Chapter 184

It is often said that babies have several times the perception of adults, and they can detect even the slightest emotional changes.

They are weak and unable to move, and need the protection and feeding of their guardians to survive, so their guardians are also their primary targets for observation.

As soon as the woman's voice came out, Xie Xubai couldn't help but look over.

As the woman's voice grew louder and louder, rising straight up into a sharp, piercing noise, Xie Xubai felt as if a sharp knife was stabbing into his ear, causing him to instinctively scrunch up in pain.

He tried to endure it, but the self-control that had never made him flinch in the face of countless pains had vanished.

The unease and fear were magnified countless times in an instant, filling his mind like cotton. He felt his forehead throbbing, and hot, surging moisture instantly filled his eyes.

Finally, at the moment when his fear reached its peak, Xie Xubai couldn't help but cry.

Or perhaps, the baby he empathized with couldn't help but cry.

"Wow! Wow!..."

The woman who was on the phone looked over when she heard the noise.

Her eyes were red and swollen from holding her breath, her cheeks were sallow and pale, and her hair was messy and unkempt, with only a simple headband tied around her neck. The exhaustion was clearly visible on this woman.

She looked at Xie Xubai, put down her phone, and the large screen displayed the words "Husband on a call".

The woman seemed to be approaching. Xie Xubai was unwilling to sit idly by and wait for his death, so he stretched his neck and searched for any clues he could use.

The baby's vision is not fully developed at a few months old, but Xie Xubai can see clearly.

Judging from the cleanliness of the walls, it should be a new house, but the living room is sparsely furnished and appears somewhat simple.

The refrigerator and television may look brand new, but the rubber on the edges has come off; they were secondhand items that I bought online.

The food on the table had gone cold, with solidified oil floating on top. There were only two dishes, one meat and one vegetable, served in two bowls. One bowl remained untouched, while the other, perhaps because the person was in a bad mood, only picked up half a mouthful with chopsticks.

What Xie Xubai couldn't help but notice was an open ledger being calculated next to the food.

With numerous checkmarks and marks, the deficit is stark, and income cannot cover expenses.

This is a family that is quite poor and worries about money.

It is also like a microcosm of many Middle-earth families, filled with trivial matters and endless troubles.

The newborn is crying for milk, the husband doesn't come home at night, the wife is taking care of the baby alone, anxious about the nearly depleted savings, and facing the desolate and cold home alone.

Originally quiet and elegant, or bright and lively, their nature was worn down by the daily grind, gradually turning into the hysterical state they displayed during that phone call.

At this moment, the woman had already arrived in front of Xie Xubai.

Xie Xubai lay in a movable crib, surrounded by railings on all sides, with no way to escape.

The woman stretched out her hands, and a huge shadow descended from above, gradually covering Xie Xubai's large eyes, which were still wet with tears, and pressing down on his body.

The woman's face was obscured by the backlighting, but she seemed to still be angry; her arm muscles were taut, her tightly pursed lips were trembling, and the atmosphere was terrifyingly oppressive.

Xie Xubai subconsciously thought to himself, "This is bad."

Since the establishment of the law enforcement agency, he has witnessed many cases of impulsive violence.

Such premeditated murders are actually rare. More often, perpetrators are overwhelmed by the burdens of life, like a camel being crushed by the last straw. Their emotions are suppressed to a certain extreme and suddenly explode, leading them to commit a mistake they will regret for the rest of their lives.

The cloaked man also put pressure on the game mechanics he had established.

Xie Xubai's perception of emotions was confused with the hypersensitivity of an infant; it was as if there was a constantly echoing speaker in his brain, buzzing incessantly.

This made it impossible for him to clearly tell whether the woman in front of him was on the verge of her limit.

Even if they could tell, it would be of no use. The frail baby could not withstand any harm, nor could it escape. All it could do was cry loudly.

Xie Xubai was also affected by the baby's emotions, and he felt extremely helpless.

Let me go—

No, don't!

Then, the woman's hands, which were on top of him, wrapped around his soft little body and lifted him up.

Like thunder roaring in a sky full of dark clouds, but just as it struck down, it transformed into a soft feather that lifted him up.

Xie Xubai felt the woman's hand pat his back, and his buttocks were steadily lifted up.

The woman's angry tone suddenly changed to one of regret and anxiety. She tried to comfort him, apologizing frantically, "Oh, baby, don't cry. It's Mommy's fault. Mommy shouldn't have yelled so loudly. I scared our baby."

Xie Xubai was taken aback.

He realized that he seemed to have misjudged the person.

He needs to clear his mind, reorganize the current situation, and make a wise and reasonable judgment.

But in reality, the moment the woman tried to comfort him, he cried even louder: "Waaaaah!"

She was practically yelling at the top of her lungs, as if she wanted to express all the unease and grievances she had just felt.

Just as he had prepared himself to be blamed and beaten, after all, in this chaotic and cruel world, even the most heinous events have become commonplace.

But who would have thought that instead of a slap, a hug would fall?

It's like how someone who couldn't stand being yelled at by the person in question could still treat him gently.

All the turmoil and unrest found a place to settle at this moment.

Xie Xubai thought of his mother, Ms. Xie, Xie Kaile's mother, Ms. Xu, and Cen Xiangcai's mother, Ms. Cen. They all seemed to possess a power that was awe-inspiring.

Xie Xubai didn't know what to say. His mind was no different from that of a real baby, and his brain was still in complete chaos, making it impossible for him to think.

You know, crying takes a lot of energy. He leaned against the woman's warm embrace, a sense of security rising with her gentle pats and coaxing. His heaving chest gradually calmed down, and the crying slowly subsided.

Like a traveler wandering in a storm, he entered the room with a stove burning, his body damp with cold. The warm firelight shone on his face, and after the chill dissipated, a deep weariness belatedly crept over him, and he couldn't help but yawn.

The woman brought him a pacifier. He smelled the familiar scent, subconsciously took it in his mouth and sucked on it a couple of times, making soft, babyish noises.

Suddenly, a gasp of surprise came from above.

Xie Xubai wasn't unfamiliar with her; long ago, those female classmates would often utter the same sweet sighs, as if honey could ooze, when they saw cats posing cutely on the roadside with their bellies exposed.

He subconsciously opened his eyes and saw the woman with a cute, silly smile on her lips, pointing her phone camera at him and snapping a picture.

He then went to the trash can, took another picture, quickly tapped the screen several times, and sent it to someone.

It also included a sinister voice threatening message: "I'll say it again, Zhang Ergou, if you're not home by midnight, you can go look for your child in the trash can by the roadside tonight!"

Xie Xubai: "..."

Around 11:30, the male head of the household returned home.

He looked travel-worn, as if he had run all the way back after getting off the bus. His forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat, his face was flushed, and he was leaning against the door frame, panting heavily.

After settling Xie Xubai in, the hostess stood facing him in the hall. The air was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, like a battlefield about to erupt.

Even without getting close, the woman could smell the strong odor of alcohol emanating from the man, and she frowned deeply.

The man suddenly snapped out of his daze and explained apologetically and hastily, "Honey, I didn't drink! I really didn't. I just accidentally picked up the smell of alcohol while I was drinking with them. It'll go away after a shower. I'll go take a shower right away!"

"I explained my family situation to the boss, and he doesn't need to go to any more drinking parties..."

Although it may mean missing out on big orders and a reduction in commission.

The man swallowed hard, suppressing his words, and said with a hint of flattery, "Today we're entertaining Mr. Li, the big client I mentioned to you. I've been handling his case, so it wouldn't be right for me to skip. Mr. Li is quite understanding; he didn't pressure me to drink. Most importantly, he said he'll still have me handle the orders for next quarter. If I get the commission, we can at least get a few months' grace period! And this—"

He held up a plastic bag containing a plastic takeout box filled with plump strawberries: "Didn't you say you felt nauseous and couldn't eat anything at dinner? Before my drinking party, I went downstairs to the fruit shop and picked them out one by one, making sure they were all ripe. They tasted very sweet. Are you hungry now? I'll go wash you first and then I'll take a shower."

The woman stared at him with an unpleasant expression, her aura extremely tense. She suddenly froze upon seeing this.

She stared blankly at the man's clumsy, ingratiating smile, listening to his pitiful pleading, "It's so cold at the door, please let me in, honey. By the way, is our son still alive?"

He glanced towards the crib as he spoke, and the stunned woman was speechless at his sneaky behavior. But for some reason, her eyes gradually reddened: "It was thrown away a long time ago!"

The man wasn't angry. He smiled and moved closer to the woman, saying, "Okay, okay, where did you lose it? I'll go get it."

As he spoke, he walked around to the crib, pointed at Xie Xubai, and pretended to scold him sternly: "You brat, you're so naughty, you're always making your mother angry. What should your punishment be?"

Xie Xubai: "..."

The woman pushed him away impatiently: "Get out, get out, you reek of alcohol, don't let the children smell it."

The ledgers on the table were put back in the cabinet. The man of the house smiled, took off his coat, hung it on the hanger, took the strawberries into the kitchen to wash, and casually asked, "By the way, what's up with you today? You made such a fortune..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly noticed the expensive gift box in the kitchen trash can. His smile froze, and his expression darkened slightly: "...My mother came this afternoon, didn't she?"

The woman remained silent, gently tucking Xie Xubai's blanket around her with her fingertips, and looked at him wearily.

The two stared at each other silently, the air thick with unspoken tension.

The man suddenly understood why the woman had an emotional outburst at dinner. He clenched his fist tightly, looked up, and made a phone call right in front of her.

The call connected quickly, and the man said with a smile, "Hello, Mom? It's me. Did you come by this afternoon?"

"No, no, no, I didn't say you couldn't come. What can't we, as family, do? But next time you come, at least let me know. I haven't seen you in a long time either. You can't show favoritism and only look at your daughter-in-law while ignoring me!"

"Hey! The main thing is that Fen'er just gave birth and needs to rest quietly. I heard you were so weak when you gave birth to me, you were so exhausted that you couldn't take care of anything... No, do you have any objections? I know that as your mother-in-law, you must feel sorry for your daughter-in-law, right? Besides, your son has finally found the second best woman in all these years, are you really going to scare her away? Who do you think is the best? It's definitely you!"

“What I want to say is, Mom, I really want to live a good life with Fen’er. You all say I’ll regret it, but this is the fifth year. Fen’er has followed me for five years without asking for anything. We’ve been through thick and thin together for five years. Not to mention anything else, your grandson is already as long as my arm. Didn’t you see him when you came today? Your grandson is so pitiful and adorable. Can you bear to let him lose his parents?”

The man softened his voice and said earnestly, "Mom, please don't say those things to Fen'er anymore, and don't try to persuade her to leave me. It really hurts me and makes me angry. In a few months, once I've finished what I'm doing here, let's have a family reunion and get together properly, okay?"

Hang up the phone.

The man turned his head and saw the woman looking at him with red eyes. Finally, she couldn't hold back anymore and threw herself into his arms, bursting into tears.

His heart ached, and he held the other person tightly, his affection tinged with guilt: "Baby, I'm so sorry you've suffered. I should have found out sooner."

This is an ordinary yet not so ordinary family.

The man's family was somewhat powerful. He had lived a carefree and unrestrained life for half his life, but then he encountered a powerful force that suppressed him. His family was convinced that he couldn't endure hardship and made him break off this impossible relationship. Unexpectedly, the proud young master showed his true colors for once and resolutely severed ties with his family, leaving with nothing and starting from scratch.

The woman was a resilient grass that grew up in a remote mountain village. She only had an elderly grandmother at home. She wasn't good at studying, but she had a great talent for art. While working in the city, she unintentionally came into contact with painting. With just a few simple sketches, her boss discovered her extraordinary potential and took her into his studio to train her.

After just six months of practice, one can sell a single artwork for thousands or tens of thousands of yuan without any prior fame.

With such a respectable experience, one should have a story of great success or dramatic ups and downs.

The reason it ended up being just an ordinary story is probably because the man didn't have the outrageous business acumen of the characters in the novel, nor did he get the script of a protagonist who is overpowered by all odds.

The woman's grandmother fell seriously ill, and despite investing all her savings, she couldn't save the old woman. Later, the boss was caught stealing, and she was implicated, almost collapsing from the illness. She and the man supported each other and barely managed to pull through.

Fortunately, neither of them ever dreamed of great wealth or status.

Perhaps it was because his CEO father had brought home two illegitimate children in three years that, more than luxury cars and expensive watches, the sight of a woman greeting him with her children when he opened the door made him feel incredibly happy.

The woman's initial goal in coming to the city to work was simply to be able to take her grandmother out for a hamburger every Thursday. Now, her threshold has risen; she wants to have two hamburgers a week.

But when it comes to their child's future, the two are quite imaginative.

The woman kept teasing Xie Xubai, asking, "What do you think our child will be like in the future?"

The man massaged her legs and said cheerfully, "Your eyes and nose are just like yours. You'll definitely grow up to look like you too. You'll be beautiful."

The woman smiled and said, "Yes, my husband is so handsome and I am so beautiful. He will definitely be a heartthrob who will charm countless girls in the future."

"And look how well-behaved our child is, never crying or making a fuss. He'll definitely be very smart when he grows up, just like you, getting high scores in every subject! He'll become a scientist and a great scholar in the future!"

The man choked on water; his intelligence was only good for passing exams. He couldn't focus in college and his grades plummeted.

He himself has failed to become a scientist or scholar, so isn't it a bit unreasonable to make such demands on a child?

But seeing the woman's protective attitude towards her child, as if to say, "My child is perfect in every way, outstanding in every way. I'll fight anyone who says he's no good," he swallowed the complaints that were on the tip of his tongue.

For some inexplicable reason, I started to daydream along with him and said happily, "It would be great to be like you, to become an artist, a great painter! Just like a camera, you can bring anything you paint to life."

Woman: "Then he should be like his great-grandmother, hardworking and reliable, she would definitely be good at needlework. Ah, no, boys will be laughed at if they learn needlework."

The man smiled as usual: "What's the big deal? It's the 21st century. How can a boy find a wife if he doesn't learn some housework? But there's not much hand sewing these days. We can invest in opening a factory to sell intangible cultural heritage handicrafts. Luckily, his dad has connections."

A month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Xie Xubai hadn't forgotten that they were still in the midst of a perilous dodgeball game.

But looking at the woman who was so enthusiastic about teaching him to paint, he couldn't help but show a face full of black lines.