When Mr. Li found Bai Xia sitting quietly on the balcony again, the black-haired girl was engrossed in reading a book that looked like a high school textbook from the cover—perhaps preparing for the upcoming school entrance.
He hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should interrupt, but Bai Xia spoke up first: “Is there something you need, Mr. Li?”
She casually closed the book and set it aside.
“No, nothing really. I just saw you chatting with Eldest Miss earlier,” Mr. Li lowered his voice.
“Did she say anything… inappropriate?”
Though nothing had happened yet, Mr. Li had already anticipated some malicious words.
Worried about Bai Xia’s mood, he came over to offer some encouragement.
But judging by the girl’s calm expression, it seemed Eldest Miss hadn’t succeeded.
“She did. It was quite interesting,” Bai Xia said suddenly.
“Huh? Interesting?”
Mr. Li was puzzled, but Bai Xia didn’t elaborate.
Instead, she asked, “Is there anything else?”
“Uh… maybe one more thing.”
After some hesitation, Mr. Li decided to speak softly: “Second Young Miss, the place where you used to live has had several safety incidents. Some of the people involved had grudges against you. Although they were accidents, I’m worried someone might use them against you.”
The “someone” he referred to was none other than the unwilling-to-be-named Zhang Butler.
Bai Xia quickly understood what he was talking about and smiled slightly: “Mr. Li, don’t you think those were just accidents caused by their own carelessness?”
“Second Young Miss, that’s not what I meant…”
“Then let me put it another way—Mr. Li, do you really think I broke their bones and even killed someone?”
Mr. Li froze for a moment, a chill running down his spine for no reason.
Coming back to his senses, he hurriedly smiled and said, “No, no, no, of course not, Second Young Miss. You must be joking. No one would ever think that.”
Indeed, who would believe a slender and beautiful girl had anything to do with safety accidents involving thugs and burly men?
It wasn’t a matter of appearances being deceiving—it was simply that no one had the capability to know such things.
With that thought, Mr. Li no longer worried and apologized for disturbing Second Young Miss’s study before taking his leave.
After he left, Bai Xia didn’t pick up the textbook she had just set down.
Instead, she sat quietly for a while, then pulled out an antique-style pocket watch from her jacket pocket.
“Impossible, isn’t it?”
***
After Bai Xiaoya left the courtyard tea table, she returned alone to her bedroom and sat on the bed, hugging a large rabbit plush toy.
Though her expression seemed fine, the way the White Rabbit perched atop the plush toy bobbed and swayed revealed her unsettled mood.
She kept telling herself to stay calm, but even calm analysis didn’t help.
Knowing the other party was ruthless and psychologically strong, simple sarcasm and passive-aggressive remarks hadn’t stirred even the slightest emotional reaction.
What should she do?
After thinking for a long time with no solution, Bai Xiaoya slumped down and lay on the bed.
The White Rabbit on her chest sagged under gravity, as heavy as the pressure she felt.
“Why are there people like this?”
She thought to herself.
You’ve been running rampant in the Underground Street, slaughtering here and there, so why bother coming back and acting like a Miss?
Wouldn’t it be better to be a Godfather in the Underground Street?
Her new job’s very first mission was already this difficult.
Feeling discouraged, Bai Xiaoya buried her face in the pillow, wanting to escape reality for a while.
But beneath the pillow, in the surrounding silence, she suddenly recalled a night from her previous life during a company team building.
The boss took them out to eat and drink.
Halfway through the meal, the boss, about seventy percent drunk, patted her shoulder and said, “Xiao Bai, you know what I admire most about you? It’s your spirit. Sometimes when problems come up, whether there’s a solution or not, you’re the first to say, ‘No problem, we can do this.’ You’re optimistic and full of drive.”
At the time, Bai Xiaoya held her wine glass, unsure what to say.
She wanted to explain that it was just a habit from playing games—when the team was at a disadvantage, she’d encourage them by saying “We can turn this around,” no matter how dire the situation, though most of the time it was because she was too inexperienced to understand the whole picture…
But despite being a misunderstanding at first, from that moment on, she never admitted defeat again.
No matter how hard the road ahead, as long as she kept her confidence up and kept moving forward, a way would appear alongside inspiration.
“Come on, Bai Xia, I’m not afraid of you. I will win.”
Bai Xiaoya sat up, her eyes filled with determination.
That said, she still hadn’t figured out a solution.
In the afternoon, Mr. Bai and Madam Bai returned.
Their first priority was to pull Bai Xia aside, asking how she felt about the house, if the food was to her liking, and if she was comfortable living there.
After years apart, the joy of finally having their biological daughter back made them want to make up for all the family conversations lost over time.
Bai Xia responded politely and patiently, accompanying them in conversation all afternoon.
By sunset, Madam Bai finally let go with a lingering smile:
“You must be hungry. Call Xiaoya down for dinner.”
Around 7 p.m., dinner time, the well-endowed girl was the first to sit at the table.
Though she hadn’t thought of any solution, the whole afternoon’s mental effort was tiring.
She needed to eat well to have the strength to keep trying.
The others had just sat down when Bai Xiaoya picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
“Look at Xiaoya,” Madam Bai said with a helpless smile, “such energy.”
That perfectly matched the way she had mentally categorized her two daughters earlier that morning.
Bai Xiaoya quickly finished her dinner, the speed reminiscent of a work meal from her previous life.
Looking up, she saw Bai Xia had only eaten less than half her food with elegant movements.
Victory! Finishing first was a kind of win, at least a good start.
Before she could savor her triumph for long, Bai Xia suddenly looked at her and reached out to tap the corner of her mouth.
What’s that supposed to mean?
Bai Xiaoya only realized after a moment and touched her mouth, pulling off a grain of rice.
“…”
Bai Xia remained calm, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
But to Bai Xiaoya, that smile felt like mockery.
No, once momentum is lost, it affects everything. She had to take it back.
Bai Xiaoya straightened her chest, lifted her head, and glared at Bai Xia without a word.
Her fierce eyes seemed to carry countless justified meanings.
Laughing at me?
Getting food on your face is normal when you eat fast—like playing games too aggressively, mistakes happen.
But no matter what, I finished before you, didn’t I?
With that thought, Bai Xiaoya puffed up her chest even more, as if bringing the General White Rabbit to the gates to completely crush Bai Xia’s momentum.
But… snap, pop—!
The second button on her collar, strained under the pressure, could no longer hold.
With the sound of thread snapping, it was freed by the sudden force.
Then, to Bai Xia’s stunned eyes, it flew up and hit her forehead.
Smack!
At the same time, a System notification sounded in Bai Xiaoya’s mind.
[Ding dong~]