Chapter 47.1

After Xu Yuan finished her shower, it was Meng Zhengrong’s turn to wash up.

She lay on the bed, still thinking about what had just happened. Overall, a mix of emotions swirled within her, but she felt no regrets; after all, she had simply advanced this moment.

Meng Zhengrong took a quick shower, and when he came out, he found Xu Yuan lost in thought, her cheeks still flushed. He leaned in towards the bed and teasingly asked, “Are you reminiscing?”

If this had been before today, Meng Zhengrong certainly wouldn’t have dared to say something like that to Xu Yuan. But now, everything feels different. Their relationship seemed to have grown closer in an unspoken way. It was undeniable that, with a foundation of mutual feelings and respect, becoming intimate had genuinely intensified their connection.

Xu Yuan shot him an eye roll and pulled the blanket over her head. “I’m going to sleep.”

Little did she know, after the events they just experienced, even her eye roll looked alluring.

Meng Zhengrong felt a surge of excitement and wrapped his arms around her from behind, whispering in her ear, “Are you able to sleep? Because I certainly can’t.”

Who could sleep in this state? He was so excited he could almost run laps around the room.

This was a strange feeling for Meng Zhengrong. He wasn’t a naive young man anymore—he had experienced enough for a man in his thirties. Yet, who would have thought he’d be this excited and unable to sleep after such an experience? No, to be precise, he hadn’t even felt this way at the beginning of his previous relationships.

In a way, it seemed that while the newcomer appeared to be at a disadvantage, the one who truly cared was often the one with more experience.

Could it be that because he had been through so much, he now knew what he truly wanted? That he was more aware of how serious his feelings were now?

In any case, Meng Zhengrong held Xu Yuan close, feeling a depth of emotion he had never experienced before.

In the past, regardless of who he was with or at what age, he never thought about lasting forever. But now, he was thinking about a future with Xu Yuan.

Meng Zhengrong pondered whether it was his intense feelings for Xu Yuan or simply his maturity that led to this change.

Xu Yuan found Meng Zhengrong’s whispering in her ear to be as annoying as a swarm of flies buzzing around. She tried to pull away but couldn’t, so she sighed and said, “I’m tired. I have to work tomorrow.”

“Why are you pretending not to know me now?” Meng Zhengrong feigned disappointment.

He was in a good mood and wanted to hold Xu Yuan close and hear her express how worried she had been about him the night before.

“??? What are you talking about?”

“You were just holding onto me and wouldn’t let go. Now you won’t even look at me,” Meng Zhengrong accused.

Xu Yuan lowered her voice, “I’m really exhausted.”

“That’s nonsense! I did all the work; you barely moved,” Meng Zhengrong teased. He knew Xu Yuan was tired, but he couldn’t help but poke fun at her. In a way, he felt like a young boy teasing a crush.

Xu Yuan reached out and pinched the soft flesh of Meng Zhengrong’s waist. “I’m really tired!”

Meng Zhengrong winced at her pinch, momentarily frightened, and mumbled a few words before falling silent. As he held her, a satisfied expression crossed his face.

Xu Yuan thought as she drifted off to sleep, why was this man so chatty at this hour?

After a peaceful night’s rest, the next morning, while brushing their teeth and washing their faces in the bathroom, Meng Zhengrong found himself reflecting on the fact that they hadn’t used a condom the night before. He felt a twinge of regret.

While the sensation without a condom was great, and hearing her willingness to have children was heartwarming, he now reconsidered. He really didn’t want Xu Yuan to get pregnant so soon.

What did pregnancy mean? It meant he would have to abstain again, and their newly blossomed sweet life as a couple would have to pause. In the past, Meng Zhengrong had been excited about the prospect of having a baby, but now he was less enthusiastic—at least his eagerness had halved.

Counting the months, they were still in the honeymoon phase; jumping into a married couple routine now was something Meng Zhengrong refused to accept.

At the very least, they should wait a year or so before thinking about a baby.

But now that they had already crossed that line, he didn’t want Xu Yuan to take emergency contraception; it was too harmful to her body, and wouldn’t she feel some resentment about taking the pill?

After pondering all this, Meng Zhengrong realized his only hope was that she wouldn’t conceive right away.

“By the way, when was your last period?” he asked casually.

Xu Yuan thought for a moment and counted on her fingers. “It should be in the next couple of days.”

“What’s the exact date?”

Xu Yuan glanced at him. “Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious. I thought I’d get you some supplements to help with your health. You seem too frail.”

“…If nothing unexpected happens, it should be the day after tomorrow or the day after that.”

Meng Zhengrong nodded. While Xu Yuan was changing clothes, he pulled out his phone to check how to calculate a woman’s menstrual cycle. He found that last night should have been in the safe period, right?

Although the safe period wasn’t completely reliable, and it was said that unprotected intercourse could still lead to pregnancy, the chances were presumably lower.

Meng Zhengrong didn’t dwell on this for too long; the deed was done, and they would just have to wait for the outcome.

==

In the morning, Xiaowu noticed that Fang Mingyang hadn’t gotten up early to cook bird’s nest soup as usual and asked curiously, “I saw there was still a bird’s nest; why aren’t you making it today?”

Fang Mingyang was standing in front of the mirror, combing his hair without looking up. “I packed it up to send home for Dad’s health.”

Xiaowu jumped in surprise. “What! Sending it to Dad? Are you out of your mind? You should be cooking it for the boss lady!”

In Xiaowu’s view, it was better to use the bird’s nest to please the boss lady than to send it to his father.

Who knows, if the boss lady was happy, she might look at his brother differently. The wealth of these people could elevate their whole family.

Fang Mingyang ignored Xiaowu and bent down to wipe the dust off his shoes with a cloth.

“Do you know what it means if you get involved with the boss lady?” Xiaowu patiently explained. “It means money for Dad’s medical expenses is secure, it means the little sister can continue her studies, and I won’t have to work on the construction site anymore. Who knows, we might even be able to live in a clean house!”

Fang Mingyang could no longer contain his anger and turned to Xiaowu. “Xiaowu, you need to be more grounded. Don’t think about things that aren’t yours. Do you know what kind of person our President Meng is? Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that what you’re saying is true. If President Meng found out, our whole family would be in trouble.”

Seeing Xiaowu still unconcerned, Fang Mingyang suppressed his anger and said earnestly, “Stop thinking about others and think about yourself. When Xiaoting breaks up with you for someone else, how would you feel? Do you think President Meng would let me off easy? Would he let our family have a good life?”

Fang Mingyang’s words struck a nerve, and Xiaowu’s face turned pale. This was indeed the most painful blemish of his life—his girlfriend had cheated on him. He wanted nothing more than to stab the man responsible. If his brother hadn’t pulled him out to work, he might have ended up in prison.

Xiaowu fell silent. Fang Mingyang picked up his bag and said nothing else before heading out.

Even in the morning, walking just a few steps felt hot. Fang Mingyang seemed oblivious to the heat; his face grew warm as he recalled his brother’s words and Xu Yuan’s actions from yesterday, feeling a sense of embarrassment.

Perhaps, without realizing it, he had already revealed his true feelings. Otherwise, why would he buy a bird’s nest for Xu Yuan? He could have repaid her with hard work, but instead, he chose the least suitable way.

Fang Mingyang’s steps felt heavy; he didn’t know how to face Xu Yuan. He was afraid she would see through his emotions, and he even had the impulse to resign.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have come to Meng’s company. He was surprised when he got hired; his life shouldn’t be filled with such unexpected surprises.

But if he resigned, how would he pay for his father’s medical expenses? Finding another job would take time…

Finding a new job requires time and also spending his savings. His current situation didn’t allow him to make reckless moves to maintain his dwindling pride.

Though Fang Mingyang maintained a calm facade, he was internally anxious. He had never felt so embarrassed before. The air conditioning on the bus was strong, and as he stood by the vent, feeling comfortable, his body chilled. The station approached, but he found himself dreading the thought of seeing Xu Yuan.