Chapter 104: “I Am Your Husband”

The news of the birth of the Little Princess of Beijing spread like wildfire. Not only did the elite circles in Beijing know, but even people who weren’t interested in the entertainment or financial sectors heard about it.

This was largely because, at Fu Lingying’s one-month celebration, she received two extravagant gifts.

One was 10% of Fu Corporation’s shares from Old Master Fu and his wife. The other was a set of shares in the Shi family’s business, alongside a diamond tiara from her two uncles—the tiara was said to have once belonged to British royalty.

Before Fu Lingying even turned one, Ruan Li was still resting and hadn’t returned to work. Meanwhile, four-year-old Fu Chengjing had been forcibly sent to kindergarten by his father.

There was no other reason for this but Fu Chengjing’s disruptive behavior at home or at least, that was what Fu Huaizhou thought.

Some children create chaos by being loud and disruptive, but Fu Chengjing was different. He quietly roamed the entire Yu Garden, especially the master bedroom, as if he were on a mission. He even wanted to place a bed for himself between his sister’s crib and their mother’s bed. Knowing his son’s early development, Fu Huaizhou thought sending him to kindergarten early was essential.

Ruan Li was in her walk-in closet, organizing Fu Lingying’s tiny clothes, which were already numerous despite her age. Just then, Ye Mian invited her to help pick out a wedding dress next month was Ye Mian’s wedding to Shi Xun. Once Ruan Li had finished tidying up, she started doing her makeup, feeling a bit bored from her isolation during pregnancy and postpartum recovery. A natural social butterfly, she impulsively set up her phone for a livestream of her makeup session.

“Wow, no heads up for this stream, darling?” someone asked in the comments.

“Eh, do I need a heads up? I just felt like it, so everyone can just watch if they want,” Ruan Li said while applying toner, glancing occasionally at the scrolling comments.

“Is that moisturizer custom-made?” one viewer asked.

Soon, another answered, “I heard a tiny jar costs tens of thousands…”

These were all products Ruan Li was used to, and she had forgotten their prices. “Let’s do a giveaway after this, okay? I’ll include some of my favorite items from the vanity. My team can increase the number of prizes,” she said, causing excitement in the comments.

Her makeup routine was simple, though her skincare steps were a bit involved. She chatted casually with her viewers while applying each product.

“What are you doing to that gorgeous face of yours?” asked one.

“Didn’t you just have a baby? Let’s see!” many others echoed, eager for a glimpse.

“Is that a closet behind you? Show us!” another requested.

Ruan Li remembered the last time she had shown her closet was years ago on a reality show, back when they filmed her own house. Now, that house was mostly unused.

She recalled a recent conversation with Fu Huaizhou, where they discussed the house being vacant for so long, almost forgotten.

“I didn’t know it was empty,” Fu Huaizhou had teased. “A few months ago, someone ran back there.”

Ruan Li had felt embarrassed she’d indeed fled to the house in the late stages of her pregnancy. The summer heat made her crave cold treats, and she was annoyed that Fu Huaizhou refused to let her indulge.

“I want ice cream now,” she had demanded one night, her swollen belly lending an air of authority to her words.

“No,” Fu Huaizhou had replied with a patient smile, “It’s late, and eating it now will only bring coldness into your body. You can have some tomorrow.”

Ruan Li had been in no mood to listen, tears of frustration welling in her eyes. The last time she was pregnant with Fu Chengjing, she’d eaten ice cream late at night and had stomach pain the next day, terrifying him. So, this time, his refusal was firm.

“Fine, you and your stupid rules can sleep alone!” she had huffed, storming out to the empty house.

Naturally, Fu Huaizhou had followed her, spending the night comforting her until she was back in good spirits. Afterward, he gently teased her, “You didn’t go to the Shi family home because you knew they’d scold you.”

Remembering this, Ruan Li felt a bit embarrassed, but she wouldn’t admit that craving ice cream during pregnancy was a mistake. “A pregnant woman does what she wants,” she had retorted.

He knew better than to argue with a hormonal, pregnant woman. Instead, he had gently placed their wide-eyed daughter aside and leaned in to kiss Ruan Li. “I’m your husband, of course I care about you,” he said softly.

Shaking off the memory, Ruan Li’s cheeks grew slightly warm as she stood up with her phone. “Okay, let me show you around, but it’s a bit messy. Lingying has way too many clothes.”

“Lingying*? Sounds like someone who cries a lot,” someone joked in the chat.

Ruan Li didn’t bother explaining. Just like with Chengjing, her children’s given names weren’t publicly known; they only used their nicknames on camera.

“These are my clothes, and here are some jewelry pieces stored away,” she said, gesturing to a section of the closet. “Over here is my wedding dress and the engagement ring Fu got me.”

The wedding dress had been cleaned and restored upon her strict insistence, with a stern warning to a certain someone not to ruin it again.

“Whoa, this closet is bigger than my apartment!” someone exclaimed.

“When I was a kid, I didn’t dare to get plastic rings this big…” another joked.

Ruan Li opened a glass door and pointed at rows of black, white, and gray suits. “And these are for our boring Fu. They all look the same at first glance.”

Nearby, a glass cabinet displayed his collection of ties, watches, and cufflinks, his one nod to fashion.

“To the side are Lingying’s clothes most of them are gifts from her uncles and Ye Mian.”

Quick-eyed viewers picked up on a detail. “Uncles? I thought you didn’t have any brothers…”

“Aren’t you an orphan?”

Ruan Li suddenly realized that, despite the grand recognition event for her and the children’s celebrations, the public wasn’t widely aware of her connection to the Shi family. Only a select group in Beijing, the ones in attendance, knew of her familial ties to them.

“Oh, I do have brothers,” she said with a smile. “Maybe one day I’ll introduce them.”

“Hey! Show us Lingying! Is she awake?” the chat clamored.

“I think she’s awake now,” Ruan Li replied, heading towards the crib.