Bai Li held the note. His heart started to race. “Can I keep this?” He asked, dropping the note with practiced carelessness.

“Is there something special about it?” Ping Zen asked. His eyes were searching for something.

“Not that I know,” He shrugged. “I just know that when it comes to my mother, nothing is as simple as it seems.”

Ping Zen was not convinced, but neither side was willing to concede. “Fine, keep your secrets,” His grandfather grumbled.

Cane smiled, giving Ping Zen an indulgent look.

He was intruding on a private moment. That was the feeling he got from looking at the men opposite to him. Was he not paying attention? Or were they that good as actors? It seemed unbelievable that he didn’t realize that their relationship was more than friends or colleagues.

“It will be hard to consider coming to me for help, but I want you to know that I am here if you need help.” Ping zen said.

Getting up, Cane retrieved a box from his grandfather’s desk. “This is for you.”

Taking the box, he opened it. Bai Li almost dropped it. Inside was paperwork for two companies and several bank accounts in his name. He checked the date on the paperwork and realized that they had been set up since he was born.

“Hehehe.” He pinched the bridge of his nose to stop from crying. For other things, he wasn’t sure whether they came before or after his coming back to the past. This was clear proof that his grandfather always cared.

These things were created when he was born. Why didn’t he get these in his last life?

He couldn’t hold on to his emotions.

“Li? Are you alright?” Cane asked, sounding concerned.

His grandfather just watched, allowing him to get himself under control.

When he felt he had his emotions in order, he spoke, “I’m fine.” He was. It was a punch to the gut. The feeling that he wasn’t fighting by himself was sweet, but it came with the bitterness that he might never escape.

“My allowance is a lot,” he joked, breaking the serious atmosphere that was developing.

“It is a good thing you crawled out from under your mother’s thumb. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to give you these things.” Ping Zen humphed. “You're smarter than that father of yours.”

Bai Li refrained from pointing out that Ping Zen approved of Bai Tao in the past. If not, how would his father have the opportunity to stand where he was?

“Does Bai Fang and Bai Wei have one of these as well?” It would make sense. Bai Fang got his in the past and used them to establish his company.

“Why?” Ping Zen asked.

Closing the box, he stroked the top with his fingertips. “I have a few things to put in.” This would be the extent of Bai Li’s involvement. If his siblings came to him for guidance, he would assess the situation and decide on a case-to-case basis how involved he would be. “When do you plan to give it to them?”

Breathing a sigh, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. If Bai Fang wanted to train under him, he would be willing to teach, but his plan to raise his brother to take over Wen Shi was no longer needed.

“I plan to give it to each of them when they turn twenty. Whether Bai Wei will get hers is yet to be seen. If they show something exceptional, they can get it earlier.”

Bai Li got his early. No more needed to be said. “In the next five years, I will decide what to put in each.” There is a reason people from prominent families did better in business was that they had the resources to fail while learning.

This combined with what Knox gave him…

He would never starve.

“What are you going to do with Wei Wei?”

It was Cane who spoke. “We have reached out to a specialist…,”

The conversation between them continued for more than an hour before they called it quits. Bai Li resolved to spend more time getting to know his grandfathers. It might be wishful thinking, but these men probably looked after him while he was being an idiot last time.

Bai Tao and Bai Fang were waiting for him at the front door. He reached out to mess up his hair. Bai Fang gave an aggrieved look. Laughing, Bai Li messed it up more.

He felt light and happy.

He did not go to see Bai Wei. Her attachment to him was not right. The role she thought he should play in her life was not right. Without the presence of a trained professional, it might do more harm than good for him to visit her.

Not going presented its own problems since she was dependent on him. He just had a new moral code that was centered on self. In the absence of clear direction, he would go with the option that suited him best.

The drive back was quiet. Bai Fang fell asleep, and Bai Tao was lost in thought.

Bai Li texted Knox. He mentioned the information on the Goldstein family. Pointing in a direction for Knox to look.

They went back and forth before a question caused his heart to jump into his chest.

“Little Li, are you from the future?”

Thank god it was a text. If they were on the phone, he wasn’t sure if he would have been able to keep his calm. His silence would have been a giveaway.

“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

Knox was smart but was too fantastical for him to guess that Bai Li was from the future.

“How did you know about our youngest?”

Bai Li breathed a sigh of relief. Knox was talking about the information he gave on John Degas. It was a difficult question, but Bai Li expected to have to answer it. He prepared an answer in advance.

“Why didn’t you know? Is the better question.”

John Degas was the only brother that Knox was close to. Although they were half-siblings, Knox looked out for his younger, weaker brother. They were close. John’s betrayal was something no one would expect.

He didn’t do it for money or power. He did it for the dumbest reason of all, love. John wasn’t smart, and he fell in love with a ‘good girl’. This good girl was sent by one of his older brothers. He wasn’t willing to break away from the girl, so he jumped ship.

Bai Li didn’t know if the hospital plan belonged to them, but he knew that John was one of the first to try and swallow Trident.

There was no reply. Bai Li lost interest. He quickly typed out his explanation and threw the matter out of his mind.

“I was looking for background information on you after I met you at the hospital. I have a natural aversion to scheming women, so she jumped out at me.”

When they got back to the apartment, Lee Shan was waiting for them. If not for the change in clothes, you might assume she spent the whole day waiting in the same spot.

Bai Li rolled his eyes. He glanced at Bai Tao. His father’s lips were compressed into a thin line. They both glanced at Bai Fang only to see him still sleeping.

“You could have waited inside,” Bai Tao said by way of greeting.

“I was worri-,” Lee Shen caught herself mid sentence. It was too late.

“Worried about what? He was going to visit his grandfather. What did you think would happen to him?”

It was Lee Shan’s turn to compress her lips. She did not like everyone reminding her that Bai Fang had another grandfather.

“His grandparents live in Olive City. They have been meaning to come and visit us. Should I arrange for it?”

Bai Li sat on the sidelines watching the show. Bringing her parents to stay with them was not Lee Shan’s idea. Chances are she was unable to cope with the changing situation and consulted her mother.

Lee Shan’s mother must have been aiming for this. How could Bai Tao agree for people to live in the tower he created? No outside influences could get to his family in this building. Wouldn’t he be an idiot if he agreed to bring Lee Shan’s parents here?

“The house in Argon is prepared for them. Didn’t we agree that they could go there when they came to the city?” Bai Tao’s voice was reasonable. He didn’t show any of the irritation he was feeling.

“Why can’t my parents live with us?”

“Are you forgetting that we are not married? Why would your parents come live with us? Is it not enough that I bought a house for them in the city?”

Lee Shan recoiled.

Bai Li gave his father two thumbs up. Taking the sleeping Bai Fang, he went to his room. He left the adults to sort out their nonsense.

He needed to turn his attention to decoding Ping An’s message.

Authors note:

I went back to work and needed to catch up. My energy is still not quite where it needs to be, but I am doing better. I will try to let you guys know if there won’t be an update or I am going to need a break.