Bai Muchuan’s gaze suddenly became cold.
He was similar to a statue as he stood frozen at his spot.
Scene after scene replayed in his mind, barging into his head all of a sudden.
His mom, who had packed their luggage, was standing beside the bed with a melancholic expression. She was stroking his head as she spoke to him.
Her dossier being sealed in the archives, cold and seemingly stained with fresh blood…
That scene seemed to be his memory, yet it also felt like a dream that he had in his childhood, in the middle of the night.
Immediately after, Xiang Wan’s fair face came into the scene; she had a beautiful smile when she called him “Bai Muchuan” sweetly…
The scenes kept alternating between each other and he started to feel a splitting headache.
“Chuanchuan?”
As Grandma Bai didn’t hear a response from him, she started to get nervous and worried.
“Hello, my dear grandson? Say something please, don’t scare Grandma?
“Chuanchuan ah, did you hear me?”
A while later, Bai Muchuan broke out of his trance.
“I’m here.”
“What happened to you? You didn’t respond earlier.”
When the old lady said that, she paused for a while then muttered to herself. “Could it be that what they said is true after all?”
Bai Muchuan furrowed his eyebrows in thought.
He took a deep breath and told Grandma Bai in a firm and calm tone.
“It’s not true, they were talking nonsense. They said that as they wanted to destroy my relationship with Xiang Wan.”
“Ah, I see.” Grandma Bai seemed to be relieved when she heard this.
“I knew it!” She snorted in displeasure. “All of them are not good people. Fret not, my dear grandson. Grandma will protect you. As long as Grandma is alive, nobody will bully you again.”
Bai Muchuan smiled somewhat bitterly. “Thank you, Grandma.”
“Then come back quickly. Come back to eat the dumplings. Grandma has made them already…”
After she finished saying that, she suddenly paused for a while, then continued hesitatingly. “It’s better than you come back alone. Don’t bring your girlfriend back in case these bad people might say something that offends your girlfriend and if she left you—you won’t have a girlfriend and I won’t be able to meet my future great-grandson.”
Her logic…
Bai Muchuan was amused by Grandma Bai’s logical thoughts.
Grandma Bai’s world seemed to be simple and pure.
Would that kind of life be happier?
…
Bai Muchuan ended the conversation and sat down quietly on the sofa.
Xiang Wan just finished sorting and keeping the ingredients. She hummed a soft tune as she came over to him. When she noticed that he didn’t seem happy, she had a baffled look on her face.
“Why did you seem to be brooding? Who called you?” She tilted her head to observe Bai Muchuan and cracked a joke. “Did someone owe you money and refused to pay you back?”
“Grandma called earlier.” Bai Muchuan glanced at her.
“Orh.” Xiang Wan then chuckled in joy. “Your grandma is really funny and interesting. She’s like a child and she’s fun to be with. I have to say that your grandma is really the treasure of the family. If she’s not around, I’m sure I can’t even find a single trace of warmth at all!”
The mention of Grandma Bai made Xiang Wan lively and animated.
She really liked Grandma Bai.
When she talked, the corners of her lips were turned upwards, revealing a beautiful and sincere smile. Bai Muchuan couldn’t bear to say or do anything that would hurt her.
He got up slowly from the sofa and his tone sounded much more relaxed.
“What fun? She kept asking me to go back and eat her dumplings. What should I do?”
Xiang Wan was dazed for a moment.
She really didn’t like most of the members of the Bai Family.
Every minute there in the Bai Family felt like suffering.
Nevertheless, for the sake of Bai Muchuan, she was willing to do that for him.
“So… do you need me to accompany you back?”
“It’s alright.” Bai Muchuan smiled then looked at his watch. “Let’s cook our lunch first. After we finish our meal, I still need to make a trip to the office then I will go back to see her. You’ll just stay at home for a good rest. I might be back after dinner.”
Xiang Wan captured a glint that flashed past his eyes.
It seemed like he was trying to avoid something.
That was only for a moment as it disappeared quickly in a second.
Xiang Wan didn’t ask anything more but chose to show a smile instead.
“Alright! I’ll stay at home to write my story. No one will disturb me since you’re not at home.”
“Mm.” Bai Muchuan put his hands on her hand gently and planted a kiss on her forehead.
…
The two of them then made their lunch together.
They put on the aprons and talked to each other. Both of them had endless topics to chit chat about.
They talked about local news to world news, then entertainment gossip and more. Both of them shared the same moral values about life, ethics and all, it was like they would never run out of things to say…
Such a time together was long-awaited, it was peaceful and full of warmth…
Xiang Wan felt content.
After their lunch, Bai Muchuan left the apartment.
Xiang Wan was now all alone in that big apartment.
She was used to being alone at home and thus, she was alright in having the whole house to herself.
The only thing that made her a little uneasy, was the expression that Bai Muchuan showed when he was taking Grandma’s phone call earlier.
He seemed out of sorts.
He seemed to want to say something.
What was the thing that he had ultimately chosen not to tell her about it?
Xiang Wan was actually very curious.
As for why she chose not to ask, it was because he was a very protective person. He hoped that his woman would live a relaxed and happy life, and that there was no need for her to come in contact with the undesirable facets of society. He was strong enough and was willing to protect and shield her from all of these…
He wanted to protect her so much that one of the consequences was that if anything happened, he preferred to face that alone.
Someone like him could give others a sense of security.
But what about his inner emotions?
Could it already be full of holes, in a lot of pain and difficult to heal?
Xiang Wan then continued to write her story.
It was also then, Bai Lu came to look her up…
…
Bai Muchuan went to the office and spent two hours working there. When he reached the Bai Residence, Grandma Bai was having her afternoon nap.
In the living room, there was only Bai Zhenhua.
He looked fatigued as his eyes seemed a little red, he might not have slept well last night. The vapor from the Chinese tea on the coffee table was curling up slowly to the air. With a cigarette in his hand, he looked more haggard than usual…
Bai Muchuan stood at his spot.
“You’re back?” Bai Zhenhua snuffed out the cigarette.
“Mm.” Bai Muchuan put his car keys inside his pocket and sat on the sofa directly opposite him. “You’re waiting for me?” He looked at him without any restraint.
Bai Zhenhua didn’t answer him directly. He took a cup of tea and asked a question casually. “How is the case coming along?”
Bai Muchuan eyed him for a while before looking away.
The corners of his lips lifted upwards, revealing a somewhat mocking smile.
“You’re actually concerned about my work?”
“I’ve heard from Cheng Weiji that the case you’re handling is very complicated and exciting. Do you need help?”
“No need!” Bai Muchuan replied as a matter-of-factly, “It’s my work after all, I can handle it.”
Bai Zhenhua nodded his head.
And nodded again.
Everything suddenly seemed quiet. There was an awkward silence in the air.
The two of them seemed to have difficulty finding a topic to talk about.
Bai Zhenhua took a few sips of tea. Then he cleared his throat before asking a question.
“Where’s your girlfriend? Why didn’t she come with you?”
Bai Muchuan furrowed his eyebrows in thought.
He kept quiet for about half a minute as he looked at Bai Zhenhua coldly. “What do you want to ask? Just ask me directly. There’s no need to beat around the bush,” he snuck a laugh. “It’s so unlike you.”
Bai Zhenhua met his gaze, and it gradually turned cold.
“Since you said it, I shall ask.”
“Are you saying that if I didn’t say that, you wouldn’t ask?”
Bai Muchuan was totally not polite with him.
Bai Zhenhua was startled for a moment before he grunted a laugh, shaking his head.
“You haven’t told me anything about Xiang Wan’s family background.”
Hur!
Bai Muchuan stroked his nose indolently while he smiled a little sardonically.
“You’re actually concerned about such matters?”
“Of course I would!”
“But you’ve never asked about this before.” Bai Muchuan raised his eyebrows and gave him a sidelong glance.
Bai Zhenhua replied, “I thought you’d tell me without me asking.”
“Why should I?” Bai Muchuan let out a sneer. “I’m an adult. I can handle my own relationship matters and I know what I’m doing.”
“You said know what you’re doing?” Bai Zhenhua squinted his eyes dangerously. His gaze felt like sharp knives as he looked at Bai Muchuan. “If you really know what you’re doing, then you should understand that both of you are not suitable for each other…”
“Not suitable?” Bai Muchuan showed a lazy, scathing smile; a palm stroking his knee. “Whether she is suitable or not, I know more than you do.”
“Bai Muchuan.” Bai Zhenhua enunciated his name word by word, a tiny spark of anger brewing in his eyes.
Bai Muchuan met his gaze directly. His gaze was firm and stern, refusing to back down.
Finally, Bai Zhenhua pursed his lips and propped his forehead on his hands with a sigh. “I had thought you didn’t know about it. But it turned out that… you actually know everything.”
The atmosphere seemed to come to a standstill.
Bai Muchuan snorted coldly, “Yeah, I know everything.”
“If you know then why are you still so stubborn? What kind of love potion did she feed you that made you become like this?”
Looking at Bai Zhenhua’s vexed expression as if he had expected Bai Muchuan to know better, the latter actually felt glad to see that.
“I thought you are the best person who would understand how I feel about this?” He raised an eyebrow as he scrutinized Bai Zhenhua in an unkind manner.
Bai Zhenhua’s expression suddenly went stiff.
That expression was as though he was being forced to swallow a housefly.
Bai Muchuan smiled coolly. “My motive for coming back here today is to tell you that I’ve made up my mind to be with her. So don’t try to play any dirty tricks behind my back.”
Bai Zhenhua’s gaze gradually turned cold.
“You can be with any woman you want, but not her.”
…
Bai Muchuan’s gaze suddenly became cold.
He was similar to a statue as he stood frozen at his spot.
Scene after scene replayed in his mind, barging into his head all of a sudden.
His mom, who had packed their luggage, was standing beside the bed with a melancholic expression. She was stroking his head as she spoke to him.
Her dossier being sealed in the archives, cold and seemingly stained with fresh blood…
That scene seemed to be his memory, yet it also felt like a dream that he had in his childhood, in the middle of the night.
Immediately after, Xiang Wan’s fair face came into the scene; she had a beautiful smile when she called him “Bai Muchuan” sweetly…
The scenes kept alternating between each other and he started to feel a splitting headache.
“Chuanchuan?”
As Grandma Bai didn’t hear a response from him, she started to get nervous and worried.
“Hello, my dear grandson? Say something please, don’t scare Grandma?
“Chuanchuan ah, did you hear me?”
A while later, Bai Muchuan broke out of his trance.
“I’m here.”
“What happened to you? You didn’t respond earlier.”
When the old lady said that, she paused for a while then muttered to herself. “Could it be that what they said is true after all?”
Bai Muchuan furrowed his eyebrows in thought.
He took a deep breath and told Grandma Bai in a firm and calm tone.
“It’s not true, they were talking nonsense. They said that as they wanted to destroy my relationship with Xiang Wan.”
“Ah, I see.” Grandma Bai seemed to be relieved when she heard this.
“I knew it!” She snorted in displeasure. “All of them are not good people. Fret not, my dear grandson. Grandma will protect you. As long as Grandma is alive, nobody will bully you again.”
Bai Muchuan smiled somewhat bitterly. “Thank you, Grandma.”
“Then come back quickly. Come back to eat the dumplings. Grandma has made them already…”
After she finished saying that, she suddenly paused for a while, then continued hesitatingly. “It’s better than you come back alone. Don’t bring your girlfriend back in case these bad people might say something that offends your girlfriend and if she left you—you won’t have a girlfriend and I won’t be able to meet my future great-grandson.”
Her logic…
Bai Muchuan was amused by Grandma Bai’s logical thoughts.
Grandma Bai’s world seemed to be simple and pure.
Would that kind of life be happier?
…
Bai Muchuan ended the conversation and sat down quietly on the sofa.
Xiang Wan just finished sorting and keeping the ingredients. She hummed a soft tune as she came over to him. When she noticed that he didn’t seem happy, she had a baffled look on her face.
“Why did you seem to be brooding? Who called you?” She tilted her head to observe Bai Muchuan and cracked a joke. “Did someone owe you money and refused to pay you back?”
“Grandma called earlier.” Bai Muchuan glanced at her.
“Orh.” Xiang Wan then chuckled in joy. “Your grandma is really funny and interesting. She’s like a child and she’s fun to be with. I have to say that your grandma is really the treasure of the family. If she’s not around, I’m sure I can’t even find a single trace of warmth at all!”
The mention of Grandma Bai made Xiang Wan lively and animated.
She really liked Grandma Bai.
When she talked, the corners of her lips were turned upwards, revealing a beautiful and sincere smile. Bai Muchuan couldn’t bear to say or do anything that would hurt her.
He got up slowly from the sofa and his tone sounded much more relaxed.
“What fun? She kept asking me to go back and eat her dumplings. What should I do?”
Xiang Wan was dazed for a moment.
She really didn’t like most of the members of the Bai Family.
Every minute there in the Bai Family felt like suffering.
Nevertheless, for the sake of Bai Muchuan, she was willing to do that for him.
“So… do you need me to accompany you back?”
“It’s alright.” Bai Muchuan smiled then looked at his watch. “Let’s cook our lunch first. After we finish our meal, I still need to make a trip to the office then I will go back to see her. You’ll just stay at home for a good rest. I might be back after dinner.”
Xiang Wan captured a glint that flashed past his eyes.
It seemed like he was trying to avoid something.
That was only for a moment as it disappeared quickly in a second.
Xiang Wan didn’t ask anything more but chose to show a smile instead.
“Alright! I’ll stay at home to write my story. No one will disturb me since you’re not at home.”
“Mm.” Bai Muchuan put his hands on her hand gently and planted a kiss on her forehead.
…
The two of them then made their lunch together.
They put on the aprons and talked to each other. Both of them had endless topics to chit chat about.
They talked about local news to world news, then entertainment gossip and more. Both of them shared the same moral values about life, ethics and all, it was like they would never run out of things to say…
Such a time together was long-awaited, it was peaceful and full of warmth…
Xiang Wan felt content.
After their lunch, Bai Muchuan left the apartment.
Xiang Wan was now all alone in that big apartment.
She was used to being alone at home and thus, she was alright in having the whole house to herself.
The only thing that made her a little uneasy, was the expression that Bai Muchuan showed when he was taking Grandma’s phone call earlier.
He seemed out of sorts.
He seemed to want to say something.
What was the thing that he had ultimately chosen not to tell her about it?
Xiang Wan was actually very curious.
As for why she chose not to ask, it was because he was a very protective person. He hoped that his woman would live a relaxed and happy life, and that there was no need for her to come in contact with the undesirable facets of society. He was strong enough and was willing to protect and shield her from all of these…
He wanted to protect her so much that one of the consequences was that if anything happened, he preferred to face that alone.
Someone like him could give others a sense of security.
But what about his inner emotions?
Could it already be full of holes, in a lot of pain and difficult to heal?
Xiang Wan then continued to write her story.
It was also then, Bai Lu came to look her up…
…
Bai Muchuan went to the office and spent two hours working there. When he reached the Bai Residence, Grandma Bai was having her afternoon nap.
In the living room, there was only Bai Zhenhua.
He looked fatigued as his eyes seemed a little red, he might not have slept well last night. The vapor from the Chinese tea on the coffee table was curling up slowly to the air. With a cigarette in his hand, he looked more haggard than usual…
Bai Muchuan stood at his spot.
“You’re back?” Bai Zhenhua snuffed out the cigarette.
“Mm.” Bai Muchuan put his car keys inside his pocket and sat on the sofa directly opposite him. “You’re waiting for me?” He looked at him without any restraint.
Bai Zhenhua didn’t answer him directly. He took a cup of tea and asked a question casually. “How is the case coming along?”
Bai Muchuan eyed him for a while before looking away.
The corners of his lips lifted upwards, revealing a somewhat mocking smile.
“You’re actually concerned about my work?”
“I’ve heard from Cheng Weiji that the case you’re handling is very complicated and exciting. Do you need help?”
“No need!” Bai Muchuan replied as a matter-of-factly, “It’s my work after all, I can handle it.”
Bai Zhenhua nodded his head.
And nodded again.
Everything suddenly seemed quiet. There was an awkward silence in the air.
The two of them seemed to have difficulty finding a topic to talk about.
Bai Zhenhua took a few sips of tea. Then he cleared his throat before asking a question.
“Where’s your girlfriend? Why didn’t she come with you?”
Bai Muchuan furrowed his eyebrows in thought.
He kept quiet for about half a minute as he looked at Bai Zhenhua coldly. “What do you want to ask? Just ask me directly. There’s no need to beat around the bush,” he snuck a laugh. “It’s so unlike you.”
Bai Zhenhua met his gaze, and it gradually turned cold.
“Since you said it, I shall ask.”
“Are you saying that if I didn’t say that, you wouldn’t ask?”
Bai Muchuan was totally not polite with him.
Bai Zhenhua was startled for a moment before he grunted a laugh, shaking his head.
“You haven’t told me anything about Xiang Wan’s family background.”
Hur!
Bai Muchuan stroked his nose indolently while he smiled a little sardonically.
“You’re actually concerned about such matters?”
“Of course I would!”
“But you’ve never asked about this before.” Bai Muchuan raised his eyebrows and gave him a sidelong glance.
Bai Zhenhua replied, “I thought you’d tell me without me asking.”
“Why should I?” Bai Muchuan let out a sneer. “I’m an adult. I can handle my own relationship matters and I know what I’m doing.”
“You said know what you’re doing?” Bai Zhenhua squinted his eyes dangerously. His gaze felt like sharp knives as he looked at Bai Muchuan. “If you really know what you’re doing, then you should understand that both of you are not suitable for each other…”
“Not suitable?” Bai Muchuan showed a lazy, scathing smile; a palm stroking his knee. “Whether she is suitable or not, I know more than you do.”
“Bai Muchuan.” Bai Zhenhua enunciated his name word by word, a tiny spark of anger brewing in his eyes.
Bai Muchuan met his gaze directly. His gaze was firm and stern, refusing to back down.
Finally, Bai Zhenhua pursed his lips and propped his forehead on his hands with a sigh. “I had thought you didn’t know about it. But it turned out that… you actually know everything.”
The atmosphere seemed to come to a standstill.
Bai Muchuan snorted coldly, “Yeah, I know everything.”
“If you know then why are you still so stubborn? What kind of love potion did she feed you that made you become like this?”
Looking at Bai Zhenhua’s vexed expression as if he had expected Bai Muchuan to know better, the latter actually felt glad to see that.
“I thought you are the best person who would understand how I feel about this?” He raised an eyebrow as he scrutinized Bai Zhenhua in an unkind manner.
Bai Zhenhua’s expression suddenly went stiff.
That expression was as though he was being forced to swallow a housefly.
Bai Muchuan smiled coolly. “My motive for coming back here today is to tell you that I’ve made up my mind to be with her. So don’t try to play any dirty tricks behind my back.”
Bai Zhenhua’s gaze gradually turned cold.
“You can be with any woman you want, but not her.”
…
