Before the echo of the slap faded, two men from the President's retinue lunged forward, their hands clamping down on Xia Xingchen's shoulders with steely force.
"How dare you!" Leng Fei snapped, striding towards her, his gaze a scalding reprimand before flickering anxiously to Bai Yeqing's face. "Your Excellency..."
Bai Yeqing raised a hand, a silent command to stand down. His expression, however, remained glacial, freezing the air in the room. No one dared breathe too loudly.
"Let me go! Ganging up on one woman – what kind of cowards are you?" Xingchen spat, her voice laced with defiance. She struggled fiercely against the grip of the two hulking figures, trained professionals whose strength dwarfed hers.
She locked eyes with the imposing man. "Call off your dogs. We have unfinished business."
Oh God!
Does she have a death wish? Speaking to the President like that?!
The staff stood rigid, faces pale with shock.
Bai Yeqing's gaze pierced her, sharp and cold as shards of ice, seeming to see straight through her bravado. Fear prickled Xingchen's spine, but she refused to let it show, unwilling to surrender her anger before the battle even began.
Staring at him… was it her imagination, or did he look… strangely familiar?
"Bring her inside!" His command, sharp and final, shattered her thoughts. He turned on his heel, his rigid back radiating displeasure as he strode into the mansion. The chilling authority in his voice made Xingchen shiver involuntarily the next moment before she was unceremoniously dragged after him.
...
Inside the Vast Study.
The heavy door closed, leaving only Xia Xingchen and Bai Yeqing in the cavernous, book-lined room.
He stood near an imposing oval bookshelf, hands thrust deep in his pockets, looking down on her with an aura of absolute command. The sheer weight of his presence pressed down on the space, making it hard for Xingchen to draw a full breath.
She swallowed thickly, staring at him, words momentarily failing her.
"You claimed to have accounts to settle. Cat got your tongue?" His voice broke the suffocating silence.
The sound instantly resurrected the years of bewildering hardship he'd inflicted. A wave of bitter hurt washed over her. Tears pricking her eyes, she surged forward, hand flying up again – this slap for stealing Da Bai!
But…
Her wrist was seized in an iron grip before the blow could land. Pain shot through her arm; she felt the bones might snap.
"Let go!" She writhed, but her strength was laughable against his, like an ant fighting a mountain.
Furious, Xingchen did the only thing left: she bent her head and sank her teeth into the back of his hand. Hard. Mercilessly. Blood welled crimson against his skin almost immediately.
Bai Yeqing's brow furrowed, his gaze turning arctic. This woman is pushing every limit!
"Xia Xingchen. Enough." The low warning vibrated with restrained fury.
"Enough?" She choked out a bitter laugh, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Sir, that's my line! I will nevergive you Da Bai! Give me back my son!"
"Out of the question." Four words, carved in stone.
If the boy hadn't resorted to a hunger strike, Xia Xingchen would never have set foot here.
Xingchen felt ready to explode. She drew a ragged breath, forcing herself to speak calmly. "Who areyou? A common thief? You kidnapped my son! Do you realize that's illegal? And my father is the Mayor! You know the consequences if you don't return him!" Resorting to power rankled, but she was desperate.
"Bai Yeqing."
He waited for her outburst to finish before parting his lips, uttering the three syllables with deliberate calm.
"What?"
"My name."
"Bai... Ye... Qing?" Xingchen repeated the disturbingly familiar name, her eyes scanning his face with new intensity. The perfect angles, the sharp features snapped into focus...
Recognition slammed into her like a physical blow.
"You're… the President?"
She stood frozen, utterly stunned. Her mind went blank, a dizzying wave washing over her.
Was this a dream? How could Da Bai's father possibly be Bai Yeqing – the newly inaugurated President of S Country?! It was unthinkable!
She stared, dumbfounded, her gaze dropping to his hand. The deep, angry bite marks stood out starkly against his skin. Flushing with the sudden, horrifying awareness of who she'd bitten, she instinctively released his wrist and took a swift step back, putting distance between them.
Bai Yeqing seemed faintly satisfied by her belated recognition, the harsh lines of his face easing slightly. "You will reside here from now on. Direct any needs to the steward."
"Your work may continue as usual. No restrictions. However," his tone hardened, "for your own safety, the child's parentage remains classified information. Disclose it to no one."
It was an order.
Xingchen slowly emerged from her shock. Disclose? Who would believe her if she shouted that her son was the President's child from rooftops?
"...I have another question."
Bai Yeqing arched a brow. "Ask."
"Why me?" Her gaze locked onto his fathomless dark eyes. "Why was I chosen to bear your child?"
"Simple. Compatible candidates are rare. Your blood type was suitable."
Simple. The word echoed, chillingly clinical.
…
After dropping this bombshell, Bai Yeqing departed with his entourage, summoned by affairs of state. Xia Xingchen sank onto the sofa, still reeling, trying to process the impossible: Da Bai's father was the President.
Unbelievable, yet it explained everything – her father's sudden promotion, the hospitals' terrified refusal... the god-like power that had shaped her life from the shadows.
...…
Inside the Armored Limousine.
Leng Fei noticed the bite mark on the President's hand and inwardly winced. Miss Xia clearly possessed a fiery temper.
Retrieving antiseptic and gauze from the onboard medical kit, he efficiently dressed the wound. Though minor, the distinctly intimate nature of the injury made it unsuitable for public view.
"How is Xia Xingchen performing at the Foreign Ministry?" Bai Yeqing asked casually, not looking up from the documents in his hands.
"By all accounts, quite well. Though an intern, the Minister is impressed. Likely to be retained as a diplomatic translator if possible."
Bai Yeqing gave a noncommittal "Hmm." Leng Fei fell silent. The question of Xia Xingchen's future arrangement hung unanswered in the air.