The doctor stood frozen in place, stethoscope in hand, as Bai Yanzhou held Pei Wanyou. Blood trickled down the back of his hand. Fortunately, he had managed to deflect her force in time, or his hand would have been crippled.
“What are you still standing there for?” Bai Yanzhou said, raising his hand to touch Pei Wanyou’s forehead. It was even hotter than before.
The scissors lay discarded nearby. Pei Wanyou’s body trembled slightly, tears welling in her eyes as she stared at Bai Yanzhou’s bleeding hand, panic setting in.
Bai Yanzhou shook his hand casually. “Stop moving,” he said, then lifted his dissatisfied gaze toward the doctor.
The doctor bent down, the stethoscope cold against her skin. Pei Wanyou shrank back, nestling deeper into Bai Yanzhou’s embrace.
“Miss, please stick out your tongue so I can take a look,” the doctor said, taking out a tongue depressor. The young lady had always been afraid of seeing doctors; ever since she was a child, she would hide at the sight of anyone in a white coat…
Worried the doctor might notice something amiss, Pei Wanyou buried her face in Bai Yanzhou’s chest, her voice thick with congestion. “I don’t want to. Send him away.”
Bai Yanzhou looked down, his expression darkening at her resistance. “Stop making a fuss,” he said, using his injured hand to pinch her cheek and force her mouth open.
The doctor quickly intervened. “It’s probably just a common cold. Let’s try some medicine and rest first.” He took out a fever-reducing patch and cold medicine from his medical kit.
“Get out,” Bai Yanzhou said, his voice low.
The doctor glanced at the wound on the back of Bai Yanzhou’s hand, still bleeding from the scissor stab. “Let me help you treat that wound first.”
“I’ll handle it myself. Get out.” Bai Yanzhou’s voice dropped even lower, his eyes turning cold. He had never been a patient man.
Seeing this, the doctor placed a hemostatic dressing on the bed. “Then I’ll take my leave,” he said, exiting the main room. What on earth was going on between these two siblings?
Pei Wanyou’s exhaled breath felt scorching hot. Her head swam dizzily as her mind replayed every mistake she had made since childhood. An inexplicable voice echoed in her ears: “Just die. Death would be better.” “If you die, everyone will be relieved.”
Bai Yanzhou gripped Pei Wanyou’s shoulder with his large hand. Seeing her dazed expression and recalling what had just happened, his brows furrowed tightly.
“Lie down properly,” he said, his tone unchanged and his movements far from gentle.
All day long, she either talked nonsense or let her thoughts run wild.
Pei Wanyou spoke hoarsely, “Why did you stop me? Don’t you despise me? Wouldn’t you be much more relieved if I died?”
Bai Yanzhou pinched her cheek, forcing her to meet his gaze. “How many times have I told you? Your life is more important than anything. Do you take my words as nothing but empty air?”
Pei Wanyou stubbornly turned her head away, tears falling uncontrollably. “Why do you care? Ever since we slept together, it was destined we couldn’t act like siblings anymore.”
“Sleeping together, having a child—can’t you think of anything else?” Bai Yanzhou released her and sat on the edge of the bed. “Once you’re better, I’ll take you to see a psychologist.”
“You’re still so young. Study hard, and you’ll meet different people in the future.” Bai Yanzhou looked at Pei Wanyou. “If you keep going like this, your life will be completely ruined.”
Pei Wanyou threw off the covers…
Bai Yanzhou’s gaze was drawn to a long scar. It was clear that whoever had stitched the wound had done a poor job. An invisible blade seemed to pierce his chest, striking straight at his heart.
“Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I haven’t had a full night’s sleep. To avoid raising suspicion, I had to calculate the timing, go to the hospital alone for a C-section, deliver early, make sure the baby got enough nutrients. I had severe morning sickness while facing exams, and now you’re telling me to act like nothing happened and just hand the baby over to you?”
Bai Yanzhou pulled the blanket back over her: “What’s done is done. If you don’t look forward, do you want to waste your whole life on this mess? How old are you? If I give you the child, what will you do with the rest of your life?”
She couldn’t even take care of herself. Raising a child alone would be no different from sentencing both mother and daughter to death.
“You need to finish your studies, build your own career. Right now, everything you eat, wear, and use is paid for by your family. What do you have? And you still want to raise a child?”
Pei Wanyou lay on the bed, sobbing uncontrollably: “Why did it have to be you? I regret it so much…”
Bai Yanzhou leaned down: “Listen clearly. Even if you regret it to death, what’s done is done. If you dare to die, I’ll send Shushu down to keep you company. Don’t believe me? Try it.” After saying this, he stood up.
She was still young. She made a fuss over every little thing now, but in a few years, she’d come around. But before that, she had to stay alive.
“You bastard!” Pei Wanyou couldn’t hold back. How could he be so cruel, not even sparing his own daughter?
Bai Yanzhou walked to the sofa with a hemostatic pack and sat down: “If I weren’t a bastard, would I have slept with you?” He then glanced down at his hand—the blood had already clotted.
Pei Wanyou pressed a fever-reducing patch to her forehead. She couldn’t die, or Bai Yanzhou really would harm Shushu. That was just the kind of person he was!
“You just don’t like Shushu. Otherwise, you’d never say such things.”
Bai Yanzhou tore open a bandage to dress his wound. If he didn’t like Shushu, he would have thrown her to her death long ago. Why would he keep her around to become a future liability?
Still, Pei Wanyou took some of Bai Yanzhou’s words to heart. She needed her own career to give Shushu a better future.
“I think Alma is quite nice. She’s gentle and beautiful, and she doesn’t mind that you have a child. Treat her well, don’t be so harsh all the time.” After saying this, Pei Wanyou’s body sank—she seemed about to faint.
Bai Yanzhou opened the window and lit a cigarette. Not only was she naive, but her judgment was poor too. And with that, she still wanted to take Shushu away…
A few minutes later, Bai Yanzhou poured a glass of water. She couldn’t take cold medicine continuously, especially since she’d just been in a rage.
Pei Wanyou opened her mouth and made an “ah” sound.
She had to have pills shoved directly down her throat, or she’d spit them out.
Bai Yanzhou twisted open a capsule and poured it in.
He was doing it on purpose.
Pei Wanyou drank a full glass of water to wash down the bitterness. Lying in bed, she pinched Bai Yanzhou’s thigh—what a despicable jerk.
Bai Yanzhou grabbed Pei Wanyou’s wrist: “Why don’t you pinch Big Brother’s thigh instead?”
“Why would I pinch Brother Lu? What if it hurts him?” Pei Wanyou looked disgusted, then closed her eyes.
Bai Yanzhou understood—she only pinched him.
“If Big Brother finds out you’re pinching me, he’ll think we’re being too intimate. Tone it down.” Bai Yanzhou felt it necessary to remind her, or they’d be exposed sooner or later.
Pei Wanyou hugged the blanket and turned over, her tone full of disdain: “Ugh, who’s being intimate with you?”
“At school, do you pinch other male classmates like that too?” Bai Yanzhou tucked in the corner of the quilt, his voice unconsciously dropping lower.
Pei Wanyou kicked Bai Yanzhou: “What’s it to you?”
“I’m warning you, if you dare to date anyone at school, I’ll throw him into the sea to feed the fish.” Bai Yanzhou thought Pei Wanyou was a bit foolish, easily deceived by smooth-talking men.
Pei Wanyou suddenly felt Bai Yanzhou was talking a lot today. He could get married, but she wasn’t even allowed to date—was that fair?
“I’ll do it anyway. I’m going to date innocent college boys, kiss them, and you can’t stop me. I like it.” Pei Wanyou buried her face in the quilt. After all, annoying someone to death wasn’t illegal, so who cared?
Bai Yanzhou stood up. She could try…
The butler and Alma stood outside the courtyard. They had heard noises from inside earlier, but due to the excellent soundproofing, they only knew there had been an argument, not what it was about.
Alma stood at the door and knocked on the main house: “Yanzhou, can I come in to see Wanyou?”
“Get lost.” Bai Yanzhou walked to the sofa and lay down. A pile of matters awaited his attention, but he was worried about Pei Wanyou’s recurring high fever. She wasn’t smart to begin with; if she ended up burning her brain, it would be troublesome.
Pei Wanyou hugged the quilt and opened her eyes to glance at him. A man like this must never be married—there was potential for domestic violence. She even felt like advising Alma.
She deserved better…
Alma walked out of the courtyard with reddened eyes. How could he be like this?
The butler was used to it. He didn’t think Bai Yanzhou could handle emotional matters well; his mind simply wasn’t in it.
Bai Yanzhou crossed his legs, holding Pei Wanyou’s phone covered in stickers. That Jiang Lu had been messaging all day, asking why she hadn’t gone to school today, if she was feeling unwell somewhere, and saying she wanted to visit after school.
Scrolling up further.
Bai Miaomiao: [Sweetie, look at this—huge boobs, all perky.] Followed by a suggestive emoji.
Jiang Lu: [This one’s wearing clothes. Call me ‘sister,’ and I’ll send you one without clothes!]
Then came a video. When opened, it showed a man lying on a bed touching himself, making indecent sounds…
Bai Yanzhou casually tossed the phone into the teapot.
It was because she watched too much of this stuff that her brain had problems.
Pei Wanyou had fallen asleep, hugging the quilt in front of her, her legs resting on top, while her back seemed as if it didn’t belong to her—completely neglected.
Bai Yanzhou walked over with a blanket, covered her, and touched her forehead. She was still a bit warm.
Pei Wanyou pouted, her chin resting on the quilt, her butt sticking out far behind, almost separated from her waist. Her sleeping posture was simply unsightly.
Bai Yanzhou drew the bed curtains, blocking the outside light. He needed to handle some documents next, which required turning on the lamp.
Marriage and children had never been part of his plan.
His mother’s health had never been good to begin with. If she continued exhausting herself like this, the outcome was all too predictable.
But now he had a daughter—a presence completely outside his plans. He had to consider her future.
Thinking of Shushu, Bai Yanzhou’s brows gradually relaxed. Pei Wanyou had actually given him a daughter, and she herself was still a little sticky rice ball…
Just as he was about to sign the documents, the doorbell rang.
He got up to answer it.
Lu Shu’an looked utterly defeated: “I really can’t handle taking care of the child. I’m returning her to you.”
He would never have children in this lifetime—it’s too torturous. The key point is, their poop is so smelly, and you even have to wipe it with your hands: “…”
Bai Yanzhou took Shushu from him, feeling as though she had lost weight after just one day under Lu Shu’an’s care. He frowned: “Can’t even take care of a child?”
Lu Shu’an casually draped his arm over Bai Yanzhou’s shoulder: “I can handle the process, but I really can’t handle the child.”
“Get lost.” Bai Yanzhou nudged Lu Shu’an: “Has your sexual orientation changed recently?”
“How did you know…” Lu Shu’an said, giving Bai Yanzhou’s chest a pat: “I just like someone like you.”
“Then take off your pants and bend over.” Bai Yanzhou gestured with his chin: “I’ll make it happen for you.”
Lu Shu’an laughed and cursed: “Not joking with you, I have something serious to say. Liu Yanxing plans to have his two fathers arrange a match for him—he likes Wanyou.”
“Why doesn’t he just die?” Bai Yanzhou felt a headache coming on at the thought of the clueless Liu Yanxing. His abilities were, of course, beyond question.
But he seemed to lack any sense of awareness.
Lu Shu’an looked at Bai Yanzhou seriously: “Don’t take this lightly. That kid is smooth-talking, and someone inexperienced like Wanyou might actually fall for it.”
“To avoid causing a rift between brothers later, you should talk to him in advance.” Lu Shu’an was a bit uneasy.
Bai Yanzhou nodded while holding Shushu: “Yeah, I know.”
Discord was a family taboo.
Liu Yanxing could single-handedly lead a team, so his abilities were unquestionable. One of the votes in his favor had been cast by Bai Yanzhou himself.
Just then, Shushu suddenly started crying—probably hungry. There was no warning at all; she opened her eyes and cried.
Pei Wanyou, who had been sleeping soundly, was startled awake by the baby’s cries. She immediately sat up, not even bothering to put on her shoes.
She wasn’t perfect and might not be a qualified mother, but her love for Shushu was beyond doubt.
Bai Yanzhou turned around at the sound.
Pei Wanyou leaned against the doorframe, looking at Bai Yanzhou with pleading eyes: “I can’t come over—I have a cold.”
Lu Shu’an shrugged and walked away. It was best to stay out of their marital affairs.
Bai Yanzhou carried Shushu back to the side room to feed her and change her diaper.
Pei Wanyou went back to put on her slippers. She didn’t dare enter, so she crouched by the door, resting her chin in her hands, watching intently.
“Brother, don’t you want to praise me? After all, I’m the one who gave birth to this little one.” Pei Wanyou smiled brightly as she watched Shushu drinking milk. She was so beautiful…
Bai Yanzhou: “…”
Just moments ago, she was acting as if her life depended on it.
Fortunately, there was no one else in the courtyard. Bai Yanzhou disliked having unnecessary people in his yard.
Alma had just finished a phone call and stepped out of her room. She thought she heard Pei Wanyou speaking, but it was too far away to make out clearly—something about a “little one”?
But it wasn’t important. Tomorrow, her cousin would be coming to the Bai family. Her father’s intention was for her to arrange a match between Pei Wanyou and her cousin. If that didn’t work, they could resort to special measures—once the deed was done, they could spread the news.
The Bai family cared so much for Pei Wanyou that they would surely try to protect her reputation. The best way would be to marry her into the Sommerfield Family, and then the two families would be united, wouldn’t they?
Clearly, Alma didn’t see it that way. If the deed was truly done, she could use the Bai family’s influence to remove this stumbling block…
Pei Wanyou had no idea what kind of danger she was about to face.