Mission: Protect Xiao Zhan (Completed)

The Main World

It was not an overstatement when Wang Yibo said Xiao Zhan was all he had.

Wang Yibo was abandoned at the door of the orphanage when he was barely 4 months old with nothing but a tag showing his name and date of birth. Xiao Zhan was only 6 years old but he was an early riser. The sound of a crying baby drew him to the door. He found the infant loosely wrapped in a pink blanket. Xiao Zhan picked up the baby whose face had gone red from all the wailing, sat on a rocking chair and rocked him slowly while humming a lullaby as he had seen the caretaker; Mrs. Meng do several times.

The wailing child slowly quieted down. He opened his eyes, staring at the child holding on to him. Xiao Zhan looked down and their eyes met. The infant was the first to show a toothless smile and Xiao Zhan followed suit.

Mrs. Meng heard the door open and she came out to look. The sight of one infant and one child smiling at each other was what she met. She stood in the corner for a while, observing them both.

"Ah Zhan, the baby should be hungry. Why don't I go prepare something to feed it while you sit here and wait". Zhan nodded without raising his head.

It is safe to say that between them both, it was love at first sight. Mrs. Meng returned soon with a feeder of baby formula. She offered to take the baby but Zhan insisted on doing the feeding.

Yibo drank the whole bottle in one go after which he fell asleep. "Ma Meng, can she be my own baby sister?"

Mrs. Meng who was putting the baby to sleep gave Xiao Zhan a smile. "No Ah Zhan, he cannot be your sister because he is a boy".

'A boy! Even better'. Zhan was delighted to have his own baby brother.

As if both boys were destined to be together, they both ended up growing up in the orphanage. Zhan watched other children come and go but he and Yibo were never adopted. Zhan did not feel bad. He had made up his mind not to leave Yibo but if someone wanted to take Yibo away, what would he do?

Yibo grew up clinging to Xiao Zhan. He hardly spoke with the other children but when he came to Xiao Zhan, he could be likened to a chatterbox. He talked so much that Zhan ended up with a headache.

Eventually, Xiao Zhan outgrew the foster care system when he turned 18 and he left to make a living. Yibo was reluctant to let him go but Zhan promised to visit every other day. Life out there was more difficult than Zhan had anticipated so he ended living in the orphanage a little longer while working. When he finally saved up enough money, he got himself an apartment.

"Zhan ge, can I come live with you?", Without Xiao Zhan, the days became almost unbearable for Yibo. He had gradually started to open up and interact more with others in the orphanage but when Zhan finally moved out, he went back into his shell.

As soon as Xiao Zhan's finances were a bit stable, he took Yibo, standing as his legal guardian. Xiao Zhan was now 22 while Yibo was 16. Although Yibo didn't show it, it was the happiest day of his life. He moved into Zhan's apartment. They both had to share a room but they had separate beds. When Xiao Zhan woke up the next day, he found Yibo in his bed. Soon Xiao Zhan realized getting a second bed was a waste of money.

Zhan worked two jobs. During the day, he worked at an artist's studio. At night, he worked at a bar, tending to tables. This way, he was able to afford his and Yibo's living expenses. Yibo wanted to go to medical school but they couldn't afford it at the moment.

One night, the bar was nearly empty as there was a thunder storm. As Zhan cleared the tables, he was humming a song. This caught the attention of a customer who was sitting not too far from him. Before leaving the customer walked up to Xiao Zhan, asking him if he would like to be a professional singer. Zhan knew he had a good singing voice but he never thought of singing professionally. After struggling with the idea for a few days, he decided to give it a try. This was the beginning of their financial breakthrough. It also was what led them to the situation they found themselves presently.