Elder Bai

The Lin Group

Lin Mo sat in his office, talking to Le Shuya on the phone.

"Shuya, how come I've hardly seen you lately? What? Haven't we already settled that project? You don't need to supervise it yourself. All right, then make sure you get some rest. Don't overwork yourself. Okay, okay. Mm, you too."

Just then, someone knocked on Lin Mo's door, and his secretary's voice came from outside.

"Mr. Lin, an elderly gentleman is here to see you. He says his surname is Bai."

"All right, I'll be right down. Shuya, I'll hang up now. Okay."

Lin Mo quickly rose and headed out, thinking, He's finally here.

"Hahaha! Elder Bai, it's been a long time. How have you been feeling?"

In the Lin Group's ground-floor lobby, Lin Mo warmly took Elder Bai's hand and greeted him.

Elder Bai answered with a smile, "Well, well. It's all thanks to you helping me get my health back, Xiao Lin. Otherwise, these old bones would still be suffering."

"What are you saying?" Lin Mo said with a smile. "You're like an elder in my own family. Isn't it only right for someone younger to help his elders? I'll give you another treatment tonight."

Then Lin Mo added, "Look at my memory! I was so happy to see you that I nearly forgot my manners. Come, come, let me treat you to a welcome meal. We'll invite Tingting too."

Elder Bai nodded with a smile. "Then I'll let you foot the bill."

Lin Mo said a word to his secretary, then drove Elder Bai to the Binzhi Building.

Inside the Binzhi Building

"Grandpa!" Bai Tingting wrapped Elder Bai in a bear hug. He remained rock-steady, affectionately stroking his granddaughter's head as he said,

"Tingting, you haven't been causing your big brother Lin Mo any trouble lately, have you?"

Bai Tingting raised her head and puffed out her cheeks. "Of course not! I've been very good. Ask Brother Lin Mo if you don't believe me."

Lin Mo chimed in, "You're being too formal, Elder Bai. Tingting is like my own little sister. How could she be any trouble? And she really has been very good."

Elder Bai smiled and stroked the girl's head. "That's good, then."

During the meal, Elder Bai and Bai Tingting ate in exactly the same way. Lin Mo couldn't help marveling at how the grandfather and granddaughter managed to fit so much food inside them.

Finally, after their eighth tableful of food, the two had eaten their fill.

Elder Bai stroked his beard. "Go on, Xiao Lin. What did you need me for? Don't worry. You've done so much for this old man; I won't leave those favors unpaid."

Lin Mo smiled wryly. "What kind of person do you take me for? Would I really use a favor to demand something in return?"

Seeing Elder Bai's meaningful gaze, Lin Mo sighed and continued.

"I feel sorry for Tingting. I took her around the city the other day, and I realized just how little she knows about everyday life."

Then Lin Mo looked Elder Bai straight in the eyes and continued,

"Elder Bai, you know society isn't what it was when you were young. Tingting is only sixteen. Surely you don't want her to spend the rest of her life in the mountains."

Elder Bai remained silent, and Lin Mo went on.

"To put it bluntly, if you were gone one day, I honestly wonder whether Tingting could survive."

Elder Bai's gaze dimmed. Then he looked at his granddaughter, but the girl seemed not to have understood a thing. When she saw her grandfather looking at her, she merely gave him a silly smile.

"Ah..." Elder Bai heaved a deep sigh.

Indeed, after his son and daughter-in-law had been murdered by their enemies, he had taken his granddaughter into seclusion deep in the mountains. All he could teach her was basic reading, arithmetic, and a few of his own skills. Fortunately, the girl was gifted and picked everything up quickly.

But as Lin Mo had said, he could protect her for a while-could he protect her forever? He was getting old, after all.

Then Elder Bai looked at Lin Mo. "I've never believed in a free lunch, not before and not now. Xiao Lin, tell me what you're really after!"

Elder Bai's gaze sharpened as he continued,

"You've done me a great kindness. I believe you helped me out of goodwill at first, but what you've done since doesn't look like simple kindness. I've lived a long time, and I know the saying: businessmen don't lift a finger without something to gain. I'm a rough old man and I speak my mind. Don't take offense, Xiao Lin."

Lin Mo felt as though a savage beast had fixed its eyes on him. Inwardly, he cursed, You old fox.

But his expression remained unchanged. "That's right. At first, I didn't know who you were, Elder Bai. I helped you out of kindness. But after learning there was a whole world ordinary people like us knew nothing about, I wanted to build a friendship with you."

Seeing no change in Elder Bai's expression, Lin Mo continued, "But over this past month with Tingting, I've been drawn to her innocence, her free spirit, and her lively, uncomplicated nature. I can't bear to see her spend her entire life in the mountains."

Elder Bai paused at Lin Mo's answer, then burst into laughter. "Hahaha! So you're saying you've got your eye on my granddaughter?"

Looking a little embarrassed, Lin Mo nodded.

But Elder Bai's smile vanished, and he snapped, "What nonsense! My granddaughter would never marry a businessman!"

Just then, Bai Tingting suddenly stepped protectively in front of Lin Mo and said to Elder Bai,

"Grandpa, what are you doing? Brother Lin Mo has been so good to us. How can you treat him like this?"

Elder Bai froze at the sight of Bai Tingting shielding Lin Mo, but he spoke softly.

"Girl, do you know what he just said?"

Bai Tingting tilted her head and pursed her lips.

"Don't treat me like an idiot. I know. Brother Lin Mo means he likes me, and I like him too."

Elder Bai felt a headache coming on. He didn't even know whether to keep up the act.

Yes, it was all an act. Lin Mo was capable, young, rich, and good-looking. Elder Bai would feel perfectly comfortable entrusting his granddaughter to him.

But he was a man himself. Someone like Lin Mo was bound to have more than one woman. Elder Bai didn't mind. What was wrong with a capable man having a few women? He had been the same in his day. But Tingting had to come first.

He had to put Lin Mo on notice.

Elder Bai pressed on despite himself.

"Tingting, do you know what it means to like someone?"

Bai Tingting continued, "Of course I do. Brother Lin Mo likes me, so he treats me to lots of delicious food. I like Brother Lin Mo too, so I come to play with him."

Elder Bai shook his head helplessly, then looked at Lin Mo and said sternly,

"Xiao Lin, I don't care how many women you have. Tingting must be your lawful wife. Treat her well, or this old man might end up killing his own benefactor."

Seeing that he had finally made it through, Lin Mo inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. But with a sincere expression, he assured Elder Bai,

"Don't worry, Elder Bai. I'll definitely treat Tingting well."

Elder Bai glanced at him and said leisurely,

"Still calling me Elder Bai?"

Lin Mo paused, then said in delight,

"Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll take good care of Tingting."

Yog took a sip of tea. For some reason, whenever the bitterness gave way to a lingering sweetness, he felt as though he had returned to his previous life. After retiring, his favorite pastime had been drinking tea in the afternoon sunshine.

It seemed that his current body had inherited that habit too.

"The failings of short-lived species," Yog murmured in self-mockery.

His former self had had plenty of habits, especially as he grew older.

For instance,

"What do you think of this little performance?" Yog asked Miss Puppet behind him.

Though he already knew how she would answer.

"A tiresome farce. I don't understand. If Your Eminence gives the order, I can retrieve anything you desire in an instant."

Miss Puppet's voice sounded like that of a thoughtful older woman next door, but her words lacked the warmth of her voice.

Yog shook his head. "That's why you can only be a puppet, never a living being. Would you like me to install an emotion module for you?"

Yog asked despite knowing the answer.

"No. Emotions are the most useless things of all. Absolute reason and unparalleled knowledge alone are the sources of our strength."

As people grew old, they wanted someone to talk to. His former self had felt that especially keenly, particularly when he was alone in that enormous house. So he often asked and answered his own questions, as though someone were talking with him.

In his final years, his former self's fondest memories had been of taking a cup of tea to the park in the late afternoon, facing the setting sun, and chatting over tea with the elderly people waiting to pick up their grandchildren.

At that thought, Yog lifted his cup and took a small sip. Words that sounded mocking left his lips.

"But weren't you still defeated by the emotional beings you look down on?"

Miss Puppet remained silent.

Yog continued,

"I think emotions are useless too, but they're quite interesting, aren't they?"

"I don't understand why Your Eminence finds emotions interesting."

Yog smiled. "The most interesting thing about them is their instability. It's a fascinating subject of study. What do you say? Want to try?"

Sure enough, just as Yog had expected,

"I cannot understand the interest Your Eminence speaks of. I do not believe it warrants Your Eminence establishing a dedicated research topic, either. Perhaps that is why Your Eminence is Your Eminence, and I am merely myself."

Yog shook his head with a chuckle. "Do you know what that behavior of yours is called?"

"I do. Humans would call what I just said flattery, but it was the optimal response I derived from my conversation with Your Eminence."

Yog smiled without replying and turned his gaze to another corner of the television screen.

"Let's keep watching," he said softly. "This performance is approaching its turning point."

Miss Puppet bowed slightly. "As you will."

The Rainbow Company

In Cheng Yu's office, although the workday had already ended, he was waiting.

As for what he was waiting for, the script indicated that a call would come shortly.

Sure enough, Cheng Yu's phone rang. It was an unknown number.

Cheng Yu answered. Before the other person could speak, he spoke first.

"Miss Le, I imagine you've found something by now, but you still need my help, don't you?"