Chapter 129: A Relationship Meant to Be
"My father?" he questioned immediately, enraged.
"You are not the only Bais in Shanghai," she said promptly. She didn't think she should reveal his father's whereabouts without explicit consent from the man himself.
She was all about protecting the privacy of others… until they came at her. Then she didn't hold back.
Bai Ye Qing fumed as they moved out of the room. As luck would have it, the elevator that opened in front of them carried Senior Mr. Bai. He looked at his son, shock flashing through his eyes for a second before his eyes turned hard.
"Ye Qing, you were here?" he inquired.
"Yes," the son replied in a firm and snappy fashion. "What are you doing here, father?" he hissed.
'This boy has no manners,' Yun Qian Meng thought.
Here she was, saddled with a father who didn't let her breathe and Bai Ye Qing was being handed everything on a platter and he didn't know what a boon he had.
Incorrigible.
"I'm here for work," Bai Yu gruffly responded. He didn't think it was necessary to answer to his son, but he saw the expression of utter irritation on the younger man's face and felt like he should omit that this was a recreational visit.
"Work? What work could you have with her?" Bai Ye Qing jerked his fingers to point at her and Yun Qian Meng remained silent, waiting for the argument to pan out.
In her opinion, she wouldn't mind if this father and son had an even worse falling out. It would be much easier for her to convince Mr. Bai to sell the company to her or at least give her some stake.
"She works in real estate. We are talking about contracts. Now go back to work. You have deadlines to meet," Bai Yu commanded.
Bai Ye Qing stared between the two of them, his eyes burning with something neither of them could understand.
"Have a nice day, father," he said in a low voice and left.
The lawyer scurried after him, glancing over his shoulder at the scene that was playing out in front of him. His eyes lingered longer on Bai Yu before he was Bai Ye Qing's side.
"I apologize, Mr. Bai. I should have warned you that your son was coming, as well," Yun Qian Meng bowed in apology. To this man, she wasn't ashamed or irritated to do so. He was a genuinely nice man who had probably been inconvenienced because of her.
"Ah, no need!" he responded with a smile. "I knew my son would find out about this meeting even if we didn't meet here," he said.
Yun Qian Meng raised her brow. She had a feeling that Mr. Bai and she were on the same page for this meeting.
"Let's go, then." She gave him a blinding smile and led him to her office.
"Boss, the food has arrived," Li Min whispered once Mr. Bai and she were seated in the office.
"Mr. Bai, do you want lunch right now?" she asked squarely.
"Oh, yes! I didn't have lunch today," he said. He turned to Li Min. "Just bring the food in with the takeout containers," he asked.
Yun Qian Meng's eyes widened before she snickered. Mr. Bai looked at her curiously. "I didn't expect you to eat straight out of a container," she grinned.
Mr. Bai chuckled. "When I first quit my full-time job and started out the company, my wife was furious. She had just given birth to our older son Wenxi and she was dealing with a lot." His eyes were mildly saddened.
"You were a civil engineer, weren't you?" Yun Qian Meng asked, urging him on. She wanted to hear his story. She could see that he didn't have anyone to talk to.
"Yes, I was the third among us six cousins. We lived in the same house and I was the worst off. We had to contribute to the household but at the end of the month, I didn't have a lot of money to spare for Chen Yue to use for herself." He had a smile on his face. "She… she sacrificed a lot for me. Wenxi was around four or five when the company finally started doing well. Ye Qing was about a year old and he was born into the money."
She knew that. She could see him acting high and mighty, thinking that he didn't need to contribute to continuing the family legacy.
"At home, we ate normally. But I was constantly on the field, filled with cement and dust. I could only eat in the container to ensure not too many carcinogens got in."
He must have remembered some fond times because his smile grew nostalgic.
"Habits never die," Yun Qian Meng agreed. Li Min entered with the paper bags and put them down on the table. Yun Qian Meng leaned in and brought everything out.
It was a simple meal, just from a very reputable restaurant. She was undoing the lids and heard Bai Yu gasp.
"How do you know what I like to eat?" he asked, pleasantly surprised.
"I don't know. I guessed." Yun Qian Meng shrugged.
"You really do have a way with guessing, don't you? It's not like I am important enough to give interviews to magazines and papers. I never really eat out anymore, so I am surprised you could guess!"
Yun Qian Meng burst into laughter. "I had dreams about Mr. Bai before, and somehow I saw you liking these things." She smiled.
Mr. Bai blinked and then burst into laughter. "I suppose it's a sign from the gods that you and I are supposed to know each other for a long time."
Qian Meng agreed. They are lunch in peace before Bai Yu looked up at Qian Meng seriously.
"You know that I am not here to have a casual meal with you, don't you?" he asked.
Qian Meng nodded. "I wanted to meet you as well. But with the drama that ensued… I couldn't face you." She paused. "I have to apologize for that. I… I couldn't handle it any longer," Yun Qian Meng found herself whispering.
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