Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Only Scars Remain Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Only Scars Remain Ye Xiu looked at Bai Da’s naive appearance, feeling there was something off no matter how she looked at him.
Even now, he still wouldn’t admit it.
Speaking so self-righteously.
“Let’s go, it’s time to eat.”
She wanted to see what gift Bai Da had prepared for Xixi.
Bai Da thought Ye Xiu believed him and immediately nodded happily.
“Yes, yes, yes, let’s eat. Not eating is bad for the health.”
Ye Xiu ignored Bai Da and walked out of the room, immediately noticing the writing on the cake.
“Happy Birthday Xixi”
Hmm, it looked nice, but it didn’t have their family’s Xingxing’s name on it.
To still dare say he hadn’t neglected Xingxing.
Beside it was an especially beautiful box, placed next to the doll she had bought.
Seeing Ye Xiu, Xixi and the others didn’t dare to speak; today’s Ye Xiu was too strange, making them all uncomfortable.
Bai Yu tightly held Xixi’s hand, giving her warmth, and Bai Ye did the same, still holding Xixi’s hand even though it was very painful.
This scene, which used to feel warm in Ye Xiu’s eyes, now seemed a bit irksome.
They really were good brothers, just not to Xingxing.
If they had treated everyone equally, or less discriminatively, maybe Ye Xiu wouldn’t have felt upset.
You can’t expect ten fingers to be of the same length; she can’t demand that they love Xingxing. But not bullying was the baseline.
“Xixi, aren’t you going to open your gift?”
Ye Xiu tried to force a smile as she looked at the group pet.
The group pet hesitated, a flash of surprise in her eyes. She didn’t expect Ye Xiu to really talk to her.
“I’ll open it now.”
Mom acknowledged her, and the group pet happily started unwrapping. Inside was a very beautiful, sparkly Water Diamond hair clip, like a crown.
Without looking, Ye Xiu knew it was worth a lot. Very good, very good.
Her Xingxing only got a cheap cherry hair clip, while Xixi got a Water Diamond hair clip. Ye Xiu’s smile faded slowly as she turned and slapped Bai Da.
With a “smack,” Bai Da was stunned.
Bai Xixi started crying, Bai Yu and Bai Ye hurriedly pulled the group pet back a few steps, shielding her behind them. Ye Xiu couldn’t bother to look at them and just stared coldly at Bai Da.
Pointing at the cake and the gifts on the table, she gave a cold laugh.
“Is this what you call ‘no differential treatment’? Is this what you mean ‘you haven’t ignored her’? Bai Da, who the hell are you fooling?”
Ye Xiu was nearly driven mad with fury, essentially seeing blatant lies.
After hitting Bai Da, her hand trembled from anger.
“Xiuxiu, don’t be angry. Tell me what I did wrong, please?”
Bai Da could no longer care about his face, quickly moving to Ye Xiu’s side and reaching out to hold her hand,
“Don’t touch me!”
Ye Xiu glared fiercely and yelled at Bai Da.
She felt disgusted just looking at him now.
“Bai Da, you really did well, huh? One daughter gets a birthday cake, and the other doesn’t even have a name mentioned; one gets a Water Diamonds hairpin, and the other just a cheap cherry one. Bai Da, do you still have the nerve to tell me you’re not biased?”
Ye Xiu looked at Bai Da sarcastically, her heart growing colder and colder. What if she hadn’t seen this?
No, that ugly hairpin must have just been added on a whim.
“It’s not like that; let me explain…”
Only then did Bai Da realize what Ye Xiu was talking about, and he panicked.
“You don’t need to explain anymore, Bai Da. I don’t want to see you now. Go ahead and continue the birthday celebration, Xiuxi, I wish you a happy birthday, but sadly, I don’t want to see you either.
My daughter has nothing, after giving so much for you, and in the end, she’s left with nothing but scars?”
Tears welled up in her eyes again, and Ye Xiu wiped them away as she rushed out of the house.
She had to see Xingxing, she just had to.
Bai Da was stunned, only one thought running through his mind.
He couldn’t let Xiuxiu hate him, absolutely not.
Just as Bai Da was about to run after her, suddenly, a soft voice sounded.
“Daddy.”
The group pet weakly waved, pulling Bai Da back.
“Switch my gift with sister’s. I don’t want Mom to be so sad, really, if possible,” the group pet closed her eyes, as if making a monumental decision. She lifted her head and looked up at Bai Da.
“Send me to my grandmother’s place. If my staying makes Mom this upset, I’d rather leave. I was nobody’s concern to begin with; it was you, Mom and Dad, who gave me a warm home. I can’t bear to see Mom so sad.”
Yes, the group pet had a grandmother. When Bai Da first received the letter to pick up the group pet, he found her sick with a high fever and hadn’t eaten for days.
She was not even Bai Xixi’s real grandmother but a devil, an old witch taking Bai Xixi’s father’s money and mistreating her, which enraged Bai Da when he saw it. How could he possibly send Xixi back there?
“Bai Xixi, don’t talk nonsense; I won’t let you go back. Remember, you’re my daughter, Bai Da’s daughter.”
Bai Da solemnly looked at the group pet, his expression intense as he spoke.
“It’s my fault, it has nothing to do with you. I’ll just buy another gift for Bai Zhi. And don’t worry, Mom loves you; she’s just in a bad mood.”
A flicker of unknown emotion passed through Bai Da’s eyes. Previously, he had ensured Ye Xiu only saw their family in tender moments. Bai Zhi never complained; always sitting alone in a corner.
What could she do? If Ye Xiu asked about studies and she couldn’t answer, if stories and jokes were told and she stayed quiet, how could he know what she needed?
Bai Da also ran off into the night, while Bai Yu and Bai Ye quickly comforted the group pet, fearing she might become too sad.
This birthday was bound to deeply imprint in everyone’s memory; even the cake didn’t taste so good anymore.
Bai Yu looked at the cake, the sullen group pet, and then his hands, falling silent for a long time.
…
Bai Zhi and Bai Fei got home, and hot steaming food awaited them, including a small but beautiful cake.
Bai Zhi’s sullen mood instantly lifted.
Bai Fei followed her inside.
“Grandfather, we’re back.”
Bai Ming found it strange; these two girls had come back with him, but only now arrived.
“You two are so slow; we’ve already made dinner. Come quick and eat the noodles.”
On birthdays, it’s a must to have a bowl of noodles, especially noodles made by an elder. Since Bai Zhi had made breakfast, they hadn’t had the chance to eat them, so Bai Dan made noodles for Bai Zhi.
The noodles were hand-rolled, very fine, with two eggs and some vegetables on top. They looked a bit mushy, but Bai Zhi, holding back tears, eagerly devoured them.