Blessings (A YiZhan Short Story)

Chapter 12: Truth Revealed

Wang YiBo POV

"YiBo, may we talk?"

Xiao Zhan's parents. In the fucking doorway.

That sinking feeling I felt just moments ago... Yeah, it just came roaring back.

"M-Mr. Xiao. Uhm... Mrs. Xiao." I stepped back to let them in. "Xiao Zhan already left for class—"

"We know," Mr. Xiao interrupted sharply.

Mr. Xiao's acrimonious behavior stunned me, and I stood there gawking at him. His gaze, matching that of his wife, was cold and unfeeling, unlike the indifference they showed me two days ago. In that moment, I knew my whole world was about to come tumbling down like a house of cards. I swallowed the bile in my throat, trying desperately to maintain my composure while inside I was freaking out.

Too shaken up to speak and scared they would hear the tremor in my voice, I gave them a curt nod and led them to the living room where we sat opposite of each other. Our apartment, or rather Xiao Zhan's apartment—I moved in with him when we became official—belonged to the Xiao family. As did the entire four-unit complex we lived in.

Mrs. Xiao looked around the apartment, disdain showing in her eyes as she took in the eclectic collection of furniture which I brought with me when I moved in. The ones that weren't sore to the eyes when placed next to high-end commodities. At the time, it didn't seem out of place, but now seeing through her eyes, it looked cheap and unbecoming. Suddenly, embarrassment flared through me, and I forced myself not to squirm, to become more self-conscious of my inferiority than I already was.

Damn it! My second-rate possessions were bought and paid for through years of sleepless nights and hard work! I paid for them. Not my parents, and certainly not some charity. My parents weren't poor by any stretch; they made a decent living and I never lacked for anything growing up. But I was an independent sort and didn't want to rely on my parents financially. I should be damned proud of what I had accomplished so far, and yet in that one glance, she brought me to my knees. I would never be able to move in her sphere. And thus... Xiao Zhan's.

The knowledge gutted me, and when her gaze landed on a picture of me and Xiao Zhan, her lips curling in disgust, I knew that my relationship with her son was doomed. But I was not going down without a fight.

She haughtily lifted her chin, glaring down at me from the top of her upturned nose. "You're not good for him," she said point blank and I couldn't help the flinch that followed even though I knew it was coming. "You're too young, and not ambitious enough. Your aspiring career as a writer will amount to nothing and then you're going to be reliant on my son, mentally and financially. He doesn't need that kind of person, especially in his condition."

Once again, she looked around the apartment in displeasure. The open floor plan gave her a 360 degree view of the entire place so she could see into the kitchen where I had yet to do the dishes and clean the counters. But Xiao Zhan was just too horny the night before and begged me to "do him" instead of the dishes. I reluctantly agreed... but now? I wished I had done them because the next thing that came out of her mouth indicated as much.

"He needs someone who can take care of him, not the other way around. You can't even cook," she glanced at the kitchen again, then back to me, "you can't even clean properly! My son is meticulous about cleanliness and this house is beyond filthy. Is this how you take care of my son?"

She shook her head in agitation, and I looked over to see Mr. Xiao, wanting to speak but biting his tongue until his wife had said her piece.

"My son," Mrs. Xiao emphasized, "needs great care less his heart gives out, and here you are making him take care of you!" This time she made no qualms about her feelings for me; contempt all but dripping from her voice.