Chapter 33 – A Chance Encounter
Bai Xia and Bai Xuan left the house together, the morning air fresh and soft against their faces. Bai Xia raised a hand and hailed a taxi. As they both got in, Bai Xuan's eyes lit up — though she had ridden one earlier, she hadn't really examined it. Now that she could, excitement bubbled inside her. The soft seats, the faint scent of perfume, and the hum of the engine made her feel like one of those rich ladies she used to admire from afar back at her old school.
She was so lost in her little moment that when the taxi stopped, she blinked in surprise.
"This isn't the food place…" she frowned, turning to Bai Xia. "I turn away for one second, and you already got us lost?"
"We're not lost," Bai Xia replied calmly, her eyes glinting as she pointed out the window. "Look. There's a restaurant over there."
Bai Xuan followed her gaze and saw an old-looking restaurant across the street. It wasn't fancy, but there was a strange charm to it — a quiet kind of warmth. Still, she crossed her arms. "Why didn't you tell me before we came? I'm still the elder one here!"
Bai Xia didn't bother replying. She started walking toward the restaurant.
"Hey—! Where are you going? Wait for me!" Bai Xuan chased after her.
They entered the restaurant and found a small table near the window. The scent of noodles and fried dumplings hung in the air, and faint music drifted from an old radio. They had barely sat down when a young waiter walked over with a polite smile.
"Welcome. May I know what you—"
Bai Xuan froze.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"B–Bai Yan? What are you…!"
The waiter's smile faltered. It was him — her brother.
Bai Yan was tall with sharp features but that didn't hide the resemblance he had with his sisters.
Bai Yan looked equally stunned, the tray trembling slightly in his hands. He hadn't expected to see his elder and younger sisters here today of all days.
"Why didn't you come home all these months?" Bai Xuan's voice cracked, her eyes reddening as she started hitting him on the head and shoulders. "Do you know how Mother's been crying over you?"
Bai Yan didn't move. He let her hit him, each slap a mix of pain and guilt. "It's not like I didn't want to come home," he said softly. "I just couldn't endure it anymore. I wanted to make some money so that all of us could move here… live better."
Bai Xia's calm voice cut through the tension, her tone sharp as a blade. "And how have you been progressing all this while?"
Bai Yan's head dipped lower. "I managed to get a small room in the back… I make ten yen a month."
Bai Xuan scoffed, her words biting. "Ten yen? You're just out here deceiving yourself! At that rate, you'd have to work two lifetimes before we could move anywhere!"
Bai Yan's hands tightened under the apron. But before he could reply, realization flashed in his eyes.
"What are the both of you doing in the city?" He looked at them suspiciously.
Bai Xia ignored his question. "Brother, come home with us."
"No way. I'm not going back to that courtyard."
"Father already broke off from the Bai family."
Bai Yan's eyes shot wide open. "What…? I tried for years to get Father to do that. Something big must've happened this time. Do you have a place to stay?"
They sat down again, this time with softer eyes and heavier hearts. Bai Xuan began telling him everything — from the day of Bai Xia's rebirth to now.
As the story unfolded, Bai Yan's expression darkened. His fists clenched beneath the table. How could the old woman be so cruel to her own son's family?
But when Bai Xuan reached the part about them buying a villa, he blinked in disbelief. "A villa? You… you're not tricking me, are you?"
"It's true," Bai Xia said evenly, her lips curving in a faint smile. "But if you don't believe us, you'll just have to come and see."
"It's already past noon," Bai Yan muttered, trying to change the subject. "Tell me what you'd like to eat. I'll bring some food for the rest of the family."
"No." Bai Xuan crossed her arms firmly. "You're leaving with us today. If not, we're not leaving here — and nobody's getting food!"
Bai Yan sighed, clearly torn, but Bai Xia stood up and walked toward the small room he stayed in. She looked around at the cramped space — a narrow bed, a thin blanket, a few folded shirts. Quietly, she began packing his things.
When she came out, she walked straight to the counter and placed ten yen on it.
"My brother will no longer be working here," she said coolly. "This is compensation for his leave."
The manager blinked in surprise but nodded gratefully.
Bai Yan was shocked. Ten yen? He wanted to scold her — how could she just throw away money like that? But before he could speak, Bai Xia and Bai Xuan each grabbed one of his arms and dragged him out.
In the end, he stopped struggling. Better to walk out on his own than be dragged through the streets by his sisters.
They walked for a long while, Bai Xuan still searching for another restaurant to buy food from. Then Bai Xia suddenly stopped in front of a lottery shop.
"Let's try our luck," she said.
Bai Yan almost wanted to knock some sense into her. "Are you crazy? We finally have a little money, and you want to waste it on lottery tickets?"
"Let's go," Bai Xia said simply. "My luck's been exceptionally good lately."
Bai Xuan hesitated but eventually followed her sister's confident tone. If anyone could make something out of nothing, it was Bai Xia.
Inside, the receptionist greeted them warmly. "You want to buy tickets? That's great! We have twenty left — nobody's been buying them lately. If you buy them all, maybe you'll be one of the lucky winners. The results will be announced tomorrow night!"
Bai Xia's sharp eyes scanned the stack of tickets. She quickly spotted what she wanted — numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Her lips curved.
"I'll take ten."
It cost her fifty yen in total. Bai Xuan's heart ached a little at the price, but she said nothing. Bai Yan, however, looked as if his soul had left his body. A whole fifty yen gone… in a single breath!
"If these tickets don't bring in money," he muttered darkly, "I'll teach you a lesson later."
They finally bought breakfast before heading home. It was already past one when they reached the villa.
As the taxi rolled through the luxurious residential area, Bai Yan's jaw nearly dropped. His sisters couldn't really be living here… could they?
But when the car stopped before a gleaming white villa, reality hit him like a thunderbolt.
"This… this villa costs 600,000 yen?! How is that possible?"
He stood frozen at the gate, eyes wide, while Bai Xia and Bai Xuan calmly walked in.
The moment they entered the living room — bam! bam!
Pain bloomed at the back of their heads.
Chu Sun stood there, slipper in hand, eyes blazing.
"I send you out to buy food, and the both of you just wander around doing what you like?" she scolded, hitting them again.
Bai Xuan winced, rubbing her head. Bai Xia, unfazed, simply blinked.
From the side, Bai Sung's gentle voice came. "Don't hit them anymore, or you'll make them unmarriageable."
"With this attitude, who would want them anyway?" Chu Sun snapped. "I thought something had happened to you both! Didn't you think of your siblings' stomachs?"
The girls hung their heads.
But then — the slipper fell to the floor.
Chu Sun's eyes widened.
Standing at the doorway was a familiar silhouette.
"B–Bai Yan?"
She rushed forward, pushing the girls aside and throwing her arms around her son.
"My sweet boy! My precious Bai Yan!" Her voice trembled. Tears filled her eyes as she clutched him tightly, afraid he might vanish.
Bai Xia stepped aside, watching quietly. For once, her heart softened — the warmth of a mother's love was something she hadn't felt for a long time.
"Where have you been all these months?" Chu Sun cried, cupping his face.
"Mom…" Bai Yan's voice cracked. "I wanted to make money… enough for us to move here. But it wasn't easy."
Chu Sun sobbed quietly. "Foolish boy. You think we care about money more than you? As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."
From behind her, Bai Sung appeared, his face lighting up in surprise. "Yan'er… you're back!" He patted his son's shoulder firmly, pride and relief flickering in his eyes.
Soon, Bai Yang and Bai Xin rushed in too, hugging their elder brother with laughter and tears.
For a long while, the villa was filled with laughter, the sound of reunion echoing against the walls. It was the kind of warmth they hadn't felt in years — like the family was finally complete again.
Later, Chu Sun helped Bai Yan pick a room, fussing over the bedsheets and curtains as if making up for all the lost time. Bai Yan smiled softly, realizing how much he had missed this warmth.
By the time evening came, Bai Xuan returned with food from a nearby restaurant. They sat down for lunch together, chatting and laughing as though all their hardships had been nothing but a bad dream.
That day passed quietly — the laughter of the Bai family lingering long into the night.