Xia Dabai looked up at her, then looked at the ugly dad. "You don't want dad anymore, is that it?"
Him?
Xia Xingchen froze for a moment and did not turn to look at him. Even so, he could feel his eyes on her.
"Don't ask about it anymore, focus on your meal." Xia Xingchen changed the topic. She really didn't know how to answer such a question. To be honest, they weren't even involved with each other, so what does this talk have anything to do with her liking him or not?
Xiao Dabai rested the ends of his chopsticks on his chin and thought seriously for a moment. "Dad doesn't want to marry you anyway, so he can't be bothered. If you want to marry other men in the future, it's fine if you don't marry dad."
"…" Sitting opposite him, someone's face became cold, and he glared at his son. Xia Dabai took two slices of cake and shielded his eyes from the glare as if he was thinking, 'I don't see it! I don't see it! What can you do about it!?'
Xia Xingchen had no idea what this father-son interaction was about, she only thought that both of them were weird.
"Follow me out!" He slammed down his chopsticks and knocked on the surface of the table with his fingers.
"Ah~" Xia Dabai grimaced, pinching a corner of Xia Xingchen's shirt. Little Bai's expression looked scary, he wouldn't be intending to teach him a lesson, right? Boohoo. He didn't want to get hit!
Bai Yeqing turned back around and upon seeing that his son wasn't keeping up and instead cowered in Xia Xingchen's arms, he showed a rare softness in his face. "I'll send you to school."
This facade made Xia Dabai even more uneasy. As expected, he heard the man's command: "Butler, bring him out!"
"Big baby! Big baby! I don't need you to send me there!"
Having been picked up by the butler, the child struggled desperately and his face scrunched up like a little bun.
Xia Xingchen found it funny. "Alright, go quickly. If you don't leave now you're going to be late."
…
Xia Dabai felt like he was being kidnapped… and kidnapped so forcefully at that!
The car continued moving steadily forward.
His fingers tapped nervously on his cheek as he sat in the car.
As he faced him, Bai Yeqing sat cross-legged, his deep eyes fixed on his son.
"Do you know what you did wrong?"
Xia Dabai shook his head vigorously. "What did I do wrong?"
"What did I tell you to say? And what ended up coming out of your mouth?"
"You told me to say I wouldn't let big baby Xia go on a date, I did as you asked!" He felt wronged.
"But I never asked you to…" Bai Yeqing paused, a look of uneasiness crossed his face. He glanced at his son and coughed, after which he popped a button from his shirt and regained his composure. He continued, "I never asked you to say that last sentence!"
"Oh, so it turns out you're actually unhappy with me saying stuff that would 'make big baby Xia not want to be with you', huh?"
He huffed, indicating that he couldn't be bothered by what his son said.
Xia Dabai grinned and tilted his head like a little adult. "Little Bai, you like big baby Xia, right?"
Bai Yeqing pursed his lips. "Nonsense."
"Oh? Well, it's fine even if you don't like her, there are many men who like her anyway! When the time comes, I'll just pick one that I like and call him dad," the child said while shaking his legs.
Bai Yeqing exhaled. "Let's talk about assembling firearms!"
"Sure." Xia Dabai didn't get annoyed, instead, he took off his bag that looked like dynamite. He leisurely took out a lollipop and put it in his mouth. "Then later, I'll tell big baby Xia that what I told her today was what you instructed me to say. Isn't she going to meet that uncle a few days from now? The one from the previous date… coincidentally, I'm going to meet him too. If he's suitable, I'll just call him dad right away."
"…"
Bai Yeqing was speechless, his face was so dark it seemed like it was coated in coal. This little brat, who gave him these genes?
…
Xia Xingchen took a taxi to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
She entered the translation department, and everyone looked at her with complicated gazes. Some were filled with admiration, others with contempt.
She couldn't stand these gazes. When she was still an intern at the Ministry of Foreign affairs, she just took care of her own work like she was invisible and no one really paid attention to her.
Of course, she knew the reason behind this.
Chi Weiyang pulled her into the lounge. "Xingchen, you're really something! I heard yesterday that the Ministry of Foreign affairs was going to summon you back but I didn't dare believe it. To think that it was true! Quick, tell me, what was the situation?"
Xia Xingchen wasn't too sure of the situation herself. "Actually, I don't understand it myself."
"Come on. I overheard yesterday from the personnel department that you have a good relationship with the president, and the president personally requested you to be transferred back."
This was completely inaccurate.
First, she had a bad relationship with Bai Yeqing; second, he wouldn't have issued this notice for his own gain.
"And you really believed those words?" Xia Xingchen asked in return.
"I didn't believe it at first, but I believed it the moment you returned." Chi Weiyang grabbed her arm. "You're so beautiful, it's possible that Mister President fell for you!"
"That's enough, lower your voice. If anyone else hears it, they'll laugh their heads off!" Xia Xingchen covered Chi Weiyang's mouth.
Alas, Xiao Xin had overheard them and she had walked in holding a cup of tea. Xiao Xin laughed. "Xingchen, so you do have some self-awareness."
"Hey! What do you mean?" Chi Weiyang glanced at her.
"What I just said. Who do you think the president is? Would he even mess around with people like you?
"Yo, what else could it be? It doesn't matter how unorthodox our Xingchen is, she can return to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs whenever she wants. Why don't you try leaving and returning? Xingchen, introduce me to Mister President someday, would you?"
Xia Xingchen replied, "He's already so busy, getting the chance to see him would be…"
Having said that, Xingchen stopped suddenly.
She blurted that out by accident following Chi Weiyang's words. She didn't realize what she had let slip until she was halfway through.
Chi Weiyang understood and stared fiercely at her.
Fortunately, Xiao Xin thought Xingchen was just bragging, and she laughed. "Why did you stop? Are you not going to continue with your tattletales? Everyone in this country knows that the president is busy, you think you're the only one who does?"
Chi Weiyang had a bad temper and was about to retort, but Xia Xingchen stopped her. "Just let it go, Weiyang. Don't waste your energy on her."
She checked the time. "It's time for the assessment, I need to make a move. Wait for good news from me!"
"Alright, you can definitely do it." Weiyang cheered her on. She narrowed his eyes and added, "Later, you have some things to explain, you'd better tell me honestly."
Xia Xingchen knew that she wouldn't be able to hide it from Weiyang.
Even so, it should be fine even if she told her about it! She would help her keep her secret.