During her second prenatal check-up, they drew blood for a Down’s syndrome screening and performed an ultrasound. Dr. Zhang noted signs of uterine contractions and advised against sexual activity for the next month, as it could impact the pregnancy and potentially lead to a miscarriage. 

“Sexual activity…” Wen Yi blushed and quickly clarified, “Dr. Zhang, we haven’t…” 

Dr. Zhang removed the probe, peeled off her gloves, and said casually, “I’m talking about from now on. At least for the next month, avoid it. Many things can trigger contractions. Pregnant women should try to stay relaxed and avoid emotional fluctuations.” 

By the hospital bed, Qin Nanshan exchanged a glance with Wen Yi. Her heart sank—it must have been her fault. 

On their way home, Wen Yi sat in the passenger seat and nervously promised, “I’ll definitely stay in a good mood from now on.” 

“Okay,” Qin Nanshan responded lightly. “Are we having dinner at Changle Lane tonight?” 

“Sure.” 

As the car merged onto a busy street, Wen Yi watched the people and vehicles passing by outside. She silently encouraged herself, determined not to dwell on unchangeable circumstances. If she couldn’t change her environment, she’d change herself. 

If anything happened to the baby, it would be like losing a watermelon while picking up sesame seeds—not worth it. 

Later, Tian Jia called, curious and surprised about the morning’s personnel adjustment. “Yan Fu didn’t get the promotion? Looks like his aunt’s connections weren’t strong enough.” 

Wen Yi chuckled. “The leadership made a sensible decision.” 

“Yeah, I heard someone reported him. Looks like plenty of people didn’t want him in that position.” Tian Jia joked, “It wasn’t you who reported him, was it?” 

“Of course not,” Wen Yi replied, suddenly feeling a little guilty. 

There were two sales supervisors in the eastern region. After Wen Yi’s promotion to regional manager, Yan Fu was the only one left, with the other being Song Qingqing, a newly promoted candidate still under observation. If Wen Yi left and Yan Fu got promoted, it was highly likely that many of her team members would be replaced, and her chances of returning would be slim. It wouldn’t be fair to Song Qingqing and the others, either. 

Wen Yi hadn’t filed a report but had spent hours chatting with a department head who didn’t get along with Yan Fu. Though she usually disdained underhanded tactics, she felt no obligation to play fair when they’d never made things easy for her. 

Yan Fu had a history of shady dealings. Wen Yi hadn’t used the evidence of his previous attempt to frame her, though she had plenty of proof of his misconduct, including bribing doctors, falsifying procurement data, and fabricating follow-up reports. 

After six years in the business, she had learned to protect herself. This time, she hadn’t just been caught in others’ power struggles—she’d also made her move, ensuring her name wouldn’t be sacrificed. 

“If I’d known, I’d have reported him myself,” Tian Jia joked. “He should’ve been sent back to the womb with one punch.” Then she added, “By the way, does Qi Sheng coming back have anything to do with you?” 

Qi Sheng was the first new hire Wen Yi had mentored. Highly capable but not a Shanghai native, Qi Sheng had requested a transfer back home last year to develop new business opportunities, achieving impressive results. 

Wen Yi had never asked for favors, but this time she did. She owed Qi Sheng a favor for coming back. 

“Li Wei isn’t Wei Yuan,” Wen Yi said. “For a regional manager position, Li always considers carefully. Yan Fu is hopeless, and there aren’t many suitable candidates in Shanghai. I suggested Qi Sheng give it a try and didn’t expect she’d actually get the spot.” 

“It’s so satisfying,” Tian Jia laughed. “When the company email came out, Yan Fu was right next door to me. His face turned green.” She reassured Wen Yi, “It’s fine. An HR manager and a regional manager are at the same level, but HR has more power. Take care of yourself, and come back soon!” 

Wen Yi’s new position was HR Manager, essentially an HRBP role. Already aware of the job details, she smiled and said, “Sure. Look out for Qi Sheng for me.” 

“Of course, you don’t even need to ask.” 

After the personnel adjustment, Wen Yi had two days to hand over her responsibilities. Qi Sheng, having worked with her before, didn’t require much supervision, and Wen Yi could rest after her prenatal check-up. 

That afternoon, Wen Yi took a nap at home. When she woke up around 4 PM, the closed curtains blurred the distinction between day and night. Sitting dazedly on the bed in an unfamiliar bedroom, she felt a wave of panic and loss. 

Then the man at the door entered, breaking the silence, and Wen Yi snapped out of her post-nap daze. 

Oh, right. She was pregnant, married, and had just been reassigned. 

“Rest a bit more. We’ll head to Changle Lane later,” Qin Nanshan said. 

“Okay.” 

Wen Yi didn’t feel like resting. She wanted to find something to do to keep herself moving. 

Walking from the kitchen to the living room and then to the balcony, she found nothing that needed her attention. The house was impeccably organized by Qin Nanshan. 

Spotting the plants on the balcony, she finally had an idea. She knocked on the door of the guest room. “Do you have any tools for watering plants?” 

“Yes, in the cabinet next to the washing machine. Are you going to water them?” Qin Nanshan asked. 

“Yeah.” 

Wen Yi found the tools and filled them with water from the balcony faucet. She doused the aloe vera and cacti, letting them drink to their heart’s content. 

Remembering that succulents shouldn’t be watered the same way, she found a large basin in the kitchen, filled it with water, and soaked five or six small succulents in it. 

Watching the succulents bubble as they absorbed water, Wen Yi squatted beside them, feeling her mood gradually lighten. 

Wen Hongyu had always said she couldn’t take care of herself, and it was true. Back in her rented apartment, she had no pets, no plants—nothing living except herself. 

Watering plants or walking dogs had always seemed like a waste of time. 

Dipping her hand into the water, Wen Yi touched the plump, thick leaves of the succulents. She thought to herself that sometimes, she felt like one of these succulents—able to survive for a long time with just a bit of sunlight and water.

So she’s so easy to take care of, Ms. Wen is completely talking nonsense.

Xia Tian didn’t know when she came over and sat beside her, squinting her eyes and wagging her tail, enjoying the sunset on the balcony.

When Qin Nanshan came out, he saw this scene: the golden orange sunlight pouring over the harmonious scene of one person and one dog, the atmosphere calm.

He watched for half a minute, then found a small stool from the living room and gave it to her, “Don’t squat, it’ll tire you out.”

Wen Yi turned her head, her clear eyes full of gentle smiles, “Thank you.”

The semi-dry succulent soaked up water for about ten minutes, and its leaves gradually became plump. Wen Yi felt inexplicably satisfied, as if she herself had absorbed enough water.

Before she turned 28, her dream was to buy a big house, get promoted, and receive raises, filled with ambition every day. She never imagined that after 28, sitting in a small two-bedroom apartment from the 80s or 90s, just staring at a pot of soaking succulents, could make her so content.

Wen Yi gave a self-deprecating smile, then went to find other chores to do. Since she was on the balcony, she reached out to touch the clothes she washed last night; they were dry.

Next to them were a couple of sets of men’s clothes, he might have forgotten to pick them up.

For the past half month, they had been doing their own laundry, with separate shower gels and toothpaste in the bathroom. If they weren’t sleeping in the same bed, it would feel like they were roommates.

Wen Yi paused for two seconds, collected his clothes, and put them into the wardrobe.

…