If Bai Le had heard such a tragic backstory in the past, he would have indignantly started cursing whoever had abandoned the child. But now he just felt as though he had taken an arrow to the knee. He rubbed his nose awkwardly, feeling vaguely as though the remark had been aimed at him.
Though he had never considered giving birth to the child and then abandoning it.
After returning to the car, he felt tired for some reason. Ye Xiaosi was still reporting on work beside him, but he could no longer take it in.
He touched his lower abdomen. It still wasn't very noticeable. He carefully pressed it again, but there was no movement at all.
He was a little speechless. How could there be any movement after only a few months?
But he really couldn't bear to end this little life with his own hands now. Bai Le let out a long sigh. If he gave birth, though, things would become very complicated. What about his sister? Their relationship would surely be awkward then.
After Bai Le returned home, he was passing the study when he heard Bai Huizhang bellow, giving him a fright. Remembering that Bai Huizhang had gone to see the Xi Family that day, Bai Le was curious. He stopped, quietly turned the doorknob to open the door a crack, and pressed his ear against it to listen.
It turned out that Bai Huizhang and Chen Suqiu were arguing. Bai Le curled his lip, finding it a little boring. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard Bai Huizhang mention the Xi Family and froze on the spot as though a spell had been cast on him.
"Old Master Xi is also interested in our family."
Chen Suqiu's voice followed. "But what if Fourth Master doesn't agree?"
Bai Huizhang shook his head. "Although Old Master Xi seems to have retired and no longer manages family affairs, his words still carry some weight. Fourth Master couldn't possibly defy him over something like this."
Chen Suqiu patted her chest, repeatedly chanting Amitabha in her heart. "That settles it, then. Once Xiao Yin marries into the Xi Family, I can finally sleep soundly."
Bai Huizhang frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "What does Xiao Yin think?"
Chen Suqiu said, "What?"
Bai Huizhang's tone grew impatient. "I mean, what does Xiao Yin herself think? Does she want to marry into the Xi Family?"
Chen Suqiu's gaze grew evasive, though Bai Huizhang didn't notice. "Of course. Why wouldn't Xiao Yin want to?"
After a pause, she continued earnestly, "As her mother, how could I not know what my daughter is thinking? With Xiao Yin's personality, there's no way she'd admit it herself. I can see who she likes."
Bai Huizhang had nothing more to say. He nodded. "It's good that she likes Fourth Master too. Whatever else might be said about him, Fourth Master can ensure she never wants for food or clothing for the rest of her life."
He sighed again. "It's just that she can't keep throwing tantrums after she marries into their family. Her parents won't be there to spoil her and let her have her way."
"Listen to you. Once Xiao Yin marries him, she'll be Fourth Master's only wife, the wife of the future family head. Besides, whatever else you might say about my daughter, her looks are flawless. Even if Fourth Master had a heart of iron, he wouldn't be harsh with his own wife, would he?"
Bai Huizhang sighed, clearly disagreeing with her woman's view. "Putting all that aside, it's not certain whether Fourth Master can become the family head in the future."
Chen Suqiu froze, then fell silent too. She knew he was referring to Fourth Master's disability. The thought made her feel sorry; she couldn't bear the thought of her daughter being unable to become a mother, either.
"Technology is so advanced nowadays. There must be a way, right?"
Bai Huizhang said, "That's not the problem. The problem is whether Fourth Master wants children."
Not only Chen Suqiu but also Bai Le, who was hiding outside the door, froze.
"What do you mean?"
Bai Huizhang said, "If a healthy child can be born, then the position of family head will surely pass over Fourth Master and go to the child."
Chen Suqiu covered her face and sobbed quietly. "How could this be?"
Bai Le quietly closed the door again and returned to his room.
He had heard everything they had just said. He lay on his bed, his face full of worry. That was right. He had only been thinking about himself and had never considered what he would do if Xi Yan didn't welcome the child either.
And if others found out that the child was Xi Yan's, what about his sister? Her future husband had slept with her brother, and they had even had a child. If word got out, people would laugh their teeth off.
If the Bai family became a laughingstock in their circle, the old man would surely be so angry that he would disown her as his son.
The source of all this was the child in his belly.
Bai Le sadly pinched his little belly. Now he couldn't bear to abort it.
After thinking it over and over, there was only one way.
Bai Le made up his mind in secret. It seemed he could only slip away.
Now that he had an idea, he began making preparations. Early the next morning, Bai Le pretended to be sick and didn't go to the company.
First, he went to the bank, withdrew a sackful of cash, and carried it home. If he didn't do that, withdrawing money after running away would make the whole escape pointless.
Then he wrote a note saying that he had broken down from the pressure and so on, and that he was going out to clear his head and calm down. He would be back in a few months, so they shouldn't worry or call him, because he would be changing his phone number.
After writing it, he planned his escape route. Taking a high-speed train or plane was out of the question, since his ID would be checked, so he could only stay within the province. He chose a small county town in the south. It was peaceful and scenic, making it a good place to carry the pregnancy to term. He only had to give birth there, then return and say that while he was away clearing his head, he had saved a fallen girl who had entrusted her infant to him before she died, or something like that. No one should suspect such a tragic, moving story.
Everything was planned perfectly. Bai Le wasn't stupid. He seemed carefree, but once he put his mind to something, he was no worse than anyone else.
He planned to leave at three in the morning the next day, so he lay down on his bed to catch up on sleep.
That afternoon, Bai Huizhang came home from the company and learned that Bai Le hadn't gone in again. He headed straight for his room to see whether he was pretending to be sick again.