75
Fretting over gains and losses.
For the first time in his twenty-two years of life, Bian Xun experienced the true meaning of this phrase.
That looming sense of anxiety clung to him like a leech, especially since he wasn't even in Beijing right now. Distance infinitely magnified this boundless anxiety.
Why would they break up?
Bian Xun's expression was solemn as he pondered numerous reasons: obstacles from their original families, incompatible life plans, long-distance issues, or his excessive desire for control... and so on.
But the first reason that popped into his mind was—
Did he fuck her too hard?
Did he do it too much, and she quickly got her fill of pleasure?
But how could anyone ever get enough of that?
Bian Xun crossed his arms, his expression growing increasingly grave. For a moment, he even had the urge to fly back to Beijing immediately. But now that he had left campus, he had to be responsible for all his words and actions. The child was also with him; he couldn't just abandon his commitments at the last minute.
Assistant Zhang didn't know why, but after a single flight, the boss's prolonged sense of exhilaration had suddenly vanished.
Assistant Zhang didn't understand, but he respected it.
After landing, Bian Xun immediately turned his phone on. Ning Ye still hadn't replied to his messages.
On the way to the lab at University X, Bian Xun checked his phone frequently. Even during the breaks in the tour and exchange, the frequency of him checking his phone increased dramatically, so much so that even Ning Zhitao noticed.
"Daddy, are you addicted to the internet?"
Bian Xun reservedly put his phone away, but in reality, a storm was brewing in his heart, making him feel sharp and paranoid.
Ning Ye hadn't replied to him for over three hours.
Could it be that because he wasn't at school, someone else was seducing her?
What did it mean to not reply to messages?
Did she really want to break up with him?
Of course, a certain someone completely failed to realize that Ning Ye wasn't replying because his last WeChat message was picking out an ankle chain for her, and asking if she wanted to do it in a castle while ringing a bell during their future honeymoon... It was too unhinged and too erotic, which was why Ning Ye ignored it.
But the anxiety still pricked like needles along his previously euphoric nerves.
The young master had tasted enough sweetness and was now truly experiencing the sourness of love, sitting on pins and needles.
Meanwhile, at Jinghua University.
Ning Ye was actually invited by the school's Youth League Committee to represent her college in the filming of a Jinghua promotional video, so she hadn't looked at her phone at all.
Promotional videos that showcased the school's elegance generally sought out students with both excellent character and academic performance. Brimming with youth, they were the best living annotations of these beautiful years. Ning Ye's college had directly selected her.
Ning Ye had successfully obtained the National Scholarship in her first academic year. Her diligence in the work-study program was obvious to all, steady and hardworking.
Wearing the white shirt prepared by the Youth League Committee, she walked under the lush trees, startled to realize that the time of their youth seemed to fly by. In the blink of an eye, Bian Xun had truly graduated.
His student days had come to an end, which also meant that the stages of life for Ning Ye and him were beginning to reach a crossroads.
Starting this semester, no one would fight her for that seat in the library anymore.
Even though Bian Xun's departure from school didn't reduce the frequency with which he was discussed. The name "Bian Xun" seemed to be a symbol of youth for many people.
...And for her, too.
Only, whenever people talked about Bian Xun, they couldn't help but link her name to his, as if they were thoroughly bound together by some mysterious force.
Thinking of Bian Xun's unhinged or flirtatious antics, Ning Ye couldn't help but feel her face warm up again. She shook her head, her slender, upright figure walking past the school gates.
Not long after they left, a figure appeared at the school gates, cowering and peeking into the campus.
That year, the access control at Jinghua University was not strict. Prestigious schools like this allowed tourists to enter for visits. But that person was clearly not a tourist. He looked around warily, intentionally or unintentionally avoiding the blind spots of the security booth. Then he stopped a student walking out of the school gates and smiled obsequiously.
"Student, do you know Wang Ye?"
"No."
"How about you, student? Have you heard of someone named Wang Ye?"
"What Ye? Wang? No."
The man asked several people at the school gates in a row, but no one knew her. Seeing that the security guard was about to come over and chase him away, he left resentfully.
By the time Ning Ye finished filming the school's promotional video, she finally saw that Bian Xun had sent several messages on her phone. She walked to the bottom of her dormitory building, just about to reply, when she received an unexpected phone call.
"Ning Ye, right? I'm from the XX branch police station. There's something I'd like to verify with you..."
"Is Wang Xuebing your father?"
That single sentence caused her lighthearted mood to suddenly plunge into an icebox.
It took a long while before Ning Ye heard her own calm voice answering the other party: "Yes, may I ask what happened?"
"Oh, don't be afraid, little student. We just wanted to give you a heads-up."
After failing to find anything out at the gates of Jinghua University, Wang Xuebing actually went to the police station under the pretense of "searching for relatives," claiming that his wife had run away with his daughter and he was here to find her.
But the police in Beijing were very responsible. One look at Wang Xuebing's demeanor and they knew his background wasn't clean. Later, a check revealed that he was indeed dodging debts. He had been away from Beijing for years and hadn't fulfilled any child support obligations, yet upon returning, he wanted to inquire about his biological children's information.
Their public security system could see that this young girl was a top student at Jinghua University. People all have compassion; they didn't want her bright future to be dragged down.
"He wants to transfer his debts to you—but don't worry, legally speaking, this is very difficult to achieve. Your mother changed your surname, and the public security side won't disclose this information to him. But you need to be careful yourself. If anything happens, call the police immediately."
"Okay," Ning Ye's voice was quite calm, but her fair forehead was already damp with sweat. "...Thank you very much."
Hanging up the phone, she walked toward the dormitory building in a daze, even forgetting to reply to Bian Xun's messages.
The hidden worries of many years had suddenly been ignited. After a flash of panic, Ning Ye forced herself to calm down.
Jinghua University was so large. He didn't know her current name, didn't know her major or class. It would actually be very difficult for him to find her.
As she climbed up to their third-floor dormitory in a trance, a certain someone who hadn't received a reply on his phone had already gone crazy.
A video call chased after her like a ghost. Ning Ye finally woke up as if from a dream, walked back downstairs, and answered the video call.
Upon connecting, the man who filled the entire phone screen looked calm, but his black eyes were burning brightly, staring at her.
"Were you busy today?"
"What did you do? And with who?"
"Are you adapting well by yourself at school?"
"Why don't you dare go back to the dorm and video call me in front of your roommates? Am I too shameful to be seen...?"
Ning Ye was completely baffled. Her wandering thoughts were dragged back to earth by his sentences one by one. Helplessly, she poked the screen.
"I want to talk to Taotao."
In the corner of the small phone screen, a round little head suddenly popped up: "Mommy, I'm here!"
It was amazing. All of Ning Ye's bad mood disappeared in this instant.
Such a cute pair of round eyes, with chubby little cheeks. How could her little one be so adorable?
Her future daughter felt like an angel sent by heaven to heal her.
Ning Ye sat on an empty bench to make a video call. The mother and daughter chatted for a long time, blew kisses at the screen, and then said goodnight to each other, ready to hang up.
Bian Xun's voice suddenly cut in, his dark eyes profound. "Did anything happen today?"
He had been thinking about it all day, feeling that if they had originally broken up at this stage, some key event must have happened.
What was it?
Ning Ye paused slightly, the vague but thief-like greedy face of Wang Xuebing surfacing in her mind.
A gambling addict, domestic abuser, hiding from debts...
She didn't want Bian Xun to know about these things at all.
Her poor family background wouldn't make her feel inferior, but having such a biological father made her feel ashamed. She wished Wang Xuebing would disappear from her life and never need to be mentioned.
In front of her young lover, she wanted to preserve a little bit of pride.
So Ning Ye shook her head nonchalantly.
"No."
"Is that so." Bian Xun's dark eyes stared fixedly at her, anxiety welling up again.
She was hiding something from him.
What was it.
...Could she be thinking about how to break up with him?
At this thought, Bian Xun felt as if ants were crawling up his spine, making it impossible for him to walk, sit, or rest normally.
The experimental data here was very important. Since he had come, he couldn't just leave easily; it was a matter of the company's reputation.
Every day, Bian Xun kept a close watch by sending texts and making video calls, but Ning Ye really didn't show any more abnormalities.
Because for the next few days, she didn't see any trace of Wang Xuebing. Perhaps it really was like finding a needle in a haystack for him to locate her.
But right at this time, Jinghua University's campus promotional video was produced in full swing.
Ning Ye had thought it would only be posted on the school's official website and media accounts. She didn't expect it to be playing on the large LED screen at the entrance of the school's Innovation Building as well, in very high definition.
It could be seen from far away, even through the school gates.
Produced by Jinghua, it was bound to be a masterpiece. Amidst the light and shadows of the blue sky and vegetation, the girl who walked out gracefully was like a fresh leaf, tall and elegant. With just a simple, clean high ponytail and a smooth, plain face, she possessed the hazy beauty of a school days' first love.
In the short video, Ning Ye's voice was clear and melodic, her back straight. Her college, name, and award records were labeled at the bottom side. Everything was so youthful and beautiful; countless students stopped in front of the building just to watch the video in its entirety.
Ning Ye's back, however, broke out in layers of cold sweat.
She had a faint intuition that things were sliding toward some low point.
But fate was unpredictable like that; many things often accelerated and piled up together to erupt.
For instance, on that day, there was another piece of important news for the top science students in computer-related majors at Jinghua University.
Google's AlphaGo from the US had a sweeping victory over a South Korean 9-dan Go master. In that year, it was a breakthrough technological innovation that shocked the world. This marked the emergence of a new trend in the field of artificial intelligence, and the immense potential of AI deep learning began to draw global attention.
And this also meant that the US was currently the most advanced place in related fields. The joint laboratories of the Ivy League and California university systems had made rapid progress in artificial intelligence. Even though Bian Xun's ultimate foundation remained domestic, going abroad to develop technology and then bringing it back to apply in his home country was actually the path to success he ought to choose the most.
If Bian Xun gave up a better opportunity because of her, Ning Ye would be heartbroken.
Because in all fairness, if there was an opportunity right in front of her to enter a higher institution without having to consider the cost, she wouldn't miss it. She felt ashamed, but between being responsible for her life and her romance with Bian Xun, she would choose the former.
Rationally, she didn't want Bian Xun to choose the latter either. The affection at this age might not yet reach the level of love, but the purest kind of liking was simply wishing the other person well.
And would the Bian family just sit back and watch her become a stumbling block in Bian Xun's future?
Nineteen-year-old Ning Ye stood at the crossroads of her and Bian Xun's student days, feeling a wave of panic and unease.
Jinghua's promotional video went completely viral among the alumni. Aside from lamenting the fleeting beauty of campus life, the comments under the video account were almost entirely praising the girl on screen.
Sitting on the return flight, Bian Xun played Ning Ye's segment on his phone for the umpteenth time. With his dark eyes lowered, the anxiety in his heart grew even stronger.
Ning Ye hadn't even told him about the promotional video being broadcast.
He only saw it because a relative forwarded it, yet she hadn't mentioned a single word about it to him.
Did she no longer have the desire to share her daily life with him?
Bian Xun's breathing grew hot, and his temples throbbed as if pricked by needles. Before takeoff, he typed and asked her again: Did anything happen these past few days?
Ning Ye: No, I have classes all day today. See you tonight.
Cold.
Her words were distant. She didn't even use an emoji.
Bian Xun's dark eyes turned sharp as he took a deep breath.
The unease and cold resentment in his heart were gradually expanding.
He looked at Ning Zhitao, who was curled up in the first-class seat next to him, and suddenly realized something. If they didn't have a child tying them together, would it be even easier for them to separate?
Because fundamentally speaking, he didn't seem to have a reason that made him indispensable to Ning Ye.
Bian Xun squeezed his eyes shut heavily.
They had caught the earliest flight today. Ning Zhitao had to go back to kindergarten, Ning Ye was fully booked with classes, and he needed to return to the old residence to deal with a problem. Old Master Bian had threatened to change his will today, and if he wasn't present, the entire Bian family would fall into chaos.
Just wait one more day. Bian Xun pinched his fingertips with patient restraint.
He tapped Ning Zhitao's forehead. "Wait for me to pick you and Mom up after school, okay?"
Ning Zhitao let go of her hands covering her ears, patted her cheeks to wave away the voices calling her, and nodded obediently: "Okay."
Her recent behavior looked far too much like she wanted to break up with him.
If she really wanted to break up, what could he do?
...
It was a seemingly ordinary day.
Ning Ye finished a full day of major courses and could finally catch her breath, rushing to the kindergarten to pick up Taotao.
Not having seen her for over a week, the little one missed her super much too. As soon as she let go of the kindergarten teacher's hand, she ran toward her with wild joy. Still remembering not to shout "Mom" loudly, her round face was flushed red from holding it in, until she threw herself into Ning Ye's arms and softly called "Mom, mua" in her ear.
Ning Ye's heart softened as well. She hugged the little girl and spun her around, her anxious heart somehow settling down a bit.
She wanted to take the little girl to get something to eat.
Who knew that as soon as she turned around, after nearly a year, that familiar vintage luxury car appeared by the roadside once again.
At the same time.
Bian Xun, who was striding out of a gift shop, was stopped at the door by a man.
The other party had a cowering posture but a very shifty gaze, speaking to Bian Xun with barely concealed excitement.
"You must be my daughter's boyfriend, right?"
Bian Xun frowned sharply.
Wang Xuebing looked greedily at this young man, at his clothes, the watch on his wrist, and the car behind him!
If he hadn't seen the screen at the school, he wouldn't even have recognized his daughter! Once he knew her name and asked around, he found out that a rich second-generation heir was actually chasing her!
All the big bosses Wang Xuebing had ever seen weren't as rich as the young man before him. His daughter was really something; getting into college and hooking such a big fish!
Bian Xun's footsteps paused slightly as he lifted his sharp dark eyes to size up the person in front of him.
Ning Ye had never brought up her parents to him on her own. Out of respect, he had never had anyone investigate or dig into her background. All he knew was that her mother had disappeared with an illness during her freshman year of college, and she had never mentioned her father.
Was this man her father?
But could a biological father who didn't even accompany his daughter to the start of the school year be a responsible father?
Bian Xun now had a daughter of his own, so he naturally felt a sense of contempt toward the man in front of him.
Sure enough, Wang Xuebing rubbed his hands together and spoke excitedly, "Son-in-law, you don't know this, but our family has always had a debt. My daughter was too embarrassed to ask you, so she sent me."
Wang Xuebing's shifty eyes landed on the car behind Bian Xun. He only knew it was very expensive, but couldn't figure out exactly how much it was worth to save his life. Finally, he gritted his teeth and held up some fingers to indicate a number.
"Five hundred thousand. I'm just asking for five hundred thousand for my daughter, and the two of you can get married this year!"
Bian Xun fell silent for two seconds, almost laughing out of anger. He looked down to message his assistant, telling him to bring the police directly. But he hadn't expected Wang Xuebing to be such a slippery gambling addict; seeing this, he immediately darted into the crowd.
"Tonight at XX Station, come by yourself, and bring cash! My daughter wants five hundred thousand, just consider it her bride price!"
Wang Xuebing disappeared in the blink of an eye. Bian Xun didn't delay for a moment and immediately called Ning Ye.
But at this moment, her phone was turned off.
He frowned and immediately drove to the university. However, there was no one in her dormitory. The dorm auntie said she had seen the girl leave.
He then went to Taotao's kindergarten. The homeroom teacher had just seen off the last child. "Taotao's father? Taotao already left a moment ago."
Bian Xun took a deep breath. "Who did she leave with?"
"I heard them talking from a distance. It seemed like she went to find her family."
Bian Xun's brows furrowed tightly.
Family?
Wang Xuebing? Impossible.
But Bian Xun searched everywhere and couldn't find any trace of Ning Ye or Ning Zhitao. Her phone remained turned off.
Just then, Old Master Bian's call came in.
"Did you meet your future 'father-in-law'?"
"Are you willing to go to the US now? The flight takes off in two hours."
Old Master Bian's voice carried a faint hint of smugness. It seemed he had figured everything out long ago.
Only when Bian Xun saw what kind of family this girl came from, and when he was truly touched by the dirty hands of such lower-class people, would he truly understand all the wretchedness.
With Bian Xun's self-respect and arrogance, could he possibly continue with her? Did he really want to spend the rest of his life with the daughter of a gambling addict and an extortionist?
Old Master Bian had raised Bian Xun himself since he was a child; he knew his personality best.
Sure enough, there was a long silence on the other end of the phone.
Bian Xun closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke in a calm tone.
"I'm going to withdraw the money."
Old Master Bian was stunned. "?!"
He doubted his own ears. "Are you crazy, Bian Xun?"
Bian Xun turned and strode toward the bank. This man might be using Ning Ye to blackmail him; otherwise, why couldn't he get through to Ning Ye's phone?
Then five hundred thousand was letting him off too easy.
As he walked with long, swift strides, he pulled a bank card from his wallet. Just as he stepped onto the stairs, his phone screen suddenly lit up.
A text message arrived from Ning Ye's previously turned-off number.
"Let's break up."
"Bian Xun, I don't want to hold back your future."
His swift footsteps suddenly froze, and the anxiety of the past few days completely detonated.
Bian Xun suddenly lost all expression on his face.
...
Half an hour ago, Ning Ye held Ning Zhitao's hand as they stood at the entrance of the kindergarten, meeting Old Master Bian in person for the first time.
In this year, the old man dressed in a dark black Tang suit had not yet stepped down to the second line. He was still the actual power holder of the Bian family. As he walked slowly with his cane, he brought a majestic and powerful sense of oppression.
That day, Ning Ye was given two choices.
"Do you know how much Bian Xun will miss out on if he doesn't go to the US? The best university and the best major in the US, the most cutting-edge field of the future, have long been open to him. School has already started, yet he chose to give it up."
"Do you know what it means in a family like ours for him to take a single wrong step?"
Old Master Bian's gaze wasn't considered harsh, but his words brought an extremely strong shock to Ning Ye's 19-year-old life.
"Child, you are very outstanding. I can give you two choices. One is to continue hindering his bright future and prevent him from becoming a prominent figure in an emerging field; the second is to receive a sum of money enough to support a wealthy lifestyle for ten years, as well as... news about your mother."
Hearing the last sentence, Ning Ye was completely stunned.
They... they knew where her mother was?
It made sense. The Bian family had a massive business and great influence. With their resources and authority, maybe they really could find her?
But Ning Ye felt suffocated with every breath she took.
Choosing the latter meant giving up on Bian Xun.
Choosing the former, how could she be responsible for Bian Xun's future?
On this day at this age, it seemed this wasn't a multiple-choice question at all.
But an inevitability that was meant to happen.
She realized that before Taotao appeared, this was exactly how she had given up on Bian Xun.
Originally, they were supposed to break up on this very day.
Only this time, amidst the waves of suffocating pain in her chest, the child's innocent and naive voice rang out, breaking the heavy atmosphere.
"Grandpa, did you dye your hair black?"
A small, chubby hand suddenly poked through the oppressive net woven by Old Master Bian. Startled, he began to cough violently.
He had always been very diligent about touching up his hair dye. How did this little brat know??
Old Master Bian didn't speak, just narrowed his eyes and stared at Ning Ye.
Ning Zhitao squeezed her mother's hand again, telling her that Taotao was here.
Ning Zhitao couldn't understand what was happening in front of her. By coming here, it seemed she was witnessing some very, very important moments? She could only understand that her mother's face was very pale, and she wouldn't allow anyone to bully her mother!
Ning Ye, however, took a deep breath, her voice carrying a slight tremble that she tried hard to conceal. "Where is my mother?"
The butler smiled and opened the car door. "Please come with me."
Ning Ye and Ning Zhitao were escorted into the car and arrived at an unfamiliar courtyard. Upon entering, the other party wanted to take away the adult's phone.
She had used her old phone for many years. It never left her side, and she took great care of it.
But the other party told her that the medical radio waves her mother was receiving could not have electronic devices nearby, so her phone had to be taken away for safekeeping.
Walking inside, she didn't see her mother. Old Master Bian left behind a hefty check and nodded in satisfaction.
"Don't worry, you just need to wait patiently for two hours."
...
Five minutes later, Bian Xun received the breakup text.
He stood by the side of the road, as if struck by lightning.
The aloof man was still wearing a suit today. His lowered gaze fell on the screen. After a long moment of silence, all his emotions came surging back.
Before he could even sort everything out, he had, for the first time in his life, tasted what it felt like to have his defenses completely shattered.
Anger, heartbreak, the sourness of confusion, a rising desire for control, and a fiercely resisting heart—all of it pressed heavily against his chest.
Was she really going to break up with him?
Of all the reasons to break up, "I don't want to hold back your future" was exactly the one that suited her the most.
That was just the way she was.
A resilient little flower, striving to take root and grow on her own, her greatest fear was obstructing his upward trajectory.
In truth, during the days he was away from campus, her gaze had subtly conveyed this very thought countless times.
I shouldn't hold you back.
I don't want to hold you back.
In those moments of hesitation, pretending that nothing was wrong, had the words of a breakup already lingered on her lips over and over again?
Yet what was even more agonizing was that Bian Xun also knew his current prospects were not enough to fully stand against his family. Lacking enough influence, he couldn't give her the most secure guarantee.
He could give up many things.
But was she going to give him up?
At that moment, Bian Xun's face was expressionless, but his mind was flooded with a myriad of emotions. In the end, he could only sit on that pile of five hundred thousand in cash, allowing the most unfamiliar despair of his life to wash over him.
He didn't even know where she was right now.
If she had made up her mind to hide from him, it meant she truly didn't want to continue.
On the other side, Ning Ye sat blankly in an unfamiliar place, the tip of her nose slowly turning red.
The Bian family had left them in this unknown residence. They had food and water, but no way to contact the outside world. They were simply waiting for Bian Xun to completely break ties with her. Only when they broke up would this finally end.
That year, for the young couple to separate like this was perhaps the best outcome for both of them.
He wouldn't have to waste his time here, losing his future and opportunities.
And she wouldn't have to bear the relentless pressure from his family anymore.
For two parallel lines to have had a brief intersection was perhaps happiness enough. The differences in their backgrounds and spending habits weren't so obvious during their innocent school days, but once they stepped into society, their stark difference in status would only make her unhappy.
Ning Ye felt this was right, yet she was still so heartbroken she wanted to cry.
Their youthful separation was almost imminent.
But a stubborn glimmer of hope struggled to grow in the depths of her heart. What if? What if they could overcome all the difficulties and stay together anyway?
Their child was right here.
In the distant future, they would find happiness again, so why couldn't they have it now?
Young love gave rise to endless fantasies, but after thinking it over and over, those dreams ultimately fell to the ground, covered in dust.
She couldn't even send out a single message.
Breaking up seemed to be a historical inevitability.
She gently covered her eyes, not wanting Taotao to see them separate. She rarely cried, but at this moment, her throat felt tight, leaving her bewildered and helpless.
Even Old Master Bian felt this plan was foolproof. The series of misunderstandings and mishaps would be enough to destroy two lovers who were not yet mature enough. This was for their own good.
Everything was a foregone conclusion.
But right at that moment, little Ning Zhitao stood up.
Mimicking her father, she adjusted her cuffs and shrugged her collar. Then, on her chubby, lotus-root-like little arm, a kid's smartwatch was revealed.
Mommy bought it. It was purple.
It could make phone calls.
Ning Zhitao tapped her ear, brought the watch face next to her chubby cheek, and said, Hello, hello?
And so, that year, before Bian Xun could receive the three words I am sorry which would have been their last text message for six years he first received a voice message sent by an angel.
Hello? Daddy!
I am in Grandpa's xx villa, and the gate code is xx8xxx!
Bian Xun's expression looked as if he had been struck by lightning all over again as he heard the child's soft yet bright voice.
If you don't come pick up Mommy and me right now, we won't want you anymore!
...
...
Lately, Taotao kept hearing her distant mom and dad calling out to her. She knew she might be going home soon.
As Taotao's wondrous journey reached this point, she didn't actually know what her young parents were worrying about or experiencing during their student days.
But Taotao loves you.
