Chapter 41 — Plans in Motion
When Bai Sung and Bai Yan returned from work around 7 p.m., they were both stunned at the sight before them. The living room was filled with the things Bai Xia had bought. Bai Sung's expression flickered between surprise and worry — his daughter might have spent all the money he gave her. He wanted to lecture her, but when he noticed that everything she'd bought was for the family, his words died halfway up his throat.
Bai Yan, on the other hand, couldn't hide his excitement. He kept touching the laptop over and over again. His father might be too old-fashioned to understand, but he knew that these computers alone were worth more than their cars.
An Yu carefully distributed the gifts according to Bai Xia's arrangements. Everyone received their own — and the house was soon filled with joy. Bai Yang and Bai Xin were thrilled with their new bicycles, and An Yu promised to teach them how to ride later. Bai Xuan looked especially happy. She had made a few friends in the area, and many of them had similar phones. Now she finally had one of her own that she could use to text and call them.
Steven had followed Bai Sung home that evening, since they still had some business to discuss. With no study room in the villa yet, the two men went upstairs to the second living room to continue their talk.
Downstairs, Bai Xia came out when she heard her brother's voice. Seeing Bai Yang playing with the laptop, she spoke softly, "It's not for you to play with, it's for you to work."
Bai Yan scratched his head in embarrassment and stood up. "Thank you, Sister. I'll definitely give you a fat red envelope once I have my own company."
Lately, Bai Yan had been helping to manage the hotels. With Li Wei's assistance, half of them had already been upgraded to four-star status in just a week. Bai Xia could see he was developing a real interest in it.
"I have business to speak with you," Bai Xia said.
Bai Yan instantly became serious. He led her to his room, and they both sat down in the small lounge area inside. "What's up?"
"I want to rent your biggest private room," she said evenly. "It should be big enough to fit a hundred people."
Bai Yang blinked. "A hundred people? What for?"
"That's my private matter," she replied calmly. "Are you renting it or not?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Alright. Are there going to be food and drinks?"
"Yes."
"You know, Bai Xia, our food isn't cheap."
Of course she knew. The hotel usually claimed to order its vegetables from a farm, but in truth, there was no such farm. She had already instructed Li Wei to use the produce from her space instead — larger, more nutritious, and far cheaper. Once guests realized how healthy and delicious the food was, business would skyrocket. By then, Li Wei could convince Bai Yan to open a restaurant.
"I know," she said with a small smile. "Just name your price."
Bai Yan quickly calculated, pretending to be serious. "After many discounts and considerations, I've decided to rent it out for twenty-thousand yen."
Bai Xia rolled her eyes — there were no discounts at all. Still, she pulled out a bundle of cash, counted it, and handed over the exact amount.
He took the money without hesitation. Twenty thousand yen wasn't much to him — one restaurant could make double that in a single day. But a deal was a deal. "When will you be using it?"
"The day after tomorrow."
Bai Yan nodded. "Oh right, do you need Dad's business cards?"
He stood, walked into his walk-in closet, and returned with two tall stacks of cards nearly five inches thick — one stack belonged to the Bai Group, and the other to his hotel.
"This one's for Dad's company," he said, tapping the first stack. "And this one's for my hotel. It's almost a five-star now. Some of your classmates are rich young masters — give them a few."
Bai Xia looked at him, then reached out and only took the stack for her father's company. "You don't expect me to advertise for free, do you?"
Bai Yan laughed awkwardly, then went back into his closet. He returned with a sleek silver bracelet. He had bought four of them — one each for his sisters and mother — but now he saw a chance to kill two birds with one stone.
"I bought this bracelet for myself a few days ago," he said smoothly. "I'll give it to you."
Bai Xia accepted the bracelet and the business cards, then turned to leave his room. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.
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The next morning, Bai Xia allowed herself to sleep in for once. When she woke up, it was already past eight. After her bath, she applied some beauty products, tied her hair loosely, and went downstairs still in her pajamas.
The moment she descended the stairs, she froze. Standing in the middle of the living room was Bai Xuan — dressed sharply in a white formal shirt tucked into black, high-waisted trousers. The fabric hugged her slender waist before falling loosely to her ankles. On her feet were six-inch black silk heels, her hair tied neatly into a bun. Light makeup highlighted her delicate features, and a slim black purse completed the look.
She looked like a young female CEO.
Bai Xia raised an eyebrow in surprise. Her sister's sense of style had really improved — she'd chosen the right person for this task.
When Bai Xuan caught her gaze, she fidgeted nervously. "Did I overdress? You said we'd be handling business today, so I wanted to look professional…"
Bai Xia looked at her for a moment, then smiled faintly. "You have a great fashion sense, Sister. Be confident in what you wear — only then will you truly look good."
Bai Xuan's eyes softened. She took those words to heart and silently promised to improve herself further.
The two sisters had breakfast together. Chu Sun kept asking about their plans, but no matter how she pressed, they refused to say. Eventually, she sighed and gave up.
After breakfast, Bai Xia whispered a few instructions to An Yu and went back upstairs. She changed into a fitted black blazer that accentuated her figure, paired with a knee-length pencil skirt and four-inch heels. Her makeup was light, but elegant. She grabbed a large black Gucci handbag, slipped on oversized sunglasses that covered half her face, and left her hair cascading freely behind her shoulders.
When she came back down, Bai Xuan felt relieved — at least she wasn't the only one overdressed.
Before leaving, Bai Xia demonstrated how to use the new Nokia phones. An Yu had already set them up with SIM cards and saved everyone's contact numbers. Chu Sun practiced calling and texting until she was sure she could manage.
When the clock struck one p.m., Bai Xia and Bai Xuan finally stepped out of the house together.
Tomorrow's plan was already in motion.