Dr. Kexing was in his room when his mother, Wu, knocked on the door. He knew it was her, but the heavy thoughts weighing on his mind kept him from getting up to open it. Maybe, he thought, if she heard nothing, she'd assume he was asleep and just leave. But the knocking continued relentlessly.
With a sigh, he set his phone aside.... he had been trying to call Zhan, but his phone was switched off. Finally, he stood, walked to the door, and opened it. He looked at Wu but said nothing. She gave him a searching look from head to toe before asking,
"What have you been doing in there? I've been knocking and you didn't answer, Kexing."
He let out a quiet, hidden sigh. "I was just lying down, Mom. I wanted to get some rest."
Wu's eyes stayed on him, reading his expression. "Is something wrong, Mom?" he asked when he noticed the concern on her face.
She stepped into the room without answering. He followed, repeating, "Mom, did something happen?"
Wu turned to face him, her expression filled with worry. "I should be the one asking you that, Kexing. What are you hiding from me? What's going on?"
He rubbed the back of his head. "Going on? What could possibly be happening? Do you see anything unusual?"
"You're not telling me the truth," Wu insisted. "Who do you have a problem with? What are you keeping from me?"
He blinked at her. "A problem? I don't have issues with anyone."
Wu stayed quiet for a moment, still watching him, then said, "Then why did police come here just now, asking for you?"
His brows furrowed in disbelief. "Police? I don't understand."
Wu lowered her voice, sounding deeply unsettled. "Don't hide anything from me, son. What's happening?"
"I don't know, Mom…" He didn't say another word before walking out of the room. Wu followed him, calling his name, but he didn't stop until they reached the stairs. He went straight to the sitting room door and opened it....three men were standing outside. One of them asked,
"Dr. Wen Kexing?"
"Yes," he replied cautiously. "How may I help you?"
The man pulled out an ID card.....none of them were in uniform. Showing the ID, the officer said, "You're under arrest."
Dr. Kexing turned to glance at Wu, who stood behind him. Trying his best to calm her, he said, "Please don't worry, Mom. It's nothing serious. I'll go with them."
Wu's anxiety spiked. She ignored him and addressed the officers instead. "Which division are you from?" One of them told her. Without another word, she hurried upstairs to get her car keys.
Dr. Kexing followed the officers outside to their car.....an expensive-looking vehicle that didn't resemble a typical police car at all. Moments later, they were on their way to the station with him in tow.
- - - - -
Yibo was at the hospital where Min had been admitted. It was around five in the evening. She was responding to treatment and had even started eating small amounts of food, but she still looked weak. Her face was badly swollen from the blow to her head.
Since the incident, Yibo hadn't seen her mother visit Min once. Instead, her relatives came and went, bringing her food or other items, but they never said a word to him. Even when he greeted her aunties, they ignored him, walking past with cold expressions. Yibo didn't care much.... he was counting the days until she was discharged, so he could send her back to her family. Deep down, he knew he could never live under the same roof with Min again.
In fact, he often wondered how he had ever ended up marrying her in the first place. It felt like he had been tricked into it. Then again, you only truly know someone's nature after living with them. He regretted ever knowing her, let alone marrying her.
He was sitting in the hospital courtyard, lost in thought. He was almost certain that Zhan was with Dr. Kexing right now.....actually, he believed he had never left his side. A few minutes earlier, Qiren had called to tell him that Dr. Kexing had been arrested. Yibo was just waiting for the next call confirming that Zhan was with him.
As if on cue, his phone rang.....it was Qiren again. Yibo picked up quickly.
" Is there someone with your wife at the hospital?," Qiren said. "Come to Miller road and meet me now."
Yibo asked, "Miller Road.....where exactly is that?"
Qiren replied, "I'll send you the full address."
"Alright," Yibo said.
All along, Yibo had assumed Qiren wasn't in Beijing, since he hadn't seen him at home. He'd also noticed that Xuxui wasn't at the house either, but thought maybe she'd gone somewhere with Qiren.
Rising from his seat.....while Min's aunts remained inside with her.....he left the hospital. Following the address Qiren sent him, he soon found himself driving into an upscale neighborhood, filled with impressive Mansions. Parking in front of the number Qiren had given, he stared at the elegant property, wondering whose home this could be.
After calling Qiren to say he'd arrived, the gates swung open. Yibo drove in and found Qiren waiting in the driveway. Getting out of his car, he followed Qiren into the main sitting room, still looking around with curiosity.
Once seated, Yibo asked, "Whose house is this, Baba?"
"It's mine," Qiren said.
"Yours? Really?" Yibo asked in surprise.
Instead of answering, Qiren said, "Your wife's uncles.....both from her father's and mother's side.....just left."
Yibo's mood shifted instantly.
"They came to apologize for what happened," Qiren added.
Trying to remain calm, Yibo said, "Baba… honestly, I can't keep living with her."
"That's nonsense," Qiren replied firmly. "Why not? Worse things have happened in marriages and people moved on. This is just a case of women's tempers getting out of hand."
"But you saw what her mother's sisters did....." Yibo began.
Qiren cut him off. "I don't want to hear it. Women are capable of far worse. Even her mother called me to apologize, saying she would come in person to do so. Her grandmother also plans to visit to apologize. That shows they're from a respectable family. And even if they didn't apologize, I still wouldn't see a reason for you to divorce her... especially when she's lying in a hospital bed with serious injuries."
"But....." Yibo tried again.
"No arguments," Qiren said sharply. "When they told you to take Zhan away from your house before, you didn't argue. But now, when I'm telling you to keep your wife, suddenly you want to debate me?"
Yibo fell silent, leaning back in his chair, feeling a weight in his chest. He had thought the call was about Zhan.....that maybe he had been found and Qiren wanted him to come get him. Instead, it seemed he was here just to be scolded.
Just then, Xuxui came downstairs. Yibo stared at her without blinking as she approached.
"Welcome, Yibo," she said.
He lowered his head. "Good afternoon."
She smiled faintly. "Afternoon Dr." Then she turned to Qiren. "Zhan's father, any updates from the police?"
"They said I should expect a call or a visit by six o'clock," Qiren replied.
"I hope it works out," Xuxui said softly before heading back upstairs.
Watching her leave, Yibo felt a pang.....so Baba had brought this woman here and left Mom alone at home. His chest grew heavier, burdened by worry over Zhan, over Min, over the tension between his parents, and over Qiren's insistence that he remain with Min.
"I'll show you the rest of the house," Qiren said suddenly. "I finished it a few months ago, but never told you."
"Maybe another time," Yibo said quietly. "There's no one at the hospital right now. I need to get back."
"Alright," Qiren said. "I'm just waiting for the police to call me so I can have some peace of mind. I'll come to the hospital with Xuxui, maybe later tonight."
Yibo didn't reply. He walked toward the door, then stopped, gathering his courage. "Baba, can we talk for a moment?"
"Sure," Qiren said, rising.
They stepped outside into the spacious courtyard. Lowering his voice respectfully, Yibo said, "Forgive me if this upsets you, but I don't think Mom deserves this from you…"
Qiren interrupted. "And I don't think I deserved what she did to me. She disrespected me in ways I won't forget...and because of her selfishness, I don't even know where Zhan is right now. Let me be clear, Yibo: for now, I can't even stand to look at your mother.
"If this issue were just between us, I wouldn't be so angry. But she put a young person's safety at risk. Even if Zhan is with the man we suspect, your mother still bears responsibility. Thanks to her, Zhan had the courage to stay away from home for days. If she hadn't turned her back on the boy.....no matter the pressure from her mother and relatives.....Zhan wouldn't have left.
"You were there when we read the letter he left behind, weren't you? So don't tell me Lan Yi doesn't deserve my reaction. I never imagined she'd not be the first to enter this new Mansion.....I built it for her. But now? Don't blame me for how I feel. And understand this, Yibo: I know exactly what I'm doing."
Yibo kept his head down, saying nothing, but inside his heart was heavy with sympathy for his mother. He felt truly bad.
Qiren said, "So, whatever happens at the station, I'll call and let you know." With that, Qiren turned and went back inside the house.
Yibo quietly unlocked his car, his whole demeanor subdued, and drove away.
~**~
At exactly six-thirty, Dr. Kexing came out of the station with Wu following close behind. Moments later, Hai Kuan emerged, heading straight for his own car. Then Qiren appeared, ignoring them completely as he walked to his vehicle. Wu kept her eyes on Qiren, her mind still burning from his earlier words.
Yibo also came out, walking straight to his car without looking at them. Wu turned sharply to Dr. Kexing and said in a serious tone,
"Look at me, Kexing."
Dr. Kexing, who had been checking his watch, looked up at her.
"From now on, you and that boy.....never again. I didn't realize his so-called guardians were people without decency or respect…"
Kexing cut in, "But Mom, wasn't it Uncle Chengfeng and Aunt Jin who started insulting them first?"
Wu snapped, "Are you answering me while I'm talking? If you want to see my anger, Kexing, keep involving yourself in that boy's affairs."
With concern, Kexing said, "But Mom, where is he now? We don't even know his whereabouts… Before all this, we should at least be sure he's safe."
Furious, Wu replied, "That's not my problem. I'm telling you.....if you want to avoid my anger, there will be no contact between you and him. But if you insist, go right ahead."
Kexing could only look at her helplessly; he had never seen his mother this angry with him. True, Qiren and Hai Kuan had said things that would have angered anyone, but that wasn't what troubled him. His only concern was where Zhan might be.
Just then, his late father's elder brother, Mr. Wen Shangxian, stepped out of the station. His escorts, who had been waiting outside, quickly approached him. Fixing Kexing with a cold, strict look, he said,
"You…"
Kexing turned toward him and lowered his head.
"There will be no contact between you and those people from this moment," Mr. Shangxian said firmly. "And besides, are you an idiot? Why do you keep chasing after a boy with no background? Is this how you protect your dignity.....by getting dragged to a police station? If it weren't for your mother stopping me, nothing would have kept me from filing a case against them. Worthless, dishonest people! They have no shred of respect left after what happened. Because of some boy with no roots, you're being questioned here like a criminal...as if you're a kidnapper or a thief. If I hadn't come all the way from Shenzhen today, you'd be spending the night in a cell. This is my first and final warning: no more contact with them, even if you're the head of his department, not his lecturer. Nonsense!"
Kexing kept his gaze low, barely processing his uncle's words. His mind was fixed on how to find Zhan.
Mr. Shangxian turned to Wu and asked, "You came with your car, Wujue?"
Wu exhaled slowly. "Yes, I drove here."
"Good," Mr. Shangxian said. "I'm heading back to Shenzhen now."
Wu asked, "Why not wait until tomorrow?"
"I have several appointments tomorrow," he replied. "We're going to the airport now."
"Alright. Send my regards to your wife and children," she said.
"I will," he answered.
Without glancing at Kexing, Mr. Shangxian walked to his car with his escorts. The DPO came out just then and called, "Honorable, you're leaving already?"
"Yes, I'm going back today," Shangxian said. The two left together, the DPO being a long-time friend of his.
Wu went straight to her car without looking at Kexing. He followed at a slow pace, opening the back door and getting in. She said nothing until they were on the road.
"If I can't get through to you, Kexing, then go ahead.....keep looking after that boy. But I'll show you I didn't only give birth to you."
Kexing didn't reply. He leaned back in his seat, his thoughts entirely on how to start searching for Zhan.
Just as Mr. Shangxian was a friend of the DPO, so was Qiren...a childhood friend of his. The matter had been settled there at the station after they checked Dr. Kexing's call history. It showed no recent communication with Zhan except for a few unanswered calls shortly before this incident. The line company confirmed that there had been no contact between them for over a month.
The hospital where Kexing had taken Zhan was also checked, and it turned out he hadn't gone alone..... he'd been with Dr. Anshi, one of Zhan's lecturers. She too was called in to confirm.
***
After Zhan finished getting ready after his shower in the hotel room, he opened his bag and took out his phones, both from Hai Kuan's and Yibo's turning it over in his hands. He removed both SIM cards, walked to the small dustbin in the room, and tossed them inside. Then he picked up his ATM card, left his room, and headed down to the reception.
After exchanging greetings with the hotel staff at the front desk, he stepped outside and stood by the roadside, waiting for a taxi. When one stopped, he said, "Please, take me to the nearest supermarket."
The driver replied, "I no dey hear Chinese, sir."
Switching to English, Zhan explained his destination. The driver told him to get in. After a long drive, they stopped in front of a large shopping mall. Zhan paid the fare, got out, and walked inside.
He headed straight to the skincare section, as he hadn't brought his cream from home. After picking up a cream and a shower gel, he moved over to the perfume aisle, browsing through the selection...until something made him turn around…
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛