Calcium tablets?
Qi Mo quietly slipped back to his seat, took a small box out of his backpack, and found inside the vitamin tablets the nutritionist had prepared for him.
He never used to like taking them, but for the sake of his teeth, he swallowed them all in one go.
Remembering how his mother said eating sweets would ruin his teeth, he dug out all the candies and cookies from his bag and stuffed them into his deskmate’s cubby.
“You’re not eating these?”
The deskmate looked at the pile of snacks on the desk, completely baffled.
Qi Mo snorted coldly, “I’m past the age of eating sweets. Only little kids eat this stuff.”
His deskmate was totally confused.
Wasn’t he eating with relish just this morning?
The morning classes went smoothly enough.
At noon, Bai Xia ate the school lunch.
Thankfully, the school didn’t dare to skimp on the students’ food, and all the meals were nutritious.
School ended around three in the afternoon.
The housekeeper was probably keeping a close eye on her every move, already aware of what happened with the test today, and kept watching her with an incredulous look.
After returning to the villa, Bai Xia refused the housekeeper’s help, changed her shoes by herself, and was about to head upstairs when she noticed there were very few people left in the hall.
She went up to the second floor and asked a cleaning maid, who hesitated and finally said that Bai Ruanwen had arrived and was currently in Lu Lin’s study.
She knew the female lead would definitely come to see her daughter.
Bai Xia immediately ran to the study door, but faintly heard voices inside.
“Xia Xia has never been away from her mother before, she won’t get used to it. Can’t you let her come back to me? When she’s older, let her choose for herself, okay?”
A pleading female voice sounded from inside the study.
Lu Lin approached the woman with two glasses of wine, met her clear gaze, and handed her a glass of brandy.
“When you were thirteen, you secretly drank this and were so scared of being found out by Uncle that you insisted it was me who drank it.”
Bai Ruanwen’s body trembled, and sealed-away memories surged back into her mind.
She sat on the sofa, leaning farther and farther back, her gaze gradually turning evasive.
“As long as you divorce Song Dong, the three of us can be together as a family. Isn’t that good?”
Lu Lin’s eyes locked tightly onto her.
From thirteen until now, she hadn’t changed at all.
So why couldn’t the three of them be a family?
Bai Ruanwen clenched her palms tightly and closed her eyes.
“Even if I divorce Song Dong, we can never be together.”
“Why?”
Lu Ao grabbed her wrist, dark currents churning in his eyes that no one else could understand.
The two of them stared at each other for a long time.
Looking at this man she had liked when she was young, Bai Ruanwen’s eyes gradually turned red.
“I’m not the Bai Ruanwen I used to be. We can never be together.”
The moment Lu Ao suspected her of drugging him, she had already sealed away her youthful feelings.
Bai Jia had already declined, making it even more impossible for them to be together. Rather than torturing each other with suspicion, it was better to let go completely. There was nothing in this world you couldn’t get past.
But her daughter was her final bottom line—no one could take her away.
“Never?”
Lu Lin’s eyes reddened at the corners, his voice low and uncertain whether it was anger or something else.
“Have you fallen in love with Song Dong?”
Feeling her wrist growing more and more painful, Bai Ruanwen struggled and said resolutely, “Lu Lin, calm down. This has nothing to do with Song Dong. If you want to blame someone, blame me. Don’t involve innocent people.”
“Innocent? He hid my daughter from me for so many years, and you tell me he’s innocent?”
Lu Lin laughed instead of getting angry.
Looking at the woman in front of him defending another man, he could only turn to the window, downed his wine in one gulp, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he gripped the windowsill, his sharp features growing even gloomier.
Bai Ruanwen took several deep breaths and could only pick up her bag.
“I’ll attend the banquet next week. I’ll get the divorce done as soon as possible, but don’t misunderstand—I just don’t want others gossiping about Xia Xia.”
With that, she pulled open the study door and saw a little girl standing outside with her small backpack, her big round eyes reflecting her own image.
“Xia Xia.”
She knelt down in surprise, stroked her daughter’s face, and her voice unconsciously softened.
“How was school? Did you have fun with your classmates?”
Bai Xia nodded obediently.
“It was fun. My classmates are really nice to me.”
Hearing this, Bai Ruanwen unconsciously clenched her palm.
She’d already heard that her daughter had been called a bastard.
That’s why she needed to divorce Song Dong.
Her daughter was learning more and more, and she didn’t know how to explain that her father wasn’t Song Dong, but someone else.
“If anything happens, call Mommy. Be sure to eat well, and if you feel unhappy, tell Mommy, okay?” she said gently.
Bai Xia threw herself into her arms and hugged her neck.
“I know. No one dares bully me. If Mommy’s unhappy, you have to tell me too.”
Bai Ruanwen’s eyes grew hot.
She kissed her daughter on the cheek before reluctantly leaving.
Lu Lin watched the warm scene at the door, his grip on the wine glass growing tighter and tighter.
Maybe recalling something, he suddenly threw the glass into the trash and walked over to his daughter.
“Have you eaten?”
Bai Xia glanced at him.
“Just seeing you is enough to fill me up.”
“You bullied my mom again? Are you out of your mind? You’d better have the housekeeper get you an appointment, or you’ll definitely get dementia when you’re old—hurting others and yourself.”
She’d only been gone a day, and who knows what crazy things this lunatic had said to the female lead again.
He was probably putting on his domineering CEO act again.
All that she’d said before—he hadn’t listened to a word.
And this is what you call chasing your wife at the crematorium?
Might as well just drag him out and burn him right away.
A man who doesn’t know how to bow his head— even if the female lead forced herself to be with him, after marriage she’d always be the one compromising.
What good is a man like that?
Just more trouble for herself.
The housekeeper stood behind them, heart pounding.
Only the young miss dared to speak to the boss like that.
If it were anyone else, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“Your mom’s just upset right now. She’ll be back soon.”
Lu Lin took off her little backpack.
Bai Xia was speechless.
“Why would she come back? To watch everyone’s faces? Does the Lu Jia not understand plain language? My mom would have to be crazy to come back. Song Shushu treats her so well, of course she likes Song Shushu. Stop pestering her. A real man should have some dignity. Otherwise, people will just look down on you.”
Lu Lin paused in his breathing, his grip tightening even more.
Dignity?
That Song guy had hidden their mother and daughter for so long—did he really think he didn’t know what he was up to?
And now she was lecturing him about dignity?
The housekeeper hurriedly carried away the outspoken Bai Xia.
The young miss was great in every way, except her words were just too blunt.
But there was nothing to be done—kids just say what they think, they don’t know what it means to hold back.
Bai Xia truly couldn’t understand the male lead’s way of thinking.
With that attitude, he still thought he could chase his wife at the crematorium?
Might as well just drag him out and burn him on the spot.
Hopefully, the female lead wouldn’t look back.
The male supporting character might be a bit slow, but at least he wasn’t as neurotic and self-absorbed as the male lead.
One day, that lunatic would have to suffer some setbacks.
Just the sight of him made her want to bash him over the head.
Back in her room, she started reading the news.
She wasn’t just reading for fun.
The current economic development was actually about the same as a certain year in modern times, and the business prospects were huge.
She’d already picked out her project—now she just had to put it into action.
Who said a three-year-old couldn’t start a company?
The original owner could hack a listed company at age three.
She was only planning to start a small business—surely the female lead would be able to accept it.
Once she finished her business plan, she could ask the female lead for help in getting it off the ground.
She just didn’t trust anyone else.
At dinner, surprisingly, everyone was present.
The food was lavish, and the atmosphere seemed harmonious. Lu Jin Nian also announced some news.
“I’ve already added Xia Xia to the family genealogy. In a few days, we’ll hold a banquet to officially announce her identity to the public.”
Lu Jin Nian looked at Lu Lin and said seriously, “Handle the household registration quickly. If the Song Jia refuses to cooperate, there’s no need to worry about saving face.”
“So should we have Shuoshuo come back?”
Yao Yun asked as she cut her steak, looking at Lu Jin Nian.
Shuoshuo didn’t even have a first birthday banquet, and now they were making such a fuss for an illegitimate daughter!
Lu Qi Hui frowned.
“Let him stay at school and work on his temper. He’s already out of control as it is.”
After speaking, he patted the little girl’s head.
“Grandpa will have someone build a playground for you out back tomorrow. Xia Xia won’t be bored anymore.”
Bai Xia lowered her head and focused on her food, shifting away in disgust to avoid his touch.
His hands were covered in germs—no sense of hygiene at all.
Yao Yun’s palm tightened slightly, but she kept her smile and glanced at Bai Xia.
“Xia Xia’s household registration is still with the Song Jia. If our family suddenly has another child, how will we explain it to outsiders?”
“Bai Jia may be down now, but they were a respectable family. Just say Xia Xia was born while Lu Lin and Bai Ruanwen were dating, and she’s been raised abroad all these years, only recently returning.”
Lu Qi Hui said firmly.
Yao Yun hesitated, then said, “But Bai Ruanwen is already married to Song Dong. How do we explain that?”
As soon as she finished, she felt a cold gaze on her.
She bit her lip and quickly added, “That’s all in the past. After all, Bai Ruanwen wasn’t married to Song Dong when she gave birth to Xia Xia.”
Lu Lin shot her a cold look, his voice dropping to a growl, “Don’t let me hear the name Song Dong again.”
Bai Xia finished her rice, and the maid immediately brought her a bowl of soup.
She turned to look at the people beside her.
“What’s wrong with Song Dong Shushu? If you don’t want to hear it, plug your ears. If it weren’t for Song Shushu, I wouldn’t have grown up this well. Where were you all these years? All you do is bully my mom and accuse her of drugging you. You’re not even as good-looking as Song Shushu. My mom would have to be blind to drug you.”
The servants’ faces all changed.
Sure, kids speak without filter, but the young miss really dared to say anything.
Lu Lin frowned, looking oddly at his daughter.
“He’s better looking than me?”
He almost laughed out of anger at the child’s words, put down his chopsticks, and raised his glass.
“Your mother and I are truly in love. He’s just a third party who came between us. That’s called self-degradation.”
Yao Yun’s expression shifted as she cut her steak harder.
Lu Lin was clearly aiming his words at someone else.
Bai Xia glared at him.
“You’re just the past. My mom is already married to Song Shushu. You’re the real third party now.”
Lu Lin clenched his glass.
His daughter was just biased because she hadn’t spent enough time with him.
But blood is thicker than water.
One day, she’d know who her real father was.
“Your mother will divorce Song Dong in a few days.”
He took a sip of water.
Bai Xia hugged her knees, her childish voice ringing out.
“You’re overthinking it. Don’t you know there’s a divorce cooling-off period now? Besides, how could they get married without love? You should read more news and newspapers, be a law-abiding citizen, instead of always thinking about bullying others. If my mom wasn’t so kind, she would’ve sued you already.”
The housekeeper’s gaze was full of surprise.
So the young miss really did pay attention to the news every day.
“Xia Xia makes a good point.”
Lu Jin Nian spoke up at just the right moment, looking disapprovingly at Lu Lin.
“You should set a good example for her. Kids don’t know much yet. As long as you treat her well, she’ll recognize you as her father sooner or later.”