Remember me...

22. There has to be something else...

Yibo snatched his car keys from the coffee table and made his way down the stairs, staring at his phone. He had made a call to Zhan but the man wasn't responding. "Are you there yet?", Yibo texted him but got no response. "He must be with the Jiangs", Yibo concluded under his breath deciding he would see Zhan directly at the restaurant. It had been six months since they were going out and with the last few painful encounters, Yibo knew his baobei needed some fun. Yibo was worried seeing the pain in Zhan's eyes and the insecurity that creeped onto Zhan's face at times. Yibo knew things were a little difficult and Zhan was worried about their future but Yibo was set on making things right. He was going to take Zhan out to eat, shower his baobei with love and then bury himself in Zhan as the night ended. He was going to make Zhan happy again. Humming a song to himself, Yibo took an apple from the fruit bowl and was rounding the table when his uncle came in. "Going somewhere, Yibo?", Wang Yi Lun asked with a frown and Yibo nodded. This was the first time Yibo's uncle had talked to him in days. Things weren't okay between Yibo and his uncle ever since his uncle had found Yibo kissing Zhan in his room. Yibo had not wanted his uncle to find out about him and Zhan this way but his uncle had and from there on things had gone downhill pretty fast. "Sit with me for a minute, Yibo", his uncle ordered and Yibo glanced at his watch before he sat with his uncle. "If I am not wrong you are going to see that boy, right?", Yi Lun questioned evenly and Yibo had no reason to lie. "Yes, Uncle." "I can understand your generation leans towards trying new things, looking for adventures and while I can excuse your previous behavior, I would like for you to stop this now, Yibo", said Wang Yi Lun with a grim face and Yibo sighed inwardly.  "This isn't a phase, Uncle. I love Zhan", he said with conviction and Yi Lun's face changed from calm to raging in a second. "I WASN'T ASKING FOR YOUR OPINION, YIBO!", bellowed Yi Lun and Yibo stood up from his chair. "I am sorry but I won't leave Zhan, Uncle. He is an amazing person and I am happier than I have ever been before. If you get to know him-" "I won't get associated with the likes of him. You might be blind but I am not, Wang Yibo", spat Wang Yi Lun and it hurt Yibo knowing that his uncle was not ready to accept Zhan. "This ends now, Yibo. I have called Zheng Shou and have decided that his daughter Yifei will be a good choice for you. I have realised that I need to take matter into my own hands." Yibo's eyes bulged at the words and he shook his head. "Uncle, I love Zhan. I can't think of anyone but him. I don't want this. I am happy with Zhan and no one-" "I have not taught you to be unruly, Wang Yibo", sneered Yi Lun cutting Yibo off and threw a set of papers before Yibo. Yibo eyed the papers regarding the Jiang company and his eyes widened when he saw what was in them. "You bought their company?", he asked incredulously and his uncle had no remorse on his face as he nodded. "They will be bankrupt in a matter of weeks. I warned Xiao Zhan but he didn't listen. That greedy fox has his eyes on your money and it seems like he has fooled you too." "You threatened Zhan? Why are you doing this?",  Yibo asked perplexed and then realisation dawned upon him. "Let me guess, if I agree to go out with Yifei you will return them their company. Is that it?", Yibo asked slamming the papers on the table and Yi Lun stood up. "No. I won't. I am saying that if you agree to marry Yifei I will not ruin that boy's life. It will be as easy as swatting away a fly for me, Yibo. First, his family will lose their everything, then he will be expelled from his college, his sister already got ditched and I can make sure she never gets married. I will make sure Zhan suffers till he takes his last breath, Yibo. Do you think he will still love you after I put him through that hell? He will end up loathing you Yibo and you won't be able to do anything. I promised my brother I will take care of you and Haikuan. I never expected you to make such mistakes but now that we are here, I will put your life back on track." "You have gone CRAZY!!!", Yibo roared but Wang Yi Lun remained impassive to his outburst. "I know right now you think I am being unfair but one day you will thank me, Yibo. You will." Dark spots surrounded Yibo's vision and no matter how much Yibo screamed, it wasn't enough. He felt the familiar weight of cold chains on his limbs and his uncle dragged him away slowly, step by step until Zhan's face reduced to a blur again. Yibo couldn't remember Zhan and he screamed his baobei's name again and again until his lungs burned. "Zhan!!!!" "Zhan!!!" "Xiao Zhan!!!"
Yibo woke up with a jolt and found a pair of dark eyes locked into his face, worry and concern for his well being shining bright in them. Yibo's hands were holding Zhan in a death grip, no doubt hurting the man but Zhan didn't complain about it, instead brushing Yibo's hair from his sweaty forehead. "This is the fourth time you've had a nightmare in a week, Yibo. Will you still not tell me what's going on?",Zhan asked softly and Yibo who was still shaken up because of his dream, lost control. He pulled Zhan to him and kissed the man like he needed him to survive, climbing over him and shoving Zhan's clothes out of the way. Zhan let out a surprised gasp but Yibo covered that cherry mouth with his own, pinned Zhan's hands above his head, afraid that Zhan would push him away. Yibo's lips landed on every inch of skin that was exposed like a man possessed and his mouth glided over the pale skin, his teeth and lips aching to cover Zhan in shades of red. Whimpers and low moans left Zhan's throat and hands curled around Yibo, pulling him closer and holding him tight. "I'm here", Zhan rasped against his lips and Yibo buried his face in Zhan's neck, like he had done every night for the past week when his memories resurfaced through his dreams. "I am sorry", he mumbled against the soft skin and felt Zhan press a kiss to his head saying, "It's ok." Even after knowing that Zhan had no idea what he was apologizing for, Yibo let himself relax and drew comfort from the whispered words.