Once Yao Zhihao finished telling his story, he sat in silence. He did not notice how deep he dug his nails into his skin throughout the story as drops of blood were on the back of his hand.
Xian Bo wrapped a blanket over their body during the story. They began to grow cold from their naked skin being out in the open. They sighed as they noticed the blood on Yao Zhihao’s hand. Reaching for the first aid kit under their couch, they pulled it out and walked towards Yao Zhihao.
They crouched down in front of Yao Zhihao, pulling his other hand away as they opened the first aid kit and took out an alcohol wipe to disinfect the wound while setting a bandage on the side.
Yao Zhihao barely flinched when the wipe touched him. He felt the sting and burn from the alcohol touching his nail wounds but did not register it.
“I don’t need you hurting yourself.” Xian Bo commented, filling the silence and cutting Yao Zhihao from his thoughts.
“I wasn’t trying to.” Yao Zhihao muttered, his voice sounding hoarse.
“I know.”
Silence started again, which was a surprise when it came to both of them. Xian Bo tended to talk and talk until they annoyed Yao Zhihao, while Yao Zhihao would curse them out.
“Tell me, Yao Zhihao,” Xian Bo started, catching Yao Zhihao’s attention once more, “which is easier: finding closure with your parents or Yao Wen first?”
“Neither.” Yao Zhihao quickly answered, his heart rate increasing at the thought. His parents didn’t scare him— they never did. But, deep down, they hurt him, and he did not want to open those old wounds by facing them.
But Yao Wen was a different story.
He used to be everything to Yao Zhihao to the point he confined him, broke him down, and almost killed him. Fuck, he never even apologized.
Once they separated, everything crashed and burned for him. He tried acting as if Yao Wen didn’t exist, just like his parents wanted, but the man remained a stain on his hand that never washed away.
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.
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“You want to get better, then get closure from them. Go talk to your parents and tell them how you truly felt being in their care, then leave. Then, I want you to see Yao Wen.
“Yao Wen played another part in your past, and you need some closure with him. Plus, he would love to see you, Yao Zhihao; he misses you.” Xian Bo explained to him.
Yao Zhihao bit his lip, glancing away as he did not want to do any of it. He could already see him and his parents ending in a fight. But, Yao Wen? He could not foresee how their meeting would end.
But, he knew he needed to do this. He just has to remind himself that this is all for Shao Yuhan. Yao Zhihao had lost so much, so how could he let Shao Yuhan slip through his fingers? If he could ask for one thing, it is always to have Shao Yuhan on his side.
“I—” His voice broke, causing him to clear his throat. But it did not stop the dryness from taking over. “I will go see my parents.” He decided as his stomach churned from those words.
Xian Bo grabbed his hand, his finger rubbing against the bandage he just put there, “You’ve got this.”
No, he doesn’t.
Chang Min sat on the floor in his parents’ living room. His mother stayed home from work. After Chang Min left yesterday, his mother hurt her wrist while trying to move furniture around.
“Mom, I could have stayed longer if you told me you were going to redecorate again.” Chang Min mentioned.
His mother sat behind him, combing his long locks before setting the comb down to braid his hair. “It is fine, son. I didn’t want to interrupt you making plans for you and Ye Xun.”
When he felt his mother’s hand through his hair, he tried stopping her, “Mom, you hurt your wrist. You don’t have to braid my hair. And it would have been fine, you know I don’t mind helping you.”
“Stop acting like I am fragile; this sprain is nothing.” Chang Ying argued as she went back to braiding her son’s hair.
Chang Min could only huff in defeat. His mother is stubborn.
Hearing the huff, Chang Ying smiled in triumph before it switched to amusement when she noticed marks on her son’s neck.
He wore a turtleneck, but since she was braiding his hair, she peered down the turtleneck. “Honey, were you attacked by leeches, or is Ye Xun secretly one?”
Chang Min’s neck and face turned a bright red as he groaned, covering his face. “So embarrassing. I told him not to leave so many.” He muttered under his breath.
“So, I guess the weekend trip is off?” Chang Ying teased.
“Mom, please, don’t start.” Chang Min begged.
His mother hummed in response as they sat in silence for a couple of minutes when Chang Ying started once again, “How was it?”
Confused, Chang Min’s eyebrow raised, “How was what?”
“Finally sleeping with Ye Xun?”
Counting down to ten and back, while ignoring his heated face, Chang Min prayed for strength. He has finally decided—his mother is a menace.
“Mom, please.” Chang Min wanted to cry.
His mother dropped her hand from his hair with a finished braid. She laughed as she enjoyed teasing her son. Any chance she got to embarrass him, she took it.
Chang Ying never got the chance to do it when Chang Min was young. After what happened with her brother and his wife, she felt guilty for taking away her son’s childhood.
If only they rejected working overseas, Chang Min would have had a better childhood than the one he experienced.
Even though Chang Min never blamed them, they still felt guilty. Especially Chang Ying since it was her brother that caused the pain.
And even though she could always pray to go back and make things different. Chang Ying knew that being here, always for her son, was enough for them.
“Oh, honey, I am just teasing. But did Ye Xun treat you right?” Her tone turned sharp towards the end.
Chang Min nodded, his cheeks still red, “Yes, he did.”
“Good. I like Ye Xun; it would be a shame if I have to do something to that boy if he hurts my precious son.” She stood up, stretching as her back cracked from sitting too long.
“He won’t,” Chang Min reassured, “and if he does, I know what to do.”
“I know.” Chang Ying smiled. “Also, tell that boy to visit. If he wants to date you officially, we need to have a family dinner.”
Chang Min finally stood up, bringing his braid over his shoulder as he softly touched it. He brightly smiled at his mother, “I will.”
Family Dinners, Family Talks are where we are reaching the high point. I believe this will have between 5-8 parts (I am unsure). But we will see Ye Xun and his mother’s final showdown, Ye Xun having a family dinner with Chang Min’s parents, and Yao Zhihao talking with his parents and Yao Wen.
There are 14 chapters left in this arc. (Also, do not worry, you will learn what happened in high school and how Shao Yuhan got his scar if you remember he has one before the arc ends.)
Aaaaah I love Chang Min’s mother 😂😂
Thanks!!!!!
Just realized that Chang Min’s first time was with someone who is now a psychologist. Were they a psych student at that time? It makes sense, they were very gentle with him
Yes,they were.