Grandma Wang Lujin's remains were not brought to Beijing, the funeral was also held in the villa. Even if they wanted to, Carmen, Haikuan, and Haoxuan couldn't go home after Grandma Lujin's death. A few days after arriving in Texas, Yifei gave birth. Aside from that, the annual board meeting is starting and cannot be postponed.
The three days of Grandma Lujin's funeral, Zhan has barely slept in those three days. He wanted to blame himself for the old woman's death. If he had not gone with the rancheros despite the old woman's objection, she would have been able to take her medicine. She wouldn't have died in his lap.
Zhan was sitting in a corner of the living room and away from the crowd and covered by the grand piano. Watching the arriving guests when he saw Zhao Fei from the entrance with her father that shook Wang Quiren''s hand. Then hugged Yibo.
"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. I know you loved that dear old lady so much," Zhao Fei sobbed. She lingered in Yibo's arms for a few moments before letting go and approaching Wang Quiren to say hello and then returned to Yibo's side again.
Zhan let out a bitter sigh. He would have turned away when he saw a family enter. Yibo immediately greeted her and planted a kiss on her cheek then he touches the head of the child with her.
Zhan only saw the woman in the photo in Houston, but he knew it was Yang Mi with her family. The portrait didn't do her justice. She was very pretty in person even though she was pregnant.
He slowly stood up and walked into the library and sat down on the long sofa. Although he was introduced as Yibo's husband, he felt like a stranger. He didn't even know any of the guests there. And if he hadn't met the couple Zoucheng and Ziyi before, he might have felt that he was just one of those guests who sympathized with the family. He and Yibo barely talked after that afternoon. Yibo has been very busy on top of mourning.
And the whispers of the others around them were not hidden from him, especially when Zhao Fei came and hugged and kissed Yibo. Zhan closed his eyes and tried not to let the suppressed tears fall. Leaning his head against the armrest when the door opened.
"Here you are, Zhan, I want to meet you-" Quiren stopped when he saw that Zhan seemed tired. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yes... no..." Zhan didn't know what to answer. Quiren sat next to him. "I-it's my fault, Dad. I should not have left her..." he sobbed.
"Sshh... what are you talking about, Zhan?" Quiren said with his eyebrows frowning. "Mama has been sick for a long time and we all know that at any moment she will be gone."
Combined with tiredness, tension and staying awake for the past few days and resentment for what was he seen outside earlier, the feelings that Zhan had been suppressing finally let go.
"S-she died in my arms! Oh, God!" he said hysterically and continued to cry.
"Hush," said Quiren not knowing how to calm him. He leaned Zhan towards his chest and gently caressed his back.
"You will make yourself ill if you don't calm down, Zhan."
"What-?" Yibo stop entering when he saw his father and his husband. His eyebrows frown as he looked at the two. It was the second time he saw his husband and his father in such a scene.
The first was when Quiren arrived that very day.
He was confused when his husband went to his father and hugged him, and the calmed Zhan started crying hysterically.
Quiren looked at his son. "Zhan's tired and upset, Yibo. Fix your husband." he let go of his son-in-law and stood up.
"I'll order the maid to bring you a glass of milk, Zhan." After saying that, Quiren stepped out of the library.
Zhan wiped away the tears with his palms and tried to calm himself.
"W-do you need something from me?" he looked at Yibo who was still staring at him.
"Yang Mi wanted to meet you." Yibo's voice cold. "But from what I see of you, I guess I'll have to make excuses..."
"I-I am sorry, Yibo. I-I couldn't control myself..."
"I don't understand you," Yibo continued with a hint of anger in his voice. "In the past few days since Grandma Lujin's death you've been acting strangely. You grieved as if you were that close to my grandmother and Dad was always behind you. Aren't you overdoing this, Zhan?"
Before Zhan could answer, Quiren reappeared with a glass of milk.
"Here, drink this milk, Zhan." He handed Zhan a glass of milk. Zhan wanted to ask questions and protest, but he was too tired and upset to do that.
