Chapter 27

Although the “beginning” pieced together so far was still too advanced for Ji Qingyu, she breathed a sigh of relief secretly.

First, this meant she was in a clear state of mind when she had a relationship with Feng Chengze. To be precise, they were both clear-headed; otherwise, it wouldn’t have happened repeatedly. If it were just a messy accident, once would have been enough. How could they use up a whole box in one night and continue the next day?

During their freshman military training, Mao Feifei explained that men are powerless when drunk. If he could perform, it meant he was pretending to be drunk! So, when she first crossed over, she was actually worried about what Feng Chengze could do to her. At least he remained mostly rational and clear-headed. But what about her? If she was drunk…

Honestly, she couldn’t accept that possibility. She couldn’t accept that, as an adult, she would put herself in such a “dangerous” situation. No matter how upset or broken she was, her safety should come first. And she couldn’t accept that the “husband” she chose would take advantage of her. Secondly, Yuan Bao might have been an ‘accident,’ but not caused by a one-night stand. This made her feel much better.

Feng Chengze still stared silently at his phone, which had automatically turned off a minute or two ago. The light from the car window illuminated his solemn face. In this world, no one knew himself better than he did. This thing could only have been used by him; otherwise, no one could have made him order a set at two in the morning. He wouldn’t buy it for someone else or let someone else buy it for him. It was very private; he didn’t want to pry into others’ privacy or let others pry into his. Looking at Yuan Bao’s birth certificate, he could calculate that Ji Qingyu was probably pregnant around mid to late September. From early July to mid to late September, it was only a little over two months. He had prepared for the worst, thinking that perhaps he got involved with her a month or two after she broke up with Feng Yu, but he didn’t expect the reality to be far worse than he thought.

Ji Qingyu saw Feng Chengze standing still as if he had become a statue. Clearly, their joys and sorrows were not the same. Her relationship with Feng Yu and his relationship with Feng Yu was completely different.

After the car drove into the basement, Feng Chengze raised the partition. He wasn’t someone who showed his emotions easily. During the half-hour of dead silence on the way back, he had already sorted out his feelings. By the time he got out of the car, he had regained his usual calm and composure.

Ji Qingyu almost wanted to applaud him—truly impressive, worthy of being the boss! He got out of the car, and she followed. As they walked towards the elevator, neither of them broke the silence. When they reached for the elevator button at the same time, Ji Qingyu’s fingers accidentally pressed on his. Just as she was about to pull back, he held her hand and said deeply, “I still stand by what I said. Everything as usual.”

No matter what happened five years ago, it wouldn’t affect his decision. He hoped she felt the same because they were in the same boat. If their goals weren’t aligned, trouble would eventually arise.

Ji Qingyu instinctively wanted to break free, but upon hearing those words, she obediently let him continue holding her hand. When the elevator doors opened, he grabbed her wrist and led her inside.

“What about you?” he asked.

“Me?”

This was still their first time openly discussing this topic. Ji Qingyu thought for a moment, lowered her gaze to his hand, and said honestly yet vaguely, “I didn’t find it unpleasant that night.”

Adults all know that being physically able to accept another person’s closeness—hugging, holding hands, kissing—is a prerequisite for the “beginning” of a relationship. If even the body is very resistant, then it won’t work. Throwing money at it only solves things temporarily, not for a lifetime. There might be such ruthless people, but Ji Qingyu is definitely not one of them. The body is always more honest than the mind. It is not constrained by “money” or “relationships.” Once it starts to like, consciousness will gradually surrender. Once it starts to get tired, even if consciousness desperately tells itself, “I really love her/him,” such beliefs will eventually collapse; it’s just a matter of time. She is not an adventurous person. Although she hasn’t expressed it to Feng Chengze, she is indeed satisfied with her current life. She is materially well-off, her family is well taken care of, her family is safe, and her daughter is healthy and lively. She neither dislikes nor is repulsed by her “husband,” and waking up in his arms in the morning is not uncomfortable for her. Therefore, she can’t think of any reason or cause that would make her want to take a risk and change.

That night.

Feng Chengze’s eyes showed a slight ripple. He murmured softly, loosening his grip on her wrist a bit but still not letting go. Once she got home, Feng Jiayuan took a shower early. It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet, and she wasn’t tired. Sitting cross-legged at the wide desk in the study, she was flipping through her picture book, with several colorful ones piled up beside her. She turned a page of “The Animal’s Home” with great seriousness, frowning as if she were reviewing a multi-billion-dollar contract. She preferred sitting in her dad’s study rather than her children’s desk.

“Are you reading, my little darling?” Ji Qingyu asked with a smile. She didn’t dare to go in, worried that her faint smell of alcohol might reach the child.

Feng Jiayuan looked up at their intertwined hands, smiled, and replied thoughtfully, “You can’t call me ‘darling’ now. It should be…” She thought hard about the word, “strictly business, so call me Director Yuan.”

“Strictly business,” Ji Qingyu corrected, holding back her laughter. She couldn’t laugh aloud. Just a few days were enough to understand young Miss Feng’s personality. She valued her dignity, and if Ji Qingyu laughed, Miss Feng would get very upset, and the consequences would be severe.

Ji Qingyu’s urge to laugh grew. Feng Jiayuan wore a man’s watch, too large and loose, almost sliding down to her elbow with a lift of her hand. Looking down, she saw Feng Jiayuan’s small feet hooked into a pair of high heels. This little child had turned her parents’ closet into a toy room, playing with dad’s watch and mom’s high heels, having the time of her life.

No matter the shocks they faced earlier, seeing the child’s adorable antics relaxed both Ji Qingyu and Feng Chengze, bringing smiles to their faces.

Feng Jiayuan closed her picture book, jumped down from the chair, and, with high heels clicking, picked up the manila folder Feng Chengze had left on the desk. With great authority, she shouted, “Secretary Liu, is my car ready?”

Ji Qingyu: “… ” Feng Chengze: “… “

Behind them, Sister Liu responded eagerly, “It’s ready, Director Yuan. Will you drive yourself, or should I arrange a driver?” They turned to see Sister Liu pushing a four-wheeled toy car over.

“I’ll drive myself,”

Ji Qingyu acted like a traffic officer. She sternly reminded, “Drivers are not allowed to drive in high heels, or they will be warned and fined.”

Feng Chengze watched her playing along, once again wondering whether there was one child in the house or two.

“Alright,” Feng Jiayuan said, “Today, let Driver Sun drive!”

Sister Liu called out, “Driver Sun—” and Sister Sun responded, “Here I come!”

Feng Jiayuan swiftly climbed into the toy car, and Sister Sun pushed from behind, controlling the steering wheel. The two nannies made funny and realistic sound effects, “Beep beep! Honk honk! Vroom vroom!”

Majestic and spirited, Feng Jiayuan instructed Sister Sun to slow down. She sternly said, “You two can’t stand in the roadway. It’s dangerous. Get back to the sidewalk!”

Ji Qingyu quickly said, “I’m the traffic officer, directing traffic here.”

Feng Jiayuan pondered, “What about him?” pointing at her father, Feng Chengze.

Ji Qingyu didn’t expect Feng Chengze to be so uncooperative. He had no sense of childlike fun, so she answered for the silent groom, “He ran a red light and is being criticized and educated by the traffic officer. I’m taking him back to the station.”

Feng Chengze: “…”

Feng Jiayuan finally felt satisfied, “Then, Officer Ji, I’m off. I have many meetings at the company.”

Ji Qingyu waved her hand, “Goodbye.”

After playing for a while, Feng Jiayuan grew sleepy, and the toy car drove into the children’s room.

In the hallway, Ji Qingyu peeked in, a gentle smile in her eyes. Feng Chengze saw this and was suddenly stunned. The two of them returned to the master bedroom.

“Actually, a child’s childhood is very short,” Ji Qingyu said, noticing that Feng Chengze had been silent since they got back.

Maybe she was looking for small talk, or maybe she—she looked down at her wrist; he had already let go, but his warmth still lingered. She could feel that he wanted to take the initiative to get closer. So, he kissed her when he was angry and asked her to help him choose a tie the following day, and even after such an awkward moment, he still said, “Everything as usual.” He was like the helmsman of a ship, trying to steer back on course whenever there was a slight deviation, heading towards his desired destination. He was likely a strong, stubborn, and rational person. Therefore, no one and nothing could easily shake his resolve. Whether he turned against Feng Yu in the past five years or had a dramatic start with her, his thoughts and feelings hadn’t changed since waking up on that plane.

“She’s already in kindergarten. She’ll go to elementary school, junior high, high school, and then college,” Ji Qingyu said softly. “She’ll meet more people, classmates, and friends. Her life will be exciting, and by then, her time at home will get shorter and shorter.”

“When I was little, I used to drape myself in a bedsheet and pretend to be a historical figure. My parents…” She paused, reminiscing with a smile. “They would join in the fun and act along with me. Sometimes, I was the princess, Dad was the queen, and Mom was the king. Sometimes, I was a star, Dad was a fan, and Mom was the manager. Sometimes, I was a fairy, Dad was the land god, and Mom was the Bodhisattva. Growing up with such love and tolerance, having been loved like this, I chose to be a traffic officer today. It’s just a pity that growing up makes it embarrassing to play such games again. Even if Mom and Dad were willing to join in, I’d still feel shy.”

After expressing her great parenting philosophy, Ji Qingyu looked up at Feng Chengze and was stunned. His expression wasn’t the “slightly touched” look of someone who had been moved, nor was it his usual calm and composed look. His eyes were strange, looking at her with a complex expression.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Qingyu blinked, puzzled.

Feng Chengze slowly shook his head, “Nothing.” Just got to know her a bit more.