Ye Xun looked at his phone with amusement clear on his face. He shook his head, holding back a burst of laughter from Chang Min not wanting to have phone sex. He was playing, but it would have been nice if Chang Min continued.
Setting his phone down, Ye Xun went back to work—he had a report to write. But before his fingers could touch his keyboard, his phone started ringing.
Thinking it might be Chang Min again, Ye Xun quickly picked up his phone. Except, once he checked, it was his mother calling him.
He sighed, wanting to end the call and possibly block her. But he knew that would never work. Taking a deep breath, Ye Xun finally answered the call.
“Hello.” Ye Xun responded.
“It shouldn’t have taken you ten years to answer your mother’s phone call.” Li Hua instantly complained.
Nothing good comes out of you calling me, so why should I answer? Ye Xun thought. He wished to speak those words out loud but decided against it.
“Anyway,” his mother continued, “come home next week.”
“I already went there and even ate breakfast with your family; why should I see you again?” Ye Xun replied.
Li Hua laughed as if Ye Xun said something funny. “It’s cute how you disrespect me, Ye Xun. It is. But you are too old for this childish game. Come home next week, or I will ruin that boy’s, of yours, family.”
Ye Xun clicked his tongue in annoyance and anger. “I’ll come. But mother, if you make that threat to me again, you will face the consequences. And I assure you, they will not be good for you and your family.”
“Ha!” Li Hua laughed. “Boy, what can you do? That man left most of his stuff in my name.”
“Are you sure about that?” Ye Xun questioned before hanging up. He blocked his mother’s call to not deal with her if she called back.
He will unblock her tomorrow.
Setting his phone back down, Ye Xun sighed, running his hand through his hair. He did not care how his hairstyle messed up from the move.
Ye Xun did not mess around when he told his mother if she was sure about things in her name. She never went to the will reading—his father gave him everything. But he let his mother believe that she owned something because he knew his father did not want him to do his mother wrong.
But it grew more difficult each year not to throw his mother out and leave her on the streets (well, she wouldn’t be on the streets since her husband does have his own money).
Letting out one last sigh, Ye Xun thought about how he missed his father so much.
Ye Heng rested in his office, sitting on his chair as he typed away on his laptop. Instead of working, he started finishing his will. Ye Heng knew his health was declining from what the doctor told him. He wanted his family to continue living comfortable lives even after he was gone.
Humming filled the once quiet room—the sound came from the side of Ye Heng’s desk. On the ground lay a six-year-old Ye Xun. He was drawing while humming an unknown song.
Looking over at his son, Ye Heng could only tenderly smile. Ye Xun is the world to him; he will do anything to ensure his son lives a comfortable and fulfilling life.
After a second passed, Ye Xun popped up with a broad, bright smile on his face. He ran to his father, hitting his leg as he showed his drawing to him. “Daddy, look, I drew you and me!” Ye Xun excitedly explained.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Ye Heng’s smile only grew as he grabbed the drawing. The picture contained stick figures holding hands with ‘me’ and ‘daddy’ written above them—the background had a simple sun, clouds, and grass.
“This is beautiful, son. I will frame it and put it in my office at work so that everyone can see what you did.” Ye Heng responded with love and pride in his tone.
Ye Xun hugged his father’s leg, shyly smiling, “Thank you. I can make you another one.” Ye Xun wanted to hear more of his father’s praises.
“Can you make one with your mother included?” Ye Heng asked.
And like that, the mood fell to pieces.
Ye Xun’s smile fell so quickly; it was almost like it was never there. His head dropped on his father’s leg as he clenched his tiny hands into fists. He did not want to draw his mother with them. But he also did not want to disappoint his father.
Noticing the changing mood, Ye Heng reached over, running his hand through his son’s hair. “What’s wrong, son? You know you can tell me anything.”
Slowly glancing up, Ye Xun’s lips quivered, “I don’t want to make you sad, daddy, by not drawing mother. But, I don’t want to. She doesn’t love me.”
“That is not true. Your mother loves you greatly.”
“Then why did she tell me if I wasn’t born, she would still have you? She also said her actions are my fault.”
Ye Heng’s expression dropped as anger began to take over his face, “She said what!” He got ready to stand up to find his wife and talk about her words to their child, but Ye Xun stopped him.
Holding onto his father’s leg, Ye Xun rapidly shook his head, “No, don’t go! I am tired of the yelling.”
Deflating—more accurately, he felt defeated—Ye Heng sat back down. He went back to running his hand through his son’s hair before speaking softly, “Okay, son, I will stay.”
Ye Xun’s smile came back. Ye Heng’s heart soared from it. “You can draw another of you and me.” He gave in.
“Okay!” Ye Xun moved away, already making his way back to his drawing setup. But Ye Heng stopped him for only a second.
“Son, I love you.”
“I love you too, daddy.”
Ye Heng faced his computer once more. He looked over the words he wrote before sighing as he pushed the backspace.
He is not a stupid man. Ye Heng knew his wife held problems with their son.
He has also known about her leaving every night to sleep in another man’s bed. But, foolishly, his love for his wife still runs deep.
And not only his love but hurt and disappointment too.
He could never understand why his wife felt jealous of their son. How could Ye Heng not give the world to a child he and his wife created together?
Staring at his screen with a long thought, Ye Heng finally wrote that he would give everything he had to his son. At first, he wanted to split his possessions with his wife and son. But now, he decided to backtrack those thoughts.
“Ye Xun.” He called.
“Yes?” Ye Xun answered, setting down his crayon as he glanced over at his father.
“Family is important, okay. Even if your mother does wrong, be the bigger person unless it is necessary to take action, okay?”
Ye Xun nodded his head even though he did not understand what his father meant. But the smile his father gave him in response made him feel warm.
12 years later
“Your father gave everything to you; if you sign here, all his buildings, possessions, etc., are yours.”
Ye Xun looked at the papers in front of him, reading them. Even though his father passed ten years ago, the people waited until he was eighteen to open his father’s will. And like how his mother barely showed for his father’s private funeral, she did not show for the will reading either.
In front of him felt like a golden ticket because he could finally throw his mother onto the streets. There is no love between them, the last thin thread snapping once his father died.
He quickly signed the paper, getting ready to tell the man to send a letter to his mother about how she had nothing when his phone vibrated.
Picking up his phone, Ye Xun saw a text message from Chang Min.
Chang Min: I need assistance. I messed up so bad, Ye Xun; I swear I am going to cry. I wanted to get food for my parents. Everything started okay. But once I got the food, I dropped all of it on the ground. Everyone is staring at me, and a few are asking if I require help. I can barely speak, and I am trying to hold back tears. Ye Xun, please help me.
Shaking his head, Ye Xun tried to hold back a smile because he knew Chang Min was close to a panic attack. But at the same time, he couldn’t help it because Chang Min is so adorable. Ye Xun is in love with this boy. After Ye Heng passed, Chang Min was the only person he needed.
After thinking those words, Ye Xun thought back to what his father told him.
Ye Xun: I will be there.
He stood up, pushing in his chair as he told the person before him, “Send a message to my mother that she owns most of his possessions.”
“Are you giving away your rights to them?” The person asked.
“No, lie to her.”
The person looked freaked at those words. “Uh, sir, we cannot—”
“Do it.” Ye Xun demanded before walking off. He had to help the boy who meant everything to him.
The following morning
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Shao Yuhan turned off the vacuum before grabbing the remote to turn down the TV. He walked over to Yao Zhihao on the couch, holding the blanket as he pulled it off. “Now that you are up: get out.”
“What time is it?” Yao Zhihao asked, rubbing his face. The silence did not help with his raging headache.
“Time for you to go.” Shao Yuhan responded before continuing, “I stayed with you instead of going to work. I could have lost my job, but at least Ye Xun did not complain when I told him I couldn’t return yesterday. Are you trying to make me lose my job, Yao Zhihao?”
Yao Zhihao frowned at hearing Ye Xun’s name, “Do you have to say that man’s name this early?”
“Do you have to be childish about him? He is my boss. Now stop ignoring me and get out.”
Finally sitting up, Yao Zhihao glanced at Shao Yuhan, who looked ready to go out. His frown turned into a sneer. “Why are you trying to kick me out quickly? Got someone else coming over to fuck you? Once a slut, always a slut, I suppose.”
Shao Yuhan let out a deep sigh; he is tired of this shit. Every time, since high school, when he wanted to do something else or spoke about Ye Xun, Yao Zhihao loved calling him a slut. “We are done, okay? Done.”
Sharply standing up, Yao Zhihao practically growled, “What! Are you leaving me? I won’t allow it.”
“You will. Because what are you going to do, Yao Zhihao? Abuse me or confine me inside your home? Do it so that I can hate you forever.”
Those words struck Yao Zhihao in his heart as he deflated, slipping to his knees. Tears welled in his eyes, causing him to cover his face with his hands. Fuck, he is doing the same thing again. He loves Shao Yuhan too much to do the same thing he did with his brother. But he did not want him to leave. He wanted and needed him.
“I love you, YuYu. Don’t leave me. I can change; I promise I can change.” Yao Zhihao begged.
Shao Yuhan looked away, his face holding an indescribable expression. He should not do this, but after the years between them, how could Shao Yuhan not feel something for Yao Zhihao? “Yao Zhihao, listen to me.” Yao Zhihao did not look up, but he moved his head in acknowledgment.
“You are the only person I’ve been with—no one else. I don’t like nor love Ye Xun; I never have. The only reason I was “obsessed” with him was that I wanted to be him. He had everything I wished I could have, so I followed him everywhere and did everything he did because I thought it will help me reach that goal. I did admire him, but wanting to fuck him? I never thought of that.”
When Yao Zhihao looked up with hope and tearful eyes, Shao Yuhan shook his head instead.
“That does not mean there is you and me. But if you want that: get help because I cannot do this anymore. Please, talk with someone to help you with the need to confine someone to you. And when you do, come back to me, then we can start over. Okay?”
Yao Zhihao looked down before nodding his head. He hated therapists. Yao Zhihao knew he had things he had not dealt with because he did not want to talk with anyone. But, if Shao Yuhan wanted him to do this, then he will. Yao Zhihao is tired of losing the ones that show him an ounce of care or likeness.
“Okay, I will.” Yao Zhihao agreed.
“Good. Now get out. And don’t contact, track, or see me until you find help. If you do, then we are 100% done.”
Yao Zhihao stood up, giving a lifeless nod. Before he walked out, he made his way to Shao Yuhan, leaning forward as he rested his forehead against Shao Yuhan’s forehead. Shao Yuhan’s breath hitched from the touch. They did not move for a long second before Yao Zhihao left a soft kiss on Shao Yuhan’s lips. He moved away, walking out of Shao Yuhan’s place without looking back.
Shao Yuhan touched his lips before closing his eyes and leaning against his couch’s arm. His fingers trembled as his mind stupidly thought of grabbing Yao Zhihao and pulling him back to him. “I must be a masochist or an idiot.” Shao Yuhan bitterly laughed.
I liked the interaction between father and son. So dear. Thank you!!!
Ye Xun, you deserves a real mother… 🥲
Aaaaah I love it!! No screaming, no drama, just talking and finding a solution together 😭
Lie to her 🤣 Chang Min’s parents are ready to have Ye Xun as their kid. He could probably walk into their house, sit at their table and ask for pancakes and they would get him and Chang Min a bigger bed and matching pajamas.
I feel sometimes so sorry for Shao Yuhan 😔