I have heard your calls for updates all the way over here to Germany and hope I can please you with this update.

Chapter 6 - The in-laws

Yibo and Zhan went to their cars. They agreed that Yibo would drive up and Zhan would follow him to Yibo's parents' house. The drive took less than 20 minutes. Once there, Yibo was very nervous. He didn't know how to explain to his parents that he will now be married to Zhan for at least 6 more months after all and even agree to it.

But how could Yibo even have an explanation if he couldn't explain it to himself? All Yibo knows is that he wants to get to know Xiao Zhan better. And, that he wants to find out what the judge meant when she said that he and Zhan should look at it as an opportunity. What did she see or know that Yibo and Zhan didn't?

And likewise, Yibo was interested in why the judge wouldn't say out loud what Zhan's parents wanted? But what interests Yibo the most and leaves no peace is why he feels so strangely comfortable around Xiao Zhan? How could a handkerchief from Xiao Zhan calm him down from one second to the next? Why does he suddenly feel that everything will be fine when he is around Zhan?

In all his 26 years of life, there has never been anything that has kept Yibo so busy and confused as he is now with his strange feelings and thoughts surrounding Xiao Zhan. He just has to figure out what this means. No matter what, he just has to know why Xiao Zhan doesn't seem like a stranger to him, which he is, but like a confidant.

"Are you all right? Would you prefer me to wait in my car?" Zhan asked, snapping Yibo out of his thoughts.

"No, it's fine. Sorry. I was just in my mind." Yibo replied hastily.

"I guess it's no wonder with what happened today. I'll offer you a deal. We'll get your belongings now, bring them to my house, and while you're unpacking, I'll cook you something delicious. My grandmother always said that when you have sorrow, you should eat something delicious. It won't make the sorrow go away, but it will make you feel better."

"Actually, I don't have any sorrow. I'm actually kind of relieved. I mean... Mhhh... how can I explain it? I guess I'm just glad that Lara and I can go our separate ways now and she finally got what she wanted."

"Didn't you get what you wanted too? Didn't the judge say you regretted keeping quiet back then when you still had a chance to say you didn't want to marry Lara? You were never officially married to her. Yes, you lived together as a married couple. But now that's over. Which you wanted as much as Lara, right? So you got what you wanted, too."

"From that point of view, that's true. Yeah, you're right. And um, I would be very happy about the dinner."

"Don't worry, I'll cook you something super tasty."

"Thanks. Shall we then?"

"Sure thing. Are your parents home?"

"Uh-huh. I think so."

"How do you want me to introduce myself to them?"

"Well, how do you want to introduce yourself to them?"

"I don't know."

"How about saying you're their son-in-law?"

"I'm sure that would shock them."

"I'm not so sure about that. You heard what the judge said. They want me to be married, whether to a woman or a man."

"All right. I'll think of something. Now let's go inside. It's very cold outside and your jacket doesn't seem to be keeping you warm very well. Your hands are red and you're shivering."

"What all you notice." Said Yibo with a grin and unlocked the front door.

They entered the house and saw Yibo's parents sitting in the living room. The two immediately got up from their sofa when they saw Yibo and Zhan. Zhan took a step forward, bowed and said, "Good afternoon. My name is Xiao Zhan. And the judge has decided today that I will be your son-in-law for at least six months." Zhan thought that Yibo's parents were about to throw him out of the house in shock. But things turned out differently.

"Hello, I'm your father-in-law. Hopefully for more than six months." Yibo's dad replied. He said the latter a little more quietly. But still, Yibo and Zhan understood.

"And I'm your mother-in-law. I insist you call me that. However, mother will also be enough. And I hope you will put up with our son for longer than six months. He is, after all, quite a dear, sweet, and hard-working man. He doesn't ask for much either." Said Yibo's mom.

"If our parents act like we're at a market offering my little brother like cattle, I'll join in for now. I agree with our parents. My little brother is easy to take care of. He always has been. He never asked for much. He's always friendly to everyone. Helpful. And he's smart and humble. He is also very talented in many things." Said Yibo's brother.

Yibo stared at his 17 year older brother. He hadn't come home in over 10 years because he lives overseas, where he runs a medium-sized business. Because of the wide age gap of 17 years between them, Yibo and his brother didn't have much in common. Yibo had never really gotten to know him. That's because no sooner had Yibo learned to walk than his brother moved overseas, where he went to college and stayed right there to work. "Haikuan, you're home?" Yibo asked hesitantly.

Zhan could not only see but also feel how uncomfortable Yibo was. Since there wasn't much Zhan could do at that moment to make Yibo feel easier, he put his hand on Yibo's shoulder, smiled, and said, "I think I'll take my time, get to know Yibo, and form my own impression. So far, I like him quite a bit. He looks cute and doesn't talk much." Yibo's parents and brother laughed.

Yibo smiled. He knew Zhan was trying to lighten the situation a bit and stand by Yibo. "Thanks." He whispered.

"Don't worry. We can handle it." Replied Zhan in an equally whispery manner. Yibo immediately relaxed and nodded with a smile.

"Our son has the perfect mix between cute and handsome. That's why so many girls liked him back in school. He got love letters all the time. Some were so crazy about him that they would come to our house just to give him their love letters and gifts. And you are also very handsome. You're a perfect match in appearance. I'm really amazed." Said Yibo's mother.

"Mom, I think that's enough for now. The two of them still have enough time to get to know each other and exchange stories like that. Besides, it makes Yibo uncomfortable, as you can see. And you don't want to drive away your new son-in-law right away." Said Yibo's brother. He walked over to Yibo and Zhan, put his arm around Yibo's shoulders and nodded at him.

Zhan felt an urgent need to get Yibo out of there. "So I don't mean to be rude. But really, we're only here now because we came to get Yibo's belongings. He's moving in with me starting today. And we have to hurry a little bit because I have to work later." The latter was a lie. But they didn't know that.

"All right. We understand that, of course. We'll help pack quickly and it'll go faster. I hope we'll see each other again soon and then we can talk in peace." Said Yibo's father.

"Of course. We'll arrange an official meeting in the next few days. I will cook something for all of us and then we can talk in peace." Suggested Zhan.

"That sounds very good. Let's do it that way then. Now, let's help you quickly." Said Yibo's mother. They went to Yibo's room and packed his stuff. It had only been two suitcases. Yibo's mom also gave them two new bedspreads and matching pillows. And since they were there with two cars, Zhan could still take Yibo's beloved skateboards and his bike.

After Zhan and Yibo's parents exchanged cell phone numbers, the two were on their way back to Zhan's appartment. Once there, they took the skateboards and the bike to Zhan's basement room and then went upstairs where Zhan's parents were already waiting for them. He didn't know they were coming over. But that didn't worry Zhan at all.

Zhan's parents greeted Zhan with a hug. "Hello Yibo. Do you mind if we hug you as well? Our family does that as a greeting." Said Zhan's mother.

"Me, I'm okay with that." Replied Yibo shyly.

Zhan's mom wrapped her arms around him and then Zhan's dad. "That felt good. Now, let's eat. We cooked for you guys. Of course, I know Zhan's meal tastes better. But our food tastes good too." Said Zhan's father, laughing and walking into the kitchen.

Yibo didn't know how to act. He was a little afraid that Zhan's parents would also only want to talk about this marriage. But once he sat at the table and they started eating, no one at the table talked about it. Instead, Zhan's mom shared, "I've almost finished my new book. There are only 3 chapters left. Your dad has already finished drawing the book cover."

"I want to read the book first." Said Zhan.

Zhan's dad: "I always read her finished books first."

Zhan: "At least once, I want to read a finished book before you Dad."

Zhan's mom: "Alright, this time Zhan gets to read it first."

Yibo: "What kind of books do you write?"

Zhan's mom: "Mhhh, do you know the book "The Black Hand"?

Yibo: "Yes, it's a bestseller. I've read it."

Zhan's mom: "That's from me. I wrote that. And my husband drew the cover."

Yibo: "That's amazing! I loved the book and the cover really reflected the atmosphere in the thriller. I noticed the book because of the cover. I bought it and was hooked. I think I've read 10 or 11 books of yours by now."

Zhan's mom: "If you want to read more, you can always come to our house and get some. We have plenty left."

Yibo: "Really? That's an offer I would want to accept."

Zhan's dad: "Yes really. You're welcome to come anytime. So are all of Zhan's friends."

Yibo felt relieved that they were calling him a friend of Zhan's and not a husband. He began to feel really comfortable around Zhan's parents. There was no pressure, no annoying questions. Just a normal conversation about books. And then Yibo told them about his mini market all by himself, after Zhan briefly talked about his restaurant and mentioned that Yibo's mini market is nearby, and how he came to dream of opening his own mini market.

"When I was younger, like seven or eight years old. That's when we moved to the village to live with our grandparents for three years. My grandma wasn't well at the time and my parents wanted to take care of her. It was a small sleepy village where there was never anything going on. But then a mini market opened there and became a hot spot for the villagers. Suddenly everyone met there, they talked, drank together, organized village parties or discussed how they could help villagers in need. The owner said to me at that time that a mini market is not only a place where you can buy food, but can also be a place that connects people. I wanted to create something like that too. So I opened my mini market in a neighborhood that was remote and where there was no other place to shop. And within a few days, my mini market also became a hot spot. I was so happy when I saw how the neighborhood started to gather at my mini market and talk to each other." Explained Yibo.

"I'm really impressed with you Yibo. You did this not just to make money, but more importantly to connect people. That's really great." Said Zhan's dad.

"I agree with my husband. That's really admirable. And it's a little bit like our son. Because he said he wants his own restaurant not only to become rich with it, but also to bring people together. What did he always say? That he wants to make people happy with his food? He even gives food to homeless people." Explained Zhan's mom.

Yibo also found this impressive. They talked for quite a while. Yibo felt so comfortable that he didn't even notice how time passed. One moment it was 5 pm and the next it was already 9 pm when Zhan's parents said they were going to head home. They all hugged each other and then Yibo and Zhan were alone in the appartment.

Zhan showed Yibo the sofa bed and how to convert it into a bed. Then he showed Yibo a closet for his clothes. "The appartment is not very big. But as I said, you can have the living room. You can arrange your room the way you want. For me and my family, somehow the kitchen has always been the common room. We cooked together, ate together and talked together." Said Zhan.

"I noticed it earlier. It was very nice. And I was glad that no one talked about our marriage and so on." Replied Yibo.

"Oh well, don't worry about that with my parents. They don't force anything. They wait until you are ready to open up to them. You can talk to them about anything and I promise you, they will listen patiently and, if you want them to, they will give you advice and help you. Just because they are like that. And not because they expect anything from you."

"You really do have great parents. The judge was right."

"They certainly gave and give their best to make you feel as comfortable as possible. You won't experience anything like you did with your parents with my parents. And if my parents had been there earlier when we went to get your stuff and heard your parents talking, they would have blown them a march!"

"Hahaha, blown the march?"

"Yeah, that's what my parents always say when they think they want to kick someone's ass."

"Oh hahaha. I'll have to remember that one. Sometime in the next six months, I'm sure our parents will run into each other. I'm really looking forward to seeing how that goes."

"We'll see when that time comes. Now, I'm going to help you unpack and then I'm going to take a shower and go to sleep."

"That's the way I'm going to do it. Unpack, shower, after your shower of course, and then go to sleep. I'm really exhausted for today. And um, I want to thank you for letting me stay with you. And also thank you for the beautiful evening. I haven't been as relaxed as I was tonight in a long time."

Zhan wrapped his arms around Yibo. "Things will get better from now on. And I promise you, you will have many relaxed evenings from now on. Welcome home Yibo."

"Thank you." Replied Yibo and tightly wrapped his arms around Zhan. Actually, he never liked hugs. But this hug felt so good that he just wanted to enjoy it for a moment longer. And Zhan let him until he loosened the hug by himself. And because Zhan just smiled happily at him, Yibo was not even embarrassed that he hugged Zhan for so long.