Bai Xin was startled, having realized only more than two hours had gone by without her picking up Xingxing. Suddenly, her arrival was unexpected, and now she didn’t know what to do.
Of course, Bai Xin didn’t let it show on the surface.
She only smiled and looked towards Ye Xiu.
"Resting? Then, I’ll go find her."
Ye Xiu handed over the item to Bai Xin and immediately headed towards the room, where, unsurprisingly, there was no one.
"Little sister, Xingxing isn’t in her room."
A pang of fear struck Ye Xiu’s heart. Could something have happened to Xingxing?
The voice of Bai Zhi floated out from the study, where she was laid on the bed, covered with a quilt.
Hearing Bai Zhi’s voice, Ye Xiu rushed over and saw her lying in the study.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Why are you resting here?"
Bai Zhi pointed at the desk where books lay—that was the homework she had been doing last night.
"I intended to study, but I got tired. I rested for a while. What brings you here?"
Bai Zhi struggled to get up, and Ye Xiu quickly helped her.
"Can’t I come see you if there’s nothing wrong?" Ye Xiu felt somewhat desolate, sensing that Xingxing wasn’t as close to her.
Bai Zhi fell silent. No matter how she responded, it would be wrong.
Outside the door, Bai Xin breathed a huge sigh of relief. She had never expected Ye Xiu to come back at this time, and she had almost failed to keep it hidden. It seemed she would have to learn how to brew that medicinal soup, or else she couldn’t keep it hidden.
Seeing Bai Zhi’s silence, Ye Xiu didn’t press her further and instead told herself to be patient as Xingxing was not easy to deal with.
"I’ve rented a house in town, a large one with two floors. I was thinking of setting up a cram school downstairs and living upstairs. Do you want to stay with us?"
Even though she knew Bai Zhi would disagree, she still wanted to try.
"It’s not just you; Bai Xiang, Bai Fei, Wu Wa can all join us too. I could tutor you. What do you think?"
As a mother, she had to treat all her children equally. So, even if she was disappointed with Bai Yu and Bai Ye, she couldn’t give up on them. She was their mother.
"I won’t go. I’m already on a break, and with daily herbal baths and physiotherapy, self-study at home is best for me."
Dealing with Bai Yu and Bai Ye every day was enough to kill her from frustration.
"Besides, I don’t like Bai Yu and Bai Ye. Us living together, do you think that’s possible?"
She hoped they could live peaceably, but she had to be realistic.
"Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough before, so let me say it again. There’s no possibility of reconciliation with them. Those days abandoned in the mountains, those wandering days filled with insecurity and enduring constant fear. I have never forgotten them, you might think we can live together in peace, but I cannot. I won’t forgive, won’t understand, and certainly won’t forget."
She didn’t have the luxury to forget or forgive. That little girl, Xingxing, was long gone.
So, how could there possibly be peaceful coexistence?
Ye Xiu took a deep breath, seeing Bai Zhi had turned into a little hedgehog, her nose sour with emotion.
"I’m sorry, I was wrong to think that. It’s rightful for you not to forgive, but as your mother, I should still care for you. Don’t you agree?"
Only then did Ye Xiu realize that Bai Zhi had never truly forgiven them, and she truly understood, just as she would never forget the harm Bai Da had caused her.
"I’ll frequently come to see you in the future; you can always come to me if you need anything, alright?"
Even though she wasn’t living with her, she was still her mother.
"Xingxing, perhaps you’ll hate me for still choosing to live with Bai Yu and Bai Ye even though they hurt you..."
"No, I don’t think that way. Actually, what you’re doing isn’t wrong; you are their mother too, and it’s right for you to care for them. It’s just that I can’t live with them, including you. Some things can’t be resolved by time."