DASFAM_107

"……"

Innocent?

What are you two up to now?

Zhang Changxu and Zhang Changning's expressions shifted at the same time.

Shang Yanxiao, on the other hand, had long grown accustomed to his lover's occasional teasing, and let out a helpless laugh, "Mm, I know. It was just a hug behind my back, perfectly innocent."

Zhang Changning's ears turned red in an instant, "Third Brother, I- I just now…"

Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao laughed at the same time, while Zhang Changxu beside them shook his head, "You two, that's enough."

He immediately spoke up for his own, "The kid has been in a daze lately, tease any more and she'll faint."

As he said this, Zhang Changxu pulled Zhang Changning by the wrist, though his eyes still held a hidden smile, "Come on, don't get tangled up in their husband-and-husband business."

Zhang Changning felt the cool touch that came from the hand around her wrist; when she came to her senses, her whole face burned even hotter, "Oh."

She tried to pull her wrist free, but the grip on it only tightened.

Bai Xu caught the subtle atmosphere between the two at just the right moment, and pretended not to have seen anything, "How come you two came up?"

"The food downstairs is ready, Uncle Zhang sent us up to call you all," Shang Yanxiao took Bai Xu's hand without any hesitation, "Let's go, downstairs."

Bai Xu smiled, "Alright."

Zhang Changning was just about to follow, but Zhang Changxu, who had his wrist in his grasp, didn't move.

Zhang Changxu spoke in a mild tone, "Yanxiao, you two go on ahead, I have a few words to say to Changning alone."

"There's, there's nothing to say."

Zhang Changning uncomfortably glanced toward Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao, not daring to look at Zhang Changxu.

Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao exchanged a smiling glance and headed downstairs without lingering for even a moment.

...

The round dining table, large enough to seat ten people, was already covered with an array of exquisite and appetizing dishes, their aroma filling the entire dining room.

The Old Madam Zhang sat at the head of the table, eyes eagerly fixed on Bai Xu as he came downstairs, "Xiao Xu, come here. Sit, sit by Grandmother?"

Zhang Du and Shen Mian, hearing this, worried that Bai Xu, returning home for the first time, might feel ill at ease, "Mother, let the children sit together, A' Mian and I will keep you company."

Sister-in-law Su Yang, ever perceptive, chimed in to help, "Bai Xu and Changning, Yanxiao and Changxu are all friends, it'll be livelier with the four of them sitting together."

"That's true, you young ones will have more to talk about sitting together."

The Old Madam didn't press the matter, and still remembered the other two who hadn't come downstairs yet, "Where are Changxu and Changning? Why aren't they down yet?"

Bai Xu glanced toward the second floor and offered cover for them, "Dr. Zhang seems to have something urgent with work, he'll be right down."

The Zhang family didn't suspect a thing.

Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao chose to sit directly across from the Old Madam.

Shen Mian's gaze barely left Bai Xu as she asked gently and softly, "I heard from Changning that you enjoy drinking, the house has quite a few wines and champagnes stocked. Would you like some?"

Bai Xu sensed the quiet carefulness hidden in Shen Mian's words, and smiled, "Mm, I do enjoy a drink now and then when I have nothing to do, Changning and I had drinks the first time we met too."

Zhang Changfeng settled his wife and daughter in and got up on his own initiative, "Let me go open a bottle of wine, it's rare for the whole family to gather like this, we really should have a drink."

Zhang Du picked up on it, "Go, go ahead, I remember there's a bottle of white wine we brought back from France last time, have a look for it."

"I know the one, I've been wanting to drink it for a while."

Zhang Changfeng looked over at Bai Xu with a smile, "Dad kept stopping me from opening it before, today I can finally say I owe it to Xiao Xu."

No wonder Zhang Changning had said before that his second brother always kept such a cold expression that people tended to feel on edge around him, while his eldest brother Zhang Changfeng was warm and approachable, making people feel no distance at all.

Bai Xu, sensing Zhang Changfeng's easy-going nature, smiled along, "Then I'll have to give it a proper taste later."

Tap tap tap.

The sound of footsteps came from the staircase again, Zhang Changning and Zhang Changxu came down one after the other.

Compared to the latter's composed, unhurried manner, the former moved very quickly, like a little rabbit, darting straight to Bai Xu's side and sitting down.

Shen Mian looked at him, "Xiao Ning, what's the matter with you? Your face is so red."

"……"

Zhang Changning fumbled for words, "It's, it's hot."

Zhang Changxu settled calmly into the seat beside him, "It is quite hot."

Bai Xu, who had already seen through what was going on, tried to hold back his laughter, and ended up choking on a breath of air, unable to stop himself from muffling a couple of coughs.

Shang Yanxiao hurriedly patted his back, and leaned in to murmur under the pretense of passing him water, "Young Master Bai, even watching the fun, you should pace yourself."

Bai Xu drank his water and replied vaguely, "I am pacing myself."

The family dinner officially began.

Compared to the Shang family's relatively formal dining atmosphere, the Zhang family's was far livelier and more relaxed.

The three elders had initially been a little worried that Bai Xu, on his first visit home, might feel out of place or stay quiet and not say much, but the reality turned out to be completely beyond their expectations—

Zhang Changning, as always, took on the role of mood-setter, chattering away as he recounted his everyday life teaching in Gannan over this period of time.

Bai Xu, sitting beside him, found it all quite entertaining and chimed in with jokes from time to time; when others directed questions his way, he handled them with ease, without the slightest stiffness of a 'guest'.

And that was exactly what the Zhang family had hoped for.

Zhang Du and Shen Mian set their worries to rest. Watching as a bottle of white wine reached its last drop, Zhang Du finally spoke, "Bai Xu, there is actually one more thing I'd like to ask you."

The dining table fell quiet.

Bai Xu seemed to have already guessed what Zhang Du had in mind, "Go ahead."

Zhang Du's fingertips, hidden beneath the table, rubbed together slightly, "Our family has never formally spoken to the outside world about what happened back then."

"Now that you're willing to come back, I've discussed it with Grandmother and the others, we really should give you a proper, legitimate standing."

They had learned quite a lot recently—

Bai Xu had carried the identity of 'the Bai family's adopted son' all along, and had quietly been the subject of others' mockery.

Even now that he was in a relationship with Shang Yanxiao and had entered the Shang family's circle, there were still no small number of people who spoke ill of his background behind his back and looked down on it.

What parent could bear to watch their own son be looked down upon like this? The Zhang family may keep a low profile, but in the capital social circle, they were nonetheless respected and well-regarded!

Shen Mian added, "We're not trying to pressure you into acknowledging your origins, it's just that if you ever suffer any grievance in the future, at least the family can stand behind you."

The Old Madam nodded, "That's right, a child of our family, out there in the world, absolutely cannot be looked down upon by anyone!"

Bai Xu understood the kind intentions of the three elders before him, and his gaze shifted slightly toward Zhang Changning's face.

Zhang Changning caught his friend's look and said softly, "Bai Xu, you don't need to consider my feelings. Whatever you decide is fine with me."

Bai Xu thought it over, and in the end followed what was in his own heart, "Honestly, I am willing to come back to the Zhang family."

After all, it was the deepest wish the original had carried in silence throughout his life.

"It's just that I might not be able to change how I address you for a while."

For Bai Xu himself, he had his own biological parents in the real world, even if, after their divorce, they had shown him very little care, he still could not, in a short span of time, place those two intimate forms of address onto someone else.

Faced with his honesty, Zhang Du and Shen Mian held not a trace of resentment, "It's alright, there's no rush."

"The fact that you're willing to come back is more than enough."

After all, the familial bond they had missed with their child over more than twenty years was not something that could be made up in a short time.

Bai Xu continued, "As for publicly disclosing my identity, I don't think there's any need, it's better to just let things unfold naturally."

"Rather than making it public and letting the family's affairs become fodder for gossip in the capital's social circles, it's better to simply keep things warm and lively behind closed doors, with less unnecessary trouble."

Bai Xu of course understood that in this world of high society where people flatter the powerful and trample the weak, an illustrious family background could serve as something to rely on when out in the world, but he always believed—

Only by being strong enough himself would he have the truest support and confidence to stand on!

"I'm no longer who I used to be, it's not so easy for others to bully or belittle me anymore. Besides, if something really does come up, Yanxiao will help me."

These words not only expressed Bai Xu's true thoughts, but also indirectly acknowledged his relationship with Shang Yanxiao to the Zhang family.

Shang Yanxiao had already guessed that his lover would think this way. His hand, hidden beneath the table, silently closed around Bai Xu's wrist, and he offered the Zhang family a promise.

"Uncle Zhang, Aunt Shen, you both must already know about me and A' Xu's relationship. I will treat him well."

Zhang Du thought it over, and in the end respected Bai Xu's wishes, "Alright, we'll listen to you both, just let things unfold naturally."

"Yes, just let things unfold naturally," Shen Mian voiced her stance in kind, "As for the two of you, we have no objections."

As she spoke, she didn't forget to include the other children as well, "As long as you're all doing well, nothing else matters."

The Old Madam seized the moment to suggest, "Xiao Xu, stay the night here tonight, the room on the third floor has always been kept ready for you."

Hearing this, Bai Xu simply looked toward Shang Yanxiao to ask for his opinion.

Zhang Changxu beside them spoke up at the right moment, "Stay. The house has everything you need, and Yanxiao has had a few drinks too, so it wouldn't be safe to drive back."

Zhang Changning, seeing that the elders all wanted Bai Xu to stay the night, joined in to persuade him, "Bai Xu, it's not easy to get a designated driver out here, could you and Third Brother stay just one night?"

With things said to this point, refusing any further would seem heartless.

Bai Xu nodded, "Alright then."

...

After dinner, Shen Mian led Bai Xu up to the third floor. She opened the door at the end of the corridor and invited them inside.

"Xiao Xu, take a look at this room, do you like it?"

"……"

Bai Xu gazed at the layout of the room, his emotions settling into a quiet stillness.

He had only visited Zhang Changning's bedroom on the second floor before dinner, and this room was directly above it, the layout of the bedroom and the open-air terrace were identical, with everything one could need fully in place.

The difference was that every furnishing in this bedroom was brand new, with almost no trace of anyone having lived there.

"Oh, and the clothes—"

Shen Mian seemed to remember something, and walked over to open the wardrobe, "I've bought a lot of clothes over this period of time, all bought to your measurements and build. Have a look and see if there's anything you like."

"Also, all the toiletries have been stocked as well, if anything is missing, just let me know anytime."

"……"

Bai Xu had never experienced this kind of maternal love before, and for a moment he couldn't help but feel a stinging in his eyes.

Without letting it show, he drew a quiet breath, "All of this, you prepared it for me?"

"Yes."

Shen Mian's voice caught for a moment, "Ever since we moved into this villa, I specially kept this room aside."

It was locked on ordinary days, and no one in the family was allowed to enter freely, and every month, it was cleaned on a regular schedule.

"I just hoped that one day, someone would come back to live in this room," Shen Mian looked at Bai Xu before her and couldn't hold back, wiping away her tears, "I waited and waited, and I've finally lived to see this day."

As she spoke, she seemed afraid of placing too heavy a burden on Bai Xu, and pulled out a gentle smile, "Look at me, I really can't hold it together at all."

Something stirred in Bai Xu's heart. He walked quickly toward her and pulled her into an embrace, "Thank you."

In an instant, Shen Mian's eyes went wide, startled and moved all at once, she took in the feeling of this embrace that had been more than twenty years in coming.

Bai Xu said it once more, "Really, thank you."

These words were spoken both on behalf of the original, and on behalf of himself.

"Xiao Xu, there's no need to thank me."

Shen Mian slowly moved her hand to his back, patting it gently while holding back the tremor in her voice, "It's your mother who wronged you, I should never have left you alone. You were still so small back then."

"Mom promises, never again."

"……"

So this is what it feels like to be held by a mother?

Bai Xu said nothing in return, yet in that instant, tears fell, tears even he himself had not anticipated.

He didn't know why, but he suddenly had the illusion of a bridge between the story and reality—

As though this promise, full of love, was truly being spoken to him by his own mother.

...

The moment Shang Yanxiao stepped into the room, he saw Bai Xu sitting on the edge of the bed with reddened eyes. He was startled, and hurried over to crouch down in front of his lover.

"A' Xu, what's wrong?"

"……"

Bai Xu shook his head and, on instinct, burrowed into his lover's embrace.

He told Shang Yanxiao everything that had just happened, his emotions still a little unsettled, "…I don't know what to make of what I'm feeling right now. I keep thinking that having this 'mother's love' today is something I only have because of the original Bai Xu."

"Yanxiao, Changning told me he felt like he'd been living like a thief all these years, but now I'm feeling the same way?"

Shang Yanxiao stroked the back of his neck to comfort him, "A' Xu, don't think of it that way."

Being transmigrated into the original's body and living in this world in his place had never been Bai Xu's own choice, yet he had never made a mess of the original's life. On the contrary, he had actively and indirectly made up for many of the original's regrets.

"A' Xu, you've already done more than enough. Beyond that, you're also entitled to your own life, isn't that right?"

Bai Xu pulled back from Shang Yanxiao's embrace, composed himself, and let out a quiet, rueful laugh, "Mm, you're right."

He pressed his forehead gently against Shang Yanxiao's, "Yanxiao, you are in my life."

Shang Yanxiao smiled in return, "What a coincidence, same for me."

The two shared a brief, unhurried kiss, and then Bai Xu said, "You go wash up first, I'll head downstairs to find Changning."

"Hm? What for?"

"His bank card is still in my pocket, I brought it today specifically to return it to him, and forgot before dinner."

Shang Yanxiao let him go, "Alright, go ahead."

Bai Xu got up, "You wash up first, I'll be back in no time."

"Okay."

Bai Xu walked out of the bedroom, but in less than a minute he walked right back in.

Shang Yanxiao hadn't even had time to go wash up, "Back already?"

Bai Xu, the bank card still pinched between his fingertips, raised an eyebrow with a meaningful look, "I was going to go drop it off at his room, but I'd barely made it to the top of the second-floor staircase when I saw Dr. Zhang walk into his room."

Shang Yanxiao caught on, and laughed quietly to himself, "Well then, you had to come back."

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