Xi Yan looked at his embarrassed expression and, unlike usual, patiently asked in return, "Why do you think I came?"
Bai Le froze for a moment and understood what he meant. That little hope of his was dashed, but he still couldn't quite give up. "How did you know?"
Whether it was his pregnancy or the fact that he'd run off here, how did Xi Yan know everything?
Xi Yan didn't give him a direct explanation. He merely said, "I know everything, so don't hide anything from me, and don't lie to me."
"Fourth Master, we found the shoes."
Bai Le looked at the white sneakers in Secretary Xing's hands and hurriedly said, "Give them to me."
Only now did he realize how cold the soles of his feet were. His head was swimming too, and if he touched his forehead, he would probably find it alarmingly hot.
But Secretary Xing didn't do as he asked and hand over the shoes. Instead, he turned to Xi Yan and waited for his instructions.
Xi Yan held out his hand. Secretary Xing froze for a moment, then immediately handed him the shoes.
"Come here."
It took Bai Le a few seconds to realize what he was going to do. He was actually going to put his shoes on for him?!
Why?
Looking at the white sneakers in Xi Yan's hands, Bai Le wore a complicated expression as he hesitantly stepped forward.
"Lift your foot."
Bai Le obediently did as he was told, summoning the courage to brace himself against Xi Yan's shoulder. He lowered his head slightly to look at him, but unfortunately couldn't see his expression.
As he let Xi Yan support his weight, Bai Le scrunched up his face in thought. After quite a while, realization belatedly dawned on him, and he asked in surprise,
"Are you trying to make a friendly gesture?"
Xi Yan's hands paused for a moment before resuming their work. He didn't answer directly, instead lifting his eyes to glance at him.
"Don't move."
Only then did Bai Le stop fidgeting his foot. He felt that if Xi Yan was doing this for the child in his belly, there was no need to go so far.
Xi Yan hadn't wronged him in any way, and this child had been an accident in the first place.
Or did he want the child?
At that thought, Bai Le grew anxious. He knew he ought to explain the complicated situation this child might bring about to Xi Yan properly.
But the tension he had felt upon seeing Xi Yan come looking for him had faded, and his exhilaration had worn off. The dizziness and blurred vision returned.
He wanted to speak, but his thoughts were a mess, as if they'd been stirred into paste. His head felt like it was splitting, and he couldn't think straight at all.
"I feel awful..."
After saying it, he was startled by his own tone. It was alarmingly soft, as if he were acting coquettishly.
Xi Yan's expression darkened. Seeing how unwell he looked, he reached out to feel his forehead.
Bai Le swayed and only managed to steady himself by grabbing Xi Yan's sleeve. Just as he was about to speak, everything suddenly went black, and he lost consciousness.
When he woke again, the unpleasant smell of disinfectant filled his nose. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the pristine white ceiling above him.
Bai Le touched his forehead and found that it was no longer so hot. He had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard a rustling sound beside him.
He turned his head and couldn't help but pause. Xi Yan was sitting beside his bed. Although it was still the same face, for some reason, he felt that something was different.
When Xi Yan saw that he was awake, something shifted in his eyes. Rather than asking something pointless like whether he was awake, he reached out and laid a hand on Bai Le's forehead. After a moment, his tightly knitted brows relaxed slightly.
"Your fever's gone down."
His hand was cold, but it wasn't unpleasant at all. Against Bai Le's hot forehead, it even felt very comfortable.
So Bai Le didn't instinctively pull away. Xi Yan pressed the call button at the head of the bed, and a doctor came in shortly afterward.
He carefully examined Bai Le, then said to Xi Yan, "Don't worry, Mr. Xi. There's nothing seriously wrong with him, but he needs plenty of rest."
After the doctor left, Bai Le and Xi Yan were alone in the room again. Xi Yan said nothing, and Bai Le felt inexplicably awkward. He wanted to ask him, but didn't know how best to begin. As he fretted over it, the atmosphere sank into a strange silence.
"What did you bring me back for?"
In the end, Bai Le worked up his courage and ventured the question.
Xi Yan had his hands clasped together, his fingers tapping idly against the back of one hand.
"What do you think?"
Bai Le froze, then patted his belly and asked cautiously, "Is it because of him?"
Xi Yan seized the hand patting his lower belly and frowned slightly as he glanced at Bai Le.
With his hand caught, Bai Le couldn't move it. When he saw Xi Yan's expression clearly, he was momentarily at a loss. Why was he glaring at him? He'd only patted it, and he hadn't even used any force.
"Lele!"
The hospital room door opened, and Wu Xueying was the first to rush in. She threw herself on Bai Le and began sobbing softly, not forgetting to tug his ear as she cried.
"Where did you run off to?! You little brat, all you do is make me worry!"
"Ow, ow, ow!" Bai Le quickly covered his reddened ear, crying out in pain again and again.
Xi Yan's expression turned cold, and he reached out to press Wu Xueying's hand down.
Noticing what he'd done, Wu Xueying's hand stiffened. She had wanted to scold Bai Le some more, but the words were scared back down. She hadn't had much contact with Xi Yan and had only heard about him, but she couldn't help feeling that this wasn't something the man she'd heard about would do.
Bai Huizhang coughed into his fist, breaking the awkwardness.
"Why are you crying? Isn't he right here, safe and sound?"
Bai Le also said a few words to comfort Wu Xueying, then asked Bai Yin to get some tissues and wiped her tears away.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing Bai Yin's complicated gaze, Bai Le took the tissues and asked in confusion.
Bai Yin didn't answer. He simply stepped forward in silence, hugged Bai Le, and patted him on the back.
Bai Le: ???
Why did he inexplicably feel as though he were being pitied?
Then he looked at the complicated expressions on Wu Xueying's and Bai Huizhang's faces and finally realized. His face filled with shock. "You know too?"