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"Where is Fanxing? Why isn't he here?", Zhan ask as he couldn't see the kid around, that usually run into him when the child saw him.

"Fanxing is in his room, Zhan-ge. He's not feeling well.", Peixin lamented.

Hearing that, he runs to Fanxing's room, where he finds the child asleep on its bed. Zhan approaches the child and notices its pallid sleeping face. Seeing it made his heart sank, because to all of the children in the orphanage, he treat Fanxing like his own child.

Eight years ago, when Zhan was just 21, he already managed their business despite the fact that he was still pursuing his college degree, since his father wanted him to be more familiar with the industry at an early age. Zhan is driving home one night when he comes to a standstill due to a red traffic signal. He was eagerly waiting for it to turn green, when he heard a child's loud cry. He ignored it at first since he assumed it was merely crying because it was hungry or something and its mother would provide for its needs, but it didn't stop. These made him worried, and he turned his car around so he wouldn't be a bother to the other motorist.

He followed the child's cries until he came to a dead end in a dark alley. Its cries got more distinct, and Zhan is certain that the child is nearby. He looked for the infant and spotted it by the Dumpster, its little body is placed in a box with only a thin blanket covering it. Zhan is stunned and feels a pang in his heart at the sight of the miserable kid, but quickly removes his coat and wraps it around the shivering body of the toddler, then embraces it on his arms and, luckily, it stops crying.

Zhan turns his head around, expecting to find the person who abandoned the child, but he finds no one. He looked at the toddler and tried to caress its cheek, but he quickly pulled his hand back because the child was extremely cold. He began to panic and brought the child to his car, wondering how its parents could leave their child in such rough weather. Its winter, and he's not sure what will happen if he doesn't see the child.

Zhan rushed the child to the nearest hospital to determine its condition. After checking the child, the doctor found that it had a fever as a result of the cold weather. The doctor then asked if he was the child's father, to which he replied that he found the kid abandoned in a dark alley. The doctor thanked Zhan since the child may have died if he hadn't been found. The child has Primary Immunodeficiency, which means that he was born with a weakened immune system, it frequently has an underlying genetic basis and can run in families.

The doctor recommended that the child should have an early diagnosis in order to help prevent or delay some of the health concerns caused by Primary Immunodeficiency. Some varieties of it, if left untreated, can cause major health concerns, including organ damage and even death. Zhan immediately agreed with the doctor, praying for the child's recovery. The following day, he notified his former nanny, Āyí, about the child. She became worried about the child's health and volunteered to care for it, so Zhan can attend his university and report to the police about the child. In the afternoon on the same day, Zhan was at his university when he received a call from the police saying that they had identified the boy's mother, so he quickly went to the police station. When he arrived, he saw the boy's mother and found out that she was a prostitute at a local pub and ended up pregnant.

"You can take care of him if you want, but he has no purpose for me either. He's simply a burden for me.", the woman remarked, her expression devoid of guilt.

Zhan became enraged as a result of this. He was about to hit her if he hadn't remembered that she was still a woman and much older than him, and that she was also the mother of the poor child. He can't understand why she would forsake her own kid, because he knows what it's like to grow up without a mother. It hurts so much that he used to ask Āyí about his mother when he was little, and she always told him that his mother was already in heaven. He didn't comprehend it at first because of his young mind, but as he grows older, he realizes why, his mother died shortly after giving birth to him.

Now he doesn't understand why the woman wants to abandon her child when she could take care for it herself, but chooses not to. So Zhan convinced her to agree to his condition, that he will not file a Child Abandonment case against her if she signs a contract stating that she will entirely entrust the child to him and will not contact or bother the boy when he grows up.

After resolving the issue with the child's mother, Zhan returns to the hospital to check on the child and inform Āyí of the situation. Āyí then asked him what they should name the child, and he ended up naming it 'Fanxing.' But Zhan realizes he can't bring the baby back to the Xiao mansion because he knows his father won't accept it. So he decided to leave Fanxing in the care of, at her orphanage, believing the kid would be safe there after being discharged from the hospital. Zhan would then visit the child before and after university hours, and after two hours at the orphanage, he would head to their company to manage it.

Years pass, and Fanxing grows with the other children at the orphanage, he's a joyful, kind-hearted child. Zhan hopes the boy will find a loving family to care for him, but no one wants to adopt him after learning about his condition. As a result of these events, Fanxing loses hope and chooses to stay in the orphanage so that he will not be separated from his Zhan-ge and friends. He also mentioned that he is eager to repay Zhan and for their generosity when he becomes an adult, which Zhan agreed to since he is so close to the boy that he sometimes thought of adopting him formally.

Looking at its pale face while laying in bed caused his heart to swell up. He neglected the orphanage, particularly Fanxing, solely because of his desire to pursue Yibo.

Zhan learned through that the boy collapsed earlier in the morning, the old woman wants to take him to the hospital, but Fanxing refuses because he is frightened of going to the hospital. So Āyí summoned a doctor to examine him at the orphanage, and he informed me that the kid had collapsed due to a high fever.

While Yibo observes Zhan's clearly evident suffering, he is baffled as to why he is also experiencing it. It's the first time he's seen the older man so distressed and frail. He is at a loss for what to do and simply stands at the doorway, observing the two people in front of him, when he feels a little tap on his shoulder. Yibo cast a glance at and motioned for him to follow her so the two could have some space.

Āyí brought him to the orphanage's backyard, where he noticed so many planted flowers and vegetables. He's astonished by the sight.

"Do you take care of everything here, Āyí?", he ask curiously.

She shook her head, "I'm the one who planted here years ago, but the children have said that they will take care of it. At first, there were only flowers growing here, but the children decided to plant some vegetables too, so I won't buy any vegetables from the market and just harvest here.", Āyí said and they sat in the near round table.

"They did an amazing job here, it's very lovely.", Yibo commented, his eyes flashing as he gazed at the children's garden.

"That's true! The kids love it, especially when their Zhan-ge comes to visit. Planting and harvesting flowers and vegetables is their way of bonding.", she added tenderly, reminiscing the past.

Hearing it warmed Yibo's heart, and he couldn't help but wonder, "What kind of kid is Zhan, Āyí?"

"Zhan? He's a great boy, always well-mannered and collected. He's cheeky and daring at times, but he's really a good kid. And he's been brilliant and intelligent since he was young, which is why he's always at the top of his class.", she added proudly, but her smile faded.

She has a tear forming in her eyes as she looks at the bright sky. "It's just unfortunate that when Xiao Tingyu gave birth to him, she then lost her life. I'm a Xiao servant since Zhan's grandfather, he assigned me to be Xiao Zhang, Zhan's father to be his nanny, so I've witnessed everything of what had happened to the Xiao's."

"I've seen how happy Zhang and Tingyu when they got married and got a news that she's pregnant with Zhan. They have been excited but in a blink of an eye everything they had lost. The company that has been established by Zhan's grandfather have gone in bankruptcy because of—", Āyí stop and turn to Yibo, hesitant if she will continue.

"Because of my father.", Yibo completed her sentence, a huge lump in his throat as he spoke it. He was aware of the story. His father had told him that it was the beginning of Xiao and Wang's rivalry.

She nodded her head, "The Xiao's company went bankrupt. To lessen their bills, Xiao Zhang sells the mansion that was passed down to him by his father and moves to the tiny apartment. It's uncomfortable for both Zhang and Tingyu because they come from a wealthy family. I stayed with them despite them saying they can't afford my salary but I insist, with or without salary. I help them adjust in the new environment and also to guide Tingyu in her pregnancy. One month later, they're running out of money, so Zhang came to your father asking his help but he declined helping him. Tingyu's body didn't manage it well until the day of her delivery, putting both her and the child in her womb in danger. Zhang reached out to James for assistance yet again, but he was turned down. Tingyu died shortly after giving birth to Zhan, and Zhang blamed James for what had happened to his wife. Zhang is driven by his rage at James, and he vows to avenge his wife and bring down the Wang Group. So he re-established the Xiao Corporation with the assistance of an unknown individual whom he did not reveal."

"But I'm sure it's not your father's fault.", she said, taking Yibo's both hands in hers. "Zhang and James are best friends, and I know that someone is behind all of this."

~~~~

When they left the orphanage, it was already evening. Fortunately, Fanxing is now doing well, and Zhan has promised to return frequently like in the past. Then Zhan brings Yibo back to its place.

On his way home, he received an unexpected message, forcing him to return home quickly. When he arrived home, he noticed his father seated on the wide sofa in the living room.

"Dad", Zhan said.

His father frowns.

"What is the meaning of this, Xiao Zhan?", his father's voice thundered around the house, throwing a bunch of pictures in front of him.

He flinched and look at the pictures thrown to him with his and Yibo's face imprinted.

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Hi here again for another update and I hope I do fine with these 😅

So what do you think about this chapter?

PS: I don't really have a wide knowledge about the said illness and case mention above, so I hope that you'll correct me if I explained it wrong.

Well then, keep safe and healthy everyone 😉😉