Zhan and I just kept looking at each other and into each other's eyes until I asked him, "Can't sleep?"

"Not really." Replied Zhan.

"Why not?"

"I can't stop thinking about what Emma said to you and it makes me angry and think."

"Well, sort it out with her later. It won't do you any good to worry your head about it now in the night."

Zhan sat up again and said, "I know, yes. And you're right, too. Still, it annoys me. And I wonder if she's done this more than once. I mean with people I've met. Quite normal friendship met and then after a few days or weeks, they did not get in touch with me again. And they didn't explain to me why."

I crawled out of bed and sat down next to Zhan, who even gave me some space right away. I took his hand and said, "Now listen to me carefully Zhan. Emma sees more in you than her best friend. She told me so herself. I don't know if she said something similar to others as she did to me. But, it's possible. You have to get rid of your anger now, though. It's not good to go to sleep angry."

"I wish it were that easy. If I imagine she had said it to someone else who knew my parents and the person had called my parents on it, what do you think would have happened?"

"I can imagine it Zhan. They would have been more than disappointed."

"Yeah. And that makes me angry. I mean, thank God it didn't turn out that way. But just thinking what if is enough. What if you hadn't told me what lies she was spreading? Would she have gone on forever?"

I hugged Zhan and said, "Don't worry. After all, I told you and later you can work it out with Emma at your leisure, but now you should try to sleep." Zhan nodded and lay back down in his bed. I was about to get up and go back to my bed when he tapped the beside him.

"Are you going to stay here for a while?" Zhan asked. I was glad that the light had been off, otherwise I'm sure he would have seen how red I was blushing. But, I laid down next to him and he even put his head on my arm. Just like that.

I turned a little to the side and looked at Zhan, who was also lying on his side. I suddenly got all brave and stroked his cheek and told him to just sleep and everything else would work out later. Zhan nodded and moved a little closer to me. Could I push my luck again? Yes! I put my arm over his shoulder and pulled him even closer to me.

Zhan looked at me with wide eyes and my heart was about to fly off with his rocket engine again. This time probably further than just to the moon and back.

I stroked his shoulder, then stroked his hair, running my thumb over his forehead, and finally stroked his cheek again. Then, when Zhan put his hands to my chest and caressed it with his index finger, there was only one thought left in my mind. Kiss him! But, were we really ready? After so few days and nights here, could that be enough? Was it perhaps only because of this moment that Zhan seemed to me like he wanted to be kissed?

I was ready for anything at that moment. I waited so many years for such an opportunity. But was Zhan ready? He was angry and disappointed about Emma and maybe he would do this just to distract himself. What if he regretted it afterwards? Would he perhaps accuse me of taking advantage of his emotional situation?

When Zhan raised his left hand and suddenly stroked his index finger across my chin and finally even my lower lip, my concerns were swept away. Especially when Zhan lifted his head and came closer to me of his own accord. Suddenly our lips were only a few millimeters apart, Zhan even closed his eyes, and then? Then there was a sign that it was probably too soon after all. Because somewhere in the house a smoke alarm sounded.

Shocked, we jumped out of bed and ran into the hallway, where the two girls were. Together we searched for the screeching smoke detector or smoke, but found nothing. Until Suri stood in the hallway and pointed to the ceiling. There was a roof hatch there.

I pulled the strap, the hatch opened, then I carefully pulled down the ladder and went upstairs to the attic. The smoke detector screeched so loudly that my ears began to hurt. I couldn't reach it like that, so I looked for something I could use and found a broom. I knocked the fucking screeching thing off the ceiling with the broom. It fell screeching to the floor, I ripped it open and took out the battery.

My ears rang hard as I looked around up here and was quite surprised to notice something. "Hey guys, there's another bedroom here!" I called downstairs.

Suri who is afraid of attics and basements stayed downstairs and was not interested. Emma didn't feel like spiders and also stayed downstairs. But made it clear that now at least one of us can have his own room. So she could.

Zhan came up to me and looked at me with big eyes. A really nice room with a double bed. He pointed to his mouth with his index finger and called out to the girls, "It doesn't look any different than the other two rooms. I suggest you girls get the two rooms downstairs and Yibo and I go up here."

Suri shouted that it was just fine with her and Emma cheered because she was getting her own room after all. I wanted to ask Zhan why he lied, because the room is nothing like the other two. On the contrary, the room looks freshly renovated and even has new furniture.

Zhan came closer to me and said, "Let's take this room. The girls don't want to go up here anyway. And we'd better keep the fact that it's a double bed to ourselves. I know my little sister's wild imagination pretty well by now."

"Mhhh, well ok. Let's go get our stuff then. So much for not moving my suitcase for the rest of the vacation." I replied, but smiled so Zhan could see I wasn't serious.

While Zhan and I were quietly packing our suitcases, Emma was already standing in the room with her suitcase behind us, getting impatient. I noticed Zhan getting more and more tense and whispered to him that now is not the time to argue with her. Zhan nodded and finished packing.

But before we went upstairs, he grabbed Emma's upper arm and said, "And we' ll have a talk later, you and I. There's something to work out." Then he let go of her again and dragged his suitcase up the narrow steps.

We unpacked our suitcases and then immediately went to bed. The mood from earlier, before the screeching smoke alarm interrupted us, had been gone, of course. And at that moment, I was just tired. But, I was still happy. Because now Zhan and I were up here by ourselves. And no one from the two girls, would come up here just like that.

And although the mood was gone and we both just wanted to sleep, Zhan snuggled up to me and so we both finally fell asleep.

We didn't wake up until around noon and the two girls were even still asleep. Zhan and I went to the kitchen, I turned on the radio and cursed when the radio announcer said that the highest forest fire level had been declared this morning and that it was forbidden for visitors to enter the forest.

I immediately called the rental company of the motocross machines and he told me that he was sorry, but that unfortunately I could not ride motocross until the forest fire level was lowered. "Maybe the predicted rain will really come. Then I'm sure you'll be allowed to ride. But until then, unfortunately, we'll have to wait and see. That's not great for me either." Sure, there is a loss for him. Since he has no income if he is not allowed to let anyone in the forest to the cross track.

Zhan immediately tried to cheer me up and reminded me that I found the cove and he would like to see it. "What do you think? We'll go shopping later and then you and I will go to the cove. Just you and me. And if the weather cooperates, we'll stay there until evening."

"Mmm, that would be nice. But we should talk to the girls about it first. At least with Suri. Which I don't think she'll have any objections."

"I honestly don't care what Emma wants. And Suri, haha, yeah she wants to pair us both up anyway. And don't deny it, I've already figured you guys out."

"And then you still want to be alone with me?"

"Well after all I need to know what my future husband from this story is like in real life right?"

"Ah I hate this topic. It's just a story where most of it was written by your sister. And as you may have noticed, I'm very different from the Yibo in the story."

"What I've noticed is that you're much quieter and more reserved. You also seem much more kind. In the story, your character seems cool and aloof. But in real life, you have warm eyes that reveal that you are someone who has a lot of feelings inside. You can't see it when someone cries. And even though you may deny it, you like to be hugged. In the story, that comes across very little to not at all, and I think that's a shame."

"Well, that's why it's just a story."

"And one more thing. The words you wrote are very different from the ones my sister wrote."

"In what way?"

"Your words are full of love, warmth, and even tenderness. Like you're writing what you feel yourself. And Suri's texts are a bit colder, harder and dirty." Mhhh, that's because I wrote what I feel. But I'm not telling you that just yet.

"So you like the texts I wrote?"

"Yes, I like them a lot and they made me curious about the real Yibo. And I have to confess something to you. I've known about your story for a year now. I've already read it all and just read through a few chapters again."

"And you're not mad about the story?"

"No. But that's more because of your writing. And once you read through the comments, your readers mostly prefer your words. You really should write more."

"So you want us to keep the fan fiction going?"

"Of course. I want to read about their wedding, after all."

"But why? I mean, I'm glad you like my writing. But, why don't you mind that it's a BL?"

"Well Yibo, that's up to you to find out. That's all I can tell you about it."

"Mhhh, Ok. So how do I find out?"

"Well, you come up with something. I'm sure you'll figure it out before we leave. And if you don't, I'll tell you."

"Okay. But really, yeah?"

"Yes Yibo." Replied Zhan with a grin.

The other two then came downstairs 5 minutes apart as well. We will pass on a late breakfast today. Instead, we'll go right to the neighboring town and do some shopping.