodded again and went inside while Yibo drove home.
When Yibo arrived, he found Shu alone in the sitting room, deep in thought, not even noticing when he entered. She had been lost in panic ever since the cheating incident, frantically trying to figure out how to fix the mess she had made. Expelled? Could it really be over for me? she thought miserably.
She and Min had been sitting together earlier, but as soon as Min heard Yibo's car, she dashed to her room, saying she needed to shower because she hadn't bathed all day. Yibo adjusted his posture and studied Shu for a moment before speaking.
"How were your exams?"
Startled out of her thoughts, Shu spun around quickly. She scratched her head nervously and forced a smile. "Welcome back, Gege."
"Thanks. How were the exams?"
She answered softly, "Fine."
"So, you're done now?"
Shu nodded without meeting his eyes. Anyone could tell from her body language that she was hiding something.
"Well, that's good," Yibo said lightly, heading to his room. "May success follow you."
Shu said nothing, only scratched her head again and hurried to her room, locking the door behind her. She sank to the floor and burst into tears, clutching her head. She hadn't eaten or even drunk water since the incident...her stomach churned, her nerves burned, and she had never felt panic like this before.
Min hadn't helped either; every time Shu tried to suggest a solution, Min dismissed it harshly: "I told you....no matter who you know, you're already done for. Just accept you're expelled." Those words made Shu's anxiety even worse.
She had been trying to reach her "spiritual helper" all day to explain what happened, but he hadn't picked up. Finally, her phone rang, and it was him calling back. Shu answered with trembling hands and poured out everything between sobs:
"You said even if I walked in with a huge textbook, nobody would catch me! And yet they caught me with just a tiny cheat sheet!"
They talked for fifteen minutes, then ended the call. Now she had a bigger problem..he demanded 600 yuan to "fix things," claiming he could silence all the lecturers involved and stop her expulsion. She didn't even have 200 yuan in her account, yet he wanted the money tonight.
Panicked, Shu stood and went to Yibo's room, rehearsing what she would say. Just as she was about to knock, Min emerged from her room in nightwear, heavily perfumed, glaring at Shu with folded arms.
Shu ignored her and knocked gently.
Yibo opened the door and glanced at Min standing stiffly behind her, then looked back at Shu. "What is it, Shu?"
She lowered her head and said timidly, "Gege, please… I need to buy something, but I don't have money."
"How much?"
"One thousand yuan," she whispered.
"Okay, I'll transfer it."
Shu's head shot up. She beamed. "Thank you so much, Gege! You're the best!"
"You're welcome," Yibo replied, closing the door as Shu walked away smiling brightly.
Min stormed into Yibo's room, glaring. "Yibo, I've been telling you I need money, and you keep refusing. Yet you just gave her a whole thousand yuan? That useless girl will probably spend it on trash. Between me and her, who deserves your help more? Who has the right to your money?"
Yibo calmly looked at her. "Her right over me is just as valid as yours. Soon, you'll understand why she deserves it too."
Min blinked, confused. "I… I don't understand what you mean."
"You will soon," Yibo said simply, standing and walking out, leaving her staring after him, stunned.
That night, Min couldn't sleep properly. Every time she drifted off, she woke in a panic from nightmares of Shu. By dawn, she gave up and sat in the sitting room.
When Yibo emerged for his morning exercise, he paused, surprised to see the lights still on and Min sitting awake. He had never once seen her up at dawn. He headed straight to Shu's room and knocked.
"Wake up, it's morning," he said.
Min quickly sat back on the couch, heart racing, unsure why she felt so tense. Yibo walked past her silently and went outside to work out. Min got up and began pacing, heart pounding as she recalled his words from last night: "Soon, you'll understand."
Finally, she returned to her room, smiling.
----
By ten minutes to ten, Shu emerged from her room, well-rested after sleeping soundly through the night. Her "spiritual helper" had assured her the previous evening that no one could expel her from the university, so her heart was lighter. She wore a blouse and skirt, her scarf neatly wrapped, and carried her handbag, clearly preparing to go out.
Min sat in the dining area, lost in thought, mentally searching for a way out of her own problems. She was so distracted that she didn't even notice Shu enter the sitting room and sit down at the dining table. The strong scent of perfume snapped Min back to reality, and when their eyes met, her heart skipped a beat.
Shu asked, "Where's breakfast, Min?"
Anger and irritation surged inside Min, but she ignored Shu and said nothing. Shu checked the covered dishes on the table and found them empty, then went into the kitchen...also empty. Furious, she stormed back out.
"You know this is wrong, Min," Shu snapped. "Are you seriously letting me leave without breakfast? This is pure wickedness! I'm in your house, and you can't even make sure I eat? That's just cruel."
Min still ignored her, tapping her foot impatiently. Shu spun on her heels, livid, and headed straight to Yibo's room. She knocked, and when he opened the door, she burst out:
"Gege, can you believe Min didn't make breakfast again today? Yesterday I had to take my exam hungry and dizzy because of her, and now I'm going to Granny Fang Yu's house without eating breakfast because this woman can't even bother to turn on the stove."
Min heard every word because Shu spoke loudly enough for the whole house. Yibo stepped out, followed closely by Shu, and looked at Min.
"Why didn't you make breakfast?" he asked.
Min glared. "Even you, don't deserve breakfast today, let alone that one."
Shu bristled. "How dare you talk to my brother like that? No manners at all!"
Min stayed silent; she knew that if she opened her mouth, Shu would escalate things in front of Yibo, and she wasn't willing to risk that. Yibo turned to Shu.
"Take my car keys and I'll drop you at Granny Fang Yu's. You can have breakfast there."
Shu shot Min a triumphant glare and went to get the keys from Yibo's room. Min felt her chest tighten in frustration...Shu went into his room? Even Zhan, who had lived there for months, had never stepped inside Yibo's room. Tears stung Min's eyes, but she held them back as Shu and Yibo left, Shu smirking at her all the way out.
As soon as the door shut, Min collapsed on the floor, crying bitterly. "I'm finished… completely ruined… where do I even start?"
At Granny Fang Yu's house, Shu stepped out of the car and smiled brightly. "Aren't you coming in to greet Granny and Aunt Lan Yi, Gege?"
"I'm in a hurry," Yibo replied flatly and drove off, leaving Shu waving happily before she stepped inside. She paused at the sitting room door, listening.
Granny Fang Yu sat in an armchair, sipping a cup of porridge while watching Lan Yi pack her clothes into a suitcase. "You just have to be patient, for Yibo's sake," Granny said. "Look how stressed he's been lately, always coming here to check on you. He's such a good boy, devoted to his mother. And Lee will be arriving tomorrow. It's better he doesn't know what's happening yet...it could disrupt his studies. Honestly, I'm glad no one told him. But Hai Kuan… you really need to check if they switched babies on you in the hospital. I swear he can't be your son."
Lan Yi didn't reply and kept folding clothes.
Granny continued, "No good son would treat his mother the way Hai Kuan has. Look at the way Yibo honors you. He'll be shocked when Shu's life turns out well, and he'll regret everything he ever did to her. I've always cherished all my grandchildren, but right now… everyone has their place. And Hai Kuan had better never act like he knows Shu, ever."
Lan Yi stayed silent, packing faster.
Shu opened the door dramatically and collapsed on the floor, crying hysterically. Granny almost dropped her porridge as she rushed forward.
"What happened, Shu?" she exclaimed.
Lan Yi also ran forward, startled.
Through sobs, Shu wailed, "Granny, yesterday I went to write an exam and accidentally walked in with a small sheet of paper in my hand. Zhan saw me and called a lecturer, saying I was cheating. Now they've expelled me from school, Granny… I'm completely ruined!"
Granny Fang Yu turned to look at Lan Yi, who had quietly sat down, staring at Shu in shock after hearing her claim. Shu continued crying loudly, filling the sitting room with her wails as she kept saying she had been expelled from school because of Zhan.
Granny Fang Yu frowned. "What? Zhan did this to you? He accused you falsely? And you couldn't even defend yourself, explain to them it wasn't an answer sheet in your hand, Shu? What a terrible boy! Now I'm starting to believe what people say—that a stray cat can never be fully tamed. And you? Instead of defending yourself and proving you had nothing to do with him, you let them expel you just like that? He Doesn't even live in your brother's house now? Shu?"
Still sobbing, Shu said, "Nobody listened to me, Granny. They just expelled me."
Lan Yi, feeling her whole body weaken, stood up and went to the room to call Yibo. She dialed his number, but he didn't pick up. She tried again...still no response. After standing in silence for a couple of minutes, she returned to the sitting room. Granny Fang Yu sat stiffly, her face set and her lips trembling with anger.
In a calm voice, Lan Yi said, "Don't worry, Shu. I'm sure you won't actually be expelled. I tried to call Yibo, but he isn't near his phone. Once I reach him, we'll figure this out. If necessary, we'll go to the school and speak to the lecturers...apologize, even offer compensation if needed...just to make sure you stay enrolled. But, Shu, you should have come straight to tell us what happened yesterday after leaving the exam hall."
Through tears, Shu said, "I went to Yibo's house instead, but he didn't come home until late at night, so I just slept and came here this morning."
Lan Yi sat back down. "It'll be okay. We'll talk to the lecturers, they'll work something out."
But deep down, Lan Yi couldn't shake her bitterness. Because of Zhan, she had faced so many humiliations she had never imagined in her life. Because of him, she had been away from her husband, Qiren, for a whole month...and even now, Qiren hadn't bothered to check on her. If not for Granny Fang Yu forcing her to return home because Lee was on his way back, who knew how much longer she and Qiren would have stayed apart. And all of it, all the shame and pain, was because of a boy she had once raised with endless patience and sacrifices from infancy...only for him to repay her with such disrespect and heartbreak.
Lan Yi hated even hearing Zhan's name now. But deep down, she also knew Zhan wouldn't do what Shu accused him of. Shu already had a history of cheating scandals at school; if it wasn't cheating this time, then it was probably her grades sinking so low they had no choice but to expel her.
Granny Fang Yu let out a long sigh. "We've reached the end of our generosity. People say it all the time...not everyone appreciates help. Clearly, Zhan didn't."
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛