Chapter 19 - Clearly no!

In order not to spoil the Christmas celebration, Yibo and his brother decided to postpone the conversation with their parents for a while, but to already clearly show that they will not be kept away from each other anymore. For example, during their Christmas dinner together, Yibo declared that he would help his brother find an apartment and that he would also help Haikuan furnish his appartment.

Yibo could see in his parents' faces how much they disliked the fact that the two brothers could no longer be kept apart. However, they said nothing, which was probably due to the fact that Zhan's parents were there and immediately said enthusiastically how great they thought it was that the two brothers were finally getting closer to each other. Yibo quickly understood the positive effect Zhan's parents had on his parents.

In the evening, they all sat in the living room exchanged a few gifts and after they each had a glass of Christmas punch, their parents and Yibo's brother left for the hotel. Yibo and Zhan made themselves comfortable on the sofa, snuggled under a wool blanket, cuddled together and finally fell asleep there.

In the morning, they were again awakened by the doorbell. But this time not by their parents, but by a completely unexpected person. Eva was standing in front of the door and came to Zhan with a request! They let Eva into the appartment and just as Eva was about to explain to Zhan why she was there and what she wanted to ask him, Zhan's parents called and asked Zhan to go to the train station to pick up a relative there and bring him home.

When Zhan set off, Yibo was alone with Eva. They were sitting in the kitchen. Yibo offered Eva a drink, she chose a tea and said, "That will never change with Zhan, he still prefers the kitchen as a common room. And this kitchen here is perfect for that."

"I also like using the kitchen as a common room. But we also spend time in the living room. Mostly in the evenings when we want to watch a movie." Replied Yibo. He felt a little uncomfortable being alone with Eva. After all, he doesn't really know her and he doesn't really know how to act towards her.

"Your appartment is really nice. No comparison to Zhan's old appartment."

"Mhhh, the old appartment was good too. But here we have more space and feel really comfortable. We own the appartment, so we don't have to pay rent. Everything is state of the art."

"I see. Um Yibo? Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I so um, I want to ask Zhan later if he could accompany me to Ireland. My great uncle passed away and the funeral is in three days. So far I didn't get to tell my relatives that Zhan and I's marriage is over. And I don't want to have to tell them at the funeral service. That's why I wanted to ask if it's okay for you if Zhan accompanies me?"

Yibo shook his head. "No, it's not okay for me. You had three months or more to tell your relatives that the marriage was failing. You yourself wanted the end of your marriage because you fell in love with someone else with whom you are now even in a relationship. With all understanding for your situation and the greatest respect because of the death. But my answer is no! I don't know what Zhan will say, but I'm against it."

"Yibo, it would only be for 4 - 5 days."

"Even if it was only 1 day, I would say no. Zhan is with me now. We are married, even if only by accident. But in the past three weeks, our accidental marriage, became a real marriage. We wear wedding rings. We kiss. We have sex! So everything that goes with a marriage!"

"And what if Zhan says yes?"

"Then I can't change it. But I'm absolutely convinced that Zhan's answer will be no, too."

"But we are good friends. He knows my late great uncle and my relatives in Ireland. He doesn't just leave good friends hanging like that!"

"You've known Zhan longer than I have. But still, I know him better than you!"

"We'll see when he gets back and I've asked him. I don't need your permission."

"Pah, you'll see what Zhan says!" Said Yibo and decided to ignore Eva until Zhan got back home.

Fortunately, Yibo didn't have to wait more than 20 minutes. He left Zhan and Eva alone in the kitchen so they could talk. And although Yibo was absolutely sure that Zhan would say no and not accompany Eva, he was a little afraid that things would turn out differently after all and Zhan would accompany Eva after all.

While Yibo was lying anxiously on the bed in his room, holding Zhan's picture tightly, Zhan wanted to know from Eva in the kitchen why she had come to them. And Eva said, "My great uncle Wilfred passed away and in three days the funeral will take place. Unfortunately, I didn't get to tell them about our end of marriage until now. And that's why my relatives want both of us to come. For me it would also be a great support to go through this. I would like you to come with me. It will only take 4 - 5 days. I've also already asked Yibo and..." Zhan raised his hand to stop her from speaking further.

Zhan expelled a long breath, sat upright on the chair and sighed. "Eva, I won't accompany you."

"Because of your restaurant?"

"No, not because of my restaurant."

"Then why?"

"You'll get a clear no from me because my place is by Yibo's side. And even if Yibo said he was okay with me accompanying you, I'd still say no. Besides, I doubt Yibo said yes anyway."

"But what should I tell my relatives?"

"The truth Eva! You've had over three months to tell them that the marriage failed and you have a new boyfriend you're living with. I don't know why you didn't tell your relatives, but it certainly wasn't due to lack of time. Besides, I hardly think Rick would like it if I went with you. Because he's the man by your side now. He should be the first one you ask to accompany you. How must he feel? What must he be thinking? You left me for him. You moved in with him. But as soon as problems come up, you come to me and don't go to him?"

"I didn't want to introduce Rick to my relatives this way."

"Why not? Wouldn't it be good for your relatives to see that the new man by your side is there for you when you need him? I..." Zhan stopped as Yibo suddenly rushed into the kitchen.

Yibo knelt in front of Zhan, took his hands and looked at Zhan with the sweetest, pleading and desperate look. "Please say no ZhanZhan. You can't go with her. You have to stay here with me okay?"

"Stand up my cute one." Said Zhan and pulled Yibo up. He pulled Yibo to him on his lap, put both arms around him tightly and said, "My cutie, I said no to Eva. I will not accompany her. Because my place is here with you and nowhere else."

"Really? You're not going to fly away?"

"Of course not! Even if you had agreed, I wouldn't have accompanied her. Because my place is here with you by your side. And I don't want to be anywhere but with you either."

"Awww, you're so great."

"You too my cutie. And now I'm going to make you breakfast first."

"Oh yeah, I'm starving!"

"I thought so." Said Zhan. To Eva he said, "Think about what I said and take Rick with you. He is now the man by your side and should accompany you. I belong to Yibo now and that won't change."

"Now that I see you two together like this, seeing how happily in love you are, I'm ashamed to have even asked. I apologize. And yes, is should ask Rick from now on. I guess I'm just still too used to going to you with all my problems and worries Zhan. But you just opened my eyes. So now I'm going to go home and talk to Rick."

"You should do that. And don't be mad at me. But I can't lend you my ZhanGeGe even for a day. He's my ZhanZhan and I'm not sharing him with anyone!" Said Yibo.

"Yes it's okay Yibo. I've realized it now. And I have to admit that you were right Yibo. You really seem to know him better than I do. But now I'm really leaving before Rick gets worried. Thank you for opening my eyes." Eva replied. She got up from the chair and let Zhan and Yibo accompany her to the door.

As soon as Eva left and the apartment door closed, Yibo clung to Zhan and whined, "I'm really hungry."

"So am I. However, my hunger is different."

"What are you hungry for?"

"For you my cute one. But for now, I'll make you breakfast before our parents come and things get chaotic again."

"Okay. And hey, as soon as our parents are gone again, you're welcome to eat me up."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmm. We could start in the shower again and then work our way up to one of our rooms."

"That sounds fantastic."

"And Zhan?"

"Mmm?"

"This time we'll really take our time with each other."

"Absolutely."

"And then tomorrow we'll do it again. And the day after tomorrow. And... every day."

"Every day? Are you sure you want to do this every day?"

"Every day means every day!"

"Okay, we'll see." Said Zhan.

Kissing each other hotly, they arrived in the kitchen and Zhan prepared breakfast for Yibo and himself. An hour later, their parents and Yibo's brother arrived and things got loud, happy and a little chaotic again. They were all in the kitchen preparing Christmas dinner together for Christmas Day 2.

After eating Christmas dinner together, they all dressed warmly and took a walk around the shopping passage. Zhan and Yibo held hands and did not care about the looks of the few passers-by who were taking a walk through the city center like them. Besides, they would have had nothing to fear anyway. Their parents gave challenging grim looks to anyone who dared to look at Zhan and Yibo for more than two seconds.

Back home, everyone rested in the living room until it was time for coffee and Christmas pie. This time they stayed in the living room, listening to Christmas carols and talking animatedly while enjoying their coffee and pie. "I can well imagine that from now on we will celebrate Christmas together like this every year. Because now that our sons have really become a couple, it makes us a family." Said Zhan's father.

"I agree. It's nice to sit together like this with everyone. Maybe we can alternate who we want to celebrate with every year." Said Yibo's dad.

"Well, who would have thought that, right? For so long we wished for our sons to meet someone they could open their hearts to. But it wasn't until we were finally ready to let go of that wish that we had it fulfilled. And it didn't need more than a drunken registrar who mis-registered a few marriages. Now our sons finally have someone they love. And by sheer accident, they're married to each other, too." Said Zhan's mom with tears of joy in her eyes.

"I feel the same way. I'm happy that my Yibo is finally happy too. And I'll be even happier if my Haikuan finally finds someone for himself too." Said Yibo's mom.

"Well, as soon as he moves back to Beijing, he'll have a date with someone I know. And I think those two could really become a couple. If it works out, then there will be one more person at the table next year." Explained Zhan.

"I look forward to meeting him." Haikuan replied.

Yibo looked at Zhan and smiled. He took Zhan's hands and said, "All I care about right now is my husband, who I've fallen head over heels in love with."

Zhan kissed Yibo's forehead and replied, "I've also fallen head over heels in love with you. And I'm thinking of writing a thank you letter to the registrar. Because it was only because he was drunk and misregistered our marriages that I was able to meet Yibo. I'm grateful to him for that."

"Hear, hear!" Everyone shouted and clapped.

They spent the rest of the day and evening comfortably together. And when Zhan and Yibo were alone again, they took a shower together and had a hot night of love, just as they had dreamed in the morning.