Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2020-03-21 22:05:13 and 2020-03-22 22:18:29!
Thank you to the little angels who threw landmines: Listen and Yeqiu (2 each); T (1 each);
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Dalabongba 30 bottles; T 20 bottles; Wanci, Huayigeli 10 bottles; Mengliyangzhouyouqiuliang, Andersen's Bear 5 bottles; Yuanyuan 2 bottles; Zaixia Wang Ergou, Wu Guanye Shisange 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 54
When Bai Le looked into the private room, he saw that there were men and women, and several familiar faces. They were people he had seen at the previous "selection of concubines" banquet, and he had met them a few more times since then, but they hadn't spoken much.
Upon seeing Xi Yan appear, these people froze for a moment, then stood up in a daze.
"Fourth... Fourth Master." Finally, someone reacted first, stammering in fright.
Xi Yan ignored them and turned to Bai Le, saying gently, "Please sit down."
Because Bai Le is now quite far along in his pregnancy, standing for long periods of time is indeed tiring, and he himself was unaware that Xi Yan would have noticed this so carefully.
He casually pulled up a chair and sat down, then asked Xi Yan to let him hold Mu Mu.
I'll hold Mu Mu.
As soon as Mu Mu was in his arms, she rolled over and asked cautiously, "Daddy, what is Father doing?" He also sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere.
Bai Le didn't know how to explain what was happening, so he simply said, "Your father is playing a game with someone."
"What game is it? Can I play it too?" Mu Mu asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Bai Le patted his head, mumbling dismissively, "This is a game for adults. You can play it when you grow up."
Mu Mu could only nod, seemingly understanding, "Then I want to grow up quickly."
By now, those men were trembling like leaves. The leader, his face contorted with grief, stammered, "Fourth Master, we were wrong."
Xi Yan lazily raised her eyelids, glanced at him, and did not answer his question. Instead, her gaze swept over the others one by one, and finally she slightly raised the corners of her mouth.
"The Chen Family?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yue's face turned pale. "Please, Fourth Master, don't tell my father. He'll break my legs."
Xi Yan's tone turned cold towards Elder Xia, but a smile still lingered on his lips, "I don't have the time to inform your parents."
He paused, then said in a deep voice, "But in the end, they might come to me on their own."
Upon hearing his words, everyone's expression changed. The meaning of Fourth Master was crystal clear; he was clearly going to make them pay the price.
Mu Mu was completely bewildered by all of this, but Xi Yan, who seemed somewhat afraid of revealing this Xi Yan of himself, cautiously tugged at the corner of his clothes.
Xi Yan lowered his head and looked down at him, the coldness in his eyes softening slightly. He patted his head and gave them a soft warning.
"Be careful what you say. If I hear similar things being said again, it won't be as simple as this lesson."
Everyone else looked extremely grim, and Chen Yue could only lower his head resentfully, silently grumbling to himself.
Xi Yan looked at him, "You're not convinced?"
Chen Yue was taken aback, looked up at him, and realizing that he was asking her a question, she could only reluctantly deny it. "Of course not."
Upon hearing this, Xi Yan actually smiled, but there was no smile in his eyes, only icy coldness.
"It's no use complaining, unless you one day climb to my position."
Everyone knows that this is impossible. The Xi Family is now truly powerful and influential, and can even be described as having absolute power in S City.
Although Chen Yue was dissatisfied, he certainly didn't dare to show it openly, because that would bring trouble to his family.
He was resentful because they weren't the only ones spreading these rumors; clearly, Xi Yan wanted to make an example of them, and they were just unlucky enough to walk right into the line of fire.
"Father..." Mu Mu called out to him again, still half asleep, "Are you still playing games?"
Xi Yan's expression softened slightly upon hearing his voice, and she regained her usual calm demeanor, reaching out to pick him up.
Bai Le also stood up, looked at the people beside him who all lowered their heads and dared not speak, scratched his head and said, "Um... I think it's necessary to explain, I don't live in the mountains."
Everyone paused, then looked up at him.
Xi Yan was slightly taken aback, glanced at him, and then a faint smile appeared in her eyes.
Chen Yue and the others understood his meaning, and their feelings were somewhat complicated. They had realized how absurd their words were when they saw his protruding belly.
"They're gone."
Bai Le followed Xi Yan out the door. He had been enjoying a meal when he inexplicably overheard people talking badly about him behind his back. He felt that he had been having some bad luck lately.
As if sensing his emotions, Xi Yan patted his head. "You won't hear these words again."
Upon hearing this, Bai Le chuckled and grinned, "Really?"
Xi Yan nodded with a smile.
Back at his villa in Xiangshan, Bai Le stood in his courtyard, looking around at the scenery, then turned to look at Xi Yan.
Do we look like we live in the mountains?
Xi Yan's lips curled up. "If you really care that much, we can find somewhere else to stay."
Anyway, the Xi Family owns a lot of real estate in other places, so finding a suitable place to have a baby shouldn't be difficult.
Bai Le's lips twitched. "That's not necessary, I just don't know why they spread such rumors."
And they portrayed him as so tragic, like a pitiful little thing who was about to be abandoned at any moment.
In November, it rained in the mountains, and the temperature dropped a bit. Bai Le sat in front of the French windows, sipping his milk and looking at the lake view in the rain.
When Xi Yan walked in, he saw this scene. It was rare to see Bai Le so quiet, so he didn't disturb him. Instead, he took off his suit jacket and hung it on the hanger, then sat on the sofa, picked up a magazine from the coffee table, and quietly kept him company.