Zhan slowly began to open his eyes, though they felt unbearably heavy. It took nearly a full minute of struggling before he finally managed to lift his lids and blink a few times, trying to clear the blur clouding his vision. Gradually, things came into focus, and his sight stabilized enough for him to take in his surroundings.
At first glance, the room didn't look like a hospital room. But after noticing a few familiar signs....the equipment, the clinical arrangement....he confirmed it: he was in a hospital.
The room was empty except for the quiet hum of the ceiling fan and the gentle, comforting chill of the air conditioning, cool enough to soothe, but not enough to cause discomfort.
He tried turning toward the door just as it creaked open again. It was Aunty Anu. She hurried inside the room, her face glowing with relief and joy. She went straight to the chair by the bed... where she had clearly been sitting before... and took his hand in both of hers, tears spilling from her eyes as she smiled.
"Where does it hurt? What's bothering you?" she asked gently, brushing his hair back.
"I'm fine, Aunt," Zhan murmured, his own tears rising again.
She wiped at his face carefully and said, "From today on, no more tears. No more sadness, okay? I'm here now... Let me call the doctor to come check on you."
He nodded, watching her with a soft gaze.
She was nearly at the door when it opened again....this time, his father stepped into the room, his eyes sweeping around as if searching for something. Aunt Anu's expression instantly darkened, her warm smile gone. Instead of leaving, she turned back and reentered the room, standing protectively beside Zhan.
She didn't even look at Xiao Yun as he approached the bed.
He stood before Zhan and greeted him. "What happened to you, Zhan?"
"I'm not sure, Baba," Zhan replied quietly. "I just felt dizzy and collapsed."
"I see... Hopefully you recover quickly," Xiao Yun said, then turned his attention toward Aunt Anu, though she didn't acknowledge him.
"You're back?" he asked. "So, when have you returned?."
She didn't bother to look at him. "Yes," she replied simply...for Zhan's sake, not his.
Before the tension could stretch any further, the door opened again. This time it was Aunt Anu's husband, known to the family as Papa, along with their children. Zhan had known two of them...Niu and Ao...from before Aunty Anu's departure. But now there were three. A little boy, Han Li, had joined the family.
Papa was holding Han Li while Niu and Ao carried basket of food in containers. Zhan lifted his hand in a small wave to greet them. Papa stayed behind to exchange a few words with Xiao Yun, who left soon afterward... probably realizing he'd been forgotten or not needed here.
The rest of the day passed quietly. Aunty Anu never left Zhan's side. Papa, a warm and friendly man, made everyone feel comfortable....especially Zhan, who had always been like a son to him. The children, especially Niu, quickly warmed up to Zhan again. Ao needed more time but gradually opened up. As for Han Li, he was already curled up beside his mother like a sleepy kitten.
When the doctor arrived to check on Zhan, he mentioned that Zhan might be discharged the next day, as there were no lingering concerns. But the discharge didn't happen.
That night, a high fever gripped Zhan. It was so intense that Aunty Anu barely slept, watching over him through the long, anxious hours. It wasn't until dawn that the fever finally broke and Zhan slipped into a deep, restful sleep.
✨✨✨
Two more days passed before Zhan made a full recovery. On the third morning, he woke up with more energy. Aunt Anu was relieved. She helped him bathe early and laid out one of the new outfits she had bought for him while he was bedridden. She couldn't help but notice how well the clothes fit, how striking his figure was, how much he resembled her late sister, Yunjun.
Zhan emerged from the bathroom dressed and looking fresh. Aunt Anu had made him ginger tea and chips, which she handed to him while studying his face.
"No more illness today, alright? Now finish that....every bite."
Zhan smiled, a wide one that revealed his bright white teeth. It made Aunt Anu pause for a moment....he looked so much like his mother Yunjun, it stirred something deep in her remembering her sister.
She pulled a chair closer and sat across from him, watching silently as he ate. Neither of them said much, but their eyes kept meeting, soft and meaningful.
The room was quiet, just the two of them. Papa had brought the kids earlier that morning with breakfast, but they had returned home. The children never stayed long at the hospital anyway. They were more attached to their father, and since the house help was there to care for them, Aunt Anu had chosen to remain behind with Zhan.
He ate more than half before setting the plate aside and saying, "I'm full, Aunty."
She smiled.
"Alright, that's good to hear."
"Zhan… I have a strong feeling that after I left, many things didn't go the way I planned. Even though I found some changes when I came back, nothing eased my mind. There are still two years before we return, but I couldn't stop thinking about you. I couldn't even sleep without dreaming of you… Tell me, what's going on? What really happened while I was gone?"
Just from the way Zhan's expression changed before he said anything, Anu already knew something serious had happened. Something big. Something that had altered his life.
Zhan couldn't speak. Instead, he broke down into a sob so raw and heavy that it made him realize just how bottled up he had been all this time. It was only now, leaning against someone who truly cared, that he could let go of the pain and heartache clawing at his chest. Hot tears streamed down his cheeks...tears drawn from deep within his soul.
Aunt Anu said nothing. She simply held him and gently patted his back, letting him cry without interruption. She didn't speak. Her mind was already racing with fear, dreading what she might hear. She had imagined every possible scenario, yet her heart still wasn't ready.
Eventually, when his sobs subsided, she got up and brought him a cool drink from the mini fridge. He drank most of it, then exhaled heavily, as if trying to steady himself.
Bit by bit, Zhan began telling Aunt Anu everything...every detail, nothing hidden. From the very beginning until the day she had walked into their home.
Anu sat as if frozen in place, unable to move. Her eyes were already red from crying, starting from the moment he began his story. But it was when he got to the part about his marriage...the way his father arranged it, taking the only son of her blood sister and sold him off to the royalty....that her nerves truly unraveled. Every word hit her like a storm.
Right then, Papa returned to the room with Han Li.
He was startled to find them in that state, unsure what had just occurred. Anu said nothing...she simply leaned into his shoulder and began crying, just as Zhan was. The pain of the story had settled like a brick in her chest.
"I won't let this go, Papa. I won't rest. Everyone involved will face the consequences of what they've done. Even if I have to go all the way to the Tianjin Palace, I'll take them to court if I must. I don't care if I lose everything I own."
Papa didn't argue. He only tried to calm her down while softly consoling Zhan. Eventually, Zhan wiped his tears, but Anu's crying wouldn't stop. Papa gently led her out of the room.
They didn't return for nearly forty minutes. When they came back, the crying had stopped. Anu's face, though, was tightly drawn. A doctor followed them in and checked on Zhan one last time. Confirming he was no longer in pain, he gave them the discharge note.
Even in the car, they all remained mostly silent. Each of them was still lost in thought. Zhan didn't realize where they were heading until Anu gave directions...straight to the family house.
"Anu, can't we just wait until tomorrow?" Papa asked gently.
Her face hardened again as she looked at him.
"Papa, I've already told you everything. I swear, not a single thing that belongs to Zhan will remain in that house another hour. Please don't take this the wrong way, but Zhan will no longer live under their roof...not now, not ever. Even if I'm gone someday, I know my family won't let this go once they learn the full story."
Papa didn't reply. He simply turned the wheel in the direction she indicated.
In a few minutes, they arrived at the gate. Zhan and Anu got out while Papa remained in the car.
She knocked gently...just loud enough to be heard. Inside, the new bride was sitting in the living room with Cunxin. Their posture made it seem like they were forced to be there together, neither comfortable nor friendly. The only thing binding them was rivalry and forced civility.
Anu didn't spare either of them a glance. Her face was as stormy as thunderclouds.
"Go inside and pack everything you need....everything that's yours. We're leaving."
Zhan nodded, though a weight hung over him. Would his father really allow this? He could still remember flashes of the past...how he had once resisted being taken from this house even as a child. His mind tugged at memories of his siblings. Still, he said nothing and went inside.
"Who even are you, walking into people's homes like this? And giving orders to someone else's child? Where exactly do you think you're going with him?" Cunxin demanded, standing up with an air of self-importance.
Anu threw her a cutting glare so sharp it made Cunxin freeze. She was holding herself back, resisting the urge to slap her.
"Why don't you go ask the person who left you here who I am? And as for him....he has no right, not today, not ever, to stop me from taking Zhan with me. If you think otherwise, feel free to try."
Shaken, Cunxin turned and hurried off to Xiao Yun's room, her hands trembling.
It wasn't long before they returned together, Xiao Yun hurriedly adjusting his cap as if he had left in a rush.
"Is everything alright, Anu?" he asked.
But she only shot him a cold, disdainful look. She felt an overwhelming urge to strangle him. With everything she'd discussed with Papa and the way she felt today, there was no doubt...neither Xiao Yun nor any of his wives would be spared from her wrath.
"Oh, so she went to get you and didn't bother telling you why I came?" she said, voice tight.
Xiao Yun stepped fully into the living room. "She told me. And you already know this has never been up for discussion...not then, and certainly not now. Zhan is in his father's house, where he belongs, just like his siblings."
A surge of heat rushed from her chest to her face. Anu straightened herself, standing taller, needing the firmness to help release the words swelling in her throat. She had been dying to let it all out.
"Whose house? Where is this so-called father?" She looked to her left and right as though searching for him, then turned her sharp gaze back to Xiao Yun. "You? If you're the one you're referring to as his father, then it's clear someone lied to you about what a parent should be. You'd better take yourself out of that category, because you have nothing...not a single trait....that earns you that title."
"Your behavior, your choices, your values....they're not that of a parent. You act like someone who knows nothing about raising a child, because you've never truly done it. You resemble a selfish man, a cruel one at that. A man who doesn't even know the first thing about the children he supposedly fathered. A man who would rather sell out his child's dignity for wealth that won't even last. A man who calls injustice fairness. A man tearing his child's life apart with his own hands…"
"Shame on the kind of man who forgets there's a bond...an accountability....between parents and their children. Xiao Yun, your ignorance runs deep. From the very beginning, when my sister chose you, she was choosing blindly in the dark. Without a doubt, some cruel twist of fate tied her life to yours. My sister was a kind, thoughtful woman....one who never hurt anyone....and yet she ended up tied to someone like you. Still, we've always believed that sometimes, things happen that are simply beyond our control."
"Leaving Zhan here before was the biggest mistake I ever made. But I know you would have wronged him no matter what. That was always in the cards. But hear me now, and hear me well. I, Anu, as long as I have breath in my body and blood in my veins....Zhan is leaving this house for good today. And I swear to you, even if the sky and the earth must collide, even if it costs me my health or my last breath, I will not walk out of this house without him."
Her words struck deep. Xiao Yun felt a wave of shame, especially with his wives sitting nearby, all watching. Since he and Anu had known each other, they had never gotten along, but she had never spoken to him this harshly before...not with such unrelenting force.
Meanwhile, Zhan was in the room with his younger siblings, who clung to him tightly, overjoyed to see him again. They hadn't seen him since the day they returned and had been worried...unsure where he had gone, even wondering if he had left them behind again.
Hearing the voices of his father and Aunt Anu outside drew him to the living room. All the children followed behind him.
Zhan's appearance caught Anu's attention. She looked at him, her eyes sharp with renewed anger.
"And those things you're carrying... don't tell me you got them from that heartless Royal Family?"
Zhan gave her a small nod. Her voice rose, thick with emotion.
"I don't want you taking a single thread from those self-serving tyrants. Leave it all behind. Let them keep adding to the false legacy they've built on other people's pain. The scars they've already left on our hearts are more than enough. Come on...let's go."
Zhan walked slowly toward the door, his steps quiet. A wave of guilt swept over him as he glanced at his younger siblings. He wanted to say something, but he knew this wasn't the time.
"Zhan, don't you dare walk out that door!" Xiao Yun's voice rang out as he advanced toward them.
Anu stopped in her tracks. Turning back to face him, her expression was cold and composed.
"Don't be in such a hurry to send yourself to prison. We haven't even started the legal case yet. Save your breath until the day I drag you and your Royal Tianjin family into court."
With that, she grabbed Zhan's hand and led him out.
As they stepped outside, Zhan could hear the cries of his little siblings. Their father must have been forcing them back inside...they clearly wanted to see their Gege one last time. The sound broke him. He burst into fresh tears.
"Don't worry," Anu said gently. "They'll be taken care of. They're children too, just like you were. I promise you...I won't let their lives fall apart. I'll do everything I can to make sure they grow up happy, and it'll be thanks to you."
Zhan nodded silently. He wanted to thank her, but she stopped him before he could even try.
"Just focus on calming yourself down," she said softly.
Anu let out a long, steady breath as she hugged Han Li, who had drifted to sleep in her arms. She was already forming a plan in her mind for how to move forward with everything. Papa smiled and teased her lightly.
"Looks like your dream of so many years finally came true today."
She tossed him a half-smile in return...no energy for witty comebacks today. Her heart was still aching over what had been done to Zhan. She couldn't let it go. She wouldn't let it go...just as she had promised herself.
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛