PART 35

While they were cooking, Eros couldn't help but glance at Gu Wei, who was completely focused on what he was doing and was even starting to sweat. Eros took a tissue to wipe Gu Wei's forehead, surprising him. Gu Wei looked at Yibo. "What are you doing?" Gu Wei asked.

Eros smiled at him. "I wiped your sweat," he replied sarcastically. Gu Wei raised an eyebrow. "I know, but why?" Gu Wei asked calmly, and when he noticed A-yuan watching them, he forced a smile. "Let's just cook," Gu Wei said, ignoring the way Yibo was looking at him.

Meanwhile. Cheng went to the living room, but it was empty, so he headed to the study room, where he found them talking. "Love," Cheng called to Haikuan. "Are Yibo and Gu Wei okay?" Cheng asked, causing the three to look at him. "What do you mean?" Haikuan asked. Instead of answering, Cheng showed them the picture A-yuan had sent.

The three exchanged glances. "I thought A-yuan was at Lara's house," Katrina said as she reached for her phone to call Lara. It took a few rings before the line connected.

"Hello, is A-yuan with you?"

"No, he's with Gu Wei. He called to say A-yuan would stay with him for a while. Why, did something happen?" Lara asked. "Nothing, they're just together," Katrina replied curtly. "With Yibo?" Lara asked, surprised. "Yes."

Flashback

Five years ago, Lara and Sebastian already knew that Ebisu was alive. Five years ago, after Ebisu, Jiyang, and Haoxuan escaped from the place where they were held captive, they went straight to the house where Ebisu and Eros lived before Ebisu was kidnapped.

Ebisu thought that when he got home, his husband would be waiting for him with their child. But from a distance, they saw Yibo outside the house. Ebisu was about to run to him and tell him he was alive and had returned, but he froze when he saw Liying step out of the house, followed by a young boy.

Before Eros could turn toward where Ebisu was standing, his friends pulled him away to hide. Ebisu didn't even notice his tears falling. When Liying was torturing him, she always claimed she was married to Yibo, but Ebisu never believed her because he trusted Yibo.

But now that he was witnessing it himself, Ebisu felt deeply hurt. "There's nothing left for me to come back to," he said, crying as he watched them. At first, he thought Andro was their child, but he was shocked when another young boy came out, and he almost couldn't breathe when they called him A-yuan.

"Dad, can you take us to school? Oh, and by the way, they're giving recognition to the top students in our class, and they want the parents to come," A-yuan said happily, but Yibo didn't even glance at him. "I'm busy" Yibo said shortly.

Ebisu looked at Jiyang and Haoxuan, as if asking what was happening.

"Dad, are you picking us up later?" Andro asked. "Your dad is busy, Andro. I'll pick you up," Liying said, but Yibo spoke up. "I'll pick you both up later," he said. Andro hugged him happily, while A-yuan turned away, seemingly wiping his tears. "I love you, Daddy. You're the best," Andro said. "Silly boy" Yibo replied, ruffling Andro's hair.

As Ebisu watched all this, it felt like his heart was being slowly crushed, making it hard for him to breathe. "Yibo, what's wrong with you? Why are you treating our child like this?" Ebisu asked Yibo as if he could hear him.

In his anger, Ebisu was about to run to them, but Jiyang and Haoxuan held him back. "Let me go, my child needs me," Ebisu cried, struggling to break free from their hold.

"We know you're angry, but do you see yourself right now? Are you going to show yourself to them like this? Even though you know Liying is the reason for all of this, do you think she won't kill you if she sees you?" Haoxuan fired off a series of questions, causing Ebisu to pause.

"Let's not waste our fight for survival for nothing. You need to be strong so we can go back and make them pay for what they've done to you. If you want, we can reveal ourselves to A-yuan, but not to your sister or Yibo," Jiyang suggested, glancing at where Yibo was standing with Liying. "We'll come back when we're ready, when we can face your sister head-on."

Liying had taken A-yuan and Andro to school, but before they got too close, she made A-yuan get out of the car, leaving him with no choice but to walk to school. Meanwhile, Ebisu, Jiyang, and Haoxuan got out of a taxi to follow A-yuan. Even though they looked like beggars, the taxi driver accepted them because of the large fare they paid.

A-yuan reached the school without realizing he was being followed. He decided to buy breakfast before going inside, but before he could enter, someone grabbed him. Startled, he screamed, and his fear grew when he saw Ebisu's face. "A-yuan, my child," was all Ebisu could say before he fainted.

Terrified, A-yuan ran into the shop, not to hide but to ask for help. But when he came back out, the man who had fainted was gone, as if he had been hallucinating.

Meanwhile, Jiyang and Haoxuan didn't know where to take Ebisu, and they couldn't bring him to the hospital because there would be questions they couldn't answer, so they just waited for him to wake up.

When Ebisu regained consciousness, he asked where A-yuan was, and Jiyang explained what had happened, so he didn't insist any further. "Where do we go now? You know we can't stay out here until tomorrow," Haoxuan asked. Ebisu suddenly sat down. "I know someone who might be able to help us," he said confidently.

They went to Lay's house, but at first, he didn't let them in, thinking they were strangers. He didn't recognize Ebisu right away because of how much his face had changed.

However, they eventually convinced him, and Lay was shocked. The person they all believed to have died 11 years ago was still alive. But before they could react, Zhan had another panic attack, and Lay and his mother realized that Zhan had gone through a lot. Lay was about to call Yibo, but Haoxuan asked who he was going to call.

When Lay mentioned Yibo, Haoxuan stopped him. "We already know the truth. We came from there, and they can't find out that he's alive," Haoxuan said. Lay didn't fully understand, but he listened to Haoxuan and called Zhan's parents instead. They rushed over to Lay's house immediately. When Gu Wei's mother saw the condition Zhan was in, she fainted.

End of Flashback.

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