As a Scummy Omega, I Ran Away with the Baby - Chapter 60 (THE END)

With the two of them present, the dishes in front of Bai Qingqiu were certainly insufficient. Even though Gu Yining and Bai Xia had grabbed a quick bite at the airport, it was only a little—just enough to stave off hunger and make it to the plane.

So, Gu Yining took charge, pulling out her phone to order a full spread: seafood, braised pork knuckles, stews—everything one could want. It was all packaged in plastic takeout containers, yet somehow, it looked just like a proper New Year’s Eve feast.

Bai Xia dove in enthusiastically, her mouth covered in sauce, beaming with pure delight.

Gu Yining and Bai Qingqiu, of course, weren’t children. They picked up their chopsticks, selecting morsels that caught their interest, chewing quietly. Trying to ease the atmosphere, Gu Yining picked a casual topic and asked,

“Aunt Han? Why isn’t she here?”

“It’s the New Year. I sent her home,” Bai Qingqiu replied, her tone flat, showing no fluctuation.

“Oh.” Gu Yining smiled awkwardly, realizing she had asked a foolish question. Of course—she’d forgotten. They didn’t have much family, but Aunt Han did.

Distracted, Gu Yining ate a few bites, hesitating as to whether she should ask further. Yet the moment felt fleeting, as if asking now might never feel appropriate. So, she took a deep breath, slowly setting down her chopsticks, and lifted her gaze to meet Bai Qingqiu across the table.

This question wasn’t just about tonight’s meal—it was about all those countless days that should have been spent in family togetherness.

Bai Qingqiu’s hand tightened imperceptibly around her chopsticks. She hadn’t expected Gu Yining to ask such a blunt, piercing question. Her otherwise graceful brows furrowed instinctively.

She didn’t answer immediately. Her eyes lowered, and Gu Yining could see nothing of her emotions.

The silence pressed down on Gu Yining like a boulder.

Just as she was about to resign herself to the silence, preparing to laugh it off and move past the topic, Bai Qingqiu finally spoke.

“I’m used to it.”

Those four words were far more heartbreaking than any elaborate answer could have been.

They pierced Gu Yining’s memory like a needle, recalling her own mother’s passing and the lonely nights she had spent in empty rooms, pretending everything was normal. She had once given the same answer when others expressed concern. It was a revelation: even a woman who appeared to have everything had tasted the same kind of solitude. The scars she thought long healed suddenly resonated with Bai Qingqiu’s loneliness, aching faintly but unmistakably.

Bai Xia, though too young to understand the undercurrents between the adults, sensed the shift in atmosphere. She set down her spoon, looking from one to the other, scratching her head. Instinctively, she felt she needed to do something to bring back their happiness.

Then she came up with a solution that, in her mind, could fix everything.

“Mommy, Aunt, can we all sleep together tonight? Just like in cartoons—one big bed, all of us together!”

The suggestion left the two adults frozen for a moment.

A trace of hesitation and awkwardness crossed Gu Yining’s face. She didn’t know how to respond to her daughter’s seemingly naive wish, which carried far more longing than it appeared.

Before she could formulate a reply, Bai Qingqiu, sitting across from her, spoke first.

“Yes.”

Gu Yining looked up in surprise, meeting Bai Qingqiu’s eyes—firm, unequivocal, and decisive.

And so, with Bai Xia’s gleeful cheers, the plan was set.

After washing up, Gu Yining held Bai Xia’s little hand—dressed in her dinosaur pajamas—and walked into Bai Qingqiu’s bedroom.

Bai Qingqiu had already changed into her own sleepwear, half-reclining against the headboard, absorbed in a document. Even as they entered, she didn’t lift her eyes.

Gu Yining held Bai Xia’s warm, soft hand and felt suddenly unsure. Should she climb onto the bed, or make an excuse to leave? She even regretted not refusing her daughter’s seemingly ridiculous proposal immediately.

Bai Xia, of course, had none of these adult hesitations. After confirming that Gu Yining wouldn’t move, she confidently wriggled free, climbing onto the bed with practiced ease and planting herself in the center—the most advantageous spot.

“Aunt! Come up quickly!”

She patted the empty space beside her, beckoning Gu Yining.

Gu Yining’s cheeks flushed. She glanced subtly at Bai Qingqiu, watching for a reaction.

Bai Qingqiu, previously reclining against the headboard, shifted imperceptibly to the other side, making room.

But she was supposed to be reading a document, how did she know?

And the meaning behind that small movement was clear—Bai Qingqiu was granting her permission, without hesitation.

Gu Yining’s heart skipped a beat. She exhaled, awkwardly removing her slippers, lifting the corner of the blanket, and climbed onto the bed, meeting Bai Xia’s expectant gaze.

The mattress was soft, cradling her with a comforting embrace.

To her left lay Bai Xia, satisfied and clutching at her aunt’s clothes.

To her right, Bai Qingqiu.

Her familiar, yet strangely distant scent of magnolia filled the space between them, clearer and more intrusive than ever before, seeping into Gu Yining’s senses, stirring her heart.

Though separated physically by a child, the three of them felt an unprecedented closeness—a proximity measured not in distance but in emotion.

Gu Yining closed her eyes, clutching the blanket instinctively. In the darkness, her heartbeat gradually slowed. Even the magnolia scent, once disorienting, now felt as if it had merged naturally with the air—soft, subtle. A rare, unshakable sense of calm, like a warm tide, slowly enveloped her.

Before sleep took her, she vaguely heard the soft chatter of Bai Qingqiu and Bai Xia. She couldn’t make out the words—yet it felt like nothing had changed, as though they were dreaming.

A night without dreams.

New Year’s Day had arrived—a day symbolizing beginnings.

Gu Yining slowly opened her eyes, still groggy, and almost instinctively met Bai Qingqiu’s gaze.

She lay on her side. Perhaps from just waking, the usual restraint and emotional distance in Bai Qingqiu’s eyes had melted away, leaving only warmth.

Suddenly, their eyes locked.

“Happy New Year.”

Bai Qingqiu spoke first, breaking the silence charged with subtle emotion.

“Happy New Year,” Gu Yining replied softly.

They exchanged a glance, wordlessly, and turned their attention to Bai Xia, sleeping in the middle, blissfully unaware of everything around her. She sprawled across the bed, her hair tousled, some strands sticking to her face and pillow.

It was Bai Xia’s birthday—a second birthday with Gu Yining, and the first she celebrated with both of them together.

Gu Yining reached out, brushing her fingers gently over her daughter’s soft, warm face.

“Shall we give her a surprise today?” she whispered, pausing, and didn’t finish the sentence.

The unsaid part: if she could celebrate her birthday with both of them, Bai Xia would be overjoyed.

Bai Qingqiu didn’t answer immediately, but looked at her again.

Gu Yining was momentarily caught off guard.

Bai Qingqiu lowered her gaze and said softly,

“Thank you for yesterday.”

Gu Yining opened her mouth, intending to reply, perhaps to say it wasn’t necessary, or to shift the credit to Bai Xia—her daughter truly had wanted to see her and surprise her mother.

Yet the words wouldn’t come.

Gu Yining lowered her eyes, holding Bai Xia’s tiny hand. The child murmured softly in her sleep, yet didn’t wake. A smile of instinctive fondness appeared on Gu Yining’s face. She placed Bai Xia’s hand atop Bai Qingqiu’s resting hand.

The three hands overlapped.

Gu Yining felt Bai Qingqiu tense slightly, but she didn’t pull away.

“We should be together,” Gu Yining whispered, watching their hands stacked. The invisible stone that had pressed on her heart finally seemed to dissolve—perhaps at their reunion on New Year’s Eve, perhaps when she heard the words “I’m used to it,” or perhaps in this very moment, as their hands joined.

She paused, lifting her head to look directly at the woman before her.

“Today, let’s give Bai Xia a proper birthday celebration, okay?”

She asked softly.

Bai Qingqiu’s gaze slowly shifted from their intertwined hands to meet Gu Yining’s clear, determined eyes.

After a long moment, it seemed Bai Qingqiu finally found her voice.

“Okay.”

Even though many event planning companies weren’t taking orders due to the New Year holiday, a fivefold fee secured one that could set up the venue within five hours.

As the plan kicked off, Gu Yining woke Bai Xia early. After washing up and enjoying the breakfast delivery, Bai Xia was whisked out under the pretense of a trip to the amusement park. Meanwhile, Bai Qingqiu stayed behind at the villa to coordinate with the event company, finalizing plans and supervising the setup.

A perfect division of labor.

So, when Bai Xia, sweaty and exhilarated from her morning of play, returned to the villa and saw the party—complete with her friends from kindergarten—she nearly flew out of Gu Yining’s arms with excitement.

At the party’s finale, Bai Xia held Bai Qingqiu’s hand in one hand and Gu Yining’s in the other as she approached the cake.

Candles were already lit, with a candle shaped like the number six flickering, casting a warm glow across Bai Xia’s small face, making her eyes sparkle.

“Make a wish, little birthday star,” Gu Yining crouched down to her daughter’s level.

Seeing this, Bai Qingqiu also held Bai Xia’s hand and squatted down beside her.

Bai Xia gripped both their hands tightly, turned her head back and forth, and took a deep breath like a tiny adult. She released their hands, closed her eyes, clasped her small hands together, and her innocent little face radiated determination.

Under the watchful eyes of her mother and friend, Bai Xia boldly declared her birthday wish.

“I hope the three of us can always, always be together!”

Her words hung in the air. Both Bai Qingqiu and Gu Yining froze, their smiles stiffening at the corners of their mouths.

Bai Xia opened her eyes, beaming as she leaned toward the cake, blew out the candles, and, amidst everyone’s cheers, gleefully picked up the knife to cut the cake.

The two adults came back to themselves and helped Bai Xia serve the cake to all the guests.

The party continued into the evening. Event staff escorted departing guests, and the cleaning crew began tidying the scattered remnants of the celebration.

Gu Yining held Bai Xia, who was so tired her eyelids were drooping, and prepared to wash her up and put her to bed.

At the bathroom on the second floor, Bai Xia suddenly wrenched free from her hand, turned, and shouted toward the slim figure of Bai Qingqiu, who was heading back to the study to continue working.

“Mommy!”

Bai Qingqiu stopped mid-step, turned, and walked over, slightly puzzled.

“What is it?”

Gu Yining, equally unsure, crouched to look at her daughter, waiting for her to explain.

Bai Xia’s eyes darted between them, scanning for a long moment before she asked, a little hesitantly,

“Will my wish come true?” she asked in a soft, hopeful voice.

The question instantly made the air feel heavy and tense.

Gu Yining instinctively looked at Bai Qingqiu.

At the same time, Bai Qingqiu met her gaze.

In each other’s eyes, they saw the same mixture of helplessness and complexity—but also a bittersweet excitement, a fluttering that mirrored their own.

The carefully hidden scars seemed to ache faintly once more.

They smiled at each other without a word. In that moment, something unspoken crystallized in both their hearts.

It was clear—they both knew the answer to Bai Xia’s wish could never truly be fulfilled.

Yet that also meant.

It wasn’t a denial.

And it wasn’t a promise, either.

Bai Xia was reluctantly coaxed to sleep by Gu Yining.

Once the child was asleep, the two adults felt no drowsiness. The villa staff had efficiently finished cleaning and departed.

Rather than sitting in the living room watching boring TV, they went out, strolling along the tree-lined path of the neighborhood. In winter, the trees were bare, and a light snowfall had dusted the ground; each step produced a faint crunch.

They chatted idly about Bai Xia—her exaggerated reactions to the gifts, the looming decision of whether to attend a happiness-focused international school or a more academically rigorous private school—creating a calm, comfortable atmosphere.

Suddenly, from a nearby bush came a sharp rustling, followed by a shadow darting straight toward them.

“Watch out!”

In that instant, instinct overrode everything.

Without a thought, Gu Yining yanked Bai Qingqiu behind her, using her body as a shield.

Almost simultaneously, Bai Qingqiu instinctively reached out, trying to pull Gu Yining away from the path of danger.

In the chaos, sight was useless, but touch was vivid. Their hands clutched each other automatically, palms pressed together, fingers interlaced perfectly.

The shadow had no interest in them. It streaked past their feet and disappeared into another patch of bushes a short distance away. Moonlight revealed it to be nothing more than a large stray cat, startled by their footsteps.

A false alarm.

Silence lingered for a few moments, then both women couldn’t help but laugh. But immediately, they realized their hands were still tightly clasped.

Gu Yining instinctively tried to pull her hand away.

But this time, Bai Qingqiu did not let go.

Her long, slender fingers closed slightly, gripping Gu Yining’s hand firmly, refusing to release it. Silently, she led the way forward, hand in hand.

The warmth from their connected palms and the insistence of her grip made Gu Yining’s resistance pointless. She let out a soft laugh, giving up the struggle. She looked up at Bai Qingqiu’s seemingly composed, upright back, and noticed the faint blush creeping along her ear.

Bai Qingqiu’s fair skin made the pink stand out vividly in the light and moonlight.

No words were needed. Gu Yining understood all her unspoken feelings. Their joined hands said more than a thousand confessions ever could.

Yet she refused to let Bai Qingqiu has her way.

A mischievous glint appeared in Gu Yining’s eyes. With a sharp tug, she pulled her hand free from Bai Qingqiu’s grip.

Bai Qingqiu froze mid-step.

She turned, eyes filled with shocked hurt, which she quickly masked with her habitual stubbornness. Pressing her lips together, she turned and strode off, brushing aside her sleeve.

Gu Yining, amused by her awkward mix of hurt and pride, couldn’t help but call after her, pointing toward the direction of the villa.

“Miss Bai, I think you’re going the wrong way—home is over there.”

Bai Qingqiu paused, her lips tight.

“I’m not going home. I just want to walk a bit, digest,” she said, pouting like a sulking child, continuing along the “wrong” path.

Gu Yining shrugged, saying nothing, and strolled slowly behind her.

Finally, Bai Qingqiu could no longer contain herself. She stopped abruptly, turned, and shot Gu Yining a glare, her tone sharp.

“Why are you following me?”

Gu Yining spread her hands, wearing an innocent yet roguish expression.

“I just happen to want to go this way too.”

Bai Qingqiu’s chest rose and fell in exasperation. With no way to argue, she turned her head, ignoring Gu Yining, and quickened her pace down the path.

Gu Yining, of course, had no intention of letting her be at peace—she had to stir the conversation. Walking behind, she sighed dramatically into the night air.

“Ah, some people say they like someone, but they really don’t like them at all. Probably just playing around. No patience whatsoever and the moment things don’t go their way, they throw a fit.”

Bai Qingqiu seemed not to hear her. She quickened her pace, showing no intention of stopping.

Gu Yining, unhurried, poured more fuel on the fire.

“Speaking of which, a few days ago, a particularly beautiful actress confessed to me. She’s gorgeous, gentle, considerate. I guess I’d still have to say—”

Before she could finish, Bai Qingqiu abruptly stopped in her tracks, spun around, and glared at her, exasperated yet somehow endearingly cute.

Gu Yining couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

She stepped closer, smiling playfully.

“What can I do? I’ve always been the one chasing. I just want to enjoy the feeling of being pursued for a change.”

Meeting Bai Qingqiu’s still-angry gaze, her voice softened without meaning to.

“And who knows? Maybe one day, after enough chasing, I’ll finally be certain that the person you like isn’t Bei Nanyan—but me, Gu Yining.”

Bai Qingqiu looked at her, took in the mischievous glint in her eyes, and the sincerity hidden beneath the joke. After a long pause, as if all her energy had drained away, she rolled her eyes in helpless resignation. Without a word, she turned and silently changed direction, heading home.

Gu Yining knew better than to push her too far. Grinning with satisfaction, she jogged a few steps to catch up, falling into step beside her once more.

Back at the villa, Bai Qingqiu, as always, headed to the study to work, while Gu Yining, exhausted from a full day of childcare, hurried to wash up and sleep.

That night, she had promised Bai Xia that the three of them would sleep together—so Bai Xia was still in Bai Qingqiu’s bed. Naturally, Gu Yining climbed into the same large bed, beside Bai Xia.

She found nothing unusual, yawned, and carefully eased herself down, lying beside her daughter, drifting into a deep sleep.

Half-asleep, she became aware of deliberately soft footsteps coming from the study. She assumed Bai Qingqiu had finished her work and returned to rest, so she didn’t think much of it and tried to go back to sleep.

But then, the bed beside her sank gently.

Bai Qingqiu had climbed in next to her.

Gu Yining’s heart skipped a beat, a jolt of delight shooting through her like electricity. She forced herself to keep her eyes closed, burying her face in the pillow, curling a quiet smile. Just barely, she opened a slit of an eye to peek.

The familiar scent of magnolia surrounded her.

She could feel Bai Qingqiu’s gaze resting on her forehead for a long, lingering moment.

Then, a soft, fleeting kiss touched her forehead.

Delicate, brief, like a dragonfly skimming water—here and gone in an instant.

As Bai Qingqiu was about to pull away, Gu Yining seized the rare opportunity. She opened her eyes fully, tilted her head, and returned the kiss—landing precisely on the corner of her mouth.

Bai Qingqiu froze, her entire body stiff. After a long moment, she whispered:

“You’re not asleep?”

Watching Bai Qingqiu flustered like this—a rare, helpless panic—Gu Yining grinned with satisfaction.

“An eye for an eye,” she said, winking mischievously like a cat who had just stolen a treat. “If someone sneaks a kiss, of course I have to kiss back, or it’s not fair.”

Bai Qingqiu finally realized that Gu Yining had been pretending to sleep the whole time! Half-amused, half-exasperated, she feigned anger and reached to tap her on the forehead.

Gu Yining, unfazed, met her with a teasing glance, silently daring her to do it.

Then, she mouthed the words slowly, deliberately:

“If—you—dare—to—tap me, I—might—not—accept—your—pursuit.”

Bai Qingqiu’s hand, hovering midair, could only fall helplessly onto Gu Yining’s head, gently stroking her hair.

Gu Yining grabbed her still-outstretched hand, rested her head naturally on Bai Qingqiu’s shoulder, and closed her eyes again.

The three of them lay together in the same bed, just like last night. But this time, everyone slept more peacefully, more securely.

Outside, the moonlight was gentle.

And their new story—one that belonged only to them—was just beginning.

THE END.