innocent lotus flower

Forgive

Wang Yibo snapped out of his shock and finally took a good look at Xiao Zhan and the child standing beside him. The resemblance was undeniable. The child looked so much like Xiao Zhan… but there were traces of himself there too. Confusion churned in his chest, but he pushed it aside for now.

“Xiao Zhan, can we please talk? I promise, I didn’t come here to hurt you,” Wang Yibo said sincerely.

Xiao Zhan met his gaze. He didn’t see anger in Wang Yibo’s eyes—only anxiety and a certain nervous hopefulness. He knew Wang Yibo had no reason to lie; if Yibo wanted to hurt him, he could have done it long ago. Still, he hesitated—until a small voice interrupted him.

“Daddy, where did you go? I can’t sleep… and who is that man?” Wang Yuan asked, wrapping his arms around Xiao Zhan’s neck.

Caught off guard, Xiao Zhan didn’t know how to respond. So instead, he changed the subject.

“Come on, let me tuck you back into bed. You can ask me anything you want tomorrow,” he said gently.

A Yuan nodded, already half-asleep. Xiao Zhan carried him upstairs and tucked him in before returning downstairs to face Wang Yibo.

This time, Wang Yibo didn’t give him a chance to speak. He dropped to his knees in front of Xiao Zhan.

Shocked, Xiao Zhan rushed forward to help him up, but Wang Yibo didn’t move.

“Xiao Zhan… I came here to apologize. I’m sorry. For everything—for the way I treated you, for the pain I caused. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I can’t let you go. Not a day passed that I didn’t think of you. Please, forgive me.”

Xiao Zhan’s eyes filled with something unreadable. “Forgive you?” he repeated bitterly. “And then what? Go back to being your hidden lover while your wife plays her part in public?”

The Xiao Zhan of the past would never have dared to say that out loud. But he’d learned to love himself. He had self-respect now. He had grown strong enough to stand his ground.

“I sent Cheng Xiao away,” Wang Yibo said. “When I realized I didn’t love her… I let her go. I’ve been looking for you ever since. I want to start over. I know you don’t trust me, and I don’t blame you. But just give me a chance to prove that I’ve changed.”

He didn’t dare say everything. Not the whole truth. If Xiao Zhan ever found out what he had really done, he’d never let him near again.

Xiao Zhan wanted to say no—he wanted to tell him to leave and never come back. But he couldn’t. He saw the sincerity in Wang Yibo’s eyes… and he knew. If he pushed him away, Wang Yibo might force things—and no one would be able to stop him. Not even the Wens.

“Fine,” Xiao Zhan said at last. “I’ll give you a second chance. But you can’t act like you did before. No force, no control. This is your only chance, Wang Yibo.”

Wang Yibo stood up and hugged him tightly. “I promise. I’ll be good to you. I’ll respect your boundaries. You may not believe me now, but I’ll earn your trust. I’ll make you love me again.”

They stood in silence, arms wrapped around each other. Then Wang Yibo asked the question that had been eating at him.

“I don’t mean to pry… but who is the child? It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me. I’ll understand.”

Xiao Zhan paused. He considered lying—but if Wang Yibo found out the truth later, his wrath would be unforgiving. And Xiao Zhan would be defenseless. So he told the truth.

“That’s A Yuan. He’s your son. He was conceived that night. I know it’s hard to believe… but I gave birth to him.”

“You… you what?” Wang Yibo stared at him in disbelief.

“Wait here,” Xiao Zhan said, and went upstairs. He returned with a folder—his medical report.

Wang Yibo flipped through the papers, speechless. “So you really… carried him?” he whispered, awe creeping into his voice.

He remembered now. On his wedding day, Jiang Fengmian had mentioned that Xiao Zhan could nurture a child. He hadn’t understood what that meant back then.

“Can I… can I see him?” Wang Yibo asked hopefully.

“Tomorrow,” Xiao Zhan replied gently. “I don’t want to overwhelm him tonight.”

“You’re right. Of course. Xiao Zhan, you really are… a miracle.”

Xiao Zhan blushed. No one had ever said that to him before. The Wens supported him, yes—but they avoided the subject. It made him uncomfortable. But hearing it from Wang Yibo… it hit differently.

They talked for a while longer and agreed to meet the next day at the park across the street. Wang Yibo understood that he couldn’t stay longer at the café—Xiao Zhan still wasn’t comfortable around him. So he left, promising to return the next day.

After closing the café, Xiao Zhan went upstairs. He climbed into bed, but sleep wouldn’t come. He looked at the clock: 10:00 PM.

He hesitated, then picked up his phone. Taking a deep breath, he dialed a number.

And that’s where this part ends.
Thank you for reading, and sorry for the late update!