Begin Again

Chapter 13

One day, while Xuan was taking a shower, Zhan decided to call Ziyi and see how she was doing. They were only one week away from the delivery date. Zhan was very excited. All he could think about was holding his little girl in his arms. It was the only thing that would make him feel complete.

"Hi Ziyi, I just wanted to check how you're doing. Do you need anything? I can bring you some food if you want," he said, sitting comfortably on the couch.

"Zhan, I'm doing well. Yanli has been moving a lot. She never gives me a break. I think she's ready to come out into the world. She's getting tired inside my belly."

"Just one more week. Thank you so much for helping us, Ziyi. I know you signed up for this, but I'm sure you're having some regrets," he chuckled softly.

"Nonsense, Zhan. It's my pleasure. By the way, are you alone right now?" she asked, whispering through the phone.

Zhan moved the phone away and checked that the shower was still running. "Yes, why?"

"A few days ago, I bumped into Wang Yibo. He asked me about you."

Zhan's heart started beating faster. Ever since he and Yibo gave in to their desires, not a moment went by without him thinking about it. He tried his best to push those thoughts away, especially now that he had chosen to stay with his husband and distance himself from Yibo. But Yibo was constantly on his mind—the way he passionately kissed his neck and the pleasurable things he did that Zhan never imagined. Once again, Zhan forced the thoughts out of his mind.

"What... what did he say?" Zhan asked, his voice trembling.

"He wanted to make sure you were okay. He asked me if you and Xuan had worked things out. I didn't know what to say so I told him you two were fine and that I wasn't aware of anything going on. He looked very different to when I first met him. It looked like he had a bruise on his cheek. He told me to take care of myself. He wished me the best on the delivery and then told me to tell you that Yanli would soon be here to fill your emptiness. That he wishes you the best and that he's sorry."

Zhan's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you," he whispered. "I'll call you back later, alright?" He hung up the phone quickly and made his way to the kitchen. He splashed cold water on his face, trying to compose himself. Just as he finished drying his face, Xuan emerged from the bedroom.

"Zhan Zhan, do you want me to order a pizza? We can spend the evening watching a movie," Xuan suggested, accompanied by a genuine smile.

In the past few weeks, Xuan had been incredibly attentive, kind, and helpful around the house. He was everything Zhan had ever hoped for since the beginning of their relationship. Xuan noticed the faint redness in Zhan's eyes and approached him with concern. "Is everything okay?" he asked. He was about to embrace Zhan when Zhan slowly stepped aside and replied, "I was just talking to Ziyi, and talking about Yanli got me very emotional. I'm fine, and pizza sounds good." He forced a smile and made his way to the living room to search for a movie.

Zhan desperately wanted to forget about Yibo. He needed to stop dwelling on that passionate night they had together. After all, he barely knew Yibo's true self. He had no idea what kind of person he'd be in the long run. Yibo was just 18, and teenagers often make impulsive decisions. Who knows what the future holds? Zhan was still young, but in ten years, he'd be 40, and Yibo would only be 28. Maybe Yibo would realize his mistake and find someone closer to his age, leaving Zhan feeling alone again. The idea of Yibo leaving him at 40 broke Zhan's heart.

 Throughout the movie, he couldn't stop thinking about Yibo until Xuan's laughter brought him back to reality. "ZhanZhan...?" Xuan's voice interrupted his thoughts, pulling him back to the present moment.