Ye Qiu’s heart jolted, and he looked at General Bai with disbelief.
He even thought he’d misheard.
He had assumed General Bai wanted him to take care of Bai Bing, never expecting the old general to say something like this.
Unable to gauge General Bai’s intentions, Ye Qiu couldn’t help but ask, “General, what do you mean by that?”
“Are you thinking I’m testing you?”
“You’re overthinking it.”
General Bai sighed, saying, “I watched Bai Yujing grow up, I know him too well, he’s cunning and deceitful, skilled at hiding his true self, and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.”
“If you don’t kill him, sooner or later, you and Xiao Bing will die by his hand.”
“Oh, and it’s best to kill Bai Jianjun too.”
Ye Qiu grew even more puzzled.
Though General Bai had expelled Bai Jianjun and his son from the family, blood was thicker than water—could he really bear to let someone kill them?
Unless there was more to the story.
Ye Qiu said, “General, asking me to kill Bai Yujing and his father isn’t just about concern for me and Sister Bing’s safety, is it?”
“Do you know how Xiao Bing’s parents died?” General Bai asked.
Ye Qiu nodded, “Sister Bing mentioned it to me, she said her parents died in a car accident.”
“Yes, Xiao Bing’s parents did die in a car accident, but it wasn’t an ordinary traffic incident, it was deliberate.”
Deliberate?
Ye Qiu’s heart shook, a possibility dawning on him as he said, “General, you’re not about to tell me that accident was caused by Bai Yujing, are you?”
“Not just Bai Yujing, Bai Jianjun was involved too,” General Bai said.
“How do you know this?” Ye Qiu asked.
General Bai explained, “I secretly investigated Jianguo’s death for years, found nothing, and even started doubting myself, wondering if Jianguo and his wife really died by accident.”
“It wasn’t until a few days ago that Bai Jianjun spilled everything by my bedside.”
“All along, I’d been partial, focusing on grooming Jianguo while neglecting Bai Jianjun.”
The “Jianguo” General Bai mentioned was Bai Bing’s father, Bai Jianguo.
General Bai continued, “Jianguo didn’t let me down, he was upright, steady, and had the makings of a great general, even the highest commander and the War God thought highly of him.”
“If Jianguo hadn’t died, he’d have surely become a general, defending the nation and giving his all for this country.”
“But I never imagined my favouritism would breed jealousy and resentment in Bai Jianjun.”
“To get my attention, Bai Jianjun and Bai Yujing schemed together, orchestrating a flawless car accident that killed Xiao Bing’s parents.”
General Bai said, “A father knows his son best. Bai Jianjun has ambition but lacks cunning, he couldn’t have devised such a perfect plan, the mastermind behind the accident was Bai Yujing.”
“To be frank, I had high hopes for Bai Yujing, for a long time, I was proud to have such a grandson.”
“But I never thought he’d kill his own uncle.”
“That day, Bai Jianjun didn’t know I’d briefly woken up, maybe he thought I’d never wake again, so he confessed by my bedside, otherwise, I’d have gone to my grave in ignorance.”
Hearing this, Ye Qiu finally understood—this was likely the real reason General Bai wanted Bai Yujing and his father expelled from the family.
General Bai went on, “Bai Yujing has had grand ambitions since he was young, he secretly joined the Forbidden City’s ranks, all for one purpose—to use their power to seize control of the realm.”
Seize control of the realm?
Ye Qiu was stunned.
He hadn’t realised Bai Yujing harboured such lofty ambitions.
General Bai added, “If I didn’t expel them from the Bai family, my lifetime of honour would be ruined by him.”
“The Bai family can decline, can become an ordinary household, but it must never produce a traitor who endangers the nation.”
“I can say with certainty that Bai Yujing will become a major threat to the country sooner or later.”
“So, Ye Qiu, whenever you get the chance, kill him, I’m begging you!”
Ye Qiu was moved.
In today’s society, filled with greed and ambition, some chase fame, others profit, and some will do anything for power, yet General Bai, at over a hundred years old, still held fast to his original ideals, loyal to the nation—an admirable man.
As for General Bai calling Bai Yujing a national threat, Ye Qiu thought it sounded a bit exaggerated.
A mere Bai Yujing causing a storm?
“General, I actually had the chance to kill them earlier,” Ye Qiu said.
“I know, you spared them partly for Xiao Bing’s sake, and partly because you didn’t want me to feel bad, to be honest, if they died in front of me, I would feel terrible, they’re my flesh and blood, after all,” General Bai said, “But in the future, if you get the chance, don’t hesitate.”
Ye Qiu nodded.
General Bai then said, “Ye Qiu, I have one more request, Xiao Bing is my only family left now, I hope you’ll treat her well.”
“Rest assured, General, I’ll never let Sister Bing down,” Ye Qiu said solemnly.
“With those words, I’m at ease, thank you for extending my life,” General Bai suddenly asked, “How much time do I have left?”
“You have one year,” Ye Qiu answered honestly.
“One year, that’s enough,” General Bai said, “Ye Qiu, I have one final request.”
“Go ahead.”
“Bai Bing’s not getting any younger, you two should hurry and have a child, I’d like to see my great-grandchild before I die.”
Ye Qiu had never thought about having kids, but faced with General Bai’s request—and with only a year left—he couldn’t refuse.
“I’ll do my best!” Ye Qiu said, forcing the words out.
“Just trying isn’t enough, you need to give it your all,” General Bai said sternly, “If I don’t see my great-grandchild before I die, I’ll haunt your dreams every night and give you no peace.”
Ruthless!
Ye Qiu turned to leave.
“Where are you off to?” General Bai called after him.
Without looking back, Ye Qiu said, “I’m going to get to work now, so you can meet your great-grandchild sooner.”
“Ye Qiu, don’t tell Xiao Bing what I’ve asked you,” General Bai instructed.
“Got it.”
Ye Qiu waved and left the ward.
Stepping out, he said to Old Tang, “Old Tang, General Bai’s condition has stabilised, he can be discharged after two more days of observation here, please arrange someone to look after him.”
“No problem,” Old Tang agreed readily.
Ye Qiu thanked Old Zhang, Tang Fei, and the others, then took Bai Bing’s hand, saying seriously, “Sister Bing, come home with me, the old man gave me some instructions.”
Thinking it was something important, Bai Bing nodded slightly and followed him.
Back home, Bai Bing eagerly asked, “What did Grandfather say?”
Ye Qiu replied, “The old man ordered us to hurry up and give him a great-grandchild.”
Ah!
Bai Bing’s face turned bright red.
“Sister Bing, we’d better get started!” Ye Qiu said, pressing her onto the sofa.
Bai Bing hurriedly said, “Wait, I haven’t showered yet.”
“No worries, we’ll shower together~”
