Chapter 85: Yi Bai’s Fury

"Auntie, what brings you here? Are you feeling unwell? Should I accompany you to see a doctor?" Zhou Hao hurried over and took hold of Yi Bai's mother.

"Don't grab me. I want to see that girl. If you won't tell me, someone else will. I know that girl's health isn’t good and she's in the hospital now—I just want to have a look, nothing more." Yi Bai's mother angrily shook off Zhou Hao's hand and peered into each room as she passed.

"Oh, Auntie, who’s spreading such irresponsible rumors? Fine, I’ll tell you the truth. That girl isn’t Yi Bai’s girlfriend; he hit her with his car, she fractured a bone, and now she’s in the hospital being treated. He has to be responsible, right? If you go over like this, what will she think?" Zhou Hao knew Yi Bai’s mother wouldn’t rest until she saw the girl herself, so he thought for a moment and said, "How about this—I’ll go with you. Just don’t say you’re Yi Bai’s mother, say you’re my relative, and we happened to meet in the hallway."

Yi Bai’s mother considered this and nodded her agreement.

Zhou Hao opened the door just as Chen Xin finished tidying up the table and was about to wash the lunchbox. She was a little taken aback to see Zhou Hao entering with an older woman.

"This is my aunt. I bumped into her in the corridor, so she came up for a visit." Chen Xin glanced at Zhou Hao, finding his explanation a bit odd, but since she knew Zhou Hao wouldn’t do anything inappropriate, she nodded and said she’d go wash the dishes, leaving Zhou Hao to pour a glass of water for the aunt.

Little Zhang Zhang, eager to help when his aunt mentioned water, fetched a paper cup from the bedside cabinet and headed for the hot water bottle.

"Hey, Zhang Zhang, leave it. Let Uncle pour." Zhou Hao quickly stopped the little boy and led him aside, then introduced Bai Mengqing to Yi Bai’s mother, "This is the girl Yi Bai hit. He’s busy with work and can’t come, so I’m helping him out by checking in."

After a few words, Yi Bai’s mother finally agreed to leave. Zhou Hao escorted her downstairs, and as they reached the lobby, she suddenly asked, "Xiao Hao, do you think this girl and Yi Bai might have a chance?"

Zhou Hao felt his head ache. Yi Bai’s mother behaved as if she were obsessed—every girl she saw seemed like a potential match for her son.

"Auntie, can’t you give Yi Bai some trust? The more you push, the more he’ll resist meeting girls. Yi Bai isn’t even that old. He’s already deputy captain at a young age, with limitless prospects. Once his career is stable, he’ll have no trouble finding a good girl. If you pressure him now, it’ll only make things worse."

Yi Bai’s mother murmured with grievance, "I just want him to marry soon. Is that so wrong? I don't even expect him to raise the child himself—I’ve said I’ll take care of the baby, they can focus on their careers, it won’t interfere with them."

"Auntie, that’s not how it works. Once married and with children, they’ll have attachments and family responsibilities. You can’t just hand the baby over and ignore everything else. Is it their child or yours? And Yi Bai, with his personality, do you really think he’d neglect his family? His pickiness is because he’s responsible toward his future family."

Zhou Hao thought to himself that Yi Bai’s mother was simply bored. All the retirees she spent her days with loved to brag about their husbands and children. Yi Bai was excellent in every way, but at twenty-seven or twenty-eight and still single, to others he seemed problematic. Originally, Yi Bai’s mother wasn’t bothered, but after hearing people nagging about it day after day, she unconsciously started believing her son’s lack of a relationship was an issue.

Just as they reached the main gate, Yi Bai sped over on his bike, his expression clearly sour.

"What’s wrong with you? Someone says something and you just rush over without thinking. Did you consider how this might affect her? Luckily Bai is single; if she had a boyfriend, you’d be causing them to break up!" Yi Bai was truly furious. His mother had become increasingly unreasonable lately—any casual conversation with a female colleague was, in her eyes, a budding romance.

"I—I was just anxious..."

"Does being anxious justify this? Let me tell you, I won’t date or marry in this lifetime. Do as you please." With that, Yi Bai turned and rode off, leaving a parting shot: tomorrow he’d move into the staff dormitory and wouldn’t be coming home again.

Yi Bai’s mother was stunned. She watched her son’s determined departure, then looked at Zhou Hao beside her, and tears began to flow.

"I—I didn’t mean it, I was just worried... He’s twenty-eight and still not dating. What would people think?"

Zhou Hao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn’t know how. Chen Xin, who had followed them, spoke up.

"Officer Yi is an independent person. He has his own plans for life. Matters of love can’t be scheduled. Sometimes, it’s all about fate—one look and you’re destined, but forcing it when there’s no fate only leads to breakups. Besides, he’s just twenty-eight, not forty-eight. Men in their thirties are still in their prime. How could he be considered problematic? Those who say such things are either stirring trouble or jealous of his career."

"Exactly," Zhou Hao chimed in quickly. "I was at Yi Bai’s workplace recently, and his supervisors really value him. They’re planning to groom him for bigger roles. If he got distracted by romance now, it might affect his whole future. Just let him get through these couple of years, build up his experience at work, and when he’s ready, whether he goes into administration or stays in the field, any girl would admire him even more."

"But, but then he’ll be over thirty..." In the old lady’s mind, thirty and above was the age of a hopeless bachelor. Her son was so outstanding—how could he still be single at thirty? Impossible!

Chen Xin sighed quietly and exchanged a glance with Zhou Hao. She knew she couldn’t help with this—pressuring someone to marry has always been impossible to stop. What could one do? Refuse to recognize your own mother because she pushes you to date and marry? That would be disastrous.

Zhou Hao forced himself to keep persuading, but seeing that Yi Bai’s mother was still hung up on the issue, he stopped and told Chen Xin he’d escort the old lady home. In her current state, he worried something might happen if she went back alone.

"Why were you gone so long? Weren’t you just supposed to hand the lunchbox to Secretary Zhou?" Bai Mengqing had already told Zhang Zhang a long story by the time Chen Xin returned to the ward, and she asked out of curiosity.

"Let me tell you, that old lady just now was Officer Yi Bai’s mother," Chen Xin didn’t plan to hide it from Bai Mengqing. "Guess what I overheard downstairs? Apparently someone saw Officer Yi escort you to the hospital and assumed you two were dating, so they privately notified the old lady to come and check things out."

Bai Mengqing was instantly dumbfounded.