Bai Li wasn’t willing to hide behind Bai Tao and let his father shelter him. If he did it once, it would set a precedent that he did not want.

Before, the one week he had before the start of school looked like a long time. Now, he didn’t have enough time to do everything.

He remembered the two months he wasted before carelessly approaching Bai Tao. If he went back in time again, he wondered what he could have done differently.

At the time, he considered living as he did before, then sneaking away from Ping An. Now, he knew that would have been the wrong choice because he would be poisoned and have to live with the consequences.

When he thought about it, he owed Bai Wei a thank you. This time she saved him. If he didn’t want to escape from Bai Wei, he might not have made that decision.

It would be a mistake to visit Ping Zen in his current state. He would need to rest and organize his thoughts. The agreement that he presented would have to be shown to his grandfather. It would be even better proof that he wasn’t behind the poisoning.

Changing schools would remove suspicion, but it wasn’t enough to clear his name. He would be suspicious of the willingness of the parties to compromise.

How willing was his grandfather to believe that Ping An was poisoning him?

That might be even more important than the truth. Human relationships were complicated. If one party in a situation refused to believe the truth, the circumstances could be twisted to suit any explanation.

If Ping Zen didn’t want to believe it was his daughter, then the truth might not be enough to convince him.

“I don’t plan to visit grandfather until this Saturday.” This would give him a few days to think and rest.

Bai Tao wasn’t planning to interfere. “If you wait that long you might look guilty.” Bai Li was able to figure out the situation before any of the adults.

Being too hasty was as bad as being too slow. “If I don’t wait that long I will look guilty, and I won’t be in the right frame of mind to avoid traps.”

A guilty mind would be in a rush to clarify, and a calculating mind would wait a long time. The problem was, it was Ping Zen who would decide if he was too fast or slow.

Any businessman you talked to would tell you that the only thing needed to succeed was the right timing. A company with all the resources and support could be outdone by one that caught the market at the right time. Omazon and Acebook were just two examples. They entered the market right when people wanted them the most.

He was taking into account both their timing. The time it would take for Ping Zen to dig into Ping An if he wanted. Plus, the time Bai Li needed to formulate a plan of action.

The plan he presented to Ping Zen needed to be air-tight. The document he gave to Bai Tao would prove his innocence, but it would make him conspicuous to Ping Zen. He was already at a point where he could be groomed.

With her children removed from her custody and given to Bai Tao, Ping An would have her bargaining power reduced.

“What will my living situation be like?” Bai Li would prefer to live with Lee Shan than his grandfather, but he didn’t want to live with either.

“Haven’t you put your foot down?” Bai Tao’s voice was hard. “I don’t expect you to like her, but she is not as bad as you think.”

Bai Li gave a hollow laugh. Bai Tao married Ping An so he could get his hands on Wen Shi. He didn’t have a ton of faith in his father’s character, much less his taste in women.

While his memory wasn’t as reliable as he first thought, he still remembered the lengths Lee Shan was willing to go to for Bai Tao and her son.

While she didn’t have the cruelty and drive of his mother, it would be a mistake to underestimate Lee Shan. He wasn’t a fool. She successfully climbed into a married man’s bed and got comfortable there. A decent person would not have a relationship and a child with a married man.

Love was a convenient excuse, but he doubted she would have loved Bai Tao enough to do the same if he was poor.

“How good can she be?” He was curious about this question. A wife wouldn’t want to see the children born from the affair. A mistress wouldn’t want to see the legitimate children.

No matter how Bai Fang was conceived, he was a bastard. To people in their circle that mattered. Even if he had exceptional gifts, the circumstances of his birth would be whispered about and debated.

Bai Li planned to live a quiet life, but he did not plan to live a worthless life. Bai Fang, who was years younger than him, would have no choice but to live in his shadow. He didn’t plan to be unremarkable to please anyone.

“You will understand when you meet someone.” Bai Tao’s voice was wistful.

He gave a few hollow laughs. Did Lee Shan have a choice? Where could she go after being with Bai Tao and giving birth to Bai Fang. The minute she stepped out from his protection, there were a million people who would come forward to clean her up.

“If you stopped trying to force her down my throat, I might like her more.” This wasn’t strictly the truth. Actions at this point spoke louder than words. “Better yet, if you make her my stepmother, this would go better.”

They both knew this wouldn’t happen, but a stepmother would feel more secure against the legitimate children than the mistress.

They were getting closer to the apartment building. “Have you asked her how it feels to send Bai Fang to school under a different name? That he can’t show up as your son?”

Even the nicest person had their bottom line. He was learning that his father was emotionally insensitive.

Was he the only one who realized how stupid and unnecessary it was to use Ping An’s eggs? Bai Tao suggesting it and Lee Shan agreeing to it meant that both parties had calculations that existed outside of their relationship.

They could have gotten a female or male donor from anywhere. Why was it necessary for the child to be related to Ping Zen.

He shot his father a mocking look. Bai Tao might love him now, but he was setting up an alternate plan.

His father had the grace to look away. “As I said, the twenty-ninth floor is yours. I would prefer it if the entire family had at least one meal together.”

Bai Li liked the change of tone he heard from Bai Tao. “Dinner on Friday nights.” He already planned to give everyone a fair chance. He just planned to do it on his own time. He was more interested in the relationship with his siblings.

If he could make sure they didn’t view him as an enemy. No matter what any of their parents schemed, he would have an easier time.

The age gap between all of them was the problem. Money. He needed money.

“I think that entire document I drafted up with you will have to be thrown out. I am going to have to negotiate with Ping Zen. If I do that, I no longer need you as the middle man.” Bai Tao was in charge now, but Ping Zen was the one who determined where Wen Shi ultimately ended up.

“You still need the money.” Bai Tao didn’t beat around the bush. “I am prepared to give it to you, but I think that would make you uncomfortable. Let’s make it a loan that is basically a gift.”

They were talking like business partners, more than father and son. Bai Li felt uncomfortable but was more used to this than the excessive care and concern. He would need to make sure Bai Tao respected him. It was the only way they could get along.

Time ran out. They pulled up to the apartment building. It wouldn’t be possible for him to escape without greeting Lee Shan. Neither would he let the opportunity pass him by.

No matter how you talked with or prepared someone. It was hard to be fully ready when an important moment came. How would Lee Shan react when she saw the miniature version of Bai Tao in front of her?

He would be intruding on their perfect world. Ping An didn’t exist for them there. She could pretend that Bai Tao’s other family didn’t exist when she was safely locked away in her tower. Reality was knocking on her door.

Bai Li wanted front-row seats. He also wanted Bai Tao to see. He wasn’t planning to wreck anyone’s relationships, but he wouldn’t live like before. Hiding while taking the brunt of someone else’s malice.