Xia Chenchen was drifting into sleep when faint noises stirred at her door. The room lay draped in darkness, untouched by light. Through the gloom, she discerned the tall, imposing figure of a man moving toward the bed. Silently, he bent down, pressed a kiss onto Xia Dabai's forehead, and tenderly tucked the kicked-off blanket around the sleeping boy.
Moonlight seeped through the window, casting its glow on the man's face. His expression was as detached as ever, yet warmer than the icy demeanor he projected on the nightly news broadcasts.
A soft smile touched Xia Chenchen's lips.
So Xia Dabai had misunderstood him. How could he ever abandon his own son?
...
Early the next morning, Xia Chenchen descended the stairs with her son in tow. They bounced and giggled all the way down—until the servant drew back the ornate dining room doors. At the sight of the man seated at the head of the table, both mother and child fell abruptly silent.
The air chilled instantly.
His presence alone stifled any carelessness.
"Good morning, Young Master, Miss Xia," the butler greeted from behind the man's chair.
"Good morning," Xia Chenchen replied cautiously. She settled Dabai into a highchair, stealing a glance at the man quietly flipping through a newspaper. Memories of last night flushed her cheeks with embarrassment.
"Good morning… Mr. President," she offered, her voice tight.
"Hn." His acknowledgment was curt, devoid of warmth.
That's it? Xia Chenchen winced inwardly. He really was difficult to talk to.
Dabai stared at him with wide eyes. "I thought you weren't coming back."
"Why?" Bai Yeqing set aside his paper. Unlike his dismissal of Xia Chenchen, his attention toward the boy held no trace of indifference.
The difference couldn't be starker, Xia Chenchen grumbled under her breath.
"You stayed away so long…" Dabai's voice wavered. "Did you regret taking me? Don't want me anymore?"
Xia Chenchen's hand, spreading jam onto a breakfast scone, stilled. Her gaze flickered to Bai Yeqing, whose own composure faltered momentarily at the raw question.
"You will always be my son," he stated, his voice firm yet softened. "I've never regretted bringing you home. And I never will."
"Really?" Dabai's tiny brow furrowed as he searched Bai Yeqing's face, then his mother's, doubt lingering in his eyes.
"Daddy's word is gold," Xia Chenchen reassured him, gently ruffling his hair. "If he says it's true, it's true. Now eat up, sweetheart."
Her tone was tender, soothing the boy's fragile heart. Bai Yeqing watched her, his gaze lingering. This gentle version of her bore little resemblance to the woman who'd once slapped him across the face in front of a crowd.
She handed Dabai the jam-coated scone. The boy took a delighted bite, beaming. "So yummy! Xia Dabao, make one for Daddy too! He'll love it!"
"Will he?" Xia Chenchen glanced uncertainly toward Bai Yeqing. He had already withdrawn his attention, eating with refined, detached elegance—a stark contrast to the lively pair beside him.
Even at a glance, she thought, we… no, I and he belong to different worlds.
Hesitantly, she spread green tea jam on another scone and offered it to him. He paused, his eyes lifting to meet hers, but he made no move to accept it.
"Apologies, Miss Xia," the butler interjected swiftly. "His Excellency has… particular standards." The butler produced sanitized gloves, meticulously prepared a scone himself, and only then did Bai Yeqing accept it.
He thinks I'm dirty? Humiliation pricked at Xia Chenchen. Her hand hung awkwardly in the air, rejected. She couldn't force him to eat it—she lacked both the nerve and the power. One wrong move, and armed guards might drag her out.
"Well, if the President finds it unclean," she muttered, stuffing the scone into her own mouth with a defiant grimace, "more for me!"
Bai Yeqing's dark eyes flickered over her, a subtle intensity in their depths, but he remained silent. He'd never seen a woman discard decorum so brazenly in his presence. Others nibbled daintily; she devoured hers like a starved wolf.
Dabai watched, his expression a mix of sympathy and gloom. Guess getting Mom to win over President Dad… is hopeless.
...
In the days that followed, President Bai remained elusive as a ghost—likely swamped by the relentless demands of office. Xia Chenchen, too, found herself drowning in work.
The Foreign Ministry was preparing to receive the British Prime Minister. As a mere intern, Xia Chenchen couldn't afford to slip up.
On the day, the Prime Minister's motorcade glided into view. Xia Chenchen stood with the diplomatic corps, lined up for the formal welcome.
The car door opened. The Prime Minister emerged, followed by his British entourage. Among them, strikingly out of place, was an East Asian man. And that man…
Even from the very back of the crowd, Xia Chenchen recognized him instantly.
Five years had honed him, adding layers of maturity and steadiness. Standing amidst eminent Western figures, his bearing and stature commanded equal respect.
Beside her, Chi Weiyang tugged sharply at her sleeve, mouthing the name silently: "Xu Yan…"
Xu Yan.
It was Xu Yan.
Xia Chenchen's gaze locked onto him, unable to tear away. As he drew nearer with the delegation…
He turned his head.
Their eyes collided.
A stunned silence hung between them. Recognition, then a complex storm of emotions, darkened his gaze. His steps faltered. Xia Chenchen dug her fingernails into her palm and sharply looked away.
...
The rest of the morning, Xia Chenchen worked mechanically. Thankfully, her role was minor, and Chi Weiyang's constant support shielded her. By lunchtime, the main events concluded, granting junior staff like them a moment's respite.
Pushing rice grains aimlessly with her chopsticks, Xia Chenchen stared blankly at her plate.
Chi Weiyang slid into the seat opposite. "You okay?"
"Fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Xia Chenchen forced a bright smile.
"Cut the act. I know you better than that."
"…" Xia Chenchen's facade crumbled. Pretending felt foolish now.
"Xu Yan really did get more handsome," Chi Weiyang mused. "All the junior girls couldn't stop whispering about him. Bet he's got a girlfriend by now."
"Wouldn't surprise me," Xia Chenchen replied softly. "He's brilliant. Girls probably flock to him endlessly."
Chi Weiyang snorted. "If that bastard hadn't knocked you up back then, you and Xu Yan wouldn't have missed your chance. Still burns me—I'd love to slap that jerk's face with a shoehorn if I ever find out who he was!"
"…" Xia Chenchen's mind conjured an image of Bai Yeqing's icy visage meeting the business end of a shoehorn. A sudden, unexpected laugh burst from her lips. The sheer spectacle…
Chi Weiyang glared. "I'm serious! How can you laugh?"
"Alright, alright," Xia Chenchen grinned, wiping her eye. "I'm holding you to that. If I ever track down Dabai's father, you better slap him for me."
"Oh, don't worry," Chi Weiyang vowed, eyes flashing. "That's a promise."