"Yibo What the hell happened?" Yanli asked as soon as she saw his face, she ran to him and checked his wound, she looked extremely worried.

"I am fine aunt, I just fell."

"You are not lying to me are you?" she said as she sat beside him, "is someone bullying you? Did someone push you? Tell me I will fucking teach them a lesson!"

Yibo smiled, "I am fine aunt, and no one is bullying me I swear, I just fell that's all."

Yanli sighed before she looked at him coldly, "Just what the hell were you thinking, huh? don't you know how to walk properly? How can you be so careless?"

Yibo smiled and Yanli said, "And you have the audacity to laugh!"

"Sorry, Aunt."

"Hmph... go rest. I will make something for you to eat."

"Okay."

~~~

Grady was not seen after that day, he was not even on the team anymore, Grady's parents tried to talk to Cheng but he only let the lawyers talk to them he didn't meet them, and neither did Zhan.

The day of the match came soon as well,  and Yibo was there just as he had promised, "All the best." he said to Zhan.

"I am going to win."

"I know you will." Yibo replied with a smile, "Now go."

Zhan gave him a smile before he walked away while Yibo got seated in his place and was eagerly waiting for the match to start, as he was sitting, someone suddenly came beside him and sat down, it was Meredith.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," Yibo replied.

Meredith and he sat in silence for some time before Meredith said, "You are really good friends with Zhan right?"

Yibo nodded, "Well, you can say so." the players soon ran onto the field and Zhan was among them, charming as usual.

Yibo smiled when he saw him and he heard Meredith say, "he is really very handsome."

"That he is." Yibo then looked at Meredith and saw how she was looking at Zhan, and without thinking much he asked, "Do you like him?"

Meredith smiled as she turned to him and said, "I do have a crush on him and I would have dated him."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Why you ask? Although he is handsome, wonderful, and multitalented that is not enough, his family situation is not good, and his father is an abuser and he is his son, right? what if he turns out like him as well? And not to mention his financial situation, he is a nice guy but I don't think he is worth the effort."

Yibo blinked as he was flabbergasted, he looked away and was in a state of shock he didn't know what to say so he said nothing after that.

As he stared at Zhan, he had no idea how people thought that he was not worth the effort, how can people not see how much of a beautiful person he was?

Just how can people hurt him and sleet peacefully after that was beyond him.

As the game continued, all the players gave their best but Yibo's eyes were fixed on Zhan who looked like he was born to play and after a long match Zhan's team finally won.

Yibo stood up in his place and clapped as he had the biggest smile on his face, he was really happy that Zhan's team won.

Meredith looked at him and then at Zhan as she clapped as well feeling happy for Zhan.

~~

"I told you I was going to win!" Zhan said as he rushed to Yibo.

Yibo nodded but before he could say something Zhan just rushed to him and hugged him tightly.

Yibo's eyes widened and he froze for a moment but the next moment he raised his hands as well and hugged him back, "I told you that I knew you were going to win, congratulations.'

Zhan smiled, he broke the hug as he stared at Yibo, "You know this year has been great but you know what's the best thing that happened this year?"

"What?"

"Meeting you." Zhan said, "I wish we had met earlier. You are the best thing that has happened to me this year."

Yibo smiled when he heard that and Zhan said, "After the graduation ceremony let's go somewhere."

"Go where?"

Zhan spoke, "My family used to own a sea-facing house before but they had to sell, it was the most beautiful house and place, I would have taken you there."

"We can just go fishing."

"Or hiking."

Yibo laughed, "Sure, after the graduation ceremony."

"Yeah."

~~

The day of the graduation ceremony came soon, "are your parents going to come?" Zhan asked.

Yibo shook his head, "my parents don't even know that today is my graduation ceremony, but my aunt should be here."

Zhan nodded, "I see. My brother and mom should be here soon as well. We are finally graduating."

"Yes, we are."

"Zhan!" Cheng and Zhan's mother called out to Zhan who went to them, while Yibo was waiting for his aunt who showed up a little while later and Yibo rushed to her.

The ceremony soon started and one by one students' name was being called as they went to the stage to get their degree, soon it was Zhan's turn, his mom and brother made sure to take a lot of his photos and then finally it was Yibo's turn.

"I am so proud of you Yibo." His aunt said to him as she gave him a smile.

Yibo handed over his degree to her and said, "Aunt, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here today, thank you."

Yanli smiled at him, "You have worked very hard Yibo, and I am so happy to see how far you have come. I am proud of you."

Yibo smiled as he hugged his aunt tightly, "I love you, aunt."

Yanli smiled and hugged him back.

Meanwhile, Zhan who stood near his family, was looking in Yibo's direction and finally, he saw Yibo's aunt, and once he saw her he thought that she looked really familiar, it seemed like he had seen her somewhere before but where?

However, his attention was suddenly grabbed by his mother who groaned, "Mom?"

Zhan looked at her and so did Cheng but his mother suddenly collapsed on the ground, "Mom!" Zhan yelled, and that grabbed Yibo's attention who rushed towards Zhan and Yanli followed him as well.

"Mom?!" Zhan shook her and Cheng was shocked as well, "let's take her to the hospital."

Zhan nodded.

~~

"Zhan!" Yibo called out Zhan, who was sitting in the hospital lobby.

Yibo stood before him, but Zhan didn't look at him he was just staring down, Yibo kneeled down before him as held his hand, "What happened?"

Zhan closed his eyes as he took a deep breath, "They have taken her for observation, and they are going to run some tests... I should have paid more attention to her, she was getting weaker and weaker and I didn't care..."

"Hey..." Yibo cupped his face as he made Zhan look at him, "It's going to be okay, she is going to be fine."

Zhan's lips quivered as his shoulders trembled, Yibo got up and hugged him tightly, "It's going to be alright Zhan... she is going to be okay." Zhan said nothing he just wrapped his arms around Yibo and cried silently.

~~

"It's Stomach cancer." the doctor said.

Zhan felt he was struck by thunder while Cheng was pale as well.

"Cancer?" Zhan spoke his voice shaking.

The doctor said, "There is a high chance of survival though, as it was detected early, but still your mother's condition is very delicate. I suggest that we should start the treatment immediately."

Zhan didn't hear anything after that, he just blanked out, while Cheng was listening to everything carefully.

After that the days passed in a daze, Zhan felt like his world had just shattered, he spent most of the time with his mother and Yibo tried to be by his side as much as he could.

One day, while Zhan was sitting in the living room, he was approached by Cheng who said, "Mom's condition is critical, the stress due to company, work, and relatives will get to her and this sort of environment is not good for her."

Zhan looked at him and Cheng said, "I have talked to Uncle Kai. Zhan I want you to take Mom and go abroad, Uncle has connections there, and he knows some good doctors, while you stay there with Mom, complete your studies there"

Zhan was baffled, "I can't leave you alone here brother..."

"I am not alone Zhan, I will okay. You don't realize how much of a big responsibility I am giving you, you have to take care of Mom, her treatment, and also your studies plus your career, I am sorry that I am burdening you so much but Zhan please you have to do this."

Zhan looked at his brother, he looked so tired haggard and pale, Zhan felt angry at their situation, so he grabbed Cheng's hand and said, "When do I have to leave?"

"As fast as you can... how about the end of this weak."

"Alright." Zhan said, "I will start packing."

~~

"You are leaving?" Yibo said, as he felt his heart being hammered, it hurt a lot, as he talked to Zhan on the phone, in the grocery store.

"Hm.. I have to."

"For how long will you be gone?" Yibo asked.

Zhan paused as he said, "I don't know."

"When are you leaving?" Yibo asked with a heavy heart, it was getting hard for him to even breathe as his eyes got filled with tears.

"At the end of this week five days later."

Yibo sat down on the floor as it was too much for him, "I see."

"Hm... I will miss you."

Yibo closed his eyes as he clenched his fists, " me too."

"Will you come to the airport to see me off?" Zhan asked.

Yibo didn't want to as he didn't want to see him go, "Yeah, why not."

"I will wait for you."

Once the call was disconnected, Yibo started to cry, while Zhan on the other hand stared at his phone and a tear slipped his eyes as well.

~~~

The day of the departure came as well, Zhan and his family were already there and he was waiting for Yibo before leaving, he kept on staring at the door anxiously, he really, really wanted to see Yibo before leaving.

"Zhan, it's time to go," Cheng said, Zhan looked at him and nodded, but before he left he gave one last glance at the door and there was the person he was dying to see.

"I will be back." Zhan said as he rushed outside, "you are late." he said to Yibo.

Yibo smiled, "My scooter broke down in the middle, and I had to take a taxi there was a lot of traffic..." While he was blabbering, Zhan just smiled and hugged him tightly. Yibo hugged him back.

They both hugged each other for a good five minutes, before Zhan said, "Let's take a selfie." Yibo nodded and they took a selfie, Zhan smiled as he saw the photo.

"All the best." Yibo said, "I am sure your mother is going to be alright."

Zhan looked at him and said, "I have no idea when I will come back, it can take a few years, but I will come back, and when I do..."

He paused and Yibo spoke, "When you do then...."

Zhan smiled as he said, "Let's get married."

Yibo laughed, "What if I am already married by then?"

"When I come back, and if we both are single then let's get married, promise?"

Yibo smiled, "Promise."

Zhan smiled as he turned to go but just as he took a step forward he suddenly turned back and grabbed Yibo's face before coming closer to him and giving him a kiss on the lips.

Yibo's eyes widened and he froze at his place, while Zhan moved back and smiled, "And you know what Yibo? I remember you now... I remember that we have met before, I finally remember that night"

Zhan smiled as he took a step back and then turned away and left, while Yibo was left behind with tears in his eyes.

Zhan turned back and waved his hand and Yibo waved back, and then Zhan was gone, vanished from his sight.

Yibo stayed there for quite some time before he turned to leave as well.

Author's note😭