🔸𝐍𝐎 ℓσɳɠεɾ 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃🔸

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏

Wang Yibo rang Jiang Cheng. He wanted to see his Xiao Zhan, now that he had finally had a glimpse of his beloved after three long suffocating years, he could not wait anymore.

"Hello?" Jiang Cheng's voice came through the phone.

"Hello, Jiang Cheng, I am Yibo."

"I know. What are you calling me for?" Jiang Cheng's angry voice came over.

Wang Yibo knew Jiang Cheng must be very angry with him and he had no objection regarding it. All that he needed right now was, a help. A very big help.

"I need to see Zhan Ge." Wang Yibo said, trying to ignore the pain that ached in him, saying the name that had belonged to him, once upon a time.

Jiang Cheng was quite taken aback by Wang Yibo's words. Well, actually, he indeed wanted Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan to meet each other but, he did not expect it to come up so soon.

"What makes you to want to meet him now?" Jiang Cheng scoffed. Of course, he wanted Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan to get together back again but not until Wang Yibo realizes his own mistake.

"I have wanted to see him ever since I left him on the hotel that day. But I could not find Zhan Ge anywhere. Jiang Cheng, please. I know you are aware of Zhan Ge's place. Please take me there. I beg you."

"Wang Yibo, have you ever thought why you could never meet Zhan in these three years? Did you really think he ran away from you?"

"No, never! Zhan Ge would never run away from me. I never thought that Zhan had run away from me."

"Then what do you think happened to him during these three years?" Jiang Cheng pressed.

"I... I don't know but... I want to know. I want to have my questions all answered and I want your help in that. Please..."

"My help? Wang Yibo, if you really love Xiao Zhan, you would have already found the answers for your questions."

"What... what do you mean?"

"I mean?" Jiang Cheng snapped. "You will know soon."

"Can you please take me to Zhan Ge's place? I... I want to see him and... our baby. Please..." Wang Yibo tried hard not to sob at those words but he still couldn't stop his tears flowing down.

It hurts!

Wang Yibo heard Jiang Cheng laugh mockingly through the phone abd he had no complaint against it. He knew, he deserved this and much more!

-

Thirty minutes later, without anyone's knowing, Wang Yibo sneaked out of the mansion and got into Jiang Cheng's car which waited outside.

The drive was quiet and either of them did not speak. Well, Jiang Cheng was furious at Wang Yibo for abandoning Xiao and Wang Yibo was immersed in his own thoughts of seeing his omega and their baby after such a long time.

Jiang Cheng gave him Xiao Zhan's address and dropped him on the nearest street for he got a call from his mother asking him to get back home.

Wang Yibo thanked Jiang Cheng and with a heavy heart, walked towards Xiao Zhan's address.

-

Xiao Zhan was tired.

It was far beyond the lethargy of a couple nights of bad sleep. It was a bone-deep ache weighing down each individual muscle fibre.

But despite his exhaustion, Xiao Zhan could not sleep. High octane lights pierce through the cheap window coverings to shine directly in his burning eyes, even through closed lids. The thin lumpy mattress does little for his aching back. Not to mention that he was still getting used to sleeping it.

Don't complain. Don't be ungrateful. You can do this. He told himself. Jiang Cheng had bought this little home for him after finding him on the streets with his little baby. And he had refused but Jiang Cheng had been stubborn. At first, Jiang Cheng had wanted to buy him a nice luxurious apartment but Xiao Zhan knew that he wasn't worth of it. So he had demanded for a little home that could fit himself and his baby.

He knew that he must be glad.

But, it was so, so hard.

It had been three weeks since he had moved into this little home after he had fled away from the cramp house in which Meng Yao had kept him and his baby, locked up.

Xiao Zhan could deal with the tiny, cramped kitchen, too small for anything but a microwave and a rice cooker. He could put up with the bathroom. He could even tolerate the woeful lack of anything resembling air conditioning.

The part that was the hardest was the pervasive feeling of loneliness.

Xiao Zhan sighed and turned his back to the window, stubbornly slamming his eyes shut. He only had three hours before work and he needed every moment of sleep to make it through the day.

Well, it was already ten now and he had taken a half day leave, as he was sick for drenching in the rain with his ex-husband last night.

Wen Ning would be here soon with the breakfast and he just wanted to sleep until them, which seemed to be inevitable.

-

Wang Yibo took a deep exhale as he finally got to Xiao Zhan's house and stood in front of it. He was here, finally!

Very carefully, he pulled at the doorknob, a sharp click filling the silence before it was taken over by the light humming of the air-conditioning unit. He was surprised to find the door open but did not contemplate much on it. It was cold. Really cold that Yibo couldn't help the shiver that climbed his spine. He stepped in as quietly as he could, pushing the door gently behind him.

Jiang Cheng had told him that he had bought this home for Xiao Zhan despite him refusing the offer and no one had known of this except him and his sister.

Wang Yibo was grateful for Jiang Cheng for keeping Xiao Zhan and their baby safe which he had failed to do. The ache in his chest grew stronger, but this time layered with new feelings. Protectiveness. Sympathy. Guilt.

Just when Wang Yibo entered the living room, Xiao Zhan's hoarse and sick voice came from the opposite room. Wang Yibo's heart began to thunder.

"Wen Ning, you are back? I kept the door open for you but did not think that you would come so soon."

Wang Yibo tried not to let his tears fall abd walked towards the source of the voice. With each step, his heart feeling heavier and heavier.