DASFAM_24

"......"

A familiar silence spread.

Bai Xu stared intently at the person beneath him. Shang Yanxiao's brows and eyes were perfectly calm, without the slightest ripple, not even a faint tremor or shift.

Bai Xu rarely doubted his own judgment. Refusing to believe it, he leaned forward another half inch, "Shang Yanxiao?"

The tips of their noses almost touched, their breaths becoming entangled once more— ambiguous, warm, and humid.

The two faced each other in silence, as if something in the air was slowly, steadily rising.

Thump— thump— thump—

In that quietly drifting stillness, before Shang Yanxiao could react, it was Bai Xu who, after a long absence, became aware of his own heartbeat, its heavy rise and fall in his chest impossible to ignore.

Damn.

He couldn't actually kiss him, could he?

Bai Xu involuntarily swallowed, his throat bobbing, and finally conceded first, "You're really not awake?"

A faint disappointment, one he hadn't even noticed himself, settled at the tip of his heart. He braced his hands, preparing to pull back and stand— and in that instant, his wrist was seized without warning.

—Grab!

Bai Xu's breath froze. When he looked down again, he met Shang Yanxiao's eyes, deep as ink.

Shang Yanxiao was like a black panther that had lain in wait for a long time—gathering force, striking, flipping—and in an instant, Bai Xu lost the upper hand. By the time he registered what had happened, he had already been pinned beneath Shang Yanxiao, wrists locked and controlled.

"……"

Their gazes reflected each other, carrying the scrutiny of two people who each knew exactly what the other was thinking.

Bai Xu instinctively tried to break free, but he had underestimated Shang Yanxiao's build and strength. The grip on his wrists only grew heavier, there was no escaping it.

He had almost never found himself in such a disadvantaged position. His brow furrowed with a hint of frustration, "Shang Yanxiao, let go!"

Shang Yanxiao's voice was still slightly low and husky. He stared at him without blinking, "What's the matter? Is Young Master Bai drunk again today, like last time?"

"You—"

Bai Xu stopped short, then understood in an instant, "So it seems I really wasn't dreaming that night. Third Young Master, quite the actor, aren't you?"

Shang Yanxiao gave a noncommittal response and continued to hold him down with the posture of someone in complete control, "That's nothing compared to Young Master Bai's repeated, deliberate provocations. I simply don't understand, there are so many ways to test someone—"

He thought of the intimate contact that had come about precisely because of those provocations, and his eyes narrowed slightly, "Why does Young Master Bai have such a particular fondness for this method?"

"Can't I just do it for fun, to blow off some steam? Let go!"

Bai Xu struggled against his wrists again, refusing to admit defeat, "You're right, the first time, I should've just held a knife straight to your throat. The effect would've been a lot more direct."

Shang Yanxiao said nothing in return. A faint, barely audible laugh escaped from his throat.

"……"

Bai Xu felt the numbing ache in his wrists and steadied his breath, "When exactly did you wake up? And how many people know?"

Whether the nurses or himself, they had probed so many times— and yet the other man had managed to hold back and not give himself away every single time! On top of that, his awakening was still far too early compared to what the original novel had described!

It really wasn't his fault for failing to notice!

Shang Yanxiao caught the fleeting grimace that crossed Bai Xu's face, and his gaze shifted slightly—

The other man's wrists had been gripped tightly in his grasp the whole time, and Bai Xu, refusing to stay still, had kept trying to pull free. By now, red marks had appeared on those fair, jade-like wrists— it must be causing some pain.

Shang Yanxiao loosened his grip slightly and deflected the question back, "Young Master Bai is so clever, why not guess when I woke up? And who knows about it now?"

The last word had barely faded when Bai Xu seized his chance in an instant!

His freed hands wrapped around Shang Yanxiao instead, using himself as a counterweight. He swung his legs across and sat astride him, then with every ounce of his strength, flipped the now 'off-guard' Shang Yanxiao and pinned him against the bed in one swift motion.

The monitoring device wires on Shang Yanxiao, already loosely attached to begin with, fell away in all directions with a faint clatter.

Outside the room, Chen Yufei heard the noise with sharp ears, "Young Master Bai, what's going on in there?"

Bai Xu had no time to answer. The ring on his finger came into play at that very moment— a slender, razor-sharp blade pressed against the side of Shang Yanxiao's neck, danger mingled with the heady thrill of having turned the tables.

"Don't~ move~"

Bai Xu said in a low voice, the corner of his brow arching lightly, "Now we're even."

He had originally bought this black ring for self-defense, but he never imagined the first person he'd use it on would be Shang Yanxiao. Wasn't that another kind of fate in itself?

—Bang!

Getting no answer, Chen Yufei pushed the door open and stepped in, "Young Master Bai–"

The question died on his lips, and his urgent footsteps stopped dead at the scene before him. From where he stood looking in—

Shang Yanxiao was actually pinned beneath Bai Xu? Wait- what on earth was going on?

Chen Yufei's mind was never as quick as Xie Qi's to begin with, and this nearly crashed it on the spot. He called out uncertainly, "Third Young Master?"

Shang Yanxiao looked at the satisfaction in Bai Xu's eyes, the satisfaction of having won back a round, and laughed despite himself.

He had already anticipated that the blade against his neck would not cause any real harm, and he spoke with perfect composure, "Stand down. Don't come in unless I say so."

Chen Yufei said not a word, and retreated, very fast.

Click.

The door was shut once more.

Shang Yanxiao made no move to resist, "Satisfied now?"

"More or less."

Bai Xu turned the ring and retracted the blade, "You woke up a long time ago, didn't you? At least before returning to the Shang family. Zhang Changxu must know, he's been covering for you under the guise of being your doctor."

"Xie Qi, Chen Yufei, and Xiao Deng, as your personal assistants and bodyguards, they all know too, clearly. After all, you still need them to coordinate things from the inside day to day."

Shang Yanxiao asked, "Anything else?"

Bai Xu thought of Shang Queyan's sudden lift in mood over the past few days, and finally understood the reason, "Your brother knows too, doesn't he? He couldn't hide it even a little."

Every single person in this household was a seasoned actor— and they'd all banded together to deceive him, an outsider? How ungracious of them.

Bai Xu stood and stepped back, bringing the standoff between them to an end on his own terms.

He settled back onto the side of the bed and tilted his head to look at Shang Yanxiao, "Now that I know too– what do you plan to do with me?"

Since Shang Yanxiao was concealing the fact that he had already regained consciousness and continuing to feign a coma, there was surely a reason he had no choice in the matter. And now that Bai Xu, the one unpredictable variable, had seen through it, there was no way the other man would simply let it go.

Shang Yanxiao leaned back against the headboard, and behind his perpetually cold eyes stirred a glimmer of amusement, "That depends on whether Young Master Bai wants an ally who can offer each other cover in the short term, or an enemy he'd rather go down fighting right now."

Bai Xu was a smart man. He ignored the second half entirely, "Third Young Master wants to discuss a partnership? Fine. I can keep my mouth shut, so what do I get out of it?"

"Has Young Master Bai not already been enjoying what's on the table? In all this time, how little have you made use of the Third Branch's resources, and the Shang family's at large, not to mention the personal matters you've had Xie Qi handle?"

First, leveraging Old Master Shang's hand to terminate the Jinbai collaboration. Then, using the third branch's legal team and PR connections to bring Song Zhiqing down completely.

One had to admit, the man before him had some clever moves.

Bai Xu acknowledged it with complete composure, "Since the connections and resources are right there, it would be rather foolish of me not to make use of them. But..."

Shang Yanxiao asked, "But what?"

Bai Xu leaned forward slightly, as if lodging a complaint, "The third branch has had no shortage of trouble either, and I've put in quite a bit of effort on your behalf."

He was the one who first discovered the matter with the caregiver. He was the one who smoothed over Shang Songming's harassment of Shang Queyan. He even attended Sun Miaochun's banquet in the third branch's stead to save face.

Bai Xu reached out, his fingertip brushing—barely perceptibly—over the burn on Shang Yanxiao's wrist, which had nearly healed, "Shall we call it even?"

A faint tingle rose along his arm.

Shang Yanxiao lowered his gaze and smiled slightly, "In that case, having Fang Xu and his studio investigated for tax evasion, consider that my welcome gift to Young Master Bai. Pleasure doing business?"

"So it was you who had someone report them."

Bai Xu loved having an interlocutor this effortless to communicate with. He broke into a smile as well, "Don't mention it. Pleasure doing business."

Shang Yanxiao laid out three terms, "On the outside, we remain engaged for the time being. On the inside, since we're allies, when either side runs into trouble, we help where we can, as long as it doesn't cross any fundamental lines."

Bai Xu agreed readily, "Fine, no problem."

He had always regarded the Shang household as a temporary refuge to begin with. Once he had accumulated enough capital and leverage, he would choose the right moment to extricate himself and leave.

After all, the plot was still unfolding. He had no desire to get entangled in the complex and brutal power struggles within the Shang family that lay ahead. Keeping himself safe was the only way to survive.

An alliance of mutual non-interference like this, and an ally as sharp as Shang Yanxiao— this was exactly what Bai Xu wanted most right now.

"……"

Shang Yanxiao watched Bai Xu's every move, and something subtle stirred again at the tip of his heart.

This was the first time the two of them had ever had a proper, straightforward exchange, and Bai Xu was far more clear-sighted than he had imagined— an excellence and self-assurance that seemed to radiate from the very core of him.

That kind of thing could not be faked.

Shang Yanxiao thought of the background check he'd had done on Bai Xu in the past, and with a curiosity he hadn't quite noticed in himself, he asked, "Has Young Master Bai simply stopped pretending entirely since leaving the Bai family?"

Bai Xu said nothing, letting him finish the question.

Shang Yanxiao said it as both a challenge and a statement of fact, "I somehow feel that the person sitting before me is not the Bai family's 'Bai Xu'."

"If you feel I'm not, then stop calling me 'Young Master Bai' with every other breath. I want nothing to do with that identity."

Bai Xu met the scrutiny and inquiry in his eyes head-on and introduced himself without any pretense, "The person in front of you right now is Bai Xu— and besides, who goes through life in this world without a few secrets?"

"......"

Shang Yanxiao concealed the flicker of admiration in his eyes and relented, "You're right."

Bai Xu recalled something else and shifted the subject, "By the way, does this mean I can now make full and legitimate use of all the connections and resources the third branch has to offer?"

Shang Yanxiao nodded, "As long as you see fit to use them."

"Good."

With that confirmed, Bai Xu got straight to the point, "Have someone find me a property in a quieter area, preferably a detached two-story, not too small. I want to set up a studio."

He paused, then added, "Annual rent needs to stay within three hundred thousand. I'm a bit short on funds right now; that's all I can put forward for the moment."

The original host had never had much in the way of savings, and the betrothal gifts he'd received through the marriage arrangement were equally limited. He could spend, but only where it counted.

Shang Yanxiao caught on, "You're opening a ceramic studio?"

Bai Xu gave a nod, "Something like that."

Shang Yanxiao raised no objection, "Why not just tell Xie Qi directly? You seem perfectly comfortable bossing my assistant around."

Bai Xu gave a light shrug, "I simply think your word carries more weight. I want this sorted out as soon as possible."

"Alright."

Shang Yanxiao agreed without a second thought, then glanced once more at Bai Xu's wrists. The red marks left by his grip hadn't faded— if anything, they looked even worse?

"……"

How could skin bruise this easily?

After such a brief squeeze, already red and turning blue?

Shang Yanxiao's brow furrowed slightly, "Is your wrist alright? Want some ointment to rub on it?"

Only then did Bai Xu lower his eyes and notice the state of it. He rubbed it absently, unbothered, "Only now realizing you had too heavy a hand, Third Young Master? It's fine."

Knock, knock.

A rap at the door.

Xie Qi, who had made his way to the outside of the master bedroom, was unusually cautious, "Young Master Bai, may I come in?"

"......"

Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao exchanged a glance, an unexpected and wordless understanding passed between them, "Come in."

Xie Qi pushed the door open and entered. He had only just learned the situation from Chen Yufei, yet seeing Shang Yanxiao—now 'awake'— facing Bai Xu, he showed not the slightest surprise.

"Third Young Master. Young Master Bai."

Shang Yanxiao instinctively reined in that brief flash of unguarded feeling and returned to the cool, composed expression he habitually wore.

Bai Xu stood, "You two talk."

He walked up to Xie Qi and delivered a breezy, offhand remark, "You've been putting on quite a performance lately, Assistant Xie."

Xie Qi gave a muffled cough, "Just doing my job."

Bai Xu smiled and slipped past him out of the room.

Only after the door closed again did Xie Qi speak, with a trace of unease, "Third Young Master, are you alright? I heard from Chen Yufei– Young Master Bai didn't give you a hard time, did he?"

"No."

Shang Yanxiao was brief. He got out of bed, "I couldn't have hidden it from him one way or another. Better to just lay it out."

Xie Qi pressed further, "So there's no problem on Young Master Bai's end?"

Shang Yanxiao poured himself a glass of warm water, "No problem for now. By the way, have someone find a detached property in a suitable area as soon as possible."

He recalled Bai Xu's request and added, "Ideally not too far from a nearby commercial center, but tucked away from the noise. As spacious as possible— it's for use as a studio. Annual rent..."

Xie Qi waited for his instructions, "Third Young Master, what's the annual rent budget?"

Shang Yanxiao took a sip of water and spent a considerable sum without so much as a change in expression, "Have it purchased in my name and handed over to Bai Xu to do with as he likes, the rent is up to him."

Xie Qi was taken aback.

Since when had things progressed to the point of buying property?

Shang Yanxiao was not short of the expense, and he had no interest in explaining, "Get it sorted quickly and give it to him."

Xie Qi composed himself, "Understood."

...

Xie Qi's efficiency remained as high as ever.

In less than half a month, he had found a detached villa that met Bai Xu's requirements and completed all the necessary paperwork.

Bai Xu brought Qiu Yi along for a look around, then asked, "Sister Qiu, what do you think of the place?"

"It's wonderful," Qiu Yi gave her approval readily, "This is so much better than that run-down location Fang Xu found, a little bit of design work and it'll be perfect."

Whether for private offices or open areas, the space was more than sufficient, and both the front and back courtyards could be used for casual gatherings and small exhibitions, bringing in additional income.

Qiu Yi came back to practicalities, "Bai Xu, the annual rent on a villa like this can't be cheap, can it?"

Bai Xu thought of the property contract Xie Qi had placed in his hands the day before, and a faint ripple stirred in his eyes, "Sister Qiu, don't worry about that. I've got a 'backer' behind me."

Qiu Yi was startled, "Who?"

Bai Xu said with a laugh, "A loaded deity~ not bad-looking either~"

"You- what are you on about?"

Qiu Yi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "I don't know why, but your personality seems to be getting more and more outgoing. These days I feel like I've heard more out of you than in an entire year put together."

Bai Xu smiled, "People need to break before they can be rebuilt, change is inevitable."

Qiu Yi nodded, "Fair enough. This suits you."

Bai Xu set aside the teasing and got back to business, "So, Sister Qiu, as we discussed before; I invest, you handle the day-to-day operations."

"Any staff from Taojing Studio who are interested in coming along with us are welcome to be brought over."

Taojing Studio's reputation had been more or less destroyed between Fang Xu and Song Zhiqing. Staying with a boss like that, working for a studio that could run out of funding at any moment— starting fresh was the better option.

"As for the seniors who helped speak out and file reports on the forum, my promise stands, same as before."

"As long as they still have ideas and work in ceramic design, our studio can take on collaborations with their original pieces. And of course, those who want to come work with us directly are welcome any time."

Hearing Bai Xu lay everything out so clearly, Qiu Yi felt an unexpected wave of emotion, "Understood."

Even though the case against Song Zhiqing had gone through completely, the industry was a messy place. No one could guarantee that the graduates who had put their names to the reports would be treated fairly going forward.

There was every chance some unscrupulous employer in the field would write them off: the kind of employee who could turn on their own mentor was not the kind you wanted.

Bai Xu was, in his own way, doing what he could to protect the graduates who had stepped forward alongside him.

Qiu Yi was moved by what he was doing, but she kept her head and offered him a measured perspective, "Bai Xu, business is hard these days, especially in our field. We can afford to expand slowly."

"Even if we end up in the red later on, at least it'll be easier to manage."

Bai Xu understood Qiu Yi's good intentions and replied with sincerity, "Sister Qiu, when it comes to hiring, I'll defer to you. We can take smaller steps in the early stages of setting up the studio."

"But whether or not we end up in the red, I intend to keep investing in this studio for as long as it takes."

Qiu Yi's expression shifted to surprise at the second half of that, "Oh?"

Bai Xu didn't elaborate, "Call it a wish of mine."

In truth, the one who had truly held this wish was the original owner, he had always longed deeply for a pottery studio of his own.

The 'Bai Xu' of before had been nothing more than the most unremarkable piece of cannon fodder in the story— dismissed, mocked, and sneered at. Everyone who knew him said he was spineless and a pushover, but Bai Xu had never seen it that way.

No matter how difficult his circumstances, 'Bai Xu' had never once blamed the world for his lot.

No matter how poorly the Bai family treated him, 'Bai Xu' remembered the grace of having been taken in and never schemed for a single thing that wasn't his to claim.

He had gotten into Capital University on his own merit, working and studying his way through; when his employer and mentor had mistreated him, he quietly gathered evidence and kept it in reserve; he had the tenacity to persist in the field he loved and kept striving toward his goals without wavering.

When the Bai family tried to force him into a marriage arrangement, treating him as a commodity to be traded, even someone as timid as he was would refuse for his own sake— even if it meant injuring his head in the end.

Bai Xu had always felt that the original owner was a genuinely good person.

He himself was a soul that had arrived from another world and, by some twist of fate, come to occupy the other's body and take over the other's life. He owed it to him to do something—

Whether that meant striking back at all the malice and mockery that had been directed at the original owner, or reclaiming the original works that had been taken from him.

Even now, when everything had settled.

Even knowing he lacked the original owner's gift for pottery, he wanted to leave something behind in his name.

This studio was exactly that.

Bai Xu pulled himself out of his thoughts and smiled, "Sister Qiu, I actually think our studio has a real future. It doesn't have to go badly."

Qiu Yi smiled along with him, "You're right. Every beginning is hard, but once you've started, you have to hope for the best."

"Mm."

"Have you thought of a name for the studio? I'll go register it for you."

"I have."

Bai Xu opened WeChat on his phone and held it out for Qiu Yi to see, the nickname and profile picture that had never changed, "This one."

Ning.

It was the WeChat nickname the original host had always kept, and the profile picture was a logo of the same name that he had designed himself.

Qiu Yi looked at the nickname and logo she had long since grown familiar with and agreed without hesitation, "Alright. Looks like you've had your heart set on being a boss for a while. We'll go with this, then. In a couple of days I'll have someone make the studio's signboard."

"Thank you for your trouble, Sister Qiu."

Bai Xu forwarded her the WeChat contact card for the design team he had already been in touch with, "I've already gone over the rough layout and design plans for the studio with the team, could I trouble you to keep a close eye on the details?"

Qiu Yi nodded, "No problem."

"Good."

The two of them continued discussing the studio's next steps at length, easy and uninterrupted.

Only when dusk began to settle did Bai Xu bring the conversation to a close, "Sister Qiu, it's getting late, shall we leave it here for today? Let me treat you to dinner?"

"Another time."

Qiu Yi skipped the pleasantries, "I didn't say I wouldn't be back for dinner when I left the house, so the family's elders have definitely cooked and are waiting for me."

Bai Xu didn't press, "Then let me have the driver take you?"

Qiu Yi clicked her tongue, "I'm fine, I'll take the subway. Who knows how long the roads will be backed up. See you!"

"Take care."

After Qiu Yi left, Bai Xu made his way toward the nearby car park. The moment he opened the car door, Chen Yufei, who had been waiting for some time, turned to look at him.

"Young Master Bai, all wrapped up?"

"Mm."

Bai Xu settled into the back seat and buckled his seatbelt.

Chen Yufei asked as a matter of course, "Back to the estate then?"

Bai Xu gazed at the row of detached villas outside the car window, his thoughts drifting.

The location was excellent— the surrounding area was almost entirely private art studios. In the normal market, the annual rent would certainly not come cheap.

Shang Yanxiao had known full well that he meant to rent, yet still had Xie Qi go ahead and purchase the place outright.

"Young Master Bai, Third Young Master says the property is yours to use freely within reason, and as for rent, that's entirely up to you."

The implication being: not paying rent was perfectly fine.

The thought brought an involuntary softening to the corners of Bai Xu's brow.

To end up with an alliance partner this generous and straightforward—someone on the same side, no less—somehow, that felt rather nice.

Bai Xu spoke up,"Wait, let's not head back to the estate just yet. Find a nearby shopping center. I need to make a stop."

Chen Yufei did as told and asked casually, "Young Master Bai, is there something you need to pick up?"

Bai Xu rolled down the window. A warm breeze brushed his face, "It's still early, and it's not often I'm out like this, figured I'd pick up a little gift for Shang Yanxiao~"

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