Zhan slowly opened his heavy eyes, scanning the room in confusion.
Xixue was seated nearby, along with the nanny who had clearly cried herself out, and Diwa, who sat quietly, lost in thought.
The moment Xixue noticed Zhan was awake, she quickly stood and rushed to his side.
"How are you feeling now?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
Zhan tried to sit up, but his head throbbed and his chest felt tight. Xixue gently held him down.
"Lie back. Don't strain yourself."
Diwa stepped closer as well.
"How are you, Zhan?" she asked softly.
Zhan didn't respond immediately, as if trying to remember something.
Xixue frowned.
"Don't stress yourself thinking about anything. Just rest…"
But tears suddenly filled Zhan's eyes. He grabbed Diwa's hand, his voice trembling.
"Where is my Rouxue? Is he… is he dead? Please tell me...don't hide it from me…"
Xixue cut him off sharply, her tone a little harsh.
"Did you kill him? What kind of talk is that?"
Zhan shook his head quickly, tears streaming down his face.
Diwa intervened gently,
"He's fine, Zhan. He's awake now. He's with his brother and a doctor."
Zhan wiped his tears hurriedly.
"Can I see him, please?"
Xixue shot him a glare.
"You want to go see him like this? With a drip attached to you? I just told you he's fine."
Zhan fell silent, but his heart kept racing.
Xixue got up to prepare tea, while the nanny sat beside him and spoke softly,
"Take it easy, Zhan. Rouxue is alright, and he's awake. He's with Roulan right now."
Only then did Zhan feel a bit of relief.
The nanny handed him his phone.
"You got two calls earlier...I answered them."
Zhan looked at the screen and saw Yunxi's name.
"What did he say?" he asked quietly.
"I told him what happened. He said he's coming to the hospital."
Zhan said nothing, placing the phone aside...but knowing Yunxi was on his way calmed him even more.
:
:
Meanwhile, Yibo remained in the ward with Rouxue and Roulan. He refused to leave them, not even for a minute. Even when he stepped out briefly, he always came back...and he still hadn't removed his mask.
He was deeply troubled.
Every time he looked at the boys and remembered they are his, tears welled up in his eyes.
Was this really his fate?
Children...twins...born outside of marriage…
He felt an overwhelming tenderness toward them.
He wished things had happened differently.
Roulan didn't recognize him, but he noticed how Rouxue, lying on the bed, kept watching him.
Yibo approached slowly and knelt beside him.
"Do you need anything?" he asked gently.
Rouxue shook his head.
Roulan suddenly stared at him for a few seconds before saying,
"Your voice… sounds familiar."
Yibo forced a faint smile and slowly removed his mask.
Roulan went silent, staring at him...then suddenly folt his arm and said with a hardened expression,
"You caused my brother's accident."
Yibo froze.
He looked at Rouxue, who had also turned away, his face tense.
Just then, the door opened. Yibo quickly lifted his mask back up as his colleague entered.
Dr. Muktar walked in, smiling at the boys.
"He's recovering fast," he said, checking Rouxue. "How are you feeling now, handsome?"
"A little better," Rouxue replied softly.
"Good," the doctor nodded, then turned to Yibo.
"You seem very attached to these boys. If I didn't know you've never been married, I'd say they were yours."
Yibo forced a smile.
"Really."
"They've clearly grown on you," Dr. Muktar added. "You haven't left this ward since earlier."
"They're adorable," Yibo replied quietly.
"I just came to check on them," the doctor said before leaving.
Once he was gone, Yibo held the boys' hands and spoke softly,
"I'm sorry for everything that happened… please forgive me."
Roulan nodded slightly.
"Okay…"
Yibo turned to Rouxue.
"And you?"
Rouxue lowered his gaze.
"Me too…"
Yibo pulled them gently into his arms.
"I love you both," he whispered, his eyes filling with tears.
How he wished Zhan could forgive him…before he gave him heart attack.
How he wished they could put everything behind them and live together with their children.
He had never gone against his mother before...but this time would be different.
He would marry Zhan.
He would raise his sons.
He would never be ashamed of them.
The depth of his love for the boys overwhelmed him as he held them close.
Just then, the door opened again.
Xixue entered, accompanied by another doctor. Yunxi followed behind them.
Yibo instinctively adjusted his mask and turned...
His eyes met Yunxi's.
Dr. Lee spoke, introducing them,
"This is their grandmother...and this is my friend, Dr. Luo."
Yibo stood there, staring at Yunxi...just as Yunxi stared back at him, even though half of Yibo's face was hidden behind a mask.
Xixue turned to Dr. Lee, remembering they had been told not to stay long.
"Thank you, doctor," she said.
"You're welcome," Dr. Lee replied, then turned to Yunxi.
"I'll get back to work."
"Thanks, Lee," Yunxi said before the doctor left.
Roulan climbed down from the bed and rushed into Yunxi's arms. Yunxi lifted him gently.
"How are you handsome?" he asked.
"I'm fine… but my brother isn't," Roulan said, his voice trembling.
Yunxi set him down and walked over to Rouxue, his eyes full of concern.
Rouxue's head was heavily bandaged.
He held his hand softly.
"You'll get better soon, my boy."
Rouxue looked like he was about to cry, but Yunxi pulled him into a hug.
"No, don't cry. Be strong."
"Dr Uncle… where is my uncle?" Rouxue asked weakly.
"He'll be here soon," Yunxi reassured him.
"I want to see him… please take me to him."
"He'll come to you," Yunxi said gently.
Yibo stood aside, silently watching everything.
After a moment, he turned to Xixue.
"Please, it shouldn't take long. You can leave now...the boy needs rest."
"We'll go now, doctor," Xixue replied.
Yunxi turned to Yibo, his gaze sharp. He stepped closer, looking straight into his eyes.
"Then discharge him now. I'll take him home and continue his treatment...or move him to another hospital."
Yibo smiled faintly behind his mask.
"And who are you to make that decision? His father?"
Xixue quickly stepped in.
"No, it's not like that. We're leaving now."
Yunxi shot Yibo a long, hard look.
"Let's go," Xixue urged.
Yunxi hesitated, then nodded.
"Alright."
As he walked toward the door, Roulan's face fell.
"Uncle… are you leaving us?"
Rouxue also looked at him, eyes filling with tears.
Yunxi turned back with a soft smile.
"No, sweetheart. I'm still around."
Then he left, with Xixue following behind, still apologizing to Yibo before closing the door.
A cleaner entered shortly after with food and water Yibo had requested. He handed Roulan his portion, then carefully fed Rouxue himself.
Zhan was restless in his room. He desperately wanted to see his children...he hadn't even seen Roulan since waking up.
But Xixue's strictness kept him silent.
Yunxi, standing nearby, noticed his state. Zhan looked at him but couldn't speak...yet Yunxi understood.
He glanced at Xixue, who was busy talking to two neighbors who had come to visit. The nanny had gone home to cook, and Diwa had left, promising to return later.
Yunxi stepped closer and bent slightly.
"What is it?"
Zhan's voice came out shaky, almost breaking.
"I want to see my kids… please."
Yunxi studied him for a moment, then smiled lightly.
"Alright… Mr. 'my kids.'"
Zhan frowned, silently pleading.
"Wait," Yunxi said. "Let your Mommy step out first. Then I'll take you."
Relief flooded Zhan's face.
"Thank you."
As soon as Xixue stepped out, Yunxi removed Zhan's nearly finished IV drip. Despite the discomfort, Zhan reached for him. Yunxi held his hand and helped him down from the bed.
Zhan put on his slippers, and they hurried out. He almost stumbled, but Yunxi held him steady.
They went straight to the ward.
Yunxi gently opened the door.
Zhan's eyes met Yibo's.
Everything froze.
His heart pounded violently.
Roulan ran to him and hugged him tightly. Rouxue smiled weakly.
"Uncle…"
Yibo stood up, covering the food and looking at them.
"You can come in...but only for a few minutes."
But Zhan suddenly pulled away from Yunxi, grabbed Roulan, and rushed out without a word.
He stormed straight to the reception.
Facing the nurses, he demanded angrily,
"Who is the doctor in charge here?"
They stared at him in confusion until one stood up.
"What's the problem, sir?"
"I want my child discharged immediately," Zhan said sharply. "Bring me the bill...I'm paying now."
The nurse gestured for calm.
"Sir, this is a hospital. Please go to the doctor in charge...he's the one who can discharge the patient."
"Who is he? Where is his office?" Zhan demanded.
"Dr. Wang. Upstairs, to your right...you'll see his name on the door."
Zhan froze for a second at the name.
Then he turned and rushed upstairs.
Back in the ward, Yunxi remained at the door, watching Yibo.
Yibo stepped closer, giving him a measured look.
"Is there a problem? You've been staring a lot."
Yunxi smirked slightly.
"Just watch."
Moments later, Zhan burst back into the ward, panic written all over him.
He rushed to Rouxue, pulled out his IV, lifted him off the bed, grabbed Roulan's hand, and headed for the door.
Yibo stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
"You're not going anywhere with them, Meilin."
Zhan's eyes widened in shock at the name.
He pushed Yibo...but he didn't move.
"What do you mean I'm not going anywhere?" Zhan snapped, breathing hard. "Do you even know them? Do you even know me? Where did you see us?"
Yibo smiled faintly.
"Zhan… I'm giving you my word. You're not taking a single step forward with my children."
Zhan froze.
"Name your price," Yibo continued calmly. "From carrying the pregnancy… to raising them… to everything up till now....I'll pay it all."
His voice hardened slightly.
"Maybe that's the only way you can forgive me...for what I did to you at such a young age."
Zhan's grip tightened.
"I won't be ashamed to take them home and introduce them as my sons...even if they were born outside marriage," Yibo went on. "This way, you're free. Free from the burden. Free to move on… to marry… to forget."
He stepped closer, his tone final.
"I'm taking my boys today...for your own good."
Zhan stared at Yibo without blinking. His eyes were filled with pain and disbelief, his heart pounding violently against his chest. He swallowed hard, struggling to steady himself. Then, in a trembling voice that barely sounded like his own, he said,
"Come again, Yibo… I didn't get you."
Yibo slowly removed the mask from his face, revealing his expression fully. His voice was low, rough, and controlled.
"You're not foolish, Zhan. You heard me clearly. Or maybe you want your 'bodyguard' to explain it better to you....?"
Before he could finish, Zhan's hand flew across his face with a sharp slap. The sound echoed in the room.
Yunxi let out a quiet, almost amused chuckle as he rubbed his cheek.
"Seems like you both need privacy," he said lightly, then turned and walked out, leaving them alone.
Yibo turned his head slightly from the impact, pausing for a few seconds. When he faced Zhan again, there was something unreadable in his eyes...shock, pain… something deeper.
Tears streamed down Zhan's face as he shook his head.
"Heaven's will judge between you and me, Yibo," he said, his voice breaking. "I already told you...our case isn't over. And these children are not yours. You have no right over them. No right!"
His voice rose with desperation.
"I suffered for them. I carried them. I raised them. You cannot take them away from me. Never!"
He broke down completely, sobbing uncontrollably. The twins, Rouxue and Roulan, clung to him and began crying as well, frightened by the intensity of everything.
Yibo just stood there, his eyes red, watching them.
Silent.
Torn.
Since Yunxi already stepped out, Zhan grabbed the boys' hands and turned quickly, trying to follow him out. But Yibo reacted instantly...he pulled Zhan back and slammed the door shut, blocking their way.
Zhan, shaking with anger and fear, grabbed his shirt tightly.
"Open the door, Yibo!" he cried. "Let us go! Don't make me cause a scene here!"
The children cried louder, clinging to him in panic.
Without warning, Yibo lifted Zhan and dragged him toward the bathroom inside the ward. He pushed him inside and locked the door.
"I will teach you some sense, Zhan."
"Yibo!" Zhan shouted, banging desperately on the door, his voice breaking as he cried out his name.
Outside, Rouxue burst into louder sobs.
"Why are you doing this to our Mom?
Please let him out!"
Roulan joined in, hitting the door with his small hands, crying and calling for Zhan.
Yibo leaned his head against the wall, squeezing his eyes shut. His chest rose and fell rapidly. Then suddenly, he turned...his expression hardened.
He grabbed both boys by the arms as they struggled weakly, and his sharp glare silenced them instantly.
Fear replaced their cries.
He led them out of the ward and into another room...the intensive care unit.
They were still sniffling, terrified.
"I don't want to hear any more crying," he said coldly.
They went quiet immediately.
Rouxue held his hand timidly.
"Please… bring Mom uncle out of the room…"
Yibo lowered his gaze briefly.
"…I will," he said softly.
But instead, he stepped out, locked the door behind them so they couldn't follow, and hurried upstairs. He grabbed his car keys from a colleague's office, then rushed back down.
The boys stopped crying the moment they saw him again, their eyes wide with fear.
"Uncle… where is he?" Roulan asked, his voice trembling.
Yibo didn't answer. He simply took their hands and led them outside, toward the back parking area.
He placed both of them in the back seat of his car, then got into the driver's seat and drove off without another word.
The car was silent until they arrive at Wang Mansion, Yibo come out and open the door for them.
The twins didn't dare cry anymore. Only Roulan quietly wiped his tears, his small voice shaking.
"I thought you were a good person… please don't take us away from our Mom. He will be very sad…"
Despite the tears gathered in Yibo's eyes, he still went down on his knees in front of the boys and pulled them both into a tight embrace.
"I didn't kidnap you," he said softly. "I brought you to your grandmother."
Rouxue's eyes widened.
"But we left her at the hospital… and this is not our home."
Yibo looked at them gently.
"This… is your father's home."
Both boys spoke at once, confused and anxious.
"Where is he?"
Yibo fell silent, staring at their faces.
Rouxue spoke again, hesitantly.
"Our mom told us our father… is an attorney. She said he traveled right after we were born… and that one day, he would come back to us."
Yibo's chest tightened painfully.
Roulan added quietly,
"We want to meet our dad…"
Yibo stood up slowly, then took their hands and led them inside the house.
Rouxue frowned, almost in tears.
"I thought you were taking us back to our mom…?"
The entire household was gathered in the living room, talking anxiously about what Diwa had done to Lihua. Bozai kept ranting, saying that if he had been there, he would have dealt with the situation himself.
Mrs. Wang sat silently, her gaze fixed on Lihua, who lay weakly on the floor. Her body looked battered, her lips swollen, her face bruised—she had even tried to soothe herself with hot water.
Upstairs, Shao had just been discharged and was resting.
The moment Yibo walked in with the twins, the entire room went quiet. Every eye turned toward him...and the children in his hands.
Lihua struggled up into a sitting position, staring at them in shock.
Baby stood up abruptly, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Wait… aren't these the kids we saw at the market? Brother, where did you find them? What happened to his head?"
Yibo walked straight to Mrs. Wang, releasing the boys' hands. He looked at her, tense and uneasy. Gathering what little courage he had, he spoke:
"These… are mine and Zhan's children. He got pregnant after the incident."
The room froze.
Not just Lihua...even Mrs. Wang staggered slightly, shaking her head as she rose to her feet. She looked at the boys carefully, then back at Yibo.
"How do you know this, Yibo? Where did you get them from?"
Tears slipped down his face.
"I met them today, Mom… I don't know if Zhan will ever forgive me. I ruined him at such a young age… these boys are my blood. I brought them home because I need to face...even a small part...of what he went through in life… even though I had it easier…"
His voice broke. Unable to continue, he turned and walked upstairs, tears falling freely.
Lihua, already panicked, clutched her stomach and burst out:
"We're finished! Did you hear that madness? Since when did Yibo have children this age? That boy Zhan trapped him! Someone else got him pregnant and pinned it on Yibo...and he believed it because he's naive! Where did he even meet him?!"
She was clearly shaken, trying to hold herself together.
Roulan and Rouxue looked around the room fearfully, clinging to each other.
Baby suddenly burst into tears, overwhelmed with pity for her brother.
Bozai stared at the boys in stunned silence...the resemblance to Yibo was undeniable.
Then Mrs. Wang broke down in tears too, staring at them. All she could see was her son...Yibo...when he was their age.
The twins, seeing everyone cry, also began crying again.
Lihua stormed upstairs, shouting:
"Today I've seen enough! Let him come and take these children out of this house! Let him return them to wherever he picked them from! That boy Zhan has gone too far...why frame Yibo of all people? Just because of one incident between them? I know my nephew...he would never do such a thing! This is all manipulation! We will never accept illegitimate children into this house. Never! It has never happened in our family, and it will not start with my nephew!"
As she disappeared upstairs, Mrs. Wang wiped her tears, then gently took the twins' hands and led them to her room.
⏭ ⏭
Meanwhile, back at the hospital...A nurse entered the ward to give Rouxue his injection, only to find the room empty. The only sound was loud banging coming from the bathroom.
She rushed over and opened the door, surprised to find it locked from the outside.
Zhan stumbled out immediately, scanning the room in panic.
"No… no…" he muttered, grabbing the nurse in desperation.
"Where are my children? Where are they?! Please!"
The nurse looked confused.
"I just got here…"
Zhan didn't wait. He ran out of the ward and back to his room.
There, he found Xixue sitting, with Nanny beside her and Yunxi leaning against the wall, focused on his phone.
Zhan collapsed to the floor, crying uncontrollably.
"My children are gone… he took them… he took my children!"
Yunxi rushed to him, shocked.
"He took them? Who?! You saw him take them?"
Without answering, Yunxi bolted out of the ward.
Xixue, now panicking, grabbed Zhan.
"Who took them, Zhan? Who?!"
Through tears and trembling breaths, Zhan cried:
"Yibo… he took them… he took my children away from me…"
Xixue stared at him, stunned.
Nanny hurried after Yunxi, shouting,
"What is he doing at the hospital? This is bad… this is really bad…"
Zhan clung to Xixue, sobbing helplessly.
"Please don't let him take them away from me… I can't live without them… please help me get my children back. I forgive him...I forgive everything...but he should leave my children to me. I've forgiven him from the bottom of my heart… please just let me have my children…"
He broke down completely, crying into Xixue's arms.
Tears streamed down Xixue's face as well...
for the first time, she didn't know what to say to her son.
💚💙❤🖤