If You Could Hear My Heart

"I'll pick you up." Shen Chi's large hand reached into the bathtub, scooping her out of the water.

"Mmm..." Xu Chaomu hooked her arms around Shen Chi's neck, "I've been able to eat and sleep well recently, will you despise me for that?"

"Aren't you still Xu Chaomu?" Shen Chi curled his lips into a smile.

"True, I'm younger than you anyway, so if someone is going to get fat and old, it'll start with you."

"..." Shen Chi gave her a disdainful look, "Your husband is much more diligent than you."

Shen Chi lifted her out of the bathtub, dried her off, and helped her into her pajamas.

Xu Chaomu, clutching the soft comforter, patted the space beside her: "Husband, come to bed."

Shen Chi laughed, looking at Xu Chaomu in her pink pajamas, he turned his face and kissed her, then casually turned off the bedside lamp.

In the darkness, Xu Chaomu wrapped her arms around his neck and soon fell asleep.

Shen Chi patted her back, gently soothing her. After she fell asleep, his large hand caressed her belly, where a little life, their child, was growing.

In the deep of the night, he thoroughly enjoyed such moments.

Remembering the years she had been away, he felt like a lost soul, often inexplicably restless at night, unable to sleep, only finding numbness in alcohol.

Later, he would have headaches at night and couldn't sleep soundly no matter what.

Having her by his side is the greatest happiness and peace.

...

A few days later, Shen Chi made a trip to the Bai Family.

Bai Xuan was sitting on the balcony reading the newspaper; his complexion had improved somewhat. The servants said he often came out for walks, but he would always gaze at the family portrait on the wall and zone out.

Shen Chi knew, even though Bai Xuan's love for Xu Mengxi was deeper than the sea, he couldn't let go of nearly thirty years of marital life.

After all, Bai Xuan had lived with Jiang Zhilan and Bai Man for so many years, and moreover, Bai Xuan was very fond of Bai Man.

From childhood to adulthood, Bai Man had the best of everything.

It was a natural feeling, one Shen Chi couldn't meddle in. However, his eyes couldn't tolerate a speck of sand.

"President Shen." The bodyguard at the door greeted with respect.

Shen Chi strode into the living room, Bai Xuan heard the noise and looked up.

"President Shen." Bai Xuan also called out, putting aside his newspaper.

Shen Chi directly sat down on the sofa opposite Bai Xuan, glanced at him, and said indifferently: "I'm here to have a few words with you."

Shen Chi's expression was calm, and there was not much panic visible on Bai Xuan's face.

Bai Xuan nodded: "Go ahead."

Shen Chi took out a voice recorder from his pocket, switched it on, and the processed voice immediately began to play.

The recording was filled with brutality and ferocity, repeatedly reminding Xu Chaomu of the past.

Bai Xuan's face changed then, looking at Shen Chi in surprise: "President Shen, what is this?"

"An ill-intentioned person sent it to threaten Chaomu, but I intercepted it," Shen Chi told him truthfully while keeping his eyes fixed on Bai Xuan.

The surprise and shock on Bai Xuan's face didn't seem feigned, and Shen Chi also knew that this matter was unlikely to be known to Bai Xuan.

"President Shen, have you found out who it was?" Bai Xuan asked nervously.

Xu Chaomu was his biological daughter, and although there wasn't much affection between them, Bai Xuan didn't want Xu Chaomu to have a hard time.

"It's your darling daughter." Shen Chi purposefully tested the waters.

"Manman? Impossible, she has reformed, she promised me." Bai Xuan didn't believe it.

"I had Xiao Mo trace it through the package tracking number. If you don't believe it, I'm not going to force you to. But, if Chaomu is threatened for even a day, I can't just stand by and do nothing!" Shen Chi said gravely, exuding an intimidating presence without anger.

"What do you plan to do..."

"Chaomu has visited a few times, and on one issue, she and I hold the same principles, you tell me Bai Man's whereabouts." Shen Chi said.

Bai Xuan shook his head: "President Shen, can you spare Manman this time? I don't believe that she sent this to Chaomu, after all, they are half-sisters by the same father."

"Sisters?" Shen Chi found the word amusing, "Have you ever seen a sister who tries her best to have her younger sibling killed?"

"I..." Bai Xuan was suddenly silenced.

"Chaomu is also your daughter, don't you consider her at all? Moreover, she is now the mother of two children."

Bai Xuan held his head, his face showing a troubled expression.

He remembered the last time Xu Chaomu brought Xiaobao over, the little guy calling him "grandpa" repeatedly; didn't he feel touched? Yes, he did, he even cried.

But afterwards, he thought for a long time, if he handed over Bai Man, she would surely have no way out. She would end up just like her mother Jiang Zhilan, spending her life in prison.

This seemed to be the best outcome, after all.

Both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh; Bai Xuan really couldn't make the decision easily.

"If Chaomu heard this kind of recording, you should know what the consequences would be!" Shen Chi said angrily, "She is eight months pregnant now, she can't take any stress at all!"

Although Xu Chaomu is not as delicate as other pregnant women, she still has emotions.

"This time it's a package, what about next time? Have you considered that?" Shen Chi asked.

Bai Xuan's heart twitched, he slowly said: "I... can I have some more time to think about it?"

He really couldn't make a decision, it was just too hard...

"No!" This time, Shen Chi refused with righteous indignation.

Xu Chaomu had given Bai Xuan many chances, all because she still recognized that Bai Xuan was her biological father, but now that Bai Man had gone too far, he could no longer turn a blind eye!

Many things that Xu Chaomu couldn't do, Shen Chi could.

Bai Xuan looked at Shen Chi's face with a bit of astonishment, Shen Chi was unyielding, allowing no room for negotiation.

Bai Xuan was silent for a long time, and for a moment, the living room was quiet, with only the sound of the ticking clock.

After a long, long time, its duration uncertain, Bai Xuan finally stood up.

He walked to the upstairs bedroom, while Shen Chi poured himself a cup of tea and slowly savored it.

By the time Bai Xuan came back down, he had a card in his hand.

"President Shen, this is the address, and... the inner residence phone number," Bai Xuan passed the card to Shen Chi with a tinge of sorrow.

Shen Chi took the card, which turned out to have an address in Singapore.

A small island in Singapore, a place he had never visited. Indeed, a well-hidden sanctuary.

"President Shen, I have an unreasonable request, though I know I have no right to ask," Bai Xuan said, "Seeing as you and Manman grew up together, could you give her a chance to reform? Spare her a life sentence if you can?"

"How many chances to reform have I given her over these seven years?" Shen Chi stared into Bai Xuan's eyes.

He placed the card in his suit pocket, his tone cold and merciless.

"This time, I believe she truly will reform. Every time she calls me, she says she's scared and won't do any unjust and inhumane acts again," Bai Xuan pleaded.