"Indeed, it's true… and today I am even more convinced. The marriage between Daneen and Zinnu was never something we planned for, and the existence of this child, Zhan, and even losing him back then, were all part of forces beyond our control. You did not commit any wrong against us.....you only helped us.
Zinnu becoming Daneen's husband happened so that truths we never understood could finally surface. Blood never lies. From the very first day I laid eyes on Zhan, I felt an unexplainable attachment to him....the same way his mother felt towards him. No matter how small an issue involved him, Daneen could never treat it lightly.
My heart began to tremble whenever I noticed the similarities between Zhan and Daneen. Yet I didn't know how to approach it or how to make sense of it. Even the day his husband mentioned the birthmark on Zhan's body....the same mark that runs through this bloodline.....the matter stayed in my mind, confusing and restless.
Then Yibo returned again with the idea of a DNA test… and today you have confirmed everything for us. I thank you for protecting this child and our family. I am deeply happy that Zhan is truly one of my grandchildren....royal blood of this kingdom. It is something precious to all of us."
Everyone responded in unison, tears in their eyes.
A Light Moment
Not long after, a small argument broke out between Mah and Daneen over Zhan.
Mah firmly declared that Zhan had never changed in her heart, and he never would.....she still saw him as the child she gave birth to in her soul. She loved him just as much as Huan, and she wasn't giving him up to anyone.
Daneen, on the other hand, begged her gently:
"Since you raised him for twenty years… at least let me have my own twenty years. After that, we can share him week by week."
(Zhan with two mothers😂)
Grandfa, Momma, Wei Po, Huan and Chuchu all burst into laughter at the two women.
Babiy only kept his head lowered, smiling quietly. Every now and then, he stole glances at Daneen.....and she did the same. Mah noticed everything, but instead of pain, all she felt for them was pity and softness. Dowager Ruyan also watched them with calm, understanding eyes.
Zhan's face couldn't decide between smiling and crying. Both emotions crowded his heart at the same time.
After that, everyone headed to King Yibo's chambers, following his summons.
Zhan looked small and fragile, and when Yibo saw him like that, his heart filled with tenderness. His thoughts had been on Zhan for a long time. He hadn't been able to eat.....he only drank a little milk, waiting quietly for Zhan's arrival. When no one came, he sent for Dowager Ruyan to call them all in.
This day, Babiy saw the king in his full presence.....even his glasses were gone.
They bowed respectfully, and Yibo returned the greeting with equal respect.
They had a long, honest conversation. Without hesitation, Yibo directly asked Babiy and Daneen about restoring their marriage.
Both of them froze, stunned, as if they had been thrown into confusion by his words.
Meanwhile, Grandfa and Dowager Ruyan smiled knowingly. Huan and Zhan exchanged glances… and both smiled.
When everyone fell silent and could not speak, Mah, who had been quietly looking down, slowly lifted her face and smiled.
With calm confidence, she said:
"May our great leader be granted long life and good health. If this happens, we will truly be happy, because we have been honored with a grace that no one in the land of Beiping has ever received before. I would also love to remain beside my sister, as long as she does not take my child away from me.....otherwise, I would completely break, so I agree to this marriage."
She turned and held Baby and Daneen's hands in a pleading manner.
"Please… do not shame me. Accept this so we can become one family again. I have no problem if we all share the same place in his life."
For the first time, King Yibo released a small, surprising smile.
At that moment, Mah's dignity and value rose in his eyes.
His smile deeply moved everyone and filled them with happiness.....yet he said nothing further…
Dowager Taihou
After leaving the court, she barely managed to reach her car. The moment she arrived in her chambers, she locked the door behind her.
The room began to spin. A violent headache struck her, and her heart began to pound uncontrollably.
What was happening to her?
What kind of fate was approaching her life?
Her son....Yibo..... the child she had suffered so much to have… was married to Daneen's child.
The child who carried the birthmark.
The child who had always been part of their calculations.
The birthmark that Cao had warned as part of her conditions.
How could this be happening?
How was this even possible?
Zhan's words echoed violently in her mind, as if he were whispering them directly into her ears:
"I congratulate you in advance. Before we return from our honeymoon, we will bring your grandchild into this great protection. So stop hurting yourself by trying to force my husband to marry whoever you want just to give you a grandchild, or by separating us from being his parents through some poison milk.
From the day you confirmed his existence, start counting the days of your regret until the day he is born. Judgment and Zhan's power stand above yours. From now on, it begins."
The words looped endlessly in her ears.
Then another memory of Zhan's voice returned to her mind:
"Mother, I know you are powerful. But know this.....no matter how skilled and dangerous you are, one day old age will make you bend. The child behind you may become your downfall through your own power.
I never claimed to be stronger than fate, but understand this....your entire existence rests in the palm of my hand."
She broke down crying and screamed:
"It's impossible… I will not fall. I will never fall! Cao… I will not submit to you! If we are to fall, then we will all fall together.....all of us shattered at once!"
Her sobs grew more violent as more of Zhan's words returned:
"Mother, you hide terrible things. One small pull of the curtain of your secrets is enough to steal sleep from your eyes."
In rage, she punched the mirror with her fist, screaming Cao's name.
More of Zhan's words rang inside her head:
"What is it that you truly want to achieve with the son you claim to love?
Do you even know that if he drank that tea or that milk, the damage it would do to his life would be far worse than anything that could ever happen to mine?
And you… you would be the one to return crying with regret.
If someone is giving you these things as 'protection' for him or to destroy my life.....then wake up.
Wake up before you run out of places to escape in this palace."
"Never! Never ever will I fall! I will never lose anything at the moment everything finally belongs to me…
"You must lose! You must lose it all!! You must lose it, Inner One!
Hahahahaha!"
Cao's voice burst out in a wild, echoing scream as she appeared.
With one look, it was obvious she was spiraling out of control. Her eyes had turned bloodshot, and her face had grown terrifyingly distorted. Burning with a strange, destructive energy, Dowager Taihou faced her. Today, there was no fear, no hesitation, and none of the respect she used to show Cao.
She stepped forward and pointed directly at her.
"Then we will all lose together.....not just Taihou alone. Why did you deceive me?"
"You deceived yourself. Our agreement clearly stated that you mustn't marry him to anyone born from royal bloodline.....especially the one with the true birthmark."
"But on your orders, he became Yibo's husband. Has your witchcraft started to weaken, or are you simply a liar like Zhan said you were?!"
"Watch your mouth, Inner One!"
"I won't! I told you I won't, Cao. I swear I won't lose everything I suffered for. If we fall, then you and I will fall together!"
"You and your child will fall together! And you will give us ghost blood in place of the work you failed to complete!!"
"Never.....never in this world you have Yibo's blood, you cruel deceiver. And as for me? I am more dangerous than you, Cao. I had already mastered my power before i were even meet you!"
"If you were so powerful, why couldn't you help yourself without me? Traitor.....who are you really? Who do you think you are, Inner One? What are you so proud of? That ghost? We were the ones who helped you conceived him when you were desperate to be pregnant.
So write it down and remember it..... we will erase him and his entire history, just like we erased his father and grandfather from this world. If you are truly worthy of your name, then show us what you've got!"
In a flash, Cao vanished from the room like a violent storm.
A shattering scream tore from Dowager Taihou's throat. She grabbed and threw everything in her path, smashing objects violently to the floor. Her body shook with uncontrollable, violent tremors, until at last, she collapsed.
Blood began to pour from her wounds..... injuries she had inflicted on herself over time, breaking open from the strain of her rage.
(So now we've arrived at the heart of it.
Clearly, this fight isn't just external.....it's a war inside the family.
And there's an even bigger mystery surrounding the birth of King Yibo himself.
Let's keep following Cao and Dowager Taihou and see how this dangerous game will end.)
:-**:-
That night, the crowded people of the Beiping Kingdom witnessed the sudden wedding of Xiao Zinnu and his bride, Dannen, with a dowry of remarkable honor. Grandfa gave the groom's hand, while King Yibo offered the bride's.
It wasn't just the people of the Beiping Empire who were shaken.... the entire palace was thrown into confusion by the unexpected event. Even while everyone was still mourning the shocking events that had happened in court earlier that day, no one had imagined something this dramatic would follow.
In an instant, a new storm of gossip spread everywhere, even among the palace servants.
After they were all brought in, Grandfa, Zhan did not return with the others....he remained in King Yibo's quarters. When he were about to leave, Dowager Ruyan quietly stopped him.
Zhan released a heavy breath after King Yibo left, and went to bathe. For the first time since the changes in his body, he felt feverish and weak.
He wore only a light robe and sat quietly, memories replaying in his mind like scenes from a film. He cried harder than he had earlier, and in that fragile moment, he overheard the announcement that his two parents were being reunited in marriage by fate.
Zhan broke down in tears again. His head throbbed, and he didn't even know why....was it happiness, or was it confusion all over again? He dragged himself onto the soft carpet and lay down.
While Zhan lay there, trembling slightly from the feverish chills running through his body, King Yibo entered the room.
Zhan didn't move until King Yibo stood directly in front of him. Feeling his presence, Zhan slowly opened his eyes.
They stared at each other like they were seeing each other for the very first time. Then Zhan was the first to look away and slowly sit up.
Noticing how unsteady Zhan looked, King Yibo extended his pale, gentle hand toward him. Zhan placed his own hand in his, and King Yibo lifted him up until he stood before him.
The way King Yibo looked at him..... like he was something precious and newly discovered....weakened Zhan's heart completely. Suddenly, Zhan began to cry again and fell into King Yibo's arms, clinging tightly to him.
King Yibo had no choice but to wrap both arms around him, pulling him closer, his eyes closing with warmth and affection.
Zhan cried quietly against his chest, the sound piercing King Yibo's heart. He didn't interrupt him. For almost three minutes, they remained like that, just holding each other.
When the warmth of Zhan's tears stopped soaking through his chest, Zhan released a long, shaky breath. Only then did King Yibo lift his chin gently.
He pulled him by the hand and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling Zhan along and settling him on his lap.
"Is crying the only thing you know how to do?" he said in a soft, teasing voice, cupping Zhan's face in his palms.
Zhan's face crumpled again, about to start another wave of tears, but Yibo gently shook his head.
"Please don't. I don't want to see it again. You cry too much."
Zhan's tears still slipped free, and he pushed his lips forward slightly in a childish, unconscious pout.
Yibo smiled to himself.
He leaned closer, threading his fingers through Zhan's hair and carefully removed the ribbon tied at the center. His fingers tangled gently in the loose strands as he brushed his nose softly against Zhan's.
Zhan's lips parted slightly.
Yibo couldn't resist.
He leaned in and captured Zhan's lips in a slow, gentle kiss.
He tried to stop it at a simple kiss, but his heart betrayed him. His body ignored his restraint, and the story shifted into something heavier and deeper with the quiet, undeniable proof of how deeply they had melted into each other's love.
¦
¦
The room fell into silence, chilled only by the soft hum of the air conditioner. Zhan lay curled against Yibo's chest, his voice barely above a whisper as he said:
"Doesn't everything feel like a dream? Sometimes I feel like if I wake up, none of this will be real, love. My heart still refuses to believe everything completely."
A soft smile appeared on King Yibo's lips as he adjusted Zhan more comfortably against him, his hand resting gently on Zhan's stomach.
He opened his eyes and looked at Zhan's beautiful face....still slightly swollen from all the crying he had done that day.....and spoke quietly:
"Life itself feels like a dream, heartbeat. We lie down, we rise, and tomorrow keeps moving forward. Our days slip past us, carrying everything meant for us along the way. Everything that happened today… it's real. It's written deeply into our lives. From the very first day I met you, everything began repeating itself like a dream I couldn't escape. After everything we've seen… do you really think there's anything that could stop what's meant to be?"
Zhan smiled faintly for the first time and lifted his face to look at him.
"No force compares to fate," he said softly, tugging playfully at Yibo's nose. "Whatever is decided happens without doubt or illusion. And you… you are my world, my husband, my life."
Yibo laughed quietly, pulling him closer and resting his chin on his head.
"And you," he replied, "are more than just mine. Two mothers, two brothers, two sisters, two homes… you even have two worlds, my soul."
Zhan burst into laughter like he hadn't spent the whole day crying. Hugging Yibo tightly, he said, "If I add your world to mine, that makes it three.....my happiness."
"Oh? I'm starting to think you're getting too bold," Yibo teased, lifting Zhan's chin slightly.
Zhan twisted a finger into the loose strands of hair falling over Yibo's forehead and said in a soft, playful voice, "That's because of your training. Mah and the others are witnesses....they didn't give me to you like this. I couldn't even look people in the eyes before because of shyness."
"You? Shy?" Yibo cut in, widening his eyes.
Zhan flashed him a smile with a raised eyebrow. "You're the witness. They brought me to you gentle, patient, and quiet."
Yibo couldn't help but laugh. He laughed so hard Zhan just stared at him, happy just watching. Then he pulled Zhan's head close.
"Quiet? You? And you call yourself quiet? The first time I saw you, your boldness become my breakfast without a trace of shame. If people like you are 'quiet ones,' then quieter ones have been seriously wronged. You little troublemaker. The very first day we met, you said you'd make even a king stand still. You… you're dangerous."
Zhan laughed and quickly hid his face in embarrassment, only now feeling shy about what he'd done back then.
From behind his hands, he muttered, "Be honest… that day, didn't you feel like to send me to death?"
Yibo smiled softly. "You killed my heart, that moment. I was the one struggling not to show what I felt right there."
Zhan's laughter rang out again, making Yibo's skin prickle.
"I was a little impressed too," Zhan admitted with a grin. "Your scent drove me crazy that day… and those bright eyes of yours, shining like milk. I was just angry at everyone, so I took it out on your guards. By the way, where are they now?"
Yibo only smiled, shaking his head slightly before he spoke.
"So it turns out you fell hard on the very first day and i just suffered quietly. You're dangerous, little husband. Azaan and the rest are still around....they're working at my news office, CHINA EYE. Where you want to go and expose me publicly to the world, may luck just be on my side."
"So that's why you locked me by not showing yourself? That means you're afraid of me," Zhan teased, laughing.
"Honestly… you really are something else. Mr Zhan Yibo, even that mouth of yours that never gets tired of talking is enough to make people fear you."
Zhan shot him a playful glare, pushing his lips forward, then suddenly looked as if he'd remembered something.
"Wait....is the China Eye media company really yours?"
Yibo nodded slowly, eyes half-lidded as he replied, "It was the first dream I fulfilled after finishing my studies."
"Hm… that's why you expose the powerful people of the world without holding back, with no fear of consequences....and nothing ever happens to you," Zhan said. "Honestly, you did well. That's my dream too."
"You'll achieve it," Yibo said softly. "When you give birth to my child, you will go back to school, our marriage won't hold you back from fulfilling your dreams. I'll stand by you fully until you achieve everything written for your life."
Suddenly, Zhan wrapped his arms tightly around Yibo and burst into tears.
Yibo held him firmly in both arms, smiling at first.....but when he realized the tears were real, he changed his tone immediately, soothing him gently, as if they had never just come from playful moments. It seemed Zhan had memorized all his heroic words; they now shaped his emotions deeply.
Dowager Taihou's Crisis
Jasrah's heart jumped violently when she saw her elder sister's condition. Unsure of what else to do, she quickly called the number of Dowager Taihou's personal doctor.
He arrived within minutes. Even he looked shaken....his thoughts running darker than the reality in front of him.
As he moved to sit and examine her asking what happen to her, Jasrah interrupted urgently:
"This is not the time to ask what happened. Saving her life comes first."
"You're right," he replied firmly.
With his help, they lifted her onto the bed. He immediately began treatment, stopping the bleeding and saving her weakening breath just in time, which had been slipping away from her body.
They both exhaled in relief once her condition stabilized.
Jasrah looked at him pleadingly and said, "Doctor, please… this situation must end between just you and me. It's best we understand what happened from her own lips when she wakes, without alarming others. Especially the King..... he already has too much on his shoulders. He's human too. He needs peace."
"You are right," the doctor replied calmly. "There's no need to worry. This is my duty. Stay close to her.... she may wake in shock since we sedated her from unconsciousness. But honestly, you must find out what's troubling her. This is the second time this has happened. If it continues, it could be dangerous. Her heartbeat was barely stable, and her blood pressure was extremely high. Only careful monitoring will fully stabilize her."
"Of course, Doctor. We'll be careful."
"I'll bring her medication later..... either by morning or sometime tonight."
"I think tonight will be better."
"Alright. I'll go and return."
The doctor said, then quietly left.
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛