I MARRIED MY SOON-TO-BE GROOM

CHAPTER 16

As Zhan ran, he didn’t realize he was heading toward the woods behind their school. “I’m the one teasing him, so why am I always the one getting embarrassed in the end? Are my powers over him getting weaker?” Zhan muttered to himself, still walking.

Meanwhile, Yibo couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. “Are you still straight after all that?” Woodz teased.

“Don’t ruin the mood. I’m just playing along because I noticed that when I flirt back, he gets all shy” Yibo replied, still smiling.

“Be careful, or your ‘straight line’ might turn into a circle” Jiyang joked, giving Woodz a high five. But they both fell silent when Yibo shot them a sharp look.

Meanwhile, Haoxuan and Jili had been following Zhan, but they lost track of where he went. "Our boy is really slipping these days; we even lost our bet on him," Haoxuan joked as they headed to their room, thinking Zhan might be there. But when they arrived, they were surprised to find he wasn’t there, and before they could leave, their teacher arrived, keeping them in class.

“Maybe he’ll come later,” they both guessed.

…

Hours passed, and their class ended, but there was still no sign of Zhan on campus. “Do you think he went home ahead of us?” Jili asked. “Why don’t you call him?” he added. Haoxuan pulled out his phone to call Luna, but he frowned when Luna didn’t answer.

Unable to reach him, they decided to go home since it was getting late. “Maybe he already left,” Jili said. “But doesn’t he usually let us know when he can’t come with us?” Haoxuan asked, making Jili pause and think. “Let’s check with Mr. Wang,” Jili suggested, and they headed to Yibo’s room, but by then, all three of them were gone.

Grumpy, on the other hand, didn’t go home. Instead, he went straight to his part-time job as a bartender. His co-worker couldn’t help but notice the good mood Yibo was in, but didn’t ask any questions since they weren’t that close.

By 7 p.m., Haoxuan and Jili still hadn’t been able to contact Zhan, so they called Jiyang and Woodz, the only ones who had their numbers. The two were surprised when Haoxuan asked if they’d seen Zhan, assuming Zhan had left the canteen with them. “Isn’t he with Yibo?” Jili asked.

“No, we’ve been together all day, and Yibo went straight to the bar after school. Have you checked Yibo’s apartment?” Woodz suggested.

Haoxuan shook his head. “Let’s meet at Yibo’s apartment,” he said, grabbing his car keys. “I’ll pick you up, Jili,” he added before hanging up.

While waiting for Haoxuan, Jili couldn’t stop thinking—what if Zhan’s father had taken him and wouldn’t let him out? Or worse, what if someone kidnapped him? His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of
Haoxuan’s car horn.

As they drove, they couldn’t help but talk about how Zhan was afraid of the dark. “You know, I’m starting to get really worried,” Jili admitted.

“Me too. I just hope he’s at Yibo’s apartment,” Haoxuan replied. After a few minutes, they spotted Jiyang and Woodz waiting by the car. “You haven’t gone inside yet?” Haoxuan asked as he got out of the car.

“We did, but no one’s home, and it’s completely dark inside,” Jiyang explained. The worry on Haoxuan’s face was clear. “We need to find him soon—he’s terrified of the dark,” Haoxuan said, glancing at his watch. It was almost 9 p.m., and the last time they saw Zhan was during their break that morning.

“Let’s check the bar—he might be there,” Woodz suggested. “Yibo hasn’t answered my calls either, so I couldn’t ask him,” he added. Without wasting any more time, they all got back into their cars and headed to the bar.