“He’s not going to graduate school, and you’re giving up too?”
Bai Xia asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.
Qi Mo had skipped grades following her all these years, so that was understandable.
But what about Lin Yan?
What was his reason?
Could it be that he wanted to be inseparable from his good brother?
Going to the same schools, eating together all the way from childhood to university?
Qi Mo struggled to get into graduate school, so he simply gave up as well?
“As long as I have enough knowledge, that’s fine. Every generation has its own mission. I should be focusing my time elsewhere,” Lin Yan said seriously.
Bai Xia sized him up from head to toe.
With this mindset, taking the graduate exam would only be a burden to him.
He should consider taking the civil service exam instead.
“Why we are in this country, why we are this age — it’s because each generation has different responsibilities and duties. This is what I should be thinking about,” Lin Yan said, expression unchanged.
He had never considered such matters before.
In the past, he only thought about making money and monopolizing the market.
But after being reborn, he saw in Bai Xia the significance of the times.
Many things he once thought absurd now made sense.
Was his rebirth just an accident?
Or was it something destined to happen, existing in a form he could not understand?
Could his existence change anything?
Could it promote social and economic development, improve the employment environment, and accelerate the progress of the era in disguise?
Perhaps this was the meaning of his rebirth.
From a scientific perspective, everything that happens in the world is cyclical and destined to occur.
“Are you secretly taking the civil service exam?”
Bai Xia frowned slightly.
Lin Yan looked into her eyes.
“I prefer doing business. Your uncle Lu Shuo’s game is pretty good. Does he still need partners?”
Bai Xia’s face remained expressionless.
Looks like Lu Shuo finally found a kindred spirit.
“Xia Xia.”
Hearing the voice, Bai Xia suddenly looked up, only to see the female lead and Song Xun appearing side by side at the venue.
Neither looked their age, standing out distinctly among the crowd.
Lu Lin also turned his head.
For a moment, he seemed to glimpse the scene from over a decade ago when he first met Ruan Wen.
Only when he saw her linking arms with Song Xun did he lower his eyelids to hide the fleeting flash of emotion.
“Where’s Grandfather Song? Has his blood sugar dropped recently? Should I visit him this weekend?”
Bai Xia immediately walked over.
Bai Ruanwen reached out to straighten her daughter’s hair.
“Your Grandfather Song feels dizzy and is too old to go to crowded places. If you could visit him, he’d be very happy.”
“Great-grandfather has a stash of fine tea. I’ll ask him for a box this weekend to bring to Grandfather Song to try,” Bai Xia said, linking arms with the female lead.
Bai Ruanwen smiled helplessly.
“Your great-grandfather’s good stuff has all been looted by you.”
“That’s why Father always thinks of having Xia Xia try new tea first whenever there’s something good,” Song Xun shook his head.
With time running out, Bai Xia didn’t say more but turned back to her seat.
Though both were in the front row, the female lead and male supporting actor sat several seats apart on the other side — the most appropriate arrangement.
No one would dare to seat the male lead and Song Xun together. Who knew what might happen?
“The Song family is messy enough on their own. Better to stay out of their affairs,” a calm male voice sounded beside her.
Bai Xia glanced sideways at him.
“What company can claim to be completely clean? Can your mindset be a little more optimistic?”
The male supporting actor was reluctant to have children, so he claimed others couldn’t have them either.
Only because Song Xun had a good temper did this not end in a fight.
“People’s hearts are naturally cruel. Hypocrisy is the norm,” Lu Lin glanced at her.
Bai Xia didn’t argue.
He always had a lot of sociology theories.
She wanted to see if the male lead’s sociology was better or if Lin Yan’s ideological studies were more skillful.
When the auctioneer took the stage, the lights gradually focused on the item up for bid — a historically significant vase, donated by a famous calligrapher.
Feeling the air conditioning was a bit cold, Bai Xia raised her hand to signal a staff member for a shawl.
When a coat was handed to her, she glanced at the particularly attentive Lin Yan, then waved it off.
“Thanks.”
Lu Lin’s eyes flickered with a frown before telling the staff to raise the temperature.
Others were wearing coats; raising the temperature would inevitably make the room stuffy.
But the male lead clearly never cared about such things.
The second item was an oval-shaped gemstone necklace, starting at 1.5 million yuan.
Several wealthy women quickly raised their paddles.
It had been donated by her mother.
Over the years, the female lead’s brand reputation had grown so much that she no longer needed the Song family’s publicity.
Often, people called her “Miss Bai” instead of “Mrs. Song” now, because the female lead had established her own social standing.
“Three and a half million, Mr. Lu bids three and a half million. Any higher bids?” the auctioneer’s gaze swept the room.
In an instant, all eyes turned to Lu Lin.
They glanced at Song Xun, thinking they had just witnessed juicy drama.
Lu Lin was openly bidding on his friend’s wife’s belongings — clearly still attached.
No wonder he hadn’t married all these years. And this Miss Bai was truly formidable, making two men lose their minds.
“Four million, Mr. Song bids four million. Any other bids?” the auctioneer smiled slightly.
The entire venue fell silent.
Lu Shuo fidgeted nervously, feeling awkward for the first time in his life.
He shouldn’t have come today.
His brother was clearly on edge.
Song Uncle must see this as provocation.
He really didn’t understand adult matters.
“Five million, Mr. Lu bids five million. Any higher?” the auctioneer’s smile grew.
Whispers broke out.
It was the first time anyone had seen such a dramatic scene.
First love’s power was truly different — after all these years, still obsessed.
Song Xun had refused to have children for the sake of his wife and family.
Miss Bai could write a book about it.
Seeing the male lead getting impulsive again, Bai Xia didn’t stop him.
After all, it was his own face on the line.
The money would ultimately benefit those in need, so it was a charitable act after all.
Bai Ruanwen grabbed Song Xun’s arm and shook her head slightly.
He paused, but in the end didn’t raise his bid again.
“Five million once, five million twice, five million thrice!”
The auctioneer’s hammer came down.
“Congratulations, Mr. Lu.”
“You’re a man, why buy a gemstone necklace?”
Bai Xia couldn’t help but look at him.
“If you want to donate, you could just give me the money directly, and save the auction house’s commission.”
Lu Lin frowned slightly.
“It’s your graduation gift.”
She had graduated half a month ago, and only now did he remember to give a graduation present?
He was clearly trying to show off in front of the female lead.
His belated affection only moved himself; to others, it was a burden.
But the male lead obviously wouldn’t understand.
Fortunately, the rest of the auction went smoothly, aside from that little episode.
After greeting the female lead, Bai Xia left with Lu Lin.
The car was quiet; even Lu Shuo, usually chatty, stayed silent.
At home, she asked the person in charge about the charity funds raised.
Judging by appearances, it was a substantial amount, enough to build bridges and roads without issue.
Then the butler called, saying the male lead had taken a bottle of wine from Lu Jin’s wine cellar, even though he’d quit drinking years ago.
Clearly, seeing the female lead and male supporting actor appear together had dealt him a heavy blow.
Sneaking a drink was better than losing control in public.
She knocked on the study door a few times with no response.
Pushing it open, she found the lights off. Moonlight streamed through the window, faintly illuminating a tall figure sitting in the corner.
His cold, chiseled features were tense, knuckles gripping a glass tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
Bai Xia didn’t turn on the light either, silently walking over and sitting beside him on the floor.
“This bottle of wine was treasured by great-grandfather for a long time. Even he didn’t dare drink it.”
Lu Lin wanted to see her face clearly but couldn’t.
Maybe he was really ill. Knowing Ruan Wen’s character, why did he still suspect she drugged him?
He told his daughter that human nature was evil because he was such a person himself.
He admired Ruan Wen’s kindness but couldn’t believe such goodness existed in the world — just as he didn’t believe his daughter did charity purely for charity’s sake.
Perhaps pure people do exist, but he was simply too narrow-minded.
“Your mother… won’t come back…”
His voice was hoarse.
After all these years, he finally had to face this truth.
Bai Xia patted his shoulder.
“As long as you learn to respect women, you can find love again. Life isn’t just about romance. People should have their own beliefs. There’s nothing you can’t get past.”
Lu Lin raised the glass and drank it all in one gulp, throat rolling.
“Don’t drown your sorrows in alcohol. That’s the act of a coward.”
Though he wanted to say more, Bai Xia stayed silent.
At times like this, it was better to let him be quiet.
Tomorrow at the company, he’d turn cold and ruthless again — the dominant CEO would never be defeated.
After she left, she told the kitchen to prepare a hangover soup and send it to him in half an hour.
Back in her room, she opened her phone and checked the group chat.
【Does loving someone really make you distrust her?】
He Yuehua: 【Of course not, that’s just an excuse used by scumbags!】
Qi Mo: 【Exactly!】
Bai Xia: 【If he knows it’s impossible for her to have done it, why does he still suspect her?】
Qi Mo: 【Because he’s brainless [smile]】
Lin Yan: 【Strong psychological defense, habitual suspicion of everyone around him】
Bai Xia: 【Sounds like you have some insight】
Lin Yan: 【Studied psychology for a while [smile]】
He Yuehua: 【@Bai Xia, are you falling in love? That description screams scumbag!】
Bai Xia: 【He’s just a friend】
Bai Xia: 【@Qi Mo, is your car fixed? How much did the repair cost? Next time hire a driver. If you need money, I can lend you some.】
Qi Mo: 【Someone else crashed into my car. I’m a great driver — I’ll take you for a spin next time to prove it!】
Bai Xia: 【Good night [smile]】
She turned off her phone, grabbed clothes to shower, and since it was Saturday with no work, she turned off her alarm.