Chapter 21: Jealousy

“Let’s give Grandpa a call.”

Jiang Banyue had just bought a telephone and installed it at the counter. She tried making an outbound call while Shen Yunhe held the three babies in his arms, gathering around her.

The phone rang, and soon, the other side picked up. “Hello, who is this?”

Jiang Banyue chuckled softly and placed the receiver near the babies’ ears. “Babies, it’s Grandma! Say something to Grandma!”

The second and third babies, drooling, excitedly reached for the phone, babbling “Ah ah…”. Hearing their familiar voices, Jiang’s mother burst into delighted laughter on the other end.

“It’s my precious grandkids! Your mom installed a phone at the shop?”

“Ah ah ah ah ah…”

The second and third babies drooled all over the receiver, even trying to shove the phone into their mouths. The eldest baby turned away in disgust. Jiang Banyue gently wiped the two little ones clean with a soft towel, then took a tissue to wipe the saliva off the receiver before picking up the call again.

“Mom, I installed a phone. From now on, we can keep in touch easily.”

“That’s great! It’ll be so convenient!” Jiang’s mother said cheerfully.

“Mom, write down the number—0735…”

“Got it! I’ve written it down!” Jiang’s mother noted down the shop’s phone number with pen and paper.

Shen Yunhe also silently memorized the number. The more time he spent with them, the more reluctant he was to leave. His leave was ending in just two more days, and he didn’t know when he would see them again after that. The children were still too young to visit him, and Jiang Banyue would never take the initiative to find him—she couldn’t wait for him to stay as far away as possible.

Shen Yunhe sighed, holding the babies tighter in his arms. His road to winning back his wife was long and uncertain. He wondered if he could succeed in remarrying her before the children grew up and got married themselves.

A cheerful voice rang out from outside the door.

“Little brothers, little sister, your big sister is here to play with you!”

Zhao Jiaojiao hopped inside excitedly, while Gu Qingci followed leisurely behind her, a faint smile on his lips.

The second and third babies, upon seeing the familiar young girl, bounced eagerly in their father’s arms, stretching out their little hands, wanting to play with their sister.

Shen Yunhe’s breath hitched when he saw Gu Qingci before him. He couldn’t shake off the image of this man sitting in the car, holding his son like a father, standing beside Jiang Banyue like a rightful partner. And he—he didn’t even have the right to be angry. Jealousy gnawed at his heart like a swarm of ants, bitter and suffocating, but all he could do was suppress it with all his might.

Gu Qingci noticed the unfamiliar man in the shop, holding the babies in his arms while they sat obediently. The resemblance between them made him realize instantly—this was the babies’ biological father, the man Jiang Banyue had divorced.

Gu Qingci gave a slight nod. “Hello.”

Shen Yunhe swallowed down the bitterness in his throat and forced himself to return the greeting with a nod, pretending to be calm. The young girl approached him, tilting her head up and cautiously asking,

“Uncle, can I play with my little brothers and sister?”

Shen Yunhe nodded absentmindedly and carried the babies over to the carpet, sitting down with them.

Meanwhile, Jiang Banyue handed Gu Qingci a set of design sketches she had drawn, discussing the styles with him.

Shen Yunhe turned his head and saw the two of them sitting close together—her leaning in to talk, him smiling indulgently as he gazed at her.

A dark cloud loomed over Shen Yunhe’s eyes. He clenched his fists tightly, barely restraining the urge to walk over and separate them. His lips trembled uncontrollably. He quickly turned away, afraid that if he kept watching, he would lose control and do something he couldn’t take back—something that would make Jiang Banyue hate him even more.

The children played and laughed beside him, but his face remained eerily calm. All he could hear was the sound of her sweet laughter and the deep, low chuckle of another man.

What were they talking about? Why were they so happy together?

Shen Yunhe’s mind went blank, his ears filtering out the children’s laughter as he focused solely on the conversation between Jiang Banyue and Gu Qingci.

“Do you design qipaos?”

“I do.”

“That’s great. My mom has an important banquet coming up, but she hasn’t been able to find a suitable dress. I was hoping you could design a qipao for her. Would that be okay?”

“Of course. When I have time, I can meet with Auntie and see what kind of style suits her best.”

“Great, I’ll let her know when I get back.”

A sharp ringing filled Shen Yunhe’s ears, and his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.

They were going to meet the parents.

Was marriage next?

His heart twisted in agony, as if someone were slicing through it with a dull blade—slowly, mercilessly, leaving him bleeding and broken. The metallic taste of blood surged up his throat.

It hurt. It hurt so much.