ROMANTIC TAKEOVER (HIJACKED BY HIS CHINESE BOSS) (YiZhan Fanfic)

CHAPTER SEVEN

The colored strings of lights spun and spun until they blurred together, becoming one swirling rainbow against the backdrop of a dark, midnight sky.
Zhan threw his head back and laughed, and Yibo pulled him even closer. He couldn't ever remember dancing being this fun.

And he could never remember being this happy.
He didn't even care about Yibo's relatives anymore. In just a few days, they would both be back in Beijing, far away from all their whispers and shameful looks. And until then, they were here, in Paris, for Heaven's sake. Xiao sighed softly, savoring the memory from earlier that day - the one where Yibo laid him down in the grass and made love to him like it was his life's purpose.

The band stopped, and everyone ceased dancing to clap, except for Yibo and Zhan.. He held on to his hands still, and pressed his forehead against his. He closed his eyes and breathed him in. Heaven. That's where he had suddenly, unimaginably, just found himself living.

"I'll go get us drinks," he said, taking a step back but still holding on to his hand. They stretched their arms out until their reaching fingertips could no longer touch, then Yibo disappeared through the crowd.

Zhan spotted an empty metal folding chair against the garden wall and walked towards it while fanning himself with his hand.

It was the kind of night that could take anyone's breath away. The weather was perfect for a garden party, and the stars twinkled as brightly in the sky as if it was their very first night out ever. It seemed the whole street plus more had come out for the dance at the Wang's neighbors' house, and every person there was in lively spirits. It made Zhan's heart clench tight to think of having to eventually leave Paris.

Plopping down onto the empty chair, he let out a heavy sigh. Next to him, someone made an irritated noise. Zhan glanced to his right. Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. He should have looked before sitting down. One of Yibo's aunts - Zhan couldn't remember the lady's name - was sitting right next to him. The woman crossed her arms and frowned at him.

"You no good for Yibo," she said.

"Yeah, I've gotten the sense you all think that," Xiao replied through gritted teeth. He was trying his hardest not to kick the woman's chair over.

"You hurt him, but you will get hurt too," she continued.

Zhan paused, perplexed by the woman's words.

"Wait. Why do you say that I'll get hurt too?"

"Trust me," she said, chopping her hand through the air for emphasis.

"Yibo always been wild boy. He needs nice french girl to hold him down. Give him the structure."

Yibo had always been a wild boy? What the hell?

"I've known Yibo for a while now," he stated.

"And he's pretty calm."

"He likes the girls here rather than chinese girls"

Zhan took a heavy breath. He swore he could feel steam coming out of his ears. He needed to find a way to chill the hell out before he did something he would regret.

"Well, like I said, I've known him for some time. So if he used to be that way when he lived in Paris, he's not that way anymore. He's been a different person since he came to Beijing."

And with that, he stood up, intending to put some serious distance between himself and the Mediterranean version of Debbie Downer.

The band was taking a break now, and so the crowd on the floor was thinning out. Across the garden, Zhan could see Yibo by the bar. He was turning back towards her, two beer bottles in his hands, when a small, blonde haired girl ran up to him.

No, not a girl. A woman. She was young, but way too curvy to be considered a girl. Yibo froze as the girl smiled at him. Immediately she started talking, but Yibo didn't say anything - he was still standing as if he'd just been turned to stone.

The woman reached a hand up, stroking it along the length of Yibo's arm. Excuse me? Zhan thought, his head feeling like it was about to explode. Who the hell did this bimbo think she was?

"Carissa,"
Yibo's aunt said from behind him, as if reading Xiao's mind.

Zhan turned to the still seated woman, who was wearing an ear to ear grin.

"She is woman Yibos' parents pick. Beautiful, no?"

Zhan whipped his head back around, completely flabbergasted. So this was the original fiancé - the one Yibo had said he knew but had no interest in marrying. Xiao had never even thought to question him about the woman, but now he was burning to know everything. How long had he known her for? Had they ever been close? Had they ever been friends? ...Or lovers?

And why was he not knocking her hand off of his arm? He was saying something now, shaking his head... And she was taking a step forward, leaning in to him... Putting her hand on his shoulder... And kissing him full on the mouth.

"Whore,"
Zhan said out loud, aware that a few people had turned and were giving him weird looks, but not giving a flipping care. Xiao waited for Yibo to push Carissa off him.
And waited.
...And he didn't. He just stood there, two beer bottles still in his hands. And was he kissing her back?

...Suddenly, a hole opened up right in the bottom of Zhan's stomach, through which his heart fell through. It fell and fell, as Carissa and Yibo kissed and kissed.

Before Zhan even knew that he was moving, he was running, going down the garden steps and into the street. Tears were attacking his eyes, assaulting his vision and making the colored lights swirl around and around once more - except this time the sight was nothing like it had been before.