The old man left her on a cliffhanger. “You’ll meet her soon enough. Now eat.”
“When will she come?” Lin Xinyan asked.
She began to get excited. “Do I know her?”
“I thought you were the kind to stay calm no matter what? Why are you so impatient now?” The old man asked with a hint of annoyance in his tone. “Just like Confucius quote, ‘A little impatience spoils great plans.’.”
He stood up after that. “Eat properly. I’m going in now.”
Lin Xinyan nodded. She did act a little rashly and considering that he was willing to talk to her about this meant that he didn’t mind telling her about what she wanted to know.
As long as she waited patiently for his sister to come, maybe all her questions would be answered.
Compared to the peace and quiet in the backyard, the front yard was in a seemingly organized chaos.
Bai Yinning decided to stay on as well, and his only companion was Gao Yuan. Compared to Zong Jinghao, he was greatly outnumbered.
The water flowing in the river shimmered under the moonlight, as though the galaxy had fallen into it.
The two kids were playing chess with Su Zhan and Qin Ya, while Zong Jinghao was sitting alone by the bridge and peering into the backyard.
The village was not brightly lit as the city, and when night falls, one could only see their surroundings if there was moonlight.
At that moment, the backyard was pitch black, and he couldn’t see a single thing, let alone Lin Xinyan. He stuck his hands into his pockets but didn’t look away, as though waiting for her appearance.
“I never knew you have such a good relationship with your wife, President Zong,” Bai Yinning said, pushing himself to Zong Jinghao’s side on his wheelchair. “As they say, ‘A day of separation feels as long as three autumns’?”
Zong Jinghao’s face flashed under the moonlight. He turned around and looked at Bai Yinning. “Shouldn’t you become a paparazzi? Since you’re so interested in the private matters of others, staying at Baicheng would be like imprisoning you.”
Bai Yinning’s expression changed for a moment, just barely noticeable under the faint glow of the moonlight. “If you don’t mind asking, why are your children carrying your wife’s surname? Unless…she gave birth to them without your knowledge?”
Bai Yinning had managed to glean from Lin Xichen the fact that Lin Xinyan gave birth to him and his sister after divorcing Zong Jinghao.
With that, she bestowed her surname upon them.
Bai Yinning laughed. “I thought I stand no chance. Is that not the case?”
Zong Jinghao shifted his gaze to the side and noticed a small shadow by the door. It disappeared the moment he looked over. He had figured out who it was, though he didn’t show it.
He lifted his gaze, his handsome face as cold as ever. “That depends on how good you are, President Bai,” he said.
Bai Yinning smiled. “Anything is better than nothing. Isn’t that what you have always said? I still have a chance thanks to you, President Zong.”
Zong Jinghao descended from the bridge slowly and carefully, and just as he passed Bai Yinning, his lips curved upwards into a sly smile. “My wife doesn’t like handicapped people. If you want her, then stand up and go after her.”
After that, he left without glancing back even once.
Bai Yinning’s signature light smile began to melt off his face. Losing his ability to walk was his biggest regret.
The hand he put on the armrest of his wheelchair tightened its grip, to the point that his veins were visible on his skin.
Zong Jinghao’s footsteps faltered for a moment. He knew how angry Bai Yinning must be at that moment. “President Bai, getting angry is not good for your body.”
He smirked and continued to walk towards the house. Glancing at the door again, he noticed a small dark shadow beside it, which resembled a child.
The only two children there were Lin Xichen and Lin Ruixi.
Lin Ruixi had a pure heart, and eavesdropping would never have crossed her mind. On the other hand…
It must be Lin Xichen then.
He sighed. When would this child let go of his past?
However, Zong Jinghao had to admit that he messed up.
He was the one who abandoned them and all this was due to his negligence.
It would take a while for the hatred and disappointment in Lin Xichen’s heart to dissipate.
The good thing was that he had a lot of time.
After Zong Jinghao left, Lin Xichen finally mustered up the courage to emerge from the shadows. He watched Zong Jinghao’s silhouette disappear into the house before his eyes flashed and his tiny hands balled into fists.
It took a while before he calmed down and walked out of the door.
He called out to Bai Yinning by the river. “Uncle Bai.”
Lin Xichen walked over to his side.
Lin Xichen was different from the average five-year-old. He was highly attentive to details and intelligent, and he did notice that something was off when he first conversed with Bai Yinning. However, he was willing to take advantage of Bai Yinning to prove to Zong Jinghao that the only way to win his mother’s heart was to act truthfully, rather than just putting in hard work.
His mother had a lot of pursuers besides Bai Yinning. Although Bai Yinning couldn’t walk, he was rather handsome and smart, and that was why Lin Xichen decided to tell him that Lin Xinyan and Zong Jinghao weren’t a typical married couple.
That would certainly give him hope to compete against Zong Jinghao and give the latter a sense of danger.
On the other hand, Bai Yinning was under the impression that he had managed to squeeze the right information from Lin Xichen.
Little did he know that he was being manipulated by Lin Xichen to obstruct Zong Jinghao’s attempt to win back Lin Xinyan’s heart.
If that succeeded, they would be able to live as a happy family forever more.
Bai Yinning thought he was the one taking advantage of Lin Xichen, while being completely oblivious to the fact that he was getting deceived by his own intellect.
Bai Yinning wasn’t dumb; rather, no one would have guessed that a five-year-old child would be able to come up with such a grand scheme.
“It’s cold outside, why are you wearing so little?” Bai Yinning asked, switching out his annoyance to his usual calm smile.
Lin Xichen looked down at his clothes and giggled. “I came out in a hurry, so I didn’t manage to put on more clothes. Are you by yourself, Uncle Bai?”
He threw in that question on purpose, despite knowing perfectly well what just happened outside.
“Your dad,” Bai Yinning said, looking at him straight in the eye. “You’re unhappy with him, right?”
“He abandoned us. Of course I am very unhappy with him.”
Bai Yinning smiled. “He’s still your dad, though.”
Lin Xichen pretended not to hear that. “Who knows?”
He decided to change the subject. “Do you need me to push you inside, Uncle Bai?”
“It’s fine. I can do it myself.”
Lin Xichen moved to the side and waited for Bai Yinning to move past him before following suit. He studied Bai Yinning as they walked. He just wanted to use this man to show Zong Jinghao that his mom was very popular. He would never want his mom to be with a handicapped person.
He wouldn’t accept that no matter what.
Lin Xichen took a deep breath. Although he was angry with Zong Jinghao, he still wanted them to be happy together.
He would only call his real parents his family, and he was sure about that.
He started to worry if things would spiral out of his control.
After all, he was just a kid, and his abilities were limited.
He made his way back to his room, a simple and quiet one perfectly suited for quality rest.
Sprawling onto his bed, he whispered to himself, “When will Mommy come out…”
He missed her.
Squeak!
The door opened, and he shot up from the bed, turning his gaze towards the doorway.
