Dance with Me! [YiZhan Mystery FF]✔️

-41- Like a dog on a leash

-41- Like a dog on a leash

A/N: We make a small leap forward. So it won't be boring. ;) But we don't jump too far.

POV YIBO

When Yibo awoke from his coma eight weeks ago, he could not move. Even turning his head was hard for him. Every day since then he had to train hard to regain control over his body. Although he had to step a few days shorter thanks to an operation because of his appendix, he continued.

Sometimes it was hard for him to motivate himself, especially when he woke up in the morning and everything still hurt. But Zhan kept reminding him of his goal and saying, "Remember, if you don't keep going, we won't be able to dance together." And that was enough to get him out of bed.

Still Yibo's biggest wish is to be able to dance with Zhan. And after days of training to get up and sit down alone, and finally succeeding, he tried his first steps today.

Yibo sat in his wheelchair, lifted himself up on the two handrails in front of him, turned around a bit and took four steps before his legs gave in. It was exhausting, it hurt but he was much too happy to complain about his sobbing.

After the therapist helped him get back into the wheelchair, he cried happily, "ZhanZhan? Did you see that? I took four steps. Four whole steps."

Zhan, who was sitting on a chair on the opposite wall, nodded and shouted, "Of course I saw it. And I'm so happy for you." Yibo would have loved to run to him and hug him for joy. And he was sure that he could do that soon.

On this day the training didn't end in the afternoon as usual, when he was too exhausted to lift even one finger, but already at lunchtime. Because today Yibo had an important appointment. He had to testify against his father as a witness at the trial.

This decision, whether he would testify against him or not, was not an easy one. After all he was still his father, and that didn't change because of what happened. And it did not change either, no matter how much he disliked him now.

When Yibo arrived in court together with Zhan, he saw his father for the first time since their fight at the nursing home. Not once did he show up at Yibo's house afterwards, or at least call. He had not even tried to apologize to him.

After a few witnesses testified before the judge, Yibo was called. He was happy that he now had enough strength to drive his wheelchair to the witness stand himself.

Yibo looked into his father's eyes and wished he could see at least some emotions, but there was nothing. Although Hai Kuan explained that this was due to the operations on his eyes, Yibo still wished that his father had at least said that he was sincerely sorry. So that Yibo could believe him, too.

When the prosecutor asked Yibo to explain to the judge and everyone else how he sees his father and what he thinks about all this, Yibo said: "After my father married my stepmother, he changed. Suddenly, he was mostly silent and had nothing to say or did not want to say. He always just watched as my stepmother dissed my brother and me. He just kept looking away. I don't know why he did it. But I had the impression that he was like a dog on a leash when he made my stepmother to his wife. Suddenly my father had no opinion of his own anymore and only did what his wife expected or demanded of him. And if he had an opinion of his own once, it was quickly suppressed. I have thought a lot about why he forged signatures to get money when he never cared about money. I don't even think he did it in bad faith. Maybe he just wanted to pay it back to her. Get revenge on her for years of oppression and bullying his sons and even tried to kill me. Maybe he just wanted to feel alive again. And no matter what I think of my father, I firmly believe that he is a good person in his heart and did not want to harm anyone. And we must not forget that in this account was also my father's money. Money that my stepmother secretly deposited into this account for years and wanted to keep for herself. I do believe that he also has a right to dispose of this money. Especially when her husband, whom she lied to, whom she stole from, and whose son she tried to murder, and only because she wanted to cash in on a life insurance policy to refill her account."

Yes, Yibo thought long and hard about whether to testify. And if so, what he should say. And after a very, very long conversation with Zhan's family, people who didn't even know him until a few months ago and who opened his eyes, he decided he had to testify. Even though he despises his father, he is, after all, just a victim of this woman.

In the end, and not least because of Yibo's testimony, his father didn't have to go to prison, but got a suspended sentence. And he even got the power of attorney to dispose of the account as he liked. The judge said in his verdict: "Mr. Wang chose the wrong way to take revenge on his wife. If he had filed a suit to get the account legally, he would not have had to sit here today. Mr. Wang, take your son in your arms, apologize and thank him for not sending you to jail today."

Yibo's father got up from his seat and walked towards Yibo. He knelt crying before Yibo and asked him to forgive him. Yibo was so overwhelmed by his own emotions that he also began to cry and father and son held each other in their arms. Something Yibo had wanted for a very long time.

After the reconciliation between Yibo and his father, Yibo was exhausted and just wanted to go home. In silence, Zhan took him to the van and then home. And the whole ride, they didn't speak a word to each other. Yibo just wouldn't talk. He was too tired.

Once home, Zhan took him to their room and laid Yibo on the bed. Yibo smiled and asked Zhan to lie down with him, but Zhan shook his head and said quietly, " Have a rest. I still have some work to do." Then he left the room.

What was wrong with Zhan? Why didn't he talk as usual and even refused Yibo's please to lie down with him? Usually Zhan would smile and like to lie down with him. But today, Zhan had been so quiet the whole day and often seemed absent.

When Yibo woke up, he was waiting for Zhan to get him out of bed. But instead of Zhan, Cheng came. "Where is ZhanZhan?" Yibo asked confused.

"I don't know. He just said he had to go out one more time and then left in his car. Mom and Dad don't know where he went either." Explained Cheng and took Yibo to the living room to the others who were waiting for Yanli because she wanted to talk to them.

When Yanli also came, she said, "I have something to tell you."

"Okay, what?" Her father asked.

"Zhan got a phone call very early this morning and was completely disturbed afterwards. Shortly after, a courier came and brought him a letter. He read it and kept saying that it can't be, that it can't be true. So I asked him what was wrong and he said to me, well, it looks like I'm not your brother." Yanli explained.

"What? How can he think that?" Asked Zhan's mother.

"When Yibo was in the hospital, Zhan had donated blood. He said, since he's already there and has nothing to do anyway, he might as well do some good and donate blood. He found out that his blood type is completely different from ours. The doctor said that it confuses him because with your two blood types, your mom and dad, it is completely impossible for him to be your child. So Zhan secretly got a sample of you and had a paternity test and a maternity test and this morning he got the answer. Either way, there's no way that you are his parents."

"That's not true. He is our son, I gave birth to him. So this can't be true at all." Said Zhan's mother.

"Where is he now?" Asked Yibo worried.

"I don't know, Yibo. He just told me he must look for answers." Yanli replied.

Yibo panicked inside. Where did Zhan go? Why hadn't he told Yibo what was going on? When is he coming back?