The village was quiet at night, a gentle breeze rustling the tips of Ye Xiu’s hair.
Ye Xiu rushed out the door, only to realize she no longer had the composure to face Bai Da.
She couldn’t understand why Bai Da could treat Xingxing so poorly. Even her intervention couldn’t sway him in the slightest.
Initially, Bai Da had seemed even more eager than she was for Xingxing’s birth.
He had said he would carry Xingxing on his shoulders and show her the stars.
The day Xingxing was born, they were completely unprepared. Her water broke so suddenly.
They had to rush to the hospital, someone else was already giving birth, and they couldn’t wait; Xingxing just had to be delivered.
Bai Da didn’t even bring money, so they had to ask Nan Jin for help paying the fees.
Why was Nan Jin there at that time?
The pain was so intense; she eventually passed out, hazily hearing the nurse say it was a girl. She caught a glimpse before slipping back into unconsciousness.
Xingxing, her Xingxing, had eyes like stars in the night sky.
When she regained consciousness, Bai Da handed Xingxing to her to see, but he, himself, didn’t seem too happy.
Bai Da said he was afraid, afraid that she wouldn’t come back to him.
Looking back, Bai Da’s affection for Xingxing seemed quite ordinary.
During the two months Ye Xiu spent in postpartum confinement, it was her mother-in-law who cared for Xingxing, while Bai Da took care of her with meticulous attention.
Bai Da, how could you be so heartless?
If it was really because of her difficult labor, there was no need. It wasn’t her first time.
Yes, it wasn’t her first difficult delivery.
What was the real reason?
Ye Xiu could no longer hold back, and she ran straight home.
Bai Da was struggling to clean up the table, and upon seeing Ye Xiu return, he put on an unattractive smile, looking at Ye Xiu with surprise.
Once, such a Bai Da would have gone to great lengths to protect her from any harm.
"Bai Da, I have a question for you."
Ye Xiu’s face was expressionless, her tone icy cold, penetrating to the bone.
Bai Da immediately put down the dishes and stood up straight, as if ready to do whatever Ye Xiu asked of him.
"Why do you not like Xingxing?"
Bai Da was taken aback, not understanding why Xiuxiu was bringing up this subject again.
"Xiuxiu, I don’t, maybe because back then, you suffered so much giving birth to her, I was a little resentful, but I don’t dislike her.
At that time, I was really, really scared that you would leave me. Seeing you unconscious, I felt as if my whole world went dark. I didn’t want or need anything. All I wanted was you."
As he spoke these words, Bai Da’s voice rose a bit, showing some agitation.
He was telling the truth, not a bit of it false.
Ye Xiu listened without feeling anything, continuing to speak coldly.
Even though her heart was utterly disillusioned with Bai Da, this time, she really wanted to know the answer.
"Then why don’t you hate Bai Yu and Bai Ye? Their births were also difficult."
Bai Da’s hands reached for his pants, pulling hard, looking strained. His back felt a bit cold. He thought this issue was behind them, but Xiuxiu brought it up again.
"I hate them too, it’s just, they... they are sons, aren’t they?"
Bai Da forced an ugly smile, his already dark face looking even more unappealing.
The reasoning seemed plausible enough at face value, but on closer scrutiny, it was full of holes.
"Yes... yes, Xiuxiu I know, it’s wrong, but as a man, to have sons who can carry on the family name, they are always better than daughters, aren’t they?"
"I’ve always been afraid of making you angry, that’s why I didn’t say anything."
Bai Da’s words flowed more naturally with each passing moment, as if it were the undeniable truth, and he convinced himself that it indeed was the truth.
"So, for someone like you, who favors sons over daughters, why would you adopt Nan Xi?"
Ye Xiu looked at Bai Da with an ironic gaze, eager to see what excuse he would come up with.
"You say you favor boys over girls, yet you coddle Nan Xi to the bones. At first, I too was deceived by you. You showed me how joyous and warm your family could be.
I thought that was a nice family to have, an obedient son and a filial daughter. But I overlooked my own daughter, thinking she was just antisocial."
Recalling the past, Ye Xiu wished she could slap herself, and in reality, she had done just that.
Bai Da was startled, a sharp pain tugging at his heart.
"Xiuxiu, how could you hit yourself? You’re tearing my heart out. Hit me, please hit me instead! Don’t hurt yourself."
Bai Da was filled with unbearable heartache, wishing it had been he who was slapped, unable to bear seeing Ye Xiu hurt even slightly.
Yet Ye Xiu acted as if nothing had happened.
"You buy her the prettiest dresses, the best things, and you tell me you favor boys over girls?"
All of a sudden, Ye Xiu felt as if she had figured something out. Thinking of a certain possibility, she revealed a smile, a smile whose meaning she herself could not pinpoint.
A bitter smile? A self-deprecating chuckle, or perhaps a foolish grin?
"Bai Da, Nan Xi isn’t your daughter, is she?"
The likelihood of that was one in ten thousand.
After all, everyone knew that Bai Da loved her to the core of his being.
Yes, "everyone" knew.
It was supposed to be a matter between two people, yet somehow everyone knew what Bai Da had done for her, what he had sacrificed.
Was Bai Da really that honest and simple-minded?
"Xiuxiu, how could you speak of me ? You might as well just take a knife and kill me!"
Bai Da was taken aback for a second, his pupils shrinking, as he rushed to grab Ye Xiu’s hand.
"Xiuxiu, you can’t doubt me , you’re better off letting me die.
I’m good to Xixi because she is Nan Jin’s daughter, and Nan Jin is our ’good friend,’ right?"
Bai Da was on the verge of collapse, his eyes filled with red veins.
Seemingly ready to explode at any moment.
Ye Xiu responded indifferently, thinking of Nan Jin.
"How do I remember that back then, you and Nan Jin were always at loggerheads?"
Back in those days, Bai Da’s synonym was honesty, whereas Nan Jin was impulsiveness.
Though friends and ’brothers,’ they were always at each other’s throats.
"That was just a debate, a debate..."
Bai Da said helplessly, his gaze softening a lot while looking at Ye Xiu.
"Xiuxiu, Xixi is a very good girl. She lost her father and was sent to her grandmother’s place. There, she was bullied, and when I saw her, my heart ached. You felt pity too, have you forgotten?"
Bai Da tried to remind Ye Xiu of her feelings at that time. When she saw Nan Xi being bullied, she too was pained to the core.
"But I remember quite differently, ever since Nan Xi arrived, you became even more oblivious to my daughter. Bai Da, don’t blame me for doubting you, you know full well how you treated my Xingxing.
Although Xingxing doesn’t need you now, it doesn’t mean I will forgive you. I won’t even forgive myself, let alone you.
In the future, spare yourself the trouble, because it’s pointless.
Ye Xiu looked at Bai Da coldly, not believing a single word of his explanation.
"Unless Nan Jin appears before me and tells me that Nan Xi is his daughter, I don’t want to see you, nor do I want to see Nan Xi."