Chapter 42 [VIP]
Chapter summary: "Let's have a child."
Xu's mother was heartbroken: "It's normal to make and lose money in business. I just don't understand why you had to get married in secret?"
“How could I have gotten married secretly?” Xu Tianzhou disagreed with her statement. He crossed his legs, his calm tone revealing a hint of righteous indignation. “I had it certified by the Chinese Embassy.”
It would have been better if he hadn't brought it up; the moment he did, Xu's mother became even more furious.
While marriage certificates obtained overseas are protected by law, they still have some leeway. However, once they are certified by the Chinese embassy or consulate, they are no different from marriage registration certificates obtained in China.
This was exactly what she couldn't tolerate: how could someone gain the right to divide property without doing anything, simply by having a piece of paper?
He got married without informing them, leaving them completely unprepared for matters concerning property. The company's shares, and the resulting profits, even if only a fraction of them, would be an astronomical figure.
"You have disappointed me so much." Xu's mother was heartbroken.
They started this company from scratch, enduring countless hardships and struggles. After finally seeing some progress, they worried that Xu Tianzhou might go astray.
They've witnessed too many stories of overnight riches and too many tragedies of rapid downfall. Some people buy sports cars and chase after women as soon as they have a little money, wanting the whole world to know they're rich. But what happens in the end? They either get targeted and taken to gamble, losing all their wealth overnight, or they mistake the rapid growth of an industry for a demonstration of their personal abilities, becoming arrogant and making reckless investments, only to end up bankrupt before long.
Adults can lose themselves in the face of sudden wealth, let alone Xu Tianzhou, who is not yet a minor.
They didn't want Xu Tianzhou to become like those kids they'd seen, with terrible grades but excelling at everything from eating and drinking to having fun. They figured they could easily get everything and live a life that others couldn't even dream of without putting in any effort.
In order to get Xu Tianzhou to give his all as before, they deliberately hid their family situation from him and lived a poor life like countless other migrant workers in the city. The only difference was that they sent him to an international school, under the guise of him being a "poor student".
As they had hoped, Xu Tianzhou not only achieved excellent grades, but also remained indifferent to money and fame.
When Xu Tianzhou proposed to manage the company behind the scenes instead of directly in the public eye, they not only did not question it at all, but also praised it highly.
At that moment, Xu's mother was moved to tears. She recalled the days when she had her own house but had to live in the underground garage. She buried her face in Xu's father's shoulder and wept uncontrollably.
Fortunately, her efforts were not in vain.
Xu's mother always thought that Xu Tianzhou no longer needed their concern, but she never expected that he would have problems in his marriage.
Xu's mother said, "We don't necessarily want you to find someone of equal social standing, but you can't find someone like this, can you? Do you know who her parents are? They run a shell company and pretend to be rich when they're not. It's a joke."
Xu's mother looked disgusted, as if saying another word would sully her mouth. "Get a divorce while no one knows yet."
“Impossible.” Xu Tianzhou refused outright.
"Why?" Xu's mother stared at him for a while, then said coldly, "Haven't you had enough fun?"
Xu Tianzhou frowned suddenly; the word "play" stung him deeply, even though he had no right to refute it.
Xu's mother continued, "No matter what you say, my attitude is the same: I want a divorce immediately."
Xu Tianzhou didn't want to waste any more words with her, so he simply replied, "She's pregnant."
"..." After a brief moment of astonishment, Mrs. Xu chuckled, "I knew it."
Her expression didn't relax at all because of that laugh; instead, it became more ruthless, as if she had already seen through the person's mind completely. "She knows she might not have a chance of winning the inheritance, so she had a child to ask for child support?"
Xu Tianzhou frowned even more deeply, but his tone remained perfectly normal, "She's not that kind of person."
"How do you know? You don't actually think she married you because she loves you, do you?"
The fist that had been clenched tightly since he entered the door completely loosened at this moment, and the thing he had tried to hold onto countless times fell to the ground at his feet.
Xu Tianzhou stood up, a faint smile on his lips, just like his businesslike demeanor during the meeting.
"What? Do you think I'm not good enough for you?"
In his parents' eyes, he was always the worst. Even if he got first place, it was just "average." If he was bullied by classmates, they would just say, "Did you do something wrong? Otherwise, why doesn't he bully others?" How could someone with no redeeming qualities inspire love? If someone was willing to marry him, they must have ulterior motives.
Xu Tianzhou walked straight towards the door without saying goodbye, his mother's furious voice coming from behind him, "Where are you going?"
"go home."
After leaving that residential area that so many people longed for, Xu Tianzhou didn't even look back.
He was not unfamiliar with this place, but that familiarity was limited to below the horizon, because he had lived in the underground parking garage for a period of time.
During those bleak and difficult days, the only person who had ever shown him any warmth was waiting for him to come home.
Upon hearing the knock, Ni Zhenzhen immediately put down the water bottle she was watering the flowers and came to open the door.
Xu Tianzhou stood outside the door. The corridor was dimly lit, and his eyes were equally dull.
Before Ni Zhenzhen could finish saying, "Why didn't you bring your keys?", her mouth was covered by a kiss. She sensed his unusual behavior, and as she tried to ask him something, his hands, which were already behind her, pulled her even tighter.
This urgent kiss continued from the entrance hall to the living room, spreading from lips and teeth to the neck. Ni Zhenzhen kept retreating under Xu Tianzhou's haphazard yet extremely gentle kisses, and was finally pressed down on the table, just like the scene of the first confession.
He knew so well how to please her that she responded almost instinctively.
The water bottle on the table shook twice before falling to the ground. Perhaps it made a sound, perhaps not, because Ni Zhenzhen's ears were already filled with a chaotic, storm-like breathing. The only sliver of clarity remained on his fingers, which were tracing patterns on her skin, like dry tinder encountering a raging fire, leaving only towering flames in their wake.
She gradually succumbed to his sudden tenderness until she heard Xu Tianzhou's almost pleading voice in her ear, "Let's have a child."
"..." Ni Zhenzhen instantly came to her senses. She was slightly out of breath and her voice was extremely low. "No, the interview required that you cannot have children for five years."
Xu Tianzhou frowned, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes. He suppressed the urge to suggest she "change jobs," because only he knew how difficult it had been for her to get to where she was today.
“Then let’s buy a house.” He was like a drowning man, desperately seeking a sense of security.
"I'm afraid I won't have enough for the down payment."
"It's okay, a farther one, a smaller one, or if all else fails, we'll borrow money." Xu Tianzhou kissed her again, a kiss devoid of any lust.
He buried his face in her neck, trying to inhale her scent, while making up a reason on the spot: "I'm just afraid that if I wait any longer, the price might go up again."
Seemingly finding Xu Tianzhou's words to be reasonable, Ni Zhenzhen immediately began collecting information to prepare for house hunting.
On Saturday morning, the two drove to the suburbs. Half an hour later, all the people and tall buildings had disappeared, leaving only trees and wasteland. After many twists and turns, they arrived at a price depression—no subway access, no amenities, and relatively cheap housing.
The real estate agent showed them several apartments. On the way to another neighborhood, Ni Zhenzhen suddenly pointed to a building and said, "Look, the apartments over there have semi-circular balconies!"
The agent said, "That's a large apartment over there, 80 square meters."
Ni Zhenzhen stuck out her tongue shyly, and Xu Tianzhou asked, "Can we go take a look?"
The agent didn't refuse outright, but said somewhat impatiently, "I don't have the keys. Are you sure you want to see it? I'll contact my colleague."
Ni Zhenzhen quickly said, "No need." They couldn't afford it at all, so why make them make a wasted trip?
Once outside the residential area, the real estate agent pointed across the street and said, "See that? That's the forest park over there. It has a fitness trail. In the summer, it's nice to come over for a stroll after dinner."
Ni Zhenzhen looked up and indeed saw a grove of straight poplar trees, but scattered among them were a few small mounds of earth, like…
"Those aren't graves, are they?"
The real estate agent didn't answer, acting like an emotionless machine, and continued, "The neighborhood we're going to was built in 2002..."
Ni Zhenzhen looked at Xu Tianzhou, their eyes met, and they couldn't help but smile knowingly. So that's why the price was so cheap.
They quickly settled on a 40-square-meter one-bedroom apartment. It was a relatively new building with an elevator, though the orientation wasn't ideal, but it was cheap. After that, they met the owner, negotiated the price, and signed the contract—the process was incredibly fast. Even the real estate agent praised their efficiency, saying, "Want to see that 80-square-meter one too? I'll show you."
Ni Zhenzhen waved her hands repeatedly: "No need."
The down payment for just one house drained their savings. To make matters worse, they completely forgot that they also had to pay taxes on the purchase. In the end, they had to borrow money and pay it back when they got their salaries.
The day the house was officially handed over was a windy day. Yellow sand lashed against her face, but Ni Zhenzhen didn't feel dirty at all. Instead, she felt as if she was surrounded by happiness.
The moment she stepped inside, Ni Zhenzhen burst into tears. She hugged Xu Tianzhou and said excitedly, "It's wonderful, we have a home now."
It's actually not good at all. The house faces north, some parts are moldy, and the previous owner removed all the faucets, door handles, chandeliers, and other things, and left some garbage. Looking around, it can only be described as "riddled with holes".
But Ni Zhenzhen still said, "Let's move here quickly, so we can save some rent."
Seeing Ni Zhenzhen's joyful expression, Xu Tianzhou felt a tightness in his throat, a feeling that was extremely unfamiliar, because he hadn't cried in a long time.
He lowered his head, then quickly raised it again and said, "Okay."
[Author's Note]
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 13:54:43 on March 18, 2022 and 20:53:22 on March 21, 2022!
Thank you to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: Isfahan (3 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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