Chapter 6 Their Child

• I wanted to say that, I didn’t fall in love suddenly, in fact, I had been in love with you for more than four years.
• For more than four years, I was trying hard to earn your heart.
• A gush of pain rushed through my lower jaw. My eyes widened. I snapped out of my thoughts and hastily shook my head in denial, "I like children."
• His gaze was complicated. He slowly let go of me and asked, "Really?"
• The rim of my eyes was becoming moist. I could only nod, "Yes. I'm tired. I'll go back to the room."
• I walked up as I finished speaking. The urge to cry was brewing in me.
• I just wanted a child, a child that was part of me and him.
• Why would such a natural thing be a taboo? He’s my husband!
• —
• The next day, just after a meeting at my workplace, I got a call from my mother-in-law, reminding me to not forget that it was Cheng Xi's birthday party at night.
• Cheng Xi was Cheng Jinghao's younger sister, my sister-in-law, as well as the Chengs' most beloved daughter.
• It was just that she did not get along with mel.
• In the afternoon, I carried the stack of documents that had to be approved by my leader into his office.
• I placed them on his desk and took a single file out, "Mr.Meng, these are all the documents that you have to vet. This one is the marketing proposal for Qixi Festival and it’s more urgent. You can take a look at this first when you have the time."
• Meng Kai, who was reading a business contract with rapt attention, gave a faint nod, "Okay, leave them here."
• I nodded and said softly, "Okay, I’ll go first."
• I had been working in this company as Meng Kai's assistant ever since my internship during university days. It had been exactly five years.
• It was also because I attended a business dinner with him that I got to know Cheng Jinghao.
• "Ning Jing, wait a minute."
• As I reached the door, Meng Kai suddenly called out to me.
• I turned around. His line of sight had now left the contract—he raised his wrist and took a glance at his watch. He then said gently, "If there isn’t much else, you can knock off."
• Astonished, I asked again, "Can I?"
• He smiled, "Even if I don't say so, you'll ask to take a leave right? On this day every year, you always had something to attend to."
• I was a bit embarassed. At the same time, I was also amazed that between his hectic job and busy personal life, he still had the brains to remember such a trivial matter.
• If I had just got to know him, such considerate acts might cause me to overthink things. However, being his assistant, I knew too well .
• "Passing through clusters of flowers, but not even a leaf could touch his body"—this idiom described him perfectly. He was romantic but not the type to commit to a woman.
• I did not reject his offer, softly chuckled and said, "Thank you, Mr.Meng. I indeed have something to attend to today."
• He slightly raised his eyebrows. "Sure, you can go."
• The first time I went to Cheng Xi's birthday after I married Cheng Jinghao, I arrived late because of a traffic jam, and Cheng Xi passed my gift to a servant without hesitation.
• From then on, I did everything I could to arrive early for her birthday every year.
• I wasn’t on her good side, but I didn’t like her so much anyway. I had been cautiously trying to win the Chengs' favor only for Cheng Jinghao.
• By the time I arrived at the Chengs' old residence, it was only a little over four o'clock, but the old residence was already lively. My mother-in-law and a few elders were sitting by a table playing mahjong.
• I walked over and greeted them. My mother-in-law threw out the tile in her hand and asked with a smile, "Jinghao isn’t with you?"
• I pursed my lips. "He said he still has a few more things to do. He'll come in a while."
• Before I came, I already called Cheng Jinghao, and he told me to come back by myself first.
• My mother-in-law heaved a soft sigh but said nothing. She was aware of the condition of our marriage.
• Cheng Xi wafted down the stairs gracefully in a limited-edition gown and high-heels.
• I gave her the present that I had tediously picked and said with a smile, "Happy birthday Xixi! This is the present from your brother and I—I hope you'll like it."
• Cheng Xi opened the box and picked up the car key lying inside. Joy twinkled in those glossy eyes of hers. She said, "How did you guys know that I like this car?"
• I felt relieved to see that she liked the present. "Last time, I saw you..."
• She held back her smile and cut me off in an unconcerned tone, "You must've bought this with my brother's money, right? Please don't think I'll like you just because of this. To me, I only have one sister-in-law..."
• After she said that, she stopped talking and strode briskly towards the kitchen.
• It was expected, I never hoped for a sports car to change her attitude towards me. The Chengs’ beloved daughter could get anything she wanted.
• Besides, what she said wasn’t wrong—most of the money came from Cheng Jinghao.
• It was just that remark about only having one sister-in-law... had turned into a knot inside me in just a split second. It felt like there was a ball of cotton choking me up inside my chest.
• I stood in a daze. The sister-in-law she mentioned, was it Song Meiqian?
• Cheng Jinghao had yet to come even when dinner started. My mother-in-law even asked me if we had an argument. With no other option, I left the dinner table to call him next to a window.
• He hadn’t picked up even after it rang several times. A bad hunch ineffably rose inside my heart. I suddenly felt flustered for no reason.
• Just as I was at a loss for what to do, a servant called me from behind.
• I turned around and swept the surroundings with my gaze, only to see Cheng Jinghao standing under the bright lighting. He was wearing a simple, custom hand-made suit. His thin lips were pursed tightly. His whole body seemed to be emitting an icy aura.
• I was dumbfounded but soon walked towards him. However, I heard him saying calmly, "This is Bao. Since all elders are present, I brought him along to introduce him to everyone."
• My mother-in-law shot him a glare. "For what? Whose child is this?"
• Cheng Jinghao said with a tone that leave no room for other comment, "My child—your grandson."
• I stopped dead in my tracks. My line of sight moved downward. Sure enough, I saw him holding a little boy about three or four years of age.
• I felt my blood turning cold. A chill went straight through my limbs and bones.
• It felt like there was a buzz in my ears, echoing the remark he said again and again.
• Bao...
• In almost an instant, I remembered that Song Meiqian had mentioned this name yesterday in the hospital.
• Bao... was actually their child?
• Ridiculous... this was too ridiculous!
• But the most ridiculous one was me. I wasn’t prepared at all, I could only be a perplexed onlooker as my husband was acknowledging his illegitimate child in front of all of our relatives.
• With tediousness, I walked towards him. My voice trembled, "Jinghao, what did you say?"
• Bao seemed to be scared. He ran a few steps back and threw himself into a woman's embrace. He called out with his soft voice, "Mommy, I'm scared..."
• At this moment, I finally realized that Song Meiqian was also here.
• Just the day before, he wouldn’t let me mention our relationship in front of Song Meiqian. And the next day, he brought this person back home.
• I looked at Song Meiqian, who was carrying a child in her arms, and then looked at Cheng Jinghao—they truly looked like a warm family of three.
• No matter how foolish one can be, they would be able to understand the situation already. Even Cheng Xi, who always despised me, looked at me in a gaze that carried a hint of pity.
• The rims of Song Meiqian's eyes reddened. She said, "Jing, I was worried Bao would throw a tantrum because he is shy with strangers, that’s why I came along with Jinghao."
• I suppressed my nerves, which was practically at breaking point, and asked in a mild voice, "Why didn't my dad come with you? Back when the two of you got married, the way I handled it was indeed not sensible, but..."