Yan Yan - Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – The Balcony

Under Bai Xingfan’s deep gaze, Su Yan wanted to dig a hole in the ground and hide there.

She felt like she was standing naked in front of him. ‘So embarrassing… Why did I mention Bai Xingfan at the dining table?’ Su Yan felt regret about her action.

Liu Xiang was still surprised and looked at her daughter, then at her daughter’s “boyfriend”.

“You two… When did you start this relationship? How did you meet? Is it before the wedding or after the wedding?” she asked suddenly.

Bai Xingfan: “…”

Su Yan: “…”

After thinking for a while, Su Yan said “after” and at the same time Bai Xingfan said “before”.

Su Yan: “…”

Bai Xingfan: “…”

Liu Xiang became more anxious. “Is it before or after?”

“Mom, I first met Mr. Bai before the wedding and also met him after the wedding,” Su Yan explained.

Liu Xiang: “Then when did you two get together? This… this is too fast!”

Bai Xingfan was noncommittal and looked at Su Yan with raised eyebrows.

Su Yan stomped her feet anxiously. “No! We are just ordinary friends!”

“Yes, we are indeed ordinary friends.” Bai Xingfan saw Su Yan‘s uneasiness, and he started to explain to Liu Xiang, “On her wedding day, it was raining heavily, and I saw her wearing the wedding dress sitting on the side of the road. So I took Miss Su home.”

“What? You picked her up, and then she went with you?” Liu Xiang couldn’t believe her ears.

Su Yan: ‘Why is she asking questions in a tricky way?’ 

Bai Xingfan continued to explain: “At that time, her younger brother was looking for her, but she didn’t want to face him, so…”

Liu Xiang: “So she didn’t go with her own brother but went with you instead?”

Su Yan: “…”

Bai Xingfan: “That’s right.”

Liu Xiang was anxious again and a little angry, feeling that she had been deceived. “Then can your relationship be considered ordinary? Can ordinary friends be like this?”

Under Liu Xiang’s furious eyes, Bai Xingfan zipped his lips.

Su Yan was also stunned by her mother’s reaction. ‘Why is this getting more and more complicated?’ she thought with a frown. But as she thought for a while, she felt that Bai Xingfan’s explanation was not wrong. ‘Hm. It’s my mother who is overthinking…’ 

“Mom, stop talking about it; he has explained it clearly to you, but you are still asking about it,” Su Yan said anxiously and helplessly.

Furious, Liu Xiang demanded. “How is it so obvious? Why didn’t you go with your brother? If someone saw you go with him, they would think you had done something sorry for Xie Yu.”

Su Yan: “That’s because I was in a bad mood at the time; I don’t want to talk to people who are too close! It’s annoying!”

Liu Xiang: “It’s annoying to meet your brother, but not others, right? Are you called an ordinary friend?”

Su Yan: ‘Why did you go around and come back to the same topic, Mom?’ 

Liu Xiang was still angry, thought for a while, then turned to look at her son. “Su Zhan, come here!”

When Su Zhan heard his mother calling him, he knew that the situation was not right. So he jumped out of the big tree and walked anxiously towards them. “Mom…what’s wrong?”

“It’s all your fault! Explain this to our mother quickly. Explain!” Su Yan said it through gritted teeth.

Liu Xiang looked at Bai Xingfan with a stern face and then questioned her son, “Tell me, what is your sister’s relationship with him?”

“I…I’m not very sure now.” Su Zhan’s timid voice came out as he stretched his head slowly.

Su Yan: “????”

Liu Xiang was furious at her son’s words. “What do you mean you are not sure? Didn’t you say that Bai Xingfan was your sister’s boyfriend a while ago?”

“I originally wanted to brag and frighten my uncle and his family. And that day, who knew that my sister knew that I was nearby and ignored me, instead getting into Brother Bai’s car and leaving?” Su Yan Zhan said it frankly.

Su Yan was so angry. “Didn’t I call you?”

Su Zhan yelled angrily, “Then why did you ignore me? You are obviously nearby, and you know how I worry about you. But still, you…

Su Yan: “Even if I was wrong about this matter, what are you not sure about now?”

“You ignored your brother when you were the saddest and most helpless, but chose another man, indicating that he is more important than I am in your heart. Can this relationship be described as ordinary?” Su Zhan asserted.

Liu Xiang patted the palm of her left hand with the back of her right hand. “Exactly, can this be called ordinary?”

Su Yan: “…”

“Tell me honestly, what is the relationship between the two of you?” Liu Xiang asked while glancing at the two of them with a frown.

Su Yan blushed anxiously under her mother’s eyes. “Mom, we are really ordinary friends.” After saying that, she looked at Bai Xingfan as if she were telling him to explain the situation to her mother.

“Auntie, we are indeed just ordinary friends.” After Bai Xingfan explained it seriously, he smiled at Liu Xiang. “Auntie, why don’t you get in the car first? It’s hot outside.”

Liu Xiang was taken aback by such a kind tone, and it helped to reduce her anger, but she then again remembered that there was still a problem to solve. “Hey, I’m asking for the last time. Yanyan, are you an ordinary friend? And why does he want us to go with him if you are just ordinary friends?”

‘Ah? Hey, why did you want us to go with you? Su Yan blamed Bai Xingfan in her mind.

As her daughter didn’t want to answer, Liu Xiang became more upset, and she kept looking at Su Yan.

Su Yan was wronged, but she didn’t know how to explain it. The more she explained, the more it became serious. So she chose to keep her mouth shut this time.

Bai Xingfan kept looking at Su Yan with slightly closed eyes. Eyes could not deceive people, and Liu Xiang clearly saw the meaning of Bai Xingfan’s eyes as he gazed at her daughter. So she felt that the relationship between her daughter and this surname Bai, was not as simple as they say.

The temperature was really high, and Su Zhan was very uncomfortable staying under the hot sun. “Mom, let’s talk about it in the car. It’s very hot outside,” he said while wiping his sweat.

Liu Xiang was still angry. “I don’t want to get in the car!”

Su Zhan: “If you don’t get in the car, my dad will come and find you!”

After listening to his son’s words, Liu Xiang hesitated.

Su Yan thought for a while and persuaded her mother, saying, “We have been staying here for some time now, and father must solve the problem. If he comes searching for us now, he will say something nice, make your heart soft, and take us home. Won’t we be a joke then? Grandma and others will laugh at us. Do you want that to happen?”

Although Su Yan didn’t want to get involved with Bai Xingfan anymore, she wanted to take her mother to another place as soon as possible. As they were unable to find a hotel, it was a better idea to go with Bai Xingfan for now.

Liu Xiang was persuaded and sighed. “Ok, that’s fine.” She pulled her suitcase out and asked, “Should I put the suitcase in the trunk?”

At this time, the driver, who had been waiting for a long time, walked quickly to Liu Xiang’s side, took the suitcase from her hand, and said with a smile, “I’ll do it.”

Liu Xiang was a little embarrassed and snatched her suitcase again with a firm attitude. “No need; I can do it myself. ”

The driver looked at his boss in bewilderment.

Bai Xingfan walked to the car, opened the rear door, and said in a gentle voice, “Auntie, get in the car.”

Although he didn’t directly persuade her to give up the suitcase to the driver, Liu Xiang couldn’t help but give the suitcase to the driver under Bai Xingfan’s gentle expressions.

In other words, this young man exuded a strong and determined aura all over his body. Although he looked like he was only in his twenties, he already had an outstandingly mature demeanour.

‘I don’t know what kind of family can create such a child.’ Looking at her pair of silly children again, Liu Xiang couldn’t help but feel a little helpless—they were only a few years apart, but they seemed to be separated by a generation—but she didn’t feel inferior or discouraged. For a mother, a child’s safe growth was enough. She hoped that her children would become dragons and phoenixes, but she didn’t want them to work too hard.

Five minutes later, the car started slowly. Liu Xiang, Su Yan, and Su Zhan sat in the back row, and Bai Xingfan sat in the co-pilot’s seat.

From Su Yan’s angle, she couldn’t see Bai Xingfan’s profile, and she could only see his left hand. She also noticed that since getting in the car, Bai Xingfan had been clenching his hands tightly; the white skin on the back of his hands was tight, and the blue blood vessels were clearly visible.

At first, she was quite puzzled as to why he was clenching his hands all the time. ‘Could it be because the air conditioner in the car is too cold? But it didn’t seem that cold.’ She didn’t feel cold in a short-sleeved blouse, not to mention he was wearing a suit and leather shoes.

It wasn’t until she accidentally saw her mother that she finally had the answer.

Sighing helplessly, she leaned into her mother’s ear and complained in a low voice, “Why do you keep staring at him? It makes him feel uncomfortable.”

Liu Xiang snorted coldly and replied in a low voice, “He is guilty and nervous!”

‘What is there to be guilty of?’ Su Yan thought with doubt.

Su Zhan was relatively close to the two of them, vaguely heard the conversation between his mother and sister, and asked very curiously, “Who is nervous? Who is guilty?”

Su Yan: “…”

Liu Xiang: “… ”

“You’re going back to school tomorrow, why are you nervous? Hey, didn’t you do your homework?” Su Yan glanced at the co-pilot before glaring at Silly Baitian fiercely and fighting the impulse to throw him out of the car.

“I, I, I don’t have any homework this week,” said Su Zhan, looking innocently. Then he remembered something, leaned on towards the co-pilot seat, and said to Bai Xingfan, “I have to go to school on Monday, Brother Bai. I can’t come with you. I’m going to school.”

“Okay.” Bai Xingfan agreed and instructed the driver, saying, “Go to Dongfu University first.”

“Then we’ll also get off there,” Su Yan quickly added.

Su Zhan: “Ah? What about tonight? Where are you two staying?”

Su Yan: “Aren’t there many hotels next to your school?”

Su Zhan was silent for a moment. “I heard from my roommate that the sound insulation is not very good there. I sincerely advise you not to go.”

Su Yan: “…”

Bai Xingfan turned around, looked back at Liu Xiang, and asked gently, “Auntie, where do you want to go? If you don’t want to go to my house, you can go to my hotel.”

Liu Xiang: “How much is a room in your hotel?”

Bai Xingfan: “Ten thousand.”

Liu Xiang’s eyes widened. “For one night?”

Bai Xingfan: “I won’t take your money.”

Liu Xiang: “That’s not okay!”

Bai Xingfan: “You can also choose to go to my house, I’m not usually at home.”

Liu Xiang thought for a while. ” Let’s go to your house then.”

Bai Xingfan replied with a smile, “Okay.”

Su Yan: “???”

As Su Yan was listening to the conversation between her mother and Bai Xingfan, she felt that, from the beginning, Bai Xingfan had the intention of taking them to his house. He just waited for a suitable time to dig a hole for her mother to jump in, and she successfully completed his mission. Now their only option was to go with him.

‘Treacherous!’ Su Yan was aggrieved in her heart, but she couldn’t expose Bai Xingfan in public and could only feel aggrieved in her heart.

The black Maybach vehicle arrived ten minutes later and parked in front of Dongfu University’s west gate. Su Yan sternly warned Su Zhan not to answer the phone if their father called and not to tell him where she and their mother were staying.

“Don’t worry, I won’t ever betray the organisation,” Su Zhan swore.

After Su Zhan got out of the car, the Maybach started up again, and fifteen minutes later, the familiar Swan Lake reappeared before Su Yan’s eyes.

The sun was still shining, and the white, three-story villa perched atop the mountain was as graceful as a swan with outstretched wings.

Su Yan sighed as the car rolled up to the manor’s gate, feeling as though fate was teasing her, going in circles and bringing her back again, just as her sadness and unwillingness to leave had been a joke.

Su Yan and Bai Xingfan exited the vehicle simultaneously after the driver had parked it in front of the villa’s main entrance. Su Yan rolled her eyes at Bai Xingfan prior to her mother exiting the vehicle.

Bai Xingfan nodded slightly. “Welcome Miss Su back.”

Su Yan rolled her eyes this time, almost to the sky.

Bai Xingfan smiled helplessly.

The two aunts who worked there carried the suitcases into the house.

Su Yan was already very familiar with everything in this house, but Liu Xiang was a newcomer, and her reaction was the same as when Su Yan first came. Liu Xiang couldn’t help but be surprised after seeing such a luxurious house.

After changing their slippers, Su Yan held her mother’s hand and said to Bai Xingfan, “My mother and I will stay in the same room. Then she led her mother upstairs.

When they went to the room, their suitcases were already there.

“Yanyan, what’s the matter with the two of you? Tell me the truth,” Liu Xiang asked with a panicked look in her eyes.

Su Yan sighed helplessly. “Mom, it’s just ordinary friends!”

Liu Xiang: “Do you think your mother is a fool?”

Su Yan didn’t answer.

Liu Xiang was even more anxious. “Speak up!”

Su Yan whispered, “Why don’t you believe me?”

Liu Xiang: “I just don’t believe it; which ordinary friend can do this?”

Su Yan was tired, so she simply chose to break the can and said, “It’s up to you, you can believe whatever you want!”

Liu Xiang: “That’s exactly what I thought!”

Su Yan: “…”

The conflict broke out at lunchtime, and Su Yan didn’t eat anything at noon. Because of that, she was very hungry. But afraid of meeting Bai Xingfan, she didn’t go downstairs and stayed in the room, enduring the hunger. Luckily, the dinner was served early.

After the dinner was over, Su Yan went to the room again. While her mother was taking a shower, she went to the balcony, sat on the wooden chair, and called her younger brother while enjoying the surroundings, looking at the pinkish-coloured sky and the gorgeous Swan Lake.

Su Zhan answered the phone after the first ring. “Hey, sister, what’s the matter?”

Su Yan: “Did our dad call you?”

Su Zhan: “Yes, he called several times, but I didn’t answer. Did he call you?”

Su Yan: “Yes. We didn’t answer either.”

Su Zhan: “Then, when can I answer his call?”

Su Yan thought for a while before giving an answer. “Tomorrow in the afternoon. Let him be anxious for a day.”

Su Zhan was silent for a while. “Is this too cruel to our dad? He didn’t do anything wrong.”

Su Yan’s attitude was firm. “If we don’t force our dad, our mother will never be able to raise her head at home, and she will be oppressed by grandma for the rest of her life! So he must solve this problem now!”

Su Zhan: “Then, how do you want him to solve it? I think it is difficult to handle…’

“How to solve it is a matter between the old lady and her two sons. It has nothing to do with the two of us. Our mission is to protect our mother!” Su Yan said firmly, “Humph, that old lady forced our father to divorce our mother. I will never forgive her in this life!”

Su Zhan sighed. “Hey, every family has its own scriptures that are difficult to recite.”

Su Yan also sighed. “Isn’t it true, as long as there is a good mother-in-law, nothing will happen.”

“Mother-in-law is really important.” Su Zhan said, “Grandma is not a good mother-in-law, bullying our mother; Xie Yu’s mother is also a bad mother-in-law, bullying you, I don’t know if Brother Bai’s mother is good or not.”

Su Yan: ‘What are you talking about?’

Su Zhan continued his imagination. “It should be good, definitely better than Xie Yu’s vicious mother.”

Su Yan was not angry. “Do you care if the mother is good or not? Your mother is good enough!”

Su Zhan: “I know my mother is good, so I don’t worry about my future wife being bullied, but I am worried about you being bullied.”

“Ah!” Su Yan was touched suddenly. “I don’t need you to worry about it!” she said, a little worried.

“That’s no good, you are my sister, can I not worry about you?” Su Zhan continued to analyse, “As far as I am concerned, I think Brother Bai is good. Although his younger brother is a bit wicked, he is still a good person overall. Once our school organised donations to the disaster area, Bai Xinglan alone donated more than the total donations from all the teachers and students in our school. That is worthy of praise.”

Su Yan smiled. “I didn’t expect you to be able to distinguish right from wrong.”

“Oh, that’s because I am a sensible person!” Su Zhan said confidently, “Bai Xinglan is not a bad person at heart. What’s more, what about Brother Bai? What does it mean? It shows that their family’s education is okay. After seeing the ugly truth about the Xie family, I came to the conclusion that the Bai family is a good family. You can really think about it. And, I think Brother Bai is very good to you.”

Su Yan was unmoved. “I think your heart has been corrupted by money!”

Su Zhan: “I didn’t take Brother Bai’s money!”

Su Yan: “You took his money! That bear!”

Su Zhan: “…”

Su Yan: “Evil capitalists are like this: they first give you some small favours, let you be grateful to them, and then let you work for them!”

Su Zhan: “No way? Bai Brother doesn’t seem to be that kind of person.”

Su Yan’s tone was firm. “Why not? You have now become the target of the evil capitalist!”

“The evil capitalist?”

Su Yan felt that she was struck by lightning.

“Who is Miss Su talking about?”

With a fast-beating heart, Su Yan turned around and saw Bai Xingfan sitting on the balcony next to her.

Bai Xingfan changed into a set of casual clothes. The combination of a beige top and khaki pants made him even more gentle, elegant, and extravagant.

On the round table in front of him, there was a book and a cup of tea, indicating that he had been sitting there for a long time.

After Su Yan turned her head around, Bai Xingfan closed the book and leaned back on the chair leisurely, asking, “Are you talking about me?”

Su Yan: “…”

Bai Xingfan: “Huh?”

Su Yan: “…”

End of chapter 20