Chapter 31
Mo Yiyan came out alone. Seeing her face return to normal, Jiang Yousi felt relieved. Tang Chengting waited for a few minutes but didn't see Chen Huanong come out, so he looked at Mo Yiyan with a questioning look in his eyes, "Where did you take my wife?" Mo Yiyan curled her lips and argued with him disdainfully, "Huahua said she smelled of cooking smoke. Go back to your room to wash up and change clothes."
Mo Yiyan thought Tang Chengting could just grill his meat without worry, but Tang Chengting took off his apron and handed it to Chi Buyu, then walked into the villa alone. Mo Yiyan was puzzled, "What is he doing? Can I beat his wife? I was thinking, who doesn't know Chen Xiaohua's fighting ability? Can I beat her?"
"Hey, why do you have to find fault? Tang Chengting acted like he didn't care before, and you called him a piece of shit. Now that he cares, you have objections again. What do you want to do?" Zhang Xiang mercilessly smashed a piece of orange peel on Mo Yiyan, and her mouth was also busy, "Don't make yourself too dramatic. They finally got on the right track, just keep things quiet."
"Hmph, he got it easy." Mo Yiyan was very unwilling to accept this. She felt that Chen Huanong forgave this big pig's hoof too quickly. "They didn't even have a wedding at the beginning. If you ask me, it was because Tang Chengting married Chen Xiaohua too easily, so he didn't care before."
While they were discussing something heatedly downstairs, the scene in the second-floor master bedroom was quite different. Someone was showering, turning the shower on full blast, while she herself was crouched in the tub, sobbing uncontrollably. Tang Chengting pushed open the bathroom door and saw Chen Huanong, her clothes soaking wet. He immediately turned off the shower, pulled a towel from the shelf, and draped it over her. He gently asked her what was wrong.
Chen Huanong shook her head gently without saying a word. Tang Chengting didn't ask any more questions. He carried her out of the cold bathtub and talked to her while running hot water. "I'm still by your side. You still have someone to rely on. You don't have to bear everything by yourself, and don't be frightened because of my affairs. Qingqing, having you by my side is enough for me to face any difficulties."
He easily discerned Chen Huanong's thoughts, and even though he knew Chen Huanong wouldn't feel any better because of it, he still tried to comfort her. Fate hadn't meant for Chen Huanong to be by his side, but if fate had truly deprived him of his last ray of hope in this world, how devastated would he be? And how would Chen Huanong, who had sacrificed her life to prevent him from falling into such a desolate state, cope with it? How innocent was she?
His comfort was not only for Chen Huanong, but also for himself. Chen Huanong still needed him, Chen Huanong could rely on him temporarily, or Chen Huanong would feel a little happy because of his rare warmth. These were all excuses for him to shamelessly comfort himself and not let go of Chen Huanong.
By the time the two of them returned to the backyard, the food was almost ready. After being reprimanded by Zhang Xiang, Mo Yiyan stopped bothering them and began to display his affectionate affection with Jiang Yousi. As their older brother, Zhang Xingyan still vividly remembered how Mo Yiyan had beaten up all twenty or so boys in his class. What did this 24K pure man look like with such shyness? Zhang Xingyan couldn't bear to watch. He raised his glass and prepared to join Tang Chengting, but turned aside and saw Tang Chengting intently peeling shrimp.
"Don't tell me you were peeling shrimp for Chen Huanong. Don't tell me!"
"Well, I won't tell you, it's good for you to know."
"Then peel it quickly, and then have a drink with me."
"No, I've given up drinking."
"Why? You have so much alcohol in your wine cabinet, how could you possibly quit? When did you decide?"
"Just these past few days, I'll give you some reference. I've not only quit drinking, I've also quit smoking."
Aside from Mo Yiyan and his wife, Jiang Yuyuan was the only one present who was married. Before anyone else could figure out the connection, Jiang Yuyuan had already let out a knowing laugh. Zhang Xingyan was stunned for a moment, a flash of time flashing through his mind. He couldn't help but exclaim, "You? You guys? Really?"
Zhang Xingyan couldn't imagine Tang Chengting taking on the responsibility of a father someday. It was true that he loved children, but after five years of marriage to Chen Huanong, they still had no children. Shen Jiaming had asked him before why he didn't have his own children if he loved them so much, and he said that liking and raising children were different things, and he wasn't ready to be a father yet. Raising a child would take too much energy, and he was worried he'd get bored.
"Didn't you say you didn't want children before? Why do you want one now?" After lunch, Chen Huanong and the four women headed to the beauty salon for a nap, while the men chatted and watched the game in the living room downstairs. Without the presence of the opposite sex, Zhang Xingyan's conversation became more casual.
"Suddenly I have expectations."
"What expectations? Is there someone to inherit the throne in your Tang family?"
Tang Chengting kicked him off the sofa and lay down comfortably, his hands clasped behind his head, his eyes gradually becoming unfocused. "I occasionally imagine what my and Chen Huanong's child will be like. Will it look more like me or Chen Huanong? Will it cling to me or Chen Huanong? What kind of father will I be, and what kind of mother will Chen Huanong be?" I'm full of anticipation for all of this. I grew up without a father and have never experienced this unique feeling. So if I had my own child, I wondered if it would make up for the emotional gap and complete my life in another way.
"Where's Chen Huanong? Didn't she refuse to give birth because she was afraid of the pain?"
"That depends on who it is. She'd be willing to die for Director Tang's words." Chi Buyu took over, deliberately wanting to expose Chen Huanong's shortcomings before Tang Chengting could speak. "You're really Chen Huanong's only stubborn enemy. I've known Old Chen for all these years, and I've never seen her back down. In front of you, she's completely retreated."
Zhang Xiang's original words were uttered. The incident stemmed from a sudden trip to Sanya arranged by her four best friends. Chen Huanong didn't reply in the group chat, so the other three assumed she agreed, believing the law firm had relatively little freedom. On the day of booking the flights, Zhang Xiang asked Chen Huanong what time she was leaving. Chen Huanong replied, "What's the point of flying? I didn't say I was going. You guys go on your own." This impromptu arrangement threw her off. This happened a few times, and after that, Zhang Xiang and the others made appointments at least two weeks in advance, refusing to disrupt her plans. Forced to accept Chen Huanong's "principled" persona, they all tolerated her with understanding. Then, Tang Chengting unexpectedly showed up, and Zhang Xiang and Jiang Yuyuan realized that the uninhibited Chen Huanong had fallen prey to men. Mo Yiyan, with a cold expression, said cryptically, "Just wait and see. Chen Huanong's many facets will open your eyes."
Tang Chengting could make an appointment with Chen Huanong at any time. Chen Huanong's phone would go into Do Not Disturb mode from 10pm onwards, with Tang Chengting's special permissions set up exclusively for her. If she received a call from Tang Chengting in the early morning, or if she noticed that he was even slightly depressed, she would fly away the next morning. Zhang Xiang and the others then understood that such a bullshit excuse as disrupting the rhythm of life was just a way to deal with others. In front of them, if the bottom line is one meter high, it is one meter high and cannot be moved even a little bit; in front of Tang Chengting, it is one meter high, right? How about half a meter? It's still high, so it's zero meters, and you want it to be lower? Let's go with the negative numbers!
Chi Buyu's imitation was so vivid that even the usually calm Jiang Yousi couldn't help but laugh. Zhang Xingyan applauded repeatedly, "It's Chen Huanong, for sure. She was like this in high school. I still remember when she first started learning tennis. She was lazy and didn't move at all. If she was dragged over, she would just slack off. But if you taught her a lesson, she could basically serve and receive in just two weekends."
"She's a person who is perfunctory in what her teacher says, yet she acts like a well-behaved model student in front of you."
Chen Huanong, who had always been unprincipled in front of Tang Chengting, never backed down when it came to having a child. In their second year of marriage, Chen Huanong's career was steadily on the rise, and both parents were openly and covertly trying to get her to have a baby. Tang Chengting then asked her what she thought. That was the second time Tang Chengting remembered Chen Huanong being assertive; the first had been when they were together.
Chen Huanong said that the meaning of a child is not just to continue the bloodline. The reason for his birth should be based on love and expectation, then responsibility, and finally inheritance. You are destined to miss his growth in the future. I alone cannot let him grow up healthily. I can't feel the love and expectation from you. How can I tell him that your father loves him? I can spend my whole life or half of my life with you. This is based on my own will because I can bear the consequences of losing you, but the child has no choice. No child does not want to be born into a healthy family. He will need a father and need fatherly love, which you cannot give.
At that time, they never mentioned their feelings. In this lonely world, I can accompany you for a while, so that you no longer feel lonely, but as for your love for me, and my love for you, we are both careful not to mention it, fearing that we will lose even such a shallow comfort.
On the night when they confessed their feelings to each other, Chen Huanong suddenly said, "Tang Chengting, let's have a child." He hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed. He would give her everything she wanted, everything he had and could give her. Chen Huanong seemed to know what was on his mind. She held his hand tightly and said, "I know this is selfish. I selfishly want to keep a trace of your blood. He will remind me that you were here and I loved you. I may not be a good mother, but I promised you that I will not let him become a child who lacks love."
Tang Chengting has great faith in Chen Huanong. She is the person who can fill the emotional void that has been missing in him for more than 20 years. She can be his sun and also the sun of his future child.
"What preparations do I need to make for having a baby? Do I need a physical examination first? And I also need to prepare a lot of supplements, right?"
Tang Chengting shook his head. "We just had this idea. We have physical examinations every year, so we haven't prepared anything else. But the books I bought have arrived."
Zhang Xingyan exclaimed again, "I've never seen anything like this before! Who could have thought that you, Tang Chengting, would end up falling for Chen Huanong? Who could have thought that you, Old Tang, would have a baby with Chen Huanong? Just imagine that scene, Tang Chengting holding a parenting book in one hand and changing diapers with the other. I think I could laugh for a week."
"Pay attention to the sentence order. I'm not the one giving you the gift. Also, before you start laughing for a week, get your share of the money ready for me! I won't let you into my house if you don't have twenty."
"You and your wife met me just to collect a debt? We're still a socialist country. Can you two stop being so obsessed with concentrating capital?"
For the first time, Mo Yiyan felt his brother had said something useful. Six people were lying side by side in the beauty salon, discussing Tang Chengting's sudden announcement of wanting to get pregnant. Mo Yiyan was just as shocked as Zhang Xingyan, so it was true that meeting someone too early was not a good thing.
"You said the world is so unpredictable. Back in college, there was a popular saying on QQ that the person you end up with is definitely someone you never expected. I really didn't expect you to be with Tang Chengting. To be honest, I haven't felt anything real these past five years. When you two mentioned having children today, I felt like, 'Ah, Chen Huanong really got Tang Chengting.' I want some quiet time."
"Well, you can be quiet as long as you want, as long as you don't forget to pay your share. I don't ask for much, just for the sake of happiness, as long as it's no less than Zhang Xingyan's."
"That's not impossible. Zhang Xingyan is such a stingy guy, he caps it at 200. I'll give him double that and add another 100 to avoid an unlucky number."
Chen Huanong shifted slightly and lazily reminded her, "Zhang Xingyan has never been a good person when it comes to dealing with Director Tang. Why don't you ask first? I'm afraid you'll end up in trouble."
"What else can I do? Being stingy is a tradition among men in our family. My dad is the same, except he's not stingy with my mom. Even if they went to high school together, it's impossible... Shit, Zhang Xingyan said he blocked twenty tickets! Chuntian, hurry up and show me, is it me seeing things, or did Zhang Xingyan put an extra zero?"
Zhang Xiang glanced at her and patted her shoulder. "Don't think too much. It's just twenty, and you have forty-one."
Don't be surprised, just close your eyes and mouth and pretend that you have never been involved in this topic.
The intern's weak voice came from the corner, "Master, my internship salary is not very high. How about you give birth later, so that I can save enough for my share of the money?"
Mo Yiyan agreed in his heart, this operation is possible, it is worthy of being the work of Shen Song, he is really a talent!
"It's okay. I can pay in installments."
If the beautician hadn't kept shouting "Don't move", according to Mo Yiyan's temper, he really wanted to kick her. Shameless capitalist, he even has the nerve to exploit an intern, is he a human being?
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