Chapter 415 - 362: The Bai Family’s Secret
Chapter 415: Chapter 362: The Bai Family’s Secret
Yang Liu’er’s eyes were red and swollen from crying, and she kept attracting stares from pedestrians on the street. The two decided to hail a taxi, but after waiting for what felt like an eternity, they couldn’t find a single empty one. The bus was out of the question—it was too crowded and too hot. In the end, they had to walk.
On the way, Xiao Man asked Yang Liu’er, "What was that about with Old Mrs. Bai you mentioned? Why did Bai Qingyue look so spooked?"
Despite her peach-puffy eyes, Yang Liu’er let out a snort of laughter. "How could she not be spooked? It’s a Bai Family secret that has never been leaked and is never, ever mentioned casually. Right now, only Old Master Bai, Bai Qingyue, and Shun Ma know about it. Not even Bai Yifen or Bai Yifang have a clue. Yet I brought it up. It’s a wonder Bai Qingyue wasn’t scared to death!"
"So how do you know? Eavesdropping on their secret conversations again? You’d make a great spy."
"No," Yang Liu’er said with a soft sigh, her gaze darkening. "In my past life, Tang Yaxuan was married for years but couldn’t have children. She wouldn’t even deign to look at the son I bore, and even called him a bastard to his face. Brother Jun Fan didn’t argue with her about it, instead trying to persuade her to adopt one of Bai Junjie’s children. Later, when I couldn’t take it anymore and had a tearful breakdown in front of him, he told me it was all just to placate Tang Yaxuan. He promised that our son would inherit everything one day, because Bai Junjie isn’t from the direct family line. His father, Bai Lihua, was the son of Old Master Bai and a nanny. He was registered under Old Mrs. Bai’s name, a secret they’d kept from the public for decades! Bai Lihua’s birth mother was my grand-aunt, Shun Ma. She lived very comfortably in her old age, with Bai Lihua supporting her under the guise of her being his former wet nurse. But the older and more comfortable Shun Ma became, the harsher she was to me. I could never understand it and was heartbroken that she disregarded our kinship. Only after I was reborn did I finally figure it out. As Bai Lihua’s birth mother, of course she considered herself a true member of the Bai Family! She helped Bai Qingyue put me down and keep me from pestering Brother Jun Fan. He needed to marry a girl from a wealthy and influential family to continue the Bai Family’s prestige and protect the futures of her own son and grandsons... In my last life, Bai Junjie ended up being a big company boss!"
Xiao Man had been listening intently, but that last sentence made her feel as if she’d just swallowed a fly. She shot Yang Liu’er a sideways glance. "Just stick to your Bai Family drama. Why are you rambling off-topic?"
"Sorry, I forgot that Wu Xiaowen... erm, has something to do with you."
Yang Liu’er apologized without a hint of sincerity, her voice soft and listless. "What does the Bai Family have to do with me? Don’t lump me in with them."
"Weren’t you dead set on marrying Bai Junfan? Your fairytale marriage fell through in your last life, so you’d better work hard in this one. If you succeed, you can move into the Bai Family estate and become the one and only Young Madam Bai. Oh, right, you’ll also get to formally call Bai Qingyue ’Auntie’ and be sisters-in-law with Bai Yifen."
Xiao Man’s tone was laced with sarcasm. Yang Liu’er patted Weiwei, who was on Xiao Man’s back, her face clouded with worry. She sighed again. "I don’t even know anymore. ’My mind is a total mess... I was so naive before, and I never want to go through that again! Thankfully, I’m still young. I’m going to study and get a diploma, make money, and become a better person. When Brother Jun Fan comes back, I’ll let him decide. Does he want me? Or does he want those people in the Bai Family...’"
She suddenly took a deep breath and nodded firmly, as if she had just made up her mind. "Yes! That’s it! I, Yang Liu’er, have some backbone too. Since I’m out, I will never set foot in the Bai Family’s home again! In another two years, I’ll definitely earn enough money to buy a house and I’ll have become good enough for him! Brother Jun Fan does like me, and this time that wicked woman Tang Yaxuan isn’t part of the picture. Brother Jun Fan will definitely be willing to build a life with me, just the two of us!"
Xiao Man looked at her, speechless. ’Where is all this confidence coming from? Isn’t it a bit unrealistic?’ She had half a mind to knock some sense into her and bring her back to reality, but she decided against it. ’The girl’s in a bad mood. Let her have her nice daydream to cheer herself up. I shouldn’t interfere.’
"You know where that Tang Yaxuan is now, right?" Xiao Man asked curiously. "Do you ever go looking for her?"
Yang Liu’er pursed her lips. "Why would I go looking for her?"
"But it’s about your past life, isn’t it? You never even met me in your past life, yet you still come running to check up on me every other day. Tang Yaxuan was with you for most of your life, from beginning to end. Aren’t you curious to find her, to see what she’s become? Can your heart really be at peace otherwise?"
Yang Liu’er scoffed. "Her situation now is way worse than it was before. She can’t even compare to me, let alone you. The moment I found out she was an impostor, I stopped giving her a second thought! I just need to know where she goes to school and where she lives, that’s all. I don’t have time to deal with her right now. I’m busy!"
"Oh. So what you’re saying is, by tracking and observing me, you’re taking me seriously and seeing me as a true rival."
"...Manman, I know you’re a good person!" Yang Liu’er’s long face vanished, replaced by a playful, fawning grin as she looked at Xiao Man. Her antics, however, delighted Weiwei, who promptly leaped from Xiao Man’s back onto Yang Liu’er, GIGGLING, "Auntie, hold me!"
Not worried in the slightest about her pretty dress, Yang Liu’er hugged Weiwei and gave him a kiss. They took a few steps, and then Weiwei, the little rascal—who had been perfectly quiet on Xiao Man’s back—suddenly decided to be considerate of Yang Liu’er. He slid down to the ground and insisted on walking by himself.
Xiao Man had to admire Yang Liu’er’s meticulous patience with children. Whenever she spoke to Weiwei, she would lower her head to look right into his eyes and watch his expression. No matter where they went or how crowded it was, she always held his hand or carried him. Even back at the Overseas Chinese Store while arguing with the Bai aunt and niece, though she had entrusted Weiwei to Xiao Man, she still kept glancing back to check on him. When it came to looking after a child, she was incredibly responsible. It was hard to imagine a child ever getting lost on her watch.
Xiao Man considered how Yang Liu’er had spilled so many of the Bai Family’s secrets today. Whether the news spread or not, the Bai Family would surely hold it against her. As they walked, she gave Yang Liu’er some advice: be careful, keep a low profile, and maybe it would be best to quit her night school. Xiao Man then recalled that she had once performed acupuncture for one of her student’s parents, who happened to be an administrator at a university and owed her a favor. She hadn’t thought she would ever need to cash it in, but now she could use it for Yang Liu’er. She could enroll when school started in September, and as for her major, that would be for Yang Liu’er herself to decide.
When Yang Liu’er heard she could go to a university, she was both thrilled and anxious, afraid her educational background was too poor and she wouldn’t be able to keep up. Xiao Man said, "That part I can’t help you with. No one’s a born scholar. You’re not dumb; you should understand that hard work can make up for a lack of natural talent. I also thought it would be convenient for you because that school is surrounded by malls and shops. If you’re a full-time student, you’ll obviously have less time, so continuing your partnership with Aunt Weiwei might not work out. You’ll probably have to run a small business on your own on the weekends."
Yang Liu’er nodded enthusiastically. "Right, right! That’s exactly what I was thinking. Jianling has a lot of capital and has been helping me out for a while now, even giving me a share of the profits. She’s been incredibly good to me! I can’t keep taking advantage of her kindness. If I’m really going to school, I’ll have to do something else on my own. I’ll start a small business from scratch. I’m sure I can do it!"