BOOK ONE:
Xiao Zhan is a man on his late twenties who decided to move from a small town to a big city.
Having endured pain and loss, he is more than ready to start life anew. But what will happen when a handsome and mysterious man turns it upside d...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸
Zhan POV
Walking through the streets of Beijing surprisingly had a calming effect on me. The streets were buzzing, it was spring break but I couldn't bring myself to care, but then again I never did care about such things. I smiled to myself. As I thought about it more often, moving to Beijing was the riskiest and probably the best decision I've made yet. It's been a year since I left my house in Chongqing. I will never forget the look on my family's faces when I told them I wanted to travel halfway across the country to a city as big as Beijing.
My big sister wanted to come with me but I couldn't let her, her whole life was in Chongqing, besides this was something I had to do by myself.
My sister and I have never been separated our whole lives, me moving was tough on both of us.
The horns of cabs on the road snapped me back to reality,
I was just around the corner to my apartment. I enjoyed walking, it gave me a chance to let my mind relax for a while and not worry about anything but making my legs move forward.
I turned the key and opened the door, "Home at last" I muttered to myself.
My apartment was not bad for a 28-year-old single man.
2 bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, lounge, and a dining area, it wasn't much but it was my sanctuary.
Over the last 3 months I've really put more effort into redecorating it, choosing the apartment was an easy decision.
It was open, lite, modern and cozy at the same time, just the way I like it.
After a nice long hot bath I grabbed my take away and made my way to the recliner by the large window in the lounge.
The view of Beijing was not bad from where I was sitting.
I closed my eyes and let my mind wander again,
"I'm so proud of you my son" said dad, pulling me into a tight hug after the rain of graduation caps was over.
"Aren't we all? Well done little bro"
"Thanks sis" I said giving her a hug too.
"Where's mom?" I could swear she was with them a minute ago.
"She ran back home, she wanted to make sure everything was perfect for your graduation party" sister chuckled. Knowing very well that the thought of a party annoyed me.
"Someone kill me now!" I said hanging my head, that request was a lost cause
"Oh don't be so dramatic, it will be fun you'll see" dad flashed me an encouraging smile.
"Fine" I sighed "but you're borrowing me your car for a whole month" I warned him
"Yes sir!" he said trying not to laugh at my failed plan,
"Come on guys! We don't want to be late" sister patting her foot impatiently
"Yeah heaven forbid that we should be late for our own party" I said with deep sarcasm,
This time we all laughed as we made our way out of the school's hall.
My eyes flashed open at the sudden pain in my chest.
Its been awhile since I've felt pain since I moved here, sometimes it felt like it was gone completely, but it would creep its way back in and stun me when I least expected it.
When I didn't feel pain, I didn't necessary feel happiness either.
My high school graduation was one of the best memories I had, a time when life was less complex and harsh.
A time when I was a happy teenager; eager to start conquering the world.
Everything changed 6 and a half years later, I was still in college when my father was diagnosed with cancer. It shook my whole family; I for one was completely devastated.
I couldn't believe this could happen to one of the most sweetest and loving men on the planet, but then again when was life ever fair?
Dad went on with life as if nothing happened, he didn't want us to worry about him or treat him differently. But I could see that he was putting up a façade for mom, for me...for my entire family's sake.
When he grew weak to the point where he couldn't get out of bed anymore, I felt absolutely helpless.
My father was dying right in front of my eyes and there was nothing I could do about it. Somehow at the back of my head I kept hoping an angel would fall from the sky and cure him, or for him to jump up and say 'Just kidding!'
When he died it felt like a part of me had died along with him, his death was hard on everyone but I took it the hardest.
He and I were close, he was not just my father; he was my friend, my idol, my everything.
Our family mourned him but in time they all started to accept and move on, hell even my mother appeared to have moved on, but me.
I was stuck.
Even now watching the bright lights of Beijing I wonder if I 'am capable of moving on.
I felt tears sting my eyes, but this time I made no effort to try and prevent them from streaming down my face.
"I miss you dad," I whispered, wiping myself up and headed to my bedroom.
