“Rattrap?” Bai Fang asked.

Bai Li reached over to rub Bai Fang on the head without breaking eye contact with his grandfather.

“It really wasn’t me,” Ping Zen said. “My instructions were to have Wei Wei stay in her room. I was surprised. As your car was pulling up, she ran to my side.”

There was a sound from behind. The maid that wanted to comfort Bai Wei stumbled, knocking off a vase.

“Is there anyone in this house that dares not to follow your instructions?” Bai Li wouldn’t have believed it if not for the pitched expression on Ping Zen’s face.

“Haha. I did not expect this either.” Ping Zen did not sound amused.

“Are you going to explain?” Bai Tao chipped in while looking at the maid.

“Si si si sir...That is not what I was told,” The maid stuttered her words.

Bai Fang’s head was whipping back and forth. Bai Wei looked constipated.

“What were you told?” Bai Li prompted.

“Mr. Granger told me that there was a change in plans. That Bai Wei was to be brought to the rest of the family.” The maid dropped to her knees. “Please believe me!”

Bai Li was shocked. What did she think would happen to her? This reaction was extreme. He looked at the cold expression his grandfather was wearing.

“Explain,” Ping Zen said. The man behind him lowered his head.

Cane Granger was his grandfather’s aide. They had a long history together. There wasn’t anyone less likely to betray Ping Zen.

“The young lady used one of her mother’s cards.” A thousand thoughts were conveyed when the two men shared a look.

Bai Li missed the exchange as he focused on what was said. He didn’t understand what those words meant, but the expression on his grandfather’s face worsened.

Bai Tao let out a sigh. “How many does she have left?”

“Two.” Ping Zen held up the corresponding fingers. His hand was shaking.

“She used another one?” Bai Tao asked.

Clearly, he was aware of what was going on.

Ping Zen looked at Bai Wei and Bai Li. Regret in his eyes. “She used one regarding the children. As long as they did not approach me first, I was not to get involved with them. Of course, I wasn’t allowed to tell you about them.”

Bai Li felt an explosion go off in his mind. Looking around the room, could these people be trusted?

Other than the woman crying on the floor, no one batted an eye.

“What are you talking about?” Bai Li asked.

“Your grandmother...your grandmother and I had an agreement. I gave her a gift of fifty cards. She was allowed to look for me for help only if she used one of those cards.” Ping Zen scoffed.

Bai Li was shocked at those words. What kind of relationship did they have? Bai Li didn’t know much about his grandmother. He assumed that was because he died early.

“When she passed, she willed those cards to her daughter. They are legally binding, not a trinket I could ignore. Marie, Marie used her wishes sensibly. An An. I don’t know where we went wrong with Ping An.”

Bai Li was having a hard time digesting this. His mother made it so that he would never willingly go to his grandfather.

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“I planned to have you go abroad to separate you from your mother, but you did it before I needed to step in.” Ping Zen was relieved.

Bai Li sucked in a sharp breath. Was that the reason? Hadn’t Ping Zen sent him away in his last life to give Bai Fang a chance to grow?

Was there any way for him to tell now?

“You didn’t tell me about this?” Bai Tao but in.

“Do I need to tell you anything?” Ping Zen snapped at Bai Tao.

Bai Li noticed the friction between them.

“Does going over this help anything?”

“Didn’t I tell you to spend more time with your kids? Didn’t I tell you to watch over your children? Didn’t I tell you not to trust her words too much?” Ping Zen scolded Bai Tao until his face was red.

Bai Fang and Bai Li looked at each other awkwardly. Bai Tao had his head down as he accepted his scolding.

“How was I to know she would harm her own children? She is your daughter!” Bai Tao said in his defense.

“She is my daughter. Who knows her better than I. Isn’t that why I warned you! Useless.” Ping Zen scolded.

Bai Li blocked out all the noise around him. He remembers when he met his grandfather about going abroad for school. By that time, he was angry and resentful. He thought all of his grandfather’s actions were an attack.

“Tao, take Bai Fang to the park to play. Cane, accompany Bai Wei to her room.”

“I think I should stay,” Bai Tao said.

“What use are you in this conversation? Do you think he needs either of us? I am not as stupid as you. If he didn’t value family, do you think he would still stay here? Either that or he is using us as a shield from his mother.” Ping Zen stood up from his chair. “Either way, he is long past the stage either of us can control.”

Ping Zen walked out of the room.

Bai Li rubbed Bai fang on the head and kissed Bai Wei on the cheek. She dodged, he didn’t insist and wasn’t upset.

He knew it. Bai Tao was skilled, but he was no match for Ping Zen.

How much had his grandfather figured out?

No one paid any attention to the maid who was still on the floor.

They reached the study.

Bai Li was thinking of what to say when his grandfather stood and made a deep bow.

“I am so sorry. I should have done more.” Ping Zen’s back was still dignified even when he bent.

Bai Li was shocked to see an elder bowing to him. Standing, he helped his grandfather straighten up.

This put him in an awkward place. Having someone sincerely apologize.

“Can you explain this to me?” Bai Li wanted answers, and for the first time, he felt he might be able to get them.

“This is a long story.” Ping Zen didn’t sit down. Instead, he went to the bookshelf and took something out.

“I wanted to wait until you were at least twenty to share this with you, but out of respect. I think it has to be now.” Ping Zen took a seat and stroked the spine of the book he picked up. “I don’t know. I don’t know what you went through to cause you to mature like this, but it can’t be good. I tried to look, but your mother has always been good at cleaning up.”

“Would you tell me if I asked?”

Bai Li remained silent. What could he say? His maturity came from a lifetime of bad experiences.

Ping Zen took note of his silence. Shaking his head, “Never mind, never mind. It is in the past. What can talking about it now change? It is five years early, but...”

Bai Li felt a sharp twinge in his chest. He remembered being called home. His grandfather had said he wanted to talk about his legacy. Bai Li had taken that to mean they were going to talk about who would inherit Wen Shi.

“What are you going to do about Wen Shi?” Bai Li couldn’t stop the question from leaving his mouth.

“What is there to do?” Ping Zen knew what he was asking. “If you want the company, you can have it. If not, leave it to your siblings. If they don’t want to inherit the company, there are many capable people to choose from. We can hire someone to manage it.”

“That is what I hired your father for when it was clear that An An wasn’t interested. Who knew that she would take such an unhealthy interest in him.” Ping Zen aged as he spoke.

“Your father is not a bad man, but he is not the person I would have chosen for my daughter. You are smart enough to know why your father agreed. I knew it would never work and that it would end badly when it didn’t.” Ping Zen gave a mirthless chuckle.

“You don’t care about Wen Shi?” Bai Li pushed, unsure of what answer he wanted to hear.

“I care. It is my life’s work. I invested more of my life into the company than anything else in my life, but it was mine. I achieved what I wanted to. I have no reason to insist anyone else keep it up. If that was the case, wouldn’t I have insisted you be named Ping?”

Bai Li slumped into his seat. His world views were being torn to pieces. Ping An made it all up? She was the only one who stressed the importance of Wen Shi.

Wen Shi was needed to control Bai TAo. If Bai Li didn’t fight for the company, wouldn’t his mother lose her hold of Bai Tao?

The clouds parted and a light shined through. The reason she made him terrified of his grandfather was clear. Ping Zen would have set Bai Li free.

His whole life would have been different if he had sat and had one conversation with his grandfather.