She had originally planned to get close to Bai Le and use him to get into the company and secure resources for herself. But after getting to know him, she abandoned the idea. The silly boy looked a little clueless, but in some ways he was very clever and perceptive, and she was quite fond of him too.
Bai Le chatted with her a little longer, then saw that it was about time to leave. "I'll be going, then. Let's talk another day."
He had bumped into someone he knew just by taking a casual stroll. Now Bai Le didn't dare wander around anymore, so he hurried home.
Back in his room, he sat on the bed and carefully flipped through the book. The more he read, the deeper his frown grew.
He felt his paternal instincts might never be awakened.
He sighed and hid the book under his pillow again. Then he glanced at the test report on the table and decided to destroy the evidence, tearing it to pieces and throwing it in the trash.
After taking care of everything, he checked the time and knew it was time for bed. He pushed himself up, switched off the bedside lamp, and lay back down.
He folded his hands over his lower abdomen and closed his eyes, looking as though he had fallen asleep.
Two hours later, Bai Le slowly opened his eyes.
Fuck, I can't sleep.
He tossed and turned until seven, getting only two hours of fitful sleep before going to the company with dark circles under his eyes.
He hadn't even decided whether to keep the child, much less tell Xi Yan about it.
He was in a terrible mood, and the employees downstairs noticed something was off when he arrived at the company. Although Bai Le usually acted carefree, he was always grinning, and they rarely saw him without a smile.
Bai Le sat in his swivel chair, propping up his forehead without speaking. The atmosphere around him was oppressive.
Ye Xiaosi came in and saw him like that. He was a little puzzled and surprised, but he didn't show it.
"Where's my dad?"
Seeing that it was Ye Xiaosi, Bai Le asked. He had just stopped by Bai Huizhang's office but hadn't seen him there.
"Chairman Bai met with Old Master Xi. They said they had something to discuss."
At the mere sound of "Xi," Bai Le reacted as if he had been provoked. He reflexively raised his head and ground his teeth, saying darkly, "Don't let me hear that word."
Ye Xiaosi was baffled. "What word?"
Bai Le couldn't give a reason, so he changed the subject. "What's on the schedule today?"
Ye Xiaosi answered truthfully, "There's a meeting at ten this morning, then a charity publicity event at two this afternoon."
"What kind of event?"
"A visit to an orphanage to see the children who were abandoned. Reporters will be arranged to take photos."
Bai Le's vision went dark when he heard that, and he wished he could pass out on the spot. Was heaven out to get him or what?
"I'm not going."
Ye Xiaosi thought he had quarreled with Bai Huizhang and was sulking, so he frowned and tried to persuade him. "This was arranged a long time ago, and everyone has already been contacted. How can you not go?"
Bai Le's heart sank. He knew that, at this point, he couldn't do as he pleased, so in the end he had no choice but to agree.
The orphanage Ye Xiaosi had mentioned was in the eastern suburbs. The reporters they had contacted were already gathered at the entrance, and they all started taking photos as soon as they saw his car arrive.
Bai Le forced a smile and answered a few interview questions before entering the orphanage.
The director was a woman in her forties who looked very kind. She warmly welcomed him inside.
Although the orphanage was on the outskirts of the city, its facilities were fairly complete. The director led Bai Le into one of the classrooms.
Inside were children of various ages. The oldest were probably fifteen or sixteen, while the youngest were only two or three. Their clothes were relatively clean, but a glance showed they were ill-fitting hand-me-downs, probably donated by kindhearted people in the community.
"There are some even younger ones, babies only a few months old, in another room," the director said as she stepped forward to explain.
Bai Le stiffly reached out and patted the head of a little boy of four or five.
The director smiled and said to him, "This is Mu Mu. He was only eight months old when he came here, and now he's grown this big."
She left the rest unsaid, but Bai Le knew what she meant. He had probably been abandoned by his parents.
The child called Mu Mu looked very sweet. He gazed at Bai Le expectantly with big, round eyes. Bai Le didn't know whether he was hoping Bai Le might take him away.
Bai Le looked away, feeling a faint pang in his heart.
"Big brother, do you want to play with us?" A little girl who was still chewing on her fingers tugged at his clothes and spoke with a child's frankness.
Bai Le bent down and said to her, "Sure, I'll play with you."
Most of the children at the orphanage were very shy. The little girl who had worked up the courage to tug at his clothes was named Tongtong. Bai Le sat down on the floor and began playing with blocks with them.
Seeing this, the reporters nearby quickly raised their cameras and took photos. Ye Xiaosi was also wondering how Bai Le could be so quick on the uptake. He had thought he would need to remind him what to do.
Bai Le was good-looking and young in appearance, and the children liked him very much. They had been afraid at first, but seeing how approachable he was, they all plucked up the courage to play with him.
The little boy called Mu Mu seemed to like him the most and clung tightly to him the whole time.
When it was time to leave, he still refused to let go. With tears in his eyes, he asked, "Big brother, can you take me home?"
Everyone present was stunned by his words. The director was the first to recover. She pried Mu Mu's fingers loose and gently coaxed him, "Be good, Mu Mu. Big brother has things to do. He'll come see you another day."
Bai Le felt a little guilty. He patted Mu Mu's head and promised, "That's right. I'll come again."
Only then did Mu Mu reluctantly let him go and stand with the other children.
As they walked out of the orphanage, the director told him, "Mu Mu was abandoned by his father. Not long after his father gave birth to him, he left him on the road with nothing but his clothes and a small note. Mu Mu wasn't found for a whole day and nearly died. In the end, someone took him to the hospital, where he stayed for several months before he was sent to the orphanage."