HIS REQUEST (ZHANYI[ZSWW]FANFIC)

CHAPTER FIVE

“Men don’t usually go to a hotel to talk. They go there for one reason only. Yet you, you treated me like a friend.”

When Yibo said it aloud, it sounded pathetic—he had fallen in love with Zhan because he hadn’t treated Yibo like a toy he’d just call for the evening. In actuality, there was so much more to it than that. It had been Zhan himself. The way the man never held himself up on a pedestal above Yibo, the way he’d looked on Yibo as an equal. The way he had valued Yibo’s advice, sought it out. The way Zhan had trusted him with his most guarded thoughts, his deepest worries. The way Yino had instinctively known Zhan had needed him.

“You were my closest friend, Yibo. Still are. And I hope will always be. You understand me, even when I’m horrid at explaining myself. So you know why I’m disappointed in myself. I should not have asked. I should have known you would not want to meet him. For once, I should have put my own selfish wishes aside, considered you first, and I didn’t. You have my apologies. I’ll try not to be so selfish again. I still need to go to town though, but I’ll be back before Thursday.”

Zhan turned from the study.

Yibo caught up with him in the small entrance hall.

“It’s very important to you, isn’t it, that Li Qin meets me?”

Zhan’s fingers stilled over the front door’s knob.

Looking over his shoulder, he met Yibo’s eyes, his gaze solemn and grave.

“You’re the most important person in my life.”

There had been a time when Yibo had been so certain Zhan would never be proud to call him friend.

Never want Yibo standing at his shoulder. And now, Zhan wanted him there with him, at his side. Wanted to introduce him to his old friend.

He doesn’t want Li Qin, he wants me, Yibo reminded himself.

Li Qin wasn’t a threat. Well, at least not anymore.

The woman had stopped being his rival for Zhan’s heart a year ago.

He truly was being ridiculous.

There was absolutely nothing for him to fret about.

Nothing at all.

“All right then, I’ll go to town with you.”

Zhan turned from the door.

“You don’t need—”

Yibo  held up a hand, cutting Zhan off.

“No, I don’t need to. But I want to. We can depart tomorrow morning. Now though, supper should be about ready. Please don’t say you are going to leave me to an empty table, after I went through the trouble of cooking a roast for us even though you know I am not used to cooking meals unless it was noodles or frying some eggs.”