ã€ŠLiving Selfishly While Working Towards A Peaceful Lifeã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Bai Li looked at his hands. Clenching and opening his fists. Small and free of blemishes. Tender and pink. The scar from falling off his bike no longer there.

    He remembered closing his eyes as the knife his sister rammed into his chest caused him excruciating pain. When he opened them he expected some version of the afterlife. Instead, he was in his childhood bedroom. His first thought was that this was his penance to pay in hell, after all his childhood had been hellish in its own way.

    It took two months before Bai Li could accept that he was reborn. Thankfully they were on summer holidays. If he had to jump back into being a middle schooler he might have lost his mind. Not that he was completely sane. Though if he was a hundred percent honest, at moments he still thought this might be a very long dream he was reliving in hell. The only thing that raised doubts was the fact that he could change the decisions he made in the past.

    Looking down on his hand again, he traced the spot where a scar used to be. Three days ago he was supposed to go out with his friend to play ball in the park, on that trip he would fall off his bike and cut his hand on a piece of glass. It was his first attempt at changing the future. A major event at that. Because he had cut his hand that time, his father left their home. Bai Tao was a miserable man upset at life for his own choices. He chose to abandon his family instead of paying a simple hospital bill.

    Bai Li grits his teeth, Bai Tao, his own father. In the past and to a small extent now, was a man he would kill in a heartbeat given half a chance. The Bai family was not poor. His father''s unwillingness to pay was simply his way of showing discontent at having been forced to marry his mother, Ping An.

    A business marriage that Bai Tao swore was the reason for all his failures. After Bai Li fell off his bike Bai Tao had moved in with his mistress, a woman barely 10 years older than Bai Li at this time. Thirty years younger than Bai Tao.

    His mother who for some reason loved the mean and selfish Bai Tao broke apart when he left. She never spared any occasion to emphasize how much it was his fault that his father left. Bai Li spent his whole life making up for it, only to be murdered by the one person he protected from all of it.

    Bai Wei, Wei Wei. The definition of a white lotus. His sister was one of only two people he had loved in his life. He protected her during their parent''s arguments and worked hard to ensure she had the best life possible.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Bai Li grasped his chest. He could feel the knife twisting in his chest. He could remember the crazy look in his sister''s eyes. He didn''t know why his sister killed him. Sometimes he wished he had gotten the murder¡¯s monologue that accompanied so many death scenes in novels. At least then he would have an idea if his sister was just naturally insane or she went rotten along the way.

    Not that it would truly matter. In this life, he would live selfishly.

    Bai LI looked up as heard something shattering in the living room. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach. It was coming, this scene all too familiar. His room door inched open. Big brown almond eyes peered at him, asking for comfort and acceptance. Bile rose in his throat at the sight of his sister. This reaction was instinctive. For the last two months every time he saw those eyes, his body felt instinctive revulsion. The need to flee strong.

    ¡°Big brother Li? Cuddle?¡± She smiled.

    She is just eight years old. She is just eight years old. She is just eight years old. No matter how he repeated it, he couldn''t fight his need to run when he saw her. The white lotus smile he thought was divine in nature during his last life was now overlayed with the grinning hysteric smile she used when stabbing him.

    ¡°Wei Wei,¡± he said, his voice came out hoarse. ¡°Come here.¡± He opened his arms for her.

    She ran towards him hurling her body into his embrace. ¡°Mommy and daddy are fighting.¡± Her small voice sounded sad and scared.

    The soft body connected with him and he retched. He wondered how he could get out of this house. He considered thousands of solutions but since he didn''t know where things went wrong he didn''t know what to change.

    ¡°I know,¡± his voice was choked up. It fit the occasion but was counter to the way he felt. He wanted to throw her off of himself. Run and hide where he didn''t have to look at her. It was at this moment that he made up his mind. He hesitated for a long time but if this continued he was liable to do something he would regret. He couldn¡¯t stay. ¡°Everything will be alright,¡± he said, the words more for himself than to comfort her.

    The fighting ended. Their mother preferred it if they pretended not to hear anything. So that is what they did. They would go to sleep and wake up to the living room sparsely decorated. The broken glass would already be cleaned up. Nicknacks disappeared and were replaced with identical ones a few days later. Reframed pictures would be placed in their original spots. Everyone would pretend not to notice the changes.

    He will talk with his father tomorrow. Bai Tao hated spending money on them but he hated seeing them even more. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to convince his father to send him to boarding school. Then he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with any of them for a while.

    Bai Li stroked Wei Wei¡¯s hair. He hesitated because of her, even though he couldn¡¯t stop the terror he felt when he saw her he still didn¡¯t have any closure in regards to his death. Part of him wanted to treat her the same and ignore the events that hadn¡¯t happened yet. He couldn¡¯t do it though.

    Things were the same yet drastically different. The reason he decided on this course of action was that, in the end, it was the same if she hated him for abandoning her here or for caring for her too much. It was much better to protect his small life in the face of so much uncertainty.

    With that resolved in his mind, Bai Li couldn¡¯t fight the sleep any longer. Bad or good, the biggest change to this new life would happen tomorrow.

 Chapter 2

    Bai Li stood outside his father¡¯s office. He used to feel terrified every time he thought of his father. Since he was reborn there was a sense of comfort at the stable meanness his father exuded. He never knew what to expect from his mother, with her constant mood swings and he was waiting for his sister to cut his throat while smiling. It was only his father who remained unchanged in his hate. The devil you know was always better than the devil you didn¡¯t.

    Knocking on the door he waited.

    ¡°Come.¡± Bai Tai¡¯s voice was hoarse.

    This did not surprise Bai Li, if you shouted that much it would be more surprising if his voice didn''t show any side effects after.

    ¡°Father,¡± he said as he entered the room. He couldn¡¯t see the dislike in Bai Tao¡¯s eyes that he expected. ¡°Father. I do not like and you do not like me. So let us end this relationship.¡±

    Bai Tao stared at him. It was the first time he saw his father at loss for words. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he sounded incredulous.

    Bai Li could see his father trying to figure him out. After all, he was the first person to oppose his father. Although he was only 15 at this point in time, he had styled himself as the man of the house. Certain of his position as successor and protector. He was spoilt. Even with his toxic home situation, he lacked for nothing. His decision to leave his mother and sister to fend for themselves was the most inconceivable thing.

    Bail Li had a choice and he was choosing to save himself. At first, he was plagued by guilt. His decision seemed selfish even to himself but after thinking he realized that he was just a child. His parents were supposed to protect him not the other way around.

    ¡°I will not fight father. I already know father has a son outside.¡± Bai Li saw his father¡¯s eyes darken dangerously. ¡°I will not stand in the way of him inheriting.¡± Shock crossed his father¡¯s face, followed by an incredulous gaze.

    Two reasons existed why he wouldn¡¯t fight his brother for Wen Shi industries. One, he had already done that in his last life and won. He didn¡¯t need to do it again or take up the problems involved in a giant company that was rotten at its core by the time the fight concluded. Two, he was a reincarnated businessman, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste if he couldn¡¯t make a new life and company for himself.

    Bai Li knew he should have the upper hand. Yet he couldn''t shake the feeling that he didn¡¯t have all the information. ¡°On the other hand. Father will support and pay for all my expenses until I am twenty. I am tired and see no reason to pointlessly carry on. Neither mother nor Wei Wei should be my burden.¡±

    ¡°Bastard,¡± Bai Tao said with a hint of something in his voice.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°En,¡± Bai Li agreed. ¡°That¡¯s how we know I¡¯m your son.¡±

    For the first time in both his lives, Bai Li saw pride in his father¡¯s eyes. He doubted his decision for a second before remembering what protecting his family and discarding himself cost him in his last life.

    Bai Tao leaned back. His hands crossed over his chest, appraising everything. ¡°And what exactly am I paying for?¡±

    Bai Li was prepared. Walking forward he put a document on the desk. It took him a long time to draft this document. The first version was too polished. It took several revisions before it was neither too childish nor too professional, yet still leaving no openings for his father to exploit. ¡°Read it through and have lawyers on your end draw up the provisions.¡±

    There was a surprised look in his father¡¯s eyes when he saw the 40-page long document. He seemed amused before he picked it up and started reading. A perplexed look took over Bai Tao¡¯s face. After a moment a glint appeared in his eyes as he got serious.

    ¡°If I fought with Bai Fang for Wen Shi industries. I would win.¡± Bai Li saw no point in hiding this. He won in his last life with hard work and being more ruthless. His brother who grew up sheltered and loved couldn¡¯t compete. In this life, he had more experience and the answer to the questions and situations he might face. How could he lose?

    ¡°You even know his name. Not even my father knows.¡± Bai Tao said. He seemed calm and oddly proud.¡°Who knew you were this smart.¡±

    Bai Li laughed. ¡°You know what the worst thing an unwanted future heir could have?¡± He moved and looked out of the window. After his father left he took over this office and spent countless lonely nights with this view. He didn''t hear his father answer. ¡°Potential. I didn''t want to die young. So I could only be average.¡±

    ¡°I might have liked you more.¡± Bai Tao said reading the document. His gaze looked contemplative.

    He got the urge to laugh again. Bai Li remembered when he graduated early in his last life. He had done it behind his father¡¯s back. The pain of being thrown down the steps was still clear. ¡°You would have been the first one to break my neck.¡±

    Bai Tao didn''t bother refuting but seemed to disagree.

    ¡°Can you bear to abandon Bai Wei?¡± Bai Tao seemed to be searching for something. He looked up from the document ever so often, his gaze intense.

    Bai Li looked at the man he would grow to resemble, almost to a scary degree. The face he always loathed looked worn out. ¡°She is my sister, not my child. Why should I die for her?¡±

    ¡°Your mother will not change, and I will not treat her better. Bai Wei will have no one to comfort her. She might go crazy.¡± Bai Tao was testing his resolve.

    Bai Li laughed, there was a strange comradeship between him and his father. He loathed it but at the same time couldn''t stop the happiness he felt inside. He¡¯d always wanted to be like this with his father. ¡°She might go crazy even if I protect her. All we know is insanity. With two selfish parents and bastard brothers as examples who would expect any different.¡±

    They stayed in silence, Bai Tao going through each page of the document he¡¯d been given.

    ¡°Thorough, innovative, and greedy.¡± Bai Tao¡¯s assessment spoke exactly to Bai Li¡¯s business persona. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want you competing against Bai Fang. Who will take over Wen Shi isn¡¯t decided though.¡±

    It was ironic that the most he¡¯d laughed since being reborn, was in a conversation with his father. ¡°Why would I do such a tiring and thankless thing?¡± Why didn¡¯t his father¡¯s responses match his expectations?

    ¡°Your mother is holding onto Wen Shi for you.¡± Bai Tao was still fishing for something. The document slipped from his finger. He leaned forward and tapped on it twice. ¡°This cuts you off from inheriting. Even if you regret it later.¡±

    God this was so funny. ¡°No, father. Mother is holding onto Wen Shi for you. She had us, as a way to make sure you couldn''t leave. When grandpa dies Wen Shi will be the only thing left of use in her arsenal. Why would she leave it to me knowing how much it means to you? After all, my mother can¡¯t have any more kids, isn''t that right father?¡±

 Chapter 3

    ¡°You''re a demon.¡± Bai Tao said.

    This time Bai Li was sure he could hear the pride in his father¡¯s voice. There was a happy smile on his face.

    This was the first smile Bai Li ever saw that look directed at him. It made his skin crawl and something close to anticipation blossom in his chest.

    Bai Li already changed the past. He stopped his father from leaving or at least changed the reason he left. Going forward his actions would also change the future.

    What more could he really do for his sister? For his mother? For himself? What exactly had he done?

    ¡°It was you who poisoned my mother. How does that make me a demon.¡± Using information he gained from the future to affect the here and now was all he could do.

    In this new reality, both Wei Wei and Ping An would have to make their own way, just as he would.

    ¡°Aren''t you afraid I will silence you?¡± Bai Tao asked. Not issuing a threat, his tone was more curious than anything else.

    ¡°Father has no reason to. Isn''t that so? When the deed is already done why bring it up now. Since you are acting more distant, it is about time for my mother to try and have another child. As in the past, she will use it to hold onto father.¡± Bai Li was not sure if this would have any repressions. ¡°She will find out that she cannot have any more children soon enough, even without me bringing it up.¡±

    A deep rumbling laugh came out of Bai Tao. He picked up the document and leaned back in his chair. ¡°Have a seat. It feels like I¡¯ve never really talked to you before.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably because you haven¡¯t.¡± Bai Li sat directly opposite his father. How things changed. In his last life, he chose to side with his mother and sister. In this life, he would choose himself. His father wasn¡¯t an ally but he wasn¡¯t an enemy either.

    ¡°This,¡± Bai Tao said tapping the document. ¡°Can I ask about some of the things inside?¡±

    ¡°Sure. I might not answer but you can ask.¡± Bai Li knew there would be questions. He prepared several answers, still undecided about how much he would share.

    ¡°Is the lump sum to start a company?¡± Bai Tao asked.

    Bai Li¡¯s eyes widened for a moment before he wiped his face of all expressions.

    This was why Ping An was married to Bai Tao. He was an exceptional businessman. Bai Tao could smell an opportunity.

    Ping An was a girl without a business mind, as the only heir to Wen Shi industries, his grandfather would have had no other choice than to find a suitable son-in-law.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, seeing no reason to lie.

    Bai Tao wasn¡¯t the sort of person to let an opportunity slip by. ¡°What kind?¡±

    Should he lie? Bai Li didn¡¯t need his father¡¯s involvement. He knew all the major market moves for the next twenty years. All he needed was capital.

    Even if the butterfly effect changed things locally, the global market wouldn¡¯t be affected much. if it did change. So what? All he needed were one or two good trades with enough capital to make it so he would never have to actively work.

    ¡°A gaming company.¡± This was a partial truth. He had several ideas in mind, but taking advantage of the gaming market that was about to explode was one of them. It was a plus that the gaining industry had no direct correlation to the markets that Wen Shi industries dealt with.

    There was a flash of disappointment in Bai Tao¡¯s eyes. ¡°The console market is dominated by giants.¡± His fingers tapped an irregular pattern. ¡°Even if you develop a good product it will be hard to establish and grow in the present market.¡±

    Bai Li stared at his father. How much should he give away? He didn¡¯t want excessive attention but he didn¡¯t want to be underestimated.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    He leaned forward and tapped on the computer that occupied a decent portion of his dad''s desk. It was slow and clunky. Faster models and laptops were already available but still weren¡¯t mainstream. Still, even those would be inefficient compared to what he was used to.

    Computers now were used primarily for work. They were not at the point where gamers, kids, and leisure users accounted for a sizable portion of the target demographic. He was planning for an MMORPG and a few apps.

    ¡°Can you imagine a computer that is light and portable? That has 10X the speed and processing power you are used to? Can you imagine a phone that is completely portable, lightweight, and can rival the capabilities of that computer?¡± Bai Li let that information sink in.

    ¡°No? Well, would father like me to design one for you? Because I can see it and given time I could build it. I can make it and if I can, someone else has figured out how to as well. I don''t want to start a tech company. I just want to make use of the opportunities that open up before anyone else does.¡± The technology already existed.

    There was no need to start a company to make the hardware. He didn¡¯t want to have to compete with foreign tech companies to get new generations of products out.

    Too stressful.

    Bai Tao was considering his words. That is what was special about his father. He never discounted anyone¡¯s words without investigating them first.

    ¡°Instead of trying to figure out what I know, how about I give father some advice. Buy stocks in Dapple. The cost of this information will be to buy an equivalent amount in Bai Wei¡¯s name.¡± Bai Li said.

    Of course, he planned to invest in all the companies that would do well for the next twenty years. He was especially targeting the start-ups and those that hadn¡¯t quite started to gain traction. He would be a fool if he didn¡¯t invest in AceBook, Omazon, Insteram, and all the others.

    Of course, he wouldn''t give all this information to Bai Tao. Some things are best kept to oneself.

    ¡°As a bonus, I will tell father a good secret. Grandfather already knows about Bai Fang and Lee Shan.¡± Bai Tao¡¯s eyes widened and panic flashed across his face. If Ping Zen wanted he could take Wen Shi back.

    Now he was sure he was digging a pit but for who. ¡°Father does not have to worry. Grandfather loves Ping An but he loves Wen Shi more. He also knows how Bai Fang was conceived. Naturally so do I. Bai Fang is a rightful heir. That is all grandfather cares about. He won''t stand in the way of him inheriting.¡±

    Bai Li had mixed feelings about his grandfather. Ping Zen was kind to them. As a child, that kindness was so great that it colored his entire worldview. It wasn¡¯t until later that he came to resent his grandfather. He could have sheltered them as children but was more concerned about raising capable heirs.

    ¡°If your grandfather read this document. He wouldn¡¯t even spare a glance at Bai Fang before he started grooming you.¡± Bai Tao didn¡¯t sound angry about that, just contemplative.

    Bai Li was lost in his memory and didn¡¯t pay attention to his father¡¯s tone of voice. He remembered when Bai Tao came forward in his last life. The DNA results for Bai Fang were shocking. He had been so sure of the results, after all, how could Bai Fang be his biological brother.

    Full brother at that not half. He had underestimated Bai Tao. Especially the feelings Bai Tao had for Lee Shan. Or was it the feelings Lee Shan had for Bai Tao? That stupid couple.

    Lee Shan was unable to conceive. Bai Tao had used Ping An¡¯s eggs and his sperm. One would think that for the very reason that it was Ping An¡¯s child that Bai Tao would loath it, but that wasn¡¯t the case.

    The fact that Bai Fang was carried by Lee Shen was enough for him to get all of the love and attention.

    He could still see the insanity in his mother¡¯s eyes when she found out that the eggs she had hidden away as a means of holding onto Bai Tao had been used to grow his other family.

    With these two as examples, he would be a fool if he got married. How could two people guard against each other this much? They were constantly looking for ways to undermine the other person.

    How could they live like this? It was too tiring.

    ¡°How long have you known?¡± Bai Tao closed his eyes, a pained look on his face. ¡°Better question, how did you find out?¡±

    Bai Li couldn''t answer either of these questions without sounding like a lunatic. ¡°I wonder. Father should know the steps to take to keep a secret buried. From one person finds out you can guarantee that at least two more people know.¡±

    ¡°You could have used this information differently, more effectively.¡± Bai Tao sounded tired. A relieved look made his face look younger.

    He was shocked. Was Bai Tao actually trying to teach him a life lesson? Was his father¡¯s hatred not directed at him but the him who sided with Ping An.

    Why had he spent his last life in so much pain?

    ¡°En, that is true, but do I really need to?¡± Bai Li said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Father won¡¯t deny my requests and I do not need leverage over father. I¡¯m setting up a chessboard only to see how the pieces move. The outcome matters little to me.¡±

    His fathers looked shocked. Bai Li had said the words without thinking, but once they came out of his mouth he realized he actually meant them.

    The contract stated that once his father left, Bai Wei would go to live with Ping Zen. When she became an adult she would have stocks from Wen Shi, plus the shares in other companies he and his father would buy for her.

    His mother was wealthy in her own right. Now that her husband and both her children were leaving, what move would she make?

    Not to mention all the interested parties that watched their family affairs like a hawk. When he moved into boarding school wouldn¡¯t he look like an abandoned heir?

    Ping Zen would try to find out what had changed and groom Bai Wei that was now living with him.

    This was all a big gamble. With the way he set up the board, it appeared he had developed dangerous tastes without realizing it.

    ¡°That is not a smile a child should have on their face.¡± Bai Tao stood up and walked around his desk until their faces were a hair''s breadth apart. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see that my son was such a delightful child?¡±

    This was getting creepy. The look on his father¡¯s face used to be reserved solely for Bai Feng. ¡°You are creeping me out. You almost look fatherly.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe, I am your father.¡± Bai Tao leaned against the edge of the desk. ¡°Instead of boarding school why don¡¯t you come live with me.¡±

    Despite years of training, he couldn¡¯t keep his jaw from dropping open.

    How much of his last life was true. He thought his father hated him. Something didn¡¯t feel right. He would have to carefully examine his memories.

    This shouldn¡¯t have been an offer his father would ever extend to him. ¡°I politely decline.¡±

    Bai Tao did not seem surprised by his answer. ¡°What are you going to do when your school is on holiday? Going to your grandfather''s place would be dangerous since you don¡¯t seem to want him to know how smart you are.¡±

 Chapter 4

    This conversation was confusing and did not conform to his memories. He was now questioning how reliable they were in the first place. He looked into his father¡¯s eyes and kept silent.

    His memories from when he was a child were hazy at best. He remembered the feelings more than everyday events. Only major moments were clear.

    Had his father ever directly showed his hate? When he was pushed down the stairs wasn¡¯t it Ping An, who told him his father was the one responsible? He didn¡¯t investigate or question her words.

    Animosity developed over the years but had they ever talked about it. Father got most of his information from his mother. Would she tell the truth to either of them?

    This was giving him a headache.

    Did his mother gaslight him?

    His heart started racing. Why couldn¡¯t he remember his father being cruel to him? At most he remembered his apathy. He didn¡¯t engage with Bai Wei or him.

    Bai Tao¡¯s cruelty and actions were explained to him by his mother. He tried to keep his breathing steady.

    Bai Tao was looking at him. His lazy mood from before turned to concern.

    Bai Li felt like he was going to dissolve. Beatings. Starvation. Screaming. Isolation. Those were his mother¡¯s tactics.

    Wasn¡¯t he constantly told he had work hard to compensate for breaking up their family?

    Had his father ever said confirmed that Bai Li¡¯s injury was the reason he left.

    ¡°Answer a question for me.¡± Bai Li¡¯s Voice was small. ¡°Do you have plans to separate from mother?¡±

    Bai Tao crouched in front of him. Holding onto his hand. They were large and warm. ¡°I decided it was best that we separate. I have already moved out most of my things. Your mother told me she would talk to both of you about this.¡± Bai Tao¡¯s voice was calm. His fingers rub circles against Bai Li¡¯s hands trying to soothe him.

    He started crying. It wasn¡¯t his fault. Last time it wasn¡¯t his fault that their family broke apart.

    Ping An¡¯s and Bai Wei¡¯s resentment shouldn¡¯t have been directed at him. He deserved none of their anger or scorn.

    ¡°She told me, that both of you and your sister were aware that I was leaving. That you didn¡¯t want to live with me or visit, preferring to stay with her. This is what we have been arguing about recently.¡± Bai Tao¡¯s voice was angry. By now he probably realized he had been lied to. ¡°That is why I was so shocked when you came to see me. Not to mention this document. I heard you were barely keeping up in classes at school.¡±

    Wasn¡¯t Ping An who told him not to do too well. Not to look like a threat or attract too much attention. If she had done this to him. What did she do to Bai Wei?

    In his last life, his mother and sister were extremely close. More like sisters than mother and daughter. His sister would tell their mother everything.

    She molded him into a vicious dictator that loathed his father. What had she shaped Bai Wei into? A murderer?

    Bai Li¡¯s stomach turned. He tore out of the chair, grabbing the trash can by the desk. He vomited. His body was shaking.

    There was a buzzing noise in his ears. He could hear his father calling his name but it sounded like he was far away. A large, warm hand rubbing his back.

    During the past, in his personal life, how much of it was real and how much was created?

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°We need to go to the hospital.¡± Bai Tao moved to grab the phone.

    Bai Li grabbed his hand. They couldn¡¯t leave the house without alerting his mother and he was more sure now than ever that he didn¡¯t want anything to do with her. He had to get Bai Wei away from her as well.

    He couldn¡¯t let go of what happened, but he was sure she was a victim just as much as he was.

    Did his father know how long he spent hating and resenting him?

    Bai Li had seen the perfect life he built with his new wife and son. He¡¯d wondered why he wasn¡¯t good enough. Leaning forward he dropped his head between his legs.

    ¡°Son?¡± Bai Tao was panicking. It was unusual for him to be anything but in full control of a situation.

    BaI Li took a deep breath. What was he getting shaken for? Didn¡¯t he already know how cruel his mother was? He lived through it in his past life.

    He had just blamed it on his father without finding out the truth. Didn¡¯t he promise himself to live differently? This didn¡¯t change anything. His father had committed his fair share of sins.

    All his relationships would be based on the present. He owed that much to himself and the people around him. He would even offer his mother a chance. Though he doubted it would lead to anything other than disappointment.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said his voice hoarse. He wanted to go back to his room and just sleep. ¡°Bai Wei should be separated from mother as soon as possible.¡± That was the best thing he could do for his sister. Their relationship would have to progress slowly from there.

    ¡°Bai Li,¡± his father called gently with a serious tone. He kneeled on the floor, his face dark. ¡°We need to get you to a doctor.¡±

    ¡°Father, by now you have probably realized that mother isn¡¯t being forthcoming with you. She treats us well now, but I doubt that behavior will continue once you are gone.¡± Bai Li looked at the man who was the spitting image of himself once he was older.

    ¡°I approached you after considering that mother isn¡¯t mentally stable and you dislike me very much.¡± He held up his hand cutting his father off when the older man tried to speak.

    ¡°For as long as I could remember mother told me to stay out of your way because you hated me. That if I attracted too much attention you would hurt me. I heard this over and over again. She locked me in my room for three days with no food when I brought home a B+ instead of a C.¡± At the time she told him it was for his own good. That Bai Tao would hurt him if he was too promising.

    When he found out about Bai Fang in the future it justified his mother¡¯s words. How could Bai Fang inherent if he was in the way? If he showed his potential too early his father would have dealt with him.

    He was a child then. Yet that didn¡¯t stop him from feeling stupid for believing her. This was more true after he stopped believing she had good intentions towards him.

    Why did he never doubt her words about Bait Tao?

    It was clear his father didn¡¯t know how to interact with him, but since he stepped into this office there wasn¡¯t a single sign of hate or disgust. No harsh words.

    Only a man trying to understand someone he had no commonalities or contact with.

    There were a lot of things he wanted to say but they wouldn¡¯t come out. Was it because he was in a child''s body his emotions were all over the place? He had more control as an adult. Puberty wasn¡¯t being kind to him.

    ¡°Was it us you were avoiding or our mother?¡± he asked. Already knowing the answering but unable to stop himself.

    Bai Tao remained silent. The answer was evident. There was hesitation on his face. Several times he opened his mouth but only to close it. What comfort could he offer?

    ¡°Silence is an answer in and of itself.¡± He stood up and walked to the chair he sat in before, he slumped down. His father hovered nearby.

    ¡°I am tired and have a lot to think about. If possible can we continue this discussion later?¡± A hot bath and sleep. He needed to refocus his mind before he continued this discussion.

    Resting his head on the back of the chair he spoke with his eyes closed. ¡°Grandfather hasn¡¯t been feeling well. Send Bai Wei to him tomorrow. Mother won¡¯t be happy, but will have no choice if you say you want Bai Wei to cheer grandfather up.¡±

    His original plan was to cut off all his relationships with these people, treating them as strangers until he finished school.

    A part of Bai Li wanted to still do that but another part realized he might be shortchanging himself from developing healthy relationships with his family. Without his mother¡¯s influence, what would their relationship be like?

    Even his grandfather. Wasn¡¯t it, his poor performance that led to his grandfather favoring Bai Fang. Unable to decide which of them would be a suitable successor.

    If he had straight A¡¯s at this point would it even be up for debate? Both Bai Wei and Bai Fang were doing well in school.

    With a sigh, he stood up. His father¡¯s tense silence was unnerving and was making him wearier. He recognized the look on Bai Tao¡¯s face. It was guilt. He had seen that same look in the mirror so many times.

    It always came when he wondered what he could have done differently for the people around him.

    ¡°I have always loved you and your sister. Your mother and I...our relationship wasn¡¯t always like this. At the start we were happy. It wasn¡¯t a love match but we respected each other. I can¡¯t tell you how proud I was when you were born.¡± Bai Tao¡¯s voice was quiet. Both of them ignored the smell of vomit in the room.

    This was news to Bai Li but it changed very little. ¡°You have to tell and show people you love them. If I don¡¯t experience it, how will I know it¡¯s there?¡± He was too emotionally drained to have this conversation.

    This conversation needed to stop but the words just rolled out of his mouth. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how it made me feel to see you standing proudly with your hand wrapped around Bai Feng. I couldn¡¯t help thinking that should be my spot. Why wasn¡¯t it me? Did I do something wrong? Then mother would whisper in my ear that it was because I wasn¡¯t good enough. I had no reason to believe that it wasn¡¯t true.¡±

    This happened in the future. Bai Feng graduated from university. Both Lee Shan and Bai Tao stood proudly on either side of him.

    All the images of his father smiling or happy were when he was with Bai Feng and Lee Shan.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can smile and laugh, playing house with your new son and woman. Maybe it is small-minded of me and cruel but if I start to like them what will I do with the feeling that kept me going this long!¡± Bai Li sounded desperate. He hated it.

    What was he asking for? Understanding? Love? ¡°Don¡¯t argue with Ping An tonight. I can¡¯t stand the screaming. What kind of crap are you doing in front of your kids?¡±

    Standing he staggered out of the room. He wouldn¡¯t think of anything for a while.

 Chapter 5

    The room was quiet. The clock beside the bed flashed the time, 10:15 am. By this point, someone usually would have been in to wake him up. He was grateful that they hadn''t. He didn¡¯t want to get out of bed and face the day.

    A growl came from his stomach. Despite being hungry, he rolled over ignoring it. When he remembered why his dinner was left in his father¡¯s wastebasket last night he couldn¡¯t work up the energy to get out of bed.

    When was the last time he slept in late?

    Just after being reborn, he couldn¡¯t sleep. The shock and stress of not knowing what happened kept him on edge. He spent most of his time remembering and making notes of market trends and world events.

    Not to mention when he was an adult. He lived at work. All his achievements amounted to little in his eyes.

    Why did he work so hard? Being introspective was annoying. He was a child. He could make allowances for himself. There was no reason to be so strict on himself.

    Dragging himself out of bed, he padded into the bathroom.

    Bai Li came out feeling refreshed. Thinking about the past wouldn¡¯t help him. Didn¡¯t he have the opportunity to change the course of his life? He was alive so he would live to the best of his ability.

    Walking downstairs he heard voices in the kitchen and living room. They must have been told not to wake him. ¡°Aunty Nora, where is my mother?¡±

    ¡°Young master, Madam went with Master to bring the young miss to see the old master," she said, keeping her tone respectful.

    He sent a prayer for his father and thanked him for his sacrifice. It bought Bai Li a few moments of peace.

    "Is that so?" Bai Li kept his tone hovering between neutral and uninterested. His memory of the past may be unreliable but it was an undeniable fact that Nora Redding was his mother¡¯s faithful servant.

    "What is for breakfast?" He asked. She gave him a strange look. In the past, he was much more respectful and courteous to the servants. He could understand why his change in behavior was being noticed.

    "Master said you woke up late and missed breakfast so nothing extra was to be prepared. Madam was concerned and ordered me to hide away some porridge and dumplings. The madam said you shouldn''t be upset with your father, he just wants what is best for you." Aunt Nora delivered her lines with a sincere smile on her face. She moved in the direction of the kitchen leaving him to follow.

    How wordy. Bai Li stared at his feet for a moment. If he hadn''t spoken with his father last night how would he have taken that?

    He needed to find a psychologist to talk to. He would need someone that wouldn''t require that they meet face to face. He would do his best to speak generally without mentioning specific names.

    It wasn''t ideal but it was best he got help in case there were any lingering psychological shadows. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Pausing for a beat he looked in the direction of his mother¡¯s portrait before following Nora. He needed to eat. There was nothing immediate that he needed to do. His next move would be decided by his father.

    At the table, there was a bowl of watery porridge and 4 dumplings. In the past, he would have burned with indignation.

    Sitting he stared at his meal, his mind unable to focus. Picking up his chopstick he ate all of it. In his last life, he thought he had his mother¡¯s love and care. He thought he deserved her anger for his mistakes. Yet, it seemed like she had been grooming him from the start.

    Placing down his chopsticks he wiped his mouth. Good. His emotions were no longer as volatile as yesterday. Seeing Ping An again would be the real determinant as to whether he could pretend that nothing major had changed.

    Going back upstairs he rifled through his closet taking note of what he wanted to pack and bring with him. What he would leave behind.

    He couldn''t start packing. Nora would notice then it would make it back to his mother. While he was prepared to break all pretenses he didn''t see the point in making his remaining days any more difficult than they needed to be.

    Inadvertently his mind drifted to last night. Inconsistencies in his father''s words stood out in his mind. Bai Tao genuinely thought that Ping An was saving Wen Shi for him.

    That meant his mother would have stated that. His father though doubting his capabilities didn''t seem to care if he took over the business or not. So what triggered the fight for Wen Shi in his last life?

    After doing well on his college entrance exams and Bai Tao''s alleged attack, he had stopped hiding and holding back his intellect. He graduated from university, Cumme Laude. The top of his year group.

    He started as a successful manager before going on to be vice president. He achieved this by the time Bai Feng was just graduating from university. At that point in life, he had little to no contact with his father outside of work.

    Bai Feng had started his own business. It was successful and he progressed fast with the support of Bai Tao.

    There hadn''t been a successor announced and Ping Zen while aged was still healthy. His grandfather favored him. He had always thought that his grandfather''s favor was what made Bai Feng impatient, and why he started to attack him.

    He would never get the answer to his questions but his instincts said something was off.

    Lying on his bed he searched for his phone. It was a flip model. He missed his Dapple smartphone.

    Opening the picture he scrolled through the photos. Half of the people he stopped talking to by the time he left high school. They were wastes and degenerates.

    If he stopped spending money they wouldn''t even bother with him. His school was a class three school public school. There was no logical reason why he should attend it.

    At that point, he didn''t know if it was his father¡¯s or his mother¡¯s arrangements but it was decided that since his passing grade was only suitable for this level of school then he should accept it and attend instead of spending money to get him into a better school.

    He had done just as mediocre on his high school entrance exam at his mother¡¯s advice. They had spent money this time, this time he got into a grade 1 private high school. He didn¡¯t know how it got out, but everyone knew he got in through the back door.

    He could have been top of his class but he coasted through as an average student. If he hadn''t gotten fed up and excelled on his college entrance exams his scholastic record would have been dismal at best.

    Looking back at his phone he started blocking and deleting all the numbers. They called multiple times since his rebirth but he never answered. He didn''t remember any of them and was unsure how to interact with them. He had fun when he was with them. They got him through his parents'' breakup.

    Not by being helpful or supportive, just by dragging him around and making sure he didn''t have time to think. In his last life, he had financially supported their excursions. In this life, he would end their relationship cleanly.

    Moving onto the picture he tried to remember the people in them and the time they were taken. Then he deleted each one. The last picture was a candid photo of Ava. He didn''t remember her last name but for all of middle school, he had been sure he was in love with her.

    She was the class bell. The B+ he''d gotten was for her. She had tutored him and he didn''t want to seem like an idiot in front of her. He laughed at his own naivete.

    Love wasn''t such a pure and beautiful feeling. It lightened his heart that he still remembered the floaty feeling he got any time he was too close to her.

    Another beautiful face surfaced in his mind and he ruthlessly suppressed it. That was something he was not prepared to examine. He managed to stabilize his emotions. Thinking about her would set him right back to being an emotionally wrecked mess.

    Standing he went and changed his clothes. He put on a tracksuit and made his way downstairs. Taking care of each movement no matter how minute was the best way to keep his mind focused.

    Reaching outside he set off on a light jog around the property. He used to do this in his past life. It wouldn''t ring any major warning bells.

 Chapter 6

    Finishing three laps he jogged back to the front of the house. He was just in time to see his parent¡¯s car pull up. He should have gone for another lap.

    A servant held out a towel and he took it drying off his sweat. Wrapping it around his neck he walked forward opening the door for his mother.

    Ping An was dressed elegantly. Not a hair shifted out of place. From head to toe, she was dressed in designer clothes. It was more like she was going for a meeting than to deliver her daughter to her father¡¯s house.

    Still, his mother was a timeless beauty. With a fragile air around her, it caused people to want to pamper and indulge her. This was a skill she passed on to Bai Wei later in life.

    "Where is Wei Wei?" Bai Li asked. He managed to have the right amount of disappointment in his voice. He caught the brief compression of Ping An''s lips before she started smiling. He would have missed it if he hadn''t been focusing on finding inconsistencies in her behavior.

    Ping An pushed an imaginary stray hair back into her slicked-back bun. She tilted her head and made you feel that she was sad despite the smile on her face.

    "Wei Wei is staying with your grandpa for a while. He doesn''t feel well." Ping An''s face carried a devastated expression.

    Bai Li would have sworn that she couldn''t bear to part with his sister. Maybe that was the truth. If she wanted to groom and guide Bai Wei''s behavior this would be a critical time.

    Bai Wei was too young to know better but old enough to understand all of their mother''s words. Dread filled him. They were together all summer. He should have been clear-headed enough to separate them from the start.

    Clenching his fist he shook off the feelings of responsibility that wanted to take hold of him.

    His mother reached out and held onto his arm. He looked in his father¡¯s direction but Bai Tao was ignoring him as usual.

    Though he knew it was probably an act it still hurt, poking at wounds and insecurities he had carried for ages. His father entered the house first. He and his mother followed behind at a slower pace.

    "Did you eat?" Ping An squeezed his arm. "You are too thin," her words held a note of sorrow.

    Looking at his mother¡¯s side profile. Bai Li could make out the distress in his mother¡¯s eyes. She should have been an actor. There was no film queen, who could compete with her.

    "Father didn''t want to leave any food for me but I ate what you set aside," he said trying to make his voice sound petulant. He didn''t even know how he viewed his father when he was a teenager much less to replicate his behavior. Whatever he did must have worked. His mother turned tearful eyes his way.

    "Don''t be mad at your father. Your grades were bad and he is feeling disappointed," she said.

    Wasn''t it this woman who told him to barely pass his exams? You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    "If I didn''t need to look useless in front of him who would bother failing. It would be a problem if I did well or if I did badly." His winey tone made him cringe.

    Ping An reached up to ruffle his hair. "Don''t be made. Your father will soon understand your efforts. Work a little bit harder this term. Your father will be away a lot for business so he won''t be here to put a lot of pressure on you. He will stop by on the weekends to visit so just bear with it."

    Will power alone kept his mouth shut. Was this how she was going to explain their separation. This level of acting was a different realm.

    Could this still be considered as providing misleading information? Without him to use as a scapegoat she wouldn''t admit that her husband had left?

    "Good riddance." These words applied to himself. He would follow right behind Bai Tao. "Why is Wei Wei staying with grandpa?" He was curious as to what she would say.

    They stepped into the house and she released his arm.

    "Your father insisted she stay there. He thought that with your grades and the friends you hang out with it might negatively impact Wei Wei." Ping An grasped both his hands and placed a kiss on his forehead.

    Drawing small circles on the back of his hand, she continued speaking. "Don''t worry she can''t stay at fathers and still go to school. She will be back before you even have a chance to miss her. Remember my mighty protector you have to always look out for and give your all for your sister. You are all each other has."

    Looking at their joined hands he fought the urge to flee. She was gaslighting him. Not even to a small degree. It was repetitive, systematic, and deliberate.

    "I know," he said in a small voice.

    "Aren''t you coming for lunch?" Bai Tao asked, breaking the moment apart.

    Bai Li was never happier to see anyone in his life.

    The moment was broken. They moved to the dining room in silence. He was going to develop stomach problems if he kept having to deal with these tense situations.

    They sat as the food was served. Throughout the meal, all that could be heard was the clink of cutlery.

    Bai Tao put down his cutlery and they paused eating. "Send Bai Li to my office after he is finished eating.

    Ping An''s body tensed up. "Why do you need to speak to him?!" For the first time, her voice sounded less than pleasant.

    "Ping An!" Bai Tao raised his voice. "Mind your own business."

    "He is my son. Everything about him is my business. Don''t think that I will just let you blindly bully him. Li is trying his best in school. He has promised to work harder in school. He is not useless." Reaching out she held his hand. Trying to comfort Bai Li.

    Bai Li stared at their connected hands. He was incredulous. Who was she peddling her motherly virtue for?

    It sounded like two different conversations were happening. If this was his last life. How angry would he have been listening to this?

    The moment he went into his father¡¯s office he would have started yelling, not even giving his father a chance to raise the point he was called into the office to speak about in the first place.

    Was this how their relationship deteriorated to the point of being strangers?

    His father shot his mother a look of disdain before walking off. His mother sobbed quietly beside him.

    "Even if you don¡¯t excel, aren''t you still his son?" Her shoulder shook and her voice cracked. The look on her face spoke of the anguish she felt on his part.

    Did he reach over and comfort her in the past? No. He would have been so angry he would storm after his father to pick a fight.

    Part of him wanted to see what would happen if he stayed, but the desire wasn''t so great that he would take the chance of derailing the plans he had already made.

    Pushing back from the table, the chair he was sitting in toppled over. He stormed towards the stairs and stomped to his father¡¯s office door. Pushing open the door he slammed it behind him.

    The anger on his face melted away as soon as the door closed. "I am embarrassed at my past behavior." He buried his face in his hands.

    Storming around and shouting. The skin on his face heated. Was this another hormonal thing? He hadn''t blushed in years.

    "Would it make you feel better if I said you were just a child?" Bai Tao asked, unable to control his laughter.

    "Not really," he said, doing an accurate depiction of a sullen teenager. The indulgent smile on his father¡¯s face was just as irritating. He turned his head so he wouldn¡¯t have to see it.

    He fought the smile that formed on his lips in response to his father¡¯s laugh.

    What was this feeling in his chest? It wasn¡¯t uncomfortable but made it hard for him to breathe. He didn¡¯t have the answer so he could only put it aside to think about later.

 Chapter 7

    "I hope you know that none of what your mother said was true." Bai Tao finally calmed down and stopped laughing. His eyes were bright as they looked at him.

    In his past life, he depended on his mother and shunned his father. Spending his whole life thinking that the older man didn''t care about him.

    In this life, he would enter a tentative alliance with his father while avoiding his mother. Not for the first time, he wondered if he reincarnated into an alternate universe.

    "I know." Was it easier for him to accept because he had already become disillusioned by his mother?

    Or was it because he had craved this kind of relationship in his last life. With everything he ever wanted to be presented to him on a silver platter, how could he not have hope in his heart?

    Bai Li¡¯s finger tapped an uneven pattern on the arm of the chair. "What did grandfather say?"

    "He agreed to have Bai Wei come live with him. I told him it was just until our separation was finalized. He was curious as to where you would be staying." Bai Tao folded his arms and rocked back in his chair.

    "I told him I was going to send you to a boarding school on recommendation from a friend. The new story is that I found out you were deliberately handing in your assignments empty as a rebellion. I was hoping that by changing your friends and environment you would do better," Bai Tao spoke quietly.

    It was a good cover story. It allowed room for why his grades would increase and washed away his previous failing marks.

    Plus, it provided some cover for when his mother found out he was leaving. She would be angry that my father found out I was deliberately doing bad but she wouldn¡¯t be suspicious. "What are you going to say when you ask for Wei Wei to live with him permanently?"

    Bai Tao paused, unsure of whether to continue. "I am thinking of having Wei Wei come and live with me."

    Bai Li froze. He also thought of having Bai Wei live together with his father. He thought she was still young enough to adapt to the new situation.

    While he couldn''t wrap his head around Lee Shen and Bai Fang being good people. He was prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt.

    His father grew uneasy the longer he took to answer. How could he say this without showing too much of his hand?

    Bai Li took a moment, choosing his words carefully. "I think...I think you would have to get a counselor to assess Bai Wei first. They would need to help her transition into it. Her living with you isn''t something that would happen any time soon." The tapping of his finger paused.

    His father deserved to know more. He wouldn¡¯t be around to protect Bei Wei in this life, maybe his father would do a better job than he did. "The reason I asked to be allowed to go to boarding school was that I thought my mother was gaslighting me. Bai Wei is younger than me. If mother wanted to, she is at the right age where her mind could be groomed."

    Rushing forward, he wanted to get all his words out before his father could interrupt. "I feel broken inside when I think of separating and disobeying my mother. I have almost a manic need to please her. To do what she tells me without hesitation." He held his head down.

    Bai Li didn''t know what kind of expression would be on his face but it wouldn''t be good. The effects were less now after years of therapy in his past life.

    "For Wei Wei, she won¡¯t have any way of recognizing or sorting out those feelings. Mother won''t be able to complain or argue with grandfather so her hold on Wei Wei will lessen." He knew these words would hurt but they were the truth. "I don''t think you can care for or protect Wei Wei right now. Mother isolated us from you to the point where we are no more than strangers."If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Bai Li was shocked as he watched Bai Tao grab a vase from his desk and hurl it into the wall. Pieces of glass scattered everywhere.

    "Is that all?" Despite his actions, Bai Tao''s voice was calm.

    Should he continue? "Have you thought about what will happen when my mother finds out about Lee Shan? About her no longer being able to have children? Heaven forbid she finds out about Bai Fang. Mother will stop at nothing to see Bai Wei and Bai Wei is dependent on mother¡­"

    "You were willing to abandon her," Bai Tao said, anger in his voice.

    That was true. He felt a twinge in his heart, but a moment later it was overpowered by the memory of the knife plunging into his chest.

    "Honestly, I thought I was the only one mother was messing with. Her interactions with Wei Wei are always sweet. It wasn''t until yesterday that I realized we were being made into two different types of weapons.¡± He paused and looked out the window. His eyes lost focus as he got lost in his memories.

    ¡°I can see it. A world where the only kindness and love I know is what I experienced from Wei Wei. How much would I sacrifice for her? How much would I give to her? A ball and chain around my ankle called obligation. How much of it would be real and how much would be choreographed?" Hadn¡¯t this happened to him once?

    "I didn''t realize that mother was sharpening me, a blade to fight you and slowly raising Wei Wei to be a carbon copy of her." That wasn''t totally the truth he realized it only because he had the opportunity to be reborn. In his past life even at death, he hadn¡¯t been able to figure it out.

    "If I hadn¡¯t worked up the courage to speak with you, I would never have known. I am only a child. I didn''t realize how limited my view was." He was getting angry. What were the adults around them doing while he and his sister fended for themselves?

    Getting up to pace the room, Bai Tao¡¯s expression was dark. "I am already an adult and I just realized how narrow my point of view is. How could I be angry at you? I watched all of this happen and did not have a clue it was happening right under my nose."

    Bai Li deflated, how could he stay angry at a person who readily admitted his flaws.

    "What has your mother told you about Lee Shan?" Bai Tao asked.

    "She doesn''t know about her specifically.¡± It wasn¡¯t till his third year in college that the information about his father¡¯s other family came to light.

    ¡°At this point, she just has a brainwashing tune that she chants ever so often. I don''t remember the exact rhetoric but it is usually something along the lines of you having a lot of whores. Who, you flaunt in her face as a way to disrespect her.¡± It was funny when he thought about it now.

    A foggy memory came to mind so he gave his father a subtle warning. ¡°She is also vigilant against possible illegitimate children. In regards to them, she emphasized the fact that all of them are scoundrels and bastards who would destroy our family to steal our happiness and inheritance."

    "She is very thorough about useless things." Bai Tao clicked his tongue. ¡°To nip that train of thought in the bud, I want to be clear that there aren¡¯t any more illegitimate children. I was careful about that.¡±

    What was that? Why was he lying?

    Bai Li remembered when Bai Mei entered the picture. His father and Lee Shan had even had a public separation because of it. They had gotten back together but it had been a major blow to the couple. One which he had taken advantage of to stabilize his power in Wen Shi.

    ¡°I have a half-sister.¡± Even if Bai Tao wanted to keep it a secret. He would clean up all these messy things that might cause problems later.

    ¡°That is impossible. I had a vasectomy after your sister was born,¡± Bai Tao said, his voice certain.

    Bai Li''s eyes widened as he stared at his father.

    Why was this family so messy?

    ¡°You are paying for and taking care of a little girl named Mei Jones. She is biologically my half-sister. Her mother is the secretary that resigned after working with you for 2 years. She is now 4 years old.¡± He stated all of this while observing his father¡¯s reactions.

    Bai Tao stared at him with wide eyes. He sat heavily in a chair. His eyes dances as they tried to focus. ¡°I never had a relationship with Rose Jones. I knew she was pregnant but she resigned saying she was getting married.¡±

    Bai Li couldn¡¯t believe it. Did his father really not know?

    His head hurt.

    Bai Li looked at his father. The other man was clearly confused. He was sure his father could lie just as effectively, but there was no reason to at this point.

    He tried to remember the exact circumstances of his last life.

    ¡°You had Bai Fang through artificial insemination and hid it from your wife. Could mother have done the same?¡± The question had scary implications. Bai Li was afraid of the answer.

    The timing when Bai Mei appeared in his last life was too coincidental. Even in his last life he had been suspicious and tried to find out who might be behind her.

    It caused the stocks for the company to fluctuate, His father¡¯s attention was divided between the company and stabilizing his relationship with Lee Shan.

    Not to mention the rift it caused between father and son. Bai Feng had stopped attacking him and concentrated on showing his ire to their father.

    The timing was perfect. It was something his mother would have done. Didn¡¯t she always have a million plans and disposable pawns? An illegitimate half-daughter could be very useful for various things.

    It was just that, a plan that involved so many moving parts. It was too terrible.

    He was sure that Rose Jones had a relationship with a man she assumed was Bai Tao. She had appeared after being financially taken care of by his father. There were paper trials, hospital records. Even pictures of him holding his young daughter.

    If his mother set that up so many years in advance, then that was too terrifying.

    Who the hell was the idiot that said she didn¡¯t have a mind for business?

    Wasn¡¯t it that she was too obsessed with Bai Tao and didn¡¯t pay attention to anything else?

 Chapter 8

    He looked at Bai Tao. His father looked devastated. For the first time felt a trace of pity for his father.

    Ping An had fucked with his whole life, but in the grand scheme of things, she didn¡¯t care about him that much. What kind of things had she done to his father, who she loved?

    From the beginning, he realized that his father did not seem shocked by the fact that Ping An was manipulative, abusive, crazy, and unstable.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Bai Tao asked. He stared at his fingers. ¡°Do I have another child?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m positive. I had my eye on her for a while. The first trail I found was a record of you sending Ms. Jones abroad. I followed the cookie crumbs. I had a picture of you holding Mei, picking her up from daycare. It was a recent photo. Naturally, there was a blood test. I destroyed everything since I didn¡¯t need evidence, only confirmation.¡± He watched his father carefully.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Bai Tao swept all the things on his desk onto the floor. ¡°That crazy bitch.¡±

    A book flew past his face. Bai Li leaned to the side and watched as his father tore up the room.

    Turns out that his father had no clue about his youngest child. In the past he had assumed that his father was scum and all that nonsense about true love and being faithful was horse shit.

    In this life, he realized his father was only human. Though, he still didn¡¯t have the full picture.

    After Bai Tao stopped breaking things, Bai Li picked through the scraps on the floor.

    Finding a pen and paper he wrote down all the information he remembered about Bai Mei. He stopped writing. Picking up the paper he double-checked that he hadn''t put anything that hadn''t happened yet.

    Bai Tao took the sheet of paper and read it. Folding it he put it in his pocket.

    "I don''t want to give up having a relationship with either of you or your sister. I know there might be problems but I would like it if both of you lived with me." Bai Tao was being sincere.

    It was disconcerting to shift conversation like that. Still, he would respect that his father didn''t want to talk about it nor for him to get involved further.

    "I''m not saying that you have to. I thought of a solution. It wasn''t specifically taking Wei Wei into account but would accommodate her." Why did it take just as much effort when he tried to live selfishly as when he had strived diligently.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "I don''t know where it is or how correct my information is but I heard that you are moving into a newly constructed apartment complex. You rented all the apartments on the same floor.¡± He didn¡¯t know how many times he had visited this building to pick up how mother when she tried to break into their love nest.

    ¡°One could be prepared for Wei Wei and me. During the holidays we would live there with you. We would come over for meals. Interact with each other without pressure. During the school term, I would be in the dorm. Wei Wei would be with grandfather. Mother would have no room to quarrel with Wei Wei and I am already prepared to do away with all pretenses of civility." He hadn¡¯t thought of this before but it could work. He just put it all together after seeing his father¡¯s sincerity.

    "Where do you get your information?" Bai Tao¡¯s voice was hoarse.

    "Here and there. I am taking it that what I said is true?" What could he say? He didn''t have any mysterious information broker.

    "You are partially correct. I own the whole building. I¡¯m really curious how you find out all this stuff. I won¡¯t push since you don¡¯t want to tell me." Bai Tao said. "Is there nothing I can say that will make you stay?¡±

    He didn''t know that his father owned the building. This should be another reminder not to rely too much on the information from his last life. He would need to reconfirm everything and take it slow before making decisions.

    He heard the disappointment in his father''s voice.

    Bai Li hated having emotions and expectations. He wanted to say he would give up going to boarding school but he didn''t. He thought he was too old and too cautious to make emotional decisions but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.

    ¡°I will come home every chance I get and will live with you for my four years of college.¡± That was the best he could do. He had already changed his plans. Instead of going abroad for university he was staying and betting on the relationship with his father.

    Bai Tao smiled at him with pride. Something loosened inside of him.

    ¡°Good, Good, Good. I will prepare the space for you and Bei Wei. Are you sure you don¡¯t have any problems taking care of her?¡± Bai Tao said with a smile splitting his lips.

    His father was lucky that he was already 40 years old. Wouldn¡¯t a normal teenager have too much resentment by this point to reconcile so easily? When he was 15 he would never have been able to be so level-headed.

    ¡°I am not telling you not to come into our apartment. I am just saying that living with you and Lee Shan is not realistic. I don¡¯t know about every meal or about Bei Wei but I will try to eat one meal a day with you and Aunty Shan.¡± Bai Li cut his father off before he could say anything stupid. ¡°I don¡¯t have good memories with the word mother. That is the best I will probably ever be able to do.¡±

    Bai Tao¡¯s shoulder slumped. There was an intense look in his eyes. ¡°Your mot...Ping An is probably getting suspicious. Head back to your room. I will talk to her. She won¡¯t bother you.¡±

    Bai Li left while shaking his head. Sometimes it seemed like his father knew his mother well. Other times it looked like he did not know her at all.

    Ping An would visit him tonight.

    It was not long after he left his father¡¯s office before the shouting started.

    Only a few days ago he was comforting himself that his father¡¯s hatred for him was the only constant thing. Now that was no longer the case.

    It occurred to him. This house was very big. Why could he always hear their fighting? This was most likely something else that Ping An choreographed. How would he know of his father¡¯s atrocious behavior if he didn¡¯t hear it for himself?

    His eyes burned. He wanted to cry. He thought he understood his mother¡¯s methods in full but it took him two lifetimes to even scratch the surface.

    It was about two hours before the sound of shattering glass and shouting stopped.

    Bai Li was more realistic than his father. Ping An would come to find him and there was very little his father could do. Weren¡¯t all the staff on his mother''s side. If not, how could he be abused without it ever reaching his father¡¯s ears?

    It would be best he didn¡¯t sleep. Who knew how she would wake him up. He didn¡¯t want his heart to stop from panic.

 Chapter 9

    The door to his room opened. As if sleeping, he lay still in bed. It was just a little after 2 in the morning. What did he expect?

    She wouldn¡¯t want to be a decent person even once. Who would wake their child at this time?

    As if on cue, the sound of crying started. Shaking him hard he heard her choked and gasping sobs.

    She was quiet as a mouse two seconds ago. Where did this heartbreaking sorrow come from?

    He flew awake or did the best imitation he could. ¡°Mother?¡± He asked, his voice laced with concern.

    ¡°My baby¡­¡± Ping An reached out and stroked her fingers down his cheek.

    Bai Li¡¯s heart clenched. Even though he knew this was an act, it still affected him. It was hard on him to realize he would always have expectations of his mother.

    More than Bai Tao or Bai Wei, his greatest attachment was to his mother''s love and approval.

    In the dark moments when he was alone, he thought about forgetting what she did to him. He thought about continuing to live as her pawn.

    Bai Li took hold of the conversation. It wouldn¡¯t work in his favor if he gave her too much leeway.

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry.¡± His voice trembled. He didn¡¯t want to think about what exactly he was apologizing for. ¡°I don¡¯t know why he is sending me away.¡±

    Ping An cried harder. ¡°Since you were a baby...I don¡¯t know why he doesn¡¯t like you.¡± Her hands shook.

    She continued after drawing in a deep, shaky breath.  ¡°It is not your fault. No matter what you do, you will always disappoint him. That doesn¡¯t matter, okay. All our family needs are you, me, and Wei Wei.¡±

    Holding his head down, he hid his expression. ¡°What should I do at school?¡± It seemed she wasn''t going to mention the reason Bai Tao gave to her for sending him away.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to watch your grades? They have been increasing recently.¡± Dabbing at wet eyes, she reached out her other hand to grab him firmly. ¡°Your father has a lot of friends whose children go to that school. Make sure to watch the people around you.¡±

    Her hand trembled. Tears started to leak out of her eyes, rolling down her cheeks unattended. ¡°You can¡¯t trust anyone there. He doesn¡¯t want you to be happy, now that he won¡¯t be at home as often as before.¡±

    Did this woman have no shame? First, his grades were too bad, and now they were too good. Did she think he wouldn¡¯t notice? This reasoning would only work on hormonal teenagers.

    He was incredulous at her ability to rewrite the truth. In his last life, she arranged people by his side. Now, she was accusing his father? Then again. Could he say for sure that his father didn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t do that?

    A face he would rather forget flashed through his mind. He didn¡¯t have to fake the annoyance he felt. Grinding his teeth, he spoke. ¡°What is he trying to do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Mommy is sorry. We would not be in this state if your dad did not have control of the company. Would I let this happen to you?¡± She bent over, sobbing into a handkerchief.

    Grey hairs were showing at the crown of her head.

    It was an odd thing to notice. Unless it was there deliberately? His mother was religious about her appearance. Would she let grey hairs grow out?

    ¡°I am getting older. Your father probably has another woman. I won¡¯t let him force you out! He will have to go over my dead body,¡± she said with conviction.

    That was all the confirmation he needed. It was a deliberate action by his mother. ¡°Mom,¡± the word tasted weird on his tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can¡¯t help you right now, but it won¡¯t be like this forever.¡±

    Using different words, she repeated her message a few times. When she felt satisfied, she left the room.

    Looking at the ceiling, he wondered just how different they were from each other. He and his mother used the same methods. From what he could see, the only things that differed between them were their motivations and where they drew their bottom line.

    It was a depressing thought.

    There was a gummy feeling in his mouth, accompanied by the beginnings of a headache. He couldn¡¯t sleep.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    He spent the night pondering the repercussions of his actions.

    He spent another portion of the night analyzing some of his past and present relationships.

    For a moment, he thought of allowing his mother room to redeem herself, but he changed his mind again. If she wanted to be a decent human being, it would be a welcome change. However, Bai Li realized he could not be involved in his mother¡¯s life. She had a negative impact on his mental health and his overall well-being could never be erased.

    When he wasn¡¯t looking, he became a gambler. He made high-risk decisions. It might have been a consequence of his job or a winner¡¯s high from being reborn.

    Why did he approach Bai Tao like that, especially when he thought his father didn''t like him.

    Did he want someone to recognize he was different? To figure out his secret?

    He dismissed the thought, but it had crossed his mind more than once.

    His actions were reckless.

    He won the lottery of life and was about to burn through his winning. It was something he was doing unconsciously. He would have to keep an eye out for it.

    There was a knock at his door. ¡°Young master!¡± A sweet voice called. The door opened to reveal a pretty maid walking in.

    He watched her with a wary eye. She was already working in the mansion when he was this age? Wasn¡¯t this the woman who said he raped her in his last life?

    ¡°You are?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have ever seen you before.¡±

    He had seen her before. It was just in the future.

    Was the world trying to have him sort out all the problems from his last life? It looked like he would have to work hard for a while before relaxing.

    She blushed. ¡°The madam hired me recently.¡± Everything about her behavior hinted at an invitation.

    Wouldn¡¯t he have to be young and stupid to fall for this honey trap? Well, could he really say that? He couldn¡¯t be all that smart since he fell for this trap in his last life.

    He couldn¡¯t decide which hurt more, Bai Wei¡¯s physical knives or his mother¡¯s emotional ones.

    When his mother sent this woman to his side, she nearly sent him to prison, broke up his relationship, and almost cost him the company.

    He thought this woman was sent to him by Bai Fang. How much of the scummy things that he attributed to Bai Fang were actually him?

    ¡°Why did you come in?¡± There was the feeling of a noose around his neck.

    Enlightenment was a scary thing. You could exist happily without knowing, but once you looked behind the veil, you had to be prepared for what you learned.

    ¡°Madam asked me to tell you not to come down for breakfast. She knew you wouldn¡¯t be feeling well and said she would have it sent up.¡± She twisted from side to side. Her breast swayed with her movement. It was alluring.

    ¡°Thank mother for me. Can you ask Aunt Nora to bring it up? I would like to speak with her,¡± he said.

    Her movements stilled. It was clear she didn¡¯t know what to do next. ¡°Is there a reason, young master, doesn¡¯t want me to bring it? I was assigned to serve you.¡± Her words were suggestive and loaded with coquetry.

    This was painful to watch. If he was a hormone-ridden teenager, how would this meeting have gone? It was a blessing that his mother underestimated his intelligence.

    This was a trap that greater men than him had fallen into. Again that face flashed past his mind.

    ¡°Is that something you should be asking me? I gave you an order, and you disobeyed it. Then you claim to be here to serve me.¡± His voice came out harsher than he intended.

    When he looked up, he realized that he should have saved his pity. There were tears in her eyes. Her breasts jiggled as she gasped for air. His words weren¡¯t harsh enough to warrant this reaction.

    She was useless as a maid, but she was well trained in other areas.

    ¡°Cry after you tell Nora to bring my meal. Now get out.¡± This time his voice was cold. It allowed no room for argument.

    Something in his expression must have frightened her. She stopped crying instantly and leaned back as if to put as much distance as possible between them. ¡°Ye...Ye...Yes! Youn...Young...MASTER!¡±

    A combination of exhaustion and anger at being sent to boarding school should be a good enough excuse for his behavior should his mother ask.

    Aunt Nora came not even 10 minutes later.  He just got out of the shower when she came in.

    Her eyes looked at him with censure. ¡°Young master. Your breakfast.¡±

    She placed the tray heavily on the table. Some of the porridge spilled out of the bowl.

    Was he expected to appease her?

    Was this his mother¡¯s carrot and stick approach? ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±

    Her eyes were cold as she answered him. ¡°Young master. The maid assigned to you is young. This is so because madam thought you would be more comfortable with someone closer to your age. This does not mean you can behave inappropriately towards her.¡±

    He shouldn¡¯t have asked. Were they going to continue the play without him acting his part?

    Looking over Nora¡¯s shoulder, he saw a shadow by the door.

    Was this play directed at his father? If they were at odds with each other, wouldn¡¯t this be a death sentence? Did his mother want him in reform school instead?

    ¡°Aunt Nora. I respect you, and I have known you since I was a child, but that is a serious accusation. I won¡¯t be able to let it pass.¡± It wasn¡¯t time to break all civilities. He wondered if he was too naive before. Playing to his mother¡¯s tune might be the wrong move.

    At this rate, he wouldn¡¯t even know how he died.

    Crossing her arms over her stomach, she did a small bow. ¡°The young master should be clear in your heart about your actions. I know you are that age, but such wild behavior...your mother would be sad.¡±

    ¡°I recorded the entire conversation with the maid from before.¡± Rubbing the towel on his head, he dried his hair.

    ¡°There are consequen...what did you say?¡± She asked. Raising her head, her eyes were wide with shock.

    His father peeked his head through the door and nodded. Bai Li dipped his head in acknowledgment.

    They presented him with a better excuse. ¡°I recorded the conversation. She behaved strangely. I thought it best to be on guard, so I recorded the conversation.¡±

    Sitting down, he started with the porridge. ¡°Mother warned me about the people around me. Since that maid immediately reported me to you. Falsely accusing me. I think father put her at my side.¡±

    ¡°That is very serious. I will let the madam know at once! She will sort it out for you!¡± She was burning with righteous indignation. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that master would go this far.¡±

    Nora was another one who would have done well as an actress.

 Chapter 10

    The shouting started downstairs just as he finished breakfast.

    He heard the words reprobate and sexual deviant before he stopped listening.

    The original plan was to spend the last week before school started here, but it was increasingly clear that would be unwise.

    He just separated from Bai Wei, but it looked like they would be reunited soon.

    In an ideal world, he would get an apartment.  That way, he would have some alone time before school started. It was a dream. He was sure his father wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    If he even tried, it was possible he would be brought over to meet Lee Shan and Bai Fang.

    No. His grandfather was the only logical choice.

    His instincts were crap when it came to his parents. He needed to know if he could rely on those instincts going forward.

    His instincts were usually sharp in other situations, and his grandfather''s house would be the best place to test if that was still the case.

    It would also be wise to test his grandfather''s stance. His resentment of his grandfather could also be misplaced.

    The more he lived this present life, the more he had to disregard his past suffering.

    The feelings that churned inside him had no outlet.

    Didn''t he agree to coexist with Lee Shan and Bai Fang? Just to see that look of happiness in his father¡¯s eyes?

    Flopping back unto his bed, he held up his hand. Tracing the spot where his scar should be, he let his mind empty.

    Didn''t he prove he could walk a different path?

    Having allies was better than enemies. If that was impossible, they could strive for indifference.

    He waited until the sound of glass shattering stopped.

    He heard the sound of footsteps coming towards his room. His mother burst in. Her clothes messed up. Her cheek was red?

    Did Bai Tao hit her? That wasn¡¯t his MO.

    He didn''t wait long before his father joined the party.

    Why did this setup feel like his plans were going to get shot to hell?

    "What bullshit are you trying to tell our son?" Bai Tao asked.

    "Bullshit? Our son? Since why did you regard him as our son? When you were sending that whore to his room?" Ping An wasted no time in discarding a useless pawn.

    "Aren''t you clear who sent her to him?" Bai Tao asked, breathing heavily.

    His mother brought out the worst in his father. The unshakable businessman was losing ground. Floundering in anger.

    He realized that his mother was probably still calm and choreographing this.

    "How dare you accuse me of...wasn''t hitting me enough! I''m not letting you drive a wedge between us!" Ping An stood in front of him with her arms stretched wide.

    "What do you mean he hit you?" His voice was high. In his last life, when did his voice break?The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He tried signaling his father with his eyes. Using his body to block her, he moved in front of his mother.

    Bai Li made sure his mother couldn''t see his mouth before he mouthed the words calm down.

    It took his father a while to react. The older man shook his head.

    "Haha. I see how it is. You ruined the boy. Even if you poisoned him, he wouldn''t suspect you." Bai Tao gave him a look before walking out of the room.

    Bai Li took a deep breath before turning and pulling his mother into a hug. This was the last one. He would enjoy it one last time.

    Her fingers clutched the front of his shirt. "Li, your fathe¡­"

    "Let''s not talk about it." He cut her off. "I am done holding hope for genuine affection and respect. It is a waste of time."

    His arms tightened around her. This was his goodbye and resolution for both his lives. He''d thrown away the naive notion that he could give her a chance. When his Ping An realized he would not be coming back to her side. It would mean war.

    "I don''t think I can stay here." He pushed her away from him and took a step back.

    "Wha...why?" It showed that she didn''t expect him to say that.

    "Put your trust in me. I just need a little more time. You won''t have to go so far from home. YOur family of three will be here together."

    "I wa¡­" Bai Li took another step back.

    "It doesn''t matter," she shouted. "Just listen to me!" Advancing towards him.

    This was the butterfly effect he created. His mother lost control of the situation.

    In his last life, that never happened. This was her attempt to keep him at hand. He got the impression that the separation wasn''t the only thing that was bothering her.

    Closing his eyes, he realized he might have lost one of the gambles he made. His mother was suspicious. He was almost certain she didn''t know what was going on.

    Was it by instinct she realized something was wrong with the situation? She was testing him and his father.

    It took him a while to realize, but she hadn¡¯t been right since he said he was leaving the house. What was she picking up on? It probably wasn''t him. Was it his father?

    What was that saying about best-laid plans? He''d tried to get out of the house before he outrightly defied her, but that was not looking feasible.

    "I have a friend you can stay with her until school starts." Ping An went from hysterical to poised in the span of a sentence.

    What was she afraid of?

    Separation?

    What happened when he was separated from her in his last life?

    She could not know that he didn¡¯t plan to see her again after he left the house. As far as she was concerned, he would be back when the school took a break.

    Her hand went up to cup her cheek that was starting to swell. "Don''t be moody¡­.."

    He didn''t hear anything she said after the word moody. He had an aha moment. It wasn''t that his plans were collapsing. It was her plans that were falling apart.

    Why was it bad if he separated from her for long periods of time?

    It had to be something in his physical environment. Her psychological manipulation would not wear off even if they separated. In fact, it would work in her favor. His father sending him away would make him angrier.

    The word his father said floated through his mind. Poison. He never suspected her of poisoning him, but she wasn¡¯t above such behavior.

    Bai Li was a moody aggressive teenager. His therapist helped him see that he had misplaced anger due to his home situation, but what if that wasn''t the case?

    Didn''t he have moments when it was hard to control his emotions? Didn''t he blame it on hormones? But he wasn''t the only one with impulse control and anger issues. Didn''t he wonder where Bai Tao''s business acumen disappeared to when he came home?

    For a good portion of his life, his mother was religious about eating one meal at home. She also custom-crafted perfumes and incenses for them to use.

    He looked at his mother, who was still talking.

    Waiting until she finished talking, he hung his head down. "I was going to say I wanted to go stay with grandpa."

    Escape asap.

    Going to her friend¡¯s place wasn''t even an option.

    "We don''t want to burden your grandfather."

    Yeah. He was right. Maybe not about everything, but his gut told him he was right about this piece of the puzzle.

    Acting as if he was hanging onto every word she said, he let his mind wander.

    The porridge this morning wasn¡¯t drugged. Maybe? The key factor was likely to be when he was supposed to have conversations with his father.

    Until he was reborn, he¡¯d never had a calm conversation with his father. She had the opportunity. He and Bai Tao didn¡¯t communicate directly. His father would have needed to let Ping An know when he wanted to talk with Bai Li.

    She didn''t let them interact with each other without a buffer, so she would have known which meals needed to be drugged.

    Still, his father was leaving. In his past life, his temper did not improve after the separation. Did she start giving him something else? Did they interact enough where he would notice?

    His father¡¯s words popped into his head again. If she fed him poison, would he know?

    He stood up abruptly. Looking down at her in shock.

    Could it be possible? Yas. The answer was definitely yes. Didn¡¯t he realize last night that she had no bottom line?

    Without stopping, he walked straight to his father¡¯s office. He ignored her when she called his name.

    "I needed to go to a doctor." Bai Li couldn''t keep his voice even. "Now."

 Chapter 11

    "What''s wrong?" Bai Tao asked as he grabbed his keys. He rounded his desk with a worried look on his face.

    How did he answer this question? It was just a suspicion.

    Thankfully the need to answer was interrupted when Ping An stepped into the office.

    His eyes as he looked at his mother were fridged.

    Stepping past her, he nodded to his father. "Let¡¯s go."

    His mother reached out to hold his arm.

    He dodged her hand. "Don''t touch me."

    "Bai Li!" She screamed. Throwing her body towards him. "What''s wrong?!"

    Pushing her away, he watched as she landed heavily on the ground. Staring down at her, impulses he buried came rushing forward. It wouldn''t take much to break her neck.

    Ping An¡¯s expression morphed into open-mouthed shock.

    A warm had held the back of his neck. Grounding him.

    "Let¡¯s go." Bai Tao used his hold to push him out of the room. "Is it worth going to jail for?"

    "Yes." That was the truth. If what he suspected was confirmed, then it was well worth it. He was rethinking his bottom line.

    As he sat in the car, he started laughing. At some point, the laughter turned into sobs. He stared out the window, grateful that his father wasn''t asking any questions.

    They arrived at the hospital. His father led him to an office. Behind a desk sat a good-looking middle-aged man in a lab coat.

    Seeing them enter, he stood and greeted Bai Tao. ¡°Just because we are friends doesn''t mean you can drop by like this."

    Bai Tao shook his hand, then gestured behind him. "I need you to check my son."

    The doctor was shocked. His eyes moved past Bai Tao to land on Bai Li, who just entered the room.

    "Hi. I¡¯m Julian Simmonds. What can I help you with?" There was curiosity. He vibrated from the questions he held back from asking.

    He probably should be more polite, but he couldn¡¯t muster the energy. "I need a tox screen done. I think my mother has been drugging me with stimulants or drugs and more recently started giving me small doses of lead."

    Julian stepped back as if slapped. "Kid, that''s a serious accusation." He crossed his arms over his chest.

    He looked the doctor up and down. He didn''t even pretend to be his fifteen-year-old self. "Do you think I have enough time to fuck around with you for shits and giggles? Do the tests, or I will find someone else who will."

    Julian looked insulted. His face mottled red. ¡°Haha, that arrogance is like¡­¡±

    Bai Li wasn¡¯t interested in what he had to say. He cut him off, pointing to his father he continued to speak. "Check him as well. Whatever the stimulant is leaves the body quickly. I''m sure he gets frequent check-ups, and no one notices anything."

    Julian wanted to argue. It was clear from his clenched fists. ¡°What prompted this suspicion?¡±

    He held eye contact without flinching or backing down. He used to eat people like Julian Simmonds for breakfast. For the first time in a while, he hated being young.

    "Check it." Bai Tao said. There was disbelief in his eyes, but he didn¡¯t contradict him.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Bai Li scoffed. What did he know? He was grateful for his father giving him the benefit of the doubt, but he could barely contain the anger he was feeling.

    Sitting heavily in the chair, a face he kept at bay floated in his mind.

    In his last life, he found out he had lead poisoning. He was about thirty years old when he got the diagnosis.

    The doses he was exposed to were high enough to make him infertile, give him minor neurological issues, stomach and kidney problems.

    He didn¡¯t have any outward symptoms when he was a child. Even if he did, under his mother¡¯s, care wouldn¡¯t they have been explained away as something else?

    Lead poisoning and any of the symptoms should have shown up in a routine physical. The results of his physicals were doctored.

    He was on a business trip in N country when he got sick. They found traces of prolonged exposure to lead. Because of the trace amounts in his system, they hadn''t been able to tell him when he came in contact or for how long.

    The doctor grumbled as he came and drew his blood. He wasn''t gentle while doing it, but Bai Lii couldn''t care less.

    Bai Tao¡¯s eyes had not left his sons. Bai Li¡¯s serious expression must have made him realize there was something more happening. "Julian. Rush the test."

    "Tao." Julian protested. To him, this was a wild goose chase. How often did the family come for checkups and physicals? Something as severe as lead poisoning wouldn¡¯t go unnoticed.

    Bai Tao rubbed his temples. "Just do it."

    Bai Li ignored them. Did she do it? Or had he unfairly blamed her for something his mother did?

    Those beautiful blue eyes.

    They found evidence. She was guilty of other things. There was no reason not to suspect her.

    He dug his fingers into his scalp.

    "Bai Li was it?" Julian asked. "I don''t know the situation, but you shouldn''t cause problems like this."

    "Dad." His voice was warm. "Control your friend." Despite the warm tone of voice he used, the other two men couldn''t stop the shiver that passed through them.

    The entire time he was waiting on the results, his mind was stuck in the past. Why were his teen years such a blur?

    They sat in tense silence. It was broken by a nurse running into the room with a concerned look on her face. She handed over the results.

    The smug look on Julian¡¯s face melted into one of concern. His head snapped up. Julian looked at Bai Li with a worried gaze.

    Bai Tao got out of his chair and took the results out of Julian¡¯s hands. ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Bai Li hung his head down. So it was true then. Every time something new came to light, he was shocked by the levels his mother would go to.

    As he sat there waiting on the results, he wondered what his mother was working towards. In his last life, he thought his infertility was the final goal.

    Being unable to produce an heir could have been an issue when he wanted to inherit the company. Ping Zen cared so much about keeping the company in the family.

    Knowing the culprit now, he doubted that theory. The only thing that jumped into his mind was his grades. The most severe side effect of lead exposure in children seemed to be neurological.

    She always stressed a need to keep his grades low. His grades had been improving because he¡¯d developed a desire to prove himself. Why did his doing well or not in school matter?

    Narrowing his field of vision to exclude his past life knowledge and factoring in the information his mother was working with. Quickly he eliminated factors and discarded theories.

    He went through multiple routes with a wide array of factors.

    What he landed on each time was Wen Shi.

    In his last life. Was his death caused because he ran his father out of the company?

    In that case, how laughable was his life?

    It was so stupid.

    What did Doyle say, ¡°Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.¡±

    Didn''t she give him the answer already? Don''t appear as a threat to your father.

    Wen Shi belonged to Ping Zen. If he was outstanding at the age of fifteen by the age of twenty-three, at the latest, he could occupy a prominent position at Wen Shi.

    Ping Zen would choose him, the biological grandson over the outsider Bai TaoTo, to inherit the company. His mother didn''t know that his grandfather wasn''t in a rush to make those decisions because Bai Feng existed.

    He let out a dry laugh. No wonder she pushed him down the stairs. Ping An must have been pissed when he did well at college. She didn¡¯t do enough damage to make him stupid.

    Squeezing his eyes, he focused on the present.

    His father and the doctor discussed his treatment options. Cutting them off he asked, "What about the other substance?"

    "There are two many things to test for. We would need a way to narrow down what to look for." He now fully believed that the two were poisoned. If the kid was right about one, he was likely right about the other.

    "It''s fine. Whatever it is doesn''t have any lasting side effects." Bai Li didn¡¯t expect instant results, but he was still disappointed.

    Jullian knitted his fingers together. "How can you be so sure?"

    Why wouldn''t he be? Ping An would burn down the whole world and make sure not a drop of ash had the chance to fall on Bai Tao.

    Worse at this moment in time, there was no Lee Shan?

    "I don''t know whether to call it love or obsession, but the only person in this word she won¡¯t do permanent damage to is him," he said while looking at his father. "At least for now."

    "Soon enough, she will want to kill me." Bai Tao said.

    "No," he disagreed. "She will kill everyone around you."

    Bai Tao didn¡¯t comment. There was nothing much he could say."What is the treatment he needs?"

 Chapter 12

    Julian looked down at the chart in his hands. ¡°With these levels, he doesn¡¯t need to do Chelation therapy. The best thing is to remove the source of poisoning and monitor the level in his blood.¡±

    Closing the folder, he rested his elbow on his desk. ¡°The bigger issue is the symptoms and side effects. We can check, but we might have to wait for some to for them to manifest. Another problem is that this is suspected to be intentional poisoning. I am obligated to report this. The police could get involved.¡±

    Bai Li laughed. Where did his father get such a cute friend from? ¡°Prove it.¡±

    There was no way the police would be able to catch his mother. Even if they did, the trail would lead back to someone random or an enemy of the family.

    Not to mention Ping Zen might step in. The poisoning of the CEO and heir of Wen Shi would affect the company.

    Bai Tao punched the wall. ¡°What the fuck is she thinking?¡±

    ¡°Tao?¡± Julian was shocked at his friend''s aggressive behavior.

    Bai Li watched their interaction and confirmed that his father¡¯s aggressive behavior wasn¡¯t common.

    ¡°How can you be so calm?¡± his father asked.

    He already got this diagnosis in his past life. Only the source was new to him. He was shocked by his mother¡¯s methods, not that she had poisoned him. Wasn¡¯t he suspecting that she sent his sister to kill him.

    As an added benefit, he caught it early in this life. The side effects he would face were sure to be less than what he experienced before.

    ¡°I am numb to it.¡± He turned to Julian. ¡°Something just crossed my mind. The drug would have a hallucinogenic component. Administered in small doses, it would cause withdrawal. It should not lead to long-term addiction. It would also be safe enough to use on children.¡±

    Julian pulled out a notepad and jotted down a few notes. After, he started typing on the computer. ¡°There are a lot of designer drugs, but we can screen for compounds that could be affecting you. Why did you think of those specific properties?¡±

    He didn¡¯t want to talk about it. He mentioned it to his father, and he planned to get a psychologist, but he didn¡¯t want to talk about it with this random doctor.

    Taking a deep breath, he started to talk. ¡°I think my mother was gaslighting me. My memories of certain events are blurry, and I think I was susceptible to suggestions. I have recollections of feelings more than anything else. I think she might be doing something similar to Bai Wei.¡±

    Though, with the use of drugs added, it was more than gaslighting. Moving more along the lines of brainwashing.

    Bai Tao let out an animalistic sound that startled the other two people in the room. ¡°Bai Li,¡± he said, his voice breaking.

    His father pulled him into a hug. He didn¡¯t know what to do with his hands. This was a first for him.

    Tentatively he rested them on his father¡¯s back. The longer he felt Bai Tao¡¯s warmth, the more his fingers curled into his father¡¯s shirt. Bai Tao¡¯s back was broad.

    When he was an adult, did his shoulders look like this?Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± He said. It was the truth. Worse things have happened to him.

    Bai Tao¡¯s arms tightened. ¡°That is even worse. A fifteen-year-old boy shouldn¡¯t be fine when he finds out that his mother has been poisoning him.¡±

    The words inside of Bai Li wobbled. What would his father do if he knew that the reason for all of this was him? He was sure his father had an idea but confirming it was worse. He swallowed his words.

    ¡°You are not going back to that house.¡± His arms tightened more.

    His father¡¯s hold was almost painful, but there was a comforting weight to it. ¡°I didn¡¯t plan to.¡± He knew it was coming, but he really didn¡¯t want to live with Bai Tao. ¡°If I promise not to meet with my mother, will you allow me to go stay with grandpa?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± his voice was curt. Bai Tao didn¡¯t even hesitate. ¡°You can visit your grandfather for a few hours, but both you and Bai Wei will be coming to stay with me.¡±

    He would have to take the good and bad with his father. He wasn¡¯t used to this kind of care. It was annoying, though.

    ¡°It is unlikely that mothe...Ping An will try anything with grandfather there.¡± Bai Li was sure it was impossible. Ping Zen never stopped his daughter''s actions only on the premise that she never acted up in front of him.

    Easing out of the hug. He reached up and ruffled Bai Li¡¯s hair. ¡°Unlikely does not mean impossible. I will tell your grandfather what your mother did, but I don¡¯t want you, kids, where I can¡¯t protect you.¡±

    Removing his arms from around his father, he held back his laugh at the irony of the situation. His father should be grateful for the ease with which he accepted situations. If his personality wasn''t like this, his father would never have the chance to be in his life.

    Could he win this argument?

    He wasn¡¯t in the frame of mind to deal with Lee Shan and Bai Fang. If they were awful people, he would be able to deal with it. What if the opposite happened? What if they were nice and welcoming?

    First, he wouldn¡¯t be able to trust their intentions. Even now, he had a hard time fully believing his father. Second, it would confirm how badly he wasted his last life. Third, he wasn¡¯t emotionally ready to even deal with them.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Bai Li started.

    ¡°We will talk about this some other time. I am not so insensitive as to not know why you are hesitating.¡± Bai Tao rested a hand on his shoulder and gave a firm squeeze.

    ¡°Can you take a walk, Li? I need to speak with Julian for a moment.¡± Bai Tao was the calmest he¡¯d been since they got to the hospital. Whatever was in his system seemed to have burned through.

    A part of him wanted to stay, but he was not that curious to find out about the situation. Nothing much changed in his plan from yesterday to today. He just has more information that his mother was heartless.

    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, walking out of the room without looking back.

    ¡°What kind of hell was that kid living in him for him to be this calm?¡± Julian asked.

    The door closed before he could hear his father¡¯s reply.

    This wasn¡¯t a daycare or an amusement park. Where was he supposed to amuse himself in a hospital? He walked along the white halls wondering how doctors and patients didn¡¯t go mad with the stark color scheme.

    Spotting a nurse, he walked up to me. ¡°Excuse me. Can you tell me the way to the garden or park? Is there a walk area?¡± He smiled what he considered his most charming smile.

    What was with her reaction?

    She blushed, looking away guilty. ¡°It is¡­¡± She gave the directions without looking him in the face.

    Walking off, he couldn¡¯t hold back a laugh. It never crossed his mind since his rebirth. In his mind, he still thought of himself as a forty-year-old man, but that wasn¡¯t the case. He was a handsome fifteen-year-old boy.

    He was young enough that older women felt guilty for thinking he was attractive. It made him giddy. It was a startling realization that he could be naught and childish in certain situations and still getting away with it.

    It took him two wrong turns and three blushing nurses before he found where he wanted to be.

    People loitered around in wheelchairs and hospital gowns. A few orderlies and nurses were hanging around. Was this place only for patients?

    No one pointed out that he shouldn¡¯t be there, so he walked as if he belonged. He kept going until he saw a bench by a pond.

    There was already someone sitting there, but he preferred to be away from the center of the park. The bench was under a tree.

    ¡°Can I sit here?¡± Bai Li asked the man¡¯s back.

    Without turning around, he gave his answer. ¡°Feel free.¡± The man¡¯s voice was deep and fathomless.

    He stared at the stone bench. Bai Li felt deep fear and a need to flee. This man was dangerous. Why did he feel that way?

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sit?¡± That silky voice asked.

    Bai Li shivered. Why did he feel the need to escape so often these days?

 Chapter 13

    Bai Li changed his mind. Instead of sitting facing the pond, in the same direction as the man beside him. He instead sat with his back to the pond.

    They sat in silence, and he did his best to ignore the person sitting beside him.

    He didn''t know why he sat down, other than the fact that walking away would have alerted the man next to him that something was wrong.

    He couldn¡¯t help wondering if walking away was the best option.

    This person wasn''t ordinary. The longer Bai Li was near him, the more he realized it. This man had a similar feel to his grandfather and those other dangerous old-timers.

    He should know this man.

    They should have crossed paths in his last life. There was no way this person wasn¡¯t successful.

    In his mind, he ran through a list of people. No one came close to fitting this person.  He didn''t see his face, so he couldn''t say for sure if he knew him or not.

    His voice wasn''t familiar, but that didn''t mean much. Bai Li''s voice changed over the years. Ten years from now, this person''s voice could be completely different.

    Should he try and take a peek at his face?

    No. That would not be a smart idea.

    He fought back a sigh that wanted to slip out. He came out here to relax. Not get more stressed out.

    "The view of the pond is better," the man said. His voice low and hoarse.

    "I am people watching." Bai Li saw no shame in lying.

    "Is that so," the man said. He spun around so that they were facing the same direction. "Who are you watching?"

    This bastard. Bai Li would not have taken this stranger to be a talkative person. The aura around him screamed ¡®Do Not Approach¡¯.

    "I am wondering who they are and making up stories in my head." Bai Li resisted the desire to look to the side. He had enough on his plate without getting involved with anyone new.

    "Are you?" The man sounded amused.

    He was. It was a partial truth. He was making up stories about the person beside him. "Hmmm."

    This was an international hospital hailed around the world for its cutting-edge medical technology. Either this man beside him died in Bai Li''s last life, or he was from a different country.

    The man persisted. "What have you made up so far?"

    He couldn''t figure out why this person was engaging him. Would he be more suspicious if he stopped communicating?You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Pointing at an orderly he passed by earlier. "That person came out of a supply closet. A doctor followed out after him. They looked up and down the corridor before separating. I thought they might be having a romantic affair."

    "Are you wondering about what they were doing in the closet?" For some reason, his voice had an edge to it.

    He wasn''t. He''d seen them organizing their clothes, and they parted with a kiss. It was obvious what they had been doing.

    At 15, though, that was all he thought about.  That was when he wasn''t fighting with his father. Or trying to make it look like he barely scraped through school.

    He couldn''t fight the smile that twisted up the edge of his lips. He was sure it wasn¡¯t a happy look. "At my age, I am curious about a lot of things." He should have been. All his worries should have been about how to get a girl to like him.

    Shifting, the stranger leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Is that so. How old are you?"

    Despite how tense he was when he first sat down, it was surprisingly easy to talk to this man about nothing in particular. "I am fifteen years old." He giggled. Would this man think he was crazy if he said he was forty years old?

    He was losing it. He should wrap this conversation up.

    It took a while for him to realize, but he was nervous.

    That didn¡¯t even happen when he was facing Ping An and Bai Tao.

    The rustling of fabric accompanied a soft voice. "You are very young."

    Bai Li felt a burning gaze turned on him. He breathed deeply and prevented his body from stiffening up. "Am I?"

    The gaze didn''t move off of him. "You are. Aren''t you going to ask how old I am?" It was small, but there was a goading edge to his words.

    I am not curious, he said decisively in his head. While actually giving a meek reply. "I thought it might be rude to ask. You are older than me."

    There was a soft chuckle to his left. "I am not that much older than you. I just turned twenty-five." There was a hint of amusement in that voice.

    He was younger than Bai Li first assumed, but still. What kind of nonsense was this man spewing?

    In what way was a ten-year age difference not small. Especially to a fifteen-year-old.

    Even at twenty-five, thinking about being thirty-five was a huge gap.

    Only when you reached your late-thirties and beyond did ten years not seem like much. At forty, people who were fifty were friends and in the same age group. At sixty, who cared to keep score.

    It wasn''t every day he felt it, but today he felt old. "Old," he whispered under his breath.

    His body stiffened when he realized what he''d said. "Sorry, I didn''t mean that." He really didn''t. He''d been thinking about himself.

    A rumbling laugh started. "I guess to you I seem very old. I am a bit hurt." This man was laughing, but he didn¡¯t seem amused.

    Bai Li wanted to walk away. He''d actually been thinking that this man was half his age. He looked down at his hand and noticed a knee close to his.

    He shouldn¡¯t have looked down. There was a powerful leg next to his that emphasized how wingy his body was at this age.

    Bai Li was certain of it now. He did not know this man. This was a person that you would never forget or confuse with someone else.

    There was a nagging desire to look across and see what the man beside him looked like.

    "Sorry," he said again. "I need to get going." He got up and started to walk off. He only managed to take two steps before the stranger grabbed his wrist.

    Didn''t this guy know about personal boundaries? They just met. Who just grabs onto someone else? He resisted the urge to yank his hand out.

    "Sorry," he said before releasing his grip. "What is your name?"

    Lie! Every instinct was telling him to lie.

    Reason cautioned him not to be rash. This man would be able to find out the truth if he wanted to.

    In a second, he weighed the pros and cons.

    It would be safer not to lie. "Bai Li." He answered before starting to walk off.

    "Aren¡¯t you going to ask my name?" A laugh trailed after him.

    This stranger made him feel annoyed and on edge, but he still kept his tone mild. "I thought it would be rude to ask." Just like last time, he really didn¡¯t want to know.

    Bai Li kept walking.

    He could feel a burning gaze on his back. His instincts were telling him that this wasn''t the last time he would be seeing this man.

 Chapter 14 - Bonus Chapter 1

    Knox heard footsteps approaching him. He frowned. His bodyguards were supposed to keep anyone from approaching him.

    Looking up, he saw his head of security point at his phone.

    Looking down, he flipped up his cellphone. There was a text message that read ¡®Teenage boy. Approaching.¡¯

    Flippin his phone closed, he scowled at the man sitting on the other side of the pond. His people were around the whole park dressed as hospital staff or patients. Visitors were being directed to a different rest area within the hospital.

    How had this boy found his way here?

    Had his brother sunk so low as to send children after him?

    He nodded his head. The people around him relaxed. They would allow the boy to approach. It would be best to know what his motives were.

    His body tensed as he heard a milky voice.

    ¡°Can I sit here?¡± The boy asked.

    What was this? The boy would be in even more danger if he dragged out their meeting. Wasn¡¯t he going to attack him?

    Keeping his tone neutral. ¡°Feel free.¡± He had a naturally scary aura. It was not something he could control. It came from doing business and having to survive dangerous situations.

    The people who could stand to be in his presence weren¡¯t normal.

    There was no noise beside him for a moment. He began to rethink his original assumption. This person was unlikely to have been sent after him. Had this boy just wandered here by accident?

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sit?¡± His voice came out more compelling than he intended.

    The boy standing at his back was making him uncomfortable. He didn¡¯t allow people to stand behind him. It was dangerous to leave your back unguarded.

    Knox heard the soft fall of footsteps on the grass. He turned to the side in time to see the boy sit beside him.

    His side profile was beguiling. His face had yet to lose its baby fat. His features were halfway between boy and man.

    Messy black hair fell against white skin. He could see long eyelashes and a straight nose that was slightly upturned. He could feel the confidence and pride radiating off this boy. It didn¡¯t suit his age.

    Pink lips parted for a moment before closing. Knox wanted to hear him speak again. He wanted to see what this boy looked like.

    This person wasn¡¯t ordinary. The longer Knox was near him, the more he realized it.

    His head of security made a move to stand and approached. He shot him a glare and motioned for him to sit down.

    This boy managed to sit beside him and remain relaxed. Knox found it interesting. While adults weren¡¯t affected by him, other than to be wary, younger people tended to avoid him.

    This boy would become a competitor. He could feel it. This person couldn¡¯t be anything but successful at anything he did.

    Knox took another look at him. It would be better if he was an ally. In ten years, this child would be a dangerous opponent.

    There was already something about him that warned others not to approach carelessly. His innocent face paired with that dangerous feel made him charismatic.

    This boy should have run. The minute he sat down, he already attracted Knox¡¯s attention. How could he see such an interesting puzzle and not get to the bottom of it?

    This boy was definitely not sent by any of his brothers. They wouldn¡¯t have been able to control him. He would have followed their orders for a while before slowly devouring them.

    ¡°The view of the pond is better,¡± he found himself saying. His voice was hoarse. Was he nervous? What an inane thing to say. Couldn¡¯t he have come up with anything better?

    There was a pause before a soft voice replied. ¡° I am watching people .¡±

    Was he lying? Knox started as he realized that he couldn¡¯t tell. When was the last time someone was able to hide their intentions from him? It was years since someone was able to lie to him.

    He couldn¡¯t control his face as a shocked look distorted his features.

    Noticing movement, he waved off his bodyguards as they started to approach. This child probably already noticed that something was wrong. If anyone moved carelessly, he would be alerted.

    How could he allow their meeting to be cut short?

    ¡°Is that so?¡± He said, getting his voice back under control. Unable to resist any longer. He turned so that they were facing the same direction. ¡°Who are you watching?¡± He didn¡¯t care. He just wanted to hear this person talk more.

    The boy didn¡¯t seem interested in him. Knox looked across, but the boy was looking elsewhere. He was suddenly annoyed that they were not alone.

    When did he become someone that engaged in small talk?

    The boy finally designed to speak. That was what it felt like. It felt as if this boy was a king and everyone else should bow beneath his feet. What kind of parents raised a boy like this?

    He knew most of the young scions from the powerful families. At this age, they had already been brought out to socialize and make contacts.

    Was the boy the illegitimate son of someone? Even then, no one would hide this boy away. Not to mention this person wouldn¡¯t stand for it.

    He was so lost in thought that he almost missed what the boy was saying. That would have been a shame.

    ¡°I¡¯m wondering who they were, and I¡¯m making up stories in my head.¡± The boy¡¯s voice had a shrill edge to it. His voice hasn''t broken yet.

    ¡°Are you?¡± He could not keep the amused note out of his voice. All these men were on his security detail. What stories had this boy made up in his head? He didn¡¯t take this person to be a dreamer.

    He persisted. ¡°What have you made up so far?¡± The more he talked, the more he realized that this child was indulging him.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    He wanted to engage with him more. He wouldn¡¯t mind if their conversation carried on indefinitely.

    The boy lifted a slender hand and pointed a finger. The entire motion was smooth and graceful. He looked fragile and delicious.

    He paused at his errant thought. What was that? He was about to analyze it when the boy spoke.

    ¡°That person came out of a supply closet. A doctor followed out after him. They looked down the corridor before separating. I thought they might be having a romantic affair.¡± His voice was even and didn¡¯t indicate any curiosity.

    Knox tensed.

    His security staff wasn¡¯t authorized to be in contact with hospital staff. He looked up and took note of the guard the boy pointed out. He was annoyed.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time someone betrayed him. Why was his mood affected?

    Parker would have to be investigated. His brothers sometimes managed to find a weak link in his organization. He hadn¡¯t suspected Parker, but it didn¡¯t change much. He would be debriefed and then let go.

    The people with information about him were far and few between. After he left the hospital, the information Parker held would be useless.

    Knox had planned to stay here a few more nights. However, his location might be compromised. He would leave after he was finished with his cub.

    He opened his mouth and spoke before he realized what he was saying. ¡°Are you wondering what they were doing in the closet?¡± His voice was hard.

    It clicked in his mind. This boy was at an age where he would be curious about sex and relationships. Even if he was above average, he was only human.

    The thought comforted and irritated him at the same time.

    All he received from this person was a delicate shoulder shrug. ¡°At my age, I am curious about a lot of things.¡±

    Knox was relieved. Even if it was a lie, he was glad that his boy''s voice didn¡¯t hold any real interest.

    ¡°Is that so. How old are you?¡± This person had to be at least seventeen years old. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he was an adult. Knox could wait the year until this person became an adult.

    It took him a moment to notice since he was unused to experiencing attraction to another person. The eight-year age difference caused him to pause for a moment. Would his boy think it was too much?

    It would seem like the world to a teenager just starting life. He wouldn¡¯t let him get away, though. He experienced lust, but nothing close to this curiousness and desire.

    There was another pause. It seemed to stretch on for eternity to Knox. This was the first time he wanted to hear an answer so badly.

    ¡°I am fifteen years old,¡± he said in an amused voice. A giggle followed his words.

    Knox¡¯s jaw dropped, and he turned a burning gaze to stare at the boy¡¯s side profile. Fifteen?

    ¡°You are very young.¡± He didn¡¯t even realize he had spoken. He pinched his thigh to regain his lost control.

    How was he supposed to feel? He had been lusting after an actual child. His one-year wait had turned into three?

    How did a boy of fifteen have this aura and charisma? It was illogical. What kind of environment was needed to raise a child like this?

    Knox¡¯s family situation was shitty. At fifteen, he was more mature than his peers. He was superior to people twice his age. Yet, even he had to admit that his fifteen-year-old self would piss his pants if he met his present self.

    There was an edge that you got with age and experience.

    For this child to have it?

    He had thought to leave this boy alone to mature, but what if that wasn¡¯t an option?

    It was unlikely that his boy¡¯s home situation was good. People from happy households didn¡¯t have attitudes like this.

    How many times had he wished for someone to hold out his hand to him when he was younger?

    This boy fascinated him. He wouldn¡¯t leave him to flounder in the dark if he needed help. If he did, he would not be shameless enough to approach him in three years.

    Who would want a partner who deliberately ignored you in your time of need?

    Knox was torn but had already made his decision. He would have to be careful he wasn¡¯t relegated to the role of friend or mentor.

    Their conversation continued, both hiding their inner thoughts.

    Knox was curious to know what was happening in his boy¡¯s mind.

    Shifting, he stared unapologetically at the boy''s face. ¡°You are very young,¡± he said this more to himself than to the person next to him.

    ¡°I am?¡± He asked.

    He looked at his guard¡¯s milling around. Every now and then, they stole a look over. Nothing too obvious. He knew they were shocked by his actions. Parker would have to be neutralized. He didn¡¯t want this encounter spreading to random ears.

    He turned to look back at his boy. ¡°You are. Aren¡¯t you going to ask how old I am?¡± He made his voice as beguiling as possible.

    ¡°I thought it rude to ask. You are older than me.¡± His voice was meek.

    Knox had the impression that his boy was playing with him. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m not much older than you. I just turned twenty-five.¡± What kind of bullshit was he saying? Wasn¡¯t he worried about an eight-year age gap before? He couldn¡¯t help but be amused.

    Ten years was a big deal the younger you were. He would have to lay a sweet nest for his little tiger cub to rest in. He had to be careful. His boy might be snatched up by someone more age-appropriate.

    ¡°Old.¡± It was so soft that it almost went unheard.

    That one word was a punch to Knox¡¯s gut. His tiger cub knew how to go for the jugular even at this age.

    His boy stiffened up beside him. ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean that.¡±

    This was the first genuine response he had gotten from his tiger cub. He couldn¡¯t help but let out a self-deprecating laugh. Why did it have to be about this?

    When he was younger, he couldn¡¯t wait to get older. Now his boy would hold ¡®old age¡¯ against him. The world was never fair. It was a good thing he never cared about the odds stacked against him.

    ¡°I guess to you I must seem very old. I am a bit hurt by that.¡± He would keep score. His tiger cub would have to answer for this later.

    It wasn¡¯t nice to poke at his sore spot.

    ¡°I need to get going.¡±

    Knox frowned. His mind had drifted. He reached out and held onto his cub¡¯s wrist. Shit. He froze and chastised himself. If he came on too strong, his boy would be wary of him.

    He didn¡¯t don¡¯t that his boy was capable of denying him. He wasn¡¯t an impulsive person. He could already see the effect this person would have on his life.

    Three years never looked this long. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He said, releasing his hold. ¡°What is your name?¡± He finally managed to ask the question that had been eating away at him.

    He didn¡¯t need the information to find out who his tiger cub was. It would just make it easier to approach him in the future. If he showed up without having an explanation, he would put his little tiger on edge.

    Knox hoped his boy didn¡¯t lie. That would create a whole different set of problems.

    There was a pregnant pause. Longer than any of its predecessors. He knew instinctively that his tiger cub was weighing the pros and cons of telling him the truth.

    ¡°Bai Li.¡± He tossed carelessly over his shoulder before walking off.

    ¡°Bai Li,¡± Knox said, savoring the taste of the name on his lips. It was his name. He was glad his cub didn¡¯t lie to him. He didn¡¯t know how he knew, but he was certain. ¡°Bai Li.¡±

    He watched Bai Li¡¯s back. His little tiger cub. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask my name?¡± He called after him, unable to control his happiness.

    ¡°I thought it rude to ask.¡±

    His cub didn¡¯t bother to turn around. The words were clearly meant to dismiss him. It was adorable. He wanted his cub¡¯s soft spots. He hoped Bai Li would show them only to him. He would make it so that Bai Li¡¯s claws were aimed at everyone but him.

    It was as he watched Bai Li¡¯s retreat that he realized something. The edges of his lips turned up in a smile. He lifted his hand that had held his boy to his lips. His smile continued to widen.

    Bai Li, his cute dangerous boy. That sharp child had been wary and nervous of him. It took him until now to realize that his boy hadn¡¯t looked at him once. He would have to check the security cameras, but he was sure of it.

    His boy didn¡¯t want to know who he was. He had been self-conscious and on edge. He had just hidden it.

    Bai Li was a tiger cub pretending to be a rabbit. He wouldn¡¯t let him have his way.

    A shiver ran down Knox¡¯s spine. He would have to fight Bai Li at every turn.

    He was looking forward to it.

    The fight would make victory that much sweeter.

    After he could no longer see Bai Li, he stood up and motioned for his head of security to approach. ¡°Boone,¡± he said when the man was beside him. ¡°Parker has been compromised. Kill him. Prepare to move tonight.¡±

    ¡°Knox?¡± Boone questioned.

    He could understand his surprise. He didn¡¯t often use deadly for, but this was no longer about his life.

    What if his brothers got hold of his little cub from the information Parker provided? He would already be a target.

    Knox was not the type of man to sit and randomly have a conversation with a teenage boy.

    He didn¡¯t explain himself. ¡°Do it. I want all the information from the security cameras transferred to me and then erased from everywhere else.¡± He rubbed the finger on his left hand together. He could still feel the soft skin in his grip.

    ¡°Find everything you can about Bai Li. Use a picture of him for confirmation. Do it yourself, and make sure no one finds out.¡± His voice had an edge to it. He felt manic inside. He wouldn¡¯t allow the shit happening in his life to affect his cub.

    If anything threatened his little Bai Li...he couldn¡¯t think about it.

    He would burn the world down to keep him safe.

 Chapter 15

    Bai Li threw the entire encounter to the back of his mind. He didn¡¯t have enough information, and he didn''t think it would be wise to poke around.

    The longer he sat there, the more it became clear that the people around them weren¡¯t patients or staff.

    They would peek over to observe him and the man he was sitting beside. Once or twice wouldn¡¯t have alerted him, but they did it repeatedly.

    Bai Li remembered the man he pointed out. Should he have kept his mouth shut? He assumed the man was hospital personnel at the time. A member of Bai Li¡¯s security team would not have been allowed to fraternize with hospital staff like that.

    If they were found to be doing so, they would be terminated immediately.

    There was no point in thinking about it now. He already identified the man. It was just that man¡¯s bad luck to have appeared in front of Bai Li.

    As his mind drifted, the sameness of the white corridors made him confused.

    Slowly he made his way back to Julian''s office. He hoped that his father and Julian would be finished with whatever conversation they were having.

    It irritated him that he had been asked to leave the room, but he couldn¡¯t say anything. He was at a point in his life where his parents should be handling these types of things.

    It was a pity. In his case, his parents were the direct cause of his troubles.

    Bai Li needed to get that influx of cash. He would be without recourse or back up if he didn¡¯t have his own way to fund his life.

    The companies he could start without capital weren''t that many, and they would take time before they had any return on investment.

    Standing in front of the door, he listened to the hum of voices. It amused him how they stopped talking when he knocked on the door.

    He would have to find a way to get a hold of his medical records. It would also be best to get a second opinion. He needed to start collecting and putting together a team of people loyal to him.

    When he was first reborn, he compiled a list. It was a list of people that he wanted to find and bring to his side. This plan had changed due to recent events. He would have to be more careful.

    In his last life, he discovered and rooted out the people his mother had placed people at his side, but he couldn''t guarantee that those weren''t pawns she exposed herself or discarded to keep others safe.

    It would have been better if this was ancient times, and he could have raised his secret guard himself.

    Pushing open the door, he chuckled.

    Two concerned gazes turned his way. He was sure they expected him to have a nervous breakdown or something equally dramatic.

    He''d already showed his father his mature side. He only planned to act in front of Ping An, and he had ruined that spectacularly today.

    Lead poisoning. Why had he never considered the fact that she would poison him?

    "Are we finished here?" he asked.

    "Li," his father started before pausing. "I...we"

    In Ba Li''s mind, anything that followed this much hesitance and indecision could not be a good thing.

    "Yes," he urged his father gently.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    The sympathetic look that Dr. Jullian Simmonds sent his way was extremely irritating.

    Although, seeing his father hesitate like this was a new and interesting look.

    "I don''t think it would be a wise choice to send you to C High, and it would be best if you visited a child psychologist." His father¡¯s words came out firm despite how he hesitated before.

    Bai Li did not expect this. He should have. His father had been actively trying to get him to change his mind about attending C high.

    Still, he was not going to give in. He didn''t want to have to be cautious all the time. Worse didn''t want to start living with Bai Wei. He''d only made his earlier suggestions because he planned to be away at school most of the time. Going home only the barest minimum of times.

    Bai Li didn¡¯t know where to begin when it came to the issue of the child psychologist. They probably thought something was wrong with him when he reacted calmly to this entire situation. He couldn''t agree to it.

    At fifteen, his parents would have access to his medical records. His psychologist wouldn''t have any legal grounds to stand on to keep them from the information if his parents wanted it.

    Bai Li planned to speak with someone, but it would be on his terms.

    He was getting a headache.

    Was it trashy of him to prefer the times when his father didn¡¯t care about him? At least he would have more autonomy.

    Like he had originally planned.

    "That won''t work." His voice was firm. "I am going to C high. I have my reasons for choosing that school. As for seeing a psychologist, that won''t be happening until I turn eighteen."

    "Bai Li," Julian jumped in. "I don''t advise that. It would be best to discuss these things with a professional."

    Bai Li wholly agreed. He needed help. He had a whole new bag of problems to work through on top of the ones he was carrying from his last life.

    "As a minor, I am not covered under doctor-patient confidentiality. My psychologist would have to hand over my medical files or transcripts of my sessions if either of my parents requested it.  There are no legal grounds for any psychologist I see before the age of 18 not to turn them over." He watched as the faces of both the men in front of him darkened.

    He was sure that Bai Tao had figured out that he wasn''t only guarding against Ping An. He hoped his father wouldn''t blame him for his trust issues. Though, when he thought about it. Bai Tao had no right to do that.

    "Why are you fixated on that school?" Bai Tao asked. He had that sharp look in his eyes.

    That was simple. He didn''t want to live with his direct family.

    "I will arrange for you to have your own apartment in the building. I will have no access to it, on the premise that you eat one meal with the family every day." Bai Tao was trying to barter with him. ¡°This apartment will be under your name.¡±

    This was one of the reasons he didn¡¯t like to leave people to have conversations alone. His father had said they would discuss this later.

    Something in the conversation he had with Julian had changed his approach. Bai Li felt he might be in a losing battle.

    The only advantage he in their negotiations before was his father¡¯s apathetic dislike for him.

    It was probable that he would have to come up with a new agreement.

    This was a tempting offer. Having property would be a good start for his plans. Having the apartment under his name meant he could use it as capital later.

    There was also the issue of boarding on campus. Even the best dorms at C School had two people to a room. It had simply been the lesser of two evils. That one meal a day, though.

    "Can I think about it?" Bai Li asked. The reason he chose C school was because of the family behind the school. It was not a place that either of his parents could stick their hands into. He was sure his father was aware of this.

    The most his mother would be able to do would be to put ''friends'' by his side. This was probably already happening, and he was sure he could guard against that.

    There were only a few other schools that could offer that level of protection. In other schools, he didn''t know what kind of trash he might bump into. The journey to and from school also posed a problem.

    Another thing he considered was the implications behind which school he attended. He could attend second-rate schools without issues. If he wanted to go to a first-rate school, he had to consider who he was.

    As Ping Zen¡¯s first born grandson, he needed to be careful. What he said had to be backed up by actions. If he didn¡¯t want to inherit, he shouldn¡¯t send mixed signals.

    He needed to bear in mind that the existence of Lee Shan was likely to be exposed a lot earlier in this life.

    When he thought of that, it made him realize that his father must have his own means. He successfully protected both Lee Shan and Bai Fang in his last life.

    Bai Li was never able to destroy that small family of three in his last life. He won, but all he did was chase them out of the country.

    It was due to his hard work and Ping Zen deciding that he was the best candidate. If not for those two things, he might not have been able to dislodge his father from Wen Shi.

    There was a smile in Bai Tao¡¯s voice. "S School."

    Bai Li''s headache intensified. "NO!" He didn¡¯t need to think about that.

    He saw the smile on his father¡¯s face, and the nostalgic feeling of wanting to punch him in the nose came to the forefront.

    Sending him to that school was basically announcing that he would be a candidate to inherit Wen Shi.

 Chapter 16

    "Old man. Sign my document before we talk about anything else." Bai Li needed to get his ducks in a row. "It seems like I have been going too easy on you."

    Julian''s head was whipping back and forth between them. He kept opening and closing his mouth.

    "Have you?" Bai Tao drummed his finger against the arm of the chair. "My son really is the best."

    "Save it for Bai Fang." Bai Li said. He wasn''t making any decision until they had both signed and notarized that document.

    Jullian squeaked and jumped in his chair. "Tao...Ta...Tao." He stuttered while pointing a finger in Bai Li''s direction.

    Bai Tao shot a look at his friend, silencing him.

    Interesting. He couldn''t help but wonder why Bai Tao had told a person like Julian about Bai Fang.

    Bai Tao uncrossed his legs. "Why are you so adamant about giving up your rights to Wen Shi. You are the rightful heir."

    Julian made an undignified squeak.

    Those words sent panic and shivers down his spine. No way. He did that in his last life. It was a waste of time. Even with the support of his father, he didn¡¯t want to do it again in this life. He was determined to work smarter, not harder.

    He did have a list of reasons that he could talk about. Yet, they would come across as childish. It was a good thing that he was a child.

    "One, it is too much work. Two, he might not want it now, but Bai Fang might want it later. Three, Ping An would kill me. Four, there is no reason for it to be me. Five, I don''t want to do it. Six, there are a million people who don''t want me to do it. Seven, the work and risk needed isn¡¯t worth the benefits I would get."

    "Are you planning to become a rich third generation?" Julian had a knack for talking when it would be best if he stayed quiet.

    "Why? Jealous." Bai Li taunted.

    The doctor''s face turned a mottled shade of red. Again, he wondered where his father found this adorable friend.

    He looked back at his father. He was sure Bai Tao knew those weren¡¯t his only reasons. It was clear in documents he gave his father that he wasn¡¯t planning to sponge off of his family¡¯s acquired wealth.

    There was a seedy smile on Bai Tao¡¯s face. "I wonder if I should bring your grandfather involved in this."

    Bai Li flinched. He really should have gotten that document signed first. This is what he got for making assumptions.

    He couldn''t afford to get Ping Zen involved. He couldn''t even afford to let Ping Zen catch a whiff of this.

    Why did he have to go back in time?

    Couldn''t have been reincarnated or something? He didn¡¯t mind the risk. If he was reborn poor, he could make money. If he was reborn as a girl, he would die alone or marry a guy. He would let his husband take care of things. Bai Li would make his money under the quiet.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    "What are you, and aren''t you willing to compromise on?" He asked. Walking, he sat opposite his father.

    Why wasn''t he mad about this?

    Bai Tao smiled. "I don¡¯t give a crap about whether you want Wen Shi or not. Still, you shouldn''t be so quick to sign away your rights. The money you want is negotiable. Your living situation is negotiable. Your school is negotiable as long as you choose between S or A school. I will leave all decisions about your life and businesses up to you. On the premise that you discuss them with me first. Naturally, anything that you can keep hidden you have the right to do, but if you get caught, this father of yours will get creative with his punishments." He sounded far too happy saying all that.

    Bai Li slumped in his chair. He''d been played. He realized it now. His father never planned to let him go to boarding school. From the day they had their first meeting in his office. His father had been working out how to get him to stay.¡±.

    Shitty old man.

    There was little to no difference between A and S schools. Scholastic, they were the same. It was the children attending where the difference showed.

    S school had a long history, as such attracted students from more prominent families.

    Whereas A school focused less on tradition and more on the family¡¯s current abilities.

    Either way, both churned out political leaders and heads of industries. Attending either, as an heir to Wen Shi was asking for trouble.

    Between S and A school, he would choose A. He was not ignorant to the reason his father picked that school. Bai Tao probably thought he was going to set out on his own. He would need to develop connections to run his business.

    That wasn¡¯t in his plans. He would either start companies and sell them after they became profitable. Or take a back seat hiring other people to do the day-to-day running of his companies.

    He had no desire to show his capabilities. If he could, he would never show up in front of that crowd again.

    He appreciated the consideration, but it was misplaced. How could he get his father to see this without showing his hand?

    Wait.

    Something wasn¡¯t right.

    His father planned to send him to boarding school. He probably didn¡¯t plan to let him go there for long, but he planned to send him.

    His father had been taking small steps to get closer to him. Never interfering too much. Especially the ultimatum that screamed he would be investigating his actions.

    Why change now?

    It couldn¡¯t simply be because of Ping An poisoning him. What could they have talked about that made his father bring up this matter now?

    He looked at the files on Julian¡¯s desk. Something in those made his father impatient.

    Ping An couldn¡¯t act in C school, but Ping Zen could. Ping Zen¡­

    He sat up straighter and looked over at his father.

    Would Ping An be that daring? Was it even possible?

    Wen Shi and Bai Tao. Those two things were inseparable in Ping An¡¯s mind. For his mother and father¡¯s relationship to work, Wen Shi was the biggest tool his mother had.

    Who stood in the way the most of what she needed to get what she wanted. It was her own father.

    His grandfather was sick during this period. During the corresponding time in his last life, his grandfather had gone to recuperate. She poisoned her husband and her children. Would she draw the line at her father?

    Bai Li thought about the words his father said.

    Rights to Wen Shi?

    Did Ping Zen really acknowledge the illegitimate Bai Fang this early?

    Ping Zen doted on his daughter. Even if Bai Li was a disappointment, there was still Bai Wei. His father would have connected Ping Zen to get Bai Wei checked. It stood to reason that his grandfather would also check himself.

    Ping Zen was cautious and would get checkups regularly. It would have to be a fast-acting poison.

    His father spoke as if Ping Zen would eventually find out. No, it was as if Ping Zen knew something now. It was more telling him to prepare, more than threatening him.

    Wasn¡¯t this his mother¡¯s Modus Operandi? Borrowing a blade to end a life. Bai Li had messed with his mother¡¯s plans, but he also gave her an opportunity.

    In his last life, Ping Zen became guarded against Ping An. His grandfather used Bai Fang to balance the scales. That meant he didn¡¯t have proof.

    ¡°What did Ping An make Bai Wei do?¡± His voice was low.

    Both men looked at him with shock in their eyes.

    It seemed he got it right.

    Bai Li focused on Julian Simmonds. He never met this man in his last life, but he was not a simple doctor. The Bai family drama was playing out in front of him, and he seemed privy to most of the information anyway.

    ¡°Did you know this was happening?¡± Julian asked. He had a look of censure in his eyes.

    He raised an eyebrow, and the doctor shrunk back. ¡°I can¡¯t trust her. Maybe it is because I don¡¯t have any left, but her innocence terrifies me. I can¡¯t tell if she is acting.¡± This was a partial truth.

    ¡°She is young.¡± Julian protested loudly. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know any better.¡±

    ¡°That is why it is more terrifying. It would be what she was taught. She wouldn¡¯t know that wasn¡¯t how she should behave and what was wrong with what she was doing.¡± Bai Li remembered the way his sister smiled and dipped her head when she wanted something.

    Stroking the chair arm, he chose his words carefully. ¡°She is old enough to know what gets her the reactions she wants. Every child is. That is when they cry and act cute.¡± he looked at his father. ¡°Who does Bai Wei spend the most time crying and acting cute in front of? What does Wei Wei do so that Ping An will call her a good girl and give her a treat?¡±

    There was bitterness in his tone, enough to span two lifetimes. He didn¡¯t allow either of them to talk. ¡°Whose side do you think Bai Wei would have ended up at?¡±

 Chapter 17

    Bai Tao¡¯s face pulled into a frown.

    If Bai Li hadn¡¯t gone to his father, Bai Wei would have continued to be a big part of his world. She would have become the person he relied on the most as his mother¡¯s actions became more malicious towards him.

    ¡°Go to your brother if you need protection. Your brother will always help you. You are your brother¡¯s adorable little sister. There is nothing he wouldn¡¯t do for you.  Look how cute you are, the entire world should be yours, when you get older your big brother will give it to you. You are so pretty. You don¡¯t need to work hard, your brother and mother will take care of you.¡± How many times had he heard his mother say these things to Bai Wai?

    ¡°Considering Ping An, do you think these words are just harmless things she is saying to her daughter? If Wei Wei is high on something that makes her mailable to suggestions, what will those words mean?¡±  Bai Li took a breath to calm himself.

    ¡°I agree that Wei Wei is young enough to change. In fact, it is what I hope for more than anything. Yet, I don¡¯t think the responsibility or impetus for that change should be me. If I hadn''t decided to dig myself out, would any of you even notice what was happening?¡± He couldn¡¯t bear to look at his father. He didn¡¯t want to know what look the older man was wearing.

    You got older but still remained a child. No matter how old you got, your parent¡¯s approval still meant something to you.

    ¡°Bai Li. I am sorry. I don¡¯t think I ever apologized.¡± Bai Tao spoke plainly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to respond. Actions speak louder than words.¡±

    Bai Li didn¡¯t know what to do with that. An apology was on the top of the list of things he wished to hear from Bai Tao. Now that he received it, it did not have the effect that he expected.

    He did not know if he could forgive his father. He wanted to see what relationship they could have, but even now, his resentment popped up at the oddest times.

    What should he say?

    He felt relieved that Bai Tao didn¡¯t expect a response but guilty that he didn¡¯t have one anyway.

    It would take time. He would watch and see what actions his father would use to back up his words. So far, he was doing a terrible job.

    ¡°Can we talk about this elsewhere?¡± Bai Li wasn¡¯t sure why he was expected to bear his soul in front of a man he didn¡¯t know all that well and didn¡¯t particularly like.

    Bai Li didn¡¯t lookup. He ended up missing the deep look exchanged between Bai Tao and Julian Simmonds.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head home.¡± Bai Tao said.

    Bai Li stiffened up before relaxing. Bai Tao and his concept of what home was, were two different things.

    Bai Tao made it seem like he was going to meet a stepmother and not a mistress. Maybe that was how it was in Bai Tao¡¯s mind. If Bai Li were in Bai Tao¡¯s place, he would also want to pretend his marriage was over.

    As they drove in silence, Bai Li had an epiphany. He was too good at understanding his father¡¯s situation. His father wasn¡¯t that understanding of his situation.

    They weren¡¯t on equal grounds. It was an unequal relationship.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to live with Bai Wei, and I don¡¯t want to have to speak to Lee Shan. I don¡¯t mind interacting with Bai Fang, Bai Wei, or Bai Mei.¡±

    They were children and his siblings. He wanted to get to know them, but he understood what kind of impact their mothers could have on them. Would sibling love exist in the face of benefits?You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Lee Shan is your mistress. No matter what place she holds in your mind or heart. Can you say that she has never considered the position that Bai Fang will hold? Ping An is the exception, not the norm. She is willing to harm her children to bring benefits to you, but do you think you hold a higher position in Lee Shan¡¯s heart in comparison to Bai Fang.¡±

    Why was he hesitating? His father would either meet him halfway and accept the relationship on his terms, or they would cut things off here.

    His life would be more comfortable with the support that Bai Tao could provide, but he didn¡¯t need it. If he needed to start from scratch, he could do it.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have all the information.¡± The words were strained. Bai Tao¡¯s knuckles were white as he squeezed the steering wheel.

    That was obvious to Bai Li. ¡°The time for you to shelter me from life and Ping An has already passed.¡±

    The car swerved. ¡°Is it too late for me to try?¡± Bai Tao¡¯s voice was high and tense.

    He couldn¡¯t do anything about Bai Tao¡¯s guilt or distress. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I need that information before I make a decision. Respect. What I need from you is respect. What does grandfather know? Why are you so against C school? Who is Julian?¡±

    The first was most crucial. His grandfather was the only person who could influence Bai Tao¡¯s decisions like that. If Bai Tao wasn¡¯t even going to continue the pretense of sending him to C school, something must have changed on Ping Zen¡¯s end.

    He got a headache just thinking about having to deal with Ping Zen.

    Bai Tao relaxed his hold on the steering wheel and started talking. ¡°We called Ping Zen to take Bai Wei to get tests done. I don¡¯t know how, but grandfather was able to identify the family of drugs. While he was there, he got tests done on himself. They found high levels of Thallium in his system. His previous symptoms were miss diagnosed. He didn¡¯t outrightly state it, but Ping An is the main suspect.¡±

    His father was avoiding the main point. ¡°What did Bai Wei do?¡± Bai Li looked at his father for the first time since they left the hospital.

    ¡°Bai Wei was distraught. Ping An asked her to give Ping Zen some candy. She was to give it to him for one week. It is suspected that this candy contained Prussian Blue, which is used to treat Thallium poisoning.¡±

    Ping An overplayed her hand. Why did she do that? In his last life, Ping Zen found out what she did and used Bai Fan to guard against¡­

    Who was Bai Fang guarding against?

    Hahaha. He started laughing uncontrollably. ¡°Who did he originally suspect was poisoning him?¡±

    Bai Li knew the answer to this question. The person Bai Fang would be most useful to guard against wasn¡¯t Ping An. It was him. In his last life, he was the suspect.

    Ping An didn¡¯t overplay her hand. She dug the pit deeper for him. She knew that Ping Zen had caught on to her scheme, so when he requested that Bai Wei be sent to live with Ping Zen, she used that opportunity to set him up.

    Was this the cause of his grandfather¡¯s apathy towards him?

    ¡°Your grandfather was surprised to find out that you and Bai Wei were also being poisoned. They did not find lead in your sister system, though.¡±

    In what world would a fifteen-year-old have the skill and resources to poison Ping Zen?

    ¡°Who did I partner with to carry out this theoretical situation where I poison my grandfather?¡± Bai Li had a list of possible candidates, but one stood out in his mind.

    If the trial was placed later, it should directly lead to the Goldson Family, who just happened to be the family behind C school.

    He was suspected of poisoning his grandfather in both lives. Ping An used it to isolate him from his support system. If he turned to his grandfather, there was nothing she could do. It worked in both lives. Didn¡¯t he remember his grandfather¡¯s treatment and seek out Bai Tao as the lesser of two evils.

    In this life, the added benefit of putting a guilty crown on Bai Tao¡¯s head was there. If all three sides couldn¡¯t get along, wouldn¡¯t she benefit the most? It would all cave in if the three sides communicated, but how likely was that to happen.

    If this happened once, it was likely it happened multiple times. How many people who attacked him in his last life were enemies he made from Ping An, sent to him courtesy of Bai Wei.

    No wonder Ping An was so distraught when he wanted to go to a doctor. He¡¯d never seen her lose her composure that badly unless it had something to do with Lee Shan.

    It also became clear why she was against him going to his grandfather. If he went and asked about those candies, wouldn¡¯t everything unravel?

    ¡°Did Ping Zen tell you I had to go to A school or S School?¡± It would be the best way to prove his innocence. If he had really partnered with the Goldsmith family, a condition they would give him would naturally be to live under their thumb.

    His father was also stupid, throwing himself under the bus and taking the blame for other people¡¯s actions.

    ¡°Your Grandfather is still looking forward to you being the heir. With the poisoning and you hiding your grades, you look like a tiger pretending to be a pig.¡± Bai Tao didn¡¯t answer the questions, but they both knew the truth.

    ¡°She is very thorough.¡± Bai Li¡¯s tone was bitter.

    ¡°Your grandfather knows about Bai Mei as well.¡±

    Bai Li laughed at that. ¡°You mean you told Ping Zen about Bai Mei.¡± At this time, the only four people who knew about that child were him, his father, his mother, and the child''s mother.

    It looked like he would have to bite the bullet and do the one thing he didn¡¯t want to do ever since being sent back in time. He would have to have to go and see his grandfather.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to Ping Zen.¡±

    ¡°I could protect you, just like I planned¡± His voice was hopeful.

    Bai Li wasn¡¯t willing to do that. He¡¯d been avoiding it, but it was time he jumped in feet first. If this kept on happening, he would always be in a defensive position.

 Chapter 18

    Bai Li wasn¡¯t willing to hide behind Bai Tao and let his father shelter him. If he did it once, it would set a precedent that he did not want.

    Before, the one week he had before the start of school looked like a long time. Now, he didn¡¯t have enough time to do everything.

    He remembered the two months he wasted before carelessly approaching Bai Tao. If he went back in time again, he wondered what he could have done differently.

    At the time, he considered living as he did before, then sneaking away from Ping An. Now, he knew that would have been the wrong choice because he would be poisoned and have to live with the consequences.

    When he thought about it, he owed Bai Wei a thank you. This time she saved him. If he didn¡¯t want to escape from Bai Wei, he might not have made that decision.

    It would be a mistake to visit Ping Zen in his current state. He would need to rest and organize his thoughts. The agreement that he presented would have to be shown to his grandfather. It would be even better proof that he wasn¡¯t behind the poisoning.

    Changing schools would remove suspicion, but it wasn¡¯t enough to clear his name. He would be suspicious of the willingness of the parties to compromise.

    How willing was his grandfather to believe that Ping An was poisoning him?

    That might be even more important than the truth. Human relationships were complicated. If one party in a situation refused to believe the truth, the circumstances could be twisted to suit any explanation.

    If Ping Zen didn¡¯t want to believe it was his daughter, then the truth might not be enough to convince him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t plan to visit grandfather until this Saturday.¡± This would give him a few days to think and rest.

    Bai Tao wasn¡¯t planning to interfere. ¡°If you wait that long you might look guilty.¡± Bai Li was able to figure out the situation before any of the adults.

    Being too hasty was as bad as being too slow. ¡°If I don¡¯t wait that long I will look guilty, and I won¡¯t be in the right frame of mind to avoid traps.¡±

    A guilty mind would be in a rush to clarify, and a calculating mind would wait a long time. The problem was, it was Ping Zen who would decide if he was too fast or slow.

    Any businessman you talked to would tell you that the only thing needed to succeed was the right timing. A company with all the resources and support could be outdone by one that caught the market at the right time. Omazon and Acebook were just two examples. They entered the market right when people wanted them the most.

    He was taking into account both their timing. The time it would take for Ping Zen to dig into Ping An if he wanted. Plus, the time Bai Li needed to formulate a plan of action.

    The plan he presented to Ping Zen needed to be air-tight. The document he gave to Bai Tao would prove his innocence, but it would make him conspicuous to Ping Zen. He was already at a point where he could be groomed.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    With her children removed from her custody and given to Bai Tao, Ping An would have her bargaining power reduced.

    ¡°What will my living situation be like?¡± Bai Li would prefer to live with Lee Shan than his grandfather, but he didn¡¯t want to live with either.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you put your foot down?¡± Bai Tao¡¯s voice was hard. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to like her, but she is not as bad as you think.¡±

    Bai Li gave a hollow laugh. Bai Tao married Ping An so he could get his hands on Wen Shi. He didn¡¯t have a ton of faith in his father¡¯s character, much less his taste in women.

    While his memory wasn¡¯t as reliable as he first thought, he still remembered the lengths Lee Shan was willing to go to for Bai Tao and her son.

    While she didn¡¯t have the cruelty and drive of his mother, it would be a mistake to underestimate Lee Shan. He wasn¡¯t a fool. She successfully climbed into a married man¡¯s bed and got comfortable there. A decent person would not have a relationship and a child with a married man.

    Love was a convenient excuse, but he doubted she would have loved Bai Tao enough to do the same if he was poor.

    ¡°How good can she be?¡± He was curious about this question. A wife wouldn¡¯t want to see the children born from the affair. A mistress wouldn¡¯t want to see the legitimate children.

    No matter how Bai Fang was conceived, he was a bastard. To people in their circle that mattered. Even if he had exceptional gifts, the circumstances of his birth would be whispered about and debated.

    Bai Li planned to live a quiet life, but he did not plan to live a worthless life. Bai Fang, who was years younger than him, would have no choice but to live in his shadow. He didn¡¯t plan to be unremarkable to please anyone.

    ¡°You will understand when you meet someone.¡± Bai Tao¡¯s voice was wistful.

    He gave a few hollow laughs. Did Lee Shan have a choice? Where could she go after being with Bai Tao and giving birth to Bai Fang. The minute she stepped out from his protection, there were a million people who would come forward to clean her up.

    ¡°If you stopped trying to force her down my throat, I might like her more.¡± This wasn¡¯t strictly the truth. Actions at this point spoke louder than words. ¡°Better yet, if you make her my stepmother, this would go better.¡±

    They both knew this wouldn¡¯t happen, but a stepmother would feel more secure against the legitimate children than the mistress.

    They were getting closer to the apartment building. ¡°Have you asked her how it feels to send Bai Fang to school under a different name? That he can¡¯t show up as your son?¡±

    Even the nicest person had their bottom line.  He was learning that his father was emotionally insensitive.

    Was he the only one who realized how stupid and unnecessary it was to use Ping An¡¯s eggs? Bai Tao suggesting it and Lee Shan agreeing to it meant that both parties had calculations that existed outside of their relationship.

    They could have gotten a female or male donor from anywhere. Why was it necessary for the child to be related to Ping Zen.

    He shot his father a mocking look. Bai Tao might love him now, but he was setting up an alternate plan.

    His father had the grace to look away. ¡°As I said, the twenty-ninth floor is yours. I would prefer it if the entire family had at least one meal together.¡±

    Bai Li liked the change of tone he heard from Bai Tao. ¡°Dinner on Friday nights.¡± He already planned to give everyone a fair chance. He just planned to do it on his own time. He was more interested in the relationship with his siblings.

    If he could make sure they didn¡¯t view him as an enemy. No matter what any of their parents schemed, he would have an easier time.

    The age gap between all of them was the problem. Money. He needed money.

    ¡°I think that entire document I drafted up with you will have to be thrown out. I am going to have to negotiate with Ping Zen. If I do that, I no longer need you as the middle man.¡± Bai Tao was in charge now, but Ping Zen was the one who determined where Wen Shi ultimately ended up.

    ¡°You still need the money.¡± Bai Tao didn¡¯t beat around the bush. ¡°I am prepared to give it to you, but I think that would make you uncomfortable. Let¡¯s make it a loan that is basically a gift.¡±

    They were talking like business partners, more than father and son. Bai Li felt uncomfortable but was more used to this than the excessive care and concern. He would need to make sure Bai Tao respected him. It was the only way they could get along.

    Time ran out. They pulled up to the apartment building. It wouldn¡¯t be possible for him to escape without greeting Lee Shan. Neither would he let the opportunity pass him by.

    No matter how you talked with or prepared someone. It was hard to be fully ready when an important moment came. How would Lee Shan react when she saw the miniature version of Bai Tao in front of her?

    He would be intruding on their perfect world. Ping An didn¡¯t exist for them there. She could pretend that Bai Tao¡¯s other family didn¡¯t exist when she was safely locked away in her tower. Reality was knocking on her door.

    Bai Li wanted front-row seats. He also wanted Bai Tao to see. He wasn¡¯t planning to wreck anyone¡¯s relationships, but he wouldn¡¯t live like before. Hiding while taking the brunt of someone else¡¯s malice.

 Notice

    Hello Everyone!

    I am adjusting the release schedule of this novel. I have been thinking about it for a while, and I have enough saved chapters to do it. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    The new schedule will be four chapters released from Thursday to Sunday. With an extra chapter on Monday if I had a really productive weekend.

    I am sorry that there is no chapter today. As an apology, there will be a double release tomorrow.

    Thank you for all your support!

 Chapter 19

    They rode the elevator in silence.

    His things would either be brought over from the main house, or he would have to repurchase everything.

    It wasn¡¯t a big loss. He had outgrown or didn¡¯t remember most of the items he owned. There was a pang of disappointment and loss at the thought that he would never step foot in that house again.

    Regardless of how his life was when he lived there. It was still the place he had the most memories in. They weren¡¯t all bad. It was just that the bad times had a way of removing the joy from the good moments.

    The ding sounded, and the doors opened. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself.

    He stood half a step behind Bai Tao and let his father lead the way. He didn¡¯t take in the details around him. All his focus was on the door ahead of them.

    ¡°There is no need to be nervous.¡± Bai Tao reassured him.

    Bai Li wasn¡¯t nervous. He wanted to know the outcome of the meeting, but the results weren¡¯t crucial to him.

    His father was the one who should be nervous. It was in times like this that people¡¯s character became apparent.

    He was sure that his father had called ahead to give Lee Shan a heads up. Would he be welcomed in a formal or relaxed manner?

    Bai Tao didn¡¯t seem worried. His faith in Lee Shan was unshakable. He used his fingerprint to open the door before coming to a sudden stop.

    If he hadn¡¯t put distance between them, he would have walked into his father¡¯s back. He fought against the smile that wanted to form on his lips.

    ¡°Why are you waiting at the door?¡± Bai Tao was incredulous as he laid eyes on Lee Shan.

    Bai Li moved forward, adding oil to fire. He tip-toed and peered over his father¡¯s shoulder until his and Lee Shan¡¯s eyes met.

    She stepped back with a gasp. She wasn¡¯t careful and bumped into Bai Fang, who was behind her. He cried out. Looking wronged, he ran from behind Lee Shan and straight to Bai Tao. Lee Shan tried to grab him but was a step too late.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Bai Fang said brightly. ¡°You look like me.¡± His face pulled into a constipated look. ¡°Or do I look like you?¡± He didn¡¯t stay bothered for long. He jumped out of Bai Tao¡¯s arms and stood in front of Bai Li.

    Bai Li looked at his father and Lee Shan. This was a joke. His father didn¡¯t look back. His eyes were focused on Lee Shan. Bai Li could see the moment the bubble popped.

    If Lee Shan welcomed him with open arms and a pleasant smile on her lips, things would be different. He would have no choice but to distance himself.

    This wasn¡¯t what his father would have expected from Lee Shan, but it suited Bai Li perfectly. If she wasn¡¯t greedy, it meant that he could come to an understanding with this person.

    For Bai Tao, this display by Lee Shan meant that she had ambitions. Whether it was for herself or Bai Fang didn¡¯t matter at this point. The perfect image she created in Bai Tao¡¯s mind was cracking. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    This was not what Bai Li expected, but it was the best outcome. Lee Shan was not like Ping An. She wasn¡¯t groomed or trained from a young age to mingle with successful and dangerous people.

    By the time he tangled with her in his last life, she had already been tempered by his mother¡¯s attacks. Now she was just a greenhorn he didn¡¯t have to guard against.

    Without Ping An, making these people¡¯s relationships stronger by attacking, how would things turn out. He learned early in his last life that relationships that constantly faced external opposition were more stable. Both parties had to rely and depend on each other.

    They had ten years to develop as a couple in his last life. They didn¡¯t have that time to mature now.

    Lee Shan still hadn¡¯t managed to get a hold of her expression. Her arms pulled tight to her chest. Her mouth was open. She looked like she was about to cry.

    Dressed in designer from head to toe. She came to put on a show of force but failed. Lee Shan would not have appeared in front of Bai Tao like this if she was smarter and more experienced.

    If he were a softer person, he would think he was bullying her. What about this woman attracted Bai Tao? The type of woman he hated most were those with loose tear ducts.

    He remembered the straight-faced woman he met outside of Wen Shi. She wasn¡¯t insane like his mother. Instead, she had a calm determination that he had no choice other than to fear and respect. Time was the best teacher, and this woman hadn¡¯t started taking lessons yet.

    The softness that was unlike his mother would have attracted his father. Yet, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to hold on to him. There were a million delicate women that needed protection. It was also likely that she started as perfect as Bai Tao thought, but money changed her.

    It was impossible for money not to change a person. Also, having Bai Fang would have changed her.

    Still, this was a poor showing. She looked like she expected him to attack Bai Fang at any moment.

    ¡°Mommy said not to get close to you because you won¡¯t like me.¡± Bai Fang said. ¡°Why won¡¯t you like me? Aren¡¯t we brothers?¡±

    Bai Li threw his head back and laughed out loud. Did he even need to set a trap for Lee Shan? She dug her grave without him doing anything.

    Since Lee Shan didn¡¯t learn the lessons, she didn¡¯t know what to pass on to Bai Fang. Ping An was much better at training her children. Bai Li didn¡¯t remember a time he didn¡¯t know what could and couldn¡¯t be said.

    Though, when he looked at Bai Fang, he knew his assessment was correct. She had some skills. At Bai Fang¡¯s age, he didn¡¯t have any defining facial features. Why then did Bai Fang mention that they looked alike?

    It would have to be because Lee Shan often told him how much he looked like Bai Tao.

    ¡°Yep, we look just like dad.¡± Bai LI could say this because he knew what Bai Fang looked like in the future.

    Bai Fang¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Yep. Mom always says that I look just like dad. I am going to grow up to be just like him and run a company. That was what mom said I was born to do.¡±

    Bai Li heard his father growl and Lee Shan whimper.

    Yes, this was just like Bai Fang. How did he forget how straightforward his brother¡¯s personality was? He charged at you straight. Lee Shan probably lost the chance to influence his little brother. Bai Li would be happy if that happened.

    Lee Shan should have had a better understanding of her son¡¯s personality before she randomly started saying things.

    Squatting down, he rubbed Bai Fang¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t learn bad things from people, and you will be able to do it.¡± He already planned to support Bai Fang. That was what he planned to propose to Ping Zen. There were a lot of advantages. If done right, his grandfather had no reason to say no.

    It was a plus for everyone involved that Bai Fang was a decent child. If he managed to hold on to his resolute and straightforward personality that Bai Li remembered, he would be a decent adult.

    Bai Fang pushed his hand away, looking aggrieved. ¡°I am not a kid.¡±

    Bai Li felt so sad, looking at a face that would look similar to his. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a rush to grow up. You don¡¯t appreciate being a kid till you are an adult.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Lee Shan started.

    ¡°Li!¡± His father cut in. ¡°Take your brother downstairs and show him your rooms.¡±

    ¡°You get to live by yourself!¡± Bai Fang turned a bright expression to look at his brother. His voice was full of admiration. ¡°I can¡¯t even close my bedroom door.¡±

    For the first time since being reborn, Bai Li felt like he was healing. He was awkward when dealing with his father. He didn¡¯t know what to experience with Ping Zen. He was terrified of Bai Wei. Bai Mei was a half-sister. Bai Fang was his full brother. This was the first familial relationship that had the chance to be healthy.

    Since he wasn¡¯t fighting for Wen Shi, there should be nothing for them to fight over. It was up in the air if Bai Fang even wanted it in his last life. Ping Zen would end up in a pickle if no one wanted the burden of Wen Shi.

    Ping Zen better work hard on Bai Wei.

    Taking a look at his father¡¯s face, he didn¡¯t see any emotion. What would an argument look like when his father wasn¡¯t drugged and behaving irrationally?

    He hoped they worked things out. Wen Shi was about to get busy, and if BAi Tao had to focus on his relationship, he wouldn¡¯t have time to focus on Bai Li¡¯s life. He should have kept the secret of Bai Mei for a rainy day.

    ¡°Is the door open?¡± He asked. After receiving a nod from Bai Ta, he guided Bai Fang out the door. ¡°It is my first time living alone too.¡±

    ¡°That is so cool!¡± Bai Fang ran ahead and pushed the elevator button. He was bouncing on the spot.

    Bai Li was able to take care of the very mellow Bai Wei. How did you deal with a child that had this much energy?

 Chapter 20

    Bai Fang had a ton of energy. Everything was an adventure for him. The new apartment wasn¡¯t fully furnished. The emptiness was perfect for sprinting in.

    They played chance until they were out of energy and collapsed. Bai Fang had the energy to make it to the couch. Bai Li just hugged the floor.

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t my mommy like you?¡± Bai Fang was tired from running all around.

    Bai Li lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. He was panting heavily. Kids saw much more than adults thought. ¡°What do you think about it?¡±

    Bai Fang had a serious expression. ¡°I don¡¯t think I should think about it. You have to judge people for yourself.¡±

    That was a deep answer from such a young person. ¡°Continue not to think about it. Adults have a lot to consider. Children just need to grow up.¡±

    ¡°So, do you like me, or don¡¯t you?¡± Bai Fang wasn¡¯t willing to let go until he got an answer.

    Bai Li thought about how to answer. His feelings for Bai Fang were complex but simple. They didn¡¯t interact other than as business rivals. ¡°I don¡¯t know you.¡±

    Pulling on the edge of the couch, he mumbled in a small voice. ¡°I don¡¯t think you like me.¡±

    Bai Li smiled. Intuitive little stinker. ¡°My mother also told me not to like you. I am here to see and decide for myself.¡±

    ¡°My mother wasn¡¯t like this.¡± He sounded sad. ¡°She says that I have to grow up smart, or we will be left with nothing.¡±

    ¡°Did she?¡± Did he judge her wrong? That wasn¡¯t something he thought Lee Shan would say to Bai Fang. She shielded him too well. It was no secret that she was fiercely protective of him.

    ¡°Grandma said it to her on the phone, and she repeated it. She didn¡¯t say it to my face.¡± Bai Fang shrugged.

    Lee Shan probably got cautious when Bai Li and Bai Tao¡¯s relationship got closer.

    ¡°Do you like me?¡± Bai Li couldn¡¯t help asking.

    His brother shook off the melancholy he was feeling earlier. He nodded his head vigorously. ¡°I like you.¡± His eyes were as big as saucers and so earnest.

    Bai Li chuckled and looked away. He couldn¡¯t manage such a straightforward look. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Cause of how you looked at me. You¡¯re a nice person. When you care, you will do anything for them. If they are your enemy, you won¡¯t spare them a moment.¡± Bai Fang nodded. His sage-like words were accurate. ¡°If you trusted a person, you might not even guard against them. Our sister is so lucky.¡±

    Bai Li had to look long and hard at Bai Fang. Was he the only one that reincarnated?

    No wonder he struggled so much against this little brother of his. If BAi Fang was already this smart and forward-thinking at this age...he shuddered.

    Their sister was indeed lucky, but she didn¡¯t even notice or appreciate her luck. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Do you want to meet our sister?¡± Bai Li asked, unwilling to continue with that conversation.

    Bai Fang scrunched up his nose. He shook his head, his distaste at the thought apparent. ¡°NO!¡±

    This child would be fun to tease. Bai Wei was reserved, but another way to put it was that she was timid. People would like children like Bai Fang more. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like girls. They are yucky, and they cry a lot. They always want to hold my hand and think I should give them my snacks.¡± The maturity that he showed before was gone.

    Laughing, he sat up. He pinched Bai Fang¡¯s puffed-out cheeks. ¡°You will change your mind when you get older?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Bai fang proclaimed. He brushed away his brother¡¯s hand. Bai Li behaved like those aunties that always wanted to pat his head and pinched his cheeks. Bai Fang didn¡¯t know why but his older brother appeared to be very sad all the time. He didn¡¯t know how to cheer him up.

    ¡°What is Wen Shi?¡± Bai Fang asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± If Bai Fang knew, Bai Li doubted he would have asked that question. ¡°Where did you hear about it?¡±

    ¡°Mom was talking to grandma.¡± Bai Fang looked guilty. He knew he shouldn¡¯t eavesdrop. It wasn¡¯t his fault that he built his forte in that room. He couldn¡¯t ask his mom because she would know he listened to her conversation.

    Bai Li had to wonder how much Bai Feng knew about his birth. Bai Fang probably didn¡¯t find out until he was older. Bai Fang behaved as if Wen Shi didn¡¯t have anything to do with him. ¡°What did you hear?¡±

    ¡°Mom said it was just as much mine, and I had a right to it. I didn¡¯t understand. Dad doesn¡¯t own the company he works at. I know because dad¡¯s parents own a clothing store and mom¡¯s parents are farmers.¡± Bai Fang said.

    Bai Li would have to warn Bai Tao to be careful around Bai Fang. He was a lot smarter than the people around him were giving him credit for.

    ¡°Wen Shi is the company that our dad works at.¡± Bai Li didn¡¯t plan to tell Bai Fang anything at this point. His brother might be smart, but he was entitled to a few more years before he had to grow up.

    Bai Fang jumped off the couch and lay beside him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that your mom¡¯s company?¡±

    Lee Shan had a loose month. She needed to be more careful what she spoke of and to whom.

    ¡°Is my mom not my mom?¡±

    Bai Li bolted upright and looked across at Bai Fang. ¡°You!?¡± Being too smart was worse than being stupid. A dumb person could live a happy life without even noticing he was suffering. A smart person would suffer but have to pretend he was alright. It was even worse if you were smart enough to see the danger but too dumb to avoid it.

    Could it be that Bai Fang knew but pretended not to? It would explain why he was so blatantly disinterested in their last life.

    ¡°Grandma said that mom was at a disadvantage because she couldn¡¯t have kids. Grandma said it was a good thing that mom listened to her advice. If she didn¡¯t use that Ping woman¡¯s eggs, she would be at an even bigger disadvantage.¡± Bai Fang repeated what he heard word for word.

    Three things were apparent. Bai Fang had a good memory and comprehensive ability. Lee Shan was being given bad advice. Bai Tao would need to be told about this.

    Bai Li didn¡¯t want to get involved in their relationship, but he wasn¡¯t willing to leave things that could influence him and his brother up to chance. It was one thing if Bai Fang¡¯s grandmother was ambitious and cunning. The situation was different if someone was whispering in her ear.

    How many times did Lee Shan fall and get beaten up until she became the woman he met. He didn¡¯t like her much now. He hated scheming women, but he hated dumb ones even more.

    Was Lee Shan the first to bring up the subject of using Ping An as the donor? Bai Li didn¡¯t guard against her, and he seemed convinced of her benevolence.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t something I wanted you to find out yet. I don¡¯t think your parents wanted you to know either.¡± Bai Li did his best to buy himself time to think a way out.

    ¡°But I already know. I wanted to ask mom, but I would be in trouble for eavesdropping. I was going to ask dad, but then you showed up.¡± Bai Fang carelessly tossed the active grenade his brother¡¯s way without realizing it.

    Bai Li thought about it and couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with those words. ¡°When did you hear this conversation?¡±

    Bai Fang thought about it really hard. ¡°About four months ago.¡±

    Bai Li nodded. So it was before he approached his father. This was not something that his rebirth changed. That means Bai Fang would have approached and asked Bai Tao for clarification. He wondered what their father would have said?

    ¡°We are a really unlucky lot.¡± He said to his brother. ¡°That Ping woman is my mother.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make her sort of my mother?¡±

    That was a dangerous thought for Bai Fang to have. If he sought out Ping An, she wouldn¡¯t let him off. ¡°My mother is a dangerous person. Your mother is Lee Shan. She is a nice person. That Ping lady provided an egg, but it was your mother who carried you and gave birth to you. She gave you all her love. That is what matters.¡±

    Bai Fang didn¡¯t have an interest in meeting Ping An. He was just curious about her. ¡°Does that mean brother should have Wen Shi? Then I don¡¯t want it. It is bad to steal other people¡¯s things.¡± Bai Fang gave it more thought. ¡°Does this means I have more grandparents? Grandparents give good presents.¡±

    Bai Li flopped back. He laughed and laughed. His grandpa did give good presents. Bai Fang was a practical boy. ¡°I don¡¯t want it either. If you want it you can have it.¡±

    He would have to adjust his plans. It was likely that both the boys of the Bai Family would run off to do their own thing. He would have to approach his grandfather about training both his younger siblings.

    His grandfather¡¯s luck was bad. Ping Zen needed to be careful, or he wouldn¡¯t have anyone to inherit Wen Shi in this generation either.

 Chapter 21

    Bai Fang seemed to have run out of serious things to discuss. This was fine by Bai Li. If his younger brother brought up more difficult topics, he wouldn¡¯t know what to do.

    Bai Fang grew up in a comfortable and loving home. If not, he would not have this personality. Bai Li noticed that there didn¡¯t seem to be one decent adult around him or his siblings.

    They moved onto the couch after the floor became uncomfortable. Bai Fang was talkative. He didn¡¯t run out of things to say. They were on a dramatic retelling of a gym class that ended up with one of his classmates having a bloody nose.

    When told by Bai Fang, the drama seemed better than a blockbuster movie.

    He didn¡¯t have to contribute anything to the story. He wouldn¡¯t have any stories worth adding anyway.

    That was how Bai Tao entered the room to find them.

    Bai Li felt hesitant to send his brother to Lee Shan. He didn¡¯t have good experiences with his mother. He didn¡¯t want the overly intuitive Bai Fang to realize what happened.

    It was already a blessing that they did not argue in front of their son.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Bai Tao guessed why his eldest son was showing reluctance. ¡°It''s time to head upstairs for dinner.¡± He kept his tone light when he spoke. It was an indescribable feeling to see both his sons lying together.

    ¡°Is big brother coming?¡± Bai Fang sounded hopeful.

    His little brother was cute, but he wasn¡¯t that cute. He wasn¡¯t willing to sit through an uncomfortable dinner. ¡°You can come here to play after school tomorrow.¡±

    Bai Fang contemplated the merits of the offer. When he made up his mind, he jumped off the couch and raced to the door. ¡°Bye, big brother.¡±

    Bai Li considered himself to be in good shape, but he didn¡¯t want to move after playing with Bai Fang. Just jogging wasn¡¯t enough. It would be good if he took up a sport.

    ¡°Dad, I need to talk to you when you have time.¡± Bai Li needed to strike while the kettle was hot.

    ¡°I will come back later.¡± Bai Tao said. ¡°What are you going to have for dinner?¡±

    Bai Li had checked the kitchen earlier. It was fully stocked. ¡°I can make something.¡± He wasn¡¯t the best cook, but he learned how to feed himself when he went to college.

    Haha. He forced an awkward laugh. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to eat from other people.¡±

    His dad¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Can you cook?¡± There was nothing he could say after getting that reply.

    ¡°Well enough. I won¡¯t be surviving on ramen if that is what you are worried about.¡± Bai Li watched as Bai Fang¡¯s limited patience started to run out. ¡°You and Bai Fang can eat with me tomorrow so you can judge for yourself.¡±

    Bai Tao was content with that.

    Bai Li let out a relieved breath when they left.

    He didn¡¯t mind the company, but it was good to be alone. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Having a space that was his.

    Bai Li went directly to the door. Changing the passcode as well as put it in his fingerprint. He scoured the entire apartment for listening devices and cameras. Thankfully, technology wasn¡¯t at a point where things were wireless, or he would have needed an RF detector.

    The apartment had much more space than he needed. It was due to the large size why he felt like he could breathe. No one could enter this space without his permission.

    Moving to the kitchen, he hummed as he made dinner.

    It was three hours before Bai Tao turned up. He only raised an eyebrow when he realized that his passcode couldn¡¯t open the door anymore.

    ¡°How was dinner?¡± Bai Li asked to be polite, more than because he wanted the answer.

    Bai Tao gave a dry laugh. ¡°It was delicious.¡±

    It was a miracle that his father didn¡¯t have digestive issues.

    ¡°Who is Julian?¡± The question plagued him since he met the doctor.

    ¡°He is your cousin.¡±

    Bai Li was not close with any of his father¡¯s side of the family. Since Ping An isolated him, there wasn¡¯t the opportunity to get to know them.

    That explained Julian¡¯s attitude. As a doctor, he wasn¡¯t professional. As a family member...he was still crappy.

    He remembered all of the important people, so Julian must not have played a significant role in his last life. It didn¡¯t seem right considering the amount of faith his dad put in the doctor.

    ¡°We need to talk about Bai Fang.¡± Bai Li tested the waters. When his father didn¡¯t raise his guard, something in him loosened. ¡°Bai Fang is smart.¡± Bai Li saw pride start to creep into his dad¡¯s expression. ¡°He is too smart.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± His voice was neutral.

    ¡°Bai Fang listens. He can understand what is and isn¡¯t said.¡± Bai Li took out his phone and played the conversation they had.

    Bai Tao dropped his head into his hands. His shoulders slumped the more he listened.

    Bai Li wouldn¡¯t do more than this. ¡°You need to clean that up.¡± As a son, it wouldn¡¯t be right to get more involved in his father¡¯s affairs.

    ¡°How do you like your brother?¡± Bai Tao asked. He knew what to do. It was already bad enough that his son had to point it out.

    ¡°He is so straightforward I can barely handle it.¡± Bai Li had a hard time handling his brother¡¯s direct approach. When you behaved a certain way, it was hard to think that everyone wasn¡¯t the same.

    That was why scheming people had a hard time. It was impossible for them to think that not everyone was plotting against them.

    They also did well because they prepared as if everyone was targeting them.

    Bai Li didn¡¯t want his brother to learn about manipulative and scheming people. He would have to be hurt for it to be an effective lesson. Bai Tao would still need to go through it. Bai Li wouldn¡¯t stop it or interfere.

    It was just the same with Bai Wei. She needed to learn to be alone and how to depend on herself.

    ¡°What did you think of Lee Shan?¡±

    He thought about it before answering. ¡°She is a pitiful person that has potential. She would have done well as an ordinary man¡¯s wife. As a mistress, she is the worst possible choice.¡± He did not censor his opinion.

    Bai Li gave a piece of unwanted advice. ¡°You might want to start toughening her up if you want to maintain your relationship.¡± Lee Shan would not have the time to mature before she had to confront Ping An.

    ¡°I am happy that it wasn¡¯t her idea and sad that it was not her idea.¡± Bai Tao said. If Lee Shan was smart, it was a problem. If she was stupid, it was a problem.

    There were no perfect relationships. It would be up to his father to decide what he wanted. Lee Shan developed into a suitable partner for Bai Tao that might not happen this time around.

    It wasn¡¯t his problem. This stepmother or another stepmother didn¡¯t make much of a difference.

    ¡°Are you bringing Bai Mei in?¡± Bai Li asked.

    Bai Tao was conflicted on what to do. He met with his former secretary. She stuck with her story, but it was impossible she didn¡¯t realize something was wrong. That meant she kept quiet on purpose. ¡°Do I have a choice?¡±

    Bai Mei was tricky. She wasn¡¯t entitled to anything, but if she lived with them, she might grow to think she was. The only saving grace was that she was still young enough. She would forget what she was taught.

    Bai Li didn¡¯t think for a moment that Rose Jones wouldn¡¯t give up her daughter. While it was not what she originally planned, she was smart and flexible. The minute she realized she had been used, she cut all ties and left the country.

    It was hard to know what she would do since her daughter was still young, but the decisive way she left Mei in the past made him think she always had it in the back of her mind that she would need to do that.

    In the end, Bai Li couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about leaving her with Lee Shan?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t before, but I am now.¡± Bai Tao did not think that would be a big issue. He did not cheat on Lee Shan, but at the same time, Lee Shan was not in a position where she could hold him accountable if he did.

    Ping Zen would not care about Bai Mei. It might be best that she went to live with the Bai Family. She might have her grievances, but she would have an easier life.

    ¡°We can take Bai Fang with us.¡± It would be better to show Bai Fang in front of his grandfather. ¡°Bai Wei Should not be introduced to him yet.¡±

    Bai Fang would need his grandfather¡¯s protection. Bai Li realized that his mother¡¯s scheme this time was to remove him from that protection.

    Ping Zen would not interfere within reason. His mother wanted to act beyond her father¡¯s bottom line.

 Chapter 22

    Bai Li was having the best night¡¯s sleep of his life. That alone should have been enough to let him know that something was going to go wrong.

    He should have burned out his apartment before he slept in it.

    A ghost of some sort or another had decided to disturb him.

    Bai Li bolted upright in bed.

    Knox Degas.

    The name came to him as a flash in the blue. Julian Simmonds. Two people, he was supposed to know but didn¡¯t.

    Looking at his phone, he noticed the time and date. He turned on the news and checked every channel before confirming his suspicion.

    Didn¡¯t he say it. This man would have to be dead for him not to know who he was.

    The accident was such a big deal that it even broke into his medicated, drugged, depressive haze. Cedar International Hospital had a major accident happen. An oxygen tank exploded and destroyed half of the hospital.

    Knox Degas was a casualty of that accident.

    It was a name that anyone in business was familiar with. As the owner of Trident Industries, he was a pioneer in many fields. He was known to be as ruthless as he was imaginative.

    He sat beside that man and carried out a calm conversation. He might as well have waved a red flag at a charging bull. No wonder he attracted his attention. Any sane 15-year-old boy would not have been able to do that.

    At least he did not leave a bad impression, or at least he didn¡¯t think he did. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem. It was an odd encounter, but not enough to generate too many feelings.

    Bai Li drifted deeper into a mindless haze. It was a startling realization that he could save people¡¯s lives.

    The supposed accident didn¡¯t happen that meant it was staged. The target could have been any number of people, but it was likely to be Knox. He didn¡¯t know this at the time. Later he found out that the Degas family was unique and brutal.

    None of the children were legitimate since Aron Degas did not marry. He did not plan to train anyone or give his inheritance to his favorite child. His only stipulation was that the person who had the best results would inherit.

    Each brother was given startup money and ten years to grow a company. If he had not died in a tragic accident, Knox Degas should have won. The bet was coming to an end this year.

    Could he go and collect this favor?

    He remembered the security guard that came out of the closet with a nurse. A member of his security detail would never cause a breach like that.

    Having pointed it out, Knox was the type of person that would take action immediately. Trident started out as a private military company, basically mercenaries.

    It was now the largest security firm in the world. Their focus now was on cybersecurity. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Bai Li sort of felt bad for the other Degas brothers.

    The family rapidly declined after Knox¡¯s death. Not because his siblings were subpar or useless, simply because he put fail-safes in place. It was a running joke that he was more vicious dead than alive.

    It wasn¡¯t a full year before the Degas Empire was torn to pieces. Trident Industries splintered into different branches and continued as several smaller companies.

    Bai Li wanted to kick himself. He said that the actions he took wouldn¡¯t affect the global market. In the next breath, he saves the life of a man that could shake the international business scene.

    The companies he was focusing on investing in were located in the United Plates. It was a good thing that he made those plans. If he wanted to count on his knowledge of the domestic market, he would be screwed.

    Knox Degas being alive would change everything.

    It was a pity he couldn¡¯t go and boast about his good deeds. Having Degas owe him a favor would be useful.

    He would behave more cordially when they met for a second time. It was impossible that they wouldn¡¯t.

    Bai Li sent a prayer up for his father. He would have to work five times as hard to grow Wen Shi in the current business climate.

    A lot of companies benefited from the Degas family tragedy. Many spaces opened up in industries, and the infighting was a perfect opportunity.

    He was even more hopeful that Lee Shan would cause a commotion. Business would be slow. The rush he predicted would not happen. He needed something to divert his father¡¯s attention.

    He patted the bank card that his father gave him last night. There was an opportunity if the business collapsed, but there is also an opportunity if it grows.

    Bai Li could figure out that the Degas half brothers were involved in something shady. Even if Knox did not know what it was, he would still need to take steps to avoid future problems.

    Bai Li could practically count the money he would make. Degas would sweep through and deal with his siblings. Trident stocks would be worth more, and he could short the stocks for his brother¡¯s companies. Not to mention their subsidiaries and partners!

    At first, he thought their encounter was an unlucky one. Now he realized he got the first big opportunity since his rebirth.

    He would count the benefits he received as Knox Degas paying him back. He would have to figure out a way to collect from Julian Simmonds. Since they were family, he would be sure to give him a discount.

    To keep the relationship balanced, you have to treat your family the same as everyone else. If Bai Li looked in a mirror, he would be terrified by the smile on his face.

    As it was, he jumped out of bed and happily went about his day. There were a lot of things that he needed to get done.

    He called Bai Tao and arranged for a driver. He spent the whole day buying things he would need for his apartment.

    When he got back, he organized his purchases.

    The space he was most proud of was the office. He put on a keypad lock on the door. It was better to be safe than sorry.

    He dived into work. Happily throwing everything to the back of his mind.

    It was 5 in the afternoon when his alarm went off. He didn¡¯t finish everything he needed to do, but he got a good start.

    Getting up, he prepared dinner.

    He put his best foot forward since he would be feeding Bai Tao. He didn¡¯t think BAi Fang would care what was put in front of him as long as it was edible.

    It was important to give a good impression since he didn¡¯t want Bai Tao trying to interfere by providing meals.

    Dinner was a loud affair, with Bai Fang carrying most of the conversation. It would have been better if he could have a sip of wine with dinner. He reframed because he didn¡¯t want to teach Bai Fang bad things or attract attention from Bai Tao.

    It wouldn¡¯t make a difference if he drank when he was by himself.

    He helped Bai Fang with his homework and gave him a tour of the apartment. It was a scarily plain evening.

    It gave him a taste of how things would be if all the women in their lives disappeared. It wouldn¡¯t happen, but it was a nice respite.

    His father and brother had left. The dishes were clean, and he was preparing for bed when there was a buzz at the door.

    It could only be a few people that could get to him. He thought it was his father as he made his way to the door.

    Looking through the peephole, he saw an anxious Lee Shan.

    Lee Shan was not acting smart. Coming here after putting Bai Fang to bed was as dumb a move as she could ever make. Bai Tao told him over dinner that he would be heading back into the office.

    What did she hope to achieve by coming here? Lee Shan should have gone through Bai Tao if she wanted to meet him.

    He got his phone and sent a text. He had cleared himself of culpability by informing his father.

    Did she assume that he wouldn¡¯t notify Bai Tao?

    This was likely to be the work of someone else giving her advice.

    Opening the door, he stood to the side. Lee Shan stood there for a long time, looking at him. He couldn¡¯t care less what conclusion she came to, but she nodded at him before taking a step over the threshold.

    ¡°It would be smarter if you turn back. There is nothing to be gained here.¡± He still left the door open. He gave her the last opportunity to leave. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± He said, swinging the door shut. As it slammed close, he saw her flinch.

 Chapter 23

    It looked like he was bullying a small animal. Lee Shan was nervous and trembling. Anyone who saw this would think he was up to no good.

    Why come and visit without being prepared for the consequences of her actions?

    This trembling was more annoying than it was endearing. It might work to soften Bai Tao, but it irritated Bai Li.

    "If you are not planning to say anything, then get out." His voice contained no force.

    "I need to talk to you." She grit her teeth. Lee Shan refused to turn back.

    "I imagine you did. Or else you would have had no reason to come down here and disturb my peace."  Did she want him to be warm and welcoming?

    Lee Shan was standing outside in the cold with a boulder beside her. Despite being warned not to. She threw the boulder at the glasshouse she lived in.

    Bai Li gestured towards the couch.

    Lee Shan hesitated for a moment before going to sit.

    ¡°What do you want from my son?¡± Her voice was serious and her gaze sharp. The trembling had stopped.

    It was admirable how far she would go for her son. If she used that same attitude when dealing with everything else, she would have been fine.

    ¡°What do you think I want from my younger brother?¡± Since we were pointing out family relations.

    ¡°You know about that?¡± The rabbit-like trembling started all over again.

    ¡°Did you plan to keep it a secret forever?¡± Oops. He put his foot in his mouth. Bai Li didn¡¯t know what Bai Tao was thinking by not telling her. ¡°Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, what do you think I would do to him?¡±

    Lee Shan looked down at her hands then back up. ¡°He is a threat to you.¡± She sounded confident.

    Bai Li started laughing. He was wrong. The adults in his life were good for comedic effect and stress relief. It was good that all of them weren¡¯t as smart or resourceful as his mother.

    ¡°Does Bai Fang have a chance to be a threat to me?¡± He was good, but he was young. Did she realize that if he had ill will against his brother, this would have added to his desire to clean him up?

    He beat Bai Fang already. In this timeline, the age gap between them didn¡¯t allow much room for Bai Fang to do anything. Last time, Bai Li wasn¡¯t exceptional till later. Right now, he could take over Wen Shi at this moment and not have problems running it.

    ¡°I know you aren¡¯t a suitable heir?¡± Lee Shan pressed forward. The effect would have been better if her words didn¡¯t trail off into a question.

    Oh, did she now? ¡°I wonder where you heard that?¡± Bai Li rested his head on his hand. Tilting it, he smiled at her.

    ¡°Everyone knows?¡± She was confused. This is not the reaction she was expecting. They said that he was immature and temperamental.

    Someone was giving her information from behind. The family kept him out of the spotlight. Only the people invested in getting his information would go through the trouble.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Considering whose bed you are sleeping in, do you think it is smart to be taking information from random people?¡± Bai Li wasn¡¯t in the mood to help her, but it would affect Bai Fang, so he extended an olive branch.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± She blushed heavily.

    ¡°Do you think the information about me is so easy to find? Think carefully about who told you. Then ask yourself, where would that person be able to get the information?¡±

    Her eyes widened. ¡°She would never put me in danger!¡±

    If a mother wouldn¡¯t put her child in danger, then he wouldn¡¯t be in this position. ¡°Do you think she is in any position to verify the information she is given? Before you charge in like a bull in a china shop?¡±

    ¡°I will talk to Tao about this!¡± The blush in her face was getting deeper.

    ¡°That is what you should have done in the first place.¡± He patted the phone in his pocket. Pulling it out, he showed it to her. ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t tell him before I opened the door to you?¡±

    ¡°He called, and I answered. The phone has been connected this whole time. I wouldn¡¯t want to end up in trouble because you told the story whichever way you felt like.¡± Bai Li only planned to record the conversation, but Bai Tao wanted to listen for himself.

    ¡°Tao,¡± She called out, reaching for the phone.

    ¡°Since you came to talk. Then let¡¯s talk.¡± Bai Li shifted the phone out of reach. ¡°What made you think I wanted something from Bai Fang?¡±

    ¡°Why else would you come here?¡± She didn¡¯t take her eyes off the phone. Tears welled up in her eyes.

    Bai Li couldn¡¯t understand this logic. If he wanted something, then the person he came here for would most likely be Bai Tao. ¡°Is Bai Fang old enough for me to get any benefits? Wouldn''t it be more likely that I came here for Bai Tao?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± She didn¡¯t continue for a moment. ¡°Isn¡¯t your relationship with your father bad?¡±

    ¡°Is that a question you should be asking after you are already here?¡± Bai Li didn¡¯t want to continue this conversation. He needed to adjust his thinking again. So far, the people he interacted with were just like their past selves that he remembered. That would not be true for everyone.

    He would need to judge whether their personalities were the same or had changed over the years.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know how my mother is? Then why are you going around telling people about Bai Fang?¡± Lee Shan wouldn¡¯t put her child in danger, but she didn¡¯t filter the people around her.

    No wonder Bai Tao thought she was a good person. She saw the good in everyone and didn¡¯t put up her guard.  It was easy to get close to her, and she would believe you even if you told a lie. She would forgive you if she found out your lies.

    After dealing with Ping An, this type of magnanimous person would have been a balm to Bai Tao¡¯s soul. It was a pity that medicine was only supposed to be used for a short time.

    ¡°She would never tell anyone.¡± She clenched her fists. The tears were replaced by anger.

    Something big must have happened in his past life to change a person that much. He wasn¡¯t close to the family, so he wouldn¡¯t have known if anything big happened to Bai Fang.

    Lifting the phone to his ear. ¡°We are going to have to move Bai Fang from the school he is at. It is no longer up for discussion. I am sure you can agree that he needs to meet Ping Zen. Without our grandfather¡¯s protection, too many flies will try to get close.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes I wonder who is the father and who is the son.¡± Bai Tao sounded tired. ¡°I am sending someone to pick him up from school. I already sent people to investigate on Lee Shan¡¯s end.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to listen to the rest?¡± Bai Li asked. Bai Tao should be busy with work.

    His father directly hung up without answering.

    He set the phone to record before dropping it on the table.

    He looked at Lee Shan, who was trembling with anger instead of fear. ¡°Christ, you are stupid.¡± The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

    ¡°You can¡¯t talk to me like that!¡± She cried out.

    ¡°Why?¡± This woman was far out of her wheelhouse. ¡°Who will stop me if I want to talk to you like this?¡±

    ¡°Tao¡­¡±

    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t come down here to talk with me like this, dad might have taken your side. From what you have seen, does our relationship look bad? Shouldn¡¯t you have asked him for information before you made a move?¡± It was disappointing.

    Bai Li went in for the kill. He was a firm practitioner of an eye for an eye. ¡°As you are, dad could never bring you anywhere by his side. You should stay in your ivory tower and not stick your foot into matters on the outside.¡±

    ¡°Bai Fang will get what he is entitled to because he is a Ping. If you wanted to shelter your child from harshness and cruelty, you would never have used Ping An¡¯s egg. You can¡¯t teach him the lessons he needs to learn.¡± Getting up, he walked to the door.  ¡°If you aren¡¯t careful, you won¡¯t even be able to hold onto Bai Tao.¡±

    ¡°That will never happen! We love each other!¡± At moments like this, he caught a glimpse of the woman he remembered Lee Shan to be.

    She would have to find a different path to development. With him here, it was unlikely that anything would happen to Bai Fang. She would lose her impetus to grow.

    He gestured for her to leave. If love was enough, why would so many relationships fail. Why would lovers become the most bitter enemies?

    Blue eyes that haunted him flashed in his mind. ¡°Sometimes love is the justification we use to do the most damage and destroy the people we care about.¡± She looked like she had more to say, but he cut her off. ¡°Get out. I don¡¯t see any reason to entertain you as you make an even bigger fool of yourself.¡±

 Chapter 24

    Lee Shan was not an issue. The people who might be behind her were the problem. It would not be a stretch to guess that they were responsible for tipping off Ping An to the existence of his father¡¯s second family.

    Lee Shan was careless. It made sense that the news leaked from her end. While she would have heard about his mother, it was obvious she wasn¡¯t as afraid as she should be.

    Bai Li rubbed his temples. This day wasn¡¯t going the way he hoped. It would be enough if the people around him were neutral. Was it too much to hope that people stopped getting in his way? They didn¡¯t need to be helpful.

    Walking to the table, he picked up the list of people he wanted to scout. It was time to get people who were useful on his side. He thought long and hard about who to recruit. The people he used in the future weren¡¯t old enough or skilled enough to pull to his side now.

    This list was drafted using all the talents he remembered. Some were his others belonged to his competitors. He picked up a second list that contained people he could nurture. While helping someone didn¡¯t guarantee full loyalty, it had its benefits.

    Tobias Carpenter. That was the first person he wanted to pull to his side. His freedom would be a lot less than he originally imagined. He would need someone to manage his affairs and to move when he couldn¡¯t.

    Carpenter was just the manager of a shopping mall at this point in his life. Due to family issues, he dropped out of law school. Ten years from now, he would be known as one of the business world¡¯s best fixers.

    The best part is he would require little training. Three months from now, he would be fired and sued. It was during that case that he made headlines and launched his own business. It was a given that he already had the necessary skill set.

    Bai Li didn¡¯t feel any shame in derailing Tobias¡¯s life path for personal gain. In his mind, it was a partnership for both of their benefits. If Tobias grew under his wing, wouldn¡¯t that be best?

    The next person on his list would have to be crossed off. Dave Campo worked at Trident Industries. He used to be his father¡¯s head of security. With Knox still alive, there was little chance of him being recruited.

    There were three other people he was considering as his head of security. He would use Tobias to help him look into them before making a decision.

    The next person he needed was a programmer/hacker. This list was small. He didn¡¯t need an IT graduate from a top university. Those were a dime a dozen. What he needed was an underground hacker. While hackers had been around since the dawn of computers, they weren¡¯t as prevalent now.

    One step at a time. He smiled as he stroked the computer he purchased today. It was a good thing Tobias worked at a mall.

    Getting in contact with him wouldn¡¯t be an issue.

    Moving onto the third document. He picked up the plan he made to present to his grandfather. This was where he had the biggest problem.

    The more he thought about it, the more he realized he knew very little about his grandfather or his activities. All he had was an irrational fear of approaching the man.

    He didn¡¯t have enough interactions with his grandfather to have that fear. That means it would have been cultivated in him by his mother. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    He honestly could not figure out how their meeting would go. His assumptions could be right or wrong. He just knew how capable his grandfather was as a businessman. The towering persona was hard to shake.

    The fear he had was the fear his mother felt when she thought of her father. It also made sense why she wouldn¡¯t want her children to interact with him.

    He was basically approaching Ping Zen blind. All he could do was put together several plans and prepare for as many scenarios as he could.

    It was hard for him to sleep that night. The things he needed to do kept swirling in his mind.

    Bai Li woke up groggy and more than a little bit miserable. It took all his willpower not to throw his ringing phone into a wall.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°Hello,¡± a deep voice responded.

    Bai Li bolted upright. This wasn¡¯t a voice he could forget. ¡°Mr. Degas.¡±

    ¡°I knew you would figure it out. Despite not having looked at my face.¡± Knox sounded amused.

    ¡°If I had a choice, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to figure it out either.¡± There was no point in lying to this man. His best option was to try and develop an equal relationship of some sort.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Knox said without expanding. They both knew what he was talking about. ¡°I sent you a present. It contains a few things I think you need the most.¡±

    Why did it sound more like a land mine than a present? Did he dare to accept it? ¡°That is too kind of you. There is no need for that.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can reject it?¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can force me to accept?¡± Bai LI countered.

    Knox laughed. ¡°Use the things I sent however you want. It is entirely free.  I don¡¯t care for games. When I want something, or there is a price to be paid, you will know about it.¡±

    Bai Li couldn¡¯t figure out the hidden meaning of those words.

    ¡°Bai Li, what secrets are you hiding?¡±

    Bai LI¡¯s heart started to race. Those words could mean a lot of things, but why were his instincts telling him Knox was talking about his rebirth. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. I also don¡¯t think you know me well enough to ask that question.¡±

    There was silence at the end of the line. ¡°That just tells me that you really have a secret.¡±

    Bai Li couldn¡¯t lie. There would be no benefits, and he couldn¡¯t guarantee that it would work. What he could do was use misdirection to his benefit. ¡°Everyone has secrets, Mr. Degas.¡±

    ¡°I would prefer it if you would call me Knox.¡±

    I would prefer it if we weren¡¯t having this conversation, but you don¡¯t hear me saying anything. ¡°That would be rude. You are older than me.¡±

    There was a sharp intake of breath on the other side of the line. What did he say?

    Knox let out a hollow laugh. ¡°Your package should have arrived. Let¡¯s stay on the line while you go and pick it up.¡±

    Bai Li would be lying if he said that he wasn¡¯t curious about what Knox had sent. It would be interesting to see how much Knox Degas valued his life.

    The landline rang. Picking it up, he listened to the desk man for a beat before telling him he would head down now.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like being watched.¡± His need to get a security detail just jumped up on his list of priorities. He wouldn¡¯t even bother to ask how Knox found out where he lived.

    ¡°Would you believe me if I said I would stop?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are doing it now.¡± Bai Li didn¡¯t know why he had sparked this much interest from the man.

    At least he was getting his favor repaid. It would have been dangerous if he approached Knox on his own.

    ¡°I don¡¯t either. That is why I am trying to figure it out.¡±

    Bai Li¡¯s heart rate spiked again. The dark undertones of that voice seemed to be hinting at something more. ¡°You know that doesn¡¯t make any sense, right?¡±

    ¡°Li, there are a lot of things that don¡¯t make any sense about you.¡± Knox¡¯s voice had gone back to being amused.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the time or energy to play mind games with you.¡± Bai Li really didn¡¯t. It would take all his energy to sort out the problem he already had without adding any more complications to it.

    ¡°I told you. No games. I would ask right now if I thought you would answer.¡± Knox paused. There were voices talking in the background. ¡°I think actions speak louder than words. Your mother won¡¯t be coming to bother you for a while. Save this number. Goodbye, little Li.¡±

    Didn¡¯t he want to stay on the line until he collected the package? Something must have happened.

    Bai Li couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Knox had done to Ping An. He didn¡¯t care as long as it worked.

    He was worried about what Knox wanted but could only wait and see. He didn¡¯t think that he was hostile, though having him curious would be worse.

    It would be better to deal with his family before worrying about the shadowy figure that was Knox Degas.

    He reached the front desk to see a delivery man holding a gift basket.

 Chapter 25

    Bai Li walked towards the delivery man. A nervous giggle slipped past his lips. Since when did commandos part-time as delivery men?

    This was one of the men who was guarding Knox at the hospital. If things like this continued to happen, Bai Li would end up developing stomach issues. He needed to get back into the mindset where he looked forward to the challenge and thrived on the stress.

    The man got visibly more nervous the closer he got. He rubbed a hand on his chest. ¡°Are you Mr. Bai? This is a prize you won for spending more than $2000 at LP computer store.¡±

    Was this a mind game or Knox¡¯s way of saying he would be upfront with his activities? It was hard to tell. He would continue to wait and see. He didn¡¯t want to have to fight against Knox Degas. He didn¡¯t have the right foundation to do it.

    ¡°That is me.¡± Bai Li looked at the security desk to see the guard man watching them intensely. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if his father found out about this. Not to mention all the other people in the building who paid to have him keep an eye out.

    As he looked at the things inside the basket, he was even more suspicious.  It looked like a regular prize. There was tin food and a bottle of sparkling wine. The more ordinary it looked, the more his heart raced.

    He took the basket. ¡°Tell the sender thank you for me. I appreciate it.¡±

    The man smiled as if he was in on a secret. ¡°As long as you continue to shop with us, that will be the best thing.¡±

    Giving two hollow laughs, he signed the receipt.

    Getting on the elevator, he couldn¡¯t stop steering at the package in his hand. It felt like a heavy hot potato. Knox said it contained what he needed most. The things Bai Li needed most, other than a new family, were people and capital.

    In his room, he placed the basket on the table and stared at it. He had the feeling that if he opened it, his life would go down a path he couldn¡¯t imagine.

    There was no turning back. Even if Knox handed him poison, he would use it to the best of his abilities and poison him back. That was how he lived his life until this point. Using everything about him to his advantage.

    If he had resolved to use Bai Wei back then, he would have seen her character and not ended up in the situation that he did.

    Unwrapping the plastic, he placed all the foodstuff on the table and stared at the envelopes at the bottom of the basket. There were four of them, two thicker than the rest.

    He started from the thinnest one.

    Bai Li sucked in a sharp breath. He read twice before he could believe what he was seeing. The fifty thousand that Bai Tao had given him looked like chump change. A total of twenty million in assets was in front of him.

    Picking up the second envelope, he read the contents. Bai Li burst into laughter. It was pictures and proof that Ping An was in contact with the Goldstein family. He checked the dates. Everything was dated after he decided to go to C School.

    Was Ping An sloppy because she wasn¡¯t prepared? Or was Knox that good?

    Looking at his phone, he wondered if he should call. Having an ally was better than an enemy. There were no eternal allies or enemies. Only benefits. He couldn¡¯t remember who said it, but it was the truth.

    Since the opportunity presented itself, he would be a fool not to take it. He would take the chance and call after he looked through everything.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The third envelope. He could hardly contain his excitement. This was like someone handing you a pillow as you were falling asleep. Then after see you were cold, covering you with a blanket. The third envelope contained the information on the Trident security team that was being assigned to him. He would be free to use them for a year. He would have to pay and renew the contract after that.

    The last envelope was like being gently woken up after a long night¡¯s sleep and then being served breakfast in bed. It contained: banking information, company registration, and international business permit.

    This took care of all the things he would have to rely on Ping Zen or Bai Tao to take care of. It was troublesome being a minor. Not for the first time, he wished he was in a novel where common sense didn¡¯t apply.

    He added an accountant to the list of things he needed to get. His plans were progressing faster and smoother than he expected.

    Picking up his phone, he dialed the number he knew people would kill to have.

    ¡°Little Li. I didn¡¯t expect to hear from you this soon.¡± Knox answered on the first ring.

    Are you still saying that when you answered so quickly?

    ¡°Bullshit.¡± Bai Li decided to throw away his act in front of this man. Their cooperation would be a long one. ¡°How much can I trust the men you sent to my side?¡±

    ¡°You mean how much you can expect them to report to me?¡± Knox stated. ¡°We are a professional company. The men by your side are your people. Trident wouldn¡¯t have lasted this long if our clients couldn¡¯t trust our discretion.¡±

    There was the sound of shouting in the background. ¡°I have other people keeping an eye on you.¡±

    Bai Li would take that with a grain of salt.

    ¡°Why the interest in me?¡± Bai Li decided to take the chance and be upfront.

    Knox laughed. He had not been expecting this question, but it was refreshing to have someone be so upfront. ¡°Bai Li, who are you? Every time I see you, I get this stuffy burning feeling in my chest. I must talk to you. I don¡¯t know how to explain it. It only happens when I see you in person. My rationality goes out the door. Can you tell me why?¡±

    ¡°What kind of bullshit are you saying?¡± That was Bai Li¡¯s gut reaction, but something in the back of his mind clicked. He chased the thought. He had been reborn. He always kept in mind that his being here would change things.

    Was this a one-off event?. Was he the only person who ever got this opportunity?

    He saved Knox¡¯s life.

    ¡°You have only seen me once.¡± Bai Li bought time as his mind ran a million miles an hour.

    ¡°I went to see you at the mall. I was so shocked by my reaction at the Hospital. I watched the video footage and the effect wasn¡¯t the same. The third time I saw you, it was less strong.¡± Knox¡¯s voice was intense. ¡°Why is that, Little Li?¡±

    Wasn¡¯t this all about cause and effect?

    He would need to experiment with this more. Did he aff the people¡¯s lives he saved?

    ¡°Would you believe it if I said I wasn¡¯t the only one? All of the men who were there with me said they had an odd reaction when they were near you. Except for one, can you guess which one? Even that doctor ran home to complain about how irritating your face was. He couldn¡¯t keep calm.¡±

    Bai Li felt his back go cold. If he could experiment, couldn¡¯t someone else?

    Avoid!!!! His mind shouted. ¡°Where is this coming from?¡± Bai Li kept his voice calm. ¡°Is that the reason you are interested in me? Because you get all bothered when I am around.¡±

    Knox laughed. ¡° I am curious. Very curious.¡± His voice was lazy. He never expected a straight answer anyway. ¡°You would be shocked if you knew my first thoughts. I am an intense person. Possessive even. Now I just want to see where this goes. What things do you know?¡±

    Bai Li rubbed his chest. The need to tell someone overwhelming. ¡°I know a lot of things.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get be on guard, Little Li, we have time, a lot of time thanks to you.¡± Knox wasn¡¯t in a rush.

    That was not reassuring. ¡°What did you do in regards to my mother?¡± This conversation needed to get back on track. Even if he wanted to tell, the only safe secret was the one no one knew.

    ¡°Keep your secrets. Your mother is nuts. When my team started looking, it was like crawling into an ant nest. Everything was dead ends and traps. I am thinking of using her to train my team. Even I would benefit from studying her.¡± Knox looked at the information they had on the Bai and Ping family.

    ¡°The information regarding the Goldstein family was damn hard to find. I think she did it to get caught. She gave it up to hide something else.¡± Knox tapped his finger on the desk. ¡° as for getting her off your back. I threw her a bone. Did you know that your father had a first love?¡±

 Chapter 26

    Bai Li was getting a headache. He hoped he didn¡¯t have any more half-siblings. ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°She disappeared. Shortly after your mother met your father, she vanished.¡±

    ¡°Is she dead or alive?¡± Bai Li knew his mother wasn¡¯t above murder. Her interest in his father went back further than he thought.

    ¡°I swept some old bones out the closet,¡± Knox said without giving a real answer.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to know anyway. How long will it keep her busy?¡± When negotiating with his grandfather, he could clear his name with the information on his mother.

    ¡°Six months to a year.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Did you see my medical records?¡± Since this man was presenting himself as useful, Bai Li would use him to the fullest.

    ¡°No. Why?¡± There was a dark note in his voice.

    ¡°Nothing too serious. I need a reliable doctor.¡± Bai Li would be a fool if he trusted everything the doctors around him said.

    ¡°Define nothing too serious?¡± Knox asked.

    ¡°Intentional lead poisoning.¡± Bai Li delivered the news in a bland tone.

    ¡°What do you define as something serious?¡± Knox¡¯s voice kept getting more serious.

    ¡°Being stabbed in the heart?¡± Bai Li said flippantly. ¡°Being pushed off a highway in a car accident.¡± Bai Li could list a few crazy things that happened to him. ¡°Being blown up by an oxygen tank explosion?¡±

    Knox gave a hollow life. They sat in silence for a while. ¡°I will add a doctor to your team.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Bai Li said again. Knox was someone he could be friends with. ¡°Can you get me a list of people who were in the hospital?¡±

    ¡°I already have it. I will send it to you.¡±

    Bai Li breathed a sigh of relief. Questions were a problem. He was glad that Knox didn¡¯t ask. ¡°Don¡¯t focus so much on your first brother. The one closest to you is the one you should watch.¡± He hung up the phone without waiting for a reply.

    When he talked to Knox, it was far too comfortable. He gave away more than he intended in each interaction.

    He thought about what Knox said. Was his cousin¡¯s unprofessionalism an effect of his interference? The delivery man flashed in his mind. He had thought it odd the way the man got nervous and rubbed his chest.

    Picking back up the documents, he focused on the things in front of him that he had control over.

    Taking up his phone, he sent a text to Knox. ¡°Send me Dave Campo as well.¡± The most the man could say was no.

    The device started to ring in his hand. Hadn¡¯t they spoken enough to each other already? He answered the call.

    ¡°Who is Dave Campo?¡±

    ¡°He works for Trident.¡± Bai Li answered, his attention divided between Knox and the property information he received.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know him,¡± Knox said. How do you know? The question was implied but not asked.

    Bai Li chuckled. ¡°Do you know everyone who works for you? I think that would be impossible.¡±

    ¡°I know all the exceptional ones.¡± Knox was confident in his reply.

    Hehehe. I know the ones who will be exceptional in the future. Campo was another person who had the skills, but because of circumstances hadn¡¯t shown them. ¡°He is a Security Guard in a branch office.¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Little Li, I have sent you the best people I have. Why are you interested in a random person?¡±

    Bai Li smiled and turned the page. ¡°Make him the head of the team.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I will show you something interesting,¡± Bai Li said. ¡°Do you dare send him to me?¡±

    ¡°I am looking forward to what you show me.¡± Knox laughed. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone tell you it is rude to hang up like that?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense,¡± Bai Li said before hanging up again.

    The smile on his lips wouldn¡¯t disappear. Didn¡¯t his father say that anything he managed to hide he was free to do?

    He sat at the computer and worked on his plans. If his mother was gone for three months that would be nice. If he got the full year, he would be in a position to attack.

    He didn¡¯t notice time passing until his doorbell rang.

    Checking, he saw Bai Fang at his door.

    ¡°Big brother Li.¡± Bai Fang walked past him. His little cheeks puffed up. ¡°Did you pick on my mother?¡±

    Bai Li sighed. ¡°Have you ever heard of a child picking on an adult?¡±

    ¡°Grandma said you were out to hurt me.¡± Bai Fang looked constipated. He was thinking about difficult things.

    ¡°What did your mother say?¡±

    ¡°Mom doesn¡¯t talk about those things with me. She only smiles and says the adults should watch over the children.¡± Bai Fang reached a conclusion and his expression smoothed out. ¡°She only stiffened up when I said I was coming to visit you.¡±

    Bai Li went to the fridge and got some juice for both of them. ¡°Did you tell your mother?¡±

    ¡°Mom is silly sometimes. She said that grandma was just looking out for me.¡±

    Even Bai Fang noticed. Lee Shan¡¯s mother didn¡¯t catch his attention last time. He had little to no information about her.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Bai Li asked.

    ¡°Doesn''t my brother already have the answer?¡± Bai Fang asked. He drank all the juice and played with the cup in his hands.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you already know the answer as well?¡± Bai Li countered. He wouldn¡¯t spoon-feed any of his siblings.

    ¡°Why do I have to say it?¡± BAi Fang went back to pouting.

    ¡°Does saying it or keeping it to yourself make it any less real?¡± Bai Li didn¡¯t push any further. Bai Fang was young., He would not have even brought this up if he wasn¡¯t so smart.  ¡°Do you want to go to school together with me?¡±

    With Ping An out of the way, it was the best way to ease Bai Fang out into the open. It would make him a target but also remove him from being one.

    ¡°What is wrong with my current school?¡± Bai Fang asked.

    ¡°Nothing. Our grandfather wants to meet you. By that time, it doesn¡¯t make sense for us not to go to the same school.¡± Since Bai Fang hadn¡¯t figured out that his grandmother¡¯s actions had made him a target, Bai Li wouldn¡¯t tell him.

    Bai Li didn¡¯t know how successful it would be, but he would try to give his siblings a chance to be normal children, even if it was only for small moments in time.

    Bai Fang did not look like he believed him fully. Was their suspicious nature inherited?

    ¡°So why am I not at school today?¡± Bai Fang rested his head on the palm of one hand. It was a pose their dad often took.

    Bai Li laughed. ¡°We are going to visit our grandfather on the weekend. Your transfer has been sorted out. School starts again on Monday. Is there a point for you to finish out in your old school?¡±

    This was all the truth. Just not the whole story.

    ¡°What is grandpa like?¡± Bai Fang asked.

    There was no good answer to that question. He didn¡¯t have the answer either. It was only now that he realized his relationship with his grandfather was different. He didn¡¯t know anything about him and had never been close or dependent on him.

    ¡°Grandfather is a great person. He is a bit stern, but if he is supporting you, he will be there for you for your whole life.¡± Bai Li thought of how Ping Zan supported his daughter. ¡°He maintains fairness, but only for things that don¡¯t cross his bottom line.¡±

    Bai Fang was hanging onto every word. He must have been curious about where he came from. The fact that his maternal grandmother was a disappointment might have something to do with it.

    ¡°He gives good presents too.¡± Bai Li remembered the conversation they had last time.

    What would it be like meeting Ping Zen now?

    A part of him couldn¡¯t wait for it. Another part wished it would never happen.

    He thought back to the support Knox had given him.

    It didn¡¯t matter now. The support he needed to get from his grandfather didn¡¯t matter now.

    If he wanted to walk away from this family, he could do it and support himself without worry. He would need Tobias to check it for him as a lawyer, but he was sure.

    Knox had set it up in away that he had no internal control. Everything belonged to Bai Li with no way for anyone to take it from him.

    He could breathe easily and approach everyone without expectations. Taking up his phone, he thought for a moment before typing out a text to Know. He didn¡¯t want to feel like he owed the man. He would give him a bit of information to even things out between them.

    ¡°Bai Fang, don¡¯t worry about meeting grandfather. Just be yourself. If he doesn¡¯t like you the way you are, then there is no need to get closer.¡±

 Chapter 27

    This was the Friday before he had to meet his grandfather. It was the last full day before he had to start school.

    He would be meeting Dave Campo and Sam Ferron at the mall. Those two would be responsible for managing his security team. It would seem that Knox did not trust him when he said that he would show him something interesting when it came to Campo.

    It didn¡¯t matter. Time would tell.

    Bai Li laughed. He sat in a corner of the McPolands at the mall. His first business meeting would be here. He saw the two men come up the stairs and take a seat. There was no one else on this level.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    Both men wore a serious look. They were professional, but he could feel the disbelief and caution they were approaching him with. This was understandable. He was young.

    Taking two envelopes out of his bag, he pushed them towards both men.

    It outlined how he wanted his team to be run.

    Their bodies straightened, and the aura coming out of them changed. Good. There was nothing he could do about his age. All he could use was his ability to make people around him take him seriously.

    ¡°Dave. I trust you know why I asked for you?¡± Bai Li asked. He saw Ferron focus.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Dave answered without expounding.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to know your reason or why it happened. I only need to know that you will work to the best of your abilities for me.¡± Bai Li remembered finding out about this man¡¯s past when Campo started working for Bai Tao.

    Campo was affiliated with the mafia. His mother remarried an Etalian, and they moved. His younger half-brother was now the head of the family.

    Campo¡¯s history was murky, but he used to work as the head of security for his brother. When his biological father got sick, he moved back here. To pay for his father¡¯s medical bills, he used to work part-time doing high-end heists.

    He started working at Trident to be the inside man for a job. During the planning stage, his father passed away, and he pulled out of the job. It was a unique skill set.

    Campo thought like a criminal, which was often much more useful. Ferron would think about how best to protect. Campo thought about how best to infiltrate. If he could only have one, he would pick Campo. He would be able to find the weakness in a system. With both of them, he would see how they worked together.

    ¡°May I ask, how did you find out?¡± Campo asked. He wasn¡¯t on guard, just curious.

    Bai Li understood his attitude. Even if Bai Li knew, it was because Campo admitted it himself. There was no evidence, no matter how he searched.

    ¡°It was hard. I was looking into my mother when something at the museum caught my eye.¡± It was a lie, but it had enough information that it seemed like the truth.

    The Daris Museum job was the only one that Campo agreed he was behaving sloppily.

    ¡°I see. You are very capable.¡±

    Bai Li laughed. ¡°I think it is too soon to decide that. Are you willing to take on extracurricular activities? With the right planning and incentive. You are also free to say no.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Campo smiled. It was cruel and taunting. ¡°I like you, young master.¡±

    Bai Li would take that as a yes.

    For him, the best part was that Campo couldn¡¯t be bought or swayed by Ping An. She had nothing to offer that he didn¡¯t already have.

    Bai Li didn¡¯t know why the man liked to work as a security guard. He wouldn¡¯t question it, either. He would be grateful until Campo decided to move on.

    Ferron watched the whole interaction in silence. His gaze on Campo getting sharper. In the end, he looked away without saying anything. His only job was to protect Bai Li. Looking at the document in his hand, he couldn¡¯t help but shudder. This boy was far too similar to Knox.

    The envelope contained schematics for the building. Complete assessment of weak points. Instructions on finding information about the other tenants. Basically, it pointed out how they should do their job. It was a threat. The young master was saying, ¡®I know how it should be done. So don¡¯t fuck around.¡¯ Ferron cleaned out his thoughts and decided to work diligently.

    ¡°Ferron. I will take you to meet my father.¡± Bai Li planned to hide a lot. That meant he would have to make his father aware of some things to take attention off of others.

    Bai Tao already gave him a security team. He didn¡¯t want the two groups to come into conflict, so it was best to introduce them to each other.

    Ferron pulled out a document and business card.

    Bai Li took it. He didn¡¯t know whether to consider Knox thorough or nagging. It was documentation for a separate security company not affiliated with Trident.

    ¡°Go and sit at another table.¡±

    Both men looked at each other before getting up.

    Bai Li waited. It wasn¡¯t long before Tobias Carpenter came up the stairs.

    Without artifice, he raised a hand and signaled the man to come over.

    Tobias hesitated for a second before coming over.

    ¡°Mr. Carpenter, I have an offer for you.¡± Bai Li thought of a million ways to approach. The only one that worked was being straightforward. All the other scenarios he ran in his head ended badly.

    ¡°Do they let children run around like this nowadays?¡±

    Taking out another envelope, he pushed it towards Tobias. He didn¡¯t answer. Curiosity was his best weapon. Facts and money would come next.

    Tobias sat opposite him. Ignoring the envelope, he started eating. Bai Lui also pretended like it didn¡¯t matter. He calmly looked outside the window. Thirty minutes passed before either of them moved.

    Tobias gave in first. Reaching for the envelope, he pulled out the documents inside.

    It was a contract. Information on the embezzler that was about to frame Carpenter.  A blank check. Job title and duties. A full breakdown of Bai Li and his family members.

    ¡°I have an eye for talent, Mr. Carpenter. You are very talented. I also have a psychotic mother. Multiple real and imagined enemies. A dysfunctional family. For six months you will work as a secretary. During that time you will find and train someone to take that place. I have provided you with a list of possible candidates. After that, you will be hired as my legal counsel.¡±

    Tobias¡¯s hand trembled as he read through the information.

    Bai Li was counting on one thing. Inexperience. Tobias didn¡¯t have any experience or opportunities.

    ¡°Fill in the amount it would take to break the contract with the company you are working with. The money needed to pay off your family debt. The amount you think is a suitable signing bonus.¡± Bai Li tapped the folder in Carpenter¡¯s hand. ¡°Your first job is to deal with the embezzlement happening in LP electronics and the person who was going to frame you.¡±

    ¡°Think of it as a test.¡± He pointed at Campo and Ferron. ¡°Coordinate with them.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even said yes,¡± Tobias said in a small voice.

    ¡°Are you in a position to say no?¡±  Bai Li took out a pen and handed it to Tobias. ¡°After six months, I will give you a company. Under it, you will act as a corporate fixer. That is where your interests lie, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Tobias looked like he saw a ghost. ¡°How did you know?¡±

    Bai Li only smiled. ¡°In the future, it will be your job to know. I believe that you can do it.¡± Bai Li stole a fry. ¡°Be ruthless. Just know, if you turn your fangs on me, I will rip your throat out.¡±

    Tobias took a deep breath. Something in him was released. The stress in his face, his tense shoulders relaxed. Tobias gave a vicious smile.

    Bai Li had to wonder why everyone around him had a look like that.

    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±

    Bai Li felt reassured by those words. Bai Li didn¡¯t have what it took to restrain Tobias Carpenter. It would never work. Instead, it would cause him to become resentful.

    For a man like this, it would be best to give him a long leash. So long that he thought he was free.

    Carpenter was an interesting man, but not that unique. If he hadn¡¯t been framed for embezzlement, he would have worked for the same company until he retired.

    With his skills, if he set out on his own, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t be successful.

    Bai Li was thrilled to be the excuse that Carpenter needed.

    He had both Carpenter and Campo. All he needed now was a skilled hacker. He would build an IT department to hide him in.

    ¡°You have one week to take care of your little problem.¡± Bai Li took back the signed contract. ¡°Get in touch with me when you are finished.¡±

    As he left Ferron followed him and Campo approached Tobias.

    Good. They were smart. He wouldn¡¯t have to micro-manage them. Knowing how to act without being ordered was a good indicator of competence. Next, he would have to check their restraint.

 Chapter 28

    Bai Li stood with Bai Fang and Bai Tao. Lee Shan stood behind them. The trembling, unsure visage was gone.

    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what had happened in the last few days. Her gaze was cold when she looked at him.

    Bai Tao looked at Lee Shan with disappointment in his eyes.

    Bai Fang was also subdued. Very different from the eager boy that was looking forward to meeting his grandfather. Taking Bai Fang¡¯s hand, he walked ahead.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Bai Li asked.

    ¡°My grandma wasn¡¯t always like this. When she thought dad was just a simple businessman, I used to go and play at her house. She and my cousins would always be nice to me. They never used to ask me for stuff.¡± Bai Fang¡¯s voices got smaller with each word.

    Desire and greed.

    The children wouldn¡¯t notice the difference, but if they saw the adults behaving a certain way, they would copy that behavior.

    Lee Shan might treat Bai Fang as her son, but did her family see him the same way. Looking in as an outsider, Lee Shan¡¯s mother thought of him as a meal ticket.

    She was waiting for him to mature before collecting. Bai Li ruined whatever she was planning, so she stopped putting on an act.

    Lee Shan¡¯s hostility should be because he exposed things. It was a childish retaliation.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t said what happened.¡± Bai Li prompted.

    ¡°I was in the room. She didn¡¯t even wait till I couldn¡¯t hear.¡± Bai Fang tightened his grip. ¡°Grandma said it would be best to introduce dad to my aunt. She would be able to give birth to a child that was actually part of the family.¡±

    Bai Li was shocked. It took him a while to process the information.

    What did they mean? Were they going to marry in a concubine or donate an egg?

    Bai LI felt the need to check a calendar. Had he gone back to ancient times when he wasn¡¯t paying attention?

    Maybe Lee Shan would start to smarten up with this. Either that or she would side with her family.

    There was nothing he could say that would make things better. He rubbed Bai Fang¡¯s head. ¡°I am here for you. Anything you need.¡±

    Bai Fang didn¡¯t speak. He just nodded his head. For an astute child, it was hard to tell what was going through his mind.

    Bai Tao, who had been purposely giving them space, caught up with them.

    They reached the ground floor. Campo approached them. He had been instructed to wait for them.  ¡°This is my head of security.¡±

    He said to Bai Tao. Lifting a hand, three men stepped forward. ¡°James will be added to whichever detail you have watching Bai Fang. Cory will go to Bai Wei. Martin will go to Bai Mei.¡±

    Bai Tao was shocked by the presence of the four men. ¡°We will talk about this later.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Bai Li had no reason not to agree. He could have them watch in the dark, but he introduced them for a reason. Bai Tao would be a fool if he thought these were the only people he had. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Bai Fang shot him a look of awe. ¡°Big brother is cool!¡± Looking at Cory, he waved. ¡°Hello!¡±

    ¡°Hello, young master,¡± Cory answered.

    Bai Fang¡¯s eyes widened. Pointing at himself in excitement.

    Bai Li and Bai Tao laughed at the comical act.

    The closer they got to the Ping family home, the more nervous he got. He acted like nothing on the outside, but inside he was a wreck.

    A thousand thoughts crossed his mind.

    Pulling up, he saw his grandfather standing out front. Bai Wei was beside him.

    Bai Wei looked pouty and wronged.

    He already felt tired, and he hadn¡¯t spoken to them.

    Bai Fang was twisting his fingers. The first sign that he was nervous that Bai Li had seen so far.

    ¡°Remember, be yourself. That is all you can do. If they can¡¯t accept you the way you are, then it is not worth it.¡± As he said those words, he realized how much they applied to himself.

    He rubbed Bai Fang on the head before getting out of the car. He ignored his father. Bai Tao was silent for the entire ride.

    The minute he got out of the car, Bai Wei tore out of their grandfather¡¯s grip and threw herself at him.

    ¡°Big brother Li. I want to go home.¡± She started crying. ¡°They are so mean to me here. I want to see mommy.¡±

    Bai Li took a deep breath. ¡°Who was mean to you? Have you told grandpa?¡±

    Bai Wei wailed harder. Bai Fang, who inched closer, was throwing a look their way. It was a cross between shocked and scared.

    ¡°Grandpa is mean to me. He is lying and saying bad things about mom. He hit me and threw away the candy.¡± Bai Wei babbled some more words, but he already stopped listening.

    Bai Li¡¯s body froze. ¡°Who hit you?¡± His voice was even. He held Bai Wei at arm¡¯s length and looked into her eyes.

    She casually dropped that into the sentence. Was it an accident?

    ¡°Why are you being mean to me too?¡± She started crying again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know you shouldn¡¯t lie?¡±

    Why do you think I am lying?¡± She asked, stomping her foot.

    ¡°Then who hit you?¡± Bai Li asked again. He looked at Ping Zen and Bai Tao. The concern in all three of their eyes was the same.

    Bai Wei, realizing that her tears weren¡¯t working, ran back into the house.

    ¡°This is why I don¡¯t like girls,¡± Bai Fang said.

    The tension in the air eased. Ping Zen chuckled.

    Bai Fang ran up to Ping Zen. ¡°Hello! I am Bai Fang. Are you my grandpa?¡±

    Ping Zen laughed harder. He rubbed Bai Fang on the head. ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    Did he ever act cute and childish with his grandfather? He couldn¡¯t remember that. They always maintained a distance.

    In his last life, when he saw scenes like this, he thought that Bai Fang was a scheming suck-up. Now, he realized that Bai Fang was behaving like a child.

    This relationship was the foundation that would lead to something more mature as Bai Fang aged.

    Ping An inhibited their relationship. Bai Li held onto his resentment. In the end, both parts probably saw each other as a threat.

    He threw the melancholy of his memories aside.

    ¡°Hello, grandfather. Grandpa.¡± He corrected.

    Ping Zen¡¯s eyes warmed. A smile hovered at his lips. ¡°Hello, Li. You have gotten bigger.¡± His grandfather rubbed his head. His hand was bony but very warm.

    Bai Li realized Ping Zen was talking more than his age.

    Bai Li leaned into his grandfather¡¯s touch. ¡°Would it have been better if it happened sooner?¡± He felt his cheeks being pinched. He was so shocked. Lifting a hand, he held his face.

    ¡°It happened when it needed to. It is already a miracle that it happened this early.¡± Ping Zen folded his hands behind his back. ¡°Come inside.¡± He led the way, and they followed.

    Bai Toa and Ping Zen didn¡¯t exchange any words.

    Was their relationship good or bad? Bai Li wasn¡¯t able to tell.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to comfort your sister?¡± Ping Zen asked.

    ¡°My sister has gotten too much comfort. I don¡¯t have a lot of experience with children, but she needs to learn that throwing a tantrum isn¡¯t the acceptable way to do things.¡± Bai Li swallowed the other words he wanted to say.

    ¡°How is your health?¡± Ping Zen asked. They were heading towards the parlor.

    Bai Fang was in heaven. He had already run ahead.

    ¡°I don¡¯t notice any issues. How is yours?¡± Bai Li asked.

    Ping Zen chuckled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sick, to begin with.¡±

    Bai Tao pulled in a sharp breath beside him. Bai Li chuckled dryly. ¡°I was wondering how she managed to do it. It didn¡¯t make any sense.¡±

    Bai Li looked at his grandfather¡¯s slightly hunched back. It now appeared unbelievably broad. Bai Li had wondered how Ping An managed to poison her father. He was careful, and the people at his side were bulletproof.

    His grandfather had played the pig to eat the tiger. It fooled everyone in both lives. Bai Li remembered visiting his sick grandfather. It never crossed his mind that the old man was faking being ill.

    From his father¡¯s uneven steps, he realized that Bai Tao had been fooled as well.

    ¡°Awesome. Really too awesome.¡± These were his heartfelt words of appreciation.

    Ping Zen had been hospitalized for months. That kind of dedication.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t my grandson even more awesome? You have been very busy.¡± Ping Zen looked back at him with a crinkly-eyed smile. ¡°We need to have a long talk.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± He answered. He was confident. The things his grandfather knew were the things he wanted him to find out about. ¡°There is a lot we need to catch up about.¡±

 Chapter 29

    Bai Li joked around with his family. The comradeship came easier than expected. Still, there was a place in his heart that twinged. Bai Wei should be here.

    If this happened in their last life, how would things be different?

    As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he discarded it.

    He let the family time continue. Right now, was about Bai Fang. He would have to face a lot in this family. The least they could do was give him the best introduction.

    As for Bai Wei, Bai Li didn¡¯t know what to do. She had told a lie. That meant she was conscious, to an extent, about the effect her actions would have. He no longer had to wonder if it was unconscious on her part.

    Would removing her from Ping An be enough?

    He looked at Bai Tao and Ping Zen. He didn¡¯t trust Ping Zen¡¯s abilities. Wasn¡¯t he responsible for raising Ping An? Bai Tao wasn¡¯t any better. He abandoned his two children.

    Maybe they should give Lee Shan a shot? The most that would happen was that Bai Wei would be raised to be useless? Is that any worse than being a murderer?

    Bai Tao and Ping Zen talk. Bai Li played with Bai Fang. Or he tried to play but mostly watched. This child had too much energy.

    Lunch was called, they sat at the table when Bai Wei walked in. A harried maid followed her in. Bai Li raised an eyebrow. It was clear that she was not supposed to be there.

    This wouldn¡¯t help the situation. Would any of these people dare to discipline Bai Wei? Bai Wei would be more willful and unruly than if she was being managed by Ping An.

    ¡°Bai Wei.¡± Bai Li¡¯s voice was calm and even. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    The princess persona she had been going with, disappeared. The little girl who ran to hide in his room was back.

    ¡°Big brother!¡± The tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

    ¡°Father, grandfather, and our younger brother are here. Greet them.¡± Bai Li didn¡¯t know what he was trying to achieve.

    Bai Wei¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Younger brother? No! No! NOOOOO!!!¡± Bai Wei took up a fork and threw it. ¡°Mommy said it. Mommy said it. Why don¡¯t you listen to mommy.¡±

    The maid moved to get Bai Wei. Bai Li stopped her. He signaled for the people to start serving food.

    Why were they so quick to comfort her? Would it kill her to cry? Bai Wei was old enough to know how to use her words. If they didn¡¯t react, wouldn¡¯t she get tired of crying?

    As time went on and they continued to ignore this tantrum-throwing tactic, wouldn¡¯t she stop using it?

    Bai Li wasn¡¯t an expert, but even negative attention was still attention. If attention was what she wanted, would she care if it was positive or negative?

    Bai Li looked at Bai Fang when their eyes met. BAi Fang shook his head and made a gagging motion. Bai Li was worried that this would stress the boy out. He was glad to see that Bai Fang didn¡¯t seem fazed.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Next, he looked at his grandfather and father. Ping Zen was giving him an assessing look, and Bai Tao looked uncomfortable.

    Bai Li ignored these two and focused on his meal. The harder Bai Wei wailed, the less attention he gave her. They would need to talk to a specialist to develop a plan to deal with her behavior.

    It was easy to feel sorry when you heard someone crying in distress. Especially so when it came to children. He could tell from the servant¡¯s faces that they disapproved. In the same breath, he wondered how much patience they had with their own children.

    He was sure that none of their children dared to behave this way, or they would face serious repercussions.

    ¡°Bai Wei. You are young, but you are not stupid.¡± Bai Li didn¡¯t know how intelligent his sister was. In his last life, her ambition was to be a socialite. ¡°Are you unaware of what is happening?¡±

    Bai Wei stayed silent. Sullenly looking at the floor.

    ¡°Are you waiting for our mother?¡± Bai Li felt conflicted. It seemed bad to tell a child that her mother was an evil, conniving bitch, but it was also bad to leave her thinking that she was a good person.

    No matter which path they took, Bai Wei would get hurt. There was no way to shelter her without running the risk of Ping An taking advantage.

    They could block Ping An from seeing her daughter, but what happened if Bai Wei sought out her mother?

    Bai Wei was already resentful towards them.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t grandpa tell you about mother?¡± Bai Li might have been spoiled. Bai Fang¡¯s maturity was the exception, not the norm.  Was it hard to change the way an eight-year-old child thought?

    ¡°You are lying!¡± she screamed.

    ¡°Bai Wei, is there any reason for me to waste my time lying to you?¡± Bai Li never raised his voice.

    He didn¡¯t intend for her to see reason. He wanted to introduce doubt into her mind. If Bai Wei was even a bit smart, she would grab hold of it to save herself.

    ¡°You''re lying,¡± Bai Wei said softer this time.

    ¡°You already know.¡± Bai Li said. ¡°You already know that the way we were living was wrong. The people here might not want to help you, but they have no intention of harming you.¡±

    ¡°Bother won¡¯t you save me! Mother said no matter what, you would come to save me!¡± Bai Wei looked hopeful.

    ¡°Bai Wei. Save yourself. I can save you once, even twice. I might do it a hundred times. What happens during that one moment when I am not there?¡± Who will save me? Bai Li added silently. ¡°Give and take. All you do is take Bai Wei. At some point, people will get fed up with giving.¡±

    It was too harsh. These weren¡¯t the words he should be saying to a child. They were the words he wanted to say to her adult self. He couldn¡¯t control himself. Only Bai Wei had this effect on him.

    ¡°Coddling a crying girl separated from her mother?¡± His gaze moved to the woman standing behind Bai Wei. When he saw her flinch, he continued to speak. ¡°If your child behaved like this, what would you do?¡±

    The woman looked away. Being hit. Time out. No dinner. Having privileges removed. Children in lower-income families had chores and responsibilities. Where would they find time to throw a tantrum. It was called privileged for a reason.

    Bai Wei would get away with how much ever she was allowed to.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you love me anymore?¡± Bai Wei looked with big bright eyes and a pained smile.

    She was too beautiful. There was a doll-like quality to her. ¡°What does love look like to you?¡±

    Bai Wei answered. She talked about everything with a serene smile. She talked about all the things he would do for her. The way he protected her.

    ¡°Then, do you love me?¡± Bai Li asked.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Bai Wei said in a watery voice.

    There was no good answer to the question he was about to ask. ¡°What does your love for me look like?¡± He did not think that emotions would have clear checks and balances, but for this, it worked perfectly.

    Their relationship was one-sided.

    ¡°It is taking everything I have to protect myself. I have no way to protect you. Even if I did, if you continue to look for trouble, why would I?¡±

    ¡°Bai Wei, I will give you one piece of advice. I hope you remember it as you grow. Only you can determine what right and wrong look like for you. In deciding, your choice will have consequences. Since that is the case, don¡¯t blindly believe other people¡¯s words. Look and check for yourself. Even if they are people you care about.¡±

    Trust?

    Did trust mean you weren¡¯t allowed to have doubts?

    Was trust such a flimsy thing that it couldn¡¯t stand up to scrutiny?

    If you weren¡¯t doing anything wrong, then there should be no reason to panic when someone wanted to investigate to be certain.

    He wanted to have this conversation with his grandfather and then go home. The sleepless nights getting Bai Wei out of trouble. The fight and enemies.

    He didn¡¯t want Bai Fang and Bai Wei to meet, but these two useless adults took other things into consideration.

    ¡°Grandfather.¡± Bai Li¡¯s voice was cold as ice. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate being tested. I don¡¯t like having my emotions toyed with.¡±

    Train Bai Fang? Train Bai Wei? Forget that bullshit. If these two wanted people to continue their legacies, they could figure it out themselves.

    The only reason he planned to do that was the need for his family¡¯s support.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡± Ping Zen answered.

    A thousand thoughts crossed his mind. He sighed. ¡°Do I look like a rat trap?¡±

 Chapter 30

    ¡°Rattrap?¡± Bai Fang asked.

    Bai Li reached over to rub Bai Fang on the head without breaking eye contact with his grandfather.

    ¡°It really wasn¡¯t me,¡± Ping Zen said. ¡°My instructions were to have Wei Wei stay in her room. I was surprised. As your car was pulling up, she ran to my side.¡±

    There was a sound from behind. The maid that wanted to comfort Bai Wei stumbled, knocking off a vase.

    ¡°Is there anyone in this house that dares not to follow your instructions?¡± Bai Li wouldn¡¯t have believed it if not for the pitched expression on Ping Zen¡¯s face.

    ¡°Haha. I did not expect this either.¡± Ping Zen did not sound amused.

    ¡°Are you going to explain?¡± Bai Tao chipped in while looking at the maid.

    ¡°Si si si sir...That is not what I was told,¡± The maid stuttered her words.

    Bai Fang¡¯s head was whipping back and forth. Bai Wei looked constipated.

    ¡°What were you told?¡± Bai Li prompted.

    ¡°Mr. Granger told me that there was a change in plans. That Bai Wei was to be brought to the rest of the family.¡± The maid dropped to her knees. ¡°Please believe me!¡±

    Bai Li was shocked. What did she think would happen to her? This reaction was extreme. He looked at the cold expression his grandfather was wearing.

    ¡°Explain,¡± Ping Zen said. The man behind him lowered his head.

    Cane Granger was his grandfather¡¯s aide. They had a long history together. There wasn¡¯t anyone less likely to betray Ping Zen.

    ¡°The young lady used one of her mother¡¯s cards.¡± A thousand thoughts were conveyed when the two men shared a look.

    Bai Li missed the exchange as he focused on what was said. He didn¡¯t understand what those words meant, but the expression on his grandfather¡¯s face worsened.

    Bai Tao let out a sigh. ¡°How many does she have left?¡±

    ¡°Two.¡± Ping Zen held up the corresponding fingers. His hand was shaking.

    ¡°She used another one?¡± Bai Tao asked.

    Clearly, he was aware of what was going on.

    Ping Zen looked at Bai Wei and Bai Li. Regret in his eyes. ¡°She used one regarding the children. As long as they did not approach me first, I was not to get involved with them. Of course, I wasn¡¯t allowed to tell you about them.¡±

    Bai Li felt an explosion go off in his mind. Looking around the room, could these people be trusted?

    Other than the woman crying on the floor, no one batted an eye.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Bai Li asked.

    ¡°Your grandmother...your grandmother and I had an agreement. I gave her a gift of fifty cards. She was allowed to look for me for help only if she used one of those cards.¡± Ping Zen scoffed.

    Bai Li was shocked at those words. What kind of relationship did they have? Bai Li didn¡¯t know much about his grandmother. He assumed that was because he died early.

    ¡°When she passed, she willed those cards to her daughter. They are legally binding, not a trinket I could ignore. Marie, Marie used her wishes sensibly. An An. I don¡¯t know where we went wrong with Ping An.¡±

    Bai Li was having a hard time digesting this. His mother made it so that he would never willingly go to his grandfather. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I planned to have you go abroad to separate you from your mother, but you did it before I needed to step in.¡± Ping Zen was relieved.

    Bai Li sucked in a sharp breath. Was that the reason? Hadn¡¯t Ping Zen sent him away in his last life to give Bai Fang a chance to grow?

    Was there any way for him to tell now?

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me about this?¡± Bai Tao but in.

    ¡°Do I need to tell you anything?¡± Ping Zen snapped at Bai Tao.

    Bai Li noticed the friction between them.

    ¡°Does going over this help anything?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to spend more time with your kids? Didn¡¯t I tell you to watch over your children? Didn¡¯t I tell you not to trust her words too much?¡± Ping Zen scolded Bai Tao until his face was red.

    Bai Fang and Bai Li looked at each other awkwardly. Bai Tao had his head down as he accepted his scolding.

    ¡°How was I to know she would harm her own children? She is your daughter!¡± Bai Tao said in his defense.

    ¡°She is my daughter. Who knows her better than I. Isn¡¯t that why I warned you! Useless.¡± Ping Zen scolded.

    Bai Li blocked out all the noise around him. He remembers when he met his grandfather about going abroad for school. By that time, he was angry and resentful. He thought all of his grandfather¡¯s actions were an attack.

    ¡°Tao, take Bai Fang to the park to play. Cane, accompany Bai Wei to her room.¡±

    ¡°I think I should stay,¡± Bai Tao said.

    ¡°What use are you in this conversation? Do you think he needs either of us? I am not as stupid as you. If he didn¡¯t value family, do you think he would still stay here? Either that or he is using us as a shield from his mother.¡± Ping Zen stood up from his chair. ¡°Either way, he is long past the stage either of us can control.¡±

    Ping Zen walked out of the room.

    Bai Li rubbed Bai fang on the head and kissed Bai Wei on the cheek. She dodged, he didn¡¯t insist and wasn¡¯t upset.

    He knew it. Bai Tao was skilled, but he was no match for Ping Zen.

    How much had his grandfather figured out?

    No one paid any attention to the maid who was still on the floor.

    They reached the study.

    Bai Li was thinking of what to say when his grandfather stood and made a deep bow.

    ¡°I am so sorry. I should have done more.¡± Ping Zen¡¯s back was still dignified even when he bent.

    Bai Li was shocked to see an elder bowing to him. Standing, he helped his grandfather straighten up.

    This put him in an awkward place. Having someone sincerely apologize.

    ¡°Can you explain this to me?¡± Bai Li wanted answers, and for the first time, he felt he might be able to get them.

    ¡°This is a long story.¡± Ping Zen didn¡¯t sit down. Instead, he went to the bookshelf and took something out.

    ¡°I wanted to wait until you were at least twenty to share this with you, but out of respect. I think it has to be now.¡± Ping Zen took a seat and stroked the spine of the book he picked up. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what you went through to cause you to mature like this, but it can¡¯t be good. I tried to look, but your mother has always been good at cleaning up.¡±

    ¡°Would you tell me if I asked?¡±

    Bai Li remained silent. What could he say? His maturity came from a lifetime of bad experiences.

    Ping Zen took note of his silence. Shaking his head, ¡°Never mind, never mind. It is in the past. What can talking about it now change? It is five years early, but...¡±

    Bai Li felt a sharp twinge in his chest. He remembered being called home. His grandfather had said he wanted to talk about his legacy. Bai Li had taken that to mean they were going to talk about who would inherit Wen Shi.

    ¡°What are you going to do about Wen Shi?¡± Bai Li couldn¡¯t stop the question from leaving his mouth.

    ¡°What is there to do?¡± Ping Zen knew what he was asking. ¡°If you want the company, you can have it. If not, leave it to your siblings. If they don¡¯t want to inherit the company, there are many capable people to choose from. We can hire someone to manage it.¡±

    ¡°That is what I hired your father for when it was clear that An An wasn¡¯t interested. Who knew that she would take such an unhealthy interest in him.¡± Ping Zen aged as he spoke.

    ¡°Your father is not a bad man, but he is not the person I would have chosen for my daughter. You are smart enough to know why your father agreed. I knew it would never work and that it would end badly when it didn¡¯t.¡± Ping Zen gave a mirthless chuckle.

    ¡°You don¡¯t care about Wen Shi?¡± Bai Li pushed, unsure of what answer he wanted to hear.

    ¡°I care. It is my life¡¯s work. I invested more of my life into the company than anything else in my life, but it was mine. I achieved what I wanted to. I have no reason to insist anyone else keep it up. If that was the case, wouldn¡¯t I have insisted you be named Ping?¡±

    Bai Li slumped into his seat. His world views were being torn to pieces. Ping An made it all up? She was the only one who stressed the importance of Wen Shi.

    Wen Shi was needed to control Bai TAo. If Bai Li didn¡¯t fight for the company, wouldn¡¯t his mother lose her hold of Bai Tao?

    The clouds parted and a light shined through. The reason she made him terrified of his grandfather was clear. Ping Zen would have set Bai Li free.

    His whole life would have been different if he had sat and had one conversation with his grandfather.

 Chapter 31

    The more he thought he knew, the more he realized how ignorant he was. He didn¡¯t think he could be surprised at anything his mother did, but she proved him wrong every time.

    ¡°What are those gift cards?¡± Bai Li asked. He didn¡¯t know what to do with his feelings. The more he found out, the less he wanted to know. Yet, he couldn¡¯t stop wanting to know.

    These answers would change his future.

    Ping Zen sighed. ¡°It was a different time. You have to understand it was a different time. Your grandmother and I were in an arranged marriage. Which was very common, but I already had a lover. A male lover.¡±

    Bai Li felt that his tiny brain could not handle all this information.

    ¡°When my parents found out, they arranged the marriage for me. That was after my father beat me half to death. When my lover found out, we decided to separate. Both of us followed our parent¡¯s wishes, but very soon I realized I wouldn¡¯t be able to live like that.¡±

    Opening the book he was holding, Ping Zen passed it to Bai Li.

    Taking it, Bai Li saw a black and white photo. Ping Zen looked the same except a lot younger. Standing beside him was Cane Granger.

    Bai Li pulled in a sharp breath. He looked up at his grandfather with wide eyes.

    ¡°We broke up. I got married, but two months in, I realized it was a terrible mistake. I was only eighteen. I didn¡¯t know what to do.¡± Ping Zen¡¯s voice wabbled. It seemed that this was still difficult for him to talk about. ¡°I joined the military. Then the war started later that year.¡±

    Bai Li flipped through the album as he listened to his grandfather¡¯s story.

    ¡°I was on active duty and was sent to the front lines. It was six months before I found out that my wife was pregnant.¡± there was a beat of silence. ¡°It is an awful thing to say, but I was relieved. I couldn¡¯t leave the military and had a reason to avoid going home.¡±

    ¡°My tour of duty was four years. I served it in full before I went home. When I got there, I met my daughter, and my whole world changed. She was beautiful and adorable. She didn¡¯t care about how much I screwed up or the mistakes I made. We were happy. I spoke to your grandmother, and we came to an agreement.¡± Ping Zen took a sip of water.

    ¡°Our relationship wasn¡¯t sexual, but I loved her. We respected each other, and that was enough. I was twenty-four, and the industrial boom after the war started. I started Wen Shi because I wanted a better life for my family. I wanted to give them more options than I had.¡±

    Bai Li saw a picture with three people holding hands. Ping Zen, a little girl he recognized as Ping An, and a soft smiling woman. Her eyes were open and honest.

    ¡°There were rough patches, but I was immensely successful. Your grandmother never took to the riches, but we were happy to give An An a better life. When An An was ten, I went on a business trip where I ran into someone. Cane was a widower. We remembered everything we had and everything we could have had.¡±

    Bai Li thought that a lot was left unsaid in that sentence, but he didn¡¯t want the details.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°I went back home and resolved never to see him again. It stayed that way for two more years. Your grandmother knew, though. She knew something was different. I guess she got tired of living as friends. She asked for divorce having met someone else.¡±

    Bai Li skipped pages. There was a wedding photo. The woman from before was smiling brightly with a tall man holding her close. In the next photo, Bai Li and the man were arm wrestling. The next photo had Cane and Ping Zen smiling at each other. The last was a photo with everyone and Ping An.

    Bai Li wondered how that bright-eyed smiling girl grew up to be a maniac.

    ¡°You all look close.¡± Bai Li commented.

    ¡°We were. We remained close. Until their passing.¡± Ping Zen looked at the photos, his face was stone cold.

    Bai Li felt that was more impactful than if his grandfather had shown excessive emotion.

    ¡°For her wedding present, I gave your grandmother 50 gift cards and shares in Wen Shi. She wasn¡¯t the type of person to reach out without a push. They used the cards over the years for a mix of things. Her husband passed away from cancer. Back in a time when they were just figuring out the name for it. In three months, he was gone.¡±

    ¡°About two years later, she was walking home for a meeting when she was robbed. The assailant hit her on the head and left her to bleed to death.¡±

    Bai Li heard the anger in his Grandfather¡¯s voice.

    ¡°In her will, she left the remaining ten cards to An An. None of us could predict what a mess that would create.¡±

    They were just getting to the meat of the matter. ¡°How are those cards so...powerful?¡± Bai Li struggled to find the right word.

    ¡°They are legally binding. I am contractually obligated to fulfill the holder¡¯s wishes unless the request is criminal or unethical. I felt guilty for my wife. It was a way to help her and ease my guilt. I never thought twice when An An inherited them. For years she didn¡¯t use them.¡±

    ¡°Then she met your father. I don¡¯t know if things were too easy her whole life, but when she couldn¡¯t get him. He slowly slid off the deep end. I can¡¯t tell you how long I have looked for a reason to have her committed or criminally charged.¡±

    Bai Li digested those words. ¡°You didn¡¯t notice anything?¡± He found it hard to believe that his mother didn¡¯t exhibit any behaviors that might have raised a warning.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ping Zen admitted. ¡°When you are too close to a situation, it is easy to miss signs. When I think back, the only thing that struck me as odd is how unaffected she was by her mother and step-fathers passing. She cried but¡­¡±

    Ping Zen furrowed his brows. Thinking deeply, he tried to piece things together. He shook his head. ¡°She used her first cards to have me hire Bai Tao. I thought nothing of it. He was a talent I had my eye on anyway. I was thrilled to scout him. I like the ambitiousness he displayed. For Wen Shi, whose heir didn¡¯t want anything to do with business, I thought he would be best at moving the company forward.¡±

    Bai Li didn¡¯t know any of this. The story he knew was that Ping Zen introduced them to each other when he found out his daughter was incompetent. Ping An had been unwilling, but after spending time together, they came to love each other.

    Then Bai Tao changed. Ping An was unable to cope and used hardline tactics that drove her husband farther away.

    Fiction. The story he found out after investigating his parent¡¯s relationship was fiction.

    That was the story Ping An wanted to believe. Hell, in her mind, she might believe that was what happened.

    ¡°All of her wishes have had something to do with Bai Tao. No matter how I look, I can¡¯t figure out her obsession with him.¡± Ping Zen took back the album. Closing it gently, he got up and placed it on the shelf.

    His mother was a crazy stalker. How did stalkers form an obsession with targets? It wasn¡¯t worth thinking about.

    ¡°I doubt those cards are enough to keep you from moving.¡± Bai Li found it hard to believe that cards were enough to restrict his grandfather.

    ¡°True, but I am sure you have already observed your mother¡¯s way of doing things. The cards are just her first line of attack. To keep me from seeing you or your sister, she got a court order. She even opened a case claiming that I was sexually inappropriate towards her.¡± Ping Zen shoulders slumped.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many emotions your mother feels. To her, you are like an arm or a leg. You should move or act the way she needs you to as an extension of herself. She will not be happy that her arm slapped her in the face.¡±

    Bai Li disagreed. He wasn¡¯t something as important as an arm. He was a strand of hair at most. Dirty under her nails at worst. She might be sad to lose his usefulness, or she might scrape him out and not care either way.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t try to poison you.¡± Bai Li said. He wanted to talk more about his mother, but he needed to organize his thoughts first.

    ¡°Any time you want to talk. I am here. I was wondering if I had waited too late to get to you. The evidence is very compelling.¡± PIng Zen switched conversations.

    This was good to know, but it didn¡¯t change things for Bai Li.

 Chapter 32

    Bai Li thought about his mother. He thought about her motivation and her life. He thought about everything that could have happened to her. Then he let all those thoughts go. He didn¡¯t care.

    Her parents should care. Her husband should care. Her fifteen-year-old son was too young for that. Her forty-year-old son had suffered too much abuse. His only goal was to separate himself from her toxicity.

    Bai Li decided to clarify. ¡°If you plan on trying to get me to understand or sympathize with her, don¡¯t waste your time.¡± Bai Li sat up straight. Pulling himself together. ¡°If she needs help, I hope she can get it.¡± Bai Li didn¡¯t. He just said that to comfort the man in front of him.

    If Ping An was locked away and the key destroyed right now, it was already too late in his book.

    Ping Zen looked sad but didn¡¯t comment further.

    Pulling out the file that Knox gave him, he passed it to his Grandfather.

    Ping Zen took the file and looked through it. There was a flash of disappointment. ¡°How did you find this?¡±

    What was happening in this life didn¡¯t necessarily reflect what happened in his last. A thought flashed in his mind. Without his determination to go to C-school, would his mother¡¯s hand have been forced?

    Even if Ping Zen didn¡¯t believe that it was Bai Li, would he accept where the information pointed? The alternative pointed out that his daughter was trying to kill him, which would be hard for any parent to admit. Going into denial and ignoring the facts was possible.

    The future and the past would drive you crazy if you thought about it too much.

    ¡°I went looking. While this information was hard to find, it is one of the secrets she meant to have exposed eventually. Maybe not for this purpose, but she is flexible.¡± Bai Li pretended not to know the real question his grandfather was asking. Even if he could, why would he give away his sources?

    Plus, what would he say? He accidentally saved an important person¡¯s life and ended up being owed a favor?

    ¡°Since you didn¡¯t think I did it, this information is redundant. However, Ping An sets more than one plate at the dining table. This is a good place to start.¡± Bai Li didn¡¯t get any more specific than that.

    If he said too much, his grandfather would get suspicious of his motives. If he said too little, his grandfather might not investigate.

    Ping Zen loved his daughter. The fact that she crossed his bottom line so many times with little to no repercussions was proof of that.

    Bai Li had a moment of inspiration. Another reason she didn¡¯t want Bai Li and his sister to get to know Ping Zen was that she didn¡¯t want to share her father¡¯s affection.

    This was probably twofold. She did not want him to love anyone but her. If he did care about his grandchildren, he would be less likely to overlook her actions.

    Compared to your daughter that you raised for many years and the grandchildren you rarely interacted with. It was clear which would have a higher priority.

    ¡°I know. It is amazing you found this.¡± Ping Zen looked at the picture for a minute more before dropping it on the table. ¡°My information leads to a different direction.¡±He pulled out a draw on the end table and passed the folder to Bai Li.

    Bai Li looked through it and nearly vomited at what he saw. It was pictures of him hanging out with his degenerate friend.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The next was a photo of the person he could consider his best friend out of the group talking to various members of the Goldstein family.

    It took everything in him not to react. He hasn''t met these people since he came back to the past. All of this happened before. He checked the time stamp and nearly vomited.

    No wonder he looked guilty. This trail went back to when he was thirteen. What had Ping An been planning with the Goldstein family?

    This was bigger than him. She had to discard one of her plans when Bai Li and Bai Tao picked that school. He would have signed his death warrant if he set foot in there.

    ¡°Can I keep this?¡± He would hand this over to the team he was putting together. He didn¡¯t expect great results, but it would be a good test for them.

    He hesitated for a moment but also decided to hand a copy over to Knox as well. The chances of Knox finding something was higher. He wondered what information he could use to barter. He wouldn¡¯t want to owe a favor.

    ¡°Of course, but it might not be useful to you. It turned into a dead-end that all pointed at you.¡±

    Bai Li smiled without commenting.

    They sat assessing each other. Neither spoke. They could only guess at each other¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°It is a pity that you do not have any interest in Wen Shi,¡± Ping Zen said. He didn¡¯t sound regretful. If anything, he sounded amused.

    ¡°A real pity.¡± Bai Li mentally crossed out all the plans he made. They were useless if Ping Zen didn¡¯t care about the fate of Wen Shi and its heirs. ¡°What now?¡± This was a question for himself as much as his grandfather.

    ¡°What do you want to do next?¡± Ping Zen countered.

    ¡°I am a student. Of course, I will be studying,¡± Bai Li said with an innocent smile.

    ¡°Ha ha ha.¡± Ping Zen doubled over with laughter. ¡°Should I give you the money as a school expense?¡±

    Bai Li shook his head. ¡°Naturally, you are giving me an allowance.¡±

    ¡°That is quite a large allowance.¡± PIng Zen wasn¡¯t opposed to it.

    ¡°I am at that age where I have a lot of needs.¡± He was curious about how much he would get. He would not give his grandfather a dollar amount. It didn¡¯t matter to him. He could add whatever he got to what he already had.

    ¡°Why do you sound like you don¡¯t need it at all?¡± Ping Zen asked.

    In a lot of ways, Ping Zen was easier to talk to than his father. However, every word he said made the situation more dangerous. He would rather have a million conversations with Bai Tao.

    ¡°Dad already gave me an allowance.¡± He threw the hot potato in Bai Tao¡¯s direction with no shame.

    What could Ping Zen do if he didn¡¯t believe what Bai Li said? Nothing.

    ¡°Really?¡± Ping Zen smiled but didn¡¯t ask more questions. ¡°Do you need people as well?¡±

    ¡°Of course. People are the backbone of any venture.¡± He wouldn¡¯t dare put those people by his side. While he sort of believed Knox when he said he wasn¡¯t using the team to monitor him, he did not believe that about his grandfather.

    The people Ping Zen sent would be used as his second string. Of course, he would use them like they were his go-to men. The two teams would never have contact.

    ¡°One can never have too many useful people around.¡± Give me people that I can use. I don¡¯t need any loafers or crowd-pleasers.  Bai Li demanded without saying it.

    ¡°Of course. I can send some young talent, but it will be up to you to keep them.¡± What kind of project are you going to do? Can you inspire loyalty in them? How are you going to make them stay?

    ¡°No Problem. No problem. I have several plans in the works. Those who want to aim higher will be satisfied.¡± Want to leave? Then go. I only plan to keep the one with vision and determination. You don¡¯t need to worry about anything other than sending people to me.

    ¡°Young people are so bold. This era will be for all of you. I look forward to seeing how well you do.¡± Don¡¯t get cocky. There are a million people like you. I am only interested in the results. Words are cheap.

    Bai Li had a long conversation while exchanging only a few words. This was why it was hard to talk to people like Ping Zen. He had to think long and hard about what was not being said.

    He missed Bai Fang¡¯s straightforward style.

    They lulled into a period of silence that was broken by a knock on the door.

    Cane Granger came in.

    Bai Li sent the man an assessing glance. He found it hard to believe that His grandfather and this man were in a relationship. They always maintained a distance in public. Bai Li wasn¡¯t around enough to know how things might be in private.

    It wasn¡¯t his place to judge. It was funny. If these two were allowed to continue their relationship, none of this would be happening. Bai Li wouldn¡¯t be here if that happened, though. So he was happy it happened the way it did.

    The comfortable silence started to get awkward. What were they expecting him to say?

    ¡°Congratulations?¡± He kept his face deadpan. Why was their relationship his concern. They were adults, and they had been together for this long.

    Cane chuckled. His grandfather looked like he wanted to throttle him.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Cane sat beside Ping Zen.

    Did others not know about their relationship?

    ¡°Your mother sent a letter to you.¡± Cane passed over a piece of paper. ¡°I read it, but it didn¡¯t make a lot of sense.

    ¡°My darling Li.¡±

    ¡± Who are you? Where have you gone?¡±

    ¡°I will see you in a year.¡±

    ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°Mom¡±

 Chapter 33

    Bai Li held the note. His heart started to race. ¡°Can I keep this?¡± He asked, dropping the note with practiced carelessness.

    ¡°Is there something special about it?¡± Ping Zen asked. His eyes were searching for something.

    ¡°Not that I know,¡± He shrugged. ¡°I just know that when it comes to my mother, nothing is as simple as it seems.¡±

    Ping Zen was not convinced, but neither side was willing to concede. ¡°Fine, keep your secrets,¡± His grandfather grumbled.

    Cane smiled, giving Ping Zen an indulgent look.

    He was intruding on a private moment. That was the feeling he got from looking at the men opposite to him. Was he not paying attention? Or were they that good as actors? It seemed unbelievable that he didn¡¯t realize that their relationship was more than friends or colleagues.

    ¡°It will be hard to consider coming to me for help, but I want you to know that I am here if you need help.¡± Ping zen said.

    Getting up, Cane retrieved a box from his grandfather¡¯s desk. ¡°This is for you.¡±

    Taking the box, he opened it. Bai Li almost dropped it. Inside was paperwork for two companies and several bank accounts in his name. He checked the date on the paperwork and realized that they had been set up since he was born.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡± He pinched the bridge of his nose to stop from crying. For other things, he wasn¡¯t sure whether they came before or after his coming back to the past. This was clear proof that his grandfather always cared.

    These things were created when he was born. Why didn¡¯t he get these in his last life?

    He couldn¡¯t hold on to his emotions.

    ¡°Li? Are you alright?¡± Cane asked, sounding concerned.

    His grandfather just watched, allowing him to get himself under control.

    When he felt he had his emotions in order, he spoke, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He was. It was a punch to the gut. The feeling that he wasn¡¯t fighting by himself was sweet, but it came with the bitterness that he might never escape.

    ¡°My allowance is a lot,¡± he joked, breaking the serious atmosphere that was developing.

    ¡°It is a good thing you crawled out from under your mother¡¯s thumb. If you hadn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to give you these things.¡± Ping Zen humphed. ¡°You''re smarter than that father of yours.¡±

    Bai Li refrained from pointing out that Ping Zen approved of Bai Tao in the past. If not, how would his father have the opportunity to stand where he was?

    ¡°Does Bai Fang and Bai Wei have one of these as well?¡± It would make sense. Bai Fang got his in the past and used them to establish his company.

    ¡°Why?¡± Ping Zen asked.

    Closing the box, he stroked the top with his fingertips. ¡°I have a few things to put in.¡± This would be the extent of Bai Li¡¯s involvement. If his siblings came to him for guidance, he would assess the situation and decide on a case-to-case basis how involved he would be. ¡°When do you plan to give it to them?¡±

    Breathing a sigh, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. If Bai Fang wanted to train under him, he would be willing to teach, but his plan to raise his brother to take over Wen Shi was no longer needed.

    ¡°I plan to give it to each of them when they turn twenty. Whether Bai Wei will get hers is yet to be seen. If they show something exceptional, they can get it earlier.¡±

    Bai Li got his early. No more needed to be said. ¡°In the next five years, I will decide what to put in each.¡± There is a reason people from prominent families did better in business was that they had the resources to fail while learning.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    This combined with what Knox gave him¡­

    He would never starve.

    ¡°What are you going to do with Wei Wei?¡±

    It was Cane who spoke. ¡°We have reached out to a specialist¡­,¡±

    The conversation between them continued for more than an hour before they called it quits. Bai Li resolved to spend more time getting to know his grandfathers. It might be wishful thinking, but these men probably looked after him while he was being an idiot last time.

    Bai Tao and Bai Fang were waiting for him at the front door. He reached out to mess up his hair. Bai Fang gave an aggrieved look. Laughing, Bai Li messed it up more.

    He felt light and happy.

    He did not go to see Bai Wei. Her attachment to him was not right. The role she thought he should play in her life was not right. Without the presence of a trained professional, it might do more harm than good for him to visit her.

    Not going presented its own problems since she was dependent on him. He just had a new moral code that was centered on self. In the absence of clear direction, he would go with the option that suited him best.

    The drive back was quiet. Bai Fang fell asleep, and Bai Tao was lost in thought.

    Bai Li texted Knox. He mentioned the information on the Goldstein family. Pointing in a direction for Knox to look.

    They went back and forth before a question caused his heart to jump into his chest.

    ¡°Little Li, are you from the future?¡±

    Thank god it was a text. If they were on the phone, he wasn¡¯t sure if he would have been able to keep his calm. His silence would have been a giveaway.

    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you talking about?¡±

    Knox was smart but was too fantastical for him to guess that Bai Li was from the future.

    ¡°How did you know about our youngest?¡±

    Bai Li breathed a sigh of relief. Knox was talking about the information he gave on John Degas. It was a difficult question, but Bai Li expected to have to answer it. He prepared an answer in advance.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you know? Is the better question.¡±

    John Degas was the only brother that Knox was close to. Although they were half-siblings, Knox looked out for his younger, weaker brother. They were close. John¡¯s betrayal was something no one would expect.

    He didn¡¯t do it for money or power. He did it for the dumbest reason of all, love. John wasn¡¯t smart, and he fell in love with a ¡®good girl¡¯. This good girl was sent by one of his older brothers. He wasn¡¯t willing to break away from the girl, so he jumped ship.

    Bai Li didn¡¯t know if the hospital plan belonged to them, but he knew that John was one of the first to try and swallow Trident.

    There was no reply. Bai Li lost interest. He quickly typed out his explanation and threw the matter out of his mind.

    ¡°I was looking for background information on you after I met you at the hospital. I have a natural aversion to scheming women, so she jumped out at me.¡±

    When they got back to the apartment, Lee Shan was waiting for them. If not for the change in clothes, you might assume she spent the whole day waiting in the same spot.

    Bai Li rolled his eyes. He glanced at Bai Tao. His father¡¯s lips were compressed into a thin line. They both glanced at Bai Fang only to see him still sleeping.

    ¡°You could have waited inside,¡± Bai Tao said by way of greeting.

    ¡°I was worri-,¡± Lee Shen caught herself mid sentence. It was too late.

    ¡°Worried about what? He was going to visit his grandfather. What did you think would happen to him?¡±

    It was Lee Shan¡¯s turn to compress her lips. She did not like everyone reminding her that Bai Fang had another grandfather.

    ¡°His grandparents live in Olive City. They have been meaning to come and visit us. Should I arrange for it?¡±

    Bai Li sat on the sidelines watching the show. Bringing her parents to stay with them was not Lee Shan¡¯s idea. Chances are she was unable to cope with the changing situation and consulted her mother.

    Lee Shan¡¯s mother must have been aiming for this. How could Bai Tao agree for people to live in the tower he created? No outside influences could get to his family in this building. Wouldn¡¯t he be an idiot if he agreed to bring Lee Shan¡¯s parents here?

    ¡°The house in Argon is prepared for them. Didn¡¯t we agree that they could go there when they came to the city?¡± Bai Tao¡¯s voice was reasonable. He didn¡¯t show any of the irritation he was feeling.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t my parents live with us?¡±

    ¡°Are you forgetting that we are not married? Why would your parents come live with us? Is it not enough that I bought a house for them in the city?¡±

    Lee Shan recoiled.

    Bai Li gave his father two thumbs up. Taking the sleeping Bai Fang, he went to his room. He left the adults to sort out their nonsense.

    He needed to turn his attention to decoding Ping An¡¯s message.

    Authors note:

    I went back to work and needed to catch up. My energy is still not quite where it needs to be, but I am doing better. I will try to let you guys know if there won¡¯t be an update or I am going to need a break.

 Chapter 34

    ¡°My darling Li.¡±

    ¡± Who are you? Where have you gone?¡±

    ¡°I will see you in a year.¡±

    ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°Mom¡±

    Bai Li set Bai Fang on the bed in the guest room. Going into his office, he pulled out the letter from Ping An.

    With his hand trembling, he flipped it over the note.

    This was a code he wouldn¡¯t be privy to until he was older.

    Why would she send him a note with a message encrypted in a code he didn¡¯t know? He shuddered.

    In the corner, there were three dots and then the date. Moving to the side of the office, he found the stack of newspapers.

    He found the corresponding date and turned to page three. Looking, he found the third article on the page.

    After he finished converting the code, he stared at the words in shock.

    Good job. I am proud. Think for yourself. Be happy.

    He did not understand much about his mother, but this is not a message she would send him. He took up a copy of the dictionary.

    Ping An had several ciphers she liked to use for different groups. He found out about several purely by accident. She had discarded them when she realized he knew them. He could only hope one of them was in use at this time.

    This code wasn¡¯t meant for him. Who else would have come into contact with this letter?

    He changed all the letters in the note into their numerical equivalent. He worked for two hours before he figured it out.

    Trouble. Cease all activities. Isolate BW. Asses BL.

    He needed to find out who came into contact with this letter.

    While his grandfather and cane wouldn¡¯t guard the letter, it wasn¡¯t something a random person could get their hands on.

    There was someone in that house they needed to be wary of. The hardest thing to defend against was an attack in the dark.

    How could he let them know without showing his hand?

    Picking up the letter, a troubling idea passed through his mind. Moving to another draw, he took out a black light.

    There were sequential dots in neat rows. Was it braille or morse code?

    Asses PZ. Poison? Send away CG.

    The letter was meant for at least four people to see.

    BT. Woman? Child? Away. 6 months-1 years.

    Could he call her economical? To send so many messages in one note. There might be more that he wasn¡¯t aware of.

    Taking out a lighter, he burned the note. All the related parties were likely to have received their message.

    It frustrated him, but he would have to ignore all the information he found out. It was a test. If any of her spies were weeded out, she would know that her information network was compromised.

    Ping An was poking around to see what happened to cause him to slip out of her grasp. It seemed he would have to endure a series of tests.

    Bai Tao and Ping Zen might think he was hiding until he found the right time to slip out of his mother¡¯s control, but Ping An would know differently.

    It was hard to know if she realized any differences in his behavior during the last few months. Plus, he wasn¡¯t sure about the placement of cameras in the house. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Remembering the photo of his friend and the Goldstein family representative, a plan was formed.

    Pulling out his phone. He dialed Dave Campo. ¡°Find all the information you can on the Goldstein family and¡­,¡±

    After confirming what he wanted, he ended the call.

    He could blame this on a slip from the friends his mother put at his side. There was no way to confirm it, but it was a plausible reason.

    He often visited their houses and went through their phones. Anything could have triggered him. That is what he needed his mother to believe.

    The doorbell sounded, pulling him out of his thoughts.

    Bai Tao stood at his door.

    Moving out of the way, he motioned for him to enter.

    ¡°Are you here to pick up Bai Fang?¡± Bai Li knew this was only his wishful thinking.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything you want to ask me?¡± Bai Tao countered.

    What was there to ask? ¡°Will the answers change anything? Will they help me move forward?¡± They wouldn¡¯t. Bai Li was curious about the past, but he was more concerned with the future.

    ¡°Do you want your mother dead?¡± Bai Tao sat on the couch. He stared at his fingers.

    Bai Li watched his father. He didn¡¯t know what answer the man was looking for. If he could get away with it, he would already have put a plan in place to get rid of her. There was no love lost between them, and he wasn¡¯t above murder.

    After coming to the past, most of his time was spent figuring out how to get rid of or neutralize his mother.

    It wasn¡¯t lost on him that a bullet to the brain was the fastest way to achieve that. It wasn¡¯t feasible.

    Adding on to the fact that Ping An was careful, there was still Ping Zen protecting her.

    It wasn¡¯t lost on him that his grandfather wanted to institutionalize her. Not to kill her.

    Bai Li wasn¡¯t willing to risk his freedom to do it himself.

    ¡°It would simplify things.¡±

    Bai Tao weaved his fingers together. ¡°The Goldstein family was in contact with Lee Shan¡¯s mother.¡±

    That name was coming up more and more recently. It wasn¡¯t a good sign.

    ¡°That means Ping An has known about your little family for a while now.¡± Bai Li got them something to drink. ¡°If she knew about Bai Fang¡¯s parentage, she wouldn¡¯t be going about it calmly.¡±

    Lee Shan was special. Only she would invite the enemy in and give them a map to locate her weaknesses. Her mother was even better. She went around digging graves for the entire family.

    ¡°Have you told this to Lee Shan?¡±

    ¡°I showed her proof. She doesn¡¯t believe me. She thinks that I made it up.¡± Bai Tao squeezed the bridge of his nose.

    Denial. Lee Shan didn¡¯t have anyone to lean on if her parents proved to be untrustworthy. Her entire belief system was crumbling. ¡°Leave Bai Fang here. We start school on Monday. Figure out a way to clean up that mess. He is smarter than you give him credit for, and he hears a lot.¡±

    Bai Fang didn¡¯t agree or disagree. ¡°What did you and your grandfather talk about?¡±

    ¡°My allowance.¡± Bai Li said simply. There was no need to go into the details of what he received. He wasn¡¯t sure if Bai Tao was privy to the information about Ping Zen and Cane¡¯s relationship, so he didn¡¯t bring it up.

    Bai Li was waiting for school to start.

    Knox looked at the message. Was Bai Li lying or telling the truth? Bai Li didn¡¯t appear to have a team of his own, yet he had a source of reliable information.

    This source had information on Knox but not on Ping An?

    His first assumption was that Ping Zen stepped in, but he kept an eye on any movement from the old monster. All things were quiet on that end, so he discarded the idea.

    Did he use his mother¡¯s network? He found that hard to believe. From everything he managed to find, it was clear that Bai Li was in hiding.

    He only exposed himself to use C-school to threaten his mother and the Goldstein family. His actions had the intended effect and limited their activities.

    Knox added fuel to the fire by exposing their deal to some interested parties. Both the Goldstein¡¯s and Ping An would be sorting the mess out for quite a while. In the best-case scenario, their partnership might be permanently damaged.

    It didn¡¯t sit right. You could call it a gut instinct, but something was telling him he was missing the plot. There was also the phenomenon that happened when the people from the hospital were around Bai Li.

    Something big was hiding here. He couldn¡¯t figure out what.

    Then there was Campo and Carpenter. Dave Campo worked as a security guard. His resume was spotless. It was too bad that all of it was fake. The real information was enough for Knox to cough up blood.

    A diamond was sitting in his nest, and he threw it out thinking it was a bug. It also proved that Bai Li had eyes in Trident. Something that Knox thought was impossible.

    Carpenter is another person he wished to pull to his side. Instead of reporting the embezzler, Tobias Carpenter was setting him up for a bigger fall. The small to medium end crime had jumped to six-figures and corporate espionage under Carpenter''s careful hands.

    Bai Li¡¯s actions looked haphazard. He didn¡¯t want to damage the trust he was trying to build between them by asking the men he sent over for inside information, but he couldn¡¯t figure out Bai Li¡¯s erratic movements.

    What was the end goal?

    Should he just ask?

    Bai Li was willing to talk to him, which was more than he thought possible when he first contacted the prickly porcupine.

    Biting the bullet he sent out a text, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    He couldn¡¯t stop smiling when he got a reply.

    ¡°Lots of things.¡±