By the time Bai Sha and Zhou Haochen returned home hand-in-hand, the others were already engrossed in a game of Ludo with the little one.
Li Qingyu, Sun Weijie, and Wu Di were playing, while Lily sat on the sidelines, observing the unfolding drama.
Bai Sha moved closer to Lily, assessing the board. The little one had already won three pieces, far surpassing everyone else.
“Sister Bai Sha, will Zhou Haochen be moving back to the dorm when school starts?”
Lily poked Bai Sha’s arm, her voice laced with curiosity.
Bai Sha tilted her head slightly. “That’s up to him. Are you and Sun Weijie planning on living together?”
Lily shook her head. “We discussed it and decided to wait until our senior year. For these two semesters, we’ll still live on campus.”
Bai Sha glanced at a certain someone who was casually watching the game with his hands behind his back. She chuckled, “I suspect even if I forbade it, he’d shamelessly insist on staying at home.”
Zhou Haochen, with his keen hearing, turned to them, a question in his eyes. “Is something the matter?”
Bai Sha gently nudged him with her foot. “Go watch your game; we’re having our own conversation.”
“Oh yeah! I won again!”
The little one bounced around, absolutely delighted.
The other three, however, covered their faces in despair. They had initially intended to let the child win, but after three rounds, they hadn’t managed a single victory. Their masculine pride was utterly shattered.
Bai Sha paused, then asked Lily with a smile, “Isn’t this just the first round?”
Lily’s smile was equally radiant as she nodded. “It’s the third round. They haven’t won a single game against Xiao Yu.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Haochen looked at his friends’ expressions, then burst into uncontrollable laughter, mercilessly remarking, “Not only is your gaming skill terrible, but your luck is abysmal too!”
Li Qingyu waved him off. “Don’t laugh; you wouldn’t win either.”
Zhou Haochen rolled up his sleeves, declaring with a burst of bravado, “I’ll play then!”
This round was a showdown, with everyone gathered around the father and daughter.
Inevitably, Zhou Haochen also fell in defeat, immediately met with the mockery of his brothers.
Bai Sha also gave the little one a thumbs-up. “Xiao Yu is amazing! You’re much better at games than Mama!”
The little one spread her arms and ran around the room. “Ludo is so much fun! I love playing Ludo the most!”
Li Qingyu clapped Zhou Haochen on the back, laughing. “You’re quite useless at this too, aren’t you?”
Sun Weijie feigned seriousness, asking him, “Second Brother, do you know why, out of ten lotuses in a pond, you only pick one?”
Wu Di chimed in, picking up the thread, “I know! Because you pick *nine* lotuses!” (TL Note: This is a classic Chinese riddle where the answer relies on a pun. The phrase for ‘pick one lotus’ (采一朵莲, cǎi yī duǒ lián) sounds very similar to ‘pick nine lotuses’ (采九朵莲, cǎi jiǔ duǒ lián) in spoken Chinese, creating a humorous contradiction.)
Everyone burst into laughter, filling the room with a joyful atmosphere.
Bai Sha, leaning on Lily, was laughing so hard she could barely stand when suddenly, the phone rang. She excused herself from the merriment, walked to the balcony, and saw that it was Bai Qing calling.
Her smile hadn’t yet faded as she answered, “Hello, Sis. What’s up?”
“Xiao Sha, I need to ask you a favor.”
“There’s no need for ‘favors’ between us. Just make a request, and I’ll go through hell and high water to get it done for you.”
A silence hung on the other end of the line. Bai Sha gradually noticed the low spirits of her sister, and the smile vanished from her face. She asked gravely,
“Sis, has something really happened?”
Bai Qing sighed deeply, her voice heavy with complex emotions. “Dad had some issues during his physical examination a few weeks ago, and they’ve been getting progressively worse recently.”
At the mention of their father, Bai Sha also fell silent. “Hmm…”
“The day before yesterday, a student drowned. Dad was in the water all day, then he was hospitalized. Now the doctors are recommending surgery.”
“Then do it. I’ll pay for it.”
Bai Qing, on the other end, pressed a hand to her forehead. “It’s not about the money. It’s Dad…”
Bai Sha’s eyebrow twitched. “He didn’t run home and refuse the surgery, did he?”
The silence that followed was deafening. Bai Sha scoffed, “Has he gone senile?”
“He won’t listen to a word I say anymore.”
‘As if he’d listen to me,’ Bai Sha thought. How many years had it been since they severed ties?
“You need to come back for a visit, even if it’s just for a little while. You don’t even have to speak, just let me try again. His health really can’t be delayed any longer!”
“…Alright…”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Bai Sha hung up the phone. She never refused her sister’s requests, especially when a life was on the line.
Bai Sha turned back to the room, where everyone was still laughing and chatting. Yet, she didn’t see Zhou Haochen.
Where was he?
As she lifted her leg to move, she realized he had, at some point, leaned against the balcony door, smiling as he asked her, “Finished with your call?”
“How did you get here?”
“You were taking so long, I was worried something might have happened, so I came to stand guard.”
Bai Sha’s somewhat gloomy mood lightened considerably. As for eavesdropping, he couldn’t have heard anything from that position, a fact Bai Sha knew from experience when he had been on the phone.
“What happened?”
Bai Sha leaned forward slightly, resting her forehead against his chest. “They’re truly infuriating.”
Zhou Haochen gently embraced her, asking, “Who are ‘they’?”
“My parents.”
Bai Sha looked up into his eyes, her voice tinged with frustration. “I have to go back to my hometown. You two have school, so I’ll have to go alone…”
“How about I take some leave?”
“What about Xiao Yu, then?”
“We could ask her aunt and uncle to look after her for a few days?”
Bai Sha shook her head slightly. “Never mind. You stay home and take good care of our daughter. I can manage on my own.”
Zhou Haochen lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead. “Alright then.”
****
Meanwhile, on Bai Qing’s side.
She and Zhao Dingzhuo were in the midst of handling paperwork when a call from Bai’s Mother instantly transformed the previously cloudy weather into a raging storm.
“I just went out to get some hot water, and your dad vanished!”
Zhao Dingzhuo sighed helplessly, following his furious wife. Could neither his father-in-law nor his mother-in-law spare them any worry?
After picking up Bai’s Mother, the three quickly drove home. Bai Qing sat in the passenger seat, rubbing her slightly throbbing temples, a headache brewing.
Upon returning to the village, they saw the house’s front gate wide open from a distance, confirming that Bai Anguo had long since returned home.
Bai Qing’s face was ashen as she strode into the house. The moment she entered, she saw the old man puffing on a cigarette.
She, who was usually demure and gentle in front of her parents, pointed at her father. “What the hell are you doing?!”
Bai Anguo remained utterly silent, a hoe lying by his feet, indicating he intended to go out and do farm work. “Am I really unable to control you?!”
Bai Anguo merely raised his eyes slightly, his meaning clear: ‘Since when could a mere boy control his old man?’
“I’m riddled with illness. It can’t be cured, so don’t waste money.”
Bai Qing was speechless with anger. “Heh, fine! Your daughter has no money, so I can’t control you. Fine! I’ll find you someone rich who *can* control you, then!”
Bai Anguo’s hand, holding the cigarette, paused slightly, then he scoffed, “Find whoever you want.”
Bai Qing picked up her phone and walked outside. “I hope you’re still this calm tomorrow.”
Zhao Dingzhuo and Bai’s Mother watched the confrontation between father and daughter.
As the son-in-law, he shook his head and walked towards his wife. His father-in-law was truly something; he’d forgotten to put the cigarette in his mouth, yet still tried to act calm.
Bai’s Mother, however, was somewhat worried. She hadn’t even told the old man about Bai Sha’s situation. What if this stubborn old man found out about his daughter’s child and had a heart attack?