Chapter 98 - Shameless Siblings
"Tell me everything."
Bai Xia's voice was cold, sharp, and steady, like ice slicing through the still air. Stella stood straight in front of her, her usual playful expression completely gone. The hospital room was quiet, the curtains half-drawn, the faint scent of disinfectant lingering in the air. Outside, distant footsteps echoed in the hallway, but inside the room, the atmosphere was tense.
Stella adjusted the files in her hands and began, her voice low and serious.
"She tried to steal one of our jewelry designs. The security guards in the monitoring room spotted her through the CCTV. She was taking photos of confidential sketches using a hidden camera. After I investigated, I found out that she was planted by a rival company. Their plan was to steal the design, rush production, and release it before we do."
Bai Xia's eyes darkened instantly. The calm on her face didn't change, but the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. A dangerous glint flashed in her eyes.
"What did you do next?" she asked slowly.
"I originally planned to fire her immediately," Stella replied honestly. "But after thinking about it, I decided to wait for your decision."
Bai Xia's lips curved faintly—not a smile, but a cold, calculating expression.
"Don't fire her," she said flatly. "Instead, expose her to unfinished works. Create an opportunity for her to steal an incomplete design. Once her boss produces it and we later release the finalized version, it will be very clear who copied whom."
Stella's eyes lit up with instant understanding. This wasn't just revenge—it was a perfectly laid trap.
"I understand, Miss Xia," Stella said with admiration. "I'll arrange it immediately."
After that, they discussed the details quietly for a while—timelines, which design to bait with, how to disguise the leak, and which channels to monitor once the rival company made their move. Everything was calculated with precision.
Not long after, the door opened gently.
Chu Sun walked into the hospital room with a tray of food in her hands. The rich aroma of soup filled the air instantly. Her eyes softened when she saw Bai Xia sitting upright.
"You haven't eaten properly all day," Chu Sun said worriedly. "You need strength. Come, eat."
Bai Xia's tense expression eased slightly. She nodded and obediently took the bowl. After eating her fill, exhaustion washed over her like a heavy tide. Her body was still weak from the accident, and she also had her entrance exams the next day. The mental and physical pressure combined left her drained.
She lay back down on the bed, her eyelids slowly growing heavy.
Before she knew it, she fell asleep.
---
When Bai Xia woke again, the sky outside had already darkened. The clock on the wall read 6:00 PM.
The moment she opened her eyes, two large unfamiliar heads suddenly appeared right in front of her.
"Ah—!"
She jolted back in fright, her heart nearly jumping out of her chest.
Bai Xin and Bai Xuan both looked a little awkward.
Bai Xia blinked several times, finally regaining clarity. She looked at the two of them in confusion.
Before she could speak, Bai Xin suddenly bounced forward, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Jie Jie—!" she cried happily. "I heard you're getting married! Is it true? Daddy said I'm getting an additional elder brother who can buy me things! But he'll still be my brother-in-law!"
Bai Xia felt both amused and helpless at the same time. She sighed inwardly but looked at Bai Xin's bright, innocent face. In the end, her heart softened.
"Yes, I'm getting married," Bai Xia said gently. "But not now, okay? I'm only engaged. He's already your elder brother-in-law. In the future, when I marry him, if anyone ever bullies you, you must tell him. He won't let them off."
There was a faint hint of pride in her voice without her realizing it.
Bai Xin practically jumped in excitement.
"Yes! Yes! I know! I'll definitely tell him!" she said eagerly. "Will he also buy me sweet things?"
Bai Xia laughed lightly. "He'll buy you a whole shop of sweets."
Bai Xin gasped dramatically.
"Then, Sister, you must get married immediately!" she declared seriously.
In the corner of the room, Bai Xuan cleared her throat softly. An unreadable expression crossed her face. She was slightly jealous that Bai Xia was getting married before her—but when she thought of how Fu Jian had jumped in front of the speeding car without hesitation, her jealousy faded into silent acceptance.
She sighed softly. After all, she was almost twenty-one now. Blind dates would soon become her daily nightmare.
"Bai Xia, congratulations," Bai Xuan said calmly. "But remember—you're not married yet. Make sure he doesn't get swayed by any green tea."
She had almost said "green tea bitch," but because Bai Xin was present, she forcefully changed her wording.
Bai Xuan had seen too many disgusting tricks used by women climbing the social ladder. She trusted Fu Jian a little—but men, in her experience, could never be trusted completely.
Bai Xia understood the warning. She simply nodded.
Just then—
Bang!
The door was forced open violently.
All of them turned to look and saw Bai Yang rushing in with an excited expression.
"Jie Jie!" he shouted. "When do you plan to get married? How about next week? It's a good day and the weather is great!"
Everyone froze.
Wasn't Bai Yang one of the people who had been yelling at Bai Xia to break up with Fu Jian just yesterday?
Bai Xin looked at her elder brother in confusion.
"Elder brother," she said, tilting her head, "when you left here before, you looked like you lost a great war. And now you've turned into a matchmaker?"
Bai Yang almost choked.
He glared at her fiercely. Who would've thought this fatty had such a sharp mouth?
"Mind your business," he snapped. "And think about how to get slim! You're so fat you occupy half of the car!"
Bai Xin's eyes instantly turned red.
"I'm not fat!" she shouted tearfully. "It's you who is fat and ugly!"
After they had left the Bai family and their living conditions improved, Bai Xin had finally started eating well and gained a little weight. Bai Yang never missed a chance to tease her about it.
Bai Yang instantly got angry.
"What did you say? Say it again and see!"
He moved forward as if to pinch her cheeks.
Bai Xin screamed dramatically and ran straight to Bai Xia, jumping onto the hospital bed.
"Jie Jie! He wants to beat me up! He also does this—whooooo!"
Bai Yang choked on his own anger. He had only pinched her a few times in the past—when had he ever hit her? For a moment, he even regretted not hitting her earlier.
Bai Xuan couldn't even be bothered to interfere. She leaned lazily against the couch, watching the scene with lazy amusement.
She finally asked, "Bai Yang, why the sudden change in attitude?"
Bai Yang scratched his head in embarrassment. But when he thought of the car, his eyes lit up again.
Earlier, when their father announced that Bai Xia was getting married, Bai Yang had been furious. Why should his lucky star sister marry some wild pig?
He had looked at Bai Yan for backup—but Bai Yan had ignored him coldly and walked away.
So, Bai Yang went alone to Fu Jian's hospital room.
At first, he had planned to use the title of "brother-in-law" to suppress and bully Fu Jian.
But the moment he saw Fu Jian—
That plan completely collapsed.
Fu Jian was like a cold, unmovable mountain. His mere presence was intimidating. Bai Yang became scared instantly, but remembering his mission, he swallowed his fear and said nervously:
"I—I'm Bai Xia's brother."
Fu Jian's expression visibly relaxed.
Emboldened by that small change, Bai Yang gathered courage.
"Are you my sister's husband?"
Fu Jian liked the title. His mood improved instantly.
"Yes, brother-in-law," he replied seriously.
Bai Yang: "...."
"My sister is rich and capable," Bai Yang continued boldly, "when you marry her, will you be able to buy her a huge villa mansion? And two big villas for everyone in our family?"
He didn't actually believe such a thing was possible. He just wanted to anger Fu Jian so he would leave Bai Xia alone.
But Fu Jian saw straight through his intentions.
"Yes," Fu Jian said calmly. "Your sister is very capable. But I'm also capable. If I marry your sister, I will definitely give her more than one house. And I'll also give you a big car as a gift, my funny brother-in-law."
Bai Yang's entire brain stopped working.
A big… car?
His heart exploded with excitement.
He remembered clearly—Fu Jian had already given Bai Xia two cars before. The man didn't even blink when giving them away.
"R-really?!" Bai Yang stammered. "You'll really give me a car?!"
"Yes," Fu Jian replied flatly. "I never go back on my word."
"Then—then will you also teach me how to drive?"
"When I marry your sister, you'll spend more time in our home. I'll teach you."
At that moment, Bai Yang had already mentally accepted Fu Jian as his lifelong brother-in-law.
He immediately flattered Fu Jian shamelessly with a few sweet words and left in a hurry before his dream car disappeared.
---
Back in the ward, after listening to Bai Yang's entire story, Bai Xia's lips twitched uncontrollably.
Wasn't Bai Yang being shamefully greedy—asking for a car before she even got married?
She sighed deeply.
Suddenly, Bai Xin jumped down from the bed in excitement.
"Brother-in-law also promised to buy me a sweet shop!"
Not only Bai Xia's eyelids twitched—Bai Xuan's did too.
Since when did Fu Jian promise that?
Bai Xuan immediately chased both of them out.
"Go find your mother!"
Bai Yang still wanted to say more, but he was blocked at the door. He could only grab Bai Xin and run off to find their father to talk about Bai Xia's marriage.
Bai Xuan turned slowly to look at Bai Xia.
"Looks like I'll have to go get my own benefits too," she said thoughtfully.
Bai Xia laughed softly.
"What would my in-laws think of my shameless siblings?"
They both burst into laughter.