The entire process of establishing the Strategic Innovation Department and the competition for the position would take about six months to a year. During that time, Wei Yuan would still be her superior. She just needed to get through the pregnancy phase safely.

She would use her birthday wish next year to wish him success in his career—far away from her.

Wei Yuan wasn’t a fool; he understood the underlying meaning of her words. After a brief pause, he smiled back. “Wen Yi, you think too highly of me.”

Wen Yi raised her cup and took a sip, her long eyelashes fluttering as a smile played on her lips. “You didn’t use to be like this.”

“Actually, going back to the way things were wouldn’t be so bad,” Wei Yuan’s eyes glinted as he stared at her.

“President Wei, I’ll send you a wedding invitation once the date is set.” Wen Yi stood up and brushed off her coat. “And, by the way, I haven’t changed for anyone, nor do I think I look disheveled. My boyfriend and I are doing very well. Please don’t say things like that again. It could lead to misunderstandings.”

Wen Yi left the café, looking up at the large sign on top of the building that read “Nuon Pharmaceuticals.” She then lowered her head and glanced at her still-flat belly, sighing softly to herself.

If only everything were as simple as she hoped.

Before entering her office, she received a message from her mother: “What is this?”

Wen Yi replied: “It’s your grandson’s heartbeat.”

…

Qin Nanshan said she didn’t need to bring anything, but Wen Yi couldn’t show up empty-handed. She had given many gifts over the years and knew what people their age liked. After work, she headed straight to the mall.

When she got home, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, carrying large bags and drenched in sweat. She slumped in exhaustion; she really did look a bit disheveled.

After placing the gifts down, she sat on the couch, zoning out.

It was Friday. Normally, she would be out socializing, having dinner or drinks with friends, or sweating it out at the gym. Instead, here she was, buying gifts for her future in-laws, with nowhere to go afterward, stuck contemplating life.

Why is it that as soon as women enter marriage and family, they lose themselves? Wen Yi pondered deeply.

If she couldn’t wear heels, there were still plenty of stylish flats. Even during pregnancy, she could wear dresses and light makeup. She was naturally beautiful—she just needed a little sprucing up.

Thinking this, Wen Yi opened her favorite shopping app and began searching for maternity clothes. After browsing for a while, she found the mainstream styles unimpressive, so she switched to her usual brands. Ten minutes later, she gritted her teeth and bought herself two pairs of shoes, four dresses, and a bag. After all, new clothes deserved a new bag!

After her impulsive shopping spree, Wen Yi instantly felt better. But then she started thinking about childbirth and breastfeeding. She looked down at her chest, which seemed to have grown even larger, and sighed in distress.

She gently touched her belly, talking to herself, “Baby, you’ve got to be kind to your mom and learn to drink formula early, okay? When you’re 18, I still want to be a beautiful mom that all your classmates will envy.”

Still mulling things over, Wen Yi sent a message to Qin Nanshan: “I’ve been thinking. We need to set some ground rules.”

“I’ll need to go back to work after my maternity leave, so we’ll hire a maternity nurse. Once the baby is older, we’ll get a nanny to help out. I’ll cover the costs.”

“Your work hours are more stable, so you’ll handle most of the childcare and education, okay? I’ll try not to work overtime. Don’t worry.”

“Oh, and one more thing—I won’t be living with your parents. No particular reason, just that I’m used to living on my own.”

“Actually, never mind, too much to discuss. Let’s talk tomorrow.”

Just as she put her phone down, the doorbell rang urgently. Wen Yi opened the door to find Qiao En, back from a business trip.

Qiao En hadn’t even had time to drop off her luggage before shaking Wen Yi’s shoulders. “What’s going on? How did you two end up together?”

Wen Yi felt queasy from the shaking. “Miss Qiao, I’m pregnant!”

Qiao En stopped immediately, carefully guiding her to the couch like she was a queen, and asked the question again.

There was no point hiding it, so Wen Yi recounted what had happened, though she left out the bedroom details.

But Qiao En, freshly steeped in Western culture, was curious about exactly that. “Seriously, Wen Yi, how could you do it with him?”

“What’s wrong with him? He’s still handsome, and he’s got a great body. That’s all you need for a one-night stand, right?”

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

Wen Yi had a headache. Qiao En wasn’t like Zhao Ling; she wasn’t easy to brush off.

Lately, Wen Yi had been craving strong flavors. She bent down, grabbed a preserved plum, and popped it into her mouth. As she sucked on it, she thought for a moment. After spitting out the pit, she said, “Brainy is the new sexy. You know what that means?”

Qiao En shook her head earnestly. “Nope, I don’t get it.”

“Good, you’re not supposed to,” Wen Yi replied. She wasn’t entirely sure herself. Back then, a mix of factors had come into play. The external factor was Yan Fu’s scheme—he gave her the wrong room key, and the man’s body was tempting. The internal factor… well…

Online explanations of sapiosexuality perfectly described her state at the time. Intelligence and brains were a fatal attraction for her, even triggering sexual desire. Wen Yi figured she must be sapiosexual, no doubt about it. After all, her favorite TV character was Sherlock from Sherlock Holmes.

Qin Nanshan was different from many of the men she had met later. Conquering a real-life genius brought a sense of accomplishment. With his IQ bonus, she had a mental filter over him, which led to her impulsive mistake.

Qiao En responded, “But I think he has to be both smart and good-looking to say Brainy is the new sexy.”

Wen Yi gave her a thumbs-up.

“What are you two planning to do?”

Wen Yi lay back on the couch, putting her legs on Qiao En’s lap and changing the subject. “Do you think my legs are swollen?”

Qiao En squeezed them. “No, they’re fine.”