Chapter 330– The Domineering CEO’s Little Sweetheart – The Truth from Back Then (07)
Bai Tang had been feeling down because of the matter, and Xi Yuanhan was the first to notice his unusual mood.
With Xi Yuanhan’s patient guidance, Bai Tang finally confessed what was on his mind.
As mentioned before, most of Xi Yuanhan’s influence and connections were overseas, so arranging for Dr. John to return ahead of schedule wasn’t difficult for him.
He smiled at Bai Tang and said, “It’s all right. Good people are rewarded—Xiao Mei’s mother will get better.”
As long as Bai Tang could cheer up, Xi Yuanhan didn’t mind lending Liang Shaomei a hand.
He ordered his subordinates in Country M to meet with Dr. John, help him handle his urgent affairs there, and then bring him back for the surgery.
Xi Yuanhan’s communication with his subordinates naturally didn’t escape the attention of his adoptive uncle.
Late one quiet night, Xi Yuanhan was holding Bai Tang as they slept when he suddenly received a call from his uncle overseas in Country M.
He carefully slipped out onto the balcony and answered the long-distance call.
“Yuanhan, how are things back home?” asked a voice that sounded utterly ordinary—but the man behind it was anything but.
“Uncle Jiang, don’t worry, I’m doing well.” Xi Yuanhan had deep affection for Uncle Jiang, the man who had raised and taught him since childhood.
“I heard you’ve gotten quite close with that Bai family boy,” Uncle Jiang said. “I also heard you ran into some trouble recently. What happened—did Bai Kangsheng find out…?”
Uncle Jiang had been as close as a brother to Xi Yuanhan’s father. He was still determined to uncover the murderer from all those years ago, and he was deeply frustrated by what he saw as Xi Yuanhan’s lack of ambition since returning home.
Although Uncle Jiang’s theories tended to be extreme and conspiratorial, Xi Yuanhan couldn’t stand hearing anyone speak ill of Bai Tang now. He retorted, “Uncle Jiang, Tang Tang is a good person. If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t be calling me today—you’d be attending my funeral.”
He wasn’t wrong. When three intruders broke into the Bai residence, it was Bai Tang who had saved him.
Uncle Jiang paused for a moment. The child had grown up—he had his own thoughts now, and even dared to talk back.
He didn’t continue to argue about Bai Tang. Instead, he reminded Xi Yuanhan, “You’ll receive the evidence this morning. Let it bring peace to your parents’ souls.”
After hanging up, Xi Yuanhan turned to go back into the room—only to find that the young man had woken up at some point and was now sitting on the bed, watching him.
“I just took a call,” Xi Yuanhan explained as he walked over and sat by the bed. “I didn’t mean to keep you awake, Tang Tang.”
He gently pressed Bai Tang back onto the bed. “Go to sleep. I’ll hold you. I’m not going anywhere.”
As he spoke, he turned off his phone and placed it in the drawer.
Bai Tang kept his wide eyes on him for a long moment. “A Han, what is it that you want?”
Xi Yuanhan froze slightly, replaying the call in his mind to see if his voice had been too loud—had Bai Tang overheard something?
“It’s nothing—nothing urgent,” he said softly. “Now, it’s time to sleep.”
He lifted his arm for Bai Tang to rest on and tucked the small blanket over him with quiet care.
Bai Tang pressed against Xi Yuanhan’s chest and whispered, “I know everything that’s going on at home. Whatever it is you need, I’ll help you find it.”
Xi Yuanhan had been inside the study several times searching for evidence. But whether it was bad luck, Bai Kangsheng’s cunning, or simply that the man hadn’t kept anything incriminating at home, all three attempts had ended in failure. In the end, he could only think of other ways.
Bai Tang’s words stirred a complicated feeling in Xi Yuanhan’s heart. His rational mind told him that now—when Tang Tang trusted him the most—was the perfect time to coax information out of him. But his emotions rebelled. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t use Tang Tang like that. If he crossed this line, there might be no turning back for them.
As Xi Yuanhan wrestled between reason and emotion, Bai Tang couldn’t wait any longer.
His autism had nearly healed, and if he wanted to prevent Zhang Ma and himself from being burned alive by the Xi family’s enemies, he had to reveal the truth in advance.
He sat up, jumped barefoot off the bed, but before he could take more than two steps, an arm looped around his waist and pulled him back.
“Nighttime is for resting, daytime is for work,” Xi Yuanhan said as he kissed Bai Tang on the cheek. “Right now, sleep is the most important thing in the world. Be good, Tang Tang—come sleep.”
Before Bai Tang could react, Xi Yuanhan pressed him back into his arms, forcing him to lie down and sleep.
Bai Tang had just offered him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, yet Xi Yuanhan gave it up—for his sake.
He knew that even tomorrow, A Han still wouldn’t ask him about it.
The little squirrel poked at the man’s firm chest with his finger. “A Han~”
Before he could poke again, Xi Yuanhan caught that mischievous hand and kissed it gently. “Hmm?”
“Whatever it is you want to do, go ahead and do it,” Bai Tang murmured. “I don’t mind.”
—So, you don’t have to hold back for me.
Xi Yuanhan smiled. “There are many things I want to do… for example, figuring out how to get Tang Tang to agree to marry me.”
It was rare for Bai Tang to open up and talk to him like this, so Xi Yuanhan took the chance to confess.
In the darkness, Bai Tang’s face grew warm. After a quiet moment, his soft voice sounded, “That’ll have to wait until I’m twenty-two~”
He had just turned nineteen this year. Xi Yuanhan would have to wait a few more years—Bai Tang hadn’t yet reached the legal age for marriage.
Sweetness bloomed in Xi Yuanhan’s heart. Did that mean Tang Tang had agreed?
“Tang Tang,” he whispered, “I love you.”
The air grew charged with emotion. The man lowered his head, and he and the boy he loved were drawn into a whirlpool named love.
The next morning, Zhang Ma prepared breakfast, told Xi Yuanhan to wake Bai Tang for their meal, and then grabbed her bag to accompany Liang Shaomei to the hospital.
Today was the day of Liang Shaomei’s mother’s surgery. Liang family’s relatives, afraid that Liang Shaomei would come to them for money, had all changed their phone numbers, moved away, or cut off contact altogether. Her father had passed away years ago, leaving only Liang Shaomei and her mother to depend on each other.
Zhang Ma felt sorry for the young girl—working so hard at such a young age wasn’t easy—and worried that she might not be able to handle waiting outside the operating room alone. So she went with her to the hospital for support.
After the two of them left, Xi Yuanhan helped Bai Tang get up, wash up, and eat breakfast.
After breakfast, Bai Tang still remembered to help Xi Yuanhan find the evidence.
With the assistance of Qiu’er and Xiao A, Bai Tang led Xi Yuanhan into the study, turned on the computer, and opened a folder labeled “Movies.” Inside, he found a video file. He dragged it into the player, and a video began to play.
It seemed to be footage from a 4S car dealership. A man was examining a new car when, out of nowhere, a masked man rushed in and stabbed him to death. The killer then rummaged through the victim’s body, as if searching for something. Just as he was about to leave, a woman happened to pass by and saw the scene. She screamed and tried to run, but the man chased her down, knocked her unconscious, and dragged both her and the other man—whether dead or alive—up to the rooftop.
The murdered man and woman were none other than Xi Yuanhan’s parents.
At that time, Bai Kangsheng had been the manager of that very dealership. He was, in fact, an eyewitness.
However, the police’s official conclusion back then was that Xi’s father and mother had argued, the mother had stabbed the father in anger, and then dragged him to the rooftop before jumping to her own death.
But Xi Yuanhan knew his parents. They had always loved each other deeply. He had never once seen them quarrel, let alone come to blows.
After that incident, the Xi family business collapsed almost overnight, while Bai Kangsheng’s fortunes began to rise. His life had steadily grown more prosperous ever since the deaths of Xi’s parents.
One family’s ruin, another man’s rise—and the tragedy had taken place in Bai Kangsheng’s store.
To say he had nothing to do with it? Xi Yuanhan would never believe that.
After watching the video, both of them felt heavy-hearted.
Xi Yuanhan’s chest tightened with grief as he watched the footage of his parents’ deaths.
Then a smaller hand gently rested on the back of his.
Xi Yuanhan looked up, and Bai Tang wrapped his arms around him. “Don’t cry,” he whispered. “I’m still here.”
Xi Yuanhan wiped his face, only to realize that his cheeks were already wet with tears.
“Tang Tang…” he murmured, hugging Bai Tang back. He had found Tang Tang—he still had Tang Tang.
From the footage, it was clear that Bai Kangsheng hadn’t personally killed Xi’s parents. But his sudden wealth afterward could not possibly be unrelated to their deaths.
“Tang Tang, there’s another video—one that Bai Kangsheng secretly recorded back then,” Qiu’er said as it pulled up the file for Bai Tang.
The footage showed Bai Kangsheng in the middle of a shady transaction. He promised to keep a secret, and in return, the other party handed him a large sum of money.
That was the true reason behind Bai Kangsheng’s sudden rise to wealth all those years ago.
Xi Yuanhan sent both video files to Uncle Jiang, who was utterly shocked after watching them.
Xi Yuanhan’s father and Uncle Jiang had been sworn brothers. Neither of them was well-educated, and they had once lived rough lives. Later, Xi’s father met Xi’s mother and fell deeply in love with her. In order to win her heart, he promised to turn over a new leaf and live honestly.
After they married, their lives did indeed begin to improve, and they eventually founded a company together.
Back then, there had also been another man named Gao Li—he liked Xi’s mother too. But she chose Xi’s father instead.
Gao Li bore a grudge. No one knew what kind of power he had gotten involved with later on, but he eventually became a local crime boss.
In the footage, the man who attacked Xi’s parents was none other than Gao Li, and the one who made the deal with Bai Kangsheng was also him.
After that incident, the Xi family’s business fell apart almost instantly. Xi’s father’s sworn brother—Jiang Xue, the man Xi Yuanhan called “Uncle Jiang”—sensed something was wrong. Smelling the stench of conspiracy, he took what little money the Xi family had left and fled overseas with young Xi Yuanhan, protecting his brother’s only remaining bloodline.
Years passed. The small company they started abroad flourished under Xi Yuanhan and Jiang Xue’s joint management, quickly climbing to prominence in their field.
When Xi Yuanhan learned the full story behind his parents’ deaths, his cigarette burned down to his fingertips before he even noticed. By the time he snapped back to himself, the call had already ended.
Bai Tang didn’t disturb him. He quietly sat by his easel, chatting with Qiu’er and Xiao A.
“So,” Bai Tang asked softly, “that man named Gao Li—is he A Han’s real enemy?”
“Yes,” Qiu’er replied. “He’s the true culprit. Though technically, he was the one who killed Xi’s father and indirectly caused his mother’s death.”
“Huh???” Bai Tang tilted his head in confusion. Xiao A explained, “Gao Li tried to force himself on Xi’s mother. She refused, so she jumped off the building while holding her husband’s body.”
That single fall left Xi Yuanhan an orphan—no father, no mother. If not for the “protagonist’s halo” and Uncle Jiang’s protection, he might never have survived to adulthood.
“Good thing, good thing… good thing A Han’s the main character—his fortune’s strong,” Bai Tang murmured, still shaken after watching the video. One look at Gao Li’s face, and he could tell the man was pure evil.
Meanwhile, Xi Yuanhan sat silently for a long time before finally making a difficult decision.
Author’s Note:
The weekend is here again! Are you all getting some time off, my little sweethearts?