A BITTER LIFE

PART 36

"It’s good that they’ll have time together" Lara said happily on the other end of the call. "By the way, let's talk later. Andro called to tell me that her mother is in the hospital," she added. Katrina wasn’t surprised, knowing how furious Yibo had been when he left their house that morning. "Alright" she replied, as if they weren’t talking about her daughter-in-law.

When Lara and Sebastian arrived at the hospital, they immediately went to Liying’s room. Upon seeing them, Liying was furious. "What are you doing here?" she snapped. Lara approached her calmly. "Your son called us to say something happened to you, so we’re here. But from what I can see, you’re fine, so we’ll be leaving," Lara said, turning to exit the room without another word, motioning for Sebastian to follow her.

Before they could leave, Andro called after them, asking why they were leaving so soon when his father wasn’t there and her mother would be alone. "Andro, your mother wants to be alone. I’ll send someone to look after her. Do you want to come with us?" Lara asked. Andro didn’t answer and returned to his mother’s room.

Elsewhere, an hour later, Eros and Gu Wei had finished cooking. Yibo made Mongolian chicken, while Gu Wei prepared shrimp pasta.

They seated A-yuan at the table and served the dishes they had prepared. Gu Wei was nervous, although he didn’t show it. This was the first time he was cooking for his son. "What if it doesn’t taste good and he doesn’t like it?" Gu Wei thought to himself. Yibo noticed his unease. "Are you afraid of losing?" Yibo whispered teasingly. Gu Wei shot him a look.

"You’re not going to beat me," Gu Wei replied, turning his attention back to A-yuan. A-yuan took a bite of his father’s dish first. "Wow, this is delicious, Dad," A-yuan said, giving Yibo a thumbs up. Gu Wei turned away as A-yuan was about to taste his dish. "Wow, wow, this is delicious too!" A-yuan exclaimed, and Gu Wei quickly turned back to face him, smiling as A-yuan made a heart shape with his fingers.

Eros took the chopstick and tasted the shrimp pasta that Gu Wei cooked. Eros looked at Gu Wei. "How did you learn to cook this?" he asked. Gu Wei didn’t answer, just looking at him. Sensing the tension and noticing Gu Wei’s pale face, A-yuan decided to break the silence.

"I’ll announce the winner," he said, grabbing both Yibo and Gu Wei’s attention. "The winner is... Uncle Superhero!" A-yuan declared with a grin.

...

After they finished eating, Gu Wei borrowed A-yuan’s phone while he was in the shower. He had noticed that A-yuan had taken a picture of them earlier. Smiling, Gu Wei looked at the picture, sent it to his own phone, and then forwarded it to Haoxuan.

"You know what to do. Make it look like someone took this picture from outside," Gu Wei texted with a grin. Just as he sent the message, Yibo approached him.

"Who are you chatting with?" Yibo asked, moving closer to Gu Wei. Gu Wei raised an eyebrow at him. "Secret," he replied, turning away. But his eyes widened when Yibo suddenly hugged him from behind.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Gu Wei stammered, frozen in place.

"Who taught you to cook that dish earlier?" Yibo asked, still hugging Gu Wei. Instead of answering, Gu Wei changed the subject. "Do you think it’s appropriate for a married man to hug someone who’s already engaged?" Gu Wei asked.

"I’m going to divorce Liying—I’ve already left our home," Yibo responded. "And you’re not married to Lay yet. A lot can still happen," Yibo added meaningfully, which made Gu Wei raise his eyebrow.

Elsewhere, while Liying was in the car on the way home, her phone vibrated. Thinking it might be a message from Yibo, she quickly checked it. But she nearly fainted when she saw the picture: Yibo putting an apron on Gu Wei, followed by another picture where Yibo was wiping Gu Wei’s forehead while smiling at him.

Liying tightened her grip on her phone. "Mom, are you okay?" Andro asked, concerned. But Liying ignored him as another picture came in, showing Yibo smiling at Gu Wei, who was focused on what he was doing. She tried to call the number that had sent the photos, but it was no longer reachable. Furious, she threw her phone and ordered the driver to head straight to Yibo’s parents’ mansion.

On the other hand. As soon as A-yuan emerged from the bathroom, Gu Wei quickly removed Yibo’s hand, secretly smiling. A-yuan approached them as if nothing had happened.

While the three of them sat in silence, A-yuan suddenly spoke up. "Since I was in the hospital, I’ve been afraid to sleep alone," he said. Without even finishing his sentence, Eros and Gu Wei already knew what he was about to ask. Gu Wei glanced at Yibo, who was grinning, and shot him a disapproving look.

"So, can we sleep together?" A-yuan asked. Even though Gu Wei had anticipated this, he still choked on his own saliva. Yibo quickly grabbed a glass of water for him. Concerned, A-yuan looked at Gu Wei, ready to take back his request, but both he and Yibo were surprised when Gu Wei agreed.

Gu Wei took a sip of water before speaking. "It’s just sleeping together. What’s the harm in that?" he said, handing the glass to Yibo. "I’m going to take a shower first," he added, then went into the bathroom.

Elsewhere, upon arriving at Yibo’s parents' mansion, Liying stormed inside as if the house belonged to her. "Bring out your cheating son!" she yelled. Katrina immediately came downstairs to ask why Liying was shouting.

"I know, you know where Yibo is, with that scheming Gu Wei. He’s got a fiancé and yet he still approaches a married man," Liying said angrily. Katrina, Diego, Haikuan, and Cheng exchanged glances, as if questioning how Liying knew.

"Can't you answer because you’re condoning your son’s infidelity?" Liying asked furiously, pointing at Katrina. Katrina slapped her. "How dare you point your finger at me. Aren’t you the one who’s unfaithful, not my son?" Katrina asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Don’t test me, Liying. I know plenty about you that you thought no one knew. Let’s start with your son," Katrina said firmly, causing Liying to turn pale, though she quickly pretended to be unaffected.

"Do you want to compare the cheating you did to my son and my family?" Katrina asked again.

As Gu Wei entered the bathroom, he immediately turned on the shower and let his tears fall freely. "Why did you let me live just to make me suffer even more? Isn’t it enough that I've already endured so much pain and hardship?" Gu Wei cried, his sobs echoing in the shower.

Outside the room, Yibo approached A-yuan. "Come sit here," Yibo said, and A-yuan promptly sat on the bed. Once they were settled, Yibo asked, "A-yuan, is there something happening that you haven’t told me about?" This question took A-yuan by surprise. "Like what, Dad?" A-yuan asked hesitantly.

"I’ve noticed that you’re very close to Uncle Superhero, and he gives you everything you ask for," Yibo said, puzzled. A-yuan smiled to hide his nervousness from his father, as he wasn’t good at lying. "He’s just really kind, Dad," A-yuan said. Before Yibo could ask more, the door opened.

Elsewhere: "Do you know why I didn’t attend your wedding to my son? It’s because I didn’t want him to marry someone like you." Katrina said in disgust.

Thank you for reading it 💚 ❤️ 😍