Chapter 92 Settled

Chapter 92: A Decision Is Made

Yan Zhoubai glanced at the three people in the room, his round eyes betraying his anger.

Yet he wasn’t one to lose his temper easily—his anger, even when genuine, never appeared particularly intense. To Zhan Jiayu, it even felt oddly endearing, as if he were deliberately trying to appear cute.

Consequently, no one initially realized Yan Zhoubai was truly angry—except Zhan Jiayu, who was the first to sense it.

“Don’t be angry, Xiao Chuaner. Of course, you don’t have to choose anything. We’re only asking for your opinion right now. Since you were unconscious earlier, I discussed these matters with them first.”

Zhan Jiayu hurried to defuse the tension—he’d miscalculated.

Yan Zhoubai had a gentle disposition, but that didn’t mean he lacked a temper. Zhan Jiayu had been so preoccupied arguing with the Yan family that he’d overlooked the protagonist himself.

At the time, he’d been furious over Yan Zhoubai’s poisoning—and the fact that he’d managed to sit down and negotiate calmly with the Yan family without losing control was itself an immense act of restraint.

All he wanted was to resolve things with the Yan family as quickly as possible. He couldn’t bear the thought of Yan Zhoubai spending even one more day under their roof.

“Right, right, right! No one’s forcing you to choose. If you don’t want to, then don’t.”

Bu Qiran finally grasped Yan Zhoubai’s anger—and seized the opportunity. Secretly, he hoped Yan Zhoubai would refuse, leaving everything unchanged and ensuring Yan Zhoubai remained with the Yan family.

“Don’t be angry, Xiao Bai. Of course, your wishes come first—you’re free to do whatever you like.” Seeing Yan Zhoubai’s displeasure, Yan Anxuan grew anxious too.

It seemed they’d upset him again. Every time, their intentions were good—but the result was always the same: Yan Zhoubai ended up unhappy.

Yan Zhoubai looked at each of the three people in turn, then let out a cold snort. “I want to live alone.”

“No!”

Without consulting one another, all three instantly rejected his proposal in unison.

“Why not?” Yan Zhoubai’s voice sharpened—genuinely angry now.

“What if you’re in danger living by yourself?” Bu Qiran said, as if stating the most self-evident truth, utterly convinced Yan Zhoubai couldn’t protect himself.

“I’m not a child anymore. I’m an adult.” Yan Zhoubai couldn’t understand why they kept treating him like a kid.

“Xiao Bai, it has nothing to do with whether you’re an adult or not. Though the police are closing in, the drug trafficking organization’s domestic network remains deeply entrenched—inevitably, a few will slip through. We’re all worried they might target you. Living alone simply isn’t safe.”

This was Yan Anxuan’s greatest concern—the very reason he’d ultimately compromised and agreed to let Yan Zhoubai go with Zhan Jiayu. Yan Zhoubai’s safety came first, above all else.

After all, in terms of security, Zhan Jiayu’s personnel far surpassed the Yan family’s hired guards. Unlike Zhan Jiayu—who’d grown up in Country A and survived life-or-death situations—they lived in a nation renowned for its peace and order.

“Yeah, exactly. It’s too dangerous for you to live alone. You can’t do that.” Bu Qiran chimed in as well.

He felt utterly defeated by Zhan Jiayu on this matter. Given his current standing, he lacked both the authority and the qualifications to oppose Zhan Jiayu—let alone wrest Yan Zhoubai away from him. All he could do was echo Yan Anxuan.

“Baby, if we use our savings to live independently, won’t it still fall short?”

The System grew anxious upon hearing Yan Zhoubai’s firm insistence on living alone—worried its young host was serious.

“I’m just venting. Who told them to discuss so much behind my back?”

Yan Zhoubai hadn’t actually planned to live alone—he only wanted to prove he had a temper too.

“Then I still recommend staying with Zhan Jiayu for now. After all, life with the Yan family hasn’t exactly been great. Even though their attitude toward you has improved, it still doesn’t quite feel right. With Zhan Jiayu, you’ll enjoy far greater freedom and ease.”

The System held no favorable impression of the Yan family—certainly not compared to its high regard for Zhan Jiayu. The villainous boss treated Yan Zhoubai exceptionally well, practically topping the “Best Big Brother of the Year” list.

Moreover, Zhan Jiayu was extraordinarily capable—his strength undeniable. Aside from Bu Qiran, whose protagonist aura only manifested later, no one in the early plot dared challenge Zhan Jiayu. This recent crisis had been resolved entirely by him—proof that the Yan family still fell short. Staying with Zhan Jiayu meant comfort and safety.

To the other three, Yan Zhoubai remained silent for a long while, head slightly lowered—as if genuinely distressed. In reality, he was simply thinking.

Zhan Jiayu grew the most anxious during Yan Zhoubai’s silence. As the one determined to take him away, failure meant the status quo would persist—the outcome the Yan family desired, and the very thing he refused to accept.

His goal was clear: he *would* take Yan Zhoubai away. If persuasion failed, he wouldn’t hesitate to resort to stronger measures.

In short, his patience had run out. Yan Zhoubai’s poisoning had shaken him to his core. He no longer wished to proceed cautiously—he wanted to accelerate things.

Of course, it would be ideal if Yan Zhoubai went willingly. He preferred avoiding extreme measures unless absolutely necessary—coercion would inevitably create distance between them.

Zhan Jiayu gazed at the small swirl of hair atop Yan Zhoubai’s head and recalled a childhood saying: people with a whorl there tend to be stubborn.

He’d noticed that trait in Yan Zhoubai too—gentle, adorable, easygoing on the surface, yet deeply resolute beneath.

That was one of the things he loved about him.

His soft, charming demeanor and appearance—what had immediately drawn Zhan Jiayu to him during their first meeting at Cangru Temple, made him accept Yan Zhoubai’s protective charm, and attend his coming-of-age ceremony—were merely surface-level attractions. What he truly cherished was Yan Zhoubai’s character—his essence as a person.

He hoped their relationship would remain smooth and joyful throughout—at least in Yan Zhoubai’s eyes.

Yan Zhoubai lifted his head, glancing first at Zhan Jiayu before speaking. “I’ll go stay with Zhan Jiayu. If you say it’s dangerous, then being with him should be safer.”

“Hey!”

Bu Qiran reacted first—alarmed.

Seriously? Was Yan Zhoubai really going to leave with an outsider? Did they think he was already dead?

Yan Anxuan’s expression darkened instantly—but he had nothing to say. This was Yan Zhoubai’s own choice.

Zhan Jiayu’s eyes lit up at Yan Zhoubai’s decision—but before his excitement could fully surface, Yan Zhoubai continued:

“But that doesn’t mean I’ll never return home. I still intend to come back whenever I feel like it—so my room and all my belongings must remain exactly as they are. No one is allowed to touch any of my things!”

Yan Zhoubai made it clear he wanted both—to rely on Zhan Jiayu’s support while maintaining his ties to the Yan family.

Yet no one saw this as greed. Yan Anxuan and Bu Qiran’s immediate reaction upon hearing Yan Zhoubai would still return home was relief. As long as he was willing to come back, their expectations were already low.

They understood Zhan Jiayu’s intentions perfectly. His stated desire to have Yan Zhoubai with him was, in essence, an attempt to sever Yan Zhoubai’s connection to the Yan family—especially given his earlier emphasis that Yan Zhoubai wasn’t even a blood relative.

Their greatest fear was Yan Zhoubai cutting off all ties with the Yan family. Fortunately, that scenario didn’t yet seem imminent.

While Yan Anxuan sighed in relief, Zhan Jiayu was less pleased. He wanted Yan Zhoubai to break away from the Yan family completely—not have others divert his attention or share his affections.

“What? Is that not allowed?”

Yan Zhoubai glared with wide, round eyes when the three remained silent after his declaration. What did their silence mean now?

Zhan Jiayu sighed inwardly. “Of course it’s allowed. It’s your home—you can return anytime. I’m not trying to kidnap you.”

Though he certainly wished he could, Yan Zhoubai’s feelings had to come first.

Upon hearing Zhan Jiayu claim he wasn’t trying to take Yan Zhoubai away, Yan Anxuan and Bu Qiran rolled their eyes in unison. Wasn’t he? Absolutely. His intentions had been glaringly obvious during negotiations with the Yan family.

Now he was playing the innocent in front of Yan Zhoubai? How shameless.

"Then it's a deal."

Yan Zhoubai wasn't really a bad-tempered person. The moment his desired outcome was achieved, the smile on his face was impossible to hide—he just couldn't contain himself. He was so overjoyed he even felt like bobbing his head happily.

Seeing Yan Zhoubai so delighted, Zhan Jiayu felt the frustration of not having fully achieved his own goal melt away.

As long as Yan Zhoubai was happy, that was all that mattered.

As for preventing Yan Zhoubai from keeping in touch with the Yan family—he had plenty of ways to handle that. There was no need to rush it.

Bu Qiran wasn't ready to give up, but it was pointless. There was nothing he could do.

Yan Anxuan’s expression suggested he'd already accepted the situation and was no longer resisting.

Zhan Jiayu didn’t care what the other two were thinking. He was already planning to take Yan Zhoubai back to the Zhan family’s old family home.

He could easily arrange for all the medical equipment at the hospital to be set up at the old family home—it wouldn’t be difficult.

Just then, the hospital room door was pushed open again, and Yan Ren and Bai Rong walked in.

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Author's note: I'm here, I'm here! This semester has been quite busy, so I've taken more breaks than usual [sobbing].