Chapter 326– The Domineering CEO’s Little Sweetheart – The Obstacle on the Road to Love (03)
After dinner, Xi Yuanhan kept his promise — he set up the easel, prepared the paints, and accompanied Bai Tang while he painted.
Having lived through the previous world, Bai Tang wouldn’t call himself a painting master, but his skills were definitely far from poor.
On the canvas, he brushed out a patch of emerald-green forest, then added a hint of orange-yellow among the thick foliage.
It’s often said that the thoughts of autistic people are hidden within their paintings.
Xi Yuanhan watched intently, trying to discern what lay in Bai Tang’s heart through the brushstrokes.
One painted with deep focus, the other observed with quiet attention.
Just then, Liang Shaomei came upstairs with a tray of neatly cut fruit and knocked on the door. Before she could knock a second time, Xi Yuanhan opened it from the inside.
The sound of knocking could disturb Bai Tang’s painting process, interrupt his train of thought, or, worse, agitate him with sudden noise.
Xi Yuanhan would not allow Bai Tang to be hurt — whether by accident or on purpose.
Liang Shaomei said, “I came to bring some fruit. Aunt Zhang said the young master has a habit of eating fruit at night.”
“Just give it to me. Go downstairs and help Aunt Zhang,” Xi Yuanhan replied, taking the fruit tray and clearly intending to send her away.
But Liang Shaomei wasn’t about to leave so easily — she had come up with a task from Aunt Zhang.
Because of Xi Yuanhan’s behavior during dinner, Aunt Zhang was still uneasy about him. If she watched him herself, he might be more guarded since she was an old servant of the Bai family.
But Liang Shaomei was different. She was new — Xi Yuanhan didn’t have his guard up around her. If he so much as showed the slightest hint of ill intent toward Bai Tang, she would immediately report it to Father Bai and have Xi Yuanhan dismissed.
“I was hired by Old Mr. Bai to take care of the young master,” Liang Shaomei said. “Aunt Zhang also told me to spend more time with him and learn about his habits.” These words weren’t fabricated — Aunt Zhang had indeed said them.
Although Xi Yuanhan didn’t want anyone disturbing his time alone with the boy, he had no grounds to drive Liang Shaomei away. So he stepped aside and made room for her to enter.
“Be quiet. Tang Tang is painting. If you disturb him, you’ll have to leave,” Xi Yuanhan said in a low voice.
Liang Shaomei, who had crammed some knowledge about autism that evening, rolled her eyes at Xi Yuanhan, thinking his warning was unnecessary nonsense.
She tiptoed over, pulled a chair, and sat down beside Bai Tang’s left hand.
At this moment, the orange-yellow outline on the paper had become quite clear — it was a lively, energetic little squirrel.
Bai Tang’s brushstrokes began to slow down; he tilted his head slightly, as if pondering what to paint next.
Just then, Xi Yuanhan picked up a piece of fruit with a fork and held it to Bai Tang’s lips.
The boy opened his mouth with a soft “ahh” and took a bite. His cheeks puffed up as he chewed, looking remarkably like the squirrel on the canvas clutching its pinecone.
Taking the chance, Liang Shaomei handed Bai Tang a cup of warm water.
Since Bai Tang habitually used his right hand, the cup was placed on his left side to prevent him from spilling it — conveniently, that was the side where Liang Shaomei was sitting.
The boy cupped the glass with both hands, sipping it little by little. When he finished, he handed the cup back to Liang Shaomei and murmured softly, “Thank you.”
Though his voice was small, it was clear enough for Liang Shaomei to hear.
The young master is so adorable~
It was the first time she had ever heard Bai Tang speak. That soft, milky voice instantly melted her heart.
However, Bai Tang’s attention had now shifted to Liang Shaomei, which made Xi Yuanhan find her especially irritating.
As Liang Shaomei set the cup down, she happened to look up and met Xi Yuanhan’s gaze — sharp and cold. She glared right back.
What’s your problem? she thought. We’re both just workers here. Who do you think you are, acting all high and mighty?
Young women often carry a strong sense of justice — not out of resentment toward the rich, but simply because they dislike people who act superior.
It wasn’t that she stood against Tang Tang; rather, she unintentionally became a small thorn in the male lead’s side — a little challenge that the “author” behind the scenes (Qiu’er) was quite pleased to see.
After all, things that come too easily are never truly cherished.
Qiu’er couldn’t bear to see his carefully chosen “little squirrel” (Bai Tang) being bullied — not even by the “child of heaven,” the male lead himself.
Watching from the sidelines, Xiao A felt helpless. He didn’t speak up for the male lead; after all, he had worked so hard to win Qiu’er’s heart — he wasn’t about to lose his wife by taking someone else’s side.
So, male lead, you’ll just have to stumble a little on the road to love, he thought irresponsibly. With your abilities, you’ll figure it out perfectly in the end.
Without realizing it, Liang Shaomei — moved by that one soft “thank you” — had officially joined the “Protect Tang Tang Squad.”
Before the painting was finished, it was already Bai Tang’s bedtime.
Xi Yuanhan finally found a chance to send Liang Shaomei away, using the excuse that Bai Tang needed to bathe — and that a girl shouldn’t be present.
Although Bai Tang was autistic, he wasn’t stupid. He had always bathed himself before, so if girls couldn’t watch, neither could Xi Yuanhan.
Liang Shaomei stubbornly insisted on dragging Xi Yuanhan out of the room. Not wanting to upset Bai Tang by arguing in front of him, Xi Yuanhan reluctantly followed her out — but not before setting out Bai Tang’s clothes and adjusting the water temperature.
Liang Shaomei stood by, watching carefully, making sure Xi Yuanhan never had a chance to harm Bai Tang.
During Bai Tang’s painting session earlier, Liang Shaomei had noticed something — Xi Yuanhan’s hands seemed far too restless around Bai Tang. His intentions were definitely not pure.
Mr. Bai had hired her to take care of Bai Tang, not to let him be taken advantage of right under her nose. Since she was being paid to protect the young master, she was determined to do her job properly. Once she gathered solid evidence of Xi Yuanhan’s misconduct, she would hand it over to Aunt Zhang and Mr. Bai.
At this time, Xi Yuanhan had no idea that in the original storyline, his official partner was destined to become a major obstacle on his road to love.
With the intervention of the two systems, Bai Tang’s autism symptoms had been reduced to a minimum. As long as Xi Yuanhan stayed by his side patiently, given time, Bai Tang would eventually recover.
Normally, autism couldn’t be completely cured — but Bai Tang was an exception.
Although Qiu’er intended to give Xi Yuanhan a few small setbacks, he never planned to stop him from accompanying Bai Tang. As for making the male lead’s journey more uncomfortable — well, that was Liang Shaomei’s department.
“Go, Xiao Mei! I’m proud of you~!” Qiu’er cheered, clenching his fist.
Xiao A looked up helplessly at the sky and sighed. Ah…
Bai Tang finished his bath quickly and came running out with dripping wet hair, not even bothering to dry it. Barefoot, he rushed out the door straight into Xi Yuanhan’s arms, soaking the latter’s clothes.
“You’ll catch a cold if you don’t dry your hair. Be good — let’s go blow it dry,” Xi Yuanhan said, holding Bai Tang’s hand. He then glanced at Liang Shaomei with a triumphant smile.
Liang Shaomei was stunned by his shameless provocation. This man definitely has ulterior motives. Definitely!
Just as she was about to follow them inside, Aunt Zhang called up from downstairs, “Xiao Mei, are you free? Come give me a hand!”
Liang Shaomei looked once more at the backs of Xi Yuanhan and Bai Tang disappearing into the room, silently vowing: One day, I’ll catch you red-handed.
“Coming!” Liang Shaomei replied, turning to head downstairs.
Xi Yuanhan was being as gentle as ever — so gentle, even he found it unbelievable.
“I must be poisoned by you,” he murmured to himself as he blow-dried Bai Tang’s hair.
Bai Tang seemed to understand, and yet not quite; the corners of his lips curved into a faint smile.
Being with Xi Yuanhan made him happiest. He liked this feeling.
That night, the two lay on the soft bed, curled up in each other’s arms.
The boy had long since fallen fast asleep, while Xi Yuanhan lay awake, eyes open, lost in thought.
Bai Kangsheng was very likely the murderer who killed his parents — yet he had fallen in love with the murderer’s son.
He had never been in love before, but that didn’t mean he didn’t understand what it was.
Lowering his gaze, Xi Yuanhan looked at the boy sleeping peacefully beside him.
If it turns out that your father really is the one who killed my parents… what should I do with you?
He played out countless scenarios in his mind, but not once did he consider giving up on the boy.
Since his heart had already been moved, he would never let go.
“Autistic or not… someday, you won’t hate me,” Xi Yuanhan murmured, pressing a kiss to Bai Tang’s forehead. The tangled, conflicting emotions kept him awake until dawn.
Xi Yuanhan didn’t go searching for evidence on the very first night. In Aunt Zhang’s eyes, he was still an outsider, someone she didn’t fully trust. Acting on the first night would be far too suspicious — if she caught him, not only would he fail to find any proof, but he’d also lose his chance to stay by Bai Tang’s side. That would be a complete loss.
The next morning, when Bai Tang opened his eyes, Xi Yuanhan gently brushed a feather-light kiss across his lips and said softly, “Good morning.”
The boy froze for a moment, his ears turning a faint shade of pink.
Tang Tang was shy.
Xi Yuanhan’s mood instantly lifted. He helped Bai Tang wash up and led him downstairs.
Downstairs, Aunt Zhang and Liang Shaomei were preparing breakfast, both with huge dark circles under their eyes. Just as Xi Yuanhan had guessed, Aunt Zhang hadn’t trusted him and had stayed up all night keeping watch.
Even though he hadn’t done anything improper, she still glared at him several times.
Don’t think I don’t know what you were up to last night, her look seemed to say. You actually stayed in the young master’s room all night! If you disturbed his sleep, could you even afford to make it right?
Aunt Zhang had been hired by Kangsheng after Bai Tang’s autism was discovered, but she had also watched Bai Tang grow up.
Her bond with him ran deep — before Xi Yuanhan appeared, no one had a closer relationship with Bai Tang than Aunt Zhang. Even Bai Tang’s own father couldn’t talk to him easily, but Aunt Zhang could.
“Young master, come have breakfast. Today I made your favorite — vegetable, nut, and egg rolls,” Aunt Zhang said warmly.
Aunt Zhang’s affection for Bai Tang was beyond question. Whatever he liked to eat, she would make it for him — her love could only be described as unconditional indulgence.
Xi Yuanhan also wanted to give Bai Tang the best of everything, but when it came to things that could harm his health, he couldn’t just let him have them freely.
Although the vegetable and nut egg rolls were nutritious, they were also quite heaty. Just like last night’s dinner — more than half the dishes had contained nuts.
“I know you like them, but you can’t eat too much,” Xi Yuanhan said, placing one egg roll in Bai Tang’s bowl. Bai Tang didn’t say anything; he simply obeyed and ate quietly.
Liang Shaomei, however, was not pleased. “Why can’t the young master eat what he wants? Mr. Xi, you’re here as a housekeeper and bodyguard, responsible for his safety — not to make up rules for him!”
As she spoke, she used clean chopsticks to pick up another vegetable and nut egg roll and placed it in Bai Tang’s bowl. Before Xi Yuanhan could take it away, Bai Tang quickly grabbed it and took a big bite.
Delicious~
The boy’s face was full of satisfaction as he looked gratefully at Liang Shaomei several times.
Suppressing his anger, Xi Yuanhan tried to reason with her. “Egg rolls can cause internal heat. Tang Tang doesn’t know how to express discomfort — if he feels unwell, he can’t say so. He’d be the one to suffer. A balanced diet is for his own good.”
Aunt Zhang found Xi Yuanhan’s words reasonable — for the first time, she began to reflect on her own meal plans.
“You’re right. I’ve gotten used to making the same things. How about this — Xiao Mei, make a list of nutritious and balanced dishes. We’ll adjust the menu from now on.”
Aunt Zhang’s instruction successfully defused Liang Shaomei’s frustration.
“Alright, I’ll make a list later. A healthy diet is important, but we also need to consider the young master’s taste. If he doesn’t like the new dishes and we have to remake them, he might end up hungry. I think we should change the menu gradually so the young master can get used to it.”
“Let’s do as you say,” Aunt Zhang agreed after a moment’s thought.
Liang Shaomei and Xi Yuanhan’s gazes met midair — neither willing to back down.
Author’s Note:
Yes, our female lead has once again become a stumbling block on the male lead’s road to love.ヾ(′`o)+