Chapter 34: Mother Bai
Being treated so gently, Bai Qi’s heart turned into a soft mess, and his nervousness vanished completely.
He suddenly felt that not being just friends was actually quite nice. Friends didn’t interact this intimately. They weren’t in the same department, so without the acting practice, they would rarely have contact.
Although being a boyfriend brought some troubles, at least he could see Bo Yan every day and be with him.
He didn’t know why, but despite only knowing him for a few days, he seemed to have gotten used to having him around.
Bai Qi couldn’t help but lean into his embrace. The familiar cold, astringent scent drilled into his nose, like snow on pine branches—faint and very pleasant.
He rested his chin lightly on Bo Yan’s shoulder. The broad shoulder that usually felt oppressive now gave him a sense of security.
This proactive snuggle pleasantly surprised Bo Yan. He instinctively pulled him into his arms. Ideally, Bai Qi didn’t struggle, allowing him to hold his waist. His slender, white body was lifted, and the soft, slightly trembling peach flesh almost sat on Bo Yan’s lap.
Bo Yan’s breathing instantly quickened, and his body heated up.
Bai Qi vaguely sensed danger. Scared, he immediately moved a little further away, his scalp tingling when he saw the situation.
W-why did he react like this to a casual touch?
The car was instantly thrown into chaos. Bai Qi was so embarrassed his lips turned redder, hiding aside with burning ears. Bo Yan looked away, throwing his head back to gulp down ice water, his Adam’s apple rolling for a long time before he calmed down.
The car soon arrived at the old district, slowing down as it drove along a dilapidated road.
The air here seemed noisier. The black luxury car wanted to pass through quietly, but its appearance was so out of place among the old buildings and stalls that passersby kept turning their heads to look.
The window was cracked open. Bai Qi was afraid Bo Yan would be seen, so he couldn’t help but press Bo Yan’s head down, using his own body to block the window, acting like a thief to prevent anyone from looking.
Bo Yan didn’t struggle, seemingly used to letting Bai Qi press him down. His high nose bridge grazed Bai Qi’s shirt front, the tip of his nose turning slightly red.
Bai Qi’s slender legs were inches away, pressed against the seat, squeezing out a bit of soft flesh. Even through the fabric, there was a sensation of extreme softness.
Yet Bai Qi didn’t feel anything was wrong. His beautiful eyes looked earnestly out the window, his legs shifting anxiously from time to time.
The veins on Bo Yan’s neck gradually bulged. He closed his eyes in endurance, his jawline tight.
Bai Qi thought he was falling asleep. He carefully cradled Bo Yan’s forehead with both hands. His soft palms were scratched by the coarse, thick black eyebrows, which tickled a little.
Bo Yan’s facial structure was very three-dimensional, feeling different from Bai Qi’s own forehead. His eyebrows were so thick.
Bai Qi’s fingertips moved involuntarily. Touching Bo Yan’s sharp brow bone, he quickly retracted them, fidgeting restlessly.
Bo Yan’s brows furrowed tightly. The hand gripping the ice water tightened, his pale knuckles turning red, yet he couldn’t bear to get up.
The short journey became excruciatingly difficult to endure.
Ten minutes later, the car finally stopped in front of a dilapidated family building by the roadside.
The old building looked like it had been built decades ago. The exterior paint had peeled off until almost nothing remained, the balcony railings were rusted and broken, and the ground was covered in indelible stains.
The two got out of the car. This was where Bai Qi had lived for over a decade, so he was used to it. But worrying that Bo Yan, a neat freak, wouldn’t adapt, he turned to ask if he wanted gloves or shoe covers.
Unexpectedly, Bo Yan didn’t even frown. On the contrary, his expression was unusually gentle. Even his sharp aura softened significantly, becoming as refreshing as a spring breeze. He didn’t look so fierce anymore.
With his model-like figure of broad shoulders and long legs standing there, even the dilapidated wall seemed atmospheric, looking like a magazine shoot. People in the distance kept looking over.
Bai Qi was surprised by his transformation. Then, he watched Bo Yan pull four exquisite, obviously expensive gift boxes from the trunk.
“When did you prepare these?” He was stunned. He hadn’t thought about bringing gifts home.
“I prepared them a long time ago. I picked them myself, don’t worry.”
Then Bo Yan familiarly led the way to Bai Qi’s unit, pulled open the long-broken unit door, and gestured for Bai Qi to enter first.
Bai Qi walked up the stairs in a daze. At the turn, he slowed down a few steps. Looking up, he saw Bo Yan walking naturally in front. Even though his suit and leather shoes were out of place here, his demeanor looked more like he was coming home than Bai Qi did.
For some reason, Bai Qi felt a little happy inside.
The corners of his lips curled up involuntarily as he obediently followed behind.
The sound of their footsteps echoed in the damp, dark stairwell—one steady and powerful, the other light and airy.
Just as they reached the third floor, a door next to them suddenly opened. Auntie Wang, carrying trash to take downstairs, caught sight of Bo Yan unexpectedly.
For a moment, she felt like she had been transported to another world.
The narrow stairwell was almost filled by this tall man in a suit. Even though he had softened his aura, when those cold black eyes looked down, Auntie Wang was still stunned into stepping aside quickly.
She gasped, wondering why such a wealthy person had suddenly come to their building. He had such a strong presence, and he was handsome enough to rival that Bai Qi kid.
She wondered whose family he was visiting with so many gifts. It definitely wasn’t Bai Qi’s family.
That family avoided rich people the most. Bai’s mother rarely showed her face outside because of it; otherwise, with looks like that mother and son had, why would they live in a place like this?
“Thank you,” Bo Yan said politely.
“You-you’re welcome.” Speaking to someone like him, the usually brash Auntie Wang’s palms sweated, and her voice became much quieter.
The next moment, she heard Bai Qi’s obedient voice: “Hello, Auntie Wang.”
Auntie Wang froze, only then noticing Bai Qi, who had been completely blocked by the tall man.
Huh? They were together?
Her eyes widened. She looked at Bo Yan’s obviously expensive suit, then at Bai Qi’s excessively beautiful face, and couldn’t help pulling him over to whisper, “Who is this?”
However, although she tried to whisper, in such a narrow stairwell, nothing could escape anyone’s ears. The sentence buzzed loudly.
Bai Qi was a little embarrassed. He and Bo Yan were only together temporarily; it wasn’t a real relationship. He actually didn’t know how to define it.
But thinking that Bo Yan was watching, he straightened his back and said generously, “He is my boyfriend.”
Auntie Wang’s expression showed a moment of pity.
If it were anyone else finding a rich man, it would be a heavenly blessing, especially one this young and handsome. One couldn’t fawn over such a good catch fast enough. But Bai Qi…
She knew Bai’s mother well and knew a lot about what she had been through. Seeing that Bai Qi had also found a rich man—and this one looked even fiercer, like he could toy with their whole family to death—she instantly worried.
No matter how good the conditions were, you had to be alive to enjoy them. Years ago, a girl from their community who married into a wealthy family was tormented to death.
Bai Qi was simple. Who knew how he had to humble himself in private, bullied constantly? She wanted to offer a word of advice.
At this moment, Bo Yan turned around. He seemed in a good mood, speaking politely and courteously: “Hello, Auntie Wang. We are here to visit Mother.”
Faced with Bo Yan, Auntie Wang became uncomfortable again. She forgot all her advice for Bai Qi and nodded repeatedly: “Hello, hello. She should be upstairs.”
Her heart was full of doubt and shock. After speaking, she quickly said goodbye to the two.
Looking back at their completely mismatched size difference, Auntie Wang shook her head and stopped worrying. Bai Qi’s mother would definitely not agree.
She continued down to throw out the trash. As soon as she got downstairs, she saw the luxurious black car. She didn’t recognize the brand, but one look told her it was ridiculously expensive.
Many neighbors were standing around the car, looking at it with envy and confusion. Seeing Auntie Wang come down, they asked, “Do you know whose family this is visiting?”
Auntie Wang’s heart thumped. She guessed it belonged to Bai Qi’s boyfriend.
She waved her hand. “I don’t know, but I guess it won’t be coming again.”
Meanwhile, Bo Yan and Bai Qi were already standing at the door. They knocked.
The door opened quickly. In the dim light, Mother Bai was stunningly beautiful. Wearing a simple dark green dress, her black hair swept back to reveal a slender, fair neck, her features were devastatingly beautiful, bearing a fifty percent resemblance to Bai Qi.
Even though she was overly pale and thin, clearly in poor health, her temperament remained elegant. She looked only in her early thirties.
Bai Qi obediently called out, “Mom.”
This time, Bo Yan didn’t call her “Mother.” Instead, he behaved properly and said, “Hello, Auntie Bai.”
He spoke softly and gently, looking like a completely different person.
However, Bo Yan’s naturally cold appearance, combined with the oppression and dominance brought by his height, made close contact breathtaking.
Although Mother Bai had been cold on WeChat, she didn’t scowl in person. She smiled and said, “It was a hard trip. Come in.”
She turned to get slippers. The moment she turned, her face paled slightly, and her fists clenched in fear before quickly relaxing.
Bai Qi had always been a bit oblivious. Seeing his mother didn’t kick them out, he breathed a huge sigh of relief and entered with Bo Yan.
The interior looked very old, furnished in styles from decades ago. There was little furniture, the layout was cramped, and the lighting was poor. With three people in the living room, it already felt crowded.
However, the house was truly very clean.
Everything was organized and spotless. The most abundant items in the house were books, neatly arranged on a plain wardrobe. The curtains were a bright, vivid pink, and a row of lettuce was growing by the window. It was clearly the home of someone who loved life.
Soon, they all sat on the living room sofa. Bai Qi sat between his mother on the left and Bo Yan on the right. With both of them looking at him, Bai Qi felt a little pressure.
The atmosphere felt strange.
Although it was peaceful right now, there was an indescribable tension. The words Bai Qi had prepared on the way here seemed slightly inappropriate now.
Just as he was thinking about how to phrase his request for his mother to agree, Bo Yan suddenly said, “Auntie Bai, is it convenient to speak with me alone?”
Alone?
Bai Qi didn’t understand. Why did Bo Yan want to avoid him? There was no need.
He thought his mother would refuse, but she nodded directly without hesitation. “Okay.”
Then she got up and walked to the inner room, not looking at Bai Qi once, nor giving him any hints.
Bai Qi sat alone on the sofa, confused. Bo Yan turned back, mouthed “don’t worry,” and smiled at him.
Sunlight shone into the cramped room. Bo Yan’s tall figure looked very reliable.
Bai Qi’s anxiety eased a little, and he sat quietly on the sofa waiting.
Mother Bai led Bo Yan into Bai Qi’s room.
The room was truly too small.
Bo Yan had to duck to pass through the door frame. Inside, the cramped space made it difficult for him to even turn around. The floor creaked underfoot. The lighting was poor, making it look oppressive at a glance.
The floor was the old-fashioned liver-red color. The room layout hadn’t been planned; besides the bed, there was only a table and a stool. There wasn’t even a wardrobe; clothes were neatly folded in fabric storage bags.
Bo Yan’s hand on the doorknob tightened. He closed the door behind him.
Once they were alone in the room, the strength Mother Bai had been holding onto collapsed slightly. She instinctively moved a bit further away from him, avoiding Bo Yan’s deep, dark gaze.
“You’ve seen our family environment. Bai Qi has had a hard time growing up healthy until now; he can’t withstand any blows. Rich people like you have many choices. Can’t you let my son go?”
She paused, her tone unusually firm, leaving no room for negotiation. “Give up. I will absolutely never agree to you dating.”
Bo Yan’s breathing grew heavier.
He closed his eyes, took a photo from his pocket, and handed it to her.
“I have no intention of bullying Bai Qi. Please look at this.”
Mother Bai didn’t understand what he meant. She took the photo and looked down, her eyes widening abruptly.
Her mind buzzed.
Her breathing quickened, and her grip on the photo tightened until her hand shook slightly.
The photo showed a mother and son. The woman looked cold and stubborn, clearly a dancer. The little boy looked equally stubborn, but more aggressive—a tough character at a glance.
Her eyes were glued to the photo. It took a long time for Mother Bai to look up.
She looked at Bo Yan, hesitant to speak, her eyes full of shock.
Bo Yi.
Seeing this face again made her dazed. Her best friend. Back then, amidst countless envious gazes, they had married into wealthy families together. Sadly, neither had married a good man.
She had escaped through divorce, burdened with debt, but her best friend hadn’t even kept her life.
Bo Yan was actually the son of Bo Yi and that pervert.
Mother Bai’s emotions were incredibly complex. She didn’t know how to face him.
Until she heard Bo Yan explain, “It wasn’t convenient to say it with Qi Qi present. Actually, my mother didn’t die. She has been recuperating abroad.”
Bo Yan’s tone was calm, but his eyes flashed with ruthlessness for a moment. “The one who died was my father.”
Mother Bai looked up at him sharply, unable to believe what she was hearing.
She was surprised and terrified, so excited she could hardly speak. Her gaunt face seemed to light up.
Finally… justice has been served.
Thinking that one of the scumbags was dead and the other in jail, while her best friend and she were alive and well, Mother Bai felt much better. Her gaze toward Bo Yan wasn’t so cold anymore.
Bo Yan hid the emotions in his eyes and said seriously, “I am not the same kind of person as him. I haven’t touched a cent of his inheritance; I gave it all to my mother.”
“Everything I have now, I earned for Qi Qi. I know you are worried. Everything has been prepared. I will transfer all my assets tomorrow. To Qi Qi or to you, either is fine.”
“Whether I become a live-in son-in-law or kept by him, anything is fine.”
His voice was very soft. Such a cold, hard man seemed somewhat humble at this moment. “As long as I can be with Qi Qi.”
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