Fated Bonds

Chapter 21: Unseen Tensions

The next few days were a whirlwind for Zhan. His internship at Lan Corporation kept him busier than ever, and the constant presence of Chen only added to the suffocating atmosphere. Though Chen hadn't outright done anything harmful, his knowing smirk as he watched Zhan was enough to make him anxious.

Yibo, on the other hand, remained distant but professional. He wasn’t cold—just unreadable, like always. Zhan couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not. He found himself watching Yibo more often, trying to figure him out, but it felt like peeling layers of a never-ending mystery. Their interactions were brief and almost mechanical, with no real emotion. But in those fleeting moments when their eyes met, Zhan felt something he couldn’t quite name.

One afternoon, while Yibo was reviewing the monthly reports in his office, he paused when he noticed an unusual name on the list of new interns. Xiao Zhan. His eyes narrowed, and he immediately called Haoxuan, his cousin and secretary.

"Why wasn't I informed about this?" Yibo asked as soon as Haoxuan entered the office.

"About what, Yibo?" Haoxuan replied, his face calm but confused.

"Zhan... Xiao Zhan is interning here. Why didn’t anyone tell me?" Yibo’s voice was low but carried a hint of irritation.

Haoxuan blinked in surprise. "I had no idea. HR handles the interns, so it must have slipped through. I’ll look into it right away."

Yibo waved his hand. "Forget it. Don’t make a fuss. I’ll handle it." But his mind was racing. Zhan, interning here? Without telling me?

The realization unsettled Yibo more than he expected. He couldn’t understand why Zhan hadn’t mentioned it to him. Did Zhan want to keep their relationship a secret from the rest of the office? Or was he simply trying to avoid Yibo? Either way, it didn’t sit well with him.

---

Later that afternoon, Yibo stood by the large windows in his office, looking out over the city skyline, his mind drifting back to a conversation he'd had with Zhan’s parents before their marriage.

Flashback to two months ago

Yibo had been called to a private meeting with Xiao Huang and Xiao Lee, Zhan’s parents. He hadn’t understood why they wanted to speak to him alone, but their expressions had been serious, and that made him curious.

Once seated, Xiao Huang had hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "Yibo, there’s something we need to tell you before this marriage is finalized."

Yibo had raised an eyebrow, not expecting anything surprising. "Go ahead," he said calmly.

Xiao Lee had glanced at her husband nervously, and then took a deep breath. "It’s about Zhan’s relationship... with his college boyfriend, Chen."

Yibo’s eyes had narrowed at the mention of Chen. He had heard the name once or twice from his mother, Wang Shi, but had never paid much attention. Now, though, the seriousness of Zhan’s parents made him listen closely.

"He’s been in a relationship with Chen for over three years," Xiao Huang had explained, his voice tense. "At first, we thought Chen was a good man. Zhan seemed happy, and we wanted him to be with someone who made him smile. But then... things started changing."

"Chen began blackmailing us," Xiao Lee had added, her voice shaking with emotion. "He would demand money from us, threatening to hurt Zhan if we didn’t pay. Zhan doesn’t know the full extent of what’s been going on. We’ve been giving Chen money for a year to keep him away from our son. But now... it’s out of control. We don’t know how to make it stop."