-56- Just we

Meanwhile, Zhan has been back home and back together with Yibo for a week. The two of them spent the last days exclusively as a couple and a lot of time of it in bed. In the other time they just talked a lot, at least during the first three days. About Yibo's studies, his wish to help others by opening the office and about Zhan's training and his joy to work as a reporter again soon.

And so slowly Zhan also got used to the hectic life of the big city again. Just like he got used to the new, more mature Yibo. Did he really think that after three and a half years, he and Yibo would still be the same people as they were then? Now Zhan had to laugh about himself, because he really thought he would see the same Yibo he was back then.

What they did not talk about was Yibo's mother. Yibo didn't want it and Zhan respected that. He also had little desire to talk about Sanya and maybe upset Yibo. Instead, they simply enjoyed the time they had together before the daily routine would finally catch up with them and they might not be able to spend as much time together besides their work.

However, on this evening they did not think about the coming time, but only about this evening. Yibo had persuaded Zhan to go to the club with him. He asked Zhan to finally keep his promise and dance with him properly. Zhan was not very excited about this, and he and Yibo had already danced before they parted and a week ago when they met again.

But for Yibo this was not enough. Because Yibo said to Zhan that he wanted Zhan to see him dancing. He also wants to prove to Zhan that he can teach Zhan how to dance. Zhan inevitably had to start laughing and insisted that he just couldn't dance. Not in the way Yibo might have imagined. But since Zhan wanted to see how Yibo dances, especially now that he can move properly again, he agreed and they went to the club.

No sooner had they arrived there than Yibo dragged Zhan behind him onto the dance floor and it wasn't long before Yibo attracted the attention of other guests. Because as soon as he had started to dance, not only Zhan watched him speechlessly, but also all the others. They clapped and whistled as Yibo moved his body as if it had been made exclusively for dancing.

And not for the first time, Yibo amazed Zhan. Zhan had always known that Yibo was an impressive and very talented man. And tonight was another proof of that. Yibo's movements were so eye-catching that Zhan could not take his eyes off him for a moment. And now that Yibo had also attracted the attention of the other guests, Zhan was only more insecure about his own dancing talent. Because if he made a mistake now, he would embarrass not only himself but Yibo as well.

But Yibo led Zhan so safely and confidently that there was no mistake and Zhan managed to put his fear aside and just let himself fall. Until someone came to them, who then introduced himself to Zhan as Lian.

Although Zhan had been eagerly awaiting the whole week to meet the man who seems to have some influence on Yibo. But he wasn't really looking forward to meeting him tonight of all nights. And if Zhan interpreted the look of Yibo correctly, then Yibo was also anything but enthusiastic to see Lian here.

Quickly the dance for two became a dance for three, which not only disturbed Zhan, but also seemed to him to be dubious. The 22 year old Lian, didn't even seem to notice that he was anything but welcome. Or he just didn't bother. Unlike Zhan, who would have loved to leave the dance floor immediately and go to a table.

After fifteen minutes on the dance floor in a threesome, Yibo took Zhan's hand and dragged him to a free table with him. Lian followed the two unasked and Zhan saw how Yibo's mood apparently worsened. Which had seemed a little strange to Zhan. Sure they wanted to be together, but he would soon open an office with Lian and the way Yibo behaved just now, it didn't look like the two of them were even remotely friends.

"Hi again. I am glad we finally meet. I've heard so much about you and was really excited to finally meet you in person. If Yibo hadn't shown me the pictures of you two, I would never have believed him that you really exist. According to Yibo you are perfect. And I have to agree with Yibo, you are very cute." Lian said to Zhan.

"Uh ha ha... Cute? Perfect? I am far from it." Zhan replied.

"You are totally cute. I could be jealous of Yibo."

"Well, if you say so." Said Zhan, wondering what that Lian was doing here. Smooching? Flirting? Whatever it was, it pissed Yibo off.

"You Lian, I was actually planning to spend the evening alone with Zhan. Just we, no one else. This is not against you, I hope you know that. But I would really like to be alone with Zhan." Said Yibo as calmly as he could.

"Alone? In a club? You have a very strange image of being alone." Lian replied.

"You know what I mean. And I also don't appreciate that you just tried to flirt with my boyfriend. And that in front of me too."

"I was only joking. I would never try to steal your boyfriend away from you. No matter how hot I think he is. Besides, I'm not looking for a committed relationship anyway. . The same way I don't want to settle for one sex." Lian replied, pretending to be upset about what Yibo said.

" Maybe so. But I don't like it when someone flirts with my boyfriend. Or pretending to do so." Yibo said.

"Yibo, it takes two to do these things. So don't worry, because I certainly wouldn't get involved with Lian or flirt with him." Zhan tried to mediate when he noticed how much angrier Yibo got when Lian just wouldn't understand what Yibo was trying to tell him.

Zhan, on the other hand, wondered how someone like that could have any influence over Yibo. Lian doesn't seem to have been at least as intelligent as Yibo and seemed rather immature. But that was just Zhan's first impression of him, maybe someone else was hiding behind this grin. Sometimes the first impression can be wrong, too.

"Apologies to both of you. I saw you and thought I could introduce myself to Zhan and we could get to know each other easily. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. Maybe we should just postpone getting to know each other for another day. I'll leave you two alone and have a nice evening." Lian finally said and left them before they could say anything.

Suddenly the dark expression on Yibo's face had become a very thoughtful one. "Had I been too hard?" He asked Zhan.

"You were just speaking your mind. Maybe you could have chosen your words just a little better. But since I don't know him, I don't know how he took it."

"I'll call him tomorrow and talk to him. I hope this hasn't spoiled our evening. Because I still want us both to have fun and dance. Besides, I could see that you enjoyed dancing, too."

"Mm, you're right. Let's have a drink and get back on the dance floor." Zhan replied.

However, Zhan was no longer sure if he could really concentrate on Yibo. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a lost soul who looked very familiar. Only two days ago he had read an article in the newspaper about a hit-and-run accident in which a 21-year-old girl was seriously injured. And the article had included a picture of the young woman, the woman who now looked lost in the club and tried to speak to the guests.

Yibo, however, seemed to notice Zhan's look and followed him. Then he took Zhan's hand and asked, "Isn't that the woman who was hit by the car? I thought she was badly injured and in hospital?"

"Mmm, that's her. And I don't think I need to tell you how she could be here and in the hospital."

"You mean she's a lost soul?"

"Yeah. Looks that way." Zhan replied thoughtfully.

"That means our evening is over and you have to take care of her, right?"

"No. It doesn't mean that. Besides, the article said which hospital she was taken to. I could tell her where to go, it wouldn't affect our evening."

"But what if she doesn't know how to get to the hospital?"

"Yibo seriously now? There are signs on almost every street corner and the hospital is not far from here. She'll find it."

"All right. Please don't get mad. Let's go to her and send her to the hospital and we'll go on with our evening. OK ZhanZhan?"

"Yes." Zhan replied with a smile.

As they reached the woman, Zhan tapped her on the shoulder and she turned to face him and Yibo. Relieved that she was finally seen by someone, she asked, "You know why they all ignore me?"

Yibo and Zhan looked at each other briefly, and Zhan nodded. "Mmm, because you're not supposed to be here. You were in an accident and you're in a coma. Sometimes the souls of coma patients manage to leave the body. But as soon as they leave their body, they forget everything that has to do with them. And so it is with you." Explained Zhan.

"I'm a what? A soul? I'm standing here talking to you, how can I be a soul?" She asked confused and frightened.

To calm her down a little, Yibo touched her on the shoulder and then looked at Zhan in horror. "She, she..." He began.

"She what?" Asked Zhan.

Yibo leaned over and whispered in his ear, "She died. She cannot return to her body."

"Do you know that just by touch?" Zhan wanted to know.

"Mm. I saw the doctors trying to save her life. But they determined that she was brain dead. She was there when her parents turned off the life-support machines. She ran away when she saw this."

"I see."

"ZhanZhan, what do we do with her now? There was no name in the newspaper. How can she remember and go to the afterlife now?"

"Yibo honey, I know you don't want to do this. But I must ask you to look inside her again. Maybe you can find out her name."

Yibo nodded. He put his hand on her left temple and closed his eyes. Zhan watched him spellbound until Yibo opened his eyes and said, "Her name is Hang Airen. It was written on her medical chart."

Zhan watched as Yibo began to tremble. He held Yibo's right hand very tight, smiled and said, "You did great. Thank you. Now send her away. Tell her, her name, will you?"

"Mmm." Yibo answered and turned to the woman. Then he said, "Your name is Hang Airen, and you are 21 years old. You were admitted to the hospital after a serious accident, where you suffered a stroke after emergency surgery and were declared brain dead. You were officially declared dead at 9:38 am."

Yibo had tears in his eyes and clung on to Zhan's arm: "This is exactly why I don't want to do this. It's too hard." He said to Zhan.

"Look what happens now Yibo." Said Zhan, pointing to the young woman's ever-brightening soul. Her eyes cleared, she smiled and thanked Yibo before she disappeared.

"Where did she go? Did she run away?" Yibo asked confused.

"No. She has gone to the other world. Because you helped her, she could leave this world. You did a great job." Zhan replied.

After Yibo had recovered a little, he hugged Zhan and asked him if they could go home after all. But Zhan shook his head and said, "Not yet. Let's go dancing. Try to block out what just happened and let's enjoy our evening. Just we. Remember?"

This time it was Zhan who pulled Yibo to the dance floor. He didn't want the evening to end like this. And after a few minutes on the dance floor, Yibo seemed to relax again and the two of them danced for a long time that evening before they went home that night. 

I'm sorry if this chapter is boring for you. I'll try to do better at the next one. We'll come to Lian in more detail, this was just a first impression.