Chapter 334– The Domineering CEO’s Little Sweetheart – The Explosion (11)
“Tang Tang, hurry—follow the bedsheet and… cough, cough… climb down…” Liang Shaomei inhaled too much smoke; her vision began to blur.
Bai Tang had already tied the bedsheet securely around his body and was about to help Liang Shaomei climb down with him. But when he turned around, he found Liang Shaomei collapsed on the floor.
Bai Tang untied the sheet from his own waist and fastened it around Liang Shaomei instead.
“Qiu’er, help me—lower the heroine down slowly,” Bai Tang said.
In her condition, Liang Shaomei could no longer descend on her own. Bai Tang could only grip the sheet from above and gradually let her down.
Afraid he wouldn’t be able to bear Liang Shaomei’s weight, Bai Tang called for help from the system.
“Got it! No problem with that!” Xiao A, replied.
With the combined effort of Qiu’er, Xiao A, and Bai Tang, they slowly lowered Liang Shaomei down. Only after seeing her safely reach the ground did Bai Tang finally breathe a sigh of relief.
By now, the flames inside the house had grown fiercer. The moment Bai Tang relaxed, he inhaled a lungful of thick smoke and started coughing violently, covering his mouth and nose.
“Tang Tang, are you okay? Can you still hold on?” Qiu’er asked anxiously.
“I’m… still fine… cough, cough…”
Through the choking smoke, a flash of white light appeared—on the floor, a small squirrel materialized.
“Host, run! The place is about to explode!” Xiao A detected danger.
But the squirrel had barely taken a few steps before an explosion erupted inside the house. The powerful blast wave flung the tiny creature outward.
“Tang… Tang…”
After being lowered to the ground, Liang Shaomei barely managed to open her eyes. Before she could see Bai Tang coming down, the shockwave from the explosion knocked her unconscious.
When Xi Yuanhan arrived at the Bai residence after knocking out the two attackers, flames were already shooting into the sky. Fire trucks and ambulances lined the front yard.
Half-crazed, he ran forward. Paramedics were administering first aid to Liang Shaomei, while Aunt Zhang, still conscious, was crying hysterically toward the burning Bai residence, shouting Bai Tang’s name over and over.
Hearing her cries, Xi Yuanhan staggered back a few steps in disbelief.
Before his eyes was a sea of fire—Tang Tang couldn’t still be inside.
He couldn’t be. He wouldn’t be…
Xi Yuanhan lunged toward the burning house, but several firefighters held him back.
“You’ve got a death wish, huh? The fire’s that big—no possessions are worth more than a human life!” The firefighters mistook Xi Yuanhan for the owner of the Bai residence and shouted at him, hoping to snap him out of it.
“Tang Tang’s still inside! He’s still in there!” Xi Yuanhan roared, veins bulging on his forehead. He struggled so violently that even two firefighters could barely hold him back.
“We’re doing everything we can to put out the fire! We’ll try our best to rescue anyone still inside!”
The fire had been burning for nearly two hours. The flames were fierce, and everyone knew the chance of survival inside was almost nonexistent.
Gao Hong, who had met Xi Yuanhan before through Gao Li, recognized him at once.
“Calm down! If you rush in now, you’ll just throw your own life away!” Gao Hong shouted. Seeing that Xi Yuanhan was still trying to charge forward, he couldn’t hold back—he punched him hard. “Calm down!”
The blow stopped Xi Yuanhan in his tracks.
He stared at Gao Hong—his gaze locked, wild, and unyielding, like a trapped beast ready to strike.
“Get lost…”
A blinding thunderclap shattered the sweltering summer night, and a sudden flash of lightning illuminated every face in stark, pale light.
Then the sky opened up, rain beginning to fall in a steady drizzle.
Time itself seemed to freeze—only Xi Yuanhan could move.
He slowly walked toward the gate of the Bai residence. The flames curled and parted on their own, as if afraid of him.
Xi Yuanhan searched through the ruins of the house but found no trace of Bai Tang—not a body, not even ashes.
“Tang Tang… where are you…”
The man’s voice echoed through the charred remains of the Bai home.
The rain grew heavier, finally smothering the last of the raging fire. Thick, acrid black smoke rose from the smoldering debris.
In the grass nearby, a small squirrel was awakened by the patter of raindrops.
It opened its eyes, momentarily disoriented, unable to tell where it was.
“Tang Tang, you’re finally awake!” Qiu’er’s anxious tone carried a note of relief—if he was awake, it meant he was alive.
“This time-space has been hit by an unknown, powerful force,” Xiao A reported calmly. “Analysis shows it originated from the male lead. He’s gone mad searching for you. If you don’t appear soon, his unconscious attacks on the world barrier will cause this entire timeline to collapse within thirty minutes.”
“Squeak squeak squeak”—Ah Han~
Qiu’er and Xiao A’s words quickly pulled the squirrel’s fading reason back.
His entire body throbbed with pain, but what worried him most was Xi Yuanhan.
The little squirrel staggered toward the Bai residence, slipping several times on the rain-soaked ground.
After much effort, he finally reached the front of the Bai house. Looking up, he saw the balcony of the second floor—his room.
He couldn’t climb up; the pain was unbearable. Every bone in his body felt as though it had been shattered.
“Squeak, squeak, squeak—!”
Xi Yuanhan stepped out onto the balcony and looked down from above.
Suddenly, he caught an unusual sound—a faint animal’s cry.
Animals feared fire; any that could escape would have long fled the area.
He tilted his head, listening closely. The squeaks grew clearer and closer.
Xi Yuanhan’s vision was sharp—even in the darkness, he spotted a small, scorched squirrel on the ground below.
His pupils dilated. It was Tang Tang!
Grabbing the railing, Xi Yuanhan leapt down from the second floor.
In his haste, his movements were unsteady, and a sharp crack came from his knee.
He didn’t care. Dragging his injured leg, he crawled to the little squirrel and gently gathered him into his palms.
“Tang Tang…” Xi Yuanhan’s voice softened as he stroked the fur along the squirrel’s back.
“Squeak, squeak”—A Han~
The little squirrel rubbed against his palm affectionately, nuzzling him.
I finally found you.
Relieved at last, Xi Yuanhan’s overstrained mental power gave out, and he collapsed unconscious.
The little squirrel, who had been forcing himself to stay awake, finally closed his eyes once more after Xi Yuanhan fell.
Time began to move again for everyone in front of the Bai residence.
The fire before them had been extinguished by the rain.
Moments ago, the flames had been raging fiercely—when had it even started raining?
No one understood, but at least the fire was out. That was what mattered.
The firefighters rushed in to search for survivors. There was no one left inside the charred house, but in the open space behind it, they found the unconscious Xi Yuanhan and Bai Tang.
Just moments ago, Xi Yuanhan had been at the front, desperate to charge into the flames. When had he gotten to the back?
Lives were at stake—this was no time to question the impossible.
The paramedics performed emergency aid on both of them and quickly transported the injured to the hospital.
Bai Tang had suffered a mild concussion from the explosion.
Xi Yuanhan had dislocated his right leg. After it was reset and placed in a cast, the doctor told him he’d need time to recover.
Liang Shaomei and Aunt Zhang weren’t too badly injured either.
They had just been discharged not long ago, only to be hospitalized again. The doctors couldn’t help but marvel at this family’s streak of bad luck. If these were all accidents, then their misfortune was truly unbelievable—barely half a year had passed, and they were all back in the hospital once more, every single one of them.
Before Xi Yuanhan arrived at the scene, one of Gao Li’s unsuspecting coworkers had already called the police. Combined with the evidence provided by Jiang Xue, Gao Li’s hidden criminal network was completely uncovered. Many of his associates and partners were arrested, and even several long-buried old cases were brought to light.
When Gao Li, who had been knocked unconscious by Xi Yuanhan, regained consciousness, he knew it was over for him—there was no chance of redemption. While in custody, he confessed to every crime he had ever committed.
Bai Kangsheng was brought back to the country by Jiang Xue to face Xi Yuanhan and confess his past sins.
Years ago, in a moment of greed and moral weakness, he had accepted money from Gao Li, which indirectly led to the wrongful deaths of Xi Yuanhan’s parents.
Although Bai Kangsheng hadn’t personally killed them, his silence made him an accomplice.
The dead can no longer speak, and with Gao Li punished by law, the vengeance for Xi Yuanhan’s parents was finally complete.
In the end, Xi Yuanhan chose to forgive Bai Kangsheng—not because he forgot, but because Bai Tang would be heartbroken otherwise.
Bai Tang lay in his hospital bed. No one allowed him to get up, insisting that he rest properly.
But Bai Tang, worried sick about Xi Yuanhan, refused to stay put. He kept insisting on seeing his “husband” until Xi Yuanhan appeared, sitting in a wheelchair and being pushed in by Jiang Xue. Only then did Bai Tang finally calm down.
The little squirrel held Xi Yuanhan’s hand tightly, his clear apricot eyes welling with tears. “A… A Han~”
“Don’t cry. See? I’m fine,” Xi Yuanhan comforted him softly. “What about you, Tang Tang? Are you still feeling dizzy? Does your head hurt?”
A mild concussion might not sound serious, but to Xi Yuanhan, anything concerning Bai Tang was never a small matter.
“It… it doesn’t hurt. Just… a little dizzy…” Bai Tang answered honestly.
“Then lie down.” Xi Yuanhan gently pressed him back onto the bed.
Still, Bai Tang refused to let go of his hand, as if the moment he did, Xi Yuanhan would disappear again.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Xi Yuanhan said quietly, leaning closer to the bedside. “I’ll stay right here with Tang Tang.”
Aunt Zhang and the others quietly left the hospital room, giving the two of them some privacy.
The case involving Gao Li was a major one, drawing the attention of the higher authorities. His crimes were prioritized, evidence was gathered swiftly, and the investigation moved at record speed. Before long, the verdict was delivered.
As for Gao Hong—although he had worked under Gao Li, he had not committed any direct harm. Most of his tasks involved collecting debts from people who had borrowed money from Gao Li. During the Bai family fire, he had actively helped in the rescue, so the court gave him a lighter sentence.
Before serving his time, Gao Hong came to see Bai Tang once more and offered a sincere apology.
When he got into the car, Liang Shaomei stood at the doorway, watching him leave.
The greatest villain in this world had fallen, and the story came to its end.
Bai Kangsheng bought a new house and moved in with Bai Tang and Aunt Zhang. Liang Shaomei resigned from her job as a housekeeper and, with Xi Yuanhan’s financial support, returned to school. Her mother was placed in a nursing home for the time being, and once Liang Shaomei graduated and found stable work, she planned to bring her mother home.
Xi Yuanhan returned to the country with his investment funds, expanding the domestic branch of his company. Once the new branch was running smoothly, he proposed to Bai Tang.
Bai Tang counted on his fingers and said in a soft, childish tone, “But… I still have six months before I turn twenty-two—the legal age to marry.”
Immersed in the joy of Bai Tang’s acceptance, Xi Yuanhan felt as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him. How could he have forgotten that?
“That’s fine. We’ll get the certificate after Tang Tang’s birthday.”
“Mm-hmm~”
Bai Kangsheng and Aunt Zhang sat together at the garden table, sipping tea with a touch of sentiment.
“We’ve gotten old,” Bai Kangsheng said with a sigh.
“Young Xi is a good man,” Aunt Zhang replied. “He’ll take good care of the young master.”
Having witnessed the male lead’s extraordinary powers firsthand, Qiu’er dove headfirst into the main system’s archives, frantically searching for any information about his background. No matter how much Xiao A tried to tempt him with delicious food, Qiu’er refused to stop until he had combed through every file. Finding nothing, he finally collapsed, exhausted, into Xiao A’s arms. Only then was the matter put to rest.
In the days that followed, Bai Tang and Xi Yuanhan lived a peaceful, happy life together—hand in hand through the decades—until Bai Tang closed his eyes for the last time, and Xi Yuanhan followed soon after.
Author’s Note:
While writing this chapter, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was the grand finale.
Just an illusion, just an illusion…