As a Scummy Omega, I Ran Away with the Baby - Chapter 43

Because of the anniversary, the company already had several major projects scheduled to go live. Thanks to Bei Nanyan, they now also had to deal with a public-opinion crisis at the same time.

Yes—an investigation report had been submitted the day before yesterday, and just as Gu Yining had said, every piece of evidence pointed squarely at Bei Nanyan. She had been careful, though—cunning enough that there was almost no real way to hold her legally accountable.

If they sued for defamation, it would be extremely easy for the prosecution to spot weaknesses. If they lost, the cost would far outweigh any gain.

If they sued for leaking commercial secrets, it would amount to admitting the authenticity of those materials.

The investigation team held several meetings, and every conclusion came back the same: the only option was to settle privately. Grit their teeth and swallow it—there was no other way. Bei Nanyan was nominally part of the management of a “friendly company,” but in reality she only represented herself. Even if they somehow sent her to jail for a few months or a few years, the actual impact on her would be minimal.

And if BaiXing pushed her too hard, who knew what she might release next—photos taken back when Bai Qingqiu had been dating her, or proof that Gu Yining had once provided evidence of their relationship. If she then steered the narrative toward “executive-level sexual misconduct,” the damage—to BaiXing, to Bai Qingqiu herself, and to Gu Yining—would be devastating.

This move of Bei Nanyan’s could hardly be called anything but a success.

The disgust ran so deep that Bai Qingqiu didn’t sleep for a whole week, tormented by the thought of how she could have once loved someone so vile.

No matter how strong a body was, it couldn’t withstand heavy workloads compounded by prolonged insomnia. Before stepping inside, Bai Qingqiu steadied herself, put on sunglasses to hide the dark circles beneath her eyes, and forced her steps to remain steady as she pushed open the door.

What greeted her was completely different from the quiet she had expected. Almost instantly, Bai Xia’s excited shriek rang out beside her ear.

It was Gu Yining.

The two—mother and daughter—were chasing each other around the living room in circles, laughing and playing. Gu Yining deliberately slowed her pace, timing it so that just as Bai Xia was about to grab the hem of her clothes, she would speed up again. That almost-but-not-quite distance sent Bai Xia into fits of giggles.

As far as Bai Qingqiu could remember, this was the first time she had ever seen Bai Xia laugh so freely at home. Aunt Han spent most of her time accompanying Bai Xia, but she worried about her falling, worried that running around like this would disrupt Bai Qingqiu’s work—she would never play like this with her in the house.

Bai Xia was the first to spot Bai Qingqiu at the door. She launched herself forward on her short little legs, crashing into her mother’s legs and hugging them tight.

“Mommy!”

“Mm.”

Bai Qingqiu responded softly, bending down to touch the little one’s sweat-damp forehead. Seeing this, Bai Xia stretched herself up on tiptoe, rubbing the top of her head against Bai Qingqiu’s palm.

“Did I grow taller?” she asked, her small face full of anticipation.

That question stopped Bai Qingqiu short. She couldn’t even remember how tall Bai Xia had been before—how could she possibly tell whether she’d grown?

Gu Yining, blind she was not, had already noticed Bai Qingqiu long ago. Taking advantage of the brief silence, she stepped out from behind Bai Xia and gave her a small nod.

“She almost caught me just now,” Gu Yining said casually. “She runs really fast.”

With that, she effortlessly shifted the topic.

A truly sly adult.

The little one, of course, had no idea. If anything, the new topic made her even happier.

“That’s right! Mommy, did you see? I was just this close to catching Aunt Gu!” As she spoke, she pinched her little fingers together, showing a tiny gap.

“Well done,” Bai Qingqiu replied stiffly. After that, she didn’t quite know what else to say—she had never been very good at interacting with Bai Xia.

“Mommy has work to do now. How about Aunt takes you to the playroom to build with blocks?” Gu Yining glanced at her and lifted the little girl into her arms.

“Okay.” Bai Xia nodded obediently from Gu Yining’s embrace, saying nothing more as she let herself be carried upstairs. At the last moment, though, she couldn’t help but turn her head back to look at Bai Qingqiu.

Bai Qingqiu curled her lips into a faint smile in response.

The two separated just like that, without even exchanging greetings, tacitly agreeing not to mention what had happened before.

Gu Yining sat cross-legged beside the pile of blocks, watching leisurely as Bai Xia excitedly spread out her instruction sheet and began stacking. Taking care of her really was easy—now that Bai Xia was absorbed in her blocks, Gu Yining finally had some quiet time to empty her mind.

Nearly a month had passed since that interview. In the meantime, she hadn’t contacted Bai Qingqiu again. Today, with no scheduled work and a rare day off, she had come by to see Bai Xia.

She hadn’t expected to run straight into Bai Qingqiu.

The public-opinion crisis had mostly been handled. Time had passed, the heat had died down, and there were hardly any bystanders still paying attention. That made the PR work easy, and there was little left for her to worry about. As for Bei Nanyan, the instigator behind it all, Gu Yining hadn’t heard anything about her being punished or even called in by her company for a talk.

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

Faced with this entirely predictable outcome, Gu Yining couldn’t help but sigh. Bai Qingqiu really did love Bei Nanyan. After all the effort BaiXing had poured into damage control and official statements, the whole affair had simply drifted away—light as a feather, treated as though it had never existed at all.

They didn’t even bother sending a lawyer’s letter.

Well—when you’re the boss’s true love, that’s just how things are.

So, Gu Yining had no intention of asking Bai Qingqiu about it. First, it had nothing to do with her. Second, she didn’t want to get her eyes blinded by the happiness of those two.

She might as well hold her daughter and steal a few extra kisses. Nothing else really mattered.

In truth, all the chaos Bei Nanyan stirred up hadn’t been entirely pointless for her. Yes—if something was to happen to BaiXing or Bai Qingqiu again, she would still help if it was within her power. But she had finally, completely come to terms with where she stood.

Before, she would say things like ah well, it was all fake anyway—yet the moment Bai Qingqiu showed her even the slightest kindness, she’d start overthinking everything again.

This time, though, she had truly let go. Earnestly. Completely.

Gu Yining pulled her thoughts back, propped her chin on her hand, and tilted her head to admire the little person’s grand creation: half a ship, with a mast that leaned slightly to one side.

“Are you thirsty?” she asked, looking at the little face still faintly flushed.

The little one, immersed in her blocks, paused and thought for a moment.

“A little.”

“Then be good and keep building by yourself for a bit, okay? Aunt will go get you some milk.”

“Okay.”

Gu Yining stood up and gently ruffled the child’s soft hair, then turned to ask Aunt Han where the milk was.

The house Bai Qingqiu and Bai Xia lived in now was no longer the villa in G City from five years ago. Aside from being just as spacious, Gu Yining hadn’t found a single familiar detail yet. That morning, Aunt Han had taken her on a brief tour, so she had a rough idea of where the rooms were.

She turned into the corridor, recalling which direction the kitchen was in—when her peripheral vision caught sight of a figure inside a room on the left, its door standing open.

Aunt Han?

Gu Yining stopped and leaned forward to peer inside.

Before she even had time to process what she was seeing, she was already striding into the room.

Bai Qingqiu was slumped over the desk, face pale and utterly motionless, as though devoid of life. Gu Yining’s heart clenched, pounding wildly—she thought something terrible had happened.

Only when she drew closer did she see Bai Qingqiu’s slender back rise and fall faintly with each shallow breath. Her face was pressed against a stack of documents, exhaustion written plainly across it, dark shadows stark beneath her eyes.

No wonder she was still wearing sunglasses after getting home.

In her rush earlier, Gu Yining hadn’t noticed how close she was now. She could see Bai Qingqiu’s curled lashes tremble slightly in her light sleep—and there was even a faint, cool magnolia scent lingering in the air.

She was so exhausted she couldn’t even keep her pheromones under control.

Gu Yining’s alpha instincts reacted instantly to the scent, a sudden wave of heat surging through her body. She turned her head away, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed the physiological impulse. Without letting her thoughts wander, she slipped an arm beneath Bai Qingqiu’s armpits and lifted her into her arms.

She was astonishingly light.

Moving carefully, Gu Yining carried her toward the room on the other side of the study. The layout seemed intentional—clearly designed so Bai Qingqiu could lie down and sleep immediately after working.

Even with her steps softened to the utmost, Bai Qingqiu—whose sleep had never been deep—unconsciously furrowed her brows.

Gu Yining held her breath and slowed even more, easing her down onto the bed bit by bit. It had been years since she’d done something like this, and she was a little out of practice. The final movement landed slightly too hard, and Bai Qingqiu’s eyelids fluttered as though she was about to wake.

Gu Yining froze, suspended mid-motion, not daring to move again.

Then Bai Qingqiu shifted, turned to a more comfortable position, and sank into the soft mattress, falling back asleep.

Gu Yining finally let out a quiet breath.

Standing by the bed, she watched Bai Qingqiu’s restless sleeping face. The magnolia scent still seemed to linger in the crook of her arm. Her body remained affected by the pheromones—but at this moment, she felt like an outsider looking in.

Aside from the purely physiological response caused by their mutual attraction, there was nothing else stirring within her. Even earlier, when Bai Qingqiu had been in her arms, not a single ripple of longing or imagination had surfaced in her heart.

Bai Qingqiu shifted again, one pale arm slipping out from beneath the covers. The blanket fell aside, revealing most of her body.

Gu Yining bent down to tuck her in. Her fingertips brushed lightly against Bai Qingqiu’s warm, delicate cheek. She didn’t pause—as though she hadn’t touched her at all—and efficiently pulled the edge of the blanket back over her.

Pheromones could still provoke a physical reaction—but beyond that, the faint hope that had lingered in her heart for five long years, haunting her in sleepless nights, was quietly dissolving in the face of this reunion.

With no more unrealistic fantasies, there was nothing left to overthink.

After finishing everything, Gu Yining withdrew silently. She made no sound and did not look back.

And so, she never saw the eyes that slowly opened beneath the covers.