Chapter 142 Don't Have Children
child?
Once the thought arises, it begins to grow wildly, even causing the heart to beat faster.
Of course he knew that Qu He's words about preparing for pregnancy were just something she said casually to make her words more convincing, and shouldn't be taken seriously.
Before they got their marriage certificate, they had already agreed not to have children for the time being.
He even hoped that this temporary situation could be extended indefinitely.
The mere thought that someone in the future could rightfully take away half of Qu He's love, half of her time and attention stirs up inexplicable jealousy in her heart.
He immediately put the thought out of his mind.
He carefully tightened his arms, holding the person in his arms even closer, wanting to lock this love even deeper.
Zhuang's Group.
The department leaders sat upright in the conference room, preparing to give their first-half annual reports.
Tan Cong came in with his laptop and checked the data with several department assistants. After checking the data, Ni, the assistant from the marketing department, lingered and didn't leave immediately.
She touched her six-month-old belly, her face showing unease, and hesitated to speak.
“Assistant Tan..…”
"What's wrong? Is there a problem with the data?"
Assistant Ni leaned closer, lowered her voice, and asked cautiously, "Assistant Tan, do you think President Zhuang has a problem with me?"
Tan Cong had three black lines on his head.
How could you have such an idea?
"But didn't you see it in the elevator this morning?"
Tan Cong recalled for a moment.
In the morning, when he was taking the elevator with President Zhuang on the first floor, he happened to run into Assistant Ni waiting for the elevator.
It was almost time for her to start work, and there was still a long queue in front of the elevator on the first floor. She was heavily pregnant and holding a laptop.
Zhuang Bieyan, who was listening to his report on the day's work arrangements, suddenly turned his gaze to Assistant Ni and, unusually, invited her to ride the president's elevator with him.
"My baby was acting up again before I left home this morning, so I was a little late for the company. Mr. Zhuang kept frowning at me in the elevator. Could it be that he thought I was late and had a bad impression of me, but then he forgave me?"
Assistant Ni became increasingly worried as she spoke.
Tan Cong immediately retorted, "Don't talk nonsense!"
"Our Zhuang Group is a legitimate, listed company! We offer weekends off plus the statutory triple salary, and maternity leave, paternity leave, and breastfeeding leave are all paid in full without any deductions. We also pay the maximum amount for all six types of insurance and housing provident fund. As a model of legal tax payment in the industry, we would never do something as heinous as dismissing a pregnant woman!"
Assistant Ni quickly tried to cover up, "I know, I know, Assistant Tan, please keep your voice down."
She knew, of course, that the Zhuang Group would not dismiss a pregnant woman. Compared to other companies in the industry, the Zhuang Group's system was already very humane. However, Zhuang Bieyan's gaze at that time was truly unfathomable.
Before he could think it through, Zhuang Bieyan entered the conference room, and Assistant Ni quickly grabbed his laptop and returned to his seat.
During the first half of the year, each department reports in turn, usually with the department manager explaining a few key points and then the assistant providing supplementary information.
As the person responsible for supplementing the marketing department's reports, Assistant Ni felt a familiar, intense gaze fall upon her the moment she stood up with her laptop.
They're here, they're here.
It was that familiar gaze again.
His brows were furrowed again.
It's incredibly oppressive!
She couldn't figure out what she had done to offend this powerful figure, but with a responsible attitude towards her work, she remained strong and calm and successfully completed the report.
She had just unplugged the projector cable and was about to slip off the stage when Zhuang Bieyan called her back.
"etc."
Assistant Ni's heart skipped a beat, and her face turned pale. "President Zhuang, is there something wrong with the data?"
Tan Cong, who was standing nearby, quickly pulled up the marketing department's data on the tablet and handed it to Zhuang Bieyan.
But Zhuang Bieyan didn't even glance at the tablet; his gaze remained fixed on Assistant Ni. "How old is he?"
Assistant Ni: "???"
Everyone: "???"
Tan Cong: "??????"
Mr. Zhuang, this is in the company conference room! She's married and pregnant; it's very presumptuous of you to do this!
Seeing Assistant Ni's pale face, Tan Cong was afraid that she might accidentally give birth on stage.
Just as he was about to bite the bullet and smooth things over, Zhuang Bieyan seemed to realize the ambiguity and added, "How old is the child? How many months old?"
Everyone present breathed a silent sigh of relief.
So the question was about the child.
Assistant Ni finally came to her senses and stammered, "Ah... six... six months."
Zhuang Bieyan continued, "Is pregnancy having a significant impact on your work? Is your current workload manageable?"
Assistant Ni wished he could slap his own mouth on the spot, as he was most afraid of his boss's sudden concern.
She immediately expressed her determination: "President Zhuang, please rest assured that my pregnancy has absolutely not affected my work efficiency. I can keep up with the team's pace, and I will never refuse to work overtime if necessary, nor will I drag the department down."
Hearing her words, Zhuang Bieyan frowned even more, his gaze falling on her protruding belly.
He paused for a few seconds before saying calmly, "Hmm, good summary, next one."
Upon hearing his words, Assistant Ni felt a great sense of relief and practically floated off the stage.
That afternoon, all employees of the Zhuang Group received an email directly from the president's office in their internal mailboxes.
The contents can be described as a generous gift package for pregnant women.
In summary, the company cafeteria has added a special window for pregnant women with nutritionist-sponsored meals.
One of the president's private elevators was repurposed for pregnant women.
Maternity leave has been extended from the statutory 208 days to 365 days, during which the company will fully cover social security contributions.
At the same time, smoking is strictly prohibited throughout the entire company premises, including restrooms, and a designated smoking area has been added to the rooftop terrace.
The email was sent out, and everyone celebrated.
The pregnant woman expressed her gratitude for the humane treatment at the banquet, while the others thanked everyone for finally being free from secondhand smoke.
Assistant Ni looked at the email, then looked down and touched her stomach, smiling with relief.
Since then, thanks to this benefit, the Zhuang Group has instantly become a company that job seekers in the industry are eager to join.
The CEO's office.
Tan Cong respectfully reported: "President Zhuang, as you instructed, the email has been sent to everyone's inbox."
Zhuang Bieyan nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on the precautions for pregnant women displayed on the computer screen.
Seeing that he had not given any instructions, Tan Cong quietly withdrew.
Outside the door, the secretariat was excitedly discussing the new policy, and when they saw him come out, they all wanted to hear the gossip.
In fact, Tan Cong is still completely baffled.
The meeting had just ended when President Zhuang asked him to draft that email.
But then a sudden thought struck me: the pregnant woman repeatedly mentioned in the emails. A bold guess formed in my mind.
Could it be that the Zhuang Group is about to have a young heir?
In his office, Zhuang Bieyan browsed through the web pages one by one.
From menstrual cramps and difficulty conceiving, to prenatal nutrition supplements, early pregnancy symptoms, and scientific formula feeding for infants, to whether 18-month-old babies should attend daycare, and how to alleviate separation anxiety in kindergarten children...
His thoughts drifted uncontrollably away.
The outline of Assistant Ni's pregnant belly in the meeting room that morning gradually transformed into the image of Qu He in my mind.
She was wearing loose loungewear, gently touching her pregnant belly...
Thoughts can diverge infinitely.
What would a little life that combines his and Qu He's bloodlines look like?
Will she resemble her father more or her mother more?
These imaginings possess a magical allure, drawing one deeper and deeper into their world.
But the next second, Zhuang Bieyan abruptly interrupted his fantasy.
He snapped out of his daze and immediately closed the webpage.
I was just checking in out of humanitarian concern for the employees; there was no other intention.
night.
Wanhua Garden.
The air was filled with a moist, fresh fragrance.
When Zhuang Bieyan came out of the shower, he saw Qu He, who had just finished her skincare routine and was wearing a face mask, lounging on the living room sofa scrolling through her phone.
Her period was about to start, and she remembered the science article she had seen during the day, which said that people with a cold uterus would have a harder time during the entire pregnancy.
He quietly turned the air conditioner up two degrees.
I took a tablet from the study and sat down next to him.
When Qu He saw him coming, she naturally leaned over and nestled in his arms in a comfortable position, continuing to watch the short videos that Zhuang Liuyue had shared with her, hoping to rekindle their romance.
Qu He was still immersed in the world of short videos, but the gaze above her head was too intense and its presence too strong to ignore.
She slowed down her scrolling on her phone, and finally couldn't resist. She looked up unexpectedly and bumped right into Zhuang Bieyan.
Following his gaze, I saw him staring intently at his stomach.
From the moment Qu He leaned closer, Zhuang Bieyan's attention was completely drawn to the person in his arms.
His gaze involuntarily fell on her flat stomach, his expression complex and unreadable.
After realizing he had been caught, he didn't panic. He simply looked away and returned his gaze to the tablet in his hand, as if he had just been daydreaming unintentionally.
Qu He sat up straight with a somersault, her eyes narrowing suspiciously beneath the face mask.
She touched her stomach. "You're acting really strange today. Tell me, why are you staring at my stomach?"
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