Wufan woke up to a beeping sound. Opening up his eyes and then closing them immediately again, he began to slowly catch up on things.

He was on the bus on the way home, all his surroundings became black, he is awake now and having a little trouble breathing - hence the breathing mask, he also feels a sharp pain on his right side which causes him mumble and a sound of chair being pushed.

"Wu Fan?!" it's his mother's voice and he can feel her gentle touch on his cheek.

He opens his eyes and sees her smiling in relief.

"Everything is going to be okay honey," she draws circles on his cheek with her thumb, "you're going to be okay now."

He blinks and tries to speak but a hoarse sound is coming out of his throat, causing his mother bite her bottom lip and then removing few hair strands from his forehead. "I'll call your father and the doctor, okay?" she smiles and adds, "I'll be right back."

He is left to examine his own condition and he realizes he can move his left arm almost freely while the right one is plastered and bandaged tightly together with his right ankle. His right eye sees a little blury and his stomach hurts as hell. 

He managed to sigh slowly and his mother entered the room with his tired-looking father and the doctor.

"Hello there, Wu Fan." the doctor smiled calmly as he walked towards the bed. Wu Fan nodded, looking at his father steping close to his side and holding his hand with a small smile.

"My name is doctor Shim, but you can call me Changmin." the man said with a warm smile, "you must be aware of the fact your speech is a little impaired at the moment, but please don't worry too much about it. It is most certainly temporary."

Wu Fan's lips crooked into a small smile.

"Also, you are out of any life-threatening risk," Changmin continued as he saw the other relieved, "though your condition is not very bright, it is fixable."

Wu Fan smiled lightly.

"Z-Zi...?" he tried to ask carefully, looking at his mother who came to his bed side.

"At home," his mother replied while taking his hand in hers, "we couldn't bring his, he was too hysterical and we think his childhood asthma is back."

Wu Fan could feel his heart race speed up.

"He is fine," it's as if she could read his mind, "just a little worried. Granny is with him, she's taking care of him." his mother kissed his fingers softly as she sat next to the bed. She hasn't done this since a long time ago. She used to sit next to his bed when he was sick, sing for him a little and just as his mind was drifting off to sleep, she would kiss his fingers gently and slip out of the room.

Wu Fan bit his lips at the memory.

"Would you like me to take off the breathing mask?" Doctor Shim asked and Wu Fan tried nodding.

"It'll help you make more sounds," he explained while taking off the mask, "and maybe even talk a little, but please don't force yourself."

"Yes, please honey, let's make baby-steps with this healing process."

Wu Fan looked at his mother and smiled lightly, without the mask now. He knew he'll have to do anything according to how she wants it to be, he owns her that at least.

At evening, Wu Fan heard his parent speaking right next to the door, trying to be as quiet as possible. But everything could've been heard through these walls.

"I can't allow her visit him." He heard his mother saying miserably. Is she talking about his biological mother?

"I know it's hard, but-"

"No! You don't! You always defend her at the end!" His father's pleas were stopped by these words and they made Wu Fan rise his brows. Who are they talking about? "I will never allow her to hurt him again."

His father sighed. "She has matters to talk with him about."

There was silence.

"It is my mother after all," his father said and Wu Fan got the whole picture now. "You know I can't throw her away."

"I know…" Wu Fan barely heard the replied whisper.

"She will be here in about 5 minutes with Zi Tao."

As time passed he could already make full sentences, slowly though. And when the new visitors came Wu Fan sure did knew since he didn't even have the chance to look at the door to see who came in and Zi Tao was already hugging him and sobbing some incoherent words.

"Zi Tao!" Their mother called, "Wu Fan is in a very delicate situation right now!" and pilled him off of Wu Fan's body.

"I-I'm sorryyyy~" he cried harder as he looked at Wu Fan.

Wu Fan smiled and opened his arms, this time inviting him to the embrace and Zi Tao slipped in between as if they were some complete puzzle right now. Their mother sighed in despair but couldn't help the small smile spread across her face.

Wu Fan only then saw that due to the small chaos Zi Tao caused he didn't notice that another person came in with him. His smile disappeared and he nodded politely. This time though, the old woman he used to call grandmother, nodded back. He was surprised by the act.

"Boys." Their father cleared his throat in order to gain their attention, "grandma has some issues to talk through with Wu Fan. You'll have plenty of time to see eachother later on."

Zi Tao looked at his grandmother surprised but smiled gently, as if asking her to be nice to his gege.

"Come on sweetie," his mother motioned him towards the door, "let's go out for a few minutes."

The three of them walked out of the door, his mother the last in line. She halted by the door, "Wu Fan, if you need anything or if something is wrong, just push the buzzer honey." She smiled gently, as always, and exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Actually, this was the first time Wu Fan was alone with this woman since the time he was 5 and she told him he'll grow a tale because he is the devil's son. He cried about it for weeks after she left back to China, refusing to tell his mother where he got that hallucinatory idea from.

"Hello Wu Fan." The woman said, sitting on the small armchair right in front of the bed. Was it the first time he heard her say his name so clearly?

He nodded as reply.

She sighed and suddenly Wu Fan didn't know why was he always scared of an old woman who so sad and tired suddenly.

"When we still lived in China…" she looked at her hands, lying on her laps, "your parents were neighbors." Wu Fan was shocked as she finally called then 'his parents', she smiled at that and continued. "Your father was always in love with her. But I didn't want them to be together, ever. He was chasing after her since they were 5, but she never looked at him."

"Just because of-"

"No. not just because of that." She looked at him straight in the eyes, tired and sad, "she had a weird friend. Meilin, was her name. She came from a bad family, a pitiful background. And I just knew she'll harm you mother and by that… your father too. When they were 19, she got pregnant and wanted to keep the child. Your mother, of course, supported her. Financially and mentally, she was always too kind-hearted." The grandmother smiled, still looking at Wu Fan. "I didn't know then, that the man Meilin was carrying his child in her was the man who shot my husband dead when your father was only 10 years old and your aunt was 12. That man was over 40 when he got her pregnant." Her face darkened as she looked aside to the window. "I also didn't know she became a hooker in order to gain lots of money, explaining why she had been carrying his baby."

Wu Fan looked at her, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I don't really understand… Why are you telling me this?"

She fixed her gaze on him again, "She was living in your mother's room. Your mother could get anything she wanted if she really wanted it, so I wasn't surprised when her parents couldn't do anything about it. Your mother's window was right in front of mine. That baby was crying so much. He was such a bad baby…" she stopped and covered and nose as she tried to laugh, but tears were streaming down her cheeks. Wu Fan was lost and seriously considered pushing the buzzer right now.

The grandmother took a deep breath and continued.

"When Meilin would go to 'work' at night, I'd see your mother babysitting that little one, having hard time to make him stop crying… One day, she knocked on our door, holding the baby helplessly. I let her in, asking what was the problem but she started crying. So I took the baby from her and told her to sit on the couch. Your father made her drink some water to relax and sat next to her, holding her shoulders till morning. That night, I laid the baby next to me on my bed. He was looking at me so peacefully. His eyes were dark but when he smiled, I thought 'Ah, now I understand why she tolerates you so much'." She stopped once again and smiled while looking at Wu Fan. "That was also the last night we saw Meilin. Apparently, some panders came looking after her in your mother's home and she came running to us. Also, in the morning I already knew who that boy's father was. I never wanted to see him or your mother ever again. But your father, being the stupid forever love-struck he is, proposed her the next day, knowing she wouldn't give up that child and raise him no matter what. I didn't have a say, but when I said I never want to see them ever again, they moved to South Korea."

"But dad never left you."

"You're right." She assured with another smile, Wu Fan liked talking to her like this, when she is nice. "A week after they moved, I got a letter, saying their address for whenever I felt like vising. I did visit. A year later, when my grandson was born."

"Wait- that baby-"

"It was you." She said looking at the floor.

Wu Fan now tried to collect all the things she said and put them together.

"The man who killed my husband was named Wu Yi Hong. Your given name is not Zhang Wu Fan. It is Wu. Yi. Fan."

Wu Fan found it hard to breathe suddenly.

"Meilin is your mother."

"Got that much." Wu Fan said sarcastically, looking at his trembling hands.

"She'll be in Korea in a month. Enough time for you to recover." She paused, "I wanted to take Zi Tao away for him not to know or see this mess. But I can't."

"What do you mean?" Wu Fan asked quietly.

"He wouldn't leave with me. And you can't stay by his side when Meilin comes. She now has, money, power and became a ruthless person. I cannot allow Zi Tao to get hurt-"

"It's always about Zi Tao for you…" tears came down from Wu Fan's eyes.

"seeing you getting hurt." She finished her sentence, looking at him with the most gentle look he ever saw on her face.

"Come to China with me. Come as Huang Wu Fan. I am willing to give you my name in order to protect both of my grandchildren right now."

--

A/N: Hello.

Any readers left?

*Don't kill me*

Umm... I actually had a very hard time these past 4 months, so I'm terribly sorry I couldn't update.

Thought of deleting this several times but every time I entered AFF I always had new notifications, showing me that people are still reading and still waiting, so thank you. This is for all of you who waited <3

(Sorry for any mistakes)

(cr for the pic to rightful owner)