Between Family And Self... Slow Burn Yizhan

Zhan slowly lifted his head when a coursemate placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Zhan, what are you thinking? I've been talking to you this whole time," Fan said, eyes wide.

Zhan forced a faint smile, setting his handout aside. "Oh, I didn't even notice, Fan. How have you been these past few days?"

"I'm good. How's exam prep going?" she asked.

"Fine," Zhan replied quietly.

Fan continued, "Our project supervisor, Dr. Kexing, is asking for you. Which chapter are you on now? I just submitted my chapter four."

"Oh… I haven't submitted yet," Zhan admitted.

"Well, he's waiting for you in his office."

"Okay, thanks."

Almost an hour had passed since Shu and her friends left the department, leaving Zhan alone. He finally packed his handout and phone....still on flight mode...and headed upstairs to Dr. Kexing's office after saying goodbye to Fan, who was heading home.

He knocked gently.

"Come in," came the voice inside.

Zhan stepped in and closed the door. Dr. Kexing was the only one there, not even on his office chair but standing near his desk, typing something on his laptop. He looked up at Zhan, who immediately avoided eye contact, his gaze fixed instead on the coffee box on the table.

Stopping near a chair, Zhan said quietly, "Good afternoon sir."

Dr. Kexing removed his glasses and said, "Your phone's been off. So if I hadn't asked someone to call you, you wouldn't have shown up? I'd think at least for your project, you wouldn't wait for me to call first."

Zhan said nothing, his eyes glued to the floor.

"I have someone waiting for me," Zhan said. "I'll be heading home soon."

He turned to leave.

"Wait." Dr. Kexing grabbed his shirt.

Zhan instinctively stepped back, whipping around to face him. "Don't do that again, please… sir."

Dr. Kexing blinked, surprised. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Zhan said firmly, though his voice trembled. "I'm perfectly fine. I just regret ever having any kind of relationship with you from the start until now. I just realized you're the reason I'm going through all this. I regret ever meeting you."

Dr. Kexing sat back down, staring at him. "Really? You regret it? I should be the one regretting things, Zhan. I'm the one who was hurt, so regret should be mine, not yours."

Zhan struggled to keep his tears back, clenching his fists. "Yes. I regret everything."

"Regret everything?" Dr. Kexing said softly.

Zhan turned to the door but paused, gripping the handle. He looked back, eyes brimming with pain. "I regret trusting you. I hate myself for believing in you to the point that I almost lost my sense of decency. I will never forgive you for that."

Dr. Kexing's expression darkened. "I don't understand. How did I make you lose your decency? How?"

Tears blurred Zhan's vision. "Even going to your house and what you tried to do… it was wrong."

Dr. Kexing stood abruptly. "Did I ever ask you to come to my house? No. You decided on your own. I never once told you to come over."

Zhan glared at him for a moment longer, then turned and stormed out, tears finally spilling. He wiped them furiously as he left the building, not even lasting another minute on campus before heading straight back to his hostel.

The first thing he did upon entering was delete Dr. Kexing's number, block him completely, and do the same on WhatsApp.

He collapsed onto his bed, and hot tears poured freely, as though a dam had burst. The doctor's last words kept replaying in his mind, stabbing him repeatedly.

He wished he had never gone to that house. He wished he had never gotten involved at all. He cried until there was nothing left, then dragged himself up, opened his exam timetable...something he had only glanced at once before....and arranged all his reading materials according to it before heading to the bathroom.

***

By 4:30 PM, Zhan stepped outside because Hai Kuan had called him. Hai Kuan stood by his car, waiting.

"How are you?" Hai Kuan greeted.

"I'm fine," Zhan replied quietly.

"Are you studying hard?"

"Yes, I am."

Hai Kuan was silent for a moment before saying, "I'll be traveling tomorrow for work. I don't know how long I'll be away."

"It's fine," Zhan said. "I'll be okay."

"Sure about that?" Hai Kuan smiled faintly.

"Yes, I'm sure."

Within half an hour, Hai Kuan drove off, leaving Zhan to return to his hostel. Truthfully, Zhan was relieved. He didn't want anyone visiting him; he just wanted to be left alone. Hai Kuan's absence meant he wouldn't have to explain that feeling. Yibo, however, was different....Zhan could be honest with him and tell him he needed space to focus on his studies without distractions.

Later that night, Yibo came over. Zhan explained everything weighing on his heart. At first, Yibo couldn't respond; he simply listened. Zhan waited quietly for his reaction. After a while, Yibo asked, "So this is really what you want, baby?"

Zhan nodded. "Yes, I want to focus completely. Cho and I will be at school from morning till evening so I can study properly."

Yibo exhaled deeply. There was confidence in Zhan's voice tonight, a determination that almost seemed inspired by something new. Slowly, Yibo said, "Alright, if that's what you want, baby…"

Zhan didn't respond, just watched him quietly. Yibo finally turned and asked, "But… can I at least come see you once in a while?"

Zhan shook his head firmly. "No, Gege. I said I can take care of myself. Even Cho, who's only in level two, doesn't have anyone checking on him every day. I'm not a child."

Yibo gazed at him for a long moment, then gave a small smile. "Okay then. I know you'll take care of yourself, baby. Today is Monday… how about I come see you Wednesday, just for a short while? Is that alright?"

Zhan frowned. "Gege, I said I can take care of myself. I'm not a kid."

Yibo didn't press further. He simply nodded. Deep down, Zhan wished he would just leave already; he didn't want anyone around. After a moment, Yibo sighed and said, "Alright then, I'll go. I'll call you, baby."

"Thank you," Zhan replied.

Yibo stood and walked out, glancing back at him one more time before leaving.

When Yibo reached home, his steps felt heavy. Every day, he silently hoped things would return to normal so he could finally have some peace of mind. He parked in front of his house, intending to check on Lan Yi later, then stepped into the living room. The house was filled with the scent of cooking. Curious, he followed the aroma down the corridor...just as Shu rushed out of Min's room, clutching three expensive gowns shoved into a bag.

She froze at the sight of him, her eyes wide, then quickly zipped the bag closed, clearly nervous. Yibo almost ignored her but then said, "You're back."

Shu stammered, "Y-yes… I just came to pick up something I left with Min earlier."

"Okay," he replied simply and unlocked his own room, shutting the door behind him.

Shu hurried into her own room, stuffing the gowns into her suitcase before locking it. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she exhaled heavily, relieved.

Meanwhile, Min had finished cooking rice with vegetable stew, arranging everything neatly in dishes before stepping out of the kitchen. She spotted Shu lounging in the living room and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you're back already?" Min asked.

Ever since Shu had brought up money for gold a few days ago, Min had become more cautious around her, keeping things polite but distant. Still chewing gum, Shu replied casually, "Yeah, I just came in, haven't even gone to my room yet."

"Well, if you don't want the vegetable stew, you could make some noodles. I know you don't really eat vegetables," Min said.

Shu frowned. "Who said I don't eat vegetables? And do I look like I know how to cook noodles myself?"

Min didn't argue and simply walked away, deciding not to start any trouble. She had hoped Shu wouldn't return before she finished cooking, so she could avoid any confrontation.

Min took a quick shower and emerged around six. She hadn't even realized Yibo had come home because he hadn't driven in, so there was no sound of a car. What caught her attention was Shu standing in the corridor, knocking on Yibo's door.

When Yibo opened it, Shu smiled sweetly and said, "Gege, can you please help me with a little subscription? My data's finished, and I have to attend a WhatsApp class for my exams."

Min's heart burned with irritation as she watched. When did Yibo even come home? Did they come back together?

Yibo looked at Shu. "How much do you need?"

Shu smiled wider, leaning against the wall and fiddling with her sleeve. "Just 200 yuan would be enough, Gege. Thank you so much."

Yibo looked at Shu and said casually, "Oh, you're glowing today. What are you using on your skin?"

Min froze, her brain going blank for a moment. Shu let out a soft, girlish laugh and said, "Actually, Gege, my cream and soap are finished… and my perfume too."

Yibo nodded. "We'll buy more then. I'm heading to Granny Fang Yu's house now; get ready so we can stop by the supermarket on the way."

Shu blushed and said sweetly, "Okay, Gege. Let me get ready, thank you." She quickly hurried into her room.

Yibo locked his door, leaving Min standing there like a statue. She remained frozen even as Yibo and Shu came back out, ready to leave. He walked past her without a glance, and Shu, adjusting her scarf and locking her bag, smiled and said mockingly, "See you when we're back, bestie."

Min stared after them until they stepped out of the living room, then rushed into her own room, collapsed on the edge of her bed, and dialed her cousin Rui.

The moment Rui picked up, Min burst into uncontrollable sobs. "Rui, I'm tired… so tired. I feel like my chest will explode. Now I realize I'd rather have Zhan in this house a thousand times over. At least he never humiliated me like this, and Yibo never treated him the way he's treating Shu now... ignoring me completely while Shu acts like she owns my home."

"Are you really seeing all this happening in your house?" Rui asked calmly on the other end.

Min cried harder. "I'm scared, Rui. What if that old woman, their grandmother, decides Yibo should marry Shu since they're always together now? And what if Shu actually starts falling for him like she ones fall for Hai Kuan...she's never been the most sensible person. I can feel it, Rui, like something terrible is about to happen if I don't stop this fast. Yibo doesn't even look at me anymore!"

Rui tried to soothe her. "Didn't I tell you to relax? We know exactly what we're doing. This marriage isn't binding; we can end it if we want to. Shu will leave your house, just like that worthless man left before. Trust me, we've handled worse situations than this."

Min sniffled between sobs. "But I told you how much Granny Fang Yu adores Shu, like Shu controls her. Honestly, I'd rather have Zhan here than Shu. If I'd known, I never would've connected Shu with my spirituals in the first place. I regret it every single day!"

Rui sighed. "Look, I'm not at home right now. I'll call you later when I get back."

The line went dead, and Min sat there crying, wondering why nothing ever seemed to go right in her life. It was always one problem after another, and now even her marriage barely a month old already felt like it was crumbling.

~**~

Zhan barely slept this days. Exams were starting the next day, and he desperately tried to review his notes, though he knew deep down he wasn't fully prepared. His mind just wouldn't cooperate. Still, he made it to school by 7:30 Am...the first time he had set foot on campus since the previous Monday.

At the entrance of the exam hall, he showed his student ID to one of the lecturers and was directed to his seat. Moments later, Shu walked in and was also guided to the seat next to Zhan, separated by a small gap. Soon, answer sheets were being distributed.

Almost instinctively, Zhan looked up and spotted Dr. Kexing standing at the far end of the hall, focused on his phone. The moment their eyes almost met, Zhan quickly looked away, pretending not to notice him.

Zhan stared at his exam paper, feeling uneasy. The questions looked vaguely familiar, yet something felt off, like he had read the wrong notes. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Shu fidgeting strangely. Looking sideways, his heart sank.... she had slid her phone out from her bra, hiding it under her sleeve. Despite the strict invigilators, Shu was cheating with bold precision, copying answers while keeping a straight face.

Zhan's chest tightened. If she gets caught, that's immediate expulsion…

After about 30 minutes, Dr. Kexing walked over to Shu's desk. She quickly shoved the phone between her thighs, but he had already noticed. Without making a scene or attracting other invigilators' attention, he leaned in and whispered, "Give me the phone, Shu."

Shu trembled and slowly handed over the phone, fear written all over her face. He slipped it into his pocket and walked away silently, without looking back.

Zhan sat frozen, staring after Dr. Kexing, stunned. Did he just cover for Shu?

Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛