PART 73

"Wang Yibo!"

Zhan's voice cut through the quiet garden like a whip, sharp and unmistakable. Both Yibo and A-Yuan froze on the spot. A-Yuan glanced nervously at his nana, while Yibo slowly turned around with the most innocent smile he could muster one that didn't fool Zhan in the slightest.

"Were you seriously about to drag our son into your shameless plan?" Zhan crossed his arms, eyes narrowing at Yibo as he walked toward them, cigarette now discarded and long forgotten.

"I wasn't dragging him," Yibo protested, hands raised as if surrendering. "He volunteered. Look at him, he's practically begging for a sibling."

A-Yuan, caught between amusement and embarrassment, scratched the back of his head and mumbled, "I mean. I kind of did say it"

Zhan stopped in front of them and gave A-Yuan a sideways look. "Baby radish, are you really on his side?"

A-Yuan grinned sheepishly. "Nana, it's just, it might be nice to have someone younger than me around. I could help take care of them! And maybe teach them stuff! And I don't know, it just feels like our family could use even more love."

Zhan's glare softened, and a smile threatened to tug at the corners of his lips, but he kept his act going. "Isn't one little monster enough?" he muttered, trying to sound annoyed. But Yibo saw the faint shimmer in his eyes the warmth he tried to hide.

"Come on, Nana," Yibo teased, nudging Zhan gently with his shoulder. "It's a beautiful day, we're in a quiet village, our son wants a sibling... wouldn't it be nice to add a little more chaos to the mix?"

Zhan rolled his eyes but the blush on his cheeks gave him away. "You are so shameless," he muttered, smacking Yibo's arm lightly. "You're not even fully recovered. And you're already thinking about that?"

Yibo grinned even wider and leaned in close, whispering, "I can recover faster, if it means we get to try."

Zhan gasped and turned bright red. "Wang Yibo!" he hissed again, smacking him once more, this time with a pillow he yanked from the nearby bench.

A-Yuan laughed uncontrollably, watching his parents bicker like teenagers in love. "You guys are so funny when you're like this."

Zhan turned toward A-Yuan, finally letting out a soft laugh as well. "You're both conspiring against me, huh?"

"Nooo, Nana," A-Yuan said, giving Zhan a back hug. "I just want us to be happy. And maybe have more memories together. You deserve it too."

Those words struck deeper than Zhan expected. He wrapped his arms around A-Yuan's, holding them gently. "You're right," he whispered, glancing at Yibo, who was watching them with quiet affection. "Maybe it's time we let go of the past and build something even better."

Yibo smiled and stepped forward to wrap his arms around both of them. "Then it's settled," he said cheerfully. "Let's start dreaming bigger."

Zhan rolled his eyes but this time, he didn't resist. He leaned into the warmth of their embrace, letting his heart soak in the joy he never thought he'd have again.

For the first time in a long while, Xiao Zhan felt like he wasn't just surviving—he was finally living.

The sun had dipped below the hills, casting a soft orange hue across the quiet village. The house Yibo had chosen nestled among tall trees and surrounded by a small garden radiated warmth as soft yellow lights glowed from within. Crickets chirped faintly in the distance, and the gentle breeze carried the scent of freshly cooked food.

Inside, the small dining table was filled with simple but lovingly made dishes. A-Yuan had insisted on helping, so there were slightly uneven dumplings and a soup that was a bit too salty, but no one complained. Yibo sat beside Zhan, their legs brushing under the table, while A-Yuan animatedly told a story about trying to chase a chicken earlier that afternoon.

Zhan laughed softly, his heart full. But every so often, his eyes would shift to Yibo, catching the way he rubbed his temple when he thought no one was looking.

When dinner was done, A-Yuan washed his hands and gave both his parents a hug. "I'll go read before bed, okay?" he said, already yawning.

"Brush your teeth, too," Zhan reminded.

"Yes, Nana!" A-Yuan called from the hallway, his footsteps echoing until they faded into the quiet of the house.

The dishes were cleaned, the kitchen dim and peaceful. Yibo and Zhan sat on the small wooden porch at the back of the house, overlooking a patch of wildflowers bathed in moonlight. Crickets still chirped softly, and in the distance, a dog barked once before all fell still again.

Zhan was curled beside Yibo, his head resting on Yibo's shoulder. For a while, they said nothing—just watched the stars, their hands quietly intertwined. But the silence didn't last long.

"I know you've been trying to hide it," Zhan finally said, his voice low. Yibo didn't respond right away. He kept staring at the moon, his jaw clenched.

Zhan sat up slightly to look at him. "The headaches, the way you frown when we're not looking at you."

Yibo finally exhaled, as though a weight had been sitting on his chest all day. "I am," he admitted quietly. "I'm terrified." Yibo didn't look at the landscape. Instead, he turned his head toward Zhan and held onto the only face he could still truly see.

"You know you're the only one left," Yibo said quietly. "The only face I can still recognize without hesitation. I look at our son, and I know it's him, but his face is blank." He swallowed. "But you. I see you. Every line, every scar, every freckle. Like the world made you in high-definition just for me."

Zhan's breath caught, but he said nothing. "And I'm scared, Zhan," Yibo whispered. "What if the surgery damages that part of my brain too? What if I wake up and even you are a stranger to me?"

Zhan reached up, cupping Yibo's cheek. "You won't forget me."

"But if I do," Yibo said, his voice cracking, "promise you'll still talk to me the way you always do. That you'll be patient, and that you'll hold my hand the same way. Because even if I lose sight of your face, I swear, I'll find my way back to you."

Zhan couldn't speak at first. He reached forward and wrapped Yibo in his arms, holding him tightly as his chest heaved with emotion, tears were already falling. "You will never lose me," he said fiercely. "You could forget the world, forget every language you've ever spoken, but your heart will remember me. It's too full of us to ever let go."

Yibo leaned into his touch. "I've been thinking about the baby, too. About why I suddenly want this again." Zhan looked at him gently. "Tell me."

Yibo's hand trembled in his lap. "Because if something happens to me, I want to leave a memory that lives inside you. Another piece of us. Something to hold when my hands aren't there. I want you to have a child who carries my smile, my stubbornness, even my clumsy dance moves. So even if I'm not in the picture I'll still be there in the background."

"You're not going anywhere," Zhan whispered fiercely. "You hear me? You're going to survive this. You'll come out of that operating room, and you'll see me. You'll hear my voice. You'll hold our son's hand. And if the world tries to take you from me, I will tear it apart with my bare hands just to bring you back."

Yibo laughed weakly through his tears. "That's the most romantic threat I've ever heard."

Yibo buried his face into Zhan's neck, gripping the fabric of his shirt like a lifeline. "What if I wake up and I can't see you anymore? What if even your face fades?"

Zhan pulled back, cupping both sides of Yibo's face with trembling hands. "Then I'll make you fall in love with me all over again. Every single day. If I have to draw my face for you a thousand times, I will."

Yibo blinked through tears. "That's not fair. You always say the perfect thing."

"That's because I only ever speak to you from the truth," Zhan whispered. "And the truth is, you're going to survive this. Not just for A-Yuan. Not just for me. But for the life we haven't finished building yet. For the baby we'll raise together. For the hundreds of evenings we'll spend just like this."

Yibo leaned in and kissed him, slow and lingering. He kept his eyes open the entire time, memorizing Zhan's face yet again, as if storing it in a place no tumor could ever reach.

Zhan pulled back enough to press his forehead against Yibo's, their breaths mingling. "We'll have another baby, love," Zhan said with conviction. "Not because I need a part of you to remember, but because you'll be here to raise that child with me. Together. I won't let fear steal our future."

Yibo's lip trembled, and he cupped Zhan's face gently. "I don't deserve you."

Zhan smiled, tears slipping down his cheeks. "You deserve everything, Yibo. And I'm going to spend the rest of our lives proving it to you."

They kissed beneath the stars, slowly, with a tenderness that spoke of every promise they'd ever made, and every future they still had to build. And in that moment, no illness, no fear, and no uncertain tomorrow could touch them. Just love.

The silence between them no longer held fear it pulsed with something deeper, heavier, full of unspoken emotion. As Zhan's lips hovered near Yibo's, Yibo moved first, cupping the back of Zhan's neck and pulling him in for another kiss—this one slower, fuller, filled with everything he couldn't say.

Zhan melted against him, tasting tears, promises, and something deeper need. Yibo stood abruptly, lifting Zhan in one smooth motion without breaking their kiss. Zhan gasped against his mouth, arms instinctively wrapping around Yibo's shoulders.

"Yibo—"

But Yibo only hushed him with another kiss, intense and tender. "Let me love you tonight," he murmured against Zhan's lips. "Let me give you this memory. This hope."

Zhan's heart clenched. "You already have. But yes I want everything."

⸻

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