frosting
An unprecedented, sinking warmth, like a thawed stream in early spring, quietly seeped into Lin Xiaoning's long-frozen heart. When she received the ultrasound report from the hospital, showing the tiny outline of the gestational sac, her fingers trembled uncontrollably. The doctor's calm congratulations seemed blurred and distant, as if through frosted glass. Only the tiny shadow on the report, heralding a new life, was piercingly clear.
Pregnant.
This realization was like a stone dropped into a deep pond, sending ripples through her long-dormant heart. The ripples were subtle at first, then grew larger, stirring up the sediment and bringing with them a long-lost, almost unfamiliar throbbing sensation. She subconsciously touched her still-flat belly, where something seemed to be quietly sprouting, a pure vitality that was completely different from all the calculations, struggles, and filth of the past.
When Wang Shumin heard the news, his usually dark and slightly stern face suddenly erupted with an almost distorted ecstasy. Like a bewildered boy, he circled Lin Xiaoning several times, wanting to hug her but afraid of hurting her. Finally, he gently picked her up and spun her around awkwardly, a hoarse, almost choked laugh escaping his throat. "I'm going to be a father! Xiaoning! We're having a baby!" he repeated, his eyes welling up. His unreserved, almost primal joy washed away the military air that had lingered on him for years, making him appear unusually soft. In that moment, Lin Xiaoning's doubts about the delicate foundations of their marriage seemed to be temporarily washed away by the overwhelming emotion. Perhaps this simple happiness, built on the continuation of life, was truly worth protecting? She even began to greedily absorb this warmth, trying to use it to fill the holes in her heart.
Her parents' joy was beyond words. Her mother immediately set about changing the menu and gathering various supplements to support the pregnancy, while her father dug through ancient texts, pondering a name for the child. A warm and bustling atmosphere permeated the home, even the air seemed sweet. For the first time, this lakeside villa, once seemingly empty and cold, truly felt like home. Lin Xiaoning completely shed her protective armor, allowing herself to immerse herself in this carefully nurtured tranquility. She significantly reduced her visits to the office, handing over the day-to-day operations of Morning Star Pictures to her team. A newly released time-travel drama continued its lukewarm fate, failing to generate much buzz in the market but barely breaking even. It felt like a piece of chicken ribs—tasteless to eat, but a pity to discard. For Lin Xiaoning, this tranquility proved to be the best shield during her pregnancy, allowing her to rest in peace and quiet, detached from all the distractions.
Even the company's increasingly extravagant annual meeting, which she had been attending, she flatly declined, citing severe pregnancy symptoms and the need for rest. This was the first time in her years at the company that she had completely missed an event. She could even imagine the atmosphere of the meeting, filled with clinking glasses and undercurrents, but at that moment, all she wanted was to curl up on the sofa, tucked under a soft blanket, listening to soothing music, and feeling the throbbing of life in her belly. This voluntary absence was a declaration of her temporary retreat from the world of fame and fortune.
However, the tree wanted to be still but the wind did not stop. The tranquility she had deliberately created was soon broken by the noise from the outside world.
A few days after the annual meeting, Sister Wang from the Administration Department—the company's perpetual insider—came to the villa under the guise of delivering company-issued gifts for pregnant women. She looked at Lin Xiaoning's visibly bulging belly, offering congratulatory words while her eyes flickered with an irrepressible excitement to share gossip.
"Oh my Mr. Lin, you didn't go to this year's annual meeting, you really... missed a big show!" Sister Wang put down her things and sat on the sofa as familiarly as ever, her voice as penetrating as ever.
Lin Xiaoning held the warm water, just smiled faintly, and did not respond.
Seeing she didn't ask, Sister Wang became even more excited and lowered her voice to reveal something: "You don't know, but those young people in your film and television company are incredible! They usually work for you, earning a salary of tens of thousands of yuan, and they seem quite honest. But when they get to the annual meeting and meet those big bosses at headquarters, their eyes light up!"
She leaned in closer, spitting almost as if it were splattering. "That one called Lisa, usually she's so timid when playing a maid, but what happened? She dared to approach Mr. Liu with a wine glass in hand! Who is Mr. Liu? The God of Wealth! A few words made Mr. Liu smile from ear to ear, and they added each other on WeChat right then and there! And that one called Annie, she's even more outrageous, somehow she got in touch with Director Zhang, stayed by his side the whole night, smiling sweetly, so attentive! I think they saw that you were pregnant and not doing anything, so they were anxious to find a new job for themselves!"
Sister Wang's tone held a hint of disdain for young people's eagerness for quick success, mixed with a touch of schadenfreude. "The most surprising thing is your right-hand man, Xiaoya! She seems quite steady and obedient to you. But she was quite lively at the annual meeting! I saw her chatting with several bank executives brought by President Liu, and later she even sat down at President Liu's table. And within two days, I heard she'd already finalized the paperwork and been transferred to President Liu's position as a 'special project assistant'! What's so 'special' about her? President Liu's generous resources are plentiful. How could these young people resist such temptation?"
She smacked her lips and concluded, "If you ask me, Mr. Liu got a great deal this time! He didn't even have to actively recruit them; the people from your film and television company jumped on them. He just took advantage of the situation and recruited all these attractive, upwardly mobile, handsome men and beautiful women! I heard they're setting up some kind of 'strategic PR team' to connect with banks and those tough big clients. What methods are they using... Tsk tsk, the rumors are really awful, saying that accompanying them for meals and drinks was just the starting price, and that they're using everything from round-the-clock competitions to extravagant cruises to get that loan. They're using anything, absolutely unscrupulous!"
Sister Wang's mouth was dry as she spoke. She picked up the teacup and took a big sip. Finally, she looked at Lin Xiaoning and said tentatively, "Boss Lin, are you really not worried at all? The team you worked so hard to build is about to be drained away by Liu Feng!"
Lin Xiaoning listened quietly, her fingers unconsciously caressing the warm cup. The news Sister Wang brought was like a chilling wind blowing into the warm, warm space she'd carefully cultivated. The newcomer's voluntary surrender, Xiaoya's swift defection, Liu Feng's successful recruitment, and those unsavory rumors... the plot was so familiar it was tedious.
In the past, she might have been enraged, heartbroken at the erosion of her hard work, and would have immediately plotted how to stabilize the situation. But now, listening to Sister Wang's vivid description, she felt a sense of calm, even a sense of absurd alienation. It was as if Sister Wang was recounting some absurd farce from a distant time and space, unrelated to her. To her, the choices of those young people were nothing more than the instinctive grasping for lifelines by those struggling at the bottom of society, a commonplace circumstance in the game of capital. She didn't even feel the urge to comment.
She even gave Sister Wang a faint, slightly tired smile, her tone as calm as if she were commenting on the weather outside the window: "People go to high places, and water flows to low places. It's normal. I just want to focus on taking care of my baby now. Let them handle the company's affairs."
Sister Wang was stunned for a moment, seemingly unprepared for her to completely let go. She opened her mouth, but ultimately let out a complex sigh, "That's right, that's right. Your body is the most precious thing right now. It's better to ignore those dirty things, lest you upset the fetus."
After seeing Sister Wang off, the villa fell silent again. The setting sun streamed through the French windows, illuminating the living room with a warm golden glow. Wang Shumin was almost home from work, and his mother was in the kitchen, simmering soup, the aroma filling the air. Everything seemed so peaceful and perfect.
Lin Xiaoning walked to the window and looked out at the shimmering lake. Her fingers gently touched the glass, feeling the coolness of her fingertips. Sister Wang's words were like a pebble thrown into a lake, eventually sinking, leaving behind a faint, murky trace. She knew that Liu Feng's actions were no accident. Behind them was the insatiable expansion instinct of capital, and her temporary withdrawal had become an opportunity for all parties to reshuffle the cards. The "Morning Star" she had founded had already begun to split and disintegrate from within during the time she had actively distanced herself. It was like a piece of cake that had been temporarily set aside, attracting a swarm of hungry ants to devour it frantically.
She herself seemed to be slowly being devoured by this seemingly perfect life. The happiness of pregnancy, the care of her husband, the expectations of her parents, like warm frosting, thickly coated the wounds of her past and the hidden worries of her present. Sweet, yet sticky, it gradually robbed her of the strength to struggle. She felt trapped in a transparent amber filled with a sweet air, watching the world change, watching her once-held positions fall, yet she was only separated by a thick barrier called "family" and "mother," unable to move.
That familiar, icy, suffocating feeling didn't seem to fade away, merely returning in a gentler, less noticeable way. She looked down at her visibly bulging belly, pregnant with new hope but also bearing a heavier burden. Would she continue to bask in this frosted, sweet illusion until it was completely solidified? Or would this seemingly solid amber one day be cracked from within by the power of new life, or eaten away by the ants on the outside?
She didn't know the answer. She only felt the fetus in her belly stir vigorously, like a silent question. The setting sun on the lake slowly sank behind the distant mountains, taking away the last trace of warmth. Night was about to fall.
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