30
Walking briskly far away from Huayan Hall, Ning Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief, her slightly tense shoulders relaxing.
Only then did she realize that Bian Xun was still holding her wrist.
The pads of his fingers rested against the side of her wrist, their skin making contact over a small area.
The man seemed to be in a good mood.
Clearly, the act of deceiving a monk brought a sense of pleasure to this black-hearted capitalist.
Ning Ye quietly pulled her hand back.
Bian Xun did not force her to stay, merely asking faintly, What are you nervous about?
Ning Ye silently replied, I was afraid they would beat you up.
The way he scanned the QR code just now was exactly the same as when he donated five million at the kindergarten; both she and the old monk believed it.
Bian Xun looked completely calm. Monks do not strike good men.
She was actually quite concerned about him.
Ning Ye covered her face in speechlessness.
The good man led Ning Zhitao along the stone-paved path of the temple. The little boy's eyes were clear, looking as if he were leading a lotus boy.
Stepping over the outermost threshold of the Mahavira Hall, Ning Ye felt a sudden intuition and glanced back into the temple.
Amidst the bustling crowd, there seemed to be a flash of a camera, and a faintly familiar figure appeared in the tide of people, only to vanish again in the blink of an eye.
Ning Ye looked thoughtful.
With the appearance of the supporting character Li Shunye today, Ning Ye could already faintly sense that the main plot was still advancing, and their living space would be encroached upon.
According to the original plot, at this stage, the male and female leads had already acknowledged each other, and it was not long before Xu Lanyi officially announced to the public that she had a pair of boy-girl twins.
But now the plot had completely deviated. Judging by her early tactics of tying herself to the Bian family to build momentum, it was highly likely she was preparing for public opinion again.
Walking towards the exit of the temple, Ning Ye whispered a reminder to Bian Xun, Xu Lanyi might also be nearby. She has some designs on you, so be careful.
Bian Xun raised an eyebrow; he indeed felt someone trailing them today.
But hearing her say this, the man cast a glance from the corner of his eye, a hint of light hidden deep in his dark eyes. I will be careful. Do you care that much?
Previously, when the company rumored that he and Xu Lanyi were going to have an arranged marriage, she had no reaction.
Now her reaction was so intense.
Managing this and that.
...Was her demand for him that strong?
Bian Xun's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
Ning Ye nodded with serene almond eyes, Of course.
Xu Lanyi's entire main plot revolved around the children. If Bian Xun also became a part of the plot, then what safety would Taotao have left?
Bian Xun's car was in the parking lot. Assistant Zhang stood smiling in front of the car waiting, seeing the CEO walking over with a calm expression from afar.
Although the CEO had no expression, based on Assistant Zhang's years of experience, he could still read a clear sense of secret satisfaction in his eyes.
Hello, Miss Ning. Hello, Taotao.
Hello, Uncle Zhang!
Before getting into the car, Bian Xun gave him a look. Assistant Zhang nodded understandingly; extra manpower had already been deployed around them these past few days, ready to respond to any suspicious situations.
Check if Xu Lanyi's team is nearby. Bian Xun's voice was not low, just loud enough for Ning Ye, who was getting into the car, to hear.
Ning Ye felt a bit more at ease, wrapping her arms around the little boy to sit securely in the car.
When they were a few hundred meters away from the hotel, she asked the driver to stop and got out of the car by herself first.
Right now, the conference was not yet over, and there were colleagues both inside and outside the hotel. To avoid trouble, Ning Ye went up by herself and let Bian Xun take the child directly up the elevator from the basement garage.
Bian Xun's eyes inexplicably carried a bit of playfulness, along with some inexplicable encouragement. He did not stop her, so Ning Zhitao obediently rolled up the car window. See you later, Mom!
Okay.
Ning Ye slowly strolled towards the hotel lobby. Near the corner of a flower bed, she was suddenly stopped by a figure.
Miss Ning.
A pair of mature and shrewd eyes fell upon her. The man bowed slightly with elegant demeanor. We haven't properly acquainted ourselves today.
Ning Ye halted her steps and looked up to see Li Shunye's face. It seemed the plot was quite attentive to her, the supporting female character.
Looking closely at Li Shunye's features, he was indeed handsome, but his eyes always gave off an unconcealable sense of calculating hypocrisy.
In comparison, someone like Bian Xun, who was purely cold and purely black-hearted, looked more reliable.
Mr. Li. She nodded politely.
Li Shunye made no mention of his relationship with Xu Lanyi, but instead smiled. Today at the opening ceremony of the conference, I actually really appreciated your approach, Miss Ning.
Ning Ye did not reply, waiting for the other party to play his cards.
How about it? Are you interested in developing your career at Xinyang? I am very optimistic about your future room for growth. Li Shunye suddenly smiled slightly, his eyes meaningful as he leaned closer, looking at this delicate face that could make Bian Xun care so much.
How much salary does Wujiang pay you? I'll offer five times that.
A trace of surprise finally appeared in Ning Ye's eyes.
Wait, she went to the temple to pray for wealth; it couldn't be coming true in such a bizarre way, could it?
Fortunately, the future father of her child had given her his card, otherwise, raising a child alone and struggling with life, it would be hard to guarantee she wouldn't be swayed by this salary.
However, the other party obviously had ulterior motives right now, and Ning Ye's behavior was very proper. I'm sorry, Mr. Li. My current abilities do not match the conditions you've offered.
Li Shunye raised an eyebrow, carrying a smile. How could that be? You even have your boss's child, what does this little bit of money matter to me.
This was tearing off all pretenses and putting things out in the open.
But Ning Ye did not show any anger from being provoked. Her almond eyes remained peaceful and calm. Then do you know that your cousin also has children?
Li Shunye suddenly frowned, his rhythm disrupted. Lanyi? How is that possible.
Ning Ye smiled faintly. Didn't you notice that for the past five years or so, she has often locked herself at home, refused visits from relatives, rarely went out, and always seemed depressed?
Li Shunye's expression changed slightly, and Ning Ye knew she had hit the mark.
But the other party was, after all, an entrepreneur who dared to challenge Bian Xun. He quickly found his rhythm again and answered with a question, Miss Ning, aren't you afraid I'll make the affair between you and your boss public at your company?
Ning Ye actually felt reassured in her heart—Xu Lanyi would never let her make it public.
The female lead's biggest dilemma right now was how to attribute both children to Bian Xun. She herself wanted to go public with Bian Xun, so it was impossible for her to let this supporting female character take the title.
Therefore, this was actually nothing to worry about.
You can, as long as you can accept what Bian Xun will do. Ning Ye nodded slowly.
A figure walking over from the other side of the flower bed paused, seemingly wanting to listen.
Bian Ziwen is already under CEO Bian's control. You also know that his hands are not clean. If he can embezzle public funds and steal projects within Wujiang, he naturally wouldn't show weakness when cooperating with you. You must also have an idea of whose hands Xinyang's internal information is currently in.
Her voice was clear and forceful. So, are you sure you want to use the value of my little bit of information for an equivalent exchange?
Li Shunye looked at the slender young girl in front of him. At this moment, the appreciation in his eyes became somewhat more serious.
Even at a disadvantage, she remained clear-headed and logical, directly hitting the crux of the matter—Li Shunye was completely unaware that his cousin was hiding the child, which meant he was not trusted either. Risking his own business interests over such a trivial matter was a completely losing proposition.
Only then did Li Shunye truly examine Ning Ye. She had a pair of beautiful eyes and delicate, refined features. But what stood out most was her aura—not something achieved through external grooming, but a clean essence radiating from her very bones. No wonder, no wonder Bian Xun...
Li Shunye unconsciously took a step forward, just about to extend another invitation, when an arm reached out from the side, pulling Ning Ye closer to its owner.
"Haven't returned to Beijing yet?" Bian Xun shot him a lazy, sidelong glance.
Upon seeing him, Li Shunye's posture and expression instantly shifted. He adjusted his suit. "Oh, CEO Bian."
Ning Ye had not expected Bian Xun to come back down. He should have just dropped the kid off at the hotel room. Why did he make a special trip back? To pick her up?
The bosses of two major companies in the industry stood face to face, their invisible auras clashing.
Bian Xun loathed the way that man's eyes lingered on Ning Ye.
Being a man himself, Li Shunye naturally read Bian Xun's body language. Both belonging to the wealthy circles of Beijing, Bian Xun had been an outstanding figure since childhood. It was rare for Li Shunye to find a weakness in him, so he deliberately provoked, "Miss Ning and I were just having a very pleasant chat. CEO Bian doesn't mind, does he?"
Bian Xun had come down to bring Ning Ye back to align their needs in depth; he could not be bothered to waste breath on this guy. His thin lips curled coldly. "Your wife doesn't mind the companions you keep at seven different clubs and eight nightclubs, does she?"
Bian Xun could be quite ruthless. After speaking, he lowered his eyes and started dialing on his phone, his tone dripping with venomous mockery. "CEO Li, your wife's phone number is xxxxx, right? She still doesn't know about her fifteen or sixteen lost sisters."
"Hey, CEO Bian!" Li Shunye took a step forward, finally showing a placating smile. "We're all men here. Business competition is one thing, but there's no need to go this far."
Without even lifting his head, Bian Xun directly bundled a long string of messages and sent them over. Less than a minute later, Li Shunye's phone began ringing abruptly.
"Bian Xun!" Li Shunye glared. "Is this really necessary? Don't you mess around outside too?"
"I—" Bian Xun was about to sneer when his peripheral vision unconsciously drifted toward Ning Ye.
They had been broken up for six years, and her child was already four.
If he said he had been entirely alone for the past six years.
It would be an utter defeat.
He would never be able to hold the upper hand again.
Bian Xun fell silent for a moment, while Ning Ye consciously covered her ears and looked up at the ceiling.
She maintained an open-minded attitude regarding her ex-boyfriend's romantic history and the child's father's interpersonal relationships.
By now, Li Shunye had no time to care whether Bian Xun played the field or what was going on with Xu Lanyi. Their wealthy families relied on business marriages, and his wife's family background was an indispensable support to him. He finally hurried off, answering his phone in a panic, looking utterly defeated.
Only then did Ning Ye look at Bian Xun. "Why did you come down again?"
"There's a private elevator entrance for the presidential suite," Bian Xun glanced down at her, turning around with reserved dignity. "I figured you wouldn't know."
"Oh." Ning Ye indeed did not know.
The two bypassed the hotel's main entrance and swiped a card to enter an elevator from the rear side.
On the way, Bian Xun cast several sidelong glances at her. Seeing that she had no intention of volunteering any information, he finally asked, "What were you talking about? Seemed so pleasant."
Ning Ye looked up. "Do you really want to know?"
Bian Xun let out an exasperated chuckle.
Who was she trying to keep in suspense?
"Is there something I'm not allowed to know?" he asked.
Ning Ye stepped into the elevator and spoke softly in the quiet car, "He offered me five times my salary, CEO Bian."
Bian Xun showed no reaction at all.
Ning Ye whispered a reminder: "Five times."
The cold-hearted boss finally reacted. He curled his lips indifferently, his tone flat. "What is five times?"
He played with a ten-thousand-fold multiplier.
Ning Ye: "???"
What was he acting so arrogant about now?
If five times is nothing, then you offer it!
The elevator ascended slowly. This private suite elevator was a glass observation car, moving at a leisurely pace that allowed them to gradually overlook the Hangzhou nightscape. Amidst the neon lights, a confined and intimate atmosphere began to rise along with the altitude.
Bian Xun crossed his arms, his dark eyes as cold and clear as a deep pool. Yet, his gaze lingered on the fair earlobe beneath her tea-colored hair, which was tinged slightly pink by the distant, flickering neon lights. His fingertips tapped unconsciously against his arm.
She had not let him indulge his desires last night.
She was definitely going to do something to him today.
Not that they absolutely had to do anything; he still had a meeting later.
But if she really wanted to do something... he would see how it went.
Bian Xun raised his chin with noble restraint.
Ning Ye was also feeling slightly uncomfortable. Although they were currently in a relationship to make a baby, it was entirely based on family ties, not romance.
Ambiguity was clearly unsuited for their current state.
The old-established hotel's facilities had history. The elevator interior was vintage and luxurious, but as it ascended, the cables made slight creaking sounds. Just as it neared the top floor, it suddenly jerked to a brief halt, shaking the car.
Ning Ye's heart jumped in fright. She stumbled backward and was caught perfectly by a pair of arms.
Caught so perfectly, it seemed premeditated.
The familiar scent of cold sandalwood enveloped her from behind. In the night, the glass walls of the car reflected their overlapping silhouettes. Her soft, warm back pressed against his chest, the embrace fitting together seamlessly.
Neon lights shuttled through their reflected shadows, like restlessness flowing through their veins.
An intimate posture they had not shared in years.
Ning Ye only felt herself leaning against a familiar and firm physique. His arms were locked between her ribs and the curve of her chest. The person behind her felt rock-hard from top to bottom.
In that instant, she even felt—
The elevator reached the top floor, and the doors dinged open. The force behind Ning Ye suddenly withdrew as the man stepped away coldly. "I still have a meeting."
...
Ning Ye returned to her room, feeling quite touched. It was thoughtful of him to come down and get her despite having a meeting later.
The child's father and mother supporting each other... it was actually quite heartwarming, right?
Ning Zhitao was watching TV in the room. Hearing the door open, she trotted over. "Mommy!"
"When will the wish we made today come true?"
Ning Ye washed her hands and patted her daughter's head. "Maybe it will suddenly come true one day."
Ning Zhitao looked thoughtful, mimicking her mother by stroking her chin. "Alright then."
In a child's world, the universe always answered. Just like how presents from mom and dad appeared after blowing out candles. However, the wishes adults made were so complex that getting even a slight response was already considered lucky.
Not to mention cases where wishes came true in reverse.
That very night, Ning Ye saw news about Xu Lanyi's movements on her phone.
What she had sensed today had not been an illusion after all. A wave of marketing articles suddenly flooded the internet: a certain famous Best Actress had appeared at a temple in Hangzhou, photographed entering a hall to pray for offspring. Instantly, the previously vague gossip began to run rampant.
But more importantly, a certain famous young wealthy CEO from Beijing was also present at the scene—
The man had a profound background and looks rivaling male celebrities. According to the paparazzi on site, he also had a child by his side.
This was exactly the kind of drama netizens loved to watch. Traffic skyrocketed instantly, and they quickly noticed the key point: today, a company from Beijing happened to be holding a conference in Hangzhou.
Wujiang Group.
A young, handsome CEO.
They might as well have just read out his ID number.
At this time, a photo from the scene also circulated online, perfectly timed.
The photo was taken very cleverly. Amidst the crowd at the temple, the man's figure stood out, his temperament like a crane among a flock of chickens. The child he was holding by the hand was half-blocked by a tourist's hand offering incense in the foreground. Only half of the child's body could be seen, making it impossible to tell if it was a boy or a girl.
Now, netizens would only think that this paparazzo was professional and knew to pixelate the child, completely unaware of the deeper meaning behind it.
Ning Ye narrowed her eyes slightly as she browsed the webpage.
Once this photo came out, while netizens still had to chase shadows to gossip about who the man was, the conference attendees and employees who had seen Bian Xun that day naturally recognized their boss at a glance from his clothes.
Suddenly, Wujiang's internal private chat groups exploded.
[The boss has a child???]
[When did this happen? Isn't he single??]
[Who is the child's mother??]
[Could it be...]
Ning Ye looked at the group chat and frowned deeply.
Xu Lanyi took drastic measures, gaining the upper hand in public perception this time. Her goal was to implicitly confirm her relationship with Bian Xun first. Perhaps the dual pressure from the Xu family and her agency caused her to switch to a completely new strategy.
The female protagonist was the darling of the world, and the plot would revolve around her.
Xu Lanyi realized that rather than forcing herself to be with Bian Xun right now, it would be better to weave an illusory, superior father figure for the public before the illegitimate child was completely exposed. The brilliance of this approach was that as long as she didn't actively clarify, netizens would fill in the blanks themselves.
But she had never considered how this would affect an innocent child's life.
People who knew Ning Zhitao would start to wonder: Who exactly is your mother? Is your father really your father?
And there was another key point in all this: Xu Lanyi was certain that Ning Ye wouldn't be able to publicly clarify either.
First, she wasn't married. Second, she was only twenty-five. Although having a four-year-old child wasn't particularly outrageous, in the current online context, having a child out of wedlock at a young age and joining a company while hiding this status would deal a massive blow to her career and life once exposed.
Although Ning Ye knew what was going on, she couldn't possibly tell the public how the child really came about.
Ning Ye figured out the other party's thought process from beginning to end, her heart sinking slightly.
She had to admit that when it came to public opinion, a celebrity team's operational ability was indeed not something ordinary people could contend with.
Ning Ye frowned at the company group chat, the online rumors, and the various speculations about the child, her fingertips clenching unconsciously.
Ever since the little girl transmigrated over, she had faced a series of unfriendly plotlines.
But she was only four years old. She was just a child and hadn't done anything wrong.
Ning Ye closed her eyes. However, for some unknown reason, when she refreshed the page again, all those marketing accounts online had completely disappeared.
Checking the company's private group chat again, everyone had been muted, clearly forbidden from discussing it.
She subconsciously thought Bian Xun had done it, but Bian Xun should still be in a meeting next door, unable to get away.
Then who was this?
On the other side.
Old Master Bian was taking his blood pressure medicine while making calls frantically.
He was forcefully applying pressure, using all his connections to eliminate the public opinion.
At his age, of course, he didn't understand the twists and turns of the entertainment industry, let alone the true intentions behind the plot.
From his perspective, someone was trying to harm his grandson!!
Smearing the entire Wujiang Group!
The child clearly wasn't Bian Xun's own flesh and blood, so how did it get pinned on Bian Xun's head?
He wasn't married and was still single. Now he was being made out to be a second-marriage man. How was he supposed to enter a marriage alliance or find a partner in the future?
Although Old Master Bian had many dissatisfactions with Bian Xun and considered him the most rebellious and unworthy descendant of the Bian family, he knew very well in his heart that the future of the Bian family couldn't rely on the other good-for-nothings. It could only rely on Bian Xun.
His image was the image of the Bian family!
After finishing a round of calls, Old Master Bian coughed and caught his breath, taking the water handed by the butler. A sharp gleam flashed through his dim old eyes.
"Tomorrow, go see that child."
...
The next day, in the afternoon, Ning Zhitao was taken for a walk in a famous urban park in Hangzhou.
No matter how much gossiping happened online the day before, it didn't affect the normal progress of the conference agenda.
Ning Ye finished her work quickly today. She didn't need to follow the remaining topic discussions, so before it got dark, she and Bian Xun brought the child out.
The entire park seemed to blend with the urban area, with the road almost connecting to the lawn. It was a completely walk-in park.
The landscape after the beginning of winter presented a yellow-green hue, but the lake in the park was still crystal clear. Koi fish as fat as balls faintly appeared amidst the rich ripples.
Ning Ye bought fish food and gave a bag to Ning Zhitao, letting her hold onto the railing to feed the fish.
Ning Ye told Bian Xun about what happened last night. Bian Xun frowned slightly and lowered his head to get someone to carefully trace the source to see where the photo leaked from.
Ning Zhitao fed over a dozen fat koi fish, gave each of them a name, and then reluctantly continued walking forward with her mom and dad.
Ahead was an open lawn. There were people walking dogs and people walking kids. People sat relaxedly on the soft yellow autumn-winter grass.
Ning Zhitao stayed within her parents' line of sight. She looked at the puppies in the distance, and although she longed to play with them, she obediently didn't run off wildly after them.
Retracting her gaze, she suddenly saw a familiar face by the path outside the lawn.
Huh?
It's Grandpa.
Old Master Bian had originally been observing secretly from the cover of the bushes, but he didn't expect the little one to spot him directly.
The four-year-old human cub was wearing beige overalls and a bright yellow down jacket. She looked festive and round, carved out of jade and powder.
Seeing him, she wasn't scared at all. She tilted her round head and blinked her eyes.
Old Master Bian: "..."
He had to admit, Ning Ye's child was really quite cute.
Old Master Bian turned serious again. After all, she wasn't a child of his own family.
Perhaps it was exactly because this child was so cute that she had enchanted Bian Xun so much that he lost his bearings and mistakenly raised her as his own.
Look at what he was doing!
Standing together like that, the three of them looked way too much like a family of three!
He would just borrow the child for today. Once the paternity test results came out, he would naturally return her perfectly intact.
Ning Zhitao observed Grandpa from afar.
Actually, her relationship with Grandpa was pretty good!
But Mom and Dad didn't let Grandpa come to the house to see her.
So Grandpa always ran to the gate outside during her kindergarten nap time, giving her things through the fence. Sometimes it was food, sometimes it was big red envelopes, earnestly handing them into her hands.
She ate all the food, and Mom returned all the red envelopes.
But overall, she and Grandpa were still friends!
So when Old Master Bian got out of the car and looked around, Ning Zhitao also unconsciously walked forward a bit. The little one went pitter-patter, round-headed and chubby, like a little penguin.
The area here was relatively open. Ning Ye and Bian Xun were discussing something, just looking down at their phones for a moment.
A flash of black suddenly caught the corner of Bian Xun's eye.
Ning Ye seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up.
A child's scream rang out abruptly. Only then did Ning Ye realize that a child's scream could be so piercing, laced with sobs, crying out sharply.
"Mommy!—"
Ning Ye's mind instantly went blank, and she whipped her head around.
Two tall men in black had tucked the child under their arms and were sprinting rapidly in the other direction.
Ning Zhitao cried until her face was red and she was out of breath, her two small hands reaching desperately in their direction, her legs kicking wildly in the air.
The moment Ning Ye ran after them, her legs felt unexpectedly weak, and she almost tripped. But she didn't dare to fall; amidst her violently pounding heart, she forced herself to stay calm and lunged forward.
Bian Xun's furious roar was even faster than her actions. "Where are the men?!"
In a split second, several people darted out from the surroundings, surrounding the two men from all directions.
Seeing that the situation had gone south, the black car in the distance closed its doors and prepared to flee, but Bian Xun had already simultaneously ordered his men to intercept it.
The little girl was quickly set down, and the two men in black were pinned face-down on the lawn.
Ning Ye ran over almost at the same time and caught the dazed, red-eyed Ning Zhitao in her arms.
The child was terrified. She threw herself into her mother's arms, nestled against her neck, and only after a long while did she begin to sob and whimper.
She didn't know why they had grabbed her.
She wasn't a bad kid.
Bian Xun, his face dark, had already instructed his subordinates to secure the scene. The situation was immediately brought under control.
Ning Ye's blank mind finally regained its senses. She tightly hugged the little girl's trembling back, patting and soothing her repeatedly. "It's okay, it's okay, Taotao, Mommy and Daddy are here."
Bian Xun had already crouched half-down in front of the two of them. He took a deep breath, then softened his tone. "It's okay now... It's okay, I've caught them all."
He raised his hands, not knowing where to place them. Finally, he rested one hand on the child and the other on Ning Ye.
Bian Xun had never seen Ning Ye like this before.
It wasn't that Bian Xun had never seen Ning Zhitao cry. When he first met this child in the park, she had grabbed his knee and sobbed.
Back then, he only found it annoying.
But now, his feelings had changed a lot.
Even if she wasn't his biological child, seeing Ning Zhitao crying so hard she couldn't catch her breath in her mother's arms still made his heart ache.
With dark, cold anger in his eyes, Bian Xun looked up at the intercepted car.
He could recognize the license plate at a glance.
After ensuring that the mother and daughter were mostly stable, Bian Xun left a few men behind and then strode toward the driveway.
Old Master Bian was so angry he slapped his thigh, almost getting a brain hemorrhage.
Those idiots!
He was old, and his subordinates were all brutes, but did they have to use such brute force?!
Those stupid things, if they couldn't take the child, they could have at least brought back some hair!
But Bian Xun's gloomy and cold face had already appeared before him. Leaning against the car roof, exuding a massive sense of oppression, he asked, "What are you trying to do?"
Old Master Bian knew he was in the wrong and felt guilty for two seconds, but then he felt indignant that his grandson was interrogating him like this, and immediately blew his beard and glared.
"I'm here to help you!"
"Help me with what?" Bian Xun straightened up coldly. "Are you leaving on your own, or should I have you carried away?"
As he spoke, the subordinates behind him had already begun to gather.
Old Master Bian felt deeply humiliated. "You're treating your own grandfather like this for someone else's child!?"
The butler tremblingly handed him quick-acting heart pills from the passenger seat, but he swatted them away.
"Have you been tricked? You'll know once I do a paternity test. She's not your biological child. Wake up!"
Bian Xun looked at him coldly for a long moment.
This stubborn, feudal old man who prided himself on his status and valued bloodlines above all else.
Bian Xun suddenly scoffed. "I know. So what?"
Old Master Bian froze.
He gasped for air, his breathing rapid. His head started to throb with pain, and his fingers trembled as he picked up the quick-acting heart pills inside the car.
Unfilial thing, unfilial thing...
Bian Xun didn't want to waste any more words with him. He waved his hand, and a subordinate directly took over the driver's seat, driving the car straight toward the airport.
Old Master Bian's furious, breaking voice was carried away by the taillights.
Only then did Bian Xun take a deep breath and turn back toward them.
Actually, he had his doubts.
Even if Ning Zhitao had heard her mother mention his existence since she was young, she had adapted entirely too easily since he accepted the role of her father.
Furthermore, if Ning Ye really had been raising a child for so many years, even if her secret lover could hide them without a trace, would he really not have been able to find a single clue?
If that man was truly so capable, where the hell was he now?
All sorts of doubts flashed through his mind, but upon seeing Ning Ye's distracted profile and the child's just-subsided sobs, Bian Xun swallowed them all back down.
The priority right now was how to make them feel better.
Bian Xun crouched half-down again and was just about to raise his hand when he saw Ning Ye's face suddenly calm down. Patting her daughter with one hand, she pulled out her phone with the other and began searching rapidly.
In less than thirty seconds, she placed an order for a stun baton.
Expressionless, she looked as if she was ready to take down a whole row of people at any moment.
Her pale little face was taut. She didn't wallow in panic for long, quickly starting to react. Her resilience always grew wildly at times like this, incredibly moving.
Ning Ye lowered her head and started looking for other tools. Her almond eyes lit up again and again, reflecting various swords, spears, halberds, and spiked clubs on the screen.
Bian Xun couldn't describe the feeling in his heart as he watched her quietly.
At this time, his subordinates dragged the two men in black over and asked how to handle them.
Bian Xun looked down and saw a bill pop up on his phone—one stun baton had cost him 1.68 million.
Bian Xun gritted his teeth. "...Put them in the electric chair!"
The two men: "Wuwuwu, Young Master, please spare us. We were just following the orders of Old Master Bian..."
Bian Xun walked away expressionlessly, leading his men.
...
After returning to the hotel, the little girl ate a whole piece of chocolate lava cake, drank a bottle of Yakult, and finally, feeling wronged, ate a huge bag of puffed snacks before finally letting out a satisfied burp.
Ning Ye had also calmed down by this time.
Fortunately, things were resolved quickly today, though the child was left with a bit of trauma.
Luckily, Ning Zhitao was a mentally resilient little girl who took matters of life and death quite lightly. At this moment, she patted her round belly and concluded, "I'm never playing with Grandpa again! This is no fun!"
After judging right from wrong in her heart, the child, tired from crying and full from eating, finally fell fast asleep after her mother washed her up.
Ning Ye breathed a sigh of relief.
Her actions at the birthday banquet earlier had indeed effectively stalled for some time, but as the main plot moved forward, the Bian family would sooner or later set their sights on Ning Zhitao.
Ning Ye sighed. As a parent, she actually had no experience whatsoever.
Besides trying her best to protect her, what else could she do?
Besides working out, shouldn't she also learn boxing or something...?
Bian Xun went to deal with the two men who had tried to kidnap the child tonight, and he also planned to knock some sense into the entire Bian family while he was at it.
When he returned, the doorbell to Ning Ye's room rang.
Bian Xun stepped through the doorway, bringing the biting cold wind with him. His figure was aloof and imposing.
A thoughtful gleam flickered in the man's dark eyes, as if he were pondering an unsolved puzzle, but he simply stared at her with a profound, intense gaze.
Assuming he was here to see the child, Ning Ye stepped aside to let him in.
As he brushed past her, Ning Ye suddenly caught a faint whiff of alcohol.
Mingled with his frosty sandalwood scent, it carried a deep, crisp sweetness that gently diffused through the room.
His gaze was slightly unfocused, and his movements were more sluggish than usual.
Had he been drinking?
Ning Ye followed him into the room.
Suddenly, her head jerked up as a realization struck her.
In the original novel's plot, it was highly likely that the male lead had a child because of a drunken accident.
Could it be happening right now??
Ning Ye's heart raced and her breath hitched. Her porcelain cheeks burned crimson. A few seconds later, her eyes filled with sheer determination.
What else could she do for the child?
—Do it?!
Just as Bian Xun turned around, a sweet fragrance suddenly engulfed him, and he was shoved hard onto the sofa.
By the time he processed what was happening, the veins on his temples were bulging.
A pair of trembling hands was frantically fumbling with his belt buckle.
