A week and a half has passed since Zhan and Lana's fake marriage ended. In the meantime, Zhan has come to terms with it. However, he still refuses any contact with Lana and ignores her calls and messages. He is simply still too disappointed in her.

In this week and a half, however, Zhan had befriended the field service in return. He sold a lot of insurance to companies and individuals and spent very few, if any, hours in the office in the afternoon.

Right now, it just did him good to be alone most of the time. And yes, not having to see Yibo often either. Because he first needed distance from everything, to catch himself first again and to get used to his new, single life. And only when he has processed all this himself, he wants to confess the truth about his marriage to Yibo.

So far, he had not told anyone else about his divorce. He also did not want it yet, because he could well and gladly do without the pity looks. Besides, he didn't know how to explain that Lana and Zhan, who had always been happy, had suddenly divorced.

However, there was something that made him smile every time he came to the office. Because every time there was a different surprise for Zhan. Once it was gummy bears. Then a voucher for a massage. The next time he found a plush bunny. Then 6 small bottles of the juice he always liked to drink when he was a high school student and was hard to find. And then there was a big bag of snacks on his desk. Yesterday, he found a bag of Korean candy that tasted like grapes on his desk, as well as a package of hand warmers.

All of this strongly reminded him of how Yibo began to try to win Zhan over and to capture him at that time. But since there was never a card, Zhan wasn't quite sure if it was really Yibo behind it. Because He Peng was currently also acting overly friendly towards Zhan and beaming at him incessantly when he came into the office.

Even today, December 12, the day of the Christmas party and one day before his interview at the publishing house, Zhan was out in the field. And because his last conversation took so long, he hadn't been able to buy any more raffle tickets from Yibo. He should have done that by noon.

But when Zhan came into the office, exhausted, he found 3 raffle tickets and a plush Santa Claus on his desk. Zhan's gaze automatically wandered to He Peng, who had turned around to face him and was grinning at him with a nod. Zhan didn't know what to make of this and smiled back with an awkward feeling.

However, since Zhan didn't have time to think about He Peng or anyone else, because he had to finish the documents so that they could be sent out quickly by the post office, he preferred to concentrate on his work rather than this strange feeling of awkwardness he had when he saw He Peng.

Only an hour and a half later, it was 5 pm and Zhan was driving home, where he had changed for the Christmas party. On one hand, he was looking forward to the Christmas party, but on the other hand, he was just tired right now and would have liked to rest and sleep at home.

Zhan is still not sure if he will really keep the house or if he will sell it. Sure, he could rent out one or two rooms. But Zhan shuddered at the thought of letting any strangers live with him.

At 7 pm, Zhan was back at work, where the Christmas party had already started an hour ago. He joined his department's table and found a very small gift next to his name tag. Zhan asked Yu Bin, "What's in it?"

But Yu Bin just shrugged his shoulders and replied, "You're the only one who got a gift."

Zhan opened it carefully and found a necklace with a panda bear pendant inside. He looked again at He Peng, but he did not respond. And Yibo had been nowhere to be seen so far. If he was there at all, Zhan thought, he would be sitting at a table with the others from the leadership staff. Just as it was held here every year.

Dinner was served at 8 pm. This time the board of directors decided to have a traditional German Christmas dinner with potato dumplings, red cabbage, duck and a chicken sauce. Berry compote was offered for dessert.

On stage was a group playing traditional music. At 8:30 pm, the lights were turned off, and then the lights on the big Christmas tree were turned on and also those strings of lights in the hall. Everything sparkled in the warm white light of the strings of lights. The director of the insurance agency gave his annual speech, which Zhan was sure was always just changing the date on it, and then at 9 pm, the raffle began.

Zhan did not win any prize. None of his colleagues from his department won anything. A woman from the call center won two prizes. The first and the second. The shopping voucher went to an employee from the mailroom.

Then at 9:30 pm the bar was opened. A band played on the stage and the employees started drinking and dancing. They all celebrated happily and exuberantly. Until at 10 pm, something of an unpleasant mood interrupted the celebration.

An employee from another department, started an argument with his colleague. The two quickly got into a rage and began to fight. The security personnel had great difficulty in separating the two. But that was not all.

Suddenly Yibo's wife appeared on the stage. She was barely able to stand because she was so drunk. She insulted everyone present. She shouted, "My husband, you know him, Wang Yibo, is a cold-hearted asshole who won't sleep with me! I mean never! Not even once! I think his dick is just decoration! His mother Wang Sara, is a tyrant and is only happy when she can make her sons life hell. She sits here in the board of directors and acts noble. But she comes from the countryside and doesn't even have a high school diploma. And you assholes have to take orders from such a stupid cow!" Surely Yibo's wife had more to say, but someone from security took the mic away from her and dragged her off stage.

Zhan turned around in a circle looking for Yibo and saw him standing in the doorway. He immediately went to him, but Yibo just shook his head. "Not now Zhan. I really don't want to talk now." Then he turned and left.

Zhan stood there for a moment longer, watching as the guard, dragged Yibo's wife outside. Zhan thought that was enough drama for one evening. He picked up his jacket and his small gift and left the Christmas party. Yu Bin followed him.

The two walked to the street and waited for a cab. "This is just insane. Ever since the Wang's came, there's been constant drama with them. Especially with Yibo's wife." Ranted Yu Bin.

Zhan, whose guilty conscience was making itself known again, could only nod. When a cab came, Yu Bin said, "Come on, let's both go to a bar and have our own party."

"No, sorry I can't. I have an important appointment tomorrow and I can't arrive there with a drunken stupor."

"What kind of appointment do you have?"

"I'll tell you next week. Now get going, the driver wants to leave."

"All right. But really tell me."

"Mhm, now get in." Replied Zhan. He even closed the door for Yu Bin and then walked down the street a bit. He needed some more fresh air, and wanted to process what had happened at the party, for a moment.

He felt sorry for Yibo. His wife had made him and his mother the laughing stock of the entire staff and board. She practically even admitted to cheating on Yibo. But Zhan thought maybe not all the staff knew she had a child and was passing it off as Yibo's child.

Arriving at the end of the street, Zhan saw a cab and hailed it. He got into the cab and, as they drove past the company, saw Yibo, his wife, Yibo's mother, and two security guards. They were having their trouble holding Yibo's wife. Zhan just shook his head.

Once home, Zhan took off his jacket and that's when he remembered the necklace. He unwrapped it and now looked at it more closely. He didn't believe that He Peng gave him this necklace, because he couldn't afford it. Because Zhan saw that it was from a brand company and therefore quite expensive.

All the more he wondered who gave him this necklace. And also all the other things. Could these things really come from Yibo? If so, why did Yibo give him all these things without saying anything?

Zhan sat down in his living room and thought about Yibo, tonight and what happened there, and also his job interview tomorrow. He wondered if he really wanted to quit his job and then work in a publishing house. Because just in the last few weeks, Zhan had noticed once again that he had a talent for selling insurance.

In addition, he was beginning to be unsure whether editor was still his dream job. In the last few weeks, his life had been completely disrupted and Zhan was no longer sure of anything. All he knew was that it was good for him to be on his own at the moment and to have a lot of time to think.

One thought never left his mind. His parents. He wanted to have contact with his parents again. But he didn't know how to do that and whether they would even listen to him when he apologized to them. Even though he hadn't actually done anything wrong.

He missed his mother very much right now. He was sure that she and his dad had already put up the Christmas tree and that his mom baked cookies every day to give away at the soup kitchen. And sure enough, they had already started watching a Christmas story together every night.

More than once in the last few days, he just wanted to drive to his parents' house and try to talk to them. Tell them over a hot cocoa what all happened to him, while he sits between his parents, while they give him strong encouragement.

And just when Zhan was about to sink into the memories of the pre- Christmas time with his parents, he received a new message. It was from Tia. She wrote to him that Yibo's wife had come back once again and slapped Yibo in the face in front of all present employees when he told her that he had never been able to stand her.

Zhan read the message a full four times before calling Tia and asking her, "What happened?"

Tia explained, "Yibo's wife came storming in to the hall. Yibo came after her, she turned to him, said she hated him, and punched him in the face. Yibo laughed and said that he never cared for her. And he also said that he hoped he would never have to see her again. And one of the other department heads said that Yibo's marriage was arranged and they hated each other from the beginning."

"Oh my god. And how is Yibo doing now?"

"I guess he went home. I heard that some of the board said that there would be consequences for that evening."

"Damn. That bitch is screwing up his whole life."

"Mmm. Well, I'll go socialize again then. Too bad you already went home Zhan. I think you would have had a lot to laugh about. He Peng is drunk and dancing like crazy. He looks totally funny doing it."

"Yeah, I would have liked to have seen that. But I have another important appointment tomorrow and I need to be rested."

"Ah Okay. Alright Zhan. I'll see you next week then."

"Mhm, see you then. And have fun." Replied Zhan.

Zhan was about to turn off the lights and go upstairs to his room when there was a knock on the front door. Confused about who would be coming to visit him so late, Zhan went to the door and found no one else there but Yibo. "Can I stay here tonight?" He asked Zhan.

"Uh, um yeah sure. Come on in." Replied Zhan.

"Thanks. And please don't be mad that I don't want to explain anything right now."

"That's okay Yibo. You can sleep upstairs in the guest room. If you want, I can also give you some clothes to sleep in."

"That would be very nice of you, thank you." Replied Yibo.

Zhan took Yibo upstairs and showed him the guest room, then he got some sleeping clothes from his room and gave them to Yibo. "The door there leads to the bathroom if you want to take a shower. You'll find new toothbrushes and toothpaste in the medicine cabinet."

"Thanks ZhanZhan."

"No problem. I'll leave you alone then. Sleep well." Said Zhan.

Zhan turned around and walked to the door and stopped frozen as Yibo hugged him from behind and pressed Zhan tightly to him. "Thank you Zhan." He whispered before letting go of Zhan again and walking into the bathroom.

With two big steps, Zhan walked out of the guest room, wondering, "What was that?"