Side Story 1: Bai Chongxuan X Wang Xinyang
Bai Family Villa
A woman dressed in a Gothic Lolita dress is picking out clothes for a child who is shorter than herself.
Her azure eyes gazed at him with a mixture of expectation and pity. " A-Xuan, please give it a try? Please fulfill your mother's wish?"
Bai Chongxuan earnestly told her, "Mom, I'm not a girl. It's embarrassing to wear this out, and I already look very... very girly. I can't continue like this. Even Dad treats me like his daughter! Mom, wake up!"
Beili continued in her broken Chinese, "Honey, just this once, I promise no one will recognize you. I'm going to the Wang family's place later, do you want to come? You haven't left the house for days, even a little perfumer needs inspiration."
"Is it far? If it's farther than Xiao Si's house, I won't go." A look of compromise finally appeared on that fair and deep-set doll-like face. "Also, you can't stay for more than an hour."
Beili readily agreed.
Bai Chongxuan once again endured the humiliation and put on the white Lolita dress. After looking at himself in the mirror, he could only sigh helplessly.
He's almost 11 years old this year. His mother still has delusions about her daughter. Let's just grant her wish one last time.
Bai Chongxuan has been at the Wang family's house for an hour now. His mother is chatting with an aunt for a long time, and he doesn't know what they're talking about. She promised him that he would only play for an hour and then go back, but his mother has no sense of keeping her word.
He pouted even higher with anger, and Beili finally realized that her precious son was getting impatient. " A-Xuan, why don't you go play in Little Sheep's glass greenhouse for a while?"
As soon as Beili mentioned it, Wang Xinyang's mother had someone call him out of his room.
Wang Xinyang was so engrossed in playing with his mecha upstairs that he didn't even notice there were guests downstairs. When he came into the living room, he greeted everyone with a bright and heartwarming smile.
Then I heard his mother say, " Little Sheep lamb, this is Mommy's good friend, just call her Auntie Bei."
Wang Xinyang was stunned when he saw such a beautiful girl for the first time. He greeted Beili perfunctorily, "Aunt Bei," but his eyes were always on Bai Chongxuan.
"Mom, did you call me for something?" Wang Xinyang is only five or six years old, but he is already a mature little adult and can be very independent in many things.
Mrs. Wang: "Son, why don't you take this girl to play in the glass greenhouse?"
Wang Xinyang nodded vigorously. "Okay."
Bai Chongxuan: "???" His mother is really something, she didn't even tell her best friend her gender, or were they doing it on purpose?
Suddenly burdened with this responsibility, Wang Xinyang was still looking up at her sister, "Sister, let's go, I'll take you to see the carnivorous flower I planted!"
Bai Chongxuan: "..." If he wasn't mistaken, this Little Coal Ball was already five or six years old, right? Hmph, his Xiao Bai teeth were quite cute. And, at such a young age, planting man-eating flowers, was he serious?
Before he could react, Wang Xinyang took his hand and said, "Sister, let's go." The childish voice made Bai Chongxuan hesitate, and he followed the Little Coal Ball.
The Little Coal Ball's hand, chubby and with a peculiar fragrance—a warm milky scent and other aromas—perfectly matched his personality.
Bai Chongxuan stopped being difficult and obediently let Little Coal Ball lead him.
"Sister, we've arrived."
Bai Chongxuan: "... How about we go back..." He knew Beili liked to trick him. This room full of man-eating plants, although they didn't look very big, each one looked like a group of piranhas with their mouths wide open in a pond, ready to bite...
That's terrifying.
After watching Bai Chongxuan subtly take a step back, Wang Xinyang suddenly remembered, "Sister, I forgot, girls should look at cute plants. I also have other glass greenhouses..."
Bai Chongxuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This Little Coal Ball has an incredible mental fortitude! He's only five or six years old and already raising man-eating plants, and I heard he can already build simple mechs. Is he a child prodigy? If his father had a son like this, he'd definitely think it was incredibly cool.
Unfortunately, Bai Chongxuan only liked to study things like plants and herbs...
"We're here, sister! There are swings and plants too." Wang Xinyang didn't have any children to play with, and he spent his days doing his own thing. This was the first time he had brought someone to his private neighborhood, and he was actually a little nervous.
Bai Chongxuan could feel that Little Coal Ball's hands were sweating. If it were anyone else, even his mother, his palms would be sweaty, and Bai Chongxuan would immediately let go.
But this Little Coal Ball has such a cute smile, so I'll just hold his hand a little longer, alright.
"Mom, when can we go back to China? I miss Dad... and I miss Little Coal Ball too. I promised him everything..." Having been trapped in the palace for a month, Beili brought Bai Chongxuan back to fight for what was rightfully hers. Beili knew that only by getting what her father left her could her son's future be smoother.
"These days, you must not eat food given by strangers, and you must not go with strangers, understand? Stay here and behave yourself. Mommy is going to see your grandfather."
My maternal grandfather is the King of Country E, and he is now seriously ill; I hear there's nothing that can be done to save him...
Bai Chongxuan: "Mom, I want to go too... Let me go with you." He also missed his maternal grandfather, but his several imperial uncles stared at him with the eyes of a pack of wolves and tigers every day.
"Be good, stay here. We need to prepare for the challenge. No matter what happens, your mother will protect you." The current Beili is no longer the innocent girl she was in Xia Country. Her face shows a determination and desperation that Bai Chongxuan has never seen before.
"What about Dad? Can't Dad come and help us?" Bai Chongxuan asked through gritted teeth, looking into his mother's beautiful, unwavering eyes.
"Dad's busy right now, but he'll be working with us from the inside out later. I won't go into details, but don't leave the guards' sight, okay, son?" Beili gently stroked his hair, which was quite long.
Bai Chongxuan was speechless. He missed his father terribly and couldn't bear to see his mother in danger. He gently tugged at Beili's clothes, "Mom, please stay safe."
She remained there for eight years. During that time, Beili was falsely accused by her uncles of embezzling public funds and served three years in prison. Her father spent two years traveling around trying to recover the money. Beili's case was also brought back for retrial, and the case lasted for another two years before Beili was able to overturn the verdict and implicate the two uncles who had framed her.
In Country E, princesses also have the right to inherit the throne. After leaving the country, Beili made a deal with an uncle she was on good terms with. She gave up her right to inherit the throne and asked that uncle for an extra fiefdom and three companies.
From then on, Beili became one of the wealthiest people in Country E.
The resolute, all-or-nothing look in Beili's eyes that day made him realize that Beili had probably already foreseen this; she was waiting for a chance to turn things around.
During this period, his father would have someone secretly take him out at night to teach him various martial arts.
For eight long years, he lived like this. In the eyes of the nobles of Country E, he was nothing more than a fool who was obsessed with perfumery all day long, but they did not know that his indifference to competition was just a protective facade.
Finally, after a few more years, he returned to China, but could only attend university there as an exchange student.
So he was placed in a class full of elite students from the Xia Country, and that's how he met Yan Guiyun.
Yan Guiyun was the most deserving person in their class, without a doubt.
Because Yan Guiyun never listens attentively in class, and only plays on his phone after class, doing things they don't know... When others ask him how his studies are going, Yan Guiyun always says with a serious expression, "It's too difficult, I can't understand it at all."
But every time it came to exams, this guy always got first place in the entire department! The other students were so fooled they gritted their teeth in resentment.
At that time, Bai Chongxuan realized that this might be what it means to be a "study-bitch".
When Bai Chongxuan returned home from school, he looked at his mother's work " The Isolated Island," which she had written while in prison, and felt as if he had forgotten something.
But he just couldn't remember if he had made any promises with anyone...
But ten years have passed; has he selectively forgotten something?
That day, he invited Shao Chongsi out.
In the milk tea shop
Both were 20 years old, Bai Chongxuan to see that Shao Chongsi was actually taller than him! He was confident that he could show off his height in front of Shao Chongsi, but he didn't expect to be two centimeters taller than him.
Bai Chongxuan showed no awkwardness from not seeing each other for many years. "Are you trying to grow into a pillar? Why would you need to grow so tall for no reason?"
After sitting down, Shao Chongsi waved his hand helplessly. "Is it my fault? You're really lucky to have made it back. I heard about your family's situation; I overheard my dad and his family talking in the study."
Her long, ink-black hair cascaded down Bai Chongxuan's chest as he nodded. Having not had milk tea in a long time, Bai Chongxuan took a satisfied sip and said dismissively, "It's all in the past."
Shao Chongsi sighed, "Some things from the past... seem like they can never be overcome."
Bai Chongxuan looked up. "... Brother, you have a story, I only have milk tea."
Several years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Bai Chongxuan suddenly received a call from his parents, asking him to participate in a dating reality show. "Wait, Dad, are you kidding me? It's all men?"
Mr. Bai: "So, do you like women?"
Bai Chongxuan pondered, "... I don't know for now."
Mr. Bai: "I heard they have free food over there... If you don't want to go, that's fine, I'll cancel your spot."
Upon hearing this, Bai Chongxuan immediately perked up. "No, I'll go! The food at home has been too bland lately, and Mom won't order takeout for me. I've had enough! Dad, please don't cancel it!"
Mr. Bai was satisfied. "Alright, let's pack it up and send it over tomorrow."
Bai Chongxuan: "!!! So fast! What about my job?!"
Father Bai: "Don't worry, someone will handle it for you."
So in the sweltering summer
Bai Chongxuan finally remembered that he seemed to have forgotten about a Little Coal Ball!
However, he wasn't sure. Wang Xinyang looked very similar, but he could only silently follow behind Wang Xinyang, looking for the tasks assigned by the production team. He kept staring at Wang Xinyang, going through the motions at one store after another.
When he was unsure, he approached Wang Xinyang, who was drenched in sweat, and smelled a similar scent.
Could it be such a coincidence?
Unsure, he decided to observe for a while longer before trying again.
Afterwards, they drew a prize, had a big meal, and Wang Xinyang's smile became more and more like Little Coal Ball's, and he also liked to take care of him just like Little Coal Ball...
But he broke his promise, and I wonder if Little Coal Ball still remembers it, it's been so long... more than ten years.
That evening, Bai Chongxuan was sweating profusely; he had indeed eaten something that upset his stomach. Luckily, Wang Xinyang had prepared medicine for him. He, who usually disliked taking medicine, actually took it very carefully, as if it were a precious treasure.
I feel much better after taking the medicine...
The next day, when he heard Wang Xinyang say he was going for a run, he immediately followed him, but could only pretend not to care.
Whenever he passed by Wang Xinyang, he wondered if it was really Little Coal Ball. It had been so long that he had almost forgotten. The top notes of Wang Xinyang's perfume were very similar, but without the milky scent...
This put him in a dilemma.
However, the next day, he learned that he didn't seem to have the right to dwell on anything, because Wang Xinyang had fallen for someone else!
It's still that Chi Yining's even prettier than him...
Finally, Bai Chongxuan came up with a plan: perhaps joining the vying army would be the only way to get Wang Xinyang's attention?
So, the previous week he happily played the role of a guest who seemed to have some interest in Chi Yining, but his eyes were actually fixed on Wang Xinyang. However, Wang Xinyang barely noticed him at all!
It seems that being a rival in love is completely useless, because Yan Guiyun is the number one rival in love, and he seems insignificant.
The troubled Bai Chongxuan finally decided that he had to make a big splash in terms of his presence!
So no matter where Wang Xinyang was, Bai Chongxuan would find a reason to be with Wang Xinyang, even on the flight back to Capital, he would sit next to Wang Xinyang.
Meanwhile, Wang Xinyang on the other end seemed to have finally reached his breaking point. " Precious Darling, what's wrong with you? Why are you following me?"
Hearing Wang Xinyang call him so gently, Bai Chongxuan couldn't help but act coquettishly, " Little Sheep, I just want to stick close to you, but you're always looking at Chi Yining and you can't see me at all..."
It wasn't until one of his flights back to Capital that Wang Xinyang learned that Chi Yining and Yan Guiyun were already living together.
He decisively chose to give up, and clearly understood that some things, no matter what, cannot be forced. He also realized that his liking for Chi Yining was merely a manifestation of his admiration for strength.
" Little Sheep..." Bai Chongxuan took his hands, pressed them against his own face, and said, " Little Sheep, don't be sad."
At this moment, Wang Xinyang's heartbeat became chaotic. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed Precious Darling's looks, but she was just too beautiful, often making him unable to help but swallow.
He admitted that Precious Darling had already aroused him.
Wang Xinyang cursed himself, having just "broken up" and already being attracted to someone again; he seemed like a scumbag.
Precious Darling's pitiful eyes made him look even more despicable.
"Sleep for a while, don't move, be good."
"Okay, Little Sheep."
From that day on, the relationship between Wang Xinyang and Bai Chongxuan became increasingly uncontrollable.
Wang Xinyang couldn't control his own pathetic behavior any longer and admitted it: he had fallen in love with Bai Chongxuan.
When Bai Chongxuan proposed for the first time, he was actually eager to say yes.
Finally, on the second occasion, he allowed Bai Chongxuan to put the engagement ring on his finger.
They even got their marriage certificate afterward. They said:
" Little Sheep, may our love last forever."
"Love will last forever."