-61- The helper syndrome

When Zhan went to Chuyue's new apartment after work, where he has been living with his girlfriend for half a year, and who is none other than Luna Li, Zhan still found it strange to see his best friend and his ex-girlfriend as a couple.

Chuyue and Luna Li became steadily closer during Zhan's years of absence and eventually began a relationship in secret. However, in front of all their friends and acquaintances, the two continued to pretend that they couldn't stand each other. But even if they hadn't pretended anything, no one who knew them would have believed that the two could in any way come or be together.

They hated each other too much when Zhan was with her and they never had a good word for each other. Which is why EVERYBODY was absolutely shocked when half a year ago the two of them not only admitted to being in a relationship for two years, but also wanted to move in together.

Only a few months earlier Yu Bin had left the former flat-sharing community and was looking for his own apartment. He said he wanted to finally lead an independent life, without roommates. Afterwards, when Chuyue and Luna Li announced their relationship, Yu Bin admitted that he already knew that they were a couple because they kept meeting in the shared apartment and spending the nights together. But he had never mentioned this to Chuyue because it was obvious that he didn't want anyone to know about his relationship.

And because Yu Bin could no longer bear the regular nightly moans that robbed him of his sleep, he finally found an apartment for himself and moved out. He also couldn't stand Chuyue's lies anymore, such as that Chuyue couldn't sleep and only watched a porn movie. Chuyue apologized to Yu Bin again and again, but their friendship seems to have broken and cannot be repaired.

That's why Zhan could only ever meet one of them and not both of them together anymore. And today he visited Chuyue and Luna Li. But Zhan could not really concentrate. Because he had to think about Yibo all the time.

He knew that his parents had talked to Yibo and now he was afraid that Yibo might resent him for interfering in his affairs again. Zhan had not wanted to interfere with that at all. Again and again he told himself that either Yibo and Lian would make it, or not. And if they don't make it, the two have to see how they solve the problem themselves.

But he felt sorry for Yibo. The pressure on Yibo was very high and he seemed more and more desperate with every day. And Zhan had told himself nevertheless that he must not and will not give in to his helper syndrome and that he will let Yibo handle it alone.

But at some point, Zhan just couldn't look away anymore. Yibo tried so hard every day and still his efforts were not rewarded. And when Yibo explained to him yesterday with tears in his eyes that he and Lian had to close the office and Yibo hated himself because he would no longer be able to look after the children and teenagers, Zhan decided to interfere one last time.

A few weeks earlier, he had already talked to his parents about how Yibo could be helped and what would be necessary so that his office would not only not have to close, but could remain permanently. His parents explained to him what was important and what mistakes Yibo and Lian had already made at the beginning. They also told him that his siblings want to renounce the money from the sale of his grandma's house and leave it to Zhan.

Zhan, who never cared much about money but found it reassuring to have some, didn't think long and decided that if the money should be used, it should be for a good cause. And the office of Yibo and Lian, is just as good a cause. Because with their work they help children, young people and families who are in need and desperately looking for help. So could there be a better cause than using the money to help Yibo so that he can continue to help others? No!

And when Yibo then told him yesterday that he and Lian have to close their office in a month at the latest, Zhan called his parents and they discussed how they could offer Yibo the financial help from Zhan and under which conditions he would get the help. Days before, Yibo had asked Zhan's parents for a meeting and Zhan knew that Yibo wanted to ask them if he could work for them.

But since Zhan also knew that his parents wanted to quit their jobs by the end of the year at the latest, i.e. in four months, and only wanted to work as volunteers, he knew that they could only have hired Yibo for a maximum of four months. So a permanent solution had to be found and Yibo found out about it this morning. Only, now Zhan is wondering how Yibo reacted. Because neither Yibo nor his parents have contacted him and told him anything.

Would Yibo be angry because Zhan not only interfered, but also imposed conditions? Will Yibo even accept Zhan's help? Or will he remain stubborn and prefer to give up because he might not dare to accept Zhan's help out of pride?

After Zhan had finished his latte, he said goodbye to Chuyue and Luna Li again. He couldn't even remember if they really talked or just sat there in silence. His thoughts had been too much focused on Yibo.

But before Zhan had left Chuyue's apartment completely, Luna Li shared a secret with him. "Chuyue doesn't know yet, but I must finally tell someone I can trust. I'm pregnant!"

"Oh wow, congratulations." Zhan replied.

"I hope Chuyue will be happy."

"I'm sure he will. He always said he wanted to have kids later. Well, I guess wedding bells will be ringing for you then soon."

"I'd be happy to, to be honest. But tell me, when will you and Yibo be ready? Do you want to get married like Cheng and Hai Kuan? Or is that out of the question?" Luna Li wanted to know.

"Well, good question. Yibo has said he will marry me. When that will happen, I do not know. Right now he has other things to worry about. And for me, marriage is not really high on the list of important things. We've only been back together for a year and this time it's for real. I feel like it didn't seem like that back then. Maybe we were just too immature."

"Mmm, maybe it was. But you' ve loved each other ever since. And that didn't change when you were separated for so long. You were in love with each other and I thought nothing could keep you apart. And then you suddenly disappeared and only came back three and a half years later. And yet you immediately got back together again and loved each other even more than you did then. So I think if things are better with Yibo, you'll probably get married. And then it's just a question of which one of you is going to propose."

Strangely enough, Zhan has been thinking for a year, if they're going to get married, should the proposal come from Yibo. That he was going to propose himself never even occurred to him. And besides, Yibo liked to tease Zhan about calling him his Wifey. Well, if Zhan is his wifey for him, then Yibo should be the man and propose. But for Zhan, this has plenty of time, he is in no hurry.

Zhan is more in a hurry for Yibo to finally talk to him about the new way of feeling each other. Zhan knows that the bond between him and Yibo is awakening and that it could even get much worser. He also remembers very well that Wang Sanya said that the physical troubles, including lovesickness, that Zhan also feels, just like Yibo, only stop when Yibo is ready to accept his fate and face the whole thing.

But, and Sanya told him this as well, Yibo must voluntarily accept his and Zhan's destiny. Yibo must come to Zhan of his own free will. For Zhan, who also suffers from the physical symptoms, it is difficult to stay calm and wait. And with every day that passes he asks himself how much longer he has to go through and endure this until Yibo is finally ready to face the bond that connects them, to their common fate?

"At the moment, I'm not thinking about a wedding anyway. And I have to go now, Yibo will surely be home soon, too. If he isn't there already." Zhan said, without going into detail about what Luna Li said. He said goodbye again and then left for home.

When Zhan reached the parking lot of his residential building, he saw Yibo's car already parked in his parking lot. Inwardly, he tried to prepare himself for all possible reactions from Yibo and had his answers ready as he entered the building and got into the elevator. He pressed the button for the 20th floor and the elevator, with its soft jazz music, started moving upwards. And the closer Zhan got to his floor, the more nervous he got.

Faster than usual, at least it seemed to Zhan, the elevator reached the 20th floor and Zhan only had to go to the opposite door. He typed the numerical code into the door lock, a buzzing sounded and the door opened. Quietly, he took off his shoes and jacket and then went to the living room where Yibo was sitting on the sofa, already waiting for him. " Finally, there you are, ZhanZhan."

"I went to see Chuyue and Luna Li. I should..." Started Zhan and got no further when Yibo jumped up from the sofa, hugged and kissed him.

"Thank you, ZhanZhan. Thank you so much." He finally said, after kissing Zhan several times.

"Um, yes. Sure." Zhan replied confused, because he expected all sorts of reactions. But not this one.

"I don't know what I did to deserve this. What I did to deserve such a great boyfriend. All I know is, I am infinitely grateful to you. I can't express in words how happy I am and how much thanks I feel. And I promise you, once our office is up and running, I will pay you back bit by bit."

"Yibo, honey. I don't want the money back. I want you to use that money to help other people. I'm investing the money for a good cause. And somehow, well, I think, well, somehow, you and I are a couple, we live together, we share everything. So I think this money belongs to both of us, too. And I'm sure my grandma would appreciate knowing what that money is used for."

Zhan was very sure of that. Like Zhan, his grandmother also had the helper syndrome and would have given her last money to help if it was necessary. Zhan and her were very similar and in the end, everyone in his family is like that. They feel most comfortable when they can help others to get well again.