She hadn't felt bad about airing her dirty laundry for so long, but in front of this man who had poured his blood, sweat, and tears into building a company, she felt ashamed for pulling such a trick. The news would cause trouble for Bai Yu as well.

  "Don't be. I thought you did well," he said with a sigh. "I didn't—" he cut the sentence off. "I must tell you… I didn't know that you were unwilling to marry my son. I thought the arrangement was made with your consent."

  "You couldn't have known I was unwilling," Qian Meng stated.

  "But I did know you were unwilling after that sham of a dinner," he stated. "I didn't try to do anything to come to your defense. I stood by and watched you make your way out." He rubbed his eyes.

  He suddenly looked tired.

  "It is your family. I am an unrelated person in all of this. You shouldn't have to come to my defense. I would expect those related to me by blood to do that." Qian Meng smiled.

  "Yes, but I can see it is taking a toll on you. And I came here today to…" he shook his head.

  "Do you want to play a game of chess?" Qian Meng asked when she knew Bai Yu was having a hard time saying his real intentions.

  His eyes glittered with excitement.

  "I didn't know you know how to play chess!" he exclaimed. Qian Meng stood up and found her chess set.

  "Yes, I played as a child. I like the role of mathematics and logical reasoning used to play. I play on my own at times when I am having a hard time figuring something out. It helps me decide what to do next." She showed him the set before placing it on the table.

  "You have the same hobby as me, then. I play with the elderly men in my neighborhood. I suppose I am at the age where associating with them is the only source of entertainment."

  Qian Meng smiled despite the underlying meaning. Bai Yu was a family-oriented man and he had slowly distanced himself from them because he couldn't stand to be around them for long periods of time.

  "You should come to play a hand with me if you feel bored."

  The game began and they were playing when Bai Yu started to speak again.

  "Can you tell me everything my son did?" he asked.

  Qian Meng's finger hovered over a piece. She grabbed it and moved it to a better position.

  Bai Yu looked up. "Well played." And then he stared at her.

  "Do you really want to know?" she asked. "You're his father and you want to be on his side. I understand," she said.

  "Tell me," he pressed.

  Qian Meng stood up and produced the file with all the information in it. "Mr. Bai, I am trusting you with this information." She handed it over to him.

  He moved his chess piece and then opened the file. It took him a solid ten minutes to read through the whole thing and his eyes filled with unshed tears. He pressed his palms against his eyes and Qian Meng felt a pang of sadness.

  He sniffed for a minute before he wiped the tears away.

  "Thank you for trusting me." He paused. "Can I… can I ask you not to reveal the bits about the gross criminal activity?"

  Qian Meng froze. "I… I wasn't going to use that information." She felt worse that this man was defending his son despite the evil things he had done. But this was family, right? Covering for one another at all costs.

  Qian Meng clenched her fists. "I am going to reveal the information related to him following me and gaslighting the other women. Things to do with me and why I felt it was right to destroy his car." She blinked and waited for his response.

  "Did he really sell drugs and associate with such people?" he whispered.

  "He did. The information comes from a very reputable source," Qian Meng informed. "I understand that you feel like you should save your son, but…"

  Bai Yu sat up.

  "You think he should be held accountable, don't you?" he asked.

  Qian Meng did not respond. "I find it strange that your eldest son, Bai Wenxi, passed away from a heart failure even though he was healthy." She gave him a pointed look.

  Bai Yu let out a shuddering breath. "Ye Qing isn't intelligent enough to pull that off," he said in a low voice.

  "Yes, he isn't," Yun Qian Meng felt a smirk after hearing Mr. Bai speaking poorly of his own son. "But the internet is an enriching place. You can get away with most things. Did something happen before he passed away?" she asked.

  She felt bad for planting the seeds of doubt in Bai Yu's mind.

  The older man's eyes flashed. "Wenxi spoiled him. He was the one who asked me to let Ye Qing work in the company. And he placed Ye Qing in a high position even though he was not qualified. I asked Wenxi not to do so because employee morale would fall, but my eldest son really loved his brother and wanted to help him start anew."

  "And what do you think that does to a person? Especially one with an inferiority complex like your youngest?" Yun Qian Meng prompted.

  "We created a monster. Wenxi allowed his brother to see power and success up close and he wanted more. He asked for things and he received it without question… and I think he forgot that he was not the person who worked to get there."

  "He thought he had earned his success by his own merit," Qian Meng ended with a bang.

  Mr. Bai looked up.

  "Wenxi was going to inherit the company. I was ready to slowly hand over all executive power to him and retire," he sighed. "Wenxi had the ability to make the company into something big. Better than I could have ever made it on my own." He looked into the distance, remembering something.