Chapter 14

That night, Yang Qiujin lingered in the kitchen, scrubbing a pot. Li Xiuer came over, urging her, “Qiujin, that pot hasn’t been used in years, it’s all rusty. Why are you wasting time cleaning it? Go to bed.”

Her son had returned, and Li Xiuer couldn’t wait for her son and daughter-in-law to hurry up and have another child.

After her husband’s death, she didn’t get along well with her stepchildren, and the house felt empty. Tianyou was the only grandchild, and if Qiujin had another child, whether a boy or a girl, the house would definitely feel livelier. Seeing Yang Qiujin lingering, she couldn’t help but urge her.

Yang Qiujin understood her mother-in-law’s intentions and felt helpless. When she had been forced to marry Chen Shengqing, she had felt anxious on their wedding night. But when she overheard Tian Chunlian talking with some female guests, saying that their marriage had been forced and that Chen Shengqing probably hated her, she decided not to worry about it. When he finally came in, wearing festive clothes and slightly drunk, he leaned against the door and looked at her.

He had deep black eyes, and his face was so good-looking that it made her heart race. She remembered what Tian Chunlian had said and impulsively undid her clothes and reached for his neck…

Thinking of this, Yang Qiujin blushed deeply. The man had been too intense. Their wedding night hadn’t been as beautiful as she had imagined. Half of it had been painful, and the other half had been filled with shy cries.

After that night, she couldn’t even get out of bed. Her legs trembled when she stood, and Tian Chunlian laughed at her for a long time. She became very resistant to that activity, and he noticed her unwillingness and never touched her again.

She wasn’t sure if it was because of that incident, but the gap between them, which was already small, seemed to widen even more. Shortly after, Chen Shengqing enlisted, and more than a month after he left, Yang Qiujin discovered she was pregnant.

Now, facing Chen Shengqing, she felt half-shy, half-awkward.

Logically speaking, they were married, and they had a child together. It should be normal for them to share a bed and do those things.

But they had been apart for seven years and had no romantic feelings. She just felt strange about it. So, she kept delaying returning to the room, avoiding him as much as she could.

But her mother-in-law was watching, so Yang Qiujin reluctantly walked into the room. Tianyou was rolling around on the large bed by the window.

“Mom, you’re so slow, I almost fell asleep,” Tianyou said.

“Mom got delayed by something,” Yang Qiujin glanced at the room and was surprised to find that Chen Shengqing wasn’t there.

Where did he go?

Just as she turned around, Chen Shengqing appeared out of nowhere, his body still wet from water.

“Ah!” Yang Qiujin was startled and almost fell backward.

“Be careful.” Chen Shengqing reached out his long arm and pulled her toward him.

His strength wasn’t small. Yang Qiujin was pulled into his embrace, hitting his hard chest and hurting her own chest in the process.

“Why are you sneaking around like a ghost, coming and going without a sound?” Yang Qiujin said, half annoyed, half blushing as she reached out to push the man.

What was this guy doing? He had just taken a shower and didn’t wear any clothes, his upper body exposed. She could clearly see his firm chest muscles, the smooth lines of his inverted triangle figure, and several bullet scars on his body.

Chen Shengqing let her push him away, his eyes as dark as ink, staring at her. Seven years had passed, and her appearance hadn’t changed much. However, her figure had definitely become fuller than seven years ago.

When she bumped into him earlier, the soft sensation on his chest caused his heart to stir. His mind involuntarily recalled their wedding night seven years ago, when she had been so seductive beneath him.

Soon, the ripples in his heart faded. Seven years ago, she had been the one to take the initiative to consummate the marriage, but after that, she was always reluctant to sleep with him. He knew she could never forget Ji Mingchen and that their marriage had only been forced by their parents. That was why he decided to enlist in the army.

He had planned to serve the country, and after a few years when both families had calmed down, he would divorce her and let her go free. He never expected that she would get pregnant so quickly.

Later, many things happened with both their families and the military that kept him from returning. Time passed, and seven years had gone by. He wasn’t sure if Yang Qiujin was still living with him because of the families or because of the child.

Thinking of this, he became unusually calm and said seriously, “Sorry, I’m used to being rough in the army. Next time, I’ll make sure to let you know in advance.”

Next time?

Yang Qiujin shot him an exasperated look, walked over to the bed, and slapped her son’s little bottom, “Go sleep in your own bed.”

“No, no,” Chen Tianyou, with his chubby little face, rubbed against her hand and coquettishly said, “I want to sleep with Mommy and Daddy.”

“No,” Yang Qiujin pulled her hand back, “You’re a big boy now, you can’t sleep with adults anymore. It’s embarrassing.”

“But I’ve never slept with Daddy before,” Chen Tianyou looked at Chen Shengqing with pitiful eyes.

Chen Shengqing’s heart softened at the sound of “Daddy” and hesitated, looking at Yang Qiujin, “How about…?”

Yang Qiujin glared at Chen Shengqing, “Didn’t you say earlier that boys should sleep on their own? Where’s your principle?”

“Well, it’s just that the child has never slept with me,” Chen Shengqing said, coughing awkwardly.

The father-son relationship, which had been missing for seven years, couldn’t be rushed. It needed to be slowly nurtured and repaired.

Yang Qiujin sighed, “Whatever, you do whatever you want.”

“Yay!” Chen Tianyou cheered and rolled into the farthest corner of the bed.

Even though he still felt unfamiliar with his dad, he was still happy to sleep in the same bed with both his parents.

With the child present, Chen Shengqing wouldn’t make any moves on her.

With this in mind, Yang Qiujin calmly took out a new blanket from the wooden wardrobe and placed it on the side of the bed, “This blanket was made two years ago and has never been used. You can use it.”

She didn’t even look at Chen Shengqing’s expression, took off her coat, and lay in the middle of the bed. Chen Tianyou crawled into her arms, calling out sweetly, “Mommy.”

“Mm, sleep,” Yang Qiujin’s heart melted at his call, and she reached out a hand to hold him. He pressed his small body close to hers, and mother and son soon fell asleep.

Chen Shengqing looked at the mother and son sleeping soundly, a bit lost in thought. Deep inside, he felt a warmth and happiness that was hard to put into words. He reached out and gently touched their faces, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

No matter whether Yang Qiujin still liked Ji Mingchen in her heart, she was now his wife and the mother of his child. As long as she was by his side, one day, he would make her willingly stay with him for the rest of their lives.

He opened the new blanket, carefully climbed into bed, and lay beside Yang Qiujin. He could smell the faint fragrance of orchids and soap coming from her, and hear Tianyou’s steady breathing. Chen Shengqing relaxed and soon fell asleep.

While the Chen family slept peacefully, Shi Fangfang from the Ji family couldn’t sleep.

Shi Fangfang had been excited for days after receiving the news that Ji Mingchen was coming back. She was overjoyed and had been cleaning the house, tidying her room, waiting for her husband’s return.

However, the first thing Ji Mingchen did after coming back was go to the Chen family, visit Yang Qiujin, and even bring them gifts before heading home.

Shi Fangfang had dressed herself up beautifully and waited eagerly at the village entrance. But a gossiping neighbor came to mock her, saying that after so many years, Ji Mingchen still couldn’t forget Yang Qiujin. After being away for years, the first thing he did when he returned was visit his old lover. Shi Fangfang was furious, gritting her teeth, but still managed to smile and welcome her husband home.

Yet, when Ji Mingchen returned, he barely looked at her, spending the whole day chatting and playing with his parents, children, and relatives. When evening came, he took a shower and went to bed with the children.

Shi Fangfang stared at Ji Mingchen’s sleeping face. Four years apart, he was still as handsome and elegant as before. He smiled warmly at everyone except her, treating her as if she were invisible.

Tears streamed down Shi Fangfang’s face. She cried for most of the night until Ji Mingchen, unable to bear it any longer, impatiently asked, “How long are you going to cry?”

“You don’t even ask why I’m crying, and you’re blaming me,” Shi Fangfang was furious as soon as he asked.

“Fine, why are you crying?” Ji Mingchen sat up and asked.

Without his glasses, his eyes seemed lifeless, and he looked extremely tired.

Seeing his exhausted appearance made Shi Fangfang angrier, “We haven’t seen each other for four years, and you came back, and the first thing you did was go to the Chen family to see Yang Qiujin. What do you think you’re doing to me and the kids?”

She and Ji Mingchen had married seven years ago, on the same day as Yang Qiujin’s wedding, and their wedding banquet had been even more extravagant, just to overshadow Yang Qiujin’s.

But less than a month after Ji Mingchen married her, he joined the army, like Chen Shengqing. Later, he became a military doctor and went to the Capital Military Region Hospital for further studies. By then, she had already given birth to twins, a boy and a girl.

She initially planned to take her children to the capital to find him, so they could live together happily. However, he said that without a military position, it would be difficult for him to leave the military area. He also didn’t want her to rent a house with the children and wait for him, so he asked her to help take care of his parents in her hometown. Her dream of joining the army was shattered.

He only came back once over the years. She went to see him at other times, but their meetings were rare.

Now that he finally returned, what he did made her extremely heartbroken and disappointed. She completely forgot that she should be a gentle and virtuous woman and instead questioned him aggressively.

“You’re thinking too much,” Ji Mingchen explained patiently. “Chen Shengqing took my ride back, so of course, I had to send him home first. I didn’t go to see Yang Qiujin specifically. As for the gift, I was already at the Chen family’s door, so I couldn’t go empty-handed. After all, Chen Shengqing and I are in the same unit now, so we need to maintain a good relationship.”

“Really?” Shi Fangfang was skeptical. “Then why didn’t you pay attention to me?”

“How could I ignore you?” Ji Mingchen said with a wronged expression. “I’ve been traveling all the way and was so tired that I just wanted to sleep. So many relatives and friends came to my house, and I was already exhausted from dealing with them. You still want me to do this and that. I’m human too, I need rest.”

“But…” This wasn’t what she had expected.

The scene she imagined—of a loving couple after a long separation—wasn’t there at all. She could feel that he was much colder towards her than he had been four years ago.

Could he have an affair?

Shi Fangfang became suspicious and wanted to ask him, but she then heard breathing sounds beside the bed. Ji Mingchen had fallen asleep.

Shi Fangfang was so angry that she gritted her teeth, but she didn’t dare to wake him for fear of his anger. After thinking for a long time, she could only sit at the edge of the bed and sulk.