THEIR WORTH...

Present Day.

Zhao Min's hands trembled as she dipped a small towel into warm water, gently wiping the dried blood from Zhan's leg. Ever since the boy was brought in, her heart had been pounding non-stop...not just from shock, but from sheer fear and anxiety.

She knew Shan Tunan's job was dangerous; he had told her so himself countless times. Yet, after so many years together, she had grown used to it, almost forgetting the risks. Nothing had ever happened that made her question his safety...until today.

When they brought in the young man and Shan Tunan explained that he was the husband of his new partner, Yibo, the reality of the situation hit her hard. The fear gripped her heart even tighter when she saw the state Zhan was in.

Shan Tunan assured her that Yibo hadn't taken him to the hospital but had instead treated him himself. He confirmed that the bullet lodged in Zhan's leg hadn't penetrated too deeply. Still, Zhan was unconscious, and the blood seeping from his wound made everything feel more terrifying....for Shan Tunan and for her. She couldn't help but think that if her husband continued this line of work, neither she nor their children would be safe from similar danger.

Shan Tunan had left with Yibo, and Zhao Min had no idea where they had gone. But after they brought Zhan into her room, Yibo had checked his pulse, ensuring he was still breathing before quietly leaving with Shan Tunan.

The door to her room creaked open, and Guri walked in, holding a clean, lightweight shirt and a pair of sweatpants that belonged to Shan Tunan.

"Sister, should we change his clothes? The ones he's wearing are too heavy, and with his wound, it might be uncomfortable," Guri suggested softly.

Zhou Min squeezed out the now blood-red water from the towel before placing it back into the bowl. She let out a shaky breath and said, "Let's see if he wakes up later. Just make sure the kids don't come into this room."

"I already told them to go to bed," Guri replied. "They're all huddled together in the living room, too scared to make a sound."

Zhou Min nodded and added, "Go make some congee. If he wakes up, we'll need something to feed him before the others return."

Guri stood up, gave a soft "Okay," and headed towards the door. What Zhou Min didn't know, however, was that the moment Guri stepped out of the room, Zhan's eyes flew open....wide and sharp, as if jolted awake by an electric shock.

His gaze locked onto Zhou Min, intense and unwavering, making her hands tremble once more.

In that instant, a wave of emotions surged through her, hitting her like a lightning bolt from head to toe.

She was suddenly reminded of the infant daughter she had once given birth to with Xiao Lei. Although Zhou Min knew her baby girl had been stillborn, nothing could stop her from believing that this young man lying in front of her, wounded and covered in blood, staring at her with eyes so identical to her late husband's, could somehow be her child—the daughter she never forgot, not even for a single day.

:-*:-*:-*:-*:-*

"If you knew you couldn't handle it from the start, why did you bring it in the first place?"

Guri asked, looking at Anu, who was struggling to put back a large oven box she had taken down from the top of the kitchen drawers. Anu, always quick-tempered, scowled as usual and replied, "I just wanted to check if I could take it to school. We have practicals next week."

Guri turned from stirring the soup in the pot, glanced at her, smiled, and then chuckled while shaking her head.

"You're crazy, girl. Do you really think your mother will let you take that huge thing to school?"

"Even I told her it's too big to take to school," Ms. Er Che, the elderly woman helping them with household chores, chimed in.

"But Aunty Guri, I need it to bake a cake! Should I bake it with my mouth?" Anu snapped. Her temper was infamous in the household, and while it wasn't due to rudeness, it was simply her fiery personality... something everyone believed she inherited from her grandmother, Shan Tunan's mother. The stories about Shan Tunan's mother's temper were well-known, and it was said that it wasn't until she was on her deathbed that she finally reconciled with him after a long-standing feud.

"Then bake it with your mouth if you must," Guri replied nonchalantly, unfazed as she continued her cooking. Everyone in the house was used to Anu's temper, except Zhao Min, who constantly argued with her, insisting that she needed to change her behavior because she was a woman.

Guri picked up the flask of soup, along with a bowl and a single spoon, and left the kitchen, leaving Ms. Er Che still struggling to help Anu put the oven box away.

In the sitting room, she found Anu's younger brothers, YunChu and ChungYao, engrossed in their video game, as they always were when there was no school. Without stopping, Guri headed straight down the corridor that led to Maa's room. She opened the door with one hand, balancing the items she was carrying in the other.

"This one... and this one too..."

Fa-Lan's voice drifted to her ears before she even saw her. The little girl was sitting on the bed in front of Zhan, showing him pictures of her school friends in the latest edition of the school magazine.

"So, Fa-Lan, you really sneaked in here just to bother him, huh?" Guri teased as she entered.

They both looked up at her. Zhan smiled gently before responding softly, "Come on, she's just keeping me company."

"But weren't you told to rest? If it's Fa Lan, you'll never get any rest—she never runs out of things to say," Guri remarked, glancing at the small girl who couldn't be older than five, her long, fluttering eyelashes enhancing her already pretty face...a beauty she shared with her mother.

Since waking up in this house, Fa Lan was the first person Zhan had formed a bond with, aside from Zhao Min, the lady of the house, who cared for him like her own son. Fa Lan visited him daily, even heading straight to the room after school without changing out of her uniform.

It had been two days since Zhan arrived, and every day, the doctor came to check on his leg, which he still couldn't walk on. Although the bullet hadn't penetrated deeply, only grazing the side of his leg, Zhan still felt sharp pain occasionally, making it hard to believe the doctor's reassurances that he would recover soon.

Despite his circumstances and the lingering trauma of what had happened—something he never imagined even in his worst nightmares... Zhan found himself starting to feel at ease in this house. The warmth of the household, their kindness, and their care made him feel welcome, especially Zhao Min, who looked after him as if he were her own child, and Guri, whose presence had become comforting to him in just two days.

Even as his life took an unexpected turn, shifting from one chapter to another, Zhan found himself slowly adjusting to this new reality. Yet, one question still haunted him:

Who was Yibo? And what had he done... or was doing... that made people hunt him down with the intent to kill?

Zhan wanted to know what really happened after the pain he felt in his body. He clearly remembered the moment the man turned around holding that gun—something he had only heard of in stories, never imagining he'd see one so close. But there it was, right in front of him. Even before the pain in his leg registered, panic had already consumed him, and everything after that was a blur.

Since waking up, Zhan had only heard Yibo's voice once in the house. The room he was in belonged to Zhou Min, and Guri had told him that Yibo refused to come inside, because the room belongs to Shan Tunan's wife, choosing instead to call through Guri's phone to check on him. These calls usually came during the day when Yibo wasn't home, or late at night after he returned. Shan Tunan, the head of the house whom everyone called Baba, never missed checking in on him every evening.

"Get up and eat something already. It's late afternoon, and you haven't even thought about food," Guri said as she poured soup into a bowl she had brought in.

"I'm really not hungry," Fa-Lan replied, pouting.

Zhan looked at her.

"Come on, Fa-Lan, at least eat a little. How can anyone stay this long without eating?"

"Will you eat with me?" she asked eagerly.

"I've already eaten, Fa-Lan. But bring your food, and I'll sit with you, okay?" Zhan replied with a gentle smile.

She nodded and hopped off the bed, leaving her toy behind.

"And you," Guri said, turning to Zhan, "make sure you finish this soup and take your meds. I know sister is on her way back from that wedding, and once she's here, there'll be no escaping her care."

"Thank you so much for everything," Zhan said softly.

"Don't thank me, Zhan. Pain like yours isn't easy, especially with that awful catheter," Guri replied, glancing at the tube attached to him.

"As long as I don't move much, it doesn't really bother me," Zhan reassured her.

"Yeah, sure. You keep saying that, but I know you're just trying to endure it. Everyone says catheters are painful," she said, giving him a knowing look.

Zhan just smiled and continued sipping his soup.

"Hey, Zhan… don't you have any of your family members' numbers saved? I feel like someone should've informed them by now," Guri asked hesitantly.

Before Zhan could answer, YunChu peeked into the room.

"Aunty Guri, can Lao Er Che please make noodles for us?"

Guri turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Seriously, YunChu? Lunch has been ready for hours, but you two were too busy playing video games. Now you want noodles just because sister isn't home?"

YunChu frowned.

"There's dried fish in the soup, and I don't like it."

"There's sauce in the fridge. I'll heat it for you, but no one is cooking anything else," Guri replied firmly.

With a sulky expression, YunChu slammed the door on his way out.

"Such a drama king," Guri muttered, shaking her head.

"They'd never pull this if sister were home."

Zhan chuckled softly and finally answered her question.

"They don't even know I'm injured. When I spoke to Yibo-ge yesterday, he said he hadn't told them, and I don't want him to."

"Not even your mom?" Guri asked, surprised.

"My parents passed away. I grew up with relatives," Zhan replied, the lie slipping out effortlessly, just as it had the day before when Zhao Min had asked him the same question.

"Oh… I'm so sorry. May they rest in peace. I can't imagine what that must've been like," Guri said sympathetically.

"But, you know, you're actually really lucky now."

"Lucky? How?" Zhan asked curiously.

"Marrying someone like Yibo as your husband. He seems like a good man, especially with the way Brother keeps praising him. Sure, his job might be intense, but still… So, tell me, how did you two even meet?" Guri asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Zhan didn't know whether to answer Guri's question or ask one of his own about what kind of work Yibo actually did.

He tightened his grip on the bowl in his hands and finally replied,

"He's my foster mother brother-in-law."

"Ah, I knew it was an arranged marriage you too had! Ever since I heard the way you two talk on the phone, so polite Zhan," Guri said with a grin.

"Listen to me...just relax with your husband. Marriage is a blessing and a huge support system."

Zhan stared at her, surprised by her words.

"Your husband seems to care about you, Zhan. Honestly, he's really concerned about you. So, hold on to him tightly. You don't have parents anymore, so your husband is all you've got now," she added.

He just nodded, unsure of what to say.

"Let me go check on what those kids are up to," Guri said, standing up.

"Please finish your soup and take your meds—they're right here."

With that, Guri left the room, closing the door behind her.

Zhan watched her leave, then turned his gaze back to the bowl in his hands. He pushed aside everything Guri had said, knowing it wasn't true. The only thing on his mind was: What kind of work does Yibo do for her to say that everything that happened was just part of his job?

What exactly does he do?

:-*:-*:-*:-*:-*

"What kind of work do you do?"

The burly man asked again, towering over Shada, whose entire body was bloodied. His face was swollen and barely recognizable, yet he remained silent.

"Who do you work for?" the man pressed, raising the rod in his hand and bringing it down on Shada's back. Blood spurted from Shada's mouth, staining the floor.

Yibo, standing behind the glass door, watched silently before turning away and walking out. He made his way down the long corridor, re-entering the main office area while pulling out his phone to dial Shan Tunan's number.

"Still nothing?" Shan Tunan asked as soon as he answered, before Yibo could even speak.

Yibo shook his head, even though Shan Tunan couldn't see him.

"I don't think this kid will talk. It's been two days of torture, and he still hasn't said a word."

"He'll talk, Yibo. There are plenty of ways to get information out of him. He has to break eventually," Shan Tunan assured him.

Yibo nodded.

"Where are you now?"

"At the Ministry. I'll be back shortly," Shan Tunan replied.

"I'm heading out now too. I've got something to take care of before I go home," Yibo said before ending the call.

Instead of returning to his office, Yibo headed straight for the parking lot. His car was parked among the others belonging to the employees. Unlocking it as he approached, he got in, tossed his phone onto the passenger seat, and drove out through the gate, which the guards opened for him.

His destination was the electronics store...he had been thinking about this since yesterday. Yibo wanted to buy Zhan a phone so he could call him directly without having to go through Guri's phone. Everyone kept telling him Zhan was recovering well, including Zhan himself, but Yibo couldn't shake his worry. All he wanted was to see him with his own eyes, but something held him back.

Even Shan Tunan had given him permission to visit Zhan, but Yibo couldn't bring himself to step into Shan Tunan's wife bedroom again. The first time he did, everything had spiraled out of control, and he had acted purely on impulse.

Now, with things slowly falling back into place—Zhan's recovery and the progress of their investigation—Yibo felt more at ease. Even the satellite team had been cleared just yesterday after swearing they had no connection to Shada and providing evidence of how they had encountered him.

That house had also been shut down, and both the security guards had been relocated to Shan Tunan's residence, where they already worked. Yibo had been given a room there, where he spent his nights tossing and turning, lost in endless thoughts.

He pulled up in front of a phone store, parked his car, and walked in. The staff greeted him warmly, displaying various phones while explaining the features of each one.

In the end, he chose a Samsung in a deep pure black jade color. When they went to get a brand-new one from the stockroom, they found that particular color was out of stock, leaving only other options. But Yibo insisted on taking the sample. It wasn't just about the phone...he had imagined how striking that black jade color would look between Zhan's slender, pale fingers.

After paying and having the phone set up, Yibo headed to the SIM card counter. He bought a new SIM, registered it in his name, and chose a number that appealed to him. Once back in his car, he configured the phone, dialed his own number, and let it ring.

He stared at the screen, debating what name to save the contact under, but nothing felt right. So, he left it blank and placed the phone beside him. Starting the engine, Yibo pulled onto the main road. For the first time in a long while, something inside him felt lighter—at least now he could talk to Zhan freely, without relying on Guri's phone.

:-*:-*:-*:-*

"Are you telling me you still haven't found Shada?" Mr. Yang Tao's voice boomed through the speakerphone, filling his office.

"We're still working on it," Ping replied calmly from the other end, exhaling smoke from his cigar.

"I sent five more people to Shenzhen today. Don't worry, we'll find him."

"But time is slipping away," Mr. Yang Tao snapped.

"You know as well as I do that they won't leave him alone. They'll do everything they can to extract information from him."

Ping took another drag from his cigar and replied,

"Listen, I know my men failed this time, but if they were betraying me, we'd know by now. Relax. Nothing will happen. I'll deliver both Shada and Yibo... the one you're so worked up about... right to your doorstep."

With that, Ping ended the call without another word.

Mr. Yang Tao leaned back in his chair, his eyes meeting Shi Lei's across the desk. Worry was written all over his face.

"Don't worry," Mr. Yang Tao reassured him.

"You know Ping—nothing ever stands in his way."

Shi Lei nodded slowly.

"Yes, you're right," he muttered.

But deep inside, only he knew the turmoil brewing within him. Everything seemed to be unraveling at once. To make matters worse, his wife, Qian, was lying lifeless in a hospital bed at that very moment.

Yet, while some faced chaos, others found their paths clearing.

Wu Jing, standing in her bedroom, couldn't stop smiling. Clutched in her hand was an address... the location of Yibo in Shenzhen.

A wide grin spread across her face as she clutched the hem of her nightgown and whispered the city's name under her breath.

"Shenzhen."

What do you think happened to Qian?

How did Wu Jing get Yibo's address?

Zhan is here, Yibo is here... and there's a brand-new phone in the mix...

Tell me, in the middle of all this chaos, what do you think is about to happen next?

Let's continue...

Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛