Behind The Red Curtain | YiZhan ✓

53-Three Doors Away

The weather was sunny that day, the flowers almost fully bloomed. Yet his mind hopeless and in confusion, thinking about how to win Zhan over. How to understand him in that case. In situations like these, when he was horribly stuck, he would usually go to cool his mind with Zixin despite his ignorance and not being helpful. But he still helped Yibo to clear his head, so he ended up finding himself at his doorstep despite him not picking up his calls for over a week.

He figured something was up, worriedly, went and knocked on his door. No sound.

So he knocked again to be completely ignored once more. With that, he went around the house, climbed over the hedges, grabbed the key from under a flowerpot and unlocked the door on the back before walking in like he owned the house.

Zixin's house would usually be a mess, but this time it was too dirty to even look at. Clothes were all over the floors while the kitchen was filled with unclean dishes. Unable to find him on the first floor, he took a seat by the kitchen counter and called his number.

He could hear the phone ring from upstairs, the sound later coming closer each second until Zixin appeared on the stairway. As he saw Yibo he heaved a loud sigh and walked down with a wrapped cigarette in hand. Once he was close enough, Yibo grabbed the joint from his lips and sniffed it. "...what, you do drugs now?"

Zixin ignored his remark before walking over to his fridge and took a beer out. Yibo sighed, confused. "You were at home. Why didn't you open the door?" Zixin shrugged as he opened the can and took a sip long enough 'till half the liquid was down his throat. "I figured if someone really needed to see me, they would come in by themselves." They both knew that only Yibo and Zixin's manager knew about the key under the flowerpot, meaning that he didn't have to guess much to know who would come his way.

"And where the hell have you been? You haven't been picking up my calls. I asked the company but they said that you were on a break." Zixin scoffed sarcastically, shaking his head. "I've been repenting my sins i suppose. You can call that a vacation if you'd like..."

Yibo was getting annoyed by his half assed words and smacked the can out of his hands, letting it fall on the floor. "Keep your shit straight with me and just tell me what's wrong. I didn't come here to watch you destroy yourself." Zixin's gaze suddenly got more serious, his hands clenching into fists. "You want to know what happened......"

Yibo raised his brows. "...yes, if you would deem me right to know asshole- just spit it out." The latter then covered his face with his hand, seeming restless and stressed. "...i should've never gotten involved with that lover of yours... now..."

Yibo sighed in frustration before slamming his hand on the counter. "I can't hear you! Speak louder-"

"That day... after i gave the evidence to the police i left the police station and... doctor Cui Yi gave me a call." Yibo took in a breather as he slowly began to realise what was up. "Told me that he couldn't reach your lover boy and asked of me to check up on him."

After a moment's silence Zixin sighed and looked down. "...but i ignored him."

"Maybe if i had gone there then things would not have taken such a bad turn and he would've been less wounded...-" Yibo suddenly grabbed from his collar, eyes filled with fury. "You know, you've always been like this-"

"Ignorant and selfish?" Zixin continued, smirking. In return the latter pushed him back and frowned. "Always turning your back when i need you. Why can't you just turn your jealousy away for one second and-"

"Jealousy? You really think that it's that simple? Yibo-"

"Then what is it if not that? Tell me." Zixin looked him in the eyes, a little different than he was when angry. "I'm your friend. I look out for you when you need it- but him...! He is not good for you-" Yibo sighed, turning around. "No, no- we are not having this conversation-"