Bai Xizhou left in the afternoon. When he went downstairs, he didn’t see Wen Ruqing.
He took a car alone to the city, then boarded a train back to Xincheng, just like every other business trip he had taken in the past.
As soon as he sat down, he received a friend request from Wen Ruqing. The only message attached was just three characters: “Wen Ruqing.” Bai Xizhou accepted the request, but that was it—there was no follow-up. Wen Ruqing clearly had no intention of chatting with him, which left Bai Xizhou feeling a little disappointed.
On a whim, he clicked into Wen Ruqing’s Moments. The most recent post was from a year ago, a photo taken while waiting in line. Bai Xizhou recognized the place—it was the Xincheng Institute of Historical Research. Judging by the photo, Wen Ruqing had probably gone there for an exam.
Thinking carefully, he realized he didn’t even know what Wen Ruqing did for work. Every day, he just helped his aunt look after the inn. In his free time, he’d sit by the window, either doing his own thing or just staring blankly outside. He had plenty of spare time—something quite rare for someone his age.
Scrolling further down, Bai Xizhou discovered that Wen Ruqing used to post quite frequently. Even small things like a newly blooming flower on the roadside were worth recording. But after that exam day, the posts stopped abruptly. There hadn’t been a single update since.
Something must have happened around that time, Bai Xizhou thought—something that made Wen Ruqing become the person he was now.
He put away his phone and turned to look out the window at the scenery flashing past—from tall buildings to farmland, and then from farmland to small towns.
He arrived in Xincheng (TLN: also known as new city or new town) the next morning.
After getting used to the scent of grass and trees in Yunduan Town and the sparsely populated roads, he actually found it a little hard to adjust upon returning to Xincheng. Standing at the station exit, he looked up at the sky—it wasn’t a good day. The weather was gloomy.
Qu Qingchen and Teng Yuan were waiting for him just outside the station.
As Bai Xizhou walked over, he saw Teng Yuan approaching, ready to help with his luggage—only to realize Bai Xizhou hadn’t brought anything except himself. A flash of disappointment crossed his face.
Was he disappointed just because there was no luggage?
Bai Xizhou found it a bit strange—why was Teng Yuan suddenly acting so attentive?
“I still have to go back after this is taken care of,” Bai Xizhou explained anyway. “Work over there isn’t finished yet.”
Teng Yuan scratched his head, his expression a bit odd. That kind of reaction—scratching his head with that awkward look—only ever showed up when Teng Yuan was lying.
But Bai Xizhou didn’t call him out. He was curious to know what exactly Teng Yuan was hiding.
The three of them got into the car.
Today, Qu Qingchen wasn’t the one driving.
“Oh? Young Master Teng himself is behind the wheel?” Bai Xizhou joked.
“Well, you’re back—I figured you deserve some VIP treatment,” Teng Yuan chuckled, buckled his seatbelt, and started the engine.
Qu Qingchen sat in the front passenger seat, expressionless. He leaned back in his seat, looking worn out.
“Just got off work?” Bai Xizhou noticed his fatigue and asked with concern. “Night shift again?”
Qu Qingchen responded with a low “Mm,” then closed his eyes to rest.
He looked completely exhausted. Last night’s shift must’ve been rough.
“Why don’t you drop him off at home to rest first? The two of us can go on our own.”
Bai Xizhou figured that after a night shift, Qu Qingchen shouldn’t be dragged around anymore.
Teng Yuan’s hands paused on the steering wheel. He was about to make a U-turn at the upcoming intersection to send Qu Qingchen home first. There had been a car accident last night, and the hospital had been busy until morning. It was only now that they had a moment to breathe. He couldn’t bear to see Qu Qingchen this worn out and still insisting on coming along.
“I’m fine. No need to take me home—I’ll come with you guys.”
Qu Qingchen seemed to have guessed Teng Yuan’s intentions. He opened his eyes, bloodshot.
He turned down the offer to rest at home, and glanced at Teng Yuan, as if he wanted to say something—but held back because Bai Xizhou was there. He was clearly in a terrible state, beyond exhausted, yet still stubbornly insisted on coming along.
Teng Yuan knew—he was worried about him.
At a red light, Teng Yuan caught Bai Xizhou’s gaze in the rearview mirror—but quickly looked away.
Sitting in the back, Bai Xizhou watched the undercurrents flowing between the two in the front seats, along with Teng Yuan’s unusual behavior today, and began to sense something was off.
He knew Teng Yuan too well.
He simply didn’t know how to lie—and every time he tried, he’d get visibly flustered.
After a long inner struggle, Teng Yuan finally pulled over at the roadside. Bai Xizhou’s gaze shifted back from the window.
“Xizhou, let me start by apologizing. Your rabbit isn’t sick—it’s doing just fine. I lied to you. The reason I asked you to come back… is because Uncle wants to see you.”
As he spoke, Teng Yuan sounded like a weight had been lifted. Lying had never been his strong suit—especially not in front of his childhood friend.
“I know your relationship with Uncle is really strained, but he threatened to pull my new project if I didn’t do this. I didn’t have a choice… I couldn’t just think about myself. That project carries the efforts of a lot of people.”
“I knew it wouldn’t be that simple.”
Bai Xizhou didn’t look surprised. From the way things were, Qu Qingchen must’ve been in on it too—no wonder he insisted on coming along. Probably to keep Teng Yuan from getting caught in the crossfire.
“Tell him this from me: I’m not going to see him. If he wants to meet, he should come to me. And he better bring his new son with him. But he’ll have to wait until I get back from Fujian.”
He wasn’t angry.
This kind of thing had happened plenty of times before—his father using the people around him to pressure him into meeting or giving in. It was a tactic his father relied on.
But the same method, used over and over again—Bai Xizhou had long since grown immune to it.
“Take Qu Qingchen home to rest. He looks like he’s about to drop dead. Just pretend I never came back today.”
Bai Xizhou opened the door and got out. Teng Yuan immediately followed him and called out.
“Where are you going?” Teng Yuan sounded anxious.
“If you’re not going to see Uncle, at least let the three of us grab a meal. Then I’ll take you back.”
“No need. I’m heading back to the law firm. Take Qingchen home.”
Bai Xizhou refused without hesitation.
“I’m sorry, Xizhou. I didn’t mean to…”
Teng Yuan looked terrible, as if he’d done something unforgivable.
“I knew everything that’s gone down between you and your family, and I still selfishly asked you to come back.”
“Being a little selfish isn’t a crime. I get it. But don’t do it again.”
Bai Xizhou kept his back to him, face emotionless. After speaking, he walked away without waiting for Teng Yuan’s reaction.
Teng Yuan still felt guilty and wanted to say something more—but Qu Qingchen grabbed his arm.
At some point, Qu Qingchen had gotten out of the car and was now standing behind him.
He was stronger than Teng Yuan, and once he grabbed him, there was no breaking free. Teng Yuan grew anxious, wanting to go after Bai Xizhou to explain again. This time, it *was* his fault. He would’ve rather been yelled at—anything but being left behind with just a single sentence.
“Ge, don’t go after him.” Qu Qingchen’s voice came sharp with anger. He rarely spoke to Teng Yuan in that tone. “I’ve told you before—don’t get involved in his family issues. It’s a mess. And honestly? It’s their business. We’re just outsiders. It’s not our place.”
“It’s not like I wanted this either.”
Who would want to get involved in someone else’s family drama?
If Bai Xizhou’s father hadn’t used the project to manipulate him, he would’ve never lied to get Bai Xizhou to come back.
And now look—he’d ended up the bad guy no matter what.
He didn’t even care about Uncle Bai’s side anymore, but when it came to Bai Xizhou… he was really afraid this would push him away.
“Don’t worry, he won’t take it out on you.”
Qu Qingchen pressed a hand to his throbbing temple, feeling a splitting headache.
He pulled Teng Yuan into a loose hug, resting his head gently on his shoulder. His tone softened.
“Let’s go home, ge. My head really hurts.”
Bai Xizhou didn’t stay long at the law firm before returning home.
He hadn’t been away for that long, but a layer of dust had still settled over everything. He ignored it and went straight to the study. From the farthest corner of the bookshelf, he took out an old box. It looked worn, the surface covered in a thick layer of dust.
He grabbed a cloth and carefully wiped it clean.
He opened the box.
The contents were messy—some toys, old scraps of paper from who-knows-when, and two yellowing books. Bai Xizhou pulled out the one at the bottom and placed the box back.
Most of the pages had been burned and were now incomplete.
The fragile paper crumbled at the slightest touch, flakes of charred black falling to the desk.
Some pages had fused together from the fire.
What remained was fragmented—barely readable—but the ornate, old-fashioned pattern on the cover still hinted at how exquisite it must have been before the fire.
Bai Xizhou picked up his phone.
He hesitated for a long time in a blank chat window before finally sending the message he’d already written.
[I never asked you—what is it that you do? From your tools, I guessed you restore books. Is that right?]
The moment he hit send, a hint of anxiety crept in. He lightly traced the patterns on the cover, memories slowly resurfacing.
This book… meant a lot to him.
[To be precise, I specialize in ancient book restoration.]
That’s what he thought.
Bai Xizhou smiled.
[Can you repair a foreign language book?]
He opened the cover—inside were pages full of handwritten English.
It had been a gift from someone very important to him.
[I haven’t done one before, but I can try. Are you asking for help?]
Just a few words—and Wen Ruqing had already seen through him. He was sharp like that.
Should he give it a shot?
He had thought about finding someone to repair the book before.
But he didn’t know the industry well—and wasn’t sure if anyone could restore it the way he wanted.
He’d messaged Wen Ruqing partly to test the waters—but still had his doubts.
The book was too damaged And it was handwritten In English.
[That’s what I had in mind, but let’s wait until I come back and show you the book first. Then you can decide whether you want to help or not.]
[Alright]
Bai Xizhou carefully wrapped the book and tucked it into his bag. Using his phone, he booked the next available ticket to Fujiang. There wasn’t any work left for him at the law firm, so staying in the city would be pointless. Even though he had just arrived that morning, nothing stopped him from leaving again that very night.
He made a transfer and returned to Fujiang as quickly as possible.
Perhaps it was some strange kind of tacit understanding, but just as he stepped off the train, he saw a message from Wen Ruqing—sent at 1 a.m.
[Send me a message once you arrive. I’ll drive over to pick you up.]
It was as if Wen Ruqing had already known he’d be coming back at this exact time.
Bai Xizhou replied with a simple “okay,” and a voice message popped up right after.
“Walk out of the station. There’s a black BYD parked outside,” Wen Ruqing’s voice had a slightly nasal tone, like he’d just woken up.
Following the directions, Bai Xizhou walked outside the station. Sure enough, there was a black BYD with its window half rolled down. Wen Ruqing was leaning out of the window, waving at him.
For a brief moment, Bai Xizhou was reminded of his grandfather waiting for him outside the school gates. No matter how late he came out, his grandfather would always be there in his old car.
“Lawyer Bai, hurry up!” Wen Ruqing called.
Bai Xizhou snapped out of it and quickened his pace, pulling open the passenger door and sliding into the seat. He saw Wen Ruqing stifling a yawn.
“You want me to drive so you can sleep a bit?” he offered.
“No need. I’m wide awake.”
Bai Xizhou didn’t press further. He was tired himself—most of his day had been spent on the road. He leaned against the window and watched the scenery pass by. From the bright city center to the quiet little town, the lights grew fewer and fewer. In the early hours of the morning, the roads were nearly empty.
By the time they arrived back in Yunduan Town, it was already close to 3 a.m.
Surprisingly, neither of them felt sleepy.
“You mentioned a book—let me take a look,” Wen Ruqing said, putting his car keys back into the drawer. He used some hand sanitizer and slipped on a pair of glasses. He wasn’t nearsighted; he just found it more comfortable on the eyes when reading.
Since they weren’t tired anyway, they might as well examine the book Bai Xizhou had mentioned.
Bai Xizhou took the book out and placed it on the table. As expected, Wen Ruqing’s expression tightened slightly when he saw it.
“If it’s too difficult, you can say no,” Bai Xizhou offered. “I won’t pressure you.”
“It’s in worse shape than I imagined,” Wen Ruqing said as he opened to a page, the densely handwritten English text making his head ache a little. “This must be something important. Anyone else would’ve tossed it out once it burned like this.”
Bai Xizhou nodded.
Wen Ruqing flipped through a few more pages, examining where they were stuck together. He checked the binding at the spine and then set the book down, brushing theust off his hands.
“It’s definitely a challenge,” he said, lifting his eyes to meet Bai Xizhous. “But I can give it a try. Do you trust me?”
Bai Xizhou was silent for a moment, then slowly broke into a smile.
“Of course I trust you.”
Thank you for the updates❤️