Chapter 1375: 1374 Even if we cannot become lovers
Chapter 1375: 1374 Even if we cannot become lovers
The originally tense atmosphere, caused by Bai Yiyi rejecting Gu Kai, eased slightly thanks to Tongtong’s adorable actions.
Wen Ran smiled and spoke, “Tongtong is really becoming more and more thoughtful and filial. Yiyi, look, even Tongtong knows how to be considerate.”
Bai Yiyi lowered her gaze. When she looked at Tongtong, the unnaturalness in her expression gradually faded, replaced by a trace of maternal tenderness that emerged unconsciously, without any deliberate effort.
She ate the egg custard Tongtong fed her, and a soft smile appeared on her delicate face. “Thank you, Tongtong.”
“Hehe, Mommy ate it.”
Seeing Bai Yiyi eat the egg custard she fed her, Tongtong was so delighted that she almost clapped her hands in joy. She turned to Gu Kai with crescent-shaped eyes beaming with happiness, indescribably cute.
Gu Kai was not upset by Bai Yiyi’s earlier words. His expression was calm, his demeanor gentle. Hearing Tongtong’s joyful voice, he smiled faintly, picked up a piece of steamed meat, and placed it in Tongtong’s bowl as a reward. “Tongtong, eat more so you can grow up quickly and take care of Mommy.”
Bai Yiyi slightly furrowed her brows, feeling a bit frustrated inside.
She knew that Gu Kai resented her mother’s involvement in the events of the past and viewed her as a spiteful woman. Yet, he acted as if he was unfazed, showing no hint of resentment toward her.
She realized he was pretending to be magnanimous, deliberately making her feel guilty.
Meanwhile, Tongtong was blissfully unaware of her mother’s inner turmoil. She only knew that her mommy, who had been away for a few days, was now back.
Her daddy had told her not to let Mommy leave again.
In her innocent mind, if she treated her mommy even better, her mommy wouldn’t leave her anymore.
So, she scooped another spoonful of egg custard and, with a smiling face, fed it to Bai Yiyi again. “Mommy, eat eggy!”
“Tongtong, Mommy can eat on her own. You finish your meal. Look, your little brother and sisters are all eating seriously. You should eat quickly too.”
Bai Yiyi felt both warmth and bitterness in her heart. The more sensible Tongtong acted, the more conflicted she became.
Just as she put down her chopsticks, Gu Kai received a call from Fang Zhiwei.
Seeing the caller ID, a flicker of something flashed in Gu Kai’s eyes. He pressed the answer button and responded indifferently with a “hello.”
He got up, left the dining room, and went into the living room to take the call.
“Ah Kai, come back to the hospital quickly. My dad…”
Fang Zhiwei’s anxious voice came through. Upon hearing it, Gu Kai’s handsome features shifted, his expression instantly turning serious. “Okay, I’ll head there right away.”
After hanging up, Gu Kai immediately dialed his father Gu Yan’s number.
In the dining room, Wen Ran and Bai Yiyi couldn’t help but feel slightly startled when they heard Gu Kai’s serious tone.
Two minutes later, Gu Kai returned to the dining room. Before he could speak, Wen Ran asked, “Brother, did something happen at the hospital?”
“Yes, it’s a patient. I need to rush back to the hospital now. Ranran, accompany Bai Yiyi to the police station in a bit.”
“Oh, sure.”
Wen Ran nodded. Gu Kai glanced at Bai Yiyi, then turned and left with large strides.
**
“Ranran, I’ll go to the police station myself. You stay here and take care of Ziyi and the others. There’s no need to accompany me.”
After dinner, Bai Yiyi, Wen Ran, and the others moved to the living room. Tongtong, Ziyi, Momo, and Xin Xin were all bundled together on one sofa, playing happily.
Wen Ran smiled nonchalantly. “Momo and the others have their aunt watching them. My brother gave instructions. If I don’t accompany you to the police station, he’ll say I’m disobeying him.”
Bai Yiyi’s eyes flickered with emotion. She pressed her lips together and softly said, “Ranran, if it were the past, I wouldn’t refuse your company. But now, I don’t want to trouble you anymore. You probably know, I’m going to the police station to pick up my mother.”
When Bai Yiyi mentioned her mother, her tone grew slightly stiff.
Her mother had harbored hatred toward Wen Ran and Gu Kai’s mother, something she hadn’t known before.
What troubled her the most was that she had always believed her mother to be a kind woman, silently sacrificing without asking for anything in return. She had thought her mother’s lifelong suffering was only because she had fallen in love with the wrong man.
She didn’t even know how her mother and Fu Jingyi had conceived her. So, she placed all the blame on Fu Jingyi. She resented him—hated him.
“Yiyi, I understand.”
Wen Ran’s eyes were filled with compassion. She truly considered Bai Yiyi a friend, regardless of her background.
It was like how she felt closest to Bai Xiaoxiao, and when she first met An Lin and Bai Xiaoxiao, she immediately wanted to befriend them. Even recently, when she met Jing Xiaocha.
She liked them all.
Her voice was soft, and her eyes gentle. “Yiyi, if I said I didn’t mind Aunt Bai’s involvement back then, I’d be lying to you.”
Bai Yiyi’s face showed a deep sense of guilt.
She was sincerely grateful to Wen Ran. Despite her parents hurting Wen Ran, Wen Ran could still treat her Bai Yiyi as a friend.
“I’m sorry, Ranran.”
Even though Bai Yiyi knew that saying sorry a thousand or ten thousand times couldn’t rewind time and stop her parents from hurting Ranran, she still wanted to say it.
Wen Ran gave her a warm smile and said softly, “Yiyi, don’t blame my brother. If he didn’t care about you, he wouldn’t struggle to forgive what happened. You can’t forget he just confessed to you; you’re in a relationship. Even I, upon first hearing Aunt Bai talk about what happened, was furious.”
“Ranran, I never blamed him, really.”
Bai Yiyi lowered her eyes, hiding her emotions.
She lightly pressed her lips together, clasping her hands in front of her. “If I had blamed him, I wouldn’t have left Tongtong with him. Honestly, I feel ashamed facing all of you. Not only did my parents hurt you and Gu Kai, but they also hurt Uncle Gu. It’s because of them that your mother passed away so early.”
Bai Yiyi was genuinely heartbroken. Just like Wen Ran said, it was because she loved Gu Kai.
She loved him deeply, very deeply.
Previously, she hadn’t realized how deeply she felt about Gu Kai. Or maybe, in her subconscious, she had always known she loved him.
But out of rationality, she had always restrained herself, unwilling to admit her feelings for him.
“Yiyi, those things weren’t your fault. That’s what I believed in the past, and I believe it now. I hated your father, hated him very, very much, but I never resented you. Not even after Aunt Bai told me she was part of those events back then.”
Wen Ran felt she needed to speak with Bai Yiyi, to clear the air and say what needed to be said.
She didn’t want Bai Yiyi to carry this emotional burden.
If possible, she still hoped Bai Yiyi and her brother could find a way forward together.
Bai Yiyi remained silent, quietly listening to Wen Ran. Her interlocked fingers tightened slightly as she absorbed her words.
“That time, you were just a little girl; you couldn’t have changed anything… Yiyi, I don’t know if there’s still a chance for you and my brother. But no matter what, you’re both Tongtong’s parents. Even if you can’t be lovers, you can still be friends.”
As Wen Ran said this, her gaze softened as she looked at Bai Yiyi, observing the subtle expressions on her face.