Yuli worked at a small private school near their neighborhood as a nanny, caring for children. She lived in the same rented compound as Zhan and his son, Yibo.
From the time Yibo was an infant, Zhan alone bore the full responsibility of raising and caring for him, with Yuli being the only person who assisted him. They had moved into the same compound on the same day....Yuli with her husband, who was seriously ill at the time.
With no other option, Zhan accepted Yuli's offer to help look after his child. He was open with her from the beginning, telling her clearly that he was no longer with Yibo's mother. Yuli was the one who cared for Yibo as he grew older and became aware of his surroundings. As the child developed, he became extremely attached to his father and often resisted staying with Yuli.
Eventually, Yibo stayed almost entirely with his father, except when Zhan needed to step out...then he would take him to Yuli and return to pick him up immediately after.
They eventually settled into a life of their own. Zhan bathed Yibo himself in their room, using a large plastic basin he had bought. Sometimes Yibo stood, sometimes he sat inside the basin as Zhan carefully bathed and dressed his son.
The life Zhan shared with his child was a world of its own...just himself, Yibo, and occasionally Yuli when she stopped by. In his entire world, Zhan had no ambition or desire beyond his son. He did everything within lawful means to improve Yibo's life, determined to raise him with proper care, stability, and peace of mind.
Beyond Yibo, there was nothing else Zhan truly loved in this world. Yibo was all he had...his source of calm, his motivation, and the reason he found the strength to keep fighting through life's struggles. This was especially true because of how deeply Yibo loved being with his father, clinging to him as both parent and protector.
Before Yibo reached the level of awareness he now had, Zhan endured immense hardship to provide for him. At that time, he was still a university student with no steady job, surviving on various labor-intensive tasks just to afford the basic necessities every baby needed.
After much struggle, he completed his studies, served in the army, and began taking on small jobs to support himself and his child. He worked as a security guard at a private residence for several months until the owner left the country, forcing him to look for another job.
Eventually, he managed to secure work as a security officer at a private hospital. That job sustained them for a while, until he later added car washing to his routine to earn extra income.
When Yibo turned three, Zhan began to consider traditional marriage...not out of desire or loneliness, and not because he felt a personal need for it. His only reason was to give his son a sense of normalcy, someone to share space with them, so Yibo could grow up like other children. It was never about finding a mother for his son.
In his heart, Zhan believed he would forever be both father and mother to Yibo. No woman could ever replace that role. Even at his young age, Yibo had already learned his father's ways. He had long stopped mentioning the word "mother," after Zhan firmly discouraged it whenever the child attempted to say it.
When Zhan first sought marriage, he approached the daughter of a monk from the local temple. At the beginning, the courtship was calm and respectful. Zhan was not someone who spoke much...he was reserved by nature and rarely opened up to people.
His relationship with neighbors and fellow tenants was limited to polite greetings, nothing more. He understood the importance of peaceful coexistence, and so did they. Many people in the neighborhood and in the compound viewed him as proud and distant, even disrespectful. However, none of them dared to say it to his face. Despite his youth, Zhan carried himself with dignity, self-control, and an intimidating presence that commanded quiet respect.
๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐, as his son called him, was known by that name to almost everyone. He was a deeply reserved man...so enigmatic that no one could truly tell what direction his thoughts took, what he carried in his heart, or even who he really was.
No one could honestly say they had ever seen him smile, let alone laugh. Aside from his son, there was not a single person he had ever shown even the faintest smile to. Because of this, people rarely tried to pry into his life. Even the neighborhood gossipers and habitual busybodies kept their distance and minded their own affairs around him.
Still, whenever idle elders gathered, those who refused to act their age would sit and speak ill of him behind his back. They criticized him endlessly, always indirectly. Yet whenever he passed by them and greeted them politely, they would beam with smiles, respond warmly, and praise both him and his son. The moment he walked away, they would return to mocking and insulting him.
His planned marriage to ๐๐ฎ๐ข, the daughter of a monk, fell apart after malicious rumors reached her father. He was told that Zhan was cold-hearted and cruel, that he had abused his wife with violence, hunger, hardship, and extreme poverty until she fled, abandoning him with a newborn child. Others claimed he had never been married at all and that Dui would merely be raising an illegitimate child.
These lies destroyed the marriage arrangement with Dui...someone who genuinely loved him and whom he himself admired deeply for her calm nature and grace. He had sincerely wished to marry her and raise Yibo together.
After being denied the marriage, he did not immediately give up. His desire to provide his son with a stable home only grew stronger. Marriage occupied his thoughts...not because his feelings toward women had changed, nor because he suddenly longed for companionship.
In truth, he felt no attraction to women at all. He had no emotional desire for them, and he believed nothing could ever change that part of him.
Later, he sought marriage again, this time behind their street. After a brief period of dating, he sent Yuli's husband, the only man he genuinely respected, to formally seek her hand in marriage for him.
Just like before, history repeated itself. At first, the proposal was accepted, only to be canceled later after more damaging stories were spread to her parents.
Within a short time, he attempted marriage four times...and was rejected each time. From that moment on, women disappeared completely from his heart. What hurt him most was how his son was constantly used as a weapon against him. This deepened his emotional distance from people entirely. He lost all interest in marriage and removed it from his life forever.
From then on, his purpose shifted entirely. He devoted himself to educating his son and worked relentlessly...day and night...searching for opportunities, improving himself through study, and striving to fulfill a dream his own father had once held while alive. His struggles intensified. In addition to his security job at the hospital and washing cars, he began working as a rickshaw driver whenever a colleague from the driven job lent him one.
He lived an extremely harsh life. He rarely ate enough to feel full. Every drop of water he drank and every ounce of strength he spent on exhausting labor was for the sake of improving Yibo's life.
He bought clothes for his son despite having none of value himself. He ensured food and basic needs were met, even if it meant spending entire days hungry...surviving only on water and a small piece of bread before sleeping. Yet his son never went without food or necessities.
That was the life he lived...one of relentless hardship.
When Yuli secured a job at a private elementary school, he pushed himself even harder and managed to enroll Yibo as well, even though the child was still very young. Since Yuli no longer stayed home and went to work daily, he personally took his son to school every morning.
If he finished work early, he would return to pick him up. If not, Yibo stayed with Yuli until the school day ended, after which they would all return home together.
Whenever he returned from work, he would stop by Yuli's place, take his son, and retreat into their room. He rarely came out again until the next morning. On days he went out to exercise, he sometimes left Yibo with Yuli and returned later. Other times, he locked the room and left briefly, trusting his son to stay inside.
Yibo, much like his father, was extremely reserved. He disliked going anywhere and preferred staying close to his father. They had grown used to a life where it was just the two of them...father and son, against the world.
****
A misfortune befell them when their room began to leak whenever it rained. Because the rainy season had intensified, Zhan stopped sleeping at night. He stayed awake, keeping watch over Yibo as the child slept, afraid that an accident might occur and harm him.
Every morning before leaving the house, he would scoop out the water that had collected in the room, wipe the floor clean, and rearrange things. The room had no carpet except for one small area...the spot where Yibo's mattress lay...so the child would not catch cold.
Zhan was later transferred from his hospital security job to work as a security officer at a supermarket. On his very first day there, he unexpectedly ran into a former classmate.
๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ could not hide his surprise upon seeing Zhan working as a security guard, knowing how educated he was and how impressive his qualifications were. He openly expressed his shock and immediately offered Zhan another job...one far better than his current position.
At first, Zhan wanted to decline the offer, but Shang insisted, assuring him that it was genuine help and that workers were truly needed.
The next day, Zhan reported to Shang father's large commercial company. By sheer luck, he was employed as a cashier in one of their major shopping malls. They wanted to test his performance first before assigning him a more suitable position, especially after Shang had repeatedly praised Zhan's academic background.
With God's grace, he gradually settled into his role as a cashier.
From the moment he secured the cashier job at the large mall, life began to ease for Zhan and his son. It also brought relief to Yuli and her husband, because Zhan was naturally kind...especially to those who loved Yibo sincerely.
Anyone who showed genuine affection toward Yibo automatically held a special place in Zhan's heart. His love for his son was so deep that he believed he could forgive almost anything...except harm done to Yibo. At times, he even found himself worried about how he would cope emotionally when Yibo eventually grew up, married, and left home. That fear strengthened a firm promise within him: he would provide his son with the best education possible so life would always be easier for him.
Zhan never attached much importance to money. Whenever he earned some, he spent freely on Yibo, and whatever remained he shared with Yuli and her husband, knowing they too lived modestly.
Yuli and her husband had no children. Her husband was confined to the house due to severe diabetes, which had resulted in both of his legs being amputated. He lived his life in a wheelchair, unable to work. Because of this, Zhan and Yibo's presence in their lives was an immense blessing and support.
That was why they ignored every rumor and insult thrown Zhan's way. He had become their source of stability and dignity. Eventually, neighbors began to insult them as well, simply because they were close to him.
Many assumed Zhan came from a wealthy background, and despite all the gossip and investigations, no one could ever discover his true origins or where he came from.
As time passed, Yibo completed daycare and advanced into elementary school, eventually reaching Grade Four.
Zhan was still working at the mall, but his dedication paid off...he had been promoted to assistant manager.
Thankfully, life was progressing smoothly. Yibo lacked nothing essential; his father ensured he lived comfortably within their means.
Zhan often thought about moving out to a quieter place for his son's sake. The house they lived in was crowded with people of all kinds, and Yibo was growing older. Still, he hesitated. He feared that isolation might disrupt the emotional stability his son had begun to develop.
Now, however, with their finances improving, he knew that when the time came, he would finally be able to move them to a better place.
With Yibo nearing the completion of Grade Four, Zhan rented a small apartment closer to his workplace. He began making plans to move, even though they owned very little. Aside from Yibo's new single mattress, they had only a large blanket he spread on the floor to sleep on, one bag of clothes, and a few basic kitchen items.
He informed Yuli about his plan to relocate and also mentioned a proposal he hoped she and her husband would consider, if God allowed. That evening, he found Yuli's husband sitting outside their room on a mat, quietly listening to the radio. It was already close to nine o'clock at night.
Yibo was still awake because of an assignment. As usual, Zhan had been revising his lessons with him before bedtime. Holding his son's hand, he walked over to Yuli's husband. Yibo was dressed in thick pajamas, a small wool cap on his head, and light socks on his feet. Zhan never took chances with Yibo's health...at the slightest hint of cold, socks were non-negotiable.
Calm and composed as always, Zhan sat beside the mat and spoke gently:
"๐บ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ป๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฆ? ๐๐๐ฆ ๐บ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ข๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐กโ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐."
Yuli's husband replied warmly, his gaze shifting to Yibo sitting close to his father.
"๐๐๐๐, ๐ฆ๐๐ข'๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐กโ๐๐ โ๐๐ข๐? ๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐?"
Yibo looked up at him, gave his usual small smile, and answered softly, "๐ป๐๐ค ๐ค๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฆ, ๐๐๐๐๐?"
The man chuckled gently at the child's calm nature...so much like his father's...then said,
"๐บ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐."
Yibo tightened his grip on his father's hand and lowered his head. Zhan glanced at him and, with a subtle look, encouraged him to go ahead. Yibo stood up and quietly entered the room.
Once settled, Zhan calmly proposed that Yuli and her husband move in with them to the new three-bedroom apartment he had rented.
He was a straightforward man and spoke openly. He explained how attached Yibo was to both Yuli and her husband, and how being around familiar people would help the child's emotional well-being. He believed Yibo would thrive better in a home that wasn't empty, even though the boy felt content as long as his father was present.
At first, Yuli's husband fell silent, carefully weighing the idea. Moving in together would place additional responsibility on Zhan, especially now that he had only just begun to enjoy some financial stability.
However, he also understood Zhan's point. A child's growth required more than just one presence, even if that presence was a loving father. Besides, he trusted Zhan deeply...few people were as dependable as him. He also wanted Yuli to remain among people who genuinely cared for his son.
Zhan suggested they take time to discuss it and let him know before the moving date. The conversation ended there.
Back in their room, Yibo asked to use the bathroom. As he grew older, Zhan reluctantly allowed him to go to the shared bathroom...but only after disinfecting it thoroughly with cleaning agents and antiseptics. Even after Yibo entered, Zhan stood guard at the door until he came out.
If Zhan wasn't home, Yuli followed the same routine without exception.
Hand sanitizers were always stocked; Zhan made sure they never ran out. Whether Yibo returned from the bathroom or played briefly in the compound, his hands were cleaned immediately. Zhan's strict hygiene habits often made neighbors think he avoided people, but it was simply his way of protecting his son.
That night, Zhan carried cleaning supplies and a flashlight to the bathroom, cleaned it thoroughly, and waited outside while Yibo used it. Once done, he washed Yibo's hands and feet carefully before they returned to the room.
Zhan adjusted Yibo's mattress, helped him lie down comfortably, and tucked him in properly. Then he picked up a folder containing documents for the master's degree program he hoped to begin soon.
If Yuli and her husband agreed to live with them, he believed he would finally study with peace of mind...knowing his son was surrounded by good people. He could attend classes and go to work without constant worry, confident that Yibo was safe, cared for, and no longer alone.
๐๐
๐๐ค, ๐ข ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ. ๐