'It would have been better if Nanny Zhang had actually broken a bone. She would arrange for Shi Tou to be stolen, and he would end up being skinned alive. She also secretly put things in Grandpa and Grandma's food. Grandpa likes to drink, so she put cephalosporin in his sobering soup. In the end, even though Grandpa was saved, he had a stroke. The caregiver they hired was a distant relative of Nanny Zhang, who caused Grandpa to break both his legs.'
'Oh, and she misled Grandma into thinking she was the one who accidentally put the cephalosporin in. It made Grandma so depressed and miserable that she became bedridden, eventually dying on the eve of the apocalypse.'
Mr. and Mrs. Bai listened, their brows furrowed tightly. Li and Nanny Zhang had been with them since they were young, looking after them for most of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Bai thought they knew what kind of people the pair were. How could they possibly do something like this? Abusing Shi Tou was one thing; that was almost understandable, as Nanny Zhang considered all animals to be mere beasts, something they had noticed from time to time. But they held no deep-seated grudge. Why would they try to ruin the Bai family?
Bai Chen sighed to himself. 'Ye Yunyun might really be delusional. Once she's willing to speak, I should take her to see a doctor.'
'Hmm, maybe it would be better to see a doctor now? We need to fix this issue of her not wanting to talk first.'
'Uncle Li and Nanny Zhang watched me grow up. They're like family. How could they do something like this?'
Mr. Bai said, "Li, don't be in such a hurry to work. Let Nanny Zhang rest a while longer."
The butler said, "My wife is just a worrier. She's looked after you for most of your lives, and she's worried the other maids won't do a good job now that she's away. Especially with the Madam's rhinitis, she's afraid it'll flare up again with the change of seasons. She just wants to come back as soon as possible so she can have some peace of mind."
"If the Chairman doesn't let her work, she'll just stay at home and let her imagination run wild."
'Nanny Zhang only wants to come back to work so she can try to set up my aunt with her son. Besides, the reason Grandma's rhinitis keeps flaring up is that Nanny Zhang sewed willow catkins into her pillow.'
Ye Yunyun gritted her teeth.
'I hate them so much! Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, Mom, and Aunt are all so good to them, but they're just a pack of ungrateful wolves. Hmph! I'll go play in Grandma's room later and secretly tear her pillow to shreds. Let's see them try to explain that!'
'I wonder if I can change the plot... But honestly, even just delaying the ending would be good enough.'
Thinking of her family in this life, Ye Yunyun's gaze softened. In the short time they had spent together, she had already discovered that they genuinely treasured her.
Although their time together was short, she hoped that her family could live as happily as possible.
It was just... Ye Yunyun didn't want to reveal that she could speak, or that she knew about the plot.
'If I stop acting like a little fool, will everyone think I'm a freak?'
'Will they stop liking me?'
'If I'd known, I would have reincarnated sooner. A baby can't do much, but at least I could have warned my family earlier. I'd also be a child with normal intelligence and could have found a way to communicate with them.'
While her thoughts were running wild, she was pulled into a warm embrace.
It was her uncle.
Bai Chen said, "Li, I'll give you a half-day off. Go and check on Nanny Zhang. Listening to you, I realize we haven't handled this situation very well. You didn't request time off, but I shouldn't have just let you continue working like this. It was inconsiderate of me. No matter how dedicated you are, you must want to be with your wife while she's sick."
Mrs. Bai chimed in, "Haha, I'm not even as thoughtful as Bai Chen. That's right, Li. You said Nanny Zhang tends to let her imagination run wild, so it's a perfect time for you to go and have a talk with her."
The butler said, "But the young miss is here today. I'm afraid if I leave, no one will be here to properly look after the Chairman, the Madam, and the young ladies."
Mrs. Bai waved her hand. "Nonsense. Can't the three of us adults manage one child? You're on leave, effective immediately. Come back to work tomorrow."
After thanking them repeatedly, the butler had no choice but to leave.
Mrs. Bai leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on Ye Yunyun's soft cheek. "Sweetheart, you stay here and play with your uncle and Shi Tou. Grandma and Grandpa have something to take care of, so we'll be leaving for a moment, okay?"
Mrs. Bai took Mr. Bai's hand, but then she felt a tug on her skirt.
Surprised, she turned back to see Ye Yunyun reaching out a small hand, clutching the hem of her skirt.
The little girl tilted her head back, her face red with effort, her small fingers gripping the fabric tightly, refusing to let go.
'Ha! I can play with the doggy anytime. Right now, I need to go to Grandpa and Grandma's bedroom and tear up that pillow.'
Mrs. Bai felt a sense of resignation. All this talk of reincarnation and plots... she figured Bai Xi must have been listening to web novels without minding the child, and it had addled the poor girl's brain.
Still, if her little darling wanted to destroy a pillow, then let her. It wasn't like the family was short on pillows, and it would give her some exercise.
Bai Chen loosened his hold, and Ye Yunyun immediately scurried over to hug Mrs. Bai's leg, clinging to her with a determination that said she wouldn't let go.
Both exasperated and amused, Mrs. Bai led Ye Yunyun into the bedroom, with Mr. Bai and Bai Chen following behind.
Like a little bull, Ye Yunyun charged straight for the bed, only to trip and fall headfirst.
The members of the Bai family rushed over in alarm to help her up. After carefully checking her head for any injuries, they didn't dare let her run around anymore and placed her directly onto the bed.
Ye Yunyun put on a show of playing with the blankets for a moment before her mischievous little hands reached for the pillow.
The adults stood to the side, pretending to chat while secretly watching her.
Out of the corners of their eyes, they saw the little tyke's face turn red with exertion, but the pillow didn't budge at all.
Pfft.
'Darn it, I need to find some scissors.'
'Hmm... there are no scissors in Grandpa and Grandma's bedroom.'
'Maybe I should try using my teeth?'
And just like that, the little munchkin had stuffed a corner of the pillow into her mouth, and drool soon began to soak the fabric.
Mrs. Bai rushed forward. "You can't eat that!"
After quickly snatching the pillow from the little one's mouth, she took a pair of scissors out of a drawer. "Our little darling got this corner all dirty. I'd better just cut it off."
'Huh? Shouldn't she just wash it?'
'Why is Grandma acting so crazy?'
The rest of the Bai family complained inwardly: 'Who's the crazy one here? You start biting things at the drop of a hat. What a naughty child. Sigh.'
'Oh well. I guess I accomplished my goal by accident, hehe.'
Mrs. Bai's hand, holding the scissors, froze. Her expression darkened, but aware that Ye Yunyun was watching, she forced it to soften. "There are willow catkins inside the pillow."
'Great, Grandma found out!'
'Kick out the butler, punch out the relatives, and dominate the apocalypse!'
'Nnngh, okay, I'm daydreaming again.'
Bai Chen's face darkened as well. "I'll have someone check the security footage and see who's pulling their strings."
'It's the rival company and Grandpa's younger brother's family!'
Ye Yunyun blurted out the answer in her mind, even though she knew the adults couldn't hear her.
Mr. Bai's expression grew even colder as he thought of his biased mother and his good-for-nothing younger brother. For years, his brother had been coming to sponge off him, but he never thought he would dare to meddle with his own household.
"Jiao Jiao will be home from school soon," Bai Chen said. "Let's have her play with Xiao Yunduo. I need to talk to Mom and Dad about something."
Li and Nanny Zhang had been with the Bai family for a long time. Now that their impure motives were exposed, Mr. Bai, ever the businessman, was naturally going to retaliate viciously and turn the tables on them.