There was a moment of silence on the other end of the call.That cold, mechanical voice still echoed in the air, like an invisible noose tightening around everyone's throat.
Li Chengyuan remained frozen.The phone was still pressed to his ear, but his eyes had gone hollow.His fingers trembled slightly, knuckles rigid, as if his entire body had turned to stone.
No one knew what he was thinking.
And just when everyone expected him to break down—or explode—my mother, Bai Wanyi, stepped forward.
She didn't cry.She didn't panic.Her tone didn't even waver.
She simply looked at Li Chengyuan and spoke, one word at a time:
"You must save Zeyang. It doesn't matter who's behind this. It doesn't matter how powerful they are. You must go."
Her voice was low and firm, like a blade in the cold night, cutting straight to the heart.
It was in that moment that I truly understood—This family wasn't being held together by my father's strength.It was her.Bai Wanyi.
Outsiders praised him as Chairman Li—a man of towering influence, capable of turning tides with a gesture.But those who were truly close to us knew:The foundation of the Li family had never been the surname Li, but the immense, deep-rooted legacy behind Bai Wanyi—the Bai family.
The Bai family was one of the city's oldest and most powerful clans.
Back in the late Qing dynasty, they had been salt merchants; by the Republican era, they had extended their reach into politics, business, and the military.Through every change of era, the Bai family never declined.They simply retreated into the shadows, embedding themselves in the city through legal firms, foundations, security agencies, and consultancy fronts.
They never appeared in the media, yet could sway the local economy with a whisper.They rarely spoke, but no one dared to disregard them.
And my mother, Bai Wanyi, was the direct descendant of the fourth generation—the true heiress.
That night, she wore a simple black dress and stood beneath the light, her expression sharp and cold as a blade.She stared at Li Chengyuan and spoke evenly, without haste—but her voice carried a pressure no one could resist:
"You begged to marry into the Bai family back then. And now, you can't even protect your own son. What right do you have to hesitate?"
The words struck him like a slap.
His face twisted instantly.A vein pulsed on his temple.In his eyes flashed rage, shame—and a deep, barely contained hatred.
He didn't argue.Instead, his head dropped, almost involuntarily.
Bai Wanyi didn't look away.Her gaze was ice-cold.
"If you don't want to go, say so. But don't forget—your title now is 'son-in-law of the Bai family.' Your son's life isn't just your choice. It's our bottom line."
In that instant, Li Chengyuan's pride was torn to shreds.
He held back, again and again.Finally, with clenched teeth, he growled, his voice barely audible:
"I'll go. Don't worry."