Chapter 43. Bai Jingzhong's Death
The ward was deathly silent, with only the beeping of the machines.
The person in the hospital bed had deeply sunken cheeks and was almost as thin as a skeleton.
"You've come." Even though he was lying on his deathbed, Bai Jingzhong's weak voice still carried a sense of oppression.
"Hmm," Bai Xiao replied casually. "Is there something you need from me?"
"Is everything alright outside?"
"Thanks to you, everything is fine." Bai Xiao spoke frankly, "but it's hard to say what will happen after you leave."
Hearing his son's almost curse-like words, Bai Jingzhong was not annoyed at all. He chuckled twice and said, "I know. Bai Zhang and those old guys have been restless these past few years. I'm sorry to have troubled you."
Bai Jingzhong knew about Bai Zhang and his group's underhanded tactics. Bai Xiao was not surprised at all. His father had always been extremely controlling. Although he said he would hand over the company to him, in reality, his father had planted spies everywhere around him.
Bai Xiao sneered, "I dare not accept that."
Bai Jingzhong opened his cloudy eyes and looked Bai Xiao up and down. His son had unknowingly become capable of handling things on his own. "After I die, you should be able to manage, right?"
Bai Xiao and Bai Jingzhong exchanged a glance for a moment, then Bai Xiao turned her head to the side. "I'll do my best."
Bai Jingzhong murmured, "Good...good, the Bai family will be in your hands from now on."
The ward remained silent for a long time—the father and son never really had anything to talk about.
After a long pause, Bai Jingzhong suddenly asked, "Has Song Huai arrived?"
“He was already asleep, so I didn’t let him come.” Bai Xiao said, a smile flashing in her eyes.
"You must treat him well from now on."
Bai Xiao said softly, "I will."
In fact, Bai Xiao roughly understood why Bai Jingzhong had forced him to marry Song Huai.
He inadvertently saw a photograph in the deepest cabinet of his father's study. The photograph showed a radiant young girl playing the piano under a spotlight, and the girl's features were remarkably similar to Song Huai's.
That was Gu Tan in her youth, when she won the championship in her first international piano competition.
Bai Xiao had several unintentional glimpses of her father staring blankly at the photograph in his study.
Many years after his mother's death, his father never remarried. Outsiders marveled that the head of the Bai family, who was ruthless and bloodless in the business world, was actually a devoted lover in private.
Only Bai Xiao understood that her father was indeed a devoted lover, but not for her mother.
Despite his repeated curiosity, Bai Xiao never inquired about his father's affairs regarding Gu Tan—it was merely a matter of grudges and entanglements between their fathers.
"Let Song Huailai meet me another day."
"……good."
After talking about Song Huai, the father and son remained silent, having nothing more to say.
Bai Jingzhong waved his hand, "You should go back now, I'm tired too."
"You should get some rest," Bai Xiao said, then walked towards the door of the ward.
Just as he touched the doorknob, Bai Jingzhong called out to him again: "Bai Xiao."
Bai Xiao turned to look at her father.
"You are very capable, and I am proud of you." Bai Jingzhong said this with tears glistening in his cloudy eyes.
This seems to be the first time in many years that Bai Xiao has received her father's approval.
His hand, which was about to open the door, paused. His mouth moved, but he didn't say anything. He opened the door and strode outside.
After leaving the hospital, Bai Xiao got into the car, stepped on the gas, and kept speeding up.
After leaving the ward, Bai Xiao was in a state of turmoil; all he wanted to do was see Song Huai immediately.
Back home, Bai Xiao rushed upstairs and arrived at the master bedroom door.
As soon as he opened the door, Bai Xiao saw Song Huai sitting on the bed, head tilted to one side, fast asleep. He held his breath and walked in, his hurried steps becoming very slow.
Like a wandering soul returning home, Bai Xiao's previously agitated heart immediately calmed down.
The room was brightly lit. Song Huai held a sheet of music in his hand. The notes on it were written very hastily. It was obvious that he had been trying to write a piece while waiting for him to return, but he had fallen asleep while waiting.
Bai Xiao smiled slightly, her gaze towards Song Huai becoming increasingly gentle.
He sat on the edge of the bed, gazing motionlessly at Song Huai, who was so close to him. He didn't even want to blink more than a few times, as if he wanted to imprint Song Huai's image deep into his heart.
After a long while, he finally couldn't resist and reached out his finger to gently stroke Song Huai's cheek.
One time, then another, and yet another.
At this moment, Song Huai groggily woke up, squinting, "You...you're back." After saying that, he felt something was wrong, "Huh, how did I fall asleep?"
Bai Xiao flicked his nose, "I told you to go to sleep, why are you waiting for me?"
Song Huai didn't hear what Bai Xiao said. His consciousness blurred again, and he closed his eyes, nodding his head like a chick pecking at rice.
Bai Xiao chuckled softly, leaned down and kissed Song Huai's cheek, whispering, "I'm back. Lie down and go to sleep."
Song Huai was still half asleep, but he subconsciously kissed Bai Xiao's cheek and patted the bed next to him, saying, "You should go to sleep too."
Bai Xiao was exhausted after all that commotion. He turned off the light, lay down next to Song Huai, and soon the two of them fell asleep together.
Their dreams were all sweet.
Song Huai has become increasingly greedy lately. In the past few days, his defenses have been gradually breached by Bai Xiao's every move, until they crumbled completely. His heart is wavering. He is no longer satisfied with simply being by Bai Xiao's side; he wants more. He wants to see Bai Xiao every single day from now on. He wants to cook the most delicious food in the world for Bai Xiao. He wants to play the most beautiful piano music in the world for Bai Xiao. He also wants to... kiss Bai Xiao's cheek every night before bed, just like today—he wants to live like this forever, until the day he leaves this world, just like their wedding vows said: never to leave each other, until death do them part.
Even in his dreams, Bai Xiao's smile never faded. He held Song Huai tightly, as if he were holding the whole world. In his dream, he thought that from now on, he would protect Song Huai, ensure his lifelong peace and health, and let him play his beloved piano without any worries, never suffering any grievances or sadness again.
It's a pity, they have no future left.
--
A week later, news of Bai Jingzhong's critical condition spread like wildfire.
Overnight, the stock price of the Bai Group plummeted. At this time, a company called "Tianyun" suddenly appeared and began to acquire a large number of Bai Group shares on the secondary market. As a result, the morale of the group was in turmoil.
At this moment, Bai Xiao had no time to care about these things; he temporarily handed over the situation to his deputy. Following Bai Jingzhong's instructions, he brought Song Huai to Bai Jingzhong's bedside.
Looking at the old man on the hospital bed, Song Huai felt a deep shock.
A few months ago, when he saw the old man at the Bai family's old house, he was thin but still had energy. How long has it been? The old man has become emaciated and lies on the hospital bed, looking lifeless.
No one would associate him with the once spirited and ambitious head of the Bai family.
No matter how immense one's power and wealth, it cannot withstand the merciless glance of death.
When the old man saw Song Huai, a glimmer of life returned to his eyes. He reached out his hand to Song Huai, his voice weak and feeble: "Little Huai, you've come..."
This was Song Huai's second meeting with Bai Jingzhong, and he was taken aback by the old man's sudden enthusiasm.
After a moment of hesitation, Song Huai grasped Bai Jingzhong's hand and said, "Dad, I'm here."
“You two… from now on, you must live a good life…” Bai Jingzhong’s gaze then fell on Bai Xiao behind Song Huai. “Bai Xiao, you’re not allowed to bully Xiao Huai anymore, understand?”
Song Huaidao: "Dad, I understand."
Bai Xiao put her arm around Song Huai's waist. "Don't worry."
Bai Jingzhong suddenly started coughing violently, as if he were coughing up his entire lungs. "Cough! Cough!"
"Dad!" Song Huai patted Bai Jingzhong's back and turned around, saying, "Quickly call the doctor!"
"No need..." The old man gradually stopped coughing and calmed down. His voice was hoarse and his breath was barely audible.
He still held Song Huai's hand tightly, staring at Song Huai's face, and a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes.
"Xiao Tan, all these years, I have wronged you. Perhaps I really made a mistake back then..."
His speech was very slurred, and the others assumed he was just talking nonsense because he was in a state of panic.
Bai Jingzhong stared blankly at Song Huai. Through Song Huai, he seemed to see again that girl who shone brightly on the stage, so beautiful and dazzling.
Back then, he accompanied Gu Tan on her long journey to participate in a piano competition. She won the championship without any controversy, as unanimously recognized by the judges. Overnight, the whole world knew about this talented young girl.
He wanted to marry her, but his family strongly opposed it. His parents told him that if he wanted to inherit the Bai family business, he had to marry a woman of equal social standing.
After much deliberation, he finally gave in to his parents.
He broke up with her, and later watched helplessly as she got married, became pregnant, gave birth... until she died in childbirth.
After she died, he wasn't very sad. He just felt like something was missing in his heart. But as time went by, that missing piece grew bigger and bigger. Then he realized that she was dead and would never come back. He would never see her again.
Over the years, he often thought of her, but she never once dreamed of him. He thought that Xiao Tan would probably never forgive him, even until her death.
But now he sees that girl who played the piano years ago, backlit, walking towards him...
Bai Jingzhong suddenly released Song Huai's hand.
Bai Xiao's father is dead; Bai Xiao now has neither a father nor a mother. Song Huai knows all too well the pain of losing a loved one.
Song Huai subconsciously looked at Bai Xiao and took his hand.
Bai Xiao gently squeezed Song Huai's hand and gave him a look to indicate that she was alright.
He went to the bedside, stared at his father who had just passed away for a long time, and slowly reached out and closed his eyes.
Bai Jingzhong had been struggling to survive for many years after being diagnosed with cancer, but has now been declared dead at the age of sixty.
As the doctor predicted, he did not survive the spring.
From then on, Bai Xiao officially took over the Bai family business and became the new head of the Bai family.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com