In Between Us || Zhanyi

Fail In Love

Under Working: 20/08/2024

Zhan leaned on his desk, arms tightly clutching the edge of his desk, his voice sharp and demanding. "Stop this drama, Yibo!!!!. Don't act like everything is joke to you, even ME" His eyes bore into Yibo, searching for some explanation, some hint of remorse. But the silence that hung in the air felt heavy and suffocating.

Yibo stood before him, head down, unable to meet Zhan's gaze. His heart raced as he grappled with the reality of their situation. He opened his mouth to explain, but no words came. The truth was, he didn't know how to respond. What to respond. As Zhan being his professor, he felt compelled to remain silent and respectful; as his husband, he felt utterly lost. 'What could he possibly say?' The words felt like a knot in his throat, unshakeable and painful.

The silence stretched out, tense and charged. Zhan's irritation grew with every passing moment, simmering just beneath the surface. He felt his patience fraying. He closed his eyes to composed his nerves and finally decided to ask directly considering his husband was really that clueless or maybe he himself was just too desperate......."Fine!!!! If this this how you want to play this.........just tell me, Why you didn't discuss with me before shifting to dorm?" Zhan didn't scream but his voice held an authoritative demand of his question

Yibo flinched at the sound of Zhan's raised voice, his body tensing instinctively. Fear coursed through him, 'He should not have done this, Zhan was angry because he didn't take Zhan's permission for leaving......Oh! no, he did wrong, he again disappointed Zhan' Yibo's mind raced as he took a small step back, as though trying to retreat from the fury emanating from Zhan. The sight of Yibo shrinking only served to stoke Zhan's anger further.

Yibo's silence hung in the air, thick with tension. Under Zhan's glare, he felt himself shrinking even more, the weight of Zhan's frustration pressing down on him like a physical force. 'What to do now? If I told him I came but saw him with another lady, what if he got more angry? Think I might sneaking his personal space? If I say I left because I wanted to distance myself from him, what if he thinks I wanted to avoid him and takes it as insult??....what should I say?' Yibo thought, struggling to find the words to explain himself. Every attempt felt like it would only make things worse.

Zhan's hands ran through his hair in frustration. His thoughts raced, spinning out of control. All he wanted was for Yibo to come home, to talk this out like they should. he wanted to convey his care and worry for Yibo But Yibo had shut down, like he always did. And it felt like every time Zhan reached out, Yibo pulled further away.

In a swift motion, Zhan banged his fist on the table, the sound echoing in the otherwise quiet room. Yibo flinched at the noise, his body tensing instinctively. The fear that coursed through him was palpable, but he masked it with his ever practiced Silence.

"You can't keep running away like this, Yibo!" Zhan's voice cracked, the edge of his anger softening into something rawer, more vulnerable but Yibo far to acknowledge. "I'm not going to tolerate if you treat me just like your caretaker or someone your family has hired to take care of you. Do you even see what you're doing to us? Damn it, Yibo, do you care?......about me....about us.....about our marriage????"

Yibo stayed silent, guilt creeping up his spine, but his words were stuck—trapped beneath the weight of his own fear and confusion. He had never meant for things to spiral like this. He just wanted some space, some time to think. But now, staring at Zhan's wounded expression, he wondered if he had made a mistake.